notabluesbro | 13th Confession [Action/voice]

[Of course, Vash wasn't the only kid Legato ran into. The ass confused the hell out of him, but moreover, he wondered if he really was going to be 'trained' by someone. Trained to fight, right? And he said he'd be skillful, too... But right now? He called him useless. Incapable. Just some stray dog.

"If you think yourself capable, that is something you must prove."

Nicholas wanders into town and takes a seat at a bench, with journal in hand. Considers using it—even if it is confusing, and even if he's not the kind to spark up conversation. Instead he simmers a little, brow furrowed, reaching down and shaping snowballs before throwing them at the nearest building ~~totally sorry if he doesn't see you coming around the corner or something~~. For some reason, he feels like he's done this before. Something about the whiteness of all this is familiar, but... ah, well. He's too busy trying to decipher what that blue haired guy told him.

He was worth something. Wasn't he? Or was what every said true...]

[Voice]

How do y'prove you're worth something...?

[After that, he decides to go back into the forest and try to talk with that Eferin guy. Things weren't as bad as last time; he even got to actually speak to him, without any running or cursing. Even if it meant sucking up to the bastard, just a little. He's in the forest, sitting on the gnarled roots of a tree, lighting and putting out the end of a thin twig. It takes all of his concentration, but it's worth it. His pants leg has a hole burned into it, but whatever burn mark was under it has been wrapped up by a ripped shirt.]

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[But he relaxes, both mentally and visibly, lowering his scrawny leg back toward the earth, toward her hand. The word is stuttered and extremely embarrassed (as ears turn red and showcase the shame of it all):]

...S-sorry...

[There's something about that reaction which reminds Katara of herself - her other self. She's never told anyone how many times she's thought of that other little girl whose memories she won't dishonor by saying it didn't happen to her - the one who'd been covered in burns.

And she freezes before keeping her hand away from Nick and meeting his gaze soberly.]

It's all right. Those are some pretty fast reflexes you've got there. But I'm not going to hurt you - and I'd really like it if you'd let me take care of those burns before they get any worse. Your body isn't supposed to be burned.

[And nothing that happened that hurt you like this is your fault.]

Edited 2011-01-18 19:36 (UTC)

[He nods, though he can't bring himself to look at her while she works. The truth? He couldn't even count how many bruises he'd gotten on that one leg, a year beforehand. And when he rubs his arm nervously, he just thinks: a strong, cruel hand used to wrench it around and hurt him for no real reason.]

I know... you won't hurt me.

[Added, very sincerely:]

You're not like the others... You're not a bad person.

[...]

If someone needs my help, I'll do everything I can to help them.

[And she slowly undoes his makeshift bandage to expose the burn.

Katara tries very hard - very hard - to always do what she knows to be right. But there are some things that she has done - that she will do - which may right, but which are certainly not good. Bloodbending - she wishes she'd never learned it; she doesn't regret using it for a moment, despite feeling as though she'd bathed in dirty motor oil every time she thinks about it. Going after the man who killed her mother... not killing him...

No, she wasn't good.

But she wasn't bad either. Maybe. She doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about it.

She did know that she wasn't going to hurt this child. And when she puts her water-coated hand on the burn, it begins to heal.]

That's a promise I made to myself.

[He winces at first, but it's very quickly replaced with the same sort of relief his arm had felt when Sanji fixed him up. See, Nick? Things were okay here. There was nothing to worry about.]

...That's a really good thing to try t'do... I've never thought of doin' somethin' like that...

It wasn't something I was always able to do... but when I got strong enough, I couldn't turn my back on people who needed me - not when I knew I could help.

[And when she removes her hand, the burn is gone. Assuming that's the last of it, she'll stream the water into her waterskin again.]

It can get a little messy sometimes, and sometimes you need help in order to finish what you started... but I think that doing whatever is in your power to help other people is the best thing anyone can ever do.

[Aaa, he awkwardly holds his arm at that.]

I—don't really... y'know... have anyone like that. To help or anything.

[Really, he's barely able to help himself. How can he help other people?]

[Are you always such a heartbreaker, little Nicholas Wolfwood?]

Well - that's why you start off with whatever you can do. Sometimes it's really boring, necessary stuff - like mending fishing nets or socks or something. Or just helping someone reach something they couldn't before. But if you find that you were helping someone and got in over your head, you can always give me a call.

[Because I'd help you anyway, you know.]

[It might as well be his nickname, really.

...but he tilts his head at that.]

Fishing... nets...? Y'mean, those things in water, right? The scaley things?

[He heard the rest of your words, honest, he just is into this whole different world of things like 'mermaids' and 'fish'.]

Yeah, the scaley things that swim. Once you clean them and cut them, they make for good food.

[He rubs the skin of his now-healed shin.]

You got a lot of those, where you're from?

Our village was right by the ocean. We ate a lot of fish. And tigerseal, mostly.

A tiger-wha?

[No fair, you can't just throw animal names around when he knows so few!! ;;]

13th Confession [Action/voice]

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