Meet-n-Greet

[cityship]

After being released from stasis, having the slime removed from their bodies and clothed in the creepy, pulsing leaf-suit that everyone wore, and being taken to the Weapons & Possessions lockers to collect their belongings, the new arrivals would find themselves standing in the Observation Deck. Round windows lined the fleshy walls, revealing the

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[kaya_waterwave]

If there were a subject that Katara tried to stay away from, it was mothers. Still, Luna was able to talk about her mom dying, and that was unexpectedly something they had in common. "My mom was killed too," Katara said. "In my world, we had to fight off the Fire Nation because they want to control everything. They kept coming to the Southern Water Tribe to take away all the waterbenders. To protect me, mom said she was the last one. I'm the only Southern Waterbender left."

Well, there was Hamma, but she really didn't want to get into that. AT ALL.

Still, there was something both innocent and different about this Luna girl. She could see that while Luna had bad things happen, she didn't necessarily fall into a depression over it. Katara was a little envious there. She also probably came from a planet that was more advanced than hers too. Most seemed to be.

"I've never been on a spaceship that was alive, In my world, we don't even know what spaceships are, let alone that you can go to different planets. It might be for the best though. Once people know they can spread their empire farther, they'll try to do it."

She was spellbound when the girl uttered that spell, and her mouth was gaping. "That was amazing! No one can do things like that in my world! I mean, we can bend, but that's more of a discipline. If I had some water, I'd be happy to show it, but since I don't..."

Katara got up into a basic pose, and started to move rapidly, running in place. Soon, she accumulated beads of sweat and moved her hand to her face as if to swat it off. Instead, the water hardened to ice and she threw it at the wall. It cracked instantly. Katara sat, breathing rapidly.

"That looked crude, but without water I can't really get into it. I don't need a wand, just concentration and a knowledge of movement to do it. But to be able to do spells! That's impressive! Your world sounds really neat. I wish I could see it one day!"

[isee_snorkacks]

Luna listens, her eyes quiet and warm even as her face remains the same. Strange though she may be, she has a thing for comforting people, and sometimes getting them to share a little bit helps more than other things. Her nod is slow, considerate. "She sounds like a strong woman," she says, watching Katara for a long moment. "Mine didn't do anything near that heroic," she murmurs aimlessly, eyes shifting to the wall opposite them, regaining their dreaminess.

"I've never been on a spaceship at all. It's such a strange thing, floating through space." She looks out the nearest window, blinking slowly as she watches the blackness float by.

The Spectrespecs float back to their resting spot, hiding in her hair again though a few twinkles of their shiny material can still be seen. She is halfway through conjuring a glass to put water into when Katara starts jogging in place, and Luna stares up at her, the glass hovering in the air. She watches the sweat on the other girl's forehead freeze and hit the wall and doesn't start moving again until Katara is seated again and has finished talking. A twitch of her index finger and an intoned chant of 'aguamenti' has the glass filling with clear, cool water. She offers it to her new friend, not saying anything.

[kaya_waterwave]

Katara smiled. "It doesn't matter about that. What matters is that we both love our mothers, right? If anything, I'd say you were lucky. Your mom lived in a time where there wasn't so bad of a war. Honestly, heroism may look really amazing and inspirational to people, but to those who live through it, it can be pretty painful too. I think if you have peaceful times, you have more of a reason to cherish it."

Katara knew she was being preachy, but all she could see right now were the times she spent with her friends: Sokka, Momo, Appa and Aang first, then Toph and finally Zuko, and though they faced dark times, they were also happy for their times together, making jokes and laughing by the fire. Those were the times she loved the most, and were all the more meaningful when they faced dangerous situations together.

"Yeah. The closest I've come to it is riding an air blimp. OH, and that one time I was on an air scooter! I forgot how fun that was, that time in the Air Temple! This is really new, but I also think I'll like to see the stars. They'll look so different, now that we're up close."

Katara sightly watched as Luna created the water out of thin air. She marvels at the skill, to create something out of nowhere, and thought Sokka would probably faint. Still, that was Luna's skill. Katara has hers too.

She got up and started to draw the water of the glass slowly, her hands rhythmically looking as if she were conducting some kind of over elaborate symphony. But of course its more than that: its fluid movement like the element itself, it was dancing with your fingertips instead of your feet. Katara swam it overhead, then looped it in the air effortlessly, higher and higher. Finally she stopped and the water was hovering over them, paused before its descent on the girls. Of course, that's for effect: as it falls, Katara blows out and puts her hands out apart from her, and what was to make them both fairly wet has now becoming steam, hissing and condensing in their hair.

[isee_snorkacks]

"Of course. The fact that she died in a time when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was dormant is a sort of honor. I was just saying that her death was so much an accident that it was actually rather sad, though to die in the line of one's work is also good." She muses silently, twirling a piece of hair around her index finger. "Heroism is lovely and all, but knowledge is better than rash action. That's why I like being a Ravenclaw so much. 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure', after all."

Luna understands dark times, so the preaching is taken kindly. Cherishing what you have rather than worrying over what you don't is better when you're struggling, and Luna cherishes her friends above all else, especially considering that this last year has been the first time she's had friends since she was little.

Mouth slightly opened, Luna watches the water's path, blinking when it begins its inevitable decent towards them, 'hmm'ing when it turns to steam. "That's quite a skill," she says, looking down at the now-empty glass, then lifting her eyes to Katara. "Are your people born with that kind of magic, or is it a skill that you study to gain?"

[kaya_waterwave]

Katara stirred a little. She had no idea what kind of person was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but the feeling was understood: it was that feeling her nation had every time the ashes fell, and the steamships were on the horizons. She suddenly was happy she decided to talk to Luna. She was sure people thought her odd: she chose her words carefully, and they weren't what people always understood. But Katara could see that there was a lot of sensibility in a girl like this, in her own way: who wouldn't be drawn to that, even admire it?

It seemed, somehow, that with the little Katara had told her, Luna knew exactly what she meant. It occurred to her later that maybe their experiences weren't all that unalike, despite being from different worlds.

Katara shook her head. "Only a few are born with the ability, but the skill definitely has to be studied. I can't tell you how many water scrolls I've poured over, or moves I'd have to invent on the spot when we were close to being captured! It's the best way to learn in a way. I'm sure if we actually had schools, it would be easier than flying all around the world to learn."

[isee_snorkacks]

The feeling she got was most definitely correct. Though usually detached from a lot of things going on in the wider scope of things, Luna grasps how unfortunate it is that she exists in a time when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is making such a powerful comeback. Though Hogwarts is the safest place she could be, she somehow feels that being in the process of learning when such things are happening isn't quite the best idea; already knowing it all would be better, as it would give her and everyone else she holds dear a better chance for surviving. Losing one person has taught her that the hole they leave behind hurts, and she is much discinclined to have more holes in her heart.

This idea, the general desire to avoid being hurt again, is universal, so their situations have at least that in common, if not more. Luna muses inwardly that she's very glad Katara spoke to her; finding a kindred spirit in the world always makes her very happy, as it means potential for another friendship. Who knows, if Luna ever makes it home, Katara's likeness might find its way into the mural on her ceiling, as well.

"Another similarity," she murmurs, thinking of the two further years she would have to spend studying to get anywhere near perfect with her own skills. The mention of making up moves brings a smile to her lips, though, and her eyes twinkle. "That sounds like my friend Harry. He escaped from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named with 'expelliarmus', which is quite a bit more than most people can say for themselves. Improvising often takes more skill than simply doing what you're taught, in any case."

[kaya_waterwave]

Katara wished she knew what Luna was thinking, as she was silent for a little while, but that was OK. Considering the situation, getting lost in thought was more than forgivable, it was necessary. Besides, it hadn't escaped Katara that Luna might be a thinker to begin with, if she came from a house whose best feature was using your brains. She imagined Sokka would like to be in a house like that, he seemed to push on the idea of rationality and logic over everything. Of course, he'd never think quite like Luna, which was fine . It suited her well.

At the mention of a boy named Harry, Katara got the impression he was something of a big deal. OK, now their similarities were getting downright eerie. Still, it was good to be sure.

"Who is Harry? What's he to you?"

[isee_snorkacks]

Luna's mouth opens partway, eyes fixed on Katara more intently than she has done so far. A small laugh slips out, and she smiles, most definitely amused with the question. Asking who Harry Potter was seems rather... well, ridiculous to her, and she has to remind herself that Katara is from a world where, if they do have a fated savior (as The Daily Prophet has dubbed him), he doesn't come with a lightning scar and tousled black hair.

"Who is Harry... Harry - Harry Potter is The Boy Who Lived, and one of our world's only hopes for coming out alive from the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He's a very talented wizard, but he's very sad, too. His godfather just died, and he already lost his parents to the war. He's a wonderful person," she says, tone filled with a warmth that is typical of Luna these days when she talks about any one of her friends. "He's one of my best friends," she adds, still smiling, wondering if maybe he's made his way onto Stacy, too. That would be nice.

[kaya_waterwave]

And Katara laughs herself, so amused that what she had thought was true actually was. The two of them really were more similar than they thought. If other people on the ship were like Luna, she had a feeling getting adjusted wouldn't be as hard as she though. She just had to wrap her head around things that seemed impossible on her world.

"In my world, there is someone like that," she said, smiling. "He is the Avatar, and he has the ability to use all four of the elements, as well as being able to use the Avatar state, where the bending ability increases fivefold. As fate happened, I was the one that released the newest Avatar, the last airbender. His name is Aang, and he and I, along with my brother and friends, traveled the world to try and undo the wrongs in our world. Aang is...well, he's someone very special to me. I miss him already. He sounds like he'd get along with your Harry Potter."

She was already wondering what kind of person Harry was. Strange name though.

[isee_snorkacks]

Katara's laughter has Luna's smile widening, as she has always liked hearing other people express mirth, whether it's at her expense or not. That's one of the reasons that she never particularly minded people stealing her things at school, because it gave them joy, and if it made them happy, she was just as happy to oblige. As long as they gave them back eventually, of course...

"Aang is a very odd name," Luna observes aloud, thinking all the same that yes, he probably would get along with Harry. Most people got along with Harry, actually, permitted that they didn't call him a liar or a prick, and even then there were exceptions. "It's possible to use other elements than water? Things like fire and earth?"

[kaya_waterwave]

Katara nodded. "Well, only the Avatar can do all four. Everyone else can only just do the one they were born with. That doesn't mean you can't learn something from the other nations, though. I know my friend Zuko learned how to deflect lightning by watching the waterbenders. But there are water, fire, earth and air."

Katara smiled. " I HAVE to know...how are you able to make things appear out of thin air?"

[isee_snorkacks]

"Hmm... I'd like to see that sometime." Though it wasn't exactly obvious what she's referring to, she means someone deflecting lightning. She has always been a little frightened of lightning, so seeing someone defeat it is something she would enjoy. Not to mention asking them how they did it so she could try making a spell to do the same thing... She blinks. "So each of the elements has a nation? That's interesting."

As she wonders how to answer, Luna twitches her wand, murmuring a charm that Hermione had helped her perfect. A small flock of canaries shoots from the end of her wand, proceeding to flap around the two girls' heads chirruping and tweeting. "For most things there is a charm or a spell, but after a point you learn how to conjure things without anything that specific. An image in your head serves to create it, and -" POOF, there is a bust of Rowena Ravenclaw on the floor beside them. "It's very simple."

[kaya_waterwave]

Katara nodded. "I heard that Zuko is supposed to be here, he could properly show you. I know waterbending moves, but he's more familiar in how they would apply in that situation." Katara was somewhat certain that was what Luna was referring to, since it was impossible to show her all the bending moves. Aang was the only airbender, and as far as she knew there was no mention of any earthbender on the ship yet. So she was certain Stacy wanted at the least, a firebender and a waterbender. What they would be applied for was anyone's guess.

She watched the canaries with rapt attention. Never mind she'd never seen a species of bird that was ONLY a bird: she used a stick to make them appear! "Wow! Usually it takes a lot of studying to perfect a waterbending move, or at least a very tight situation! Your world is really amazing! Too bad it has its hardships of people trying to hurt others, like mine. What are your enemies after?"

[isee_snorkacks]

"Zuko... Another odd name," she muses. "I suppose I'll look forward to meeting him if he is indeed somewhere onboard. What element does he control?"

The birds continue to circle and chirrup, seemingly ecstatic to be alive in their odd way. Luna blinks at Katara's question, her eyes fixed on the feathery yellow charm-birds, her eyes darkening slightly. She looks very deep in thought for a few minutes before looking back down at the waterbender, a rather odd expression on her face, something quite close to fear. "Daddy has a hypothesis. There is an old myth about three brothers that, while most people believe it to be nothing more than myth, is actually quite true. The tale focuses on a way to escape death known as the Deathly Hallows. He's only spoken of it to me, this hypothesis, but he believes that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is after the Elder Wand, otherwise known as the Deathstick and the Wand of Destiny. It's the ultimate weapon in our world, and while no one can be completely invincible without the other two Hallows, the idea of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named possessing the Elder Wand is more terrifying than the demon himself. There haven't been official inquiries into that line of thought, of course..." She hesitates, and the fear fades from her eyes, replaced by a rather melancholy smile. "Other than the Elder Wand, our enemy is after Harry Potter, but I believe that Harry can overcome He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's power and defeat him. Harry's a very powerful wizard, and if he can't do it, then there's no hope for the rest of us."

[kaya_waterwave]

Katara chuckled. "I thought the same thing about the name 'Harry. I guess names are something we all have to get used to. He controls fire, and he's very good at it. I've seen him in action, and he's on his way to becoming a bit of a master at it himself."

Katara cupped a bird and listened to Luna, noting the change in the girls' usual dreamy attitude. The story she told made Katara's pulse quicken and her mouth go dry even though she had never met this 'He-who-must-not-be-named.' That was hardly surprising though: if there was one thing Katara was aware of from her world, it was how dangerous people were when they went out of their way to dominate others.

"I wish I could say I could never imagine a wizard like who you're talking about. In my world, the Fire nation is headed by a kind of king called the Firelord, and he's the one who had the Fire nation troops invade our homelands. On a particular day, when a comet shot in the sky, the fire benders are at their strongest, and a hundred years ago they used that power to wipe out all the airbenders. Later, the new firelord wanted to use that power again...to destroy all of the opposition in the Earth Kingdom. He's a very dangerous man, and the father of Zuko, my friend. He came very close to achieving his goal, had Aang not stepped in and stopped him."

Katara smiled at Luna. "But Harry will need his friends too, I know that much. They give him strength, just like we did the Avatar. In that way, we're all just as important."

[isee_snorkacks]

"I suppose it's all relative. I think your names are strange, you think my names are strange. Though some of the names in my world are fairly peculiar... Nymphadora. Bellatrix. I've always liked the name Bellatrix." No reference to the fact that Bellatrix puts the 'fun' back in 'fundamentalist psycho', nor the way she murdered Harry's godfather. Luna values the brighter things in life, like interesting names and Dirigible Plums. Speaking of Dirigible Plums... "It's too bad there weren't any in my locker... that would have been wonderful." Grumbling stomach aside... "I'm sure firebending is just as interesting as waterbending. Does it look any different? Yours was like a dance, though I suppose all the other forms could be quite fluid, too..."

"Malicious forces are a constant, though it really is a shame that there's such ambiguity about the battle between what we call 'good and evil'. The Firelord probably saw himself as quite justified in his actions, just as much so as Aang did in his. No one can say whose philosophy is correct, therefore there will always be new genocides, whether it's a powerful dark wizard persecuting Muggles and Muggle-borns or a Firebender trying to crush a resistance. This war that Stacy is enlisting us to fight in might even be wrong by our own principles, though Stacy obviously sees it as justifiable." Though no one has said anything about a war, Luna tends to draw her own conclusions, and after all, why else would someone gather such a group of people who all seemed to have powerful skills in some form of combat or another?

Katara's smile is returned with a glowing one of Luna's own. "Friends are the one universal thing, I think. Everyone needs friends." One of the witch's own personal philosophies, bred of the close ties she made in the last year of resisting the reign of the Hogwarts High Inquisitor and trying to save Sirius Black.