C'mon, Let's Go Find Some Trouble...

[sokka_the_wise]

[OOC:

Freeform mingle!

You tag a character in and I'll put them into a craaaazy scenario with mine! It might be something funny, something dangerous, something exciting. If you already see a scenario you think your character might be interested in joining, feel free to do that instead of starting a whole new scenario.

Some tips/thoughts:

- Spur of

Comments

FOR OLD TIMES SAKE? :D

[lostheavensent]

IMAGINE THE KERMIT FLAILING ICON HERE! \o/

[sokka_the_wise]

[Oh, Anastasia, I hope you enjoy a little bit of indentured servitude, because you've found yourself in one heck of a situation! Thrown into a work camp after being kidnapped, Anastasia will find that escape is, if anything, a longshot. The walls are tall, the guards are plenty, and the allies are very few by the looks on the over-worked, glassy-eyed pairs of slaves already "employed."]

[Inside the walls of this work camp, there is an excess of guards. In fact, there's two-and-a-half guards to each prisoner. The work is hard, hot, and definitely dangerous.]

[The introductory guard's first order of business is to shackle Anastasia to the nearest un-shackled prisoner. Enter the struggling Sokka, obviously just as new to the camp.]

You have GOT to be kidding me! Why is it I can't go anywhere without something like this happening?!

[OOC: Sorry it took so long to get to you, babe. Let me know if this is okay. If not, we're going with Iron Chef: Battle Unicorn. :P]

[P.S. SO EXCITED TO PLAY WITH YOU AGAIN!]

8D

[lostheavensent]

[Hahaha, man, it's only the third time in her life this has happened, so it JUST MAKES SENSE.

Nothing drains the color out of Anastacia's usually extra-bright eyes so much as being locked away from her precious freedom. Her hair's looking limp and lifeless, and she looks extra pale under the grime of the workload. But it doesn't stop a smile from touching lightly on her face as she turns to her new "partner" for today. She keeps her own voice low, so that she can have a conversation without being yelled at by the overseers.]

And here I thought I was the only one who felt that way, sometimes.

[A sympathetic frown.] I'm sorry to hear this isn't your first time.

I'm Anastacia.

[sokka_the_wise]

[Oh, hey, a sympathetic soul! Anastasia's the first he's met since he'd been captured a few days previous. The traveling had taken its toll and the generally bright young man's looking dark under the eyes and ready for a lot of rest... that he probably won't get here. His traditional clothing (similar to that of the Inuit if Anastasia's familiar) is tattered and dirty and quite frankly, smelly.]

I'm Sokka. [He manages a meager smile and takes in all that is Anastasia. She's much taller than the women he's used to spending his time with, and her long blonde hair's actually a pretty uncommon trait where he's from.] From the Southern Water Tribe.

[One of the guards takes notice and yells incoherently at both Sokka and Anastasia, threatening them from afar with a spear. Sokka growls sarcastically back at the guy.] That's right, threatening will make us work soooooo much faster. [And for that, he gets a little poke-poke with the end of the spear. It doesn't seem like the guards are really interested in getting in close.]

[Sokka sighs

[lostheavensent]

[Anastacia doesn't seem particularly frightened by the guards' threats, but she's definitely not immune to them, and ducks her head slightly, lowering her voice further.]

I think they take some joy in it, whether it speeds us up or slows us down.

How did you end up here, Sokka? [The Southern Water Tribe, whatever that may be, sounds a long way off.]

[sokka_the_wise]

A group of guys tried to rob me. Said I had to pay taxes on a place I don't even live. I refused, they arrested me. [And really, he had put up a decent fight, but there's only so much a person can do when it's four-on-one. Sokka follows another group of prisoners toward the mining area of the camp, trying hard not to tug on the shackles.] What about you?

[lostheavensent]

[Anastacia wore an expression of sincere sympathy, obviously outraged by the injustice of the act that had led to his enslavement. She shook her own head, casting a glance surreptitiously back towards the handlers to see how far behind they trailed before responding.] They spotted my house brand and figured I was a runaway. I didn’t even realize Shadowkind enslavement was still legal here: we’ve had our freedom for years now, back in America.

[Just the sort of naïve mistake that had placed her in this kind of situation multiple times before, but that wasn’t enough to make her believe she wouldn’t escape this time as well.] Some of these people have been here so long that they barely have the strength left to work. But some of us can still hold our own. [She hoped he caught the implications of that, without her spelling it out. Some things were too dangerous to say out loud.]

[sokka_the_wise]

[Implication caught, definitely. Sokka nods and silently takes in his surroundings for just a moment. The mine shaft is wide, obviously worked day and night, and the smell emanating makes Sokka a little green about the gills. He hesitates where the walls start to narrow, but reminds himself that this woman he's shackled to has obviously managed to survive, so he can as well.]

This is terrible. [He's got no problem admitting that, and a nearby guard seems delighted to hear so. The young warrior shoots the guard a glare and turns back to Anastacia.] How long have you been here? And where's "America?"

[ETA: *facepalm* I don't know what I was thinking, spelling Anastacia's name wrong a whole bunch of times. Sincerest apologies! <3]

[lostheavensent]

Five months now. [It's not such a long time, really, not compared to the amount of time she's been in captivity before, or in perspective of most of her life. But the work is much harder than anything she's ever had to do, and the place is far from healthy. She's seen others keel over who have been there less than a year, taken away, never to return.]

Big country, across the ocean. I came here trying to get away and--

Well, I suppose I did. But this wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

[sokka_the_wise]

[The only big country across the ocean he can think of isn't America in his world, but he's too distracted by her earlier admission to even mention it.]

Five months?! [Sokka's shocked, surprised, even a little bit sickened. Of course, his outburst catches the attentions of several guards, all of which turn their weapons on the two prisoners. The young man laughs nervously, holding up his (and one of her) hands as if claiming innocence.] That's-- hehe-- quite a vacation. Bettergetbacktowork. [He finishes with a squeak and tugs Anastacia away with him. Sokka doesn't really know where he's going, but he's definitely not staying there.]

[As soon as they're mostly out of earshot of the previous guards, he whispers to her:] We're getting out of here. [Right now, if it's at all possible.]

[lostheavensent]

[Anastacia starts leading the way to her usual work area, but his whisper makes her slow down, and she turns large eyes on him.]

You have a plan? [Even if he doesn't, she can't say her heart doesn't start beating faster at even the possibility of escape. It's worth it, at this point, to risk everything, if it means getting out.] We can't leave the others here.

[If she could have escaped with just her life, she'd never be able to live with knowing she'd left behind others here who were worse off than she'd been.]

[sokka_the_wise]

[Fortunately for Anastacia (and unfortunately for them both) Sokka has no intention of leaving this camp without the rest of the slaves. He actually has some experience in this type of liberation, though, so maybe it won't be so bad, right? Of course, for now, he's only got bad news and he delivers it quietly, with the gravity it deserves.] I don't have a plan, but I'll come up with something.

[The young warrior is spending every moment he can studying their surrounded. If he were like his friends, he'd have an easy way out, but being a normal, typical kid with no extra-ordinary powers, he's only got his brains. And a couple allies, with luck.]

[They arrive at their destination, spaced kind of closely to the nearby prisoners being forced to mine in low light and dangerous conditions. There are tools awaiting them, left from the last pair of prisoners. Sokka grabs one of the two tools (the pick-ax half of the pick-ax/shovel combo. There's a good length of chain, but everything's dull and chintzy feeling.]

Which side do you want?

[lostheavensent]

[His lack of a plan doesn't bother her too much, really, not when he carries so much determination in his expression. Spontaneity's more her nature anyways. She feels good about this: for the first time in all these months, she feels a very real surge of optimism return to her.

She examines the implement, biting her lip slightly, and frowns.] What ... side? [There's confusion in her question, but she tries to keep her voice down still, afraid of alerting the guards while she questions his plan.]

[sokka_the_wise]

[Sokka looks at Anastacia for a long moment, his eyebrow raised.] Which side of this thing do you want? [He holds up both ends of the tool now, shaking them as he asks:] Pick-ax? Or shovel? We can cover our talking with the noises we make by working and then we'll be less conspicuous while we plan.

[lostheavensent]

[She looks slightly embarrassed but smiles and nods. The shovel looks less...violent, so she points to that.] You're a pretty sharp thinker.

[She sets in motion, glancing around slightly.] We're going to need some kind of distraction.

[sokka_the_wise]

[Sokka picks at the wall, shattering away pieces of rock and being careful not to hurt either of them. He's not so sure if he's supposed to pick for a while, and then Anastacia's supposed to shovel, but it seems most everyone else is doing their own thing (in a hasty, worried manner.) He nods at his companion.] Not just a distraction, but a big distraction. And we're going to need a way to organize these people and get them out together. We're not getting anywhere if we've got to herd people.

[During a short pause, he mops some sweat from his forehead and then starts back to work.] Do you know anything of the defenses here? Or know of anyone who might? The more information we have, the better.