markofthebrave | [Action] .013

Entry tags:

[Action] .013

[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! ^^;)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Zuko may have his reasons, and they might be very good ones, but Katara never felt as safe and wanted as she did in that one brief week of total lies. She'd never even known she could feel like that before. Finding out that it had all been a lie had practically destroyed her. Then she hadn't even had a chance to confront him about it, to try to do damage control with Zuko because - he was gone. And somewhere in the back of her head she had to wonder... if it was because he was so ashamed for loving her that he couldn't bear to see her again.

Dodging that first punch is simple. That second one is going to be met with a watershield.] Do you have any idea how it felt, to come back and try to talk with you only to find out that you'd disappeared?

[She shoots out two coils of water towards Zuko's arms. If they're not intercepted, they'll coat his arms as completely as hers are coated now, giving her control over them.]

[Ah if only he could read your mind Katara. Those reasons were so very close to why he left for those days, because he couldn't face the fact that the fun he'd had that week was all built on a lie. So much else in his life had been built off lies that another one, especially one that had made him so happy, hurt so much.]

No. Do you have any idea how it felt that morning that you just left, not saying anything?

[And he manages to get one arm out of the way in time, but the other gets trapped. He'll start blasting fire at the coil and at Katara's water covered arm to get it to break.]

What was I supposed to say? [That fire breaks the hold that she has in coiling towards it, but the water is still on his arm, so as she dodges out of the way of the fire coming towards her, Katara freezes the water on his arm. She knows it won't do much but buy her some time.]

'Good morning? Sorry that this whole week has been a lie, could you please let go of my waist now?' [In fact, she's starting to get ticked off. Have an ice spike about the size of a hand bent towards your head.] It's not as if I'd ever had a boyfriend before!

Edited 2010-04-14 05:56 (UTC)

It would have been better then saying nothing. [Although that probably would have hurt a whole lot more then her just leaving did, but he's ignoring that fact.]

And I've had so many girlfriends in the past. You know, while I was exiled and on the run. [And Zuko is going to stop flinging fire at Katara in favour of making that ice spike melt. He'd prefer not to have it go through his head.]

[That wasn't just an ice spike coming straight at your head. That was a HINT. You were her first -- EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED. But it seems like you missed that just as the ice spike missed your head. And that's just going to make her angrier.] Yeah? Well excuse me for not immediately thinking about what is best for you! You might be royalty, but the world doesn't revolve around you! At least I came back!

[At this point, Katara sweeps to the side and aims a stream of water towards the foot opposite the arm that's encased in ice, hoping to unbalance him.] I looked for you! You just left me - even before you were kidnapped, you were gone for days!

So what's your problem then. You did what was best for you then? And I did want I wanted to.

[Zuko has a great deal of respect for your ice spikes Katara and your control over them, but he didn't want to risk it. He is however going to send a large run of fire to stop that stream of water heading for his foot.]

And how was I to know that you didn't hate me and never wanted to see me again because of all that happened? [How was he to know you didn't resent him for taking those firsts from you?] I needed the time to think. Or despite what you're saying was coming to terms with what happened so easy for you?

Edited 2010-04-14 06:42 (UTC)

No, it wasn't easy! What do you think I am?! [If she had more water, she'd just lock in with that fire stream and fight to see who'd get further, but she doesn't, so she lets it go and steps out of the way.]

Do you think I was happy to find out that everything I'd been feeling for you was a lie? I didn't even like you! [Most of the ice on his arm has melted off now, so Katara converts it into mist - not steam - and flings it up into his eyes to distract him so that she can draw some more water from the stream.] It was humiliating, and terrible, and I hate that it happened. But it wasn't your fault.

And if you'd come back we could have worked through it together! [Somehow. Even though she wasn't sure she'd have done anything other than tell him that she didn't love him and they'd never speak of this again. Nearly a month of helping him heal has let her get to know Zuko better than that one week of false love ever had, and now it's a relationship she'd fight to keep... then... who knows?]

[Great Katara, just great. How to throw one that hurts. It was exactly as he thought it was all those weeks ago. He had thought over the last few weeks as you were looking after him that he might have been wrong with his thoughts, that the two of you could actually be friends in this place. But with that one comment ringing in his ears... she doesn't like me, not even as a friend. Well fine then...]

And you think I was any happier when I found that out too? This is exactly why I left. Because you couldn't handle the fact that it wasn't so bad when it happened.

[Anger makes him react even with that mist around. He makes a circle of fire around himself, and then sends a large continuous burst of fire right at Katara.]

Edited 2010-04-14 14:46 (UTC)

[Katara doesn't have quite enough time to solidify her watershield, and so the force of that fire will knock her back. It's an amateur mistake, and that makes her angry at herself. Her immediate move is to pull the water back and encase herself in it, and stand to face him.]

So you think by leaving you did me a favor? How does that work? How does leaving ever help?! Friends fight, Zuko, but they work it through.

[And with that, it's another waterwhip in his direction.]

[And there is another bolt of fire going for that waterwhip as Zuko tries to dodge it.]

I never said it was as a favour to you. It was for my sake.

And how would I know what friends do, Katara. [Katara's name it spat out. No Katara, he didn't leave for you. He left because he wasn't sure he could cope with how you would react.]

[The first part makes no sense to her. So Katara will just concentrate on the part that she understands. And where you go to dodge? She shoots out a long stream of water that stands a very good chance of intercepting you.] Oh, excuse me -- weren't you the one to tell me that we were friends before I got here? Or does that suddenly not count?

[Zuko sees that water stream and just keeps on moving, dropping down so that the water would go over his head. As he stands back up he'll send several bursts of fire towards Katara.]

I'm not talking about us being friends. I'm talking about my oh so large previous experience with having actual friends. You know, the type that can see past the title and aren't just going "it's the fire prince we must be his friend". [Because seriously, joining the gaang was really the first time he really had his own friends for any length of time that he hadn't had to lie to about who he was. And he's not quite ready to deal with the specific of him and Katara being friends. Everything she's saying now and has done over the last few weeks is confusing him as to whether or not she counts him as a friend.]

[She's taken the time to draw off even more water from the stream and now outruns those bursts of fire. And she has no idea what his point is.]

Why should any of that apply to me? [And now she turns towards Zuko, all of the water she's gathered in a giant ball, and it rushes towards him like a wave.]

Edited 2010-04-16 01:55 (UTC)

Because you just told me how friends are meant to act. How am I supposed to know that if I haven't had any friends to figure it out with? [Their friendship had still been fairly when he was made the Fire Lord, so he still hadn't really found the ins and outs of actually having friends. Zuko will blast that giant ball with fire making it turn to steam.]

[There's a pause as she considers that, while taking that steam and turning it into a waterwhip that's headed straight towards his head.]

...Fine. Now you know. [And have a shot of water at your feet.] Don't run.

[Ducking that waterwhip Katara.]

I'll remember that for next time [And he's going to jump onto dryer ground to dodge that water shot and send another long burst of fire towards Katara.]

[Dodging is easier than than using what remaining water she has, but her side is starting to twinge. His bending is definitely back, but she's not going to call it quits so easily.]

Good. Because the way they mess with us in this place, there's no guarantee that there isn't going to be a next time. [And she sends a barrage of small, blunt ice spikes at him, temporarily using the last of her water.] And we have to stick together.

[Zuko will send a wall of fire up in the path of those ice spikes and then move out of their path so he is next to the fire rather then behind it.]

So was there anything else you wanted to talk about? Given you said you wanted to start with that one.

[Wall of fire. Nice. He's definitely better then. She'll just pull some more water from the stream - and stand there with it coating her arms.]

Yeah. You know that we're not... like that. But you know that we are friends. Right?

[Well Zuko will take the moment to have a breather himself. They were going at it pretty fast just then.]

That we're not like what?

[Hearing that last part, that Katara does think he's a friend, makes him relax just a little. At least she thinks they are friends too.] I'd like to hope we're friends.

[...so he's just going to make her say it? She hopes that the blush can be passed off as a flush from all that bending.] We're not in love. Obviously.

Obviously. That was some experiment that our captors found funny to play on us.

Well, fine. As long as we're clear, then.

[And she'll slide into a ready stance, and give him a smirk.]

So? One last go?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Action] .013

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject