driftfleet | Yadrolla System Mingle

I know you do. [ And it's not at all surprising. She'd be a little insecure about that, if she didn't know, couldn't see that, well, their relationship was still important to him. (She hears how he doesn't even stumble over Suki's name, too.) It was a little strange, though, to be such an... extension of him throughout the fleet. But she couldn't imagine not joining his ship as soon as she could, and it was a good trade to be with family again. She'd make her own friends here in time. She wasn't really worried about it. ]

...have you ever met anyone from our future here?

[It's been over two years since he last saw Suki- technically three if he adds in time from home. Those wounds, at least, are healing- healing enough that he can finally move on. He raises his eyebrows because that's quite the question. ]

Wait, did you meet Korra too? Because she sure showed up here- you're like an old lady in her time, you got married to Aang and everything.

...[Katara gives a breathy, incredulous laugh.] Wow, Sokka. Wow. What if I hadn't met Korra and learned all about my future destiny?

[ She'd met her GRANDCHILDREN. That had been... something. ]

[He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. ]

Well, I was kinda hoping you were headed that way. Uh, talking about Korra, I mean.

Yeah, I was headed that way. [ She rolls her eyes. ] I met her... Asami, Tarlock, Bolin... Lin... Tenzin [ that had been... ] And Ikki and Jinora stayed with us for a little while.

[ Her hand rests on her necklace for a moment before curling back around her tea. ] So did Avatar Roku.

Oh wow, you saw all of them! I just got Korra, you got the whole family.

[Oh. Well. He blinks. ]

Roku? That's- well. That had to be pretty weird.

Are you kidding? Meeting Roku wasn't half as weird as meeting my grandkids. Aang and I aren't even dating!

[And there was some leftover pain and frustration in her tone, because getting your destiny all laid out in front of you and wrapped with a bow wasn't half as fun as she'd always thought it would be.]

Ohhhh.

[And, as usual, his mouth speaks before his brain can filter it out first. ]

Yeah, you guys are for sure dating back home. You're obnoxious about it, too. You got together after the war.

[ Dryly: ] It's nice to hear that I'm happy about it there.

[ Because this was Sokka and she didn't really need to hold anything back from him.

Because this was Sokka, and she needed to hold back SO MUCH from him, she didn't say 'that she's happy there.' ]

[Sokka, of course, would have no reason to think she wasn't happy. She's been pretty blatantly happy with Aang for the last three years back home. ]

Well. That's a weird way of saying it.

[ Her brow furrows. It's very obvious to her why she said it that way, so she doesn't see why... ]

What do you mean?

I mean- is that not a thing for you? Like with the Aang feelings? Because that was pretty sarcastic, and I've had to put up with a lot of Ooogie-stuff for the past like...three years so it's kinda weird to hear.

[ She sighs. ] Sokka, the last thing I remember from home was flying away from Hama. I didn't know that Aang had feelings for me back then. And I never had a chance to develop them on my own. When he showed up in Luceti, we were already dating in his timeline, and things were... weird... we talked about it, eventually, but I didn't feel the same way he did. How could I? I hadn't even seen him for two whole years. And there was someone else who'd been - trying to get my attention that way and I was just about to give him a chance when Aang showed up and... I just... didn't know what the right thing to do was, so I tried to stop everything... and then Ikki showed up about three months later.

[ Two of her best friends wanted her to feel something toward them that she didn't feel, and then one of them turned out to be her husband in the future... and she had a say in none of it. All the weight of their expectations and the responsibility she felt toward protecting them and preserving their hearts had just made her completely miserable. ]

Look, Katara, I wouldn't judge you for finding someone else. Heck, that's what I've done. None of us know how long we're trapped in these places, it's natural to move on.

[He just finds it hard to imagine an Aang that would make it so she'd have no say in her future. That didn't seem right. It made him concerned. It was mattered most to him here.]

It sucks that you were stuck between them like that, but Aang...he didn't try to push anything on you did he? Because if he did, I'm afraid I'll have to find some way to go back in time and cross dimensions to kick his ass.

[ That last comment makes her laugh, which is amazing. It's happy and sad and brief and she leans in to jostle his shoulder briefly with hers before pulling back. That was... such a good thing for him to say, even if she'd like to think she'd do her own ass-kicking if the situation called for it... she wasn't entirely sure she would. She'd failed pretty miserably with Aang and Masaomi, she hadn't guarded her own interests at all. She'd done so much out of obligation and not wanting to hurt them or lose their friendship, without trying to cross the line into being dishonest about her own feelings that... it had still left things a mess. ]

Don't worry. No ass-kicking necessary. Aang did the best he could. It's not just... what happened in Luceti that bothers me when I think about it, Sokka, it's... I'm just really glad that you're sure that future me likes him like that. Because knowing what I know now? Even if he showed up in the right age... I just don't know if I'd ever feel that way for him without wondering if I was doing it because I was supposed to. [ Gaining a little bit of steam, indignation. ] I mean, how do you even go about trying to find someone else if you know that you're married in the future?

[ This whole situation sucked. So hard. She still wasn't over it. The only blessing was that the Aang on the Fleet 1) Didn't know about it and 2) Was like... six years younger than she was, and so Katara was pretty sure he wasn't interested in her and knew she wouldn't be comfortable doing anything like that with him.

She really wished, if she was going to be with Aang like that, that she'd had a chance to develop feelings for him on her own. ]

[He relaxes a little at her laughter, letting out a small one of his own. ]

Good. Good. And I get it, you know? I mean, I loved Suki a lot...I still do, a little. But we get stuck here for so long, it's impossible not to end up moving on. And I have something to move on from, for you, you and Aang are still a Not Thing.

[He considers for a moment, staring up. ]

Okay, so you're married in the future. But this here, this place? It's something else. We won't remember here, when we go back. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to live here. Whatever life we have in the future back home, it'll still be there, it'll still happen. But we can enjoy here, too. Not put our happiness on hold for it, you know?

[ She wants to say something bitter - a scathing That's easy for you to say. He doesn't have to deal with whether or not finding his happiness is breaking a promise - a promise that she hasn't made, but will make, something that doesn't seem fair, but traps her anyway. Because there didn't seem to be any right way forward.

Because there still doesn't seem to be any right way forward.

But at least on the fleet, Aang wasn't interested in her like that, and she... well, she wasn't interested in a twelve year old boy like that at all, no matter who he was or how precious to her Aang will always be. And no one else was interested in her either. Hopefully, it will stay that way, and she won't develop any feelings for anyone either, and she can just... hold her breath until she goes back to a future that who she is now has absolutely no say over.

Because he's right, they won't remember anything or anyone, and it isn't fair. Who they are in these places will just fade away, as surely as any of the alternate lives she's lived - but at least she remembers them. She won't be remembered. She won't get to choose. It isn't fair.

She says none of this, because she's gotten too good at hiding how this part of her heart is screaming. She smiles instead, and it's a lie. ] I'm glad you've found a way to be happy here, Sokka.

[He'd very much point out Suki is still a factor in his life. That just because he moved on, didn't mean she wasn't still there. That he genuinely worries about her showing up, and what that would do to her and Looma. It's a worry that has given him more than a few restless nights.

He offers her a wan smile. ]

Well, yeah. It was that or go steadily crazy you know?

Crazier than you were already? [ A low whistle. ] Good idea. Let's avoid that.

[ But no, she gets it. She doesn't know how to DO it yet, but she gets it. ]

Exact- [he catches on ] heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey.

[But at least he can chuckle. ]

Just take it as it comes, Katara. That's the best we can do here.

Yadrolla System Mingle

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