(Untitled)

[notanoptimist]

First, Sokka found Mel. Then Sokka bribed Mel with a few hours of watching Hana the-feverish-fire-breathing-baby so Mel could get some sleep. Then Mel went into the haunted kitchen and brought Sokka some soup. Sokka then exchanged the baby for soup and went to find Steph. Steph proceeded to thank him for his gift of sick-relieving soup and then

Comments

[lemur_sitter]

The younger Sokka appears to have turned up while the older is wrestling with his friend, judging by his bemused half-smirk and wide eyes. He waits till olderhim is back to doing those funny pattern things before commenting, though.

"-- That looks kind of Fire Nation." The kata, he means; the footing and stances. (For once, it isn't a disapproving remark.)

[notanoptimist]

He gets a short glance in return, a breathless half-grin as Sokka follows-through with a punch. "It is," he informs the younger boy, almost gasping as he moves into the next move.

Yes, that's right. He just admitted that he's trained in Fire Nation fighting styles.

[lemur_sitter]

"Huh," Sokka-the-younger says, tugging his shirt off and tying his hair back preparatory to joining in.

"Who did you train with? Was it Master Piandao, too? But I didn't think you'd stayed long enough."

Apparently his prejudices don't extend to learning how to fight.

[notanoptimist]

Well, of course not. He's a Sokka.

Pausing when he notices the other's preparation, Sokka drops his stance to breathe for a bit, reaching for a water bottle he'd set aside earlier. "I didn't - I don't know who that is. Zuko trained me for a while, and then his uncle after he got hurt."

It's not so hard to admit anymore. Certainly not after meeting the ghost of his sister.

[lemur_sitter]

Sokka has his sword out and is beginning to run through forms, but he stops to blink at the other Sokka in that startled way that's becoming familiar.

"Zuko taught you? His uncle, sure, but Zuko?"

[notanoptimist]

Sokka grins a little as he sets the water bottle down. "Yeah, he was my first teacher after leaving the North. Not for very long, but a few weeks."

[lemur_sitter]

The younger Sokka nods, lifting his sword again to run through the forms Piandao taught for practicing.

"That's so weird," he remarks, between sets. "Zuko being nice. It's just ... weird."

He means the one here as well.

[notanoptimist]

"Well, he was a dick when we started," Sokka points out, moving into his next stance, too, still grinning.

Though a few minutes later, he's mostly stopped in favor of watching the forms the younger boy runs through with his sword.

[lemur_sitter]

Sokka is focusing on his sword forms and not paying attention.

He's not paying attention.

He's not noticing being watched.

He's ignoring being watched comple---

"--Am I doing it wrong?"

[notanoptimist]

Brows lift very high and Sokka's a little speechless for a bit. "...I have no idea," he admits. "I've never even held a sword before. You're the expert here, not me."

[lemur_sitter]

"Oh."

Well, now littleSokka just looks sheepish, lifting his sword back to the position he'd dropped.

"But you're -- good at stuff ...?"

He'd just kind of assumed the older him knew better.

[notanoptimist]

"...stuff like breathing?" Sokka ventures, trying to get the other boy to actually say something. "Blinking? Walking and chewing gum at the same time?"

[lemur_sitter]

"I just thought you'd be better at the stuff I'm good at," Sokka says quietly, after a moment, concentrating Vry Hard on his sword.

Because any other version of him would have to be.

[notanoptimist]

Frowny-face.

"...I'm older, not magic," he points out after a moment. "I've had more time to train but I'm not just going to like-- know stuff because you do. We're not even the same people, really."

Really.

[lemur_sitter]

"But we used to be," Sokka points out, turning side-on and keeping his attention on his sword. "I went wrong somewhere."

He met someone -- something -- in the kitchen this morning that reminded him just how far wrong.

[notanoptimist]

He went wrong somewhere.

Sokka's face falls immediately and he looks away before the other boy can notice. "...yeah, well... that's not your problem. It'd mine, so... don't worry about it."