savedtheworld | Book 16: Drained [Voice/Action]

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Book 16: Drained [Voice/Action]

[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.]

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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?

What do you think?

[Her response is sharper than she intended, so she takes a deep breath and continues only after she has her tone more under her control. She knows she has a tendency to take things out on other people and she's pretty sure that Aang has enough problems of his own with the situation.]

Look, you were his -- are his friend, too, right? I expect that I'm about as okay as you are right now.

I'm sorry. [He says quietly, having flinched at her sharpness and realizing that he stepped out of line.]

I am his friend, too. Back home... I'd spend almost every day around him and Katara for around two years before coming here. I know it... it can't be easy.

[She frowns a bit at the flinch. It's not that she's displeased at him; she's displeased with herself for adding to his own problems due to her lack of control on her temper. She takes a moment to respond so that she doesn't snap again.]

And then you would've spent almost every day around him here, for as long as you've been here. ...Are you looking forward to going home, so that you can see him again?

I am. [He answers without hesitation.] Now that's just one more reason in a long list of reasons I'm looking forward to going home someday. I know he's happy there. And... the rest of us are, too.

I think that in a way... Part of me feels proud that he made it home now, after he was stuck here for so long. He finally finished his journey. And the bad things that happened to him here... They all got to go away.

[The other part of him just feels less pleasant feelings about him - about how in making it home, he'd left them all behind. Especially Katara.]

Hmm. [She doesn't know what to think about that. On one hand, she understands it and would probably feel similarly if she, y'know, could go home without dying. On the other hand, it was the things that happened to him here that made him into the Sokka she knew -- though she doesn't know if it's selfish to think like that.

But it's not really the time to debate something like that, especially since she doesn't know what she'd debate. So, instead:]

Do you know what he's going to be up to, when he gets back? I think he said that a war had just ended, or was about to end, or something like that, but I never asked him what he was going to do after that. Does he go on to be a smith like he was here?

For him... the war had just ended. And I'm from a year after that.

Pretty soon for him, we're all going to meet up in Ba Sing Se and have a big party. Sokka's gonna try to make art of all us, and it'll come out silly. We all look weird in the drawing, but we laugh anyway. We have a lot of good times. And then... Sokka's gonna help us in traveling around the world for the Harmonic Restoration Movement, to settle the things left over from the war.

I don't know... if he's gonna be doing smithing. All I know is, one day he'll be a councilman at Republic City, and he'll help to keep it safe.

[It's nice to hear about something silly in Sokka's future like the party and picture, and she smiles a little despite the situation. It's also good to hear that he's helping to deal with the after-effects of the war, but the last part startles her.]

A councilman? He's going to be a -- a politician?

[Given enough time to consider it, it won't seem so strange. But it's not what she would have guessed.]

Something like that! I mean, I don't know all the details about what he does. Maybe he'll even do some things on the side! But it does make sense. Sokka could be really good at public speaking. And I think he'll be representing the South Water Tribe. That's gotta be important to him. [Connected with his heritage that Luceti had separated him from.]

[Fenimore doesn't reply immediately as she thinks about it. Yeah, he probably could be good at public speaking. He's certainly not bad at thinking things through and making plans, either. And...well, she wouldn't call him charismatic, at least to his face, but he had some of it.]

I guess it makes sense. His people did seem to be important to him. Though, how do you know -- ah. Your, um, granddaughter?

Y-yeah. Most of the things we know about the future... she told us about. [They eventually managed to get her to stop spilling spoilers.] But I think some of the other people from the future knew of him as a councilman, too.

You have more people from your future? I don't think I've ever heard about anyone from the same world that far apart -- at least, not so far as to have descendants. But maybe I just haven't been talking to the right people.

I guess you haven't. There have been a lot around, and all of them who're still here live with us. There's Korra, and Bolin and Asami. A guy named Tahno was here too. And... Tenzin and Jinora and Lin were here too... for a little bit.

That's...a lot of people. I guess I haven't been paying attention. ...Are they all from different times?

They're all from the same time. Some of them were just separated by... either a few weeks or a few months. I mean - Korra's the next Avatar. And Jinora is Ikki's sister, and Tenzin - he's their dad. [He's not sure if it's for the better or worse that he didn't get to know him well yet.]

[She doesn't entirely get the Avatar connection -- she knows that Aang is the Avatar, but she doesn't know anything about living in Korra's head. But the family one? That she can figure out.]

Oh. So...they weren't around for very long, were they?

No. It was less than a month. [He says very quietly. He's trying to remember what Jinora's smile looked like.]

[She's not sure what to say at first, feeling a little guilty for having brought him to think about other people he's lost in Luceti when Sokka's just disappeared. After a moment, she replies almost as quietly.]

You'll see them again, too, when you return home. Only it'll take a little longer than with Sokka.

[She has no idea he's not going to live to see his grandchildren and the thought that he mightn't never occurs to her.]

[Yeahhh. Her words don't entirely comfort her. He knows he'll definitely get to meet Tenzin and his siblings someday.

But he hurts at the idea of never meeting Jinora or her siblings, and getting to have fun with them in a place where they'll all remember it.]

...Thanks, Fenimore. You're a good friend.

[He doesn't want to take that out on Fenimore. He really does appreciate the sentiment she's trying to go for, after all.]

[For a moment, she gets the feeling like she's said something wrong, but eventually she dismisses it. The topic itself is a heavy one. That might be where the feeling is coming from.]

You're the one letting us know about Sokka, and about...what he's up to now. This much should be just expected.

Though...if you need anything.... Though you probably have a lot of people offering company by this point.

[He knows that company is something that he should want, that should be able to help him. But he's too afraid of being around others, so he doesn't want to accept these offers.]

I do. But - but that doesn't make your offer any less nice. And it doesn't make me any less thankful. I... I think I'm okay right now. Unless... you think you'd like company, yourself.

Honestly...I'd rather deal with this on my own. It's not that I don't appreciate getting to talk to you, and to hear what's waiting for him. But...I don't think I'm going to be good company for a while, anyway.

[Technically, whether she's good company isn't the point when it comes to whether she wants company, but what she really wants to do is sulk, and she doesn't want to admit it or pet anyone see.]

I see. I don't think it matters at all what kinds of company people'd be. But if you prefer doing this on your own... I'll respect that, Fenimore.

Well, I think it would matter for you, at least, when you're already having a hard time with it. But...yeah, I'd rather handle it alone.

[She sighs.]

Besides, I live with Grune. If I show the least sign of being upset, she'll probably be all over me.

Well, thanks for being considerate.

You're right. Grune is really friendly. I'm sure she can give you all the comfort you need.

Book 16: Drained [Voice/Action]

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