[ Action, Written, Video ] .057

[markofthebrave]

[Sneeze and you break it filter to CR at around 4 am this morning.]

I'm back. I'm fine. I hope everyone's okay. Good night.

[So then Katara wakes up much, much later and will be just puttering around the house for a while for those who are inclined to catch her in serious conversation. She sends notes to Trafalgar and to Gelda to let them know that although she's back she feels like she needs to take a few days off... she's still very tired, and as of yet not feeling like being around people.

All that changes, however, on Wednesday. She needs to get out of the house, she needs to do something life-affirming and fun... and isn't it fortunate that she's been working on building several insane monstrous intense snow tracks for people to go sledding on? She decides to go check on them and to bring her journal with them.

Finding that their structural integrity hasn't been too damaged without constant maintenance and that the cold weather still holds... she decides that today is the day to show them off.]

Hey, everyone - I've been working on something the past few weeks and if you like sledding then... [She trails off and flips the journal over so that the journal feed will reveal three sledding tracks. She's made good use of all the snow in the past month or so, the clearing is very nearly bare of it - instead, there is the very large one, made completely of tunnels and requiring snow-cut stairs to ascend and once dared will necessitate a few on-the-walls themselves turns, there is the slightly less large one that seems to be composed mostly of sheer drops, and there is the normal-sized one that is essentially one long spiral down to ground level.] then grab your sleds. Don't worry, I've had a few people test them and they've held up just fine! It's south of the barracks, by the river.

[OOC: If anyone wants to come sledding, please do! Threadjacks of all sorts are welcome!

Also, if I could get those who attend the school, work in the clinics, or attend combat medicine lessons to give this a quick glance and offer input, that would be awesome! \o/!]

Comments

[markofthebrave]

[She meets his indignation with a frown.]

Not and expect me to keep them. It's too much.

[generalflirt]

Flowers are like, the universal calling card.

[markofthebrave]

Yeah, well, in my universe they mean something slightly different then "hello."

[Light, engaging smirk.]

[generalflirt]

Oooooh~ So I'm saying something more direct, is it?

[markofthebrave]

[It's on the tip of her tongue to tease back, to dodge, to say something about how the language of flowers wasn't her specialty. But with her conversation with Sokka fresh in her mind, she can't help but deal with him soberly.]

You know you are.

1/2

[generalflirt]

[...]

2/2

[generalflirt]

M-mah~ No slack at all, that does seem Katara-like... I guess I might have been. But! You also accepted.

[markofthebrave]

Because it's not fair to hold you to things if I haven't said them yet.

[This with a little sigh. Way to go, Katara, the boy writes you a poem, brings you flowers, and comes sledding with you and you hit him over the head.

...and you're about to do it some more.]

I'm going to go put these down by a tree. Come with me? There's something I need to talk with you about.

[generalflirt]

As you command.

[He takes a more neutral expression and pose, nodding to follow her]

[markofthebrave]

[Her shoulders slump a little when he says that. That's not how things were supposed to be.

She's quiet as they walk for a bit, trying to figure out how to say what she needs to say, and doesn't speak until she's bending down to put the flowers at the base of a tree.]

I thought I should tell you... [and she straightens to look at him straight on] that I told Sokka you liked me.

[generalflirt]

[Surprise? Just a little. But...] Ah.

[Alrighty. So...] I thought that was my job.

[markofthebrave]

I'm sure that you'll still have to talk to him. [Not even touching on whatever would have to happen if she ever agreed to date him.]

I told him I was telling him just so he'd know, not because I wanted him to do anything about it, but... he's my brother.

[And Dad told him to take care of me. And I know that's what he's thinking.]

So I'm sorry if that will be a problem.

[generalflirt]

Ah...

[...Problem? Why would it? Well no, it does complicate things, he might kill him, he certainly disapproves of him. But try as he might, Masaomi can't muster up any anger. No indignation, not even fear because...]

...I'm an only child, but I think that seems to make sense.

[markofthebrave]

Yeah. After Dad left... [But she trails off. Shakes her head. He doesn't want to hear this, and it's not what she wanted to say.]

But that wasn't the only reason why I told him.

[generalflirt]

Uh...huh?

[markofthebrave]

[Her posture shifts. She squares her shoulders a little, her stance widening slightly, as a subconscious response to the tension, focus, and discomfort that she feels, she becomes combat-ready. And then swallows hard.

She doesn't want to deal with this. She doesn't want it to be happening. But it is, so Katara looks him straight in the eye.]

I didn't ask you why you decided to announce to everyone that you had a "secret crush." Or why you decided to draw that heart with a "K" on it in class that day. But even though we didn't talk about it, and I never said what I wanted you to say or not say about your feelings, it seems like you knew it would make me uncomfortable [hurt me] if everyone knew, if you made a joke about it.

And you were right. It would make me uncomfortable. But it's not because I'm embarrassed that you like me. It's because we both know that I don't like you the same way. And you're my friend, so I hate having to hurt you just to continue to be... me.

[She falters there, glancing down for a moment and swallowing again before taking a breath and looking back up at him.]

And somehow if everyone knew, that would make it worse. I'd feel like I was embarrassing you in front of everyone, that I was hurting you where people could see, and this - matters of the heart aren't something that I take lightly. [She shakes her head a little.] I'm just not that way.

But even with all that, even with how weird and hard this is, and even though I'm glad that you didn't finish writing my name on the board... I don't need his condolences. Not for you liking me. Hopefully you'll find someone who likes you back and we'll be able to stay friends and everything will work out but... the fact that you feel this way about me isn't something I'm embarrassed for my brother to know.

[Apprehensive, sure. Uncomfortable? Absolutely. And yes, embarrassing on a sibling level. But she doesn't think that Masaomi liking her should make her an object of pity. It's a precious piece of his heart he's offering to her, and she's sensible of that privilege.]

1/??

[generalflirt]

Holy... shit.

[Yes, he actually mutters that out loud to himself as he listens to her say all that. He's listening to every word the poor idiot and trying to comprehend the meaning out of it. There's a lot of ways to take it, there's a lot of paths he can take. There's a lot...]

[generalflirt]

[a light blush creeps up on his cheeks. He knows it's out of place in contact - all of her body language tells him he should be feeling the opposite. But how can he. He's being acknowledged, approved, accepted. She's not denouncing him. If anything, she's giving him the okay. Not to her heart - no, no far from that- but he's in her mind, he's got an in, and she's... okay. She's not alright, it's not fine, it's not perfect but right now, what he is hearing is that for all the uncomfortable overtones in this, it is okay.

And that germinates the hope in his heart. the hope that he felt when he managed to stop her walking away. That hope which sparked further only to be dashed when Zuko showed up when he went to her house. And he knows that the choice he made with his rebirth was, with no doubts anymore, the right one.

Because for better or for worse (and God knows it'll quite possibly be worse) she is worth this.]

[generalflirt]

[... What does he even say now? How does he even react? the blush fades as he adopts a more serious face. A smile would be out of place here. A joke would be very out of place, even if a lot of him is screaming to do just that. Right now he feels free. He feels amazing, even if he knows she's probably sealed herself in to be trapped.]

I... That is... [Swallow. No. No, some direct promise would just overwhelm her in this moment. Saying something sappy, giving in to his pulse right now would - could at least - ruin everything]

done

[generalflirt]

...Ah. I wouldn't have finished. [...No that's an excuse]

Rather- [He reaches a hand out, looking like he's going to touch her - maybe the side of her face, her shoulder? But that would be wrong right now, his hand falls, and he swallows]

... Rather, thank you.

[markofthebrave]

[She watches his hand as it rises, shrinking back a little internally. No, no she won't let him touch her. Friends. And he might like her as more than that, and she might be giving her the rights to having his feelings, but his feelings don't change hers, and they don't change his rights with her. No flowers, no kissing, nothing more than what she'd allow with other friends. And maybe less than what she'd allow with some. He doesn't want her to avoid him? Fine. But that doesn't mean he gets to turn every encounter into some excuse to try and change her mind, or her heart.

But then he doesn't try to touch her, and her gaze swings back up to him with some relief.

...Thank you?]

...for what?

[generalflirt]

[He closes his eyes here, and a somewhat coy smile curls up onto his lips]

More things than you'd want to hear me thank you for.

[markofthebrave]

[...oh boy.

You know what? Fine. She can play this off. A light smirk.]

Then I'm not saying 'you're welcome.'

[generalflirt]

Wouldn't dream to expect that! That's something right out of my fantasies!

[With a laugh, he hopes back a bit, waving his hand as he opens one eye]

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[A light sigh.]

You are so weird.