Sokka the 76th - [Action/Voice]

[markofthewise]

It was an adjustment. He didn't much like that he was now single. He hated even more the circumstances that led to it. But after this long, Sokka owed it to himself to put himself back together and make some sense of his life. Or at the very least, try and be a little upright for the sake of his friends. After burying himself in work for the past few weeks, it was time for some sunshine. As sunny as it could be in January, anyway. So while he's out, he's not exactly chipper. But he's trying his best to not look as somber and cranky as he has the last few weeks.

Today, he's out with Foo Foo Cuddly Poops, the tiny Saber Toothed Moose-Lion cub he received for Christmas. The little beast is getting a bit bigger now. His little horns are protruding more and he was growing consistently. The little thing could fit on Sokka's head before, but not anymore. He was just shy of being the size of a beagle now. He'd already been bigger than Sokka remembered when he received him on Christmas. Having seen the mother, he knew Foo Foo would only get bigger. He also couldn't leave Foo Foo at home, since his teeth were coming in. Which meant he was chewing up anything he could get his paws on. Not to mention he was hardly housebroken. So this is why today, Sokka was going to the grocery to explore the diet of moose-lions so he could carry it all back in bulk. Which is why he also had an unseemly large bag. He suspected, before long, he'd have to start using a wheel barrow.

At the grocery store, the two explore a variety of foods they both like. Fruits and meat. It seems Foo Foo has a similar appetite to Sokka.

While he's off in one corner letting Foo Foo got to town on a basket of apples, he hits up the journals.

[Voice]

So. How exactly do you teach an animal not only to stop chewing on your valuables, but also to do their business outside? You know, without actually keeping them outside all the time. [A pause as he looks over at Foo Foo.] At least while they'll still fit in the house.

Comments

[markofthewise]

Sokka gave the journal a dirty look before closing it. After sharing a despairing expression with Foo Foo, the two carried on. A few minutes later, they stood outside the house. Sokka knocked.

[herotypical]

Buffy was quick to open the door and receive her guest. To be entirely fair, more than just her semi-pajama'd wardrobe suggested that she could have only just stepped out of a made-for-television movie about girl-powery sleepovers. Her hair was styled in a pair of braided pigtails. Her socks had cute, colourful designs. Somewhere from deep within the house, music played. Something slow and crooning and so so nineties.

"Get in here," she commanded with a wry-yet-warm smile. She gestured widely with her left hand -- the hand now correctly sporting the engagement ring from long ago. But Buffy gambled on it not meaning much to Sokka, whose culture's customs were so very different. If she was fortunate, it wouldn't come up in conversation. "We're gonna make them from scratch. No box mixes for us."

[markofthewise]

Sokka didn't mind the music. In fact, it was kind of nice. They never had music playing at his house. Something they needed to fix, clearly.

Of course, he looked anything but happy at Buffy's orders. He and Foo Foo exchanged looks.

"Suddenly we're not so hungry for waffles."

[herotypical]

"...You should have thought about that before you made me think I'd just flashed the entire village by accident." Although it would have been unlikely that any bored souls had been following the exchange, she suspected that all it would really take was one person catching wind of such an event (had it really happened) and soon a curious flutter of journalling would take place. Like high school kids always seeking out that particular issue of National Geographic.

But Buffy was smiling and acting warmly enough as she waved him inside and nudged the door shut behind both Sokka and his sabre-toothed moose lion. None of Seven's animals were immediately visible, but Buffy suspected it wouldn't take long for one of them to pop up and investigate the newcomer. Her bet was hedged upon Hector being the first. He was an inquisitive little scamp, he was.

"Look. It's not like preparing foie gras or anything. It's actually pretty simple. You'll be fine."

[markofthewise]

"I guess it won't be horrible." While Foo Foo scampered off to find somewhere comfortable, he followed her towards the kitchen.

"Alchemy is all about working with base ingredients. So that's what working from scratch is." He wondered if he could make an alchemy circle that would be able to instantly make waffles. If only he'd brought his books with him!

[herotypical]

Foo Foo had a lot comfortable somewheres to choose from, given the fact there were plenty of cushions and throw blankets scattered around the living room. The house had taken on an odd sort of existence in the wake of so many losses and so few gains. The nineties crooning graced a space which was -- beyond a few haphazard decorative touches -- exceptionally tidy. At first glance, one might expect the Slayer to be the orchestrator of so much neatness. In reality, it was Sparrow who ran the tight ship. In this one area of her life, Buffy was happier following.

"How is the alchemy coming?" She asked as they slipped past the living room, heading in the kitchen's direction.

[markofthewise]

Foo Foo settled for the couch in the spot most likely to be sat on by people. Animals naturally desired to be in places that were inconvenient for everyone else. Sokka, on the other hand, took note of anything that was different since his last visit.

"Well Ed's head got loosened by the Malnosso, so I'm on my own right now. I'm working on something new that will let me use alchemy in a fight, but I don't want to start testing it until he's himself again."

[herotypical]

"How bad is it?" She's already arranged a bowl and a line-up of ingredients. But for now, Buffy passed these items and instead poured both herself and Sokka matching glasses of juice.

"Will apple do?" Came one question before the other, "And I'm talking about the head-loosening. How bad is it?"

[markofthewise]

He nodded in response to the choice of beverage. For the other question, he leaned up against the counter and stroked his beard.

"He says he has amnesia or something. He didn't remember most of anything. I guess he forgot all the science stuff too."

[herotypical]

"Amnesia?" She asked with the slightest grimace. "Unpleasant. But he still knows who he is, right?"

[markofthewise]

"Selective amnesia, I guess. He knows himself and Winry and stuff like that." Honestly he got a strange vibe off Ed. But anyone back from a kidnapping was bound to be a little off, so he hadn't thought about it much. So instead he chugged his apple juice.

[herotypical]

"On the plus side, I see Katara's doing better--"

Which might normally be the segue to ask whether he was doing better, but she instead reaches for the mixing bowl. "That was a bit of a wonky one. That Shift."

[markofthewise]

He watched her, carefully doing nothing to actually help. If he could get away without learning, all the better.

"It was terrible." Blunt. He doubt she knew half of what was really going on there. "I'm glad she's herself again."

[herotypical]

Buffy measured out the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Her eyes kept slipping pointedly back to Sokka as she sifted them together. Take note, they seemed to be saying.

Meanwhile, her mouth said something quite different: "She told me it was the alt-version of her had she tried to stay and fight."

[markofthewise]

"... what else did she tell you?"

That certainly was the lead-in for the story. But it didn't tell the whole thing. Not by a long shot. By virtue of being concerned by this, he didn't even have to try to not pay attention. It was happening all on it's own.

i did think he looked a little on the angry side

[herotypical]

"Not much more. Or -- at least -- I didn't ask beyond the beginning."

Even Buffy was comfortable letting Sokka off the immediate hook while this issue was hashed out.

[markofthewise]

"It's not my story to tell." Maybe parts of it were. But he didn't really want to. "It's just nice having things be kind of normal."

Kind of.

[herotypical]

"And it's not a story I'm asking about. I just...I hope she's bouncing back, that's all."

[markofthewise]

"I think she'll be fine. If anything... I dunno, I think she's doing better lately. Weird, huh?"

[herotypical]

"Peaks and troughs, Sokka. We all go in peaks and troughs. I think it's weirder when people don't end up all over the emotional spectrum."

[markofthewise]

"Weird, maybe. But it's nicer if we can all just say on the high end of it."

[herotypical]

"Only someone thoroughly out of touch with reality would exist in that bubble of maniacal happiness."

[markofthewise]

"Being in touch with reality seems pretty overrated to me."