tushanshu | VIDEO 001 -- Incredulity

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VIDEO 001 -- Incredulity

[The video turns on, and Sokka looks at it with a moment's hesitation before actually speaking. He picked this up at the Visitor Center quickly, but that things like this could even exist still just were unthinkable. There's a bit of amusement playing at the corners of his lips and he stares on without speaking, followed by an eventual shake of the head. Disbelief is plastered all across his face.]

Okay, so let's set the record straight. I've been magically transported to some other world? That's... actually weirdly possible, even if that whole time-stopping thing doesn't sound right. I'll give them that one. Turtles that are the size of an entire city... I think I can wrap my head around. This emperor guy and that—

[There's a moment's hesitation, as if he were just about to actually voice Malicant's name aloud, but he thinks twice at the last minute.]

—other guy; I suppose that's fine too. Big metal city? I'm not sure the style fits me, but I know people who can bend metal, so okay. Weird spirit soul lantern things? [He pauses now, holding a finger to his chin.] I don't claim to be an expert at that spiritual stuff, but that's more than a little creepy if you ask me. But fine, I'll let that one go.

[But Sokka starts chuckling a little ruefully. Sure, all of these strange things are possible, but the probability is... well, he hasn't calculated it, but it can't be large. All of this story just sounds ridiculous to him.]

But a magical communication device that instantly conveys my thoughts across the entire city? That's where I draw the line. How can that possibly work? How can my picture get sent everywhere all at once? C'mon, that just violates every notion of common sense ever! It's ridiculous!

I mean, I guess if this thing were actually real, I should say something like [as he puts on a false air of sophistication for the introduction], "Hey everyone, I'm Sokka. Good to meet you!" But that's not going to happen, and I'm going to feel silly talking to myself. Yeah, this is going to be a dream, and I'm going to wake up any second. [Pause.] Aaaaaany second now. [Beat.] Juuuust wait for it. Right now... now... please, karma?

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[Strike three.
Aang now just straight up winces.]

You really shouldn't say things like that out loud, Sokka. Because...you don't even know the half of it. Jin Gai? That's Metal Sector isn't it?

[His face screws up in thought as he tries to figure out which would be the fastest way to get from where he is in Wood to Metal.

Flying?
or
Rollerblades.

A master airbender on Rollerblades is a mighty fast thing indeed.]

I'll be right there.

[He disappears from the feed at top speed.]

[Sokka is always tempting fate with things like that. And almost always, fate ends up with the upper hand. Sokka face falls slightly at the news. Really, how much worse could it get?] Great. Juuust great, [he says to himself once the airbender dashes away from the screen.] We're all going to get eaten or worse by the scary palace guy, aren't we?

[Sokka has no real concept of how far away Aang actually is from where he is (nor does he actually know which sector he's even in, for that matter!) or how long it'll take for him to get there. However, it's not like Sokka has all that many possessions to his name at the moment: his boomerang, his sword, the clothes on his back, a spattering of brochures and maps from the Visitor's Center, and lastly a small coinpurse of currency. Many of those things will naturally be staying here, but he figures the money and the boomerang are not leaving his sight. Granted, he doesn't know if Aang's coming over just to talk or if they're going somewhere else afterwards, but best be prepared for anything, right?

[Depending upon the luck of the draw, Sokka will either be downstairs waiting for Aang by the entrance—possibly studying some of the maps he picked up—or, in the interest of continuing to check up on things, at his console awaiting any messages that might come his way.

[Sokka's house is... well mostly devoid of color. He's used to the vivid color of the Four Nations being everywhere, so grey is certainly not his primary choice. Sokka might look a little uncomfortable with that, but it's something he'd get used to in time.]

[Rollerblades were quite possibly not the way to go. Oh sure they're faster than flying on his glider, but up in the air there are fewer people, places, and things. Aang leaves several carts upturned in his wake, more than a couple of swearing kedan, and very scared old lady who hadn't been expecting the fast moving blur to go around her by going straight up a wall.

Eventually though, he makes it what he hopes is the right door. \]

Sokka? Are you home?

[Sokka's last few minutes haven't been nearly as exciting by far, unless you consider waiting around and climbing up and going down the stairs all that exciting, possibly saying a few words of welcome to his two housemates. But, when Aang appears at the front door, Sokka is there waiting for him.]

Yeah, I'm here. Come on in!

[Perhaps he should be surprised by how fast Aang got here, but he's got no sense of scale. But there is one thing that he will notice...]

Uh... Aang, you do know your shoes have wheels on them, right?

[Sokka. Now is NOT the time for shoe talk, now is the time for hugs. Get with the program, man.

Which is the narration's way of saying that as soon as Aang hears his friend's voice he takes off with a surprise bolt of speed and nearly tackles Sokka...in an effort to hug him, of course.
And not because he might not be 100% used to the aforementioned shoes with wheels on them.]

Ooooh. Hi! And yes I do.

[And still in spite of this, Katara still believes Aang can save the world.]

Edited 2014-09-27 20:26 (UTC)

[Well, in fairness, Sokka hasn't been missing Aang for... all that long. Okay, technically he's been missing for a few days by Sokka's watch, but he has no idea just what Aang as been GAH—

[Yes, Sokka is practically glomped by Aang, who sees it coming a little too late. He stiffens at first to brace for the impact, and only after a few moments does Sokka return the favor and put an arm around Aang, giving him a hug. It's so easy to forget just how young that kid is.]

Whoa, whoa... it's good to see you too, Aang.

[All talk about wheeled shoes is forgotten because, well, really, how can someone talk about that in this moment of grand reunion. Sokka chuckles a bit in reaction.]

Excited to see me much? Have you really been missing my jokes that much?

[Aang's breath hitches just once, almost like he's going to start crying.]

You have no idea. Everything here is so...it's so messed up.

[Ooookay. That was not the reaction Sokka was honestly expecting. He knows things are weird here, but... it appears he dared karma and fate too much earlier.

[Certainly, Sokka is not his sister, especially when it comes to the consolation of one young Avatar. He's not the world's greatest sympathizer, but... he's still Aang's friend, so the least he can do is hear him out.]

Well, I've already figured out that part. [And not just from the fact that the world is weird but because Aang already hinted things are weirder.] Uh, you want to talk about it?

[Either way, by the sounds of it, it's something Sokka should know about already. Provided Aang doesn't have any other motivation, Sokka will try to walk Aang over to the living area so they can sit down if Aang needs it.]

[Aang nods once, and allows himself to be directed towards the living room. Directed because he's still wearing his skates, so he isn't so much walking as gliding.

The wheels are surprisingly quiet, and provide an eerily smooth ride. Under other, less intense, circumstances this would be way more fun than it feels at the moment.]

Well...there's this war brewing, and we've all been brought here to help fight it. And we're on the back of a giant turtle. Not even a Lion-Turtle, just a turtle-turtle.

[Which, let's face it...is really messed up!]

People come and go randomly, so we never really know when people are going to show up or leave again. Sometimes they remember being here before, but not always. I've met people from entirely different worlds and then people from my past and the future, two of them other Avatars. Then there are these lanterns that house our souls, but we all have different lanterns even though we're all reincarnations of each other which makes no sense at all...

[He'll keep going if you let him.]
<small

[Sokka listens well enough to all of what Aang was saying, nodding along and contributing as needed.] (That's exactly the moment I knew this place was weird.) [he'll say once they start talking about turtles. Because seriously, that animal doesn't exist.]

Well, for the most part, they told me a lot of that when after I finally became conscious again. It's terrible that I've jumped from the end of one war into the middle of another, but...

[The one thing that does pique his interest is the fact that he mentions that there've been multiple Avatars here. And people from the future and the past.]

Multiple Avatars at the same time? That... that doesn't even make sense.

[Kind of cool in one aspect, but completely ridiculous from a sensibility standpoint.]

But besides being in a strange world... and there being a war here, and the fact that some creepy guy has taken over the castle, and that we're stuck here for a while, what's the bad part?

Well, for starters, we don't get brought here from the same place in time. You said that you didn't expect to see me until after I'd defeated Fire Lord Ozai, but...the last thing I remember before waking up here was me and Katara fighting Azula, Zuko, and the Dai Li under Ba Sing Se.

So that's...confusing. Also, there's been attacks with poison that makes people go crazy. And Zuko attacked Katara. She was hurt pretty badly.

[Oh yeah, did he mention that Zuko and Katara were here?]

[Sokka nods while Aang is talking about what he remembers. And in retrospect, he supposes that actually makes a lot of sense.]

Well, I suppose if the powers-that-be are going to stop time in our world and borrow our bodies and spirits in this one, then it doesn't really matter where or when we get taken from.

[In fact, it's wholly possible that there's a pattern, but that's for a discussion another day when he has more anecdotal evidence than just him and Aang.

[But then Aang continues...

[Oh no...]

Zuko attacked Katara!?

[For that moment, the advice that Wan had given him earlier when entirely out the window. He knew Zuko had attacked "one of Aang's friends," but that is one thing, and Katara is entirely another. She is his sister. That changes everything!

[Except in some regards, he's still hearing Wan's voice in his head. "Just try to be understanding if Aang brings it up. For both of them." And his angry reaction fades a bit, though not entirely. He's still a little bit raw about it, but he calms himself enough to at least not make that his primary focus. Zuko didn't want to do it, he remembers; it's the poison's fault, not Zuko's. He swallows that bitter pill and chooses a few more careful words.]

Is she okay? How badly is she hurt? Where is she? Can we go see her?

She's a whole lot better now than she was.

[Aang is being hopeful and optimistic more so for his sake than Sokka's.
When going to see her gets mentioned Aang gets to his feet...er...skates.]

We can go right now. The whole reason I came to see you was to get you.

[Yeah, Aang was right from before. It could get worse. This world just keeps on getting worse.]

Well that's a small relief. [He sighs, holding in his emotions for not only Aang's sake but his own now; he definitely would want to hear from Zuko before writing him off, hard as it would be.]

Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go!

[He stands up, almost triumphantly as he points off in the distance in... a random direction which hopefully resembles where it is they're actually going. He's quite glad that he had prepared himself for an outing earlier!]

Uhm... do people of this world always travel with rolling shoes? [Sokka would not make it out of the Metal Sector in one piece...]

[Aang looks down at his feet.]

Not really, no. I kind of like them though. Katara's roommate made them for me. They're great for getting around the city when you don't have a flying bison nearby.

[Walking is boring.]

[Well, that's a relief.]

Somehow, and I have no idea why, I'm not surprised that you'd like them. [That just seemed like the sort of trick or plaything that would excite Aang forever. He still sometime brought out the airbending marbles trick sometimes to impress someone new.

[Sokka, meanwhile, will be more than happy to be the boring one and walk back to wherever it is that Katara is staying. But for now, with his meager set of supplies and a map—even though he doesn't really need it save to remember how to get back after all this is done with—he heads out the front door.]

Well, Aang, lead the way.

It's probably because you know me.

[Simple truths are no less potent for their simplicity.
...
Or something.

Aang is just about to do just as Sokka suggested when he stops and turns to look at Sokka one more time. As if just delighting in the presence of his other best friend for a moment more before he turns back to deal with life as it happens.

While the walk to Katara's house in the Wood Sector is a brisk one -- what with one half of the party not so much walking as gliding -- it isn't along a path that goes in any sense of a straight line. It would seem that no matter the world, no matter the circumstance, Aang doesn't really truck with direct routes.

In fact, if Sokka is hoping to get a good, firm, understanding of Turtle Geography from the route Aang has chosen he might find himself crap out of luck. However, if Sokka is at all interested in the best place to get steamed veggie buns, the location of the best tree for climbing, and the resting place of Aang's favorite inchworm, then this is all going to be tremendously fascinating.

It's all in how you look at things, really.

Eventually though the landscape shifts just as Korra told Sokka it would, and soon enough Aang is pointing at the door.]

We're here!

[Aang breaks away from Sokka and races towards the door in order to open it for Sokka to enter. What he doesn't realize is that just on the other side of said door is a very impatient flying lemur laying in wait for Sokka's to come within pouncing range.]

Yeah, I think I've got that down.

[Sokka knowing Aang is understatement of the month. Especially because he literally should have seen this overly detailed field trip coming.

[Sokka does his best to keep up with Aang, who's keeping the pace as something slightly more than uncomfortable than a normal leisurely walk, and of course they're going to take all of the longcuts between here and there. Sokka only gets a brief moment to pull out his map every so often, and he only vaguely gets an idea for how far they've ~~not~~ gone before they're off again to another one of Aang's favorite places.

[And of course, Sokka will likely be making a few choice sarcastic comments that largely fly over Aang's polished head. Sokka will almost assuredly ask Aang where the best meat in the city is after stopping by the veggie buns shop. There will also be a nice complaint about wondering where the best path for getting to Katara's is, jokingly pointing off in a purposefully wrong direction to emphasize the point. And, naturally, Sokka practically smacks his forehead in frustration when they re-enter the Metal Sector having already left it for some excursion.

[Yes, it is all about perspective. Aang had only one job, to take Sokka to his sister... and now instead he's probably learned something like where all the location of every pastry place in between is... in alphabetical order, no less!

[Thankfully, Sokka is angry or upset. It's good being reunited with Aang. He complains out of love. Or something.

[However, after a final arrival, Sokka stretches a bit and breathes a sigh of relief.]

Finally! I didn't think we'd ever get here. [He rolls his eyes slightly but still gives Aang an appreciative smile as the door is opened for him.] Thanks a lot, Aanaaaaaaaaaaughhhhhhh!

[Yes, and there is Momo catching Sokka completely unawares. There is so much flying lemur in Sokka's face. Sokka bumps into the wall, unable to really see for the moment before finally he can actually grab hold of Momo. He tries to pull him off, but Momo seems a little too attached to Sokka's new presence.]

I love you, too, Momo. [Yes, he does mean it, but those are some of the driest words Sokka may have ever spoken.]

[There hasn't been a whole lot of laughing and smiling around these parts in more time than Aang is really willing to admit, so the scene that plays out before Aang is a welcome one. He tries to stifle his laughter, but it's no good...a peal of giggles erupts from Aang in spite of his best intentions.

"Momo missed you, Sokka! You know, you should really be honored. He wasn't anywhere near this excited to see me and Noatak when we freed him from the auction block."

[Noatak, that really nice Water Tribe man who bought Momo for Aang during that one landfall what seems like ages ago.]

[Sokka pets the lemur very gently, followed by the occasional tug to try to detach the furry thing from his face. After some amount of time, Momo stops chittering about and decides to actually let Sokka see, which is certainly an improvement, but Sokka still isn't going to win the award for best dressed as now he has a flying lemur hat.]

Oh, well, you know. Momo and I... we go waaay back. We're the tightest of friends. Always looking out for one another. Making sure he doesn't get into trouble...

Shall we head up and see Katara?

[Or at least he assumes that Katara would be upstairs. The décor might be different, but overall, the structure of the house looks more or less the same.]

[In her room, Katara sits near her open window, her hand hovering absently over a bowl full of water. Her expression is clearly troubled, though until she turns they won't see it properly as her back is to the door. Her other hand keeps a blue blanket draped around her shoulders.

She should probably be resting, but she's had enough of just laying there, and though she's not doing much... the gears in her head won't stop spinning.]

[Aang looks up in the direction of Katara's bedroom, and nods.]

Do you want me to go first? Or do you want to surprise her yourself?

[Really, all Sokka needed was a direction, lest he barge in on one of her neighbors' rooms and cry out, "Katara!" and give her a big hug. Depending upon who she was living with, that would be incredibly awkward.]

Nah, I'll go on up and surprise her.

[Besides, it's not like Sokka really had any hesitation in mind when it came to dealing with his sister. So without further adieu, he ascends the stairs and knocks upon the door briefly before just heading on in, invited or not.]

Katara?

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