#sokka and azula's petty highschool rivalry the saga

[comradekatara]

any more hcs on sokka and azula’s “rivalry”?

sokka has been the competition since day one. he’s the only person in this godforsaken den of idiots who can remotely keep up with her trenchant mind. she despises him, naturally. 

every week, zuko hears her rehearse debate strategies on the way to school, and he feels that trademark mix of irritation and concern he feels for her whenever she is doing something particularly on-brand. “i’m going to crush sokka today,” she announces to him proudly. “i’m going to destroy him.” zuko sighs, rolls his eyes, and proclaims, “for the last time, azula, i don’t know who that is!” 

sokka is confused as to why a freshman he doesn’t know approaches him in the halls today to say “i see someone doesn’t seem to care about their so-called perfect attendance record.” and sokka’s really tired so he’s just like, “i was at my girlfriend’s funeral. is that okay with you, random child?? is that allowed???” azula just narrows her eyes and says, “hm. lucky save.” this actually gets sokka to laugh for the first time all week. 

sometimes sokka will complain to katara about the young republican in his debate class. oftentimes katara will complain to sokka about the girl on the team who’s always taunting her for no goddamn reason. they get way more excited than they should the day that they realize that they are talking about the same person. sokka suddenly forgives katara for all those times he had to pick her up from detention for getting into fistfights during practice, because yeah, he’s heard her stance on affirmative action, so perhaps she simply got what she deserved :) 

the first time azula sees zuko talking to sokka in the halls, she is shaken to her core. she knew he was ruthless, a master tactician, but what kind of cruel gambit is this??? she demands that zuko tell her everything they were talking about. zuko’s like “you know that cardigans album ‘first band on the moon’???” and azula, who would never wear nor listen to a cardigan, is just like “what kinda 5D chess is he playing..........” 

azula is desperate to know what sokka got on his SATs. he won’t tell her, because why the fuck would he. it keeps her up at night. eventually he gets sick of her incessant texting, so he blocks her number. she hacks into zuko’s phone and writes, “’Sup, bro? Did you get your SAT results back too? How’d you do?” and sokka just responds, “hi zuko! what a normal question!” and then lets zuko know the next day at school that azula stole his phone.

sokka actually raises his voice one time in debate. it is during a resolution that “colonialism has its benefits, actually.” he manages to stay level while explaining his position, but some kid in the back nods thoughtfully while azula is spouting nonsense, and sokka just points a finger at him and yells, “I SEE YOU NODDING, WHITE BOY.” katara oh so desperately wishes she had been there to witness that glorious moment, but since she’s not a nerd, she doesn’t do debate. 

one lovely summer’s day, azula follows zuko all the way from home, waits a reasonable amount of time, and then just walks past them, lowers her sunglasses and goes, oh so casually, “zuzu? zuzu’s friend? can it really be you? why, whatever are you doing in the park?” zuko just responds flatly, “i thought you said that ‘parks are for vagrants and the poor.’” and azula’s like, “nonsense! i’m meeting mai and ty lee here right now.” sokka says, “but suki just sent me a picture of her with ty lee three minutes ago.” and zuko says, “and mai is babysitting tom tom because their au pair came down with tb.” azula mumbles that actually, she’s talking about someone else, and also what the fuck, do people even still get tb??? and zuko just frowns and says, “but azula, you don’t have any other friends.” she laughs and says, “shows what you know,” and saunters off, a confident stride in her step all the way home. at which point she locks herself in her room and screams into a pillow. meanwhile, at the park, sokka is like, “do people still get tb???” and zuko just shrugs and says, “i don’t know; i just felt like calling her bluff.” 

azula thinks it is most outrageous that sokka is valedictorian considering that he has countless absences from his freshman and sophomore years. ty lee just blinks and tilts her head. “azula, how do you even know that?” she asks, at which point azula casually admits that she has copies of his entire record and all his grades. ty lee is very scared, but wisely does not inform sokka. better to let him live in blissful ignorance, she thinks.

her senior year is very dull without sokka. ty lee suggests that she find another hobby to replace it. azula’s just like “what are you implying????” but they both know ty lee chooses her words very deliberately. azula takes up archery. 

she calls zuko once all year, and it is to inform him that she is going to harvard. he wishes her the best of luck, and then promptly hangs up. at harvard, which is in boston, perhaps you’ve heard of it, she does the engineering and the pre-law track, because if zuko’s going to be every immigrant parents’ worst nightmare by majoring in some humanities bullshit, she may as well make her father twice as proud. (lowkey she is kind of ashamed that she’s not pre-med, but she knows she’d make a better lawyer than doctor.) she refuses to admit that the workload is too much for her until people she doesn’t even know start coming up to her to ask her if she’s okay. 

in her senior year at harvard, she has a ...bit of a mental breakdown. finals are approaching, and the pressure has finally gotten too much for her, and she just cracks. she takes some really shitty scissors, like, those kids’ scissors with the zagged edges, and gives herself “bangs.” she cries in the shower until the water gets so cold she screams. she eats nothing but cheetos for three whole days and she doesn’t even bother to wash her hands. she drunk dials zuko to be like “oh i am doing so good you don’t even KNOW.” zuko plays the six voicemails she left him at 3am back to sokka, who’s like “i think we have to go to boston???” 

because azula is very sensitive right now, zuko pretends that he’s there to ask her for money. he takes her to lunch, which she wears sweatpants to, and sokka just happens to run into them. azula’s like “what the fuck are you doing here???” and he’s like “oh....you know......just visiting my cousin......” to which azula’s like “you have a white cousin?” but then zuko invites him to have lunch with them, and azula brags about how great she’s been doing in college and how she’s top of her class and is gonna go to harvard for law school as well, and sokka’s like “that’s so great! i had no doubt you could do it.” and then she openly sobs in the middle of a restaurant and zuko can feel all the other patrons of this boston establishment glare at them and he’s just like “azula do you mind not being so loud?? we are begging to be hatecrimed” and tries to apologize to everyone on her behalf. after she stops crying, she’s like “well, i must be off to cambridge now! don’t know why we went all the way into boston, since i have a lecture in an hour” and sokka’s like “ok cool bye” but then zuko kicks him and he says, very naturally, “you know, i’ve always wanted to know what the harvard campus is like.” (he doesn’t mention that he saw the harvard campus when he toured MIT.) azula’s just like “of course you would.” 

they end up staying with azula until they can persuade her to see a therapist, which takes a really long time because azula believes that therapists are a scam for weak-willed white liberals who love to complain, but sokka manages to organically bring up how he was in therapy intensively for a really long time after yue’s death, and this finally manages to convince her. it takes her a really long time to adjust to therapy because she sees it like a game she refuses to lose, but having completed their mission, sokka and zuko are confident that she’s sprung back enough that at least they don’t have to keep staying in this really creepy motel in boston that zuko is convinced is haunted. she ends up having to repeat the semester, and then takes another semester off, but she goes to harvard law after that. 

she makes partner in record speeds. women hate her, and men fear her. her makeup never smudges, her outfits are always impeccable. she never loses a case. then her father dies. she sees zuko at the funeral, and though she stays completely calm throughout the day, she’s a mess on the way home. zuko hates driving, but he drives her home because she had half a bottle of vodka and it’s evident that she is softly crying because her eyeliner teartracks are running over themselves, black smudges spilling down her face. he sleeps on her couch. he’s still there the next morning, and he’s gotten her fresh pastries for breakfast, which she must admit, is a lot tastier than black coffee and a protein bar. he insists that she take another day off work, and she’s like “um they already let me have one day off for the funeral??? i can’t just miss my job willy-nilly, zuzu. it’s my job.” he is so concerned for her. so he reaches out more after that. eventually, she reaches back. 

after a lot of coaxing from zuko, sokka unblocks her phone number and texts her, “hey, how’ve you been?” she agonizes over this text for two days, at which point she responds, “Fine.” he writes, “i’m gonna be home for the holidays. if you’re around we should hang out!” and azula, who had no such plans of going anywhere for the holidays, especially not back home, where she has no family left, anyway, is like “Yeah okay.” 

seeing sokka for the first time in years, and katara, who she hasn’t seen for even longer, is really jarring for azula. katara’s in a happy relationship. sokka has a fulfilling career. she always told herself she’d get a girlfriend after she got on the supreme court, but that suddenly seems awfully far away as she watches katara’s boyfriend dote on her. aang, this guy who was a few grades below her and insanely popular, throws a new year’s eve party, and invites a whole bunch of people from their highschool because apparently, he was not only friends with everyone, but regularly keeps in touch with all of them. horrid. absolutely horrid. azula goes, out of sheer curiosity. she sees toph, who is having the time of her life at this party that is neither a black tie fundraiser nor a dinner party, and as casually as possible asks her where sokka is, since of course she still remembers that sokka and toph were best friends in high school (though is in fact unaware that they still are). tophs just like “oh, you know how zuko hates parties, so he and sokka just stayed home.” azula gets lightheaded despite having not yet had a drop of alcohol. what exactly did toph say??? toph, yelling this time so that azula may hear her better, yells, “HE AND ZUKO STAYED HOME.” azula’s just like “what the fuck?!??!??!”

[comradekatara]

At what point in the petty high school rivalry au does azula find out zuko is dating Sokka, and how does she react?

the sequence of events is as follows

in high school, she sees sokka (her mortal enemy) talking to zuko in the halls. she immediately assumes that he is asking zuko for dirt on her. she demands to know what they were talking about. zuko tells her he doesn’t remember. she doesn’t believe him.

in college she is made vaguely aware of the fact that sokka (her mortal enemy) and zuko are acquaintances. this pisses her off, though she soon forgets about it.

zuko and azula reconnect after ozai’s funeral. they begin to talk more frequently.

azula realizes that it has been decades since high school and yet zuko and sokka (her mortal enemy) still talk.

azula realizes that they live together.

azula learns that they have been together for approximately fifteen years.

azula goes into shock.

[comradekatara]

I know you have said this many times, but it never fails to crack me up when I see your "azula and sokka's petty high school rivalry" tag because is it even a rivalry?? Dont rivals have to be two sided?? Azula hates sokka with all that she has and sokka is aware of her. Like, peripherally. He knows she exists but that's pretty much it.

indeed. similarly, katara and zuko are also engaged in a “rivalry” much the same way that azula and sokka are, which is that one party hates him very much, and the other party is barely aware of her existence other than to be mildly annoyed by her on any given day. only katara’s compunction lasts about a year, at which point she makes a genuine effort to befriend him, whereas it takes azula multiple decades to even acknowledge that sokka is a human being with, like, feelings and stuff.

[comradekatara]

sokka and azula’s petty highschool rivarly, the saga: instagram

zuko: azula can i have my phone back now  azula: one minute.  zuko: when you insisted it was an emergency i thought you were like... dying? i didn’t realize you meant the kind of emergency that can be fixed by downloading instragram, creating a fake account, and then stalking a random profile for the past hour..  azula: yes well it wouldn’t have taken so long if you patronized social media like any other member of your generation. why don’t you have instagram?  zuko: um... we’re of the same generation. why don’t you have instragram?  azula: don’t be silly. as if i would waste my time on something so frivolous.  zuko: you’ve been scrolling through some random guy’s pictures for so long now i fear my phone is on the verge of suicide azula: don’t be silly, zuzu. that’s not a random guy; that’s sokka  zuko: that’s certainly the account of some guy whose profile name says, “sokka,” yes azula: you mean thats not– zuko: the fact they look nothing alike didn’t clue you in..?  azula: oh. i was hoping he was just really unphotogenic.  zuko: unphotogenic enough to change ethnicities?  azula: well then. a minor hitch, but– zuko: no! give me my phone back!  azula: *eye roll* only once you find a better way for me to collect reconnaissance on my greatest foe  zuko: azula. you’re obsessed with him. to like... an unhealthy degree. it’s concerning... azula: dont be so dramatic. it’s a mutual rivalry. zuko: i promise you it’s not azula: that’s exactly what he would want you to think, you imbecile  zuko: oh you’ve gone fully insane. that’s fun azula: i know you’re unfamiliar with the concept of competition because you’re a lazy bum who can’t do math, but some of us actually value our academic standing  zuko: i can do math....  azula: oh really? what’s the square root of five?  zuko: trick question. there isn’t one. 

[comradekatara]

sokka & azula’s petty highschool rivalry: the saga –– katara

azula: hi sokka! were you aware that your sister is in my english class?  sokka: maybe?  azula: well, it’s just, i thought you might want to know............. [whispering louder than she was talking previously] she failed an assignment sokka: um.... okay?  azula: well?  sokka: ...well?  azula: isn’t this humiliating?  sokka: isn’t what humiliating azula: katara’s failure!  sokka: i don’t think katara really cares. she fails assignments all the time. she says school is for the bourgeoisie or something....... look, i don’t really–– azula: why aren’t you deeply ashamed????????  sokka: because.......it’s not my problem????? azula: but your sister failed!  sokka: that’s not a reflection of her intelligence or anything. she probably just went on a tangential rant about the patriarchy again... azula: we were supposed to be writing on the wasteland  sokka: so definitely a rant about the patriarchy, then azula: don’t you feel disrespected???? your sister has brought you shame, brought shame and dishonor upon your family!!! sokka: ...yyeaaahhhh.... in my family we don’t really.......do that........ azula: but she’s– she’s sullied your good name! tarnished your academic reputation!  sokka: i mean.... i’m flattered that you think i have those things, but i promise what katara does or does not do has no bearing on the status of my good name or my academic reputation  azula: uuuugghhhhh why aren’t you getting–– sokka: hey! hey zuko!  zuko: what? sokka: come over here! zuko: i’d rather give azula a wide berth, if you don’t mind sokka: no c’mon it’ll be quick zuko: ugh. what?  sokka: what grade did you get on your last math test?  zuko: what?  sokka: just answer the question! zuko: i........................................... [walks away]  sokka: okay, but did i at least prove my point?  azula: i.......................................... [walks away] 

[comradekatara]

when sokka goes off to college, azula just has NO idea what to do now because katara’s grades are not nearly good enough for azula to make fun of her for only getting a 95, but slowly she just sort of starts to forget about him. until one day, when she is an adult with a high-paying job and he is but a distant memory, she’s calling zuko to accuse him of being a failure because she refuses to admit that she misses him, and she hears a voice in the background of the call that is eerily familiar but she cannot for the life of her place it, and she’s like “who is that?????” and zuko’s like “oh u remember sokka right” and azulas just like WHAT THE FUUUUERKRHJEWHDKHKDJSAKDJNKJFNHG

[comradekatara]

sokka and azula’s petty highschool rivalry: the saga –– crosshairs

azula: i saw you talking to sokka today in school zuko: ...........okay? azula: did he have a– some sort of favor to ask you, or...?? zuko: ...no azula: so just a ......... regular conversation, then?  zuko: yeah. azula: about anything in particular?  zuko: it had nothing to do with you, if that’s what you’re asking azula: but he does know you’re my brother, right? zuko: probably....?  azula: and yet............. i did not come up once in this conversation......  zuko: that would be correct. azula: zuko. please. what could he possibly want to talk to you about?  zuko: i.... don’t know...... azula: yes, that’s it. i see it now. he’s trying to befriend you. slowly wear down your defenses. and then. that’s when he’ll strike. zuko: what the fuck are you talking about azula  azula: he wouldn’t be so foolish as to be that direct! what was i thinking? zuko: i never know. azula: so when he does ask about me, what are you prepared to say?  zuko: that you’re insane?  azula: listen to me, zuko. you’re too stupid, too vulnerable; just because you wear your heart on your sleeve, i will not let that be my downfall zuko: ....downfall?? azula: best course of option is to just not engage. do you understand? this is my battle, and mine alone. zuko: look, i really don’t think he cares about you. like, at all.  azula: that’s only what he wants you to think, you fool!  zuko: how did you even get in my room? i know i locked the door azula: see, if you can’t even properly lock your room, how am i supposed to expect you to be impervious to sokka’s trenchant maneuvering? 

at that very same moment

katara: sokka, what did i say about running it under water beforehand? sokka, tongue stuck to his popsicle: mm thawwy ah thogoth

[comradekatara]

sokka and azula’s very petty highschool rivalry: the saga –– results day

azula: oh, hi sokka! :) you get your..... you get your SAT score back yet? :)  sokka: yep!  azula: are you gonna retake it?  sokka: probably not. i kind of botched the reading comp but otherwise i think i did okay azula: oh.... what did you get???  sokka: uhhh... 1570.  azula: i see..... well, that’s okay. i think harvard would still take you. that is, if your grades are good enough  sokka: um.... sure. so.......................azula.......................what did you get?  azula: so nice of you to ask. i got a 1600.  sokka: congratulations! i’m sure it’s well-deserved. all that studying must���ve paid off, huh? :)  azula: yeah, i guess it did. :) well you probably could’ve done better if you’d studied, you know....  sokka: yeah, unfortunately i can’t afford a private tutor :)  azula: make sure to mention that in your application. they love charity cases sokka: well yeah i am applying for scholarships actually azula: no shame in that :)  sokka: haha! no there isn’t! :)  azula: well, good luck! you’re gonna need it, what with your 1570 :(  sokka: thanks, azula! i soooooo appreciate your support :)  azula: you’re welcome :)  sokka: :)

5 minutes later

sokka: dude your sister some needs serious help zuko: yup. 

[comradekatara]

azula thinks sokka has, like, a giant map on his wall of azula’s entire schedule and has a whole system to figure out what grade she got on every single assignment, and that she is always outsmarting him bc she is impervious to his sabotage, but he has no opinion of her other than the fact that she’s kind of annoying, and he has her saved in his phone as “zuko’s sister” 

[comradekatara]

sokka and azula’s petty highschool rivalry: the saga –– IMO

azula: i hear– [notices that sokka is not listening] I HEAR BATH IS LOVELY THIS TIME OF YEAR sokka: sorry what was that azula? i couldn’t quite hear you azula: oh i’m just planning ahead for my trip to bath  sokka: where jane austen lived?  azula: ummmmmmm.... maybe?  sokka: okay azula: don’t you want to know why i am visiting the birthplace of renowned british authoress jane elizabeth austen?  sokka: i suppose i have no choice, don’t i?  azula: i’ll be competing in the IMO sokka: oh. okay azula: the IMO is the–– sokka: international math olympiad. yes i know azula: but.... it seems as if.... you’re not on the list???  sokka: yeah i have no desire to–– azula: so sad that i’ll have to make the trip to england all by myself because no one else from our school got in sokka: i’m sure you’ll make lots of new friends :)  azula: oh i’m sure. but if only someone else had been able to get in, and then i would have a companion. but alas, it seems as if i have no compeers at this institution sokka: it certainly seems so  azula: ah, well, better luck next year sokka: no i’m pretty sure i’ll have the exact same amount of luck, seeing as i did not take the entrance exams azula: you didn’t?  sokka: .......no azula: ah. i see.  sokka: is there a problem, azula?  azula: .............no. no problem whatsoever. i think your decision to abstain was.........very brave :)  sokka: thank you, azula.  azula: i only wonder what the admissions board at harvard will think of this egregious gap in your transcript sokka: yes, now that you mention it, i do feel very foolish indeed azula: i– sokka: ...yes? azula: you’re such an asshole, you know that??!? sokka: mm...

[comradekatara]

ur right. also modern azula would do everything and dive intro every worthwhile club/society because she can

azula needs to run as many clubs as possible and be student body president and have an overflowing amount of extracurricular achievements on her transcript and go to nationals for the spelling bee and the geography bee and the math olympiad and the science olympiad––so natually, sokka is her mortal enemy. unlike azula, who doesn’t actually care about any of these things and just wants an impressive college application, sokka just does stuff he thinks is fun. unfortunately for azula, sokka thinks everything is fun. i think he sort of knows that she can’t stand him, but whereas she has a dartboard with his face on it, he just enjoys the fact that she provides him with a challenge. he doesn’t always win, but he doesn’t mind. sometimes he does win, though. either way, he’s like “that was fun, right?” and azula’s glare is so piercingly icy it should, by all accounts, give him brainfreeze. but he doesn’t even notice. 

[comradekatara]

sweet-faerie16 replied to your post “sokka and azula’s very petty highschool rivalry: the saga –– results...”

Did they change the sat back to 1600? Wow when I took it I had to get 2400 so I was like wow u both fucking suck lolol

no its still out of 2400 theyre just both idiots