Fortune Favors
[Sokka has only agreed to this as a favor. A favor, he keeps reminding himself. "An act of kindness beyond what is due or usual," according to the Google dictionary.]
[Several days previous, Barnaby Smelton (a particularly unpleasant man with more than his share of extra ear hair) had begged the favor from Sokka, and since it was a favor for a very influential, hush-hush mutual acquaintance, Sokka had felt he was in no position to refuse; it wasn't every day that someone so impressive asked for a solid, even by proxy. While Barnaby hadn't been the most pleasant-smelling person Sokka had the liberty to chat with, the young man had readily agreed, seeing an opportunity for that favor to be returned down the line.]
[Of course, had he known then what he knows now, Sokka likely would have passed on the offer. Instead, he's standing outside two massive open doors looking totally and utterly displaced and displeased. Inside, the merry attendants of the Harvest Moon Gala mingle, murmuring excitedly about how mere the minutes are until the start.]
[As if the monkey suit (read: spiffy tuxedo) isn't bad enough, the young man's been waiting for his date to arrive for nearly an hour. An hour of awkward hellos, an hour of miserable questions, an hour to wonder if he's really been stood up after spending his hard-earned money to rent a tux, polish his shoes shiny, and take a cab across town. He really took the night off of work for this?]
[Five more minutes. He'll give her five more minutes and if she doesn't show, he's going home.]
[Several days previous, Barnaby Smelton (a particularly unpleasant man with more than his share of extra ear hair) had begged the favor from Sokka, and since it was a favor for a very influential, hush-hush mutual acquaintance, Sokka had felt he was in no position to refuse; it wasn't every day that someone so impressive asked for a solid, even by proxy. While Barnaby hadn't been the most pleasant-smelling person Sokka had the liberty to chat with, the young man had readily agreed, seeing an opportunity for that favor to be returned down the line.]
[Of course, had he known then what he knows now, Sokka likely would have passed on the offer. Instead, he's standing outside two massive open doors looking totally and utterly displaced and displeased. Inside, the merry attendants of the Harvest Moon Gala mingle, murmuring excitedly about how mere the minutes are until the start.]
[As if the monkey suit (read: spiffy tuxedo) isn't bad enough, the young man's been waiting for his date to arrive for nearly an hour. An hour of awkward hellos, an hour of miserable questions, an hour to wonder if he's really been stood up after spending his hard-earned money to rent a tux, polish his shoes shiny, and take a cab across town. He really took the night off of work for this?]
[Five more minutes. He'll give her five more minutes and if she doesn't show, he's going home.]