All of the members of Team Avatar seemed pretty mad at Zuko at the moment. He looked around at them all, trying to calculate the right thing to say as well as any chances he might have if it came to a fight. Finally, he spoke: "I know you guys are all mad, but may I just remind you that I didn't say those things, an actor did-"
"And so what? You've disliked Actor Hakoda anyway! You know you probably may have said those things if it was really you!" Sokka burst out, clearly not happy.
"Look, it's just fatherly protectiveness! What would you be saying if Roku was sniffing around your daughter, Yue?" Zuko snapped.
"First of all, Hakoda is not sniffing around Irah! Second, Roku likes that other girl!"
"Guys, shush!" The curtains were opening again, and they all shut up and watched. The scene showed a level, meant to be a room, raised further up on stage. There was a 'wall' separating it, and at the bottom of the wall, below an opening in the 'room' meant to be a window, Actor Ning was standing, tossing things up. Actor Roku was reading in his room, when all of a sudden Actor The Duke rushed in. "Look out your window!" he said. Actor Roku was startled, but ran to his window, Actor The Duke following, calling out "Your girlfriend is throwing pebbles!"
Actor Roku stuck his head out the 'window' and hissed: "Ning, what are you doing?"
She cleared her throat, than said, in a poetry-like phrasing: "Prince Charming, Prince Charming, with eyes so fine, let your restrictions loose, climb down the vine."
"Vine? What vine?" He asked, confused, than saw a piece of tangled green that dropped from the stage top to where she was. He turned back to Actor The Duke, who asked "What?"
"She wants me to climb down the vine." He explained.
"Well, do you want to go?"
"YES!" Actor Roku hissed.
"Well, then, go!" Actor The Duke said, as if he was speaking to an idiot.
"It-it's a recipe for disaster!" Actor Roku said.
"Just do something impulsive for once in your life. What, do you want meetings with twelve giggling girls, or a walk in the moonlight with your sort-of-Princess Charming?"
Soon after, Actor Roku was climbing down the 'vine' and not having an easy time of it. He got his foot caught near the end, and when he pulled it out, he fell right on top of Actor Ning, causing them both to let out an "OOPPH!"
"Oh! I'm so, so, sorry-" Actor Roku, began as he got off of her and helped her up, but she just waved a hand and told him to forget about it. Then, the two star-crossed lovers ran offstage as the curtains closed.
After a while, the curtains reopened, showing Actor Hakoda with Actor Tenzin. Actor Hakoda looked pretty mopey. "What am I supposed to do? I want her to like me, but…"
Actor Tenzin interrupted. "You know, when I was having trouble with the ladies, my dad gave me this speech." He cleared his throat, and began. "'Tenzin, I've lived a long time, a LOOOONG time. And it has taken me all these years to finally uncover the path to any woman's heart.'" He paused for dramatic effect. "'Take her penguin sledding.'"
The audience laughed, as members of Team Avatar both laughed and blushed. Actor Hakoda got on a look of irritation. "Thanks, Tenzin, I'll just go take her penguin sledding in the FIRE NATION!"
"Well, you don't need to do that. You can just do something really exotic she hasn't done much before." Actor Tenzin backpedaled. "I'll tell you what. It's my turn to fly Appa today, but I would let you borrow him…"
Actor Hakoda got it, grabbing Actor Tenzin in a choking hug, and then running offstage as the curtains closed.
When they reopened, it showed Actor Mai and Actor Zuko arguing in their bedroom. "Did you HAVE to be so harsh with the boy?" Actor Mai asked.
"He's all wrong for her, Mai, can't you see that?" Actor Zuko pressed.
"What's wrong with you?" Actor Mai asked again, more urgently.
"What's wrong with me?" Actor Zuko repeated.
"You're out of control, you blow up over everything, you're so impatient and aggressive and block-headed!" Actor Mai burst out, making the real Mai and Zuko wince, thinking of Chan's house.
"Is that what you think?" Actor Zuko asked wirily.
"YES!" she hissed.
"Then I think…I'm going to sleep somewhere else tonight." He said, gathering up some blankets and a pillow, walking across the stage as a barrier of curtain dropped between them and the audience went "oooh. Burn!"
Music started playing and both of the actors sighed in regret.
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round.
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears.
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes
Actor Zuko:
Turn around, bright eyes
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I fall apart
Actor Zuko:
Turn around, bright eyes
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I fall apart
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I get a little bit restless and I dream of something wild
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I get a little bit helpless and I'm lying like a child in your arms
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I get a little bit angry and I know I've got to get out and cry
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified but then I see the look in your eyes
Actor Zuko:
Turn around, bright eyes
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I fall apart
Actor Zuko:
Turn around, bright eyes
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
'Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
Actor Zuko:
All of the time
Actor Mai:
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Actor Zuko:
Forever's gonna start tonight
Actor Mai:
Once upon a time I was falling in love
Both:
But now I'm only falling apart
Actor Mai:
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Once upon a time there was light in my life
Both:
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
There was a large part of instrumental music, in which mainly Actor Mai spun around her room, sort of dancing tragically.
Actor Zuko:
Turn around, bright eyes
Turn around, bright eyes
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I know I'll never be the girl I always wanted to be
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
But every now and then I know you'll always be the only one who wanted me the way that I am
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I know there's nothing in the universe as magical and wondrous as we
Actor Zuko:
Turn around
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I know there's nothing any better, there's nothing that I just wouldn't do
Actor Zuko:
Turn around, bright eyes
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I fall apart
Actor Zuko:
Turn around, bright eyes
Actor Mai:
Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
'Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
Actor Zuko:
All of the time
Actor Mai:
I don't know what to do
I'm always in the dark
Living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Actor Zuko:
Forever's gonna start tonight
Actor Mai:
Once upon a time I was, I was falling in love
Both:
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Actor Mai:
Once upon a time there was light in my life
Both:
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
Actor Mai:
A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart
Actor Zuko:
Turn around, bright eyes
Turn around, bright eyes
Turn around…
The audience clapped furiously as the curtains closed on the tragic scene.
