markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .042

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[ Action, Voice ] .042

[Even Katara can only deny the effects of the dreams so long. It wasn't so bad at first when they were just vivid and of a different Luceti... but this other world, with these strange people she feels connected to, and the strange consistency of them, as if they were actually telling a story...

...and she knows the dreams have been effecting her dad too. And that it hasn't been good. So... she's going to take today to do maybe what she should have done from the start.]

[Filtered to Sokka]

Hey, I need to talk to you. What time can I come by?

[Filtered to Zuko]

...can we meet later?

[Filtered to Chouji]
I know this is weird, but have you been dreaming that we--

[Filtered to Shikamaru]
Did we ever--

[Filtered to Masaomi]
Don't take this the wrong way, but I had a dream about us, and we were fighting. You broke my rib, but it wasn't a bad thing and I can't stop thinking about--

[Filtered to Nami]
...have you been having dreams that we were friends, once?

[Filtered to Ginko]
Ginko... have you ever heard of parasites that... live in the dark and steal sight from people's eyes, and can be drawn out by moonlight?

[Filtered to San]
I dreamed you had come into my house for food, that you drew a knife and nearly attacked Sokka, and I had to knock you down.

[Filtered to Sanji]
Sanji, did we ever...

[Filtered to Jet]
I - you - there was a dam that -

[Katara abruptly shoves away from her journal, scribbling through her filters madly. Checking with Sokka and Zuko would be enough. She didn't want to go and get people upset or excited about something that may or may not be true. She hesitates for a long moment at the doorway to her father's room, contemplating knocking and asking him-

What have you been dreaming about, Dad? They haven't stopped. Do you think they mean something?

-but eventually she just writes a note that she's going to spend some time practicing, picks up her yari, and heads into the forest. She's almost hoping to see one of the beasties everyone's been talking about. She could do with a good fight against something she can actually touch.]

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[It's been a long day and Zuko would like nothing better than to just run and hide and forget about it all. Katara wants to walk, though, and the river is peaceful. She's good company and he's not regretted a single thing they've done together over the past few days.]

Yeah, let's walk.

[So Katara leads the way off the bridge and down to the riverbank. She takes them further away from the town, and for a time they walk in silence as she gathers her thoughts.]

...I wanted to ask you if you were having dreams too.

[Trust Katara to cut straight to one thing that Zuko didn't want to talk about. He's silent for a long moment before he nods.]

Weird ones. They don't make much sense.

Oh. [Well. Hmm.

How do you lead into - 'You feature in my dreams as my mortal enemy' with the boy you like? This question occupies Katara for a few steps, weighs even more heavily on her due to Jet's warnings...]

Did you... recognize anyone in your dreams?

[Short answer: Yes. He recognized her and Sokka and Toph. They had all played such different parts than what he was used to. He'd never go after Katara like that and Jet was his best friend. The brother he'd never had.]

Some people. Plenty I didn't recognize either.

[Katara slants him a sidelong glance.]

Sokka and I... we had a lot of things in our dreams that were the same. Even Jet...

[Katara stops and looks up at him for a moment and then looks away.]

...I don't like the dreams I had about you.

[You know what, Katara? He didn't like the dreams he had about himself either.]

They're just dreams.

[He's right. They're just dreams. ...all the same, she has to know.]

...were we fighting, in your dreams?

[Fighting with moves she'd never seen, with passion and desperation that she'd never known...]

[He sighs. Well, of course she would have the same sort of dreams. Hopefully, her didn't include psychotic family members and literal trial by fire. Absently, his hand rises to lightly touch the scar on his face.]

You and me fighting. I had a family in my dream. Funny thing is I used to wonder what having a real family would be like. I think that, if what's in my dream would qualify as a real family, I'll pass.

[He shrugs once and repeats the mantra he's been holding to for days now.] It's just a dream.

I know.

[She walks along or a few minutes more, the thoughts of them fighting being pushed aside - he remembered a family... he'd always wanted one... and now to think being an orphan would be better...

Her voice is low.]

...in my dreams... I - had a different dad.

What was he like?

[Please, please, please say he wasn't some psychotic warlord with a penchant for burning those that spoke out of turn.]

[Uncomfortable shrug.]

He was nice. Tall. Wore his hair long. What do I know what he was like, it was just a dream. Sometimes they don't make any sense.

[Growing up on ice... who does that?]

Yeah. Guess so. None of it made any sense.

I guess not...

[See? He's not going crazy. Or attacking her. In fact, she feels better just talking about it with him.]

[She stops walking, turns to face him.]

I guess the important thing is... what we know to be true right now.

[Deep breath. You can do this Katara - he went to the mikan harvest with you and everything. Just spit it out.]

The thing is - there's something that I think - well, I mean, I haven't exactly been subtle about it these past couple of days -- but I think it's important now more than ever told hold on to the things that we know and --

[Argh - screw this -

Katara reaches up and frames his face with her hands, leans up, and kisses him.]

[He was about to answer that rambling thing of hers when she took his face and...

... and kissed him.

Katara. Kissed. Him.

... oh.

He's just going to lean into that and his hands settle on her shoulders. This was nice. This was really nice -- and so much better than just about anything those dreams handed him.]

[Some indefinable weight falls off her shoulders when he responds and - this is nice. It's really nice, it's more than nice, actually. It's been a while since she's done anything like this and some part of Katara vaguely wonders why she waited so long, because... mmm... yeah.

It's incredibly tempting to just step closer and wind her arms around him and keep kissing, but in the back of her head she realizes that she kind of needs to get an answer first and - mmm. Maybe one more--

--okay, okay, breaking away now, breath slightly unsteady - she moves her head away but doesn't try to step out of his hold, doesn't quite move her hands from his face.]

I really like you, Zuko. I want us to be more than friends.

[He keeps his hands on her shoulders and smiles down at her, because it felt good, in more ways than one. It felt good to be accepted. Good to be liked. Good to be wanted and after the last couple nights of dreams that made absolutely no sense and Jet being withdrawn, he needed that. Wanted that. Whichever. It didn't matter.]

I think that can be arranged.

[Happiness bubbles up inside her, contrasting with the warmth that simply comes from wanting and being wanted it return. She almost laughs.]

Good.

[And she doesn't move, only smiles at him as if to say - So what are you going to do about it?]

[If she was thinking he was going to kiss her again, she's mistaken. Yeah, that kiss was definitely good and he'll be wanting more of those again, but there's a sort of reassurance and encouragement that won't come from a tentative kiss, just exploring the beginnings of a relationship.

And, so, without a word, he pulls her into (possibly a bone-crushing) hug.]

Oomph!

[OK, unexpected, yes, but she can roll with it. Despite her freedom with dispensing hugs, she very rarely receives them - and she's not the type to linger in these sort of things.

But then. This is different.

Not really about her at all, is it - it's about that family he always wanted until his dreams started to convince him otherwise... So she closes her eyes, lets her arms slide around him, and holds on tightly.

It's all right. I'm right here.]

[Somehow, this should be awkward and strange, but it's not. He's sure she expected some teasing, or a kiss, or something -- anything -- besides being pulled into a hug, but for him, it just somehow felt right. After a moment, he pulls back.]

So... this walk we're taking? Gonna keep us from prying eyes, right?

[Now he'll get to the teasing.]

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