[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/26f16045-6356-41aa-8cbe-d241d0cb2fc7.png[/img][/center]The situation at the fishery was static, the stillness only adding to the tension - like a deep rumbling under the earth and an ominous puff of smoke, the impending eruption was only made more threatening the longer it took to finally burst. And, as if he were watching an unsettled volcano, Zai watched on with rapt attention, unwilling to tear his eyes away even for a second.

Until a woman nearly bowled him over, that is. 

Zai whirled on the girl in surprise, the tension of the situation seeping into his own nerves. But she seemed unperturbed, more interested in her stuff than in him. Zai would normally have preferred it that way, and was honestly thankful for the chance to tear himself away from the disaster about to unfold before him. But before he could take his chance and leave, she caught his eye - or at least, her sword did. 

Zai eyed the sword as the girl fiddled with her pack, openly staring at the exquisite craftsmanship. It had no place in a backwater town like this. The sheathe was decorated in ornate enamel, hand work he knew could take months to complete, and if that was any indication, then the sword housed within must have been worth a king’s ransom. He couldn’t see the blade - not that he knew enough about them to tell a decent sword from a fine one anyway - but his gaze fixed on the charm dangling from the hilt. A flower - no, a lily. 

[i]A lily…[/i] 

Suddenly, Zai’s blood ran cold. He stepped back defensively when the girl turned to speak to him, watching after her warily as she dove into the crowd. Back when he and his father were still “guests” in Ba Sing Se, he had heard rumours about a criminal harassing the Kingdom, known only by the moniker “Laughing Lily.” They got the name, in part, for the lily-decorated blade they used in their crimes. The other part was for how they cackled as they cut their victims to ribbons. 

There was no way to confirm that this was the criminal in question, but the way she nonchalantly challenged a whole retinue of Earth Kingdom soldiers didn’t make her look much better. The soldiers were his enemy, sure, but Zai wasn’t interested in figuring out why a supposed violent criminal was sticking up for fugitives - it was time to go. 

A crowd had gathered in the street, which was good for Zai; unlike the girl, he slipped into the crowd subtly, blending into the sea of straw hats and weathered clothes. But with people pressing in for a view of the action, the crowd was difficult to navigate in the opposite direction. Zai had to fight against the current, earning himself a few annoyed comments as he bumped and brushed past people as fast as he could. 

Unfortunately, he barely made it ten feet before bumping into someone who refused to budge. Zai blinked at the obstacle, which was the uniformed chest of a man tall enough that he had to tip back his hat to see his face. 

An Earth Kingdom soldier peered suspiciously back down at him. “What’s the hurry?” He asked darkly. “You got somewhere to be?” 

Zai stepped back, his momentary surprise quickly yielding to displeasure masking fear. [color=FC5E04]“I don't like being around fights,”[/color] he answered flatly, moving to push past the soldier again. 

The soldier stuck out his arm, which stopped Zai as surely as a tree trunk would have. “You sure you're not gettin’ away from somethin' else?” The soldier questioned, poking a stain on Zai’s shirt. The fabric glittered with fish scales, and Zai was suddenly very aware of the strong smell of fish wafting off of him. That wasn't good. 

[color=FC5E04]“I don't have anything to do with that fishery, if that's what you're getting at,”[/color] Zai replied coldly. For once, it was the truth. 

“You're lookin’ awfully [i]fishy[/i] to me,” the soldier countered. He poked Zai again, harder this time. 

Zai glared up at the man, willing himself to stay calm - and failing. [color=FC5E04]“It's a [i]fishing village[/i],”[/color] he retorted stubbornly. [color=FC5E04]“What do you want from me? Because I left my birth certificate in my other pants.”[/color]

“Oh, that won't be necessary,” the soldier replied mockingly, “we just want to ask a few questions…” He reached out and clasped his hand on Zai’s shoulder. By his grip, this wasn't a friendly invitation. 

Zai panicked. 

Before he even realized what he was doing, he drew a sharp breath and grabbed the soldier’s wrist - there was no visible fire, but his touch rapidly heated the soldier's gauntlet. The soldier recoiled, cradling his burnt hand, and screamed in pain. 

The crowd receded at the noise, and Zai used the opening to make a break for it. He sprinted to the nearest market stall - the alley beside it was a dead end, so instead he hopped up a pile of crates onto the roof of the shack. On instinct, he fell flat on the roof at the sound of cracking rock behind him; just in time, it turned out, as a chunk of the road went sailing just over his head. 

“FUGITIVE! OVER HERE!” The burned soldier bellowed, alerting everyone in earshot, including the soldiers on the other side of the newly-erected wall. Every set of eyes on the street below turned to the young man in the straw hat perched atop the market stall, now in full view from every angle. Panicked, Zai leapt off the roof and landed on the other side, sprinting down the much-emptier adjacent street, past the Black Eel and toward the edge of town as fast as his feet could carry him.