Sokka the 69th - [ Action / Voice ]

[markofthewise]

[Another draft without Sokka. Which meant he would probably be on the next one. Crazy as it was, this 'every other draft' pattern was becoming particularly noticeable. He was glad he wasn't going, though. But he worried about those that were. Which is why he's been spending extra time at the smithy the last few days, right up to the point of bringing the grinder out into the main entrance, along with plenty of other tools to get weapons back into shape. Anyone who needed their weapons sharpened or touched up wouldn't have to wait for long.

It's a fine distraction anyway. He had belatedly realized that as of a week ago, he had been trapped in Luceti for two years. Between Yue being gone and Toph kidnapped yet again (even if she did not remember previous times), he was doing his best to distract himself from getting bummed out. Which he'd always been pretty good at. Having an excuse to do all this work was really, really helpful towards that end.]

[It's the morning of the draft now and he's up early, heading to the smithy as early as six in the morning, for anyone with any last minute requests. There's not much he can offer besides sharper weapons and additional weapons (and the suggestion to stuck up on jerky), but it's the best he's got. When he has a moment to himself, he pops open the journal.]

So... this is the seventh draft since I've been here. It's kind of hard to believe it's been two years now. When I first showed up here, the worst we had to worry about was weird experiments and falling in love with people. Uh, but anyway, good luck to those of you going out there. Be sure to pack up plenty of extra food and water. A canteen and some jerky will go a long way. Oh, and I'm at the smithy if you something last minute. I can't make anything new, but I can get your sword sharpened if you need it.

... this snow is really starting to pile up. Maybe I should call it an early day.

[It's still dark outside that early in the morning, but he has. A feeling. It's windy and there's snow everywhere. If it picks up more, it might just become impossible to see outside. Once the draftees are gone, he figures he better stock up on (more) supplies. Even if he does already have tons of emergency food horded away back home.

Once the snow finally starts to heavily set in, he'll be marching through it LIKE A SOLDIER from the store back home, even through the middle of a blizzard. He could kick himself for getting caught in it. He's Water Tribe. He knows better. At least he'll eventually get back home in one piece.]

((ooc: This takes places in the hours before the draft starts, as well as during the blizzard. You can tag him the day before too. He'll be at the smithy doing the same thing.))

Comments

[ action ] while they let us have these

[markofthebrave]

[Yeah, well. Katara is home already like a sensible Water Tribe person. And has been giving increasingly worried glances at the windows. Hopefully he was smart enough to stay at the smithy. She knows he's got a store of food there. But he'd let her know that, right? Her journal is open.

She's not going to distract him if he's walking home or otherwise stupid, but... yeah, she's going to go and do something if he doesn't get home or she doesn't hear from him soon.]

[ action ] for now, anyway

[markofthewise]

[By the time he realized he should have stayed in the smithy, it was too late to pen a message. But he could navigate this. He'd walked through worse before. And he was younger and scrawnier then. This? This he could do. Even with bags of food in his arms.

But it takes far longer than it should and he stops at the wrong house more than once before he finally makes it. When he does, he's ready to go find somewhere to collapse. Crazy, crazy, CRAZY weather.]

I think. I think maybe everyone off fighting are the lucky ones.

[ action ] /sob

[markofthebrave]

[She is so not happy with you. You worried her!]

What were you doing out there?

[Voice]

[kyoshi]

...It's hard to believe it's really been that long for any of us. No wonder people start to think they won't go home at all...

[It's a depressing realization.]

[Voice]

[markofthewise]

Seriously. I mean, at this point, I have to remind myself that wings aren't normal.

[Voice]

[kyoshi]

I wonder if that's why it's so common to forget this place when people get sent home. I mean, if this became normal, our real lives would seem pretty strange.

[Voice]

[sea-king-bait.livejournal.com]

I... could make you some extra food, if you need it, Sokka-chin.

[A lot of her friends are going to this draft. She's no fighter, but if she can help out, in any way, she'll do it gladly.]

[Voice]

[markofthewise]

It's not so much the making food. It's the having the food so it can be made.

[Not that he doesn't appreciate the offer.]

[Voice]

[sea-king-bait.livejournal.com]

Oh! Well that makes things easier, then. The cooking is the hardest part!

[voice]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

They've been around since I've been here, but they're pretty recent for Luceti... I hope there'll come a time again when the Malnosso don't take drafts.

[voice]

[markofthewise]

I think the more optimistic approach would be 'come a time without the Malnosso'.

[voice]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Without the Third Party, too. So we could be really free here and not have any bullies around!

[voice]

[generalflirt]

What about a consultation?

[... okay so he felts awkward but oh well]

[voice]

[markofthewise]

A consultation?

[voice]

[generalflirt]

Yeah, about something I want to know about improving.

[action]

[so_shik]

[At the Smithy, you say? Shiki's going to trudge her way through the snow toward the building from All Passions, letting herself in and seeking out Sokka.]

...I think you can guess why I'm here.

[action]

[markofthewise]

[Yeah. It's pretty obvious why she would be. But.]

You're sick of me always wearing blue? [Hisoka. He said mean things.]

Re: [action]

[so_shik]

...not quite, but now that you mention it you could use a wardrobe upgrade. [That's because Hisoka's a dick. Just ask Shiki.]

[voice]

[menial]

...Huh, you mean there used not to be drafts?

[voice]

[markofthewise]

When I first showed up here, they was no electricity either. With weather like this, you'd be wanting to make sure you stocked up on firewood first.

[voice]

[menial]

['He sounds like an old man talking about the Meiji restoration. Okay, that might be a bit old these days even for old men, but still.']

Glad to see we've had advancement over the years rather than stagnation.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

...Got any spare daggers that can fit in the top of a boot, Sokka?

[ a sigh. ] I seem to have...lost mine.

[ voice ]

[markofthewise]

Buffy. I work at the smithy. I have more daggers than I know what to do with.

[But hey, she gets points for dagger boot. It's a classy move.]

[blessingone]

...Two years, huh? It's hard to believe it's been that long, in a way. [In others, it's hard to believe it's only been two years.]

[markofthewise]

And then other times, it feels like it's been longer.