Avatar: Tales of Mushi

Caught in a Frame - The Police Station

Rohan pushed aside the deja vu from walking through the marketplace again with Mushi. Leading them in a different direction, their guide looked up once or twice from her notepad. Rohan didn't think it was possible, but Riza did it. Her low muttering stopped upon arriving at the only other police station in Chin City.

"Uh, you know," Riza said, "why don't you guys go in first?"

Despite seeing and agreeing with Mushi's confused look, Rohan stepped inside. A design like the other station greeted him, as did the young officer behind the front desk. "Yes, can I help you?" he asked, resting his head on his propped-up arm.

Rohan said, "We're here about some people detained here. I think it was for a fight last night."

"You and everyone else. I swear, everyone wants to get a story when we can't..."

The young officer stopped, his head tilted, and his eyes narrowed. Rohan knew why, feeling a certain somebody trying to hide behind him. "Uh, hey?" he heard Riza say.

"Ah great, it's you. No, you can't be here, Riza," the young officer said while writing on a slip.

A curious reaction, Rohan noted. Curiouser was how the two more employees–the only other ones in the station–watched Riza. "C'mon, Ren!" the same Riza said. "You can't write me up for just stepping inside!"

"Sorry, Riza, but the chief's orders were quite clear about you."

Mushi's quiet snort had Rohan step out of his thoughts. Rohan slid his White Lotus tile onto the desk and said, "I see you have a past, but there may be a way you can accommodate."

"If you're with her, I'm afraid I can't let you through under any circumsta–hrk!" The officer's bored tone squeaked at the sight of the tile. "Uh, let me check, sir! Please wait!"

After hiding his tile, Rohan waited by the wall, where Riza had passed the time by 'interviewing' Mushi. Rohan would have appraised Mushi for his resilience if it hadn't been futile.

"Look," Mushi had said. "I am not answering any of–"

Riza cut him off. "Can you bend earth?"

"Ugh, does it matter?"

"Well, can you?"

"... No," Mushi said with a small sigh.

"Water?"

"Definitely not."

"How about–?"

"And not air or fire. Believe me, I've tried."

"Seriously?" Riza asked, and Mushi nodded. "Well, what can you do then?"

"Chi-blocking."

"Really? Are you good at it?"

"Spirits, you ask a lot of questions!"

"Hey, everyone will ask them," Riza said. "After all, the White Lotus would've taken you in a heartbeat if you had bending! That's what happened to Korra."

"I'm not–"

Rohan coughed to conceal their precious secret. "I think they're ready for us now."

The young officer brought the trio further into the station. The first to follow, Rohan eyed the two inhabited cells in the back. "You have ten minutes. I'm sorry, but chief's orders," the young officer said before pointing at Riza. "And he said to watch her. There's no telling what she'll pull on you."

After thanking the departing officer, Rohan stepped closer to the cells. In the right cell, the boy from last night huffed and said, "Nice seeing you again."