[ voice/action ] please not now

[blessingone]

[It takes Fenimore some time to reach for her journal after they find Shirley missing. But, eventually, she drags herself over and opens it. It's no small matter for Shirley to have made friends in Luceti -- the girl had spent her first fifteen years friendless. She can't just leave that alone. But, even once she opens it, there's silence for a full minute. When she sighs and begins speaking, her voice is calm, though this is by willpower alone.]

For anyone who cares -- [While it's intended as a general "to who it may concern," the slightly bitter edge that creeps in at the end sounds accusatory. She knows it isn't fair and regrets the unintentional addition, but she has belligerence against the world to spare today. When she continues, her tone is flat again.] ...Shirley has gone...home....

[She trails off. The voice doesn't sound like her own. In fact, the entire entry sounds -- and, by the camera, looks -- as though it were made by someone else. Except for the tone, it sounds as though.... She slowly reaches up to touch a braid hanging from the side of her head.

Shirley's voice continues, quiet and strained:] Oh, that isn't fair.... [Using Shirley's hands, she closes her journal and cuts off the feed.

She doesn't want to meet any of the others like this. Not now. Even though she knows that Stella is out of the house, chances of running into her accidentally seem small enough to risk it. In any case, getting away from the house seems pretty attractive right now. She doesn't have to change, thankfully -- they're close enough in size that her clothes just feel a little loose in places. Though of course, on her way out, she does have to stop to grab some things for the cold weather.

Her intent was to avoid people entirely, but she stops at the river next to house 34, by the bridge. That's where she had found Shirley after Senel had left. Shirley had acted strong, no matter how much it had bothered her. "Acting"...but, if she thought about it, being able to act that strong was strong in itself.

She can be found sitting with her arms around her knees on the bank, north from the bridge and away from the pathway -- this time, it's far too cold to even wade, whether or not ice impedes that. She hopes that she's out of sight, and it might have been hard to accidentally catch sight of her were she not wearing a hat that stood out against the snow.

It's still a stupid hat. It doesn't even keep her ears warm.]

[Backdated to during the day! Comments will be answered by blessingone. Journal comments will be answered with an in-Luceti-time delay and, if she doesn't have anything to say, might not be answered at all (apologies if you get hit with the last one). Action ones she doesn't really have a choice on -- she might be a little unfriendly, but she's not upset enough to cut someone off completely.]

Comments

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[She's pretty sure that he does know after the ocean visit, but she's sort of taking the stance of "maybe if I don't say anything, it'll go away."] I guess you're right. ...I'm not used to having so many people around who fight.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

I guess it's different for me. It seems natural. But, you know, big war and everything. Not everywhere is like that.

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[As far as I recall, no, she didn't know (I'm starting to think I need to write down what her major CR has told her about themselves), so:] ...So that's what you were "saving the world" from.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[I'm not exactly sure myself....]

Yeah, pretty much. Besides, war or not, all the men in my tribe would learn to fight anyway. It doesn't matter if we have to defend our home from Firebenders or an angry artic hippo. Nobody else is going to do it for us.

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[That is actually something she can sympathize with, to some extent. The Ferines had spent quite a long time left up to their own devices.]

Mm. That kind of help is rare. ...Did you grow up in war?

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[A nod.]

There's always been one. Ever since the Fire Nation started their invasion a hundred years ago.

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[Now she felt a little guilty for getting mad at him whenever he brought up the idea of learning how to fight. Not guilty enough to retract her position, but still. A bit guilty.

...Awkward. What do you say to something like that? -- Except, he'd talked about saving the world in the past tense that time, hadn't he?] But it was stopped...right? When you were "saving the world."

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly. And I got to enjoy about a whole week of it before I ended up here. Go figure, huh?

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

It'll still be there when you get back. [If you get back. Oh, great, another wave of pessimism. But she'll try to keep that inside. Sokka's already done a lot of comforting for her. She doesn't want to make him deal with a relapse.]

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. [He has that same kind of pessimism. And he does his best to keep it down. But a year is an awful long time to be here. So he'll disguise it with sarcasm, as always.] Although I'll miss the electric heat, when I do.

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[She...refuses to let me describe this as a snort, but the somewhat amused noise comes fairly close to one -- even if she is starting to feel down again, she's still a bit entertained by that.] I would be glad to trade that in for a stove that makes sense. Though I guess I'm not going to ever be somewhere as cold as where you live.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[He shakes his head, amused forever by her reluctance to use technology. He doesn't understand it and never will.] It's cold enough here. Do you miss chopping wood for the fire?

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

Well, that wasn't my job.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Well, whose job would it be now?

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

Well.... [She stops. Um. ...Well.] That doesn't matter now. There aren't any wood stoves in the entire village. I looked.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[This is where the evil smile sets in.]

What if I made one for you?

1/2

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[Urp. At first, she looks like she realizes that she just got caught out.]

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[But then...she looks like she's actually considering it. If she could find someplace to get the firewood, she might actually think it'd be worth chopping the wood.]

...I'd have to ask Stella. She's gotten used to the stove.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[... crap! Well, it's not like he couldn't manage it, but that's a lot of work to replace something that works perfectly fine.

ON THE OTHER HAND. His own personal electronic stove to take apart and work with?]

... and I'll consider it. But I'd get your current stove.

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[...Maybe if Stella was okay with it...and maybe if she tried finding wood first....]

...I'll think about it. You'd have to be the one to move it, though. I can't carry that.

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

Alright, it's an almost deal.

[He glances away, off to the west. It's already getting late. Typical winter for you.]

I guess I should be heading home. Are you going to be okay?

[blessingone.livejournal.com]

[She follows where he's looking. Oh. ...She won't be able to avoid seeing Stella like this forever assuming this happened before that thread.

She considers lying, but, well...she thinks she can be honest with him for once. She does attempt to smile, at least.] ...I will be.

But I think I'll stay out here for a while. I still have to think of what I'm going to tell Stella. [She looks down at her hands. Meeting Stella in this body is not going to be fun.]

[swordsandfans.livejournal.com]

[Sokka sets a hand on her shoulder.]

You'll do fine.

[With an extra pat, he then turns towards home.]