Time Warp: Pizza and Possibilities (Xun)

[Carleigh Davidson]

May 2013

A fifteen year old Carleigh sat in the student lounge on an abnormally rainy night. The rain hit the glass window that she stared out of, the pitter patter a now familiar hum as she let out a deep sigh. This sort of weather was no fun. Everyone withdrew to their own respective dorm rooms, cooped away to play video games or do homework or stare out of the window, just like she had just been doing. Her fingers came up to touch the cool glass, and a few minutes passed as the blonde contemplated what to do. Nobody was around. She almost gave up and went to go sulk away in her own dorm.

But, a sudden idea came to mind. Carleigh perked up, reaching for her phone to make a very important phone call.

And forty minutes later, she was paying for a extra large cheese pizza, some hot wings, breadsticks, and a couple of 2L's of pop. Having unlimited funds to her dad's credit card came in handy on nights like these. She carted her food haul to the student lounge, humming and practically skipping along the way. After a few minutes of reorganizing a section of the room, a coffee table with the pizza and other delicious, unhealthy food sat in the middle of the one couch and a few armchairs surrounding it. If needed, more seats could be arranged.

Until then, Carleigh sat back, opening the pizza box, and grabbed a slice to enjoy while waiting for the wafting scent to bring students back into the now dead room. 

[Deleted]

Xun didn't have too many plans for the evening. He'd already had done his training for the day, a heavy, intense session that would only get more so the closer it got to competition season in August. Therefore, he decided he deserved a treat. Xun usually ate very healthy (well okay he did have an addiction to shrimp chips and other not-so-healthy goods from the local Asian market), so it was rare when he let himself really break down and binge like he was planning.

That was why he was heading down to the student lounge with a bunch of pocket change, planning on raiding the vending machines. He was already drooling by the time he reached the doorway, though it was only later that he realized it'd been partially from the delicious scent wafting from within.

He hadn't expected anyone to be in there already, however. Xun jerked to a stop when he caught sight of the blonde and her feast, his eyes going wide at the sight. "Ai-ya," he breathed, staring until he snapped out of his daze and dropped his eyes to the floor. He wondered what the occasion was, but was too shy to ask. So he continued shuffling over to the vending machines, nearly tripping on his way as he tried to shoot sneaky glances towards the unhealthy foods. He wished he had the nerve to ask what it was for, but he just wasn't one to go up to talk to someone he didn't know. It was obvious that he wanted some, though.

[Carleigh Davidson]

Carleigh was extremely disappointed, needless to say, when five minutes had passed and nobody stopped to inquire about the rather large assortment of food in front of the blonde. By now, the scent should have garnered someone's attention. The smell was almost overwhelming to her, and her stomach growled in response. Carleigh mumbled quietly to herself, before taking a large bite of the pizza. Mmmm greasy goodness.

She would have ordered a Hawaiian pizza, her personal favourite, but cheese was plain and simple and nobody ever complained about a cheese pizza in her experience. Licking her fingertips, Carleigh heard someone exclaim... something that sounded vaguely foreign. Really foreign, actually. She turned around to see where the sound came from, seeing an Asian boy with wide eyes. She could have sworn he was even in a trance. Giggling, the blonde eagerly waved him over, ecstatic that her plan had worked. Ad then, he was going over to the vending machines.

Frowning, Carleigh continued to wave at him. "Hey! Hey you..." His name wasn't coming to her, although he seemed somewhat familiar. Besides, how else was she suppose to get his attention. "I ordered too much... won't be able to eat it all. Want to come help me?" Nobody could turn down free food. Especially pizza. "There's pizza... hot wings... breadsticks... the full package." Again, Carleigh let out another giggle. It was a mystery as to why he didn't just come over and ask.

[Deleted]

Xun had dipped his head meekly too quickly to have picked up Carleigh's wave, and he likely would have been too shy to respond to it anyway. What if she was just... Waving a greeting, or something? The awkward boy didn't want to make a fool out of himself. So he was prepared to ravage the now less-appealing-looking vending machine; his stomach growled, and he held a hand against his thin stomach as he eyed his choices.

He flinched as the girl called out to him, and shyly glanced over his shoulder, his contact-clad dark eyes gazing at her warily. "M... Me?" he finally said, turning a bit on his feet. Of course him, there was no one else in here. Xun edged closer to her table, drawn to the smell. "You... You want to share?" he asked, eyes still wide. "But... You paid for all of it... And I do not have a lot of money..."

But the Chinese boy was practically drooling at the sight. "If... If you are sure..." Nervously, Xun sat on the edge of a chair and reached for a piece of pizza. At the first bite, his eyelids fluttered shut, and he let out a soft, happy moan. It tasted so good. He hadn't let himself have pizza in ages. "You are... Very nice," he told the blonde, cheeks blushing as he looked over at her again. "Uh, um.... What is your name?" She seemed nice, he thought, if offering free food was any indication. But there was something about her that was making him feel self-conscious too; perhaps the way she was giggling and smiling, like she had a ton of energy. Extroverts tended to make Xun awkward and uncomfortable.

[Carleigh Davidson]

"Of course you, silly." Carleigh grinned, continuing to wave him over. She may have been a tad bit overenthusiastic, but she craved company. And since everyone was hiding away in their dorms, Carleigh had to make sure that the boy wasn't going to leave without eating some of the takeout and providing her with some much needed conversation. Even if it looked like it would take some prodding. "Yes, I want to share. It's a shame that no one else seems to be around, but you and I can split it and take the leftovers." She offered cheerfully. "Plus, do I really look like I can eat all of this?"

Then the issue of money was brought up. Carleigh almost let out a laugh. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that, trust me." She assured him, reaching for a breadstick. Dipping it marinara sauce, she took a bite. "Really, it's nothing. You don't owe me anything, I don't mind." Carleigh said in between mouthfuls of bread.

"I am sure." With her final reassurance, the boy finally took a seat. Carleigh didn't have to have an ability to feel the boy's nervousness. "Relax, I'm not gonna bite or anything." She let out another girly giggle. "Get comfy and enjoy some delicious, greasy heaven." Watching him take a bite, Carleigh grinned as she gestured towards their dinner. "See? Good stuff. And thank you, I try to." The bubbly blonde strove to be nice to everyone, even on the nights where the insomnia took over.

"My name is Carleigh. And you are?" She asked, trailing off and waiting for him to fill in the blank with his name. Unfortunately for him, Carleigh was the textbook definition of an extrovert. Biting off another piece of breadstick, she eyed him carefully. "You sure don't like to talk much, do you?" Her statement wasn't intended to be malicious or rude, merely a comment on the type of person he was.

[Deleted]

Honestly, Xun could probably easily eat half of the food laid out all by himself, but he wouldn't be so rude as to take so much of the nice girl's feast. "You are very very nice," he said again, eyes still wide with wonder. "Do you... Do this... Often?" If so, Xun was going to have to take late-night trips down to the lounge more often. Free food? Yes, please. "Uh..." He didn't know how to answer her question about looking like she could eat it all, so he just stuffed his mouth with pizza.

"Are... Are you sure?" he mumbled out around his mouthful. "Thank you... I will... I will do something nice for you sometime!" Karma, right? Xun totally believed in that stuff. He also believed that ghosts haunted Hammel, which was why the slightly dim room made him want to huddle closer to the only other person in the vicinity. So he did, subtly.

With all the reassurances, Xun finally allowed himself to relax a little and just enjoy the food. His power started coming into play as he sped through his first piece and then began munching on the hot wings. He giggled a little around his food as she said she wouldn't bite. "Good, so... So this isn't a trap or anything," he tried to joke back weakly. Humor wasn't Xun's strong suit, but he tried. Cue another big bite of food.

Which was a bad idea, because now she was asking for his name and his mouth was full. "X... Xun," he managed to get out after he swallowed a little. Thinking that was all that would be required for him to say, he went back to nibbling until Carleigh pointed out his quietness. Xun's cheeks flushed and he choked a little on the hot wing. "I - guh - I.... I do not, no," he finally responded, voice heavy with embarrassment. "I... I am sorry. What would you, ah... Like to talk about?" Conversation was also one of his weak points.

[Carleigh Davidson]

With the half eaten breadstick in hand, Carleigh paused to give him another beaming smile when he complimented her. She knew it was nice, feeding a complete stranger, but really, she craved company. And what better way to lure someone into her social trap than to buy food and set it out? It was one of the better ideas she had had. Shrugging, Carleigh gestured towards the pizza. "I order takeout a fair bit." She was almost ashamed to admit it, but when there was unlimited funds and pizza around, who could resist? "Mostly for myself. Sometimes, I do bigger ones like these. Anyone is welcome to take some." The Californian wasn't going to mention that really, it was to garner attention and get someone to talk to her. Nope.

"And you don't have to, really, but if you do, then I won't say no." She said with a giggle, curling her feet up onto the couch. Carleigh wasn't about to go bragging about her financial status, since the way she dressed and held herself made it fairly obvious. She didn't notice Xun huddle closer to her, as she began eating the rest of the breadstick.

"Jeez, do they feed you around here?" And then Xun was giggling. Finally! Carleigh grinned, happy and confident that she had gotten him to open up a little more from where they had started. "Nope, no trap." Unless he counted her using food as a ploy to get someone to be around her. Then yes, it was.

Xun. She repeated the name a few times in her head, getting the pronunciation down as she nodded. "Nice to meet you then, Xun. Seems like a lot of people are hiding away this evening. We're the only ones down here." Carleigh commented, her eyes flickering around the room before landing on him again. "It's okay." She dismissed his apology, although, it always did make her feel awkward forcing a conversation onto a quiet introvert. "Anything!" Picking up a piece of pizza, the blonde thought for a moment. "How about you tell me about yourself? Not the boring stuff, but your hobbies and what you're into."

[Deleted]

A fair bit. Okay. Well, Xun was going to have to - "I would like to know when you do it again," he blurted before he could think otherwise. He blushed a moment later, realizing how rude that might seem. "I mean, ah.... I can't very often. I try to stick mostly to a strict diet for my training. But... I do splurge sometimes." And if someone else was paying for it, well, all the better! Xun didn't have a job and wasn't really looking, so he didn't have a lot of money to spare; most of what he had went to training gear and sportswear.

Xun, being his oblivious self, didn't really notice that the way Carleigh appeared was any indication that she was well-off. He just noticed that she was pretty, and gave him food. Mostly the food. If there was any way to his heart, that was it. So the blonde was already taking a huge step towards making him her puppy that would follow her around.

"Yes. Well, usually. I've just been training all day and I am very hungry," he explained around more bites of food. It was a miracle he wasn't spraying it all over. Xun swallowed and giggled a little again. "I am sorry... I'm being rude. I forget my manners when I'm distracted with food sometimes." Xun was socially awkward anyway, so it wasn't a surprise.

"Nice, um, nice to meet you too," he replied with a shy smile around another slice of pizza. "Yes, it's.... It is very quiet," he agreed, glancing around the dim room. He shivered, imagining ghosts lingering in the corners. "Tell you... About myself?" he repeated, blinking several times as he pondered this. "Ahh, well... I am afraid of the dark," he admitted sheepishly, since that was on his mind. "I, um... I practice wushu. Chinese martial arts. Ahhh... I like food." Like that wasn't obvious. He took another big bite. "That, um... Sums me up, I think." He Xun wanted to ask about Carleigh too, but he was too awkward and uncertain to return her curiosity, so he just sat there munching away, his cheeks stuffed with greasy food.

[Carleigh Davidson]

"Sure!" Carleigh exclaimed, without second thought. She tried to keep her eating habits clean, but she splurged more often than not. Junk food was just so tempting and delicious and she couldn't help it. She raised an eyebrow when Xun mentioned his limitations when it came to food, like the greasy god known as pizza. "That's a shame." She said, shrugging. "I try and eat healthy but... that sort of thinking flies out the window when the craving sets in." She finished with a girly giggle.

Training? The blonde wondered what sort of activities Xun did that required him to follow a strict diet along with working out all day. Did he swim? Jog? Both? Something else? "Well, you probably deserve the treat, working hard and whatnot." Carleigh said with a softer smile, trying her best to make him feel comfortable. She was toning down the conversation, and not trying to force it as much. Which was hard.

Finishing off her slice of pizza, she leaned back into the cushions of the couch, still smiling at the soft spoken boy. Her arm spread out on the back of the couch, nodding as he repeated her question. She stayed quiet, until she was sure he was done speaking. Afraid of the dark? "Well, when you're in good company, then all will be well. We can turn on some more lights or something if that helps." She offered.

"Wushu?" Carleigh questioned, curious to hear more about that. It sounded interesting. Xun clarified it as a martial arts thing, and she was sure that was the answer to her earlier question about what he was training for. "I presume that's what you were training all day for." She commented. "So, what sorts of things do you do in... wushu?" Carleigh asked, curious about this activity.

[Deleted]

“It isn’t too bad,” Xun replied half-heartedly. “There are a lot of healthy foods that taste good too. I just eat a lot. I think it is, ahh, a side effect of my ability.” Faster metabolism, or something. “But I understand cravings. I had one tonight, and you just sort of appeared out of nowhere like an angel.” An angel of greasy fast food. Cue crooked, dorky, awkward smile.

“I would like to think I do,” he agreed with a chuckle about her ‘deserving’ comment. As long as he didn’t have a competition in like, the next couple days (which he didn’t), then a brief lapse from his diet wouldn’t be too harmful.

He didn’t know why he’d so quickly admitted one of his biggest fears; Xun was afraid she might laugh at him. However, when it didn’t appear that Carleigh would, he relaxed a little more, smiling a little and shaking his head at the offer. “I… I think I am okay,” he told her. “As long as I am not alone.” And it really wasn’t too dark. Not like that ghost storytelling that Brooke had dragged him to… Shudder.

He brightened a little at her questions about his sport; it was his obsession, so Xun was always happy to talk about it. “Yes, I train for several hours every day as long as I have time,” he said with a nod. “It’s ahhh… It’s sort of hard to explain unless you see it, but the best way to explain is to say it is like the kung fu you see in movies sometimes.” He tried to think of an example she might know. “Like, um, Kung Fu Panda. It is animated, but it is somewhat accurate. It is the same with Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Xun munched on some more pizza. “I specialize in northern open hand, straight sword, and staff, although I dabble in some other forms as well.” See, this was the key to getting him talking – ask him about that he liked best. “It’s a lot of hard work, but I enjoy it.” He smiled meekly at his new friend. “What, um… What do you like to do?”

[Carleigh Davidson]

"Like what?" Carleigh asked, genuinely interested to hear of good tasting, healthy food. The only one that came to mind was salad, which wasn't a bad option since there was always tons of variety when it came to making one. "I wish." She said with a small snort, in reply to having a fast metabolism. A girl could dream. Then, the quiet boy told her she had appeared like an angel and Carleigh spread her arms, like she had wings. Too bad that wasn't her power. "Well, I'm more than happy to provide. Seriously though, more often than not I'm down here." Always willing to talk.

She wasn't the type to laugh or mock someone for their fears. Although she did her best to hide them, Carleigh had them too, like most people. "Well, I'm not going anywhere." She assured him. And she meant it.

Carleigh shifted her position on the couch so that she was directly facing him. Her arm rested on the back of the sofa, as she listened to Xun try his best to explain the martial art to the clueless blonde. Her eyebrows narrowed in confusion, until he made the analogy. Carleigh had seen the movie, of course. With her insomnia, she needed something to do on the quiet nights. "Oh okay!" She cheerfully responded with a smile. "That sounds really cool! And difficult." Especially the training, eesh. She barely mustered the energy to go to her training sessions. (and half the time she skipped anyway.) "How long have you been doing that for then?"

"Uhm... cheerleading, I guess is my main hobby." Carleigh said with a nod. It kept her active and going. She had tried out on a whim without any prior experience and now enjoyed it. The sport suited her bubbly demeanour. "It's a lot of fun."

[Deleted]

"Like... Lots of lean meat and fish, and lots of vegetables," Xun replied, thinking about what his Sifu had told him was the best foods for an athlete. "Mostly just... Lots of protein." He even drank protein shakes sometimes if he felt like he didn't get enough in one day. Xun giggled as the girl spread her 'wings', becoming more and more comfortable around her by the minute. Something about the bubbly blonde managed to get through the Chinese boy's awkward exterior. "I will, ahh, have to wander around down here more often, then," he replied, only half-joking. He could use a new friend anyway.

Xun did get a little more self-conscious when she turned towards him, though, so he looked down and concentrated on his nomming again. He felt awkward when someone didn't quite seem to get his sport, but when Carleigh seemed to finally get the connection, he smiled and nodded. "It is both," he told her honestly. "If I wasn't so passionate about doing it professionally, I doubt I would have the motivation to keep up with my training." Especially training alone - it was easier to stay motivated when training with people, which was why he was also on the self-defense team. "I have been doing it since I was... Seven," he recalled. "So about ten years. I started back home in Seattle with my Sifu - ah, my instructor - until I moved here." He wanted to mention the awards he'd won in competitions, but Xun didn't feel comfortable bragging yet, so he fell silent and went back to the food. He'd lost count of how much he'd already eaten.

"Ooh, I hear that cheerleading can be very difficult and... Dangerous?" Xun replied, impressed with her hobby. Anything athletic, he could appreciate. "I'm afraid I'm too skinny to ever, um, be good at the guy-part to cheerleading," he joked, holding up his skinny arms. "I don't think I could, ahh, hold anyone over my head." He was just too tall and gangly in general. Xun grabbed a last piece of pizza, thinking it might finally fill him up after all he'd eaten. "Mmm... So... Do you uhhh... Do you like anime?" he blurted, trying to think of something else to fill in the conversation before he left once his belly was full. His social stamina was starting to feel thin already, despite her sweet personality.

[Carleigh Davidson]

On instinct, Carleigh's nose crinkled. She was sure there were ways to switch it up and cook the foods in new and interesting ways that would provide some variety. Just took effort. More effort than calling up a pizza place and ordering takeout. "Well, you have a lot of willpower then." She said, commending Xun's effort to eating healthy. "I'll have to keep those in mind." She said out loud, more to herself. With a content sigh, Carleigh's arms flopped back down, landing at her side.

When Xun mentioned that he would have to wander down here more often, the blonde perked up in response. Making a friend out of any interaction was always a plus in her books.

She noticed his shift in demeanour when she didn't initially make the connection. It wasn't a culture Carleigh could say she was all too familiar with. Her gaze flickered to the coffee table, littered with the half devoured food and grabbed a can of ice tea. She popped it open, taking a generous sip before nodding. Cool and difficult. "Well, as long as it keeps your interest then that's alright." She assured him with a smile. "Makes it all worth it in the end." He mentioned wanting to to do it professionally, and she beamed at him. "Oo! You're like, super dedicated then."

"That's a long time." Carleigh commented, not able to think of any hobby she'd stuck with for a long period of time. Cheerleading was probably the closest.

"Again, it can be." The squad at the school was... small, so it was harder to perform elaborate and difficult routines. She stuck with the basics, since she wasn't the most athletic or flexible. "I more joined for the spirit side." Outgoing and bubbly, it was the type of perkiness that the sport required. She giggled when Xun showed his arms, saying he'd be no good. "Not necessarily. Plus, there are no male cheerleaders anyway. Maybe you could join." She playfully winked at him.

Anime? Hm. "I use to watch Sailor Moon if that counts?" Carleigh's voice raised at the end, unsure. "Otherwise, I don't think so. Do you like it?"