Louis Le Pen
Louis Le pen
Paul sighed at the french restaurant.
"Polish then?"
Paul frowned.
"We've eaten there a lot too, Polish and French."
He closed his eyes.
"Merlin has an entire level dedicated to food from around the world and all we eat is French and Polish food."
I shrugged.
"There's lots of choice."
"I know but we're only going to be here so long. Hmm I think I'm going to try some Italian food, what do you want Louis?"
I thought about it and we did have that one man from the far east, what was he?
"I think I'm going to try this Korean food."
Paul nodded.
"Sounds good, tell me how it goes."
The elevator opened into the food court. None of the students ate at the great hall anymore. Not with the bounty of restaurants of every conceivable style.
"Just remember, tomorrow is..."
I sighed at Paul.
"A no meat day, so I will have what I can on this lovely thursday."
Paul smiled.
"Good."
We split off. I wandered around into the empty far east section, I stopped and nodded at a sign in two languages.
"Korean."
I walked into the restaurant and saw three men eating together, talking. Summer, Autumn, and Spring. They were differnt peoples. I recognized the summer magi, he was Smith, the Autumn mage was the lone Korean at our school and the Spring Magi had dark, black skin. He had a brand on his left face.
I walked up to them.
"Um what should I eat?"
The other two men looked at the Korean who nodded.
"Goldongban, it's the best thing on the menu. The rest of it is ok, but it's the only dish this place pulls off correctly."
I went to the servitor and asked for the dish and some ice'd coffee with milk, I turned around.
"Sit with us!"
I nodded and sat with the older men, I looked at the man John Smith.
"So you're all friends?"
John nodded and used strange sticks to eat his meal. I tried to copy the other men and failed.
"Of course, my Ex hated colored folk, but she was a stupid whore so I decided to find out for myself."
John shrugged.
"She was wrong of course, horrid woman was wrong about everything."
"Oh, I'm sorry um..."
He waved me off.
"Don't be, everyone in this school has a sob story."
"Really?"
He looked over at the black man, the man nodded.
"Name's Ajax Brown, I was a slaved, tried to escape my master bunch of times. When the revolution came he made me a deal, if I fought he would give me my freedom. So I fought and I now I'm a freeman. I didn't want to remain anywhere close to my old master just in case he changed his mind. Didn't have any skills other then picking cotton and I didn't know what else to do so I came here."
He leaned back into his chair.
"Life's a lot better here, better clothing, better food. When I finish I figure I will make things, magic things, don't know what yet."
The Korean nodded.
"An Kor Park, I was 10 years old when the pirates came to my village, ten years old when they murdered my parents in front of me, 10 years old when they sold me into slavery. Then I went from ship to ship, working whatever jobs they told me too, until one day I ended up in New York."
He sighed.
"I can't count the number of times I prayed to Buddha to get me home, can't count the number of gods I prayed to, to get home. I was desperate so I wandered into this christian church and I prayed to your western god for some way, an way to avenge my family to get home."
His eyes were tired and angry.
"When I got out of that church I stepped on a piece of paper. I thought it was crazy but I had just prayed to a god and maybe this is a sign. So I went, Merlin made me a deal, if I agree to set up a school in Korea and teach others what he taught me, he will get me home."
"And you agreed?"
"Without hestitation, the Chinese prey upon us, the Japanese prey upon us, pirates prey upon us. I will go home and I will make my people strong. It is like John says, everyone here has a sob story, everyone has a reason to be here."
He smiled.
"I asked the headmaster about it, and he said that sometimes he feels like this is the island of misfit toys."
I nodded.
"And John, what do you want to do?"
John smiled.
"Make clocks."
I blinked.
"What?"
"I spent my entire youth on the docks moving heavy stuff, breaking my back. I saved, I scrimpted and I lost everything because of a bad woman. I went into the army and almost lost my leg, I learned the hard way that you can't count on being big and strong your whole life."
"And clocks?"
"Moved one once and I fell in love with the things. Merlin's been teaching me how to make them, and I like making them. Makes me feel smart and it's, well peaceful. So when I get out of here that's what I want to do, just make clocks. How about you kid?"
The three of them looked at me.
"I was a servant, I was sent here to learn how to heal my master's daughter."
They nodded, and An Kor brought out a drink.
"To the island of misfit toys."
We toasted and then continued eating.
Paul sighed at the french restaurant.
"Polish then?"
Paul frowned.
"We've eaten there a lot too, Polish and French."
He closed his eyes.
"Merlin has an entire level dedicated to food from around the world and all we eat is French and Polish food."
I shrugged.
"There's lots of choice."
"I know but we're only going to be here so long. Hmm I think I'm going to try some Italian food, what do you want Louis?"
I thought about it and we did have that one man from the far east, what was he?
"I think I'm going to try this Korean food."
Paul nodded.
"Sounds good, tell me how it goes."
The elevator opened into the food court. None of the students ate at the great hall anymore. Not with the bounty of restaurants of every conceivable style.
"Just remember, tomorrow is..."
I sighed at Paul.
"A no meat day, so I will have what I can on this lovely thursday."
Paul smiled.
"Good."
We split off. I wandered around into the empty far east section, I stopped and nodded at a sign in two languages.
"Korean."
I walked into the restaurant and saw three men eating together, talking. Summer, Autumn, and Spring. They were differnt peoples. I recognized the summer magi, he was Smith, the Autumn mage was the lone Korean at our school and the Spring Magi had dark, black skin. He had a brand on his left face.
I walked up to them.
"Um what should I eat?"
The other two men looked at the Korean who nodded.
"Goldongban, it's the best thing on the menu. The rest of it is ok, but it's the only dish this place pulls off correctly."
I went to the servitor and asked for the dish and some ice'd coffee with milk, I turned around.
"Sit with us!"
I nodded and sat with the older men, I looked at the man John Smith.
"So you're all friends?"
John nodded and used strange sticks to eat his meal. I tried to copy the other men and failed.
"Of course, my Ex hated colored folk, but she was a stupid whore so I decided to find out for myself."
John shrugged.
"She was wrong of course, horrid woman was wrong about everything."
"Oh, I'm sorry um..."
He waved me off.
"Don't be, everyone in this school has a sob story."
"Really?"
He looked over at the black man, the man nodded.
"Name's Ajax Brown, I was a slaved, tried to escape my master bunch of times. When the revolution came he made me a deal, if I fought he would give me my freedom. So I fought and I now I'm a freeman. I didn't want to remain anywhere close to my old master just in case he changed his mind. Didn't have any skills other then picking cotton and I didn't know what else to do so I came here."
He leaned back into his chair.
"Life's a lot better here, better clothing, better food. When I finish I figure I will make things, magic things, don't know what yet."
The Korean nodded.
"An Kor Park, I was 10 years old when the pirates came to my village, ten years old when they murdered my parents in front of me, 10 years old when they sold me into slavery. Then I went from ship to ship, working whatever jobs they told me too, until one day I ended up in New York."
He sighed.
"I can't count the number of times I prayed to Buddha to get me home, can't count the number of gods I prayed to, to get home. I was desperate so I wandered into this christian church and I prayed to your western god for some way, an way to avenge my family to get home."
His eyes were tired and angry.
"When I got out of that church I stepped on a piece of paper. I thought it was crazy but I had just prayed to a god and maybe this is a sign. So I went, Merlin made me a deal, if I agree to set up a school in Korea and teach others what he taught me, he will get me home."
"And you agreed?"
"Without hestitation, the Chinese prey upon us, the Japanese prey upon us, pirates prey upon us. I will go home and I will make my people strong. It is like John says, everyone here has a sob story, everyone has a reason to be here."
He smiled.
"I asked the headmaster about it, and he said that sometimes he feels like this is the island of misfit toys."
I nodded.
"And John, what do you want to do?"
John smiled.
"Make clocks."
I blinked.
"What?"
"I spent my entire youth on the docks moving heavy stuff, breaking my back. I saved, I scrimpted and I lost everything because of a bad woman. I went into the army and almost lost my leg, I learned the hard way that you can't count on being big and strong your whole life."
"And clocks?"
"Moved one once and I fell in love with the things. Merlin's been teaching me how to make them, and I like making them. Makes me feel smart and it's, well peaceful. So when I get out of here that's what I want to do, just make clocks. How about you kid?"
The three of them looked at me.
"I was a servant, I was sent here to learn how to heal my master's daughter."
They nodded, and An Kor brought out a drink.
"To the island of misfit toys."
We toasted and then continued eating.