If any of you get to go to New York City, people-watching is a wonderful past time. I highly recommend it.

People Watching

Aang licked his ice cream slowly, savoring it. Toph devoured hers in large bites.

"You don't get brain freeze?" Aang asked.

"Brain freeze is for the weak!" Toph declared. They were both sitting on Toph's rock wall, enjoying each others company. In the past year, the town had built a sidewalk beside one of the roads, just a stone throw away from Toph's wall. Toph didn't like it at first. Then she heard that the town was going to knock the wall down next. She really didn't like that. So she decided to enjoy her wall for as long as she could, which would hopefully be at least until Christmas.

And she quickly found a way to make use of the new sidewalk; by people-watching.

"That guy over there needs to stop fooling everyone." Toph pointed to a man who had an obvious toupee. "Dead rats are never in style."

"Shh. He might here you." Aang said.

"Fine, fine. I'll keep my voice down. Next victim…see that guy over there in the business suit?" A man with a comb-over, big glasses and a blue button up shirt passed them.

"Yeah?"

"I'll bet he collects TPS reports and red staplers." Toph said in a lower voice.

"Um…okay?"

"…ever see Office Space?"

"No."

"What? Come on twinkle toes, he looks exactly like Lombard."

"Sorry." Aang shrugged.

"Sokka would have laughed at that."

"I don't get this."

"People-watching. I did it once when I was in Chicago."

"When did you go to Chicago?"

"A while ago, before I met you. You're just supposed to watch the crowds go by and enjoy yourself. It's summer so everyone is outside. Rush hour is the best cause you see everyone coming home."

"And…it's fun?"

"Yeah, if you do it right. There aren't near as many people here but..." Toph looked to the right. "...hey look. Ty Lee."

Aang turned. "…where? I don't see her."

"Didn't you have a crush on her once?"

"No. Well…not exactly. I mean…I didn't like her, but she's really pretty…"

"Uh-huh." Toph rolled her eyes. She knew not many guys could ignore a girl like Ty Lee. "Who is she with?"

"Probably another guy."

"That girl needs a hobby that doesn't involve risk of pregnancy."

"Toph, for God's sake. She's not-"

"Oh wait, never mind. It's Azula." Toph licked her ice cream again. Aang shivered.

"Um…as long as they are walking away…"

"Don't tell me you are afraid of Azula."

"I think everyone kind of is. She is out of her mind."

"Did you know that 'Azula' is Malaysian for 'Bat-shit insane'?"

"I'm…pretty sure it's not."

"Yeah-huh. I read it."

"Where? Where did you read that?"

"In a…book about Malaysia."

"Riiight."

"I am the girl. That means I am right, even when I am wrong. Get used to it."

"I am already." Aang blushed. He was always in over his head when it came to Toph.

"Okay, your turn."

"My turn?"

"Yeah, pick a person walking by and make a joke about them." Toph pointed causally towards a middle-aged woman walking with a dog, a poodle with a pink collar, a fancy hair cut and a leash covered in sparkly gems. "That one. Be judgmental."

"I think…that she…is old."

"Wow. That was brutal twinkle toes." Toph yawned. "I bet she spent more money on that dog this year than she did on her wardrobe. Don't you hate that? People who pay way too much attention to their dogs?"

"I have a dog."

"Yeah, but you treat it like a dog. Not like your child or some kind of trophy."

"Well, maybe she isn't like that. You don't even know her."

"God, you are so bad at this. The point is to make mean spirited jokes. Or guess what their story is."

"Story?"

"Yeah. Everyone's got a story. Sometimes you can tell just by looking at someone, but sometimes you get to make stuff up."

"That sounds kind of fun."

"Yeah, so wing it airhead."

"Okay." Aang looked around for someone else to pass by. He saw a guy in his mid-twenties pass by walking briskly, in a hurry. "That guy…has to go home…because he has had a long day...and is looking forward to taking it easy for the rest of the night."

Toph glared at him and shook her head. "God dammit Aang. You're lucky you're good looking."

"I'm not good at being mean. Or storytelling."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"You think I am good looking?"

A police car drove by with its sirens blaring loudly. They must have been going fifty. Toph's story-telling ability took off just as fast. "That cop is on the way to a domestic disturbance. A man yelled at his wife and made her angry. But little did he know that his wife was actually the chosen one! One insult here, another there, BOOM! Husband goes right through the window as his wife transforms into Melon-Lord!"

"Ugh, again with Melon Lord?"

"Now the police have to calm the wife down before she fulfills the prophecy and conquers the world!"

"And she's a melon?"

"Not just a melon…Melon Lord!" Toph laughed evilly. "That is how you tell a story."

"Would it be Melon-Lady or something?"

"Silence! Grammar has no power over Melon Lord!"

"Why don't you just tell the stories from now?"

"Fine. But I demand full attention."

"Fine. But no more Melon Lord."

"Mortals do not command Melon Lord, fool!" Toph tackled him and they feel off the wall.

Iroh inhaled the curling wind. He and was happy to be alive in such a peaceful town after such a hard life. Drifting in his own world, he could hear the wind playing music as the breeze tickled his ears. Gratefulness filled his heart like a river overflowing after a rainstorm. Life was good.

"Ah! Toph, get off!"

Iroh heard laughter and looked over to the broken down wall on the other side of the open field. He recognized that small, young girl laying on top of next to…someone. A tall someone and young like her. He had his arm wrapped around her waist, despite saying that he wanted her off. She rested her skinny arms on his chest and teased him. Iroh remembered her and the boy she mentioned. He remembered what it was like to be young and in love. And they were in love. He understood. As if nothing else mattered, Iroh simply understood. He kept walking, smiling under his beard.

Life was very good.