Rip-Van-Sokka II: Electric Boogaloo

[alwayscomeback]

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

[Sokka's been asleep for about two weeks, and he's certainly been busy in his dreaming state. When he wakes up and finds himself in his own captain bed, there's a brief moment of confusion. He'd only just been home, having a delicious meal, knowing his life, his Tribe faced an uncertain future. And now he's...on the Blue Fish. The name comes back to him with the low hum of the engine. Well, at least he knew what he was getting here, mostly.

He'll be getting up and exploring around, please feed him. He had the BEST food memory-dream.

And later, once he's learned a little more from his crew of the events he's missed, he turns on the network.]

So apparently, Atroma decided to let me sleep though us finally getting any kind of answers. Because that's funny. I'm laughing. I need details, guys, anything you can give me that you found out. Doesn't matter if I've heard it before, different perspectives are important.

[That's his latest Life Lesson He Learned. Yay.]

...And I'm sorry. For people who lost people. Seems there was a lot of that while I was asleep.

Comments

[bryces_pup]

[Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck]

...[She takes a deep, bracing breath.] It's Beverly. She's left, Sokka. Just the other day.

[alwayscomeback]

[Sorry you're stuck delivering this shitty-ass news, Riona.

Sokka's face falls more, caught somewhere between grief and denial. ]

What? No- but she. She can't just have gone. She was- I didn't-

[He didn't get to say goodbye. Not that any of them would have known when she left, of course, but the realisation that Atroma made him sleep, that they robbed him of his last days with her sinks into his chest like ice. ]

That's not fair.

[bryces_pup]

[Someone had to do it. Not that it helps any.]

I'm sorry. [His reaction is similar to hers. She called Beverly countless times, and searched the ship, Iskaulit, and asteroids looking for her. It took a whole day before it finally sunk in.] I... [Words are failing her. Anything she could offer would be empty words of comfort, and he would know it.]

[alwayscomeback]

[It doesn't help his feelings of family are already a swirling mess. Before the meal, he and Katara had visited their mother's gave. It was good. To be there again. To talk to her. But that old wound that would never really be allowed to heal was teased open. And now here it is, being tugged at. ]

I can't believe they took her while I was sleeping.

[bryces_pup]

Appropriately cruel of them, I'm afraid. We never really get to say good-bye to the people who leave. Just the day before, I was just talking to her about our theater. And now she's gone.

[She sighs. There were things she wished she had spoken to her about that she had kept putting off. Now she would never get to.]

[alwayscomeback]

OH, man the theatre. I fell asleep before it got to do anything. I mean- I'm sorry. Are you still doing anything with it?

[Yup. Let's switch focus he is 100% done with dealing with grief. He can't physically hold any more in him right now. ]

[bryces_pup]

Right now, I don't know. I am not sure I am capable of running an entire production by myself. It's still there for others to use, but...

[And she's not sure she has the heart to do anything with Beverly gone.]

[alwayscomeback]

I don't blame you. It's a lot of work, and a-

[He pauses, sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. ]

Well. A lot of her went into it.

[bryces_pup]

She put her heart into everything she did. I'd hate myself for letting it fall to the wayside forever. She wouldn't want me to. But right now, I just... can't.

[She hopes Beverly would understand.]

I'm sorry this is what you woke up to. Did you just sleep, or were you back home?

[alwayscomeback]

I get that. You need time to deal with it to. I mean, I know she's not dead, but it's still like...grieving, isn't it?

[His frown deepens. ]

I went back home. [He has to fight the urge to make an unhappy laugh at that, home, what WAS his home any more? He doesn't know. ]

[bryces_pup]

It is. She's left our lives and it's unlikely she'll come back. At least she'll get to talk to her son again.

[And her crew on her starship. Though she suspects Beverly would feel awful for leaving them all behind, even though it's not her fault.]

...you don't sound too happy. [Uh oh.] Did a significant amount of time pass?

[alwayscomeback]

Wesley. Yeah, that's...good. She really, really missed him.

[She was the way of things. He sighs, shaking his head.]

Well, it was only about two weeks I was there, but...I went back to the South Pole. I haven't been there since we left to fight the war, so about three years? Five-ish, if you count my time here, too.

[bryces_pup]

That's a long time to be away from home. Was it... a happy homecoming?

[alwayscomeback]

[His brows crease. ]

I- honestly don't know. It was... complicated.

[And, ultimately, made him realise how out of touch he is with his own people, now. He prides himself on being Southern Water Tribe, but somewhere in all his travels, that part of him changed. He changed. They changed. Everything just....changed. ]

[bryces_pup]

After being gone for so long, I can imagine. Were they at least happy to see you?

[alwayscomeback]

[Sokka pulls a face. Because honestly? No. Most of them weren't. ]

It's just- yeah, I'm still gonna go with complicated. I got to see my dad again? And Gran Gran, and Aunt Ashuna. That was really nice. I missed them.

...Grampakku too, I guess.

[bryces_pup]

[Riona knows she's treading on uncomfortable territory, and with Sokka having just recently wakened, now is not the time to push. She nods in understanding.]

Was your sister with you? It's been so long since Katara was here. I hope she's well.

[alwayscomeback]

[He appreciates the lack of pushing. He needs time to process it all. Work out what he wants to do next. ]

Yeah, me and her went back together. She's...okay. Going back was pretty rough on her, but I think she's doing better now. She's still got me, no matter what.

[bryces_pup]

For all that siblings can be infuriating, they're wonderful to have in such times.

[Ugh, now she misses Fergus.]

[alwayscomeback]

They are. I'm be lost without her.

[He IS lost without her. It's always been the two of them, against the world. A life without her in it never feels quite right. ]

[bryces_pup]

I know that feeling. Even as an adult, sometimes I still find myself turning to my brother and asking for help. Perhaps I'll never really grow out of that.

[alwayscomeback]

I know I never will. Katara has been there for me so so long. Especially after mom- [he steels himself, swallows- the memory of visiting her grave is still strong] well. She just was always there to step up and look after me and dad.

[bryces_pup]

That's not easy, having to do that. She and Fergus could probably trade stories. [Though granted, Fergus also had to contend with losing his wife and son. But still, he'd appreciate Katara's struggle to step up as caretaker.]

[alwayscomeback]

Oh yeah, and whine about us alllll day long. They'd probably become best buddies just from commiserating.

[bryces_pup]

Ha! I am the model younger sibling, thank you very much. [Her grin is teasing, betraying her lie. She was a hellion when she was young and Fergus would be the first to attest to it, though he didn't bear nearly the brunt of it as their mother did.]