markofthewise | Sokka the 73rd

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Sokka the 73rd - [Action/Voice]

[The house was demolished. And apparently it didn't have the decency to start putting itself together again. Not to mention the whole town was soggy. Most of Sokka's stuff in his room had been damaged. Some of it was salvageable, much of it he had to just throw out. His important valuables were in the basement and though there was a few inches of water down there, his stuff was up high and out of reach. Still, another mess to clean. At least there were two waterbenders in the house to clean that up. For a lover of stuff, Sokka was pretty put out by it. He hadn't been able to sleep in his room because of it. In a way though, he couldn't be upset. It felt right. Like starting over.

And then there was the smithy. Or what was left of it. The whole thing was rubble now. He wasn't even sure if there was a point in trying to pick through it. Best to wait until the Malnosso fixed it, right? It was freeing up his schedule considerably, anyway. At least he was back to his normal practice schedule in the mornings. Even if two straight weeks of combat had left him... weary of it, to say the least. All the same. He found himself to be glad to be back in Luceti. Back in the library, studying his alchemy. Sure, he lost all his notes and would have to start over, but it would be easier since he already knew what needed to be done again. Still. There was so much to go over.]

A guy can't leave for a few weeks without the town getting demolished, huh? Anyway. So uh. A lot of stuff has happened this past week. If anyone wants to, you know, spare some of the good details? I'll be around. Interested. And if you want? I can tell you all about space. Which was pretty great.

[Very around. Like hanging out in the plaza around. No smithy kind of leaves him with no daytime hangout spot. Especially without Suki to spend time with. So besides his training and time at the library, he's very much a man with nothing to do. Evidenced by the fact he's sitting at a bench near the fountain, lazily sprawled out as he counts his one hundredth consecutive hit on a paddle ball. It's uncanny how good he actually is with it.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That's a pretty cool technique, really. Surprising too. Who knew she was so skilled?]

It worked? Even outside the barrier?

[She doesn't look it, huh?]

Well, the moment they crossed the barrier, I was shoved back to my body. My range has limits too.

Ouch. [A pause.] Does ouch count here?

Not really. [master of her own techniques, this gal.] I'm just thankful nothing bad happened to my body while I was in someone else's.

Well that doesn't sound weird or anything.

Never pinned me for someone who can do those things, huh?

Something like that. [More that it was a childish innuendo which he won't clarify.] So then what?

I already told you most of our participation, but I know many others did their part. There was an overarching plan and we just executed our parts in it.

[Wanna hear the plan?]

Katara mentioned some of the plan. But we were about to, you know, go and fight Sparties in space. So I didn't exactly get all the details. But you guys had decoys, right?

I think there were four in total and there are telepaths assigned to each one of them so that makes us four in total too. That way, we'll know what's happening with the others.

I guess it worked. They didn't get Bil.

[He saw Bil's message after all. Confusing as it was.]

Yeah. On our expense.

[Shikamaru didn't come back unscathed, you know.]

[They had to know what they were getting into. And they volunteered for it. Still...]

How bad?

Injuries. Broken fingers. He was also drained of his chakra and I had to cure some poison. Nothing I can't handle, but still...

[Yeah, he's in one piece, but he's still injured.]

[He winced slightly.]

The Malnosso really don't like being fooled, do they?

[A nod and a pause as she looks over to the side. In her opinion, she wouldn't mind fooling them again if it means winning at one point. But the price they pay is too steep, not like it's any different back home.]

As long as we're here, fooling them is always risky.

I think I like the soldiers better.

[They were easier to relate to. And he'd been saved by one. So all in all, he felt the Malnosso Security Forces were a branch of the organization he liked quite a bit more than the scientists.]

I don't like any of them.

[She can't imagine liking even one of them.]

That's a popular opinion.

[Among Luceti. The other draftees. But seeing them slaughtered by cultists with no more regard than people from Luceti had a way of complicating one's perspective.]

And that's not surprising.

[She looks down, seeing the image of Shikamaru returning to them injured in her head. It was a scary sight.]

He came back at least.

[That's something. And more that can be said for the many who died.]

I know. I'm thankful.

[To the Malnosso? Never. To her comrade's promise kept? Yes.]

But the fear I felt that he'll come back severely injured and I wouldn't be able to do anything lingered.

[And she speaks through experience.]

That's not going to stop.

[It's how things are here. He doesn't expect it to change soon. Because this world excels in breaking people.]

[She looks back at him with silent strength hidden beneath her blue eyes.]

I'll make it stop because I don't plan to lose him, too.

[How? She doesn't know. All she knows is that her faith and conviction should be enough to do it. If this place returns him in that state again, she'll do everything to cure him and even when she has done everything, she won't stop there.]

[Well. Resolve is good. He won't fault her for it. But nobody plans for bad things to happen. They just do.]

I hope it works out.

[It's not sarcasm. He means it.]

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