Meat n' Greet

[cityship]

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a tall man in green armor and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

Comments

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara freezes and just stares at the woman for a very long moment. Except for sculptures and the like, she's never seen another Airbender besides Aang. But this woman in front of her, with her tattoos and her friendly face - there's no mistaking that at all. "The Southern one," Katara says, still surprised. And then, "I'm Katara. Sokka's little sister."

[kungfu-sexnun.livejournal.com]

Oh Sokka? Sokka's a dreamboat! And that's probably something his little sister doesn't want to hear.

"Sister Nima, of the Eastern Air Temple." Nima bows with cheerful, polite formality. "I've met your brother. He's a good man. He has a lot of integrity."

And Katara's name and family rings a bell in Nima's mind. Aang hasn't spent a LOT of time talking about her - there seems to be some sadness wrapped up in mentioning her name and their relationship - but it's been clear that he is deeply attached to her, in a way that is not cohesive with the Air Nomad philosophy, but which may be necessary to the philosophy of being the Avatar.

"You're Brother Aang's girlfriend, aren't you?"

Which is a strange thing to say of any air nomad, but Aang is a special case.

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara bows back to Sister Nima, giving her due respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sister Nima," Katara says. "I'm sorry for staring at your earlier. It's just that, well, I've never met another Air Nomad before..." she says. She smiles at what Nima had said about Sokka. "He's grown into an amazing person," she adds. "I'm so glad he's here. That everyone is, really." Besides Toph, but Katara had no doubt that the blind earthbender would find her way there sooner or later. "I wouldn't...I don't..." Katara paused. She'd never really used that word with Aang before. "He's very special to me."

[kungfu-sexnun.livejournal.com]

"It's all right. I know."

Her smile turns solemn for a moment, as she thinks again of the genocide that she doesn't remember experiencing, the horror of her people being at one time completely destroyed. This is an awfulness that will take her a long time to detach her pain from.

"This ship can be a strange place, and much of what happens on this journey is troubling, but if Stacy has done nothing else but reunite friends, she has also done this - she preserved my people. And Aang's."

Her smile returns, but is more polite and surprised than before. "I see - or maybe I don't. It's not something our monks usually do, committing themselves to romantic bonds, but Aang is a special case so I assumed -"

She waves her hand, dismissing the assumptions.

"Oh, it doesn't matter what I assumed. I'm used to monks, not Avatars. Please forgive me if I spoke out of turn. If you're Aang's friend, and Sokka's sister, I hope we can be friends too."

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

"It's just that I have never used that word before," Katara explained, blushing. "That's all." She smiled then. "I would love to be friends, Sister Nima. You will just have to forgive my awe at having met you. I never expected...well, you know." She really needed to stop staring at Nima as though she were some kind of fossil brought to life.

[kungfu-sexnun.livejournal.com]

"Well, neither have I, not applied to anyone of my people."

Nima considers the awe, and considers Katara for a moment. As casually as bowing, she puts her arms around the girl and hugs her tightly.

"Katara. It's a great joy to have this chance to meet you. I am a nun of no importance, but it's a great honor to have this chance to meet you and keep the memory of my people alive - until they're awake to keep it with us, again."

She separates from Katara, holding the other girl's hands in the process. "Let's start earlier, then. You're one of the people who helped Aang on his journey." Nima squeezes Katara's hands with a smile. "You have the thanks of all the airbenders for that, and I hope you'll get to hear them all say so."

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara felt very humbled by what Sister Nima had said to her. She blushed a little, out of modesty. If asked, she would say that she was only trying to do the right thing...even if part of it was borne out of her intense need to master waterbending. "How are you dealing with that knowledge?" Katara asked. "It must have been very difficult for you when you heard." She remembered Aang's reaction very well, in that regard.