markofthebrave | [Action, Accidental to Purposeful Voice] .033

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[Action, Accidental to Purposeful Voice] .033

[Well, Sokka was his Avatar alternate again. That alone is enough to call for some alone time, but with the news he brought... she definitely needed some time to clear her head. Fortunately, there is a public service she can easily perform. If your house is still snowed in? There is a waterbender digging you out. For about half the day, she is her normal self.

...sometime around two, though, she starts feeling lightheaded. Realizing she'd unintentionally skipped lunch, she heads back towards the center of town. As she walks, she starts feeling heavier and heavier. Something's wrong. Katara reaches for her journal to call for help, but it's too little, too late. She falls face first into a snowbank, the journal falling opened beside her.

When she opens her eyes, her hair is blocking her vision. Longer and unbound... her clothes feel almost painfully tight across the chest and she gasps a little.]

What? Where am I? [A deep breath, and slightly louder, as if she's expecting a response:] Aang?

[Sitting up, she shakes her head, one hand going to her waterskin... and that's when she notices the wings. Her eyes go wide.]

Is this... I had dreams like this...

[Standing up, the picture shows her body at an angle. She's certainly grown. After glancing around a bit, she reaches down to pick up the journal.] I remember... this... feels too strange not to be real...

Hello? I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but... I'm Katara. I think I remember this place... and a girl with reddish hair and... what were they called? Not oranges... something else. And there was someone - a man - with white hair and he went "Oooh?" a lot... and I remember... cigarettes and cooking and... [So many, many more. Fragments of a dream - a man who stretched his face, a skeleton playing music, a reindeer that danced... an ice dragon... green hair and white hair in front of a classroom and... shadows, dreams, fragments of things... flying people and conversations over tea and a wolfgirl and so, so much that only made sense in dreams...] And -- I don't know. Does this make any sense?

[But even as she's talking she's starting to walk. These clothes are too small - it looks like she's on a path. Let's see where it takes her.]

((OOC: Katara is now in her early twenties and from a happy canon projection. Tags post-transformation from

notatearbender. If you want to grab her before then, just indicate it in the tagline! XD))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

'Fraid so.

The good news is that the experiments never seem to be permanent. This one is running longer than usual, but eventually it'll even out again.

[Quietly.]

...You'll be home soon.

[She smiles at the book.] You're a very kind person, Derek. Thank you for that.

[Derek offers a slight smile of his own]

If you need anything else...I'll keep my ears open for you.

How about directions to the clothing store? I'm coming into the plaza now...

[Older Katara does not feel that she has to prove her independence, and is rather reluctant to let a friendly resource go.]

I can do that...or if you like, I can come show you around. Up to you.

[There is a barely discernible pause here as Katara sorts through her options.] If you're not busy, I think I'd really appreciate that.

No problem. Give me a few minutes.

[As good as his word, Derek shows up. It takes him a few seconds to spot and then recognize Katara (for once, his over-blown sense of smell is useful from his point of view), but once he does, he nods at her and smiles, coming over to her.

She might notice that he's still wearing his usual leather jacket, which is a little light weight for the season. He doesn't seem affected by it, though.]

Katara.

[She smiles in greeting. She's not gotten much taller, but the clothes that easily fit her 14-year-old self definitely need to be changed.]

Are you Derek?

[Actually seeing him in person... helps quite a bit, actually. The memories don't return quite yet, but... then it has been some time.]

One and only.

[A quick glance, and he promptly shrugs off his jacket, offering it to her. Better too big than too small, right?]

[She accepts the coat gratefully and turns her back to tug off the parka. The tunic underneath is made of stretchier material, but it's still a tight fit.] Thank you. It was getting very uncomfortable.

[She eyes the fact that he won't be wearing any outerlayer before fumbling around with the zipper. How do these things work again?]

We'd better hurry and get you inside. Which way to the store?

Here. Like this.

[Derek will very carefully take the ends of the jacket and start the zipper for her before letting go.]

I'll be all right; the temperature really doesn't bother me. Store's this way, though.

Thanks. [She appreciates that he was careful with that as well. ...and she may be staring at his hair, just a bit. It's been a long time since she's seen hair a different color, and... even then, it was only in dreams.]

It might not feel like that, but too much exposure can still get to you. [Following along to the store.]

[He gives her a wry smile]

My core temperature is colder then the air; I'll be all right.

[If he notices the stare directed at his hair, he doesn't show it.]

There's either the general store, which might have some of your clothes from back home, or there's Shiki's place, where one of the residents makes clothing herself for everyone. Which one do you want to try?

[...his core temperature is colder than the air? How was that possible?

...but unlike her younger self, Katara's politeness overrides her curiosity.]

If there's anything from home... I'd like to see that.

General store first, then. Might be able to find clothes that fit anyway, even if they aren't yours.

[Derek nods his head to her and then sets off, headed for the right store.]

Been...awake here long?

No... maybe a half hour? But the more I'm here... [She points towards the Smithy.] The smithy is in that direction?

Yeah, it is. Library's that way...your younger self's home is down that road.

[One hand goes to her head.] This is all so strange...

I thought this place was a dream, but I'm walking on the street right now...

Some places believe that dreams are simply another world you go to when you go to sleep. Maybe if you think of it that way, it won't seem quite so strange.

[They reach the door, and Derek opens it, nodding for Katara to go in first.]

Maybe. [She smiles a little, ducking her head before raising it again.] But I'm very much awake right now.

[And entering the store, she modestly keeps his jacket zippered, even though the immediate temperature is far warmer, to the point of almost being uncomfortable. She glances around the store, but her thoughts are occupied with her son right now.]

Hmn.

[Derek follows her in, closing the door behind her.]

...Think the ladies section is this way, more or less.

And everything here is free?

Yeah. If you need it, take it. Something else will show up for others to use. Guess it's an attempt by the Malnosso to keep us 'happy'.

That's something, at least.

[She moves towards the ladies section, searching for something familiar... or in her size.]

[Derek will stay where he is, so that he isn't hovering. He leans against a convenient counter while she looks.]

...So...how did it work out for you? Are you having a good life?

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