kyoshi | [Voice]

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[Voice]

I thought this holiday was supposed to be good for couples. So far it's been really disappointing.

I'll be happy if I never have to hear "Valentine's Day" ever again.

[And boyfriends have been equally disappointing; she feels like she's barely seen him for days. Stupid Sokka and his stupid other-girl friends. Stupid holiday. Stupid- ... everything.

She'll be in her room sulking and wanting to punch things. And she might not respond right away, either- she has to have a conversation with a certain someone...]

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[She has a feeling she doesn't particularly want to do this, either, but the tone of voice suggests that something is seriously wrong.

And it's not something they can ignore anymore.]

...Fine, come in.

[She'll keep her fans away... for now. Maybe he's just coming to apologize?]

[He steps inside, but he doesn't close the door and he doesn't come in all the way. There's something obviously wrong with that. He knows this may be the worst thing he's ever had to do and that's in a life of doing some really tough things. But to someone he really cares about, even if it's only as a friend?]

Suki... we need to talk.

[His distance is startling- but last time, when he'd done something wrong, he wouldn't sit either until she invited him. So maybe that's why? She doesn't feel like inviting him anyway, since he hasn't apologized. So she'll wait.]

What is it?

[And it had better start with "I'm sorry" if you ever want to lock lips again, buster.]

[Those might be the words he's looking for, but not for the reasons she might hope.]

I... I don't even know how to say this. There isn't any easy way, either. [He'd even thought of writing it out. But when the truth came out, she deserved to have him there, to do whatever she wanted. He knows he deserves it.]

I haven't been that honest with you about... a lot of things.

[This is starting to get a little weird. He hasn't been lying? Just what in the world is he talking about now? His expression - he actually looks pained - is making her anger fizzle a little in favour of concern.]

Sokka... is something wrong? What is it?

[That adds an extra pang of guilt there. It would be easier if she was angry at him. The fact she's concerned for him when he's doing something this horrible... He bows his head, because it's easier than having to look her in the eye.]

Look... before you got here, a lot of things happened. Lots of experiments, people coming and going, a whole eight months. [A longer period of time than he'd even known her at that point.] And I got close to a lot of people here. Some... more than others.

[He can't look at her. Why can't he look at her. That concern is only getting worse, and she slides off the bed to get to her feet, stepping closer to him.]

Just what are you saying? Did something bad happen...?

[Maybe to one of those friends of his? There must be something she can do for him.]

[Please don't do that Suki. It just makes it worse. He can't keep trying to cushion the blow. It's not helping. All it's doing is making it worst, lulling her into thinking things are okay with them, but not elsewhere.]

No, nothing bad happened. I... [Out with it, Sokka. He looks up at her again, his insides twisted all around.] I fell in love with someone else.

[And that makes her stop dead in her tracks. He what? He what? How could he say that? After all they just went through! They'd finally worked things out between them, and things were getting better, weren't they? So this... it has to be a joke. It has to be. A horrible, cruel, sadistic one that really ought to end with a bloody nose involved, but...

...what else could it possibly be...?]

S... Sokka... you what...?

[In a selfish way, he'd hoped the confession would make him feel better. But it didn't, he only felt worse for it. Maybe it was because, even experiment induced, a part of him knew how wrong this was and loathed being unable to express it.]

I thought I could ignore it... forget it happened. When you showed up, I mean, I didn't think I could just tell you about it.

[It would have crushed her. But not as much as it will now. A consequence of his selfishness at trying to avoid confrontation.]

... and I shouldn't have kept it from you. Because I didn't forget it. And I can't ignore it.

[...W... wait. Wait. Since she showed up? It's been going on that long? But- but they- all this time-

How... how could he?]

Why... why would you... you've been lying to me? All this time? Sokka, I thought we...

[They just fixed things! What could possibly have changed in a matter of days!?]

[There's no explanation good enough to make up for it. He knows that much. So he doesn't even try. So he steadies his gaze and exhales some of the tension - but it doesn't help.]

I'm sorry.

[He really, truly is. But what's an apology really worth?]

[He's sorry. That's all he can say? No explanations, no excuses... nothing.]

Who- [And she cuts herself off there, because she honestly isn't sure she wants to know. But she doesn't want to accidentally meet them on the street and act like everything's fine around them, either. This is wrong. All if it is just wrong!

She's trembling now, and it takes her a long moment to even realize it. How could she let this shake her so badly? She's a Kyoshi Warrior. She's strong than this. Stronger than any boy, even Sokka.

But... she's a girl, too.

...how could he do this to her?]

[There's a large chunk of him that just wants to hug her, say he didn't mean any of that, and ask for forgiveness. But he's past that point, isn't he? And even if he did, he knows he wouldn't deserve it.]

I... ["I-" what?] If you want me gone, I'll go.

[Or if she's upset and needs to take it out on him, he'll try to take it like a man. That's the responsible thing to do. He can at least get that part right.

... but if she wants Fenimore's name, he'll wait until he's sure she really wants to know.]

[She does, actually. She wants him gone very much. Out of her room, maybe even out of the house- but this was his house before it was hers, and his only family is here. Maybe she should go.

...Where could she go? The ones she thought she could rely on, who she thought were friends or at the very least acquaintances... it could be one of them. It hadn't even occurred to her until now that the people she knew were friends with Sokka.

One thing at a time, though. She lifts her head to look at him- spots his expression- and what she sees there, that pathetic and wilted expression, causes something in her to crack. Her hand lashes out, smacking Sokka clear across the cheek with a slap that ought to feel just as strong as any punch. And then she turns away, because the last thing she wants is for him to see her cry. She doesn't even bother saying another word.

How dare he look so unhappy. He's in love. When he leaves her room, he'll have someone to go to, someone to hold and comfort and he'll feel better in no time.

How dare he.]

[It does sting. But really, it's not even the physical pain he's feeling the most. He puts a hand to his now red cheek, which is now tender to the touch. Huh, a few months ago, this would have barely hurt and been forgotten soon. It's better he feels it. The longer he does, the better.

When she turns away, he takes a step back and leans against the wall outside her room, staring up at the ceiling. It'll all work out in the end. Maybe.

Not bloody likely. When he realizes that there's no other words to be said, he starts to walk away. But it's not Fenimore he's going to see. It's not outside either. He goes down the stairs, into the cave Toph carved out almost a year ago. If only the experiment wasn't clouding his mind, he might appreciate the irony here. The same experiment had crushed her too.

There's a quiet, dark hole he can go sit in, one that's not very obvious and is a place no one is going to find him at. It may be awhile before he comes out.]

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[Action] /this icon, with less tears. Maybe. :|a