[Voice] .007

[markofthebrave]

[Filtered from Sokka 57%]

...would anyone who's been kidnapped by the Malnosso before agree to meet with me somewhere and talk about it? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.

Comments

[Private]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

I may not. I don't actually know yet.

But I do want to see you, if that's okay.

[Private]

[markofthebrave]

You do? Why? I mean -- sure. You can come if you want to, we're not leaving for a little while yet.

[Private]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

[Because she's worried about you and wants to check in on you :| And it distracts her from Sanji going missing, which technically shouldn't have happened yet but Brook already discussed it so we'll go with that But wait, that's an interesting thing to say.]

Where are you going?

[Grabbing her coat.]

[Private]

[markofthebrave]

Sokka and I are going into the forest for a few days. We're going to look for Zuko.

[Private]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

[Ah, a plan made of common sense and not a Luffy-style one of attacking the barrier. Nami approves.]

That's a good idea. Let us know if you need a hand, okay?

And I'll see you in a few minutes.

[Heading off!]

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara will have finished most of her conversations for the day. She has a lot to think about. She's probably hoisted herself up on something that lets her feet dangle and she's looking down at them do so when Nami arrives.]

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

[Nami will take a few moments to see who's around before eyeing Katara from a distance. Then with a small sigh, she'll hoist herself right up next to Katara and join her in her feet dangling.]

Find out anything useful?

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara glances up to see who's approaching, and then she glances back down. She's trying not to think about Toph and just concentrate on 'the problem,' and it's not working very well. Sorry, Nami, this won't be too easy.]

Yes and no.

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

[Easy, shmeasy. She's just working on being company. She'll hesitate a moment.]

Anything that actually helps?

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

Maybe. I don't know. There are bits and pieces of things, but no one really seems to know much. They don't even know for sure if they're really taken out of the barrier.

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

They are, but there are two sets of barriers. Given how many people come back from out in the forest, though, I'd say it's the outer one.

...things get foggy when you're kidnapped. So that's not surprising that they don't know.

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

No, it's not. [A pause.]

...I didn't know there were two sets of barriers.

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

There are some in the tunnels, too. But I think that's where that John guy is meant to be. So I can't see kidnap victims being dragged there. [Unless John is secretly behind all the kidnappings, which ...she doubts.]

...they run tests, you know. Try and work out why you were brought here, or what makes you tick.

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara tenses.] ...what kind of tests?

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

They're probably different for each person.

[...]

For me, they were harmless enough.

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

[...Katara doesn't really have anything to say to that.]

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, Katara.

Chances are high that when she returns, she'll be injured. But it shouldn't be too bad.

[She sounds confident enough of this. But now Nami is just ...staring at her hands.]

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

...are you okay?

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's ... been a long week. Nothing to do with ...

Heh.

Sanji-kun was also taken this week.

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

...Brook told me. [Katara closes her eyes for a moment.] I'm sorry, Nami.

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

...me too. But ...

...you know, when I got kidnapped, it was at the same time as one of my crewmates, and we ended up sharing a cell for a while. So maybe ...

[...maybe they'll see each other. And Sanji'd definitely look out for Toph. But there are a lot of people kidnapped right now, so maybe not. Sentence goes unfinished.]

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

[...Katara doesn't have anything to say to that. She'd like to believe that Toph was with Sanji, that Toph had someone to look out for her -- she's just a kid, no matter how powerful she is -- but she doesn't believe that their captors have any kindness. She's silent for a long while, and then she decides to offer the one thing that she knows is true.]

Toph was the first person in our world who learned how to bend metal. No earthbender had ever been able to do that, ever before. She just would not let herself be overcome. And I know that when she gets back to us, she'll probably be hurt. But I also believe that she won't let this beat her. That no matter what happens, she'll get better.

[And now she cuts Nami a sidelong glance.] And I don't think Sanji would let anything stop him from returning to feed you guys either. It's too important to him.

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

I believe you. Toph is pretty incredible. And if we can all bounce back from this happening, then she definitely can.

[Soft laughter.] And he'd better. I refuse to cook for seven people any longer than I have to.

[Action]

[markofthebrave]

[Yeah, she is. Jealous much? Maybe a little. But right now Katara is just going to hope that all that stubbornness Toph has which drives her nuts will see her through.]

If you need any help with that, just let me know. I'll be back in a few days.

[Action]

[mikangirl.livejournal.com]

...I hope you find him. It's not safe to be on his own for so long.