Sokka the 68th - [Voice/Action]

[markofthewise]

[This morning, Sokka received a message through his journal. One he hadn't quite been expecting after everything that had happened last week. After pondering over it a bit, he inevitably was drawn to the journals to talk about it.]

You have to give the Malnosso credit. They drop a moon on the village and then they expect us to go show up to work for them like nothing ever happened. And it's... Farm Security. So I don't even get to do anything exciting. I get to a place I've already been, to make sure that 'our' food supplies don't get attacked. Yeah. That's great, "CJ". I'm really appreciating that. [He groans.] Well anyway, looks like I report at nine in the morning tomorrow. Apparently I'll be gone for five days. I'll take my journal, but apparently it won't work while I'm there. Guess I'll find out.

... so, I'm not the only one who signed up, right?

Oh. And Hiccup... keep an eye on the smithy. [Normally he'd ask Winry to do that. But things are a little... different with them lately. So he's not exactly jumping at the chance to go and have a public conversation with her. Or private, really.

For anybody who wants to run into him, Sokka will be doing his normal stuff at the smithy. He's making some preparations for needing to fight, since at this point he has only the Malnosso's word that this is less dangerous than a draft. Even though it's starting to get too cold for it, he'll eat his lunch out in the plaza like he always does. Other than that, he'll be spending his day as normally as he can. Come home for a normal dinner, tell some bad jokes to his housemates, and spend some time with his gal. In the morning, he'll head out.]

Comments

[markofthebrave]

I didn't say you were going to be out there alone. But you just said 'supposed to be' - since when did you start trusting them?

[markofthewise]

Look, if they're going to send me out there to be ambushed, there's not a whole lot I can do about that. We all knew that it might be a trick when we signed up. I'm taking as many bombs as I can, but that's the best I can do. Besides that, what they've told me is all I have to go on. We've been on three drafts and they're usually mostly right about those.

[markofthebrave]

The drafts and the missions are being managed two different groups, Sokka.

[markofthewise]

I know that. If it was you, wouldn't you still be going right now?

[markofthebrave]

[She shifts her gaze to glare at the book.]

And if it was me, wouldn't you be saying the same things I am?

[markofthewise]

[Well....]

Maybe. But I'd probably have a chart prepared.

[markofthebrave]

[Still glaring at the book, not looking up at him.]

I don't make charts.

[markofthewise]

I know. [Walking on over now. And here comes the hand on the shoulder.]

I'll be fine, okay? I just survived the end of the world, remember?

1/2

[markofthebrave]

[Scattered heartbeats where she doesn't move.]

[markofthebrave]

[3...2...1...]

I just don't understand why they're sending you out there alone! I don't like it.

[...on the plus side, there is more life to her explosion than there has been in the past month or so.]

[markofthewise]

[Yup. That's more of the typical Katara outrage. It's almost refreshing. Or would be, if it wasn't aimed at him.]

Blah blah blah, shift incompatibility, blah blah. You know them.

[markofthebrave]

[Shoving off now and glaring at the journal again. Seriously, if the book knew what was good for it, it would cough p her assignment to keep her brother company by now.]

I made you a medicine pack. You'll have room on your belt to take it with you. Let me know if you need anything explained.

[markofthewise]

Clean the wound, apply the medicine, and bandage it. That's pretty much it, right?

[And heck, if it's bad enough, he can sew together a wound. It won't be pretty. And it will hurt like hell. But. That's what battle is like.]

[markofthebrave]

Sort of. [She nods.] The blue bottle is for burns, the red is for infections - lacerations, and the green is for poisons.

[Sighing and shutting the book now.]

There are butterfly bandages in there too, and a needle and stitching thread.

[Someone has been spending all that time withdrawing from her friends wisely - at the Battle Dome Med Lab.]

The yellow bottle is a pain killer. It's strong, and it'll keep your head clear, but you might want to wait until you're safe anyway. I think it makes it feel like I'm moving more slowly.

[markofthewise]

[He's actually stunned by the level of information she's giving him there. He might have to write this down. Or hope the bottles are labeled. He also manages to avoid making a joke about bandages made out of butterflies.]

Wow. You're really getting good with this stuff, aren't you? [Sure, she was pretty handy with injuries even before she learned to heal with waterbending. But this is almost like she's a doctor or something.]

[markofthebrave]

Chopper had been teaching me for a while after school. [Before, you know... he went home.] We just finished the ingredients for those painkillers before he left.

[A half-shrug.] And I've been working with Trafalgar in the Med Lab for a while now.

[Which is why all her art projects look like the muscles and nerves of various parts of the body.]

[markofthewise]

[Trafalgar. Yeah, she spends a lot of time with him. Which Sokka. Doesn't. In fact, he hasn't said anything to him since he was 'dad'. So he is going to avoid commenting on that.]

Not bad. And here I am still working on my alchemy circles. [And he means that literally. Drawing a decent circle is pretty hard when you're a horrible artist.]

[markofthebrave]

[A quick smile.] You'll get it.

Why don't you go get ready for dinner?

[...]

And when you get back you can tell me what each of the colored bottles are for.

[markofthewise]

[... dammit! He should have known he was going to get quizzed. What was it... red for burns, blue for infections? That seemed sensible enough.]

Fine. Just give me a minute. [Time to lug all his ridiculous gear to his room.]

[markofthebrave]

[And she shouts after him:] Make sure you don't take too much! It won't do you any good if you can't move

[markofthewise]

[Dismissive handwave as he heads into his room. He plans to pack fairly light. But he knows how to pack smart too.]

I know, I know! I can handle it!

[markofthebrave]

Says the man who had to go back for the matching hat!

[markofthewise]

[So sue him if he likes to look nice!

Though after that shrinking hat incident, he's going to have a hard time trusting strange hats in the future. But a few minutes later, Sokka will be back and looking a little less like a pack mule.]

So! What's for dinner.

[markofthebrave]

Steak. Chicken stir fry. And rice.

[She glances up at him.]

What are the bottles in the med pack for?

[markofthewise]

[Okay. He can do this. Thinking now.]

Green is for poison. Red is for burns, blue for infections, and the yellow is for pain?