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.

Bear with me for a moment, Zuko.

[theideaguy]

It was absolutely wonderful to finally get to go hunting again on a regular basis, especially now that they neither needed it for day-to-day survival nor for some future potential war stockpile. Now it was just a fun luxury to get to do it for more delicious food. And even better was that it had become a good bonding opportunity with Zuko. It wasn't a life-changing, earth-shattering field trip, but he can't actually complain about it.

"Ah, this is the life," Sokka says as he stretches his arms upwards whilst walking. "I can't tell you how much I've missed this sort of thing." Granted, he's gone hunting since coming back to the future, but it's not been super often that he's gone along with Zuko on these expeditions. "Just a lazy day and two guys off in the woods on a beautiful winter day off in search of delicious meat."

Boomerang is out in one hand as he proudly walks forward and occasionally glances down at the tracks, hoping to find evidence of some recent animal.

[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?

[airyopalescent]

[Opal's outside of the house just in time to catch at least one of them returning with said bear if not both. And she's sort of... uh. Hm.]

A bear.

[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?

Beary well.

[lordhotman]

"If you missed it so much, why don't you come more often?" Zuko asked as he walked, reaching out to push a limb aside as they went.

Thankfully Zuko was more himself now. Eley was no longer in his body, and he'd pretty much fully healed from the incident in the distant past. It was a little strange sharing your body with a spirit. It had been starting to get used to it, though, and it was strange to have him gone. Though Zuko still made regular trips to visit the dragon.

The firebender then paused as he noticed a broken branch and a set of partial tracks.

"Looks like something went through here recently."

[lordhotman]

[Zuko pauses to give Opal an indifferent look. Not really caring if she approves or not. He's pretty darn proud of himself.]

Yeah. A bear.

[airyopalescent]

[She's not really sure if she ought to look impressed or not. It is a big bear but why exactly the pair had went off to kill it is beyond her.]

It really is a big one.

[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]

[Opal's lack of enthusiasm is not going to curb Sokka's. He's still quite chipper about the the whole thing.]

No kidding! It was probably... oh, this big! [Sokka is standing on his tiptoes and reaching as high as he can with one arm to emulate the size of it.] This means we'll be able to feast for a month probably!

[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.

[airyopalescent]

That's not so bad, I guess. You do know we have a market full of food though, right?

[savedtheworld]

[Aang heads outside to greet them when he hears them!

But when he sees what they're holding, he winds up clapping a hand over his mouth and running straight for the bathroom.]

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.]

[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.]

[lordhotman]

It's not just for food.

[Zuko says this as drops the sack of meat and moves to hang up the skin nearby so that he can start tanning it later.]

Sokka, don't forget I need the brain.

[He points at the head that the other guy is holding. ... Because that doesn't sound at all creepy.]

[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.

[aggraavated]

[Aang's flight to the bathroom means that he misses Raava's form ghosting in behind Zuko and Sokka. She had intended to keep her distance and just follow them cautiously until they came across Wan. But the human with the tattoos was familiar. In more ways than just appearing to be from one of the tribes that lived on the backs of the Air Lion Turtles. She was quite positive she felt a little bit of her own light within him. And that wasn't possible.

She shot forward like lightning, past Zuko and Sokka, and followed that light into the bathroom.

To find the human holding her light throwing up into the toilet.]

. . .

[Since it was obvious he couldn't speak for the time being, Raava politely waited until he was done being sick.]

[savedtheworld]

[It doesn't go on for too long at least. After a couple of minutes, he pulls himself up and towards the sink, turning it on to start groggily washing his face. With some waterbending help - some of it had gotten in his little makeshift beard, after all. Then he looks in the mirror and blinks, not yet noticing the other presence nearby...]

[aggraavated]

Human, who are you?

[said from ten inches away]

[savedtheworld]

[Aang immediately spins to face the voice and gives a startled yelp.]

M-me, I'm Aang, but how did you get here?! [He knows he's supposed to be a spirit bridge, but they usually don't make this kind of visit!]

[airyopalescent]

[... Okay, she's genuinely curious here.]

What are you going to do with the brain?