"That one's seven silver pieces." You say to the short, elderly man, as he points to one of the goods on the table. The teapot is in perfect condition; it's made of dark, smooth clay and has some silver, floral detailing on the surface. It definitely sticks out amongst the other trinkets on your market table.
"It's a beautiful tea pot. May I?" He gently smiles as he gestures at the gaudy teapot.
"Go for it." You reply, giving a casual shrug, yet watching the bearded man carefully as he raises the delicate piece. Should he try to run off, you're ready to quickly put a stop to the situation. It wouldn't be the first time a shady character tried to make off with some expensive-looking junk from your "imported-goods" stand.
But rather than looking for an opportunity to snag the teapot, the man seems genuinely invested in the design. He carefully circles his thumb over the floral detailing. You watch, now not so much ready to strike, but rather to join his awe of the striking details. You hadn't given it much attention before, but it's definitely one of the 'pricier' looking items you have lined on the table. You recall the traditional mansion you were in when you stole that one.
"Where did you say these goods were from again?" inquires the man. Without missing a beat, you repeat the same lines you've gotten used to saying.
"Ah, everything here is imported from around the nations. It's a collection of donations or sometimes, forgotten items. Everything not sold elsewhere might just find its way to this stand." You beam the sweetest possible smile you can muster this early in the morning.
"Are you purchasing that teapot?" you question. He looks over the, in your opinion, just slightly-above-average teapot one more time, before speaking again.
"This white lotus design is a rare find… I'll take it." He hands you the 7 silver pieces and continues on his way. Well that was a bit out of place. You didn't expect to find a well-spoken, teapot connoisseur on the market street of lower ring Ba Sing Se. Just your average commoners, and… sometimes the less friendly folk of the outer circle. Those are the kinds of people who try to steal your— well, already stolen goods.
Hours pass, and the morning turns to evening. The items at your stand sold out. You made sure to only display as much as you could sell. You have no intention of lugging around "inventory", as this isn't a regular market operation. You count your earnings for the day and make your way home. A walk down the street and a trip through a narrow and littered alley brings you to the clearing behind a local tea shop. A crumbling stone staircase climbs the back of the Pao Family Tea Shop. Rent is cheap and Pao doesn't ask questions. The stairs reach a small opening to the attic of the building: your "apartment". The ceiling is slanted, and it's better described as 'cozy' rather than spacious, but it has everything you need:
A small, wooden wardrobe for your street clothes (and your favourite 'borrowed' clothes), a large window ledge that doubles as a small balcony (since you could never have fear of heights, considering your line of work), and lastly, a silk-covered rollout futon with a matching sheet (a find from a recent job, to replace your old, worn-out one).
Any other belonging are haphazardly piled in a corner of the room. There's your medium-sized chest with a double lock, in which you safely store your coins. Leaning against it is a sheathed katana, another one of your finds. You also left your red mask tossed on the floor since your last job, but you couldn't be bothered to pick it up.
You are a thief, and to this day you haven't been caught. Ba Sing Se is your city, and you know the streets inside and out. You suspect something mysterious going on with the Dai Li, the city's secretive police force, but know well enough to stay out of their way. You make a good living off of your "imported goods" stand, which is open only a handful of days per week. The rest of your time is spent collecting inventory in the middle ring.
However, tonight is your self-given night off. Partially because you've had a few close calls and needed to lay low for a bit. Shake the earth bending guard off the tail of the "Red Spirit". There's been a few wanted posters popping up here and there, each displaying a rough sketch that is unmistakably similar to your red mask, which is by the way, still on the floor of your atti—apartment.
For tonight, your night off, you plan to treat yourself. A night of some good Earth Kingdom food, then maybe you would check out the tea shop you live above. Not being a huge tea fan, you've never bothered to check it out. Recently, though, there's been a lot of buzz about that very tea shop, so you decide that you should check it out for yourself.
The streets of your particular neighborhood are lively at night. You enjoy a ramen bowl from your favourite local noodle shop. After your meal, which set you back twelve silver pieces in total, you make your way home. You almost turn down the alley, nearly forgetting your plan to visit the tea shop, but a distant conversation catches your ear. You hear two male voices, arguing over… tea? You follow your ears and are led to the front of the tea shop. You no longer need to listen attentively, seeing as both voices are now yelling and you are positioned in the front entrance. You can clearly hear and see the commotion inside, to the left wall and two tables down.
"Well maybe if you hadn't gotten in my way, you'd be enjoying your tea right now!" hisses the first voice. It sounds young, but rough and full of fiery rage.
"Is that anyway to speak to a paying customer?!" The second voice has a deep rumble, and came from a large adult, twice the height and triple the width of the meer teenager who sports a tea shop apron. Although, the teenager isn't the scrawny type. You notice his rather muscular build. Nonetheless, he might as well have been a twig compared to the huge, brawny man that stood before him.
You cautiously slip past the scene and take a seat near the kitchen end of the tea shop. You push through a few customers who are hastily making their way to the door, probably in an effort to avoid the situation before things get ugly. For you, however, a warm drink and a show sounds like the perfect way to end the night.
"Welcome." Another tea shop employee greets as he approaches you. Not another teenager, but rather an older man with a gentle nature. His gaze is fixed on the commotion happening across the store, yet he calmly asks you for your order. That's when you recognize him as the grey and bearded teapot man from that morning. He doesn't mention your earlier encounter. Either he doesn't recognize you, or doesn't want to pay you much attention. He walks away to fetch your jasmine tea, and you notice his ability to keep a constant eye on the disturbance. You turn your head as well and observe.
"Well MAYBE, little man, you should apologize for spilling that scorching tea on me?" the man bellows as he stands up to tower over the teenager. His chair is flung carelessly to the side as he does this.
"I'll show you scorching—", the teen's rage matches, no, exceeds the man's burliness. Through his lengthy dark hair, you can see his face burning red with fury. Especially crimson is— wait, or is that a scar across his left eye? The boy takes a few steps back and assumes a battle stance.
"Woah woah, Lee, please. Apologize to the gentleman, then head back to the kitchen for your duties", came the voice of the bearded man who took your order. He had just arrived at the scene and immediately sets to work calming down both parties. The dark haired boy scowls, but eventually bows his head, ever so slightly. You hear him half-heartedly apologize through gritted teeth, then watch him spin around and make his way to the back of the store. Your eyes follow him as he...approaches you?
"What are you staring at?" he spits as he practically pushes past you and disappears behind the kitchen door. Someone's a little hot-headed.
Your attention was on the boy. Your keen senses notice his distinctive golden eyes. Not something you often see in the Earth Kingdom. His left eye was painted by a deep red scar, but it was hard to see under his long and unkempt fringe.
You didn't notice the bearded employee calm down the raging man with a charismatic ease. You didn't notice the tea shop fill with customers after the upset had ended.
In that moment, all you could think about was the boy with the golden eyes.