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Jordan and Ai-Ling did, eventually, find a workable motor vehicle; a dark green Sedan car that must have been conveniently flashed in recently, from its relative newness and working condition. They strapped Jordan's new push bike to the trunk and headed towards Kansas.

Ai-ling hasn't turned out to be a natural driver. The car's workings are counter-inuitive to her and she needs things explaining a post-industrial person would take for granted.

She is, however, dedicated to learning, and there's not a lot more to expect from a student, so she's soon capable at least of keeping them moving along an empty desert road.

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Jordan's eyebrows drop, not quite sure if she's understanding. But when she asks the next question, it's said in the tone of some obviously aware she might be insulting... and still needing to ask.

"They're human?"

It is insulting, and Ai-Ling frowns in a very deliberate way. She's had to learn that it's an insult.

"Yes."

Jordan nods and considers the subject dropped.

Between them. If they actually find one of these people and they use their powers on another person...

"Your world isn't anything like this, is it?"

...then Jordan might see how good Ai-Ling is against Benders, thanks to all that training with Toph.

"nothing like it," she says cheerfully.

And Jordan will continue being impressed.

(it probably won't stop her from fighting back, too, though)

She waits politely for a few moments for Ai-Ling to continue, still munching on trailmix, waiting for the rabbits to cook. Journey gets a few handfuls of mix, too. And if Ai-Ling doesn't continue on her own, she'll consider that subject dropped too.

Ai-Ling considers where to start.

"It's mus smaller, for one," she says. "People live closer together."

She hasn't quite figured out how big the population reduction was. "And we have the four people; Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes and until about a hundred years ago the Air Nomads."

The silence on Jordan's side takes on a more surprised air and she blinks - but it clicks a moment later. "For the benders?" she guesses.

"Well, Earthbenders only come from the Earth Kingdom," Ai-Ling says with a slightly puzzled air that hopes to understand Jordan's meaning.

"They've just always been separate, even after the war."

Jordan nods, smiling slightly, and moves the hand unburdened with trailmix in a waving motion. "I mean... only Earthbenders come from the Earth Kingdom, only... Waterbenders come from the Water Tribe...?"

"Yeah," Ai-Ling confirms. "Though - marriage between the nations kinda messes with that."

She doesn't exactly mean 'marriage'. Marriage doesn't explain all the firebenders her age and older born to the Earth Kingdom.

That conjures a blink and lifted brows.

"It's... hereditary?"

It's genetic?

"Does that mean it runs in families?"

Ai-Ling nods at the same time. If so, then yes, it's 'hereditary'.

Jordan nods slowly, though her eyes are still a little wide. She was just starting to put these 'benders in a sort of witch category and now it's... less of one.

But at least that means she can count out demons, too.

"Oh."

She hesitates, petting Journey with one hand and reaching for more trailmix with the other, and attempts a small smile at Ai-Ling. "I'm sorry. I... don't have any experience with... 'powered' humans that aren't... dangerous."

There is very careful picking and choosing of words here.

"Oh, they're totally dangerous."

Ai-Ling says it cheerfully as she pulls the rabbits out of the fire.

"But so m'I if you get me on a bad day. It's not like..." she fishes for the word... "monsters. There are bad people and good people."

Jordan smiles a little at the cheerful and nods, poking through trailmix thoughtfully and watching the rabbits.

"On my-- world," that is weird to say, "humans with special abilities like that, if you know about them, it's because they're hurting people. Psychics can be okay but anyone with the ability to hurt people..."

Usually use that ability.

The rabbits don't do much. Ai-Ling puts one to the side for possible salting before carefully cutting it into roughly equal thirds, one including the head, which she holds out to Journey.

"Give someone a sword or a boomerang or... those bangy things from this world and they have the ability to hurt people. Benders help people, too."

Journey perks right up excitedly at the offer of meat and looks to her owner first. Jordan just pats her head and nods and grins a little at the excited way Journey goes at it.

"Sure, but that's for cops to handle," Jordan agrees quietly, accepting her piece of rabbit curiously, poking at it but looking appreciative all the same. "It's not my job."

The humans' shares are first treated with a spice mix Ai-Ling has in a pouch; a result of careful experimentation with strange plant life. Then Jordan is handed hers.

"What's your job?"

The meat smells good all on its own. The spice mix just means Jordan's eyes are a bit sparkly when she smiles at Ai-Ling next. This is amazing outdoor forage cooking, she thinks.

But then, she probably lives on that trailmix if she can't get to a diner.

The question calls for some hesitation, though it's unsurprising for Jordan to use it. "I'm a hunter," she says finally, quiet as she picks at the rabbit, taking small, entirely approving bites. "Things that are supernatural... ghosts, vengeful spirits, creatures. I hunt them."

She smiles again, gesturing a little with her hunk of rabbit. "This is really good."

Ai-Ling beams. Being told she's a good forage chef means she's a great wife, and she's proud of her great wifely skills.

"That's really cool," she says, regarding hunting. "Saving people from the bad stuff?"

Jordan's smile widens a little, pleased at the response, and she nods. "There's a lot of stuff out there, even if-- especially if people don't believe in it. There's not a lot of us, but we protect people."

Even if they don't know they're being protected. Jordan doesn't mind the anonymity.

"Really cool," Ai-Ling responds, but she adds wryly, "it's weird people don't believe in stuff that actually exists."

She gets a small smirk in return, as well as a shrug. "When it gets too hard to believe, most people just stop," Jordan explains. Though it's obvious that the explanation doesn't sit very well with her.

She eats a little more of her rabbit, grumbling stomach especially appreciative of it. Journey gets a glance, too, but since the bloodhound is having a downright ball chomping on her rabbit-head, Jordan figures she's just fine.

"Guess we're seen as the weird ones, more often'n not."

"Everyone on my world knows about spirits and benders and the Avatar and stuff. And I'm fine with stuff that doesn't exist on my world. But not believing in stuff that is on your world?"

Ai-Ling shrugs.

"I don't think it's weird to help people. That's what I've been doing while looking for Miki."

A shrug is given. Jordan doesn't get it either.

But someone (Sara, probably) in her head is telling her to explain a little.

"The way we live isn't... normal. It's not very... happy. Kind of. Some people think it's better to pretend it doesn't exist and try to be normal than to go out and do what we do."