05 ~ Fire and Spirits and Bears! Oh my! [Action]

[lordhotman]

[Locked to Sokka]

It was a day like any other. Zuko was going out hunting as he often did. Though this time Sokka was actually coming with him. Which was more than fine. Having two sets of hands meant bringing back more food. Not that especially needed all that much, but hunting had become one of Zuko's favorite hobbies here in Luceti.

It was one of those unusually warm days during the winter, and Zuko decided to take a route deep into the forest that he didn't often take. Maybe they would find something interesting today.

[Locked to Sokka and Raava]

Blood. Sweat. And Tears. That's what happens when you run across a certain familiar bear. But this time they were victorious! The bear had fallen under their combined might, and after a couple hours of field dressing the huge animal, they were carrying back home. The bear had been skinned, the choice pieces of meat harvested, the claws... and Sokka had even insisted on taking the thing's whole head back. Which Zuko made him carry.

The firebender sported his own sack of bear meat, as well as the bear's pelt over one shoulder. They were quite the sight walking through the forest.

[Open]

Eventually, after their encounter with Raava, Sokka and Zuko can be seen parading through the village with their cut up bear. Eventually making it back to their house where their friends were sure to notice too. They'll have two very proud young men carrying the remains of the bear. Enough meat to last them for weeks, and of course a new bear skin rug.

Comments

Dragging that damn bear back

[aggraavated]

[Of course one of the first creatures Raava would come across in the strange forest she'd found herself in was a pair of humans. And ones that were successful in a hunt they'd been on. Which meant they were not ones that lived on the back of the Ancient One of Air. They were more likely stragglers from the group she and Wan had been looking over moments before she found herself in this strange place. Another part of that same forest, even if it looked so very different.

Floating toward them, she cautiously settled herself on the ground in their path.]

Humans. Tell me where I am and how I was brought so far without my consent.

[theideaguy]

Oh come on! [Sokka says emphatically, gesturing broadly as they walk.] The bear's head is going to make a fantastic headdress. This is what Water Tribe warriors do! It makes us look more fearsome! Not to mention that the bear had it coming to him.

[Of course, Sokka wasn't just saying these things for his health. In part, he was trying to get Zuko to smile just a little bit, if only because Zuko barely smiled, and Sokka always saw it as a good challenge. If Zuko smiled, it had to be a particularly good joke.

[That said, he stops dead in his tracks when the duo is hailed by the great spirit. And that will freak Sokka out just a little bit.]

I knew it! I knew we shouldn't have killed the bear! The bear's spirit has come back to haunt us and give us terrible nightmares every night!

[lordhotman]

[Zuko just rolled his eyes at Sokka's insistence. He for one, thought it would look pretty stupid, but then... he wasn't Water Tribe, no matter how much Sokka tried to indoctrinate him. Though he did have to admit that the bear did have it coming. But before Zuko could get a word in edgewise... a giant kite suddenly appeared before them and started demanding things.

At first, Zuko could only stare, before a long suffering expression crossed his face at his friend next to him.]

Calm down, Sokka.

[Zuko told his pal gruffly. And after a moment, he noticed that this creature, spirit, whatever, had wings like they did.]

You're in Luceti. Everyone is brought here without their consent.

[aggraavated]

[Having no face was not a deterrent to Raava giving a withering glare at the human who freaked out and snapped at him.]

I am not here to harm you, foolish human. And if the bear's spirit had lingered to haunt you, it is because you deserved the reminder of your destructive nature.

[Not that the bear's spirit had actually lingered.

To Zuko, who was calmer and had answered her question, her tone returned to the more neutral demand of before.]

I have never heard of this Luceti. It is not a part of the Material Plane or the Spirit World. How did we come to be here?

[theideaguy]

[Well forgive him for freaking out about things that might be worth freaking out about. The bear's spirit returning to haunt them was a somewhat legitimate concern in Sokka's vast imagination.

[But for that matter, he is thankful for Zuko's calmer presence, even if there is something of a put out expression on his face at his antics. It's that, mixed with the rather curt words from the spirit that put him slightly at ease.

[Slightly. The spirit did just talk to them, of course.]

Hey, I think I've paid enough karmic debt over that bear already,[Sokka says, folding his arms over his chest.

[But that's besides the point; Zuko seems to have addressed the situation at least more or less accurately.]

Basically, a bunch of jerks decided that they needed—actually, I guess really aren't jerks any longer since we went back and changed history to make them less jerkish, so I don't even know why people are still getting dragged here, come to think of it.

But believe me, if we knew how we got here, we'd already be back where we came from.

[lordhotman]

[Well... Sokka's explanation was crude, but more or less accurate. Still, Zuko goes on to elaborate. Ignoring the part about the dumb bear.]

We're in a different world entirely from our own, and I'm not sure how we were brought here, but we're all trying to get back.

[But there's also something that Raava said that made him think.]

So you're a spirit?

[aggraavated]

Yes. I am Raava.

[She drew herself up so she could look somewhat imposing - harder to do when she was no longer the size of a mountain and actually only a little taller than a tall human - but she still tried. Her voice clearly implying that humans in front of her should have known who she was already.

She didn't like that they didn't know how they were brought there or that they didn't know how to get home. But few humans were ever observant enough to see what they needed to. Just one so far and...

Wan was friendly. He would likely seek out these other humans. Either the ones in front of her or the ones nearby, in what she assumed was a settlement of some sort. There were many of them there. When humans gathered like that, it was usually to build shelters and shape the world to their needs.]

If you cannot aid me in returning, then I have little need to continue speaking with you. However, I am looking for a human. His name is Wan.

[theideaguy]

[Sokka looks to Zuko at the mention of Raava's name. All he does is give a little shrug. He clearly didn't recognise the name much at all, even if it's supposed to be from Avatar World, as Zuko was guessing.

[But Mrs.(?) Spirit thingy was looking for Wan?]

Wan? [Sokka sounds a bit like he's in disbelief about why anyone would ever be looking for Wan.] You mean, guy about this tall, [he continues as he raises his hand to about Wan's height,] tells terrible jokes all the time, kind of got a temper and a weird streak a mile wide, big head of hair, that Wan?

Yeah, we know him.

[lordhotman]

[Sokka's description was actually pretty accurate, but Zuko is looking at the gruff spirit about bit suspiciously. It doesn't seem like the most friendly sort, especially towards humans. And he's heard... stories about certain spirits, not to mention met one himself. Wan is his friend, and he isn't about to tell some spirit where he is until he knows more about it. Though the fact that it even knows who Wan is, is a bit surprising.

But considering how Wan feels about spirits? Yeah, this one might be the reason he's so scared of them to begin with.]

What do you want with him?

[Zuko asks this a bit gruffly himself, a distrusting frown on his face.]

[aggraavated]

[Raava definitely seemed to 'perk up' as it were when Sokka spoke of Wan. The description was accurate enough. And really, any joke that Wan told tended to be terrible and go right over her head. The tempter bit was... largely subjective. But at least they seemed to know him.]

What I want with him is none of your concern, human.

[She said in a similarly distrusting tone as Zuko.

Though, she did relent enough to continue in a softer voice:]

It is important that I find him. He will be looking for me, as well.

[theideaguy]

[Sokka isn't quite as distrustful as Zuko. In fact, he's finding the entire conversation just a bit funny given how gruff Zuko suddenly has become and how silly it is that they're talking to a spirit. Even despite Sokka's bad encounters with spirits, it's not like Raava just attacked them like Hei Bai had.]

Relax, Zuko. He... she... he seems friendly enough. And it's not like you could stop him... her... it from finding Wan anyway.

[He pauses for a moment before looking Raava up and down. A finger goes to Sokka's chin.]

Though somehow I doubt Wan would be looking for you. I mean, it's not like Wan's ever mentioned that he wanted a kite.

[lordhotman]

[Zuko frowns at Sokka, then at the spirit again. His friend might not be taking this seriously, but he is.]

Wan doesn't like spirits.

[He says this plainly in a flat tone. Because well.. its true. He's seen Wan nearly burn their house down because he thought spirits were after him. And Zuko figures his friend has a good reason for fearing them. Especially if there's one hunting him down.]

[aggraavated]

I have never known Wan to dislike the spirits. He has ever been a champion of them for longer than we have traveled together.

[Raava answered, puzzled at the claim. She had no reason to believe they spoke of a different human because his is the only human name she's bothered to learn. But the description was very odd.]

You are either mistaken, or lying.

[theideaguy]

[Well, Zuko does have a reasonably good point on that one.]

Hey, you try telling that to a guy who nearly burned our house down because he was seeing fake spirits everywhere.

I'd say his answer to killing spiders would be to burn down a whole forest... save that he probably likes spiders too.

NOT HERE. I SWEAR I'M STILL ALIVE.

[justdid]

[Meanwhile: Wan sneezed. Which was totally weird because he thought he was over that cold he got from excitedly playing in the snow with absolutely no winter clothes whatsoever. A ramen noodle may have exited through his nose in the process. Demonstrating the perils of eating noodles while other people are talking about you.]