"I never would have thought so either. And yet, there we were. Our first day on the job. The owner said he was pouring us tea, then went into the back to see if he had an apron that would fit me..."

He shook his head, looking haunted, pausing dramatically.

"So there we were, left alone in the empty front of the tea shop that I thought was going to be our home in Ba Sing Se... Our new start. I reached for the cup... took a sip...."

Dramatic pause as he leaned forward.

"And it was... nothing but HOT LEAF JUICE!" he intoned dramatically. He wasn't kidding, or didn't seem to be. This seemed to actually be a horror.

"But as bad as that was... the worst was yet to come!"