markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .024

[Tomorrow. Tomorrow is tomorrow. Today, she has plans.]

Hey, Winry - do you still want to go get pizza today? I can make it for lunch, but... I can't hang out the whole day.

[She will also be making a point to visit her friends today, specifically the Straw Hat House. She wants to check in on Sanji, now that she knows what's happened to him, say goodbye to Nami... and she has a feeling Ginko will be there as well. If not, she'll try to contact him over the journal.

She also needs to stop in the item's shop. Being given a gift from the water of the river of light... Katara wants to find something similar to the container she used for the spirit oasis water so that if they get out there and she needs it, she'll have it.

The chances are good that she is also going to make a token effort to track down Buffy. She's heard enough about the last fight that she knows what happened there, and she wants to ask a few questions before heading out there - and she wants to hear about how this same mysterious Third Party General had died. It was the mystery that was bothering her - not knowing what they were really going up against or why they were really doing this. If she could talk to someone who'd fought them before, then maybe, maybe... the feeling of being used wouldn't be as strong and she'd be able to focus on what was really important.

She thinks about going over Caesar's house as well, but decides that a journal message will be good enough. He's probably busy preparing - or sleeping. And she had a feeling he wouldn't be able to do as much of that as he'd like, once they got out there.]

[Filtered Voice 90%]

Hey, Caesar. Ready for this?

[After her various conversations, she goes back home to make dinner and she, Sokka, and Toph have a surprisingly normal meal before slipping out a little earlier than normal for her accustomed practice time. She's not sure why they're going out to fight or why the 'why' bothers her so much - and she's a little scared, strung tense with nervous energy. The forms are soothing and precise and tonight there is just that extra edge, just that smallest bit of ruthless passion that gives away just how strongly the drums of her fathers beat within her - this is about war. And war is something Katara knows very well.

But when the sun starts to set she takes a break and takes a seat, watching it go down not thinking about very much at all. It's beautiful.]

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[...Oi, not so fast! She follows with the ridiculous ease of a bender, landing next to him and tugging at his shirt sleeve.]

You were hurt? Let me take a look.

It's been healed pretty well. [apologetically. Not that there can be too much healing. Possibly. But too much fussing. 8|

He presses his hand where the wound was a little while ago. The healing magic here is pretty incredible-- the blade had cut deep, and the twisting did damage to muscle that should have left a permanent disability in his world.]

I'm sure it was but... [But she's going off to war and she's leaving people that she cares about behind, who are still hurt. And she already knows that he's upset with her for doing this and she feels like if she just could do something to help...]

I'd feel better if you let me.

[asdfsfgdfsg]

[m-mutter] If that's the case... [do your glowy thing, girl]

Thanks. [And she steps close, unlatching her waterskin, and coating her hands with it, places her hands where Ginko had indicated a wound.

...

...]

Ouch.

[All that damage even after Nala had helped? Well, fortunately, soothing out things after they've already been healed is something her healing is very, very good at. A touch here, an adjustment of flow there - a cool, relaxing sensation, spreading through Ginko's body...]

That should do it.

[She is not going to think about what made Sanji do this to him. Or else she is going to go back in that sick room and kick Sanji in the side.]

Ehh. [....sheepish look

Wow, that really does feel a bit better.]

Thank you. [slight smile]

[A bright smile - bright, focusing on him being there and alive and on Sanji being better so that she doesn't feel the need to go and break something because this happened. Bright, because she was able to help. And bright because... she knows she can't carry these things. She has to let them go.

Breathe.]

You're welcome.

[and much healing, and less awkwardness ensued. Ensued pleasantly, even, excepting the fact that Sanji looked a little deadish-- and didn't contribute much to the conversation.]

[And so they end up back outside, where it's a little bit quieter. It's starting to get towards the time where Katara will have to go, but she is dragging her feet a little.

Still, there isn't much left to say. And she's not one for hiding from what needs to be said.]

...I'll be all right, you know.

Edited 2010-07-28 05:04 (UTC)

[Ginko looks at her, a while-- with a faint smile.] Yeah.

I know.

[That isn't why it works up wrath in him to see you going.

But this isn't the time.]

I'll be listening for you. Take care of yourself. [and oh, does he mean that in more than avoiding bodily harm]

I'll make an entry whenever I can.

[This weight in her heart - the wall she feels between them - and whatever it is he's holding back inside of him, she doesn't want to know.

Everything hurts. And this is all too familiar.]

Only when you can.

[There's no pulling away, but there's no pressure either. If she really feels this is right, that's all there is to say.]

[But the rest-- the concern, and the sense that no matter what she does, she's still having her compassion twisted into a tool for extermination-- the hope that it won't damage her any more than hardship already has, he communicates in the language that he is very slowly learning. And puts an arm around her in a brief embrace.]

[It's nothing more than a sharp inhale, when he reaches out to take hold of her and hugs her. And it very quietly breaks whatever it was that was holding back the fact that she -

She doesn't like this.

She doesn't want to go.

And he knows that. And he would keep her from it if he could. But he's letting her go anyway.

And how long has it been since she's...

...just felt...

protected.]

[And when the hug ends, she lets him go without holding on to him. She still feels warm from it. And she doesn't look up to meet his gaze.]

...thank you.

[I have to do this.

...but thank you for wanting me not to.]

[he just smiles at the thank you and pulls back. It's alright. Just be safe.]

[It's hard to take those first two steps away from him, and away from that feeling of being safe. It's really, really hard, and it hurts. But one step more and she's gathering her strength again, and then another and she feels him watching her, a steady presence at her back. And she pauses. And remembers. And is Katara again. Because she won't let it end like this.

She turns her head over her shoulder to look one more time at Ginko and gives him a brilliant smile.]

Water is the element of change, you know. It has many forms - but in the end, it's still the same.

[She'll be alright.]

So it is.

[and a smile, still. Because he wouldn't give anything less right now.]

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