Passing Through (Open to Henate)

"It took a while. My dad met my mom in my a mining town south of Ba-Sing-Sai. It's where I was born and raised. My dad meant to only stay at that place for a few months, but it turned into decades. He loves his family, but he didn't want me to end up like him, mining for coal every day. Especially when he found out I could Earth Bend" said Ordan. What Ordan didn't realise was that in the Fire Nation Colonies, Earth Bending was illegal. All of those that could Earth Bend were killed many years ago or ran away. Thanks to the Avatar, most had gotten away safely. Unaware of this fact though, he continued "He said I had been given a gift, and I need to use it. Thats one of the reasons I left. There were no other Earth Benders in my hometown that could teach me. My mom, on the other hand, hated the idea." he said. Ordan thought for a moment, remembering his mother with fondness, before he realised he had spaced. He cleared his throat and continued. "It took alot longer to convince her" Ordan finished. "But what about you? How did you convince your parents to let you sing at all thees places?' he asked.

Mizuki shoots her hand out towards his mouth as she heard him say something about 'Earth bending' She had suddently gotten a really serious look on her face "Shh" she said, her glance turning towards the others in the tea shop, luckily, they hadn't listened in on their coversation. "If you say you're an earth bender, they might kick you out, I havent med an earth bender before, so i don't know what they do to your kind" She said in a strict manner. Her hand travelling down again, letting him finish. "They didn't have any other choice really" she replied

Henate told Ordan that Earth Bending was illegal (he doesn't finish the rest of his story). "Illegal? What do you mean Illegal?" he asked. He had never heard of something so horrible in his entire life. Earth Bending as part of him. How do you make that ILLEGAL? She had said "his kind", but he knew that she hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. She was really nice to him, and he was goinng to let that go (he wasn't good at holding grudges anyway). He leaned a little closer, keeping his voice down. "There have really never been any others in tihs town?" he asked.

Mizuki shakes her head, "There really havent, and if there had been, none of them ever used earth bending here." she said, almost whisperlike. "I don't know why, but for some reason earth bending is punishable here" she continued on, a rather serious look upon her face. "Its best not to speak about it.." she finished. A small smile appearing on her face, obviously plastered on to keep the onlockers from putting too much thought into it.

It made sense, as much as he hated it. This nation was mostly Earth Bender, with some Fire Benders conrtolling the Earth towns. Ten Fire Benders could keep an entire town under check. However, a couple of Earth Benders to lead them into battle, and they could throw them out easily. Ordan sighed. He usually made money by performing with Crystal Bending, but that wasn't going to be the case here. Oh well, he would just have to find a job in town or something. He smiled alittle, and tried to get back into a more pleasant conversation. "It might be rude to ask, but my curiousity has gotten the better of me. Are you Fire Nation or Earth nation? Usually it's pretty easy to tell, but you're more difficult" he said.

Mizuki smiles towards him as she replies "I am both" she said cheerfully. "My mother was of the earth kingdom, but she married a fire nation citizen, then they moved here to experience a little of both cultures, and then they had me" she finished. Her hand travelled through her hair from force of habit again, as the tea cups finally arrived. Smiling to the waitress, she grasped a hold of the cups, placing one infront of Ordan, keeping her own in her hands.

Ordan took the cup, a large smile appearing on his face. "Thanks" he said. "I haven't had tea since.." He looked into the air and started to think. "I guess haven't had a cup since the Southern Earth Kingdom, back at the beach. That was months ago" he said. It hadn't seemed like that long, it felt like only a few days. He savored the aroma for a moment, then took a sip, then set it down on the table (still in his hands). A Fire Nation citizen marrying an Earth Citizen. That was something he hadn't heard of. He had never even met anyone from the Fire Nation before. "How did they meet?" he asked.

Mizuki brings the cup up to her lips, taking a sip of the tea, bringing it back down. "Well.. Father he was in the Fire nation army at that time, Mother worked in a cafe, of course, in charge of the entertainment, though, she didn't entertain herself, she just arranged the shows. Father sort of bumped into her, and she fell to the ground, and being the gentleman he was, he took her out for a cup of tea, and well, things just developed from there. He was a fire nation general, and supported me and my mother with money from his work. He came home to visit, but now, he and mother dont speak with eachother, and he is off doing something else somewhere." She said, with slightly saddened eyes.

Mizuki finished, and a look of sadness spread across her face. He hadn't meant to upset her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.." he said, trying to apologize.

She glances towards Ordan, shaking her head "Oh, don't apologize" she swiftly said, a smile appearing on her face "Its not like you were the one that made father stop loving Mother and caused him to leave" She continued on, still smiling towards him. Her hands brought the cup up to her lips again, as she took another sip of her tea.