trans_9 | Meet and Greet Part Deux: The Socialing

"Hey, Katara!" That would be Jamie, pleased at finally having spotted her in the crowd. Sometimes he really hates being short. "I'm glad I found ye. How did your mission go?"

He comes bearing a gift, too, a small soft-looking package wrapped in plaid wrapping paper. There's a tag on it with her name. He apparently spelled it wrong a couple of times, as half the tag is missing and there's bits of letters visible at the ripped edge.

Katara perked up, glad to hear another friendly voice in the crowd. She should really know better than to think she might have a moment to get depressed on the ship. She had so many friends here, such generous people, it made her happy to know that at least here, there was a family too. "Hey Jamie! The mission went fairly smoothly, despite the corporation's attempt to squash us."

Katara blinked at the package? Another one? This must be a very sacred holiday, to have all these people giving her things. She had to remember this when it came around again. "Oh Jamie, I couldn't," she said. "I mean, I DID get you something, but I don;t know if you'll like it. It's an instrument."

She gave a rectangular package to Jamie, brightening a bit. "I hope its okay."

It's an oak flute.

"Really? What happened?" Jamie's curious - he's not sure where Katara had wound up going, so he doesn't know if she meant in general or if it was something more specific.

Even as he's asking this, he takes the package she offers, and says, "Ye didna have to get me anything, ye know. I just saw this and thought of you." He shakes her gift gently, trying to figure out what it is before opening it. When he does, he seems genuinely touched. "Katara...it's perfect. Thank ye."

Impulsively, he goes to give her a kiss on the cheek, if she lets him. Even if not, he adds, "I'm afraid I didna find ye anything half as nice."

Her package holds a snowflake ornament, cut from some type of crystal so it'll shimmer in the right sort of light. There's a length of tartan ribbon with it as well, longer than necessary to actually hang the ornament - it's enough so she can do that and then use the extra ribbon for something else if she chooses.

"Well, I was with Sheeana and Kate and Billy and Tess in a place called the Middle East, which was made up of even smaller cities. Our first big dust up was in Baghdad, where insurgents for Macrowhatever came to try and stop us. Sheeana did The Voice and Tess and I made with our powers to perform a miracle. After that, it was pretty much smooth sailing. The others had to fight Marcoguys at the North Pole though. Their fighting was a bit more intense."

Katara smiled, insisting it was okay, and got the kiss on the cheek. Katara reddened and giggled. "Hey, don't worry about it, I was just hoping you'd find the flute okay. I always thought that guys with instruments were always pretty worldly, and tend to really have a way with the ladies. Good be a good thing for you!"

She winked, then took off the wrapping on her present. When she saw the snowflake, the first thing she did was hold it to the light: she wanted to see it shine. When the right light hit it, she gazed at it in wonder, and a warm smile filled her face. Wordlessly she took the ornament and put it in a bag on her left hip, and gave Jamie a hug.

"It's wonderful, thank you!" She said, smiling. "It's very pretty!"

"Insurgents?" Jamie - not surprisingly - isn't sure what the word means, but from the context, it doesn't sound like they were the good guys. "Oh, aye. Them. Things went pretty well in London, although there may be some parents who feel differently a wee bit later." He's joking, mostly. There were a fair amount of musical instruments that got handed out when he was there.

Speaking of which, he shakes his head at her comment about musicians being worldly and tending to have a way with the ladies. He did just walk into a wall earlier, after all. Not exactly his finest moment in regards to a girl. "Ye are an odd lass sometimes, Katara. I like ye fine, but...odd."

He's glad, however, that she likes her present, and will happily return the hug. "Anyway. I figured ye might get a few snow-related things from other people, but ye seemed verra happy when we first arrived on the planet, and I thought one more reminder wouldna hurt."

"Hired hands from macropeople." Katara said. "They were trying to shut us down. We had to rough them up a little bit. Then it was all about jumping around the rest of the cities, praying, fasting, reflection in cemeteries of lost ones. The best parts were helping the poor and breaking food with all the families. It was so fulfilling, seeing everyone wake up from their seclusion."

Katara looked offended. "Well, I guess I'm weird then. I don't mind. Weird people are a lot more interesting."

Which she believed, if Roxie and Luna were any proof.

She nodded. "I'm glad you thought of that Jamie. I actually have been missing my home a little bit. You guys are all so sweet, to get these things for me."

Jamie looks at bit upset as he catches the offended look on Katara's face. "Och, I didna mean odd in a bad way, I just..."

He sighs. "There I go putting my foot in my mouth again." Jamie is not having the best of days - well, since getting back to the Stacy. It was going much better on the mission.

There's a small shrug. "I think everyone is. I went to Inverness, after London. It...wasn't anything like I remember it being."

Katara looked back at Jamie and gave him a grin. "You know, I was just joking. I meant that part about being weird, but I know you didn't mean it in a bad way. I'm glad that the mission didn't rough you up too badly."

Katara shrugged. "Well, it was the weather that got to me, the climate. It made me think of home, and I was really, really happy there. I guess a part of me didn't want to leave. I just didn't expect it to hit me so much until I got back."

Of course she was joking. He just...didn't catch it. Jamie makes a face at her, then shakes his head - but he's smiling all the same. "Billy mentioned a bit of what happened on your mission, too. I'm verra glad that the both of ye weren't hurt."

He nods, understanding a little how that would feel. He may have felt the same way if things hadn't changed so much in Scotland. "It's a shame there isn't a place where ye can make it snow on Stacy. Ye have the Imagin..er, the Sensoriums, but it's no the same, aye?" Someplace where you could have real snow might feel nice once in awhile, given how humid the ship is.

Poor Jamie. Katara felt she was being mean, letting him think for a moment that she was angry at him. Teasing was a part of who she was though, and what was the point if you couldn't tease your friends a little bit?

"Oh, I didn't want to get hurt there. While the situation was serious, it was us versus some thugs and guns, who had no idea of what our abilities were. My main concern the last few weeks have been focused on the Nightmare King."

Now see, Katara, you had to go and talk about the impending doom? Jamie was just trying to have a nice conversation.

She shook her head. "No, it isn't. You can recreate things like spear fishing, or family life, or snow fights when you know that its nothing but recreated memories from your brain. It isn't real, and that's the thing that sometimes hurts the most."

Jamie is actually quite fine, now that he realized she was teasing. He's occasionally a little slow on the uptake, but once he does get it? He momentarily harumphs and gets over it.

In fact, he's smiling again - but it disappears as the Nightmare King is mentioned. There's a solemn nod from him instead. "I've still been trying to find people who can help. I was hoping the Doctor would wake up, because if anyone can..."

He shrugs. "Doesna appear he has, though. But maybe this will help in some small way." He waves at the room in general, but means the gift giving and sharing of stories about the mission.

"Maybe, if we can hold on to how we feel now, we can stand together later."

Edited 2010-01-08 02:28 (UTC)

She smiled at the harrumph. At this point, it seemed to define their sort of relationship: gentle teasing with good intention. Besides, Jamie was a good person, and she was glad to have met with his acquaintance on the ship.

Katara shook her head here. "The Magical Department is supposed to be all over this, but I don't think we should just rely on them. People on Team Left Behind had to contend with things after we tried to get the ship, so if we stay unaware we could potentially be victims at any time. So if you can Jamie, have someone try to guide you through mental meditation, so you have some kind of defense to what he's going to do."

Katara nodded. "I was told that the only way we could protect each other from the Nightmare King was by standing together. It ight be why we went on that mission on the first place."

"Aye, that's a good idea. I'm just not sure who I should ask. I suppose I could post on the wee bitt...er, Omnicom, but..." He trails off, uncertain if he wants to handle it that way, then looks at Katara thoughtfully.

"Would there be anyone ye would know that might be able to help with that?"

Katara thought a moment. "There are a few people who are fairly exercised with controlling the mind. For you, the easiest person might be someone who understands what you go through. I would suggest Jean Grey, or maybe Nanoha. She can at least guide you to the answers you're looking for."

Katara sighed and looked at Jamie. "Don't treat this as anything but a danger, Jamie. He means to hurt all of us. Don't let him hurt you."

Jamie nods, mentally fixing the names in his mind. "I'll look one of them up, then. Thank ye, Katara."

From the expression on his face as Katara warns him, he's not considering the situation as anything otherwise. "I will everything I can so that doesna happen. But, please, Katara - don't let him hurt ye either. I don't want to think of ye getting hurt."

He pauses, then adds, "I don't like any of my friends getting hurt." But he also knows with her, there's Aang to consider. She's likely well aware of that, though.

"Good," Katara said. "She shouldn't be that hard to find. She's the leader of the Magical Department in the military section, actually."

Here though, she gave Jamie an apologetic smile. "Actually, I've been preparing for this guy for weeks. The moment I had the dream with the Seer, I've been looking into some mind exercises and putting in some extra meditation time with Carol and Sheeana. If there's one thing I'm going to be, its prepared...I hope."

Katara nodded. Aang, of course, was the first person on her mind when it came to the Nightmare King and what he could do. She nodded, though she felt a sharp push of anxiety.

That confuses Jamie a little bit. "Och, which one do ye mean? Nanoha or Jean Grey?" He thinks it might be Nanoha - he does remember her from the snowball flight, and flying could certainly be magical. But he thinks Jean has an important job title, too. And it'd be a bit rude to pull out the Omnicom and look it up while he's talking, so the question is an easier way to go.

He frowns at that smile, mostly because..."I didna even think to do something about that. I've been mostly doing something Roxie advised once, to try and figure out when I'm awake and when I'm dreaming. I don't know if that would count?"

Spotting the anxiety on Katara's face, he adds, gently, "We'll defeat the Nightmare King, Katara. And we'll rescuse Aang."

"Nanoha is the head of the Magical Department," Katara said. "Jean Grey is Chief Medical Officer. I know that because when I was in jail, my so-called punishment was to help her. I have healing abilities, so it was actually something I didn't mind doing that anyway. They both would be able to help though."

Katara nodded. "Roxie knows more about things that go on in dreams than anyone I know. Those times I've dreamscaped with her were pretty intense. You wind up seeing things about yourself you would rather not see. It;s definitely not for the weak minded."

But at the last two statements, Katara gave Jamie a determined look. "I'm counting on it, with everything I have."

"Ah, okay. That's cleared things up." He looks much happier now that he knows who is who.

He nods as well when she mentions Roxie and dreamscapes. "Ye'll have no argument from me on that. The first time I met Roxie was in my dream, and it was verra...interesting."

"It can be pretty hard to make the distinctions," Katara said. "Even I forget sometimes."

"Twice," Katara said, "And I can safely say I've never had experiences like that before. Roxie is a very powerful person. I just want to make sure that nothing can touch her either, although I think she's pretty safe from the Nightmare King right now."

"Aye," Jamie agrees. "It was definitely different - and I've seen some odd things since I've left Scotland. But if anyone can stand against the Nightmare King, she can."

He believes Roxie is very powerful as well, and he says that with every confidence in her abilities.

"But I completely understand that ye want to protect her, too." There's a faint chuckle. "Ye are verra fierce in some ways, Katara. And I mean that as a compliment."

"Same here," Katara said, "although it wasn't uncommon for monks and sages to enter dream state. Actually, I'm pretty sure that the Avatar could do it, but in a different way. I know Aang could enter the spirit world and leave his body behind."

Katara laughed a little. "Oh, I think Roxie is one of the few people capable of fighting all on her own. But in a way, yes, I'd like to think I could help her too. I guess that wanting to protect people has been something i still carried from my world."

"I've met some monks," Jamie says thoughtfully. "I suppose it's possible they could, but..." He looks a bit doubtful for a moment, then shrugs and says, "Aye, well. Who knows with monks?"

He'll believe, though, that Aang could do what Katara is describing. "Is there anything Aang can't do?" he asks curiously. It's not meant in a bad way - from what Katara is saying Aang sounds extremely powerful, after all. He's just not really thinking before asking the question.

"Well," he comments reasonably, "I don't see why ye canna help. Especially if she needs to do her dream-things. It's always good to have someone to watch out for ye in that sort of situation."

Katara shrugged. She thought it'd be in poor taste to mention what happened to the monks of her world. That would officially go in the awkward moment part of socializing. "Yeah, monks sure are mysterious," Katara said lamely.

Katara had to laugh a little here. "I guess I've been building him up a bit, haven't I? I don't mean to, its just that the Aang I know is more than just some powerful being of balance. He's also my closest friend, and someone who always accepted me even if I couldn't be as even-tempered and nice as he could. He respects life and everything around it, and really likes to have fun!"

Though there was, despite her encouraging words, the quiet part of her that wondered if getting older would have changed things. The fear she had, more than she'd like to admit, is an Aang angry she didn't look for him sooner.

Which was ridiculous, but Katara had to be careful with her heart here. When it came to Aang, Katara out all of herself on the line.

"I think she's being helped by some people she picked," Katara said, "People who actually use magic and can create magical barriers."

He's just as happy to not discuss monks in general, and for pretty much the same general reason, even if he doesn't know it.

Jamie finds himself chuckling at Katara's response, though. "Aye, perhaps. But I know ye have strong feelings for him, so it's understandable." Which he thought might have colored things a little, but wasn't entirely sure.

"I've heard magic may be helpful, so that's good Roxie found people to help her."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject