Awakening [Unintentional Video/Action] - 01

[tea_lover64]

[The morning had a dullness to it, a sort of dreariness that just seemed to make time go slowly. Even nature seemed to be having a hard time getting started today. The clearing in the forest was still and quiet, except for the stirrings of an old man who was slowly coming back into consciousness. He has a long beard, and a far receded hair line. Despite his age, he is well muscled individual. As his eyes slowly open he stretches a bit and winces. There is a moment or two as he gazes around his surroundings, taking everything in and sizing it up.]

This is certainly a strange place to wake up. I don't recall drinking any wine yesterday.

[He strokes his beard thoughtfully for a moment. He gives another wince and stretches his back a little. It is clear something strange has happened. It is then he turns his head for a second, and then startled turns it again]

Wings?! Since when do I have wings?!

[He shakes his head a second, and gives his cheek a pinch. It would seem he wasn't sleeping. When he had journeyed to the spirit world before he had maintained his shape, though that was the closest approximation he could make]

Mmmmm. I could use a cup of tea, and perhaps a bit of breakfast. Although I suppose that would be a bit much to ask.

[His gaze goes to the book which had a strange look to it, curiously he moved forward and taps it and... the feed cuts out]

Comments

[markofthewise]

... I don't think there's any ponds, though.

[tea_lover64]

Not meant to be taken literally.

[markofthewise]

Oh, oh. Right. This is one those... those sayings you do. Yeah, Zuko has mentioned those. Like... You cannot go forward until you go back or You must close your eyes before you can see.

[Neither of which makes sense. Which he suppose makes them wise. Somehow.]

[tea_lover64]

They are known as proverbs, Sokka.

[Youngsters seemed to have trouble understanding them]

[markofthewise]

Really? Because I thought those were supposed to refer to people... like 'we' and 'me' and stuff.

[No, those are pronouns.]

[tea_lover64]

No, I believe you are thinking of something else.

[What did they teach you in the water tribe?]

[markofthewise]

[Worse... he learned it in Luceti school.]

Or is a proverb where you change the meaning of a verb?

[tea_lover64]

[Iroh might have to go teach there]

You are thinking of an adverb. A proverb is a saying usually with a basic truth or advice. Don't count your chicken-pigs until they are hatched for instance.

[markofthewise]

Why not? It seems like just good planning. I mean, what if you have a long winter and want to know how much feed you'll need for your chicken-pigs to last them the entire season?

[tea_lover64]

[Well, he supposed the southern water tribe were not accustomed to farming]

Not all eggs will hatch, Sokka. There are usually a couple that are duds. You can't be sure they will hatch, so don't assume things will work out exactly as you want them to.

[markofthewise]

But they could all hatch. And if you assume they won't all hatch, then you'll be under supplied. Like my dad used to say, better to be over prepared and not need it than to be under supplied and starve or freeze to death... or something like that. I think it would be better to say, Don't count your unhatched chicken-pigs until they turn out to be duds.

[tea_lover64]

Or, you could just wait until they are hatched to buy the supplies. The chicken-pigs aren't the main point. I think you may be focusing on the wrong thing. It is to be cautious with being too optimistic when there is an element of risk or loss. This can apply to many things, from military strategy, to starting up a new business.

[markofthewise]

Okay, maybe you can make that point. Although now I'm just mostly hungry. And the worst thing is, we can't even get chicken-pig here.

[tea_lover64]

[Now that he thinks of it, it has made him hungry as well]

You can't get chicken-pig here? What about a sheep-pig? Or a pig-sheep? Surely at least Komodo-chicken?

[This is what he'll initially find really weird]

[markofthewise]

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. But you can get pig here. Or sheep. Or chicken. Or... okay, I haven't seen Komodo-anything here.

[And he's privately amused because he's had four years to get used to the weirdness of animals here. It's amusing to see people from back home deal with it the way he once did.]

[tea_lover64]

Weird.

[That is the only real way to describe it]

This is certainly a strange place. Are other people from different worlds baffled by this as well?

[markofthewise]

That's the weird thing. For them, they think it's normal. They think our animals are the weird ones.

[Well... aside from the odd Pokemon trainer. But those people were just insane.]

[tea_lover64]

So our world is the odd one out when it comes to that?

[He'll pause and take that in]

I suppose in the grand scheme of things considering all the other things I've been told it isn't that surprising. Still, I don't think it is something I will get used to anytime soon.

[markofthewise]

It took me about two years before I stopped noticing it.

[tea_lover64]

That is quite a significant amount of time. It is bizarre how time works here.

[markofthewise]

That you never get used to.

[tea_lover64]

I figured as much.

[markofthewise]

Welcome to Luceti, General Iroh.

[tea_lover64]

Thank you, Sokka.