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What I Learned at SRU -3-What I Learned at SRU -3-3 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: Words that are {written in these} represent something in print, like a book or a newspaper article/flier/poster, etc. Yes. I am using these to add a little visual flair but also because I want to use lots of other media through the story and am too lazy to go through the standard motions. Huzzah for the Internet. Also, the fact is that in The Last Airbender Katara is flustered and obviously attracted to Jet early on. I wanted to explore that a bit in this chapter.
What I Learned at SRUChapter 3- Easygoing
-August 28th, 2010-
Katara scuffed her socks against the drab carpet of her dorm room, back and forth, analyzing the pages of her fir
What I Learned at SRU -5-What I Learned at SRU -5-3 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: Thanks for the support everyone's been giving. I think about five people (including my wife) have come to me saying, "OMG you made Jet x Katara make sense to me!" All I can say is that it didn't make sense to me until I had to sit and try to write it! Also...I think I finally managed to get my wife to find the appeal of Toph x Aang. Mwaha. More on those two later. Right now we've got other characters to focus on so we can start developing them as time goes on.
What I Learned at SRUChapter 5 - Uneasy
-Monday, August 30th, 2010-
["YOU HAVE...ONE...NEW MESSAGE. FIRST NEW MESSAGE."]["Hello, Dum-Dum. How's that Senioritis taste, huh? I can't
What I Learned at SRU -4-What I Learned at SRU -4-3 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: I know people have a lot of questions. Answers will come. I want this story to be a slow burn, with mysteries that get revealed over time - that's how my college experience was, after all. I want to express things that happened last school year via flashbacks as we go, out of order, piece by piece. I want to introduce more characters when I need to introduce them according to the plot I want to play out. I hope you stick with me, and I promise I'll work hard at keeping things interesting.
What I Learned at SRUChapter 4 - Special-August 28th, 2010-
"Mmrrrggmfff..."
"C'mon, Toph. Get up. Get up." Katara nudged her hand into Toph's arm a co
What I Learned at SRU -7-What I Learned at SRU -7-3 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: After last chapter I know a lot of people are probably wondering, 'Wait, since when are Katara and Smellerbee friends?' Well, remember this is an alternate universe, for one. And for two, I'm taking an approach with this story where I show you how things are in the present and utilize flashbacks to establish certain ideas and let you fill in the less important blanks. Ideally, you should be comprehending how things are in the present but wondering why they are that way - and the flashbacks will help sort that out. =) This chapter is more experimental in its way of narration, so do pay attention to time stamps to help realize when things
What I Learned at SRU -8-What I Learned at SRU -8-3 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
What I Learned at SRUChapter 8 - The Family Name
- Friday, September 3rd, 2010 -
"So! Mr. Kurosawa."
Zuko sighed and drank from his tall ceramic tea mug, his black hair slicked to the side, combed neatly.
"So," he replied simply, avoiding the interviewer's gaze.
The excitable girl tapped her chin thoughtfully with her pen, notepad in hand. Her face was riddled with small bouts of acne with messy, thin bangs hanging across her forehead. Her brisly hair was bunched into a short, spiky tail at the base of her neck. She wore a pair of thin, rectangular glasses, curious pale brown eyes staring inquisitively at him.
"Tell me, Mr. Kurosawa: why shou
What I Learned at SRU -6-What I Learned at SRU -6-3 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
What I Learned at SRUChapter 6 - Secure
-Tuesday, August 31st-
["YOU HAVE...TWO NEW MESSAGES. FIRST NEW MESSAGE."]
["Smellerbee, what the fuck is up with Katara? I thought you said she was fine. I just ran into her at the pub and she was not fine. She's acting fucking crazy. What did you say to her? I told you not to talk with her about anything. That's none of her business. That's our business. Freedom Fighter business. And she's not a Freedom Fighter - not yet."] There was a pause after a long, frustrated sigh. ["Anyway. Listen. I'm gonna take her out and hopefully she can chill the fuck out. I can't deal with this shit on top of everythin
What I Learned at SRU -15-What I Learned at SRU -15-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: This chapter definitely took more time and work than others up until now. I hope it was worth it.
What I Learned at SRUChapter 15 - An Angry Girl
- Saturday, September 25th -
"Nope. Not since Tuesday."
"You've just been...ignoring them?"
"Yep. I told them at the funeral: I'm done."
"Well, er..." Sokka shrugged, passing Jane her a white cup with a simplified dragon printed around its surface. "Good for you, eh?"
"Good for me," Jane dryly agreed, taking a sip of her coffee.
Ow. Fuck. Almost burned my tongue.
She popped off the lid to her cup and stared at the liquid for a moment, inspecting it. It looked like Sokka had administered enough
What I Learned at SRU -17-What I Learned at SRU -17-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: Just to help avoid confusion, I realized that the past few chapters have had inconsistent dates. I've gone back and fixed that. Real sorry. This chapter has a more recent flashback where the date is important - but hopefully you'll be able to gather that on your own.
What I Learned at SRUChapter 17 - Pieces
[From: Suki Kyoshi][To: Katara Kesuk; Toph Beifong; Jane Fitzpatrick][Sent: October 1st, 3:12pm][Subject: curious..]
[hi, girls! i wanted to ask you something.. festivall is coming up in about a month so auditions will be soon. sokka told me you guys play music. why don't we start a band? think about it. an all girl band.. doesn't tha
What I Learned at SRU -16-What I Learned at SRU -16-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: Sorry this took a while longer than usual. Holiday season is the cause. Have fun with this Aang-focused chapter. Enjoy. I decided not to reveal too much about Aang's history yet as I want to make sure I finalize the details first and introduce the more important elements later. But I'm sure there are still some surprises here.
Happy New Year!
What I Learned at SRUChapter 16 - Leaving the Nest
- Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 -
[Boomerang Blog: Back At Ya!]
[More Wheels][Posted on September 28th, 1:12am][by Noble Sir Kesuk Esquire]
[So my sister's gang member friend - not the one who died, the one who didn't die - has been kind of worming
What I Learned at SRU -14-What I Learned at SRU -14-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: I'm going to do something different with this chapter. Expect that kind of thing from time to time. ;) It would work better with visuals/audio, but I'm using the written word. So hopefully I can write this in a way you all can follow. I'm not laying out what times things happen at because it'd make this sequence too artificial, but I give you an idea as to when they take place. Enjoy.
What I Learned at SRUChapter 14 - Cursed
- Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 -
It didn't rain. It was clear and clean out that afternoon. Katara wished it rained. It didn't feel right. These were always supposed to dull and dreary and rainy, weren't they? Someh
What I Learned at SRU -10-What I Learned at SRU -10-3 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: I know there's been a bit of a heavy emphasis on the female characters earlier on here, and this chapter continues that - honestly, this is partially because the girls have a bit more external drama but also because the plot just needs me to focus on them first.
What I Learned at SRUChapter 10 - Simple
[Boomerang Blog: Back At Ya!]
[About That...][Posted on September 7th at 11:46pm][by Noble Sir Kesuk Esquire]
[So ya know how my ex-girlfriend has been hanging out with us? Yea. About that...It's starting to get kinda weird. There's definitely something still there, ya know? Not surprising, really. The only reason we broke up Freshman year
What I Learned at SRU -12-What I Learned at SRU -12-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
What I Learned at SRU
Chapter 12 - Pessimistic
- Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 -
[Calling...][Jet]
"God damnit, Jet," Jane growled, stuffing her phone back into her pine green vest. She kicked her boot into the sidewalk impatiently as she waited for the vibrating to stop. Where was her boyfriend? He was way late, which wasn't like him. The phone rattled against her side again.
[Calling...][Jet]
"Argh, fuckin' eh," she huffed, tugging the phone back out in frustration and flipped it open. "What is it, Jet?"
["Christ, it's about time you picked up,"] Jet replied, his voice unnaturally panicked. ["Where the fuck are you, Smellerbee?"]
Jane groun
What I Learned at SRU -13-What I Learned at SRU -13-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
What I Learned at SRUChapter 13 - Gone
- Saturday, September 18th, 2010 -
[To: Jane][Hey, where are you guys? We're about to start things here but we haven't heard from you. Are you not coming?][Sent: 8:04pm]
"Katara, you playing?"
"Oh!" Katara slapped her phone shut and nodded. "Yea, yea. I am."
"Well, git over here, then!" Sokka insisted with a wave of the arm. Katara sighed deeply, her concern for her friend having been spiked up sharply since she had last seen Jane huddled on her bed the other day.
She sat down at the wooden table, Aang to her left, Sokka and Suki across from her, and Toph on the tables narrow side between Aang and Suki.
What I Learned at SRU -9-What I Learned at SRU -9-3 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
What I Learned at SRUChapter 9 - Just Like That
- Saturday, September 4th, 2010 -
"She hasn't come back yet?"
"Sorry, Jane," Toph said apathetically, one earbud still tucked in as music trickled into her ear. "I dunno what's up."
"You don't think she's gonna chicken out, do you?"
"Nah," came Toph's confident reply. "She seemed pretty worked up about it."
"Guess you're right." Jane sighed and scratched her neck anxiously.
"Why? You worried about her or somethin'?" teased Toph with a grin, her arms folding behind her head on her pillow.
"Maybe," Jane laughed with a shrug that couldn't be seen. She sat herself down in Katara's desk chair, lazily
What I Learned at SRU -49-What I Learned at SRU -49-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
What I Learned at SRUChapter 49 - Twinkly
- Saturday, December 25th, 2010 - Christmas
Katara's eyes creaked open as trickles of morning sunlight poured inbetween her window's shutters. She blinked at the dust particles drifting through the calming sprinkle of rays and yawned deeply, stretching out her legs and flexing her toes. She was careful not to budge her right shoulder too much, as a warm ball of orange fur was planted over it. Katara carefully squirmed out from under her friend's head, smirking at Jane's agape mouth as her face sunk into the pillow with a snort. As she slid out from under the covers, she wrapped her arms across herself
What I Learned at SRU -48-What I Learned at SRU -48-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
What I Learned at SRUChapter 48 - The Spirit
- Thursday, December 23rd, 2010 -
"No, yea, haha, laugh it up, good times, hardy-har. But dude. Guys. I'm fuckin' serious." Korra stared down at them over the couch's spine as they played their game of Mario Party, awaiting the girls to come back from their shopping. "How do you put up with the bullshit?"
"Korra." It wasn't his turn, so Sokka glanced up at her solemnly. "Katara's my sister. She's been a drama llama since she was five. I've got a lotta practice. But you gotta understand - as much trouble as it can be, it's this 'college drama' you keep talking about that made this group what it is."
What I Learned at SRU -36-What I Learned at SRU -36-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: This will be the last chapter I write before I move from western New York to the San Francisco Bay Area. Expect a bit of a break - or at least a slowdown in chapter frequency. But, on the other hand, this Aang-centric chapter is twice as long as usual and focuses on a number of different characters. =)
What I Learned at SRUChapter 36 - Forceful
- Monday, November 29th, 2010 -
The bar was quiet, nearly empty on this Monday evening. His face was warm but he wanted more. He tapped the counter.
"Oy," bemoaned the bartender. "'Nother round? What's got yoose so wound up, eh, Longshot?" He grabbed the shot glass and filled it with care, eyeing
What I Learned at SRU -32-What I Learned at SRU -32-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: Depressed yet? ;D Last few chapters have been pretty high-tension, amirite? Such is the life of a college student. While it's not as if problems can magically disappear, Thanksgiving break is a vacation, isn't it? ^_^; We should try to relax here for a bit...
What I Learned at SRUChapter 32 - Family Blood
- Thursday, November 25th, 2010 - Thanksgiving
"I dunno, play something happy, Tophie!"
Toph struggled to keep her visage rigid and courteous so as not to let her disdain come through.
"I'm not really in the mood, Cousin..."
"Please? Pretty please? You're so gooood."
Dressed like a proper "lady," her hair forced into a tidy bun, and dec
What I Learned at SRU -51-What I Learned at SRU -51-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: I understand a number of readers were surprised by what happened with Jane and Katara during the last chapter - yet a lot of readers were like, "OMG, it's about time." Jane's bisexuality has always been a part of her character, and her attraction to Katara is one I've alluded to many times in a number of ways, I just haven't been blunt about it because I felt like that would be silly. I even went so far as to show that Johnny "Longshot" could even tell Jane had something for Katara during their last interaction. If you didn't really see it coming, then I suppose you can relate with Katara, and if you could see it all along, then you can
What I Learned at SRU -42-What I Learned at SRU -42-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: The latter portions of this chapter took a bit of a different turn than I planned but it's for the best. The chapter ended up feeling more unified in theme than I thought it would somehow...It also turned out longer than I thought. It's Christmas in July time!
What I Learned at SRUChapter 42 - Past
- Sunday, December 12th, 2010 -
Where had Katara gone off to? Jane had gotten sidetracked explaining the situation to Suki - and thus preparing her for when she reached the others - that she had lost her friend. Surely Kat had headed back to her dorm room, likely to drown her frustrations in chocolate. Why couldn't Toph just tone down her bitc
What I Learned at SRU -35-What I Learned at SRU -35-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: Again, thanks for all your support. Please keep the feedback coming. Life has been very crazy as I get ready to move across the country and your guys' comments help motivate me to stay consistent with this story. Starting in May, the rest of this year is going to be very crazy, I imagine, but my goal is try and finish this story by Christmas. We'll see how that goes. I hope to get one more chapter done before the move.
What I Learned at SRUChapter 35 - Back Again
- Saturday, November 27th, 2010 -
The morning rays peeked in through Katara's bedroom shades, tickling at her eyes. Her right shoulder was heavy, pinned down. The weight, as it
What I Learned at SRU -34-What I Learned at SRU -34-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: Punny chapter title - we have a little moodiness going on here, but...there's another reason. ;P Sometimes I hate coming up with chapter titles when there isn't a single unifying theme. Oh, well. Just some more character development during Thanksgiving break, starting off with a very important plot event. :)
What I Learned at SRUChapter 34 - Moody
- Friday, November 25th, 2010 -
Toph forced the lump in her throat down with a hard swallow as she stepped onward, her feet shoved into tight shoes. Madison and some other servants had tidied her hair into a tight, round bun and suited her into one of the formal dresses she'd wear for family af
What I Learned at SRU -33-What I Learned at SRU -33-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: There's definitely some YouTube vids that get watched partway through the chapter. I'd take note and actually watch/listen to the second one referred to, at least, even if (perhaps especially if) you are familiar with the radio edit of said song, as the important element of the scene is the difference between recorded, edited music and raw, live performance.
I appreciate your support, please keep it coming - it's what fuels me to go on! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy another fluffy, "filler-ish" chapter. I always try to make sure no scene - no matter how seemingly insignificant - is without some kind of character development, but I ha
What I Learned at SRU -24-What I Learned at SRU -24-2 years ago in Introductions & Chapters More Like This
A/N: Yes, another Jane-focused chapter. Have to progress her plot a bit here before focusing on the other characters more. I also wanted to show more of day-to-day college life, I guess. Also. Profanity. That'll happen with Jane. Just want to comment that when I use profanity in excess it is intentional. Fact is, plenty of people in our society are lazy with their vocabulary and rely on such words to get their points across. =P
What I Learned at SRUChapter 24 - With a Little Help
- Sunday, October 24th, 2010 -
"Fuck," grunted Jane, hands dug deep in her wide cargo pants pockets. "Johnny, I don't wanna do this..." She shot a glare at her boyfr
Sta.sh
