deathsdoctor

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[Blissfully unaware of Admirals stalking the village in search of him, Trafalgar Law is taking a few hours away from nosing around the village and through the journals... though it’s still open – he likes to listen to the background noise from the book. Today he must attend to some of life’s tedious domestic necessities. Mainly cleaning the apartment, cooking dinner, and sitting down on the couch to alter some new shirts and sweaters to accommodate his wings.

Boring, but it’s not going to get done by itself.

Sword maintenance comes next on the list, and that’s when the hairs on the back of his neck start to rise as he sights down the blade looking for imperfections and fractures. It’s a loud day for the journals, what with the floods of new arrivals (and no voices of crew yet), but he’s got the uneasy feeling the fun’s about to visit him in turn. 8| ]

… it’s really going crazy out there…

[… a really uneasy feeling.]

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[Mr. Law, there is someone peering around the corner of the couch you are sitting on. She doesn't know where she is, and this is no place at ALL like home, and you have a very big sword. And you are between her and the door and she doesn't know what to do yet. She doesn't see her brother, or her father or - or anything at all that makes sense.

Before she makes up her mind whether or not to ask for help or make a break for it, will she be spotted?]

[That sword is being sheathed and Law yawns sleepily and stretches. Not going to sleep, because KIZARU, but just leaning back and dozing and...

... huh...

Someone's here. That does not feel like a threat.

Cracking open an eye and scanning around the room. He spots movement...]

Hello?

[Spotted! Run or respond?

It's Katara's nature to be trusting. And he did put the sword away. So... she steps out from behind the couch.. mostly.]

Hello? Could you tell me where I am?

[Oh... my...

Getting off the couch and sinking to his knees, sword left far behind, hat on the couch.]

You're in my apartment. ... in Luceti.

[You are who he thinks you are, right?]

[Okay, so - he left the sword behind and that's good and seems to be helpful and that's good too, so she takes the half-step away from the couch completely.

'Luceti.' ...she doesn't recognize that name.]

Where's that?

[She can't be here. She needs to get home to make dinner. Her dad will worry. Sokka will get in trouble. And Gran-Gran needs help...]

Can you help me get back home? It's almost time for me to make dinner.

[Oh shit. This is an experiment isn't it?

He is shit at breaking bad news to kids. Especially kid forms of people he does know]

... Luceti is... [Given he doesn't know] ... just beyond the mountains by the sea. It's a sort of a magical port. Where people arrive and spend some time, and then return to the moment where they left by the same type of magic.

[When it comes down to it, Shifting may as well be magic. Both are equally unfathomable]

[Now the hard part]

I'm afraid I don't know how to make it return you right now. All I know it will eventually take you back, in time to make that dinner. But while you're here, I'll help you as best I can. That I do promise.

[Katara listens to what he says with very wide eyes and Does Not Cry although there is a moment when those eyes do take on a sheen of tears. She looks down and rapidly blinks them away because she has to be strong.] Oh.

[...and, well, he does have wings. That lends more credence to his story than anything else. Because people don't have wings. Not unless there's magic.]

[And - well, she'll just have to check it out for herself, that's all. She'll have to get out there and start walking and just - see. But she should thank him first.]

Thank you. I'm Katara. What's your name?

[... and you, you don't have wings...

... are you even the Katara he knows?

... whatever, there's Admirals and other psychos on the streets tonight. He ain't letting you wander out by yourself. There's a sure ticket for being murdered right there.]

Trafalgar Law. But you can call me Trafalgar.

[Like your alternate does]

[Trafalgar?]

That's a funny name. [But then she smiles.] It's nice to meet you, Trafalgar!

[She... almost says it completely right. And her eyes drift passed you to the door for half a second. It wouldn't due to be rude to the nice man who promised to help her (even if he looks kind of scary, he does seem to be very nice!) but she has to leave soon to see if she can find anyone she knows, or - even better - a way home.]

It's nice to meet you too...

[Following those eyes... no, you are not leaving alone.]

The streets are very dangerous tonight. The magic brought with it some very unpleasant people and they are folk who won't blink before hurting someone. It's a bad idea to go out right now. An even worse one to do so alone.

[Katara listens closely - and a little guiltily (how did he know?) - as he speaks.]

But I can't stay here. I need to see if I'm the only one here from home. If Sokka's here, he'll be looking for me! And if he's not... [she squares her little shoulders, because you're here and you're nice, and you look like home... but she's a big girl now. It doesn't matter if she's scared. She has to be strong.] ...then I need to find someplace to stay for the night.

I know, Katara. But if you must go out, you have to bring someone with you. This place isn't safe.

[Rubbing his face, he glances over towards the journal. An idea is forming...]

What I do have is a magic book. It lets you talk with the people of the village. You can ask for your brother through there. If they've seen him, they'll let you know. It's better than wandering around hoping to run into him.

['Not safe' for Katara translates into 'raids' and a shadow that is familiarity with fear, and far too much intimacy with helplessness in danger for someone her age crosses her face.]

Is it not safe all the time?

[... he's sorry to learn that, young one. Your childhood should be safe. But. That's not usually the case, is it?]

No. It's not. Most of the time it can be very dangerous. This is a magical place, things shift around all the time and there can be dangers where you don't expect them. And some of the people here? Are very good. But, Katara. There are some that are very bad, and you don't want to run into them.

[Bringing her the journal]

Here... the book I spoke of. All you have to do is open and speak into it.

[Katara listens to this and - it's a lot of information, and it's scary and so she holds on to the good parts he offers her but it's not quite enough to keep her from wibbling because...

...because this isn't home.

She takes the book from him, but she doesn't open it - Katara looks at him instead. If all those bad people are out there, is it really safe to open the book and talk to them? And after a pause, she decides - if it wasn't safe, he wouldn't have told her to do it.

So Katara opens the book.]

Um... hello? My name's Katara. And I somehow got here by accident. If there's anyone else here from home - I'm here too. [Because - if it's anyone from home they'll know to come find her, and if it's someone she needs to be strong for then they'll know that she's here for them too.]

[Katara looks back up at him. Good enough?]

[Law nods. Very, very good.]

Now we wait and see.

[A quick, fleeting smile flashes across her face at his approval.] Okay!

[And then Katara fixes her attention completely on the book. Come on, somebody. Anybody. She speaks up while still staring at the journal.] How will I know if it worked?

[Peering at the journal, rustling his wings as he watches] They'll speak back, addressing you.

It might take some time. The village has many new arrivals. Now that they know that you're looking, they've got to make sure that they've found the people in question

Oh. [She says it without looking up at him, staring at the journal and waiting in that way that only children have of time that goes so much more slowly which means the longed-for-change could happen at any moment.

Please.... please.]

[Sensing that you're getting impatient, here... which is not good. No telling when you might think running off is a better option than staying put.]

While we wait, do you want to hear a story? Something I was told in my village when I was a little boy.

[She blinks up at him, away from the magic book. There's something in the back of her mind that informs her, quite clearly, that he is trying to distract her from waiting on the book. And there's something else that tells her she's being rude.

Her eyes cut to the door again - but she doesn't really need anymore evidence that this place was what he said. She's never seen furniture like this before, or clothes like he was wearing, and she didn't think he'd been the one who brought her here 'cause he hadn't known she was here until she came out from behind the sitting-thing. All the same, her grip on the book unconsciously tightens to the point where she is white-knuckled.]

Okay. [And she clasps the book to herself before turning and walking over to the sitting-thing and hoisting herself up on it, hoping that she's doing it right. This way, he can be comfortable!] Come sit next to me?

[And she settles the journal on her lap, still holding on to it tightly, but she gives him a little smile.]

[You're frightened of him, aren't you? It slices in a way he never thought it would, cuts shallow but stinging, but it's a good pain as well. Reassuring.

You are not little Miss Nami in those woods. You can sense danger, though he is of no danger to you (or was to her). You will be safer here because of it, though you are still oh so vulnerable.]

Okay. [And he gets up and sits next to her, slouching back slightly as he makes himself comfortable.]

This takes place a long time ago, and in a land now far, far away. Once there was an old, wise woman who lived alone on the ice...

[She is scared. She's scared because she's alone, because she's not where she's supposed to be, because she doesn't know anyone, because her father's not here and her brother's not here and magic book or no she doesn't understand any of this and she just really, really wants to go home.

But of you, in particular? 'Scared' isn't really the right word. She's trusting you enough to listen to you, but... but. She doesn't know you. You are not home.

She's instantly intrigued by the beginning of the story.]

Were they in the South Pole?

[Humming in thought] I'm from the northern polar regions of my world, but the elders never said which pole it took place at. So yes, it could very well be at the South Pole.

Now, this woman lived in a cave next to the frozen sea. The cave was carved out of a glacier and she lived deep inside. In this cave, there was a magical pool of sea water from the waters passing underneath. It acted like a mirror and in it one could see the paths your life could take.

For this wise old woman, was no ordinary woman. Not only was it said that her wisdom could drown the ocean, and she was as ageless as the ice itself, she did something that was nearly unheard of among the people who lived on the ice. She wove. But not just anything. The old woman, wrapped in her pelts, wove the tapestry of life, with magical threads. No one was sure what these magical threads were made of, except that whatever they were, life altered at their introduction.

Naturally, of course, there were people who sought out this woman for her advice and knowledge. And one day, a girl decided to make this dangerous journey as well. For her family and her people faced a seeming hopeless calamity and she refused to let it be. No, she would see what was in store for her and hers... and what, if anything, could be done...

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