markofthebrave | [ 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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[Jet dismissively scowls to the side. Far-fetched. Crazy. He's NOT crazy, he's not.]

"It doesn't matter, I know when I'm right."

[He shakes his head, trying to get a grip. There's a question slowly enveloping his conscious, one he'd rather not know the answer to and give anything to ignore]

"What ideas did they put in your head? What do you see at night?"

[Katara feels as if she's handling a powder keg. Where is the suave, confident, 'always has a plan' guy that she's been friends with for so long? Why does that question feel so disturbingly invasive?]

...are you talking about the dreams? I thought you just said that they didn't matter.

"They don't!.. But I want you to understand me, Katara. If there's something in them that's making you not-"

[Spirit's, he doesn't want to know, but- 'Spirits', when did he start thinking that? The next part come blurted out of it's own accord]

"I'm in them, aren't I?!"

["I want you to understand me, Katara." - She pales a little, though it's hard to tell with her skintone... that feeling of unease, of loss, of betrayal returning in full force from her nightmares.

Katara refuses to live in her dreams. She takes a half-step closer to him.]

I'm trying to understand you now, Jet. But I don't understand why you're so upset. You're my friend and no dream is going to change that, no matter what you think. So why are you acting like this?

"You so sure about that? If you're my friend then you'll trust me. You say you don't believe the dreams, but how am I supposed to believe that when you're doubting me now?”

[Jet shies away from Katara's approach. It can't be real- if it is, than all he has to do is make everyone forget. If he prevents it all coming back- it's like it never happened. No one would ever have to know. If he could just make it stop]

“We've had weirder shifts before, it makes sense the visions are connected to the beasts somehow. And I don't want to believe he's part of this, but if you're already affected enough to start doubting me-

[Jet slings a sack of supplies over his shoulder, mind made up.]

“Don't. See. Zuko.”

Edited 2011-05-15 19:24 (UTC)

[Oh there is just no way that he honestly thinks this is going to be that easy.]

That's not fair, Jet. [And she makes to keep pace beside him.] You can't just tell me what to do and say that I have to do it because we're friends. Trust works both ways - and I'm telling you that you're acting strangely. How can you think Zuko has anything to do with this? You guys grew up together!

"We did grow up together- that's why I'm telling you, I know he's dangerous! Maybe he hasn't even realized it yet."

[He just has to take away Zuko's chance- the firebender won't betray them if he doesn't have the chance to!..firebender?
Jet increases his pace, which isn't much, considering. Katara clearly has the advantage to this.]

"You're right, I can't tell you to do anything! You think I don't know I'm acting wierd?! I never said I was above being affected- All the more reason for me to stop it!"

[Jet approaches the boundary of the town and forest's edge.]

"You're either with me or against me. I don't expect you to follow- but don't trust him."

[And now she's properly pissed. She speeds up the necessary steps to take him by the shoulder and tug him around.]

What do you think you're doing, delivering ultimatums like that? I'll trust who I want to trust, but that doesn't mean I'm choosing to be against you - it means you're choosing not to see that I can be on both your sides. Of course Zuko's dangerous! You're dangerous. I'm dangerous. But we're friends. We're not going to hurt each other. And if you realize that you're acting strangely then just - stop it, Jet!

[For a moment, her annoyance cracks, and Jet can see the very weirded out, scared girl underneath.]

I don't want to lose you. But I'm not going to let you try to determine my choices. Come back to town, we'll find Zuko, we can all talk about this.

[It's that look that breaks him. So close to the one with tears running the cheeks that have been haunting his memory all week. He won't become that guy who Katara thinks is a monster, he won't become the guy L- Zuko was fighting to kill. Even if he doesn't know why..]

"No."

[He doesn't want to die ~~again, or ever~~. He can protect everyone, he can stop it from happening if he just ends this experiment. Jet grabs Katara'a wrist, squeezing with not so much force as it is desperation for finding the will to. He slowly lifts it off.]

"... He can't know. Not yet."

[The freedom fighter shakes his head, stepping back into the shadows.]

"It's what has to be done, Katara. One day you'll see that."

[And if you won't listen- then he'll just have to get the job done before you even have a chance to see Zuko. Pushing himself harder so she can't follow, Jet takes off into the trees.]

Jet, wait--

[But... he's already gone.]

[...]

Stupid. You're just going to wear yourself out like that. Stupid.

[And Katara slowly turns to go, sick at heart from the conversation.]

[ Action, Voice ] .042

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[ Action ] Think I can finally wrap this up~

[ Action ] w00t!

[ Action ] >< it doubleposted

[ Action ] No worries!

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[ Action ] 1/2 /wibbles at the poor insane Jet

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