[ Action, Voice ] .056

[markofthebrave]

[Okay, so waking up today was weird. She thought it was Saturday, but by the state of the house and where things were... it was actually Monday. Sokka was back - woke up in his own bed, and all, but when Katara went to check on Toph to see if she remembered what happened...

Her room was bare. There was nothing left. Toph was gone.

After stumbling to the wall and leaning on it a long moment to get herself together - is it going to hurt like this every time? - it was time to tell the household.

That accomplished, one of them had to let the town know... and Katara volunteered. She opened up her journal to find a mission summons from the Malnosso. She stared at it a long moment - now? When her housemates need her most they're calling for her now? She shut the journal. She needed a moment to process.

Eventually, she'll open up the journal again. Her voice is a little strained, but steady.]

I'm sorry I don't know any other way to say this but... Manliness Classes are going to have to be canceled again. Toph's gone home.

And... [hhhng, announcing this to the village is so weird, but...] Sokka's back. [There, that's better. Starting with him gives her someplace to stand on.] But I'll be leaving on a mission tomorrow, so... I'll see you all in a week or so.

[So after making this post mid-morning, Katara sets about doing what she needs to do. Sirry Crags, huh? She knows how to handle high altitudes and fighting in snow. She'll just... pop into the Item Shop to double check for a few things, and then hopefully bump into someone willing to help her carry groceries home. It looks like she's going to need to do a week's worth of cooking today.]

Comments

[markofthebrave]

[Stupid. Careless. Violent. Blank.]

...scary.

[If he can use that word, so can she.]

1/2

[generalflirt]

[Briefly. Very briefly but very distinctly, he looks taken back. Genuinely surprised. It's more pronounced because he all but trips over himself as he gets close to the door]

[generalflirt]

Ah... I see.

[And he adopts a more neutral expression now]

[markofthebrave]

[Do you?

Katara pauses on the threshold of the door, half-in, half-out and waits for him to join her.]

So make sure you're okay when I get back.

[generalflirt]

You make it sound like I'm in danger.

[He forces a chortle at this, but okay, back in the house. He even kicks off his shoes again, to be at ~home~ or something]

[markofthebrave]

[Oh, so he is coming inside again. She thought that might be it. She shuts the door behind him and shivers a bit. She hadn't felt it while she was bending, but really was cold outside.

Plus. He's evading.]

Right, you think I'm being silly. [That's said with some wry sarcasm.] But I'm not hearing anything that sounds like 'Of course I'll be fine, Katara. You don't need to worry.'

[generalflirt]

[He takes a step ahead of her... and than glances back. This might be unfair, but now he's curious]

Ah, will your worry give you pause out there? About me?

[markofthebrave]

[That is, in fact, entirely unfair. What is she supposed to say? "Yes, Masaomi, worrying about you could get me killed, so you'd better stop it" or "No, Masaomi, of course I won't let worrying about you affect me."

Sigh.]

Honestly? I hope not. [Pointedly:] Worry never does any good anyway.

[generalflirt]

I suppose not. [He sort of half-smiles and folds his arms behind his head as he walks ahead back to the kitchen area]

Still, as humans, I guess that's sort of a given that we'll worry. It's sweet, you might say, that we think about each other with enough emotion to do that. Love is a leveler, and all.

[markofthebrave]

[She glances at him warily. It's not the first time she's heard him say that, but it is the first time that he's tried to apply it to the two of them and... there's an uncomfortable amount of sense in what he's saying so...]

I guess you could say that. [And then she follows back towards the kitchen, because they'll make less noise in there.] So I'm not asking you not to worry, just for you to be okay.

[generalflirt]

Ah.... haha. I thought I said I would be, but, if you want more promises out of me, Katara... [He shifts, and then turns to her, with a somewhat forced but also slightly awkward smile once they're both in the kitchen]

I promise to be alright. I'll see you back from your mission and welcome you with open arms.

1/3

[markofthebrave]

[...more promises, huh?

She smiles a little sheepishly, but all the same, it's good to hear him say it.]

Good.

[markofthebrave]

[Tick, tick, tick...]

[markofthebrave]

[...ding.]

Except the open arms thing? Not really necessary.

[SHE'S ON TO YOU.]

1/2

[generalflirt]

[do do do do]

[generalflirt]

What if I insisted?

[markofthebrave]

[She crosses her arms under her chest and gives him a light smirk, because she's fairly sure he's just kidding.

...she hopes he is, anyway. So she'll try to keep it light and tease back.]

Nope.

[generalflirt]

[he leaps back, a few feet, and waggle a finger at her, in a mock-defensive voice]

Then I modify my offer, open lips!

[markofthebrave]

Masaomi!

[Mostly hissed. Hopefully not too loud. Who knows.]

[generalflirt]

[And he waves a hand at her, tut tut tuting her. come on, there's people sleeping here! People who might kill him for being here!]

[markofthebrave]

[All right, she lowers her voice a little because explaining this to... anyone... would be annoying.]

I can't believe you just said that!

[Still blushing a bit.]

[generalflirt]

Reeeally? It seems par the course to me?

[In a conspiratorial whisper, he says this, leaning back and taking two more steps to lean on the counter]

[markofthebrave]

[There is a horrible moment where she almost takes that the wrong way, her stomach dropping as she misunderstands - that kissing between them would be par for the course?

...but no. Of course, he's just talking about what he's saying.

In any event, the misunderstanding caused her blush to evaporate and she speaks a little stiffly.]

It's not appropriate.

[generalflirt]

Mmm, isn't it? [Innocently.]

[markofthebrave]

No! [But he knows that. And that was almost above conversational level on her part again.]