trans_9 | Cut the drama and have a drink [Closed]

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Cut the drama and have a drink [Closed]

The bottling of the beer hadn't taken long. Six collective bottles she'd filled and brought back to Outsiders HQ, for the sake of youth in rebellion. Doing something she really wasn't supposed to. But the fact that Querl definitely would not approve only made it more...tempting.

Setting the box on the coffee table in the main room of the building, she let out a sigh, mind pondering over her surrogate sister's current disposition and mood. There'd been hesitance in Katara's texts, and perhaps even in her speech, if she'd dictated to the omnicom like Nura commonly did. Moving her hands away from the set box, Nura briefly wondered if needed to make good on that promise she made to Katara that she (Nura) would snap whichever boy hurt her, in half.

But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the front door opening. Putting on a smile to keep appearances for now, she straightened her clothes consisting of baggy, witty t-shirt (this one was purple and said I AM SURROUNDED BY PRIMATES on the front. It'd been made especially for Querl, but Nura couldn't resist wearing her husband's new clothes.) and shorts and flip-flops, and walked out of the main room, still smiling as well as she could could.

"Hello. Welcome to the Outsiders' headquarters. How can I make your day absolutely chummy?" She said this with a wry tone and witty edge. Yes. There was some form of sarcasm laced in somewhere.

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Katara had to silently steel herself. There was so much that had happened in only a matter of a few days, and this day said happening had been only a few hours, most of which had been spent wandering the City like a zombie. She'd done her best to cry as much as she could at the Statuary, and then had simply let Zhin move her some.

The worse thing, she thought, was constructing in her mind what she could and couldn't show. She knew by now that words traveled around the ship, and her and Aang's break was bound to be talk to some. It was hard, of course, to care about people talking when all she wanted was to understand the WHYS: why this had happened, why he'd continually had been taken away, why they were at a point where they seemed unrepairable, why after all the time it had taken to finally start reconstructing herself it could all come crashing down.

But Nura was expecting her, and there were people who'd be looking to her for certain things too: she knew enough, being here, how important it was to have a strong resolve or this place would eat you up. Not that she wouldn't cry in pain and agonize on her own time: she needed to.

Which was why she was glad to reach the headquarters and, for just a moment, be greeted in a totally random circumstance. Zhin sniffed at Nura questionably and, finding her relatively benign, simply trotted into headquarters without so much as a look around,

Katara, following, giggled a little. "What ARE you wearing Nura?"

Nura accepted Zhin's cautious sniffing, and when he found her benign, she affectionately scratched behind his ears. Such a sweet animal... "Are you a bomb detector, Zhin? Well? Huh? If so..." she smirked and moved ahead to Katara as Zhin went past the precog, into headquarters in an easy trot. "...you just missed a bombshell."

I'm as bad as the boys. She had to mentally flick her forehead at that dry humor.

"And this one right here. She's just too explosive to be anything else." Nura pulled Katara into her arms, chuckling. "You mean this little thing? It's just one of Querl's shirts that I had specially made by Rein. He isn't wearing it today, so I thought that it looked quite tasteful on me." She struck a histrionic pose, smiling in a way that could be only described as 'cheesy'.

Oh boy, what a joke. Of course, Katara was similarly bad when it came to things like that too: there was a reason that usually went to Sokka. Zhin seemed to think this was an appropriate situation though, and licked Nura's hand before finding a spot on the hotel lobby's sofa and curling up.

And man, but it was hard to stay depressed when you were around Nura. She was already being swept up by the older woman, and Katara giggled, squirming out of Nura's grip.

"Really Nura, I'm not anything close to that," she said, her cheeks reddening. "But the shirt does look good on you, even if I don't really get what that writing means. So what did you have in mind for today?"

"Hey. A woman is a bomb no matter what. Men will agree with that notion as well." She reached out and mussed up Katara's hair after the younger girl squirmed out of Nura's arms. "If only because they usually just keep poking and poking until we blow up on them. A lot of fun."

She smirked. "It's a rude little joke that Querl likes to make quite a bit. I can't fake his tone that well, and you'll eventually hear him say it. Much more easier to understand after he says it." She put a hand on Katara's shoulder. "Well. I was thinking we could pop some beer and watch a bad movie...but I think what we need is some conversation."

Katara laughed, trying to keep her hair in place. Of course she didn't know about all of that, although she was sure that her brother, somewhere, would have agreed that Katara was prone to blowing up at times if you got her angry enough.

At the mention of Querl, she shook her head. "I wish I could say I sense that, but I only barely got to see Querl, when that thing attacked us on the planet. I think I'll ask Ronnae and Billy how that went, with the marriages and everything."

Beer and a bad movie, or talk about her feelings: normally, the decision would have come fairly easily. But even thinking about what had happened was like a sinking stone in her stomach.

"Your call!" she said, trying to sound upbeat.

"I think some talking first would be good for you." Nura guided Katara to the main room. "The beer is so that if things get too depressing, we have something to knock our neurons around and make us upbeat. If only for a little while."

She seated Katara on the couch and went to the box on the coffee table. "Have you ever had beer before, Katara?"

Katara sighed. "It hasn't been very long, just a few hours. I talked to Aang."

And she didn't know what else to say without bursting into tears, to be honest. She just looked down, and Zhin, who seemed to be listening to the conversation, padded up to her and nuzzled her hand. She looked down and gave a half hearted smile, petting her dog and letting her hand rest on Zhin a moment.

"I've had beer before, with the boys in the old Outsiders and with Eva a week ago. I've had it before."

"So then you know that we're probably turn into giggly, inane girls after one bottle." She took two bottles from the box and placed on in Katara's hands. The other - hers - she set on the coffee table next to the box. "But that's the point. Don't hold anything back, unless you feel you have to, and tell me anything you want." She took up her bottle and twisted off the cap.

Katara eyed the bottles and nodded. "I saw him, and he said exactly what I thought he would, what he should have. He was hurt that I was with someone, that I hadn't waited. He would have waited, and the truth is, I know him: he would have. He doesn't think that I love him as much as he loves me. And even though he didn't say it, I could see the hurt in his eyes: he'll be hurting a long time."

She choked back a sob. "I don't...I keep thinking when we get put through all of these situations, we would finally be together. The ship captured him and kept him from us, the Nightmare King was attacking him, I saw him shot...they were all really hard things, and they all were heavy burdens to take. But I thought, after all that, wed be together, that the whole reason for having all of that happen way because we would finally be together. And then they podded him, twice."

She looked at her hands. "Why did it do that to us? What was the point of it all, to do this to us?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have all the answers. And sometimes, not even the right ones come out of my mouth." She reached over and twisted off the cap on Katara's bottle of beer. "But if he's hurt, well, sorry to say this, but there's not much you can do. It's his - we're talking about Aang, right? - decision to decide how he feels. You can apologize and apologize, but in the end, it's up to him."

She smoothed back Katara's hair tenderly. "I know it sprocking sucks to have to rest back on your heels and wait...but it's how things go. To be honest, Fate and Disorder are a lot alike, in that they twine together often to throw us a new hoop to jump through."

"But you have to understand. We're on a ship. Speeding through the verses. Our homes are gone. Our planets are gone. Our fellow beings...a lot of them are gone. What happens on Stacy, happens, and personalities and moods and people will change. There is not getting around it."

She petted Zhin here, her eyes downcast. "I wanted it to stop hurting, and I'll be honest: I didn't know how. Aang kept being taken, we barely had any time to be with each other. I just wanted to be with him, you know? But they kept taking him away, and I won't lie: I didn't know what to do with myself. And then Matt came and...I dunno, I felt happy. I hadn't felt like in a long time."

And she still felt bad about this: her love for Aang, and her feelings about Matt were both there, although she knew where her feeling lay. That was, by far, the worse thing.

"But I know I love Aang, I've loved him longer than how long some people have been on the ship. And everything that happens to him, the pain, the things that hurt him, hurts me too. I wonder if maybe this will be better for me, to be without them right now."

Zhin whined a little. She petted her, then turned to Nura.

"I think I'm ready for that beer now."

"It will give you some time to think, and let time for them heal over some wounds. They'll eventually talk, but it's best to give them space while they're healing, or else, you might accidentally pick at an emotion."

She nodded her head, raising her bottle. "Here is to Stacy. She sprocking makes me mad sometimes, and she procking annoys me a lot of the time. But she rescued us from certain death...and that means something."

She nodded glumly. "I'm worried about Matt: there's something wrong with him, there's something that's taking over him. I have to make sure that someone can look after him. I know that he might be the last person he wants to see, but I'm concerned.

She took the beer, and fiddled with it until she realized it was a twist off. She looked vaguely surly at the mention of Stacy, but sighed and clinked bottles with Nura.

"Yay, we're alive." She sounded rather deadpan here.

Nura arched a brow at Katara's tone, but lifted her own bottle to her lips and drank nontheless. She had to fight back the urge to gag. Beer always tasted awful at the first sip in a long while. "We should riot in the halls. How dare she." Her tone was a tad between annoyed herself with the ship, and dry wit.

Katara took a long sip, trying not to make a face. Beer was always a peculiar taste to her too, but she had been getting used to it as she was still intent on making her own some day.

"I'm sorry I'm so grumpy, but this is hard. After all this time, to have him just pulled here, after everything: I don't understand it at all. Its like the ship was against he and I being together. Why did all of these things have to happen to us?"

She took another long drink. "Ah, that tastes...bad."

"Don't apologize for how you feel. You'll start a bad habit if you aren't careful." She tilted back the bottle and continued to drink. "Ah. Beer. Bitter and terrible...until the tenth drink."

She shook her head. "What do you mean? I don't try to apologize every time, I just...I miss all of them, I thought I'd never be able to see them anymore. There's still so much I don't understand about this ship, and how it decides who stays awake and who doesn't.

She sighed, and took another swig. "Bleah! It's so...malty."

"Stacy is a batwitch." Nura said it honestly and bluntly.

She sighed, lowering her bottle. "Wait for the buzz to kick in. That's the trick."

"A serious batwitch," Katara agreed, though she had no idea what that meant, she got the implication. "And I have to start brainstorming with Beastboy about the Outsiders. we all have so many diverse capability, I'm hoping we get training underway as soon as possible."

She took another sip then put it down. She did feel a little irregular. "I always liked doing this with the old guys. We all sat around and sang on some days. It was really fun. I hope we can be as close as those guys back then."

"Why not start a schedule of sorts. A calendar to keep track of everything. It helps quite a bit." She gave her bottle a little shake, sloshing the alcohol around inside. "Or someone be in charge of the schedule. That's what we had back home. ...of course people generally disliked the schedule-keeper..."

She shook her head, smiling. "Old guys?"

Katara laughed. "That was actually what I used to do, when I first joined! I was sort of hoping that was what I was going to be doing when I reformed, but they actually thought I should help captain it. It's not something I did too often where I'm from, but if I can do my part, I'll do it. But who could I ask to do that?"

She thought a moment, and then nodded at the question. "Yes, Slobo, Static, Haku, Rose...we were a good group, and we all had fun when we did stuff like that. It's one of my favorite memories on Stacy."

"Someone who seems to be the most difficult. A little resentment helps straighten them out. Or, if you'd rather, pick someone with the best organizational skills. They usually do better."

She took another swig of beer. "Ah. Starting to feel the buzz... Those are some interesting names. Hmmm..."

"Hmm," Katara said, thinking a moment. Someone with good organizational skills. She'd think about that one...when her head was less fuzzy.

Of course Katara had no intention of over drinking: that time at the baths was more than enough to simply take things slowly and not go overboard. Of course, it not being liquor, this would definitely be nowhere as harsh.

"But Static IS back, I saw him and everything: he even came to the meeting!"

"He did? I guess I was too far back to see him...or maybe I didn't recognize him because I have no clue who he is or what he looks like." She blinked, deadpan.

"Well, he had skin like me but a bit darker, and his hair is pretty noticeable too: its, like, put up in kind of smaller braids, I don't know the term for it."

She took another drink. "Hmm, maybe we should have some water, just so we're not too dehydrated." She got up to fix them two glasses. "How are your kids doing?"

"Dreads?" She set down her bottle.

She nodded her head at the suggestion of water. "They're doing fine. Ben likes trouble. May likes training. And Devlin likes his girlfriend. Things are doing fine. Querl is a nass, so...no surprise there."

"Is that what they're called?" She set the pitcher down and pored each of them a glass. "Dreads. Huh. I like it."

She laughed. "Actually, I've always liked Maydril whenever I've seen her, I hope I see her more often. Same with Ben: I just hope he has someone watching out with him when he fights, just in case. Devlin seems like a sweet boy, and Ive met his girlfriend, they're a good match. Querl, I hope I get to talk to one day."

She took another swig of the beer. "I think its getting a little better."

Nura picked back up her bottle. "Querl you will have to wait and see about. When you first meet him, you will be annoyed with him. Trust me. The first itme I met him...I wanted to grind his head into the ground beneath the heel of my boot."

Katara laughed. "I wonder if Querl will want you to introduce him to people like that! But if you say it, I guess its true: I could at least tell that he was concerned about you when he came over to make sure you were ok."

She picked up the bottle, drinking and looking thoughtful. "Maybe when I create mine, I'll find a way to make this smoother, maybe give it a hint of berries. What do you think?"

"He's pretty protective of me. He just..." She grew soft. "...doesn't want to lose me again."

She looked to the bottle, took a swig, swallowed, and nodded. "Berries. Yum. Yes, please."

Oh right. Nura had died before, hadn't she said that? No wonder Querl hated the idea of something happening to her. She knew what that feeling was like, all right.

"Just something to give it a better taste," Katara said. "So...what do you want to do now?"

Nura laid back on the floor, moving her beer bottle so that it didn't spill. "Be lazy potatoes. I'm not too sure. Usually I'm just get-up-and-go as ever, but...I just feel lazy right now."

Katara, however, was quite far from feeling like a sack of potatoes. "Aw, are you? We can take a dip in the pool, or see some movies or just sit and gossip! We can't just lie here!"

Nura grabbed Katara and started to pull the girl. "No swimming after drinking. Even just a little. Bad movies are a go. But right now..." She kicked off her flip-flops. "...let's be lazy for a couple minutes. This carpet is nice and warm and my toes are toasty." She wiggled her toes playfully.

She nodded. She didnt think she drank enough to not control water, but that didnt make it a good idea. She shrugged and fell to the rug. She took a deep breath and reveled in this feeling a moment.

There was a lot to do, and much to think about, but right now she wanted to lay here, and forget about troubles. What would it be like, to actually have something like this: an older sister, a younger brother, all living on a ship with all these different people who try to take care of each other?

Too bad there was always an enemy at the end of that, someone who needed to destroy everyone. Without thinking about it, Katara sat up in a seating position.

"What movies are there, and why are they bad? I'm still kinda getting used to the whole 'watching stories that move.'"

Nura let out a yawn, raising a hand. "Bad movies are the crappy cliche movies. Well...the ones that lack good graces to be honest with their crappy plots. Overdone and flowery and terribly choreographed action scenes that should've ended on the cutting room floor instead of on the wheel. You know..."

She turned onto her stomach, looking at Katara with her legs up in the air, moving back and forth. "Badly written love confessions. Terribly lying. And a comedy that would make you cry instead of laugh because they are just that horrible."

Katara shook her head. "Well, I'm still getting used to the whole movie thing as a whole, since its not really something that we have on our world. But why not? Which did you have in mind?"

She really would have to see it to believe it. How could you have a bad romance movie anyway?

"Whatever you want to watch?" Nura sighed. "You're the party girl today. We celebrate you and yourself, and then later, if you'll let me...I think I'll go top off the night by kicking someone's nass."

Katara laughed. "You should know that I don't know anything about movies, I just learned about that stuff because of Beastboy, so its not like we got to see a whole lot of romance things! What do you think we should see?"

Nura took up her bottle. "Something good at least."

"Well, let me see," Katara said, rummaging through some of the movies they had.Most of them seemed to have some horrible thing on the cover with blood, which Katara had luckily gotten used to.

Other worlds seemed to be pretty violent.

"Well, there are these two: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Confessions of a Shopoholic. What do you think?"

Nura sat up. "Scott Pilgrim? Sprock. I haven't heard that name in a long while." She smiled.

Katara shrugged. "I've never heard of it at all, to be honest. How is that one?"

"Scott Pilgrim is an old action and romance story about a guy who meets the right girl, falls in love, and then, like any old romance, falls in deep, deep trouble when he has to battle against her past paramours."

"You mean there's fighting AND romance?" Wow, that didn't actually sound like a bad movie at all, but who knew happened in the movie, right? Maybe it was corny, like Nura said. In any case, she passed her friend another beer, then grabbed on more glass bottle herself.

"Is that movie ok?"

Nura took the beer. "It's better than OK. It fan-sprocking-tastic! Put it in!" She gestured to the video player...which looked so odd to her that it had taken a while for her to realize what it was.

"Ok!" Katara said brightly, actually pretty happy she got the opportunity to load up the DVD player: Beastboy had had to demonstrate it to her a few times before she got the hang of it.

Grinning, she could see she was going to like the film, the moment she heard the 8bit version of the Universal fanfare. She was, of course, not expecting the "WE ARE SEX BOB-OMB ONE TWO THREE FOUR" part that came with the loudness.

"Whoa," she said, her eyes widening, unknowingly in unison with Knives Chau.

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Cut the drama and have a drink [Closed]

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