Chapter Text
There's no sight more beautiful than the sky seen from above, except maybe except the ocean.
Katara knows this, and the few times she's had the chance to travel by plane she cherishes it the most.
It's kind of hard to appreciate it when the person that ended up on the seat next to hers is being a complete jerk.
It had started out fine.
"Hi, I'm Katara" She'd said. The grumpy boy was sitting by himself- he looked about her age, with floppy black hair and a badly concealed facial scar behind his black rimmed glasses-barely looked up from what he was reading to look up at her.
"Zuko"
"Nice to meet you"
"uh-yeah, you too"
And he'd gone back to his book,happy to ignore her.
"Are you traveling alone?" She'd said half an hour later, not bearing the quiet anymore.It would be fine if one of them was wearing headphones or trying to fall asleep, but they weren't.
Katara was nosy.She knew that, everyone who had met her knew as well, her brother called her " naturally inquisitive".
Plus, she was a scared teenanger moving to a new city.
Was it that bad that she was desperate for a friendly conversation?
"No, i'm traveling with my family. My uncle just messed up when buying the tickets.Are you?"
"Me neither.I just got lucky and got upgraded to here"
She briefly wondered what sokka and her father were up to in economy.Probably somewhere fighting over a travel board game or watching a movie instead of trying to interact with a stranger.
"Ah,that makes sense.You don't look like you belong here" Zuko had said.
Did this guy just imply that I look humble?
" Excuse me?"
"That's not what I meant-"
"I know exactly what you meant" She interrupted him, shooting daggers with her eyes.
"i'm sorry"
They didn't speak for the rest of the fight.She was too angry for words, and the filtered cabin air hung between them, heavy and uncomfortable.
hope I never see this asshole again.
Two months later9
“Remember that our school's drama club is holding auditions for their musical,the sign up sheet is outside for anyone who wants to audition” A cheery girl he knew from the drama club announced during lunch.
“Zuko,aren't you a good singer? are you auditioning?” Ty lee said,and zuko was starting to regret his choice of sitting with azula's friends during lunch.She wasn't even there anymore,but he hadn't bothered to make any new friends of his own.He wasn't very good at the whole socializing thing, never had been.
Plus,ty lee knew he wasn't into acting. She was just trying to annoy him in an attempt to get Mai to laugh.Probably.
“No way”
“He's too chicken to do it” Mai piped in,neatly taking a bite out of her sandwich.
“I´m not! i'd just rather work backstage like last year.It's better that way"
“Come on! it would be fun! it's not that scary once you get used to it”
“I'm not scared”
“Whatever” Mai said with a straight face.She was always bored,always unbothered. That was one of the reasons why they´d broken up.That and the fact that she figured out she wasn't even into men.Only ty lee seemed to have the power to amuse her these days.
“ I still think you should audition.I mean,you´re better than most of the guys in our club! just think about it.It would be cool to have a friend in the cast with me” Ty lee said,flashing her puppy eyes at him. He didn't have the energy to mention that she had never heard him sing,and she was already best friends with everyone who might potentially be cast as far as he was concerned.
“What do I even gain from auditioning?" He tried again.
“ Experience? lifelong friends? a deeper connection to your love of theatre?” Ty lee replied, and he cringed internally.
this is what I get for hanging out with theatre kids.
“ My respect and admiration” Mai added,raising a cynical eyebrow.
Zuko Huffed.
“Sure.Maybe i'll do it then"
He meant it in a sarcastic way just then, but he did sign up to audition, because his whole "aura just screamed Marius Pontmercy" according to Ty lee.
His mother used to tell him stories about how much she loved performing.She used to say that there was nothing better than telling a story to an audience, bringing them hope and evoking happiness.It all had sounded corny to him, but maybe it was worth a try.
Maybe it would make him miss her a little less.
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A theatre is the best place to escape from all your problems His mother's voice rang in his head as soon as he walked into the stage.Ursa had taken him and his little sister to her favorite play multiple times before she left.Love amongst the dragons.She also held a special love for musicals too,and so did Zuko. Azula hated them though, Zuko remembered his sister putting a pillow over her head when their mom made them watch Mary Poppins as kids.
He hadn't stepped a foot into his school's crummy stage area since last year's production of Assassins.Only this time, he was going to actually try out for the show, and not just work as a techie.
He'd missed the slightly acrid smell of old wood and sweat(he had no better words to describe the nostalgic scent) and the music, even if it came from an eleventh grade pianist who looked as nervous as he felt.
"Ready when you are"
Zuko nodded, and he zoned out when he heard the beginning notes of his audition song.
He tried his best just to focus on the music instead of the director sitting in front of him, writing down notes with a judging look, or the co director, a new student who he was 67% sure was in the same class as him, or in how sweaty his hands were or why his legs suddenly started shaking.
At the end, the co director clapped enthusiastically and smiled at him, so he figured it went well.
Or at least, he hoped it had been enough for a callback.
Katara was early for auditions which, honestly, was not a surprise. She was usually early to everything.
but it was an accomplishment on that particular day, considering she'd been late to school.It had been like a domino chain.She'd managed to sleep right through her alarm,after going to sleep late catching up on schoolwork.And it was katara who was in charge of waking up first, katara who was in charge of making breakfast and waking up her brother, which meant he'd overslept too.Nothing functioned in that house if katara wasn't the one to start the engine.
At least showing up early meant she got to pick a seat in the back of the theatre space,silently watching all the students audition, and no one told her off( Partly because no one cared, and also because by some miracle her brother was the co- director - Just because he'd asked,and Sokka could be very persuasive when he wanted to)
They'd only been in the city for two months, and she kind of felt comforted by the routine she'd settled into.Wake up, go to school, come back, do homework and maybe help her neighbor with his, make dinner or help Gran Gran with it.
Their neighbor ,Aang, a 13 year old kid who went to the same school and had introduced himself during their first day at the bus stop, all smiles and reassurances about how nice their new school was and how cool it would be to finally have neighbors his age.He'd been attached to Katara ever since, following her around like a lost baby turtleduck. It was kind of endearing, to have someone on her side that wasn't her brother, to keep her company if she ever felt alone.( who cared if she had to help him with his homework every now and then? he was fun to hang out with)
So she watched more classmates audition.Girls belting their heart out to "I dreamed a dream".Prepubescent boys with squeaky voices who looked and sounded like they'd wandered around the school and has ended up there, not quite knowing what they were doing, and people who clearly had been born for performing.Katara's favorites were the kids that seemed shy at first, but slowly came alive as their songs went on.the ones that didn't look the part but clearly had the talent.A particular boy stood out to her, with a raspy voice and a facial scar.He looked strangely familiar,and in her opinion, would most likely get cast.
It wasn't like katara had any kind of experience in the matter.She and her brother had grown up loving theatre and musicals, but their old school didn't even have a theatre program.It was one of the few reasons she was glad her dad had gotten a promotion in the first place.
At some point, she had to leave the
auditorium and wait outside for her turn.She fixed her braid.Warmed up her voice. Put on lip balm.Tried to smooth out her slightly wrinkled clothes..Fiddled with her necklace.
you can do this.
"Hey, new girl." A male voice interrupted her personal pep talk.A messy haired boy sat next to her, with a crooked smile that reeked of questionable intentions.
"It's katara"
"Jet.Nice to meet you.You're a year below me, aren't you?"
"Yeah.Just arrived two months ago now.I watched your audition,by the way.You'll definitely get a callback" She said, meaning it.This guy had auditioned for enjolras,and had done really well.
"you think so?"
"I know so.I mean,every guy will probably get cast.There aren't many of you" Katara said, eliciting a laugh out of the older boy.
"That's harsh, katara.You're funny. I like that about girls."Jet said, and she could feel her heartbeat speed up, just with the way he was looking at her.unexpected chuckle left her mouth.
i´m funny? what am I supposed to reply to that? thank you?
Thankfully, someone from the tech crew called her name before she could reply.
"I gotta go" and she bolted into the audition room, her heart beating so loudly in her ears that she barely heard Jet telling her to break a leg.
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"hey, how did your audition go?" Aang said as soon as he stepped on the bus.
"I got a callback!"
"that's great!" He replied, throwing his arms around her,surprisingly strong for such a scrawny kid.
"you're crushing me"
"sorry,i'm just really excited for you"
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By night, when Sokka was home from football practice and the whole house smelled like Gran Gran's fish stew that they had for dinner, katara practiced until her throat felt scratchy.
"still going at it?" Her grandma said, leaving a cup of herbal tea next to her bed.
"Yes, thank you, Gran Gran"
"You seem nervous.You have nothing to be nervous about,you have a beautiful voice" Her calloused hand grasped katara's face, and it meant the world to hear her say that, even though gran gran had no idea what musical theatre was or had any interest in it.
But she had a beautiful voice - Katara had grown up hearing her throat singing, one of the most important parts of their culture.
It made them feel connected.She loved that about music.
After the cup of tea and gran gran's reassuring words, she went to bed with a smile.
whatever happens will happen, and if it's meant for you then it will
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"Nephew, you've been quiet today.Anything interesting you might want to tell your old man?"
Zuko looked up from his dinner- Iroh had made ramen again- "I. uh- auditioned for the school's musical'
"My, how exciting.I presume you got a part?"
"Not yet.Just a callback for tomorrow"
"that's good.Remember,Wherever you go, go with all your heart"
"What does that even mean?"
"If you do get a part in the show, are you still going to continue the rest of your activities? I don't want you overworking yourself"
"You mean taekwondo?" His therapist had suggested taking a form of martial arts as a way to get rid of his anger.It mostly worked, and he'd been going for years now."I can still go.i'll figure it out, uncle."
"That's good.I'm very proud of you"
Something inside him jumped happily every time he heard those words.He never heard them much as a kid.
Zuko liked how open his uncle was with his feelings.He used to find it annoying as a kid, but now it was endearing.He wasn't good at talking, much less about his feelings.
"I'm not very good at singing anyways.I doubt i'll get a part" He muttered as he started picking up the dishes again to wash them."Speaking of overworking oneself, did azula call?"
" She did.Says she's doing okay, but I doubt it.She asked for you"
"what did she say?"
"That she's sorry.Didn't say why"
He knew why.Life hadn't been fair to anyone in their family, but he and azula and got the short end of the stick.She'd had a breakdown a few months ago,and in a hurricane of moments he'd rather not think about, she'd ended up on one of the best psychiatric hospitals in the country.(Courtesy of Iroh and his new tea company that had recently been doing really well)
They'd visited, of course.They just wanted her to get better, to recover.
That night, after practicing a song from the show once and promptly giving up, he longed for something he'd never had.
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Callbacks were more nerve wracking than katara thought they would be.Their new director was a little too invested in the romantic parts of the show, meaning that somehow he ended up doing what he called a " chemistry read" for the roles of marius and eponine, and she'd have to sing their duet, a little fall of rain, with some guy who was auditioning.It ended up being the guy with the scar from the day before, whose audition stood out to her.
As it turns out, their chemistry was not there.She knew the song happened while one of the characters was dying in the arms of the other, though it was a little difficult to convey that while they were just standing next to each other, sheet music in their hands.
She kept trying to make eye contact with him, while he infuriatingly kept his eyes close to the ground.His voice was still raspy and smooth, and when he finally looked up right before the last chorus,she nearly felt a shot of electricity.It looked like his eyes were both a different color at first glance, but the one on the scar side just looked damaged.The other one was golden.
Katara sincerely hoped no one else around them noticed how they both went red.Stupid chemistry reads.
After that trainwreck of a callback, the last thing katara needed was to bump into the marius guy, who still looked flushed.Just then, she immediately remembered why he seemed so familiar.Spiky black hair, facial scar, glasses.
"it's you"
" you’re the girl from the plane" The guy- zuko, she remembered now, said."I'm so sorry again.I was an asshole that day"
"Yeah,you were"
"I was just having a really bad day and-"
"Save it.Just do me a favor"
"Sure"
"If you do get cast in this show, make sure you stay very away from me"
If she was good at one thing, it was holding grudges.Maybe it had been a small thing, but her anger still bubbled over it.If she bumped his shoulder a little too hard on her way out the door,well, maybe he deserved it.
Les misérables cast list
Jean Valjean..............Haru
Javert....................Longshot
Fantine..........................Jin
Marius.....................Zuko
Enjorlas.....................Jet
Cosette.....................Ty lee
Eponine....................Katara