markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .022

[Today, Katara is on a mission. There are people she has to thank for giving her presents, and to that purpose she has prepared small pressed impressions of dried goldenrods in glass (thank you, Usopp and the item shop) or pressed into paper with the words 'Thank You' written on it, depending on what she thinks you'll like more. Yes, this has taken her all week.

She will either be dropping them off at your house, or meeting with you personally to touch base with you. There are a few other people she's on the look out for in particular, and several side missions she also hopes to accomplish. Feel free to bump into her at any point as she goes about her business, whether or not there is a dried flower for you!]

[Courtesy 15 percent filter to the people addressed, so as to not spam your journals if you don't want to see it.]

Ginko, where are you today?

Allen - are you busy today? I'd like to stop by.

Brook... [there is some hesitation here] can I ask you a question?

[/filter]

[And sometime after the conversation with Sanji, you'd better believe that she's hunting her brother down. Where will she find him? Will she have to hold his dinner hostage?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's like being around Jet. Only without the creatively tailored insults.

[And she completely misses the main part of his comparison, because the mention of Jet is a sore spot with her.]

Sanji is nothing like Jet! He'd never do what Jet did!

[He lets out an exasperated sigh.]

I didn't say that.

Then why don't you explain it to me. [Glare. Come on, Sokka. Back up what you're saying, or drop it.]

I'm tired of being referred to as some 'shit'. So there it is. [And maybe he can leave it all right there and be done with it.] When I want to be insulted, I'll be sure to go talk to him again.

...I don't blame you for being upset about that. [What's this - actually seeing reason? ...not quite.] I wouldn't like it either. But you should hear how he talks to Zoro and Usopp - and even Luffy!

And that's not enough to make it so that you'd think he wasn't your friend.

[Why won't she just accept his shaky reasoning for everything. Jeez.]

Okay. It isn't. Why does it matter anyway? Why do I have to be friends with him?

Because! [Deep breath.] Because it would be different if he actually did something. If he'd hurt you or if he'd hurt me, or Toph. But you don't just end a friendship because of a fight - you work things out. But you already said you were wrong about the Aku thing. Who knows what else you think you know about him, but you got wrong? He's a good guy, Sokka, and he's been through a lot, and I don't want you to be mad at my friends for no reason, or for you to be upset about something that you don't have to be upset about. And Luceti isn't that big a town.

[It's bigger than ours. He groans and starts to walk away, as if he's going to just forgot the conversation altogether. But he stops in the path and keeps his back to her.]

Do you want to know why Sanji went to you first? And not me? Even though I knew him longer. Because I was just an afterthought. I can't stretch across the town. I can't fly. I can't make myself glow and shoot green lasers. And I can't bend water. Sanji knew that. As far as he's concerned, I was just dragging everyone down. After all, what can some no powers guy do, right? [Maybe Sokka would have believed that was right a year ago, but he knows better now. If someone like Batman, who doesn't have powers either, can be spoken so highly of by someone like Wonder Woman, then Sokka knows that you don't need some magical ability to be useful.]

Well he was wrong. And if he believes that, I don't need him.

[And there it was. She knew it was coming. But it didn't hurt less. This divide between them... he'll never forgive her for being able to do what he can't. A muscle tweaks in her jaw and she swallows down those years of being mocked by him for that very talent that has always, always set her apart. She refuses to be ashamed of who she is. She always has, and she always will. But that doesn't mean that seeing him like this, because of her, didn't hurt.]

Sanji didn't come to me first. He asked me because I responded to Brook's post. That's all. He knew I was going to tell you, Sokka. If you'd responded first, I'm sure he would have asked you.

[And he doesn't get to get away with this. She walks after him and puts her hand on his shoulder, tugging him gently to get him to turn around, but she won't push if he doesn't follow.] And if he really believed that, you're right. He's wrong. But what you think he's thinking... it's not true, Sokka. I'm sure it's not true.

[She drops her hand and says quietly.] Anyone who says that you're not useful is an idiot. Including you.

Edited 2010-07-12 05:57 (UTC)

[He knew that. He really did. He had dealt with his feelings of being useless and left behind because he couldn't bend. He'd made up for that in so many ways. The last month he had spent training harder than he had in his whole life. He went to bed every day exhausted, but hadn't shown anyone the toll it was taking on him. Not even the ones training him, though it was unlikely they failed to notice. When she takes his shoulder, he doesn't turn.]

It doesn't matter who went where first. That part doesn't matter, because that is what he believes. Not because of what he did, because that's what he said. [Maybe not in so many words, but the meaning was infinitely clear to Sokka.] So like I said. It's not a big deal. He can think what he wants about me, it doesn't bother me. [And up until that statement, it was all true.]

You're wrong. It does bother you, or you'd be able to look at me right now.

[She sighs.] I'm not asking you to do anything about it now. But if you think I'd be friends with someone who was so wrong about you... you're wrong about that too.

[You're my brother. Idiot. With nothing more to say, she'll get ready to turn and walk away.]

[She was wrong. He knew she was. It didn't bother him at all. Maybe Sanji wasn't as bad a guy as he had convinced himself he was, but there was still that. And as far as he was concerned, he didn't need him.

So he's left there to let his sister continue on without him, leaving him with a bundle of clothes that, while cool, didn't make him feel all that awesome anymore. He knew he was right, though. He was always right about people.]

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