Draft Log #1: Before

[lucetimods]

Who: Everyone!
What: Everything!
When: Whenever!
Where: Everywhere!
Summary: The draft has been announced, and the players have their parts. Time to get ready.
Rating: It'll probably vary

Comments

[markofthebrave]

[The day before the draft means there's a lot to do. She wakes early up after a light sleep and spends about an hour or so on her floor just stretching and mentally preparing herself.

Right. There are people to visit. Supplies to gather. Possibly more strategy talks to be had... and she still needs to cast her vote for this captaincy thing. So this morning-to-afternoon Katara will be all over the village, up North by the Straw Hats, popping in to at least say goodbye to Certain Ninja Friends, dropping by the Freedom Fighters, possibly visiting the Heart Pirates... and stopping and saying hello to everyone she sees if they pass by.

Also, she's on a mission. She doesn't like Yue being in the house with just Momo and Hawky. She hasn't decided just who she is going to ask yet, but she knows she's going to ask some people to drop in on her, maybe even invite her over

[slaying]

[ the thought hadn't occurred to buffy whose immune system is rather robust in the first place; she misses out on all these little considerations of group warfare. it's always humbling to be reminding.

quieter, then: ] Then let's hope so. I don't want to see Doctor McCoy's face when he has to treat half a ship full of flu-people.

[markofthebrave]

[Katara makes a face.]

No, that wouldn't be fun at all.

[She hesitates for a moment-

'The woman I love'-

From the context of those notes they were exchanging, Katara has a good guess, but... she doesn't really know Buffy that well, and she got her answer from Jack. Enough of an answer not to block him, anyway.

Except. Hmm. The captains had already been decided at this point and he hadn't made it. She wonders how Buffy feels about that.]

At least we won't have to worry about manning the ships. The Commandant said that the droids would keep them moving.

[slaying]

...And I'll let you know just how far I trust any of those droids the moment I figure out how far I can throw one.

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[Katara snerks.]

They did make some pretty amazing balloon animals.

[markofthebrave]

[She shakes her head.] I hate them. But they've got a vested interest in bringing this 'cargo' to shore. It makes sense that they'd enable us to sail there.

...although I don't really understand why they can't just teleport it. I mean, we've made teleports here, and we know they're watching us, so even if they didn't know how to build them before they should be able to now.

[slaying]

It's a war, Katara. For all we know, we could be sailing straight into enemy territory. And maybe that's why they don't have a teleport there. All the possible reasons are pretty nasty to think about.

[markofthebrave]

Sailing through it, maybe. But dropping off cargo to an enemy camp doesn't make any sense.

...unless it's a weapon.

[...and in that case, how many deaths are they going to be responsible for? The Commandant had told Shikamaru that the enemy usually tries to destroy this cargo.

She closes her eyes for a moment. Trying to keep in focus the only thing she can be responsible for out there - the protection of herself and those around her.]

[slaying]

Or a bribe. And we're headed not to an enemy camp but to a camp that the Malnosso intend to woo right of its feet. Who knows? I'm instead making it my priority to keep us safe. If we fight for them then it's their war. If we fight for us, then it's ours.

And I'm way more interested in fighting our war than theirs.

[markofthebrave]

[Her gaze flicks back up.] That's a good way of looking at it.

[...but it doesn't change the consequences of her actions. If in projecting her friends she enables the deaths of countless others...]

I just wish we knew more about it. I don't like being used. I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect us out there [and for a waterbender on the ocean, that is quite a lot], but... I used my abilities to do something I thought was helping once before. A lot of innocent people almost lost their lives.

[She shakes her head and then a hard glint comes into her eyes.] One of these days, we'll really get to fight our war. And then I have a few questions for them.

[slaying]

Making those kinds of calls...[ buffy latches onto katara's guilt. she's been there. leading an army of young girls? well, buffy wasn't a pro from the get-go. ]

It's never easy. But feeling once-burned and twice-shy about it can sometimes be even more dangerous.

[markofthebrave]

They're taking practically everyone from my world this time, did you know that? Yue and Iroh are the only ones who aren't going. Toph's still under an effect. I'm not going to hesitate out there.

[She's a warrior born. And the best way of taking care of everyone on a battlefield is making sure that she's free and clear to take care of everyone. She knows that, and she trusts her friends, but... that won't stop her from trying to be everywhere at once.]

[slaying]

Then we're in the same boat. Metaphorical boat, this time. Everyone from my world is on that list -- the only one who isn't? Well, she left a few days ago. Got out while the getting was still good.

[markofthebrave]

[This kind of loss... she never knows what to say to it.]

That's something else for them to answer for. [At least you don't have time to miss people in the middle of a battle. Fighting can be a great release of focus and rage.] I'm sorry, Buffy. I don't know if anything can help, but if you want to talk about it...

[slaying]

My sister's my everything, Katara. There's not much else to say beyond that.

[markofthebrave]

[...and Katara thinks of Aang.

And of the reassurance of having Sokka still here.]

I guess not.