4841/Several Blows

Several Blows
Date of Scene:	04 December 2016
Location:	Njorun Station - Medical
Synopsis:	Toph takes charge when Sokka needs to go to medical and also when he needs some sense knocked back into his head.
Cast of Characters:	20, 1076

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Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's not seldom Toph has been dragged to medical against her will. It's time to repay the favour.

    "I heard you getting injured there, and I know that Eryl slapped some stuff on your arm, but it still needs to get checked out!" the blind earthbender insists, walking first through the hallways leading to the medical section of Njorun. Clean, white and pristine, with medical personnel ready to take care of the Elites after their field work. Some of them seem to know Toph, looking at the girl while some of them sighs and shakes their heads a bit before they resume their work.

    "It's a good thing we managed to stop those bots though, seems you were able to knock their systems out with your boomerang or something." She does wonder how Eryl is doing though, it appeared that he was taking their findings a bit rough...

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka cringed as he was dragged off, nodding. "I-it's fine, really. I'm fine. Toph, it's really not the first time I've gotten shot or impaled or anything since I came here. I know where medical is."

... Wait, it wasn't? He... hadn't told her about that. "It's just a scratch, really." No, it wasn't. He could have lost his arm had he been off by a few inches. He then snorted. "Yeah, stopped the bots. I was just mister useful there. Only one who even got hurt..."

He then urked. "L-listen, Toph, it's fine. They'll just slap some pain killers on, a bit of stitches, and I'll be good as new. Really!"

"Ah, mister sokka. So you return. How is my favorite patient today? You keep showing up like this I'll have to get you a frequent visitor's card," the nurse said. "And Toph, I should have known he was a friend of yours."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Wait, Sokka knows where medical is? At that the girl halts slightly, turning her head. "Wait, /when/ were you in medical?" she asks. She didn't know that. And he should be able to read her expression that she's not exactly too happy to hear that Sokka's been injured. "... why were you in medical?"

    Sure, Sokka might not be really injured now, but... "If it's deep it might get infected," she states. And then the nurse intercepts them. The blind teen stops, narrowing her eyes a bit when it's made clear that Sokka has indeed been in medical before. Frequent visitor's card...? She doesn't comment on that just yet though, instead she nods when the nurse comments on them being friends. "Yeah, we've fought together before. Just check out his arm, okay?" She'll just tag along.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka cringed. "Err, yeah, I uhhh, I've been here once or twice," Sokka said with a chuckle.

The nurse chuckled. "Once or twice? Yeah, in the last three days," he muttered. "Sokka, you really need to take better care of yourself and... ouch, that looks nasty. Tore the muscle and everything. Strong pain killers at all, have you been using the arm?"

"Not since."

"You're lucky you're here and not in one of those other worlds. Hold on, this will take a minute.

As the nurse started working, Sokka sighed. "Okay, so I've been here more than a few times. It's fine, though. I'm still learning. Guns and... all that. there's just a lot of weapons I don't... know how they work. That's all."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    No, Toph doesn't look happy where she stands, letting go of Sokka's arm now that the nurse is here to take care of him and treat his wounds. The girl sighs heavily, closing her eyes. "Told you it was a good idea to come here," she mutters. At least he's getting treatment now. So Toph follows Sokka and the nurse to the treatment room, and once the woman starts working, Toph finds herself a nearby chair and flops down into it.

    His comments though seems to get Toph thinking, her expression serious. "... I didn't see the point either when I first joined, I guess." Man, she was even more stubborn then. "You know, you can always bring me along. Or ask people if they want to train with you in the Ring. That's a simulation area where you don't really get hurt. I used to fight a lot there in the beginning to get used to new stuff, like weapons and magic."

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded, glancing off. "I'd have come here eventually, really." He just didn't want her to be there with him. He couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed since, well... HE was the only one who got hurt. Just him. No one else.

"Yeah. A... special training ring. That sounds... good," he mumbled. Definitely lying. "I'll look into it." Well, something was off. The nurse left after a bit. "Bring you along? Toph, how much were you focusing on me during... that whole thing? How much were you trying to protect me?" he tried to sound casual about it.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's too easy to hear that he's lying.

    But Toph remains quiet until the nurse leaves. Maybe she's getting more equipment, or to check up on the other patients. Either way Toph turns her focus back to Sokka and the question he poses. "You know I can focus on several things at once unlike you seeing people... it's kinda what I had to learn, remember?" she points out. Though... how much was she trying to protect him? The girl turns her head slightly away at that question, and she bites the inside of her lower lip a bit before she responds. "I knew you weren't too used to fighting things like that, and the other people needed stuff to hide behind to. I'm used to help protect other people in the field. Earthbending is useful in many ways." There's a slight pause before she speaks. "I know you don't like the sound of the training ring, Sokka... but you should check it out. I felt a bit overwhelmed at first too when I joined this place and I met people who had skills I didn't know how to handle at first. And if it makes you feel any better, I... I've been yelled at for not being careful before too."

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded, didn't even try to say anything. His eyes were lowered. Finally, he spoke up. "Toph... I... do you want to help me with something?"

There was something... odd about his voice. "I went back home recently. There's an old fire nation ship there. The... a few of the kids were playing in it and got hurt. It needs to be removed. So I told them I'd take care of it. You know how... Aang and Katara are busy and well... I figure with you there, it'd be done fast."

There was definitely something else. Something unspoken to his words. "Could probably borrow Appa, too."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Just what is going through Sokka's mind? He's not saying anything. Should she say anything? Is--

    It's not often Sokka asks others for help, which might be why Toph looks surprised. Rather than giving a response right away she turns her head slightly towards him, curious about that tone of voice. Just what does he need /her/ help for?

    "Wait... you mean go to the South Pole?" she asks, arching an eyebrow. A place she's never been before. A place with no earth. But Firenation ships are indeed made of metal, so she can understand why he would want her to come with him. Especially if kids have been injured. "I... could do that," she finally agrees on, nodding. "/After/ your arm has healed up," she points out. "And after you've told me what else there is to this." Don't think she can't hear it, Sokka!

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka went quiet for a long time. "There's... nothing else," he finally said. Lying. But then sighed.

"No, that's not true, is it? You can always tell when I'm lying. Guess it's just too... obvious. I just...

He sighed again. "I'll... I'll tell you when we're done, okay? i just... I just need some time to think about things. Plan. Maybe this... arena place of yours will be good for it. Yeah. Maybe." Oh, there was definitely something there. He didn't even make a joke about anything the whole time they were there. He glanced off to the side, not that she could see.

"So you've gotten hurt a few times too, huh?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "I do know you're lying," Toph mutters, smiling weakly. He should know by now, shouldn't he? Then again, they haven't spent much time together the last three years.

    So he'll tell her when they're done? Done with what? But she does nod, deciding to not push it. "It's right here in Njorun, and not that hard to get to. And I'm sure the others wouldn't mind sparring with you." She wouldn't mind either.

    How many times has she been here by now? "Yeah," she admits with a weak chuckle where she sits, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. "Several. Man, I got reprimanded when I didn't tell my adoptive parents if something happened..." Here she shakes her head, clearly thinking back. "I've been here quite a lot of times, thinking back on it. But most of the times it wasn't really serious. It just helps you get back into fighting shape again quicker, you know?"

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded, giving a weak little grunt. "Yeah. It's... great for that. Gets you back into... it. Kind of like Katara would do sometimes..." There was that distant tone again.

"Toph... you... youk now, you really are amazing, right? I just... don't want you to ever forget that."

He opened up his computer on his wrist again. Should he send it? Just send it and leave? Tell her he had to go before she read it? No. He could... wait. Until it was done. The ship and... other things.

"I just wanna say. Since I've been here, it really was so far beyond what I expected. I figured there'd be a lot of special people. I didn't think it would be so..." His voice trailed off again. "Everything..." he finally said.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Something is defintively up with Sokka. But what?

    When he says she's amazing she looks confused. Sure, she /is/ amazing, but why is he saying it? "Like I'd ever forget that I'm the greatest earthbender of all time, meatbrain," she snorts. "Did you hit your head or something during the fight...?" Okay, she's getting a bit worried now. He's acting weird! Is he feeling overwhelmed or something? The blind teenager sits up a bit straighter, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "The multiverse is kinda crazy, yeah. Which is why we need people who can fight. It just takes time getting used to it all. Trust me, I've been through it as well."
Then she offers a slight smile in his direction. "It's worth it though, getting to kick ass, save people, make sure there aren't tyrants out there bullying people without getting what's coming to them, right? Like how we dealt with the Fire Lord?"

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded, glancing off to the side. "Yeah. How... we dealt with him," he said softly. There it was again! Okay, something was definitely up. "You... ever think about how things would have been if we'd had these resources?" he asked softly.

"I mean. Some of these things... I thought my inventions were good. Amazing! but the best thing I ever made it... it pales in comparison to what the other races have done! They make toys more complex than I could ever dream of! They have weapons beyond what I could imagine! And tactics, well, just... everything is so..." He took a slow deep breath.

"And you belong here, Toph. You're just as amazing. You're the kind of person who... can change the world."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Is that what is is? Toph leans forward a bit more, then reaches out and punches Sokka on his non-injured arm. "You've just entered the multiverse! If you want, I can check with my adoptive dad when you can come over. I mean, you just need to get used to seeing what you can work with, right? You'll catch up, and it's easier to make strategies when you know what you have to work with!" It sure sounds like he needs some encouragement. Just like how he was when they decided to find that master for him. "You're not stupid, you know. So stop putting yourself down!"

    Does she really belong here? "Me? Change the world? HAH, right. I'm just doing what I can, there are tons of big fish out there in the multiverse..." It's not like she's /that/ ambitious. "I mean, I just want to keep on with my bending, spend some time with my family," her adopted one obviously, "and... well, have fun like most girls do."

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I'll... catch up. I'm sure." That was such a lie. "Sure, meeting your... family. That'd be nice. I'm sure everything will be okay." A big lie right there. "And I know I'm not stupid. Just... a bit out of my element. That's all."

He paused. "What? NO! Toph, you're amazing! You're the best earth bender that's ever lived! You created metal bending! We could NEVER have done half the stuff we did without you. You, aang, Katara, none of what we did would have been possible without you." Pause. "Coulda done with a less moody zuko, but I guess he was okay too. But Toph, you're the kind of person who can change the world. This whole multiverse is better for having you with it."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "You /will/ catch up!" Toph comments firmly and adds another punch."If you don't stop putting yourself down then the nurse will have to treat your thick skull!" So stop lying, stop being so gloomy!

    Why can't he realise that he doesn't need to be the best at what he does to be useful? It's not just the aces in every field that fights this battle, isn't it? He keeps praising her, though Toph doesn't seem to really react to the praise the same way she usually does. Instead she looks... concerned. "You keep on forgetting that we couldn't have done it without you too, you know," she points out. "I mean, your plans were important and saved us! And you had that crazy schedule that made sure we got to places in time. Without you..." Well, she doesn't want to think about it. Besides, he saved her life too, didn't he?

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka nods. "Yeah, I know. I'll... catch up." Therewas such a lie there. "No need to get so punchy, Toph," he said with a chuckle.

And then... that. He looked to the side. "Yeah... I... i was the idea guy, wasn't I? But... they don't really need idea guys here. Since I've come here I've seen so, so much, toph. People who... who I could never even try to out smart. Kids who were way smarter than me. People who have grown up around this stuff and... and..." He took a slow, deep breath. "If you really want to know... my dad... talked to me. He asked if I wanted to join the patrols with the water tribes. And... I think it might be best if I do it."

She'd have probably heard of those patrols before. He'd done them. They were... well, they were just that. Patrols. They almost never had any problems. Very little importance. Just something the soldiers did to pass time when stationedi n out of the way areas and...

And was he giving up? "I just... think it might be... more my speed. More my... capabilities."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Yeah, you're the idea guy! And the one who lightens up the mood, the motivation bender!" Toph huffs, not liking the fact that he's still lying to her. Seriously, what happened to make him feel /this/ down?

    Yes, she does want to know! So when he begins explaining Toph leans in a bit, only to blink. And her voice is a near squeak when she speaks up. "What?!"

    He had spoken out about those patrols before, and she had listened as they sat around the camp fire and ate after a long day of travelling. Patrols seemed pretty uneventful, something that small groups of warriors went out on. And something that clearly isn't fit for Sokka. Which he should be able to read on her expression as she sits up straight and frowns in disapproval. "There's no way in cruddin' hell you're going to do that. You're an Elite now, act like one! You wouldn't have joined the Union if you were going to go do something that would be way too easy for you!" Toph declares, then stands up, her mouth a thin line. "Do I need to knock some sense back into your head? What's up with you?!"

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka cringed. He actually CRINGED. From toph calling him a motivational bender? The heck was he doing?

And then that. His arms kind of went around him. Finally, he spoke up. "I... I think... the union was a mistake, Toph. When... when you told me those stories I... I just though..." He shook his head. "I wanted to try to be like... old times. Kind of. Listen, I... I've been around Katara and Aang a lot, but they don't need me. Honestly, I've probably been getting in the way more than helping. They've got it... handled. I found out a lot of what I was doing was... just busy work. I don't know if they realized, but... I heard some of the soldiers talking and..."

He sighed again. "I thought about all the things you'd done. About the whole... union thing. I thought, hey, I could do this. I could actually make a difference now. But I'm not. All I've done is got myself and others hurt. If I keep this up, I'm going to get YOU hurt. Look around. There are so many amazing people. People... like you and Aang. You hve special powers. You're smart. You're talented. I'm just a guy with a sword and... out dated tactics. But that doesn't matter here. What good is a sword with weapons that can move faster than you can see them? People can fight in ways I didn't even know was possible! I just... can't adapt fast enough. I've been reading non-stop since I got here, but everything's different and I... I'm not good enough, Toph. I've never been good enough. I've never been special. I was just dumb enough to think at... one point I was."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "You /are/ good enough!"

    Toph's voice might sound a bit harsh, and she freezes after the words have left her mouth. And then she turns her head away slightly. "Do you really think I would have suggested you join the Union if you weren't good enough...?" she asks. She is one of the people who knows Sokka the best. They have been through a lot together, and well... he's stronger than he thinks he is. "There are lots of people who need you, lots of people who you can save. I... I get in the way too, and it's not like we all are without mistakes. I mean, I have messed up many operations too, but... that's part of life, isn't it? Nobody's perfect. That..."

    The blind girl stops herself, then rises from her chair and turns away from the cot Sokka is resting on.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka glanced off, sighing again. "Toph... I just... I..." He rubbed the back of his head. "Listen, I'm just being realistic. I've seen the things you guys fight. Giant mechas, giant worms. You have soldiers who have hundreds of years of experience and can bench press cars. People who've fought in more battles in a week than I have my entire life."

he leaned back. "Sure, I'm good against bandits or a couple of fire benders. Heck, I could probably take Zuko any day of the week." No, he really couldn't. "But, realistically, I'd just get in the way. Get someone hurt. Get someone I care about hurt. I really think it's for the best. Otherwise..."

He clenched the bed. "It's bad enough I can't protect people. I don't want to... be the reason they get hurt. Look at all the mistakes I made when I was in the war. Now... things are so much... bigger than me." He reached out and tried to take her hand. "Toph..."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Is he being realistic, or just pessimistic? The blind girl stands firm, her eyes narrowed as she listens to Sokka speak. "You do have experience though, just... not from here. But you'll get it. So why worry?" It's hard with him being like this. Thinking he'd get in the way and all... Toph sighs, then blinks when she feels Sokka's hand brushing against hers.

    Tensing up, Toph stands still... then carefully she moves her hand, taking Sokka's. "You wouldn't get in the way..." she says a bit carefully, half closing her eyes where she stands with her back to him. "And you've never gotten me hurt. Things are bigger than me too, but... so what?" Her fingers tighten their grip around his a little.

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka sighed and then he hugged her. "Ugh. Maybe... maybe you're right. I mean..." It would have been so easy. Just go 'hey, if you can do this, it'll be easy'. A nice little ribbing joke. Something so toph and Sokka. But he didn't. "I guess if you believe in me so much, I should at least try, right?"

Though he did tense slightly. And he was holding her hand oddly tightly. "Yeah, but I've come close a few times. I mean, hurting you would be like hurting Katara. I don't think I could live with myself if that happened. So I'll... try harder for now. See what I can do, okay?" Still doubt in his voice, but at least he wasn't lying.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Being pulled in for a hug seems to take Toph by surprise, whose eyes go wide as she feels his arms around her. Sure, she can hear him saying something, but then again there's that thundering sound of her pulse in her ears. The metalbender is tense where she stands, swallowing a bit nervously as she lets him hug into her back. "You saved me that one time, remember...?" she reminds him. "A-and it takes more than that to hurt me." Like hurting Katara? The two siblings are close, even if they do argue and tease each other. But at least it sounds like Sokka is more like himself, so that's good. The blind girl closes her eyes, a bit reluctant to pull away. "You're too thickheaded to give up, after all," she halfteases. "And I'll be there to help you until you get this multiverse stuff figured out."

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka tensed a bit more. "Yeah. And if Suki hadn't been there I would have dropped you," he muttered softly. "And I don't... think I could have handled..." He shook a little and quickly pulled back to try and hide it.

"Yeah. I guess the whole... going on patrols thing wouldn't work anyway. I mean, I like seal meat as much as the next guy. But where in the Water Tribes am I going to find a twinkie or that uhhh... meat loaf stuff?" he gave a light laugh, shaking his head. "Besides, I guess it would be a bit cruel to leave you out here on your own." Pause. "I mean, has the multiverse really done anything bad enough to deserve THAT?"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As Sokka pulls back Toph clears her throat and steps forward, letting go of his hand as she reaches a hand up to brush some hair away from her face.

    "Yeah, I mean... you haven't even tasted half of the food out there," she jokes with a light laugh. "Like molkshakes, spare ribs... and hey, I'm not alone! It..." Here she pauses again, turning her face slightly to the side, a faint blush crossing her cheeks. "It's... more fun with you here, that's all."

Sokka (1076) has posed:
Sokka chuckled softly, pausing a bit. A wide grin forms on his lips. "Well... I think they'll be done with my arm soon. Wanna try to get some of those, then? Sounds pretty good, right?"

And then the door opens. Doctor! Totally not like they were outside waiting for the drama to pass. Nooooo. A bit of work and... "Just don't lift anything too heavy for a while."

"So no carrying toph around?"

"I said heavy, toph is fine." ... Sokka's jokes were infectious.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Nodding, Toph smiles a bit. It's good that Sokka is back to his normal self. "Yeah, there's this good place in Malibu that has grilled meat and stuff."

    As the doctor enters Toph pulls back, letting them finish their work on Sokka's arm. Once they're done working she nods. "I'll make sure his arm gets rest for the day," she says. Only to frown when they joke. "I'm not THAT small!" It's not that big of a protest, but Toph does snort and reaches for Sokka's good arm. "Now move your butt, meatbrain."