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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[He eyes the bacon and frowns.]

You are a cruel, cruel sister. [He shakes his head.] Guess I better wake Toph up, then.

You survived the mission and now you want to die here, is that? [She puts the bacon on the counter.]

Go put a shirt on. I'll see if she wants pancakes or waffles.

[FOR POST CONTINUITY'S SAKE.]

Fine, fine. You can rouse the beast this time.

[With a shrug, he heads over to his room to grab a shirt.]

[And so, she goes to wake Toph and... gets no response. She calls out Toph's name and opens the door and... stumbles into the wall.

There's nothing but silence for a long moment before she calls out a little weakly:]

Sokka.

[He's hopping over, trying to get a boot on while not stopping, because this sounds important.]

Yeah? What's- [It doesn't take long for the empty room to enter his line of sight.

Oh.]

[She doesn't go over and hug him because she's trying very hard not to cry.

It's not working well.

Her eyes are wide as she stares at the room in shock, before her hand comes up to her mouth to keep in a sob.]

[Toph. She's gone. Again. This is the third time he's woke up to look into room, only to find it empty.

Somehow you'd think it would get easier...

There's no words to make it better, there never are. He sets a hand on his little sister's shoulder. He just closes his eyes and sets his jaw. Gotta stay strong. For both their sakes.]

[She turns into his side, leaning on him in a rare display of weakness.]

We just got her back.

I know.

[And she hadn't remembered. She never remembered.]

She said she would be here for years. [... and for moments, he almost believed that future could be true.]

[It's better this way. It's better that she's home.

But right now Katara aches, and she can't make herself say the familiar mantra.]

It was just another lie from this place.

[After two years, it's hard to make yourself say that anymore. Because you're not the one going home.]

We'll see her again, Katara.

I know. [A deep breath, and she starts to straighten up, tries to hold her heart back together.] I know.

[He moves his hand behind her, while his other goes to shut the door.]

I can tell the others.

[She swallows.] Okay, then I'll... [And she wipes away the tears on her face] I'll make the village announcement.

[Division of labor. That's how they roll.]

[That's probably the worst job to get, having to make the announcement. But they're inevitable, aren't they?]

You don't have to. I mean, not right now.

No, I know. [Pause.] I'll do it in a minute. She's got that class, so...

[... manliness classes. Right.]

Right. She really does like starting stuff around here, doesn't she? [And always finding problems with Luceti! White Lotus then Manliness Classes. What's next?]

Yeah. [And very quietly, Katara turns away to go her journal.]

[In the meantime, he'll go find the others. It might be awhile until he comes to find her again.]

[That's fine. Because she has to finish grieving first. And then she has to get her journal. And when she opens it...

No.

Worst. Timing. Ever.

What does she do about this?]

[He's still pretty somber when he gets back, though in typical Sokka fashion, he's not wearing his feelings as much as he could. So he pokes in to find her a bit later.]

So...

[She just looks up at him. With this look.

Something else has clearly Happened and she hasn't managed to pull herself together just yet because - what a morning - and no movement is immediately required.]

[Oh jeez. He knows that look. It's the 'things just got worse' look.

What happened? [Is someone else gone now?]

[She exhales. She has to be strong. He's... he's not going to be happy but everything will be fine. She tilts her - closed - journal towards him.]

I have a mission.

[Action]

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[Action] /sob, it seems I only typed this tag IN MY MIND

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