October Catch-All

[oceanblue]

Characters: Katara, Open
Date: October
Location: Wood Sector mostly
Situation: Katara's Balancing Act
Warnings/Rating:Lots and lots of hurt feels

Katara, as of late, is stuck in a very tentative balance between her own healing and doing her best to be the strength of those around her. She's starting to wear thin and is far too close to breaking, but she's determined not to let it interfere with her aiding the others.

Stresses/Situations include:

-Physically, Katara has yet to heal completely from Zuko's fire.
-The entire poisoned Zuko situation. Her efforts to heal him have been completely ineffective, for which she feels personally guilty. She's having to watch him fall apart and can do nothing to stop him. There's no way to help him carry his burden except to let him hurt her, which, unfortunately for her friends and brother, she's willing to do. She is also battling romantic feelings toward him as well: this level of dedication to someone's wellbeing definitely has an effect on the heart, and she is no exception. The fact that they arrived together out of a particularly desperate moment back home also doesn't help. (Or does it)
-Though her own turtle was spared, Katara is devastated over the murder of the babies, particularly Korra's.
-She's well aware that her bloodbending capability is emotionally scarring, and now she's having to watch over a hurt and very hesitant avatar. She's healing him in silence (after the Kedan's fail assassination attempt) when he allows her near enough, but the tension is wearing her down to the point of actual frustration, both toward him and herself.


She will, however, attempt to hide as many of these as she can from everyone including Aang, her brother, and Akito, lest she be even more of a burden on an already dark situation.

(( Threads are open to any situation you like :) ))

Comments

[raavashing]

"You ran off," he finished for her. And then he signed heavily and murmured, "Zuko didn't betray you. I'm the one that kissed him."

[oceanblue]

Blue eyes lifted to his, studying in a respectful sort of fear. "He didn't seem to mind," she muttered. After a moment's pause: "And... I don't think there's really anything to betray anyway. At least, not that he's noticed."

[raavashing]

"Your trust," was the immediate answer as Wan wasn't quite aware yet that Katara had feelings for Zuko in the way that Wan had them. "But being my friend and liking the kiss... that doesn't mean he isn't still your friend and doesn't still trust you. He's the one who insisted I let you heal me. You still have his trust. What I did shouldn't betray yours."

[oceanblue]

"Of course he's still my friend, and of course he trusts me. That's-- That's not what I meant," she admits, shaking her head. Timid beating around the bush wasn't going to help much in this situation, and her rational side was slowly peeking its head up once more. "Of course I still trust him. I just..."

Awkward. Awkward awkward.

"I thought there was something else there that... probably wasn't," she told him, looking away.

[raavashing]

Wan was pretty obtuse on the subject of people having feelings for other people. Most of the time. But at the moment the feelings he had for Zuko were also feelings that Katara apparently shared and it was because of that, that Wan managed to pick up on what she meant.

He turned his head away as well and tucked his shoulders inward, "He said he was confused. And he was talking about you, too. I don't know what any of that might mean. But he cares about you."

[oceanblue]

For a moment--just a moment-- the spark of hope flickered back into her eyes as she turned her gaze back on him. It quickly masked itself when she realized it didn't matter: Wan had gotten to him first, and if he was confused...there was nothing more she could do but nurture what was there, if anything. Her feelings were strong, and wouldn't fade easily... but there was more at stake between all of them now, things much more important than her feelings. "....I know..."

She also realized it wouldn't be fair to make Wan any more uncomfortable, and swallowing a bit hard, she shook her head and shifted to her knees, gathering the bowl of now normal water. "I...I should go..." she told him, perhaps a little too sudden and with a voice that sounded as if it came from a too-tight throat.

It wouldn't change anything... but she could definitely throw the conversation.

"I'll come back to make sure you're okay later," she told him, slowly rising to her feet, her eyes avoiding him entirely. After all, Wan was important, and she wouldn't abandon him either.