That is... so weird. What weird animals. Do people eat possum? I haven't seen any in Hart Mart but I also saw a tiny can of meat in Hart Mart so I don't know how, uh, representative. It is. Of what normal people eat.
But no. Our dad was from the Earth Kingdom. Moved to Republic City, met our mom, and stayed there. A few years ago we discovered that we had a whole extended family in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. That's the capital of the Earth Kingdom. They look a like Bolin and we had no idea they existed.
No. I didn't. It was just me and Bolin for a long time. Our parents were killed when we were kids.
That's another thing about my world: there were a lot of kids like us. Republic City was the first place in the world where people from all the different nations lived together. It's pretty chaotic.
[ Rei can't see it but Mako snorts aloud, ducking his head at the very thought of it. He'll leave the family stuff behind. It's not conversation for a light night of learning about his world. ]
Definitely not. Unity is a new thing for us as far as history goes. Before Republic City, there was the Hundred Year War, and before that there was even more fighting. The different nations have always been separate. Families like mine weren't very common, with two different benders. And there's still been war during our time. Korra's helped stop three of them.
The recent ones, only one of them was nationalism, and if you ask me it was just a power grab disguised as nationalism. Maybe Kuvira thought she was helping, and maybe she really did think she was making a difference, but she was also a wannbe military dictator who liked having power over people. She tried to turn the Earth Kingdom into the Earth Empire, and almost conquered the United Republic.
Every war's about power, in the end. That's just how humans work. Either you have power or you don't, and a lot of people without it really want it.
I suppose that's true. Power is why people fought in my world too. Only, it isn't just humans.
Gods and goddesses want power too. Control, all of that. It's the same even for my friends and I, even if all we want to do is have the power to defend.
Why is it a shame? It's just the way things are. At least you're aware of it. Better than pretending the world is a more noble place where people should be above things like that. I respect someone who admits that they want power and knows why a lot more than someone pretending to do things for some nonexistent greater good.
Because the world should be better. People like me shouldn't need to exist, because the world could be better. Even if it doesn't, and isn't possible, that doesn't mean I don't wish that it were.
You can wish it all you want. I think wishing it is worthwhile if it reminds you to keep moving toward the world you want. It's just the thinking that people are better and getting disappointed when they aren't that gets people hurt.
[ Mako's not really one to get into philosophical debates and yet it keeps happening here. Maybe it's something about Deerington making him contemplate the nature of existence.
But yeah, he'll take that. ]
I get it. And I also don't have an easy answer. The best food is stir-fry, because you can make anything terrible taste good with the right sauce and it's cheap.
If you're not being practical I like nut cakes. The little ones filled with nuts and sugar and fried.
I have one for something similar. Churros. Fried cakes with sugar and a few other things that can be added. A friend I made here showed me how to make them.
I do understand. I said before my life is...complicated.
My favorite food is fugu, but that's not something I can have here, or that can be made safely without years and years of training. The fish it is made from is extremely poisonous.
So, my favorite easily obtained food is grilled mackerel. A fish.
Oh, that's the problem. I haven't gotten lucky at Hart Mart. Mostly I've gotten weird food I don't know how to cook at Hart Mart. Why is there so much cereal?
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And here are some chickens.
Earthbender. So you don't have the same bending abilities?
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But no. Our dad was from the Earth Kingdom. Moved to Republic City, met our mom, and stayed there. A few years ago we discovered that we had a whole extended family in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. That's the capital of the Earth Kingdom. They look a like Bolin and we had no idea they existed.
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And that is interesting. A whole secondary family...wow.
Did you have a big family growing up?
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That's another thing about my world: there were a lot of kids like us. Republic City was the first place in the world where people from all the different nations lived together. It's pretty chaotic.
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And, I'm sorry to hear about your world's situation. Has it not been unified for very long?
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Definitely not. Unity is a new thing for us as far as history goes. Before Republic City, there was the Hundred Year War, and before that there was even more fighting. The different nations have always been separate. Families like mine weren't very common, with two different benders. And there's still been war during our time. Korra's helped stop three of them.
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Is it all nationalism, then?
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Every war's about power, in the end. That's just how humans work. Either you have power or you don't, and a lot of people without it really want it.
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Gods and goddesses want power too. Control, all of that. It's the same even for my friends and I, even if all we want to do is have the power to defend.
It's a shame.
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Sorry. I just wish people were better, I guess.
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and I am entirely too tipsy to handle a serious philosophical conversation.
So, why don't you tell me about your favorite food? Non-sequitur I know but, again. Hard to focus on heavy things.
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But yeah, he'll take that. ]
I get it. And I also don't have an easy answer. The best food is stir-fry, because you can make anything terrible taste good with the right sauce and it's cheap.
If you're not being practical I like nut cakes. The little ones filled with nuts and sugar and fried.
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Or something similar at least. You should share recipes with me, if you have any? Korra told me you do most of the cooking.
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I have a lot. I did at home, anyway. I mostly cook without them but I could write a few down.
Also that's an understatement, I do all of the cooking, Korra isn't allowed near a stove unsupervised.
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I'd like that.
And I'm sorry. I have friends like that too.
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She's been trying to help out more lately, actually. I don't know what changed.
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If that influenced it, you're welcome?
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But. I do get it. Korra was raised like nobody else on the planet. There's only one Avatar.
What's your favorite food?
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My favorite food is fugu, but that's not something I can have here, or that can be made safely without years and years of training. The fish it is made from is extremely poisonous.
So, my favorite easily obtained food is grilled mackerel. A fish.
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Wasn't worth it. I don't get the excitement. Can you even get good fish, here?
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And yes, you can! you just have to get lucky at Hart Mart.
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