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The First Probenders
A draft of my first Avatar fanfic so far:
It was around mid-day when a Fire Nation war balloon was spotted drifting over Yue Bay. Over a decade ago, this sight would have inspired panic and fear. The first sign of the latest attack in a seemingly endless war. But the world had changed so much since then. Now, the sighting of such a balloon was a mere novelty to the citizens of Republic City who watched alongside the bay. And to a select few, it meant something more specific: that the Fire Lord was trying to be discreet in making a personal visit to the city he had helped to found.
Fire Lord Zuko opted out of a more luxurious entrance or one with any bodyguards at all. Nostalgia may have guided his hand as well; since this was a similar model to the balloon he used to find the Avatar at the Western Air Temple back during the war, to join his cause. He brought the balloon down to a landing near the docks and stepped out to take in the Republic City air. He was dressed in light armor, with several satchels and no less than three sheathed swords on his person. No sensational capes or absurd headwear today. His hair had grown longer; and his scar remained on his face, no longer seeming like an object of shame but rather as a badge of everything that the Fire Lord had endured to come this far. He breathed sharply through his nose, so that he could enjoy his last moments of privacy. A privacy which was very quickly shattered by a familiar voice.
"Leave it to the Jerk Lord to show up in a war balloon," Sokka said, leaning against a pile of crates while he picked at his teeth with a boomerang. The years had molded the scrappy youth into the model image of a Water Tribe warrior. He proudly sported a wolf-tail, accompanied by the small root of a beard on his chin. His attire consisted of sleeveless Water Tribe tunic with matching slacks and fur-lined boots. A large belt stood out as a symbol of his status, and he had two swords of his own sheathed on his person. Sokka had height and leanness to match Zuko, which became evident once he stood up to give him a more proper greeting. The self-confident smile of his youth pervaded once more as he flipped the boomerang around idly in his hands and approached Zuko. "Y'know, I don't get why you still call them war balloons. It's kind of unnecessary when you're just using them to ride around the world these days. Why not just call them... peace balloons?"
Zuko sighed, but a weary smile was tugging at his lips. "Nice to see you too, Sokka." He clasped his hands together to give a formal Fire Nation bow.
"Yeah, yeah. Flameo and all that," Sokka replied as he mimicked the bow. "I'll leave the mushy stuff for the others."
"I knew there was a reason we got along." The Fire Lord gave a more evident smile as Sokka began to lead him through an alley to the nearby sidewalk.
"So. Mr. Fire Lord. How's the whole, uh... Fire Lord business going for you?"
Zuko was distracted for a moment as they stepped along the sidewalk, being caught up in the splendor of the city he had not seen in years. He then gazed absentmindedly towards Sokka as he considered the question. "It's been busy. Nothing has been more difficult than my first year on the throne, but I've had to put a lot of effort into building up this United Republic and merging the fleets together. But no doubt you've heard a lot of this already, with your dad providing military counsel."
"I've heard loads, but he tends to focus on giving me the stories that have punchlines." Sokka shrugs in the air. His dad was having too much fun with having primarily good news to deliver for a change. "But I gotta say, I still have some doubts about the commander you've chosen."
"We all did, initially," Zuko said as he shook his head. "But he passed extensive psychological testing and proved that he had developed adequate leadership skills after years of being a follower. Otherwise, we wouldn't have named him Commander Longshot."
Is that really his name? was the sarcastic response which Sokka thought but figured he was better off not saying. "That does sound like a lot of hard work. But I still don't see how you felt like going so long without visiting."
Zuko's expression turned more serious. "It wasn't until recently that I felt comfortable leaving the Fire Nation. I've had various personal issues to deal with as well."
"Oh. Right." A shadow came over Sokka's face. "How is your uncle?"
"Things looked tough for a while there." And a fonder smile crossed Zuko's face. "But he's been showing lots of improvement. They think he might be able to return to his tea shop in another month."
"He'd be really welcome. You have no idea how crummy a lot of the Ba Sing Se tea shops can be. I don't get it. How do you mess up hot leaf juice?"
Zuko nods. He gets exactly what he's talking about. "I doubt you'll have to wait long. Things are really looking up lately."
Sokka took this opportunity to smile wryly. "Things are looking up, huh? Speaking of which... How are things going with Mai?"
The Fire Lord responded with a scoff, and he tried to contain most of his sentence within that scoff. "None of your business."
"Are those wedding bells I hear?" he snarked back. This time, Zuko gave only an angry grunt - which, from him, could really mean either option. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Enough about me!" said Zuko, a bit too quickly. He then spoke in a calmer voice, "What's it been like for you, Sokka? Being a councilman in my city and all."
"Oh, you know. Politics. It has its ups, it has its down. A lot of it's boring. But on the weekends? I take my guys out on hunting trips." He took a moment to let it sink in and then added smugly, "That's right, Zuko. I have guys now."
"Aang and I don't count?"
"Zuko, you weren't with us for long, but even you should have been able to see we had only two guys. And they were me and Toph."
"Hey!" Zuko barked as he turned to face Sokka again. But instead of looking back at Zuko, Sokka's gaze was briefly captivated by a collection of handbags on display in a store window.
"Nice color..." he muttered to himself before taking in Zuko's angry expression. "Calm down! You're a very manly Firebender, sure! But not many can match up to Toph Beifong. Just try saying that you're manlier to her now. I'm pretty sure she's made it so she can arrest you for that."
Zuko growled slightly to himself, but he let it go. "Speaking of Toph, where is everyone?"
Sokka came to a stop outside of a cafe. "They should be arriving soon. I told them to come here at 3 o'candle sharp. But everyone's so busy these days, they take it as excuses to be late all the time. I know Aang went to meet Katara at the clinic. They should be back any minute now."
"Sokka, give it to me straight. Are those two as insufferable as usual?"
"Can't say for sure." Sokka gave a shrug with closed eyes. "I think years of constant exposure might have given me oogies immunity. But... yeah. I guess you could say they've toned it down."
As if on cue, two figures came skipping down the sidewalk from the opposite direction, broadly grinning with hands linked and a flying lemur running back and forth between the two arms. And they were loudly singing together, "Secret tunnel... secret tunnel! Through the mountains... secret secret secret secret tunnel!" The two figures then broke into laughter, coming to a stop several feet away from Sokka and Zuko. Sokka merely shot Zuko a look which seemed to communicate What're ya gonna do.
Zuko was already pinching his nose as they came to a stop several feet away, taking in the sight of the scarred man whom they hadn't seen in years. Aang was still as bald and tattooed as ever, but he had grown to a remarkable height, now able to see right over Zuko's scar along with the rest of his head. And a beard lined his face, while he wore a typical red-and-yellow air nomad ensemble. And Katara was wearing her own type of Water Tribe dress, with several mixes of blues, a belt and some fur linings. Parts of her hair were braided into the classic "air hoopie" look, but the back of her hair was allowed to grow freely, nearing her waist. Both of them were staring at Zuko blankly.
Sokka looked back and forth between the three and counted down with a dull expression on his face. "3, 2, 1..."
Their faces both brightened up on cue, as they exclaimed "Zuko!". They kept their arms linked and hurried forward to wrap their arms around Zuko. He was like a deer-cat in the headlights at first, as he tried to nudge his cheek away from the itching force of Aang's beard. When did he get so tall?. After a moment of akwardly accepting the hug, he was able to dislodge his arms enough to return it, wrapping one arm around each friend's shoulder. And Momo, now closer in size to a small cat, scrambled up the Fire Lord's arm to his head, where he performed a pose that he considered to be the imitation of a crown.
"There! What'd I tell ya? Mushy stuff?" Sokka laughed to the side.
"Flameo, Hot-Lord!" Aang exclaimed in a voice that still carried an air of childlike mirth.
Katara both giggled and rolled her eyes at Aang's greeting, opting to state more plainly, "Hey, Zuko."
"Aang. Katara." He uttered their names with an odd mix of formality and warmth. Despite his reluctance, he couldn't help to speak earnestly, "It's good to see you all."
"Flameo, Hot-Lord!" Aang exclaimed in a voice that still carried an air of childlike mirth.
Katara both giggled and rolled her eyes at Aang's greeting, opting to state more plainly, "Hey, Zuko."
"Aang. Katara." He uttered their names with an odd mix of formality and warmth. Despite his reluctance, he couldn't help to speak earnestly, "It's good to see you all."
"It's even gooder to see you!" Aang said eagerly, increasing his squeeze on both Zuko and Katara.
"How have you been?" added Katara, accepting the challenge to increease her own squeeze.
"I think it can mostly be summed up as 'Okay'," Sokka said confidently by the sidelines. "And as someone who's been in his position too many times before, I think now might be a good time to let him breathe."
Both of them chuckled as they slowly released his hold on Zuko. Zuko then took a deep breath as he regained his bearings. "Sokka summed it up alright. Uncle's feeling better, and the Fire Nation has been doing well." Then in a lower voice, "And yes, Mai is well, too." He allowed a grin to cross his face. "At least I won't have to expect this greeting from Toph."
And Sokka nodded along. "You're right. You've got the worst of it from those two. But I can't make any promises about Suki. As hard as I've tried, she just can't help but be a hugger." He threw his arms down in defeat.
"I don't know what's taking them so long," said Katara as she glanced around uncertainly. A best friend being chief of police was fairly nerve-wracking - although both less and moreso when that friend is Toph Beifong.
"Well, while we're waiting, I'm curious what you two have been up," said Zuko in a cordial manner. "Aside from, you know... that." He awkwardly pointed at their interlocked hands.
"But that's the sweetest part!" Aang objected. "Aside from that... I've mostly been doing, you know, Avatar stuff. Helping to take care of the city and making sure it gets the most balanced laws."
[MORE TO COME FOR THIS SCENE]
***
There was some period of relaxation at the cafe, where they all had tea that was missing a certain warmth. There were stories from all of them, accompanied by laughter, for about half an hour. And Zuko began to feel like he had never left. And sure enough, once she came, her arrival was obvious.
"Up and at 'em, dunderheads!" cried the voice of Toph Beifong, as she stood silhouetted in the doorway of the cafe. She was still the shortest of the group, but her commanding presence always had a way of making her looking bigger than anyone else. And she was garbed in special armor, that of a metalbender, that only added to her intimidation. Her bare toes flexed menacingly. At her side was Suki, who opted to sheepishly wave. Closer to Katara's size, Suki was garved in casual green Earth Tribe clothing, with her reddish hair currently done up. And she was towing a large box with uncertain contents.
All of them were startled in some way, but they rose to their feet to greet her. Toph smirked for a moment, taking in their admiration, before pointing directly at Zuko. "Look who decided to show up! About time, Sparky. Afraid of how easily I can kick your firebending butt?"
Suki added a simple, "Hi, Zuko!"
"Hey, Toph, Hey Su-" Then Suki was embracing the Fire Lord in a tight hug, while Sokka gave another knowing smile. "Hey Suki."
Aang looked around at all of them with a broad grin. "Everyone's here now! Finally, the whole group's back together!"
"How was work, Toph?" said Katara as she greeted Toph with a hug, one which the latter only slightly resisted.
"Eh, boring as usual for the most part. Some idiots think they can defy my law and get a way with it, then I show them how wrong they are." She shrugged. "Same story every day. But at least today had some neat surprise." Without warning, she then raised her arm and released a metal cable which wrapped around a freshly-prepared cup of tea from the counter and pulled it back, the wire intentionally just narrowly missing a startled Sokka.
"Really? What is it?"
"I love surprises!" chimed in Aang, slapping one hand each on Katara and Toph's shoulders.
"Story time already? Well... show them Suki." Toph said as she looked towards Suki. Suki nodded and rested the box on a nearby empty table, opening it to reveal a familiar-looking championship belt. "You guys remember Earth Rumble right? Of course you do, you're all sentimental dweebs and it's where half of you met me. Anyway, I haven't been able to show any of them how awesome I am for the last few years, ever since I started this gig. Not like I miss it or anything, but being a champion's not the exact kind of praise I get here all the time. The thing is, it just shut down this month after one last championship. I couldn't make it... but it looks like someone remembered me."
Suki held up a letter that came with the belt. "I had to read this for Toph. I guess he forgot she was blind. He says in the letter that even though he won the championship, he'll never forget how easily Toph beat him so long ago and wouldn't feel right holding onto the last championship belt. She's the one who really earned it, so she deserves it."
"Who knew The Boulder was such a softy?"
"Oh right," Sokka said with a sunken expression. "I just got the letter from The Boulder fanclub the other day. Poor guy's finally retiring. I was going to ask you about that. But... he wouldn't happen to have signed that letter, did he?" Suki sighed and handed Sokka the letter, as glee crossed his face. He gave shrill squeal. "Yes, free autograph!"
It was around mid-day when a Fire Nation war balloon was spotted drifting over Yue Bay. Over a decade ago, this sight would have inspired panic and fear. The first sign of the latest attack in a seemingly endless war. But the world had changed so much since then. Now, the sighting of such a balloon was a mere novelty to the citizens of Republic City who watched alongside the bay. And to a select few, it meant something more specific: that the Fire Lord was trying to be discreet in making a personal visit to the city he had helped to found.
Fire Lord Zuko opted out of a more luxurious entrance or one with any bodyguards at all. Nostalgia may have guided his hand as well; since this was a similar model to the balloon he used to find the Avatar at the Western Air Temple back during the war, to join his cause. He brought the balloon down to a landing near the docks and stepped out to take in the Republic City air. He was dressed in light armor, with several satchels and no less than three sheathed swords on his person. No sensational capes or absurd headwear today. His hair had grown longer; and his scar remained on his face, no longer seeming like an object of shame but rather as a badge of everything that the Fire Lord had endured to come this far. He breathed sharply through his nose, so that he could enjoy his last moments of privacy. A privacy which was very quickly shattered by a familiar voice.
"Leave it to the Jerk Lord to show up in a war balloon," Sokka said, leaning against a pile of crates while he picked at his teeth with a boomerang. The years had molded the scrappy youth into the model image of a Water Tribe warrior. He proudly sported a wolf-tail, accompanied by the small root of a beard on his chin. His attire consisted of sleeveless Water Tribe tunic with matching slacks and fur-lined boots. A large belt stood out as a symbol of his status, and he had two swords of his own sheathed on his person. Sokka had height and leanness to match Zuko, which became evident once he stood up to give him a more proper greeting. The self-confident smile of his youth pervaded once more as he flipped the boomerang around idly in his hands and approached Zuko. "Y'know, I don't get why you still call them war balloons. It's kind of unnecessary when you're just using them to ride around the world these days. Why not just call them... peace balloons?"
Zuko sighed, but a weary smile was tugging at his lips. "Nice to see you too, Sokka." He clasped his hands together to give a formal Fire Nation bow.
"Yeah, yeah. Flameo and all that," Sokka replied as he mimicked the bow. "I'll leave the mushy stuff for the others."
"I knew there was a reason we got along." The Fire Lord gave a more evident smile as Sokka began to lead him through an alley to the nearby sidewalk.
"So. Mr. Fire Lord. How's the whole, uh... Fire Lord business going for you?"
Zuko was distracted for a moment as they stepped along the sidewalk, being caught up in the splendor of the city he had not seen in years. He then gazed absentmindedly towards Sokka as he considered the question. "It's been busy. Nothing has been more difficult than my first year on the throne, but I've had to put a lot of effort into building up this United Republic and merging the fleets together. But no doubt you've heard a lot of this already, with your dad providing military counsel."
"I've heard loads, but he tends to focus on giving me the stories that have punchlines." Sokka shrugs in the air. His dad was having too much fun with having primarily good news to deliver for a change. "But I gotta say, I still have some doubts about the commander you've chosen."
"We all did, initially," Zuko said as he shook his head. "But he passed extensive psychological testing and proved that he had developed adequate leadership skills after years of being a follower. Otherwise, we wouldn't have named him Commander Longshot."
Is that really his name? was the sarcastic response which Sokka thought but figured he was better off not saying. "That does sound like a lot of hard work. But I still don't see how you felt like going so long without visiting."
Zuko's expression turned more serious. "It wasn't until recently that I felt comfortable leaving the Fire Nation. I've had various personal issues to deal with as well."
"Oh. Right." A shadow came over Sokka's face. "How is your uncle?"
"Things looked tough for a while there." And a fonder smile crossed Zuko's face. "But he's been showing lots of improvement. They think he might be able to return to his tea shop in another month."
"He'd be really welcome. You have no idea how crummy a lot of the Ba Sing Se tea shops can be. I don't get it. How do you mess up hot leaf juice?"
Zuko nods. He gets exactly what he's talking about. "I doubt you'll have to wait long. Things are really looking up lately."
Sokka took this opportunity to smile wryly. "Things are looking up, huh? Speaking of which... How are things going with Mai?"
The Fire Lord responded with a scoff, and he tried to contain most of his sentence within that scoff. "None of your business."
"Are those wedding bells I hear?" he snarked back. This time, Zuko gave only an angry grunt - which, from him, could really mean either option. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Enough about me!" said Zuko, a bit too quickly. He then spoke in a calmer voice, "What's it been like for you, Sokka? Being a councilman in my city and all."
"Oh, you know. Politics. It has its ups, it has its down. A lot of it's boring. But on the weekends? I take my guys out on hunting trips." He took a moment to let it sink in and then added smugly, "That's right, Zuko. I have guys now."
"Aang and I don't count?"
"Zuko, you weren't with us for long, but even you should have been able to see we had only two guys. And they were me and Toph."
"Hey!" Zuko barked as he turned to face Sokka again. But instead of looking back at Zuko, Sokka's gaze was briefly captivated by a collection of handbags on display in a store window.
"Nice color..." he muttered to himself before taking in Zuko's angry expression. "Calm down! You're a very manly Firebender, sure! But not many can match up to Toph Beifong. Just try saying that you're manlier to her now. I'm pretty sure she's made it so she can arrest you for that."
Zuko growled slightly to himself, but he let it go. "Speaking of Toph, where is everyone?"
Sokka came to a stop outside of a cafe. "They should be arriving soon. I told them to come here at 3 o'candle sharp. But everyone's so busy these days, they take it as excuses to be late all the time. I know Aang went to meet Katara at the clinic. They should be back any minute now."
"Sokka, give it to me straight. Are those two as insufferable as usual?"
"Can't say for sure." Sokka gave a shrug with closed eyes. "I think years of constant exposure might have given me oogies immunity. But... yeah. I guess you could say they've toned it down."
As if on cue, two figures came skipping down the sidewalk from the opposite direction, broadly grinning with hands linked and a flying lemur running back and forth between the two arms. And they were loudly singing together, "Secret tunnel... secret tunnel! Through the mountains... secret secret secret secret tunnel!" The two figures then broke into laughter, coming to a stop several feet away from Sokka and Zuko. Sokka merely shot Zuko a look which seemed to communicate What're ya gonna do.
Zuko was already pinching his nose as they came to a stop several feet away, taking in the sight of the scarred man whom they hadn't seen in years. Aang was still as bald and tattooed as ever, but he had grown to a remarkable height, now able to see right over Zuko's scar along with the rest of his head. And a beard lined his face, while he wore a typical red-and-yellow air nomad ensemble. And Katara was wearing her own type of Water Tribe dress, with several mixes of blues, a belt and some fur linings. Parts of her hair were braided into the classic "air hoopie" look, but the back of her hair was allowed to grow freely, nearing her waist. Both of them were staring at Zuko blankly.
Sokka looked back and forth between the three and counted down with a dull expression on his face. "3, 2, 1..."
Their faces both brightened up on cue, as they exclaimed "Zuko!". They kept their arms linked and hurried forward to wrap their arms around Zuko. He was like a deer-cat in the headlights at first, as he tried to nudge his cheek away from the itching force of Aang's beard. When did he get so tall?. After a moment of akwardly accepting the hug, he was able to dislodge his arms enough to return it, wrapping one arm around each friend's shoulder. And Momo, now closer in size to a small cat, scrambled up the Fire Lord's arm to his head, where he performed a pose that he considered to be the imitation of a crown.
"There! What'd I tell ya? Mushy stuff?" Sokka laughed to the side.
"Flameo, Hot-Lord!" Aang exclaimed in a voice that still carried an air of childlike mirth.
Katara both giggled and rolled her eyes at Aang's greeting, opting to state more plainly, "Hey, Zuko."
"Aang. Katara." He uttered their names with an odd mix of formality and warmth. Despite his reluctance, he couldn't help to speak earnestly, "It's good to see you all."
"Flameo, Hot-Lord!" Aang exclaimed in a voice that still carried an air of childlike mirth.
Katara both giggled and rolled her eyes at Aang's greeting, opting to state more plainly, "Hey, Zuko."
"Aang. Katara." He uttered their names with an odd mix of formality and warmth. Despite his reluctance, he couldn't help to speak earnestly, "It's good to see you all."
"It's even gooder to see you!" Aang said eagerly, increasing his squeeze on both Zuko and Katara.
"How have you been?" added Katara, accepting the challenge to increease her own squeeze.
"I think it can mostly be summed up as 'Okay'," Sokka said confidently by the sidelines. "And as someone who's been in his position too many times before, I think now might be a good time to let him breathe."
Both of them chuckled as they slowly released his hold on Zuko. Zuko then took a deep breath as he regained his bearings. "Sokka summed it up alright. Uncle's feeling better, and the Fire Nation has been doing well." Then in a lower voice, "And yes, Mai is well, too." He allowed a grin to cross his face. "At least I won't have to expect this greeting from Toph."
And Sokka nodded along. "You're right. You've got the worst of it from those two. But I can't make any promises about Suki. As hard as I've tried, she just can't help but be a hugger." He threw his arms down in defeat.
"I don't know what's taking them so long," said Katara as she glanced around uncertainly. A best friend being chief of police was fairly nerve-wracking - although both less and moreso when that friend is Toph Beifong.
"Well, while we're waiting, I'm curious what you two have been up," said Zuko in a cordial manner. "Aside from, you know... that." He awkwardly pointed at their interlocked hands.
"But that's the sweetest part!" Aang objected. "Aside from that... I've mostly been doing, you know, Avatar stuff. Helping to take care of the city and making sure it gets the most balanced laws."
[MORE TO COME FOR THIS SCENE]
***
There was some period of relaxation at the cafe, where they all had tea that was missing a certain warmth. There were stories from all of them, accompanied by laughter, for about half an hour. And Zuko began to feel like he had never left. And sure enough, once she came, her arrival was obvious.
"Up and at 'em, dunderheads!" cried the voice of Toph Beifong, as she stood silhouetted in the doorway of the cafe. She was still the shortest of the group, but her commanding presence always had a way of making her looking bigger than anyone else. And she was garbed in special armor, that of a metalbender, that only added to her intimidation. Her bare toes flexed menacingly. At her side was Suki, who opted to sheepishly wave. Closer to Katara's size, Suki was garved in casual green Earth Tribe clothing, with her reddish hair currently done up. And she was towing a large box with uncertain contents.
All of them were startled in some way, but they rose to their feet to greet her. Toph smirked for a moment, taking in their admiration, before pointing directly at Zuko. "Look who decided to show up! About time, Sparky. Afraid of how easily I can kick your firebending butt?"
Suki added a simple, "Hi, Zuko!"
"Hey, Toph, Hey Su-" Then Suki was embracing the Fire Lord in a tight hug, while Sokka gave another knowing smile. "Hey Suki."
Aang looked around at all of them with a broad grin. "Everyone's here now! Finally, the whole group's back together!"
"How was work, Toph?" said Katara as she greeted Toph with a hug, one which the latter only slightly resisted.
"Eh, boring as usual for the most part. Some idiots think they can defy my law and get a way with it, then I show them how wrong they are." She shrugged. "Same story every day. But at least today had some neat surprise." Without warning, she then raised her arm and released a metal cable which wrapped around a freshly-prepared cup of tea from the counter and pulled it back, the wire intentionally just narrowly missing a startled Sokka.
"Really? What is it?"
"I love surprises!" chimed in Aang, slapping one hand each on Katara and Toph's shoulders.
"Story time already? Well... show them Suki." Toph said as she looked towards Suki. Suki nodded and rested the box on a nearby empty table, opening it to reveal a familiar-looking championship belt. "You guys remember Earth Rumble right? Of course you do, you're all sentimental dweebs and it's where half of you met me. Anyway, I haven't been able to show any of them how awesome I am for the last few years, ever since I started this gig. Not like I miss it or anything, but being a champion's not the exact kind of praise I get here all the time. The thing is, it just shut down this month after one last championship. I couldn't make it... but it looks like someone remembered me."
Suki held up a letter that came with the belt. "I had to read this for Toph. I guess he forgot she was blind. He says in the letter that even though he won the championship, he'll never forget how easily Toph beat him so long ago and wouldn't feel right holding onto the last championship belt. She's the one who really earned it, so she deserves it."
"Who knew The Boulder was such a softy?"
"Oh right," Sokka said with a sunken expression. "I just got the letter from The Boulder fanclub the other day. Poor guy's finally retiring. I was going to ask you about that. But... he wouldn't happen to have signed that letter, did he?" Suki sighed and handed Sokka the letter, as glee crossed his face. He gave shrill squeal. "Yes, free autograph!"