Sokka the 79th - [Action]

[markofthewise]

Over two months ago, Sokka died. His penalty was something incredibly intangible. It took from him his empathy, his ability to love, and so many other things. He didn't have a way of describing it, but he was empty. In truth, he wasn't sure he felt anything. There was nothing that truly touched him on the inside.

More than a week ago, Sokka left for a mission. A week and a half with the Depot where they instituted the kind of justice he could appreciate. He certainly felt no remorse when he shot a man for stealing water. When bandits attacked the depot, they rounded up most of them and then strung them up for their trouble. It was a simple morality and for a short while, things actually made sense. Not like the gray morality in Luceti, where people were stupid enough to think that sparing the lives of murderers and thieves meant anything.

And then he got his reward. Cashing in the bulk of mission points he'd accumulated for over a year, he was given what he really coveted the most. Power. And now he had it. As he walked into Luceti, he imagined that he could feel the difference. It was not quite so dramatic as what he had been given by the Rogue Malnosso, but he was content with the knowledge that he'd be keeping what he'd earned. There'd be no scientists taking it away from him this time.

It's mid-day when Sokka returns to town and he's still wearing the cowboy hat he took to the Depot with him. Maybe it doesn't exactly mesh with the Water Tribe clothes he's accustomed to, but he likes it. The hat makes him feel gritty and intimidating. He'll eventually get tired of hat hair, though. Just not today.

So today for his time spent back in Luceti, he heads home to greet whoever might be there. He checks in Foo Foo, the saber toothed moose lion he received from Christmas. It's getting quite big now, having reached the size of medium-sized dog. The tips of his antlers are even starting to become a bit more visible. Although the animal does seem quieter around Sokka, its at least obedient and follows him as he goes about Luceti. For today that includes the Smithy until evening, the Library for an hour, back at House 56 for dinner, and then out in the forest to try and teach Foo Foo to hunt.

The next morning, he makes sure that Okita Souji will meet him for their training session. Sokka is looking forward to seeing the results.

Comments

[markofthewise]

He wiped off some of the oil from his hand along his work pants before holding it out to shake. It was meant to be courteous and friendly, but one tended to adopt a different standard of cleanliness in a hot workshop like this.

"That's fine. In that case, I'm Sokka. Yes, that Sokka. In the flesh."

[tokennonbender]

She eyed his hand for a moment as if trying to decide whether or not to shake it. She had gloves on but they were clean and...oh what the hell. She took his hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, even if you already know who I am." A nervous sort of smile as she took her hand back. "Councilman Sokka, Avatar Aang, and everyone knows Katara...I'm starting to feel outnumbered by legends."

[markofthewise]

He took his own back before settling back on his heel and keeping his arm crossed. The whole concept of legends was still flattering, even if he didn't much care for his so-called future anymore. It certainly wasn't his future.

"I guess that makes us even, even though we're not very legendary here in Luceti. But you probably already know more about me than I do about you."

[tokennonbender]

"Probably. I learned about you from my tutors..." She trailed off, and then hesitated.

"But I have no idea what you would know about me since you...knew me before?" A beat. "That will never stop sounding strange."

[markofthewise]

"Well, your name is Asami, you're from the future, you're not a bender, you're easily the prettiest person from our world, past and future, and you're really smart. I didn't really get to work out the rest."

[tokennonbender]

Asami looked a tad embarrassed about all that, but she managed a nod after a moment. "Uh...well, thank you. I've never really had being smart listed as one of my qualities..." She was smart, it just wasn't what people thought of her.

Pretty she was used to, and it was true, so there.

[markofthewise]

He gave a shrug. "When it comes to home, there's the Mechanist and Teo and well, me, when it comes to actually knowing a thing about technology. Until you showed up anyway. Usually that kind of stuff flies over everyone else's heads."

Not Sokka, though. The moment electricity showed up in Luceti, he was doing everything in his power to understand it.

[tokennonbender]

"Someone is named 'the Mechanist?'" Because that sounded like an unlucky name, really. But she shrugged. "I know my way around an engine, though. Couldn't grow up with my father and not pick a lot of it up just by accident."

She looked around again, "but this a lot...less advanced than I'm used to. Or more, for some of it..." She frowned. "Can it be both?"

[markofthewise]

"Well, I don't think Mechanist was his name. I kind of uh, never asked him what it was. Sometimes nicknames just stick, right? Like Combustion Man. But this place is sort of an odd mix of advanced and not-so-advanced. I mean, have you seen the Battle Dome yet?"

There were few people he'd met that failed to be surprised by that, certainly.

The joy of figuring out a timeline.

[tokennonbender]

"I suppose," she had never really had much room for nicknames, more like terms of endearment or real names.

"Yes, actually. I...it was pretty amazing, honestly, but I'm not really sure I understand it." A beat. "At all."

Things that drive RPers bonkers

[markofthewise]

"I don't really think I get it completely yet. But I've made some pretty cool stuff in there before." At the very least he liked to think he was a wiz at running the thing.

I think I have sorted it out!

[tokennonbender]

"We don't have anything even similar back in Republic City, and it's the most advanced place in the world!" It was strange to go from what she felt was the pinnacle of modern civilization, and suddenly discover how backwards it could be.

"I'm going to learn how to use it, though. Someone said I could make a race track."

[markofthewise]

He'd actually done that with her before. Made a race track just like the one back home. But he knew from experience that the more you mentioned doing stuff with someone before, the more intensely uncomfortable things became. As a general rule, it was always best not to mention this stuff.

Unless it involved being engaged with someone, but that was a bit unique as forgotten activities go.

"Oh, right, you like racing. I've had a chance to get pretty decent at driving myself. A few months ago, I drove a Studebaker and managed to miss most of the people on the street."

[tokennonbender]

"Really?" Well that caught her attention, even if she didn't know what a Studebaker was. "I haven't seen any cars here. I was beginning to think there weren't any."

Which would be a tragedy and a travesty.

[markofthewise]

"Well, there aren't. I mean, there was, kind of. They weren't real. Or the people I ran over, just to be clear." A beat. "Experiments are weird."

[tokennonbender]

"...Experiments?" This was the first she was hearing about those. "How can they not be real?"

[markofthewise]

"You know how stuff appears in the Dome? Well, imagine that happening in the entire town. And bam, that's an entire experiment."

[tokennonbender]

"...Does that happen often?"

[markofthewise]

"That specifically? No. Weird things happen a lot, but they're not consistent. If they were consistent, it wouldn't be really weird anymore."

[tokennonbender]

"But...strange things are going to happen." She said quietly. "And I guess we can't really do anything about it."

[markofthewise]

"We can complain about it. Me, personally? I've gotten really good at complaining about it."

[tokennonbender]

Asami laughed softly at that. "Well who am I to argue with that?"

[markofthewise]

"You can't." He paused and followed it with a grin. "But you can complain."

[tokennonbender]

Asami just smiled and shrugged. "I'm not really much for complaining, even if I can't fix it."

[markofthewise]

"Fair enough." He let the matter drop because there was something more interesting he had in mind. "Say, do you still have that glove? The electric one?"