if you'll indulge me - a little scene from an unfinished "sokka goes back to piandao's" fic:
Piandao didn't take him to the forge or the sparring courtyard the first day. He just said "Come with me" and led Sokka into the Fire Nation countryside, carrying a large satchel slung over his shoulder.
They rounded a bend, and Sokka made a sound of recognition.
"You brought me here last time," he said.
A magnificent waterfall, nestled in the mountains, surrounded by vivid green grass, a clear blue sky above. A couple small, weather-worn tables sat in the grass.
"I did," Piandao said. "I brought you here again to apologize."
Sokka furrowed his brow. "For what?"
"When you were here last, you painted a rainbow," he said. "I thought you hadn't followed my instructions. But I came here the other day, and over there" - he pointed - "I saw the waterfall spray catch the light, and sure enough, there was a rainbow. You'd seen something I hadn't. I shouldn't have dismissed you so quickly."
"Maybe you just couldn't see it from where you were standing," Sokka said. "Since, y'know, rainbows are all about the angles of light."
Piandao shook his head. "I could have tried harder to see from your perspective," he said, and Sokka suddenly got the impression he wasn't just talking about whether or not he'd seen a rainbow two years ago. What was with these old Fire Nation guys? They could never just say something normally. There always had to be extra layers.
"Well, it didn't bother me," Sokka said. "It's all good." He paused. "So do you want me to paint it again? Is that what's in the bag?"
Piandao nodded and opened his satchel. "I'll join you this time."
"But I thought I was only supposed to have an instant to look. Like in battle. We've been looking for a while."
Piandao unfurled a piece of paper onto one of the tables, setting small weights at the corners to keep it in place. "Taking time to appreciate natural beauty also has value," he said.
Sokka looked back to the waterfall. "It is pretty," he said.
"Look as much as you want," Piandao said.
They sat and painted, the distant crash of the waterfall and the sounds of birds and grass rustling in the wind, and for the first time in a while, Sokka was able to put the uncertain future out of his mind.
