your drink, is it freezd?

people have pointed out before that zuko probably didn't actually know any of the gaang's names before joining their group. according to the data i've collected, it is unclear as to whether zuko knew any of their names before "the boiling rock," in which he addresses sokka by name multiple times. at no point in the show does he refer to toph, suki, or momo by name.

i find it particularly funny that zuko only seems to refer to katara by name after sokka says her name during their conversation in his tent; the transcript for "the southern raiders" reads as follows:

Sokka: So what's on your mind?

Zuko: Your sister. She hates me! And I don't know why, but I do care what she thinks of me.

Sokka: Nah, she doesn't hate you. Katara doesn't hate anyone. Except maybe some people in the Fire Nation. No, I mean, uh, not people who are good, but used to be bad. I mean, bad people. Fire Nation people who are still bad, who've never been good and probably won't be, ever!

Zuko: Stop. Okay, listen. I know this may seem out of nowhere, but I want you to tell me what happened to your mother.

Sokka: What? Why would you want to know that?

Zuko: Katara mentioned it before when we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se, and again just now when she was yelling at me.

we can thus assume that zuko went into this conversation knowing katara only as "[sokka's] sister," heard sokka refer to someone named "katara," and finally connected the dots.

Saying "It's expensive" with no given context allows readers to substitute their own context. "It" transforms vaguely into "everything." This is a strange, attention grabbing way to express such a sentiment, which, in the early twenty-first century with wage stagnation, inflation, and increasing wealth inequality, is generally universal.

The response is a reference to an early twenty-first century absurdist meme, which describes the act of pouring river on one's socks (a strange, and often undesirable, activity) as "quick, easy, and free." Notably this activity is never described as "purposeful" or "beneficial" or "fun." The only positive attributes associated with this activity are "quick, easy, and free" which the meme will continue to insist on if ever questioned.

The response is humorously referencing the meme, emphasizing how "free" has become even more desirable as expenses grow. As pertaining to the original use of the meme, being "free" is not sufficient for something being "desirable" even if it is a generally desirable attribute.