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

[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?"

[tokennonbender]

"Hmm? Yeah," she tugged the glove off her belt and held it up. "I found it in the weapons shop here after someone told me I should check. ...Why?"

[markofthewise]

He grinned. Bingo. This may have been the break he was looking for. "Follow me, I've got something to show you."

Not waiting for her to answer, he headed to a corner of the workshop where he had his own personal work desk. It was lined with tools and several rolled up canvases for blueprints and design ideas. He had to dig around for awhile, but he soon came up with a few pages of drawing and schematics, followed by some mechanical bits that resembled pieces that might go to her glove. He unfolded the pages for display so she could see the various sketches of the very same glove. Sokka may have been rubbish at his artistic endeavors, but when he wanted to try to make something as the basis for a design, a ruler and compass could go a long way towards making things look pretty good.

All in all, it was an impressive attempt at reproducing her glove. But it was far from finished.

"We were working on this before. But you went home before we got to finish."

[tokennonbender]

She followed after him, unable to resist her curiosity, and made a faint noise of surprise when she saw the desk covered with bits and pieces of what were obviously her glove. And sketches of her glove. Huh.

"You were trying to build them?" She looked at her own glove for a moment, considering the mechanics. "We were trying to build them?" That would never stop being strange.

[markofthewise]

"What can I say? I wanted one too."

Though now he was a little more ambitious then before. After meeting Artemis and seeing her arsenal of weapons, he was more keen in trying to reproduce that electrical shock in his boomerangs. Though the glove wouldn't be bad either.

[tokennonbender]

She wasn't quite certain what she thought of this. On the one hand, the weapons were just weapons, they weren't good or evil, she proved that by using hers. But equalist technology was still tainted, in a sense, by what it was really used for.

"Did it work?" She finally asked, leaning forward to examine one of his sketches, tracing her finger over the electronic lines carefully. Hmm.

[markofthewise]

"No, not really. I never figured out a way to make a battery that could store the same kind of energy that the glove does. At least not at the same size. I have to hand it to your dad, he knew what he was doing."

That in itself was the entire hiccup, of course. Making the glove and the delivery system was easy. Storing the power was difficult.

[tokennonbender]

"Hmm," a soft, thoughtful noise as she pulled her own glove in front of her and flipped it over, searching around until she found the power source. Her eyes narrowed as she studied it, because it looked familiar...she'd seen her father design things like this, over the years. Larger, generally, but approaching this size.

She was grinning as she stood up a bit straighter. "I might be able to figure it out."

[markofthewise]

"That's what you said last time. Let's hope you're right this time."

They had a head start this time courtesy of the parts and the notes. And, once again, a working model. Either way, he shared her confidence.

[tokennonbender]

She spent another few moments silently considering the little battery before she looked at him.

"So this place, can anyone use it or is it yours?"

[markofthewise]

"I share it with a few other smiths. But I'm basically the one in charge here, thanks to seniority. But you're welcome to come here as much as you want to work on this."

As he said that, he stole a look at Winry's work area. She hadn't been to the smithy in a long time and it occurred to Sokka that if Asami liked it well enough, he could give Winry's space away.

[tokennonbender]

"Alright. It'll give me something to do anyway," she smiled. "I've been getting the impression that finding something to focus on here is very important to passing the time."

It wasn't like Republic City, there was always something happening there.

[markofthewise]

"I'm going to have to show you my private collection sometime. You'll see what three years of boredom looks like."

[tokennonbender]

Asami quirked an eyebrow. "Private collection of what exactly?"

Way to sound creepy, Sokka.

[markofthewise]

"Weapons. Furs. Mechanical whatsits. You know, typical collection-type things."

He was completely unaware of any other connotation there could be there.

[tokennonbender]

"...Right." A pause. "Well, sure, that sounds interesting."

And not quite as creepy.

[markofthewise]

"Well, it's under the house." A pause. "Which you're probably living at now, aren't you?"

[tokennonbender]

"If you mean with Avatar Aang and Korra and everyone, yes. They let me have the empty room."

[markofthewise]

"Well, I'm part of that everyone. So, belated welcome to Avatar House. Assuming no one else beat me to that."

[tokennonbender]

She gave a little nod of her head. "Thank you, though most everyone has already gotten around to it, yes."

She glanced at his pile of diagrams again, and then back to where he was working earlier. "I suppose I should let you get back to your work?"

[markofthewise]

He paused as he considered asking her to stay, but the truth of it was he would have to go put a bunch of things away if she was going to stay. So instead he rolled up his notes and handed them to her.

"I have a few projects I want to finish up first. But why don't you work on this. If you figure it out, I can start making the parts."

[tokennonbender]

Asami took the rolled up papers and nodded, feeling them crinkle under her fingers in her excitement. She always watched things being invented, but really getting to figure it out...that was new.

"Of course. I'll get on it as soon as I can. Thank you, Sokka."