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

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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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[...well, maybe she could try with adult!Katie what she never could try with the child!Katie because Katara just wasn't sure how much was... Katie and how much was child.

She gives a wry smile and shrugs a little.]

I'm out of practice with this. What I think you're telling me is that you came here as a child, and then one of those 'falling asleep' going home updates happened and when you woke up, it was like ten years had passed. Can you tell me something really outrageous like - the sky is orange - or something if I'm right?

[Instant doubt sets in after she says that -- because maybe she just said something horribly insulting and she'd been wrong the whole time, but... well, it was worth the shot. Katara's a lot more fond of honest communication than she is of stumbling around in the dark.]

[hollystrike]

[That's the other piece of confirmation she needed. Out of practice. So Katara knows her tendency to lie, which makes her flash a wide grin before she contrives to look overly puzzled.]

But the sky is orange. Haven't you ever seen a sunset?

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[Heh. ...so it was a Katie thing, not a child thing. That was a relief.] Not for a few nights now. I could have forgotten. [Grin. Except. Not at all.

Okay, so.] If you've been here all this time, maybe you know my brother, Sokka?

[hollystrike]

[That's such a wonderful answer that for a moment the question doesn't sink in, she's too busy being delighted. And then this face.]

You're related to Sokka?

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[Katara blinks. That was not a response she expected. At all. What...?]

Yes... why do you say it like that?

[She can't imagine that Sokka and Katie, well... that anything bad would have happened, anyway?]

[hollystrike]

Say it like what? I didn't say it like anything. I certainly didn't say it as if Sokka was annoying and disbelieving and disrespectful and other dis words.

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Oh. [...well.

...well.] ...yeah, he can be like that sometimes.

[She's got his back, but you know, she also KNOWS him. So after giving a shrug, Katara gives Katie a quick grin as if to say: It's not personal, he's just that way.] You should have heard him when I was trying to learn waterbending.

[hollystrike]

He's very skeptical, isn't he? [She picks up the little tangle of wool she was working on, tugging at individual pieces.] What's water bending?

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It's a very important part of my tribe's culture. [She smiles a little and unclasps the waterskin hanging at her side. Her inclination to talk about bendingis already present; speaking with Katie just means it's a little more thorough than normal.] The people of my world live separate nations tied with the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. Some of us are born with a different kind of connection to our element, and we can learn how to manipulate it.

[Streaming some of the water out of her waterskin now and having it chase itself above her palm.] Like this.

[hollystrike]

[That's the sort of philosophy she can get behind. She can't bend the elements, so to speak, but each kith of the fae has an affinity to one realm or another. Katie's is to nature. Her eyes light up at the demonstration; not only that, she can't quite help the minute, subtle twitch as she follows the chasing water with all her attention. It's a cat thing.]

So you can do anything with water? All kinds of water?

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[When Katara demonstrates bending purposefully, she loves an appreciative audience. Because bending is the coolest thing ever. So she smiles.]

I can do all kinds of things with all kinds of water. [And with no discernible change of her movement, the water begins to turn to ice, ice curling along the circle as if it's chasing the water.] But I can't do anything with it. I can't heat it.

[Which doesn't really bother her, actually, though it would have been useful while camping.]

[hollystrike]

I wish I could do things with water. Though I suppose I can still splash it at people. [Which hey, fun.]

Your brother comes from a place where this sort of thing happens and he still turns up his nose at magic?

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Well... we don't actually think of bending as magic, at least, I don't. [She streams the water back into the waterskin and closes the cap.] It's such an important part of our culture that it's not necessarily seen as anything... unusual? And I don't know the rules for all the different types of magic I've seen, but none of them have seemed to rely so much on motion, like bending does.

[Wow, longer-than-planned for explanation. Then Katara shrugs.] Anyway, that's Sokka for you. He likes things that he can prove. He didn't really think my bending was anything other than weird or strange and silly until we met Aang and some other benders, and I started to learn how to actually use it. That made it less 'my sister is a freak' and more 'oh, this is actually a thing that happens in our world', you know? We didn't have a lot of exposure to the rest of the world in the South Pole.

[She is definitely talking too much, and she frowns a little, because she hadn't thought about how annoying that was in a long time.] ...anyway, we both had a lot to learn back then.

[hollystrike]

[Katie's grown less used to such outpourings; not many people tend that way here. But she grins a little, an understanding whoops, sorry kind of grin.]

I feel sad that such a wonderful gift is just considered normal where you're from. [But Katara obviously celebrates it, and that's wonderful.]

The poor boy. Good thing he didn't come to a place where so many people were magical.

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[Katara is not entirely certain about the origin of that grin, but she remembers that this used to happen with younger Katie as well, that she used to have to fight not to say more than she thought was good for a little girl to hear. Since meeting adult!Katie confirms clearly that the magic Katie used is... well, not a tool, perhaps, as much as something that is part of her... maybe it was connected with the way it seemed she always had to lie? She had to lie, but everyone around her had to tell the truth?

She could ask. She might ask. It makes her feel a little wary, but not really. She doesn't have much to hide, she just... well, she feels comfortable with Katie, and like she can tell her anything, and honestly? Katara doesn't feel like that feeling is wrong. Katie had a strong, good heart.]

...oh, there aren't many magical people here? [Trying to play Katie's way.] He must have been so relieved that everything made sense.

[hollystrike]

[It's not something she controls or is even sure of in a quantifiable form. Pooka are just... you end up talking to them like you've had a couple drinks and you want to complain about your life, really.]

A complete lack of magical people. Sometimes I feel so lonely.

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[Heh.] At least it gives you plenty of space to stretch out? It might have gotten [...heh] troublesome to be able to share space with other magic people.

[Not really, Katara has no idea how magic works, clearly, she's just guessing at things to learn more.]

[hollystrike]

Of course. With such lack of magic I really have the chance to spread my wings and fly.

[The more magical people the better tbh. The difficulty of her own magic increases and decreases based on how many skeptics are in her audience, go figure.]

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[She attempts a serious expression. It does not hold very well.]

That sounds very sad. [And then - heh - smiling and shaking her head.] I don't really know very much about magic. It seems like it's different depending on what world people are from. So it will be interesting to learn about here.

[hollystrike]

Magic is extremely varied, I would think. Different universes, different laws. [Even in her own world, people thrive on magical energy, but it's different kinds of magical energy. The werewolves rely on their spiritual connection. The vampires, the magic to be found in blood.]

Do you know there's a library on the Iskaulit? I think quite a lot can be learned there. I've never looked myself, but just a guess.

how did I lose all these tags from the 19th? D8

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No, I didn't know that. [ She gives a little shrug. It's not that she's not interested in magic, but she's not really interested in studying something that is so beyond her practical use. ] But I think I'd rather just ask people and learn directly about what's in play here - as opposed to studying things that might or might not apply and that I can't use.

[ She wonders if the Iskaulit has medical texts. Law wouldn't want her getting rusty... and a spasm of missing family passes over her face -- so she shakes her head quickly. ] Anyway - I probably should go and call Sokka. I said I would as soon as I got on the ship, but I wanted to get my bearings first. [ Figure out the name of the ship, etc. ] But I'm really glad I got to meet you, Katie.

[ And there is so much genuine feeling behind that - something like relief, and something like joy, and something like pain all rolled into one. ]

[hollystrike]

[From that she understands Katara is leaving the ship permanently, and for a moment she feels wistful. The Vanquish is mostly full of people who don't have the time of day for Katie, Felix aside.

Oh, well. Hardly Katara's fault. She grins.]

Do tell Sokka I'm thinking of him, won't you?

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I can do that. [A quick, wicked grin.] I'll catch up with you more later, okay?

[It's just - he's her brother and she needs to see him. And eventually be on his ship, because family is super important, but she'll be on the Vanquish for two weeks first.]