markofthebrave | [ 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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[Ginko doesn't answer. He'll just show up, working in the garden unannounced, in deceptively peaceful silence.]

[Katara has had a long day of confessions and talking and worry - so much worry. So when she comes back to make dinner for everyone and sees someone in the garden she jumps a little. And then slumps a little in relief and heads out the door and around the back of the house.]

Hey.

[And she moves to join him by the garden.]

Seems the balance has been restored a little-- even the drier ones are green again.

[He isn't stalling. There just isn't much he has to say about it. The present moment is more relevant.]

[Quietly:] That's good.

[he glances up at her, and then back down to his work] I've learned a lot about this sort of thing.

It'll come in handy.

[A nod as she picks up a tool and begins to work the dirt, still not quite looking at him.]

You never know when what you've learned can come in handy.

[She's not built for dancing around an issue for long. But for now, it's good just to sit beside him.]

[You're not dancing, Katara... there's just nothing he sees there to tackle. And doesn't answer, though after a moment-- hands still busy at the earth-- he leans to gently nudge her shoulder with his, not looking up.]

It is what it is.

I'll be as careful as I can be.

[Her shoulders slump a little bit at the contact - relief, a weight falling off them, resignation...

'As careful as he can be' isn't much of a promise.]

I told Shikamaru that he could consider you as a medic.

[It's a quiet admission.]

[that's because he doesn't promise what he can't deliver]

That's a good way to put it, I guess. [he nods]

[She fiddles with the tool in her hands.] There will probably be plenty of work for you there. So you shouldn't need to go too far from the camp.

[a slow nod] Maybe. You never really know.

[She... doesn't have anything to say just yet. She feels... over-full. Words, emotions, and none of them good.

So she just attacks a weed.

At least, she thinks it's a weed.]

... I think you got it. [very quietly, after a long moment.

This can't ever be simple, can it?]

[So she pulls it out.]

...you've still got the smoke bombs and things I gave you last time, right?

Yeah, I do. [uh.... somewhere. Rueful smile-] I'm very well supplied.

[Katara swallows hard.] Who knows? There might be times when you could even enjoy yourself. You'll be out of the barrier, exploring this world's plant and animal life... but swamps are tricky, mystical places. So be careful when you do, all right?

[And she tries for Unreasoning Optimism.]

[he smiles, even though they both know better. In the end, reality doesn't favor pessimism anymore than optimism.] I met a living one once, you know.

I'll be watchful.

A living swamp? [She thinks of her own experiences and smiles a little.

Aang... if only..] I'm not surprised.

Mm. Left plenty of children behind it, too. [and the plant he's been touching slowly changes from brown to a creeping green]

Children?

Little swamps. [and the quiet green grows to a full green]

[Katara watches the wonder of life being brought to a plant in quiet awe.]

I didn't know swamps could make little swamps.

Mhhm, they can when they're mushi. [his hands finally part from the revived plant, content]

[A hint of that wonder in her eyes.]

A mushi swamp?

That's right. [a slight pause, considering the context, then-] It was looking for a place to die. Making its final journey, after many long years. A huge body of a mushi called suiko.

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