Book 16: Drained [Voice/Action]

[savedtheworld]

[Voice]

[It had been easy enough to assume that Sokka had still been kidnapped - that he'd be back any day. It was worrying, but there was still the assurance of his eventual return. Except that eventually, his room was checked. And found empty. There wasn't even a sign of Foo Foo Cuddlypoops. It was hard to believe - when Aang had first gotten to Luceti, he had gotten used to Sokka being the man with the answers. And also a beard. He was like a big figure of the town. And now he was gone. Katara wasn't in a state to announce it herself, so Aang eventually did it. Making it quick and to the point.]

Hi everyone. This is Aang. I'm sorry to tell you all this, but Sokka has gone back home. I know we're all gonna miss him. I already do. But at least at home... the last time I saw him there, he was happy.

[Action]

[Aang spends some time over by the statue of Sokka's head located House 56, studying the image of his best friend. He tries to meditate and tries to imagine the inspiring words that Sokka would usually say. Because he's still afraid of being around other people. And right now, the people dear to him may need him more than ever.]

Comments

voice

[all7seas]

Thunderaxe.....

voice

[savedtheworld]

[He frowns at hearing Jack's sad voice. It takes him a moment to remember why he's saying "Thunderaxe". And he gets sad to realize Sokka's going back to a world where he won't know that name at all.]

I'm sorry, Captain Jack.

voice;

[maipokerface]

[Frankly Mai wasn't sure whether she ought to address this or not. She wasn't close to any of them after all and when it comes to comforting Mai was better at distraction than any real emotional help.

But... well, the Avatar had been eager to befriend her before. The least she could do if she had to be caught here with the rest of them was sort of be friendly.]

He was here a long time. He's probably happy to see home again.

voice;

[savedtheworld]

[It actually feels a little comforting to hear kind words from Mai particularly. It raises his mood just a little.]

That's right. He always wanted to go home, and how he's made it. [He knows Sokka wouldn't really be satisfied - not that he went home alone and left Katara here, not to mention the rest of their group. But it was easy to see the bright side. Sokka was "reset" at home. So he never died - never did all those cruel things from when he lost his soul.] The war's over for him back home now, too. So... things should be looking up for him from now on.

[generalflirt]

[ Well shit. ... No really. The bottom falls out of his stomach at this one, and he has no idea if it's his place or not to go there. He's assuming not, but then he's also not entirely sure he can avoid it. He doesn't respond to Aang, but spends a lot of time waffling about if to go down and see how Katara is doing or not until eventually (largely because Shikamaru is too sick to coach him out of it, he begins a slow walk down to House 56.

And frankly, he's almost a little relieved to have run into Aang before her. Not a smile-relieved sense, but definitely a mild relief which means he can distract himself some by waltzing over to interrupt... whatever the guy is doing]

[savedtheworld]

[He's sitting cross-legged in a meditative stance. And looking towards the statue expectantly, as if listening to it. But he perks up as he hears someone nearby. He feels that anxiety he's been feeling around people creeping back. So when he looks up towards Masaomi, it's with a bit of distressed surprise.]

M- Masaomi! ...Hi!

written

[ahappylie]

So he has finally gone home. My condolences to you and your friends, but I am glad to hear that he has happiness awaiting him.

[Even if it means that Souji has lost his only student, and someone he considered a friend.]

written

[savedtheworld]

Thank you, Souji. I honestly don't know a lot about his future, but my present is at least already a year ahead of his time. So know he'll be happy then. Even if he can't remember it, I'm sure that he will miss you in some way.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[... Well. That's not something she can respond to verbally. Though she's also aware of Aang's little problem, there are others at his house that she intends to visit as well.

So sometime later, she'll head down to the house, with Noishe, and with a small plant. Luckily Sokka wasn't one of those who had died at home, but... she knew it was difficult on people who had their family or close friends surrounding them, to "lose" them unexpectedly. Especially when it had been such a long time, long enough for them to lose faith in the idea of being sent home themselves.

If no one is outside when she arrives, she'll go to the door to knock. Or set down the plant, there, if no one answers. Hm.]

[action]

[savedtheworld]

[Aang is indeed outside, near the Sokka head statue, but he keeps quiet as he watches her approach. He does feel the anxiety start to come back to him as she comes closer. But he does manage to crack a slight smile at seeing Noise and raises his hand in a greeting wave.]

[voice]

[endgames]

[He hasn't been using the journal much because his voice is still so hoarse. Still is, but this feels kind of important.]

How long?

[voice]

[savedtheworld]

We found out today. He was kidnapped all this time, so we thought he was still out there... but then Foofoo was gone.

[voice]

[stillplaying]

[Something had seemed wrong that morning when she had stopped by to pick up Foo Foo. That the animal hadn't been there wasn't all that alarming. Despite returning on a regularly constant schedule, there'd been times she would show up and find him gone. Out with Sokka, presumably. But there seemed to be no trace.

She had gone on with hunting as normal. Didn't check the journal to later that day.

It... hurts a little to see this. To hear that he's gone. Even if a part of her is still angry at him, even if it's still uncomfortable to see him on a regular basis, he had been here. He had been here before she had arrived and she had always just assumed.

Would she someday leave before Prim? How could she ever possibly stand to do that to her sister?]

I'm- I'm sorry, Aang.

[voice]

[savedtheworld]

Thanks. Katniss. I'm... sorry, too. You were close to him, weren't you?

[He speaks quietly. He may not know the full extent of their relationship, but he knows that Sokka wouldn't trust just anyone with Foo Foo.]

[voice]

[pendantry]

That's not true.

[It was her immediate reaction, and now several minutes later it is all she can do to insist this. Sokka can't disappear too.]

[voice]

[savedtheworld]

I'm sorry, Raven. But... it is true.

Unless... you know something we don't? [Sokka didn't just move in with Raven or something, did he?]

action

[feistytrader]

[Gee, sure is nice to be back after a tiring mission. He's totally beat, so he's just going to stay home.

...Or check the journal to see that Aang's lost someone. Someone important.

He makes a quick trip to the bakery and gets the first thing he sees before making a trip to Aang's house. He hasn't visited Aang's house much in the past- and he's definitely never gone there on his own, but... He wants to be there for him. Yeah. That's what friends are for. Definitely.

...Maybe he won't be home and he can just check for him in the morn- nope, he's definitely right outside by that statue. Alright. Just... be comforting. Yeah. No problem, right?

Weavile- not Silver- is the first to approach Aang; Silver reaches out to grab him before shaking his head and quickly following him and wordlessly approaching Aang as well.]

action

[savedtheworld]

[As glad as he is to see Silver back, he also starts to feel afraid as he approaches. And it may show in his expression. There's a slight gasp in his voice as he speaks.]

Silver! And... Weavile!

[Voice]

[thefinaljedi]

[Luke's never met Sokka, but he knows that Aang values him. And that's reason enough to reach out.]

It's good to know he'll be happy at home. Sometimes that's the best comfort one can find in situations like this.

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

Thank you, Luke. [It's a small reassurance, hearing from a friend. It's at least a reminder that he still has people here he cares for.]

Thank you, Luke. That's right. He's back where he belongs. And I think things are gonna be okay for him.

voice

[twodragons]

Really?

[Well... damn.]

I just sorta took it for granted that he'd always be stuck here.

voice

[savedtheworld]

[Oh Zuko, you always have such a way with words.]

I guess I did, too. Or, I mean, until we found a way home. And maybe he'd be the one to finally think it up.

[A thoughtful pause.]

...It'd probably use a catapult and a boomerang.

[Voice]

[installing]

[She clicks the voice function on, but it takes her a while to say anything. It's difficult to swallow this. Hell, she doesn't even want to acknowledge it. However-]

Do you need... company?

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

[The question's harder to consider than it should be. Sometimes Aang preferred to cope through solitude, but the loss of a friend makes one time he wishes to have another friend around. At the same time, he was afraid of being around people. But the biggedt concern for Aang now is whether ir not Winry needs someone. He answers uncertainly.]

It... it might help.

Only if... you'd like company, too.

[voice]

[wildlittlegirl]

Was that one of your friends?

[voice]

[savedtheworld]

[Oh. It's Arietta.]

That's right. He was.... he's my best friend, and he's home now. He was here for so long.

[Voice]

[blessingone]

[The news hits like a brick being dropped in her stomach. Sure, they hadn't hit it off at first -- he'd been a friend of a friend at first -- but he'd been there as long as she had. Out of all of her friends here, he'd seemed the most...stable. Others might come and go, but it had felt like he'd be there forever, or at least as long as she was. Perhaps it had made her start to take his presence for granted. But now he was gone and she'd probably never see him again -- at least, not as she knew him.]

...Thank you for letting us know, Aang. That he's gone, and that he's got someplace good to go back to.

[Her voice doesn't have much feeling behind it, though. She hasn't gotten past the shock of the announcement yet.]

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

You're welcome, Fenimore. After everything he did for us here in this world... It's the least I could do.

[He can feel it in her voice. And he only feels more guilty that his phobia is keeping him from giving others proper comfort.]

Are... are you okay?

action;

[breezing]

[ Ikki doesn't bother to say anything when she comes up. But she does come up, with Soren, as usual. She drops down to sit like her grandfather, at his elbow, her legs crossed and her back straight.

...The house is pretty quiet today, isn't it. ]

action; btw sokka went home on this day fyi ttyl omg

[savedtheworld]

[Aang's breathrate increases, getting anxious from her proximity. But he still smiles so fondly at her.

No matter what, he'll always be grateful for her.

And he wants to be there for her.]

Ikki...

May I ask how you are feeling?

voice;

[prims]

I'm...so sorry to hear about that, Aang. I only met him once, but...

[ Well, she can't say anything about him then, either. Since he was apparently you know soulless, but. ]

voice;

[savedtheworld]

It's okay, Prim. You don't have to apologize.

[He cracks a smile.]

I bet he really left an impression, even once.

[voice]

[not_a_troll]

Ah. Sokka...

[Now Loki didn't knew Sokka that well but the guy gave him a cool bow and some nice arrows. And he had a boat.]

...that truly saddens me.

[A small pause.]

...Are you well?

[voice]

[savedtheworld]

I'm sorry, Loki. I'm sure that he'd be saddened, too. [If he could remember him, that is. At the same time, Aang has no idea whether or not the two were actually friends.]

I'm - I'm okay. Things are just... adjusting. We're adjusting!

Action ; forever the latest

[seismicity]

Hey, Twinkletoes.

[ Toph and Aang hadn't seen much of each other these last weeks. With his fear of being around people and her fear of being left alone, it made hanging out a little hard. But this time, when she decides she's going to track Aang down and spend a second with him, she knows it's not because of some silly fear. Eventually she finds him, and she plops down next to him without really thinking about whether or not he'd like that. He could always escape, but she'd like to see him try. ]

Action ; forever the latest

[savedtheworld]

Toph... H- hey.

[He says with a bit of a quiver in his voice. He's heard from some people by now, and he's feeling like he's in a relatively better place regarding his issues. But he does still feel that uncomfortable fear running down his spine. And he does find himself subtly over slightly, away from Toph.]