SHERLOCK!SOKKA. PART TWO.
I have a few hours every day to myself. Today was dedicated to planning out the basics of Sherlock Sokka (although any ideas would be greatly appreciated<333 ). So far I have about fifteen major highlights; and more to be added as they come up. I'm not big on action, but if you like character development, humor, and maybe some suspense--HERE WE GO!
This one has a little less LOLS, and some more SRSBIZNES as I--*GASP*--attempt some form of plot? (ALSO: that last part I had on the first piece? I put it in this one instead, because it fit. 8D )
“You wanted to see me, Father?”
The man turned, offering his daughter a short glance before returning to the mirror to fix his tie. “I’ve heard that your brother has been arrested and will be hanged soon,” he stated; though his eyebrows were narrowed, there was a hint of humor in his voice. “No one suspects foul play, I assume.”
Azula crossed her arms and examined her nails in a bored manner. “Of course not. Why would anyone believe Zuzu? He has more motive than any other disowned child in this godforsaken city.”
He reached for his cane, long and black and topped with a fire-shaped diamond, and opened the tall blinds. The sunlight spilled in, detailing the interior of the room: a study, of sorts, with high bookshelves and dark walls and a blood-red carpet that was decorated with some of the finest furniture one could acquire.
“Very well,” Ozai said. “As you know, I will be in Omashu for about a week. I expect everything to be in order when I return.”
“Oh, please. I know how to behave.”
Walking to the door, he stopped for a second and claimed, “I had placed that same faith in your brother a few years ago.” And then he was gone.
A crooked grin appeared on her face, features twisting into that of annoyance. “Well, Daddy dearest, I’m not Zuko,” she hissed. In a few quick strides, she was in the hallway. “Ty Lee! Mai!”
“A-Azula!” yelped a brown haired girl. She jumped up from her seat and tidied her long pink dress. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Of course.” Azula looked around expectantly. “Where’s Mai?”
“I don’t know,” replied her friend, playing with a few strands of hair. “Whatever it was, she said it was urgent.”
The woman placed her hands on her hips. “I see…,” she muttered.
--
Katara brought her hands to her mouth in shock. “You don’t mean to say… you’re planning on escaping?” She heard her brother hum in acknowledgement as he scribbled something down in his notebook. She smacked him. “Don’t write that down!”
“Well, we’ve already tried to get out a few times,” Aang recalled. “Contrary to many books I’ve read, spoons are not the best tools for digging. Oh, and these bars don’t bend. At all.”
Sokka leaned over to Zuko, hand to his face, and whispered, “Hey, have you tried hitting on any of the guards?”
“What? But--but they’re all men!” the scarred man spat, bewildered.
“But what if one’s gay? Get him to like you, and maybe he’ll help you out!” Beside him, Toph withheld a snicker.
Zuko’s eyes widened, clearly thinking the idea over. He lowered his voice: “I can’t just do that…! And everyone knows of my engagement with Mai!”
“You could say the engagement is for show,” Toph added nonchalantly with a shrug, finally over her bemused spell (they would get a nice laugh about it later, anyway).
“…you really think it would work?”
Aang let out a depressed whine and banged his head on the bars. “We’ve only got three days. And, honestly, our chances are pretty slim.” He peeked at Katara, gray eyes weary, and continued: “There’s so many things I haven’t been able to do….”
“And you’ll get to do them!” she asserted. Giving his hand a quick squeeze, she turned to the dynamic duo. “Right, Sokka? You won’t just let Aang die, will you?” (“What about me?” voiced Zuko, ignored yet again.)
“I suppose not…,” was his unsure answer. He squinted at the two prisoners. “I’m not going to get paid, am I?”
“Uh--”
“I didn’t think so.”
Toph patted her partner’s shoulder roughly, grinning. “Don’t worry,” she offered. “I can always beat the payment out of them later.” The two men winced, suddenly not so eager to be released.
Pleased, Sokka wrote one last thing down and exclaimed, “Alright, guys and gals! I believe I am ready to start this case!” He handed his notebook to Toph enthusiastically and adjusted his hat. “My notes are in top shape--” The woman at this side, though not able read a word of it, nodded in agreement. “--and I’m raring to head out!”
Arms locked, the two marched out of the room, a bar song trailing behind them; Aang and Zuko shared a nervous look before shifting their gazes to Katara.
“Please, please, please tell me you’re going with them.”
She shook her head, defeated. “I see no way around it.”
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all.
--
“Lunch time, convicts.”
Aang lifted his head from his pillow, noticed the dirty bowls in the guard’s hands, and muttered, “Yay, gruel.” He laid back down, hunger eluding him.
Realizing that this was his chance, Zuko attempted to unbutton the upper half of his shirt before turning to the impatiently waiting man. “Uhm… h-hello there,” he said, trying to sound coy but failing horribly. “You, uhh, you work here often?”
Eyebrow raised in disgust, the guard shoved the food into the stuttering man’s chest and stomped off. “Sorry, pansy,” he called, “but I don’t swing that way.”
Zuko cursed under his breath, lip twitching when he heard his cellmate’s suppressed laugh, and debated throwing the slop at him for his own selfish amusement.
“So you’re in jail for less than a day, and you’re already moving on to men?”
“M-Mai!”
Her slim figure leaned against the doorway, hidden partially in the shadows. A beat later, she sauntered up to him, face nearly unreadable; but he noticed the humor hidden behind her golden glare (which only made him even more embarrassed). Arms crossed, the woman waited for an explanation.
“How did you know…?” he finally asked dumbly.
“I read the newspaper, idiot.” Her mouth curled into a scowl. “So this was your big plan? Getting hanged before you get married? Oh, that’s a great idea, Zuko.”
He shifted uneasily. “I didn’t think--”
With a sudden flare of rage, she shoved a finger into his chest. “You never seem to think!” she yelled, shocking both herself and her fiancé. A deep breath and a cough later, she was calm again, eyes dull and voice monotone: “Azula knew.”
“She always knows.”
Black hair glistening in the faint light, she whispered, “I would have helped you.”
Zuko hesitantly reached out and cupped her cheek, keeping his features serious. “I didn’t want you to get hurt. If anything were to happen to you…,” he trailed off, his hand sliding down her neck.
Mai watched him, unsure, before offering him a soft smile. She closed her eyes and made to leave. “You can’t protect me now--I’m in too deep,” she murmured, mostly to herself. Looking over her shoulder, she simpered.
“Good luck with that boyfriend of yours, Zuko. I doubt your wooing skills have improved much, so you’ll need it.”
He shouted out in protest, but she had already disappeared. With a heavy exhale, the duke’s son fell back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.
“So,” Aang began, apparently trying to strike up a conversation. “That’s your girl, huh?”
“…yeah.”
--
Next time: Sokka, Toph and Katara attempt to find out what happened by paying a visit to Ozai's manor; and have a short run in with Azula! And what, exactly, do Zuko and Aang talk about? WHO KNOWS?
This one has a little less LOLS, and some more SRSBIZNES as I--*GASP*--attempt some form of plot? (ALSO: that last part I had on the first piece? I put it in this one instead, because it fit. 8D )
“You wanted to see me, Father?”
The man turned, offering his daughter a short glance before returning to the mirror to fix his tie. “I’ve heard that your brother has been arrested and will be hanged soon,” he stated; though his eyebrows were narrowed, there was a hint of humor in his voice. “No one suspects foul play, I assume.”
Azula crossed her arms and examined her nails in a bored manner. “Of course not. Why would anyone believe Zuzu? He has more motive than any other disowned child in this godforsaken city.”
He reached for his cane, long and black and topped with a fire-shaped diamond, and opened the tall blinds. The sunlight spilled in, detailing the interior of the room: a study, of sorts, with high bookshelves and dark walls and a blood-red carpet that was decorated with some of the finest furniture one could acquire.
“Very well,” Ozai said. “As you know, I will be in Omashu for about a week. I expect everything to be in order when I return.”
“Oh, please. I know how to behave.”
Walking to the door, he stopped for a second and claimed, “I had placed that same faith in your brother a few years ago.” And then he was gone.
A crooked grin appeared on her face, features twisting into that of annoyance. “Well, Daddy dearest, I’m not Zuko,” she hissed. In a few quick strides, she was in the hallway. “Ty Lee! Mai!”
“A-Azula!” yelped a brown haired girl. She jumped up from her seat and tidied her long pink dress. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Of course.” Azula looked around expectantly. “Where’s Mai?”
“I don’t know,” replied her friend, playing with a few strands of hair. “Whatever it was, she said it was urgent.”
The woman placed her hands on her hips. “I see…,” she muttered.
--
Katara brought her hands to her mouth in shock. “You don’t mean to say… you’re planning on escaping?” She heard her brother hum in acknowledgement as he scribbled something down in his notebook. She smacked him. “Don’t write that down!”
“Well, we’ve already tried to get out a few times,” Aang recalled. “Contrary to many books I’ve read, spoons are not the best tools for digging. Oh, and these bars don’t bend. At all.”
Sokka leaned over to Zuko, hand to his face, and whispered, “Hey, have you tried hitting on any of the guards?”
“What? But--but they’re all men!” the scarred man spat, bewildered.
“But what if one’s gay? Get him to like you, and maybe he’ll help you out!” Beside him, Toph withheld a snicker.
Zuko’s eyes widened, clearly thinking the idea over. He lowered his voice: “I can’t just do that…! And everyone knows of my engagement with Mai!”
“You could say the engagement is for show,” Toph added nonchalantly with a shrug, finally over her bemused spell (they would get a nice laugh about it later, anyway).
“…you really think it would work?”
Aang let out a depressed whine and banged his head on the bars. “We’ve only got three days. And, honestly, our chances are pretty slim.” He peeked at Katara, gray eyes weary, and continued: “There’s so many things I haven’t been able to do….”
“And you’ll get to do them!” she asserted. Giving his hand a quick squeeze, she turned to the dynamic duo. “Right, Sokka? You won’t just let Aang die, will you?” (“What about me?” voiced Zuko, ignored yet again.)
“I suppose not…,” was his unsure answer. He squinted at the two prisoners. “I’m not going to get paid, am I?”
“Uh--”
“I didn’t think so.”
Toph patted her partner’s shoulder roughly, grinning. “Don’t worry,” she offered. “I can always beat the payment out of them later.” The two men winced, suddenly not so eager to be released.
Pleased, Sokka wrote one last thing down and exclaimed, “Alright, guys and gals! I believe I am ready to start this case!” He handed his notebook to Toph enthusiastically and adjusted his hat. “My notes are in top shape--” The woman at this side, though not able read a word of it, nodded in agreement. “--and I’m raring to head out!”
Arms locked, the two marched out of the room, a bar song trailing behind them; Aang and Zuko shared a nervous look before shifting their gazes to Katara.
“Please, please, please tell me you’re going with them.”
She shook her head, defeated. “I see no way around it.”
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all.
--
“Lunch time, convicts.”
Aang lifted his head from his pillow, noticed the dirty bowls in the guard’s hands, and muttered, “Yay, gruel.” He laid back down, hunger eluding him.
Realizing that this was his chance, Zuko attempted to unbutton the upper half of his shirt before turning to the impatiently waiting man. “Uhm… h-hello there,” he said, trying to sound coy but failing horribly. “You, uhh, you work here often?”
Eyebrow raised in disgust, the guard shoved the food into the stuttering man’s chest and stomped off. “Sorry, pansy,” he called, “but I don’t swing that way.”
Zuko cursed under his breath, lip twitching when he heard his cellmate’s suppressed laugh, and debated throwing the slop at him for his own selfish amusement.
“So you’re in jail for less than a day, and you’re already moving on to men?”
“M-Mai!”
Her slim figure leaned against the doorway, hidden partially in the shadows. A beat later, she sauntered up to him, face nearly unreadable; but he noticed the humor hidden behind her golden glare (which only made him even more embarrassed). Arms crossed, the woman waited for an explanation.
“How did you know…?” he finally asked dumbly.
“I read the newspaper, idiot.” Her mouth curled into a scowl. “So this was your big plan? Getting hanged before you get married? Oh, that’s a great idea, Zuko.”
He shifted uneasily. “I didn’t think--”
With a sudden flare of rage, she shoved a finger into his chest. “You never seem to think!” she yelled, shocking both herself and her fiancé. A deep breath and a cough later, she was calm again, eyes dull and voice monotone: “Azula knew.”
“She always knows.”
Black hair glistening in the faint light, she whispered, “I would have helped you.”
Zuko hesitantly reached out and cupped her cheek, keeping his features serious. “I didn’t want you to get hurt. If anything were to happen to you…,” he trailed off, his hand sliding down her neck.
Mai watched him, unsure, before offering him a soft smile. She closed her eyes and made to leave. “You can’t protect me now--I’m in too deep,” she murmured, mostly to herself. Looking over her shoulder, she simpered.
“Good luck with that boyfriend of yours, Zuko. I doubt your wooing skills have improved much, so you’ll need it.”
He shouted out in protest, but she had already disappeared. With a heavy exhale, the duke’s son fell back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.
“So,” Aang began, apparently trying to strike up a conversation. “That’s your girl, huh?”
“…yeah.”
--
Next time: Sokka, Toph and Katara attempt to find out what happened by paying a visit to Ozai's manor; and have a short run in with Azula! And what, exactly, do Zuko and Aang talk about? WHO KNOWS?