He had been watching her hands as she rubbed the paint away before drying them, considering the pieces of information she was choosing to give him with a frown on his face. If Zuko caught the way she released the knife she had been holding onto, he didn't say anything about it. How could he? Could anyone blame the woman for grabbing the closest weapon after having an extremely stupid stranger fall onto her balcony without warning?

Come to it, he would have done worse. Whatever this ritual she was supposed to be saved for entailed, it sounded like it asked a lot from her.

"How long until they expect you to do this ritual?" Zuko scowled thoughtfully, wondering what kind of cover story this was supposed to be. He was so curious about it, he almost missed the gasp.

He was used to getting looks, and he was used to being the cause of someone taking in a breath too quickly. The scar was pretty bad. It was a relief when she looked away and spared him the awkward task of having to dismiss any questions about it and when she decided to circle to his abrupt appearance, he was almost glad to accommodate that change in subjects.

"I went out on the roof, and I slipped off." Zuko felt foolish all over again and neglected to mention he often spent the night out on the roof, skulking around.