[ Action, Voice, and looooooooooove ] .039

[markofthebrave]

[Backdated to yesterday, after her conversation with Suki, Katara has a brother to kill. Confront. Comfort? Whatever.

She looks high. She looks low. She looks... lower. Someone is coming down the stairs to your mancave, Sokka.]

[Meanwhile, this morning, Suki is feeling... less depressed and Sokka is still away from the house and everything feels wrong. Katara's a few steps short of miserable, because this is not the way things are supposed to go. She attends school, finishes some afternoon errands, and just... stares at the journal system for a while. A lot of people still seem to be very happy, and she does not want to bring them down, and she doesn't want to expose Suki or Sokka to anything but...

But.]

...is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that some people are acting... not like themselves?

((ooc: Katara's first post chronologically goes to savethelastchip. Tag as you will!))

Comments

[markofthewise]

[Sokka is still in the basement, although now he's more out in the open, sitting at his own work bench, even though he's not doing anything. It's dimly lit down there, as only the electric light he managed to wire down here is on. Some various bits and pieces of his so-called 'inventions' are lying out at some half hearted attempt to distract himself, but he isn't feeling it. He keeps playing over the last conversation he had in his mind - over and over. It's been a long time since he's felt this much guilt over something. And unlike previous times where he blamed himself for things out of his control...

This was really his own doing.]

[markofthebrave]

[Sad and woebetieded as you are, brother dear, Katara hardly pauses to spare a moment for sympathy. She finishes coming down the stairs, sees him sitting in the near-dark and just...

What on earth had he done?]

Sokka. What happened.

[markofthewise]

[How does he even answer that? He doesn't even turn to face her, as it is.]

... I told Suki about me and Fenimore. [There's a sort of hint that it's obviously Fenimore, because obviously his own sister would know about that.]

[markofthebrave]

[Well, there went her preplanned speech, because what.]

You and who?

[...seriously, what?]

[markofthewise]

Fenimore? We went to the ocean with her, Shirley, and Stella?

[And he's certain he would have mentioned her in the past at some point, given how much time they used to spend together. Besides, how could Katara forget the three girls who breathe underwater and have hair that glows blue when they do?]

[markofthebrave]

Right - I know who she is - but [She hadn't noticed anything between them that whole trip. Nothing at all.] - what was there to tell?

[Have you completely lost your mind?]

[markofthewise]

[He finally looks at her, giving a quizzical look.]

I know we were never official or anything, but me and Fenimore were really close before Suki showed up. I tried to put that behind me for Suki's sake, but I couldn't keep fooling myself. Not when I love Fenimore.

[markofthebrave]

Uh... [...could she really have missed that? Who had he been close to before Suki shown up? Winry, for sure, and Ty Lee for a little while... then there was that mess with Luka... but Fenimore?

No.]

...no you don't.

[markofthewise]

[He's a little testy as it is, so the suggestion he's just making this up, after what just happened, draws out a lot of emotions. He ends up immediately standing up as he raises his voice.]

I think I know how I feel, Katara! Do you think I would've hurt Suki, someone I care about, for nothing?

[markofthebrave]

[She is so the opposite of intimidated by you, Sokka, and in fact she leans forward as-in-icon.]

No, I think you've somehow completely lost your mind! What makes today any different, Sokka, if you've been lying to me and Suki all along? Why are you suddenly 'so in love' with Fenimore that you can't take it? And if you are in love with her, then why were you so upset when Suki was mad at you for turning into her -- in fact, why did you turn into Suki, and not Fenimore in the first place! And what about that 'special project' you've been working on - are you honestly going to stand there and look me in the eye and tell me that you were faking the whole thing?

[markofthewise]

[There's so much there in that spiel he barely is able to catch it all, especially with how upset he is. But he'll try.

Except he's confused about some things here. Turning into Suki was easy. Obviously the Malnosso were just mistaken and assumed he felt about Suki like that. Easy mistake to make. But the last bit...]

Project? What special project?

[markofthebrave]

What 'special project' do you think?

[...now she's starting to get a little bit scared - had he really forgotten?]

[markofthewise]

[He tries to think of special projects he's working on. He glances over at his workbench.]

My automatic knife-throwing glove and cheese grater?

[markofthebrave]

Argh!

[She turns around and starts heading up the stairs.]

Come with me.

[markofthewise]

[He really doesn't want to go, lest he run into Suki, but he ends up following in silence anyway. This better be good.]

[markofthebrave]

[They reach his room uneventfully.] Shut the door after you.

[And Katara heads unerringly to the special spot where he's been keeping his very special project.]

[markofthewise]

[He does so and then watches as she finds that project box he's been keeping under his bed.]

... when did that get there?

[markofthebrave]

I gave you the materials this Christmas. You keep it under the bed because that's where you hide things since you were three.

[She turns around and holds the box out. Come and get it, Sokka. One cold hard dose of reality.]

[markofthewise]

[For a moment he hesitates, then he takes the box and sits down on his bed. When he looks inside, his expression is confusion. He recognizes the contents. He can even remember making them. But for the life of him he can't figure out why.]

... this doesn't make sense.

[markofthebrave]

[Katara sits down beside him and employs the shoulder-touch.]

Do you remember now?

[markofthewise]

I remember making this. [He pulls out the unfinished necklace and fingers the pendant. The design is rough and tacky. Very Sokka.]

But I don't know why. It's not like I planned to get back together with Fenimore. [And he wouldn't have made a necklace for Suki. Not for a long while, since he didn't feel all that strongly about her.]

[markofthebrave]

[Hand withdrawn. Yelling again.]

You didn't make it for Fenimore! You made that for Suki! See the fan?

[markofthewise]

[He does. It was the first thing he noticed. He doesn't even flinch at her yelling.]

Why would I make it for Suki? I know we were dating and all, but I wouldn't make something like this unless I knew she was the one.

[markofthebrave]

Are you even listening to yourself?! That's exactly why you made it!

[markofthewise]

If she was, do you think I would've went and told her what I did!?

[THINK, Katara! If he loved Suki like that, he'd damn well know!]