[identity profile] x-scion.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] xp_logs
Julian goes looking for a bite and meets Nori, who is making a stir-fry. (Backdated to Saturday (12/6) evening).

Julian was bored. He’d been at the mansion for less than a day and it was all just too…quiet. Apparently the students had all been grounded at some point last night when someone ran away, not that it mattered since he no longer had a car…or friends to go visit if he did. He’d just posted on the student forum and was still unpacking- though he was still not sure how all of his things had gotten up to his room- when he suddenly felt very hungry.

The last meal he’d eaten had been in the taxi on the way here the night before. The driver had been kind enough to stop by a McDonalds- which was disgusting in and of itself… though tasty. He seemed to remember the mention of a kitchen with healthy food from his talk with Professor Xavier- and something about 24-hour access. Deciding that his things probably wouldn’t be going anywhere, Julian headed downstairs to find something to eat.

The hallways were impressive, everything felt so classic. Of course, he now knew better, beneath the fine oak paneling was an extensive network of wiring and security systems. Julian made his way back to the front door, taking the stairs and passing the other suites- everything still seemed very quiet. Moving quickly along the hallway he passed classroom after classroom until he smelled something…delicious. Julian paused and tried to identify the scent, but wasn’t able to. He began to follow the smell toward the kitchen.

Noriko had totally planned on hiding all weekend but, not having eaten since a strained dinner the night before, the need for real food, the kind which couldn't be just snagged out of the suite mini-fridge, had finally driven her out. At least it was an odd time of day for people to be in the kitchen. Maybe she'd be safe.

Her mother, still around the school somewhere but, thankfully giving her returned daughter a wide berth, would likely have been more than a little surprised to see Nori cooking. She was actually a fairly good cook, when she wanted to be, and could concentrate enough to not set the kitchen on fire. It was a fairly simple stir-fry, just sort of taking whatever in the fridge looked good and dumping it in.

Finally finding the kitchen, Julian walked right in and quickly identified the savory scent, as rising from the skillet on the stove. A girl, who looked a little disheveled, was cooking something and a number of containers were open on the island counter-top. He quietly moved into the room, not having bothered to put on shoes, and cleared his throat. “Excuse me,” he started, giving her a charming smile, “I don’t suppose you’re making enough for two there?”

"Eh?" Nori turned around, startled, spatula held before her as though to ward off attack, and it took her a moment to process what he'd said. The boy looked unfamiliar. Great, a new student. Today was just the day she wanted to meet someone new. With a little shrug, she lowered the spatula somewhat apologetically and said, "Is can be. Nori not eat much."

Julian didn’t understand her at first, but it slowly dawned on him what she was saying. “Oh, good. Are…you, Nori? Karolina mentioned you yesterday.” He approached her carefully, Nori looked tired and a little on edge. “I’m Julian” he said, extending his hand to her, “I’m new, obviously.”

"Hai, is Nori. Hello Julian," with her accent she mangled his name slightly, but it was still recognizable. "Welcome." She paused slightly before accepting the hand shake.

The slight spark that passed between them make Julian jump slightly. He shook off his hand- where the jolt had struck still tingled. He held in a minor string of expletives and forced a smile, “That was a bit of a shock.” Julian groaned inwardly at the pun and leaned against the island, picking a snow-pea out of one of the containers to munch on. “Did you say, Hai? Your English isn’t very good, so I’m guessing…Japanese?” He snapped half of the bean off in his mouth and began to chew.

"Aaa, hai. Nori Japanese. Is sorry for shock." This time the shoulder shrug was to indicate that there really was nothing to be done as she turned back to the pan.

The tingling was still bothering him, so he started to work his hand balling it into a fist then releasing it over and over. “Don’t worry about it…just wasn’t expecting it is all.” He finished the snow pea and looked over at the stove. “What are you making anyway? It smells amazing.”

"Chahan," Nori said, reaching out to pick up the bowl of rice she had sitting and waiting and dumped it in to the pan, quickly stirring it all together. "Sara? Eh... Plates?"

“Hai,” Julian said, moving away from the counter and rummaging through the cupboards. “So, how long have you been here?” he asked, shutting the cupboard filled with various glasses and mugs. Luckily the next cupboard he checked held stacks of plates, Julian pulled two out and held them out to Nori.

"More one year," Nori said, stirring it a bit more before serving out two dishes, one substantially larger than the other, which she gave to Julian.

Julian took the plate with a smile and set it down on the island, giving Nori another one of his charming smiles. “Thanks.” He started to rummage through drawers for a fork, eventually finding them and grabbing two- holding one of them out to Nori. “I’m having a hard time understanding you. I understand some Japanese if you would feel more comfortable.”

"Eh? Julian wa nihongo hanasemasuka? Doushite?" She accepted the fork, moving towards the table.

There was another slight jolt when Nori took the metal fork, but not quite as bad this time. Now both hands felt like they were asleep. Julian picked him his bowl and fork and headed over to the table with her. “I don’t speak it actually, I can only understand it…I flat out suck at speaking other languages, but we had tutors when we were younger and I’ve been to Tokyo and Kyoto a couple times. Where are you from?”

"Sou ka... Noriko wa Tokyo kara kimashita." Although today she wasn't really sure she wanted to talk about that. Or much of anything. Small talk wasn't any easier for her in Japanese - particularly not today.

“Ah,” Julian began to eat in a mannerly sort of way, which he’d learned from years of corporate dinners and charity events. The food was very good, just the right combination of sauce and spice- and it was so much healthier than a ten piece Chicken McNuggets meal with honey. “Oh my god, this is…Nori this is amazing.”

"Maaa, gakou de narata," Noriko shrugged.

“School, here?” he asked taking another bite, a bit less mannerly. “Or school back home?” The food was very good, better than the stuff they had back home he could compare it to at least.

"Chugakou, Tokyou de." Noriko herself was mostly just picking at the food, although she ate a little bit.

“Ah.” Julian took another bite and while he chewed, took a closer look at Nori. She seemed tired and the way she was picking at her food…perhaps she didn’t want company. “Nori…I know I’ve only known you for all of five minutes, but…are you okay?”

She looked up from her plate, startled. "Eh, Nori daijoubu," she said, although there clearly wasn't much heart in it. "Saaa... muzukashii desu."

Julian set down his fork next to his bowl, “Hey, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But, Karolina said you were cool and since she’s from where I’m from, I figure that means something. So, if you’d like to talk to someone about it who doesn’t have a whole bunch of biases and stuff, I’m here.” He smiled, warmly, at her, “Besides, you made me food, good food at that, so I do owe you. Also, I’m betting you’re even cuter when you’re not sad.” He picked up his fork, she was cute anyway, but in his experience, girls liked to be reminded of that fact for some reason.

But Noriko actually tensed up more, which would have almost seemed impossible. "Hanasu-koto hoshiku nai," she said shortly. "Kedo, Julian wa Karo shiteru?" Change of topics, that was good.

“That’s fine,” Julian went back to eating again, his bowl over half empty already. “Yeah, actually I showed up a day early and Karolina ended up showing me around a little when I got here. I asked her who was cool and she mentioned you and someone named Callie.” He thought for a moment, “Do you know if she’s seeing anybody?”

"Aaa..." Noriko hesitated. And that was one of those other weird things she wasn't sure she should talk about. Karolina had just outright talked about wanting to marry a girl on her journal, but it was still weird to Noriko. She finally settled on, "Nori wakanai."

“That’s okay,” Julian said as he finished his plate. “I’ll find out eventually, I guess. What about you, got a guy in your life?” He stood up from the table and went over to the sink where he set to rinsing the remaining sauces off his plate.

For the first time Nori really smiled. "Hai, irimasu."

“This guy…” he left the rinsed dish on the counter next to the sink, “does he have a name?” Julian started closing up the containers on the counter and putting them back in the fridge.

The look she gave him seemed to suggest she thought he was probably mentally deficient if that was a serious question. "Mochiron. Julio desu."

Julian grabbed the pan that she’d been using too make the meal. “Another student here at Xaviers? Thank god, I was starting to think I was the only guy here under twenty-one.” He set the pan in the sink and left it there. “Anyway, I should get back to packing. It was nice to meet you Nori and,” he paused, “if you want to chat, I’m in suite four.” He smiled at her, sincerely since she seemed nice enough, though troubled. “Sionara.” He waved goodbye to her and headed out of the kitchen, back to his room to attack the mountain of boxes that he’d brought with.
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