trans_9 | Straddle the line in discord and rhyme

Katara didn't know why, but she was wandering the ship, on edge. She hadn't heard from Meluly in a little bit, and right before she left, something had seemed off. Although she'd been keeping herself busy (if you could even call it that) with studying on her recent path, Meluly's face, and how strange she had looked right before she left was still on her mind.

She couldn't help it: she was a worrier, and things like this involving her friends made her anxious. So she had walked through the city, hoping to calm herself. It wasn't easy, of course: this was where, she was certain, Aang was, somewhere, with that evil god. She felt alone walking here, but it felt like she should be here somehow.

This place, though, was strange. It almost reminded her of one of the Air temples but quieter, more sinister.

As Katara walks through the area, there is the noise of a faint hiss, somewhere among all those chairs that have been laid out. At a first glance it's not obvious where, though.

Katara heard the hiss, and stood at attention. She wasn't quite sure what to expect, so she brought her waterskin out and had it at the ready, in case someone wsa ready to attack her.

"Who's there?"

Who or whatever it is slinks closer between the chairs, letting out a little rattling noise in its throat.

Through the gaps in the folding chairs, Katara will catch sight of a flash of black skin with white patterns on it.

Katara reacted as quickly as possible to the noise, and her eyes move quickly. Now she sees something familiar (and she would know), a bit if skin that belonged, as far as she knew, to only one person.

"Meluly? Uh, are you okay?"

Red eyes peer unsteadily around a chair at Katara. There's something dull and animalistic in her gaze, and the visible edge of Meluly's mouth is twisted into something almost like a snarl.

At this, Katara now felt that something was very wrong. Meluly's eyes had never been like this before, and it ws as if something had taken over her. Katara was beginning to realize that maybe Meluly had been trying to protect her from seeing her like this, whatever this WAS.

"Meluly?" Katara enquired in a small voice, backing up slowly. "What's happened to you?"

Meluly lets out another little hiss between her teeth, stalking forward towards Katara. She moves in a strange half-bipedal stance—for any normal person it seems like it would be immensely uncomfortable, but Luly's natural grace makes it flow like a predator's stride.

And now Katara was at a loss over what she should do. Should she defend herself, fight against Meluly, or just try to defend herself without attacking her? Katara didn't know quite what Meluly was capable of in this state, and if she had to fight, she would.

She held her stance, watching the taller, crouching girl warily.

With Spaurh and Kelly in tow, Lafiel had jogged through the city. She tried to quiet the insistent drumbeat of her heart, the queasy surge of concerned adrenaline.

She signaled her escorts to stay back (military signals having not changed all that much between their universes, it seemed). There, in the aisle of this idyllic little stage, Meluly was staring down the girl who had used her hydrokinesis during the Yeerk revolt...

Her hand went to the butt of her klanyu at her waist. She was unsure of the girl's intentions, if she was taking advantage of Meluly's state or if it was Meluly who wished to attack her in her throes.

"Please step back. I will handle this." She said in a neutral voice. She tried her best to make it sound as persuasively commanding as possible. Then, advancing towards Meluly (a risky move which meant showing her back, but she knew Spaurh and Kelly were there, just at the edge of vision), she approached Meluly.

"Reiozy...It's me, Lafiel." She said, as soothing as she could.

Meluly slowly edges back, limbs tense. She isn't wearing her dress-thing—rather, she's in a blue two-piece bikini that looks like it was put together by hand out of another reasonably piece set of cloth scavenged from the city. Minimally covering, but unencumbering... She bares her teeth at Lafiel, though there's a hint of recognition in her eyes.

[She was wearing the bikini the whole time but I forgot to note that, oops. <.<]

Katara turned around and saw one of the people she had been racing against for the Yeerk. That startled her, and for a moment, she thought that this was a security team member there to subdue Meluly. She may not have liked how threatening Meluly was right now, but she was also not willing to let her get hurt.

"Wait, no, its not her fault, she..." but her voice trailed off when she heard the way she addressed Meluly. That was not expected, and what did that word mean, Reiozy? It was as if she knew Meluly.

Unless...

"You're Lafiel?!" Katara exclaimed, and now she felt very, very bad. She had tried attack her during the Yeerk incident! There was no way she would think Katara meant any good being with Meluly after all of that!

Lafiel glanced back. She was still getting used to being called by her first name, still struggling to not parse it as an insult. "I am. And you will step away. Now." She tried to place an authorative tone in her voice, but some of the concern for her friend must have gotten through. I am the empress now. I must be able to command. She thought.

And then looked back at Meluly and took two slow steps towards her. "Sta fiir Reiozy. Kuhets, Lafiel. Tuhy kreiof."* Lafiel said in Meluly's native tongueShe did her best to be soothing and placed a hand on her trembling shoulder.

[*"I'm your reiozy. It's me, Lafiel. You're safe."]

Meluly takes in a deep shuddering breath as Lafiel touches her—and reaches forward, a hand brushing across Lafiel's legs without gripping. Her gaze keeps darting between Lafiel, Katara, and the others. Whatever part of her that's in there and still cognizant doesn't seem to be judging them much more as potential threats, Lafiel excluded. Her body language and expression are more like looking at an animal than a person.

Katara nodded. She didn't like being bossed around, but thais was a different situation. Lafiel at least kneww what was going on, and she didn't. Truthfully, she was glad that Lafiel was starting to calm Meluly down: after all, she was the one Meluly cared about most.

She backed off, but was still watching, nervous. "What's wrong with her? Why is she acting so differently?"

(http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Da_Jalman/Kelly-087/?action=view&current=Pose.png)

Kelly stood with her arms crossed, eyes watching warily from behind her polarized visor. She knew that if Meluly should attack the Empress, it wasn't the best ready stance to be in. but it was the most non-threatening one she could manage for the moment.

She didn't know what was wrong with the woman, and if she attacked Lafiel, the Spartan would do all she could to avoid hurting her. But she wasn't about to stand by and let her friend get hurt. Not if she could do anything about it. As it was, the Abh seemed to have the situation under some semblance of control, so she hung back, alert and watchful on the off chance that she was needed.

"Tuhy kreiof. Tuhy kreiof."* Lafiel repeated, embarrassed but swallowing it as much as she could. Her hand awkwardly walked across Meluly's shoulder, hesitant and fearful (she knew those teeth) but determined. She risked another glance back at Katara and her guardians.

"Find her belt." She mouthed at them, having no time to explain.

[*You are safe. You are safe.]

Meluly grabs at Lafiel's leg, pulling her down. There's no real malice in the act, but the motion is dart-quick and firm enough it might be perceived as such—though, by the time the light Abh is tugged down and grabbed onto by Luly, it's too late to get in the way. Luly's nostrils are flared, teeth clicking a little... the Nazzadi don't quite have a fully superhuman sense of smell, but they certainly have a better one than most humans. It's part of being the natural hunters they are.

Her fingers clutch tightly onto Lafiel. A little too hard, in fact, since at this rate Lafiel might to end up with some minor bruises under her plantsuit.

Katara listened intently, realizing that her question was probably not going to get answered. But once she saw the mouthing from Lafiel, she reacted instantly. She moved quickly, and saw the belt a few feet away. She darted forward, snatched the belt, and ran back to Lafiel and Meluly. When she saw that Meluly had knocked Lafiel down, she moved quickly near the two of them, but just enough out of arms reach. After all, Lafiel seemed to have gone through this all before.

She just hoped the other officers wouldn't hurt Meluly.

(http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Da_Jalman/Kelly-087/?action=view&current=Charge.png)

Kelly started forward when Meluly grabbed the Abh. She knew just how fragile the Empress was. But the dark skinned woman didn't seem to be intent on hurting her. So she relaxed again, but stayed nearer this time. If Meluly became a threat, she would need to be nearby to act fast enough.

Lafiel signalled frantically with her free hand for her guardians to not shoot and drew herself up to her knees.

She took the belt from the other girl. Perhaps she meant no harm...perhaps.

She cupped the pills in her hand and risking bites, held them to Luly's mouth. It keeps getting worse... she thought.

Meluly's teeth reflexively fasten around Lafiel's hand. They don't sink in—much—but Lafiel's still likely to end up with a shallow cut or three. She lets out a noise like 'grh!' and lets go, grimacing, having left the pills behind. Lafiel might not taste good, apparently, or maybe those pills don't. Her arm bats Lafiel's hand away, though her other hand stays clinging tightly onto the woman.

Katara could only look on anxiously. She hated this, not being able to do anything, but right now she knew that Lafiel was in charge, but she didn't trust her. THough it pained her, Katara knew it was the right thing to think in the way the circumstances were, and swallowed. She looked over at the two in the back, and then turned to Meluly and Lafiel.

She couldn't say anything to Lafiel except, "Please be careful."

(http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Da_Jalman/Kelly-087/?action=view&current=Chillin.png)

Seeing the girl who'd been on her small team during HAL's attack, Kelly walked over and laid a gloved hand lightly on her shoulder, though the weight of the armor was probably still a bit much. Her eyes never left Lafiel and Meluly, even as she spoke to the girl watching them worriedly.

"Lafiel knows what she's doing, don't worry. Besides, you, me, and the Admiral here? She couldn't be safer. I've seen what you can do." She spoke softly, for Katara's ears only, in a bid to encourage the girl a little. She didn't know what had gone down during the crew on crew fighting, but none of that mattered now anyway.

"Just be ready to use that ice of yours if things get hairy. We want to restrain Meluly without hurting her. Your powers would be the best for that."

With her free hand, Lafiel stroked Meluly's locks as if she were calming a frightened cat (something she had plenty of experience with).

"Please. It's me, Lafiel. Please take these. They'll help you." She picked up the pills again and showed them to her again. That Katara's ability could be used to help restrain Meluly had not flown over Lafiel's little blue oddly shaped head. But that would make Meluly not trust her, something she selfishly couldn't stand. "It's me. Why won't you recognize me?!" With each attempt she was becoming increasingly desperate, accumulating more damage to her hand. It was a good thing it was her right hand, or they would have been in some trouble in the coming days...

Lafiel finally manages to make Luly cough down the pills. The woman makes a funny face as they go down, and she grinds and clicks her teeth irritably, clinging Lafiel to herself like an angry monkey with a pet it's not sure what to do with. She swallows harshly, face twitching funnily as the medicine starts to go into effect, and starts to pull Lafiel backwards, edging away from the others in the area.

Katara watched with concern, and now she thought she saw something here: the strain that this was causing Lafiel, to not have someone you care about not recognize you. Thinking about it made Katara sad, but now, with Meluly retracting with Lafiel, she was a little at ease.

But, hard as it was to admit, the idea of being forgotten by Meluly hurt her too. She was just forcing herself to forget that and simply make sure Meluly and Lafiel were safe.

"I can heal too," Katara said quietly. "If you want, I could help with your hand."

"You can manipulate water..." Lafiel held out her own wounded hand, a thin trickle of blood extending from it. She stroked Meluly's hair with the free one. "How am I to know you won't attack me or Meluly with my own blood?" Oh snap. But Lafiel was tense and the soldier in her was coming out.

Katara had expected to hear a lot of things, and certainly even some resentment, but hearing that actually hurt her a lot. She looked down, tensed, then looked up at Lafiel.

"I can only do that kind of bending during a full moon. It's not something that I'm happy to have as a technique, but that is the fact. But even if I could, I wouldn't...because Meluly is my friend, and you're the one she cares about most. Why would I hurt either of you?"

The accusation hurt more than she had expected, and she turned to Kelly, giving her a bashful wave. It was good to see her teammate from the fight at the bridge.

Meluly's teeth click-click-click as she looks warily between Lafiel and Katara. The conversation's lost on her—but she's stopped pulling Lafiel back, at least. Her nostrils flare.

"Mozh-le-ka," she hisses quietly. It's really just gibberish, with no meaning at all in her language. Convenient sounds strung end-to-end.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She admitted this to Katara, knowing she'd reacted from a roiling feeling in her gut, a deep distress that was completely unlike battle-nerves. It was more like when she'd sent Jinnto down to Lobnass...

Lafiel felt as if she had to take charge of this situation. "I believe attempting to move her would only distress her more right now. Therefore I think we should wait until she's fast asleep. If the three of you will guard in shifts, ready to restrain and tranquilize her, I will remain here with her the whole time." Her free hand continued to soothingly stroke Meluly's hair, occasionally scratching behind her ears the same way she would a cat, probably because that was the only form of physical affection she was familiar with.

Katara wanted to say that she didn't like the idea of restraining Meluly, but she also knew it was probably not something taht even Lafiel liked either. Still it had to be done, and Katara knew that Lafiel had only Meluly's best interests at heart. If to answer her, Katara bring a hand to the soldier woman, and some water comes out of her pouch and cools over Lafiel's hand, shimmering a bit. A moment later it ceased, the cuts gone.

Katara was quiet, but said, "I'll stay up as long as I'm needed. I just want to make sure she isn't hurt, but I can see that you won't allow that to happen. Still...I'd like to talk to you later, after this, if that's all right."

Luly slowly calms under Lafiel's touch, mumbling more nonsense words. Whether she quite understands her surroundings, well, that might be questionable, but at least she seems to be halfway controllable.

(http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Da_Jalman/Kelly-087/?action=view&current=Profile.png)

"She's alright, Lafiel. I'll vouch for the girl." She spoke, deliberately using the Empress' name rather than her title. Kelly squeezed the waterbender's shoulder gently. It was going to be okay. She didn't know about anything that had happened, but Katara had been on her team. They'd fought together and watched each other's backs. That was a bond stronger than anything she knew. She respected the girl's ability, even if she didn't yet know enough about her to like her as a person.

"We'll take it in shifts. There's no need to strain yourself. If it looks like it'll take long enough that we'll need rest, I'll take the first shift. You can take the second." She removed her hand from the girl's shoulder. Her eye had never left Meluly even as she spoke. Thankfully, she'd had the foresight to load her sidearm - the only weapon she'd brought with her, safely hidding in it's holster under the plates of her armor at her thigh - with tranqs rather than live ammo. Hopefully, they wouldn't be needed.

Nodding quickly to the Abh, she took a half step back, motioning the Water Tribe girl to follow. "We'll be nearby, Empress. Please don't leave sight range."

"Yes...Thank you all for your help." Lafiel said, settling down in the middle of the chairs, trying to get comfortable with Luly clinging to her like a trainee to their command chair in their first battle.

It was going to be a long night.

Katara, for her part, had stopped being passive, if only because she was tired, and getting over the hurt of being accused of doing something like bloodbending to Meluly or Lafiel. Right now she had no intention of getting tired. As far as she was concerned, this was another kind of training she would endure. She still didn't know what was wrong with Meluly, but she wanted to find out.

It might also give her a clue as to why the person Meluly cared about so much made her madder than even Asuka at that moment. It was one thing to be mad at her about the Yeerk thing, but to think that she was about to hurt Meluly in a state where she wasn't herself sickened her. Asuka was arrogant, and she was a girl just like her. But Lafiel gave off the air of someone older, so the idea that a 14 year girl would be that cruel incensed her far more than anything she'd ever felt.

Still, she sat cross legged for the moment, quietly steaming. She knew it was something Sheeana would scold her about, being so emotionally invested in this, but she couldn't help it.

Straddle the line in discord and rhyme

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