Hey everybody, Sokka's Fan-Lawyer here!...again.
While I've already uploaded this as a separate story, I felt that I may as well upload it at the end of Wakin' Up in Ba Sing Se as well, just to give people a preview of what's to come, and any suggestions of what needs changing/worked on/etc.
Now then, the basic layout of this fic is going to be simple, but different from what people may expect. Basically, the whole first part is going to be Sokka and Toph solving mysteries in Republic City, while trying to figure out an underlining case (Basically, just think of a USA show like, say, White Collar where there is a constant background thing alongside the problem of the day episode, which will eventually build and explode at viewer-grabbing proportions at the end of the season…). I am taking suggestions if there are any mysteries you guys want to see Sokka and Toph get involved in though!
Anyway, enough with my blabbering! On with the fic!
Disclaimer: I own nothing outside of some nice pocket lint where my wallet used to be (and I'm willing to part with it for the right price)
…
Mr. Fuin was not a coward. Even when he had been a child, he was the one chiding his older brother for being afraid to go to the bathroom at night because it was outside. Now that he was older, wiser, and the owner of one of the higher quality apartment complexes in the new Republic City, he should have even less reason to feel ill at ease. However…he glanced over his shoulder; there was an ominous feeling that he just couldn't shake. Perhaps it was merely because it was late at night and the building was entirely silent; as the owner, he felt it his responsibility to take the late shift behind the lobby desk. He glanced out the stone entrance at the dark street beyond.
"The city itself seemed to be asleep tonight…," he murmured to himself. The middle aged man wandered from behind the wooden lobby desk to the entrance. He peeked his head out on the street; with the aid of the City's street lamps, he could make out the figures of two travelers on the otherwise empty lane. He sighed and looked up at the starry sky. Even the Moon Spirit seemed to be taking the evening off. Otherwise, things seemed peaceful enough. Yet, Fuin still felt something stirring in his stomach. For some reason, the past few nights, there seemed to be a heaviness infecting the atmosphere of his establishment. More than one employee had noticed it and has taken advantage of their unused vacation days. What could it be? Ever since he had….No, he shook his head to stop himself, I'll not think about that now.
Instead, he moved on to other topics that merited his attention, such as who had paid their rent in advance and who was being kicked out shortly. It hurt him, but as he looked at his master guest list, it was looking like Tiguh on the third floor was overdue by three months and didn't show any signs of paying yet. "And don't get me started about that bastard Gin on the second floor." Fuin scowled. Was the bum even employed? It had seemed so when he first rented to him, but ever since, rent payment had been inconsistent at best. Then there was the woman from the second floor and the man from the first that he had not seen as of late; would they be able to pay that month's rent or should he be looking for more tenants? While Fuin tried to be an understanding man, when the City came looking for payment for their water and power bills, it was every man for himself, as far as Fuin was concerned.
The man looked up at one of the lit lights and shook his head in bafflement. As much as he hated to admit it, he was old enough that he marveled at the fact that Republic City had, thanks to some crazy man known only as the Mechanist, utilized steam and had brought something called electricity to the City's citizen's. Fuin had never thought he'd live to see the day that electricity replaced torches, but then, he also didn't think he would ever see the War come to an end, and he had been proven wrong there; why not with other things? That Mechanist fellow and his son seemed to have taken up house in the outskirts of the City and had become something of an elusive celebrity due to his work with steam; there were even rumors of his recreating airbending via the steam, but Fuin didn't put much stock in such ridiculous tales. Still, the Mechanist was backed by Governor Tong, so the man couldn't be that crazy.
Still, it was amazing how the world seemed to be changing lately…now if there weren't so many of those damn Fire Nation colonials wandering around, maybe Fuin would feel safe at night. The Earth Kingdom man trusted Avatar Aang's word, but when it came to his promise that the Fire Nation people would not attack again, now that Ozai was behind bars, Fuin shared a widely held skepticism. Just because the boss was in jail didn't mean that the evil subordinates could be trusted, and Fuin refused to rent any of the Colonials who came to him, if he could help it; let them keep to their own kind for all he cared. As it was, the three he had sharing an apartment on the third floor felt like too many; however, he conceded, at least they paid their rent on time; Spirits knew where they got the money to do so, though.
A loud thud shook Mr. Fuin from his thoughts. He shook his head and realized he had been starring at the same page for the past five minutes. Sighing, he set the list back down on the counter and looked around. Nothing had fallen in the lobby, as far as he could tell; the delicate vases were still intact and none of the artwork on the walls had come loose. He looked at the relatively long hallway behind him, where the six apartments on the floor were housed, three on both sides; it was lit by three lights that dangled from the ceiling, but they had been dimmed for the night. Nothing. Mr. Fuin's brow furrowed. Had he just imagined the noise? Had one of the tenants dropped something and dealt with it? If so, Fuin knew that when he next collected rent, he would have to inform the tenants to be quieter. With that, he shrugged and turned to return to his desk.
Suddenly, the lights flickered and died.
Plunged into darkness, Mr. Fuin didn't try to think much of it; after all, as the city's electrical network had only just been installed last year, it was to be expected that it break down sometimes. Already that month, the power had broken down five times, surely this was no different. However, a part of Mr. Fuin knew that something was wrong. The ominous feeling in his stomach seemed to increase as a bead of sweat slid down his cheek. The entire room was dark; not even the street lamps had been spared, it seemed, and the moon was at its dark phase, so he wasn't going to get light from there.
Suddenly, Mr. Fuin stiffened, a chill set in the small of his back: there was someone in the room with him, he was sure of it. He could just feel their presence. "Hello?" He called out while trying to keep his voice level. No response.
He reached into the desk's one big drawer and fished out some flint. With a grunt, he managed to light the candle that he always had set on the desk top. Picking it up, he quickly glanced around the room. No one was there. Cautiously, he turned around and again looked down the first floor hallway; however, he could not see that far down, thanks to the candle's limited light.
Suppressing a shiver, Fuin walked around the desk and slowly shut the wooden door and locked it. Pocketing the key, the owner turned towards his desk and began to make his way down the first floor hallway when he stopped. To his horror, he thought he could see someone standing at the end of the hallway. He was wearing a dark cloak but it was the mask he wore that chilled Fuin to the bone. He was wearing a dragon mask that seemed…to be glowing?
"Ji Fuin…," The figure slowly hissed, as if savoring each syllable. "You bear much hate in your heart for the Fire Nation…." Fuin had nothing to say; he could barely hear the man over the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears. Suddenly, the glowing mask charged at him, stopping mere inches from his face, all without a sound. The owner almost dropped his candle in shock.
"W-what do you want with me?" Fuin finally managed to get out. The figure chuckled darkly.
"We don't want anything from you but your disappearance. Leave this building and never return, or things are going to start…happening."
"I-I'm not scared of you…!" Fuin weakly replied as he tried to back away from the figure. A cold, claw-like hand grabbed his collar.
"Yes you are." The mask seemed to be…smiling down at him, and Fuin swore he could smell a hint of sulfur.
"What do you want with my building?" The figure laughed.
"That's for us to know and for you to never find out." The figure blew out Fuin's candle and released him. The light from the mask's glow seemed even brighter as the man walked into the lobby and turned to Fuin. "You will do as we've asked." Now that the man was farther away, Fuin felt a stirring of courage surge within him; who was this bastard to come into his place and order him out?
"Now you listen to me: this place was passed down to me by my father! I refuse to let some Fire Nation loving freak come here and tell me to get! I'm not leaving!" The figure said nothing. The ornate dragon mask seemed to stare right into Fuin's soul, but he promised himself he wouldn't budge, even if he had to call the police or fight the bastard. Finally, the speaker spoke in a booming voice.
"Then I damn you, Ji Fuin! I damn you, your business, and your tenants under the Curse of the Manasa!" Again, Fuin could swear he could smell sulfur and a chill gripped him, stopping him from breathing. The mask just continued to stare at him in anger. "Just remember, when your precious money tickets come to you, you brought it upon them." Smoke began to obscure the glow of the mask and the room began to feel humid. A loud roar erupted and the figure vanished without a trace. Fuin just continued to stare in shock. The lights flickered and began to revive, illuminating the lobby again; however, there was not a trace of Mr. Fuin's mystery guest. His breath slowly returned to him and he could begin to try and figure out what just happened.
He wasn't given long, as a shrill shriek came from above, followed by a loud crash. Quickly, Fuin began to race down the hall to the staircase at the end, beginning to hear the clamor as more and more tenants were awoken by the screaming. What have I brought upon us, Fuin wondered mournfully. What have I done?
…
Sokka moaned as he stared out the window. He didn't get it; he had spent years traversing the world in what had to be one of the shakiest vehicles in existence, a fucking flying bison, and didn't get motion sick once. Put him on a large carriage being driven by what had to be a drunk madman, and suddenly he feels like throwing up the sea prune stew his sister had made for him before they parted ways three days ago.
"Oh, will you just quit your bitching? Seriously, I'm blind and rely on vibrations to see, yet lo and behold, I'm perfectly fine." His best friend and "wife" rolled her eyes and gave him a light punch on the arm. "Suck it up, pussy." Sokka didn't have the energy to retort. Instead, he just groaned and muttered.
"A lady doesn't talk like that, you know." Keep in character. The message wasn't lost on Toph, who just brushed a stray hair behind her ear.
"I thought we agreed you were the 'lady' in this relationship." She coughed pointedly. Sokka chuckled dryly, as the motion sickness lessened; the carriage had stopped rocking as drastically and slowed.
"Yeah, whatever; you just don't want to admit you're wearing a dress and liking it, aren't you?" Toph glared at him and her hand twitched; had they not been surrounded by half-asleep people and on the ground, Sokka knew that she would have earthbended the crap out of him. After a second, she sighed and set her hand down on her lap and gave a halfhearted "teehee"; it sounded artificial but Sokka didn't push her on the issue. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence and Sokka couldn't help but wonder how the heck they found themselves in disguise, immigrating to what had to be one of the biggest and most unstable cities in the world.
It had seemed like just yesterday when one of his best friends and brother-in-law (no matter how much it made him cringe at the thought), Avatar Aang, had "saved" him and Toph from Ba Sing Se (if aiding fugitives from the law and justice counted as saving, morally speaking). Afterwards, he had asked Sokka to look into something. After the Fire Nation's 100 year War against the world ended, Aang, as the Avatar and spiritual guide of the planet, and his friend Fire Lord Zuko, had decided to build a city that would unite the people of the world. Populated by people of the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation alike, they had combined multiple cities in the Earth Kingdom with the Fire Nation colonies and called it: Republic City. Two years later, the City still had some kinks to work out, such as the high crime rate, disorganization, and prejudice; however, things were going well, considering. Given time, the project might even succeed. However, there was a problem that Aang was hoping to keep under wraps: people were disappearing. Not being murdered or held ransom or anything tradition: they just disappeared. There was no rhyme or reason to these disappearances except for the fact they were all benders, people capable of controlling and bending the elements to their will. Normally this would have been a problem in and of itself; however, there was a bigger issue at hand. Of the three nations present in Republic City, the Fire Nation had lost the least amount of benders. If the public picked up on that, they would turn to blame the Fire Nation for the disappearances and the whole concept of a united city could be strangled in its cradle. The world could wind up at war again, if no one stopped whoever was behind this.
Sokka smirked. Fortunately, Aang had known that Sokka was sharper than the average Moose Lion and trusted him to take care of the matter. Seeing that he was busy pushing off confronting Suki about their "argument" anyway, Sokka had agreed to Aang's request. Sokka risked a glance over at Toph, who was staring out the window, bored. After they had reunited in Ba Sing Se, it hadn't seemed right to just go off on a mission like this and not at least offer to bring her along; she was his best friend, after all. Besides, she wouldn't have dreamed of missing out on a possible adventure anyway. Plus, Sokka knew it couldn't hurt to have a master earthbender who could also serve as a human lie detector on board, especially with a mystery of this magnitude. The Water Tribe warrior smiled to himself; he had to admit, it was nice traveling with her again. It just felt right; after all, solving mysteries and kicking butt were only fun if you had a friend to do it with, and Toph certainly fit that bill….
Sokka paused. There was that feeling again; it was something that had been bothering him ever since their misadventure in Ba Sing Se but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It could have been due to his fight with Suki, or Toph's new mature look, or the fact that she had helped him out of a dark place of self-pity, but for some reason, when he thought about her, his stomach seemed to clench a little…. It reminded him distantly of what he had felt after the first time he had been on Kyoshi Island with Suki; but that didn't make any sense! He was, however estranged they are, in love with Suki. So what could this sensation really be? While he pondered this, Toph looked away from the window and leaned into Sokka. "I've been feeling you staring at me for the last five minutes; keep it up and I'm going to have to start charging."
Sokka blinked. He hadn't realized he had been staring at her, especially to the point that the blind earthbender could notice. "Sorry; I was just thinking."
"Well, that can't be good for anyone." Toph rolled her eyes. "What about?" Sokka quickly shook his head and unconsciously flushed a little.
"Nothing! Nothing for you to worry about, at least." Toph looked up at him with a deadpan expression.
"I can tell your heart rate's gone up, idiot. Don't even try denying it." Sokka grimaced; she had a point. When he didn't answer, she gave him an odd look but shrugged. "Whatever. If you don't want to tell me, fine." She pushed herself off his chest and returned to leaning on the window. Sokka mentally groaned; he could tell that she was pissed at him. Having the team divided before the mission even began was not a good omen. He had to come up with something to tell her. His blue eyes quickly fell to the bag beside him and inspiration struck.
"Well, if you must know, I was thinking about our cover story. Given the sheer number of immigrants and the disorganization of the City, we should be okay, but it still has me a little nervous…; hopefully, those passports that Aang gave us will work…."
After Sokka and Toph had agreed to help Aang, they realized that not only were they too recognizable of public figures to be able to subtly dig around the City, but after their time in Ba Sing Se, they were wanted fugitives as well. Which meant, much to Sokka's delight and planning, cover identities were needed. Thanks to his connections, Aang and Katara, Sokka's sister and waterbending master, had managed to supply him and Toph with both finances to set up shop in the city and a new identity to go with it; that was the most they could do, without drawing too much attention to the matter. Plus, they felt bad that they couldn't help Sokka and Toph more; after all the adventures the four of them had had, it didn't seem complete without Aang and Katara. But they were more renown than Sokka or even Toph, and Aang had his Avatar duties to uphold, on top of his relationship with Katara; they were just too busy to help, hence their outsourcing the problem to Sokka and Toph.
Of course, in addition to their fugitive status, the drunken shenanigans in Ba Sing Se had created a further complication….
A tan, barely middle-aged woman sitting near them noticed Sokka and smiled. Eagerly, she leaned over and whispered, "That is a beautiful betrothal necklace." She gestured to the distracted Toph, who had resumed staring out the window and pretending she couldn't hear her. "I noticed it an hour ago and just felt I should tell you that the craftsmanship is remarkable! Much better than what my husband gave me before we got married…." She tossed a playful glare at the man beside her, who just rolled his eyes and kicked her lightly. "Oh you! So, how long have you two been engaged?" She directed her attention at Toph, who grudgingly stopped pretending to look out the window and faced her. Sokka was surprised to see that she was blushing a little; then again, this was something of an awkward experience for both of them. Fortunately, they had rehearsed their story beforehand, so they should be safe.
"Oh, we've been dating for years now, but it was only recently we got 'officially' engaged. Since my fiancé's family…fishing business was barely staying afloat, thanks to the War….," Sokka snickered at the pun, but Toph quickly gave him a light smack to shut him up. "Anyway, he barely had any money to make a decent proposal, especially for my parents' satisfaction. But somehow, he managed to make me this betrothal necklace," She gestured to her neck, where a black medallion hung off its stone choker. Sokka sighed; it had used to be her space-earth arm band that he gave her while they were adventuring, but after they got drunk at Ba Sing Se, they woke up to find it permanently transfigured into a Water Tribe betrothal necklace. Despite her best efforts, Toph had been unable to bend it back and so they were forced to include the engagement into their cover story. "I still don't know where he found the stone…."
Sokka laughed pointedly. "Ha, honey, how many times do I have to tell you? It's a secret!" The woman took a closer look at the necklace.
"It does seem a tad…irregular…." Sokka chuckled.
"What part of 'secret' don't you women understand? Geez! This guy knows what I'm talking about!" He gestured to the woman's husband. "Right? A man never tells where he got the betrothal stone." The other man gave Sokka a knowing look and nodded firmly.
"Yeah. It is a secret Water Tribe men carry to their graves." The woman rolled her eyes.
"You just don't want me finding out that it was some cheap stone you found in the woods while you were hunting with your friends."
"Hey, if you need someone to be the judge, I've got a pretty good eye; besides, I grew up with two sisters. I think I know a thing or two about betrothal necklaces…." Sokka offered, coming to the other man's aid. The woman shook her head, but lowered the hood of her cloak to reveal a deep blue, ornately carved medallion. Sokka leaned over and furrowed his brows, as if analyzing the piece; truth be told, he had no idea of what he was doing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toph give it a thumbs down. However, he kept on pretending. He tapped the necklace, felt the smooth texture, and grunted. Finally, he nodded and said, "Your necklace is fine; it's one of the nicer one's I've seen, anyway! Though, I grew up in the Northern Water Tribe, so I've seen quite a few in my day!" The woman blushed while the man nodded appreciatively. Toph rolled her eyes and decided to take control of the conversation, if the couple insisted on continuing bothering them.
"So what brings you to Republic City?" She asked politely, leaning into Sokka again. The woman glanced at the man, who shrugged.
"I used to be with the Dai Lee in Ba Sing Se; but once they joined Azula, I resigned and hid among a band of refugees just entering the city. That's where I met May here," he rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "Anyway, once the War was over, I didn't see much point in staying in Ba Sing Se; however, when we heard about this international city thing, we knew that we had to live there; maybe because we're a multiracial couple, the idea just appealed to us, you know? So, we both worked and only just recently saved up enough gold to risk the move. We're planning on staying with May's brother for a while, at least until we get on our feet. " May smiled up at her husband. Sokka and Toph just stared at the man, incredulous.
"This guy's Dai Lee?" Toph whispered into Sokka's dark green cloak.
"Apparently!" He hissed. "Dear spirits, I hope he doesn't remember us…."
"If you had done your job right and not sucked at knocking people out, this wouldn't even be a problem!" She retorted.
"Well, just look at the guy! Look at his dazed, glazed over expression; if there was ever a guy with brain damage, it's him. We're good." Suddenly, they both looked up and saw May grinning at them.
"What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing!" Sokka shoved Toph off his chest and tried to look innocent. May just laughed as Toph glared daggers at Sokka.
"Aw, you guys are adorable!" Suddenly, the rocking of the carriage stopped completely; they could hear the sounds of muffled sounds of hustle and bustle all around them. "Oh, Alphonse, we're here!" She hurriedly tried to get to the window to look outside, but the carriage driver opened the door before she could get there.
"Welcome to Republic City," the carriage driver slurred, reading off a piece of scroll in his hands. "The City of potential, renewgals, and…and," He squinted at the handwriting. Finally he just gave up and pocketed the scroll. "Just grab your shit and get out." He stepped out of the way, freeing up the doorway. May looked excited while Alphonse had a quiet smile on his face; Sokka saw their subtle impatience and waved them to get out before them. May squealed and grabbed her bag while Alphonse stood up and bent over due to the compartment's low ceiling. With a grateful nod towards Sokka and Toph, the couple got off the carriage. Once everyone else had managed to get off, Sokka sighed and slowly got to his feet. He glanced down at Toph. "Ready to get this adventure started?" Toph just waved dismissively.
"Please; calling this an adventure is being generous. We'll get this done and over with, then go to Kyoshi Island to see your bitch of a girlfriend…." She paled as she realized what she said. "Sorry, I didn't mean that quite the way it sounded…." Sokka grimaced.
"You know she's not like that; we're just having a little fight is all…." Toph just gave him a look that clearly said Does a "little fight" send you running off to Ba Sing Se, drinking like some washed up musician? Sokka chose to ignore it, slung his bag over his shoulder, and shuffled off the carriage. He stepped onto the street and reached his hand to Toph. "Come along, dear. You need to see this." She glared at him, but allowed Sokka to take her hand and guide her out of the carriage. The second her feet touched the stone street, her eyes widened.
"Oh…my…; d-do you have any idea…?" Her senses were almost overwhelmed from the sheer number of vibrations and people. Sokka took a good look and was flabbergasted as well.
"I think I do…." There were so many buildings, each of varying heights and designs. It seemed that there were buildings and shops and posters of every shape and size imaginable. Surprisingly, most of the buildings were not even in the same style they were used to; instead of the slanted, tile, ornate designs Sokka had seen in villages and cities the world over, most of the buildings were straighter, taller-much taller-, and more clumped together. The Water Tribe warrior couldn't even find the words to describe the immensity of the City. People were everywhere; more than in Ba Sing Se. People rushing down the sidewalks, or crossing the street, dodging the rampant carriages and ostrich horses; everyone just seemed to be doing their own thing, but there were millions of things going on at once. Along the streets and hanging off some of the buildings, there were lamps-but they didn't need fire! They were lit up on their own! Above them, Sokka could see an oval-shaped airship slowly making its way around the city, a banner trailing behind it. Some kind of communication system, Sokka wondered, but his attention quickly went back to the lights. It was hard to believe that they were only on the outskirts of the city. He looked down the street to his left and gaped; it seemed to go on forever, with thousands of people going this way and that; the buildings only seemed to get even taller and more immense the further into the City people traveled. Sokka glanced to his right and saw a large, but still plain-looking bridge connecting to the distant shore; he couldn't believe that they had traveled over it! The talkative couple must have begun distracting them just when the carriage had gotten onto the bridge! Sokka made a mental note to himself to walk on the bridge later, if only to see the view.
Despite the impressive view, a shred of doubt began to worm its way through Sokka. He backed up against the carriage, eyes slightly widened. Toph glanced his way, noticing the increase of his heartbeat. "What's up?" She approached him while wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. Trying to sort out the all this shit must be testing her, Sokka thought, feeling a little guilty. Still, he found himself admitting his concerns anyway.
"There's just so much here…. When Aang described it, it was just numbers, but now that we're here…how the hell are we going to find someone here?" Toph grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the carriage, just as it set into motion, leaving them stranded on the sidewalk with the other dazed passengers.
"Relax." She waited a second, then, looking annoyed, pinched Sokka. "I can feel your heartbeat; you're not relaxing."
"And how the hell is pinching me going to help?" Sokka snapped, rubbing his now sore forearm. Toph just glared at him, which made him sigh; he could already tell this was going to be fun. His enthusiasm for adventure slightly dampened, Sokka took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then let it out. Toph patted his arm encouragingly.
"Isn't that better?" She smiled sweetly; Sokka just scowled. This act was already getting on his nerves and they had only just gotten off the carriage.
"Not used to the big city?" Alphonse grinned at them as he and May walked by. "I'm not surprised; I spent most of my live in Ba Sing Se and even I'm wowed by all….this." he gestured to the street in front of them.
"Yeah; it's nothing to be worried about, young man!" May laughed. "Just listen to what your fiancé tells you and everything will be fine; you'll see!" She pulled out a small piece of scroll from her bag and placed it in Toph's hand. "Here! It's where my brother lives. Feel free to stop by any time and we'll help you out however we can."
"Thanks, we'll do that." Sokka shook Alphonse's hand. "It was nice meeting you." He nodded and, while May was waving goodbye, began to make their way down the sidewalk; they were quickly enveloped by the crowd. Sokka glanced around them and noticed that he and Toph were the only passengers at the stop. Waiting a few moments, he sighed and glanced down at Toph, who looked up at him.
"So, what's the plan, oh fearless leader?" He pondered this, then nodded confidently.
"First, we need to find some place to live. To the bar!" He pointed dramatically to a building with a lit up sign that read "The Winchester". As Sokka dragged her towards the bar, Toph sighed. Now her it was her turn to wonder if they actually had a fucking clue what they were doing.
…
As Sokka reached for the doorknob, the door creaked open on its own, revealing a somber and moodily lit interior. Well…that's a good omen…, Sokka thought. He guided Toph to the bar and seated himself with a tired thud. The few, older patrons briefly stopped what they were doing to stare at the newcomers. Two men had been playing an odd game that involved throwing darts into a circular board, trying to accurately hit the center; Sokka's hand twitched a little instinctively. He was more than confident in his throwing ability, no matter what Toph complained. The other three patrons were sitting huddled just a few bar stools down from Sokka. After giving both him and Toph a weary glance, they quickly resumed their hushed discussion. An elderly bartender approached them, smiling kindly.
"What can I do for you youngsters this afternoon?" Sokka wrapped his arm around Toph's shoulders.
"Some Cactus Juice Lite for both me and my fiancé, my good man!" The bartender nodded and leaned down to get two glasses. While he was getting their drinks together, the bartender looked at them, interested.
"So, are you two new to town?" Toph nodded politely, still playing the feminine fiancé.
"Yes; we literally just got off the carriage." Sokka glanced at the bartender, cautious. The man might, after all, try to take advantage of their inexperience. However, if the man had any malicious intent, he didn't show it; instead, he just nodded.
"Ah, another new group of immigrants, eh? Republic City sure has gotten popular all of a sudden!"
"Well, look at it." Sokka gestured to the door and the street beyond. "The lights, the buildings, the culture…it's no wonder its reputation has grown so much! It seems like there are endless possibilities here…we can start over, become anyone we want." Toph raised an eyebrow but shrugged and just tried to look comfortable under Sokka's arm, letting him do all the talking. The old man set the drinks in front of them.
"Aye, that's true, I suppose. Thanks to the Avatar's Harmony Restoration Movement to end the Fire Nation colonies and get more folks to try and understand each other, this 'United Republic' was made. Just you two take care that the big city doesn't swallow you." Noting their confused expressions, he continued. "Most seem to lose something when they move here; due to all the close proximity, the number of people compared to the number of jobs, and gold, the city seems to draw out the worst competitiveness in people…they scramble, lie, cheat, and do anything to earn more gold than the next person. Not that I'm trying to discourage you, of course!" He hastily waved his hands. "I'm just warning you; not everyone is as kind as you may be used to, is all." Sokka and Toph nodded.
"Thanks for the heads up, mister!" Sokka took a short drink. "Say mister, why is your bar so…dead? No offense." He added, glancing at the older men at the other end of the bar, who shrugged and went back to their drinks. The bartender shook his head.
"No reason in particular; it's just the time of day. Most people are still working or otherwise engaged in the mornings and afternoons. Once night falls, this place normally gets quite packed, especially if Pro-bending is going on." Sokka nodded in understanding and went back to his drink. The bartender, satisfied, left them alone and went to the backroom.
"So, what do you think?" Sokka whispered to Toph, who took a delicate sip from her glass.
"I think I'm wondering how the hell this is going to help us find a place to live. Do you think this bar rents or something?" Sokka sighed.
"No, but bars tend to attract a lot of people who've been here longer than us; they can get us information, or at least point us in the right direction of some place."
"And if it turned out this bar was filled with assholes?"
"Then we would've moved on to a different one; the bigger the city, the more likely there's a bar on every block. You should know that." Sokka tsked; Toph just gave him a swift kick to the shin, the blow hidden by her long, green skirt.
"I know; I was just making sure you knew what you were doing, 'dear'."
"Oh come on, I always know what I'm doing!" Sokka rolled his eyes; Toph just snorted and focused on her drink. For a minute, they sat in silence, staring at the glasses before them; truthfully, neither of them was thirsty. Still, Sokka finished his glass and waved to the bartender. "So, as a more experience Republic Citian, where do you think my fiancé and I could find a decent place of lodging?"
"You mean, like an apartment?" Sokka nodded.
"Yeah! One of those. I mean, we can't just live in an inn or a bar or something for our whole lives." The elderly bartender thoughtfully stroked his beard.
"Hmm…what sort of money do you have? That greatly determines where you can room…." Sokka's eyes narrowed a little as he leaned towards the bartender.
"Well, you seem like the trustworthy sort…," He glanced at Toph who subtly kicked him twice. Is that supposed to mean something, Sokka wondered. A code? Dammit, we should've gone over this earlier…well, she doesn't seem to be on edge or making an excuse to leave, so she must be comfortable with him, a bit at least…right? Sokka hadn't planned on giving him an honest answer anyway. "Okay, we have a decent amount of gold…enough for maybe something a bit better than a barrel on the street…," seeing the man's concerned expression, Sokka quickly added. "But we have skills; we'll find work, but first we just need a good place to get us started!" The bartender thought carefully, then turned to the three man at the other end of the bar.
"Hey Shaun, have you heard about any buildings accepting new tenants for a decent price? These people here seem to be of the decent sort and deserve not to be ripped off." The tallest one-Shaun, Sokka figured- scratched his chin, looking a little nervous. He cast his friends a glance and they nodded, encouraging him. Toph gave them an attentive look, sensing their increased pulses; Sokka looked at them closely. Clearly something was scaring the shit out of them, now what could it be? Maybe something to do with the missing people? One could only hope; regardless, with his skills and the greatest earthbender in the world at his side, the Water Tribe warrior was confident they could take on whatever it was.
"Well…there was this one guy we've been hearing about. Word on the street is that he's losing so many tenants, he's practically giving rooms away...," Sokka thought about the gold that Aang had given them; while it was a more than decent sum, Sokka knew that city prices would quickly make it vanish, if they weren't careful. So a guy giving rooms away? A dream come true. No matter how crappy the room was, compared to the days they spent sleeping on hard ground during the War, it would be livable. "It's in a decent part of town too."
"Where?" The bartender asked.
"The Yellow district. The property is even near the river, so the view is great, from what we've heard." The old man nodded while Sokka was confused.
"Yellow district?" Shaun nodded.
"Yeah; ya see, Republic City is split up into social districts: Red is lowest-that's where you find the…more flexible women, if ya get me…," he cast Toph a weary glance; she just rolled her eyes and gestured for him to continue. "…and other…shadier people. After that, is the Orange District, where most of the poorest folks stuck in and hands on shops. Yellow district, which is near the river and the better-off poor folks stay there, and above that is Green district, with the park and garden shit and middle class peoples. Then Blue district for the lower rich bastards, and finally you get the White district, where all the classiest, snobbiest bastards stay, in their skyscrapers and shit, you know?" Sokka nodded; it made sense, though he knew Aang and Zuko would be pissed when they found out. Then again, it was inevitable, as far as Sokka was concerned; society just seemed to love dividing itself, no matter what the new optimistic Sokka thought. There was optimism, then there was just being plain stupid. Despite reports to the contrary, Sokka was by no means stupid.
"So Yellow district…that sounds better than we were hoping for." He turned to Toph. "Right, dear?" She nodded and wrapped an arm around his waist, appearing the perfect couple.
"That sounds perfect…but what's the problem? You poor men seem to be scared of something…." Shaun stared at his fingers, almost guilty.
"Well, ya see…not that I believe in such things, mind ya! But just two nights ago, someone was attacked in their apartment…the thing was…it weren't by anything…human, if ya get me. Ever since, there've been sightings of some sort of cloaked…spirit monster thing, throughout the building. My buddy Ed himself swears to spirits he saw a dragon or somethin' staring at him when he was tryin' to sleep! He moved out as soon as he could, he did." Sokka and Toph shared a confused look, but Sokka couldn't suppress a shiver; after meeting Aang, the living conduct between the Spirit World and the living world, he knew a thing or two about spirits. Granted, this seemed like an odd case.
"So, you're saying this building is being…haunted? By some dragon spirit thing?" He asked. Shaun shrugged and tried to seem nonchalant.
"As I said, only if ya believe such things; ya still can't argue that price, can ya? If ya get the owner now, he'd probably give ya a good lease, given his dire straits."
"Well, apparently there must be something, if so many people are eager to move out." Toph pointed out, but Sokka laughed.
"Oh honey, how naïve you can be! There's no such thing as dragons anymore, much less some dragon monster haunting some apartment building." He turned to Shaun and shrugged, the universal "Women, what can you do?" gesture. Shaun nodded and grinned; Toph, on the other hand, subtly stomped on Sokka's foot. Blinking away tears, Sokka asked, "So Shaun, why would a 'dragon spirit' be haunting some lowtown apartment building?" Shaun leaned forward and motioned for them to lean in as well. After Sokka and Toph scooted closer to him, Shaun began.
"Apparently, 'ccordin' to a friend of mine, back when this area was being cultivated and such for a town, centuries ago, before the Fire Nation went nustso, some of them firebenders and Earth Kingdom folks lived here with some kinda dragon thing; it was odd, considerin' most dragons lives in the Fire Nation, or so the tales say. Anyway, the firebenders tame this dragon thing, see? They used it to protect the town and such and everything was great…for a while, anyways. Generations go by, this dragon thing always living and workin' with firebenders and livin' with Earth Kingdom folks. When the War came on though, the Earth Kingdom folks kicked out and killed the firebenders, see? To protect themselves and what not. Anyway, this dragon thing flips out and so the Earth people have to kill it. So they do it, but bury the dragon in the ground and build an inn on top, so the dragon would always have people around it to protect it and vice versie; they thought if things 'ver got patched up with the Fire Nation, firebenders could return and stay at the Inn or somethin'; I dunno. Anyways, when the War ended and the Republic City was created, combin' a bunch of Earth Kingdom towns and Fire Nation colonies, the inn became a apartment building, and the owner hates firebenders, see? So he keeps 'em out, which pisses off the dragon spirit thing, and now it won't stop at nothin' to get back at him or somethin'." Shaun paused. "..if ya choose to believe such things, 'course…what a loud of ostrich-horse shet, ya know?" He leaned back on his stool and took a quick sip from his glass, only to notice it was empty.
Sokka subtly took Toph's hand and squeezed it, trying to let her know I got this. Dammit, we really should've gone over these signals before; what was expecting, for her to read my fucking mind? Stupid! "That does sound creepy enough…, but my friend, we're a tad old for fairy tales. How about you tell us how to get to this place? It sounds like it fits our needs perfectly." Shaun stopped staring at his empty glass disappointedly and looked at them. He shrugged.
"Ya funeral….granted, nothin' to be scared of, but still…. All ya gotta do is leave here, go down the street five-six blocks, turn left and it should be in the middle of the block. Name's Saint Bara. Ask for Fuin. Can't miss it." The bartender glanced down at Sokka, who fished out a few coins and placed them on the counter.
"Thank you, my good man! And get our friend Shaun over there another drink…on us." He bowed a little. "Thank you both for your helpful advice! We really appreciate it." Toph nodded and bowed as well. The bartender blinked, then smiled.
"Well, I hope you two can make it in the big City. Whenever you get settled, feel free to drop by here anytime!" Shaun raised his glass in salute to Sokka.
"Thanks man! Good luck to ya. Though…," he leaned close to Sokka and whispered. "Ya wife don't seem too…talkative, yeah? Somethin' wrong with her?" Sokka just grinned a little.
"First of all, she's my fiancé, not my wife. Second, she's always like that around new people. She's…shy…. All these new things, happening so soon, seem to have overwhelmed her a bit. Don't worry, I'll straighten her out." Shaun grinned and clapped Sokka on the back.
"See ya guys around!" Sokka and Toph waved as they walked out of the bar, bags slung over their shoulders. They closed the door behind them and turned left, walking towards the bridge. They walked in silence for a while, though Sokka noted that Toph seemed tense. Sighing, he began to wrap an arm around her waist; she smacked his hand.
"Don't even think about it." She scowled. "You're lucky I don't kick your ass here and now." Sokka blinked.
"What's up?" Toph glared at him.
"'What's up?' Well, if you're that stupid, then this 'overwhelmed', 'shy fiancé' can't spell it out for you." The Water Tribe warrior almost ran into an oncoming person, he was so taken aback. It wasn't like Toph to take things so personally, especially over some cover story lies.
"I had to say those things because that was our story, remember?" He whispered, hoping to spirits that no one overheard them. Granted, given how self-absorbed the multitudes of other walkers looked, there wasn't much need to be concerned. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you seem weak or anything; I know how strong you are, better than anyone, remember? But we have to remember that no one can know about how badass we really are, or risk drawing the wrong kind of attention to us and possibly the missing people." Toph pursed her lips together, but said nothing. Sighing, Sokka gave in.
"Okay, I'll revise the cover story…how about this? You're the swamp, spirit priestess that my overly spirit-obsessed engaged me to? Swamp princess? Warrior princess? Come on, give me something here!" Toph couldn't help herself but smirk a little. Finally, she laughed a little and shook her head.
"I get the whole cover story thing, and I understand why you said that stuff; I don't mind being a little…feminine…but I'm not going to be some airhead Ty Lee or some quiet, invisible like Mai…."
"Thank spirits for that!" Toph raised an eyebrow and Sokka shrugged. "What? She scares me…."
"I don't?" She smirked darkly, making Sokka shiver.
"No, you do, but for different reasons." Sokka relented.
"Anyway, I just can't stand people talking down to me like that…like how my parents did for most of my life." Toph said with a shrug, as if she didn't really care that much; Sokka knew her well enough to know she was lying through her teeth. He gave her a pat on the shoulder.
"I get it, okay? No more coddling." Toph nodded and slowed down. She reached into her bag and pulled out her thin, woolen scarf that Sokka had bought her in Ba Sing Se, which she then carefully wrapped around her neck, covering the betrothal necklace. Sensing Sokka's questioning glance, she said.
"As nice as the necklace is, it would be better if the people we lived with didn't see it…we have no idea how long we'll be living there, right? That way they won't question why we aren't getting married or anything annoying like that, after months have gone by. Worst comes to worst, we just say you proposed or something the day before." Sokka could see some logic behind it and nodded.
"Sure; plus, that opens up a world of possibilities in the disguise department…," he grinned at the thought. "Besides, this whole 'dragon scare' thing actually fits perfectly into my master plan of finding those people anyway…." Toph looked at him, confused.
"How so?" Sokka smiled again, but noticed that it was time to turn left and he could see a sign in the down the street that bolding said "Vacancies…anyone welcome!"
"Okay, we don't have a lot of time…just listen to me and follow my lead, okay?"
…
"For the last time, I am not returning your deposit until the lease is up!" Ji Fuin scowled at the figity tenant before his desk. The man stood in front of his packed bags and tried to look confident.
"Look, my lease expires in a few weeks…why can't you just let me go early?" The man took a look at the furious expression on Fuin's face and winced.
"Oh, and what's got you running off, eh? Some mysterious dragon freak?" He scoffed. "Some man you are, being scared off by a rumor."
"It is not a just a 'rumor'!" The man protested. "Most people have seen it, and how else do you explain poor Ms. Fink from the third floor? Or the apartment that got trashed when no one was around? Or that Ed guy, who saw the dragon staring at him at night? Not to mention those people that no one's seen for months…the dragon got them!"
"Dragon? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?" Fuin laughed darkly. The man just flushed, angry. Suddenly, there was a knock on the open door frame. "Look, I have real customers to deal with, so…," He set a few coins on the counter, along with a scroll. "Just take your damn lease and get your ass out of here. I'm sick of the sight of you." The man quickly gathered the coins and pocketed the lease. Picking up his bags, he turned and maneuvered around the two that had just walked in. One was a tall man, with shoulder length brown hair, and his lower face covered in stubble, darkening his already tan skin; he was clearly Water Tribe, even if the bright blue eyes and confident smirk didn't give it away. He was wearing a black cloak over his long sleeved, loose dark tunic and pants. The other was a young woman, whose black hair was down and grown out to about her shoulder blades. She was on the paler side, but that didn't detract from her beauty any; if anything, it suggested an air of mystery and elegance. Under her light green cloak, Fuin could see that she was clad in a rather snug, form-fitting dress, one of the fancier kind, which made him hopefully. If she can afford something like that, then they probably not penniless bums…I may actually get some rent out of them! However, despite the heat, she wore a woolen scarf that seemed oddly out of place with the rest of her outfit. A memento of some kind? Though, despite her apparent wealth, Fuin was through off a bit by her eyes; those clear, light green orbs seemed to stare so…vacant yet purposeful, it was as if she could see to a person's soul…. Fuin suppressed a shiver. They both had bags slung over their shoulders, so they were clearly travelers of some kind. The man glanced at Fuin's former tenant as he walked out the door, then glanced at Fuin, an eyebrow raised.
"Bad day?" Fuin chuckled darkly at the understatement.
"Try bad week; that's the tenth tenant I've lost and this building only has eighteen rooms, not counting mine." The man winced, but nodded grimly.
"I see…. Well then, I have good news for you, my friend! This is the Saint Bara, correct?" Fuin nodded. "Perfect! Then, my partner and I would like a room please; whatever's available." Which would be most of them… While Fuin dug out the paperwork, the man leaned against the desk casually. "So, mister…?"
"Fuin. Ji Fuin." The man nodded.
"Ah yes, Mister Fuin…why have so many of your tenants left? Like that guy when we walked in? When he left, he was pale…." Fuin stopped short; had these people heard the rumors? Would they be scared off if he told them? He mentally sighed; chances are, they had heard the exaggerated versions already, so where was the harm of setting the record straight? After some hesitation, he decided that the truth was probably best.
"Well, we've had a few…accidents as of late, and one of my tenants got attacked in her room on the third floor. After the power surge a few days ago, people claim to keep seeing a mysterious figure or a man wearing a dragon mask. I frankly think it's only some hoodlum with a sick sense of humor, but he's gotten some of my tenants scared, so they're packing up and moving to other places as soon as they can. And people aren't coming in, now that the tale of the haunted Saint Bara has spread throughout the whole fucking City! As it is, I have only a handful of tenants left and I don't know if I'll be able to pay the bills…my wife and I could wind up on the street, if this keeps up…." The man gave him a hard, analyzing look, which made Fuin feel a little uncomfortable; he hadn't spilt his guts to this potential client in order to be stared at awkwardly. Finally, the man nodded and gave his partner a pat on the back.
"You know what, Mister Fuin? You seem like an alright guy who's fallen behind on some hard times. How about this? You give us a discount on the rent, and we'll help you with your problem." Fuin blinked.
"Didn't you just hear me? I'm about to go broke; why the hell should I give you a discount? Besides, I've already got an odd jobs tenant, however much of a useless jackass he is; what could you do to possibly help me that he can't?" The man chuckled and his partner smirked.
"Listen my friend, I'm Sou and this here is Omai." Omai waved. "And no offense to this jackass or whatever, but I seriously doubt he's got anything on us. We're the best at what we do, without peer! And we can solve this haunting of yours, without a doubt!" Fuin scoffed.
"Right, whatever you say, Mister 'Sou'." Sou just smirked.
"Go on, try lying to us." Fuin stared at the two, skeptical; were they actually serious? Well, Fuin may not consider himself a coward, but he could certainly lie when he had to.
"My wife and I have been married for twenty-five years, I inherited this place from my grandfather, and…I like fire flakes cold." He crossed his arms and stared down the unblinking duo, daring them to prove him wrong. The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I'd say…true, false, and false; how about you, Omai?" The woman smiled.
"Yeah, same here." Fuin's stance weakened. How had they known? Seeing his surprised expression, Sou grinned.
"You want to know how we figured it out?" Fuin nodded. "Well, for starters, you have a ring on your finger but don't give off that 'freshly married' glow or hold yourself with the sort of subtle aura of…joy? Contentment? Whatever; regardless, you have a ring, but the married live has long since shifted out of its 'wow' stage, meaning the affect is not nearly as present or apparent in your bearing. But the marriage is a dedicated one; you're the type who honors commitment, judging by how you treated that man when we walked in. You're in things for the long haul, better or worse. And, no offense, but you don't seem to be on the…younger side, if you will." Fuin's jaw fell a little; he saw all that from just a few minutes of conversation?
"As for the other two, well, you don't seem like a fan of the Fire Nation given how the names of the Fire Nation colonials are practically carved on your tenant list and how few them there are, despite your available room, so I doubt you eat fire flakes at all, much less eat them cold-which is disgusting, by the way. And the quality of this place does seem old, but if this place really carried down from your grandfather or older, chances are you would advertise its legacy a lot more, emphasize how it's been in 'your family for generations' or something along that line." Sou smiled at Fuin. "Sound about right?"
Fuin didn't speak for a minute. Could these guys really help me? "I can't believe you saw all that, in such a short amount of time…."
"And that was only a trial run. As I said, I think we can help you with your 'ghost problem', and if we do, you'll give us a discount on the rent. Sound fair? In fact, you don't have to even give us the discount until after this dragon is dealt with." Sou stuck out his hand. Fuin stared the man in the eye; he seemed genuinely concerned and trustworthy. He shook Sou's hand.
"Fine but…just who are you guys? What is it you do?" Sou put his arm around Omai and they both grinned.
"We told you: I'm Omai and this idiot here is Sou, and we're the best damn detectives you're ever going to meet."
…
Now then, for those who guessed, I tried to go for a Scooby-Doo like mystery to start things off…because one can't do mysteries without proper tribute to the Doo. Anyway, I hope you liked it! As you can probably tell, I'm trying to tie it in with Legend of Korra as much as I can, but I had to make up a few details about Republic City since they're being so darn tightlipped about it. So if it turns out to be inaccurate, just keep in mind that A. It's fanfiction and B. this is about sixty five-sixty seven years before Korra (BK, not to be mixed up with Burger King). Things can change in that time span…*cough, shifty eyes* Hopefully, the next part should come out in the next month or so (as I said, I'm a slow writer, so please forgive me…) As I said, I am taking suggestions for cases or mysteries if people have any stories they'd like to see or parodied; depending on how popular the case portions are, I may make a side fic solely dedicated to them….if they catch on or I just can't help myself.
Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Be sure to let me know what you think/how I can improve!
For those that think some of this author note looks familiar, than good for you, you read the separate story version as well! Thanks for your extra support!
Read and Review (because everyone needs to get their daily R and R in…the doctor on TV said so)!