markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .056

[Okay, so waking up today was weird. She thought it was Saturday, but by the state of the house and where things were... it was actually Monday. Sokka was back - woke up in his own bed, and all, but when Katara went to check on Toph to see if she remembered what happened...

Her room was bare. There was nothing left. Toph was gone.

After stumbling to the wall and leaning on it a long moment to get herself together - is it going to hurt like this every time? - it was time to tell the household.

That accomplished, one of them had to let the town know... and Katara volunteered. She opened up her journal to find a mission summons from the Malnosso. She stared at it a long moment - now? When her housemates need her most they're calling for her now? She shut the journal. She needed a moment to process.

Eventually, she'll open up the journal again. Her voice is a little strained, but steady.]

I'm sorry I don't know any other way to say this but... Manliness Classes are going to have to be canceled again. Toph's gone home.

And... [hhhng, announcing this to the village is so weird, but...] Sokka's back. [There, that's better. Starting with him gives her someplace to stand on.] But I'll be leaving on a mission tomorrow, so... I'll see you all in a week or so.

[So after making this post mid-morning, Katara sets about doing what she needs to do. Sirry Crags, huh? She knows how to handle high altitudes and fighting in snow. She'll just... pop into the Item Shop to double check for a few things, and then hopefully bump into someone willing to help her carry groceries home. It looks like she's going to need to do a week's worth of cooking today.]

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This is so weird... [She sets the leftovers back in the table and looks around.]

And everything's clean like an after-Saturday cleaning too...

Pretty suspicious, huh.

[Though it's not like they can do anything about it.]

...This isn't the first time it's happened either, is it?

No... remember last year? I think it was last December, when we were all at the beach.

[She's frowning at the calender with its turned pages now.]

That's right- I remember now! Or... don't remember, I guess it's more like. But it's the same thing, isn't it...

[That's kind of creepy.]

[This is making her head hurt, and she makes a low, discontented sound over it.]

...at least it's only two days. Right?

It could definitely be a lot worse. I'm a little worried about it, but I guess there's only so much that could happen in such a short time.

...yeah. And either way, it's not like we remember it.

Guess it's better to just try and forget about it...

[Try being the key word. But whatever, it's early, and that means it's time for food.]

Want some help with breakfast this morning?

I was just going to do cereal... but I guess it's too late to make it to school now. Is there anything you'd like?

You think Sokka will be coming back from training for some food? We could have those sausages he likes.

[Sup, house waifu in training.]

[pfff.] Sure. If you watch them, I'm sure they'll turn out all right.

[And if not, she'll tell Sokka you made them and he'll have to eat them anyway.]

I-I hope so. I can't keep burning meals, right? I mean, it's impossible to be that bad all the time.

[Or she's kidding herself. Who knows.]

[Pffff.

No, actually. Katara does laugh a little. Sorry, almost!sis.]

If you stand over it and keep turning them every few minutes, I'm sure they'll be great.

[She is. Mostly sure, anyway.]

[It's okay, her (cooking) life is suffering anyway.]

I try to watch it! But something usually happens and then... um. Yeah.

[That "something" is probably "Sokka". Or Momo. Momo could be involved.]

[Shoulder touch.]

We'll try watching it together this morning, okay? It'll be a nice surprise for him.

Thanks. I'd like it if I could cook at least half as well as you someday.

[Katara laughs, and moves to get ingredients.] Maybe when you've been cooking for as long as me. I'm no Sanji or anything. You'll get it, Suki.

[...eventually. /sob. How you manage to always burn things is a mystery to her.]

[Suki offers up a wan smile, going to fetch those sausages and a pan, while she's at it.] We never really did much cooking back on Kyoshi- the girls either had families or were looked after the rest of the village, since we protected it. It's not something that really came up until we left the island.

I can't tell you how many times I wish I was doing something else, while I was working around camp and Sokka was playing soldier. [Katara smiles and shakes her head.]

But we all had different roles.

I can't imagine what that must've been like. I'd have been so bored, watching others do the work that I've felt so passionate about for most of my life.

Well... [That stings a little, but Katara starts taking out the breakfast things.] If you'd grown up with us it wouldn't have been... like that, really. The Southern Water Tribe isn't as bad as the Northern Water Tribe where they wouldn't even teach me bending, but the roles are pretty clearly defined. The men protect and provide the village, and the women make sure everyone is fed and clothed. It might have been different when we were bigger, or when we still had waterbenders, but...

[But how many times had she wanted to come along and hunting only to know she had to stay behind and take care of them instead?]

Remember how Sokka was when you first met? He wasn't even so bad compared to some of the men who left with Dad.

[...Ouch. And he'd been really obnoxious, too. Ultimately harmless, yes, but... yeah.]

Do you think what you guys managed to do with Aang will change that? I mean... we wouldn't have been able to save the world without you and Toph. And there's lots of girls who played major roles in the war.

Well it's not... oppressive. It's just that we've fallen into roles to make things work more smoothly. [That sounds so lame to her, even though she knows from experience and exposure that it's true.]

But I didn't work this hard to become a waterbender to not have those skills recognized. I don't know what the future will hold for our culture, but I don't plan on sitting by and letting anyone make those decisions without me.

[Things to worry about for another day. A quick grin.] And hey, if Sokka managed to come around then there's hope for everyone, right?

If the others don't learn to change their ways, you could always put them in their place like I did with him. Winning his respect is what changed his mind, after all!

[Though he certainly got stronger at a disconcerting rate after that.]

Hopefully it won't come to that.

[She shrugs a little.][...understatement of the century.]

[Action]

kyoshi - 2012-02-09 11:04 (UTC) - Expand