Sorely staring at the cup of tea in front of him, Coden turned the cup idly while drifting in and out of focus. His stomach, empty and agitated, complained at him for food, but his hands were motionless all for the subtle twisting of his cup. Once or twice he caught Zuko's eye, staring the boy down when he caught he looking at either he or Gale funny. The Gypus was otherwise mute and blind to the busy tea shop around them. His mind replaying the events of the early morning. A silly fight, the fire, the Dai li.... “I know it may not be my place to pry, but you seem to have quite the weighty burden on your mind to be staring off so distantly. You seem as though you could be staring into the spirit world.” Uncle Iroh dragged Coden abruptly from his daze, setting a pot on the table as he sat across from the Gypus. “Would it be wrong of me to ask what is bothering you?”
Iroh received little more than a blank stare and a distasteful scowl. “It's nothing worth bothering yourself with.” The old man simply smiled again, a fondness in his eye. “You remind me of my nephew. He would have said the same thing. You have the same eyes; dark and full of much pain and anger.”
Scoffing, Coden adjusted his glasses and averted his eyes from the old man, twisting his chilled tea a degree to the right. “I assure you I am not hurting,” he told Iroh calmly. And the old man looked from the Gyspus' dark eyes to the cup in his hands. “You know, tea is known for it's ability to heal and bring harmony to the body. It is truly a wonder to be had and enjoyed. Especially in good company. I see you have not touched yours; it's gone cold. Shall I pour you another cup? Tea is best hot and fresh. It's flavor is at it's pique when-” Coden interrupted, irritable,”Why are you so persistent? We are strangers, my condition should be none of your concern.”
For a moment the old man looked stricken, then dipped his head apologetically as he poured himself a cup of tea. “I am sorry for my rudeness. I should not pry. I have not even introduced myself yet.” Sheepish, the old man raised his cup and took a long, relaxing drink. Then sighed a cloud of warm steam, smacking his lips sluggishly. “It is obvious you are burdened by something, I could not help but feel obligated to offer you a means of consolation. We are strangers, yes. Though I feel as if we may be more common to each other than meets the eye, hm?”
Coden gave the old man a queer, suspecting stare. He ought to snatch Gale and end the conversation. The one things that kept him glued to his chair was Gale. Gale always sensed danger first. He was like a satellite to danger and dangerous people. If the old man really was just putting up a ruse for them, Gale would have been the first to pick up on it. So he stayed. Besides, his cold soup was really starting to look appetizing. The bowl began to leaving his peripheral vision, though. Causing the weary Gyspus to start. Iroh held the dish in one hand, and Gales newly emptied one in the other. “My name is Mushi. Please allow me to serve you a warmer meal.”
Taking the bowls back to the kitchen, Iroh tipped the dishes over a sink to dump the chilled foods. Having been watching his uncle, Zuko had followed and took the dishes away from the old man. “You're throwing out good food for those strangers? Uncle, whats wrong with you?” Scorned, Iroh took the bowls back to dump them again. “They are 'special' guests prince Zuko and should be treated as so.” The boy took the dishes back again, spilling a bit of tea in his haste. “ I don't see whats so special about them anyway; they're just strange to me. If it's just cold, don't waste it!” The boy scoffed as his hands accumulated and instantaneous heat that rewarmed the food and drink subtly. Then turned to take the food back out to Coden. “Everything is strange to you, Zuko, because you refuse to know it first.” Stopping his nephew, Iroh swapped the rewarmed tea and soup for fresh bowls. “They are refugees, like us, going through a difficult time.” “Refugees?”, Zuko looked Coden over skeptically. “Uncle, that man is guard. He must live in the upper levels; I don't think he's a refugee....” “Trust me, Zuko. Go and talk to them. Maybe you will see what I mean.” The young prince grumbled as Iroh ushered the boy out of the kitchen with a push. Resistant, He stumbled out to the table, standing awkwardly to avoiding spilling anything. Coden looked at him awkwardly as he stood up straight. “Uh....Here's your soup...and your tea.”, he murmured embarrassed, glaring at his Uncle. The old man gave a wave 'sho-sho' wave. Rolling his eyes, the boy hissed through his teeth as he tried to think of something he didn't feel like talking about. “So...how is your tea?”
Blinking a weariness from his eyes, Coden pressed the cup a few inches away and accepted his soup, eating a few spoonfuls. “I wouldn't know. I don't really like tea.” The boy rigidly flipped a towel over his shoulder. “Why didn't you say so?” “-Because I doubt you would have coffee.” “Is that a rich persons drink? I'm sorry we 'commoners' haven't got any fancy brews to serve you”, Zuko scoffed. Adjusting his own posture, Coden stare at Zuko sharply, causing the boy to stiffen. “No...It isn't. It's really very common itself. I just assumed they wouldn't have coffee in Bazinge.”
Zuko gave wide stare, slowly sinking into a chair across from he and Gale. “Be-Sing-Se.” Zuko corrected. “You really aren't from around here, are you?” Coden merely shook his head in response. “My uncle says you're refugees, like us, but I find that hard to believe while you're wearing that. Not many refugees turn out to be guards. And it's a pretty lavish life style, normal refugees wouldn't be able to afford living in the upper levels...” “Then I guess were not normal Refugees.” “No kidding...Where did you say you were from, again?” “I didn't.” Zuko watched Coden; the man knew he was prying. So he backed off a step.
“Uncle always tells me that Ba sing Se is the place to go when starting a new life over. He always says we're happy here.... I don't think I am. It's not enough to live in poverty peacefully, working in a tea shop serving ungrateful strangers every day.....” He cast Gale and Coden a side glance. “-but it's a life better than sleeping on the ground and scavenging for your next meal, right? Why are you two in Ba sing se? You must have a reason, too?”
For a moment, Coden quietly ate his soup, staring at the dark cup of tea tantalizing him. In mid bite, he set down his spoon and removed his glasses. “We aren't the only two here. There are three more of us, women.” He furrowed his brow and massaged an aching in his temple. “We're little more than a 'misfit family' looking for home...or the closest thing to it.” He gave Gale a small scratch behind his ears. “That home isn't here, we know that. But it was good enough for a while til we could get home again...until we were separated.”
Zuko gave the information a short comb over. “It's not uncommon to have missing peoples in Ba sing se. You could have the guards of your faction go looking for them. Since you live in the upper levels, you're bound to have search groups looking for them more quickly than if you were just a refugee.”
“Not anymore,” Coden muttered spitefully, muffling his next string of words in his cup. “Our house burned to the ground last night and the Dai li arrested them...I almost didn't get away with my boy.”
Zuko stare widely once more, hand clenching his apron in his lap. These strangers; he knew they were trouble! There was a man in the corner there, he looked official enough to report them to; he just needed to get himself away form the table and--
“I wish I knew what our accusation had been,” Coden murmured, sipping the bitter tea, more pleased with it's taste than he expected. “We certainly aren't local, but...” He hummed irritatedly, sipping the herbal drink.
Revising all that Coden had said to him, Zuko silently excused himself to take care of a customer. Slipping away to the kitchen and prodding the information he had. Maybe they weren't as trouble bound as he first assumed? Should he tell uncle, or did Iroh already know that about them just seeing them? No, he should still warn his uncle.
The robust old man entered the kitchen just in time. “Uncle, You should know something about those guests of yours.” “Nephew, did you hear!?”, Iroh interrupted gleefully. “My own tea shop! Those nice men out there offered to give us our own tea shop, we are moving up, nephew!” “Uncle, listen to me! That stranger and the weird kid you invited in...their not refugees. Their 'fugitives'! I'm sure of it!” “What?”, Iroh sounded skeptical. “Nonsense, Zuko.” “I was talking to the older one and he mentioned the Daili arresting some of his...family. I think we should turn those two in. We don't need any more trouble, Uncle.” Iroh stare lividly at his Nephew. “No, Zuko. You mustn't do that. It is rash and you do not know what you would be doing.” “But Uncle!” “I forbade you from doing such a thing. You leave those nice boys alone, Zuko. They are innocent, I am sure. Aren't they going through enough? You should know how it feels to loose family.” Stricken, Zuko pushed past his uncle and out of the shop, ignoring customers and a congratulating pair of men in the middle of the shop. “I'm just thrilled....”, he muttered to one of them as he stepped outside and leaned against the door. Muddling over what he was going to do.
[finished]