The Fire Nation Market was as busy as ever, merchants hawking all manner of wares to passersby. Sokka was only passing through, though a few items caught his eye.
Perhaps he'd come back later. For now, he had other things to be doing and not even the allure of shopping could sway him from his task, tempting though it was.
Thankfully his residence wasn't far away, a lovely little abode Zuko had gifted him after the War. It was certainly above and beyond anything he'd experienced in the South Pole and it had taken him a while to adjust to it.
But time had smoothed away his problems and he'd settled into the capital nicely. It wasn't quite home yet, but it was more than enough.
His hands rose to knock on the door, paper held in his clenched fist. Three times his knuckles rapped on the wooden frame, but nothing seemed to be happening.
That was odd. Frowning in puzzlement, he reached into his pocket, fishing around for a moment. Eventually his fingers closed around a key, and he plunged it into the lock, turning it until the door swung open.
It was dark inside, yet the scent of burnt wax lingered in the air. Small wisps of smoke could be seen coming from the wicks.
"Hello?" He called out hesitantly.
There was no answer. Thoroughly spooked, Sokka's hand strayed to his sword's hilt as he crept forward. Something fishy was definitely going on here.
As he walked through the hallway, a creaking noise caught his attention. On full alert, he eyed the open doorway into the bedroom. Was something in there?
"Anyone there?" He tried again.
Maybe it was an escaped animal that had somehow managed to make its way inside. Once he'd woken up to find a squirrelmouse on his forehead. That had been a bad morning.
As gingerly as he could, he shuffled along and poked his head through. The room looked empty.
And then a face appeared, the features all upside down and enlarged. Sokka screamed in confused fear, jerking backwards.
And then recognition kicked in and he straightened up. Coughing once, he frowned at the figure hanging upside down from the doorframe.
"Ty Lee, you should know better than to do that. Spirits, you almost gave me a heart attack!" He admonished.
The woman in question giggled, the movement waving her long braid like a vine in the wind. She shrugged (a weird-looking gesture while upside-down), grinning at him.
"Sorry Cutie, just having a bit of fun," she replied, her voice rather lacking in remorse.
Pouting, Sokka decided to let the matter go. It was hardly the first time the energetic girl had pulled a harmless prank.
"Alright, fine, you got me. Just try not to do it again, alright?" He grumbled.
She nodded vigourously and Sokka took a step forward, deciding to take advantage of her elevated position.
He gently took her head in his hands, pulling her forward just a touch. For a moment he just stared into her shining grey eyes, before planting a light kiss on her lips.
The couple continued their mouth embrace for a moment, and then Sokka detached, turning away from his lover and striding to the kitchen. Ty Lee smiled to herself before swinging herself around and landing back on her feet.
Catching up with him easily, she watched as he rooted through the cupboards, eventually retrieving a box of light-spiced dried jerky. Sokka shoved a few in his mouth before proffering the box to Ty Lee.
She contemplated the meat for a moment, before taking one and nibbling on it. The pair stood in silence as they enjoyed their snacks, before Sokka swallowed his food and remembered what he'd come for.
Reaching back into his pocket, he pulled out the paper he'd been holding earlier. It was slightly rumpled, but still in relatively good condition.
He glanced at his girlfriend who was reaching for the box of jerky, hunger evident in her eyes. Why she hadn't bothered to eat before he showed up was beyond the Water Tribesman's knowledge.
"Hey, Ty Lee. I got you a present," he began.
She stared at him, puppy-like interest clear in her gaze. He laughed at the expression.
"Well, I was ought for a walk when I saw a poster nailed to a board. It turns out the Circus is in town again. Which I that was kinda weird, since weren't they shut down for animal cruelty or something? Anyway, I got two tickets," he told her.
The girl stared at him in shock, a half-eaten stick of jerky hanging from her lips. Sokka waited for a beat, before hanging his head.
"I just thought you might wanna see what it's like nowadays. Y'know, reminisce and stuff. We don't have to if you don't want to," Sokka continued, slightly worried.
Ty Lee perked up, discarding the jerky. She shook her head at him.
"No, don't worry. It's a great idea! I haven't been there in ages, it would be nice to see how everyone's doing. Thanks, Sokka!" She smiled brightly.
Sokka breathed out a sigh of relief at her enthusiastic response. At least he hadn't wasted his money. The girl pounced, covering his face with kisses in an effort to show her appreciation at his thoughtfulness.
He chuckled, pushing her away.
"Alright. It starts at six o'candle, so we've still got a bit of time. I fancy a nap," Sokka said.
Refreshed, cleaned up and properly dressed, Sokka and Ty Lee were ready to go.
Zuko had loaned him a palanquin and bearers, so they could arrive in style. Admittedly, it was only to a circus and not somewhere fancy, but Sokka had figured it was better than walking.
He'd admired Ty Lee's face as she caught sight of the tents, nostalgia coating her expression. She'd turned to him, wonder in her eyes.
"It's just like it used to be!" She told him breathlessly.
He smiled slightly, shrugging one shoulder.
"Well, it wasn't that long ago, I guess. They can't have changed much," he said.
Dismounting from the palanquin, they thanked the bearers and walked inside the main tent. It was filled with rows of excited people, all jostling one another as they waited for the how to start.
"`Why don't you find us a couple of seats while I go and grab some snacks," Sokka requested.
The woman nodded and Sokka smiled, leaning in to kiss her briefly before heading towards the myriad of food vendors.
"Hmm. Roasted lychee nuts or snake-on-a-stick?" Sokka muttered to himself, pacing back and forth as he contemplated the merchant's wares.
"Just pick already!" An annoyed voice said behind him.
The Water Tribesman glanced back and saw a queue building up, with a heavyset middle-aged man glaring at him.
"Hey, you can't rush these things," Sokka chided him.
The man growled, a puff of flame escaping his nostrils, but Sokka ignored him and turned back to the vendor.
"I'll have the Fire Flakes please," he decided.
Walking away, Sokka heard the food salesman explain that he had now run out of Fire Flakes to the man that had been behind him, and grinned to himself at the man's angry roar.
He reached the main ring again and scanned the area for the brunette. He frowned to himself, unable to see her anywhere. He expected a girl in bright pink to stand out amongst the predominantly-red crowd.
"Cutie!" Her voice called out to him.
He turned around and saw her beckoning at him near a doorway with two rather burly looking fellows standing next to her. Had she been arrested or something? He hoped not.
Fixing his most charming grin in place, he greeted the men warmly.
"What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?" He asked smoothly.
Their thick brows creased in puzzlement, staring at each other unsurely.
"Nothing, sir," one said.
"This is Yen-Shi and Lang. I used to know them back when I worked here," Ty Lee explained.
"Any friend of Miss Lee is a friend of ours," Lang said.
Inwardly relieved, Sokka smiled, holding a hand out for them to shake.
"We can go in the VIP section for free, Sokka," Ty Lee continued, beaming.
Sokka blinked. And then he scowled, pulling out his tickets and staring at them in disgust.
"Aww man. Guess I really did waste my money. Still," he perked up,"VIP, huh? Swish."
Nodding at the two guards, the pair went inside to an empty box overlooking the ring.
"Man, I wonder who else has sat here?" Sokka muttered, wiggling in his seat. "Some pretty powerful people, I bet."
"You could say that. Azula visited me once and she sat there," Ty Lee told him.
Sokka's face paled, and he hurriedly stood up.
"Y'know, maybe we should sit with the others," he said.
Ty Lee frowned at him, and he sat back down again.
"Just a thought," Sokka mumbled.
A voice began to emanate from the floor, and the pair watched as the circus master stepped into the middle.
"Welcome to the Flaming Heart Circus! Today we will regale you with exotic creatures and daring stunts, so sit back and prepare to be amazed," the man announced.
"Behold - the Sons of Agni!"
He clapped his hands, and two men dressed as dragons dropped down from the ceiling. They opened their mouths and great jets of flame burst free.
The men weaved their bodies and the flames writhed alongside them, taking the form of animalistic shapes.
Sokka was on the edge of his seat as he watched the firebenders cavort, their creations becoming more and more realistic. Eventually the paused, staring at each other for a moment.
And then held out their hands, fire gathering at their fingertips. The blaze began to swell into a massive sphere, the two melding together. After a moment it stopped growing, and began to shake mightily.
And then exploded, a flaming phoenix breaking free from the fire egg. The crowd went wild as the elemental swooped through the air, with one unfortunate man leaning too close and getting a singed face.
The pair continued their display for a few moments longer, before the apparition dissipated. They bowed at the crowd and were hoisted back up to thunderous applause.
"Yes, the Sons are an amazing sight. But now we shall see The Great Winglord! Watch him soar through the sky!" The master bellowed.
Ty Lee grasped at Sokka's arm.
"I remember him! I can't believe they're still making him perform, he must be so old now," she said.
Sokka's mind immediately went to an ancient man being pulled through the air by a cord, long white beard flapping behind him. It was an amusing thought.
He was quite surprised when a lion vulture was released from a cage, the beast cawing loudly. A set of hoops on sticks were set up, and the animal immediately made a beeline for them, flying somewhat unsteadily.
The Great Winglord managed to dart through the rings, hovering in place for a moment and finally landing on a small platform.
"They used to force him to do that with fire whips," Ty Lee whispered, a sad look in her eyes.
Sokka wrapped an eye around her, pulling her close to him and planting a light kiss on her head.
"Maybe they decided that fire was cruel. Good thing too, I guess," he supposed.
"Impressive, is it not? But why don't we turn up the heat?" The circus master called, fire raining from his hands and igniting the hoops.
"Oops. Or not," Sokka mumbled.
The Great Winglord screeched at the burning rings, but nonetheless took off from the platform and threaded through the circles with a surprising amount of agility. The lion vulture landed back down on the ground, thankfully unharmed by the flames.
"Yes, The Great Winglord's still got it folks! And now for our finale - the boneless wonder, the queen of flexibility, it's Lady Duushan!"
The hoops were removed and the lion vulture coaxed back into the cage, and several large poles were planted in the middle of the ring, all connected by wire.
A woman leapt out from a hole in the ground, dressed in attire similar to Ty Lee's own, though of a light-red colouration instead of the chi-blocker's preferred pink.
The woman bowed, nearly touching the ground with her forehead, before springing backwards and doing several flips.
"This must be your replacement," Sokka commented idly.
Ty Lee didn't reply, watching the acrobat with interest. The woman was walking on her hands now, although rather slowly, each step somewhat wobbly.
Soon after, Lady Duushan righted herself, and shimmied up the largest pole. There was a small platform on this one too, though much higher up than the previous one.
The acrobat took a deep breath and jumped forwards, catching ahold of the wire. Gripping it with both hands, she began to swing backwards and forwards, eventually gaining enough momentum to swing over, looping around.
She slowed down, holding herself in place before pulling up, clambering onto the thin metal wire. Shaking wildly, she righted herself, walking across the strip with some difficulty.
Just as she was nearing the platform, she stumbled, tripping over herself and falling free from the wire. She hardly had time to scream before the ground met her.
"Ah. Um, don't worry folks, she's not called the boneless wonder for nothing. She'll be fine! In the meantime, thank you all for visiting, that's all for now. Good night!" The circus master said as several people converged on the fallen acrobat.
"I guess she's not as good as you," Sokka told his girlfriend as they got up to leave.