playinginsand | [Rabbithole: South Pole, midnight-ish the night of Steph and Sokka's arrival]

Entry tags:

[Rabbithole: South Pole, midnight-ish the night of Steph and Sokka's arrival]

The baby hiccups and starts to sob, and for a moment, Steph isn't sure where they are. The cold that bites down as she struggles sleepily to a sitting position and tries to comfort the baby one-handed while undoing her leathers with the other is her first clue -- South Pole -- and then the softness of the furs beneath them, rather than the rocky floor of the cave they've spent the week in. Southern Water Tribe.

It's late at night, but they're at Sokka's home. More detail than that can wait until her head isn't so muzzy. The toggles on her clothes are about the limit of her ability right now, with a hungry wailing baby tucked in the other arm.

A hungry, wailing Miki.

This is Steph's happy-face again, sleep-deprived or not.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"That doesn't mean you can't learn to defend yourself - you and all the rest of the women. I was fifteen twenty years ago, but for you, Nata, it's only been one." He makes a face, trying not to sigh. "You remember better than I do how awful I was, and I remember perfectly getting my butt kicked by the Fire prince.

"The tribe is small, it's not powerless. Not if we don't let it be."

Nata looks at them, expression brightening slowly.

"Will you tell Gran-Gran this?"

Because that's where real power in the tribe resides. Everyone knows.

"Oh, hell yes, I will," Sokka replies with a snort. "I'll tell her while I'm doing all those chores you guys have been neglecting all year! I can't believe there's still a hole in the wall."

Nata looks sheepish, hugging her fur-wrapped knees. "We've tried to mend it, but we haven't materials for any proper scaffolding, and it's not been a cold enough winter for the ice to re-freeze any further. It's still thin where that damned Fire ship crashed."

Miki makes a happy little burble in Steph's arms. Steph, curled up against Sokka in much the same way, slides down a little and hugs him closer. "'s Zuko's ship, wasn't it?" she asks, sleepily trying to keep track of the conversation.

Muttering an affirmative quietly to Steph, Sokka figures it's probably best to wait to go into that story further. Nata wouldn't understand the fond tone Sokka would use and, honestly, he doesn't want to explain it.

On the other hand, bringing up Zuko reminds Sokka that he very much so has access to stronger materials than ice. He'll just have to send word to the Fire Lord in the morning - or just bypass him and go straight to the Crown Prince.

"It's okay, Nata, I was just kidding," he assures her, smile turning fond when he glances down at a sinking Steph. "We should get back to sleep. You should, too, if your watch is up soon."

"Have to burp him or he'll cry again," Steph mumbles, and drags her eyes open again to peek into his nappy while she's reminded of it. There's so much to keep track of. She figures she'll learn, though.

"I can look after him if you need to sleep," Nata suggests, getting back to her feet. "My watch isn't over till Sangok's hidden behind the peaks there."

Steph makes a 'buh' sort of face until she realises the woman is talking about a star, tucking her breasts back in but not making any move to give Miki up. "'s okay. Socks needs the practice."

(That's blatantly untrue; Sokka has a lot more experience with newborns than Steph. But she's not giving the baby to anyone else, just yet.)

Smirking at Steph, amused, Sokka reaches over to carefully take Miki into his arms. "Do not. Thank you for the tea, Nata."

The second the woman leaves, he's planning on collapsing back into the furs.

He might be beaten to it by Steph, as soon as she's baby-free and all tucked back in and hooded again. "'s freezing," she complains sleepily, wrapping her arms around herself and flopping back.

But she waits until Nata's left to say it.

Sokka grins as he slides back down again, settling Miki against his chest, hands over his back to keep him steady. "Told you it would be," he replies, punctuated by a monstrous yawn. It's certainly colder than he remembers, colder than the North was. He's trying to remember how he lived here for fifteen years.

He's definitely insulating the hut better later.

It's much colder than Gotham ever was, that's for sure. And they've been in the Fire Nation's summer for months now; it's a shock to both of them.

Steph pulls a couple of layers of fur over both of their heads, and wriggles around until she can put her face near to Miki's on Sokka's chest and keep his tiny nose warmed by her breath. Of course, this means he'll spit up over both of them, but that's okay. She's getting used to smelling like baby.

(She loves it.)

"I like your people," she mumbles, putting hands up to make sure Sokka's ears are warm too. "Nice."

Sokka's got his hood up - which only means he's even more amused when Steph's hands cover his ears. "You're gonna wake up all sore if you try and sleep like that," he cautions her, grinning a little even as his eyes close. "They're good... I hope they'll let me fix stuff, though, really fix it. I know Iroh'll send me iron and maybe one of those electric lamps they've been using..."

"Better me wake up sore'n Miki wake up without a nose." She shifts around a little bit, brushing fingers over his face before settling back with one hand patting circles on Miki's back, in a slightly less awkwardly-curled position.

The baby thinks this is great, and wants to wake up and play, judging by his hiccupy gurgling and the happy baby burps he lets out under their hands.

"...you, my son, are gonna hafta get used t'being burped in bed," Steph informs him firmly. After all, the alternative is getting up and walking with him, and that is so not an appealing thought right now. "An' sleeping when daddy'n'mum sleep."

Chuckling, Sokka curls a hand carefully over Miki's hair, trying to soothe his soon back to sleep. "You'll get used t'the cold, Steph, promise. Go back t'sleep, I'll clean him up."

And he will - once he finishes struggling to sit up.

But Sokka's more tired than she is, Steph starts to say.

... on the other hand, it's been a week, and already she's losing the urge to protest when offered help. Pride is a distant memory when neither of them gets more than three hours of sleep at any one time.

"...can walk w'you," she offers anyway, gathering the baby into her own arms while Sokka sits, smiling when his uncoordinated waving hand bumps into her nose and he blinks wide blue eyes in surprise. "Don' need sleep 'smuch." The little open baby-mouth gets a kiss before she has to give him back to his dad.

"Shut up. Go to sleep." Sokka leans down to take Miki and kisses Steph on the way. "And don't be dumb. I'll be back in a few minutes." Holding Miki carefully at his chest while he pulls his boots on, Sokka's hood is up a moment later as he pulls Miki's up, too. A little rag goes on his shoulder, over the same one Miki is bouncing, and he heads out into the cold to walk a bit, patting his son's back.

She really does mean to get up and walk with him. .... just she's going to shut her eyes for a moment longer first. And another. And ...

He will find her soundly asleep in his spot when he gets back.

Outside, Issa and Nata are talking quietly by the break in the wall, and the bright Sangok is hovering over the peak of the icebergs -- it's obviously change of watch time. The moon's high and bright enough for the little village to be lit silver-bright. Miki watches it all with big eyes and little burring gurgly noises as his dad bounces him.

Issa smiles and waves.

Either Miki is tiny or Sokka's hands are big - either way, he's grateful that he can settle a hand over his son's back and hold him steady enough to wave back at Issa, smiling. He doesn't walk toward the women, though, letting them have their time alone.

Besides... he's in the middle of his village and the stars are out.

"When I was little," he whispers to Miki, grinning a little when the baby gurgles again, "my dad used to tell the same stories over and over again. Really long, rambling stories about the stars and stuff I basically already knew, he was just talking.

"If you're lucky, maybe I'll do the same for you."

Miki's eyes still don't focus on much that's not close by, but his Dad's nose is an object of fascination, and worthy of a happy hiccup.

Perhaps this is a sign he would like Daddy to continue.

Or a sign that Sokka's nose is fasinating. He's kind of amused either way.

"Okay, lemme think... I'm tired and your mom's gonna whine if we don't come back soon... I'll tell you about Sangok and the fire princess." After all, the star is right in front of his face and that story was always one of Katara's favorites.

"Did you know the princess actually had a name? The Fire Nation calls it Princess Naupaka and the Water fisherman. Well, Naupaka and Sangok lived a long, long time ago, when Water and Fire people could live near each other without death and destruction and doom. And one day..."

Ten minutes later, Sokka is entering the hut again, as quiet as possible. After all, Miki is asleep in his arms and who knows how long that will last.

One of Steph's eyes flickers as the shaft of moonlight from the opening falls over her face, but when it's just Sokka she shuts her eyes again and mumbles something incoherent.

It probably translates as It's bloody cold in here without you, not-yet-but-soon!-husband, get your ass into bed.

Grinning at the supposed translation, Sokka kicks his boots off, slips into the furs, and ignores Steph's whine when cold leather meets her skin.

She won't remember in the morning, anyway, and so long as he doesn't get smacked, it really doesn't matter.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Rabbithole: South Pole, midnight-ish the night of Steph and Sokka's arrival]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject