A. N. : It's Sokka time ! For some reason, a lot of my "cultural differences chapters" are Sokka ones. This one features a practice I based on what happened during Book 1 episode 2, though it will be touched upon more in a later chapter. But if you want to know more about it right now, or just ask why I decided to name it "cueing", you can go ahead. Also I think I should be more free from next week onwards, thank the spirits. (Though buying Breath of the Wild might have magically made all of that future free time disappear haha)

Sokka is furious.

He's so angry he can't even focus. It was Jet's idea, it had to be Jet's idea, but he can't believe Katara went along with it. Did she seriously forget what happened last time ? An entire fucking village drowned ! And everyone would've died if not for Sokka warning them !

And yet Katara followed Jet again like a fucking idiot !

And Zuko had better shut his mouth because he didn't stop them ! He helped them destroy that army building, helped them fake Appa's sickness, like they somehow have the time for this pig-bullshit ! The eclipse won't wait for any of them, the invasion won't wait, how dare he, how dare the three of them go and jeopardize the whole plan ?

There are lives at stakes, there's Dad and Bato and all the warriors and the friends they've called for help, how can they be so stupid and selfish that they would risk everyone's lives for nothing ?

And Jet ! What the fuck has Jet come in here for ? All he's done so far was to hinder the group ! First he disappears and Aang gets enrolled in a school while looking for him, then he insists they stay one more day even though they don't have the time, and now this !?

Sokka has had enough. If Jet won't make the effort to work with them, then he has to leave. Now.

He waits for someone to defend Jet, even if he really doesn't want to, because that's how it is when you cue someone – one person makes the accusation, one person protests, and either the elders or the Chief look at both sides, and decide whether to banish or not.

And Zuko does start arguing, but he's doing it all wrong. He should be finding examples of Jet working with everyone, even if there are none, but instead he's accusing the rest of them.

And like, sure, Aang being dressed in a school uniform was what got him enrolled but Jet – yes, Aang also wanted to stay but Jet – what do you mean it was Katara's idea – not now Aang – wait no, what do you, Sokka having never liked Jet doesn't have a thing to do with – Zuko calm down holy shit –

Just because Sokka doesn't like Jet doesn't mean he's finding false pretexts to throw him out, what the fuck !

Spirits, Sokka would love to investigate why in hell Zuko seems to think he's such an asshole, but Aang just pointed out the small, fast-moving boats near the village and that's it, they're leaving, cueing Jet can wait.

Or they should be, if Katara wasn't so intent on doing more, like she hasn't done enough already. And Sokka really wants to leave, but he knows Katara, knows these eyes mean she won't change her mind even if it's useless, because that's how she is and she won't stand by while there are people who need her help, and Sokka might not agree but she is his sister and he won't abandon her.

Still, they can't just rush in without a plan.

Jet – Sokka cannot believe he's opening his mouth right now – says the army took their time, and that probably means whatever they did worked at least partly.

Because blowing up a factory wasn't enough and they just had to pretend they were spirits, like that's not a great way to get yourself eaten by a huge spirit monster. Sokka still can't believe Katara went along with this. But if Jet is right, then it means scaring off the army won't be hard.

If the three idiots got the whole group cursed already, they might as well go the extra mile. The army wants a Painted Lady ? Let's give them one.

Now, the logistics of faking a spirit… obviously Katara will play that part, what with the whole river spirit and Lady stuff. Maybe some wind effects would be nice, meaning Aang has to go too. Fog ? Yeah, definitely. But it's not enough, it needs to be spookier – think Sokka, what's the trick to win scariest story contests ?

Ugh, Jet is offering a suggestion, and Sokka really doesn't want to hear it, because it's either going to be complete ostrich-horseshit, or perfectly reasonable – which would be worse, because then Sokka would have to actually listen to it.

Of course, Jet doesn't care that no one asked him to speak and goes on anyway. He says that back in the forest – great, it's already boring – the Freedom fighters often pretended to be the ghosts of children killed by the Fire Nation – cry a river Jet – to scare off intruders, and that one thing that worked pretty well was to have a few kids stay hidden and make weird, creepy noises.

And Sokka wants to hit himself because that's so obvious ! He can't believe Jet thought of that before him. Ugh.

Anyway, if Jet is so used to making weird noises then Sokka will let him do it. With Toph and Appa – yeah, sure, why the hell not ? Honestly, at this point…

So that's Katara and Aang on spirit stuff, Toph, Appa and Jet on weird noises, Sokka will go to the village as backup, just in case, and as for Zuko – he says he's got Lin to feed and he looks like he hasn't slept in two days – oh wait – so Sokka lets him do whatever. They can manage without him anyway.

Now, let the Operation Painted Lady begin.