Beach Party!?

[markofthewise]

Who: Anyone who wants to come!
What: BEACH PARTY! (For Katara or something)
When: In the evening, about 7PM
Where: On the beach! Somewhere!
Summary: It's Katara's 17th and while all friends of Team Avatar are invited, anyone else can gatecrash too.
Rating: E for everyone (for God's sake there's going to be seven year olds!)

[A few days before the birthday, Katara's housemates began birthday preparations. Not quite entirely secret, but they made invitations, told friends, spread the word, and so on. Birthday on the beach. Be there or be a loser McButtface without friends.

And so there's a party! With tables! And chairs! And umbrellas! And the sun is setting, but the Malnosso had no taste and put the ocean on the east side of Luceti, so it's a sunset over the mountains which isn't as cool as an ocean sunset. But anyway. There's a volleyball net and, you know, an ocean to swim in. Also Sokka ordered a generator with his mission points and abducted the karaoke machine. It was mostly to provide some music, but people can get up and sing with it too.

As for the food? There's a table for that. It's a bring your own dish affair, since Katara is kind of their team cook and they can't exactly make her own birthday meal, right? So anyone coming can bring whatever they like and set it out. The gang brought some meals of their own, so there's bound to be some cool dishes from the air nomads, water tribe, and fire nation. And cake. A big chocolate cake. Someone made it! We don't know who. (Feel free to dibs being the baker or something if you want.)

And a table! A table for presents! Bring a present, set it there. It's very organized.]

((ooc: It's out on the beach and just a general sort of party affair, so feel free to have characters show up even if they're not friends with the birthday girl. It's a free for all. SO YOU BETTER MINGLE OR THERE'S GONNA BE WORDS.

Now have fun.))

Comments

[savedtheworld]

[Aang seeks out Katara at some point, holding a small box in his hand.]

[markofthebrave]

[What - or who - Aang seeks, he finds, while she is sitting next to the karaoke machine, smiling with her eyes closed as she listens.]

[savedtheworld]

[He smiles at the peaceful scene and steps closer, with the box held nervously behind his back. Did the weather suddenly get hotter? But hey, that music does sound pretty relaxing. It's a nice scene to walk in on.]

That music machine sounds nice.

[markofthebrave]

[She opens her eyes and smiles at Aang.]

It does, doesn't it? Maybe we should see about getting one at the house.

[savedtheworld]

Definitely. We could have a lot of fun with music, without having to dig up some instruments. I'm glad you're having a good time.

[markofthebrave]

[There's so much there that she can't entirely touch.]

I am. It's a very nice party, and it's good to see so many people enjoying themselves.

[savedtheworld]

Great. [He beams at her.] I... I got you something, by the way.

[He whips the the small box from behind his back and presents it before her.]

[markofthebrave]

Oh - Aang, you didn't have to do that. You already threw me this party.

[savedtheworld]

That was a team effort, and it wouldn't be enough. I missed a birthday, anyway. [For Katara in this world, anyway.]

[markofthebrave]

[You missed two birthdays.

But that's right. The Katara he thinks of when he thinks of her is already fifteen. A shadow flickers across her face for a moment before she holds out her hand.]

Well, in that case... thank you very much, Avatar Aang.

[savedtheworld]

[He places it in her hand, not realizing his time-match skewing yet.]

No problem. Go ahead, Sifu Katara. Open it. I saw something like it in the item shop, and Sokka kind of helped me with making it. I hope you appreciate it.

[Within the box is a snow globe, filled with water. It has the makeshift model of a snowy landscape similar to the South Pole, complete with the little huts and little people, although they aren't anywhere near lifelike. There is also a part where the ground slops, and there are figures of little otter-penguins that look like they're in the process of sliding downhill.]

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[Katara gasps.]

[markofthebrave]

[With careful hands, she draws the snow globe out of the box.]

Oh Aang...

[savedtheworld]

[That's a good reaction so far. ...He thinks.]

I thought that because of how complicated things have been... it would be a good reminder. Of how simple things used to be. [Pause] And you can swish it with Waterbending!

[Aang might not have lived at the Southern Water Tribe, but he remembers how peaceful it was. And he remembers penguin sledding. How for a small amount of time before their adventure really began, it felt like they were just two kids sledding down a hill without a care in the world.]

[markofthebrave]

[Holding it carefully, she shakes it once, the old fashioned way.

Snow...

She looks up at him.]

It's beautiful. I love it.

[savedtheworld]

[He takes a moment to bask in her gratitude. She's really enjoying it.]

Great! Happy birthday, Katara.

[markofthebrave]

[She watches the snow fall on this representation of her beloved home.]

Thank you, Aang.

[She smiles.]

It's perfect.

[savedtheworld]

I'm really glad.

[Perfect. He steps closer, and he hears the music playing. It reminds him of another time and place, a cave full of Fire Nation children. And seeing her like this... peaceful and happy on the beach, on her birthday... he can't help but give in to act on his impulse.]

Hey, Katara... do you want to dance?

[markofthebrave]

What?

[savedtheworld]

Dancing. There's... the music, and it could be fun?

[markofthebrave]

I don't know, Aang...

[She ran her hand through her hair, a telling nervous movement.]

Nobody else is dancing...

[savedtheworld]

[He feels that daring burst of courage return from the cave. He holds out his hand.]

That's because no one else is. Someone has to start. And that person might as well be the birthday girl.

[markofthebrave]

[The truth of the matter was, Katara really didn't like being stared at. She didn't like having her movements judged and evaluated or... well, being the center of attention in this way.

But the truth of the matter also was... that time in the cave, Katara had discovered she did like to dance. And she'd loved dancing with Aang, that feeling when all the watching eyes faded away, and it was just them on the dance floor.

...but first she had to go through the watching eyes. So she still hesitated.]

I'm not sure... maybe someone else can start.

[And at that moment, the music changed to a clear dancing beat. Fate was against her.]

[savedtheworld]

[He kept his hand outstretched and inched closer, his heart matching the beat.]

It'll be fine, Katara. Just... just take my hand.

[markofthebrave]

[...

Well. It was just a dance.]

Okay.

[And wearing her swimsuit top and skirt, Katara placed her hand in his.]