playinginsand | [Rabbithole: Loo and Sokka, post Mikideath]

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[Rabbithole: Loo and Sokka, post Mikideath]

The Fire Palace is techincally a series of much smaller buildings grouped together and locked by walled footpaths and ornate gardens. The Imperial audience chambers are in the centre, near where the Royal family live in a smaller, heavily walled domicile. Guests are quartered in expansive rooms in one of the outer rings, a short walk away from the temple, used by all who live in the Palace.

One of the low buildings in the temple itself is dedicated to memorials to the departed. Smoke rises in thin worms from a thousand incense sticks, set before rolls representing the dead, individually or collectively. At the front, facing the worshipper as he enters, are twin rolls representing the parents of the current Fire Lord - one handsome king with his face marked by a hug burn scar, and one exotic looking blue eyed woman, sporting a scar of her own. As only four people in the world have ever met Melaka Fray, no one's arguing the likeness.

The victims of the recent border attack are in a temporary position next to Zuko. Each name is written out in perfect and careful calligraphy grouped by nation, and not one is left out, no matter who they might have been or which element they subscribed to. The sand in front of that scroll burns with more sticks than anywhere else, today.

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"Yes, he would have, if he knew that was the best thing for you. He went off for a couple of days by himself, just after your mom died. He couldn't be around you three without breaking down, so he took off. But he came back."

Petting her hair still, Sokka adjusts his hold on her to something more secure, lips at her hair again. "Ai-ling knew why you did what you did. And she got to see you and she was proud of you. She was happy her whole life and she loved you. You're a good mother, Lu, even when you don't get to see your kids, and that is extremely impressive."

"Please," Louise protests, trying hard not to sound bitter.

A good mother would have gone first.

"I just... I don't know what to do now."

Quiet for a long moment, Sokka doesn't stop stroking her hair. But he isn't so relaxed anymore and the quiet is speechlessness, not a choice.

A good father wouldn't have let his son go.

"...what you're doing is fine," he says finally, softly enough that the break in his voice is barely heard. "You're doing your best to make sure the bastards that did this get what they deserve. That's what she would have wanted you to do."

She swallows, painfully, and move her head slightly. Whether it wants to be a nod or a shake isn't clear.

"Zheng says I should take some time off. But if I stop I don't know how I'll start again."

"It's possible Zheng is right," Sokka replies softly, head bowed. "He does have his moments.

"...you should come stay with us, Lu. Spend some time with Kanna."

With her granddaughter.

"Sokka..." Louise protests. That wasn't what she was worried about.

"I can't. I can't stop. I'm not ready to stop yet. There's stuff to be done here."

With her children.

"Offer stands."

For whenever she's ready to take it. He isn't going to criticize her for wanting to stay and work when he abandoned his wife only two days after they find out about Miki, just to see the men who did it.

To finish it.

Louise really does nod then.

"I'm sorry."

This time for not taking the offer, and for not being there for Kanna.

"If there's anything she needs..."

"I've always let you know. I'm not going to stop now. Visiting would be for you, not her."

Swallowing back a sigh, Sokka bends to put his arms fully around her and hold her tight. Just for a moment, though, brief before he straightens and steps back to put his hands on her shoulders. Holding his children, niece, or nephew has never been a task, never a responsibility, and the same for comforting them.

But he can't keep holding her if he wants to keep his own composure.

"Do what you need to do," Sokka says quietly, head ducked to look her in the eye, serious, "and come see us when you're ready. But don't hurt yourself in the process, you promise me?"

Louise is silent for a few seconds before she says,

"I promise I'll try."

He doesn't sigh but Sokka can't hide the effort that it takes not to. Straightening, he passes his hand over her hair again and nods. "That'll do for now, then.

"Come on. There's got to be something new in the palace since the last time I was here. What was that, ten years ago?"

Wiping her eyes again, Louise looks up at him and actually smiles.

"Nothing that new," she says. "Unless you count your youngest niece."

It's the first time Sokka's returned a smile that hasn't looked completely forced - brows rise and his eyes light up and he very nearly grins as he turns to take his very powerful General Niece's arm. "I do count her! It's probably best I meet Ursa while we're here, isn't it? I don't ever think I'll forget the look on Roku's face when you brought him to the Water Tribe and he got a look at me. It isn't my fault if your country is full of midgets."

It really isn't done for a General or a Princess to take the arm of anyone except her husband, which is why Louise slips hers in Sokka's so readily.

"Roku's shooting up," she says. "He's already taller than Iroh, and Zheng. If Meila didn't look so much like her father I think he'd suspect seomthing."

"Too bad you'll be missing that fight - it's remarkable how therapeutic it can be to beat your spouse up."

For someone often called a barbarian, Sokka doesn't make too much of an effort to convince people otherwise with his speech.

"Katara asked if I was sure I was her brother a few times. I look exactly like my father, but I'm about a foot taller." He smirks a little down at her, letting her lead the way though he stands beside her. "Roku must be having a good time looming over all those important men."

"You think I haven't kicked his ass already on the training pitch?" Louise teases, leading the way out of the shrine and down the paths to the Imperial Domecile. "He hasn't defeated me since I was recovering from the huge mess that was Ursa's birth.

"Yeah, he's loving it. He's signing up for officer training next month, finally. Been whining that he's getting too old and I should have let him when he was fourteen."

Snorting, Sokka shakes his head, rolling his eyes in the same motion. "Spirits, it's like the world is punishing you with the reincarnation of your father. At least he's happy."

"Which if I remember right makes him not my father," Louise says. Some of the guards with them puzzled looks as she strolls through the narrow streets with a watertribesman, but no one tries to stop them.

"He's happy. And he's going to be a good soldier. It's just... I feel bad for wanting him to stay home and not sign up. We've abolished conscription, but it doesn't seem to stick."

"He was a lot happier after his babies were born," Sokka reminds her, knocking her shoulder gently and smiling. The guards are ignored with great ease and practice.

There is a pause before Sokka speaks again, but when he does, it's without a hitch. "Miki was like that. No one ever asked him to go to the Earth Kingdom, but as soon as I said no, he volunteered. Possible that it's just a thing with kids."

Louise's smile is genuine, and fond. "Remember when dad tried to tell us we were too young to fight?"

Now, admittedly the first time Zuko did that they were three.

"You sure showed him. That stack of broken crates never saw it coming until it was already on fire and chances of survival were low anyway."

"Wold have been more effective as an argument if we hadn't nearly burned down the entire street," Louise admits.

She passes through some heavy doors, flanked by important looking guards who positively glare at Sokka, before breaking through into a light, airy water garden.

"Well, all four of you tended to do that. Did I ever tell you about the time your dad nearly set a bookstore on fire while arguing with me?"

The guards get a bright, beaming smile from Sokka, as well as a salute - made with the massive club he constantly has on hand. The garden is a surprise, though, and Sokka blinks as they come in.

"...a water garden. You just love making everyone double-take with irony, don't you?"

"It's got turtleducks," Louise says. Because turtleducks explain everything.

Before she can say anything else, a child's voice calls out, "Mom!" and there's a girl about seven years old running down a promenade towards them. But she stops when she sees the tall Water Tribesman, and squints up at him.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I like her already," is Sokka's reply to the little girl's greeting, smirking over at Loo. He releases her arm and carefully gets to his knees, closer to the child's height. It either makes him non-threatening or more terrifying, depending on how Ursa takes being smiled at like that from someone she doesn't know. "I'm Sokka. I'm your mom's uncle. She's told me all about you, Ursa."

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