[ Action, Voice ] .045

[markofthebrave]

[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.

Comments

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

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

[markofthebrave]

[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.]

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

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

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

[markofthebrave]

[So she pulls it out.]

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

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

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

[markofthebrave]

[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.]

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

[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.

[markofthebrave]

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

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

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

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

[markofthebrave]

Children?

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

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

[markofthebrave]

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

I didn't know swamps could make little swamps.

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

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

[markofthebrave]

[A hint of that wonder in her eyes.]

A mushi swamp?

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

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.

[markofthebrave]

Oh. [Death is a part of life.]

But it left children? How did you know they were mushi and not just regular swamps? What do you mean, it was looking for a place to die?

[one-green-eye.livejournal.com]

Well-- [frowns thoughtfully] I'm pretty sure it's offspring were normal swamps. They rose up wherever the swampy had risen to the surface, on its way to the sea.

And I know, because-- the woman who followed the swamp told me so. She was a part of it, for a while.

[markofthebrave]

[Soft wonder, a small smile.]

I've never heard of anything like that before.