A. N. : In French, the saying for "muddying the waters" or hiding what you mean in a bunch of unrelated words, is said "noyer le poisson" (literally, to drown the fish). My weird titles aside, I have... a whole bunch of deadlines coming up, and next chapter isn't fully ready yet, so I'm not sure I'll manage to post next chapter on time. I'll try, but yeah. College.

Mai watches.

It's rare for her to get the opportunity to witness the aftermath of Ty Lee's technique, the slow, creeping way people subjected to it regain their bearings. Usually, they just leave before that happens.

Qin's fingers twitch, then his hands, then his arms slowly move up – Ty Lee shifts like she plans on reapplying a new layer of chi-blocking, but all Qin does it wipe his face and sigh in… relief ? He then frowns, wipes his mouth with the back of his shaking hand, and Mai realizes he was actually bothered by the sand still sticking to him from when he plunged head-first into the beach.

Huh. And here Mai thought earthbenders liked dirt.

Then again, Qin isn't exactly typical for an earthbender – Azula said she liked the Dai Li's killer instinct, but Mai only really cared for the way they moved, closer to spider-ants than to the brutish guards Ty Lee knocked out at the Wall. It was… weird. Almost inhuman, and therefore interesting.

And now there's the mind bending. Again, Mai doubts most earthbenders can do this sort of thing. Although from the way Qin explained it, it almost sounded like anyone could do it, bending or not. Plants, stimuli, conditioning… These things would probably be right at home at the practice of Lady Doctor Lee Mei Lin, along with her needles and incenses.

The sensation of calm and the clarity of mind Mai remembers, when Qin apparently stopped her from fighting Azula… it, too, is similar to the way she felt during her appointment. A wave of emotions as the knots in her chi came undone, and then calm as she explored her own mind under the guidance of Lady Doctor Lee's voice, helped along by the smoke spiralling upward from the needle planted in Mai's stomach, like all the built up bile and anger and fear escaped her body this way.

Obviously that didn't last, because Ozai never lets anyone have peace for long, but it was good even with how short the sensation lasted.

Watching Qin calmly sit up and examine the ways his body can and cannot move yet, Mai feels her throat sizing up. All the emotions she despises, all the uncontrolled reactions she hates even more – and in front of her, the way to get rid of it all at will.

She keeps it to herself, though. Places a hand on Ty Lee's shoulder, tells her that it's fine for now, they'll keep and eye on Qin but things should be alright on that front – Ty Lee didn't see lies in his aura, right ?

It takes all of Mai's will to stop herself from sneaking sarcasm into her voice at that last line. She needs to reach Ty Lee, no matter what she herself thinks of that mystical nonsense. Thankfully, years of practice allow her to sound perfectly deadpan, and Ty Lee can only click her tongue and sigh a long fiiine before repeating her threats to Qin one last time.

He simply nods – of course.

With that done, Mai finally sits down and lets the sea lick her painful feet. Ty Lee crouches next to her, her eyes never quite leaving Qin. She is exhausted, she says dramatically, back to her usual theatrics. Mai closes her eyes and hums.

Ty Lee goes on to say that she could probably eat a whole komodo-rhino for dinner, and speaking of, what are they going to do this evening ? She doesn't want to leave Azula alone with someone they don't know, even if it's a healer, but eating at the pirate's house would be…

Mai grunts. She focuses on the waves, on her reddened feet – they're a bit swollen, and she should probably get something for the pain, but…

Feelings are such a hassle. Anger, shame, bitterness, envy, fear – all mixed into a senseless, devouring beast that Mai neither understands nor controls. They keep getting in the way.

Mai focuses on not feeling, and so she doesn't notice the old man walking on the beach until Ty Lee points him out. It seems he is coming from the village, following the same path they took to reach the healer, carrying smoked fish and a basket that probably holds vegetables, judging by the leaves flowing out of it.

He looks at them for an instant, then resumes walking.

He enters the pirate's house without hesitation.