keeping promises.

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

who: jet (rappelle) and katara (kyasdaughter).
what: checking in after the expedition. :|a
when: monday, november 21st, noon-ish.
where: katara's room.
rating: pg.

Knock knock.

Overall, Jet was lucky, during the expedition. There hadn't been anything he couldn't handle, the people he'd gotten stuck with had been generally alright, and even the train crash hadn't left him very much worse for wear. Some cuts, bruises, a few deep scrapes. He's had worse, and will probably get worse in the future.

He'll think about the things he saw, the things he learned, and whatever went down last night later. For now, he's checking in, because Katara had asked him to, and he's working on the 'actually keeping his promises' thing. He's a little later than he said he'd be, but he's sure she won't begrudge him the time he took to throw on a change of clothes. He's here, like he promised.

Besides, he's curious to see what eight year old Katara looks like.

Comments

[waterbends]

"It might not be over for you, but right now? It's definitely on hold. There's no one to fight here, Jet! It's futile, okay? Dragging this war out to the castle - it's not going to do anything but cause pain!"

But she stops, stands there to stare at him awkwardly.

"--I just want you see it how I do."

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

He looks down at her, not bothering to mask the harshness in his voice.

"I can't. Not now. I don't drag the war anywhere. I wasn't planning to take it to Ba Sing Se-- it just... came."

[waterbends]

She flinches away a little from his tone, but her shoulders tense, too.

"If it comes to Paradisa, then you're the one who brought it here."

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

His tone is incredulous, almost defensive.

"Don't be ridiculous. If I wasn't here, that wouldn't change what the Fire Nation did to my family, to Sneers', to Smellerbee's, to Longshot's, to yours. Are you asking me to forget all of that? It'll never happen."

[waterbends]

"Listen to yourself! It's what the Fire Nation did - not what he did! He's not the nation! He didn't make those decisions. He wasn't the one in charge - what was he supposed to do about it? He was a kid, Jet!"

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

Katara's words, while obviously logical, just bounce back. To be honest, he's not even really talking about Zuko now.

"And does that make you feel better?"

[waterbends]

"I don't need anything to make me feel better."

Her hands ball into tiny fists.

"I told you, Jet: he's my friend."

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

"Yeah? Are you his friend?"

[waterbends]

Her voice is unwavering, but her expression falters.

"Yes."

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

His expression becomes sardonic.

"Yeah. I thought so."

[waterbends]

She hates this. She hates being small - she hates being on edge, trying to balance friendship between Jet and Zuko.

Katara turns on her heel, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve and moving to grab the teacups on the table.

"Thanks for stopping by."

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

There is no friendship there, which is the root of the problem. But as soon as she turns away, she looks even smaller, and Jet realises that he's standing here arguing with Katara in her eight year old body. He must look ridiculous.

He gives it a few seconds, and then sighs.

"Don't do that."

[waterbends]

Katara huffs as she gathers the cups and saucers - why is this table so stupidly high - and she sniffles once, twice, to compose herself as she marches over to the sink.

"It's my room. I'll do what I want."

Obstinate.

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

Slowly, he walks back towards his chair, not sitting in it yet. He looks at her back.

"You invited me over for tea. I barely drank a mouthful."

[waterbends]

"And it's tepid now. No one likes tepid tea."

She dumps it in the sink, rubbing harshly at her eyes again before she lets herself turn to face him.

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

He sighs again, heavily, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"You know I didn't come here to fight you, right?"

[waterbends]

"I know. And - you know I'm your friend, too, don't you?"

Yeah. Staring up at him, eyes red-rimmed and wide. Hopeful.

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

It's on the tip of his tongue to ask why she has to be friends with the fire lord too-- but he doesn't, controlling the urge just in time. The anger is still there, simmering beneath the surface, but hell-- he doesn't really want to see Katara cry.

He just nods, as he walks over, and crouches to meet her height.

"I know."

[waterbends]

When he crouches down to meet her height, Katara first rolls her eyes - it was so demeaning being this short, how did kids stand it? But she relaxes a little at his admission regardless, and, after a visible moment of hesitation, hugs his neck.

"Look, we can talk about it more when I'm - normal again, okay?"

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a little strange having a conversation where you're staring floor-wards all the time.

He's a little surprised by the hug, but accepts it, rubbing her back briefly.

"Yeah. We will."

He pulls away, and hesitates before he speaks again.

"Remember when you asked me what my loss was?"

[waterbends]

"That time at the piano?"

She steps back when he does, rubbing the back of her neck a little bit awkwardly.

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

He nods.

"I can't remember their faces. Or what they looked like at all. Every time I try... I draw a blank. Nothing."

[waterbends]

"--what? Longshot and Smellerbee, or --?"

[rappelle.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head.

"My mom and dad."

[waterbends]

"What?"

It's Katara's turn to be angry.

"How could it do that?!"