Curry For Joy (JP)

"I haven't had it, but I know it's made with spices, herbs, and vegetables. Which all sounds good to me." Johnathan responded while leaning backwards on the counter next to her. "I'm sure it'll be the best thing I've ever tasted, considering you're preparing it." He gave an almost cocky smirk, mostly to himself, but he definitely wasn't hiding it either.

A glance at that smirk caused Khunara's face to heat up. She had to stare down at the food she was prepping in order to keep herself from fainting. No guy had ever said something like that to her before, even those that had flirted with her in high school. "Oh, you're just being sweet," She teased and got back to work, adding the last of ingredients.

Once it was done, she put portions into bowls for them both. "Have a taste and tell me if you like it. I tried not to make it too spicy. I know everyone has different taste buds and all." She offered him a wink, feeling more confident now.

Johnathan dipped the edge of a spoon into the curry and brought it to his lips. The taste was nostalgic, even though he'd never had curry. It smelled familiar, like the dishes his parents used to cook together when he was young. "It's delicious." He said, raising an eyebrow in thought. "I could probably eat this for the rest of my life."

"Well, I can always make it on special occasions then." Khunara said with a soft laugh before she took a bite of her own portion. The taste brought out a soft hum from her as she closed her eyes, recalling a time before her parents had ever been disappointed in. Before the Rupture. "Reminds me of home when things were good, when I was a kid and mother cooked delicious meals all the time for us."

Eating the meal didn't take long, but she did have questions for Johnathan, always wanting to know more about him.

"So, why do you smoke?" She finally asked after a moment of silence.

Johnathan shrugged as he swallowed more of the curry. "I've been smoking since I was 15, could never kick the habit." He admitted. "Then the rupture happened, I lost my sister, started a safe haven, lost some friends, gained some friends - It's a lot to handle without something to help cope. Nicotine's all I've really had for a while." He answered honestly, but with almost no emotion. It happened more often than not that he would disconnect his feelings from fact. There was no point in being sad, or scared, anymore. He swallowed another bite of Curry, enjoying the warmth and the kick of spice it had to it.

Tilting her head to the side for a moment, Khunara nodded in understanding. There was that tone she recognized in so many other mutants she'd met over the past few years since leaving home - a disconnection. It worried her, but she was no psychiatrist or therapist, so she couldn't really do much about it. "Would you ever consider stopping if you wanted to...have a future?" She asked, thinking of how to word this since she didn't want to offend him. It came from a real concern for his health and the hope that maybe one day he'd want a family. There was no delusion that it could be her, but she always imagined everyone with a future.

Of course, she hoped he would want to continue this relationship they were developing, but she wasn't going to jump to conclusions over it. Khun understood that people all had their own dreams and futures in mind.

"I decided to quit when you came out of Finlays room and said smoking was bad for me." Johnathan replied casually. "You looked disappointed" He said, looking up to meet her gaze, the corners of his mouth tugged upwards in a smile.

This brought a new blush to her face and she couldn't stop the nervous giggle that escaped. "W-well it will benefit you in the long run to quit," She stated softly before noticing the time. "Oh, dear, I need to get back down there!"