Sokka the 74th - [Action/Voice]

[markofthewise]

[THE FIRST DAY.]

[Two weeks. It's a long time to be on a mission, but Sokka has no regrets. The mess with Kin'cora had gotten to him and he found a kind of relief in working with other people from other enclosures. There was a lot of talk among him and the others. He spread the word. Maybe it wouldn't do Luceti much good, given he learned very little, but the more the others knew, the better. But boy was he glad to be back in Luceti. When he emerges from the tunnels at around 6PM, he's tired out from a hard day of work, but it's a good kind of tired. He makes going home his first priority. He'll miss dinner, inevitably, but with any luck there's leftovers. Catching up with the others takes a few hours before he ever breaks away to wander the village.

What's on the agenda? Hitting up the smithy to see where things are at. He never got to find out how much was lost after the Kin'corans left, so it's time to see if one of his minions smithy buddies took an inventory. And you know, he wants to check in on them too. That's cool. Also, he heads to Good Spirits because he was informed very sternly by one of his buddies on the mission that the only proper way to end a hard day's work is a good stiff drink. Sokka, the adult that he is, was inclined to agree. THAT IS HIS ENTIRE DAY.

But there is another.]

[DAWN OF THE NEXT DAY]

[Sokka wakes up and does his usual morning routine and goes to NOT the smithy, but the BATTLE DOME. That's right. Record scratch. After talking to the main console for awhile, he heads into one of the rooms and in something that takes some finagling at first, he starts... building a sub. A holographic sub. One that is small enough to fit into his hand, but can expand if he gives the command, so he can work on specific details. It's like working on a blueprint, but in 3D. His nights on his mission had been spent trying to recreate the submarine made by the Mechanist. He's been steadily improving on the design, specifically built to be powered by waterbending, but done in a way to streamline the process and make it faster. And sturdier. He's not sure it will be easy to build with Luceti's technology, but...

Well, Haruhi got him excited. And he spends the better half of the day on this. Because of the Dome time limit, he's constantly seen going in and out to restart the program or grab a snack. For those hoping to fight, this is probably annoying, since there's only six chambers that tend to get used a lot. At one point during the day, he loses the dome to some short and grumpy guy, so Sokka turns to the journal.]

Has anyone really tried the stuff in these vending machines before? I mean, I usually just get a soda or something, but this stuff is amazing. Like... look at these. [He lifts up an oreo to the camera.] It's two cookies, but with some kind of paste between them. But the paste tastes like sugar! And then there's these! [Sokka lifts up an red lump of candy.] Apple gels. They're great, although I don't think they taste like real apples. There's something unusually refreshing about them. I had about ten just now and it made my fingers all tingly. Actually, I'm kind of feeling tingly all over and-- [Sokka looks away and spots something else] Oh! And check this out! [He pulls out a WORM. A multicolored worm.] It's a CANDY worm. I was thinking I could use it for fishing, but it's actually kind of tasty. Oh, and then there's these fished shape crackers...

[He'll go on like this for awhile. People can listen or ignore him, but he'll be casually highlighting the awesome contents of the Battle Dome vending machines.

He'll be coming home later with the stomach ache from hell.]

Comments

[ACTION]

[breezing]

I've never actually asked. I guess I could've, but I didn't really care. [ MEELO IS MEELO. Ikki will never be able to explain him, probably.

Anyway, she has a more important topic. ] Was the tea good enough for the surprise?

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

Oh, right. The surprise!

[Sokka sits up and holds his stomach. He's still a little sick, but not as bad as before...]

I think we can do it. But you'll have to close your eyes.

[ACTION]

[breezing]

Okay!!! [ Her eyes are shut so fast it's a little ridiculous, because surprise. She wonders if it is edible. ] My eyes are shut!

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

[Alright... good! He sits up and goes to his room. AND NEVER COMES BACK And spends some time digging around. When at last he returns, he has something behind his back.]

Still closed?

[ACTION]

[breezing]

[ Despite the overwhelming temptation to open her eyes, Ikki has managed to keep them shut. She helped herself by clapping her hands over her eyes, just in case. Her surprise might be rescinded if her eyes aren't shut properly! ]

Ye-es! I can't see at all.

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

[In that case, he'll set in her hand a wooden boomerang! It's nice and finished, but unpainted. Similar in shape to his own, but the edges are dulled.]

Okay, you can look!

[ACTION]

[breezing]

[ The instant Sokka said "can" Ikki's eyes were already opening. And while the wooden boomerang isn't painted, she squeals immediately and (obviously) loudly. While she does examine the present for a second, running her fingers over the dull edges, Ikki pretty quickly throws her arms (and the boomerang in her hand) around Sokka's neck for a hug. ]

Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

[This is what it feels like to be super popular with little kids. Apparently this is what happens when you don't forbid potty breaks.

It's a cool thing.]

We can pick up some paint later. Then you can make it look however you want!

[ACTION]

[breezing]

REALLY?!

[ she cannot handle how excited she is right now and she hasn't even had any sugar recently ]

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

Really!

[Yeah. He's the best uncle ever. He knows it.]

[ACTION]

[breezing]

I'll make it the best best best boomerang ever!

[ She's still bouncing, but she lets go of Sokka so he can. You know. Move around and stuff. ] I'll take really really good care of it!

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

Good! But remember, it's not a toy. You can't just go throwing it around. I have to show you to use it.

[ACTION]

[breezing]

Right!!! [ She might sound even more enthused at that. Because - well, official time to be spent with Uncle Sokka at a later date. Ikki has zero complaints about this. Zero. ]

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

[He sits back down now.]

But uh. The lessons will have to wait until I don't feel queasy.

[ACTION]

[breezing]

Do you want to hear a story or something?

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

Um. Sure. [He lays back down.] What kind of story?

[ACTION]

[breezing]

[ Good question! Ikki thinks about it for a second, considering the sorts of stories she likes to hear, and trying to figure out what her uncle might enjoy. When she was sick, her mother would tell her stories about herself doing fantastic things. So the answer is: ]

A story about a really cool brave warrior!

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

... a cool brave warrior, huh? So what did he do?

[This sounds suspiciously like someone he knows.]

[ACTION]

[breezing]

[ It gets better, Sokka. ]

Loooooooots of things, but I'm going to tell you about the time he beat the evil shadow-stealing monster from the Earth Kingdom swamps!

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

Oh? Why was he stealing shadows?

[... and why was he in the swamp? Sokka reluctantly imagines himself dressed up Foggy Swamp style.]

[ACTION]

[breezing]

Because if people don't have their shadows, they'll lose all their strength and sloooooowly they'll lose their memories and everything they are! [ TRIUMPHANTLY. She just added that part. ...Well, she just added EVERY part. So.

Because swamp monsters are scarier than normal monsters Sokka. ]

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

Really. This was a fact about shadows I was previously unaware of. [THAT ISN'T SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND, IKKI.] ... continue.

[ACTION]

[breezing]

Really!!! [ WOW SOKKA DID YOU EXPECT IT TO BE SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND SHE'S SEVEN. ] It's a secret 'cause most people can't take away shadows so no one knew until someone did!

Something I mean!!! Anyway, the brave cool strong amazing warrior heard about the shadowmonster while he was on his journies!! See, he traveled allllll over the world helping people in need and learning things and stuff and when he was passing by a town near the swamps he met a girl!

[ACTION]

[markofthewise]

A swampbender girl?

[Well... okay, the girls there weren't that bad looking. But they smelled awful. Like everything there. Even during the battle of Black Sun they smelled like swamp.]

[ACTION]

[breezing]

A mysterious girl who no one had met there before!! She was very, very beautiful, but she wore a dark cloak 'cause she was mysterious so he could only see her mouth an' stuff.

[ MYSTERIOUS, Sokka. ] And she told the brave hero about how the shadowmonster had been stealing shadows...from most of the people in the swamp, and now many out of it!