generalflirt | ~♥THIRTY-SIX♥~

~♥THIRTY-SIX♥~

[Voice // Filtered to Katara (mid-morning)]
I think now's enough time, don't you think?

[Action]
[And during the bulk of the day...! Masaomi's forgone most of his training for today other than some things on his wrists. On his left wrist (the one that until very recently was in a cast) has a weighted bracelet on, one kilo. That way, he can work it without switching himself up too much. On his right wrist is still Katara's bracelet. He's also still rocking the Bradstache. BuT more importantly!

...He's here to flirt with girls. He hasn't done it in a while, he's in just the sort of mood where he wants to do it again. So if you're in town and a pretty girl, he's liable to go and flirt with you. If you're a dude, well then you can witness him doing it. React to him, stand there to be reacted to? There's a lot of ways you can roll this]

[Voice // Filtered to Gold and Silver (evening)]
Hey guys, let's go play some Mario Party. [Assumption being he told Shikamaru already]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She takes a breath, still holding tightly on to her focus, onto her determination to be loose but firm.

Lightly, with utter honesty:]

I'm trying not to think about it.

[Impressive.]

Ah, I don't know if I'd be able to stop thinking about it, myself.

[Still light, still honest.]

You'd be surprised how easy that is when there are children to take care of.

[Have a small potshot back.

I am who I am.]

It's pretty exhausting.

[Also, she did say trying.]

[...Ah, she's being honest. You know what. The least he can do is be honest too. He closes his eyes, exhales, and then in a much less clipped and more even tone]

I'm still offering my services however you might need them, Katara. It's perverse that someone your age should be looking after children that old. Particularly with your only help being a fourteen year old and brother.

[She took a deep breath, but it was far from deliberate - it was a sharp inhale, and her eyes as if in response to a hit.

"It's perverse that someone your age should be looking after children."

"It's perverse--"]

[She tenses like a bow string, a hand clasping into a fist.

"It's perverse--"]

They are my family!

[A thousand memories of small hands doing big chores.

More births. More children to help look after.

All the men gone.

Sokka. Laundry, cooking, mending, skinning, sewing, shoving meat into deep holes and taking it out again.

"Why? Because it's fun, and you hate fun."

"You're not my mom, and you're not their mom."

"It really seems like, my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there, and now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture."

"It's perverse--"]

I'd help any child from my world who showed up here, let alone family. There's nothing perverse about that!

[...Oh there we go, that's more what I expected]

[...Well shit, he's going to get nowhere here. This sucks. Had he already lost?]

Fine, it's perfectly alright and normal. It's not demanding on you at all. It's not something which I can think is an undue responsibility on you.

[Muttering to himself. Admonished, but sarcastic]

[No, this isn't his fault.

She exhales.

She doesn't want to say it. I've been doing this all my life. She doesn't want to get into that. But she owes him something.]

I didn't say it was all right, and I didn't say it wasn't demanding. But there's nothing perverse about it. I'm never going to turn my back on people who need me. This is my responsibility.

[She'd make it that, even if they weren't her family.]

Edited 2012-07-13 02:19 (UTC)

Ah... [...] You know, I can't deny that your family is your responsibility, but who else needs you in this situation, just to ask?

[She looks up at him.]

What do you mean?

Let's try it this way: how about you list your responsibilities to me?

[Just this look.

Seriously?]

[This look.

Humor me.]

[Fine, she'll talk, but it might not be what you want to hear.

Simple, but not so lightly:]

My responsibilities are what I decide they are.

I know, but why don't you list them?

[Sigh - no, Katara, focus. You were going to do this honestly.]

Because if I did, I might get overwhelmed, or leave something out. Because I'd rather just do it than think about it.

Edited 2012-07-13 02:39 (UTC)

It's alright to forget something in a moment, but if you're admitting you're overwhelmed, isn't that telling you something?

[He's so serious about this and she's so so determined not to let it rile her. But it's difficult. She doesn't like being poked here at all.]

I said if I think about it I might get overwhelmed.

[Wait. Too harsh. Loose.

Breathe.

She spreads her hands a little.]

It's been a lot these past few weeks. I'm feeling okay right now, but...

[She trails off, she bites her lip. Looks back up at him.]

Right now I just need to do what I need to do. I don't need to think about it.

[...Hah. She's so collected, so in control. For a brief, brief moment he thinks he might be wasting his time here. But... he has to believe he isn't. He's been picking his fight]

Are you alright, Katara?

[Not "okay," "alright"]

[...she was doing so well too.]

...I don't know how to answer that. Not in a way that you'll believe.

[Not in a way that will allow her to keep it together.]

Preferably honestly.

[Tilting his head to the side]

[Am I all right?

Ha.

She looks up at him.]

Then how about: I don't want to think about that either.

[This face]

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