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]

[Another nod.]

With a pole and with some basic snares. I like hunting better though.

[She's better at it.]

[markofthewise]

I like hunting too. But there's something about being on a lake with a pole and line that's relaxing.

[stillplaying]

[It is, isn't it? To sit out there and watch the birds fly by, knowing that more than likely, you won't return home empty handed.]

Less work.

[markofthewise]

Well, there's that. And personally, I prefer fish anyway.

[He grew up on the ocean. It's been bred into him.]

[stillplaying]

[She’d imagine Finnick would, too. Would he have settled back in District Four if he had survived the uprising? Annie did. She thinks he would, too. To be a fisherman, to live that quiet life being a Victor had denied him for so long.]

The lake was further. [Her words are quiet as she rows, a little uncomfortable. Sokka’s a stranger. Talking about her home is… strange.] Even if we couldn’t set up the snares too close to the fence, sometimes it was just easier. Not to have to go so far.

[markofthewise]

That makes sense. [By now, they had gone far enough to reach where the river opened up to the lake. A beautiful sight, to be sure. But Luceti was filled with those.] But hey, it wouldn't hurt to fish here, right?

[stillplaying]

[She does smile at the sight of the lake. It's as pretty as the one out towards the west.]

I've never been to this one before.

[markofthewise]

Nice, right? I like this one, personally. Sure, it's smaller. But it's also closer. Which means less rowing.

[stillplaying]

[The treehouses are much closer to the western one. It's why she spends most of her time there.

But this one is still nice. She likes what she sees.]

If you have a boat. I walk.

[markofthewise]

Well... [She seems... okay-ish. So this probably won't be a big deal.] You're welcome to borrow one if you need to.

[stillplaying]

[She stops herself from saying yes right away. From looking to eager. A boat! A real boat she could borrow to get to the fish deep in the lake. To maybe help carry supplies to the treehouse. What a difference that could make.

And then she thinks how much she'd owe this boy for something like borrowing a boat. And there's no money here. She can't rent it. So she thinks a moment more before nodding, hoping her excitement doesn't show too much.]

I can give you a portion of whatever I catch when I use a boat.

[markofthewise]

[... wow that's really nice, um. How does he let her down easy.]

Well... actually, I kind of get most of my food from the store. My sister does most of the cooking, right? And she's decided she really doesn't like having to skin animals or scale fish if she doesn't have to. So when I go hunting or fishing, I just do it for myself. A kind of uhh... nostalgic thing, really. So if you gave me stuff that you caught, it would kind of...

[Ruin it. Yeah.]

[stillplaying]

[Living so far in the woods, the store isn't so convenient. And while Rue occasionally helps with the cooking, it's really one of Katniss' responsibilities. She hunts, then she cooks. Skinning animals and scaling fish have always just been a part of it.

She can't imagine otherwise.

But it's better that way. In case the new Gamemakers decide one day that they won't be generous anymore. And the stores disappear. The food stops coming.

She frowns at his reply, though. Not just for that thought. What's she supposed to offer in return? She can't keep owing all these people here. Why must they be so generous?]

I don't have anything else to trade.

[markofthewise]

[He can respect the fact she doesn't want charity. She's proud, right? Doesn't like things being just given to her. And normally, Sokka would be all too happy to accept payment for services rendered. But.]

Well, you know, I run the smithy here. And pretty much no one can ever pay me for what I do. But I really don't do it to get paid. Not that I wouldn't like to collect a nice little mountain of money, but things pretty much don't work that way here. So if you want to say you owe me a favor, that's fine. But I've pretty much got a hundred favors out there I'll never call in.

[stillplaying]

[Proud and cautious. Not the quickest to trust, not at all. the idea of owing a favor doesn't necessarily make her comfortable. It's still owing. That feeling that you might not necessarily ever be able to pay them back. It's a feeling she's felt too much in her life. And could never grow accustomed to.

What choice does she have though? She needs access to the boat. It would make life so much easier.]

Thank you.

[markofthewise]

Well, don't thank me too much. If you wreck it, I fully expect you to help rebuild it. And don't try using 'I was sent away from Luceti back to my own world' as an excuse either.

[So there. 8|]

[stillplaying]

[She smiles a little at that. Even if she thinks it's a fully acceptable excuse, it's still amusing.]

I wouldn't mind. I've never built a boat before.

[markofthewise]

[A pause.]

You're not going to intentionally wreck one of them now, are you?

[stillplaying]

[She shakes her head quickly. Wouldn't do, having him think that.]

No. I will be careful with it.

[markofthewise]

Good. So... how about we head over to that bank. That looks like a good fishing spot.

[She can join him or leave at that point. It's not a big deal.]

[stillplaying]

[She looks in that direction and nods. It's a good a spot as any in her estimation. Carefully, she tries turning the boat enough to head in the right direction.]

Do you fish here often?

[markofthewise]

This year, not so much. But last year, I was up here all the time. Not a lot of people come down river, so its pretty private.

[Now he just has to hope she doesn't tip them over.]

[stillplaying]

[She's trying her best.]

Are the fish different here? Or the same as in the western lake?

[markofthewise]

I haven't noticed any differences.

[stillplaying]

[Maybe then she'll come down here one day, on her own, to fish and see what really is in this water for herself. But not today.

The response is nothing more than a quiet nod as they near the shore. Her attention is elsewhere: on the approaching bank, on the water surrounding them. On remembering how he had carefully brought the boat to a stop. She tries her best to mimic what she remembers. The boat shakes but thankfully does not tip over.]