[ 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

[generalflirt]

You can call me the Real Slim Shady.

[Complete with wiggling fingers on the hand which has the fork in it before he goes for another bite]

[markofthebrave]

The what?

[generalflirt]

Luceti's Most Wanted: Ladykiller Masa-Masa.

[markofthebrave]

[Katara's not certain if she wants to laugh, gape at him in horror, or check to see if her eggs somehow went bad and her face reflects her emotions clearly.]

What?

[generalflirt]

...It's a joke? Come on, my jokes are funny.

[markofthebrave]

[Now at that, she starts laughing. Just tired little near-soundless laughs.]

No, they're really not.

[generalflirt]

Haarsh. Haaaarsh.

[POUT. And he goes to eat some more]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara eyes his soda, momentarily considering stealing some of it. But then she talks the impulse up to a brief bout of insanity and vaguely wonders if his is contagious.]

All right. Sometimes you can be funny. But that really wasn't.

[She takes another bite of food.]

[generalflirt]

[He hasn't touched it yet himself. Mostly because... well. He's not sure it would be apt to drink the caffeine this late at night. But. He doesn't follow that look either, instead just laughing and taking another bite before-]

Oh, sometimes. I'm improving!

[markofthebrave]

Mmmm. [She smiles at him with tired sass.] Well, we can always hope.

[generalflirt]

True. I might even need to take up poetry.

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[Katara swallows that last bite of rice hard, her eyes going wide and wary as she remembers the last time he recited a poem.]

2/3

[markofthebrave]

[She starts to respond with something else, but then she suddenly remembers - Toph's not here to be your critic now.

And Katara lowers her head, frowning a little and trying to keep him from seeing the sorrow crossing her face.]

[markofthebrave]

[She looks up and tries to smile. It's a poor attempt.]

Sure. I mean. If you think it'll be funny.

[Because that is clearly what they were talking about, right?]

1/2

[generalflirt]

[That might have been a misfire. He nods, taking another bite. He looks her over, taking in how tired and vulnerable she is for perhaps the first time tonight altogether. He's trying to help her but... maybe he's pushing to hard. Well then-]

[generalflirt]

Tell you what? You can review my first official work when you're back.

[markofthebrave]

[Something like relief crosses her face.

Finally.]

That, I can do.

[Something he asked for that she can actually give him.]

[generalflirt]

I'll have to put all the effort into the work~

[He shrugs now, laughing to himself.]

[markofthebrave]

[Heh.] Then I'll look forward to it.

[Finished now with her impromptu second dinner, Katara slides off the stool and takes her plate with her to start cleaning up.]

[generalflirt]

[wHAT NO HE WAS SUPPOSED TO CLEAN. In fact, he leaps to his feet to try to play interception for it. He makes a sound of disagreement. He was pretty much done too, but]

[markofthebrave]

[She glances over at him in mild surprise. And then as he goes to intercept, she steps to the side.]

Are you done?

[generalflirt]

Yes.

[It was for her anyway, and he's totally here to wash the plates and put whatever he left out (which is not the eggs) away. Okay, he's got this.]

[markofthebrave]

Okay...

[Frown. No. Okay, fine. He can take the plates and put them in the dishwasher or whatever, but she is totally not letting him do this on his own. Take this as Katara DELIBERATELY IGNORING YOUR CUES, Masaomi, because she's grabbing the pan that had the eggs on it (one of the more sticky pans) and taking it over to the sink.]

[generalflirt]

[WHAT gurl he was trying to be a housewife doting husband CARING INDIVIDUAL. Let him pamper! In fact, as she does that he sort of tries to keep right next to her, obnoxiously close, sort of punishing her for not taking the cues for him to rinse all the things. Even if he did need to stride over to the trash to trash what was left of his and put away what he didn't use of the vegetables in the fridge]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara does not excel at arguing with body language, okay? That means that although he is sort of hair-raisingly close, the fact that he is doing all this IN SILENCE is going to be the loudest cue of all, and also going to lead into eventual bumping of elbows at the sink.]

Oh, sorry. [Scooting to the side and mind the personal space, boy.] Do you want to dry?