Peace Among the Stones

[Thunder King]

"I like tomatoes fine. At home we eat a mix of Thai and American food, so some nights it's pizza, other times it's Pad Thai or curry. Have you ever had Thai food?" She asked. She'd often considered going home and whipping up a couple of signature dishes to share with her friends. "I love to cook actually. Mom insisted I be trained in more than just martial arts. Thought it was boring as a kid, but it comes in handy sometimes." She failed to inform Subito that she had to work hard to learn to cook, too. It certainly didn't come naturally to her.

[Ari]

"I've had it a few times" the stocky boy nodded, adjusting his Blades baseball cap and sending a puff of wispy breath into the air, watching the steam slowly dissolve "Growing up around here, not much reason t'be picky. I love khao soi, can you show me how to make it Mal?" he asked with an eager grin at the powerfully-built girl.

Watching the few straggler students walking, jogging or running to classes, meetings or hang-outs he suddenly wondered where the last two years had gone. Then he remembered what Mali had just said before they left, and smiled much more softly.

"Yeah, I'm Cerys' boyfriend. She's completely awesome, an' I'm glad to meet a friend of hers! You and Blodeu have had a lot of crazy adventures, I bet!" he barged open the cafeteria door with a foot, letting out a blast of warm and dry air mingled with the smell of food. Wandering over to the counter, he took a tray and waited for Mali to go first "Your mom taught you to cook? Mine did too, she said if I made a girl cook for me all the time I'd end up a jackass." he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, blushing a little.

[Thunder King]

Mali nodded. "Not sure if I've ever had that. Probably have, but hey, I should look it up. Cerys and I have had quite a few awesome things happen. Did you ever hear about the drug dealers we fought? That was crazy. And she's really cool, too, I think both of you are lucky. And that's good advice from your mom. A man who knows how to cook is never a bad thing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm fine with cooking for myself and others, I enjoy it, but cooking is an art. Shows the person has patience, kindness, and a practical attitude about things. Nothing's as unsexy as sexism, you know? First man to tell me cooking is woman's work will find out what kind of work -this- woman does." She said with a chuckle.

"Man, I do miss homemade cooking, what about you?"

[Ari]

"Man, I do miss homemade cooking, what about you?"

"Mali," Subito replied with a face solemn as the grave "sometimes I miss it so much I fly down to Lincoln, just so I can get some." he scowled as he moved up in line and took the meat sandwich of the day "Wouldn't be so bad if there was space in the dorm for a real kitchen, y'know?"

He lightened considerably as he returned to the Muay Thai fighter's confidence, all but laughing outright. "I bet you will, Mali! Also, drug dealers? Huh, she never told me much about that one." he said thoughtfully, taking seat at one of the benches

[Thunder King]

"Yeah, every couple of weeks I go home and have a meal with my parents. Something special. I've considered making a Thai meal and sharing with my friends sometime. Put it crock pots, bring it to the school...you know, feed my friends something from my house." She said, grabbing some food for herself. Cafeteria food wasn't bad. Good, even, but she missed her homemade stuff. She missed the Thai food especially. "Car's got more than enough room for it." She mentioned, offhand.

She sat across from him. "Drug dealers, yeah. Max and Zoom stuff. Really nasty guys. It was supposed to be a girl's night out kinda thing, turned into a fight."

[Ari]

Subito took a huge bite of his meatloaf and beans, commenting admiringly "Mmmmm. That sounds like an awesome idea. You should totally do that Mali! Team me a little about how to cook Thai food an' I'll help out." swallowing loudly he took a quick swig of water, set it down with a thud, looked across the table at her and asked "Wait..you've got a car?" he looked amazed "Dude! How did you get a car? Did you win it in a fighting match or something?"

Suddenly he remembered the drug dealers thing and frowned concernedly "Yeah, that's a weird thing that keeps happening, when we go out, a lot of times something crazy happens. Hope you shut those guys down hard." the stocky boy set his jaw angrily "Guys like that are horrible, no matter what they're sellin' or who to."

[Thunder King]

"Well, um..." For the first time in the conversation, it was her that was nervous. "See, my dad, well, my dad's good with money, really good. So was his dad, and his dad, and...well let's say that Black Tiger didn't have to worry too much about paying for his equipment when he went crime fighting." She laughed nervously. "When I went to my dad about wanting a car, he insisted I don't get a brand new one. Which was fine, because classics are much, much cooler." She said with a grin.

"Thai food isn't that hard, really. And if you were going to help, I'm sure you have a few skills that would remain useful. Boiling rice and noodles, stir frying, that sort of thing. I mean, getting all the spices and stuff just right isn't easy, but you'd be helping anyway, maybe learn a meal or two to add to your repertoire. But yeah, drug dealers? Scum of the Earth, really. I've fought them more than a few times, and it's really, really hard to feel sorry for somebody you just bruised up when you remember they're parasites.""

[Ari]

Subito nodded vigorously as he listened, sipping his water through its straw and watching Mali intently as she spoke.

"So...a lotta money behind your folks. That's great!" he reclined against the bench, going on "Be great to learn new meals, the ones I already know aren't...bad" he said it with a very grudging tone, and he looked almost furtive as he spoke, like he didn't want to be overheard "but they get a bit samey after a while, y'know?" he shrugged awkwardly and grew silent, drumming the tabletop idly as he looked out at the chilled campus between bites of steaming food.

"You part of any teams, Mali?" he asked suddenly, looking at her with interest "I don't mean like, big-shot ones like the Alterniteens or New Gen, s'just some of the guys around here get into small groups of friends and go out crime-fighting together-" he glanced at the lunchlady, smiling brightly "-within curfew, you know? It helps with their trainin' I've heard."

[Thunder King]

"Well, I'm on Young Freedom. I also team up with Cerys, Tona and Sam sometimes. I mostly patrol solo, take on small crime like drug dealers, muggers and such. I mean, it's easier to manage a group of one. As far as the cooking, I hear you. even the best meals ever get boring if you have them eighty, ninety times over, you know? It helps when you have more variety to appreciate the others."

[Ari]

"You know Tona and Sam? Rockin'! I wouldn't call myself their friend, but they ain't bad people" Subito took another mighty bite, chewing quickly and speaking around it "Young Freedom, huh? I haven't heard much 'bout 'em. Who's on it? Been on any awesome missions recently?" he asked with eager curiosity. Teams were a big deal around Claremont, with most of the lighter-hearted students happy to talk about their plans for making it big in the world of superheroics, how they would totally form the greatest team ever and put even the Freedom League to shame with their awesomeness. Subito was no exception, but for now the boy was content to listen, casually wiping some tomato sauce from his dark cheek while watching Mali with bright eyes.

[Thunder King]

"Nothing big yet, I mean...I mostly just patrol on my own. But they've asked me to do something big in a few weeks." She was excited, actually. They were all really cool, really powerful heroes, and having a reason to go with them sounded interesting. It sounded dangerous, and she was nervous about it, but she believed that they had done good, and would continue to do good. Being part of that was an honor she wasn't about to turn down, no matter how intimidating the mission seemed.

"Don't want to talk about it, though. I'm sure you understand."

[Ari]

"Wow! A secret mission? That's badass!" Subito cried gleefully, his voice ringing out over the cafeteria with cheerful abandon, drawing several irritated glances from a nearby table of other students, who rolled their eyes and went back to their much more subdued conversation.

Not paying them the least mind, Subito nodded vigorously in understanding at Mali's words "I totally get ya! Secret mission, can't tell anyone 'bout it so it doesn't get screwed up by people like me." he laughed heartily and took a bite of his meatloaf, chewing powerfully and looking again at Mali, this time with admiration.

'Geez, she doesn't have any powers, and she's on a team! Wonder how badass the others are? Complaining, Herald? Heh, nah'

"So, doubt I'll be much good for talking about stuff like your secret mission, so let's talk about other stuff. What's your favorite color, and why?" the powerfully-built boy asked the muscular girl intensely, pointing at her with his laden fork.

[Thunder King]

"You'd think it'd be red, what with going around calling myself 'Crimson Tiger', but it's actually green." She said with a smile. Subito was goofy, but she liked that. He was friendly, boisterous, outgoing and friendly. Hard to dislike someone like that, even if other people did. "I guess it's because it's the color of life and trees. I like nature and I relish every chance I get to go camping or hike in the woods. I'm a city girl at heart, but the woods are so pretty I have to go see it every once in a while." She began to eat, with a lot more deliberate motions than Subito.

[Ari]

"Yeah, I thought you were a red person" Subito admitted with a relaxed smile. Taking a heaping spoonful of peas he said thoughtfully, chin on his hand and hazel eyes turned to the ceiling "I like gold! Really bold color, I love how it looks on shirts and stuff." sitting back he added "I've been camping in Wharton, SO fun!"

Subito suddenly raised an eyebrow "What do you think of Cerys, by the way?"

[Thunder King]

"Cerys? Cerys is cool. I mean, sword fighting and magic and all that? That's awesome. She's a nice person, too, a good friend. We don't hang out all that much, but I always have fun when we do. Even when it turns into a fight or something." She said with a bit of a chuckle. "Whenever she and I team up together, though, we make a solid team, we work in tandem naturally."

[Ari]

"She is pretty badass!" agreed the burly boy, taking another sip as he smiled fondly. Looking back up he wondered idly about something that was starting to gnaw at him. 'We don't really talk about much...nothing either of us are really interested in...' he frowned at nothing, then suddenly lit up, soft hazel eyes gleaming with inspiration 'I know! I'll ask her out! On, like, a date! Then we can talk about anything!' Grinning at Mali he said "Glad t'hear you both get along so well, Tiger. When she started out here, she didn't really have too many friends, y'know? I know what that's like, transferrin' to a new school and not knowin' anyone there."

Taking another large bite out of his meatloaf, the strongly-built teen leaned on the table, adding around his mouthful as he chewed "Thanks Tiger, meetin' new people isn't somethin' I get t'do every day. Anythin' you wanna know about me?" he asked with a casual grin.

[Thunder King]

"Actually, I think I have a good idea about you." She said with a smile. There really wasn't anything she needed to know that she didn't already know. He wasn't exactly hard to understand or difficult to know. He was exuberant, energetic and friendly. Pretty much all that she needed to know, was obvious and easy to understand.

She could tell that he wanted to ask Cerys out, which was fine with her. Cerys was a cool person, and Subito seemed like the kind of guy that could do good by her. Friendly, nice guys were never a bad thing, at least not to Mali. "Well, there is one thing. Why did you want to try to meditate?"

[Ari]

The muscular boy laughed a little self-consciously, though he smiled at Mali "Thanks Tiger. I..yeah, not a lotta people say that. Glad you're so happy with Cerys havin' me for her boyfriend Mali, I'd better make sure not to disappoint ya!" Subito grinned, not sounding serious in the least. At the question of why he wanted to meditate, his grin vanished and his face grew more earnest.

Leaning on the cafeteria table over his plate he said unsurely "I..I want to try and learn to do it because..." he rubbed the back of his head, frowning "...I want to learn how to use my powers better. I'm not a very mature guy" 'Full disclosure, I believe the term is. Good youth.' "and my powers need me to keep a clear mind on where that energy's goin'. Meditating seems like a good start for that. Clear my mind of all the stuff that's normally in it, and I can focus on what's really important. I'm bad at it, I dunno know what I'm doing, but that doesn't mean I can't get better."
 
He looked hopefully at Mali across the blue and gold table "You know what I'm sayin'?" a sudden look of slight embarrassment came over his face and he added "Uh...that and Sleet-Saru goes there all the time, and gettin' her to talk for more than five seconds is one o' my big dreams!" the handsome boy smiled cheerily.

[Thunder King]

"Well, self improvement is always a noble goal. I can certainly appreciate that. I'm trying to learn to be a better hero, too. Focus more, fight the battles I need to fight, that sort of thing. I...enjoy fighting more than is good. Not to a lethal extent, or even severe injury. My faith teaches that murder is never forgivable. But there's something about the thrill of competition that I have to make myself resist. I meditate to refocus and realign myself. So I don't go out and just beat people up.  I've learned a lot though."

 

She decided that if he was confessing, she might as well, too.

[Ari]

Subito was surprised and, from his expression, a little confused at Mali's mention of 'faith'. 'Wait, is she Christian too? That is unlikely, to say the very least Herald Okay, keep your shirt on Ah, because that is such a recurring difficulty with me, aye? Save it' "You're religious Mali? That's not what I expected" he admitted, the sturdy boy tossing the fork onto his plate, the pointy end landing flawlessly in his half-eaten meatloaf "I am too, but I don't get to talk about it much. Lotta people around school get kinda snappy if you bring up religion. What do you worship?". Stretching his muscular arms behind his head and using them as an impromptu cushion, he observed the powerfully-built girl in front of him, reminded of somebody else. "You can get super-competetive 'bout punching, huh? Yeah, reminds me of my big sis Galanta. She's always liked fighting just for its own sake, thankfully God turned her to the cause of 'justice for the oppressed', so she never got in much trouble 'cause the police always knew she'd only kick sombody's ass if they really, really deserved it. Lucky that she never hurt anybody too bad." Adjusting himself a little on the seat, Subito looked momentarily glum "I owe her a lot."

 

There was a short and uncomfortable silence before he suddenly lunged back into his old position, smiling cheerfully, almost laughing.

[Thunder King]

"I'm a Buddhist, Subito. I was taught that other people don't believe what I believe, but that good people are good people all the same.  Buddhism is a life philosophy and belief system. I don't...I don't like hurting people, but I do like fighting. Does that make sense? It's like, if I could fight people for fun, and nobody got anything worse than a couple of bruises, I'd be happy with that. Criminals, though, I injure to stop. I hurt to wound, to stop them from doing what they're doing. Never any more than I have to, you know? Never any more harm than it takes to stop them. Once they're down, that's it, it's over. It's a necessary evil, to hurt someone to stop them from hurting others."

[Ari]

Taking a bite of his food he nodded in understanding at what Mali said. "Yeah, totally get ya. It's pittin' your strength n' skill 'gainst anothers' that you like. It's fun to prove that you're stronger or faster than somebody else. It ain't fun proving you can hurt them too." the curly-haired boy declared, chewing contentedly. Glancing at the Thai girl's plate he added with a happy grin "Geez Tiger, you sure put it away!" Stirring the peas around the red plastic for a few moments, more to watch them bounce and tumble around than to keep his hands busy while he thought, Subito abruptly said "Not a whole lot of Buddhists on campus. Met a few voudon people though. You know Milla? Black, pretty tall and slim, wears Hawaiian shirts a lot, always looks kinda grumpy, long thick hair? She's been trackin' me down around campus and tellin' me all about voodoo and stuff after I told her I didn't know anything about her religion." He shrugged as he glanced up at Mali with bright eyes "If you wanna talk about your fait sometime, feel free. Right now though, I think we should start with more serious discussions. What's your favorite kind of music? I loooove old-timey operas. I should take Blodeu-..Cerys to one, I mean" he corrected himself hastily, blushing slightly. Suddenly a thoughtful look came over his face "I should as Kat about putting on a play sometime...Kat's another student, pretty skinny, but real strong, she does a lot of acting."

[Thunder King]

"Hmm, well...I like rock, actually. A little bit of pop, too. Depends entirely on what I'm doing. If I'm working out, it's hard rock. If I'm just listening to music, pop. I do like some older stuff, but not a lot.  I know I eat a lot, but I kinda have to. I eat a lot of protein, iron, calcium, that sort of stuff. Builds muscle and bones, which I need for what I do, you know? I know you were teasing, it's okay. I don't know Millia, or Kat, really. I don't know much about voudon, either. Not to judge anyone, of course, just don't know anything about it. Opera would bore me to tears unless there was fighting in it."

[Ari]

"Huh. You need to keep a pretty strict diet, Tiger?" The boy looked downright glum at the idea. He brightened "At least it works out for ya real well! I'd love to do some training with you sometime, Tiger. I bet you could teach me a lot!"

 

He waved a hand idly "Shame you dunno those two, not a whole lot of folks around here though. I think it's only a couple hundred, I bet you'll meet 'em sooner or later!" smiling at the idea of Paula trying to learn absolutely everything about Mali in ten minutes, Subito neatly cut his meatloaf into pieces "You like rock? Well that makes a lotta sense, gets you pumped! And c'mon, operas are all the time full of fighting!" he added with a slightly hurt look "You ever seen Lohengrin? That things all about, like, chivalry and exhibitions of knightly prowess and stuff!"

 

Chewing rapidly he surveyed the ceiling with interest "Hmrghml...any pop bands you wanna reccomend?" He asked with the barely concealed beginning of a smirk.

[Thunder King]

"Not really strict, per se. Just make sure I get plenty of vitamins and minerals, you know? I can still eat whatever I want, I just have to be careful about it. I probably could teach you a lot, actually. You look strong, but I'm not sure how much you know about fighting, and how much you just throw punches without knowing what kind. Not saying you don't know how to fight, but a lot of the students here haven't gotten much formal training, you know? I don't even know what bands I listen to, so I doubt I could recommend any."