[Action] .013

[markofthebrave]

[She's still stiff and sore from the fight with Aku, but thanks to the healing she's received, by Tuesday Katara is whole. And that means that she and Zuko are about to have a very long overdo talk. With Azula here now, they can't afford to have any room for her to manipulate them. And there are certain issues from the last experiment that they never had a chance to resolve.

And equally practically, Zuko needed to prove to her that she was better so that she didn't have to worry about trying to keep him inside anymore.

So they go off to find a clearing, near enough to some water and far enough away from trees so that if things get out of control, well, they'll be fine. Because somehow, in the back of her head? Katara knows that this is just not going to be that simple.]

OK, you remember the deal. If you can bring me to a tie, or beat me, I'll agree that you're fine.


(OOC: If you want to talk to Katara, she'll be wandering around after this, trying to clear her head, NOT wanting to go back to the house. But please leave the thread with Zuko alone. Thanks! ^^;)

Comments

[restoremyhonour.livejournal.com]

Okay. [And Zuko will move off away from Katara and take a stance, waiting for her to also get ready.]

It's been a while since we last did this. [And pretty much never when he wasn't actually trying to kill her in the process, but he's not reminding her of that.]

[markofthebrave]

[And she takes a ready stance, letting water pool over her hands. Fighting with fire was serious business - and there had never been a time in her memory where she'd fought with Zuko with any other intent than to defeat him or buy time to run. This was definitely weird. Welcome to Luceti, Katara. She nods at him.]

I don't ever remember sparring with you.

[Her voice is maybe a little hard. Facing him like this, after all those weeks of caring for him -- stranger than she thought.]

[restoremyhonour.livejournal.com]

I meant facing you. I don't think we've ever sparred each other.

[And Zuko notices that hardness, although he's not sure what it means. They have spent enough time with each other that he picks up on it easily. He's actually somewhat looking forward to this. They went from fighting as enemies to fighting together as friends. They never had a friendly fight. Not to mention that this fight will mean Katara will stop mothering him quite so much, and threatening to ice him to the bed if he over does things.]

[markofthebrave]

Yeah, well there's a lot of things we've never done before here. [You know. Me healing you. And that whole... love experiment thing.]

[restoremyhonour.livejournal.com]

Yeah. This place does seem to make that happen. [Yeah, all those things.] You ready?

[markofthebrave]

[She nods, bringing up her arms slightly.] We're going to have to talk about it sometime, you know.

[rocket-feet.livejournal.com]

_{[Azula has a had a busy, interesting day so far - and perhaps it's about to get a bit more interesting. She spots the relatively familiar figure of Katara and she picks up her pace to catch up.]}

Katara, isn't it? I figured you would be around here somewhere. Your brother wasn't exactly helpful, but I did learn a few things.

[markofthebrave]

[Katara stops walking. And resists the urge to just immediately bend Azula out of hearing. Instead she turns and meets Azula's gaze, her stance relaxed but ready. The little jibe about Sokka finds its mark, but all it takes is one look at Azula for Katara to be completely certain that Sokka is fine. She's no Aku, Sokka can take care of himself, and if Azula had hurt him she would be a lot more smug.]

Azula. How unfortunate. Let me guess. Now you're hoping to learn more from me? Give me one good reason why I should help you.

[rocket-feet.livejournal.com]

_{[Well, she always did have spirit. Azula smirks and examines her nails for a moment before replying.]}

Because there's no war here. I don't have a reason to hurt you, my brother or any of your friends. Why should I? It'd simply be a waste of my time.

[markofthebrave]

I'd pretty much given up on guessing why you do anything. I've got better things to do. Like... anything.

[A pause.] Tell you what. Last a couple of weeks here without going crazy and hurting anyone? And I'll be happy to fill you in. Until then, there's a guide. And I'm sure you're capable enough to figure out the basics.

[And with that, she's going to turn and start walking again.]

[rocket-feet.livejournal.com]

_{[Azula clicks her tongue.]}

I'm not insane, despite what you and my brother might think. Besides, it would be remiss of me not to check up on my own great-grandfather from time-to-time.

[markofthebrave]

[Yup, still walking away. She'll tilt her head enough to call back.] Good. If you're not insane, prove it. Luceti's got enough problems.

[superior-genes.livejournal.com]

[Have a tall cloaked figure following you around for a while after the Zuko sparing session, trying to figure out just what the heck you are. A water-type human? That's new.]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara's wandering around without anything specific in mind, and doesn't pick up on the follower. She stops in the middle of one of the bridges, and stares out at the water.]

[superior-genes.livejournal.com]

[Mewtwo will actually set himself down on the bridge, rather than hovering a couple inches over it. The cloak makes a slight ruffling noise, and the dispersing telekinetic energies create a few ripples in the water as they move outward. Time to see just how observant this curiosity was.]

[markofthebrave]

[At the noise Katara glances behind her shoulder to see a strange cloaked figure. Well, given her experience with Aku, that has her straightening up and turning around, a very mild smile on her face.]

Oh - hello. You startled me.

[superior-genes.livejournal.com]

[Mewtwo simply stood there, head tilting to one side slightly. He was curious as to just what it was he was sensing from her, and he couldn't exactly discern it, so foreign from anything he knew. However, after a long pause a voice radiates from the journal floating at his side.]

Show me what you can do... Katara of the Southern Water Tribe...

1/?

[markofthebrave]

[HOW DID HE KNOW HER NAME?]

2/?

[markofthebrave]

[Yeah, OK, this is seriously not good.]

[markofthebrave]

[And Katara slides into a ready stance.]

Who are you? How do you know my name, and where I'm from?



[OOC: I'm assuming Mewtwo got this info because he is somehow psychic? I don't know anything about the canon... is there a permission's post I missed? Katara has zero psychic blocking ability, so that's all good, but I have to admit this took me by surprise!]

[likeafirework.livejournal.com]

[He's on his way back from the lake, where he sparred with Ichigo, with every intention to get off the streets and into the apartment he'd appropriated. He's ignoring that he's managed to open up a couple of the deeper cuts again and goddamn it, but where he clipped his chin on the ground hurts. Nice scrape. Very nice scrape. Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshou packs a punch.]

[He sees Katara too late to avoid having to walk past her. Besides, she's between him and not-home. (That apartment would never be home.) And it's not like he really knows her. One conversation doesn't mean he knows her. He just doesn't like anyone actually seeing him bleeding. Katara counts as anyone. In face, he's been doing his best to avoid everyone.]

[With a sigh, he makes sure his step is nice and steady before stepping past her.]

[markofthebrave]

[Yeah, because clearly someone as beat up as he is can just.. walk right past Katara without comment. She runs over to him.]

Hitsugaya! What happened to you?!

[likeafirework.livejournal.com]

[Well, he was kind of hoping. Apparently it was a vain hope. He pulls up short, blinking. So concerned. It's not like he was on the ground dying.]

A couple things. [It's honest, if not exactly informative.] Was sparring.

[markofthebrave]

[Well, he's coherent. And bleeding. And just as polite and informative as ever. But at least there was no attack.

And if he gets that beat up 'sparring?' ...Yeah, something to note.]

Well, you're going the wrong way. [She points.] The clinic is in that direction.

[likeafirework.livejournal.com]

[He actually slowly turns to look in the direction she's pointing. Clinic? Oh, hell, no.]

My apartment's that way. [And he gestures in the direction he's going.]