markofthebrave | [ Action, Accidental Voice ] .032

[For the past almost two weeks, Katara has been struggling to regain her balance - even struggling to want to regain her balance. Aang's second return home hit her hard, on top of Zuko's mallynapping and Toph's return... Toph who doesn't remember. It's good to see her, but it's terrible as well. Now more of them are trapped in this horrible place. And she still hasn't been able get back to wearing her regular clothes because the 'phasing' keeps happening, as randomly and as annoyingly as ever.

It's been almost two weeks since she's returned and her shoulder hasn't been in any pain in days. The experience of having her bending completely taken away in the Malnosso facility was one that's almost beyond words, and now that she's back where she can feel even just half herself again, the desire, the need to bend has been growing under her skin like an itch.

She can't take it anymore. So Katara goes out just after dinner to one of her favorite practicing spots between her house and the barracks, and begins by doing very simple forms that don't require a lot of movement. She pauses when Momo finds her and sits down to take a break.

It's not long before she begins talking to the lemur about their adventures. It feels good - to talk to someone about home, to talk about all the things that happened, to remember who she really was, despite what this place wanted to make her. She doesn't notice when Momo knocks the journal opened when he moves to chase after what could be a fallen nut. ~~He might not be the best listener ever.~~]

--Sokka sent Aang in to steal the book. Remember riding on top of Appa's back so Aang and I could shape the clouds? It was too bad that we had to go through all that just to get them to listen to us. So after we made the skull in the sky, we dragged out Aunt Wu to see it - the sign for volcanic doom. Then the villagers listened. All the earthbenders worked to dig trenches and everyone else grabbed shovels to help out as best as we could.

And then when volcano exploded, we got back as far as we could, but it flowed right through--

[There's some excited chatter by the book, and suddenly the picture is filled with this face. It flickers from voice to video and back again.]

Momo, what are you doing? Get away from that!

[The video shows Katara shooing Momo away from her journal and then automatically shutting it. She gets back to her practicing, but will open up the journal later and see that it accidentally recorded. Way to go, Momo.]

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[She shakes her head.] It's just hard to picture.

I'm not much of an artist, sorry. It's easier to process if you see it, I'm sure, but it's not something I'm skilled at. [Or have any talent for in the first place.]

Well... [And then she smiles a little, friendly and challenging.] how are you at doing them?

Elemental jutsus? Not really my thing. [Casual acceptance. She knows he's a ninja, but she's given him no reason to worry about that. And lying would just be troublesome.]

Oh. [She frowns a little. She hadn't meant just elemental jutsus, and she figures he knew that, since they'd been talking about taijutsu and genjutsu, he just... doesn't want to talk about himself in that way. It stings a little, but she can understand wanting to keep that advantage.

Katara gives a shrug, and a small smile.] Then I guess a spar wouldn't really be fair, huh.

[...and it's at this point where Katara becomes transparent again. The waterskin and anything not on that ridiculous dress falls right off. She holds her breath so as to not create any more weight on the ground and then adds with a wry smile.] After I get better, I mean.

[He bends down to pick her items up with a chuckle.] That's not really the point of a spar, is it?

[She can't really move, but she does at least solidify shortly and hold out her hand for her coat and waterskin - yes, yes she's still wearing that stupid dress.] Thanks. And no, I guess not. The point of a spar is to learn your weak points and get stronger.

So if you want to... the invitation's opened.

[He hands them over. No comments on the dress, though she gets props for going out in it.] Sounds kinda troublesome. But it would suck to get rusty.

[Just because he's in a different world doesn't mean he can slack off. There are still people he cares about here.]

[Hey, the coat covers it most of the time, man. In fact, that's what she buttons up first.]

Heh, so that's a yes? The end of my two weeks is coming up soon... [Yes, she's actually been counting.] So maybe after that?

[There's a shrug, and he folds his hands behind his neck and looks up at the sky.] Sure, why not? I think I can fit it into my very busy schedule.

How's a week from now sound? [Should be enough time for her to get some heavier practice in and for him to get a feel for the new kunai.]

[She smiles!] That sounds good to me. I'll look forward to it.

[She hasn't really sparred with anyone else besides Zuko in a long time.]

All right then. [Hm. And it's quite dark now.] You done with your practice for the night?

Probably. I've been out here for a while. [She reaches a hand up to her shoulder.] And I've been careful, but I should probably give my shoulder a rest.

[He nods.] Good idea. I can walk you home, if you want. [He's perfectly casual about saying this. 'No' is an acceptable answer, but what kind of man lets a girl walk home alone at night without even offering?]

[She grins.] It's on your way anyway, right? I wouldn't want to be too troublesome.

[It's amazing how a few hours of practicing can lift her spirits.]

Definitely makes it easier.

[And, you know, safer in case she gets stuck in the ground again or something. She falls into an easy pace beside him, calling:] Come on, Momo!

[The lemur obediently drops down from a nearby tree on to Katara's shoulder to hitch a free ride back home.]

[Blink. ...What is that.] Momo, huh?

He just showed up from home about a month ago.

Your pet then? ...What is it? [Curious poking of the critter. Genius boy here is not so genius when it comes to animals. If Pakkun were here, he'd tell you all about it.]

Momo's a lemur. [A pause here as Momo scrambles over to the Katara's other shoulder to peer at Shikamaru as she speaks.] He's not really mine. If he's anybody's, he's Aang's. [It hurts a little to say his name. But she's making herself do it. If Shikamaru's watching her, he'll see the emotion in the corner of her eyes.] We found him at the Southern Airtemple.

He doesn't look like any lemur I've ever seen. [Granted those were all in pictures- oh hey, it has a tail. Poke.

Somewhat distracted though, because he is trying to pay attention to what she's saying, therefore her. Hence he finds it best to keep the subject on the animal.] Who knew you'd keep lemurs at a temple. [He's thinking on the religious value, of course.]

Aang said the temple used to be full of them. But Momo was the only one left when we got there.

[Momo, having quite enough of that note of pain in her voice, suddenly spreads his arm and launches off her shoulder, awake from the poking hand, and glides in the air several feet away, landing on the side and temporarily disappearing.]

[ Action, Accidental Voice ] .032

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