Suite 201

[Will Stanton]

"Yeah, don't worry about it, I've got you covered. I think I can spare a bowl," Will (Will2?) laughed.

"You didn't spend all day making it," Will (Will1?) pointed out.

"Well, call that good forward planning on my part, then." Will2grinned.

Will1 shook his head, and turned back to Naku. "I'm taking kind of a broad, general audit approach at the moment, just sort of broadening my base. The previous headmaster had me on, erm, something of a hardcore schedule, and I've recently been able to take that heavier workload without draining me quite so much. So I'm dabbling in electives from a bunch of different departments -- art, animal science, human development, design, business management, and so on and so forth.

But my primary focus was...erm, and still is, I suppose... the dramatic arts."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

Thrax was just about to try and describe what Crocutan food was like but Naku's question about classes brushed the thought aside. The big guy wasn't great at focusing on more than one thing. Or focusing in general.

"Oh, I didn't know what to take so I just picked a broad assortment. History, literature, art, music, even a culinary class because I'm a bit of what your people call a 'foodie'. Basically, cultural things. No sciences because, no offense, your world is way behind on that front."

[Naku Futomi]

Naku gave a nod as he listened to the others. "I imagine your course work could be intensesince you can have more of you. Still, I like the place. Biggest appeal is the focus not being on the subject ao much as the student," he said before crossing his arms casually. "Majors are great, but its more what we need to improve ourselves.I like it. Looking forwardto the extra year of nursing," he added.

[Will Stanton]

"Oh, you're doing the medical route? Very cool! You say 'another year'; are you transferring in from somewhere, then?"

[Naku Futomi]

"I did. I'm coming in on my junior year. Nursing usually is three years, but Xavier University lets me go another year after that," Naku explained to the first Will. "Two more years before me... more like what can I learn about myself in that time."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Well, I'm glad you did," Thrax said with a grin. "More friends for me."

"Kinda sad you might move on before I do, though. I think we're going to be good friends."

He liked it there quite a lot yet he was still holding out hope that he could be on his way before he needed to think about a major. However, the creeping realization that he didn't actually have anywhere to go made it a bittersweet hope. But every day he was there was a risk that he would put this place in danger and he couldn't let another home—even a temporary one—be destroyed.

[Will Stanton]

"That's really neat. I don't get to spend too much time down in the medical bay, so hearing about that stuff is always kind of fascinating. And yeah, here at a school for, shall we say, the 'normalcy challenged', there's a lot of room to find out about yourself above and beyond normal college stuff."

[Naku Futomi]

The friend comment made Naku smile some. Thrax seemed the kind of guy to deem someone a friend after such a short time. Something about it didn't seem light hearted. "I'm sure to stay around even after graduating. That, or take on another major if allowed," he suggested. "In short, you'll be stuck with me for a long while," he said with a grin.

Looking to Will, he tilted his head. "There's lots for non-graduates to do. They're allowed all around here from Mutant Town after all. Let's hope that a couple years will see the town in a better off position," he hoped.

[Will Stanton]

"Hey, that's what we're working on down there. There's been a bit of...pushback recently, but you can't keep a good mutant community down for long."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Yeah. Seeing your Gifted being marginalized like that makes me sad. Not that my world's history or even its present is all smiles, but I'm glad we got past that particular problem. As hopeless as it may seem sometimes, your civilization is still young. I'm sure you'll get there if you keep working at it."

He wished he could promise that it would last once they got there. His people had deluded themselves that the progress they had made was set in stone. It took far too little to shatter that progress. But he wasn't going to say that; he wasn't ready to share that more than necessary. Better that they think him care-free.

[Naku Futomi]

"That's good to hear," Naku said before pushing off the chair and moving to look at the rest of the common room. Hands in his pockets still as he looked out the window. Thrax's words brought out a lot of memories and thoughts. Naku remained silent of it all.

"...You know, think i was one of the lucky ones. The school I went to was for the gifted. Managed to stay away from those who wanted nothing to do with us. Still.... it can be troublesome at times," he said listfully. He looked back to the others present. "At least we aren't kids anymore. Makes it easier to interact and stand up for ourselves, ya know?"

[Will Stanton]

"Ageing isn't always all it's cracked up to be," Will2 said with a sly smile.

"But here's to standing up for ourselves. At least from time to time," Will1 chimed in.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"I dunno. I mean, no one has ever accused me of growing up," Thrax responded with a smirk and a statement that should surprise absolutely no one. "Being an adult is for suckers. If having fun makes me a child, I'd rather be a child."

[Naku Futomi]

Naku gave a slight grin to the massive alien. "Think you're too tall to be considered that on this planet," he said with a slight laugh. "But I getcha... Think i'll be smack in the middle for a long while," he said before looking to the closest Will. "This where I verify you're as old as the known universe? You dont look a day older than the sun," he jested, knowing not a dang thing of when their star came to be.

[Will Stanton]

"Oh, no no no," Will2 grinned. "I'm much older."

"It's complicated," the first Will admitted, elbowing his counterpart in the ribs. "I've been through the wringer a couple times, both figuratively and literally. Let's just say my birthday cake is a fire hazard."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Hold up. You celebrate birthdays with burning cake? Doesn't that make it hard to eat?" he asked, imagining the dessert itself on fire. "Also, what is cake?"

[Naku Futomi]

That set Naku off in a heartfelt laugh. He wved a hand as if to say not to mind him. He wasn't laughing at Thrax perse, but certainly the notion of not knowing what a cake was.

Turning kind eyes towards the giant of an alien, he explained. "It's a sweet pastry with frosting on it. Better to show you than explain it more. I'm sure there are shops in town. You'll get your fill one day, I'll see to that," he said with a grin.

"Say," he turned to the Wills, "Are there any places in town to visit that you'd suggest? For cake, other food, and otherwise?" He wondered.

[Will Stanton]

"A cake's a confectionery. Sweet, baked goods. Kind of a sweet bread thing, I guess you could say."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"And bread is?" he asked with a mischievous grin that could only mean he was messing with them now.

"But, yes, tell us where to find good food. Especially pizza. I mean, the stuff in the canteen is great but it's pretty universal that canteen chow is, at best, average."

"Not that that's ever stopped me from stuffing my face," he laughed.

[Naku Futomi]

"Pizza is really good," he said with a grin. He liked to think back to the kind her had at home. "Never got around to having New York style... Speaking of food, how much longer? Can help with anything if ya need."

[Will Stanton]

"We should be good to go just about now, if you don't mind it a bit hot," Will said, pulling out some bowls from the lower cabinet. "A bit of a warning - I do like mine spicy."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"How spicy are we talking? On a scale of slightly uncomfortable to burn-a-hole-in-the-hull," Thrax inquired. But Storm did it smell amazing. He might have to risk it no matter the answer.

[Naku Futomi]

"Whichever it is, im willing to try. Maybe just a bit to be safe," Naku said, moving a bit closer but not trying to crowd the chef. He looked to the second Will. "Will all... Wills need to eat, or just one?" he wondered, now debating the pros and cons of multiple clay clones.

[Will Stanton]

"Technically, I don't actually need to eat at all, and haven't for some time. I only look normal. Sometimes. I'm not super popular in the medbay; something something 'mocking the very concept of human life' or whatever; I wasn't really listening.

But food's one of life's great pleasures, and I went long enough without having it that I indulge whenever I can."

"And I have no idea how an alien palette will take it, but it's spicy on human scales. I am making it in part for my, uh, roommates after all. It shouldn't burn through anything, unless you make VERY bad spaceships. You may want some water, though."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

Thrax grinned. "The best way win over any Crocutan's heart is with food. As you can guess by our size, we eat a lot. The warmer regions have pretty spicy food so I'll probably be alright. At least, if the human idea of what constitutes spicy isn't radically different."

"So, I'm still game to try it. It smells amazing."

[Naku Futomi]

Naku waited patiently, it hitting once more that he was with two beings far from human. Will may have been from here, but his structure was not the same internally. Naku wondered how their insides work and if his healing would work on him. Something to ask over dinner, he supposed.

Regarding Thrax, Naku was still having a hard time imagining him an alien. It must be due to all the anthromorphic people in High School he knew. The idea of this guy being from space and not a bit looney was still a hard pill to swallow. Naku didn't doubt it, he was just having a hard time truly accepting it. Granted, it had only been a few hours, so who could blame him.

[Will Stanton]

One of the Will's ladled out two bowls of the chili, handing one each to Thrax and Naku before turning back to the pot. He spooned out a bit of chili into a shotglass, handing it to the second Will---who, before Naku's very eyes, started dwindling, rapidly shrinking in height until he was maybe six inches tall? If that? I suppose that was one way to make the chili last longer.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

The big alien would have laughed at the Will's ingenious way of extending the number of servings but he was too enamored with the bowl of chili in his hands. He took a big whiff of the delicious smelling steam and grinned. Quickly taking a seat at the small table nearby, he took a cautious spoonful and blew on it before putting it in his mouth. The heat of the spices made his eyes go wide but it was clearly not terrible because he immediately took a second spoonful.

"By the Storm that's good! Painful, but good!" he declared.

[Naku Futomi]

Watching Will shrink was something else. It made him remember one pixie like girl at school. Briefly he wondered howeveryone he knew was doing. Before he got lost in thought, he was handed a bowl. "Thanks," he said graciously before letting his bowl cool. He looked at it for a while, a light smile on his face as he regarded the others.

[Will Stanton]

"A little bit of burn on the lips is a feature, not a bug," the still full-sized Will acknowledged. "Always a fan of some of those more extreme sensations."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"I'm with you on that. But I'd bet your idea of something truly extreme would get the rest of us killed if we tried," he joked with his usual merry smirk. "

[Naku Futomi]

Naku couldn't help but try some of it, even while it was hot. That proved to add more to the experience. Even the bit he had quite the kick. He was torn between the heat of the temp and the spiciness. His eyes started to water as he fanned his mouth and gave a few nods of his head. After a moment, he managed to give a thumbs up.

"This.... really good.... Spicy... Nice job," he managed to say as he waited for his mouth to stop being on fire. He had to spy the little will and how he was doing with his shot glass. He was probably eating like a champ.

[Will Stanton]

He had to spy the little will and how he was doing with his shot glass. He was probably eating like a champ.

Indeed he was. At this scale, the shot glass was about the size of the boy's torso, so it was quite the huge pot of chili from his perspective. One could wonder where he was packing it all away as he continued to chow down, apparently no worse for wear from the spice.

"But I'd bet your idea of something truly extreme would get the rest of us killed if we tried."

"Only sometimes! And you'd be surprised what mutants can handle, when the chips are down."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"You definitely seem to be a resilient lot," Thrax smiled.

"And impressively varied! My people's equivalent has variety, sure, but it all follow the same general 'stormy' theme, if often abstractly. My friend Mooncalf—she has an intuition for such things bordering on the unsettling—says that stormborn share the same source whereas mutants each have their own. She knows too much about my belief system for me to doubt her on it and it's basically what I was taught anyway."

[Naku Futomi]

"Mooncalf... nice name," he mused allowed once the food was down his gullet. He would take his time moving forward. Not trying to die by spice, he tended to it one spoonful at a time. "This is really good. I'd ask for seconds if I could. Also... is little Will gonna be okay? Does Will Prime need food? Can take a bowl to him if you want," he offered.

[Will Stanton]

"Gonna be OK?" BigWill asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

He somewhat conspicuously ignored the question about 'Will Prime'.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

Thrax watched the little guy pack it in, wondering just where all that food was going. But he had already established that Will didn't obey basic physics so he tried not to think about it too hard. Will was just Will.

"I think he's worried the tiny will will explode from all the gas those beans are going to give him," the alien said with a boyish smirk.

[Will Stanton]

"Yes. That is what will finally do one of me in. An bean," Will laughed, rolling his eyes.

[Naku Futomi]

Naku noticed the main question, but decided no to press it. They had their reasons, and he had little reason to believe Will Prime was some hostage held by his duplicates for the time being. That would be a wild episode of a series of life.

When Thrax explained the concern more, Naku pointed in his direction. The response to it earned a slight laugh from Naku himself. "Okay, you make a good point. Trust you'll not have problems distributing the rest of the food then the time comes," he mentioned, taking another bite of his bowl before seeing how far behind he was from Thrax. His own bowl was barely touched. The heat was so good and fully effective!

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

Thrax was indeed wolfing—hyena-ing?—down his helping of capsaicin stew. It was painful but it was so delicious and new that the big guy couldn't help himself. He was enduring the heat like a champ... up until he bit into a chili and his eyes went wide and watery.

The second he swallowed it down he started chugging water. "Fuuuck. I mean... Fuuuuuck. Guess I figured out what the heat comes from," he said with a wince and a shudder.