[Action]

[flickerflash]

[After Katie makes an offer to Jack this morning, she finally braves the teleporters to come travelling into town from the beach the way any normal person would.  Which is annoying to the extreme, and she really needs to ask someone about her lost magic, because just hopping over the mountain range was extraordinarily convenient.  But she has people to check in on in the wake of the huge storm, now she's feeling a lot more stable. 

Her friends, to make sure they're okay.  And those she ran into in the forest, to make sure they're okay.

Ergo, her stops are:

Houses #5, #6, and #7
House Avatar
And she's also looking for a weird guy in a dirty trenchcoat.  To  apologise for being so rude, if nothing else. 
Last of all, Raine.

She's very quietly kind of stomping through the street, though she'll stop to jump her way through any leaves or even water still left pooled behind.  Still a kid, after all.]




((ooc:  sob this will be terribly slow, but timing is important.   Anyone's welcome to tag even if Katie is specifically looking for certain people, but I will be excruciatingly slow for a few days.  Annnd given this is the aftermath of some threads that are still not finished yet, those on Katie's last post are welcome to placeholder this post and we can do that thread once we finish the first one.))

Comments

[markofthebrave]

[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.

[flickerflash]

[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.

[markofthebrave]

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

Well, I am pretty stubborn.

[flickerflash]

[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?

[markofthebrave]

[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.]

[flickerflash]

I could help!

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

[markofthebrave]

The plants, you mean?

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

[flickerflash]

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.]

[markofthebrave]

[Katara watches curiously.

She's not sure Katie is talking about tape.

Hesitant -]

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

[flickerflash]

[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.]

[markofthebrave]

[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.]

[flickerflash]

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

[markofthebrave]

[She can't help but gasp.]

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

[flickerflash]

[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.

[markofthebrave]

[Still wibbling slightly, Katara moves to comply.]

Okay.

[flickerflash]

[... 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.]

[markofthebrave]

[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.

[flickerflash]

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

[markofthebrave]

[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.]

[flickerflash]

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

[She looks kinda hopeful, oddly.]

[markofthebrave]

[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.]

[flickerflash]

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.]