All The World's A Stage: A modern Kataang AU

Chapter 6: Tech Week

When Aang and Katara walked into the auditorium the next day, things were... different. Everyone was more alert, more focused. Now was not the time for fooling around. They had a show to put together. Tech week had arrived. 

"I'd like to introduce you to the stage crew," said Mr. Piandao, "First of all, we have our deck chief, Toph, who will be managing things backstage." Toph was sitting at the edge of the stage, along with the run crew, who would move the sets during scene changes. 

"Teo and Meng are our tech crew." Meng waved from where the spotlight was at the back of the theater. Teo smiled from where he was sitting up in the sound booth. 

"Finally, Mai and Ty Lee are going to talk to you about costumes." Mai and Ty Lee couldn't have been more different if they tried. Ty Lee had gotten all dolled up for tech week. The stage crew was supposed to wear black, and apparently to her that meant a little black dress. Still, there was just a flash of pink in her lipstick and the hair tie at the end of her braid. 

Mai's wardrobe probably entirely consisted of black clothing. With her ebony hair and pale skin, she looked like a ghost. 

"Hi guys!" Ty Lee said, "I'm Ty Lee. I do costumes!" She elbowed Mai, who sighed. 

"And I'm Mai. I do makeup," she said somberly, as if she were announcing someone's death. Another elbow. 

"And together, we're going to make sure you look great for this show," They said in unison. Mai looking like she wanted to disappear into the curtains. 

"We're going to start with Friar Lawrence, Benvolio, and Lady Capulet," Ty Lee said. The actors in question followed the two girls out of the auditorium. 

"Let's run through the balcony scene," Piandao said. Aang and Katara grinned. They bounded onto the stage, Katara running up the stairs of the wooden set. 

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks. It is the east, and Juliet is the sun," Aang serenaded. They effortlessly, but passionately continued through the scene. They kissed, which had gotten easier, and said their farewells, which hadn't. Then Piandao moved on to another scene between Katara and Suki. 

"Hey Sokka," Aang asked nervously once he was backstage, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Sokka responded as they watched the scene unfold.

"How do you know if you're in love with someone?" Sokka looked at him oddly. In the dark backstage light, he couldn't tell if he was being serious. Aang grabbed his hand and dragged him into the hallway.

"Oh," Sokka said, looking at Aang's earnest face, "You're being serious," he thought for a moment. Being in Love. He had definitely been in love before, with Yue. He didn't know if she had been in love with him though. He wanted to think about why he knew he was in love with her, but when he tried, another face sprang to mind, not with white hair, but with auburn. 

"When you're in love," he said quietly, "I guess, everything seems... new, like you're looking at the world in a different light, when you're looking at it with them. And you're always thinking about them, they're always in the back of you're mind, and-" he thought for a moment. Then he looked back at Suki.

"And what?" Aang said.

"And you just want to say it to them,"

"Say what?"

"Say 'I love you'," Sokka snapped back to reality and cleared his throat, "How's that for some advice."

"Thanks, Sokka," Aang said earnestly. 

"Glad I could help!"

"Mercutio, Romeo, Juliet, and Juliet's nurse," Ty Lee called, "Time for costumes."