markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .045

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[ Action, Voice ] .045

[Raine was right. A draft had come, this one worse than before - and in a place where she could be more useful than any other location. And she wasn't going.

She took a good long look at that list. And there are some people that she has to visit.

...okay, there are a lot of people she has to visit.

First stop - Shikamaru and Chouji's place. If she can't go herself, then she has to do what she can to help the people who are going out out, and that means talking with the strategist going out there who she trusts.

Next stop - Casa de Freedom Fighter. She may have put it off if her talk with Shikamaru hadn't made her realize how absolutely necessary this was.

From there... spirits, so many people... Katara takes out her journal and stares at it a bit before making a general voice post and then crafting some filters.]

If anyone - needs me for anything, or if there's anything I can do to help out before you go, I'm around. I've fought in swamps before, and although I don't know anything more about this one, I'll try to answer what I can.

[And now it's time for filters. She doesn't have anything specific to say to these people, not over the journals anyway, so the message is the same.]

[Filtered to Ginko, Masaomi, Raine, Kurt, and Sanji]

Hey. If you have time, I'd like to see you before you go.

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[His smile reappears for a little longer, like he's found some peace in being able to serve her. Then a nod, and he heads for the kitchen]

Water? Or maybe lemonade?

[Katara follows him in and perches on the edge of a seat, both comfortable and somewhat anxious. She did what she felt she had to, and she didn't think it was something wrong, but she knows she needs to tell Sanji and Luffy anyway.]

I'll take some lemonade if you have it.

[Lemonade it is then. He fetches a glass filled with the beverage, hands it over, and then takes a seat across from her.

The tone of the waiting silence causes him to glance up expectantly. It feels like she has something to say. But he waits for her to take a healthy sip before asking]

What is it?

[Taken by surprise, Katara glances up at him. She had a whole speech prepared and everything. And suddenly, she grins at him. This is Sanji.]

Did anyone ever tell you you're annoyingly perceptive sometimes?

[Well, he nearly snorts into his own glass of water. He hadn't realized what he was doing until she pointed it out]

Ah, sorry Katara-chan! [For someone who's sorry, he's grinning quite a bit on his own end.]

[She smiles back and shakes her head before sobering.] That's okay.

I wanted to talk to you before you left and say goodbye, of course, but I also wanted to tell you some things. [Unpleasantness out of the way first.] How well do you know Shikamaru?

[He pauses and looks at the table, maybe a little longer than necessary. Many of Sanji's memories are associated with another reality, where Shikamaru was something like a second son to him.

... But those are fake and have no place here.] Not that well. [He looks back up] We've spoken a few times, but that's it.

[Oh. Well, that makes things a little more difficult, but at least it's not like they're total strangers.

Katara reaches for the strands of her abandoned speech.]

He's a good friend of mine, and one of the smartest people that I know. We've sparred three times in the past couple of months and he's beaten me each time. [That - costs her something to admit, but it's the best way she can impress his competency on someone who's seen her fight.]

He's really good at coordinating people in a fight. I worked with him on the last draft, the first day, on the Shifter task force. So when I saw the draft list... this afternoon I went to talk with him.

[A pause to take a breath, maybe a sip of her lemonade for her suddenly dry throat, and to assess Sanji's reaction so far.]

[Hearing this it impresses something on Sanji, that much is certain. He looks caught in surprise and maybe a shred of wariness (three times?), but Katara started this off by insisting on their closeness. That counts enough for Sanji to dismiss him knee-jerk reaction.

When she pauses, the chef offers nothing besides a patient nod - clearly, this isn't the end of it.]

[She looks down, considering her drink.] I don't like this draft, even more than the other ones. I don't like the way it's being handled, I don't like the lack of information, and I don't like the terrain. I've fought in swamps before, and they're... not like any other place. If I was going, I'd really be able to do something there. But I'm not so...

[A deep breath and then she looks back up at him.] So I thought that the best thing I could do to make sure everyone came back all right would be to tell him what I know about people's fighting styles. I told him that you were a strong fighter, and smart, and that he should get in contact with you if he needs to talk with someone about strategy in a specific area.

[And despite herself, she tenses a little. Because. There it is.]

[There's a nod at the swamp part - though in his case it was just a heavily forested area with dinosaurs, he's seen warnings from Lucetians all day about the dangers of bugs, humidity and diseases. And he couldn't forget what happened to Nami on Little Garden if he tried.]

That would be a good idea. [If he's as smart as Katara makes him out to be, Sanji is all for trading information. The man can take an order if the goal is the same] I'll talk to him in either case.

We're gonna really need strategists for this.

[This is my 'I am relieved' slump.

But then, she'd known it, hadn't she.]

Yeah. But if you guys stick together, I think it'll work out all right.

Yeah, you're right. [He smiles a bit.]

Thanks for telling me.

[That she told Shikamaru about him and his strengths doesn't cross his mind much. Because he trusts her.]

[And hey, at least she didn't mention your inability to hit girls.]

Of course. [Because she might do things that she's uncertain about sometimes, but she had a good reason, and she's not going to hide from her actions. And she's learning to trust her friends to be her friends.

...and the words come out unguardedly] I wish I was going with you.

[his eyes sadden at that. He won't say he wishes too, as that's frankly a lie - but he does say something else]

Can you keep Nami-san and the others company for me, while I'm gone? [He knows she probably would have done so regardless - they're just as much friends to her as to him - but Sanji feels even still... after Luceti Valley, something isn't quite right in their house. It's a stagnant type of awkward he can't put his finger on. And it worries him.

He looks ready to say something else, but swallows it at the last second, just waiting for Katara's reply]

[She looks up at him and smiles a little.] Of course I can.

[It won't do the same as you all being there. But she'll do what she can.]

[Hey guys Luffys finally hoome. He's going to be opening the door and walking in while eating a ton of food. He needs to store up as much energy as he can before he ships out.]

Oi, guys, I'm home!

[And just when Sanji was about to thank Katara.]

You idiot. People are having serious conversations in here!

[Oh good, Luffy. She needs to talk to him too. Katara twists in her chair to shout out a greeting at the door, after shooting a wry smile in Sanji's direction.]

Hey, Luffy!

Ah, hey Katara!

[He's going to shove the rest of the food into his mouth before greeting her.]

What's up!

[Pff, where does he even put all that food?]

I wanted to talk to you about the draft.

[She flicks a glance at Sanji that says he can stay or go - it's up to them both.]

Hn? Really? What about?

A few things. [She shrugs a little awkwardly.] Have you ever fought in a swamp before?

Hnnn... I don't think so. But I've fought in a forest before so.

[So same diff right?]

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markofthebrave - 2011-06-09 19:09 (UTC) - Expand

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[ Action, Voice ] .045

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