Since they aren't going to Kyoshi Island, this serves a similar narrative purpose, so I'm considering is an answer to 3... sort of.
Meanwhile, the prince is in his cabin trying to meditate, which in Zuko-speak translates to sitting in front of a bunch of candles with his eyes closed and panicking.
~*~
Sokka poked the sharp edge of his boomerang and ran the whetstone over it one last time, just to put off acknowledging to himself that there really was nothing for him to do. Back in the village, it had never occurred to him that traveling the world, among his enemies, with the undercover Avatar would be this boring.
He blew the strands of hair that had escaped from his wolftail out of his face and pushed his way through the mess hall doors. "So, anybody feel up to sparring with the best warrior in the South Pole?"
Katara looked up at him from where she sat across from General Iroh at the pai sho table and burst out laughing. Sokka glowered at her.
"So how about it, boys?" Sokka cocked his head with a grin. "Any of you think you can take me on?"
One of the firebenders tried to stand up, but the lieutenant, who had been sitting next to him, grabbed his arm and pushed him back down. Then one of the soldiers stood up and smirked contemptuously back at him. "Idiot." She picked her helmet up off the table and walked over to him. "If you really want somebody to put you back into place that badly, I'll do it for you."
"Miki." The general blinked at her calmly. "My nephew will not tike it if you harm the Avatar's brother and give her a reason to blow us out of the water."
The blood leached out of Katara's face.
"Aww, I won't hurt him," Private Miki pouted, eyes gleaming. "Much. Maybe just bruise him a little."
"No way. I'm not the kind of guy who beats up girls." Sokka glanced around the room, daring anybody to disagree.
She smiled, showing off her teeth. "You scared, Water Tribe?"
He laughed. "Please, there's no way I'm ever going to be scared of a girl."
Her brow furrowed. "I'm not a girl, I'm a woman, and what does that have to do with anything anyway?"
"Real men don't fight women," he explained slowly. In the back of his mind, he wondered, a little insulted, if the Fire Nation really thought so little of their enemies that their girls thought they could take them on. "we're just better fighters. It wouldn't be fair."
"Yeah, I hear a lot of the Earth Kingdom thinks that way too," one of the firebenders said, mouth full of noodles. "No wonder we're winning the war."
"Pipe down, Hoshi," Miki told her without heat. "Seriously kid? Your sister's the Avatar."
"That doesn't count!" especially because they were lying about that, and she was just his twerpy sister. "That's weird bending spirit stuff. You're just a girl."
Her lip curled. "Don't worry, Water Tribe, I wouldn't have offered to spar with you if I wasn't sure I could kick your butt.
Sokka narrowed his eyes. "You're on."
The lieutenant put his head in one hand. "If you damage him, Private, you'll be cleaning out latrines for a month."
"Don't worry. He can handle himself," Miki scoffed. "Can't you, tough guy?"
He bowed to her mockingly. "Shall we take this outside?"
"After you, Water Tribe."
Iroh carefully unfolded his legs and hauled himself to his feet. "I think it would be a good idea if we resumed our game later, young Avatar, and went up to the deck to keep an eye on those two."
Katara was on her feet in an instant, pressing through the crush of crew members eager to see the show. "She won't hurt him, will she?"
Iroh joined her, and the crew parted for him. "Not seriously."
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branchandroot
Sokka finds out the women on the ship aren't there to cook (and learns something, maybe) Part 1/3
Date: 2012-05-26 06:22 pm (UTC)Meanwhile, the prince is in his cabin trying to meditate, which in Zuko-speak translates to sitting in front of a bunch of candles with his eyes closed and panicking.
~*~
Sokka poked the sharp edge of his boomerang and ran the whetstone over it one last time, just to put off acknowledging to himself that there really was nothing for him to do. Back in the village, it had never occurred to him that traveling the world, among his enemies, with the undercover Avatar would be this boring.
He blew the strands of hair that had escaped from his wolftail out of his face and pushed his way through the mess hall doors. "So, anybody feel up to sparring with the best warrior in the South Pole?"
Katara looked up at him from where she sat across from General Iroh at the pai sho table and burst out laughing. Sokka glowered at her.
"So how about it, boys?" Sokka cocked his head with a grin. "Any of you think you can take me on?"
One of the firebenders tried to stand up, but the lieutenant, who had been sitting next to him, grabbed his arm and pushed him back down. Then one of the soldiers stood up and smirked contemptuously back at him. "Idiot." She picked her helmet up off the table and walked over to him. "If you really want somebody to put you back into place that badly, I'll do it for you."
"Miki." The general blinked at her calmly. "My nephew will not tike it if you harm the Avatar's brother and give her a reason to blow us out of the water."
The blood leached out of Katara's face.
"Aww, I won't hurt him," Private Miki pouted, eyes gleaming. "Much. Maybe just bruise him a little."
"No way. I'm not the kind of guy who beats up girls." Sokka glanced around the room, daring anybody to disagree.
She smiled, showing off her teeth. "You scared, Water Tribe?"
He laughed. "Please, there's no way I'm ever going to be scared of a girl."
Her brow furrowed. "I'm not a girl, I'm a woman, and what does that have to do with anything anyway?"
"Real men don't fight women," he explained slowly. In the back of his mind, he wondered, a little insulted, if the Fire Nation really thought so little of their enemies that their girls thought they could take them on. "we're just better fighters. It wouldn't be fair."
"Yeah, I hear a lot of the Earth Kingdom thinks that way too," one of the firebenders said, mouth full of noodles. "No wonder we're winning the war."
"Pipe down, Hoshi," Miki told her without heat. "Seriously kid? Your sister's the Avatar."
"That doesn't count!" especially because they were lying about that, and she was just his twerpy sister. "That's weird bending spirit stuff. You're just a girl."
Her lip curled. "Don't worry, Water Tribe, I wouldn't have offered to spar with you if I wasn't sure I could kick your butt.
Sokka narrowed his eyes. "You're on."
The lieutenant put his head in one hand. "If you damage him, Private, you'll be cleaning out latrines for a month."
"Don't worry. He can handle himself," Miki scoffed. "Can't you, tough guy?"
He bowed to her mockingly. "Shall we take this outside?"
"After you, Water Tribe."
Iroh carefully unfolded his legs and hauled himself to his feet. "I think it would be a good idea if we resumed our game later, young Avatar, and went up to the deck to keep an eye on those two."
Katara was on her feet in an instant, pressing through the crush of crew members eager to see the show. "She won't hurt him, will she?"
Iroh joined her, and the crew parted for him. "Not seriously."
Katara didn't feel very reassured.