markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .024

[ 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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It can. Since it's a specific spell designed to draw in the air, it doesn't require as much concentration as other things like Levitation or Transfiguration.

[Don't think she didn't notice that. A quick wave of her wand later, the fire's gone. She might stick her foot in her mouth ~~since this canon has no brain-to-mouth filter~~ later on, but for now she'll let it slide.]

A spell? So that's - magic, then?

[It's sure different than Kefka's. And she didn't notice any other motion that would have made it like bending.]

Yes. This is who my magic works. Well, one of the ways. It's a very versatile discipline compared to the ways other magic works.

[Very different. And she's not a crazy psychopath like he is. She demonstrates something else, though, pointing her wand at a rock on the ground, swishing and flicking her wand in time to her incantation.]

Like this. Wingardium Leviosa! [See the rock. See the rock float in the air in front of them.]

[A moving rock is something Katara is a lot more comfortable with - so she just studies the movements and the rock for a moment, rapidly trying to match up what she's seeing with her experience.]

So - it's the words that you're saying and the way you're moving that stick? Can you do that with anything, or would you have to use different words to move something else besides a rock? [And something she wouldn't have thought of before she came to Luceti:] Is it something you have to be born with, or can anyone learn?

[Meet Katara - girl of a hundred questions.]

[Katara: a girl after her own heart! She has no idea how happy this is making Hermione.]

This is a Levitation Charm. Each spell has a specific wand movement and incantation that won't change no matter what I'm casting it on. We're born with magic. It's not something that can be learned or gained. I came from a family of Muggles, non-magical people. I'm the only one in my family tree who has magic of any sort. We've all got varying degrees of magic and everyone's best at something different. For instance, I'm best at charms, like this one. One of my best friends excels at Defense Against the Dark Arts, which deals with spells like this.

[She lets the rock drop back to the ground, taking a deep breath before moving her wand again. Think of something happy. Getting out of that nightmare safely and triumphing over Voldemort for the seventh time.] Expecto Patronum! [Here, have a small whispy white and very ghost-like otter Patronus bursting from her wand. It turns its head around as if looking for something and then stares at Katara. Hermione breathes a little easier once the Patronus is cast. Something in the air seems lighter, happier, relaxing even, like there's nothing to worry about anymore.]

[She nods at Hermione's words - a vast amount of that actually making sense to her - but then is completely distracted with the otter. Weird looking animal, almost like a koala-otter, but still - something about it just feels right

That's amazing! Is it real?

[There's that pleased beam on her face. Most like to call it smug, but really she's just happy Katara is interested.]

It's just a really happy memory manifesting itself in a spell. A Patronus is meant to protect against something called a dementor in my world. It's a soulless being that sucks happiness from everything and everyone it touches. A Patronus will counter that with happy feelings and energy, but the caster has to be able to draw upon a very strong, happy memory.

[Terri the otter tilts her head a little further.] She's used to being around a coyote pup that likes to chase her. You can touch her if you'd like. [She'll feel kind of solid, but kind of cloud-like.]

Edited 2010-07-29 17:44 (UTC)

A happy memory manifesting itself? [She is delighted and intrigued by this idea, and her entire face softens for a moment before her brows come together. Those dementors - who could do something so horrible? Even when the Fire Nation came, they couldn't touch a person's inside, not really. She just - looks at Hermione soberly for a moment before turning her attention to the otter. Something softens again, and she speaks quietly.]

Hey there. You must be a very happy memory, huh?

[Stretching out her hand, Katara rests her hand on the side of the otter's head.]

Yes. [Hermione watches, smiling happily at the two of them. You wouldn't know it looking at her, but dealing with dementors is the one thing Hermione can't do. Not that she'll admit it, of course.]

She is. It helps that there aren't any dementors around. I hope they never, ever turn up here.

[Terri seems to examine Katara for a minute before butting her hand with her head.]

Two of my friends named their Patronuses, so I decided to name mine as well. She responds to the nickname 'Terri.' It's short for Lux Aeterna, which is Latin for 'Light Eternal.' I think it suits her.

[Terri is short for Lux Aeterna? ...She doesn't really see it. But Katara just keeps petting the strangely spongy-feeling Patronus.]

I hope so too.

And I think 'Light Eternal' is a great name for something that fights darkness.

[Terri just leaaaans into it. Careful or she'll start getting playful!]

So what sort of thing do you do at home? [Now she's curious.]

Mmm? Oh, well - I grew up in the Southern Watertribe. That's in my world's South Pole, so a lot of our time at home is just making sure that we have what we need to live. But this past year, my brother and I found the new avatar, and airbender named Aang, so we've been traveling and training a lot, trying to get ready to defeat the Fire Lord.

[And there are a couple of unfamiliar words in there, but her curiosity!] Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? What exactly is an airbender and an avatar?

If you'd like to know anything else about my world, you can ask as well.

Edited 2010-07-30 15:52 (UTC)

[Katara shrugs. She's got some time before she has to go home and make dinner, and not thinking about tomorrow seems like an excellent idea for today.]

I don't mind. In my world there are four elements, earth, water, air, and fire. I'm a waterbender. [She uncaps her waterskin and draws some water out, letting it circle in her hand a moment before returning it to the waterskin.] Airbenders 'bend' air like I bend water, and it's the same thing for earthbenders and firebenders. The avatar is the only one who can learn to bend all four elements, and it's his job to maintain balance in the world.

[Hermione listens willingly.]

I see. So it's sort of like magic, only a very limited way, like Filial magic. And you were helping your Avatar maintain that balance? I suppose that's the easy way of saying that's what my friends and I were doing back home.

[There's something dismissive about the way that Hermione reacts to bending which Katara doesn't like at all, but she is temporarily distracted by the question.]

Something like that, yeah. What do you mean that's what you were doing?

[It's more that she's trying to figure out how it all works.]

Saving the world from what it sounded like. That's kind of what we were doing: building our strength while trying to weaken our enemy, traveling the countryside, that sort of thing.

[She's eying that canister you keep your water in, Katara. Give her a minute; she'll be badgering Katara with questions soon.] Can you show me more of what you do with your bending? How does it work?

[Katara relaxes a little, growing more comfortable and interested at Hermione's explanation of what she and her friends were doing.]

Yeah, just like that. And could do a few basic moves, but I'm leaving for the draft tomorrow and I still have to practice tonight, so it won't be too impressive.

[Not to mention that she's spent the morning doing an intensive and frightening healing session.]

As for how it works... well, it's something that you have to be born with the ability to do, and it's something that you have to learn.

You're in the draft? Maybe another time we can examine each other's magic. I wouldn't want you to wear yourself out early.

[She nods.] Similar to mine. You start out with a little of it and then you have to train and learn how to control it. Over time you become more powerful and efficient with it, but you're capabilities are only as strong as the magic you were born with.

Edited 2010-08-13 15:58 (UTC)

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[ Action, Voice ] .024

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[action] s-sorry!

[action] :o? Take your time! I'm a slow tagger normally |D;

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[action] Gah, html ate half my tag! D: Oh well, it was just - essentially - a delighted laugh

[action] D: stupid html. I hate it when that happens

[action] I really need to get in the habit of looking right after I post

[action] I still haven't learned that |D;

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