18: [OPEN COMMENTLOG]

[withanokka]

[Sokka had been headed to Jim's room, mostly to drag him out so they could go do things, and collect Hiccup soon after-- he had started to wonder if, in Silver's absence, Jim forgot that there was life outside his apartment room, and had started to make a habit of dragging him out on a near-daily basis. Or, he'd tried to, anyway. Sometimes he

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[talkingfishbone]

[A few minutes later, a red-haired boy, the belt of his too-big shorts pulled comically tight, with his shirt over it no less, pushed the heavy doors to deck one open.]

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaad? Dad?!

Dad, OH Dad?!

[He looks around, green eyes passing right over the other boy's head. Whoever he's looking for is obviously much taller than a nine-year-old.

Are you his dad, Sokka? Are you?]

[withanokka]

[Sokka's own shorts have become pants on him, ridiculously over-sized, and he startles at the sound of another voice--

He spins, finding someone shorter than him. He doesn't see other little boys very often!]

D'you lose someone, too?

[talkingfishbone]

[Hiccup blinks, going stiff as he stares back at Sokka. He doesn't look like anyone he knows. Not even a little bit.]

Is that paint?

[withanokka]

[Sokka sees that blink and raises you one.]

Wh--?!

[He clasps his hands to the sides of his face, feeling for paint.]

[talkingfishbone]

Wow, that's your SKIN.

That's crazy!

What tribe are you?

[withanokka]

Yeah, of course it's my--

[Beat.]

I'm from the Southern Water tribe, what about you?

/EDITS FOREVER

[talkingfishbone]

Hairy Hooligans Tribe.

[He looks stupidly proud.]

I've never heard of the Southern Waters. I bet we're--we're probably mortal enemies or something.

[Because that obviously makes things much cooler?]

[withanokka]

[He crosses his arms, sticking out his lower lip defiantly.]

Southern Water Tribe. But if you're from the Fire Nation, then, yeah. We're mortal enemies.

[His little hands ball into fists as he slooooowly moves to reach for a boomerang that he's not entirely aware is not there. If he has to, he'll take this kid out and run on to find his dad and tell him there's Fire Nation here.

Wherever here is.]

[talkingfishbone]

[The phrasing confuses Hiccup. He tilts his head to one side, contemplating this. Out loud.]

We're not called the Fire nation, we're just called Berk.

But maybe that's what you call us?

Or--or are we the fire nation because we're constantly being set on fire. That would be cool. Is that right?

[withanokka]

[The water tribe boy huffs.]

No, the Fire Nation sets people on fire, you know that. Everyone knows that.

[talkingfishbone]

Uh, I don't know that, so obviously not everybody knows that.

Unless that's some Southern Waters' name for Dragons.

[withanokka]

[Sokka balks for a second. Dragons-- wha--]

Huh?

[He shakes his head.]

Look, whatever, we're just from different places. I've never left home and Dad hasn't had time to start teaching me about the other Nations, so...

[He looks Hiccup up and down, walks around him a few times. He's too scrawny and awkward to be Fire Nation, they're all Big Buff Guys In Pointy Hats And Armor-- this kid's got a bowl on his head.]

I guess you're all right. I don't think you're with them.

[talkingfishbone]

Yeah.

Well.

...You seem alright, too.

[He thrusts out a hand.]

I'm Hiccup Horrendous Ha--ah-dock The Third.

[It's such a long name, he always trips on it, somewhere.]

[withanokka]

[The boy inspects the hand suspiciously. His mom would have nudged him between the shoulders and made him shake it, and he glances away for a second. Dad would tell him to be nice.

He wouldn't want them mad. Sokka takes it and shakes it once, twice, and lets it go.]

I'm Sokka. The First. I'm Chief Hakoda's son.

[The "First" seemed necessary. Because he was better than a Third.]