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]

Under any other circumstances, it was possible that Katara would have reacted much in the way that a jealous girlfriend would have. But circumstances here were different - in fact, everything was different here. Katara offered Aang a warm smile and cupped his cheek with her hand. She kissed his other cheek gently. "Don't let that bother you. You meant well, and it isn't as though either of you were aware of the truth. And even if you were...I wasn't here. I can't fault you for that, Aang. I won't."

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

There were very nearly tears again. Almost.

"She left me for another boyfriend. I think...it makes sense now because she was her own person and she cared for someone else, but at the time I thought it was you."

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara frowned at that. That was one thing that Katara felt she would never do. Her heart went out to him and she pulled him in, hugging him as tightly as she could possibly manage. He had been through a lot since they'd seen each other back at home, Katara knew. She didn't have all the details, but she could tell, and not just because of the physical scars that he had. "I'm not going anywhere but by your side," Katara assured him. "I promise."

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

"Annnd I'm crying again, yep. Sorry for all the crying."

And then he started up, again, thought it was silent this time.

"It'll stop eventually. I'm just kind of working through a lot of 'I missed you' stuff."

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

She couldn't help it. She didn't like to see him cry. And Katara had always been a little on the sensitive side, too, but this was different.

She started tearing up, and instead of wiping away her tears, she used her natural abilities to bend away Aang's.

And then the absurdity of the situation - of where they were and where the fates had found it fit to bring the two of them, and their friends, struck her - and she giggled. "Who would have thought this is where we ended up after we beat the Fire Nation?"

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

"Tearbending on a giant ship made of meat?" Aang sniffed, still crying, but just as amused. "I definitely wouldn't have guessed that one, nope."

He tried to control his breathing to get the crying to stop.

"Especially not the giant ship made of meat part."

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

"You'd think we'd be used to it, having had Appa as our main source of transportation, but this is so very different from that." Obviously. This ship seemed to be a world unto itself. Appa had been a friend, and a warm, cuddly pillow-type. She found that she missed him. And Momo. "But I can adapt. I've always been good at adapting. And with you and the others here...we can do this."

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

Aang just smiled at her.

"Did I mention I missed you? I mentioned that, right?"

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

"Yes, but I don't mind hearing it over and over again," Katara grinned.

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

"You're taking all this so well."

A pause.

"But I guess I'm not surprised."

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

"Wait for the shock to subside, and for everything to sink in," Katara said lightly. "I may have a tiny breakdown then."

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

Aang nodded. "Yep. That's usually when the crying happens."

Aang settled in against her again, seeming like he was almost starving for her attention and affection. He'd always been a touch clingy, but this was an unusual extreme.

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara wrapped her arms around Aang, and held him close. She'd noticed the fact that he was clingier than usual, and combined with the scarring and the fact that Aang was the only one who was older than the others from home, she knew that something was up, she just didn't know what. She looked up and pressed another kiss to his cheek, just a smidge away from his lips. She wanted to comfort him, and that meant not pressing the issue of things he didn't want to speak of, and not trying to get overly romantic with him. She didn't think it would be all that appropriate, and she wanted to, well, respect him.

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

To heck with that. There wasn't that awkwardness about things because he wasn't 12 anymore and still going "Hormones, wat is?"

Well, there was still some awkwardness and still some "Hormones, wat is?" because now he had them and boy the feelings that accompanied them were confusing for a boy that'd been raised to let go of all earthly desires, but still, earthly desires were totally where it was at. As Avatar, he could fully indulge in them and figure them out. It was part of living.

Which was why he kissed her right then, and not on the cheek, either.

And while it wasn't exactly lascivious, it also wasn't exactly chaste, and neither were the hands that slipped around her waist rather firmly.

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Ooooh boy. That...that had not been expected, at all.

Not that Katara was complaining about it, mind. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Katara found herself melting into the kiss, quite more willingly than she might have expected she would, given the circumstances. The kiss was quite unlike any of the previous ones that they had shared. It was more...more.

Her arms tightened around the back of Aang's neck as she pulled him in for a deeper kiss.

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he could get used to this. Definitely, definitely get used to this.

When he finally broke away, he was breathing a little harder.

"That's...different," he commented breathlessly with a brief raise of his eyebrows.

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara blinked. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and took in a few deep breaths. "Yes. Yes it is. But it was nice different. You know, like the first time...umm." She blinked. "There isn't a fitting analogy for this."

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

"Do you--uh. Do you want to go somewhere alone and--and maybe take some time to figure out how different it is?"

Apparently, he was a bit more daring now, too.

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

"..." Katara blinked and stared blankly at Aang for a moment. Did...did she just hear that right? Did he...was he suggesting...

"I...have to go see Kaya later. (http://trans-9.livejournal.com/760869.html) But that's not for a little while," she said, blushing. "So...I...umm. Yes?"

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

He was just suggesting making out. Juuust making out. Kissy faces.

Aang was up like a shot, holding out his hand for hers.

"I can show you the Sensoriums while we're at it. You've got to see what they can do."

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara slipped her hand into Aang's and squeezed it warmly. "I'll go wherever you want me to," she said, before realizing what she was saying. Her blush darkened by a shade or three. "Umm. I mean. Yes. I would be happy to see a Sensorium. Whatever that is."

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

Beautiful slip there, Katara. Way to make him blush.

"Right. Uh. Sensoriums. Let's--let's go. To. Them."

And he led the way, occasionally glancing at her with odd little glances as they walked, then flushing and looking away. He was smiling though, warmly, the entire time.

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara herself was all kinds of giddy. She was riding a kind of high that she couldn't honestly say she'd felt before. And the fact that Aang was, well, all grown up...

She was feeling a lot of heavy, mixed emotions just then. They were good ones, but there were a lot of them.

She squeezed his hand and held back an elated giggle.

Well, just barely held it back.

[jesushasayak.livejournal.com]

Aang led her to a series of doors all in the hallway, opened a door to a completely blank room, swept his free hand gracefully, and said: "Ta da! The Sensoriums."

Have a...lovely empty room, Katara.

[wet-and-riled.livejournal.com]

Katara took a few steps into the room before stopping and turning around while she stood in place. She raised a brow and looked at Aang. "Well, this is...what is this?"