isgorgeous | Round 5 [Voice/Action]

[ Bolin goes about his day in the usual manner, though since the draft he hasn't been as enthusiastic about the whole thing. He's been waking up a later, Pabu acting as a trusty alarm clock.

When he finally heads outside to practice his earth bending midmorning, anyone familiar with him might be able to tell his heart isn't in it. That combined with the heavy rain from the last few days means that he loses his footing a few times to fall in the mud.

After a quick trip back to the house to shower off the healthy layer of mud, Bolin will be in a few locations around the village during the afternoon. He'll be stopping by the bakery and even the library. He's a little more reserved than he normally is in both attitude and appetite.

Later on in the evening he gets around to opening his journal to make an entry. ]

[Voice]

It's weird thinking I've been here for eight months, I've never been away from home that long in my life. [ Not that he really had a home for a few years but he won't get into that. ] I'm gonna be turning 17 soon and it'll be the first time my brother won't be there for it. I never really thought about being here long enough to hit my next birthday.

In Republic City they'd be doing promotional matches for pro-bending, exhibitions to get fans excited for the upcoming season. Me and Mako would go on the days they'd let people in for free when we were kids, when we could get away with it. The weather would be getting nice again, too. It was a good time to get work in the parks doing landscaping stuff.

Luceti's really small compared to it, it could fit into one neighborhood really easily. I'm probably just homesick but... this sucks... Not really sure I had a point with all this, honestly. [ So he closes the journal before he rambles anymore. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Aang reaches out a hand to help Bolin up if he needs it, while giving a light smile.]

It wasn't too bad. It's got nothing on some of them falls Sokka's had. But are you okay?

Yeah, I'm good. Toph would probably be disappointed if she was around for that, though.

Right! [He says with a flickering smirk. It's funny, to be sure, but it also reminds him of her absence.] You won't have to worry about me kicking your butt, at least. You gotta be careful with all the mud.

I'm usually better than this. [ He sighs ] I guess my head's just not in it lately.

[He put a hand on his bro's shoulder.]

It's not? You know Bolin, if there's anything you ever need to talk about... I'm here for you.

I know, it's just...

[ He rubs his face, not sure how to bring it up. But he needs to talk about it, has to know if this was normal or not. ]

You've been on drafts before, right? With Sokka?

[He's afraid of the direction this conversation is going. After all, by now Edward Elric is supposed to have clued him in to Sokka's behavior. And he's worried instantly about how it could have affected Bolin. He responds quietly.]

Yes, I have. The first time I was drafted... it was us, Katara and Toph. [The old team back together. Just... under not so preferable circumstances.]

Then maybe you'd know how he acts in that kinda stuff. [ He takes a deep breath. ] I know the drafts are serious war and everything but... he was using that alchemy stuff to burn the cultists to death. Like he was some gangster from the triads and he didn't even seem affected by it.

Is he always so... hard when it comes to a fight?

[Aang's shoulders slumped, and he looked towards the ground. Ed's account was one thing, but now Sokka being compared to some kind of gangster... it's horrifying.]

I... It's hard to say. When we fought together, there were times when when he did make killing blows. But not like that... not at all. He used his sword. And he gave me chances to use the scanners instead, so the enemies would live. I... [He held back a sob.] I didn't think he'd changed that much.

I'm sorry, Aang. [ He returns the gesture of putting a hand on his shoulder. ] I didn't want to say anything cause I know he's your friend but it just... it was too much even in a battle like that.

[And he goes to look him in the eye.]

It's okay, Bolin. I understand. It's... it's very difficult for me to accept. But it's something I have to know. I believe you. So that means Sokka's changed. [It scares him, so much. It's part of what he's feared the most. He'd taken comfort in knowing that even with all the years he'd been apart from his friends, at heart they were still the dear friends he knew back home.

Sometimes he feared the way Sokka seemed to be changing... but this took it to a whole new level. And made him worry about how Katara could have changed. How any of the rest of them, himself included, could change. Would they all lose themselves to become killers, after they managed to win a war back home while preventing that effect?]

I just don't get what could've made him pull something like that. I mean he's been a bit of a jerk lately but that doesn't mean you automatically become a scary sorta dude.

I don't know, either. [It's odd. Because at least around Aang, Sokka's largely been acting the same as always. Aang's unaware that it's this Sokka's way of trying to keep the Avatar in his favor.] He seems like... himself, a lot of the time. But that's the scary things about this place. About war. All the bad things that happen here, they could change us for the worse. I thought Sokka was able to hold onto himself here like the rest of us, despite everything. But... Now I know it must be wrong. You're not the first person to tell me about this.

[He sighs and looks down at the ground. He feels lost. Like he's lost Sokka already.]

I just wish I knew what I could do about it.

I wish I did, too...

[ He's not good with heavy issues like this. Before meeting Korra his biggest concern was whether or not they could beat whatever team they were against and now... things were scarier. ]

I mean, if other people have been talking about him being weird. And kind of scary then there has to have been something that started it, right? Maybe something set him off.

I don't know Sokka should be... he should be stronger than that. [He remembers everything Ed told him. That he'd died. Could that have to do to everything? Even so, just the idea that Sokka could have died was enough to crush Aang's spirit.]

Something's wrong, but we don't know what, yet. I don't want to give up on Sokka. Not if there's more to this. I mean... I still haven't talked to Katara about this. Maybe... she might know more. [She's been alongside Sokka all this time, after all. But he's been afraid to talk to her, too. Afraid that it'll turn out she's turned out the same way as Sokka without him noticing. And if he lost Katara like that... he couldn't see how he would hold himself together.]

[ He forced himself to smile and squeeze Aang's shoulder. It sucked seeing his friend so upset. ]

I know this sucks right now but... it's definitely gonna work out. Whatever's going on, it's no match for us. [ Right? ] You'll figure out what's all weird and kick its butt!

Edited 2013-05-17 06:20 (UTC)

[Aang smiles warmly. Part of him would think Bolin's still fresh here, in a way, that he might not be able to grasp all the complexities of this situation. But Aang feels some comfort all the same. It means a lot to have some sort of brotherly support given the condition the person closest to being his brother was in.]

Thanks, Bolin. You're right. We gotta stick together and solve this. I'd just rather heal the butt then kick it.

[ Different avatars, different methods. It's still a little crazy to think that Korra and Aang shared the same soul, they were totally different sorts of people. ]

Healing works, too. I should probably start thinking of other options besides throwing stuff at a problem till it goes away.

[He only has to force the resulting chuckle out a little.]

That's a good idea, Bolin. I'll try to help you to bend some more peace, and... maybe it can help things to go more smoothly. [And help you to slip into the mud less often.] It's like my friend Bumi always said - you've gotta open your brains up to the possibilities!

Round 5 [Voice/Action]

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