markofthebrave | [Action] .009

[Action] .009

[Due to Sokka's unexpected bout of sheer win, Katara has been given the gift of free time and she plans on making the most of it... after she was shooed back to bed due to threats from Sokka that made no sense at all.

First, she wants to check in on Sanji at the Strawhat's House. Then she wants to stop by the school and see if she can register to go once things are back to 'normal.' And... she has an idea that is going to lead her to the weapons shop. Finally, she'll go grocery shopping because they're running low on easy-to-cook things. Maybe she'll even get a chance to stand by the bridge and practice with real waterbending! ...although saving her strength to keep healing Zuko is probably a better idea. She'll probably just stare at the water wistfully and talk to Sona.

If you're around any of these places today, feel free to say 'Hey!' or give her hand, since she's not exactly sure how to do what she wants to do at the smithy or the school.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Hey, you can't prove that. It was just a freak accident. ...Or Yuber. Yeah, Yuber. That's it. Yuber did it. Regardless, floating along with you over to the fountain.]

Whatever for? I was one of the people who responded to her plea for help, and actually had some measure of success in aiding her regain her equilibrium until one of the Forest's guardians took her in... I would very much like to see her healed. I do worry about her so...

[He's going to leave the part about exploiting her blindness to sneak up on her, and teleport around just to screw with her equilibrium more, out of his performance. And hey, at least he's a better actor than the Ember Island Players?]

Toph doesn't need your worry. [Katara stops in front of the fountain and takes a ready stance, turning to face him.] I told you once and I won't tell you again - leave us alone.

I am not allowed to interact with others that consent to such interactions? And I am not allowed to worry about my friends?

[Kefka's not going to throw the first blow. Baiting is an entirely different matter though. Not to mention that if she attacks him just for showing concern for Toph, Toph might take offense at that.]

[Well Kefka. Luffy would regularly be out in the woods training now, but since you kinda destroyed Nami's room he's been in town more. Which means he has a better chance of spotting you. And by that I mean he already has.

Matter of fact, he's in Gear Second already, and he's aiming an incredibly fast punch at your face. So fast, that it's pretty much a blur.]

[Well, thanks to his typical paranoia, Kefka has a Protect and Shell spell up. The barrier that is Protect flashes into life at the last minute, and absorbs most of the blow, however the impact is more than enough to send Kefka flying a little way to the side. When he stands, he levels a glare at Luffy, but makes no move to retaliate, yet.]

Tch, it seems that there are those that simply cannot listen to reason.

[He turns to Katara with as stoic a look as possible, casting a Protect on her as well, to simulate concern.]

Miss, you might want to leave the immediate area... this one's temper, when ignited, can become extremely dangerous to those around him. Even if his intentions are good.

[Once he issues his warning to Katara, he turns back to Luffy.]

And just what, pray tell, prompted this attack?

[Ugh, what was that? It feels weird. And is that Luffy?

...

...Katara is just going to take this opportunity to back away from the clearing. As far as she's concerned, Luffy has every right in the world to be attacking Kefka for what he did to Nami, but that doesn't mean she wants to be in the middle of it.

...that also doesn't mean she's going anywhere. If Luffy needs help or even... no. Ugh. They really need those bells.]

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!

[He's dashing towards Kefka really quickly, and aiming another stretched punch at him.]

[This time he's prepared and dodges, though Luffy should easily feel Kefka's clothes brushing his arm, as close as the punch came.]

....this is sure annoying...

[As he spins in the air, he's going to be flinging a Graviga spell at the ground just in front of Luffy, causing a large black ball to descend on the area.]

[So that's what Nami meant when she said being rubber was more useful than it sounds. Katara's eyes are wide as saucers and --

What on earth was that? Where did that ball come from? That's magic?

...she's suddenly very glad Luffy interrupted. She's never seen anything like this before.]

[FUUUU-- he doesn't trust that huge black ball at all, and thus will be stopping RIGHT before he's about to slam into the thing and flipping back away from it. Dammit, he has to be more careful. He almost got hit by that... whatever it was.

Okay he sees Katara isn't really in the area so that's good. But still there's the fact of trying to HIT Kefka without getting owned by magic attacks. He was hoping he wouldn't really be able to dodge his Gear Second moves, but ffff looks like he can.]

[Sad thing is, it was a fluke. Kefka knows it. So he's going to attempt to force Luffy out of his super speed state with a Slow spell.]

[Katara is watching attentively - if there's some chance that she can help she's going to take it, but right now she is happy to stay out of it and learn more.]

[Well he's not moving to the point where he's a blur now, but he's still faster than his normal speed. He notices this when he's running around the big black ball thingy to get to Kefka.]

Gomu Gomu no JET GATLING GUN!

[He starts sending an onslaught of stretched punches at where Kefka is now, and they're moving incredibly fast to the point where he seems as if he's punching with about 15 or so fists at once. If he was at full speed they would all be a blur but he's not unfortunately so they're just really quick.]

Edited 2010-03-19 02:51 (UTC)

[Even with Slow, he was still damn fast. Too fast. And really, there's not a lot Kefka could do to counter except keep himself afloat and let the impact knock him further away from Luffy while shielding himself with his Protect spell, and crossed arms. It's clear though, at the moment, this is a fairly one sided at the moment.]

[Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), this is the exact moment that John will be flying over on patrol. As soon as he spots the scuffle in the plaza, he'll be firing his ring at it. There won't be any explosions though. Just one extremely powerful green, slightly transparent wall between Luffy and Kefka. It will stay solid as John comes floating down.]

Would one of you like to explain what's going on here?

[Kefka arches an eyebrow at the newcomer and lets down his arms.]

I would love to. Then again, I'm clueless as to what's going on too. I was attempting to have a peaceful conversation when he attacked me out of nowhere!

[He'll stop the attacking for now and looks over at GL]

This wall you put up. Move it.

[Katara doesn't know who you are, shiny green and black man, and she has no idea if this thing you put up between them is going to hold or not -- but her sense of justice is bigger than her common sense. ~~sob~~ So she's not going to let Kefka get away with saying that and... Luffy deserves his shot at Kefka. So she's going to just step forward here.]

That's not true! I told you to leave me alone. You wouldn't go! And Luffy is attacking you because of what you did to Nami!

[Jon shoots Kefka a skeptical look. He already has a good idea who you are thanks to Batman, so he's not exactly convinced. First he'll deal with Luffy. He seems to be connected to Nami at least.]

Not just yet, kid. [And to Kefka.] I suggest you leave the young lady be.

Edited 2010-03-19 04:02 (UTC)

All I did was ask if the girl knew where I might find a friend that I helped out in the forest. You see, I've been sort of forced out into the fringe of this place, thanks to the false claims others from my world - but obviously not my timeline - have leveled against me. Apparently she's one of those that believe the misguided rumors.

As to what happened with Nami, I haven't the foggiest clue what she's talking about. True, the young lady and myself have had our differences in the past, but they're just that, in the past.

[He makes a sighing gesture.]

If only there were a way to clear my name, and things could get back to normal around here...

[Luffy has no idea what you guys are talking about. He's been too busy warming up and doing stretch exercises over here to care. He needs to get moving soon before his Gear Second starts wearing off completely]

Get rid of the wall, or I'm breaking through it.

If you want to clear your name, you can start by leaving when people tell you to.

[She's in a defensive stance - standing up against Kefka like this is dangerous, she has no doubt about that, and it is probably going to come and bite her in the end, but she can't just stand by and let him lie like that. She doesn't know who the man hovering in the sky is, but he has an instinctive air of authority that she recognizes. And she also believes that Luffy will try to bust right through that green wall... and maybe he's made out of rubber, but that doesn't seem like a good idea to her. What if it's like lightning?]

Nami doesn't have any reason to lie. I saw the damage in that room myself. How could you do something like that?

[Okay, he's turning his attention to Kefka now. His bullshit meter is going off here. So after listening to Katara's piece of information.] I've already been informed about you, Mister Kefka and you've heard the young lady. This is your last chance. If you don't leave now, then I will remove you myself. Trust me. You don't want that to happen.

[And to show he means business, he removes the wall from the playing field. But he does it slow enough to give Kefka enough time to play it safe and escape before the angry rubber guy intervenes.]

[Kefka rolls his eyes a bit but does start to float upward, as he speaks, though he's got a Stop spell ready should Luffy try anything before he spoke his peace.]

Tell me, sir, how would you feel if people that you once counted as friends, and even a girl that you helped to raise as a member of your own family, began accusing you of horrific things that you didn't do? I have done nothing wrong here, and nobody that has accused me of anything has offered any kind of solid evidence to back up their claims.

[He turns his attention to Katara this time, still feigning innocence.]

I have no clue what you're talking about, young lady. But I do know that Nami has made several enemies here, through no fault of her own. Perhaps you should investigate those leads before jumping to conclusions in the future.

[And to Luffy...] And young man, do know that I harbor no hostility toward you. I know now that you were simply looking out for a friend, in itself that is an admirable trait. I just suggest you aim that enthusiasm at the real culprit of whatever offense was committed.

[And once again back to GL] If you wish to know the truth of the matters at hand, you're more than welcome to contact me at your leisure. I do so hope that matters like this can be solved without further violence.

[And, Kefka strikes a pose, bows, and teleports off. ...And when he arrives at his little hideout in the forest, he's going to throw up from all the goody-good talk he had to do.]

[Did... he... just... teleport away? He was RIGHT HERE! He had him! After all this time he finally had a chance to fight Kefka and maybe beat him to a pulp to prevent him from hurting anymore of his friends and..]

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