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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[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.]

Yeah. He was in charge of hunting for the whole village. The women would set out fish traps, but they didn't always pay off.

[She sighs.] And when he wasn't doing that he was 'training' all the little boys. Taking them out, lecturing them, making them do drills or help build up his watchtower...

My bending was pretty much useless then, you know. [And boy, had he never let her forget it. But that isn't the point. She looks down and her fists clench.] I know that my bending his hard for him. But he's never stood in my way for wanting to learn more, or get better. He's always supported me, even if I had to drag him in to things... he's the one who helped me pick a weapon now, got me to practice with it using waterbending...

[Sanji listens quietly, thinks between the lines of dialogue, feeling for what Katara's trying to convey.

He's a warrior. Had to protect his village before Katara-chan knew how to fight... And he still protects the people he cares about, in his own way. Showing Katara a different application with her waterbending - Sanji can imagine the resourcefulness of the weapon already.

But that also means he's got reasons to be envious. She's obviously more powerful than him. And watching a sibling master an art you've got shit's chance of learning, while your own skills are overshadowed...

That's not bringing to mind how Sokka might feel about others in Luceti, where super strength is part of the norm. It's like having your pride stomped on, over and over.

Sanji did it, too.]

I get it. [he closes his eyes, still contemplative on what he's heard, and the past. The choices he made aren't ones he'll ever regret. Sanji didn't learn anything significant, either.

However... ]

I promise I'll listen to him. [He won't put up with much of Sokka's shit, but Sanji is well-versed in the manner of broken pride. And Sokka's... well, he's sixteen.]

[She smiles a little.] Okay. [She nods.] Thanks.

[She hopes that she didn't say too much - but she doesn't know what else to do. And this part was her story too.]

[A smile is offered back. This... might work out alright. Maybe.]

Sorry if this seemed sudden, Katara-chan.

What isn't sudden, in this place. [That - was a touch too bitter for her tastes. And so she shrugs.] Change is just - like that.

[Oh, he understands.

And he's also kept her here for longer than she probably wanted. He sighs and gets to his feet, so he can walk her to the door]

Truer words have never been spoken. [said a little wryly]

[She takes a long sip from her iced tea and takes Sanji's hint to stand.]

Sanji? ...you look tired. Maybe you should take a nap.

[He halts, and manages some surprise]

Eh? Do I? [rubbing the back of his neck] With everything happening to Noel-chan and Nami-san... [He trails off since that's not quite... true.

But she doesn't need to know what happens when he closes his eyes and dreams. Instead, he glances back up and smiles tiredly, not trying to hide it]

I'll take one in a bit. [He'll try]

Good. [And then - because she can't help herself, because it's who she is, she steps forward and gives Sanji a hug that lasts a few moments longer than her usual brief embraces.

She doesn't know what it is. But.

It will be okay.]

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[ Action, Voice ] .022

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