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trans_92010-04-21 08:24 pm
thekohakuriver.livejournal.com) wrote in trans_92010-04-21 08:24 pm
Entry tags:
The Long Sleep [Open]
[ This takes place after the exorcism of Haku thread. ]
Haku woke slowly, with an ache in his head that was like a deep bruise, tender and throbbing. For a long while, he simply stared at the ceiling, and remembered what it was like to breathe. In....out, the texture of the air in his mouth was strangely liberating. He affected a sigh, just to prove he could do so on command, a soft twitch that broke the spell of paralysis that sleep had cast on him. Real sleep, good sleep, not the forced, painful sleep he'd kept since the Nightmare King's corruption had taken hold.
It took a little effort to pull himself onto his elbows. Someone had covered him with a thick blanket and it was heavy enough to give him pause in pushing it back. His feet were bare when he swung them over the edge of the bed— his feet had always been bare, and thankfully he was dressed in his own Hakama and not the clinging plantsuit. Haku had had enough of close-clinging and constriction for a long while. The floor felt strange under his feet, and for a moment he staggered in trying to stand, as if the intervening days of sleeping had made him forget.
...and then he remembered what had happened, and between the revulsion and his own unsteadiness he had to sit. What had he done? What the must think of him.
Haku woke slowly, with an ache in his head that was like a deep bruise, tender and throbbing. For a long while, he simply stared at the ceiling, and remembered what it was like to breathe. In....out, the texture of the air in his mouth was strangely liberating. He affected a sigh, just to prove he could do so on command, a soft twitch that broke the spell of paralysis that sleep had cast on him. Real sleep, good sleep, not the forced, painful sleep he'd kept since the Nightmare King's corruption had taken hold.
It took a little effort to pull himself onto his elbows. Someone had covered him with a thick blanket and it was heavy enough to give him pause in pushing it back. His feet were bare when he swung them over the edge of the bed— his feet had always been bare, and thankfully he was dressed in his own Hakama and not the clinging plantsuit. Haku had had enough of close-clinging and constriction for a long while. The floor felt strange under his feet, and for a moment he staggered in trying to stand, as if the intervening days of sleeping had made him forget.
...and then he remembered what had happened, and between the revulsion and his own unsteadiness he had to sit. What had he done? What the must think of him.
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"I'm really glad to see you're okay," she said softly. "I'd asked Static before, but he didn't seem to know, so I thought that when you got better, you might want a river to relax in. It should be okay now: Rhiow and Negi helped with it. I-" She sighed, her hands trembling a little. "Well, I was scared a little when the demon side came out of you, but now I'm just really happy its gone."
She knew she was babbling, but she knew it was also likely he wouldn't have understood how bothered she'd been, knowing he was suffering. They hadn't had a chance to meet or talk much, but she'd always privately been pleased someone of her element was on the ship and on her team.
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"I apologize," he told her, then looked away, unable to maintain eye contact over the sudden well of guilt, "I...you could have been killed. It should never have happened, I'm sorry."
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She wouldn't have gotten killed, but there was definitely a possibility of her getting maimed, she knew that for sure. All the waterbending and BG training in the world didn't prepare you for a dragon that could come after you at breakneck speed.
"But that's over now, and I'm glad. I like seeing you at peace...that's why I got Stacy's okay to make something for you when you got out."
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Team. Haku had been on a 'team' before, but that was just himself and Lin, or Chihiro, the secret underground as led by the wily Kamaji, or so he liked to think. But, he would never have stuck out his neck for Lin's sake. The concept of 'team' was a little hard to wrap his head around, but the dragon boy smiled nonetheless.
"What is it?"
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It was a strange team, she knew that. She remembered that some of the members were all very strange creatures Katara herself had never seen, and she missed the last Karaoke on account of the Nightmare King. Still, she was sure if someone sounded the call, they could plan about doing more things together.
"In the City, since Escherville is pretty much taken care of now, I started to dig a river there. It took awhile, but I was able to get it to wind around through there and around the City. It ends up at the grove where the werewolves all go."
She shrugged. "I figured you might want a place to relax, and this might even get things to grow more. I just hope you like it."
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"Rhiow told me about it, but," He realized he was staring and so looked away. Haku pressed his palms into the blanket to avoid having them tremble, "Thank you, Katara."
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She smiled. "I'm just glad I could help."
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"I owe you an apology, Katara," He interrupted her softly.
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"If that's what you want," he agreed and, finally, blinked, "Will you visit me, when the river is filled?"
Not if. When.
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"It is," she said, smiling. "You know I will. Wherever there's water, its where you're likely to find me."
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He would see to it that she got the gift she deserved.
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"I haven't seen Static or Slobo in awhile. If they haven't popped up, I'm going to try and get the team together. I think its time we had a get together, don't you?"
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It was a good thought, though somehow strange that he didn't feel jealous over it. The thought of the riverbed empty make him feel like baring his teeth and clutching what little he possessed close. In fact that was the feeling— possessiveness. Thinking about people living by, drinking from, dangling their feet in his river felt that it should have made him unhappy somehow, in much the same way.
But it didn't. Haku tilted his head to one side and the dangling angle of his hair followed, shading one eye more than the other, and teased, "I don't know if I can stay at the Outsider's headquarters anymore, but I hope I won't be unwelcome."
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she trailed off, then huffed at him. He was totally joking at her, "Ha ha," she said, sticking out her tongue. Even she had her moments where the whole maturity thing dropped and she reverted to being a kid. "Well just know that I'm going to chase you down if we're having a meeting. Julian's already got his X-men, and I guess they're going to be working within the ship's rules. I'm not swaying we're outlaws or anything, I wouldn't want to cause anyone trouble like that, but some people don't feel comfortable with the cliches on the ship. I think we could really help there."