"I'm just an extension of the curiosity of Republic City," says the reporter. "Come on, talk to me, I'll get out of your hair."
"I can be patient. Sources say you gave her a birthday gift. When you picked it out, did you already suspect that she'd also be celebrating being named Avatar?"
"Did you know the otterpenguin can hold its breath for up to six hours?" says Dao, going back to his carving.
"Do you feel that otterpenguins are in some way emblematic of your relationship with Beila?" attempts the reporter gamely.
"The panda carp almost died out four times in the last sixty years," he says conversationally, "but last year somebody managed to get a population established in the wild again for the first time since 495."
The reporter decides to give up. He turns around and walks out of the park.
"Hi!" says Beila, wafting off Liqing with a gratuitous midair spin and making a three-point landing. "How're you?"
"Uh, a reporter showed up at ugly o'clock in the morning and followed me around asking intrusive questions because some people at school told him we're dating," he says. "But I started answering all his questions with totally unrelated trivia and he gave up."
"That's one way to deal with them. Spirits, I'm sorry, I have no idea who told him that," says Beila, shaking her head. "I haven't been bothered all that much at home but I think it's mostly because my dad is a cop."
"If it happens again tell me and I can ask Dad about getting, like, a patrol around this neighborhood to shoo them if they get annoying?"
"I think I'm good for now," he says. "If the next guy doesn't run away when I start talking about panda carp, then your dad can help."
"They almost went extinct a bunch of times, but they're doing pretty good now!"