Yadrolla System Mingle

[lacyprincess]

Who: EVERYBODY
Broadcast: Yeah, sure, I guess
Action: The Fleet and the Yadrolla System
When: 4/29 - 6/8

[Hey, hey, look, we have a new system! Let's go compete in stuff and root for sportsball teams! System info is here!

GO WAVES!]

Comments

...I think this got lost, Sapph, I'm so sorry!

[watermarks]

How did you make it?

[ She somehow can't picture Her Shrouded "Friend" getting her hands literally dirty. ]

[shroudedsecrets]

By using energy to shape the sand.

[She demonstrates with a hand, summoning a dark purple glow to smooth away some of the drier sand collecting on the 'steps' behind them.]

1/2

[watermarks]

[watermarks]

You must have a lot of practice with that to be so precise. That's really impressive, I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before.

[shroudedsecrets]

Thank you.

[When she looks back towards Katara, there's a hint of a smile.]

I suppose you would not believe this was simply an exercise to see if I could?

[Really, the whole sculpting bit was Katie's fault, in a way--but since she had done it with snow, why not with sand?]

[watermarks]

[ Katara shrugs a little. ]

Why not? Although I'd wonder a little at your inspiration - this looks almost like some kind of room.

[shroudedsecrets]

It's... part of one.

[There's a thoughtful note to her tone.]

We can call it a replica of a location where I would spend the most time. [Gathering thoughts or scrying or anything else.

... She just might have been wanting to create something familiar for comfortable deep thinking? Who knew.]

[watermarks]

[ Oh, we could call it that, huh? She barely manages not to roll her eyes at Whatshername's Continuous Secrecy. She gives an encouraging smile instead. ]

It looks a little like the air temples that we have in my world.

[shroudedsecrets]

[She's still not used to personal questions, as her instincts tend to lead her to remain private. If a day ever comes when she decides who she wants to be known as, other things would be less... difficult. For normal conversation.

Perhaps. But not likely.]

Is that so...

[She's not certain what to think of the comparison, not that she offered that much information in the first place.]

Did you find it peaceful?

[watermarks]

The air temples? I found them sad, mostly. [ She doesn't see any harm in admitting this next bit - it's common knowledge in her world, after all. ] They were almost that was left from a once great culture, and an essential part of our world.

[shroudedsecrets]

Ruins left behind of an ancient civilization... and a sacred place.

[The air element reminds her of something else, though she does not say.]

Did you only feel sadness when visiting those area?

[watermarks]

No. [ She shook her head. She'd felt angry. Worried for Aang. Determined. And awed that she was seeing something like what she was seeing. ] But I think that's normal, isn't it? It's rare that you feel just one thing as a result of being in a place.

[shroudedsecrets]

You're not wrong. You just seemed to focus on that one specifically.

[Which was interesting in itself, when it came to recall. Which memories or emotions stood out stronger than the others. More fun to read in others than herself.]

[watermarks]

[ Katara shrugs. ] It's a long story.

[ And she's not really overly interested in telling it to someone who can't even tell her her name. ]

[shroudedsecrets]

Most are.

[So she lets it slide, instead, falling to thoughtful silence for a few moments, before asking:]

Which do you value more, the past or the future?

[watermarks]

[ Katara blinks, surprised at the question. ]

You need the past in order to form the future. They're not interchangeable like that, really.

[shroudedsecrets]

[That doesn't really answer the question, Katara. But - fair, she supposes. It was a fairly open-ended query.]

Perhaps. Have you always considered it as such?

[watermarks]

[ A light frown. ] I'm usually too busy to consider it at all. Growing up in the South Pole doesn't leave you too much time for thinking about what's more important, the past or the future, when you are busy dealing with the present.

[ And the same was true of Luceti, really. She'd had more time to think in the fleet than she liked. This place was dangerous for its quiet. ]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ She's quiet for a moment, and then gives a small nod. ]

Well reasoned.

[ For the girl's circumstances, anyway. ]

Being in these circumstances tends to allow for a lot of thinking. Less for pushing forward. So I was curious.

[ Given how Katara seemed like a driven girl, most of the time. ]

[watermarks]

[ She frowns a little.

There is a lot of time here. ]

I guess... if I had to think about it... I'd still choose the present. The pain of the past is what drives us forward, just as much as the hope for the future, but it doesn't mean anything unless we can make changes in the present.

[shroudedsecrets]

All the better when you can make those changes by your own will.

[When it's not always an option or a choice.]

The present is very... interesting. It provides the keys to the future behind locked doors, while the knowledge of the past guides us down the halls toward them.

[When one closes, another opens...]

[watermarks]

Plus, it's really the only option we have to live in.

[ So, you know. Might as well work with that. ]