CH 15 | Yu Dao Yammer

Katara sat cross-legged, tea in one hand and mouse in the other as she scrolled through her registration notices. She was annoyed to be waitlisted on intensive labs AND vertebrate taphonomy though neither class was at capacity. Apparently, Yu Dao Tech instituted a "Citizen Preference" registry where high-demand classes waitlisted non-citizens until Fire Nation students had their full pick.

The idea, Katara assumed, was to attract and retain students from the Fire Nation itself by privileging them, lest they lose prospective talent to other schools like Ba Sing Se University. The reality, however, was that this and the many other policies creeping their way into the city were eroding whatever shreds of equity were left from when Yu Dao was first colonized.

Haru was right. Something needed to be done to limit the divide between citizen privileges and colonized limitations.

"Kataraaaaaaaa" Sokka called from upstairs, sounding frustrated. She glanced around before answering. Momo was sleeping on the beanbag chair, and Toph was still asleep. "If you're about to ask me to bring you food, you're going to have a bad time." She warned her brother.

But Sokka was already making his way down to her, face glued to his phone. "You're in the news." He said, panning the screen over to her. "Wait, what?" she muttered, confused.

Sokka had been scrolling through a post group titled "Yu Dao Yammer" which she assumed was related to the school. The post had a picture of she and Aang at the silent disco, with Azula preparing to storm between them.

The photo was intimate enough that it made Katara blush; the way both their eyes were heavy lidded and with matching grins as they leaned nose-to-nose made one feel as though they were spying on something private. Looking at his hands on her waist and remembering how it felt when he clasped her tight to him made her insides flutter.

The title of the post: "Out on the Dance Floor and Into His DMs: Who is the Mysterious Transfer Stealing Princess Azula's Beau?"

Katara briefly skimmed the article which in so many words, painted her as a windward homewrecker of the happy couple. She was unable to shake the title, though. "Wait…was anyone going to tell me that Azula is the Fire Princess!?"

"Have you been living under a rock?" Sokka asked, knocking against the top of her head. Then he said in a lower mutter "this is bad. Why'd you have to get all handsy with Aang literally hours after you met him!? C'mon, Katara that isn't like you!"

Katara had to admit, she wasn't enthused to be on social media in a post that looked like it was picking up steam by the minute. Yet, she resented Sokka's outburst even more. "First of all, we just danced! That hardly qualifies as handsy!" Sokka rolled his eyes, preparing to retort before she cut him off. "—and secondly, you're right! It's NOT like me. I'm not…I haven't felt like…there's just this connection, you know? He's special. I can tell."

"Guhh!" Sokka smacked his forehead in frustration. He looked over at his baby sister whose eyes twinkled with unrepentant affection. He thought of the Aang he had met two years ago, when they dormed together at the start of college:

Aang hanging out an entire online team in a multiplayer game to dry while he and another player (who he'd never met) talked through an existential crisis over headset.

Aang making a headdress and fake mustache out of bison fur and insisting on wearing it to a reputable party.

Aang shamelessly using airbending to win a fart contest.

Discovering half a dozen baby turtle ducks in the bathtub that Aang had stolen from a shop front in the wet market. "They were selling them for food!" he sobbed.

Aang gleefully forcing Sokka to try onion-banana hooch that he'd attempted to brew in a coffee can under his bed. They'd spent the next three days vomiting.

"Yeah. He's reaaaaal special…" Sokka deadpanned, sarcastically. Katara crossed her arms in front of her, confused. She wanted to be mad at Sokka for not telling her about Azula, but the other part of her knew that it wouldn't have mattered. The feelings were there the minute they'd made eye contact, it hadn't been a choice on her part and that was something she'd never experienced before.

"What is she…Azula. What is she to him?" she asked Sokka quietly. Sokka sighed deeply and sank into the chair next to her. "It's complicated…honestly, I've never gotten a full answer out of him, and it isn't for lack of trying…he's told me that he's known her since they were kids but has never explained how. She's a princess of the Fire Nation and the heir to the throne that massacred the Air Nomads…I have a hard time seeing her visiting the southern temple, or him wandering around Caldera City, but when I've asked him, he's always said that they just ran into each other…"

Katara hugged her knees to her chest. "Is he in love with her?"

Sokka's eyes narrowed as he regarded his sister. "No. But it's just like…she keeps him on this string somehow. She's a stone-cold bitch who will walk up to us and pull him away and he just…goes. He'll come back with bruises and burns like she beat the crap out of him and then he'll turn around and make her soup when she's sick. Part of it is just Aang's nature—I think that he behaves that way with anyone he cares for…" Katara blushed deeply at this admission. "But its clear that he's compelled to take care of her even though she's abusive and they aren't dating."

Sokka pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose, a headache forming. "I knew you guys would hit it off. He's tall and tattooed and a complete idiot—your type…" "HEY!" Katara retorted, not sure if she was offended for herself or Aang. Probably both?

"And you're all oogie about animals, and you know…I guess you're pretty in a certain light." Sokka continued, waving his hand dismissively. "HEY!" Katara said again, summoning a threatening water whip from her cup.

"Listen, you're my sister. I'm trying not to think too hard about how he probably sees you, but it's not like you're the only one that's noticed him. He practically has a fan club on campus, but he pretty much turns everyone down unilaterally. I've seen the like…two girls he's actually responded to, and we've been roommates for two years- guys share…. material. You're his type, that's all I'm going to say," Sokka shuddered and Katara blushed deeply.

"Just. Be careful. I'm not your keeper and I'm not going to get all possessive-older-brother on you. I just know that on the rare occasion Aang has shown an interest, Azula shows up and everyone gets burned. Figuratively and literally. I don't think you want to go toe-to-toe with the Fire Nation princess."

Katara thought about how Aang looked before and then after the carnival—how Azula had clearly rung his bell just for dancing with her, and it filled her with yet another previously unexperienced emotion—jealous anger.

"I kind of do want to go toe-to-toe with her…" she said, nostrils flaring. "I don't think she's met someone who could kick her ass up and down the street. I don't think she's met someone like me yet."