.01 [ action | video ] have we lost our way back home

[watermarks]

Who: Katara and you!
Broadcast: Video, from the Marsiva
Action: Action on the Marsiva and then then post!Shuffle on the Vanquish
When: Friday, 3/23

[Katara wasn’t always a heavy sleeper, but she never did enjoy waking up. It was a slow process, even here, as if her subconscious had already registered the wrongness of where she was and was well on its way to the land of Denial.

Eventually, though - her eyes opened. And she stayed very, very still as fear replaced sleep in an adrenaline spike sharp enough to make her stomach heavy. Okay. Okay. She still had her bending, in fact, that was at full force for the first time since the last draft, she can feel water in a distant room. But these lights… those walls… that… well, actually, she kind of likes the music, but she can’t -- this is definitely not…

And then she feels it - or she doesn’t feel it - and she forgets her caution and bolts upright, straining her head to take a closer look at her back.]

[She doesn’t expect a response, but she does get up out of the bed and glance around. Her balance is off when she moves, so she takes careful, deliberate steps, as she takes stock of what she has and doesn’t have and exactly where everything is in the room and pauses as the fact that there is music seeps in. What... what is going on here?

But that’s nothing when she spots the viewing bay. She pauses, transfixed for a moment, and then walks very carefully over to the window. She places one hand against it and whispers:] ...there are stars.

[As she spends more time on the Marsiva, she’ll explore the food and take advantage of the exercise equipment, doing what she can to try to get her balance to where it should be without the added (useless; she tells herself she’s glad they’re gone) appendages.]

[ Video Broadcast while on the Marsiva ]
[Serious blue eyes peer out in stark contrast to dark skin as a girl of about eighteen addresses the fleet.]

Hello, my name is Katara. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe, but I've spent the past four years [Had it really been that long? Her expression flickers for a moment.] in a place called Luceti. I understand a... lot of basic information about this place from the augment, but I'm sure there's more to this place than just what is implanted in our heads by our captors.

[Frowning, angry at that, needing to take a visible breath before she can continue.] I'd appreciate any additional information you feel it's safe to give out over these things. And... [Her gaze drops for a moment before she regains her composure and looks back at the camera.] ...if anyone knows the name Luceti, or has heard of the Southern Water Tribe, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know about that too.

[She manages a brief smile.] Thank you so much.


[Action on the Vanquish]
[Katara had been working on her balance on a make-shift balance-beam in the gym section of the Marsiva when she was suddenly teleported -- fortunately close enough to grab a wall. She bats at the confetti with a frown with her other hand as she straightens -- so this is the ‘shuffle’, huh?

The happy little jingle just makes her frown deepen. Jerks, playing with people like this… She gives a deeply exasperated sigh.

Hopefully no one is there to catch frustrated!Katara as their first impression; she will try to make a better second one by exploring the ship, sticking close to the walls, and looking to see who her new shipmates are with a pleasant smile on her face in a few minutes. Feel free to catch her walking around with a smile in a moment or two, but right now, she is having a few mental words with the Atroma and they are Not Nice.]

Comments

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[At that accusation, she pauses, indignant. Her hands go from her sides to her hips and she leans towards him.]

Are you kidding me? Of course I'm not the one who "teennapped" you! What kind of a word is "teennapped," anyway?

[Because that is really what is important right now, Katara.]

[skaterbrain]

Well, I ain't a kid, yo.

[And yes, it is important. He isn't a kid and he doesn't want to be treated like one!

But wait.

Beat squints suddenly and frowns. He made sure to check he was wearing all of his Pins when he woke up, including his Player Pin, and yet he can't hear any thoughts. He's definitely still dead so that leaves only a few options for this girl.]

Are you dead, too? 'Cause I can't hear your thoughts.

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[Katara was no doubt going to say something helpful like 'making up words doesn't make you seem any less like a child' when she is completely derailed.

"...dead too?"

Her eyes widen and then she scrambles for what the best way of dealing with this might be--

--crap, she hates stuff like this.]

Um - no. Sorry. I think this is one of those places where death doesn't matter as much as it should. [Not that that's... a bad thing in his case. Geeze. When all else fails:] I'm Katara. What's your name?

[skaterbrain]

[Huh, so she isn't dead, but he still can't read her thoughts. Was he in the RG then? Did they make it back? Did--??? No, okay, this was too hard to think about. Either she's a Reaper then or....uh, Option C? Alien? Something else?

Damn, where was Phones when he didn't want to think about this stuff?

Katara might be seeing a range of emotions play across Beat's face as he thinks - going from confused to angry, then back to confused, then a sort of serene inner peace as he decides to just not think for a moment.]

Huh, but you ain't a Reaper 'cause you ain't got the wings, so.... [He shrugs his shoulders.]

Eh, as long as you can see me, good 'nuff. I'm Beat. You get teennapped, too?

[watermarks]

[...eheheheheh, that's right, no wings here. >>

He has a hard time with people seeing him?] I can see you. And - I guess that's one way of putting it. [She's not using that word.] I was someplace called Luceti and then I woke up here. I haven't been home in a long time. I don't really know what's going on besides what this thing [reaching up to touch the spot on her neck where the augment has been implanted] can tell me.

[skaterbrain]

[Come on, help it trend on DF's version of Twitter. If it has it.

Beat doesn't know Luceti, and it sounds like some foreign place, so maybe this girl was studying abroad?? That's cool. Means she's smart. And smart means she can help him get home hopefully.]

So is that where your school was or somethi---

[He mimicks her motion and touches his neck, then freezes.]

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!

[watermarks]

[She totally uses it with Sokka in the above thread.

But then, just as she was about to explain Luceti and hahahaha wings, Beat starts to freak out.]

We all woke up with them. I don't know anymore about it than the information it implanted in my head, but it's probably why we can understand each other right now.

[Yes, let's... try the positive approach first. Success?]

[skaterbrain]

[YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Meanwhile in the real world, Beat is scratching at the bump in his neck, furiously trying to figure out what it is. Sure, the augment is actually telling him what he needs to know, but since when has Beat ever listened to anyone ever?]

Gross gross gross!!! It feels like a giant pimple! This is messed up, yo! Why ain't you freakin' out over it??

[Because Katara is super calm for someone abducted into space and put on a reality TV show and then saddled with an implant directly into her neck.]

[watermarks]

Because this isn't the first time something like this has happened to me, and I'd rather save my energy for when I can actually do something about it than-- [--run into walls, no, Katara, that's mean, rephrase--] --waste it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm scared and I'm angry, but I also know that I'm not hurting, and no one else seems to be in pain, so I'm ready to take things one step at a time.

[Frowning.] And don't scratch at it. I pushed on it pretty hard earlier, and it hurt like crazy.

[skaterbrain]

YEOWCH!! [So when Katara said not to scratch at it, he was already doing it and now he gets what she means by it hurts like crazy. He doubles over, grabbing his neck and squeezing his eyes shut. It feels like he just got...well, not as bad as a car, but it definitely feels worse than all the times he's run into walls here so far.]

Hrk....

[And did she just say she's had this happen before???]

You must got some pretty bad luck if you been teennapped a lot already.... I ain't good at just sittin' around doin' nothing. This is driving me crazy! I ain't got a lotta time left before I up and die for real neither.

[watermarks]

[...yeah, she saw that shout coming. Katara winces sympathetically, but she knows there's nothing she can do about it (which she hates), but... that doesn't stop her.]

Are you alright? [She takes a step forward.] Maybe you should sit down a minute.

[...did he just say 'die for real'? What kind of crazy world had he been from?] ...I don't know what the rules are in the place where you come from, but if this place is anything like the last place I was in, and it seems like it is, time doesn't work the same way. No matter how long someone was in Luceti, time just... didn't pass in their world for them. When they went home, everything was just the same.

[skaterbrain]

[He's pretty good at grinning and bearing it through the worst pain, so after he shakes his head a few times to clear it, he's (mostly) back to normal. ]

Yeah... 'm fine. Ain't half as bad as gettin' pummeled by Noise.

[But still very unpleasant.

Beat rubs his neck gingerly and then perks up again.]

Wait, so time's stopped here?

[Beat blinks and then waves his hands in front of him, like he's trying to clear the air.]

Then how come I can move?

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[She frowns sympathetically as he rubs his neck -- poor guy.

But when he asks his question, she shakes her head.] No, not here. There. Wherever you came from, time's stopped. At least, that was how it worked in Luceti. When I got there, my brother was from two months ahead of me, and he'd never even noticed I was missing.

[Which meant, one day, she was going to go back.]

[skaterbrain]

[Okay, give him a second to think about this then. If time isn't stopped here, but it IS stopped back home, then...?? UGH NO THINKING IS HARD.

Beat lets out a groan and tips his head forward.]

Damn, that's confusin', yo.

[So time to just not think about it.]

But as long as Phones ain't gonna get Erased an' I'm not gonna up and disappear, it's coo' I guess.

[He shrugs and lets the difficult thoughts roll off him like water off a duck's back.]

So your bro - he got teennapped too, huh? He here wit'chu?

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Thor says he is, but I haven't spoken to him yet. [Taking out her communicator now, in fact, to see if Sokka had responded to her... and no. Not yet.

She took a breath and shut her eyes for a moment before fixing an expression of pleasant concern on her face. She's got a black belt in dealing with Teenage Boy by this time, she can totally do this.]

Hey, are you hungry? I saw there was all kinds of stuff to eat in another room.

[Mission: Set Beat enough at ease so that he stops running into walls - accepted.]

[skaterbrain]

Thor?

[That's a weird ass name and he calls himself "Beat." He's about to ask more when Katara says the magic words - or almost does.]

Oh man! Heck yeah I am! Is it stuff I gotta pay for? Cuz I left all my cash with Phones, yo.

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[Oh good, teenage boys really are all the same...

She smiles a little and starts to lead the way.] No, it's all free. There's no one there, you can just help yourself to whatever you want.

[Yup. Free food.]

[skaterbrain]

[Beat is totally down for free food. He grins and jumps to keep up with her, rushing forward even though he hasn't a clue where to go.]

Heck, then I'm gonna stuff myself! They got chili dogs or ramen? I could totally go for some noodles, yo!

[watermarks]

[...well, at least there weren't many places to go wrong here. So still just... walking down the hallway.]

I... didn't see any 'chili dogs', but I think there were some noodles?

[skaterbrain]

[Unless he decides to bust into someone's room, which he did earlier. Poor Makie.]

I could probably down two whole bowls right now. But it's too bad about the chili dogs, yo. They're like a party in my mouth!

You ever had one? Fully loaded chili with onions and sauce and cheese?

[Beat stops short of using his shoulder as a battering ram on the next door and groans.]

Aw man...now I want a chili dog....

pfff, this tag :D

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[...why are boys like this?

She quickly steps up to, you know, open the door by putting her hand on the door knob and turning like a normal human person.] No, I've never had one. But we had plenty of spicy food in the Fire Nation. Maybe you'll find something else you like instead.

he's the dumb gem that keeps shining...or something

[skaterbrain]

Fire Nation?

Is that like...a nickname for Indiana or somethin'?

[He means India and this is terrible and I'm sorry. Beat is a little disappointed he didn't get to punch another door down, but oh well. He follows her into the next room and lets out a dramatic sigh.]

But you ain't lived 'til you eat a chili dog, yo! It's perfect!

[watermarks]

...no, it's the name of the Fire Nation. [Just... gonna... nope, can't hide the slow eyebrow climb on that one.]

Well, maybe you'll get lucky and they'll be one there. But I can't say I'm really interested in eating anything made out of dog.

[skaterbrain]

[Yeah okay, that's a weird name. It'd be like naming Shibuya the... Pavement Nation or something.]

Is the entire place made of fire? 'Cause that's kiiiinda messed up if it is, yo.

[And whooooa!]

Katz, the hot dog ain't made outta real dog! It's made a' meat, like pig or cow or somethin'.

[watermarks]

...if it's not made out of dog, then why do you call it that?

[It takes a second for her to see the irony: If the country's not made out of fire, then why do you call it that?] The Fire Nation is called that because that's the element the nation is tied with. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe, and we're called that because we live in the South Pole and the element our nation is tied with is water.