Oh the weather outside is frightful...

[boundlesslight.livejournal.com]

☀THE WARM AND TOASTY MEME☀
The situation: It is dreadfully cold. Think 'ice cave where all those slash fics are set'.
The goal: Keep each other warm tonight!

☀ STEP ONE: Comment with your characters. One comment for each character.
☀ STEP TWO: Other people reply to your characters.
☀ STEP THREE: Both participants are aware that they should/must keep nice and warm. To do that, you need to bundle up nice and closely, however grudgingly. No, killing your threadmate and cuddling the body doesn't count.
☀ STEP FOUR: Keep 'em warm! Hot cocoa, hot coffee, hot tea, hot mustard, or other suitably warming beverages will be provided if you cooperate.
☀ STEP FIVE: Lulz ensue!

((Basically just a winter-themed cuddle meme, with evil ideas from Shae and Col. Add some cuddle urges in the air if your characters won't otherwise cooperate but you want them to.))

Comments

[starbolts]

Starfire couldn't help but agree. "I know that we all care, despite our differences."

She giggled, reaching up to play with one of her hair strands. "How do you arrange yours?"

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"Our differences are what makes us great!" She said. "It's one of the best things about the ship, I think!"

She was happy at the mention of her hair, although she burrowed closer to the taller Tameranian. "I usually do them in hair loopies, like these, see? It's a style of the waterbenders."

[starbolts]

That they agreed on. "There is so much to learn here."

Starfire happily provided more warmth, still lost in thought. "I see! Do the other benders also have styles?"

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"You wouldn't believe!" Katara said. "I was more than happy just to make friends here, but because of what you learn, you get stronger in so many ways!"

And Katara gratefully shared her own with Starfire. "Somewhat, although I think earth and fire benders tend to not have a specific hair style. Air benders, from what I've seen are bald...well, the boys and men are. The girls, I think, usually just have most of their hair brought to the back tightly, so they appear to have the same attributes as the males. It's hard to say though: in my world, almost all the airbenders are wiped out."

[starbolts]

Starfire took a moment to imagine the different styles through how they would look on Katara. Could she make bald 'badass'? Probably.

That sad news about the airbenders, though, prompts a hug. "I am sorry."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

She had no idea that Starfire was planing to make her bald...as much as she like that look on Aang, it was the last thing she would have wanted.

She hugged back, and without expecting it, she teared up a little. "It was horrible for them, and for us. They imprisoned all of our waterbenders...except for me, because they didn't know I was a waterbender."

Wow. Hadn't expected THAT topic to come up.

[starbolts]

Starfire embraced her tightly, hoping to be soothing and warm. "I will not discuss it if you do not wish to, but I am glad that you are safe."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"It's all right," Katara said. "There was a time I wouldn't have been able to talk about it, but my world is gone now, and I've grown a lot since then."

She hugged back, and took a long drink before continuing. "I told you they eliminated the airbenders. Well, they had a boost of power then, but after that they came for us. Not to kill us: that would have taken too long. Instead they started attacking us routinely, slowly imprisoning each of our waterbenders, until they were almost sure they had every one. Then they realized there was one more, and came back to the village. While the raiders distracted our warriors in a fight, the captain went to my mother to find out about the last waterbender. My mother asked if they would leave if they found that person, and he said he would. So she told him she was the one, and asked she be taken prisoner. But...he wasn't taking prisoners that time. when we got back to the house, it was too late. He'd accomplished his mission, so he thought."

Here, Katara didn't mind burrowing with Starfire. She still couldn't tell this story without feeling a little of that emptiness, that left over sadness.

[starbolts]

Starfire listened quietly, holding the girl as comfortingly as she could. She knew well what it was like---her own family had died in war, and her only living relative despised her.

"I am so sorry, Katara. I mourn your family, as I do my own." She slipped a hand up to softly rub her friend's back.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara was glad to be able to confide this to a fellow Outsiders: to anyone else, she wouldn't have so inclined, and it would have been strange. But with Starfire, it was not only easier, it was comfortable.

"Yours?" Katara said, looking surprised. She smiled appreciatively at the hands on her back. "What happened to yours, Starfire?"

[starbolts]

"My parents were collateral damage in the war," she began, adjusting her hold comfortably and ducking her eyes. "My elder sister, Blackfire, was temped by the call of power when the Gordonians came to conquer our planet. She saw an opportunity and sold me into slavery. I have been told that the grief killed my parents," she uttered, bowing her head.

"I have tried to show my sister the error of her ways, but she is beyond my help." Don't mind it if she curls closer, Katara. That little detail has always bothered Starfire.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

And Katara did tear up, and held Starfire close too: as it turned out, sad stories ran deep betwixt the two of them, but she couldn't even imagine what Starfire said to her happening.

"That's awful. With the water tribe, family is everything. My brother and I had to look after each other when my dad left for the war. If we didn't have each other..."

She hugged her tightly, feeling sorry for her and loving her courage at the same time. She always had a smile on her face, and was always friendly. She was so brave.

[starbolts]

"I eventually found my friends, old and new," Starfire answered with a wavering smile. After a moment, her happiness solidified. "All was not lost, all was not sad. A brighter morning came."

And that was enough for her, she decided, hugging Katara in thanks. "It will come here as well."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

She grinned. "Darn right," she said. "I've met more friends here who've all helped me grow, like I said before. And I can tell you something Starfire: that you're such a bright, happy person is more than enough proof that we can all become better than how we were before."

Not that she meant the good times back then: she loved those times with the GAang. But if she had to be without them here, at least she had people who were like that.

And she hugged back, laughing. "I think we're both warming up now!"