shatterverse | (no subject)

The squealing and party poppers do nothing to cover the sound of the small plane coming in to land on the airstrip where the Aerie One continues not to be. But that's not all that unusual, Sparrow's there pretty often.

It also does not prevent any Fray from spotting the two figures jumping out of the plane, one tall and one short, both long-haired and kinda scruffy and both grinning enormously. Steph stays back to hug Sparrow in brilliantly abundant gratitude, which means Sokka gets to run ahead towards the farm.

Not that he's running.

Sokka is back in jeans and a t-shirt, a jacket for cool Kansas autumn. The leathers and parkas were left behind with the tent and igloo and all other supplies. His hair is long again and he really is scruffy with a beard on his chin. His wraps are on and patched, looking not nearly as frayed as they had been.

Aside from a lack of necklace at his throat, he hasn't looked so comfortable since Apocalyptica.

Even when the expression on his face is obviously a mix of excitement and nerves when he catches sight of his family.

A backpack is hefted up onto his shoulder and he starts toward them slowly.

Hana sees him first, having been looking around. She stands up and heads over at a direct walk, carrying a lump of cake in one hand.

Loo looks up from having her face cleaned to see where her sister's going, and shouts in surprise, wriggling away from Mom. "Unc' Sokka!" She runs past her sister, towards him, in her haste tripping over onto her face at his feet.

Mel stays where she's sitting, watching with a smile - albeit a smile that's about to burst into tears with relief.

Edited 2009-10-26 14:39 (UTC)

It starts with Hana's quiet acceptance. After all, he spoke to her once, maybe she remembered him. And even if she didn't, Hana was always glad to see new people.

But it's Loo that really does it. Loo, who'd stopped asking for him, who's running, running when she was still stumbling through walking when he last saw her, who shouts in surprise and excitement and screams 'Unc' Sokka' because that's his name and who does not trip onto her face, because Sokka drops his backpack and swings her up into the air the second she reaches him.

Grinning so wide it hurts his face and eyes misty enough for his vision to blur.

"LOUISE!"

Louise squeals in complete delight, hitting Sokka's hands excitedly as she's swung up, and now laughing fit to burst.

Hana, obviously, wants a piece of this, and picks up her pace, dropping the cake on the grass in her excitement.

"Me! Me up!"

Loo only flies for a minute, twirled around in the air before Sokka pulls her back down and hugs her tight. He's laughing again when Hana starts demanding at him, settling Loo on a hip and reaching for his tinier niece with his free arm.

"You?" Sokka demands, still grinning and laughing as he gets an arm under Hana's butt and lifts her up onto his hip, too. "Why you?"

"Cause."

It's a standard answer to 'why' when Hana doesn't understand the question. She kicks happily on his hips and tries to climb onto his shoulder.

Loo starts tugging on his beard - it's new.

Mel still hasn't stood up. She's sitting, hugging her knees and watching fondly.