"And through the rise and falling apart"

[markofthebrave]

Who: Aang and Katara
What: A much needed conversation
When: April 16th
Where: House 56 -> THE OCEAN
Summary: ...soooo there are some things they need to straighten out
Rating: G for 'this should be good?'

[Time is the sweetest balm. It's been... nearly a week now, and Katara's starting to feel much more like herself. And as such... she really wants to not have to talk to Aang about That Night, or about what he called her when he first arrived, or about any sort of heart-manipulating experiments and their results, or about Masaomi...

She really doesn't want to have to talk to him about that. She just wants things to stay as they are, while he's here - happy and content, as best as possible. But... he remembers things differently. Or - he remembers things that haven't happened yet. And if she doesn't share of some things that have happened to her, and if she attempts to brush over the things he's told her, and what she's learned, then... then they're living a lie just as foul as one of the experiments. And she refuses to do that.

So after dinner, and after an abbreviated time of practice, Katara knocks on Aang's bedroom door.]

Aang?

Comments

[savedtheworld]

Really?

[Aang brought his bending to a case, and sure enough, there was a new wind blowing. It was accompanied by what sounded like laughter.]

"Hello!"

[And Aang was beaming again, briefly flashing his grin at Katara to share his excitement.]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara grinned back.

It was good to see him like this, good to forget, for a few minutes, what he had said was between them.]

Looks like he came!

[savedtheworld]

[As Katara spoke, he only nodded.]

Mr. Kipinn! I'm Aang, an Airbender! This... magic stuff is kinda knew to me, but I wanna see what I can learn from you!

[Aang shouted this aloud, even though he should have learned by now that verbal communication isn't the spirit's thing. He could feel the wind playfully going by his face, and he took a deep breath that felt fresh and welcoming.]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara laughs a little.]

I don't think you need to shout.

[savedtheworld]

[After a moment of silence, and the fading of the wind, he turns to face her and laughs back.]

I know now. I did it... I met Kipinn. He felt really nice, and I think he liked my Airbending. I'm gonna learn what I can from him. It feels like it's... pretty different from Airbending. But I might need it, [looks down] just in case. [He then looks up at Katara and smiles]

[markofthebrave]

One of the first things I did when I got here was try to meet Sona. You can use the spirits and bending at the same time, if you want a little extra oomph.

[savedtheworld]

Heh... that's great! Now I have more to work with. Thanks for the help, Katara.

[markofthebrave]

Oh, I didn't do much. I'm sure you would have met him on your own soon.

[savedtheworld]

Maybe, but it's nice to have someone nearby. Thanks anyway. [He then goes back to his sand sculpture.]

[markofthebrave]

Then... you're welcome.

[She... doesn't really know what else to say to that. So she just smiles a little before collapsing backwards on the sand, and propping her hands under her head to gaze at the moon and stars.]

[savedtheworld]

[Aang is satisfied with just a few more touches on the sand Appa. He then joins Katara in looking up from the stars, laying back in a similar position just a few feet away from her.]

I always have to remind myself that's not Yue up there.

[markofthebrave]

Oh, it's definitely not Yue.

[Let's see. Does she talk about the moon turning red as blood or when it crashed into the town? Or does she talk about when Yue was in Luceti?]

It's easier with the stars, though. The constellations are all different.

[savedtheworld]

Yeah, I can't recognize any of them. ...They're still pretty.

[markofthebrave]

It's a lot nicer now that they're back to normal. After one experiment, Catherine spelled out 'Praise the Great One.'

That. Was really annoying to look up at.

[savedtheworld]

That sounds really weird. Why would anyone do that? It feels like they've messed around with pretty much every part of this world by now. [pause] There's no balance at all.

[markofthebrave]

[...]

I know. [She looks down.] And... it's a wonderful thing, when people are restored back to life here. But even that is so... unnatural.

[savedtheworld]

[He looks towards her in curiosity, wondering who she is referring to.]

They've had... people we know here who are... gone... back home? Aside from Roku...

[markofthebrave]

Oh - well. Yes. But I was talking about when people die here.

[savedtheworld]

Oh, my mistake. I remember that from the guide. It sounds like some weird miracle... but kinda scary too. Like it's too good to be true.

[Thinking about this couldn't help but trigger some flashbacks. Electric pain searing through his body, a collapse into darkness. A faint warmth as water healed his body. Waking up briefly to see Katara's face again, her sorrow turning to joy.]

Can't be as good as spirit water.

[markofthebrave]

[...

She wants to reach over and take his hand in a natural instinct to comfort. That - what he was talking about - had been one of the most terrifying and horrible things she'd ever experienced.]

Well. Maybe not. You... lose something, when you die here. There's a way to get it back, but it's still... the whole thing sounds horrible.

[savedtheworld]

[His heart skipped the beat, until he realized that the way she phrased it, she wasn't talking from experience.]

Can we talk about something else?

1/2

[markofthebrave]

Sure, Aang.

[markofthebrave]

...do you want to hear about my friend Ginko? He's not here anymore, but I think you would have really liked him. He helped me plant my garden, and gave me most of the flowers and herbs that are there now.

[savedtheworld]

[It was an odd name, but Aang's no one to judge. He becomes less tense with death off the table.]

He sounds nice already. I'd love to hear more.

[markofthebrave]

He was older than us... maybe in his twenties? And he had one really green eye. His hair was white. [She smiles fondly.] He was a mushishi.