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"Grand Lotus, it's as we feared," a member from the Fire Nation said, holding out a sealed scroll. It had the markings of General Zheng on it, bearing his authority. They were the plans to take the small village of Rannokawa on the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. It was a strategic stop on the trade route between Shai City and Ba Sing Se - and the Fire Nation needed to secure it. They could then isolate their enemies, dividing them into two, and one day, perhaps make water and earth benders burn just like the air nomads.

"Master Xuan, what do you make of this?" the Grand Lotus asked, having perused the scroll and its small capping hit the ground, rolling about idly - as if unaware of the important papers that it had been used to conceal.

"They're genuine," a man with a goatee - Master Xuan - said as he approached. "And retrieved at great cost. If the Fire Nation can take Rannokawa, we'll be cut off from the northern side." The Southern Water Tribe was not nearly as strategically important, as much as Xuan regretted to admit it. Its distance to Ba Sing Se was almost double the distance of Ba Sing Se to the Northern Water Tribe. Not to mention, the Fire Nation had all but destroyed the Southern Air Temple, with troops in hot pursuit of any surviving air nomads in order to complete their extinction.

It was cruel - but effective.

"Very well," the Grand Lotus said. "We cannot reveal ourselves - or we will risk exposing our members within the House of Sozin."

"...Do you mean that we are to do nothing?!" a younger and hot tempered member exclaimed.

"No," the Grand Lotus answered, shaking his head. "We must wait and listen before we strike against the Fire Lord - for the sake of the free world...or what remains of it."

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Currently, it was the middle of the springtime, the Fire Nation had taken control of the Earth Kingdom City of Zhy, and had constructed a prison there. The prison, named Tiánmì de Mèng (translation: Sweet Dream), housed many prisoners, from those who caused trouble in the city, or rebellious citizens of the city. To Prisoners of War from the constant fighting that has been taking place between the Fire Nation and the others. This is where everyone currently is, it is the morning on a cold spring day, overcast and it looks like it might rain. Everyone is still in their cells, but soon they were set to be let outside into the prison courtyard for a while.

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Hikaru was being very very careful with every little thing she did. One slip up and she would end up dead, and it made things really difficult when she ended up stuck in a cell with a guy who'd been there for a while. She was trapped, and had to make sure that each thing she did didn't use her Air Bending in anyway. This generally was a problem if she had to sneeze, since she tended to take off into the air if that happened. It was hard, being stuck in a prison that wouldn't hesitate to kill her if they found out what she was.

Her mind did constantly wander to the Western Air Temple, her home that had been wiped out when the Fire Nation had attacked. Her entire life ripped away in a matter of minutes, and she had taken off running. There hadn't been much else she could do, and she had resulted to stealing in order to survive, so it was her own fault that she was even there. It still wasn't the best situation to be in overall, considering what she was. She was also a bit of a morning person, so she was wide awake right then, not too sure if she even really wanted to start a conversation with Hiroyuki.

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He wasn't the best when it came to waking up in the morning, some of the time anyway. Quite a bit of the time, he was wide awake and ready for the day, but today was not one of those days. Ryuu woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, so he was a bit annoyed when he got up. Not caring what his cell mate did or anything, he stood up and started doing a few exercises, since he usually found those to be calming, at least somewhat. It was not working at all, he was still in a sort of pissed off mood by the time he finished.

"Why the hell did he do that to us, why the hell did he leave us for them? We could have worked together in the army, but oh no, Sora had to be different, he had to be special. He just had to go off and side with the Fire Nation and abandon his family, I mean really. Sure, that does have some perks but he left us still, and went against his own people, just because he could," he mumbled to himself. His hand went up to touch the scar on his neck, the memory of him almost bleeding out because of that slash still fresh in his mind. He wondered if Sora had been there, would he have done something to stop it? To prevent his brother from almost dying? Or would he have done nothing and watched his twin die? Despite how much he hoped that it was the first option, deep down he feared that it likely would have been the second option.

Hiroyuki often wondered if he would ever go back to the Northern Water Tribe - back to the loving embrace of his wife and the cheerful smiles of his daughter. Of course, he had been planning escape routes just in case he would get the chance to do so, but it never came. Days had turned into months - a painful reminder that it was not easy to escape the Fire Nation. He was steadfast in the belief that he would be able to escape. Eventually, he would get out of this prison and continue his fight against these cruel men and women. But of course, to topple down a kingdom, you have to cut off the head and make sure none grow back.

The morning had come far too quickly but Hiroyuki was up even before the sun rose - as per the usual. He sat on top of his cot and simply meditated. Things went by far more easier whenever he felt calmer than usual. Hiroyuki had rarely meditated before, but when he came to prison, it became an everyday thing. He gradually felt like it helped him. Thinking with a clear head is better than seeing everything in red. Hiroyuki was nothing if not patient and he was biding his time. He already had a plan before but he and a few other war criminals were transferred to Tiánmì de Mèng. It was unfortunate but he knew that his time will come. With so many possible futures, surely one of them would lead to most of them being able to escape the damned prison.

"Do you feel that?" The deep rumble of his voice was befitting of someone of his appearance. However, it was definitely calming with no hint of aggression. His eyes opened and travelled to look at the young thief. "It feels like we may be rewarded with rain." A tight smile appeared on his face as if to ease the younger girl. He placed his hands flat on his knees as he took a last deep breath - relishing in the calmness - but he knew that he they would be released to the courtyard soon. Time was up. The waterbender stood up slowly and then stretched before looking at the prison bars - as if looking at them would melt them away and they would be able to go.

Hiroyuki spoke no more words after that, content with looking out at the object that separated them from the small taste of freedom they were allowed. His thoughts, however, went to the young girl with him. Something as petty as thievery and yet here she was, housed with a prisoner of war. Amusing. She was quite silent though and didn't prefer talking, which was perfectly fine with him. He did often wonder what the girl did to deserve this kind of harsh treatment. She was a thief, yes, but the sentence seemed quite harsh for someone as young as her. Nevertheless, Hiroyuki silently swore to keep her away from trouble ever since they became cellmates. He'd at least like to see her survive and get out of the prison and live her life to the fullest.

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Rila laid on her cot looking up at the ceiling of her cell, occasionally tossing a small tiny rock up in the air before catching it again she had lost count how long she had been cooped up in the cell. Days turned into months it felt like and a lifetime ago since she was sentenced by her own country. She looked over at Shannuk her cellmate Rila didn't really mention to much about what she had done to get sent to prison. She finally sat up and stretched a little bit, Rila's hair was a big mess and very frizzy from her time being cooped up in the prison. Rila moved over towards the door of the cell looking around at some of the other prisoners that were there, before turning around and sat back down on her cot.

"We will be out for fresh air soon." Rila said, when they let all of the inmates out she would feel a lot more awake the moment they were all let out into the courtyard. She really just wanted to escape from this prison and maybe even pay a little visit to her father once she could find out where he was now, Rila started to crack her fingers and her neck as well eager to get out of the small cooped up cell and stretch her legs.

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Rila’s words, plainly spoken stirred the slumbering figure stretched out on his cot on the other side of the tiny cell, a thin grey blanket draped over his knees. One grey eye popped open with a sudden intensity and its owner Shannuk groaned aloud, a sweaty palm clasping to his forehead. Clenching his eyes back shut the young man waited in momentary agony, his head throbbing with a crippling migraine. While he waited for his body to ease the pain naturally Shannuk reminisced on the acquisition of the headache, a combination of dehydration and a ringing blow from the guards who’d escorted him to his new home the night before.

He recalled the moment quite well, the guard in his crimson brown uniform marching stoically behind Shannuk, young and filled with youthful pride, no doubt dreaming of an illustrious military career. Winning prestige and honor for his family. Shannuk knew better. The boy marched with a duck-footed gait, and his squashy face was creased into an eternal look of cluelessness. He lumbered along as if it took imense concentration to shift his bulk one step at a time. “I wouldn’t keep my goals lofty,” he told the guard patting him on the shoulder in a friendly way. “There are those of us born with wits, and those born with brawn, and even some gifted in brawn and brain. Then there are those infelicitous few who are born like you.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” The young guard beamed with pride, cycling through a ring of cast-iron keys. Everything seemed to be made of iron. The floors, the walls, the windows, even the benches and tables all fashioned from molded iron. A suitable replacement to ice Shannuk thought, but cold and dreary, and uncomfortable.

“Indeed, but ahoy matey I see great prospects in your future. A competent fellow can surely improve their lot within a prison, guarding petty thieves while every other fire bender wins glory and honor all across the known world. In fact, I am so bold as to presume you might make janitor before you turn fifty, as long as you concentrate on continuing to inhale and then exhale repeatedly.”

At first the guard grinned, but then his face darkened and he swung his meaty fist catching Shannuk upside the head with surprising strength and accuracy. Sending the stunned pirate tumbling through the recently opened cell door to join his new cellmate.

Grimacing at the memory Shannuk sat up, rubbing at his temple where a large lump festered. “Will we now?” He asked, genuinely curious in regards to Rila's comment. He was very new here, a rookie amongst seasoned inmates, finding the lay of the waters would be wise before straying to other important matters, like escape. Learning the schedule was the first step in the realization of that goal, and his cellmate would surely prove useful in that regard. “Tell, how is it that we get this fresh air? Will they take us out into a yard of some sort, all at once, or one at a time?"

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Jia Li rubbed her hands together in her cell, blowing on them slightly and then cupping her face. No matter what she did, she couldn't get the chill from her body. It had invaded her almost completely, preventing her from making a single spark when it came to her bending. It was spring time - the days were growing longer and she was strengthened by sunlight, but it wasn't enough within these cells. She could only hope that the extreme cold would wear off before too much time passed and that she could make a break for it. She had so much to fight for.

She sneezed, glancing at her cellmate - a white blonde woman named Yumiko. The girl's dark green eyes caught her attention and Jia Li had decided to allow her cellmate the first move. Yumiko had already been here when Jia Li arrived and Jia Li didn't know how her cellmate appreciated housing with a Fire Nation woman. She would let her decide what terms their relationship was on, if any. Yet if she could find a route to freedom from this prison, she wanted to take Yumiko with her. She felt a solidarity with her - purely based on the fact that they had been shoved into the same cell.

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Yumiko had passed the nights by quietly contemplating the various ways she would inflict the most amount of pain possible on those that brought her here. Some of it involved using water bending in a not so clean way. Others were just pounding joints with a hammer repeatedly until, dust to dust, it returned to the ether. She would often sit with a smile on her face, the guards almost questioning why she was so happy to be rotting in a Fire Nation prison. She would jeer at them, taunt them, she was sure she made one of the men cry at one point and got lashed due to it.

And then as if the world liked to joke too, she was settled in with a cell mate and who of all people but a Fire Nation woman. It did please her somewhat to see that they would also jail their own. But it also was a stab at irony she didn't appreciate. She watched the woman carefully. Yumiko enjoyed these cold nights. She liked the cold, after all. She could work with the cold, should it ever come to that.

She had been plotting her escape. She would get out. Soon. If others did too, then fine, but she wasn't going to make it a priority to ensure others got out too. Yumiko continued to think about torture methods, letting a small giggle escape her lips. The other woman probably thought her mad. Good. That would work out in her favor.

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Tosram's eyes focused in on the ceiling of the jail cell. He was always up early, being a creature of habit. Taking care of the kids and the business usually required him to go to bed late and rise early. That wasn't exactly necessary now that all he had to do was sit around and wait. Yet he stared at the ceiling anyways. His roommate had gotten up to exercise, but it was clear the man was working through some issues. Tosram just listened to the boy's mutters, until he stopped. A quick turn of the head showed the man rubbing a scar on his neck. A wound from long ago.

The earthbender took the opportunity to hop out of his bed and press himself against the cold steel ground. He began with a set of push-ups, his eyes remaining closed and his breathing remaining relatively constant despite the set. Tosram wasn't going to pry into his cell-mate's life yet. With any luck, someone would figure a way out of this prison and the two of them would be out of this predicament, though it seemed more likely that at least one of them would be executed before escape or rescue would be possible. Until then, Tosram needed to maintain his strength and continue through his daily routine. He wouldn't let his captors win in that regard.

It was almost a surprise to Tosram as he spoke softly while continuing his exercise. His tone was oddly calm, given the situation. "You've been here longer than I have. Any ideas on how we could get out of this mess, friend?"

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@Nallore@Dusty After a few moments, there was the sound of someone opening the door to their cell, and a few moments later, the door opened and a few guards looked right at them. "Come on now, out to the yard for your little bit of fresh air before getting locked back up in this little room. Anyway, come on, don't cause any trouble." This guard seemed somewhat nice at least, sometimes it was a random luck of the draw what sort of guard ended up coming and talking to you or whatever.

@FantasyChic@Morose You two weren't so lucky as to the type of guard you got. The door swung open with a loud banging sound as the two basically were just staring at each other. "Alright you two, let's get a move on! The treacherous bastard and the rebel, surprised you two bits of scum were't having a nice conversation, now move!" he snapped at them, before he slammed his elbow into Jia Li's face, making a bit of a point, "Now let's move!"

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She glanced over at her cell mate, and he'd be able to see that there was some fear in her eyes, well, not really a little bit of fear. More of like she was terrified of the idea that it might rain. "I-I-I don't really care too much for the rain... No offense or a-a-anything..." she sort of stammered out, before she glanced away. If it started raining while she was out there, she was likely going to end up dead. Sure, her hair had grown out to the proper length so it didn't look suspicious or anything, but she stayed far away from water, and didn't go outside if it looked like it could rain.

Here though, she didn't really have much of a choice. There was a loud bang or something on the door to their cell, before it opened up and a few guards walked in. "Now, you two need to come with us, now. Outside time, and it's likely the only time you'll be out there," one of the guards snapped at the two of them, before he shoved Hikaru to the ground. It didn't help that she was easily the smallest person around, and the guard who shoved her was a few inches taller than Hiroyuki even. "Get up and let's go."

Thankfully, she had made it so that even though she was young, she wouldn't cry. Any tears she might have ever had had dried up after the genocide. After she had lost everyone she had ever known. Slowly, she got to her feet, before she looked at the ground and stepped into the hallway.

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"At the moment, I do not have a plan as to how to get out of here. But my recommendation is that we see if anyone causes any sort of trouble during our brief time in the courtyard, maybe then an opening will present itself, that is just from my perspective. And knowing those in this prison, a riot is very likely. Though an opening we can use is likely going to be very brief and might last a few seconds, at best... I've been thinking on how best to get out of here for a while... What do you plan to do if you do get out of here? For myself, it is to hunt down my brother, and slit his throat for betraying our entire kingdom." Ryuu said, looking at the man.

The cell door than proceeded to open, and a few guards stepped into the room, looking at the two of them. Ryuu still had been rubbing his neck slightly, but his hand dropped when he saw the guards enter. One of them glanced up, looking at him with a hint of surprise before looking at the floor. "I saw that look of surprise, no, I am not Sora Mori, you are confusing me for that traitor who I unfortunately have to call my twin brother... He does not have a scar on his neck like mine, only real difference between the two of us in appearance."

"...Oh, right, well, anyway, time to go out into the courtyard if you two would come with us."

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Rila turned her attention towards her cellmate who she hadn't known much about since he was shoved into her cell the night before. "When you've been here for awhile you memorize the times they let you out." Rila simply said giving a slight shrug as she rested her back up against the wall while looking out of the cell door. Rila adjusted her hair and got it out of her face a little bit and then as if right on cue the door to their cell opened.

Rila sighed in relief that it was one of the more nicer guards that didn't end up assaulting her for being to slow, for their free time, as Rila slowly got up and dusted herself off a little bit. "They usually let all the inmates out into the yard all at once." Rila answered as she started to make her way towards the door, she gave the man a friendly smile. "Thank you for not beating me up, like the rest usually do." Rila said as she started to head down the hallway and out onto the courtyard taking in a deep breath of fresh air as she stepped out into the sunlight.

Hiroyuki raised an eyebrow at the apparent fear that was in her eyes - as if the rain was something that would kill her. Perhaps she had a traumatizing event happen during a stormy day - or perhaps it was something else entirely. Either way, she didn't like rain and he kept that in mind. "Is that so?" He looked out for a moment. "There should at least be a place where you can take shelter in." He suggested though was unsure if she would be allowed to. Either way, he didn't get to continue on that thought as their door opened.

A couple of guards went through the door and Hiroyuki observed them - eyes steeling when one of them shoved his smaller cellmate to the ground. Wordlessly, he moved forward without any resistance. He was about to offer his hand to Hikaru but she had already stood up. He gave the girl a small comforting pat on the shoulder as he passed her and then proceeded down the hallway and to the courtyard. There was no use getting angry at the guards. It was just going to get them both in trouble. However, he made sure to keep Hikaru in his peripherals as he walked just to make sure that he could help out if something else happens.

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Tosram gave a short nod at his cellmate's answer. For the briefest moment, it's all he could muster. He could never imagine killing family... but he'd never been betrayed by them either. After all, family was all Tosram had left. His mind wandered for just a moment, before a small smile crept onto his lips. He was remembering when he said goodbye to his sons, how they seemed so calm. They were more centered than their father was. He'd need to tap into that strength to make it out... and so that he could do what he promised them he'd accomplish. "If I get out, I'm fighting to keep my people safe. I need to make sure this world is a safe place for my kids to grow up in. I'd warn against revenge. My mentor always said, 'vengeance is a...'"

The sounds of the guards approaching froze the words on his tongue. Talking about life after this prison... it was a sign of hope. Prisoners lived off of hope... and would die for it. His time in the Tai Li taught him that much. So Tosram got up slowly, backing away from the door as the guards arrived. He raised an eyebrow as his cellmate spoke, looking to the guards momentarily and noting their stunned look. His cellmate apparently looked like someone important... certainly something that could be useful in the right circumstances. But Tosram kept his head down and took a deep breath, getting ready to proceed to the courtyard. There was a feeling in his gut that something was coming... he just wasn't sure what.

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Yumiko continued her stare off with the girl (she was confident she would win) until the door to their cell opened. In walked a guard she had seen around before. Always had a bad attitude, which was just perfect. He screamed at them to get up and get moving and Yumiko felt like she just wanted to sit there a biiiiiit longer.

That was until he elbowed her cellmate. Now, granted, she was part of the Fire Nation and she detested her for that alone, but so was the guard. And the guard had authority. And if his words were true, she committed treachery, which painted her in a better light. Not by much, but at least it got Yumiko moving and speaking.

She stood up and walked over to the guard. "Hey, ugly. Lay off of her. We'll get moving, but if you touch her or me again you'll be bending through your ass because that's where your hands will be. Now, shall we?" She motioned for the door for his majesty to lead them to whatever horror they had planned that day.

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Jia Li's body tensed as she heard the bangs. The guard elbowed her face and she couldn't help but blink slightly, blood flowing from her nose as she got to her feet. Despite the immense pain in her nose, the chill refused to leave her body and she sneezed, blood dripping down her face. It touched her to hear Yumiko defend her - she hadn't been expecting that. She was about to thank her when she sneezed again, taking a moment to lean against the cell wall.

"T'ank you," Jia Li said, her words off due to the issues with her nose. She wasn't surprised that the guard had hit her. She had committed treason against her country - but she had done it for her country. Guards like him were emblematic of the problem sweeping its way through her nation - hurting those not in a position to defend themselves, it was cruel...Just like the attack on the Air Nomads - the genocide against a peaceful and non-violent people. "And it's DE treasonous bastard, t'anks," she added to the guard.

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Pushing himself to his feet Shannuk swayed a little, making a show of holding his head and pressing against the cell’s damp wall. “Sorry, just a little dizzy chum,” Shannuk lied, milking the situation for all it was worth. Waving off any help offered the pirate fell into step beside Rila, watching the guard, and more importantly the lock and key he was using to secure their vacated cell. This one seemed a little sharper, someone to be reasoned with perhaps...? He took a moment to memorize the guard’s face,

“It's nice of them,” Shannuk commented to Rila, loud enough for the guardsman to hear. “To let no good, dirty criminals like us even draw breath, let alone get fresh air outside. It makes one want to do good by them, cause they’re doing good by us, a little tit for tat if you catch my drift. One could always be thankful for every little nicety shown. It makes me want to turn my life around, recognize my wrongdoings and maybe help someone if its ever needed. A little redemption if you will. Besides it's always good to have friends above and below when th’ seas get rough.” Shannuk winked pointedly at Rila. “Wouldn’t you concur miss, ah, didn’t catch your name there. I’m Shannuk, call me Shan, or Nuk, or whatever you’d like, just not blubbernose, can’t abide that name.”

“Oh, and since we’re starting on good terms and sharing introductions might be good to learn our jailor’s title as well.” Shannuk flashed a cheeky grin at the guardsman, his demeanor friendly and welcoming. “So, if we ever catch any on the downside trouble, we know who to tell forthwith. We wouldn’t want some upstart no-good lobster getting all the credit, now would we?”

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@Nallore@Dusty@FantasyChic@Morose "Yeah, not going to happen, sorry, not allowed to," the one guard said to Shannuk as they walked.

"Shut up girl, no one asked you!" the guard snapped at Jia Li, but he didn't hit her again.

The two groups would end up being merged into one as they walked to the courtyard. The instant the doors opened, they'd be able to hear the shouting of a fight of some sort. A few Earth Kingdom natives were punching at each other, and a few of the guards were watching them as they laughed slightly and were rooting for the person each on of them were hoping would win. The clouds overhead were really starting to look like it was going to rain, and each one of them would be able to feel a few drops hitting their skin.

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"...Maybe, but I seriously doubt it..." she mumbled as she followed after the soldiers towards the courtyard. She was starting to pray that there was going to be no rain at all. At least not until she was back inside of the prison or her little cell of sorts. Anything would be better than being caught outside in the rain, especially since she was basically staying far, far away from any sort of water whenever possible. She knew that her life was on the line, and the man with her would never understand that.

Once they were outside, she glanced over at the fight that was happening. Hikaru sort of edged slightly away from the fighting, and she glanced up at the sky above them. That was when the problems started for her. A drop of rain hit her head, and she started panicking instantly, flattening her bangs down to cover her forehead so that it wouldn't be too visible hopefully. Unfortunately the same could not be said for her hands. Hiroyuki was close enough to her to be able to see what was going on, and he'd be able to see the faint blue lines appearing on her hands, they were in the shapes of blue arrows, the marks of an air bender.

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"You were saying against vengeance? My brother betrayed everyone in the Earth Kingdom, betrayed not only me, but the rest of our family, and countless others. To think there was a point in time I trusted Sora but he has gone against me, and for that he must pay..." Ryuu whispered simply to Tosram as he walked with them towards the courtyard. His brother needed to pay for what he had caused. The man had become a spy for the Fire Nation, and turned traitor. It was going to bug him forever on that one.

They reached the courtyard, and Ryuu rolled his eyes slightly seeing the group fighting. It was a bit childish in his mind for people to be doing that. Though he couldn't blame them, the place was a bit boring and repetitive, every day the exact same. People wanting to fight a lot made sense, heads tended to run a bit hot after a while. Ryuu had to stop himself from making comments on the fighting styles of the group. He could think of a few ways to easily make things go better, but that was the soldier within him talking. He didn't want to get into too much trouble, at least not now.

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Rila looked over her shoulder towards Shannuk raising an eyebrow towards him as he spoke, she really did not like being cooped up in the cell and having the same exact things go on throughout the entire day. "Yeah, it's very nice when some of the guards come in and beat you up for no reason." Rila said sarcastically as she started to follow them out of their cell and down into the hallway, then she looked back at her cellmate when he asked what her name was. "It's Rila." She answered as she rubbed her arms just a little bit as they were met with yet another group of cellmates going out.

Rila gave a slight nod towards the other prisoners that they were getting let out as well before following the rest outside, once they were outside Rila looked up at the sky. She could see the clouds in the sky more clearly now as it started to rain just a small bit as tiny droplets landed on her skin. Then Rila's eyes wondered over to some Earthbenders who were having their own little scuffle by the looks of it. Rila looked at Shannuk for a moment before motioning towards the group of earthbenders there. "Don't get involved in the fighting." Rila warned him as she started to go her own separate way.

Hiroyuki hummed but didn't reply. It was inevitable that she would be able to feel the rain if it does start to pour - and there wouldn't be anything they could do about it. It's not like e can bend the rain to stop even though that would have been quite a wonder to be able to do. But he wasn't the Avatar - hell, he wasn't even sure if the Avatar would be capable of doing that. Thankfully, there wasn't any other issue aside from Hikaru's apparent nervousness. Upon arriving at the courtyard, he had held out his hand as he felt the drops of the water and he pursed his lips - moving his fingers to control the droplets in his hands before dropping it onto the ground. So it is raining.

There was fighting too - over by the Earth Kingdom people. The lot of them were throwing punches at each other and none of the guards were moving to quell the fight. They really don't care about protecting the prisoners. The only thing they had to be worried about was them breaking out or hurting other Fire Nation officials and so they didn't care about the prisoners' wellbeings. If given the chance, Hiroyuki did actually think they would let one of the prisoners die when there's a fight breaking out between them. But Hiroyuki had no business talking with them or stopping them, so he turned - actually intending to go to the other side and "play" with the rain.

He had turned to Hikaru for a moment, about to ask if she was planning on hiding out somewhere, but he had stopped himself when he saw the faded blue lines on her hands. He'd never personally met an Air Bender but he knew well enough what those marks had meant. The girl was an airbender and she was in a Fire Nation jail and now he understood why she had feared the rain in the first place. It was not some childhood trauma - it was a legitimate concern. He could guess that she used makeup to hide her marks as there wasn't any other reason.

He took a deep breath and then raised his hand above them - an attempt to make a sort of barrier between himself and Hikaru to act as a form of umbrella. "Perhaps it would be for the best not to get too close to any of the guards." He whispered to the hiding Air Bender, making sure that no one heard them. He just hoped that he was strong enough and focused enough to be able to keep the water umbrella active so that the makeup wouldn't get removed completely. It would end with disastrous results for his newfound companion and cellmate.

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"Revenge is a fool's game." Tosram's voice had been lowered to a whisper in the presence of the guards. He felt uncertain about speaking in their presence, lest they get any ideas about him or his personality. If he stayed as quiet as possible and as docile as possible... the chances of him surviving or escaping would increase. So Tosram simply answered the question quickly as they were ushered out to the courtyard.

Once he was there, his eyes quickly scanned the other arriving faces, as well as the fight that had broken out. Without much surprise, the guards seemed to take pleasure in it. Tosram wasn't one excited to see such a fight breaking out. His gut nearly sent him forward towards the fight to break it up, and potentially get involved. Yet, again, this would draw too much attention to himself. Instead, an idea crossed his mind. He stood next to his cellmate, looking around the perimeter for any other like-minded prisoners as a few drops of water began to drench his dry skin. His voice was still somewhat hushed. "The conditions seem to be ripe for a riot, if our plan was to get out of here. The fight can help distract the guards enough for us to get the rest of the people out here on board. Rain is coming, and that would give waterbenders something to work with." There was a surprisingly calm nature to Tosram's tone. It sounded less like a battle plan than just casual small talk. Yet his eyes were lit with fierce determination as he looked to his cellmate to see if he was on the same page.

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Looking both affronted and amused Shannuk laid a hand on his chest in mock shock, unable to keep the mischievous light from dancing in his grey eyes. He had to admire this Rila, she seemed to know exactly what type of person he was, and more importantly, how he was. The brawl presented an opportunity, and her urges for him to avoid the conflict only bolstered his desire to 'show off'. That's what she wanted right? To use reverse psychology to convince him to intervene and present a favorable outcome? Or maybe she just really didn't want him to get hurt... No it couldn't be! Obviously she wanted him to take action.

"You wrong me ma'am." Shannuk said, tagging along behind Rila like an annoying shadow that never quite vanished. "I have been injured as you are aware, but if you must truly insist upon a non-partisan solution to said kerfuffle in the prison courtyard it would be my deepest honor to accept such a challenge. Never fear I shall provide..." Seeing Rila was still walking away from him Shannuk sprinted until he was in front of her, waking backwards so that they were face to face. "Though you might insist upon non-violence, those are the words of a lady, kindhearted and tender. However, when it comes to issues such as these the strong must step forth, and bring about a semblance of security and peace for all others by any means necessary, even if it means sacrificing ourselves to achieve such goals. I however possess the skills to not only accomplish the mission with flying colors, but to do so without further injury on anyone else's part! Especially mine, which is most important. Hold." Shannuk held up his hand, stopping Rila from getting in a word edgewise. "I can read between the lines, never fear, I understand!"

Then he was away, jogging heroically across the yard. The young pirate, whose 'honor' could be bought with twelve coins or a pretty lady pushed and shoved his way to the front of the small ring surrounding the fighters knocking the noncombatants out of the way. Without so much as a backwards glance Shannuk threw himself headlong into the battle with a cry of, "Cease and desist!" before getting pushed, seeing red, and then trying to throw punches and spitting in an Earth Kingdom man's face. Shannuk was no stranger to fights, having been on a ship for the past couple years filled from aft to stern with hotblooded, and easily offended rouges. He fought dirty too, gouging at eyes, kicking at groins, and tugging on hair all while fastening his teeth around any inch of skin available.

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Yumiko waved her guard off as she followed. "Don't thank me. I did it mainly to get a rise out of him." It was true, she didn't trust the girl. But someone in the Fire Nation turning against her own made Yumiko see her in a new light. She may be cool. May being the operative word there. For all she knew, the girl was a plant inside the system. She would watch her.

Once outside, Yumiko could feel the rain splatter against her skin. She let a small smile creep on her lips. Idiots. Not thinking to block the rain from potential waterbenders. Even a small amount was useful, in its own right.

Yumiko glanced over as two benders were fighting each other and the guards were taking bets to see who would win. So, it seemed that was how this system would be played. Yumiko summoned whatever focus she could on the little splatters of rain. She managed to grab hold on a decent amount as she forced it over to the two fighters, hitting them and knocking them over. She walked over to the crowd gathered, "Now boys, there is no reason to fight. We are all here. Plus, it would give these bozos," she referenced the guards watching them, "entertainment and quite frankly I don't like them. So, keep it together. For now, at least." She walked back, eyeing the guards with venom-laced indifference.