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Valiona2014-08-12 23:10:09

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NSZ Chapter 22: Ember Island Players Part 1: The Cheekier Version

After more than 20 chapters, the fic's finally back to canon episodes, and we're up to The Ember Island Players. This will be a significant event for the fic. If you're familiar with the Ship-to-Ship Combat among the Avatar fandom, you'll know why. If not, stay tuned.

Of course, this chapter doesn't immediately begin with the play, "The Boy In The Iceberg," (which I'll call "BITI"). Katara's walking around the house, creeped out by Ozai's cupboard while Sokka and Suki mention that they're going into town (which is where they'll find the poster) to get supplies, but Katara suggests that they want to do public displays of affection without the rest of the Gaang watching. Zuko makes "a good firebending breakfast" for Aang to prepare for an intense day of practice. Katara ponders licking some mango juice off Zuko's face.

Zuko begins practicing with Aang, without his shirt on. After the practice ends, Katara observes how strange it is to be hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house. It's a bit strange that she's asking this now, even after all the time they've spent here, but it's somewhat more understandable because of the closet. Zuko says no one has been in the house for a while, shooting comforting looks at Katara and Aang. For Aang, the subject of the Fire Lord is a difficult one, and he gets "an oddly panicked" look in his eyes, like when Momo's done something bad.

Sokka and Suki come in with theposter about BITI, the play about the Gaang. Katara can't believe how they could possibly make one, but Sokka says they scoured the globe for information about the Gaang, and that the Ember Island Players are putting it on. Zuko is displeased, knowing that the Ember Island Players butchered LATD while he was on Ember Island, as if it were the worst crime ever. Katara finds it adorable that he's such a fanboy, and notes that he never told her that the book was better than any play adaptation(again, I'll point out that we hadn't seen any canon indication that LATD was an adaptation of a book).

As a result of that, Zuko doesn't want to go and Katara has reservations about going, not wanting to blow their cover, and thinking it would be self aggrandizing to see BITI. Sokka, however, convinces Katara by suggesting that they need a break, and that it's the first time for them to see a theater. As Sokka convinces the group, Katara realizes that this is why he's the leader.

They set about making preparations to avoid being recognized, with Aang wearing a hat. Zuko's situation is more complicated, since his face is recognizable, and this is why he's been reluctant to go into town. Sokka suggests a Black Cloak for Zuko, who replies that Sokka solves every problem with cloaks, boomerangs or shopping. Zuko is reluctant, but he concedes in the face of Aang and Toph's expressing their desire to see it.

Katara, Suki and Sokka head into town to buy tickets, and a hat for Aang. The latter comes easily, and after a debate over whether to get one that matches Aang's outfit (as Sokka wants), or covers his arrow (as Katara wants), Katara compromises and gets a pointy hat that can be pulled down all the way. While Suki's distracted by a weapons shop, Katara and Sokka go to a theater, and are refused entry to the late night session, the only one that's not sold out (I'm not all that familiar with plays, but I don't think it's as easy to run them all day like movies) because Sokka and Katara don't seem old enough.

Katara's angered that they aren't allowed to watch a play about events that they lived through (which brings up a nice bit of Fridge Logic about how kids can potentially fight, but not be old enough to watch about their experiences). She has the presence of mind to get Suki, though, who makes herself seem older, and buys six tickets for the entire Gaang in a private box, greatly impressing Katara.

Since they're going to the late night show of BITI, they'll have some time to spare until then. Toph and Zuko have Aang practice the funky ball, while Sokka and Suki canoodle, with the former liking the latter's "older woman" disguise. Zuko reads LATD to Toph, who was upset over not getting to find out what had happened, but is a bit shy over asking for help. All the while, Zuko "does the voices" again, and Katara finds this cute.

Aang apparently keeps the funky ball up for an hour and twelve minutes, although he says Zuko underestimated how long it was (I have to wonder how people in the Avatar universe can measure time this precisely). In any case, Zuko says Aang did well and lets him go fly around on Appa. Katara dozes off in the hammock until Toph's turn comes up. She asks Zuko to read until the end of the chapter, but Zuko suddenly cuts off as Zara and Kizu go to bed . Zuko insists he didn't skip anything, and Toph, after making a face, goes off to train Aang.

Katara, on the other hand, knows better, having read that part. Zuko says he won't read smutty bits to a 12 year old like Toph, and his mother also skipped over those bits. Zuko also points out that his mother only took him to the matinees of LATD to avoid the smutty bits that are shown at night. Katara asks whether the late night shows are that much worse, and Zuko says he doesn't know, but Katara adds that they're about to find out, since her tickets were for a late night show.

A discussion ensues among the older members of the Gaang about how appropriate BITI is for the younger members. Sokka decides that it isn't a problem, bringing up how Toph can't see "[[Unusual Euphemism the cheeky" and isn't bothered by it, how Aang might benefit from it, and, most importantly, how the tickets are non-refundable.

Katara points out that Sokka and Suki are the only members of the Gaang who got any "cheeky," but Sokka then brings up Mai, much to Zuko's displeasure, as he'd been very secretive about her, with Sokka being the only one to hear about her. Zuko hopes the embarrassing things will happen to other people this time, and Katara agrees, pointing out that Zuko has embarrassing things happen to him all the time.

Katara can't help but think about Mai and the "fruit tarts" that she assumes are an euphemism of some sort.

After having dinner and getting dressed, the Gaang heads to Dragon Twin theater to see BITI.

They have to deal with taking seats. Aang wants to sit next to Katara (take a wild guess why), but "the first thing that popped into (Katara's) head was not very nice," and Katara worries about having to cover Aang's ears every time. Zuko then makes Aang sit next to him.

Toph, on the other hand, complains about being unable to "see" anything from a seat that's so far away from the stage, and not in a place that allows her to see through earthbending.

The curtain rises, on a rendition of The South Pole. Stage!Sokka, as you may know, is obsessed with meat and less funny than Sokka is otherwise (I'll refer to the characters' actual portrayals as Regular!Character, call them Fic!Character when they do something only in this fic, or Canon!Character for when canon doesn't match with the fic or the play). Stage!Katara is, as you might expect, a hope-obsessed tearbender, and inappropriately dressed for the poles, and Regular!Katara doesn't like it.

The iceberg appears, followed by a Title Drop Fic!Katara doesn't like very much. Stage!Katara, in a rare and appreciated show of usefulness, waterbends open the iceberg, releasing Stage!Aang, played by a Bald Woman, who finds the entire play a lot funnier than Regular!Aang does. Regular!Aang complains that he's not like his counterpart at all, and Fic!Katara points out that no one is, and that his is more similar to his actual self than hers is.

Stage!Zuko and Stage!Iroh arrive. The former is humorless and obsessed with honor, something that Regular!Zuko doesn't like, but Regular!Katara finds very much like him. The latter is all of Regular!Iroh's eccentricity without his competence; Fic!Katara finds his dialogue about massages the high point of the evening; considering that we're in the equivalent of the first episode, this is saying a lot.

The story gets to Kyoshi, where Stage!Suki is introduced, Stage!Katara cries, and Stage!Sokka wears a dress, which Fic!Zuko asks about. Stage!Momo and Stage!Bumi are introduced, being portrayed as "a flying monkey" and "useless," respectively.

Fic!Katara notices that not only is Stage!Katara overly dramatic and a useless fighter, but she's also a floozy. During the time when Regular!Katara rescued Regular!Haru from prison (which happens the other way around in the Ember Island Players' version), Stage!Katara kisses Stage!Haru.

Fic!Katara insists that they only kissed once, and lightly at that; Regular!Haru was not her type, and nothing ever came of it, certainly not the Secret Relationship implied in the play.

Meanwhile, Regular!Zuko is annoyed with Stage!Zuko's obsession with honor. He's also disappointed when Fic!Katara doesn't disagree with that portrayal of him, even finding the flubbed lines by Stage!Zuko's actor to be in character for the times he started a conversation and walked off.

The part with the pirates and the waterbending scroll comes next, as well as a dispute between Fic!Zuko and Fic!Sokka over whose "mates." the pirates are. Stage!Katara's tearbending manages to overcome the pirates.

Fic!Katara finds a part even worse than the one with her and Haru once Stage!Jet comes into play. Regular!Katara was attracted to him, but then she found out how far he was willing to go, and her feelings toward him were complicated until- and even after- he died in the Lake Laogai base.

Stage!Katara calls Stage!Jet "lewd" names, resulting in Fic!Zuko covering Fic!Aang's ears. Some of the audience boo Stage Katara, but Fic!Katara doesn't stand for that, in spite of her feelings, blaming it all on the writer.

Stage!Katara then declares that flooding the town will give her hope, before having sex with Stage!Jet. As Fic!Zuko relaxed his guard after seeing the smut go away, Fic!Aang sees some of it and is deeply upset, while Fic!Katara is mortified.

The play implies that Stage!Zuko captured Stage!Aang, Katara was well enough to "get reacquainted" with one of the pirates while Stage!Sokka was well enough to hunt for meat, and Stage!Aang gets saved from Stage!Zuko by Stage!Blue Spirit.

Stage!Katara goes on to be paired with every male character in the play, worst of all, Stage!Iroh.

Stage!Yue, on the other hand, is relatively in character, being pretty and dignified, although prone to tear-bending. She's pointed out as being Fic!Katara's first "girl friend her age" ("The Rift" suggests that Katara was friends with Niyok and Nutha, even though her relationship with the latter is strained- perhaps this is a case of Remember the New Guy?, but it's slightly more plausible to have offscreen friends from home than to have Yue and Katara develop an offscreen friendship) and Fic!Katara wishes she was remembered with respect for her Heroic Sacrifice.

The first act ends, which nicely aligns with the first of three Books ending. The intermission starts, and the Gaang debates their portrayals; Stage!Suki is the least inaccurate. It's mentioned that Fic!Katara doesn't mention Stage!Katara's floozyness for fear of drawing attention to it, which is possibly an attempt to explain Canon!Katara doing so. Instead, she brings up her speeches, and Regular!Aang, in a rare display of sarcasm, comments that it's not like her. Regular!Toph likes it, which makes Katara hope Toph gets another crybaby.

(Since the focus is off the play, I'm removing the tags) While the others go to the bathroom or get snacks, Katara and Zuko talk. Katara asks if Zuko thinks her an emotional crybaby, and Zuko disagrees, which seems to be an opportunity for him to prove himself more knowledgeable about her than Aang. Katara thanks him, saying she's trying not to take what happened personally, something Zuko can sympathize with. The two commiserate about their portrayals, and Zuko says that he, in particular, doesn't like being reminded of his old mistakes.

Katara takes the opportunity to ask Zuko about the reason behind Zuko's rescue ofAang. Zuko admits that it wasn't a very noble reason, and mainly because he wouldn't let a "dickhead" like Zhao have Aang (although he's hesitant to say that about him now that Zhao is dead). Zhao sent Zuko a childish note taunting him, so Zuko set out to save Aang to retun the humiliation. Of course, Katara's past the point at which she would be bothered by Zuko's admitting his motives, but it's nice to see them discuss this.

Zuko gets a program, so that he has something to read and/or turn into origami rather than watch the play. He considers making an origami crane, star, or commonsense stick (for Toph), and regarding the latter, Katara suggests that Toph will get her comeuppance with her stage version. Aang and Sokka come back, complaining about their versions, as the play resumes.

An author's note follows, and apparently, the author had another Schedule Slip. The chapter is in three parts. The first is what we just finished. The second is the second part of BITI, Zuko and Katara's reaction to the "cheeky" scene and Aang and Katara's conversation- the latter of which will likely prove more important. The third is the end of the play and the walk home.

The author mentions how she made the fic align with canon. She mentions the "anklets" around Katara's ankles in canon, which she believes are her anklets. She also points out that the revelation of Ozai's cupboard is why Katara is canonically surprised to be in Ozai's house, although this seems to be a stretch made to justify the Gaang talking about the house they spent weeks at in such a way.

The author points out that Sokka and Katara have never seen a play, and that Sokka, fueled by his desire and enabled by his status as the leader, gets the Gaang to see BITI- or rather, a "cheekier" version than in canon. The author points out that the kid hanging around the theater who points out Zuko's scar being on the "wrong" side (the first time Toph heard about it), most likely went to a previous show.

The author points out that Zuko reading to Toph is adorable, and Katara is disappointed to not hear the cheeky bits, then recaps the entire conversation between the older kids about whether to go. The author also suggests that Zuko and Sokka gossiped about Zuko and Mai in the trip over to the Boiling Rock, which was a long commute, giving them plenty of time to talk about Zuko's "cheeky time."

The author made BITI more ridiculous, and Stage!Katara being a floozy was the author's invention (so I wonder if she was the writer Fic!Katara blamed). Despite Katara's portrayal being worse than in canon, she tries not to let it get to her, unlike Aang.

The author points out that there was some basis for the Ember Island Players' portrayal of Katara's relationships. Katara and Haru had "a little something" in prison; even if he's not her type he's not a brother/son figure (I can practically see the author saying "unlike Aang" here). But Jet is Katara's type, for reasons similar to Zuko- tall with an athletic build, messy black hair (although Zuko's hair wasn't messy until Book 2), a tragic past, and two swords. With Jet, Katara's feelings go from a superficial crush to conflicting feelings. Katara feels attracted to Jet even while angry at him, and while she's a better match with Zuko (the author feels the need to point out how obvious this opinion of hers should be to readers), she still has that sort of attraction to him.

The author points out two characters who returned in this chapter.

  • Yue: The author suggests that she and Katara made friends at the South Pole. Again, I think she's making assumptions.
  • Zhao: The author points out that he and Zuko were at each other's throats, but Zuko doesn't think he deserved to die the way he did, and his fate will impact Zuko at some later point, even if Zhao was petty and prone to taunting Zuko (the taunt letter was inspired by an abridged series).

The author points out that Zuko and Katara sit close together and Zuko doesn't laugh at Stage!Katara's tearbending. She sees them as proof of the ship. I see them as Zuko having a convenient position and not having a sense of humor.

Next time, there will be the second part of the play, and an "exceptionally awkward" moment. If you've seen ATLA, and know about the Ship-to-Ship Combat, you should know what it is by now. If not... stay tuned.

What I liked

  • The Gaang's reactions to their portrayals.
  • Zuko being honest about his reasons for saving Aang from Zhao.

What I didn't like

  • Some parts of the author justifying connecting the fic to canon
  • The author's turning some of it into evidence for Zutara.
  • LATD being an adaptation of a book

Comments

romancechina88 Since: Dec, 1969
Aug 13th 2014 at 1:16:42 PM
This is another of one of the potential drawback's of Fanfiction. Writers who take what we see onscreen, or spectate and assume that some things could have happened off screen to benefit what they are writing about.

I can understand why some people do this, after all it's a fun part of writing and it also can help to make your work attract the audience who like that sort of stuff.

But sometimes I have to wonder if it really is something that writers ought not to do.

I'm aware of how stubborn some people can get when shipping two people, and it's fine to like a certain pairing, but if your going to write about one. That canon makes it hard to feel it could possibly happen, or there was little to no evidence of it, or it's been contradicted or counteracted.

Then I feel it can drag the quality of a fic down, in this case this fic suffers at times because of the authors attempts in bringing about Zutara to fruition. Which is a bit of a shame I think.

Though I'm sure the author enjoyed writing it the way she did, and the Zutara audience loved it as well, which at the end of the day would matter most.

But overall I think it is a shame how some authors at times will go to great lengths just to prove their pairing is the one and only.

That's just my opinion, and one that can easily be countered.
Valiona Since: Dec, 1969
Aug 13th 2014 at 3:33:51 PM
romancechina88,

I largely agree with this. Of course, in my own fan works, I do apply my own interpretations, albeit not necessarily to support a certain goal, but largely to expand on what isn't covered in canon, so I can understand how and why people draw conclusions about what happened offscreen. I try to make sure that my interpretations are natural, though, and that those who disagree with them can at least see where I'm coming from.

I also do have to wonder how Zutara would have gone if it were canon, with Katara forgiving Zuko two episodes before the Grand Finale. Perhaps this fic's expanding on events is in large part necessary to enable Zutara to happen.
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