(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

[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.

[bloodbending]

"No, thanks - I think you've got me confused with someone else."

...was there even any point to keeping this up anymore? Everyone seemed to know her. And it was so disturbing.

[herotypical]

"Nah," she started to sound a little more than concerned. "I think you have me confused with a woman who'll take no for an answer. I haven't seen you in, like, forever. You can't just blow a girlfriend off like that."

She said these things lightly, now suspecting that something Shiftish was afoot.

[bloodbending]

Katara stopped. It was time to face this. She turned to look at the other woman directly in the eyes.

"Just who exactly do you think that I am?"

[herotypical]

"Katara. Sokka's sister. My partner in nail-painting crime. I could go on..."

Buffy met the woman's eyes with utter confidence. Two could play the direct game.

[bloodbending]

Katara. Sokka. Those words hammered her heart and hurt.

"I'd really rather you didn't." Her eyes narrowed. "Thank you for your time."

And she turned and walked away.

[herotypical]

...Yup. Confirmation obtained. Definitely something wacky was up. If it wasn't a Shift, then it was simply a young woman who didn't want to be bothered and -- though Buffy had imagined some deeper connection, she could respect Katara's wishes to ditch her.

But before she simply allowed her to stalk off, Buffy has one final question: "You...don't remember me, do you?"

[bloodbending]

"I don't remember any of this." Some of her fear and frustration was evident in her tone, but Katara didn't stop. She kept moving. She had to keep moving for something to make sense.

[herotypical]

"Well -- when you do, or when you wanna just talk...come find me. Buffy. Buffy Summers."

If anything, letting Katara go was a vote of confidence. She didn't need to be handled. But Buffy still watched her retreat with a sharp pang in her heart.