" excuse me -- can i ... can i ask you something? "
it's unusual for jin to hesitate, the way she will wring her hands together and wipe the sweat from her palms on her tattered dress speaks volumes of how nervous she is right now. having a casual conversation with someone from the fire nation is new to her; the very notion of them not being the big, scary wolves killing everything in their path any longer feels foreign still. but now that the border has been opened again, and refugees are allowed migration within the earth kingdom, jin has been on a mission to search for the boy she once knew as lee.
" i'm looking for someone you might know. he's a performer as well -- he-- uh, his name is lee, " though that might not been his real name, jin hopes it will ring any bells with the girl, " he's... he was from the fire nation, i think. i mean, he never said it, and i never asked..." but she knew. people may underestimate jin's capability to pay attention for too long, but it's there. and it is keen enough to notice certain things the boy was trying to conceal at the time, " maybe he travelled with your troupe for a while? he--he had this large scar on his face. like he'd been burnt. " a pause to exhale the air she'd been holding in, anxious fingers fiddle with her plaits, " sorry, you probably think i'm weird for asking. but i just need to find him. i just ... i need to know he's still alive. " @huozaji












