[ Action, Voice ] .021

[markofthebrave]

Hey, Caesar! Do you mind if I stop by this afternoon? [Because mind or not, she is coming. But before she gets there, if you asked after her while she had eye-mushi and she hasn't spoken to you yet, she's looking for you. She will be all about town, since she doesn't know where some of you live. She also plans on checking in with Sokka and the rest of the Gaang at some point today.]

[And later in the evening, after dinner and far past when she is usually fast asleep, you can find Katara practicing not far from her house. Since Ginko died she's been robbed of her rest - combine that with the draft list being posted and she's decided to cope the only way she knows how - by using the time to find some peace. For that purpose, she is doing a special form. She runs through the first without doing any bending at all. When she repeats it, she bends thin tendrils of water up and around and over, following the movements of her hands - and when one catches her eye she freezes it in place, creating a small practice area of frozen arches and swirls.

They won't last long, especially not in the heat of a summer night. That's not the point. That's not the point at all.]

Comments

[action - evening. this was predictable. XD]

[no-use-running.livejournal.com]

[Her secret's out and so is she; so it's Ami who watches Katara with undisguised interest stripped of its usual smug slyness. Her eyes follow every movement, and the words slip from her mouth.]

You really do understand the water.

[action - evening. Let's see if we can get a good conversation out of 'em! XD]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara pauses in her form, with the absolute stillness this discipline brings, to look over her shoulder and see the girl that she knows as Mercury.

Some of the peace she'd gained in this moonlit action leaves her, and she can't help but tense as she deliberately completes the set. Despite her best intentions to treat each interaction with Mercury as a new one, their past encounters have built up her defensiveness towards the other girl, and in doing so, lowered her perception of the other's intentions.

But there's nothing snide in Mercury's tone tonight, the moon is shining, and this is meant to be a time of preparation, not of battle. So she turns to face the other girl, framed by fragile and impossible spires of ice.] Thank you.

[action - WOOT]

[no-use-running.livejournal.com]

I want to learn it, too. I should be able to.

[She's not even sure why; her power is already water and it's not like this will give her more. But something about the movements seems so peaceful, connected to the water.]

[action]

[markofthebrave]

[Her instinctive reaction is a strong and negative - but she's always been curious about Mercury's power. Maybe...]

Maybe. I don't know - how do you usually use water?

[flamedork.livejournal.com]

[markofthebrave]

[...too bad for you it's a quiet night. Katara glances back towards the sound of the noise - she won't be too far away, but that sound is unnatural in the evening's stillness.]

Roku?

[flamedork.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey Katara.

[markofthebrave]

[...Oh, Roku. Right now she has no doubt at all that you were Aang's past life. You even sounded just like him there.]

Hey. Whatcha got there?

[action]

[likeafirework.livejournal.com]

[Hitsugaya can't really sleep either and when he can't sleep, he goes for a walk. He's a little surprised to find a familiar presence out and he quietly makes his way closer. Nice ice, Katara. Too bad it doesn't stay for very long.

... Of course it could, at that. He leans against a tree, wraps a hand around the hilt of his sword, and lets his eyes close for a moment. It isn't long at all before the air around him grows colder. Moments after, Katara may find it cooler where she's bending and may find her ice isn't melting off as quickly as it was before.]

[action]

[markofthebrave]

[It doesn't take too long for Katara to notice the welcome change in the weather. She pauses in her form and glances around for its source - nothing is this simple in Luceti and-]

Hitsugaya. [A smile. She'd been looking for you earlier. She inclines her head vaguely behind her, indicating the no-longer dripping arch of ice.] Is this your work?

[action]

[likeafirework.livejournal.com]

[He nods once. His hand drops from Hyourinmaru, but the air continues to remain cool.] My element is ice.

[action]

[markofthebrave]

I've never thought of ice as a separate element from water before. [A form - a graceful arch of water - now frozen into smooth ice.] One of the basics of waterbending is adaptability.

[derek-bliss.livejournal.com]

[Derek is enjoying the evening, but the smell of ice in the air catches his attention when he passes near where Sokka's home is, so he follows it, frowning slightly. He keeps quiet; stealth is natural for him, what with having to sneak up on creature with even better hearing than he has now, so it's possible he'll get pretty closely before any chance sounds he makes are heard.

When he sees who it is, he'll halt several yards away, and crouch down casually, watching as Katara goes from straight kata, to the water bending version. He's a bit fascinated by the whole thing, really.]

[markofthebrave]

[She might have gotten better at detecting someone's presence, but a supernatural stealth is beyond Katara's skill level to detect. She won't notice his presence for some time -

And in the end, it's only the sense that someone is watching which makes her finish her set and stand ready, as she asks in the completely wrong direction:] Is someone out there?

[derek-bliss.livejournal.com]

It's just me, Katara.

[Derek will stand as he quietly answers her, making it so that she can see him more easily.]

Interesting style. Was just watching it.

[markofthebrave]

[She recognizes his voice and turns to face him with a small smile.] Hi, Derek! It's been a while.

[She reaches out a hand to tentatively touch one of the spires, careful not to send it crashing from where it was rooted in the ground.] I don't usually practice like this.

[She's a little embarrassed to be caught using her skills so impractically by someone older. But practicality hadn't really been the point either.]

[markofthewise]

[The draft means Katara isn't the only one practicing. Without school to go to, Sokka is able to spend more time training both with his two dads masters, but also on his own. Which he'll be doing in the barracks. Unfortunately his training dummy machine is a long way from completion, so he's just going through his own forms. It's been an entire month since his spat with Sanji and his decision to double triple his efforts in training.

The effort definitely shows. His motions are not as rigid as they were in the past. Although his style is very much free form and improvised, there's more skill there than just the simple reflexes and quick thinking that had always dominated his way of fighting. He's pretty into what he's doing too, so even when Katara comes to check on him, he might not immediately notice her.]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara leans against the door and watches him for a bit - the differences are notable, and she's glad to see them. Sokka never had enough time to really practice or pursue the sword - but it's obvious that he's more confident in it now, and that the confidence shows.

She'll watch and evaluate a bit more in silence, not as his sister, but as a fellow warrior.]

[markofthewise]

[He remains oblivious to her presence, suddenly shifting as he is ambushed... by an invisible enemy. Which he effortlessly disarms and knocks to the ground, holding his sword at their transparent neck.]

HA! You you could sneak up on Thunderaxe? Sorry Fire Loser, you'll have to try harder to get the jump on me! [More confident? Yes. More mature? ... no.]

[action]

[chaincutter]

[Someone else is up and about late as well, observing the village with a distant sort of attitude about him. He's not hard to spot, that silvery armor has a way of catching the moonlight and announcing his presence - probably across the river from her, if that's where Katara is. He watches for some time, still and quiet so as to not interrupt her. Unless she takes notice of him, he'll let her continue and go on his way.]

[action]

[markofthebrave]

[The natural course of the form brings her around in a full circle, and when she sees him, she pauses.] Hey. Sigmund, right?

[action]

[chaincutter]

[He dips his chin, both a greeting and an affirmation.] I did not intend to interrupt.

[voice]

[mydearapple.livejournal.com]

Huh? Uh... No, I guess I don't really mind.

[voice]

[markofthebrave]

Good! [She takes that 'I guess' as enthusiasm.] Do you want to meet somewhere, or should I just drop by?

[voice]

[mydearapple.livejournal.com]

[He just wasn't expecting it, especially since he hasn't been particularly social lately.]

Let's meet somewhere. Any place specifically?