(no subject)

[slayer_fray]

At the wall where the farmhouse is afforded the least possible visibility from the more crowded areas of the farm, a quarter-lump of brick falls pointlessly to the ground. Mel, nursing her knuckles, glares at it.

She's familiar with the practice, when you're so pent up with frustration and anger and hatred that you have to punch something, of finding an innocent wall and taking it out on that, and is annoyed to fins out that a) it's not nearly as satisfying as common wisdom holds, and b) it's much much less of a good idea when there's a possibility you might actually win a fight with a building.

She nudges the brick against the base of the house, deciding she'd better get Toph to reattach it later, and turns her attention back to her hand.

Frustration not satisfied, hand hardly injured, house probably not hurting that much from its loss. All in all, a completely no-win situation.

Comments

[hector-aframian.livejournal.com]

"Hey." Dean is standing a small way away, obviously just having arrived. He takes in Mel thoughtfully. "Feel better?"

[slayer_fray]

"No."

It's not as sullen as it might be; just blank. Mel's not figured out which emotions she should be showing yet, but she's not unhappy to see him. She looks at her hand for another second before turning her head to do so.

"How's it going?"

[hector-aframian.livejournal.com]

Dean looks her up and down and frowns, hands in his pockets. "Caught Sokka out by the pyre."

It's almost an enquiry as to how she is, except that it's not quite.

[slayer_fray]

"Right."

Mel shrugs when he does, dropping her hands in a forced act of casualness, cupping her own elbow, trying to tell him that she's fine, why is he asking her?

And, just in case Dean wants to ask her why she's such a bad sister she's not with him at the pyre, "Had to get the kids breakfast and get them to their uncle."

Iroh teaching two year olds firebending is officially the cutest thing on the farm.

[hector-aframian.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." Kids come first. Dean gets that.

He nods, moving a couple of steps closer and reaching out towards her elbow, eyeing the chunk of brick behind her.

"You break your fist?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel presents the hand in question - there's brick dust on it, and a trace of quick-drying blood, but no actual remaining injuries.

"No. Only lost a fight with a building once. Doesn't happen often."

Still, the contact with another human person is nice, so he can examine it if he wants.

[hector-aframian.livejournal.com]

"Cool." He turns her small hand over in his big ones, checking for injuries, and then doesn't let go. She doesn't seem to want to, so there's no reason for him to.

"He doin' okay?"

[slayer_fray]

"No."

Simple, blunt, and a little bit snarky for the stupid question, a tone Mel instantly regrets, so she glances away from Dean again.




"He shouldn't've had to do it."

[hector-aframian.livejournal.com]

"He had to." Dean lets her hand go and leans against the wall, not close enough to loom. "She was his sister."

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

There is a Sokka nearby, looking slightly amused.

(it has nothing to do with what he thinks he should be feeling; he's honestly amused at Mel's reaction)

He leans against the brick a few yards away from his sister and waits for her notice him.

[slayer_fray]

When she does, she slides instantly and effortlessly into ignoring the wall again as if she'd never done that. If she'd any idea he was anywhere near, she'd never have let herself crack even that little bit.

Sokka gets a smile just for being him, and she tucks her thumbs into her pants pockets.

"Hey."

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"What'd the wall do to you?"

There's no point in pretending it didn't happen, Mel. Not when it gives Sokka an opportunity to tease.

Which he does now, leaning away from the wall to glare at it suspiciously. "Do I have to fight it, too?"

[slayer_fray]

"If you want," Mel says easily, shrugging and keeping her smirk fixed.

"You prob couldn't take it."

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"Probably. I mean, you took it down, no doubt I could finish it up."

He might be smirking at her a little, too.

[slayer_fray]

"Yeah, We've got it running scared."

Mel forgets her fight with the wall and turns her back on it, using it as a place to park her rear.

"All the walls."

[notanoptimist.livejournal.com]

"Think Lucy will be pissed when the roof falls down?" Sokka asks, considering the wall almost threateningly.

[slayer_fray]

Sokka has put his finger on why Mel stopped.

"Should've thought oft that before she built the house of such crappy brick."

[no-devo-quotes.livejournal.com]

"...I ain't tellin' you how to do your business, but I figure there's probably better ways t'knock down a house."

[slayer_fray]

"I think it's learned its lesson; won't to that again."

Mel drops her fist to her side and gives Sonia a dry smile. "How's Ralph?"

[no-devo-quotes.livejournal.com]

"Nappin'. Figured I'd take a break while I could. Boy's trinna grow up t'be a mandrake or somethin', I swear."

Death by baby shrieks: it is more likely than you think!

Oh, wait, Mel knows all about that. (TIMES TWO HOW DID SHE MANAGE IT?!)

[slayer_fray]

"At least he's not setting fire to anything," Mel offers. It's not fun when babies do that.

"How's he doing with the whole sitting thing?"

[no-devo-quotes.livejournal.com]

"Thank God for that," she agrees with enthusiasm. "I'm kinna worried about when he's walkin' and all... I mean, what with me 'n' his daddy bein' kinda..." She tries to shape the air to spell "more than human," handicapped by the fact that she doesn't know the phrase. And by the fact that air is a gas that is clear.

Half shrug. "He don't like when I'm off, but I guess he calms down."

[slayer_fray]

"Yeah, dunno what I'd do if either of mine were strong," Mel agrees. "Makes me 'preciate my sister all the more for what she put up with."

[no-devo-quotes.livejournal.com]

"'least I got Gifts, so I can maybe keep up." She gives a lopsided smile. "Older sister?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel's smile drops, for no obvious reason.

"Yeah, ten years."