A Super Mix of Super Heroes

“Though if I want it, I should be the one to get it.”

"Uh, that is, what I meant," Paul started to say, but he couldn't get it out in time.

"If I take the first bite, then I shall... Not have dessert or be subject to a fine of your choosing.”

"Um, that is, I couldn't," Paul started to splutter, but she was off already.

"Do you have a notebook and a pen so that we can write these things down?”

Ah! A question requiring an answer! "Yes," Paul said meekly. "Would you like to go sit in the living room while I fetch them? We can use the coffee table in there." He all but ran out of the room. Oh, this woman was more intense than his mother! And that was saying something! He wasn't sure he could survive like this, but... she liked his cooking, and she was very polite.

Paul took a moment to give Mr. Kuzco a pet on the head then retrieved a large yellow legal pad and a pencil. He started for the door then turned back and grabbed a second pencil and two pens. There. That should cover it, right? He walked back into the living room and sat on the end of the couch, leaving the other end or the soft chair for Asha.
 
“Yes. Would you like to go sit in the living room while I fetch them? We can use the coffee table in there." Paul quickly left the room. Asha blinked and slowly turned after him. She did not say anything offensive. Yet, his hasty retreat left her to believe that she must have done something to upset him. If he was some stranger on the street it would not matter, but this would be a person she would live with. She has been kicked out of three places in the past year.

“Be careful not to burn the hand that feeds you.” Asha huffed as she put her hair behind her ears once more. She went into the living room.

Paul was already in the living room, sitting on the sofa. Asha took her flats off at the living room entrance and went to the other side of the sofa. But instead of sitting in it like Paul, her small fit frame allowed her to face him as she sat with her legs crossed and feet on the couch. The air was cool and to appear more, relaxed, Asha took her jacket off and set it on her lap neatly.

“So, Mr. Wronski,” Asha began slowly and looked to hi, her hands folded neatly upon her jacket. “Since you are the one allowing me into your space, what are your preferences for housework, house rules, and other such things?”
 
Paul stared at her in shock. "Really? Me? Uh, okay, uh, yes." He thought about this for a minute then carefully said, "I don't want to fine you for first bites, please? I'd rather just eat and not try to be first or second. I won't ever ask you to bite first again." He hesitated. This was possibly the strangest conversation he'd had in a while.

He cleared his throat. "Um, I'm happy to do the shopping and cooking, and I will keep the kitchen clean since I'll be doing most of the work there. I suppose we can split the shopping bill evenly and the cleaning of the main areas of the house?"
 
"I don't want to fine you for first bites, please? I'd rather just eat and not try to be first or second. I won't ever ask you to bite first again." Asha blinked before nodding slowly. Out of his family, he mentioned his mother first, so she must be the head. For Asha to expect him to throw out his traditions for her, was unreasonable.

Paul cleared his throat and continued to explain his rules. "Um, I'm happy to do the shopping and cooking, and I will keep the kitchen clean since I'll be doing most of the work there. I suppose we can split the shopping bill evenly and the cleaning of the main areas of the house?"

Asha tapped her chin mulling the open options he set. It seemed as if she would have to take control.

“Well,” Asha looked to him. “I suppose the kitchen can be declared as yours and I will take the living room.” Asha glanced around. It was a nice space to read her reports and the walls were nice and bare. There no windows either. “It is built well for meditation.” If she decided to use it for such private matters. “As for the bathroom,” She looked to him. “We will make a thorough schedule of when we must use it. It would be, improper if we were to catch each other in inopportune times.”
 
Paul nodded, relieved to have someone else speaking so authoritatively. "I work at the zoo on Monday, Wednessdays, and Fridays. There, I work 5am to 9am before the park opens. I'll need a shower after I get home from that. Lessons as a personal trainer are usually on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Those are more uncertain, but I'm usually gone all day on Saturdays and will need a shower when I get home, usually around 5. Occassionally, I'll pick up a lesson here or there on the days I work for the zoo, but I'll be sure to tell you in advance or put a note on the door. That way, I can let you know.

"With my schedule, I eat breakfast early at 4, but I can have things laid out so you won't have to do much. On Mondays, Wednessdays, and Fridays, I will usually be home for lunch at 11:30, but the other days are not a garuntee. Dinner is every night at 6:30. Sundays are my relax days, but you'll have all three meals that day!"

He sat back proudly. There! He'd just recited his entire schedule without a hitch!
 
Asha tapped her chin once more. Paul’s schedule allowed more free time than hers, but she liked how he still had a set schedule and routine.

“I am a welder for a small construction company. I work the weekday from 6 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon most days. There are days I am asked to do overtime but it will only be till 6 at night. So, I will be using the bathroom at 5 in the morning and after work. Also, we will have dinner together every night.” Asha ordered. She was not one for, people, but eating dinner alone always bothered her. Going from eating with five or six to only one, she couldn’t get used to it. She felt safer with someone there.

“But I am off Saturdays and Sundays as well. If my door is closed, I am in meditation and must not be disturbed. If you see me in here and I am meditating, do not disturb me. Another rule is that a knock or some alert sound must be made if we want to enter each other’s domains, which includes our bedrooms and our designated public areas.” She did not want him catching her, unguarded.
 
Paul's head swam with all the information and rules handed to him, and his eyes grew a little wider with each statement. This was getting strict. He thought for a moment before answering, his tone cautious and careful.

"I, ah, that is going to take some getting used to," he admitted, "but I am plenty noisy! You shouldn't have any problem hearing me come and go. It's, uh, a hazard of being as big as me. But I think I can remember all that. Just one question... What does it mean you'll be meditating?" He looked at her earnestly, totally clueless on all things "meditaty."
 
“What does it mean you'll be meditating?" Asha blinked her eyes as she gaped. Most people understood meditating and what it meant. At least her past roommates did. Granted, they did not understand the sacred quality she did it with and always disturbed her. Paul was the first person to ever ask what it meant. Well besides Lalita.

Her grandfather said that those who don’t understand the sacred quality and what it means to meditate were savage and ignorant people who based life on things as temporal as pleasure. But Paul, while a jovial individual, did have a sense of control and made amazing food. He could not be savage, ignorant maybe, but not savage.

“Well,” Asha sat up straighter as she addressed Paul. “The best way to describe meditation is,” Asha bit her lip as her mind searched for words. “A sacred journey within oneself to gain balance.” Her words replayed through her mind and she remembered how for Lalita, showing was better than telling. “Would it help if I showed you what it is?”
 
Paul blinked as he took in the words. "That sounds intense," he said gravely. "And very personal. I would like to see it, but I do not want to interfere or intrude on your personal time. If you will just tell me what to look out for, I will be careful to avoid you when you are... meditating."

Come to think of it, he had heard the word before, but it was always some vague throwaway word used by people who did not seem to take it very seriously (not that he liked to judge). Asha spoke of it like it was some kind of holy ritual or an important religious experience. For all he knew, it was. He was curious about it, but he was far more frightened of Asha and disrupting her than he was curious.
 
Asha felt her lips flicker at the serious and careful tone Paul spoke in. He either already feared her or understood what meditation meant to her. She did not care which it was, but she was glad that he was still affected.

“It is very personal, and as for what to look for,” Asha tapped her chin. “Well, I suppose I still must show you.” Glancing around she saw a spot that could work. She stood up and moved the chair to the side, leaving enough room for her to lay down or two people to sit down crossed legged. She put her jacket down and sat on it. “Come sit and face me.” She patted the ground in front of her.
 
Paul stood, the couch creaking mournfully as he did so, and moved over to sit. He took great care not to accidentally step on or kick Asha as he positioned himself then lowered himself down into a cross-legged position. facing her. "Like this?" he as, pulling on his foot to get his leg right.
 
“Yes,” Asha nodded. She wiggled a bit and put her shoulders back. “Meditation starts physically. The journey begins with breathing.” Asha put her hand to her core. “You breathe in, and that breath drops to the bottom of your core.” Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath.

“Your duty is to guide that breath out.” She let her fingers slowly walk up her body from her core until they flowed off her chin. “The breath and its journey are your focus, is your mission, is in your control. If it goes too fast or is cut off, the breath has died and you failed.” Asha sighed and opened her eyes. “Does that make sense?”
 
Paul took a deep breath, blowing up like a balloon, and tried to copy her. He only succeeded in tickling himself under the chin, and his breath erupted in a fit of giggles. He rubbed away the tickle and gave Asha a sheepish smile. "Sorry," he apologized. "I don't know if it makes sense to me, but it seems really nice. Thank you for showing me."
 
Asha covered her mouth as Paul inflated himself, only to let it out in a set of giggles, just like Lalita did. Asha wondered if Lalita still had a hard time meditating.

"Sorry," The present came back to mind as Paul spoke. "I don't know if it makes sense to me, but it seems really nice. Thank you for showing me." Asha nodded.

“As long as you are informed, I will do what I can. But to answer your questions from before. Whenever I am in this pose or you see me doing what I showed you, it means I am meditating and must not be disturbed. As we have gone over, it is, a personal time for me. I prefer to do it in my room, but there are times I will venture out to more open spaces.”

She usually used meditation to control and rebalance the state of her flames, but on her more, emotional days, closed areas made her uncomfortable. Asha blinked as a realization came to her mind.

“Do you have or do activities such as meditating? Things or times I must not disturb you?”
 
Paul relaxed when Asha did not seem offended at his laughter. "I work out, lift weights, that kind of thing. I try to keep my stuff in my room, and I'd only really bring it out here when you're gone, but I don't mind if you interrupt that. And I like to walk. Just... walk... so sometimes I'm gone for a while when I'm not working."

He tried to think. "I can't think of anything else, really, but if I do, I'll let you know. First-time roommates are always awkward days, but I'm sure we'll get along fine! Like a house on fire, like my mamma used to say!" He gave her a charming grin. He really hoped this worked out. Asha didn't seem to hate him, but he didn't get the feeling she liked him much, either. Oh well. Early days! He'd charm her over with food!

"What do you like to eat most?" he asked in his own sudden thought.
 
Asha took note that Paul was more of a physical person than she was. His activities were mostly constant movement and action. It definitely explained his size.

“Like a house on fire, like my mamma used to say!" Her fire crackled and snapped, making her wince. The memory of devouring something so grand flashed at the statement. He was grinning at her but Asha looked away as her internal heat grew, darkening her skin. She sincerely hoped she did not get along with anyone that closely again.

"What do you like to eat most?" Asha cleared her throat but could not look at Paul.

“I prefer protein, whether it is meat or nuts.” She tapped her chin. “Though, I must admit that those spinach puffs of yours were, delectable.”
 
She seemed highly uncomfortable at his statement about the house on fire. Oh, dear, what if her house really had caught on fire at some point? Oh no, he'd stuck his foot in his mouth again! Ugh, when was he going to learn?? No, wait, focus, he could beat himself up over this later.

"Protein and nuts," Paul said, clearing his throat. "I can do that! And if you like them, I can make the spinach puffs again. They are fairly simple. Most people use frozen, but I only use fresh spinach. It makes all the difference!" He hesitated. "Is there anything else?"
 
Asha shook her head. “As I have said before, my diet was strict when I was younger. I have a feeling that I will be learning many foods with you.” Asha was able to look at Paul once more. “Are there foods you cannot eat?” While she would not be cooking, she did wonder if he cooked for his diet. “I do not want to impose on your normal diet with mine.”
 
"No, no, I'm good with pretty much anything!" Paul said happily. "My dad used to say I was like a human garbage disposal, but with good taste. If you find something you don't like, just tell me, and I'll cut it out of the menu. I don't mind cooking for someone else. I always make way too much for just me."
 
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“Well then,” Asha sat up and rolled her shoulders back. “I think we discussed all that we need to?” Asha lifted her hands and ticked off each rule on a finger.

“You will clean the kitchen and dining area, while I will take the living room. Dinner will be at 6:30. Anything bought for us to share, such as food, you will buy and evenly split the bill with me. The bathroom will also be split between us, but with our different work schedules, it should work in our favor. I shall not be disturbed when meditating and you when you are lifting weights. We will alert each other when entering or being near.” Eight fingers of hers were lifted when she was done. She focused on Paul.

“Did I forget anything or is there anything you want to add?”
 
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