Toph shot her head up and sat up. There was no way she heard that right.
"We were just in town and saw this poster!" Suki said excitedly as Sokka held it up for them all to see.
"What?" Katara exclaimed as she and Toph walked over to take a closer look. The poster was a gaudy thing. Aang was at the forefront with herself and Sokka on either side. Or at least, a version of herself. A closeup of Zuko's glaring eyes, focused on the scar, made a menacing shadow in the background.
"Listen to this" Sokka proclaimed excitedly. "The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage."
Katara looked over at Aang as Sokka read the sign. He looked as shocked as she did.
"Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players" Suki finished. Zuko groaned and the whole group turned to look at him. His face painted clear disgust.
"My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year" Zuko explained. Katara bit back a smile, but concern for the safety of the outing rose to the priority. They hadn't been out as a group since the carnival incident.
"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?" Katara began.
"Come on, a day at the theater? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!" Sokka said persuasively.
"What about the day you tried to burn the house down?" Toph butted in. "That was pretty wacky."
"Or the time you and Suki decided to go exploring and nearly died in a cave by yourselves!" Katara added.
"Not to mention Aang's arrow was spotted at that carnival and we've been trying to keep him out of sight ever since then" Zuko added, standing up next to Aang and putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. He wasn't going to mention the last time they had been spotted. He caught Katara's eye and noticed the faintest hint of a blush rising to her cheeks.
Sokka threw up his hands in exasperation. "Come on, guys! It's a big dark theater, we can all sit together..." he stepped over next to Aang and threw an arm around his shoulder. "And Aang can wear a hat!" he finished. Suki looked at Katara and gave her a small smile and shrugged.
"We all have been pretty cooped up" Suki ventured to say.
"I wouldn't mind wearing a hat." Aang offered. He turned his big grey eyes to Katara and smiled sweetly. Katara felt her resolve melting. She hated saying no to him. She frowned and shook her head, turning to Zuko who she was sure would back her up.
"The theater does have balconies where we could sit by ourselves" Zuko said when he caught her gaze. Katara's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting that.
"Am I the only one who thinks this is incredibly reckless, then?" Katara asked, slightly, but not entirely shocked.
"No, I think it is very reckless" Toph said. Katara turned to her and grinned.
"Thank you, Toph. At least someone is..."
"And totally worth it!" Toph said, cutting her off. "I'm in!" Katara shut her mouth and her smile faded away. She had been outvoted.
"What time is the play?" Aang asked, unrolling the poster to take a look at it.
"At dusk after supper. We have plenty of time to get ready" Sokka said, turning to Suki. "Oh! I can wear those new shoes I just bought. It's the perfect time to break them in!" Suki just smiled and patted Sokka on the shoulder.
"That is a great idea, honey" she said sweetly. Sokka beamed. Toph snorted. Zuko rolled his eyes while Katara just shook her head. Aang looked intently at Sokka and Suki, then back over at Katara. A night at the theater? Seated in the dark? It almost sounded like it could be...a date. Aang was suddenly very excited.
As the time for the play approached, everyone was getting ready. Aang pulled out his old school uniform and fluffed and pressed it. Sokka was walking circles around the house in his new shoes. Suki didn't put much fuss into her look. She just brushed out her hair and pinned it back into a top knot. When she was done she went to check on Toph.
Toph didn't put much effort into her looks. She ran her hands over the front of her shirt, for once being completely ok with not a single crumb of dirt on it. But she did want to add a little extra something. The desire was there and Toph tried to squash it like a bug. There was a knock on the door and Toph turned her head. She knew those footsteps.
"Come on in, Suki" she called. Suki peaked her head in the door.
"Just wanted to see if you needed a hand" Suki asked. Toph shrugged.
"I'm not putting on anything special. I'm sure you look great" she added to her friend. Suki smiled at the compliment, knowing Toph didn't give them out frequently.
"Hey, I know you don't like this sort of thing" Suki began slowly "But, um, would you mind if I did just a little eye-liner on you?" She waited for Toph to react.
"Eye liner? As in, make up?" Toph asked skeptically. She had worn makeup before. She didn't know if she liked the experience. "I'm not letting you paint all over my face, Suki. No way."
"No, no." Suki had to place her words cleverly. "I mean, I used to do makeup for my Kyoshi sisters. I miss doing it a little, and I only would do a little bit to accentuate your eyes. Nothing more." Toph was quiet for a moment. She associated anything "girly" with weakness. But the Kyoshi warriors wore a full face of makeup and had a reputation that reached the Fire Nation capitol. Maybe a bit of eye liner wasn't such a bad thing.
"Ok. Thanks Suki" Toph said quietly, relenting. Suki grinned and sat Toph down. A few minutes later, Toph's hair was neatly pulled back and her eyes were framed delicately. It was just a little touch, but it brought out Toph's natural beauty and it made Suki smile.
"You look really pretty, Toph" Suki said. Toph, who was kneeling on the stone floor, lifted her head up a little as a small smile crossed her face. Suki wasn't lying.
"You ready?" Aang asked, poking his head in the door. He saw Toph and his face lit up."You look really nice, Toph!" His heartbeat never wavered and Toph grinned at the sincerity. She really had the best family in her little world.
Upstairs, Katara brushed her hair back and looked out the open balcony doors to the view outside. She still felt nervous about venturing out tonight, but a part of her was growing excited. I mean, a play? About their lives? It was nothing less than extraordinary. Gran-Gran wouldn't believe it. Katara had a free moment, so she stepped out onto the porch and let the night breeze blow through her hair.
"I'm a little bit famous, Gran-Gran" Katara told the night sky quietly. "Thank you for letting us go." Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. "Come in."
Zuko poked his head in.
"Um, I think there's a cloak in this wardrobe over here. Was going to use it to shade my face a bit" he explained. Katara nodded and turned her eyes back to the sky. She heard the wardrobe shut, and a moment later she felt a hand on her back.
"Ready to go?" Zuko asked quietly. Katara was silent for a moment.
"Why did you agree to go? You know it's not smart." Katara said suddenly, turning to him. Zuko shrugged.
"Because Aang is under enough pressure, like you said. He seemed excited, and I would like to keep a smile on that kid's face" he explained. Katara sighed. She wanted to keep the smile there too. So much. None of this was fair. The future of the world shouldn't rest on the shoulders of a sweet twelve-year-old boy.
"Katara!" she heard Aang calling her then. She turned and looked through the empty bedroom door towards the hall. His little face would soon appear around the corner. The comet was coming, and Fire Lord Ozai would love nothing more than to take the life from the sweet boy that she loved so much. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't hear Zuko talking.
"Are you ok?" he was asking her. Katara was staring into the room. She seemed zoned out. Zuko didn't know what he was thinking in that moment. She was just standing there, staring into the distance. She was always beautiful, but there was something about the light of a full moon that brought her beauty to a peak. He moved his hand down from her back to her waist. She suddenly seemed to come back from the daze she was in and turned to him.
He leaned forward, almost reflexively and brushed his lips over her forehead. She was surprised, but didn't back away.
"Katara!" The call was much closer now and Katara suddenly jumped back away from Zuko just as Aang's small frame appeared in the doorway.
"Are you guys ready to go?" Aang asked. Excitement was all over his face. He was wearing a tall white and red colored hat. He looked happy and incredibly goofy.
"Ready, Aang" Zuko said. He looked over at Katara who looked extremely uncomfortable all the sudden.
"Right, ready." she said. Aang didn't pick up on the tangible tension in the room and beamed when Katara walked up next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. They walked out of the room together and Zuko followed. He really and truly cared for Aang, but in that moment...he was ready to smack the kid. Bad timing seemed to be a talent.
The walk into town was full of speculation about the upcoming play. How much could the play writer actually know? What would be left out? How could a cabbage merchant contribute so much information? The only one silent was Zuko. He was sure that a Fire Nation play would not portray its fallen prince kindly. The next few hours were sure to be torture. He also didn't miss how Aang seemed to be glued to Katara's side, and it irritated him.
He had not let the avatar's crush on Katara bother him too much. There was just so much other stuff to prioritize, whether he liked it or not. But tonight Aang was being exceptionally clingy. His feelings must have been written all over his face because Suki nudged him as they reached the theater. There was a large crowd lining up for tickets and the group mingled in with the crowd.
"You ok?" Suki whispered to Zuko. Zuko nodded reflexively. Toph suddenly turned her head to him, picking up on the change in his breathing and heartbeat.
"He's lying" Toph said to Suki. Zuko ignored them and pulled the hood farther over his head, making sure the scar was hidden in the shadows. He kept his head down for the most part and avoided eye contact with strangers. When it was their turn in line Katara bought all the tickets, requesting a private box.
"This better be a good play for what we paid for" Sokka grumbled when Katara handed him his ticket. Katara flashed him a satisfied grin.
"It was your idea, Sokka. Don't squawk about the money" she said sweetly. The group made their way up a flight of stairs on the side of the building, avoided the crowd the best they could. Some children were dressed up as Aang or Katara and even Zuko. It was surreal and Aang beamed whenever he saw the orange of a monk costume.
"We have fans!" he exclaimed excitedly to Toph. Toph grinned. She hoped if someone was dressed as her then they at least got her lack of footwear down accurately. The group entered a private little booth that opened in the back to a high balcony. The full moon was high in the clear sky and Katara paused to look at it before following the group into the booth.
As Suki and Sokka filed into the second row of the booth, Zuko made eye contact with Katara as she moved towards the front. Toph had already sat down and Katara was sitting next to her. Aang approached with a smile on his face and a tiny something in Zuko snapped. Even if it was something small, he would have a small petty victory tonight. He brushed past Katara's knees and sat down next to her, almost shoving Aang out of the way.
If he had eyes in the back of his head he would've seen quite the scowl that Aang bored into his backside.
"Hey, uh ... I wanted to sit there" Aang stammered out. Zuko pulled his hood off his head and bit back a smile as he answered.
"Just sit next to me. What's the big deal?" Zuko stated, trying to sound nonchalant. Katara watched the exchange out of the corner of her eye and decided to stay out of it. She was perfectly satisfied sitting next to Zuko for the evening.
"I was just, I wanted to..." Aang stammered. He glanced over at Katara. She wasn't looking at him and he sighed in defeat. "Okay..." he said finally, resignedly taking his spot next to Zuko. Toph felt around the hand rails of the balcony. She knew they needed to stay out of sight of the crowd, but she was certain that they were suspended in the air somehow. She couldn't see a thing.
"Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section? My feet can't see a thing from up here!" she complained to Katara, crossing her arms in frustration.
"Don't worry, I'll tell your feet what's happening" Katara reassured her. Toph frowned. It would not be the same. The crowd hushed as the curtains rose. Toph heard Sokka gasp excitedly. Katara grinned and looked back at her brother as he pointed to the two actors onstage then back at himself and Katara. The actors were clearly adults playing children, but in that first minute, Katara was just too excited to care.
But as soon as the actor playing her opened her mouth, Katara's smile faded. Sokka's watched as his actor made a statement about being hungry that was meant as a joke. The audience roared with laughter. Sokka looked at Katara and they both raised their eye brows.
"This is pathetic! My jokes are way funnier than this!" Sokka said waving his arm dramatically after listening to the first part of the scene. Katara was about to respond when she heard Toph chortling beside her. The blind earthbender decided she didn't need to see anything to be entertained in this show. The dialogue alone was comedy gold and the perfect fuel for antagonizing her friends.
"I think he's got you pegged!" she said to Sokka with a laugh. Sokka leaned back in his chair with a frown. The rest of the scene didn't go very well. Katara's actor was extremely over-the-top and said her lines as if she was about to start sobbing at any second, and at the end she did. Katara heard Suki muffling a laugh behind her, but she wasn't finding it all that funny. She didn't even want to look at Zuko and see his expression. He was grinning, he couldn't help it. He had only been with the team for less than two months but he could already list at least half a dozen times when Katara tried to lift everyone's spirits with a reminder for hope and the future.
"Well, that's just silly. I don't sound like that" Katara said defensively. Toph laughed beside her.
"Oh man!" Toph exclaimed "This writer's a genius!" Aang wasn't paying attention to the conversation beside him. He leaned forward in anticipation, waiting for his actor to enter the scene. But the figure that jumped out of the cardboard cutout of an iceberg was distinctly curvy and feminine. Aang blinked his eyes to take a double take. As soon as the actor opened her mouth the suspicions were confirmed.
"Wait, is that a woman playing me?" Aang sputtered. The dialogue was burning his ears and he leaned his chin on the hand rail of the balcony. Behind him, Zuko was still smiling. The reactions of the team were just so good.
"Did I mention that I'm an incurable prankster?" Aang's actor proclaimed with a high pitched laugh.
"I don't do that! That's not what I'm like!" Aang complained gesturing at the stage. "And I'm not a woman!" No one else seemed as outraged at the inaccurate portrayal of the avatar. Toph's laugh cut through to his ears, making Aang's scowl deepen.
"Oh, they nailed you, Twinkletoes!" Toph laughed. Best friend or not. Aang could have airbended his earth sifu right out of the booth at that moment.
The scene changed and Zuko felt a pit descend into his stomach. This was it. His introduction. He braced himself to be made into a laughing stock. His fears were well founded as his actor shouted his lines and went on about honor. It was absolutely ridiculous and the portrayal of Uncle Iroh was just shameful.
"They make me look totally stiff and humorless" Zuko grumbled to Katara. She smirked and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Actually" she said "I think that actor's pretty spot on." Zuko stiffened. Katara knew him the best. There was no way he came off that dramatic and grouchy.
"How could you say that?" he said, turning to her. A second later his actor repeated those same words on stage and Katara just smiled at him. He slouched and groaned. This play was not worth the humiliation. The rest of the act was full of cringy moments and Zuko felt the second hand embarrassment of Katara and Sokka especially.
When the poorly written scene between Yue and Sokka was over (which made Sokka cry regardless of the bad dialogue) and the act came to a close, everyone stepped behind the curtains to the outdoor balcony. Aang seemed to be in the worst mood, which was saying something.
Sokka disappeared to get some snacks and everyone else sat broodingly on the steps. Suki seemed to be pondering something. She turned to Katara and opened her mouth as if she was about to ask a question, but snapped it shut quickly.
"Are you ok?" Katara asked, leaning towards her friend. Suki's face said no, but she nodded.
"I'll ask you later at a better time" Suki said finally. Zuko leaned up against the stair railing next to Katara and shifted his eyes over to watch Aang. The boy was hunched over his knees at the bottom of the steps, scowling at the floor. The only one unaffected by the play so far was Toph.
"I've never been to a theater before, but I honestly don't get the hype" Katara told Zuko. He nodded and grimaced.
"So far, this intermission is the best thing about the play" he agreed. Sokka came down the steps then, holding a bag of Fire Flakes.
"Apparently the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who makes bad jokes about meat all the time!" He exclaimed as he sat down next to Suki.
"Yeah," Suki agreed "You tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics." She said sarcastically. Sokka took a big bite of his snack as the insult went right over his head.
"I know!" He exclaimed passionately.
"At least the Sokka actor kind of looks like you. The woman playing the Avatar doesn't look like me at all!" Aang complained.
"I don't know. You are in touch with your feminine side more than most guys." Toph proclaimed innocently. Zuko had to bite back a laugh as Aang stood and audibly growled at Toph. Katara gave Zuko a disapproving look and turned to Aang. He was being dramatic and needed to calm down.
"Relax Aang, they aren't accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy cry baby who can't resist giving over emotional speeches about hope all the time" she explained. The group all stared at her. Dead silent.
"What?" Katara snapped.
"Yeah" Aang said dryly. "That's not you at all." Katara looked to Zuko for support but he just shrugged. If she could agree that he was stiff, he could agree that she could be a bit "preachy" at times.
"Listen, friends, it's obvious the playwright did his research" Toph began, pleased as punch to have the upper hand over everyone, "I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing on that stage is the truth."
Everyone else didn't have a response.
"At least they got your pony tail right" Aang said to Zuko suddenly.
"And they matched your high voice perfectly" Zuko responded back.
"Guys!" Katara inturupted as the two boys glared at each other. Aang caught Katara's eye for a secons, then headed back inside. Zuko guessed his intention and turned back to the seats as well, taking his old spot back before Aang got there. Katara walked in with the others and couldn't help but roll her eyes. She took her spot next to Zuko again, but scooted closer to Toph.
Boys. They could be such drama queens.