004 - My Funny Valentine

[alwayscomeback]

Who: Sokka and YOU!!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Blue Fish
When: Today

[Okay, so the date's wrong, but Sokka in his hyperactive state didn't pay much attention to the details anyway. What was important to him, was that there was a celebration honouring the one you loved and that needed to be addressed.

So, he waves excitedly at the camera, trying to focus it on...an odd 'statue' in the cargo bay of the Blue Fish. He'd considered putting it together on one of the moons, but that would have just been weird, so in the ship he went. It doesn't really look like anything, except for a weird blob made of of bits of melted metal. For some reason, it's holding a fan.]

HEY GUYS!!! I know that Vahl-in-tynes thing is ...soon? Soon! So I made this statue for the lady of my heart, Suki!

[It doesn't look like a lady. It doesn't even look human.]

So Suki is a pretty awesome gal. She kicks butt all the time, and usually does it with just a fan, isn't that amazing? She's part of this all girls warrior group and she could kick all your butts with her hands tied behind her back. AND she's beautiful and smart to boot!

[He winks at the camera] Baby, I know you can't see this, but I miss you and I really hope you're okay, I'll be back before you know it.

Comments

[aberrant_type]

That sounds absolutely charming! [Ah, young love...]

So tell me, how does she "kick butt" with just a fan?

[alwayscomeback]

Darn right it was! And then Zuko ruined it, because he's an angsty jerk with anger issues.

She showed me some of her techniques, it's all very...uh fluid? Using your opponent against them, kind of thing.

[aberrant_type]

[Just tickled, here. Sokka u precious.]

Well, if she ever arrives here, I hope she'll be up to demonstrate her technique.

[alwayscomeback]

I'm sure she will. She likes teaching.

[aberrant_type]

She sounds like a charming girl. She must be busy at home, though.

[alwayscomeback]

[Ah. The smile fades. ]

She's fighting the war like me.

[aberrant_type]

What's this war all about?

[No comment on how young he is. He looks about the same age as the young soldiers who join the scouts or some other military branch at home, after all.]

[alwayscomeback]

One Nation tried to take over all the others. We got this tiny window of opportunity to fight back, and if we miss it -

Well, the leader of that Nation will be unstoppable.

[aberrant_type]

[She's quiet for a moment after he explains that. Hange might call him kiddo and tease him, and maybe adults regularly don't listen to Sokka, but she's conditioned by her background to take young soldiers seriously and really respects what they can do. So she sounds properly serious and respectful when she replies to him:]

Why such a short window?

[alwayscomeback]

[He's glad for it, really. He's had to work damn hard to get where he is now, to the point where he's a respected member of his tribe, where he's considered a true warrior. ]

So the Nation we're fighting are Fire Benders. They can use fire as a weapon. There's going to be a comet passing by soon that will give them a lot of power. The Fire Lord will use that power to take over the little resistance that's left. We have to defeat him before the comet passes, or we're all done for.

[aberrant_type]

So the comet must have been very close when you were drawn here...

[alwayscomeback]

It was nearly on us. We were in the middle of the final battle.

[aberrant_type]

[She can relate. She left at a bad time, a possibly pivotal moment, too.]

Well. I just hope the brass here can fit you in back where you belong.

[Or that his friends will be all right without him...]

[alwayscomeback]

Me too. I mean, I don't have the most important part of the battle, but-

[Toph is hanging on to him, for dear life. He needs to be there for her. ]

If I'm not there, my best friend will die.

[aberrant_type]

[That's a lot of heavy information given unsolicited... Hange goes quiet. She's not really in a position to reassure him, but he probably wanted to talk to someone about it, given that he's unloading on her so suddenly.]

I can't say I have easy answers for you, kiddo. We can't get home just like that, it seems... so the best thing for us to do now is build up as solid a foundation as we can, and watch for opportunities to fight.

[alwayscomeback]

[He sure does. He's been trying not to think about it since he got here, but he's at breaking point. He can't keep pretending it's not happening. ]

I'm doing everything I can to get back. Every planet we go to, I'm collecting maps. There has to be a way back, somewhere.

[aberrant_type]

Unfortunately... I think it might take more than a map to get us all home. I suspect our way to return to where we belong will be through the same people that brought us here.

[alwayscomeback]

Maybe, but we got to start somewhere. And maps are something I know.

[It means that he knows he isn't sitting idle. Even if there isn't a way home, he can at least tell himself he's doing something. ]

[aberrant_type]

Maps of the places, or maps of the stars?

[alwayscomeback]

Both. You need both to navigate well.

[aberrant_type]

I'd start with the star maps, myself.

To leave the influence of the Marsiva, you might need a ship of your own. That's quite a project to think of.

[alwayscomeback]

I don't know. If we work out what keeps our ships in their control, we could just modify those.