"Hey,"
"Hey yourself," Cinder replied, glancing up at Kai.
Kai leaned against the doorway. "So, uh," he lowered his voice. "How do I get Iko to calm down? She's kinda scaring me."
Cinder grinned to herself, "Iko's like that. She's a huge fan. She's also a little crazy. And frankly, she scares me to sometimes- but in a good way."
Kai flashed a smile, slipped into the cargo hold and dropped down next to her, "So, what are you doing right now?"
Cinder sighed "I'm recalibrating the wires in this old portscreen, so Cress can use it for hacking."
"It's not the newest model," Kai said, examining her work.
"It's the best we have at this moment. It'll have to do."
Cinder gingerly set her work down, and turned, briefly meeting Kai's eyes. She could see the concern radiating from them.
"When was the last meal you ate?" Kai asked.
"Are you suggesting we go on a date?" Cinder inquired.
"Maybe," Kai answered, flashing a smile.
"I haven't eaten since this morning. Let's go get a snack," Cinder declared, slipping her hand into Kai's.
\oOo/
The mess hall as Thorne called it, was a mess. Or at least the table was. The table was littered with cans, rappers and other assorted trash. Throughout the debris were numerous blueprints of lunar ports and tunnel systems.
"Stars, you would think Thorne would keep his precious ship cleaner," Kai said, glaring disdainfully at the mess.
"He is a military drop out. There isn't much to expect."
"Good point," Kai muttered, skirting the edge of the table. Cinder followed him into the kitchen.
The kitchen, on the other hand was in pristine condition. The white cabinets that lined the walls and the floor, under the counter, were wiped clean. Inside the cupboards were various non-perishable goods, such as cans of vegetables, boxes of rice and noodles, and beef jerky.
Kai opened one of the cabinets,"What can I get you on this fine evening, milady?"
Cinder laughed, "Lets look at what's in stock."
Cinder opened numerous of the cupboards, making a mental list of all the different foods. She hadn't had to cook meals back in New Beijing, so she had little to no back round knowledge. Pausing,she ran a net search for recipes pertaining those items. Stir fry was at the top of the list.
"We could make stir fry," she suggested.
"That sounds alright," Kai replied. "What are the ingredients?"
"Um..." the page was still loading. "We need a pot and a box of rice to start. Then we need some broccoli florets, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, soy sauce, corn starch, ginger, garlic, oil, bouillon cubes, and water."
"That list is oddly specific," Kai said as he scrambled about the kitchen, gathering the ingredients
"I also need a wok," Cinder added.
Slowly the pile of needed ingredients accumulated on the counter next to the stove. Cinder set the rice on the stove and began to prepare the vegetables.
"Did you cook a lot at home?" Kai asked.
"Not often. Adri didn't trust me, she thought I'd end up burning the apartment complex down."
"Really? I thought she would have made you cook every meal."
"She probably thought I'd give her food poisoning," Cinder laughed.
"Should I be concerned too?" Kai asked playfully.
Cinder grinned at him, "Yes."
Kai laughed.
Cinder stirred the vegetables in the wok, savoring their smell. Her vision flashed.
Beep. Count Down Complete. Beep.
She hadn't set a timer.
"Foods ready," Cinder said.
"Great. I'll get plates," Kai replied, opening a cabinet.
\oOo/
Kai took a bite of the stir fry, "It's kinda funny how this dish has only one name."
"I don't follow," Cinder said, confused.
"I mean this dish, it has broccoli, and mushrooms. Ginger and rice. But it's only called one thing."
"I don't think you'll ever find someone or something that isn't more than one thing and called only one name," Cinder replied.
"Like you," Kai said, "You're a mechanic, a cyborg, a lunar princess, and a revolutionary. All in one."
