oo41 [ action ]

[fourteen]

[ Today, you are having a perfectly normal day. Perhaps you are on your way to the battle dome. Perhaps you're walking home along the path. Perhaps you're in the middle of town. Or perhaps you're heading further north.

If you're anywhere along this meandering south-to-north route, a young girl is going to slam into you at a full tilt. She's very sorry; she didn't see you there. But she's got this sense of absolute panic she can't quite shake, and she wants to get home right this moment.

In her disorientation, she has, of course, forgotten she can access magical portals of darkness. Forgive her; after all, she spent rather a long time here without them! And who wants to be messing about with the forces of darkness when they are too panicked to think straight?

Anyway, she may slam into you so hard that you both fall over. Or maybe she'll just knock you off balance. Either way, there is now a very startled, dazed, and still somewhat panicked teenager staring at you with wide eyes. She's barefoot, and her dress is dirty, but she seems otherwise alright. What will you do? ]

Comments

[markofthewise]

[Sokka nearly DOES fall over, in fact in his flailing he ends up grabbing Xion by the shoulder to steady himself (and inevitably her as well).]

Hey! Watch where you're going--- Xion?

[fourteen]

[ fhgoeoqjfufjwl SOMEONE'S GRABBING HER AAAAAAAA!

She jerks away, only to realize in the same instant who it is. ] Sokka! But where-- .... oh.

[ The "oh" is very quiet as she looks off to the side. They're in the village... she hadn't even realized. Immediately a lot of the panic drains out of her. After a moment of collecting herself, she looks back at him. ] Sorry about that...

[markofthewise]

[This gives him a chance to get a better look at her. Wherever she's been, she's had a rough time at it.]

Don't apologize! What happened?

[fourteen]

Nothing! I mean... um, nothing besides the Malnosso just letting me go. [ She shrugs, uncomfortable. ] I guess I wasn't thinking straight for some reason...

[markofthewise]

[Hum. Side effect of being kidnapped, maybe...]

Well... that's understandable. It looks like they stole your shoes, though.

1/2

[fourteen]

They-- [ Looks down at her feet. ] ... they took my shoes?! [ She hadn't even noticed. Of all the indignities! ] Those stupid scientists! Couldn't they leave me with shoes, at least?! Jeez... [ ... well. She's definitely alright, anyway. ]

[fourteen]

[ She shakes her head and looks back at him with a somewhat apologetic smile. ] ... well, if I was going to run into anyone, I'm kind of glad it was you. It's good to see you, Sokka.

[markofthewise]

Yeah, though we really should stop meeting like this. [You know... when bad things are happening. Like her turning into a monster, getting mallynapped, him getting mallynapped, or her joining the SOS Brigade.]

Are you okay, though? No... sudden injuries? Or feeling ridiculously positive?

[fourteen]

Sorry... it just seems to keep happening! [ She rubs the back of her neck, but drops her hand at his question and shakes her head. ]

Nope! I'm fine. ... and I'm not suddenly super positive. [ A tiny, super amused smile. She remembers that, Sokka. ]

[markofthewise]

Good. Because that would be pretty annoying.

[Not that he's going to cite specific incidents or anything.]

[fourteen]

... I could be super positive. [ Griiiiiiin. She'll never forget, Sokka. Not ever. ]

[markofthewise]

Now that would be a first. [In other words, he wants to see her try.]

[fourteen]

Oh, come on! You don't think I could do it? [ Hands on hips, leaning towards him a little with her grin still in place. Though after a second she pauses, straightens up, and thinks for a second. ] ... Um, you know, I'd actually have to think about it.

[markofthewise]

Positive thinking isn't as easy as it looks? The trick is to find something you have absolutely no reason to be happy about and find a reason for it to be a good thing. For instance? Your shoes being stolen.

[fourteen]

[ PAUSE. She has to look down at her feet for a looong moment. Wiggle her toes.

Then she takes a deeeep breath, as if mentally preparing, then looks up at Sokka with this huge smile on her face. ] You know, I always wanted to run around barefoot! I mean, why should you have to wear shoes when you leave the house? Being barefoot is so much better! I should thank them for taking my shoes! I feel so much freer now!

[ Clasps her hands behind her back and grins like she just won the lottery. ... was that good enough? ]

[markofthewise]

[... that's probably the first time he's ever actually seen her this happy. Yet he just gives her a bland look in return.]

Hmm... not bad. That was pretty convincing.

[fourteen]

[ She laughs, the exuberance of her disposition fading to be replaced with something a little more normal. ] That'd be really hard to keep up for long, though. And I'd run out of ideas pretty quick. Maybe I could try to be positive about, um... [ Looks down at herself again, then takes hold of the hem of her dress and spreads it out before releasing it. ] ... how dirty my dress is. [ A crooked smile. ]

[markofthewise]

[That's a bit more of what he usually expects. A small smirk forms as he considers the possibilities.]

That would be a little more impressive, considering. [He's already got ideas, plenty. He just could not possibly act them out in any way convincingly.]

[fourteen]

... I don't know how to do this at all! [ She cracks up laughing, a little helplessly. ] I ... maybe I could pretend I like my dress better when it's dirty? It's ... um, it's so pretty this way! [ She giggles. ]

[markofthewise]

[Sokka just shakes his head. GOSH Xion, so unimaginative.]

No, see, if it was me? I would have gone, "Oh well I'd been needing to get a new outfit anyway, I never liked this one."

[fourteen]

[ ... and now she is imagining Sokka in her dress. Oh, god, no, that is absolutely awful. She laughs even harder, her hands now folded over her aching stomach. ]

S-Somehow, Sokka, if it were you, and you were wearing a dirty dress? I think you'd have other things to worry about!

[markofthewise]

[... what. No! That isn't what he was going for!]

I was putting myself in your shoes! Well... I guess you don't have shoes. Anyway, I'm not planning to wear a dress!

[fourteen]

[ Lols. For. Years. And years and years. SORRY SOKKA. Don't you think you'd make the prettiest princess?! ]

Are you sure? I think you'd look nice! [ /TROLL. ]

[markofthewise]

[You know, maybe he liked her better when she was miserable.]

No, pretty sure I wouldn't. Thanks.