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[What luck you have Katie! As a groggy looking Vash opens the door when you come calling. Something about his bed being destroyed and sleeping on the couch lately...]

Oh, Katie! [Although Vash is never too tired to put a smile on for a kid.] What are you up to today? ~~[Girl scout cookies!? 8D]~~

[That is a very... casual way of greeting someone who ran off and left you in a forest full of hallucinations. Katie shifts hesitantly on the doorstep.]

...you look tired.

[Hey, he LIKED his hallucinations until they ended!] Ah, well, my room is a little... wet right now.

[Not all of your echoes are positive, Vash. That's why she's worried.]

Are there holes in your wall?

Just one big one in my room.

But don't worry. We'll fix it. [If Vash and Wolfwood don't kill each other in the process.]

What about you Katie? Have you been alright?

I've never been better. Or worse. Both at the same time, really. [She leans around him to peer inside.]

Would you like me to fix your wall?

You can fix the wall? [You're just not going to send everything shooting away are you?]

Of course I can't. I'm just a little girl. [But her look is totally Vash pls.] It's not like I can magically heal things.

Hm, I guess if you want to come in an take a look. [Vash moves aside to let her in.]

[Vash is getting the bluntest version of this offer, because Vash already knows damn well she can heal. Katie pads into his bedroom and surveys the mess with a look that says she's not all that impressed. There's still things that aren't broken!

...though the crumbled wall is mostly inside. She sticks her head out the hole nad leans over the side, fishing up bits of rubble and tossing them back in over her shoulder.]

Th- that doesn't seem all that helpful.

When did I ever say I was going to-- [WHOOPS a large piece came a little close to hitting you.]-- help? I'm just here to cause more trouble. It's fun throwing stones.

[That's the last one.]

When I told you my room was ruined you said you'd fix it! AH! Watch where you're throwing those!

I never. [Huff.] I asked you if you would like me to. Are your ears full of wax?

[Huff again. She drops back into the room, picks up the two closest pieces of rubble, and... stacks them neatly in the hole, balanced on the wrecked wall.]

Oh, of course. How SILLY of me.

[Vash watches as she starts to stack the rubble.] Nice job. Have you ever staked dominoes before?

Never in my life. I was never any good at it anyway.

Want to give me a hand? [She doesn't look at him as she asks, but continues to pull up pieces of rubble to fit them into the hole, balancing precariuosly on top of each other like badly aligned tetris pieces.]

I dunno, I'm a bit better at knocking things down then stacking them up. [Yet he's coming over to see what she might want him to do.]

Well, that's all well and good, but you have to learn to clean up after yourself. Why don't you hand them up to me?

[Balance. Balance. ...wavering pile of rocks. Stabilising it.]

Alright, alright. [Vash works on handing the pieces up to Katie one by one.] Hey! You're pretty good at this!

I took rock balancing classes in university.

[Yep.]

Oh, yeah? Did you major or minor in it?

[Blink blink. She doesn't actually know what that means. TAKING A GUESS.]

Major.

Ah, I see. [Vash nods sagely.] Of course. It all makes sense now!

I thought it might. Step back from the wall. [She skips back a couple steps.]

Alright! [Vash hops back in just one leap. Wondering just what Katie has planned.]

[Katie darts a brief smile at him before tossing a pebble up and down in one hand-- another piece of the wall, smaller than the others.

Then she throws it at her pile of rocks, where implausibly it finds a tiny gap and sticks. And all of the rock crumbles into fine sand, layering itself neatly around the gaping hole in Vash's bedroom wall and building up to its full and proper shape, dust pulled from the floor beneath to shore up the gaps.

Every bit of wall-wreckage that was in Vash's room is going right back to where it belongs. Which means here and there, it's not perfect-- but the gap is closed, and his floor's a lot cleaner besides.]

Ooooh. [Vash claps, clearly impressed.] That's job! That's SO much better!

I thought so. [She sits down rather suddenly on his bed.] You can pay me in chocolate milkshakes.

Hmmm, we do have some chocolate ice cream in the freezer.

Chocolate ice cream would be terribly bad for me. [Said so gravely.]

Then it's a very good thing I'm a terrible adult! Let me go see how much chocolate we have! [Heading to the kitchen now.]

Okay. I'll be right behind you.

[By which she means she's flopping down on your bed while you're gone.]

[It takes him a few minutes to make up the milkshake and he'll bring it in with whip cream on top and a straw.]

[She smiles at him sleepily from the bed and holds out a hand for the glass.] Tell me a story?

[He hands her the glass.] Hm? A story? What kind of story? Milly probably has some stories for the ba- er, for her son around here somewhere!

What about something with a happy ending? About nightmares and having all your hopes crushed.

[Straight face.]

Those are your kind of happy ending!?

Just like every other little girl's.

Oh! I actually think I know the perfect book! Hold on just a moment! [Vash vanishes into the baby's room. Returning later with a book. He sits down next to Katie onto the bed.] Have you heard the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf?

Never in my life. [l-lol it was only one of her favourite stories.] But can't you tell me a story about you?

Oh, I dunno. I'm kinda dull.

What about Rem? Is she dull too?

[There's a flash of anger when he grips the book a bit too tightly. An automatic anger that comes from anyone even possibly insulting Rem. Then he calms, knowing that she doesn't mean that. She's just teaching him with his words.]

No. Rem is not dull.

[...wow, uh. You might have read into that a little too deeply, Vash. She was being playful, and looks visibly unsettled by that anger.]

...you don't have to tell me any stories.

[He knows it so he works on letting that anger go.] No, it's alright. It's just... I haven't talked to anyone about Rem in a long, long time.

Why not?

I guess because sometimes it hurts to remember. [And people back home would start to understand just how old he is.]

[Katie's eyes shift briefly past Vash's shoulder, and she looks down at her feet.]

Maybe. But sometimes, isn't it a good kind of hurt?

I suppose, sometimes it is.

So tell me how you met her.

Well, she met me. She found me when I was born. My mother wasn't able to take care of me so she raised me instead.

And what's your favourite memory of her?

[Vash is quiet, trying to think of his favorite. It's hard with all the great memories he has of her.]

I think, one of my favorites is the time when we were sitting in the rec room. The rec room for us was a big field full of grass and flowers. There was and apple tree there and we were sitting under it when an apple fell near us.

She picked it up and held it up to me. She told me that I should take a bite of the gift the tree had given us. That it would taste very good. It was the first apple I ever had thanks to her.

That's the best way to first taste an apple. I wish I had a room full of grass and flowers.

Yeah, it was a pretty nice room, but I like the forest much better.

Forests go on forever, but I've never seen a field in a room before. Was it like the battle dome?

Yeah it kinda was, except the grass and trees in it was real. It was just a really big room.

I want a room like that. Maybe I'll make one.

Did she ever sing to you?

[She knows Rem sang to you. She's singing right now.]

She sang a lot. She loved to sing.

Do you like to sing?

Oh, haha! I'm not as good at it as she was.

That's not what I asked.

I don't really sing, no.

That still isn't what I asked.

Oh! Yeah, I suppose I like to sing too. It can be fun.

Well, if it's fun you should do it more often. Does it really matter if you're any good at it?

I guess not, but it's less embarrassing if someone catches you singing.

Edited 2012-08-05 00:38 (UTC)

Embarrassment is for grown ups. [Pout.]

Aw, am I not a grown up anymore?

...actually I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Only you can answer that question. Would you sing for me?

I guess if you don't mind your ears bleeding from the noise.

If my ears bleed I shall just get you to bring me another chocolate milkshake. [Sip.]

I guess that's fair. Uh... what- what would you like to hear?

The song you hear. All the time.

The... song I hear? [He could make a guess, but he's not sure if Katie is being silly or serious at this point. Could she really know the song he thinks about more than others?]

Everyone hears a song, you know. Maybe they just heard it a lot on the radio, or someone they like a lot used to sing it to them. What's yours?

Yeah? I didn't know that. I guess mine would be the one Rem use to sing then.

Okay. Why don't you sing that one, then?

Alright. I guess. Here we go. [A few deep breaths and he starts to sing.]

So, on the first evening a pebble. From somewhere out of no where dropped upon the dreaming world.

Edited 2012-08-09 13:22 (UTC)

[The thing about singing a song so near and dear to you, Vash, is glamour. You produce it. And Katie needs it. But it's harmless today, and she just curls up on the bed and watches him with a faint smile.

Your singing voice isn't that bad.]

[He continues. Only stopping when the song ends.] Well, your ears aren't bleeding I guess.

They could be. Perhaps it's invisible blood.

[But she's just teasing him.]

Hmm, well, let me check! I happen to know a very good way to check for invisible blood! [Uh oh, Katie. Vash is licking his fingers and if you don't move quickly you'll be getting a wet willy!]

[Wait what--

WELL THAT CALLS FOR A SHRILL SCREAM and a giggling child as she hops off the bed and runs for the door AHHHH DX]

Wait! Come back! I think there may bit a little more dribbling out of your ear! [Vash gives chase! But he doesn't want to catch Katie just yet, so he doesn't make use of those long legs of his.]

[Well if you don't stop her Katie will giggle all the way to the front door.] I have to go! There are cars to fix!

Cars, huh? You fix cars and walls. Is there anything you can't fix? [Said as he continues to chase her towards the door.]

Broken hearts and filing cabinets!

[You've chased her out the door. Congratulations. She bounces a little on her feet as she turns to face him.] But really, I have to stay all day.

Oh, alright. I understand. [He waves as she runs down the path.] Have a good day!

Bye bye! [She gives him a curtsey on the path, and then turns and skips away. |D]

[Today, Peeta sits at the fountain with a sketch pad and colored pencils, glancing up repeatedly at a large puddle. He has replicated the puddle on the paper, but added, amidst the glimmer of water and green of grass, a twelve-year-old girl bent over the water to see her reflection. The reflection shows her not in her plain clothes, but in a white dress with beautiful wings.]

[It's after she's visited three of her four houses that Katie passes through the plaza, on her way to see Sokka and Katara. She's tired and drained already, and wondering how best to recoup some of her glamour.

So an artist by the fountain is a very, very wonderful encounter by now. It draws Katie from her determined path, and she wanders up to peer at what he's doing.

Ah. Her eyes flick across the fountain itself before she speaks up.]

Someone you know?

[He doesn't look up from his work, but the pencil slows.] Yeah. A good friend.

[He swipes over the wings with an opalescent pencil.] I think I'm gonna have to paint it when I get home.

It's very pretty. Or she's very pretty. Is she here? [She sits on the fountain edge, though well away from him to give him space.]

[His voice goes very soft. He still does not look up.] She was.

Oh.

[...]

My parents were here once. They went home, too.

[Dirty trench coat guy is sitting on a bench in the center of town. He doesn't look particularly destroyed by anything Katie did, at any rate.]

[Katie approaches quietly and sort of stands a few feet away with her fingers linked behind her back.]

...

Hello.

[Castiel glances up at her. Oh, the little possessed girl.]

Hello.

[Her souls are much more stable now, at least. She shuffles her feet and wonders how best to say this. Given she's a liar and all.]

I have a fear of people talking to me in forests. That's all. I'm not like that anywhere else.

[Convoluted apologies. Yes.]

I see.

[Castiel believes her completely. He's got no reason not to.

Also wondering why she's telling him this. Is this instruction not to talk to her in a forest again or something?]

[Well, that's all she has to say on the subject. She takes a step away, intent on going, and then curiosity wins out.]

Can you always teleport around like that?

[Raine is still getting around in the aftermath of everything, so when this particular girl crosses her path as she makes her way through the village, she wastes no time in stopping her for a hello, at least.]

Katie!

[Katie turns with a start, and then immediately glances sharply down at Raine's feet before offering her teacher a shy smile.]

I wasn't looking for you at all. Did you stay out of the water?

[The teacher's issue with the water and storms is evident all around her, even if she currently seems calm.]

There were times when it was unavoidable, but it could have been worse, all things considered. How did you fare?

My house filled with water. I had to row to my kitchen for peanut butter. And the roof tried to fly away, but it forgot it didn't have wings.

[Agh. How much of that was Katie speak and how much was- augh. She's just going to go by watching the girl's body language. Usually works.] Sounds like you might not need cocoa to cheer you up. Do you not have anywhere to stay?

[She brightens a little.] Oh yes, cocoa sounds like a terrible idea. And it's all right. The house came back once it stopped being frightened of the water.

[She gestures for her to follow along. Her mind is drawn to all of those pictures in the attic, wondering if they too survived.] That's a relief. Can't have houses flying away on you because of their fears.

No. It would make it very difficult to get to school on time. I'm glad your house stayed put!

Is it all in one piece?

For the most part. We have some broken windows, and the shed was damaged.

Do you need help fixing anything?

[She'll gesture for her to walk along with her to the house.] Helping out wouldn't be a strain on you?

[Katie follows alongside.] A terrible strain. I might have to miss a day of school. [And she glances up at Raine out of the corner of her eye. This is totally legit, yo.]

I won't have you exhausting yourself just to help us out, you know.

It's all right. I stopped and had ice cream and drew a picture just a few minutes ago. I need the exercise.

Exercise, hm? Walking through this is one way to do that. [At least they aren't too far off, by this point.]

And I do like walking everywhere.

Do you have cars where you come from?

No, not at all. There are very few land vehicles and they seem very different from what I've learned about automobiles here. Mostly there's walking, dragon caravans at more of an extreme, or common travel by ship. There are some more advanced methods of travel, but they're not exactly available to everyone.

You have dragon caravans?

Yes, although they're much rarer now. There are certain kinds of dragons that can be cultivated for transport, so people use them for when they want to go on particularly long trips.

[Katie makes a little mournful sound.] All the other worlds have the best sorts of things. Our cars are very boring. Unless they're trying to kill you.

They sound very convenient to me. Although I didn't know they could also attack.

They don't usually. Sometimes, though, when nobody's looking both ways, they'll try and eat someone.

What a fascinating species. I wonder if they exist in the battle dome?

[... Good thing that Raine's house is visible from here as a distraction.]

[It only barely works, and only because Katie reminds herself she came out here for a reason. But that doesn't stop her talking animatedly about this idea!] Oh, do you think so? I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps I shall check when I'm there next, I've become very good at programming it.

[...no, she hasn't.]

If you like, I could go with you. Programming is one of those things I have trouble with. [With that knowing look that really means quite the opposite-if there's one thing Raine really does have a natural talent for it's fiddling with technology.]

Oh well, then. Perhaps I can show you how it's done. [WE HAVE AN ACCORD. Of course, she can't stop giggling about that. She glances up ahead to the house to see if she can see what's damaged from here.]

We won't make it a date, then.

[As they come up on the house, the damages aren't all too obvious from this angle; there are a few downed trees in the general area, though the mess of branches that had been directly by the house and yard are at least cleared. There are a few broken side-windows, covered up on the inside with tarp and plastic. The garden is significantly less lively, though Raine's taken care of the immediate trouble, and Albert preferred to start from scratch than have magic revive his plants.

The small shed to the side of the house seemed to have sustained the most damage, with some of the roof caved in. ]

[Oh, my. Katie slows down as she takes the damage down and wonders if she has enough glamour for both the shed and the windows after her trick with Katara. She can get around that easily enough, though.]

Which do you like more, the shed or the windows?

Hm? I'm more concerned about the shed, since it won't regenerate at all when that gets fixed.

Are we still playing opposites? [That grin is positively mischievous.]

!

[There's a pause, and then she laughs. How had she forgotten?] In that case, I definitely don't want the shed repaired.

Then I shan't repair it. And you definitely shouldn't show me where it's the worst off. Did any of it run away?

[ if she ventures as far as buffy's room, she'll find the blonde asleep. sore and asleep. ]

[Katie first walks all around the house, inspecting it for damage.

Assuming somebody else is home to let her in, she will tap quietly at Buffy's bedroom door soon afterward.]

[ she feels like a whale. a petite blonde beached whale. all this lazing about and not being on her feet and being hurt.

it's miserable. ]

Come in -- for all that's good and merciful and not boring, please come in.

[Katie steps in, eyeing Buffy curiously.] Are you sick?

...Nah. Just a little banged up.

I suppose that sort of thing happens when you have to fight in space. As long as nobody exploded or anything.

We were mostly explosion free. There were some gravityless shenanigans, though. It felt really really astronauty.

Do you think I could go next time? Were there aliens?

...Just angry cultists. And I think Jack'd be apoplectic if you were drafted.

[Katie decides not to mention she's been drafted twice. Or rather in her case, that she's not been drafted twice.]

It still sounds very adventurous! Perhaps they'll come here one day instead.

I dunno. They didn't have such a good stay, last time.

They've been here before? What happened?

Their General brought his troops as near to the village as he could get. We turned them back. [ ...hell, she's told the girl worse by now. ] I axed off his wings.

[Excuse Katie a minute. She's sort of picturing this epic battle complete with soundtrack of Buffy fighting off hordes with a giant axe. Though her imagination does sort of stick Jack in there next to her halfway through.]

Was he a vampire too? Or just a bad guy?

[ her imagination probably doesn't have it too wrong. except for the jack part. ]

Just a bad guy. Our big bad, I guess.

So he's dead now? [Disappointing. I mean, epic for Buffy, but now Katie never gets to meet him.]

He came back -- as is the very freaky-deaky way here.

...oh. [Her mood dampens a little, reminded of fresh memory.] People do that here, don't they. Did he lose any magic?

I think he lost all he was gonna lose a long time ago but...his magic? Definitely still in full swing.

Oh.

...do people always lose something when they die here?

That's how it's supposed to work.

[ curiousity has her in its grip. she wants to ask 'why' but...but perhaps with katie it's best to let the story unfold on its own. ]

Is it gone forever?

[She's edging around the point, unfortunately.]

Forever? No. For four months, at most. At least -- here, we can get John to undo them.

[Her nose wrinkles.] But John is such a boring name.

[Well. What she really means is common.]

...He has bright red skin? That's kinda unboring.

Really? [Oh, well then. She brightens.] Is he really old?

He could be? I never really...asked. Seemed rude.

Not that that'd normally stop me.

I bet he's secretly centuries old and his skin used to be a normal colour but he got all red with age. My granddad did that.

...Your granddad turned red?

[ WHAT EVEN SMALL CHILD? ]

It made him look angry all the time, too. Like a cartoon character.

[TOTALLY LEGIT. HONEST.]

Are you sure you're not just talking about him going reddish rather than full on red?

Oh, that might be it. He said it's because he ate one too many Redskins.

...The Football team?

{She shakes her head.] The sweets.

[They're delicious. And turn your tongue ... well, a darker shade of pink, anyway.]

...Never heard of them.

They're very rare. You can only get them in Denmark.

Funny. You don't sound Danish.

[ not that it was so impossible for her grandfather to be danish. or even to import candies.

but mostly? she's teasing. ]

I am, though. My great granddad was a Great Dane.

[She might be struggling with that straight face of hers.]

Let me guess. A racer?

[Katie doesn't quite get the connection, but that doesn't stop her from nodding vigorously.] Oh, yes. One of the very best.

And what about his collar?

It's red and has lots of diamonds on it.

Classy. You can't argue with diamonds. Or so I hear. I've never been on the receiving end of them.

Edited 2012-07-19 10:32 (UTC)

You should ask Jack for diamonds. He's a pirate. He should have some.

[ oh. she fiddles with the jade ring. ] Maybe you should tell him that. I think it might be a little tacky for me to ask.

I shall have to see what I can do. [She'll be the soul of discretion. Honest.] Do you like other things like that? I mean, sapphires or emeralds?

Rubies are nice. But...

[ buffy sits back; she confesses: ] Katie? Jack could give me pebbles he liked the look of when he found them on the path and I'd be thrilled.

[...

Katie smiles. It's very easy to see the love there. Near literally, in fact.]

I bet the pebbles would be very flattered, too. They don't get very much love.

[ it's been a long time coming but...yeah. definite, genuine love -- writ large all over her face.

buffy smiles back and points at a little box on her nightstand. it isn't quite close enough to be in reach for a banged up slayer. ]

Here. Can you pass me that? I can show you the general calibre of his gifts.

Oh! Okay, then. [She does so eagerly, holding out the box in both hands to Buffy. She suspects jewellery, and jewellery boxes are always fun.]

[ she opens the box and pulls out a ring made of twisted tin-foil. a bracelet, too. ]

See? A pebble might be an improvement.

[...it's actually the kind of gift to appeal to the fae. Handwrought gifts are easiest to impart glamour. Katie smiles at the bracelet and reaches out a finger to touch, before pulling back.]

But he wouldn't have made the pebbles himself. This way you know he was thinking of you.

Sometimes? He thinks about me a little too much. Or he used to. Or...

Yeah. That's the reason why I still keep these.

Do you think it's bad to think about anyone too much?

It's...[ complicated. a sad tale, maybe. ] It can be, Katie. And other times? It's just good enough.

Do you think it's good enough with Jack?

...I came around, didn't I? So it must've been.

[Hee. She's glad to hear that.]

Are you really sore? I know lots of first aid.

So I've heard. I don't know, Katie. I kinda like healing up by the power of my own bootstraps. It's a pride thing.

[Oh. That's understandable.]

What about the house?

I think we might be missing some shutters?

[Then there's nothing she can fix, and that's probably good.]

You should put up wanted posters for runaway shutters. Maybe they'll come home.

...Think I should offer a reward?

You could try. What would you offer?

[Well, Katara's working in her garden... or what's left of it. The holes in the house are covered by a tarp - a temporary measure. They haven't decided yet if it's worth rebuilding or if it's better to wait and see if the restorative shifts are... restored.]

[...oh, man. Katie stops dead to stare at the house before padding quietly up to Katara's side.

The garden too, huh.]

How bad is it?

[She jumps a little - Katie is quiet on her feet.]

It's... rebuildable.

[She smiles a little at Katie.]

But it's good to see to you - it's been a while.

[Katie smiles shyly back. It has been a while. Months.]

Sometimes it's fun to do things like that. You can make them bigger and better or you can just show storms how stubborn you are.

[She opens up an arm to Katie. C'mere, you, it's been a while.]

Well, I am pretty stubborn.

[Katie doesn't exactly run, but she does more rather swiftly into that hug. >_> It's been a while since she got one, okay.]

Stubborn people are the best kind of people out there.

Would you like me to help?

[Hugging mode: engaged.]

If you'd like to, you can help. But you can just stay and hang out, if you like.

[You don't have to help to come by, you know.]

I could help!

Do you have any of the broken things from your garden?

The plants, you mean?

[She'd been assembling the ones that couldn't be recovered in a pile.]

Mmhm. I bet I could put them together with a little tape.

[She's seen the pile. Small enough at least that she can resist the urge to dive into it like so many autumn leaves. Katie reaches out and takes a sad, bedraggled looking plant in her fingers.]

[Katara watches curiously.

She's not sure Katie is talking about tape.

Hesitant -]

If you could, I'd like to see that.

[Katie glances up and smiles near shyly, before she cups the poor thing in both hands. It had beautiful yellow petals before this, didn't it? This flower. She hasn't seen them before.

It only takes a small spark of magic for something that's still living-- and nature is the realm she's strongest with. She blows on her hands as if they're cold, closing her eyes briefly-- and then offers her handful to Katara.

One of your Japanese wood poppies. Still a little bedraggled from the excess water. But no more than a normal garden would be after the rain, petals full and healthy.]

[Katara gasps. She doesn't know much about magic, not really, but she could have sworn something sparked in the air before Katie held out the flower to her. Katara feels her eyes fill with tears.]

Katie...

[She reached out a hand towards the flower.]

[Katie puts the flower carefully into Katara's hand, then smiles uncertainly.] Do you want me to do the rest?

[She can't help but gasp.]

Really? If it's not too much - [she starts to cry happy tears] - it would mean a lot.

[The look on Katara's face is all she needs. She bites her lip and gives the older girl a quick hug--] Don't cry--

[And then takes a step back out of the garden, glancing down at the dying flowers.] Come out here and stand behind me. And put your hands on my shoulders.

[Still wibbling slightly, Katara moves to comply.]

Okay.

[... that being said, the garden is a lot harder than a wall despite her affinity with nature, if only because Katie has to reach out with her glamour and affect each one separately. But she can at least feel the different strands of fading life here. Katie closes her eyes, cups her hands together, and then turns them slowly palm up like the petals of a flower.

With Katara as her only witness, a waterbender that believes very much in magic and power from within, at least it's not as hard as it could have been. One by one, the dying flowers and plants regain colour and health as Katie's hands move, one over the other, the light between them sparking faintly golden. She'll still have to properly replant them-- but once she does, they'll survive. And thrive.

And Katie's command to Katara is more one of practicality, because she's not two thirds done before she starts feeling the heavy weight of exhaustion and leans back into Katara's grip. But she doesn't stop until she's done.]

[Katara does, indeed, believe in magic and power from within, if not magic in particular - though she finds herself believing in whatever Katie is doing more and more, with simple wonder, acceptance, and deep appreciation each passing moment.

When Katie begins to rest against her, Katara wanted to urge her to stop, but one look at the little girl's face was enough for her to see the determination etched there. So she let it be, because sometimes finishing the job is as important as taking it on. And when Katie's done, Katara's crying, but she's smiling - oh she's smiling too.]

I've never seen anything like that before - it was so beautiful.

[She bends to kiss the crown of Katie's head.]

Thank you, Katie.

You're welcome. [She smiles sleepily, proud of herself.] But you better plant them all again now.

[She moves in front of Katie, continuing to brace her hands on Katie's shoulders.]

I will, but - first, do you want to go inside for something to drink? You did a lot of work there...

[and it was AMAZING.

and maybe you should rest.]

Don't be silly, I can't drink anything. That would mean I'm tired.

[She looks kinda hopeful, oddly.]

[She smiles a little more broadly.]

Then maybe you should just sample the lemonade to make sure it's okay before I give it out to everyone else.

[She removes her hands from Katie's shoulders but offers a hand in case Katie wants to make sure Katara doesn't fall on the way inside the house. Or something.]

Oh, a taste tester! [She nods wisely.] Well, that sounds like a very safe idea. [She'll gladly take Katara's hand-- though as moments pass she's less likely to fall over, at least. Just very tired.]

[Luke's just leaving the clinic, having spent several days recooperating from the battle. He's in a fairly dour mood after his talk with Shikamaru, not looking where he's going, when the accidentally bumps into Katie, who jumps right in his path to splash into a puddle]

Oh...hey...sorry there kiddo...

[Katie stumbles back at the sudden adult in her personal space, looking up with an expression that's caught somewhere between annoyance at the interruption and guilt because whoops. >.> Adults don't generally like being splashed.

...and then of course she recognises him and her eyes go wide.]

No, it's okay! It's okay! Did I get water all over you?

[This one's familiar...but he can't remember a name.]

No...no, its alright. You alright, little lady?

Oh... um. No. I have brain cancer, you know. [Said rather distractedly as she dusts her pinafore down and peers up at him.] Are you really a Jedi?

Yes, I am a Jedi, and you're a pretty bad liar, little lady.

[C'mon, you aren't going to lie to Luke Skywalker, are you?]

[SHE SURE IS. But at least she'll be upfront about the lying.] Well, if I wasn't a terrible liar, how would anyone ever know what I was talking about? Everybody lies where I come from.

[Sort of.]

Now I'm sure that isn't the case...

[He shrugs it off as a quirk and stoops to eye level]

What's your name? And remember, its not nice to lie about your name.

Oh, I'd never lie about my name. Not to Jedi, anyway. [But she already has a way around that, and just shows him the front of her journal, which says Katie on the front cover.] My friends call me hey you.

Well, Katie, its nice to meet you. That's a really nice name, you know?

[Luke smiles at the little girl]

So what are you doing out here? Just splashing around and making a mess?

Thank you. [Eeeee a Jedi said her name was nice. The Jedi. She'll just duck her head and stare at her shoes now with her ears going pink.]

Um, sort of. It's okay, isn't it? Puddles are fun to splash in and I'm waiting for my house to be fixed.

I don't mind if you want to splash around and play in the mud. Its not something I did as a child, but...coming from where I did we didn't ever have rain.

[He laughs]

But that's okay, because you had jawas instead. And bounty hunters! And those aliens with the-- [Just gonna mime holding a weapon over her head and celebrating, Tusken Raider style.] I'd give up all the rain for some of those.

Haha, you'd give up rain for Sand People? I wouldn't. Sand People, up close? They smell really, really foul. And just between you and me, they like to eat little girls...

They'd have to catch me first. I'm a Jedi too, you know.

[Said with this extremely hopeful look that says wishful thinking is a very fun hobby.]

Are you really, Katie? Can you prove it?

[He smiles]

Ummm, I can move things with my mind. Does that count?

Can you really? Show me. Concentrate.

[Luke smiles, and holds out a pen. When he does so, he's waiting for Katie to try. Her efforts this time might even work...Luke is feeling impish]

[Katie sort of stares at the pencil with a faintly crestfallen look, then looks down at her feet. She meets a Jedi for the first time and can't even show off. Stupid death penalty.]

I can't right now. I loaned my magic to someone.

Oh! But-- [She looks up hopefully.] Do you have anything that's broken?

[Luke nods, knowing she's lying but...the pencil floats into the air and snaps in half]

I do now.

[She jumps a bit at the snapping, but then she smiles and holds her hands out.] May I?

Of course.

[Katie take the two halves of the pencil from him with a look of fierce concentration and holds them together, then squints at it like she's using the power of her mind in some overly theatrical way.

Which isn't needed, actually, but it's fun. She might be trying to impress him, okay. >_> What she actually does is run her thumb over the break like she's erasing a line.

Which she does. She holds back up a good-as-new pencil with a hopeful look. I did good, right? 8D?]

Oh my. That's very, very good!

[Luke takes the pencil and runs his hands along it]

Katie, that's very interesting.

[Katie beams from ear to ear.] I can only use it on pencils unless it's very important.

Haha, pencils ARE important though. They let you write things down so you don't forget them. So what other kinds of magic can you do?

[He DOES remember her...vaguely, now that they've talked a bit]

[Sob why can't she show off. It's just not fair.]

I have to borrow my magic back again first. But once I do, can I show you?

[Luke grins, reaches down and ruffles her hair a bit. She's absolutely adorable]

Of course. We're friends, right?

[hdfjkadfa this is the best day ever. She tilts her head under that scruffle like she's a cat (funny that).] I always wanted to be friends with Jedi. I'll come find you again.

I look forward to it. I'll see you soon, alright? Stay safe

[Katie salutes, expression grave.] May the Force be with you.

[...then she promptly ruins it by skipping away and giggling like a little fangirl.]

[When Katie comes knocking at House 6, it's a much younger-than-usual Vivi who will answer the door. Her already-smiling face brightens further when she sees the caller is another kid, especially since the girl doesn't seem too much older than her.]

Hi! [Common sense tells her this guest is probably here for one of the grown-ups, but there's a small part of Vivi that hopes fiercely that this girl has actually come to play with her.]

[Katie blinks at the small girl with the ..blue hair. You know, she remembers a girl with blue hair being here when she came by as a kitten.

You kind of have the same sort of echoes.

...

Not that this really means anything's different. She smiles.]

Hello. What's your name?

I'm Vivi! I'm staying here for a while.

[She reaches out with both hands to grab one of the girl's and pull her eagerly inside.] Who are you? Do you wanna play?

I'd love to! [I can't.] But do you think I could talk to Sanji first? Is he here?

Um. I'm not sure. [She didn't hear anyone in the kitchen, and that usually seemed like the best place to look for Sanji. Maybe she should check, though, just in case.]

[Vivi takes off in a trot toward the kitchen, offering no explanation to the other girl.]

[And Katie follows! Because she doesn't get to meet many new kids anymore (and Vivi still counts), but also because Vivi is heading for the kitchen and there might be fish involved >_>a]

If he's not here, is it okay if I wait? [Because then she probably could play, just a little. Waiting is a good enough excuse.]

Yeah! [She calls back over her shoulder as she nears the kitchen. Aaaand. Nope. No Sanji.]

[There's a plate of chocolate chip cookies sitting out on the table, though. Vivi grabs one for herself, and one for the other girl, meeting her at the doorway.] He's not in there. Maybe his room? [It's the only other place she can think he might be, if he's home at all. She offers the cookie to the girl, holding her own in her mouth as she points toward his bedroom door.]

Thank you! [She politely takes the cookie and politely takes a nibble and not so politely gets crumbs on her dress and kind of on the floor. /cough. But she'll head in the direction of Sanji's room before she hesitates and peers back at Vivi.]

Has he been all right?

[Vivi's mouth is too full of her own bite of cookie to answer right away.]

Um. [There's the fact that she really hasn't known him very long, but he's seemed okay to her. If he'd been hurt or anything, she hadn't noticed.] I think so. Why?

He had a cold last time I saw him. I told him to go to bed, but I don't know if he listened to me.

Oh. No, I don't think he's sick anymore. I guess he got better!

[She takes another small bite of her cookie and crosses the rest of the distance to Sanji's door. She raps lightly.] Sanji? Are you in there? There's a girl who wants to see you.

[Which reminds her, the other girl still hasn't given her name. Vivi turns back to her, the lack of response from Sanji's room seeming a good indicator he's not home.] What's your name?

That's good to know. Colds aren't very nice.

[But she's relieved all the same. If he managed the last few days and didn't seem off kilter, it means he managed things okay. But she needs to check in person anyway. Just to see if anything out of whack.

...oh, right. A question.]

Mmm, it's Katie. But only on Saturdays.

[...which it's not. >.>]

[Well, that's clearly a joke, and Vivi giggles appropriately.] What is it today, then?

[Not to interrupt that girl time, but about now the door opens and one chef with bed-hair sticks his head out, as he was in fact not out of the house, but just blissfully unconscious. He blinks sleepily at the pair of girls before it occurs to him that one, Katie is here, and two, she has no tail and no cat ears to speak of. Cue a relieved smile, then]

Ah~! Katie-chan! Here for a visit?

[Katie stiffens slightly as she hears Sanji's voice, and then relaxes again at what he says. He doesn't seem overly mad with her. (Or crazy. Which is even better.)]

I'm here to sweep your chimey. [She nods sagely and then glances at Vivi.] Other days it's Katie-chan.

Oh! Sanji, you are here! [Though it's not intentional, she actually sounds a little disappointed--if Sanji's home, then maybe she and Katie won't get a chance to play after all. Now she's unsure whether she should leave them alone, too. Katie did come to see Sanji, not her. She fidgets slightly, taking a small step backward.]

Sorry Katie-chan, Zoro's probably stuck in there right now. [Yaaaaaaawn. And Sanji hears some of Vivi's disappointment, prompting a concerned glance in her direction.]

Really? [Katie peers upward before she remembers you people don't have a chimney. That'd be kind of cool, okay. She does catch Vivi's look, though, and feels guilty. She was going to be in and out and that was it, but... 8(]

Can I come play when I'm done talking with Sanji?

[Vivi brightens a bit at that, and nods enthusiastically.] Yes, if you still wanna.

[She takes another few small steps backward to give them a little privacy, but doesn't really want to leave them completely. Unsure, she looks back to Sanji for a cue. It's okay if she stays, right? She'll be very quiet and not interrupt, she promises.]

Yeah, Katie-chan's more than welcome to stay here and visit, if she wants!

[As for the matter of Vivi's eavesdropping, that depends on Katie. Sanji isn't sure if she wants to speak with him alone, or just came to check on him. He waits for her call]

[Katie's torn between doing the responsible thing and hurting Vivi's feelings, or settling just for seeing with her own eyes Sanji's safe and leaving him alone. The indecision probably shows on her face as she glances back and forth between them, and eventually she makes a compromise.]

You weren't very well before. Are you feeling better?

[Vivi hangs back quietly, though she's clearly still listening. But she won't make a peep until Katie and Sanji are done talking.]

[[ooc: aka feel free to skip her until you're done]]

[He scrutinizes Katie carefully, from her expression and her stance. To be honest, Sanji has wanted to talk to her about what happened - or as much as they can talk about it. He's a man who generally takes what life throws at him in stride, but even he'd like some sort of explanation.

Just... not in front of Vivi. He frames a compromise of his own, smiling slightly] You mean my cold? [See, he's learning] Yeah, got rid of that a few days ago.

But I'm a little unclear what happened to the symptoms. [He shifts and glances to the side, like he assumes something should be standing there] Maybe we can talk about it later.

[Giving him an explanation's going to be hell on earth when she can't be very straight with him. But Katie relaxes a little anyway, because it's more than clear Sanji isn't going to hate her for what happened. Confusion...is the best reaction she can hope for, really.]

Maybe. Though I don't know much about colds. I could make up all sorts of stories about them, though.

[Action]

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And mun had to go back and see what was asked XD

Gawd, ZZ. |D

derp

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