markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .022

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[ Action, Voice ] .022

[Today, Katara is on a mission. There are people she has to thank for giving her presents, and to that purpose she has prepared small pressed impressions of dried goldenrods in glass (thank you, Usopp and the item shop) or pressed into paper with the words 'Thank You' written on it, depending on what she thinks you'll like more. Yes, this has taken her all week.

She will either be dropping them off at your house, or meeting with you personally to touch base with you. There are a few other people she's on the look out for in particular, and several side missions she also hopes to accomplish. Feel free to bump into her at any point as she goes about her business, whether or not there is a dried flower for you!]

[Courtesy 15 percent filter to the people addressed, so as to not spam your journals if you don't want to see it.]

Ginko, where are you today?

Allen - are you busy today? I'd like to stop by.

Brook... [there is some hesitation here] can I ask you a question?

[/filter]

[And sometime after the conversation with Sanji, you'd better believe that she's hunting her brother down. Where will she find him? Will she have to hold his dinner hostage?]

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[If she stops by the SH house, she'll no doubt run into Sanji, who will be playing the role of an exhausted-looking door greeter today.]

[She does indeed! Have a pleasant smile, Sanji. Pay no attention to the fact that this the first time she's been out and social since Roku went home, and she will attempt to ignore the fact that you look terrible.]

Good morning, Sanji! Can I come in?

[Sounds like a fair trade! And Sanji's expression lifts anyway, into something much more amiable]

Katara-chan~! Of course! [Moving to the side, now]

Stopping by for a quick visit, or was there something you needed?

[She enters the house and waits for him to shut the door behind her.]

Not really? I just wanted to stop by to drop off these 'Thank Yous.' [And she reaches in her bag to draw them out - one for Luffy, and Brook and Nami and Sanji - it's a little awkward seeing him again after that note, and Roku leaving, but - here. It's a pressed golden rod on a sheet of paper for you to hang up in your kitchen or the like, Sanji. Her smile turns a bit shy.] Thank you very much for the present.

[He takes the paper, eyebrow shooting up. But he does look honestly delighted] Oh, this is lovely! Thank you.

[His own smile turns warm, though a tinge embarrassed] I hope one day you can use it.

I'm sure I will! [Yes, so, glancing down and back to practical matters so as to not prolong the awkward.] Are any of the others here? Or can I just leave these for them?

Most of them are out - I'll hand these to them later.

Oh. [She's a little disappointed by this, but she hands them over quickly enough.] The one in the glass is for Nami, this one's for Brook, and this one's for Luffy.

[Daw, now he feels a little bad. He'll yell at Luffy and Brook for not being around]

Got it.

Thanks, Sanji. [She gives him a searching look - wasn't there something she had to ask him? It's on the tip of her tongue, but with - everything - it's hard to remember.]

[Sanji hasn't forgotten. And maybe he reads too much into that look, but he doesn't walk her to the door like he'd planned to do a second ago.

Is this even the best time for it? After she's lost so much? He personally doesn't think so, but that's not his call to make - it's hers.]

You wanted to talk about your brother, right?

Edited 2010-07-11 03:24 (UTC)

[...and there's that sinking feeling.]

Oh. Yeah. I did. [She glances around and... starts to move to go into the kitchen. You've got stools there where a girl can sit down, don't you Sanji?]

[He does. And he'll follow Katara into the kitchen, half-wishing he'd kept his mouth shut today]

Would you like anything to drink? [Before they get started.]

[...and small sigh.]

Do you have any iced tea?

There's some in the fridge. [He'll busy himself pouring her a glass. After a quick debate, he gets one for himself, too.

The chill will help keep him attentive for this.

Katara gets a tall glass placed in front of her before he sits down]

... Would you like me to start?

[She takes a sip, sighs a bit, and nods.

Whatever it is, it can't be that bad, right? It's Sokka. And Sanji.]

[Sanji takes a long drink from glass, letting the coolness wash over him. Then he starts]

Remember when you talked to me about Azula the first time? [Of course she does. And to gloss over the momentary awkward that reminder might bring, he continues forward]

Your brother came to speak with me after you'd left.

[There's not even a wince when he mentions that - she understands now, and she doesn't regret what she said or what she did then. She acted on what she knew. And things are better now.]

He did? He never mentioned that...

[A nod. He's not surprised Sokka didn't mention it.]

Shit didn't end well. [he thinks how he can phrase the entirety of their conversation without giving exactly what was said away, and goes for the conclusion]

He told me to stay away from him -- [and you] -- and we haven't been on speaking terms since then.

...that's it?

[If you can't get a read on her, Sanji, it's because she doesn't know quite what to think or what to feel either.]

He just - told you to stay away? So you're doing it?

Among other things.

[glances at his drink, her question catching him off-guard. Why wouldn't he do it?]

He was pissed you'd been hurt, and that I'd asked you to fight Aku. I figured doing the opposite would make it worse.

...

[There's a moment or ten which her heartbeat echoes painfully in her ears and she realizes - she's a lot better off not knowing this. He was mad because Sanji had asked her to go? That - couldn't be right, could it? He knew she had to go. He never liked it when she put herself in danger, but he knew she couldn't turn her back on anyone who needed help-

So there was something else, something she wasn't seeing and why did she have to ask about this anyway? She didn't like this - this being in the middle. But if Sokka was so upset with Sanji, why hadn't he told her?

...because at the time, she'd never wanted to speak with Sanji again. He hadn't had to. Her head drops and she stares intently at the counter.]

I'll talk with Sokka about why he's upset.

...if he comes and talks to you again, will you listen? [She glances up at him quickly.]

[He sorta wishes you wouldn't, Katara.

Sanji's already said more than he normally would allow; these types of conversations he prefers to keep between the parties involved. It's that he couldn't ignore Katara's role in them, that he spoke up about Sokka's grudge.

She deserved to know something was off.

The question still brings a hesitancy of his own. Does he hate Sokka? No. Hold a grudge over the shit that happened? No. The majority of the animosity stems from the other, not him.

Does he want to talk with him?

...]

If he decides to, I'll listen.

[She sighs and runs restless hands through a long strand of hair. She doesn't want them fighting - especially not over who she is or what she can or can't do. And she doesn't know all of Sokka's reasons. But she can guess at a few of them and it makes her feel... sick.] Thanks.

[She looks up at him a little helplessly.] I don't really know -- [what to do here - but she's learned a long time ago to never admit something like that. So she sighs and starts over.] I told you what happened when my dad left, right?

[his eyebrows knit and he thinks]

Sokka was left protecting the village, wasn't he? [While Katara took care of him as best she could. Beyond that, he knows nothing.]

[ Action, Voice ] .022

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