[ 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

[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.]

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[Oh, you are so kidding me.]

[markofthebrave]

Thunderaxe? Seriously?

1/3

[markofthewise]

[Bwuh? Someone's here? He's surprised enough that he drops his sword to look.]

2/3

[markofthewise]

[Oh. It's just his sister.]

Yeah bec-[He's cut off by CLANG. wincing.]

[markofthewise]

[...]

It's just a nickname.

[markofthebrave]

You don't even fight with an axe.

[markofthewise]

I have a lot of axes, though! And [He pulls out the tiniest of hatchets from his belt.] I have this!

[markofthebrave]

What are you going to use that for? Picking your teeth?

[markofthewise]

Projectile! [He turns and throws it at a dummy, hitting it square on the forehead. Which while incredibly impressive, he was actually aiming for the heart.] See?

[markofthebrave]

Not bad! But can you do it on the run?

[markofthewise]

[... maybe? He goes to retrieve it.] It's a work in progress.

[markofthebrave]

The rest of your form looks good.

[Yes, it's an actual compliment with no teasing attached. Don't choke on it.]

If you want I could help you with your defense. See how your dodging works with the new footwork you learned.

[markofthewise]

[Moving targets, huh? For a moment he wishes he had worked on Sona. He'd like to see how it would stand up to bending in a defensive capacity. And then he remembers filial magic doesn't work outside of Luceti, so that's kind of a waste of time for the moment.]

Sure! Maybe we can stick to ice. I don't feel like getting wet. [And then you getting him unwet.]

[markofthebrave]

Ice? [Ice is a killing weapon, and it hurts when it hits.] Really?

[markofthewise]

If you're worried about it, just don't make them sharp. Make 'em into balls or something. [Sokka isn't too worried though. He's feeling confident.]

[markofthebrave]

Sure, I can do that. Although I wouldn't use ice like this to trip up an opponent. [All the same, she unclasps her waterskin and draws out enough water to form three softball sized chunks of ice. Let's start with something easy.]

Ready?

[markofthewise]

[He shifts into position and nods.] Bring it on.

[markofthebrave]

[While she's compromised with the size and shape, Katara doesn't compromise with the speed in which she sends the ice towards him. They're spread in a roughly triangular shape - one parallel to his ribs to the left, high and towards his shoulder on the right, and the third headed straight towards his stomach.]

[markofthewise]

[Sokka reacts instantly. He leans in on his right, rolling his shoulder down so the highest ball of ice sails past him. He quickly turns his sword upward, resting his left hand against the side of the blade to brace it against the other two balls that ultimately shatter as they impact the sword.]

[markofthebrave]

Not bad!

[markofthewise]

I can do better.

[markofthebrave]

Yeah? Then let's see. [There are now five baseball-sized chunks of ice headed in your direction, although there's nothing tricky about the pattern. She bends them straight out, spread in a lose pentagon.]