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Just trying to make up for my long absence.
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Chapter 32: Humor
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"Sokka, see what you can do with her!" Katara told Sokka, as she and everyone else was off to speak the Earth King.
Sokka groaned. Why him? "But don't you need me? I'm going to be Chief of the Southern Water Tribe! I can talk to kings about plans! I can..." that sounded unendingly boring, on the other hand "…entertain Lin for how long?"
"Just wait until we're done talking to the Earth King." Katara said.
"Sura?" Lin asked worriedly
"I've got to explain things to the king," Sura said gently.
Lin sighed. "All right."
"Sokka will stay with you." Sura said. "You can trust him. He's Water Tribe like Katara and me."
"He's not royalty, is he?" Lin asked timidly.
"Actually, back home I'm in the—"
Suki slapped the back of Sokka's head. "Don't ruin your chances," she scolded.
Lin looked on as Sura, Suki and Katara left to join the others.
"Okay, now don't move, don't do anything, just breathe and sit there." Sokka didn't want to take any chances that she'd run off or perhaps call down a giant raven spirit who would devour them both in a haze of unpredictable terror.
Lin sat obediently on the floor, staring up at the ceiling with wide, rarely blinking eyes. She tried to clear her mind, but all she could think about was what may be going on in the next room with the Earth King. What could anyone in the group she was somehow involved with have to say to a king?
With folded arms, Sokka looked down at Lin, watching her for any sudden movements. He built up so much tension that he would occasionally twitch, each time drawing Lin's attention.
Time passed slowly.
"I'm bored," said Lin.
Sokka's arms jerked. He really couldn't do anything about that. And besides, 'interesting' things were also 'dangerous' whenever they were brought close to Lin.
Lin stood up. "I'm really bored!" she said.
"I know," Sokka said, still wondering how she'd gotten up without him telling her she could.
"I'm hungry."
Sokka's stomach growled. "Me, too." Ah, meat. How long could he resist its call?
"Let's go find us some food!" Lin said.
Nothing like someone ordering him to do what he wanted! "I like you!" Sokka announced. He turned and sped towards the door.
"Wait!"
Sokka turned back in horror, realizing he'd turned his back on Lin for a second, long enough for the walls to collapse and Zuko to come charging after him in unbridled rage.
"I need help standing!"
Well… meat would wait long enough to help her stand.
The Earth King's kitchen was nearly empty. "Ma'am!" Sokka called to the large lady who was obviously in charge.
The lady looked at him expectantly.
"This fine lady and myself require refreshment," he said, winking at Lin and making her giggle.
"She yer girl?" the lady asked.
Sokka and Lin laughed: "No!"
"My wife and her husband are meeting with the Earth King." Sokka clarified over Lin's protests at having any sort of husband at all.
"Who are you?" she wasn't really interested, but if they were here to see the Earth King, they may be important.
"I'm Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, and this is—"
"Lin Qiang of the Fire Nation," Lin said.
"I was going to say Fire Lady Mai. Right now she's a bit confused."
"I was told to wait for you." The lady gestured to a long table covered with meats, dumplings and fruit tarts. "All of that is for you. Fire Lord's orders."
Sokka and Lin wore twin grins. Exchanging wide-eyed smiles, they ran to the table, Sokka attacking the meat and Lin devouring the sweets.
At last, Sokka had eaten his last meat kabob, and Lin her last fruit tart.
Sokka and Lin sat back, each sighing pleasantly.
"Thank you," Lin said to Sokka.
"No problem," Sokka replied, picking his teeth with a fingernail.
"You won't make me sit still and quiet again, will you?"
Sokka shook his head. "You're more fun when you talk."
Lin smiled. "You think I'm fun?"
"Yeah." Sokka shrugged. "You're actually pretty interesting."
"Really?" Lin asked, smiling.
"Yeah. Especially now that you smile and laugh more often."
Lin sighed. "Sokka, I'm just confused! I've been taught to believe some things… but I don't really want to! I've been told I'm a servant whose only lot in life is to do what I'm told. And whenever I hear an order, I can't help myself! It's like I'm… I'm being driven by someone else! Like, when you told me to sit still and not say or do anything. I wanted to, but I didn't. I'm not even sure how that works!"
"It sounds like you're in a trance." Sokka knew it was a fact. He just wanted Lin's reaction to it.
Lin's eyes widened. "A—a trance? Oh, no!" Lin's hands flew to the sides of her head, her breath quickening.
"No, no, it was a joke!" Sokka said hurriedly.
Lin's hyperventilating attack ended abruptly, and she eyed Sokka suspiciously. "You're better than that," she said.
Sokka looked up at the ceiling for a little while. Then it came to him. "A badger mole is dead in the middle of a mountain."
Lin raised an eyebrow and sat forward slightly. "Do tell," she said.
"If he digs up, the distance to the surface is two miles. If he swims down, the distance to the mainland is three miles. If he digs left or right, the distance is four miles. Which way does he dig?"
"But… he's dead…" Lin said.
"Exactly!" Sokka laughed.
"So… you didn't mean that?"
"It was a riddle," Sokka pointed out.
"Oh…Could I have another one?" Lin asked.
"All right…" Sokka thought for a moment. "A magician was holding a water skin over his head. The magician was six feet tall. He dropped the water skin to the ground, but didn't drop a single drop of water. Why is that?"
"Did you say there was actual water in the skin?" Lin asked. "I don't remember that… so… the skin was empty, right?"
"You're good at that!" Sokka said. "Come on, I'll tell you more while we go back to the waiting room."
With the permission to enter the excavated but still restricted remnants of Lake Laogai, as well as having sent messages to the Fire Nation and Kyoshi Island, Aang, Zuko and the others emerged from the Earth King's throne room.
"Weren't Sokka and Lin supposed to be here?" Sura asked.
"That's what I told him to do," Katara and Suki said, both with hands on hips.
Before Zuko could express his worry, the door at the far side of the room swung open.
"All right, here's another one," Sokka said to the raptly attentive Lin. "There is an ancient invention still in use today that gives people the power to look through walls. What—"
"A window!" Lin giggled. "That's what it is, isn't it?"
"Yes," Sokka nodded. "I'm all out of riddles for now."
"They were good riddles," Lin said.
"Why, thank you! I—"
"Sokka!" Katara and Suki yelled.
Lin jumped and hid behind Sokka.
"What?" Sokka asked.
"Why didn't you keep Lin in here?"
"She got bored," Sokka shrugged. "So we had food and I told her riddles."
Zuko folded his arms. So, she'd spend time with his best friend, but not him!
"It was fun," Lin said in a small voice.
"Then I guess no harm was done." Katara sighed.
"So, what did the Earth King say about going to Lake Laogai?" Sokka asked.
Zuko lifted the scroll disinterestedly for Sokka to see. "He says that he hopes we have good luck excavating," he shrugged.
"Sura and I were given permission to visit some recovering Joo Dees," Katara said. "We'll be going to see them today. Lin," Katara got a bit more nervous. "would you like to visit some ladies whose minds have been messed with?"
The gang waited solemnly for an answer.
Lin folded her hands in front of her, eyes going straight to Sura's. "Do you think it would be all right?" she asked.
Sura deliberated. She wasn't sure Lin's nerves could take it… but it might do her some good. "I think you should." She said.
"Then I will." Lin announced. She skipped to Sura's side, her old friends staring in dismay at the fact that she was indeed skipping. "When do we leave?" she asked.
Sura looked to Katara. "Now?" she asked.
Katara nodded. "We should be back as soon as possible."
Sura linked an arm with Lin's, and Katara took the other one. With both waterbenders pulling her along, and Suki and Topekaia following, Lin only had time to throw a laughing "Bye!" over her shoulder.
"Riddles, huh?" Zuko asked Sokka when they were gone.
"She's really good at them."
"Hey! Let's go make some up!" Aang suggested.
"Sure," Zuko agreed.