[009 // Audio // Locked 57% from Zuko]

[noturmother]

-ey! What the heck--?! [And more garbled noises. it sounds moist over there.] Stupid communicator.. [Durn thing went and splashed her right in the face! She clears her throat in any case, apparently done wiping her mug clean.]

I have a.. hypothetical question for um. The men. Hypothetically speaking. Hypoth-- How do you know when someone likes you?

Comments

[withanokka]

Katara, Katara, Katara.

[He shakes his head forlornly on the other side of the communicator. He knows he should be heading over to her room, but for now he's going to recline on his bed relaaaax.]

Guys take one of two approaches. They either take the head-over-heels approach, where they want to spend every waking moment in your company whether they say it aloud or not. They trip all over themselves to be with you even when they know it's futile, aaaaand go way out of their way to get ridiculous presents that you might not actually need.

[Like Aang. And Hiccup.]

Aaaaand then there're the guys who take what I like to call the Lone Wolf Approach.

[Oooooooh. Mysterious.]

With the Lone Wolf Approach, guys act like they don't like you at all and are kind of aloof. Maybe they pick on you, tease you, punch you in the arm (but not too hard or anything), you know, that sort of thing. Of course, these are the guys who won't ever do anything until you make the first move. They're kinda weird like that. But beneath that hard, icy exterior is either a giant, cuddly Tigerseal pup oooooooooor he has the personality of a rock. Like Hahn.

[Or Toph. Or Jim! Hey, they're kinda perfect for each other, aren't they?]

Take it from a guy who knows.

[noturmother]

[That first one sounds kind of familiar.. But pinning the tail on the donkey for that one is going to take some brain searching. Is she really that oblivious though? Apparently.]

So... It kind of is the same as a girl, in a sense. Some girls get all starry eyed for a cute boy, and some pretend they don't like them so much that it's obvious.

[She scoffs. Oh she's seen that before. Hypocrite.]

[..Oddly, yes. We should play matchmaker.]

[withanokka]

Right, yeah! Except, with girls, I think, normally more pretend to be the first one, whereas guys pretend more to be the second one.

[noturmother]

Something like that, yeah.

[Locked to Katara // 40% Unhackable]

[withanokka]

But you said you needed my help with something, right? I'm on my way.

[Locked to Katara // 40% Unhackable]

[noturmother]

Right! Yeah, I just need you to look at something for me.

[Commentlog]

[withanokka]

[And just after she says this, Sokka's knocking on her door.]

[Commentlog]

[noturmother]

[And she's opening it! What a team. She lets him in, makes sure the door is shut, and turns her back.]

I got.. Bumped into the other day. And it still hurts. So.. Could you take a look for me? I can't really see for myself.

[And honestly? She'd really rather not have to show her brother. But she undoes her top anyway, and drops it down to her waist, arms folded in front of her. There's a huge, mottled bruise, roughly the size of both Katara's fists, just below her left shoulder blade.]

[Commentlog]

[withanokka]

Katara!

[The worry in his voice is tangible, obvious as he stares at the bruise, hesitant to touch it.]

Here, you should... c'mere and sit on the bed, okay?

[Commentlog]

[noturmother]

[She winces at the shout. Does it really look as bad as it feels? Or maybe vice a versa. Either way, she does as she's told, and promptly sits down on the bed, expression both sheepish and a little guilty.

Not that getting pegged with a golf club out of nowhere is really her fault, but.]

[Commentlog]

[withanokka]

[Sokka sits next to her on his knees, staring at the bruising. He'll need some of the balms from his room, just those numbing ointments Hakoda had found-- also known as Neosporin Pain, but how would Sokka know that, his English alphabet is still a bit spotty-- and some gauze and bandages. But first:]

What happened to you? Who attacked you?

[Commentlog]

[noturmother]

[Her nails dig lightly into the skin of her arms, scratching lightly since she can't really pick at her shirt in this instance. He hasn't really said anything, and she's starting to wonder if her entire back is black and blue.]

I don't know who she is.. She had .. red hair, and just came out of nowhere. She said something about a wolf, and attacked me from behind. I didn't even know she was there until I'd been hit.

But.. She ran away as soon as I took my water out. [Which normally didn't happen. Attackers never gave up that easily.]

[Commentlog]

[withanokka]

This place... [He murmurs quietly, distracted. Finally, he speaks again, after a few seconds of tense silence.]

It's not awful, it's just... hold on.

[He traces with back of his hand how long it is on her back, just below the bruise, so he doesn't hurt her.]

Thaaat's about how long it is, and it's not much taller. It's just... a nasty bruise, more than anything. I'd rather try and put something on it, though, it looks like it hurts.

[Commentlog]

[noturmother]

[Another few uncomfortable minutes of silence. She hates making him worry, but she's not going to lie to him either. At least not about something like this. But she cringes when she finds out just how big it was.]

I thought it'd be bigger. It.. doesn't hurt that bad. Not unless I bump it on something.

[Commentlog]

[withanokka]

That's still no good.

[He pats her lightly on the shoulder, avoiding the bruise entirely.]

Wait here, I'm gonna go get some stuff from my room, okay? I've got some stuff I think might work on it to kill some of the pain. Any pain at all is too much, in my opinion.

[Commentlog]

[noturmother]

[He raises a good point. So she nods and waits like a good girl.]