trans_9 | In my element [Open]

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In my element [Open]

After all, here was where water was plentiful, and she had lots of space to move. The past few days had been amazing of course: she got to know several different people and experience certain parts of their world. If anybody stepped in here though, they would know the part of Katara's world she stopped being a child. Her inquisitiveness was a way she coped with a truth she knew, and was sure some of the other "kids" shared: certain experiences were adult, and they called for adult action.

She had her hair free, and was breathing a little to ready herself. She'd already flexed and stretched enough: she planned to get a workout. She entered the nearest Sensorium and closed her eyes.

"The Earth General who went too far," Katara said, and the world materialized: there were the Earth Nation banners towering, and there were members of the Dai Li, coming at her full force. This was of course not accurate: there WERE no members of the Dai Li when they approached earth general Fong that attacked Aang in order to force him into the Avatar state. Still, Katara wanted them a part of this program anyway: it would be harder to get to that Earth general.

First they erected the rock pillars, like the day they'd uncovered Lake Laogai. That was fine: Katara knew what move would come after. There were fifteen strong: seven at the back and eight at her front. They hovered on the rock, waiting a moment, and then the ones at her back slid down quickly, the rock hands coming for her, the ones in front following suit.

She froze the hands first, then crouched down and arose with water tentacles. Katara hadn't gotten her octopus water attack down just yet then (that would happen when she fought Azula) but she did now, and the several tentacles went toward those at her back, knocking three down. Katara jumped up from that formation and rode a wave from the lake nearby, going to meet with the front attack of the Dai Li. She met them with a tidal wave and froze them all for several seconds before thawing, and the men, in a state of shock, fell uneasily to the floor, cold and beaten. Katara turned to the four remaining Dai Li and took them out with a far reaching water whip. Once they'd fallen, she turned her head toward General Fong and rose with a wave again. He looked shocked for a moment, then came at her with a rock pillar aiming toward her head.

"HA!" Katara grunted and split the rock easily in two: she'd learned a thing or two from Toph, a true Earthbending master. She flung her whip to the ground beneath the kings feet and froze, making him slip and ruining his stance. Katara was there in an instant, outstretched hand to his neck, her face grim with determination.

"You lose," the girl said, and froze the bottom part of his body. He growled and tried to free himself, but could not, of course. This was how Katara would have like their terms to end. In reality, General Fong had caught her by surprise and used her to push Aang into the Avatar state against his wishes.

If there was one thing Katara hated, it was being a victim. If there were another thing...it was being used to hurt Aang.

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Leave it to Gambit to be strolling through the hallway outside the sensoriums and to wander into one at random and have it be the same one that Katara was practicing in. And leave it Gambit to wander in just as Katara was taking out four of her opponents with a massive water whip. A water whip that also slammed into the Cajun, knocking him off his feet.

"Oi, petite," he called out, sitting on his butt on the hard ground where he'd landed. Tendrils of his soaked hair was plastered to his face and droplets of water dripped from his nose onto his chest. "Were dat really necessary?"

Katara had no idea anyone would actually try to enter the Sensorium while she was training like this. It was bound to knock a few heads around, and Katara preferred to do THAT in imaginary world.

Unfortunately, anyone could enter the Sensorium, and Katara, for no fault of her own, felt immensely guilty having hit somebody while practicing her bending. She walked over to him, looking generally concerned.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She said. "I really should put up a sign or something!" She put her right hand palm down and bright her hand back, and any water on Gambit's face and hair came to Katara's hands, and she cupped it into a swirl of water that looked ready to jump out at anyone.

"Are you all right?"

"Gambit'll live," he answered with a nod.

It took him but a moment to realize that the water that now swirled in her hand had come from his face and that he was--aside from his plant-suit and brown duster--completely dry.

"You a mutant, too, petite?"

"Well," Katara was unsure what to say. The man looked...well, not like many men Katara had ever seen anyway. The hair was kept back, and the eyes were definitely weird, but there was more that Katara couldn't place. She stared at him a moment, trying to figure him out.

"A mutant? I don't know what a mutant is. In my world I don't think they exist. But there are some of us born with the ability to bend the elements, and you were just watching me do that with water." She sighed and hunkered down to the ground, and all of the Dai Li agents along with general Fong disappeared.

"Are you a mutant? If you are, what does that mean?"

That's something that Sparhawk has never seen before. The broken nosed knight stands in the doorway, trying to keep the look of surprise from his face. He shouldn't be surprised that other people allow their womenfolk to battle, after all, Mirtai was one of the most capable warriors he had met.

It goes against what he stands for to see a child battling. Children are meant to be protected, to have a childhood, to chase hoops and catch polliwogs. Not to fight.

She is very, very good though. He's also very curious to know what sort of magic she was using, and so he steps out from the doorway, and shifts his hand so that it should catch her eye.

"Neighbour?" he says in his usual quiet tone.

"Oui, I am," Remy said, nodding as he drew his knees toward his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. "It mean Gambit was born with de ability to do tings normal people can't."

Katara paused, and looked to see who was flagging her down. It was an older man, but he looked pleasant enough. At least he didn't get hit in the crossfire. She changed the water tide she was riding to ice and slid effortlessly until she flipped over to him, her right hand sliding back. The ice immediately turned to water and went into her pouch, and she gave the man a small bow.

It was hard to tell Katara's mood. On the one hand, he was definitely polite enough, and hadn't really disrupted Katara. On the other hand, she was getting a little annoyed with the older people's perception of children and what they should be doing on the ship. It was as if they cared more about their age than their actual stories and experiences, which made Katara wary with some of the older folk (Jean Luc excluded, for now).

"What can I do for you?" Katara asked nonchalantly.

"Oh," Katara said, realizing this must be her millionth "oh" these past few days. Meeting new people always seemed to take her a little by surprise. "In my world, people have the ability to bend the elements: not all, mind you, but a few. We're not mutants, just benders, and it takes study and dedication to be good at what you do. I didn't mean to hit you, but I'm practicing my bending, since this place is seriously lacking water, and I don't want to get slow."

Sparhawk knows when he may be about to fight a losing battle, and in this case, he won't even start. The girl has shown herself to be a warrior, and Sparhawk will treat her as one. How could you fight water, anyway?

He watches as the water changes to ice, and back to water again, before he bows formally to her.

"I was simply curious about your abilities, neighbour. I've not seen anything similar before. You have skill. Although if I am interrupting you, I would be content to just watch, with your permission?"

Katara was really go9ing to have to get used to explaining what she could do. A lot of people on the ship all had different abilities, but hers always seemed to need a little clarification. She couldn't just say it was "magic" because it wasn't. It wasn't easy to just explain what she could do on something she was just born with either.

"Oh, that's OK," Katara said. "In the sensoriums, I've learned people can be interrupted at any time. But yes, I have skill, and it takes a lot of practice. If you want to see, I can show you."

Which was just as well, because Katara was moving from this to an actual scene Katara did remember: the actual storming of the Earth King's castle in order to talk to him. Here the Dai Li agents DID belong, as they were the ones trying to prevent the gang from reaching their objective. The difference here was there was no Sokka or Toph or Aang to help, so she had to do it on her own.

She started with the jump across the bridge, where she formed an ice bridge in mid air as leverage and slid down effortlessly. The ice fell to water behind her and sprung into her hands in the form of the waterwhip, and she attacked the Dai Li with it relentlessly now, spinning and moving closer and closer toward the steps. The Dai Li came at her with the rock hands, so she changing the water into ice and had projectiles counteracting their far ranged attacks with her own. She rode the water now instead of using ice and ascended up the stairs, moving her arms to come up and hot any Dai Li members standing in the way.

Once she reached the steps she became the water octopus again and knocked any of the remaining members out of the way with furious intent and wrenched the palace door open with a loud yell.

She took a deep breath and the scenery changed to the western Air Temple again: quite, tranquil.

It took all of Sparhawk's self control not to take hold of his broadsword and join in the fight, both to protect the girl, and to help her. Instead, he stepped back again, and watched.

Whatever she is doing, however she is doing it, Sparhawk approves. He is impressed with her speed and with her obvious ability.

Once things turn tranquil again, he voices a question. "Can anyone learn this skill?"

Roxie was drawn by the sound of fighting, and now she pauses in the emtrance to the Sensorium, hands in two of her jacket's many pockets, head tilted at just the right angle for her glasses to glint cruelly in the light.

She doesn't speak up to interrupt, and stays mouse-like quiet, just watching for now.

Katara touched back on her feet gently, wiping her brow. She turned to the man, breathing hard. She shook her head.

"We're born with the skill, and its usually specific to your nation. Even when you're born with it, you could still be novice if you don't get the right training. For me, I had a lot of training before I reached the Northern Water tribe and was trained by my master. Believe me, that was pretty hard."

Katara breathed in, and then the scenery changed. Now she was in the actual Earth King's chambers, and she was facing down two very familiar enemies: Mai, with her sharp knives and quick reaction, and Ty Lee with her ability to attack a bender's pressure points and render them useless.

Katara ducked the knives and ran toward Mai quickly, lacking any water or pools to ride a wave toward the girl. Ty Lee came at her in her pursuit and Katara stopped on a dime, adjusting her position so she wasn't there where Ty Lee tried to hit her points. She water whipped at the girl's face, and when she jerked back Katara froze her hands and legs to the ground. She ran at Mai again, but she was in for a rude surprise: the girl had plenty of time to ready herself with more sharp weapons, and Katara crouches deeply, sucking air in sharply.

Still, down on the ground was also a way SHE could ready her water again, and now she shot some ice projectiles of her own. Mai was now dancing away from her and Katara advanced, moving quickly. She and the girl moved at each other in a flurry, but a moment later Katara had broken through the girl's projectiles and had her arm at Mai's throat. Mai looked stunned, but nodded in her direction. Katara bowed, and the ice holding Ty Lee melted, as did the recreation.

She turned, and saw she was not alone. "Oh, hi Roxie! How are you?"

"I've been looking around," Roxie says, hands still in her pockets. "There's all kinds of interesting things in the city. It's like a collage except with neighborhoods. You fight well," she adds in a disrinct non sequitur, steppping forward to look around the simulation a little more. "It's almost like watching a performance."

Katara nodded. "I've only visited the city once so far with my friend Luna. It was just a ruin, but I think it was some kind of ruin. I'd definitely be interested in exploring more of it though."

Katara looked a little pleased. "I haven't been able to practice in awhile. Those two were our enemies a little while ago, and they're really fast! I'm just glad I've gotten that good. Master Pakku would be pleased."

"It's like a museum." Roxie thinks. "I wish I knew if it was supposed to be used or not. But it would be too late to stop anything if not." She pulls her hands from her pockets, folding them together in front of herself. "Maybe people lived there once upon a time."

She steps forward a little farther. "Could I try something like that? I don't fight so neatly, but I'm olay at it..."

[OOC: I meant Katara to say "It was just a ruin, but I think it was supposed to be some kind of church." Sorry!]

"Yeah, I got that impression too. I wasn't quite sure what other purpose it could serve on this ship though, or why Stacy would have it here in the first place. But what I'm really curious about are the restricted places that we can't get to so far."

Katara nodded. "Sure. I've been curious about these cho you've talked about, and how you fight them."

(No problem!)

Roxie nods just a little. "I guess I just have to..."

The scenery flickers and changes in a rolling wave, becoming an inner-city street well after dark. Obelisks of brick and steel buildings rise up on all sides, and aside from the unfamiliar stars, only a row of dim, evenly-spaced street lights give any illumination. A few rows down, an old homeless man sleeps against one of them, wrapped in a number of dirty, torn coats. The air is more chill than is comfortable, but not freezing. A few spare bits of rubbish decoeate the sidewalk where an over-full steel trash can has lost some of it contents.

Roxie is dressed in overalls, a battered t-shirt, and boots under her jacket. Smoothly, she pulls a circlet of pressed silver and bone-white from inside her jacket and slides it into place on her head, and the brass ring now on her left index finger momentarily catches the light.

"Stay quiet," she murmurs. "It's here somewhere."

"Right," whispers Katara, although she has to suppress a small gasp at her own clothing. she is wearing a white Kangol hat with her hair in a ponytail, jeans and a blue tank top, nothing she would wear in her world. Still, she kept quiet and crept along with Roxie.

The place was unfamiliar, and resembled the city on Stacy's ship more. Katara was fascinated, but she knew everything came second to the danger. Luckily, she was very light on her feet. She leaps up a street lamp in several seconds, trying to spy anyone, and then comes back down as quickly as she climbed up.

"Anything?" She whispered.

Up top, the view is... Not much different. Nothing moving in sight, just shuttered or blank windows and dreary sky and slate-grey roofs. This is not a happy place, the surroundings seem to say. All the angles seem a little subtly wrong, like crooked picture frames.

Roxie holds up a hand, palm open. Her attention is focused on the sleeping man, and she pads slowly towards him, withdrawing a carpenter's hammer with a gleaming silver head from inside her jacket.

Katara follows Roxie. Unlike her movement around the ship or the city, here she walks with barely an audible step, and she is poised for an attack. At her hip is still a container for her water, and her eyes are steeled toward the homeless man. It is seldom ones sees Katara like this: the only one who has, really, is Zuko, when she was looking for her mother's killer.

"Whatever happens, don't interfere unless you're attacked. They're not safe to be near when active." Roxie moves with a firm, quiet poise. Quiet enough to miss, maybe, but not intentionally so. As she reaches the man, she raises the hammer up. Her face is cold and cruel, her glasses shining with the light of the lamps like burning mirrors. One might wonder, as she starts to swing, if she's judged this right. The man doesn't look inhuman. Filthy, maybe, but old and weak and harmless.

The hammer sinks into his chest with the sound of shredding bone and tearing muscle, and lodges. The force is enough to back-spatter Roxie with blood.

A breath passes, as she tries to wrench the hammer free.

And then the man's eyes open, bone-white from edge to edge, and he casually backhands Roxie harshly enough to send her skidding into the street.

"It ok, petite," Remy waved off the apology. "Gambit know what it's like not bein' able to control your powers. Trust me. It took me a long time to get a hang of mine."

Every ounce of fiber in her being was telling her to push Roxie back, that this was just a harmless old man trying to sleep. But it was HER simulation, and in her world, Roxie would know better than her. She watched Roxie's form as she approached the man, anxious to see how she fought in her world. Her face, she was sure, matched her own when it came to situations like this: her enemy WAS that, capable of anything, willing to strike given the opportunity. Katara was unfamiliar with this kind of enemy though, and so she was perfectly willing to follow Roxie's instructions.

The blood splattered, and Katara's eyes reflected a horror she bit deep into her chest. Please let him be an enemy she thought.

And then the backhand came, and Katara only saw a man hitting a little girl as if it were nothing. Katara's sympathy was gone now, and the water she had at her disposal became ice, ready to fly at her opponent.

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