Sokka the 71st - [Action/Voice]

[markofthewise]

[Today, Sokka starts out with some simple messages for the journal.]

I know this is pretty late, but... Luceti has a way of causing delays. I got a lot of orders two months ago and they're all finally finished. If you haven't already picked them up, then... well, you should do that. I think you'll be pleased. [ooc: if you want to assume they already picked this stuff up a while ago, that's fine too!]

So, now that it's nice and warm these days, how do people feel about... fishing? I just made my own fishing rod, so I'm thinking tomorrow morning? Fishing time. On the river, maybe. Or I could bring out one of the boats and head to the lake. Some company wouldn't hurt. As long as you're not the noisy kind. I uh, actually want to catch some fish.

20th

[For today, Sokka works his regular shift at the smithy. From morning until the afternoon, he's at the smithy. There's not much to do now that he's done, so he straightens things out, hangs out on the couch with an alchemy book in his face, or if he gets bored with that... he reaches for his fishing rod under the couch and does a few practice casts. If he thinks no one will catch him doing it. Winry wouldn't approve. 8|

In the afternoon, he'll be around House 56 in the front and back yard, with a can of dirt and pushing over rocks and stones looking for worms underneath. A good fisherman needs his bait, after all! And he wants to be ready for tomorrow!]

21st

[As soon as his sparring practice is over, Sokka sets himself up on the southernmost bridge in town. Sure, it's a little gloomy today, but still time to fish. He has a chair, he has a fishing line, he has a cold box to put fish in, and he has not shortage of snacks and drinks. About ten minutes into his fishing, he gets drenched. Watch as poor Sokka has to gather up his stuff and flee back home. Later when he has an umbrella, he dejectedly heads to the smithy to put in a few hours. And then a few more hours later at the library to do alchemy research. No fishing today. :(]

22nd

[After a rainy day and rainy night, Sokka wakes up to A BIG BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW. He'll try to rush through his morning training, that way he can head to the river west of his house and ready a canoe. With a clear sky above, he's going out to the lake for fishing. There's room enough for two, for anyone eager to join. Following that, he'll be out on the southern lake fishing, cooking fish on the shore for lunch, and enjoying a good solid day off. STRESS FREE.]

Comments

[stillplaying]

[It doesn't have to be a conversation if he doesn't want it to be. If Katniss were in the boy's position, she'd probably ignore a stranger shouting from the shore.

But for whatever reason, he's not. And she stays put as he rows closer. Doesn't even go for her bow.]

From what?

[markofthewise]

[Once he's on the shore, he just... sits in his boat. She can come closer if she wants, it's too much trouble for him to move his boat closer to her.]

Wood? Mostly?

[stillplaying]

[A nod. A craft made out of wood. It's not like anything she's ever seen before. The curiosity in her eyes probably gives aways as much.

She's hesitant about stepping closer only for a moment as she glances down at her boots. Mud will be annoying to clean off of boots. And with the recent rain, the river banks are anything but dry. She pauses only a second longer before bending down to unknot her boot laces.]

All the boats in District Four were too far away to really get a good look at them.

[markofthewise]

[Okay for someone running around in the woods, she sure has an... interesting perspective. He looks a bit perplexed while also wondering why she's taking her boots off.]

Well, feel free to look away. This is a canoe. Which isn't as impressive as the ships out on the ocean. But those wouldn't fit on this river anyway.

[stillplaying]

[His perplexity is answered a moment later when she knots the laces together to sling over her shoulder and steps into the muddy bank. She wades into the water a little, enough to be able to see the back of the canoe more clearly, too.]

It's nice. [And she means it. She can easily see how a small water craft could be of use for transport given the rivers here.] Are they hard to use?

[markofthewise]

[Not answered so much as now she has muddy feet. He concludes her boots aren't water tight like his are. However, he's pleased enough to have an admirer.]

As long as you can keep your balance, not really. An amateur will probably end up flipping it over, though. [Like Winry did on their first time out.]

[stillplaying]

[Not water tight. Not so easy to clean, either. And they're her only pair. She's not going to go around getting them wet. No matter how curious she is.

She touches the edge as she listens. It'd be so much faster than walking to the village. So much easier than hauling supplies back to the treehouse in backpacks.]

But you can learn.

[A statement, not a question.]

[markofthewise]

[Yes. He's getting the sense that Katniss really, really, REALLY likes his boat. He has no idea who she is, but... there is a limit to how much of a jerk he can be. He sighs a little bit.]

Aaaand this is the part where you want a lesson.

[stillplaying]

[A lesson. She would just as easily attempt to teach herself. But she'd never have gotten remotely decent at snares if it weren't for Gale's instructions.]

I'll pay. [Because she doesn't want to owe anyone here anything.] I know there's no money, but I can hunt.

[markofthewise]

[At that, Sokka frowns.]

I hunt too. But uh, as much as paying me in meat sounds great, it's no big deal. If you want, you can think of payment as being rowing me the rest of the way to the lake.

[stillplaying]

[And she can swim. If this boy winds up being untrustworthy. It'll mean getting her weapons wet but given the options, survival always comes first.

And hearing that he's another hunter certainly earns some respect.

Except...] I don't know how to get in.

[markofthewise]

[For his part, Sokka has a sword slung over his shoulder. They can duel to the death on the river.

But rather than just tell her how to get in, he's not going to take any chances. He hops out of the boat, into the shallow water, so he can pull it in a little further and hold it steady.]

There. I'll hold it steady, but try and get in quickly without causing it to rock too much. It's all about keeping yourself in balance with the boat.

[stillplaying]

[She quickly goes on the defensive when she notices the boy stepping out of the boat. A slight movement, the change of her posture, repositioning of her hand to make it easier to draw her bow. But still movements a fellow hunter might notice.

Two times in the arena makes it hard for Katniss to be very trusting. Especially when a stranger is armed.

But she relaxes just a little when he begins to talk. And listens instead, picturing how to get in before actually trying. Her movements are relatively graceful for her first attempt, honed by years of climbing trees. But the boat still rocks, startling her enough to grip the side tightly.]

[markofthewise]

[It doesn't escape his notice how tense she got. But. He didn't make any threatening moves and just kept to the task of making ready the boat. No need to set her off. Especially since she was starting to remind him of San in some ways.

When the boat rocks, he tightens his hold on the boat until it evens out.]

Don't worry, everyone's first time is a little rough. You just need to get the hang of it.

[Sokka gives the canoe a little push, then quickly hops back into it before the water gets too deep. Once the boat's stable, he retrieves the oar and passes it on to her.]

[stillplaying]

[Too much time spent in the arena. You can't ever underestimate your opponent. Not even your ally. And even though she has to constantly remind herself that Luceti is a different sort of game, she still doesn't know for certain.

But his words are a little reassuring, especially when he pushes the boat again and she feels that same worry from moments ago. Being in a boat is not like being in a hovercraft or a train. And although she's never been in one of the Capitol's automobiles, she doubts it feels like this, too.

She takes the oar from him and then gives a skeptical look.] I just stick it in the water?

[markofthewise]

Well, you could. But you should paddle too. Think of it like using it to pull the water towards you. Place the flat end of it in the water ahead of you, and slowly pull it towards you. Then do it on the other side to balance it out.

[He made himself secure. Just in case this ended badly.]

[stillplaying]

[She's a girl from the mountains. A place where boats are utterly useless. If it hadn't been for her father, their illegal forays into the woods when she was a child, she wouldn't even know how to swim.

Katniss is quiet as she listens to his instructions and then attempts to enact them. It's not hard to figure out which end to put into the water or how to pull it towards her, feeling the boat move with the tug. But when it comes to switching sides, she's anything but graceful. The boat rocks as she tries to steady her balance and Katniss looks a little alarmed. And when she puts the paddle back into the water, it's at too much of an angle. Water doesn't catch and the boat stays put.

Finnick would be laughing at her right now.]

[markofthewise]

[Fortunately Sokka is being careful to keep his weight balanced against hers, so even with her mishap, there's not too much chance of them tumbling in. He grins a little at her mistake, but he doesn't laugh.]

Relax. We're going downstream, so you can take your time. Right now you just need to make sure we stay in the middle of the river, that's all.

[stillplaying]

[She attempts a weak grin. Maybe he's right. She's feeling too tense. She's too busy working against the river, trying to force this boat to move, than to cooperate with it.

For a moment, she regrets her idea. She never should have gone running after the boat. But if she could ever obtain one for herself some day... wouldn't this bit of knowledge increase the odds of her survival a lot?

Taking a deep breath, Katniss places the oar back in and tries again. Maybe it is his advice, but it seems a little easier to steer into the middle of the river right now.

And even attempt a couple of questions.] Are these boats common where you're from?

[markofthewise]

[Seeing that she's getting the hang of it, he can relax a bit, leaning back and letting her do all the work. Best plan ever, clearly.]

I grew up beside the ocean. I've been in and out of boats for longer than I can remember.

[stillplaying]

[It's not the worst work she's ever had to do. And learning this new skill, this potentially important skill, it makes it worthwhile. So she's not complaining. Just rowing and watching the river around her -- and the boy himself, just in case he does try anything with that sword.

But his mention of the ocean catches her attention. Like Finnick. But he's not as beautiful as Finnick Odair was. Though few are.

Still, the words bring a flicker of a grin before she grows serious again.]

I've only been to the ocean once. It's in District Four. Where they fish.

[markofthewise]

[Sokka is INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL. Okay. Shush.]

Well, that's pretty much what we did. There was other stuff to eat, sure, but most of our meals came out of the sea.

[stillplaying]

[Just like in District Four. Not at all like her own home. But...]

We had a lake.

[markofthewise]

Lakes are good. I like lakes. [Not as cool as oceans, but they have their own advantages.] So what do you think so far? Of the whole being on the water thing.

[stillplaying]

It's a lot faster than walking.

[And it's not bad. She's always liked swimming. And although rowing, as a whole, uses very different muscles than swimming, it really is handy. More like being on a train or in an automobile than on a horse.]