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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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.

Right! I've met a lot of really great people, too. Like Usagi and Bubbles and Bon and a whooooole bunch of others. Sure, it's not easy to live here, but it's definitely always interesting! [♫ Always look on the briiiight side of life... ♫]

Life wasn't exactly easy back home, Sokka. [You know, pesky war and trying to fix everything after.]

Well, yeah, but... [Now that he's thinking about it, Sokka's gotta hand it to Aang, the kid had a point. He shook his head and went to stack another brick or two, incidentally finding a good reason to change the subject to something more rhetorical:] So, why isn't the big ball o' fur helping us build his house? I'm gonna make him move our furniture one of these days!

Well, Appa isn't too good at making houses. [He grinned sheepishly.] I had him help me before and it went pretty well... until he knocked it over.

[Sokka laughs, mopping a little sweat from his forehead. It's so hot here compared to the temperatures he's used to. Still, it can't last forever, right? Right?!] Guess we'd better really Appa-proof this place, then!

I was going to make sure to!

I'll bet he'll appreciate it. What were you planning on putting down for bedding?

I don't know yet. I thought about hay, but that gets in his fur like nothing else. I want to look around and find some blankets that no one needs and use those.

Might be a little harder to come by around here. But, that doesn't rule it out. [Sokka's thinking, thinking...] There's wool. It's rainbow, sure, but it's warm and soft if you can collect enough.

Yeah! And I'm sure the people who have wool that's colors they don't like would trade with me!

Maybe you could trade more than just the colors you don't like.

Appa sheds, right? It's not good for bedding or clothes because it gets everywhere, but it could go into a pillowcase and that's a pretty cozy place to lay your head. His fur would make some great stuffing and it's summer, so a good brushing would help all around.

[WHY HAS HE NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT.] Sokka, that's the best idea! I'm going to do that!

I'll trade you for one right now! Call it a pre-order. I could really use a new pillow. [And that's the whole point, right?]

You can have one for giving me the idea!

008 § Video/Offline § A House For Appa

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