VIDEO 001 -- Incredulity

[theideaguy]

[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?

Comments

[oceanblue]

[His surprise makes her withdraw just the slightest bit as she realizes she's spoken more than she meant to. She backtracks just a little, grasping for anything to sum it all up at once.]

Well, things aren't exactly good here, Sokka... and I'm kind of short on ideas...

[She hesitates for a long moment, then continues, her head bowed.]

I'm not entirely sure what all is happening here, since I haven't been around all that long, but none of it feels right... I mean... [Her shoulders curl in a little.] I was there when Zuko was stabbed in a battle for a cause I'm still not sure about, and I've been trying to heal him since... I've watched the poison consume him completely, and he's not the only one infected...

[Her brow furrows as something more personal strikes, and she shudders a little. She's seen what it can do to people... She's been forced to act herself because of it...

But just as she had been ashamed to admit it to Korra and to explain to Aang, she's not sure she should even bring it up.]

[theideaguy]

[Sokka waits for Katara's explanation as he realizes he's breached some line of defenses that she hadn't expected him to pass through. Nevertheless, he listens (mostly) without interruption, though he will take a brief moment of pause to inject,] Ah, the burden of being the idea guy, [though those words are more to himself than to Katara.

[But at least, we're finally to the story of how Zuko was poisoned. And so now Sokka straightens himself and focuses upon his sister recalling the story as best she can. Granted, it's nto a long story, but it still gets Sokka thinking.]

A poisoned weapon? [Sokka asks. That's what she seems to be describing.] Though it is curious. I'm not exactly an expert at poison, but I've always assumed poison was more about killing someone than making them act all goofy. [Because, yes, that's how Zuko was acting: goofy.] How many are infected?

[Still, his sister's mind is troubled, though he can't say if it's that or something more. He doesn't know which is the case, but Sokka has noticed that she's been acting funny the entire time here. She's usually not so reserved; of course, she has been through quite a lot, physically and mentally it seems, but she's usually not so closed off into herself. Sokka puts a gentle hand on her blanket-covered arm, being much more careful not to hurt her this time, and he looks deep into her eyes, trying to show his support.]

[oceanblue]

[She nodded.] He was stabbed in the shoulder with a knife. [Guilt sinks even deeper.]

I don't know how many others, but there were a lot of people hurt in that fight, [she admits sadly, curling the blanket back up around her with a small shudder.] "I haven't really been paying attention to anyone else, aside from hearing stuff here and there from that...thing. [She motions over to the console.] I've just been taking care of Zuko this whole time. Nightmares, frustration, pain...so much pain...

[theideaguy]

[Okay, that fills in more than a few details, though it opens up just as many questions.]

Fight? You mean like the ongoing fight between us and Mmmmm—mongoose lizard? [He's heard vague stories about that, but nothing entirely specific.] So then I'm guessing Zuko's not the only one poisoned, huh?

As for Zuko...

[Well, that said something. Katara was pretty good at that healing stuff; she certainly nursed Aang back to health after nearly losing him the Avatar State at Ba Sing Se, so whatever concoction was in that poison has to be something serious.]

I take it that you've already ruled out licking frozen wood frogs. [He knows that's going to get a glare from his sister, so he's going to hold up his hands in advance, as if to say "Just a suggestion!" But really, he's just stalling for time as he tries to think of some real solution. Though coming up with one with what little information he currently knows is going to be dicey work.]

[oceanblue]

[Another exhausted nod. Though she didn't know much about the war herself, she at least knew that the battle they had been caught up in wasn't the beginning, and it obviously wasn't the end. When his question changed, she shook her head with a sigh before lifting her head, hoping he wouldn't catch on too well to the hopeless look in her eyes.

Just as he predicted, though, her eyes narrowed at his tease and she huffed, crossing her arms in frustration.]

This isn't funny, Sokka. [she bit. Her quick frustration slowly dissipated, however; too tiring.] And besides, I don't even think they have those here...

[She took a deep breath, then turned her eyes up at the wall across from her as if trying to sift through every remedy she had tried.]

I've done everything I can think to do, and none of it is working [--because, of course, she was far from giving up]. He hasn't slept properly since it happened, and he just keeps getting angrier...I can't get it out of him, and it just keeps clouding his head more and more... I've tried pulling out of him, but it slips through my bending so easily...

[She clenched her hands in her lap tightly, as if they were the cause of her failure. Her bending, however, had proven to be working just fine a few days ago. The reminder flashed across her face, and her expression turned guilty and more pained than frustrated. Her voice grew quieter, much more hushed as she continued. Sokka was her brother... Whether or not he liked her confession, he would listen. Surely he wouldn't turn his back on her, though admittedly, Aang hadn't either. Hopefully Sokka wouldn't be as afraid.]

Sokka....After Zuko attacked me, and he realized what he had done--he tried to kill himself...

and I stopped him with bloodbending.

[theideaguy]

I was actually being somewhat serious! [will be Sokka's natural retort to Katara as he shrugs. Believe it or not, he's treating the situation with every ounce of sincerity that he has in his bones given what he knows, but of course he doesn't know the half of what has happened, just how bad things have gotten.

[He listens intently as she continues onward. Because of course the story wasn't bad enough, and of course it's always one thing after another. Sokka doesn't know anything about this poison nor how to heal it, yet for a moment it almost sounds as if the healer was asking for advice on how to heal Zuko. And in fact she may very well be. Still, that's a difficult road for Sokka to even fathom.

[Nonetheless, Sokka's face actually grows quite dark when Katara reveals Zuko's attempt at suicide. No wonder she chided him about his earlier joke; that was serious, and that meant that Zuko's life—or for that matter any of theirs—could be in jeopardy here, and that definitely would trigger that protector's mentality.

[However, if Katara was worried about Sokka being offended, scared, or worried about Sokka's reaction to her bloodbending Zuko... really, her fears were incredibly misplaced.

[Upon her confession, Sokka shifts his position so that he's sitting next to her instead of in front of her, and he puts an arm around her gently, offering her his unconditional support. The spirits only knew exactly how much she regretted being capable of bloodbending, but Sokka probably knows a good bit of it. He's not put off by it, and if he were, he'd have left her after their encounter with Hama.]

Look, I know that's not your favorite... aspect of waterbending. And I remember quite well how much you said you weren't ever using it again. But, had I been in Zuko's place...

[He pauses, not really certain how to display his pride of Katara's decision making; they didn't have that sort of relationship... or did they? He leans over and plants a kiss on her head.]

You're my brave little sister. [He gives her a wan smile, as if saying not only that he doesn't think ill of her decision, but he thinks it was a good call.

[However, back to the more pertinent matter at hand.]

But this poison, has anyone else been cured of it?

best tag followed by the WORST TAG EVER I'M SO SORRY

[oceanblue]

She could never, ever, imagine Sokka in Zuko's place like that, and even as he said it, she tenses and buries her face in his shoulder, fighting--and losing to-- tears as he kisses her head. She can't believe Sokka is here, and she's reeling over how much she needed him there.

Brave...she's not brave.... she's terrified. She just can't let it show as much, because she's determined to be strong for her friends. Yes, she had saved Zuko's life... but she had been so scared of watching him die...

Had it been what he had wanted...? In his state at the time, not at all, and what was worse... she understood. She wouldn't want to fight what he was fighting... she wasn't sure she would have even made it this far. Had it been selfish of her?

No... She couldn't believe that; she wouldn't for a second believe that.

After a long moment of silent trembling and sorting her thoughts, she finally answers him. "I don't think so...There's not a cure that we know of... at all. Not even a hint"

[theideaguy]

Sokka isn't privy to Katara's internal battle, but he also hasn't seen Zuko and the extent of the horror that the poison has done to him. He doesn't know Katara's difficulty over her inability to help Zuko and her being forced to resort to the last method to help him that she had, namely forcing him to not kill himself. But he will stand by every word he said because, even if Katara was feeling scared and defeated and forced into a corner, it was being able to act upon those higher instincts in spite of fear and terror that defined a warrior.

After all, she did have the Mark of the Brave. That symbol was well deserved.

"Then we'll just have to keep looking. I don't know what this poison or this Spooky Spooky Witch Person can do, but there's got to be something. I really need to catch up on that and see what's out there."

He gently pulls Katara closer. He can feel her sobs and her jerky breathing. He knows she's in a dark place... and hurt both physically and mentally. He wraps his other arm around her front, letting her lean upon him and hopefully pulling some of her negativity into him.

After all, he was the pessimist around here, dang it, and the rightful relationship between the siblings had to be maintained.