aangin_loose | 008 § Video/Offline § A House For Appa

008 § Video/Offline § A House For Appa

[The feed comes on and there's a rather good sized pile of junk around Aang. Some rocks and stones and bricks from broken walls, some bits of wood and metal, and a bucket from the mom and pop shop Reno talked about that has some nails and hammers and things.]

Now that the water's gone, I'm gonna make a house for Appa! It's gonna be sorta made of everything, but it'll work!

If anyone wants to help me, they can! Or they can just come by and hang out!

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Um, Sokka... that's too small for Appa. It's too small for you, too.

[He rubs his chin, observing the structure for a long time while thinking over Aang's statement. Sokka finally nods.] You're probably right. Guess we'd better get started, then.

Yeah! We can make the sides with the bricks and stuff I found! And the top with the longer pieces of wood!

Then I guess I don't need this hammer. [He drops it, and what's that underneath it? Something soft? Yep! It's his toe. Sokka makes a face because ouch! What comes next is airy as he works through the pain.] Nope. Don't need the hammer or that toe...

Are you okay, Sokka? [It's a good thing Usagi isn't here, too.]

As long as we can pretend that didn't just happen, I'll be fine.

[He grins.] Nothing just happened.

You're a good friend, Aang. [Sokka laughs a little and grabs up a brick.] So, where do you want to start? Do you have a place in mind?

So're you, Sokka. [He smiles. It worries him sometimes, that he's losing them all here. So hearing this makes him feel so much better.] I thought we could build it over here! [He points to an area that's fairly flat. He's done a little earthbending on it, flatting it out and leaving a bit of an outline for where the walls should go.]

Looks like as good a place as any. [And now the "fun" part... Sokka takes his brick, walks it over, drops it, and goes back for more. Repeat, repeat, repeat, right?]

Appa's going to be so happy -- it's just a shame we couldn't keep him in the house with the rest of us.

[Aang does the same, keeping pace with Sokka and doing it by hand, not with any sort of bending.]

I don't think he'd like to be in the house. He likes to be out in the fresh air.

[That's very thoughtful of you, Aang! Sokka appreciates the extra work, since he knows his friend can likely do everything four times quicker with his Avatar skills!] Why is that big lump of fur, anyway? Has he been making friends around here, too?

Yup! Lots of them! A lot of people here have never seen a sky bison, so they come over to see him and they think he's really awesome! And Raphael makes him fruit! I think he's really fond of her.

Wow, fruit? Really? I could totally go for some of that... [Wait. He's the meat and sarcasm guy, what is he saying?! Sokka shoots Aang a look.] Keep that between us, yeah? I've got a reputation to uphold here.

The next time she brings him some, I'll see if she minds if I keep some. [He laughs.] I won't tell anyone!

Thanks, Aang! [As he continues to move bricks.] You know what's odd? Nothing seems to move... forward here. I mean, we do, as people. We build houses and stuff, right? But how come no one's managed to make any shops? Or do any serious trade? There are a whole bunch of those funny cows and no one's thought to build a fence and herd them for food and stuff? Seems weird. Where's the progress? Where's the desire to have better things all around?

I don't know. I think people are just so uncertain about what might happen here. But we can build a pen for them! Zuzu could have company then!

That's a good idea, but it's not quite what I meant. I just think it's odd that we aren't trying to make a society -- we're still these little pockets of self-serving groups. Sure, you and Katara and Toph help out and stuff, but if everyone picked something they were good at and offered their services, we could be a community.

[A pause.] If that makes sense... [He's not so sure now.]

Yeah, we could be. I think, for a lot of people, that's too permanent feeling. Most people are still fighting to go home and, I think, if they did something like that, it would be like saying 'oh, okay, then I'll just stay'.

[Deep breath.] I think Katara feels that way. But it's kind of... backwards. We're supposed to make the best of what we have, not hope for a solution to come along.

Yeah. [He pauses, thoughtfully.] You know, we could try! We could ask people if they want to try to make a community!

We should! And we could let them know what we can offer. Like, I could teach people how to use a sword, or you can teach them how to be all spiritual, or we could build or fix things for people or whatever! Like give-and-take.

Yeah! And even when people leave, we can still work the new people in and fill up the spots. It doesn't mean we'd forget those people though.

No, right, how can we? This place is kind of permanently burning into my brain. [Kind of traumatic, kind of amazing.] Still... don't tell anyone, but I kinda like it here.

I won't, Sokka. It's... not so bad. I mean, I actually have to explain what the Avatar is here and most people just go "Oh, cool!" or "I can do something like that!". Like my friend, Rin! He can firebend! Only, it's not firebending in his world. I wouldn't have met him without this place.

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