(no subject)

[markofthebrave]

[Action: Locked to Nephry]
[It makes no sense for a known and proud waterbender to step out of the fountain in the middle of winter and remain soaking wet. But yet, that is exactly what she is doing: getting out of the fountain, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering, and looking both confused and frightened... and younger. About three years younger, to be exact.]

[Open action.]

Katara, properly attired to face the winter thanks to your friendly neighborhood Clothing Shop, can be seen:

a) Stopping and staring at the snow, as if she hasn't seen any in a very, very long time
b) Entering the Welcome Center to get the maps/layout of the place
c) Stalking House 56. She will not enter. She will likely not be seen, as she is administering a frightening amount of skill at sticking to the shadows, but you might catch her as she starts to walk away...
d) Checking out a Community Building for a spare room.

((Katara, returned from her mallynap, is experiencing this AU. Feel free to bump into her anywhere, but don't be too surprised if she doesn't respond to her name. It's been a long time since she's called herself anything Water Tribe.))

Comments

a

[savedtheworld]

[It had been a struggle to look upbeat ever since Katara was kidnapped. And today looked no different - he had spent most of it in solitude in the forest.

And on his way back, suddenly... there she was. He couldn't pick up on the differences yet. But it was unmistakably Katara. And his face was brightening up like those lights sometimes do at the South Pole.

He's rushing towards her.]

Katara!

[markofthebrave]

[And Katara tenses, but she just keeps walking away. Surely he's talking about someone else.

At least, that's what she hopes is coming across.]

[savedtheworld]

[He feels some strange pang when she walks off. There are many possibilities... but mabe she didn't hear him. That's what Aang will choose to believe.]

Katara, it's me! Aang!

[And he speeds up, too, to try to catch up with her, ready to skid to a halt if/when he passes her.]

[action]

[silversnowfall]

[If only she could think to herself that it's not something you see every day around here. Nephry is surprised to recognize the girl standing there dripping in the plaza, nonetheless.]

Is that you, Katara? [Maybe it had something to do with her water abilities.] You must be half-frozen.

[action]

[bloodbending]

[The girl who used to go by Katara froze - almost literally, her lips were turning blue.]

I'm so-so-sorry, you mah-mah-must have me confused for someone else.

[action]

[silversnowfall]

[It looked like Katara. Less weathered by time in Luceti, and shivering, but-

Stranger things had happened. Nephry gave the girl a friendly smile and pulled off her coat, holding it out.]

My mistake. That doesn't change how cold you are, though. Here.

[herotypical]

...Perhaps she'd stopped and stared at some of that snow just outside of House 7? At the sight of her, Buffy paused on her top porch step. Then -- as the chilly wind picked up -- she huffed a sigh.

"Hey. You. Thousand-Yard-Stare-Gal. You wanna come in?"

She'd been about to pick up some necessities but -- ah -- she hasn't seen Katara in a while.

[bloodbending]

The girl who called herself Anji jumped, startled. She turned cautious blue eyes towards the woman with the strange colored hair, "Oh - no. No thank you. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

And she bowed in the proper Fire Nation way, one fist directly under an upraised hand, and turned to avoid trouble.

[herotypical]

"Puh-lease. You? Disturb me? No way. Improbable. Impossible.

C'mon. I'll put the kettle on. We can have another looksee over your nails."

Buffy say Katara begin to turn, and she took the three steps down to the path.

[markofthewise]

Sokka hadn't quite got the memo that Katara was back. So it's after leaving the smithy, he spotted the back of what looked familiar to him just outside the Welcome Center. Oh, it wasn't the same as how Katara usually wore her hair, but it was enough to make him approach out of curiosity. When he felt reasonably sure it was her, he reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Katara?"

[bloodbending]

By this time, she was tired of being mistaken for herself. What kind of place was this where she just went out and told everyone who she was? Nothing made any sense.

So when the stranger touched her shoulder, Anji jumped, startled, and recoiled, "Don't touch me!"

[markofthewise]

He pulled back his hand in surprise. It startled him to hear her voice like that. They'd fought, but he'd never heard her sound like that to him. More than that, he could see that she looked even more different than he expected. She was younger, but at the same time, so much more tired and older looking. Something was clearly wrong.

"Relax. It's just me."

[generalflirt]

[Masaomi's actually coming out of the elevator at the first floor of C1 about the same time Katara is walking into the building--

And indeed, it's Katara. Katara, who's been kidnapped. But being as observant as he is, he notices about five things wrong with her in the first few seconds. A smile remains on his face, bu the hesitates to go over. Instead, he casually lowers the speed at which he's walking to the exit of the building, instead waiting to see if she's going to react to him]

[markofthebrave]

[Nope, she doesn't look at him any differently than anyone else. There's something cautious and oddly hard in her assessment as she walks right past him.]

1/2

[generalflirt]

[Damn]

[Action]

[flameoroku]

[Roku was coming out of the general store when he notices Katara just outside the clothing shop. It...was Katara right? He takes a few steps toward her and around to get a good look at her face. It was! The Malnosso must have finally brought her back!]

Katara!? Hey!

[Action]

[bloodbending]

[Seriously, why did everyone keep calling her that?

She turned, scowling.]

Do you think you know me?

[endgames]

[Placeholderish as I'll be gone for two days but Not too long after Katara ran into Masaomi, Shikamaru spotted them after coming out of the elevator of CH1. He picked up on the tone differences immediately; cataloged the shifts in body language to note something was wrong.

Taking care not to draw attention to himself like a good little ninja, he eavesdropped some then went on his way. He'll be back to the building shortly though - before she's left, at least - on the lookout for her.]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara, meanwhile has decided that there are too many people in this building. It makes her uncomfortable; she'd rather find her way out.]

c

[ex_tessen852]

[Upon returning home, Suki spots Katara and she can't help but be excited.]

Katara! You're back. [She rushes to the other girl.] What are you doing out here? We should be inside.

[bloodbending]

[It is entirely possible that Suki may have caught her as she started to walk away, since she had determined that walking on the road would be less conspicuous. Apparently, she was mistaken. As it was, she simply continued to walk until Suki caught up with her, at which point she only had two short words for her:]

Go away.

action;

[metalbends]

[Shadows or not, not many things go unseen by the best earthbender in the whole world. That's why when Katara sets foot around House 56, Toph senses her right away - and can't help but grin as she high-tails it outside toward her.]

Katara! You're back!

action;

[bloodbending]

[That does not make Katara feel particularly good as a testimony to the reflection of her skills. But more importantly, she can't help but notice the joy that she's being greeted with by total strangers. It hurts. It all hurts so much.]

Who are you?

[wise_maiden]

[The Welcome Center happens to be located under the tea shop, and just across the way from the flower shop. So on that Friday afternoon when Raine exits one place to step into the other one located conveniently nearby, that is where her path crosses with Katara.

... A Katara who seems significantly younger than when she last saw her, and that was just before her coma in the previous month. After a while, watching people age becomes natural, until the difference of a few years is suddenly revealed.

It's not like this situation was uncommon in Luceti. Her surprise is brief, though her concern lingers under her friendliness.]

... Good afternoon. Do you need any help?

[markofthebrave]

[Katara looks at that white hair on such a young face for a moment or so more than is strictly polite, and then shakes her head a little wryly.]

I'm... not sure. I'm told this place might have a list of unoccupied houses?