markofthewise | Sokka the 26th

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Sokka the 26th - [Action]

[It's a busy couple of days at the smithy for Sokka. Aside from the huge playground order, which is keeping the place running all day long, he has a few other projects to work on. His own private supply of Batarangs (the boy has gotta have a hobby or twenty), Smoker's Jitte, and hey, he even finished off that saw he was supposed to finish a long time ago for Edward's client, the Medic. It's amazing how much work a guy can get done when he doesn't want to talk to Raphael, because he's a jerk, and Winry because of soap opera-esque brooding. Well, Edward, at least Sokka still has you, you freakish mountain of a teenage boy.

He'll be home later for awhile after work, but then he'll be heading to the roof of the house. Why? Because it's time he got rid of that spotlight with the Batman symbol on it before it causes any unwelcome attention. Or at least, he needs to get the metal bat piece on there off. Too bad it's welded there. All that work to pry it off might cause him to accidentally turn the thing on a few times and illuminate a certain emblem in the sky. Oops?

Naturally of course, feel free to get up in Sokka's business at any point in the day. He also has his journal open, so he'll certainly speak up if his name is mentioned.]

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I'm trying to give her a chance, but that doesn't mean--

[Wait. What. What?]

What?

Yeah. You know. [He does a few lame practice punches.]

A little one-two to knock Azula out. I didn't get to see it when Ty Lee did it to Azula. Personally I would like to see it for myself.

[...Please tell me he's not serious. Katara feels sick. She speaks very slowly, and carefully.]

Are you telling me. That you are learning. To block chi?

[That isn't the answer he was expecting. He can see that she is not pleased. At all.]

Well... hopefully. I think I can probably do it.

[And her reaction is instant-] Why would you want to learn that!? That's the most horrible fighting technique I've ever seen - you've had it happen to you! How could you want to do something like that to anyone else? Why would you want to?

[No... Sokka has seen worse. And you're one of the only two people he knows who can do it. More importantly though, he has had his chi blocked. It was annoying, yes, but he could think of worse ways to be disabled. A clobbering to the head, for instance.]

Because it's practical, Katara. It's a nonlethal way to disable someone without having to do serious harm to them without having a convenient Shirshu tongue around. Ty Lee says you can even learn to massage a pressure point to fix whatever was done, anyway.

[And that is exactly why she hates it so much.]

It's only nonlethal if it's done exactly right - do you know what a large blockage to chi can do? I do! It's the very force of life that's inside someone, and you're messing around with it from the inside. It's just - terrible!

[And she's actually starting to feel physically sick. One hand goes down to wrap around her stomach in a defensive posture. First fire, and now this? What the hell, Sokka?]

[This is more of a reaction than he expected. Eventually he answers.]

... I know it's dangerous, Katara. [But so is sticking a sword through someone's gut.] But really, who do you think I'd ever use it on?

[...and that's not a question she even considered. And her eyes widen, and she goes pale. And really? Katara wants to run away now. Is he learning this so he can--

But she doesn't run. Her chin comes up. Her voice is tense:]

Why are you asking me that? What difference does it make?

[He puts his hand on his sword.]

You didn't care when I learned to use this. [He pulls it out to inspect the blade.] This can do a lot more than just mess up someone's chi. If I'm not careful with it, I could easily kill someone with it. Fortunately I had a good teacher so that doesn't have to happen. [He slides it back into its sheath.] And it's not something I'd ever use on anyone I care about.

With a weapon, you just kill someone. This isn't like that!

[She's practically trembling - why can't he understand?]

[Which is worse, as far as he's concerned. But he's quiet as he considers it.]

Fine. If it's that important to you, I'll call it off. [It's clear that it bothers her and who knows, maybe after she's had enough time to think about it, she'll warm up to it. Like with the electricity in the house.] She can teach me how to stand on my head or something, instead.

[No, there are worse things than killing - and taking away someone's will is the worst of it. She hates that she knows how to do that now, and she doesn't want it for him, she doesn't want him to have to know what it feels like - like soaking your soul in dirty oil. So it's not just important to her that he stops, it's important to her that he understands. And for a flash she hates Ty Lee for this.]

You don't understand. [And for once, she doesn't have the words to explain it - it's just so deeply and instinctively wrong. The corners of her eyes start to fill up with tears.] And I don't understand you right now either.

[So - for the moment - she drops the chi blocking to move on to something they might be able to connect with, another cause of her frustration:] Does she even understand that what she did was wrong? Or is she just happy not to have to listen to Azula anymore? Is she treating you like an actual person? Or are you just something for her to play with? You know what they think about us.

Edited 2010-05-07 06:31 (UTC)

[Sokka is silent as he sees the tears start to form. He doesn't understand at all, really. If he did, it would make things easier. And it's times like this he hates not knowing what to do. No dad, no Gran Gran. Not even Aang. It was just... him. And he was the one that was the problem.]

... I don't think she's like that. [But he doesn't sound so sure of it. With how much Azula belittles him, from what he saw while in the Fire Nation, she does have a point. He knew about the stuff 'Kuzon' learned in the Fire Nation school. The way people were raised there was only a shade different than how the Dai Li trained their collection of 'Joo Dee' handlers. But Ty Lee hadn't treated him like that. Not that he could tell.] But I don't know. Not yet. [He was going to have to find out now, though.]

Good. Find out. [Because if she's just messing with you-- she'd better not just be messing with you. Katara moves away from where the wall's been holding her up more than she'd like to admit. She's tired, and confused, and miserable - and still feels vaguely like she's about to be sick.]

I'm going back out.

Edited 2010-05-07 06:44 (UTC)

[He's not happy about the thought of her going off by herself at this time of night. Not like this especially. He knows it's no good to stop her, but even so. He gets to his feet and sets a hand on her shoulder and lets out a soft sigh before answering.]

Later, we need to talk about it, Katara. If it's this important, I want to understand why.

[She pauses when he touches her, unable to pull away. And at his words she just - crumbles inwards, like paper in a fire. She doesn't want to break down in front of him. And she won't - but the sharp breath that she draws in should be more than enough to clue him in.

Katara doesn't turn around to look at him, but she nods.]

I won't go far.

[Probably no farther than their roof, actually. It's flat enough to make a good spot to sleep.]

[He nods at that. It's the best he's going to get for now.]

Alright, Katara. [And after a pause, he pulls his hand back.] I'm sorry.

Heh. [And she glances at him over her shoulder with the smallest of wry smiles.] What for?

[It's a question that sounds rhetorical - but isn't. So she pauses to give him time to answer, and if he doesn't - well, the fact that she doesn't have anything to pin on him other than that he doesn't understand and can't he see that this is wrong - she'll just start walking again.]

[He... well, he doesn't know what he should be sorry for, other than the obvious fact he made his little sister cry. That alone is more than enough to be sorry for, so he doesn't say anything and leans against the frame of the door and watches her leave. Will he ever learn? ~~No.~~]

[...it's a bit disappointing that he was just saying that to try to make her feel better. She doesn't want him to be sorry. She wants things to be okay. But Katara just... turns and keeps walking, out the door, around the house, and just far enough away that she doesn't have to worry about being seen or bumping into anybody.

The night has gotten cold, but the sky is clear, and the moon never tells your secrets. How long she cried, or how much she raged where no one could hear, Katara didn't know. But after a while and before dawn, she returns to the house.]

[In the meantime, Sokka isn't content to simply go to sleep with things left unsaid. So he waits for her in the living room ~~and ignores Roku's snoring~~, sitting himself in the arm chair that he turned in the direction of the door. His mind goes over what happened, trying to think about what he did wrong.

It's his plan to go after her once the clock shows that fifteen minutes have past. Unfortunately a day of hard work at the smithy, the confessions of Paru's tragic life, meeting Batman on the roof, his first lesson with Ty Lee, and his discussion with Katara have done more than taken their toll. He doesn't manage much longer than ten minutes before his eyes become too heavy to keep open and he drifts off, slouching over in an uncomfortable position in his seat.]

[And so a few hours later, Katara comes back and sees.. her beloved idiot brother, fallen asleep in a chair. She stealthily puts a pillow under his head so it won't hurt quite so badly, fetches a blanket to put it on top of him, and practically stumbles off to bed herself.]

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