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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You called me, Katara.

[Flatly. He assumes - expects - you to lead the conversation. If you go... well. Most places he'll follow]

[She closes her eyes for a moment. She's not doing this to try to fight with him.]

About the draft.

[About Mikado going too. But he's already so tightly strung... she's going to wait to see his response to this first.]

[...Ah, well, of course it's that. The crouch gives way and he lands on his butt, taking a true sitting position]

You're not with us this time.

[She swallows at that, looking down for a moment as she tries to push back the almost trembling-inducing feelings of rage and helplessness.]

I know. I'm sorry. I wish was.

[Sorry? His train of thought is derailed - shouldn't she be glad? Happy? Something? He blinks at her, honestly surprised for a brief moment. His honest feelings...]

We could have been a team.

[He says this lightly, airily... putting on a smirk. But this admission is one which holds a bit of weight. It's hard for him to team up, but with her it sounds nice.

[And Katara, sadly, has no idea of the significance of this statement. But she does look back up at him and smile a little.]

Maybe. But since I can't go, who are you going to team up with? You shouldn't be fighting on your own. Swamps are dangerous places.

Ah, well... I haven't thought about it. I'm sure Gold will want to be together. Politaro can shine.

[He keeps up the jovial tone here... but he hasn't thought about it at all. He planned to just kill them all. Even now rage is coursing through his whole body]

[And she nods, mindful of her conversation with Shikamaru.] Staying with Gold is a good idea. You should be with someone who'll watch your back, and who you can look out for too. What about Frey?

Ah, well... we've not been seeing eye to eye lately. I guess that depends, doesn't it?

[He shrugs here, as if this weren't a problem]

Oh. [That's not good. She'd been counting on that.]

Don't you think that's something you two should get settled before you have to go?

...Ah, well. Things got pushed aside, and they aren't fixed like that. [...And he's afraid to confront Frey. He doesn't actually know if they're cool or not. It doesn't matter, ultimately]

I'm sure he'll be with Kaori-chan or Selphie-chan.

[Is she going to have to shut you two in a closet? ~~And fangirls everywhere rejoiced~~.]

I'm not only worried about Frey. I'm worried about you too.

[...] I know.

[He glances back down at his feet there, frowning. It's hard to internalize, in either case]

[She looks down for a moment, frowning, and lets the silence stretch between them before turning to look at him again. She's afraid for him. She's seen him fight, and he just doesn't think about himself. In the swamps, that could be deadly. The Third Party wouldn't have to do anything, he'd take care of it himself by not watching...

...and though her eyes get wide, Katara tries to swallow back her fear. She reaches out a hand to lightly touch his shoulder, to get his attention.]

I want you to promise me something, if you can.

[He glances over at her... a promise? Acting more on some base instinct than anything, when she lightly touches the shoulder he raises a hand to take her own- and then pauses mid-way through the movement, realizing what he was doing. He stops, and then nods at her, lowering his hand]

[Her gaze is very earnest.] Pick a group and stay with them. Don't get too far ahead. Don't go off on your own. You don't think about yourself when you fight, Masaomi, you know you don't. I don't want anything to happen to you because you weren't careful. This isn't about killing the Third Party. This is about everyone coming back alive. Will you promise me that?

[Not that he won't get himself killed. But that he'll pick a group and stay with them.]

[His eyes narrow a little in the midst of that. He hesitates just a moment, and then holds up a pinky for her. It probably looks perfectly ridiculous in comparison to how dour his expression is, but it came to him]

[After much debate as to whether or not the power of the pinky promise as transcended time and space... Katara blinks down at his hand uncertainly.]

[...]

...A pinky promise.

[He can't help but loose a bit of the glare and look sheepish now]

Oh. [She moves her hand down to mimic his, holding it between them. All it takes is a quick glance up to his face to see that she's not doing it right.] How does it go?

[..He actually laughs, and then reaches with his own pinky to wrap around hers. His smile his briefly genuinely as he does so]

Like this.

[She looks down at their entwined fingers, and then back up at him, catching the tail end of that genuine smile. She returns it, all the relief of her heart in her smile.]

It's a promise, then.

[It's not much, but it is something. Katara hopes it will be enough.

And she's glad he was able to laugh.]

[he "shakes" their joined hands once and then... lets out a dramatic gasp]

...No! Why didn't I think of it?!

[Oh, here he goes.

Katara's smile turns wry, almost expectant. But she doesn't make any movement to pull her hand back just yet.]

Think of what?

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