Elsewhere in the Earth Kingdom, a certain mismatched couple were having problems of their own.
"I still think it was perfectly natural to ask your parents if we were having flying pigs for dinner," Sokka groused, stretching in the privacy of his new apartments on the aforementioned estate.
His privacy was curtailed as the heiress of the estate followed him in. "Yeah, you would. I can tell you're going to be quite a hit around here, new ambassador."
The water tribe warrior frowned. "But it's right there on your flag! It's basically synonymous with the Bei Fong! I mean, you see it every day!"
Toph's face mirrored his own. "No, I don't."
Sokka slapped his forehead at the sudden reminder. "Right, blind, I knew that. But everything else I said was true."
The barefoot noble blew at her overgrown bangs in exasperation. "I can't believe you believe that flying pigs exist. Or that we'd keep and eat them. I mean, all you water tribe warriors have ponytails, right? Did I ever ask if you eat horses?"
Sokka turned on her indignantly. "This, young lady, is a wolf tail, a symbol of a warrior's mastery of our tribe's skills. And before you ask, we don't eat wolves!"
"I wasn't going to. I can figure things out on my own without asking questions all the time. Though one thing I can't figure out is why you're tapping on all the walls of your room."
Sokka paused in the aforementioned activity. "I'm trying to find the best place in the wall to hang my sword. I've never gotten to hang up my sword on a wall before and I always wanted to try it. I think it would rip open a hole in the tent if I hung it up at home."
"Yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, you should stand aside for the expert. Where exactly do you want your sword?"
Sokka tapped a space near the side of his designated bed. "Right here's fine."
"Okay. Let's see how tough this baby is." Cracking her knuckles, Toph drew back a clenched fist and let it fly. It hit the wall with a soft wumph – and continued through a half meter on the other side.
"I guess not all that strong, then," the earthbender diagnosed calmly.
Sokka was not so laidback about the new paneless window in his living quarters. He flailed around ineffectually, grasping his head in desperation. "Argh, what am I going to tell your parents? They already think I'm an idiot for asking about flying pigs. How are they going to take a hole in the wall for no good reason? My first official night as an ambassador to the Earth Nation is a total disaster!"
"Relax, spaz. Earthbender, remember? Metalbender, too," Toph added, as she closed up the hole and modified a nearby mounted candleholder to serve additionally as a sword mount.
Sokka cocked his head at his new functional décor. "Now that I think about it, you've been the most relaxed out of all of us after this whole engagement fiasco."
Toph turned her head away slightly. Though she couldn't ever see herself blushing, she could tell when she was by that supremely uncomfortable prickly feeling she got all over her face. She had noticed that in recent months, she felt that sensation almost solely when thinking about the goofy, clueless, but brave and kind-hearted warrior in the room with her. She knew she hadn't done the best job of hiding it on a few previous occasions, like when she teased him about not caring about his absence during his sword training. From his words, he must be finally realizing her feelings.
"I guess it's because you're not in love with anybody!" Sokka declared, fully confident in his deduction.
Toph grit her teeth. Apparently, she was wrong.
"Well, I guess you won't let this small predicament put a hole in our friendship! Get it? Because you just fixed that hole you put through the wall?" Sokka elaborated, nudging her as she remained unresponsive after the punchline.
"Oh, I get it. It's hilarious. As a matter of fact, why don't I fix that big hole in your face you call a mouth?"
"Wait, what did I say?"
Fortunately for the obtuse boy's personal features, Toph's vengeful right hook was stayed by a servant's arrival at the guest house entrance.
"I have a message for – um, is everything alright?" the servant questioned, raising an eyebrow at the violent tableaux.
"Perfectly, absolutely! Ambassador communications already?" Sokka reached for the letter eagerly, extremely grateful for the interruption.
"Er, no, it's actually for Miss Toph," the servant answered, holding out the letter to the named girl.
"Thanks for bringing it here. You can hand it to Sokka anyway though," Toph answered politely but dismissively.
Sokka glanced at her, hesitant. "Are you sure? Don't you want to look at it first?"
Toph just glared at him.
"Oh, right," both he and the servant sighed with realization. Sokka finally broke the seal as the servant slipped off, glad to escape the awkward encounter.
"It says Katara invites you to a girl's night at the Fire Palace in one month. It's for you three girls with the forced engagements, so Azula's going to be there too, I guess. She must be out of the prison, then?" Sokka surmised, glancing at the letter's contents.
"In a month, huh? I hope there's not more of that girly stuff like mud or seaweed masks and steam saunas. I could take it for a couple of hours, but if I have to spend a whole night…" Toph trailed off, dubious.
"Actually, I bet she's planning something. She's probably thinking that all you guys together can come up with a way to get out of these forced engagements faster," Sokka surmised, stroking his chin wisely.
Toph nodded. "That makes sense, actually, knowing Katara. I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly though."
Sokka smirked. "Actually, I pride myself on my intuition with the ladies. I don't mean to blow my own manatee-walrus horn, but I knew Yue was in love with me before she even knew it herself! Having been in two relationships already, just remember, you can come to me when you find your own special someone, right, Toph?" He reached out an elbow to nudge her, but instead only nudged new Toph-shaped hole in the wall.
He peered out of it into the night, shivering in the chilly breeze. "Toph? You know the guest house door was in the opposite wall, right? You're going to close up this hole too, right? Ugh, it's cold out tonight…"
Elsewhere in the Fire Nation palace, Azula had the invitation delivered to her too – by Ty Lee.
"Well, this is interesting. You'll probably be there too, as my personal guard, so you better know as well," Azula commented, inviting the girl over to read the missive.
"Actually, about that whole deal," Ty Lee hedged, shuffling her feet shyly. She held her breath for a few seconds, then let it all out with the entire story of her predicament. She made sure to include all the important information, such as her possession of Sokka's space-sword, her rampant crush on him, her disappointment a week ago that they had passed each other by like ships in the night (well, not quite literally, as she had sped on an airship to the Fire Nation while he had meandered by boat and land to the Earth Kingdom, but you know what she meant), and the various hues this stress colored her aura. She eventually concluded by begging for Azula's advice.
"So the way I understand it, the best way to, erm, keep your aura pink is either to make Sokka choose you and Aang choose me when this all blows over naturally, or to make the declared union between that Water Tribe peasant boy and the Bei Fong girl change to you and him, but otherwise, leave all the unions in effect," Azula mused.
"That… sounds right, except about Aang choosing you. I don't actually care either way about that. But how can I get everything else to happen?" Ty Lee asked, eyes imploring.
"Yes, well, that is the question. Either let this run its course, prevent the Fire Council from ever forming, or somehow persuade them not to veto the unions. Those seem to be the only ways," Azula decided.
"Oooh! I'm really good at persuading!" Ty Lee volunteered, hopping up and down on one toe and raising her hand.
Azula glanced at her scornfully. "By 'persuade' I really meant 'force or blackmail'. Honestly, this is ridiculous. Why didn't Uncle just use the signet to banish himself from the Fire Nation or something? He wanted to leave anyway, and it would have made an interesting conundrum for the politicians."
Ty Lee shrugged. "How should I know?"
"Yes, how should you know," Azula deadpanned. "Regardless, I think I can see a way to accomplish this. The only difficulty is how to make it benefit me as well. It will be troublesome and maybe a little too direct for my taste, but I think I can manage it." She stood, dusting herself off. "Ty Lee, I have a few errands for you to run."