trans_9 | Simple Things

Billy instantly felt guilty, seeing how embarrassed she was. "It's all right," Billy assured her, taking in her face for a moment longer before looking away. "I won't look at you if it makes you uncomfortable, but you look very nice."

Did he just say that? He couldn't believe his own audacity. At Katara's statement, he had to say: "I can't swim today, Katara, I didn't bring anything to wear."

"There's a suit in the lobby, just like how I got one for Ronnae," Katara said idly. Really, did they think she would just ave a pool here and the people would have to remember to bring it all of the time? "Just go on and over and get it, and you can join us."

She waited until Billy was gone, then jostled Ronnae. "Ronnae, its ok for you to wear a swimsuit! Trust me, its a completely acceptable thing to do in most places! But if you act like it isn't, its just going to make Billy feel all awkward. Trust me, this is NOT a bad thing, its the total opposite! Now come on, just act natural, and talk. We're all friends, right?"

Well, they were until later on, if Katara had anything to say about it.

Ronnae listened to Katara with just the top of her head above the water, sort of like a light green and reddish crocolisk. Her eyes averted looking at Katara and her cheeks where still clearly blushed. She lifted her head a bit more so she could talk after noticing the first time she tried only bubbles came out.

"I...." She held herself defensively. "I..." You'll never be good enough Ronnie, face it. You where trash in Azeroth, you're trash here. She shook her head hurriedly drowning out their voices. She looked to Katara, she could trust her right? She gave a simple nod, "O-okay... We are... we are." She said it the second time more assuredly.

Billy took his time finding the swimsuit and getting changed, assuming that Katara was probably trying to calm Ronnae down. Hopefully she'd be feeling better by the time he got out there. Some rummaging produced a towel too, and soon enough Billy was padding back out there, this time in black and green swim trunks.

Still taking his time, he folded his glasses and towel neatly on a chair and walked to the pool's edge, dipping his feet in. "It's a little cooler than I expected," he laughed, curling his toes in the water. Unfortunately he couldn't see Ronnie very well like this, but he already knew she was pretty.

At least Ronnae was calming down, although Katara could only imagine what had been going on in the girl's mind. In any case, here came Billy, and she herself had to admit that he looked good. The scars she was already familiar with, but the new muscles? They definitely worked in his favor.

"Oh, I can take care of that," Katara said, and lowered herself into the pool. A moment later it was bubbling with warmth, and she invited Billy to come in. "Oh Ronnae, I got you your drink, its on the left side, ok?"

She turned to Billy, giving him the smallest of grins. "So what have you been up to lately Billy?"

Ronnae fidgeted a little but steeled herself enough to walk towards him. She was fine enough standing up, if anything looking a bit embarrassed. "W-welcome back Billy" She said in a small voice. She took a deep breath and sat on the same steps near the two. She took a deep breath and focused for a moment. "I don't feel uncomfortable if you lo-look at me. It's alright, since ummm we're all friends right?" As awkward as it seemed it lifted a heavy pressure on her shoulders.

She looked back and forth a few times before blushing, it'd be rude to not return the compliment she thought. "Y...You look really nice as well!" She closed her eyes as if she was trying her best to socialize.

"That's right, we're friends," Billy confirmed, "and if anything you should be feeling more comfortable. You've seen me in even less, remember?"

That was somewhat awkward to bring up, but he hoped it would help her feel better.

He still got the sense that he was uncomfortable. Once Katara provided the warmth, he gave her a "thanks, Katara" and slipped inside the water. That did feel wonderful.

...I look nice? Billy appeared pleased to hear that, smiling lightly and scratching at the back of his neck. "Wow, uh...thanks!"

He thought a moment before offering Ronnie a hand. "Care to join us?"

Katara hoped she did: she could see Ronnae was still feeling awkward about being in the suit, and she wanted to alleviate that fear if she could.

"Well, it can't hold a candle to your baths, they're amazing," Katara said, meaning every word. "I'm just kinda sad that Mei-Xing is gone. She may have been a pain sometimes, but she knew what she was doing, and at least she helped during that demony thing."

Not with hers anyway, but with others, she heard.

"Anyway Billy, you remember when I was talking about getting the rangers to train with the Outsiders, right? I was wondering if you might still wanted to do that. It looks like we have a few more mechanically inclined members, and we could use all the help we can get."

Ronnae tried her best to show she was ok. As a bit of time went by it seemed she was getting adjusted, seeming more at ease in the water. She held Billy's hand as he offered it and nodded shyly. She walked with him deeper into the water and smiled as the three conversed.

She looked to Katara and nodded. "I could help too. I may be a major gear head, but I served in the Horde's military during the Northrend expedition to fight the Lich King." She said, this time with a bit of pride in her voice.

She still held gently to Billy's hand.

Billy nodded, keeping the hold on her hand there if she wanted it. Of course he knew that Katara was analyzing their every move and probably cackling to herself in victorious glee, but what could he do?

Not think about Mei-Xing, that's what. Any fond feelings he had for her disappeared when she saw fit to steal his shorts. Harrumph.

He nodded. "I'd be happy to integrate our forces. We already have a few in both organizations, and it would give everyone a broader skill range. You're all welcome to train with us."

Eventually he sank further into the water and slipped out of Ronnae's grasp, dunking himself completely to adjust to the temperature. He resurfaced soon enough, hair dripping in his eyes. "Another person to kick my butt into shape in training?"

Katara, actually, would have been scandalized if she'd known what Billy was thinking: truthfully, she didn't think she even had to do much to push the two of them together other than just gathering them in the same place.

She smiled. "Good. I want to make sure we all have a well rounded training session at least once a week if we can manage it. I know its asking a lot, but I want to make sure we're prepared."

She laughed. "Ok,Ronnae? If you can convince Billy that he's not a total failure when it comes to fighting and sparring, you will totally be my hero!"

Ronnae laughed shyly and gave a playful thumbs up. "You got it!" She slowly floated around the pool, very much at ease now, she seemed very happy to be there. It also didn't take an experienced eye to note that she was looking over at Billy every so often, sometimes with a hidden smile others with a light blush.

Billy was glad to see her relaxing. Even without his sharpest eyesight he could watch her hair float about the pool softly. It was fascinating.

He started his own swim, much improved over earlier years, then spread his arms and floated on his back. Nothing but the small waves of water rocking him, the sounds filling his ears, and two good friends nearby.

"I'm not exactly a failure, Katara, just...hopelessly lackluster."

Oh, Katara noticed: there was a reason she'd been jealous of Ronnae's hair: it had a beautiful texture and color to it she seldom saw.

She swam well of course, enough to take long dives to give the two chances to eye each other. She knew all about this, after all: you didn't travel with Sokka and not learn a thing or two about how girl's flirted.

"And I say you'll be better with practice! I mean come on, you're already getting the build for it, all you need is the fortitude! Don't you agree, Ronnae?"

Ok, NOW inner Katara was cackling evilly, rubbing her hands together.

Ronnae blinked a few times getting aught off guard by the comment. She blushed lightly and averted her gaze with a nod. "Y-yeah, y-you do." She smiled shyly.

She however kept her distance, she didn't know how to feel at this point, he had seemed evasive at times, and warm on others. She definitely didn't want to push him away. It was clear that at times the young teen didn't know what to do with herself, often looking thoughtful. She opted for grabbing the drink and resting against the side of the pool looking at her chair, that held the swords she was fond off.

She wondered what her mother would do... and then she shook the thought immediately out of her mind knowing her mother would have just gone up to him and kissed him feverishly, if he refused her awesome sexyness after that, he wasn't worth her time and she still got a taste of what she wanted. Ronnae shook her head again now heavily embarrassed but she smiled, she did miss her parents a great deal.

"Hey!"

Billy immediately stood upright, face red. So he had the build, did he? It was...well, not quite as uncomfortable as before to be looked at appreciatively. If it was Ronnie, he didn't mind.

With that thought held he paddled to her side, leaning next to her against the wall. "I was actually curious about the swords."

Edited 2011-02-02 03:55 (UTC)

Katara shook her head, laughing to herself. Of course he'd change the subject as quick as he could. Billy, she figured, would never really be at ease being complimented on something like that, not for awhile. Also, she silently told herself to find out what their interaction was like.

She wouldn't meddle (per say), but that was not to say they didn't need help.

"Actually, I'm sort of curious too," Katara said. "My last teacher taught me basic swordplay."

Ronnae smiled appreciatively at the interest. "They're very dear to me. They belonged to my mother during her assassin days... She said that even tho they where bathed in years of bloodshed, she never once shed innocent blood, not even for the mission. She said she took the punishments every mission she refused to complete, children, civilians, defenseless targets. She said they carry with them her code of honor, that she knew her line of work was nessesary but she never once did it dishonorably. She always engaged her targets in a fair fight, even tho her training made her a skilled assassin. She told me it was proof on an unbreakable vow and that I should follow my heart like so. That I should never bend my ideals for anything, and that I should respect those of others." She looked to them both with a warm smile, albeit a tad shy considering she just told them one of her fond memories.

Honor...

It was interesting to hear about such a familiar concept as told through the view of Ronnae's mother, an assassin. If he ignored that, he could've just as easily been listening to his old friend Trini.

"It suits you," Billy decided with a smile. "My friends and I weren't assassins, but we followed a similar code. Unfortunately we only had our morphers, not swords as fine as yours."

He spent a moment to admire them, then shifted his gaze to admiring Ronnie---how much did she resemble her mother, he wondered.

Oh, that was an ideal she knew well: it was something she saw meant different things to people, from someone like Aang and Zuko to people like Eva and Sheeana. But this, the sort of selective fighting that prevented unnecessary bloodshed, was the kind that Katara respected the most.

She smiled. "Honor can mean different things to different people, but I think this kind of honor transcends cultures. With me, honor meant fighting to the best of your ability, but not destroying the important things, like family and the things people made that mean something. It may have made us targets later during the war, but its an ideal I hope to keep."

She smiled at Ronnae. "I'm really happy you joined the Outsiders."

Ronnae smiled happily, blushing as she noticed Billy looking at her. She didn't turn her gaze however and instead gazed right back, her teal on his green. She then turned to Katara and smiled with a light bow, "It's an honor, I hope to help as much as I can."

"You've already done so much," Billy told her admiringly, happy to look at this sight all day. "If you do more, we might have everything that needs to be done on the ship finished in a matter of hours."

A joke, of course, but there was definitely some happiness behind it. He forced his hair back and smiled, almost forgetting that Katara was there.

"You're a lot like me. You already have all the skills, unlike me, but you wouldn't hesitate to learn new ones."

Katara grinned. Billy didn't realize it, but she WANTED him to forget that she was here: after all, the whole luck of this was the two of them getting together. She got up, and mouthed to Ronnae that she was going to get drinks, excusing herself to make them for the two.

There was no hiding the spreading grin on her face.

Ronnae looked at Katara curiously before nodding innocently, yup she;s oblivious to these things called plotting! She turned to billy and smiled, it was like hardwired to her, every time she turned to him, she'd smile... was that odd? She shook her head and blushed, "I wish I could get everything that's needed done. I want to help as much as I can." She paused momentarily and stood close to him, "Yup! I'm always wanting to learn more, I mean knowledge is the strongest tool anyone can have in their arsenal right? And I'm sure you got it! You jus' need to believe it yourself. Seems everyone else can see it..... I can." She smiled shyly at him, standing in front of him with a light blush.

"Knowledge is the strongest tool, because it's like a key---it unlocks so many doors," he added, repeating a saying that had been a fixture of his childhood.

Billy looked down at her, somewhat puzzled. "I...suppose that's what I brought to my team. Knowledge, not fighting prowess---that came later, as Katara knows and you'll find out soon."

Wait, where was Katara anyway? He blinked, then noticed how closely they were standing together. When did that happen? Smiling faintly, he fumbled for her hand under the water. "And I see a fantastic person in you," he whispered, the memories of what she'd told him about her life still fresh in his mind.

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