Peace or Not (Avatar Roleplay)

"Sometimes," she agreed. She sighed and, closing her eyes, leaned her head against his shoulder. She rather liked the feel of his arm, wrapped around her. "As long as that quiet is mixed up with some adventure ever so often, of course."

"Of course. Wouldn't want you to get bored," he teased her, idly playing with the strand of hair that covered one of her eyes. He grinned, "I just like to plan adventures instead of being ambushed by ones."

She chuckled. "You do have bad luck sometimes, don't you?" she said. "Well, think of it this way. Maybe it just means you're born to adventure. You don't even have to look for it. It always comes to you!"

Toph did not know what to think of his playing with her hair. She hated it when Katara, or any other girl, did it. Thankfully, Sokka was not making a big deal of it, and the close, almost intimate, contact made her feel unusually warm.

"Yeah, lucky me," Sokka told her sarcastically, "I just love to be attacked whenever I turn around."

He grinned a little, "Still, better than the Earth King's parties."

"True. But that's not saying much." Toph brought one of her arms up to wrap it around the arm he had around her. "Those were pretty much a bust when we got kidnapped and dragged into a creepy library."

Sokka smiled. It felt right, natural really, for them to be like this and still talking and teasing each other.

"That was scary. I was surprised the books didn't stand up and try to devour our souls," Sokka told her.

"We're lucky that didn't happen, since the guy in a dress could have had us brainwashed, or whatever, for just being in the way."

She meant, of course, Long Feng. Toph wondered what had happened to the jerk. Not that she cared, but she did not much like the idea of him being free after all he had done. Same with the Dai Li agents.

Still, she had already shown she could kick their butts.

"That guy is just creepy. I hope he got what was coming for him," Sokka told her with a frown, shivering a little. Brainwashing people just wasn't right. At least the Fire Nation was honest during the war.

"I'm surprised the Dai Li was so powerful. They weren't very good earthbenders," Sokka pointed out. To be fair, he was comparing them to Toph and Aang, but the Dai Li agents seemed to be depended on their gloves for some reason.

"You'll be surprised by what fear and not knowing will do to people," said Toph. "Maybe they weren't as good as me or Twinkle Toes, but they had that stealth thing going on. They had a right to stalk people. That's what's creepy."

She laughed.

"No big deal though, right? I beat ever single one of those losers that came up against me."

"Yeah, yeah, you're awesome," Sokka told her, as though he had been forced to say it many times before.

He grinned a little, "I can't see them surviving now that they're not welcome in Ba Sing Se, though. They seem to need dark alleys in cities to live."

"Probably."

Toph hoped that was the case. After their fall from grace, the Dai Li was pretty much universally hated, especially in the Earth Kingdom. There were rumors someone had unified the band again, but that was all they were at the moment: rumors.

"What do you plan on doing after all this partying?" she asked. "Going to look for your space-sword and boomerang?"

"Pretty much," Sokka told her with a shrug, "Maybe I'll take up traveling a bit. It gets kind of boring in the South Pole. Besides, Katara gets to see the world."

"You should too, then. You'll need to know what's going on around you, since you're basically next in line to be chief down on that glacier," she said. She grinned and ground a fist into his arm. "Count me in. I'll keep you company, if you want."

Sokka grimaced at her show of "affection", but smiled a little when he heard that she would come. He nodded, "I'd like that. Who else is going to make sure that my schedule is never followed?"

"I live to please," she said, laughing. "Okay then, it's settled. As soon as all this is over, we set out for wherever, and have some fun." She was glad he had agreed to let her come.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Sokka admitted, chuckling a little. He was glad Toph was coming. Traveling wasn't nearly as fun without someone to enjoy it with.

"Good," she said. She leaned her head back on his shoulder and relaxed, just enjoying the moment. It was nice spending time with him, whether they were bantering or not. "Me neither."

Sokka grinned, choosing to remain silent. He wasn't stupid. He knew a moment when he saw one. He gripped her tightly and closed his eyes, feeling rather tired from the late parties and excitement of that morning.

She liked the companionable silence they now shared. They did not have to talk or tease or banter to enjoy each other; sometimes, moments like these were just as special, if not more so. She made herself comfortable, her eyes closed as she leaned against him.

"This is nice," Sokka murmured sleepily. It was nice. No one was looking for them and they were definitely together now. Plus, he felt rather comfortable in this position. Nothing really needed to be said.

"Ok," Shizuka echoed, staring at Suki like she didn't understand. "Everything is fine. I'm just...tired. Performing always wears me out."

"Uh-huh," she murmured.

She was already half-asleep. She was that much at ease. After last night, it was wonderful to be able to hear his heartbeat thumping through her arm and into the rest of her body. He was with her; this was real. She could make fun of him later. Right now, she was very much content with just resting and relaxing with him.

(Time-skip, now?)

Suki nodded, unconvinced. She had seen that look on many people throughout her life. She would talk when she's ready, she decided. Maybe not with Suki herself, but to someone.

*

Sokka grinned and felt himself drift to sleep. It would prove to be the most relaxing nap he ever had.

(Time skip is cool with me.)

OOC: Me too.