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

Entry tags:

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

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sometimes it feels like Katara spends over half her life waiting, punctuated by short period of panic and fighting. She's good at it. She hates it.

And when he finally arrives, it's a good thing he plans on hugging her, because she launches herself at him too.

She can't believe she's getting to see him again, in this strange place. After he'd left Luceti...

Her voice sounds a little choked up when she speaks:] Hey, Sokka.

[He gives her a firm but gentle squeeze. He knows he's missed her, of course he does, but now it's hitting home exactly how much he's missed her. It's been like a giant piece of his has been missing, and has now firmly slotted back into place. ]

It's good to have you back, you giant pain in the ass. [He means it with love, of course.]

Heh. [It's more a quiet exhale than a laugh, but at least she tries? She should muster up some indignation, but she... couldn't.

Her voice warbles a little:] I didn't know when I'd ever see you again.

[And so it was amazing that, even if she wasn't in Luceti, even if she wasn't home, she was here and he was here, and that had always been home enough. They'd been able to make do with anything, missing Mom, missing Dad - every horrible experiment - everybody (Suki, Aang, Toph, Zuko, Jinora, Ikki...) - going home while they stayed... until he'd finally gone too.

And she hadn't been here for him either, and...

Katara's not one for long hugs, usually, but she's not letting go just yet.]

[He knows the feeling. So many people from home have shown up here, and they all just leave, while he stays. Stuck in a constant state of being trapped here. Sure, he's made a life for himself here, but it's not the same. He's sure not about to let go either. ]

Me either. It's really, really sucked.

[Sorry --] Sorry. [She can't help but whisper it, even though she knows it's no one's fault.

She takes a deep breath and eventually starts to loosen her hold.] ...we're together now. Even though it's not something we can control it's -- [she wouldn't be saying this if he hadn't left, and she knows it's not fair to put it on him, but it's Sokka, and he's her brother, and she is less concerned with fairness than she should be] -- been really hard without you, but even though we're not home...

[We're together now.

But she already said that once, and the Laws of Sibling indicate that's enough raw vulnerability for right now, so she pulls back to manage a mischeviousish sort of expression. Her eyes are still suspciously damp.] ...so when are you going to put in your transfer papers for the Vanquish?

Edited 2018-04-10 23:59 (UTC)

Let's blame the jerky jerks who kidnapped then separated us in the first place, yeah?

[SCREW those guys. He gives her another gentle squeeze, because it doesn't matter they are together again now, and he's going to make the most of that, no matter what comes. Enjoy every moment, lest it get torn away from them again.

At her joke, he snorts, rolling his eyes. ]

Oh yeah, I'm all set to come running into Katie's open arms. It'll be a fun time for all of us.

[SCREW those guys is right. She already hates the Malnosso, and that whole planet for bring broken and trapping them; Atroma is climbing right up that list now too, for what it's done to Sokka and now finally bringing her here.

At his response to her joke, Katara smiles wryly.] Yeah, she's really not your biggest fan. Apparently, you were rude about something. [She says with absolutely zero recrimination in her tone, which just goes to show how glad she is to see him.] So if you're not going to come here, I guess I'd better transfer over to your ship, huh?

[He lets out a patent Sokka whine, that hasn't changed at all despite how much else of him has. ]

I said one rude thing to her and she was super creepy and weird for like, weeks.

[He said a really rude thing to her and degraded her work, not the same thing, Sokka. ]

Well, I think we can just about swing that by. For you.

[Heh.]

I don't think Katie's the sort to get that insulted that easily.

[Yes, they've been in the same room for less than five minutes, and Katara is already taking up an Opposing Point.

...and then she's distracted, because seeing him up close like this... he looks different than he did in Luceti - sure, a slightly different styled beard, but it's not just his face, it's... his... well, it's hard to place, but--] How old are you now?

You'd be surprised, Sis. She's really touchy.

[She is not. Not even a little. Katara's position is correct. ]

Twenty two! Time shenanigans, you know how they are.

So you're four years older than I am?

[Her voice rises a little incredulously at the end of that sentence.

This is wrong. This is wrong in every way.]

[His smile turns considerably more smug, as he reaches out to pat her head. ]

Yup. You really are my baby sister now.

[He probably gets like, one pat in, before she reaches up to bat his hand away with a scowl.]

You wish. You might be twenty-two, but we both passed into marrying age years ago. No one's a baby here.

[Except (her glower says:) that she will totally make you cry like one if you pat her head again.]

[One pat still counts as a VICTORY, He laughs, pulling his hand away. ]

True! And um, actually, on that point. The marrying point? There is something you should probably know.

[Record scratch.

She gives him an incredulous, searching look.]

Are you married?

[And you're only mentioning this now? She's going to kill you.]

[His eyes widen as he puts his hands up before she drops some Sisterly Doom upon him. ]

No, no no, I'm not. But there is a girl. Uh, in my life. Kind of? It's complicated, but I really like her a lot.

Oh.

[Then you get to... not die.

Good.

Okay.]

What's her name?

[She should smile, right? She should smile. It just seems - wow, okay, this is something really big that happened to him and she wasn't here, and he's calling it 'complicated' and so...]

[He lives to see another day! ]

Looma Red Wind. She's the princess of a people called the Tetramands. [He smiles, genuinely happy.] She's really strong, and has helped so many people we've come across here. She's got that tough never give up attitude. After Allen left, she's probably the best friend I have here.

[...heh. Sokka and princesses.]

That's really nice, Sokka. [A smile, even.] I'll look forward to meeting her. I want to hear all about her, and what happened here, and at home...

[...but also:] Who's Allen?

[It's a sickness. This one ALSO totally died in a self-sacrificing way, but she at least came back as flesh and blood. ]

I'll tell you everything you wanna know, and she'd love to meet you, too, I'm sure.

He was my first mate, Riona took over after he left. He'd been here from the first day of the whole Fleet thing, which is crazy, and he'd been in some weird magical castle kidnapping world before then. He went home. [The fallen smile and tone suggest that wasn't a GREAT outcome for Allen, at all. ] But he taught me a lot about Earth and stuff. He was a great friend.

[ Sadness flickers over her face for a moment. ]

It's hard when other people go home, even if it's a good thing for them.

[ It's worse when it's not.

She's lost so many people... and last time, it was you. It's hard to believe this is happening. She wonders what's happening with her friends in Luceti right now, if she's 'still there', or if they think she went home. ]

It wasn't a good thing. His world sucked. He was an exorcist, so kind of a demon hunter, but...more complicated than that. He was a good guy, you would have liked him. In fact, I know that as true, because you liked him when you were here before.

[Which...she doesn't remember but those are just details. ]

[That's still a little strange to hear about, but she's getting used to the idea that she was here and forgot.

Still - who he's describing... Katara's eyes narrow in thought.]

...did he have a scar on one side of his face?

[WELP. ]

Y-es. Are you- did you meet him, too? Allen Walker?

[A sudden grin, because yeah, she knows that name.] I did! When I first came to Luceti. He's the one who gave me this. [Her hand goes to a glass bracelet that has been expanded to fit around her upper bicep. There is water in the glass.]

Action

Action (oh my god that icon you're killing me)

Action (I knoooooow ;; >XD)

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action

Action