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A while back, around the time puberty decided to kick in for Gwen and she began to get one of many visits from Aunt Flo, her father had sectioned off part of the backyard as an outdoor gym. Speed bags, heavy bags, weights, waterproof mats, etcetera.
After her father had died, her casual interest in fighting had been upgraded to obsession. Boxing, mostly, but even then she was becoming aware that it was not enough. But boxing was all she had to start.
So that was why she was out here, taing some time in dark black sweatshirt and sweatpants.
MJ isn't much for fighting, at least physically. She currently has her hair pulled back, sitting with a guitar in her lap as she strums a few chords, then frowns and strums a few different ones while Gwen works on her boxing routine. "Hrm. Not sure I like this one. Maybe something like this." And she tries a different string of chords, frowning to herself still as she looks a bit distracted.
Gwen looks over to MJ and smiles, picking up a ratty old towel to dab the sweat from her forehead. The effor isn't in hitting the bag, but to keep the bag from getting launched into low orbit. She walks over to the porch, where MJ is settled in under the awning. "Hey, I like that one. I think it works better for 'Stranglehold.'" She pauses, looking to MJ. "Something on your mind?"
Mary Jane hrms, "Well, I dunno… just feels… hrm." She then tries out the music that Gwen liked before, "Like that?" She pauses, and looks over at Gwen, "I guess I'm okay, just been so busy with school and music and everything I haven't had much of a chance to hang out with Peter." She sighs a little at that.
Gwen nods as she leans against the back porch railing. "Yeah. I still have to apologize to him." She smiles suddenly, "Listen, I'd like to introduce you to someone, but she's downtown and I have no idea when she'll be back. She's going to be staying in my old room. She'a defector from North Korea, of all places."
Kamala stands outside of the house. She's pacing back and forth, and worrying furiously on her bottom lip. Drawing in her breath, she goes over what's about to happen in her head for the thousandeth time, and again, it ends the same. She tells Gwen what she has to say and Gwen kicks her to the moon. As she releases her breath, she was just about to knock when she hears the strumming from the backyard and ohs. She doesn't just stretch to get over the fence, instead, she opens the gate.
There's a wrap on the wooden side of it, and looks downcast. Oh, Mary Jane's here too. Twice as terrible. "Hi." she greets, pacing a smile on her face that ends near her cheekbones and never meets her eyes - "…do you have a moment?"
Mary Jane blinks, "Oh yeah, think you talked about her alre… hey, Kamala!" She smiles a bit, cheering up as she sees the Pakistani girl, "How's it go… uhoh. This is going to be heavy, isn't it?" She catches the look in Kamala's eyes, and looks a bit concerned.
Gwen puts her towel down, wearing only the sweats and sneakers as she looks to Kamala with one eyebrow raised. She walks up on the porch. "Well, Kam…have a seat. You know you can tell us both anything and we won't judge you…"
"Thanks." Kamala folds her hands together, immediately demuring just a bit as she moves to take a seat. "…I don't want to lose my friendship with you two.. but.. I don't think I can do the band thing." she admits quietly. "My parents threw a fit when they heard.. but it's not just that. I mean, I have classes, and family, and I still need to find a job, and I have to keep my grades up if I want to go medical school." And she's an Inhuman, and a superhero when noone's looking, and life is really confusing at the moment.
"But, if you don't want me to come around anymore, I'd get it." she admits, reaching up to rub the back of her head. "I can't dedicate the time right now to learn an instrument, especially with everything else going on." She's wriggling in her attempt to escape, and really, just blaming herself.
MJ looks at Kamala, then puts her guitar down and reaches out to hug Kamala, if Kamala lets her anyway. "Hey, it's okay. We knew it was going to be a bit iffy since you had your parents to worry about. I mean, I'd love a chance to talk with them about it to see if we can work it out… well, I mean, I'd love a chance to talk with them anyway, because they sound pretty neat. But Kamala, you can always hang out with us. And med school? Dang, that's intense!"
Gwen ohs. She is silent for a moment, then sighs and smiles. "Oh, well…it was worth a try." She reaches over and hugs Kamala gently. "Look, Kam…if you have something you are working towards, then as your friends, we will never want you to forego it for our sakes. Everyone has a destiny."
Okay, she's cribbing from the mysterious old woman in the red suit. But she's not around to complain.
"However, you will always be our friend."
Returning the hug, Kamala nearly bursts into tears. "It's not you two, I swear." she murmurs. "My parents.." she sighs. "…my life's already planned for me. I told you this before. I mean. I already went through high school as an honor student, now I'm in college, looking to finish at the top of my class, then go to med school. And after I'm a doctor for a few years, my parents will introduce me to my husband, I'll give up my career and marry him and have a million babies." She sounds vaguely serious about the whole thing. "So yeah. Distractions are bad. I tried to talk to them, but if you want to meet them sometime, sure, Mary Jane. It'd be nice for them to realize that I have more than one American friend." she says with a roll of her eyes.
Mary Jane blinks, "Well, what's the point of going to med school if they just want you to be some baby factory? That's like, completely dense." She snugs Kamala tight, "I don't know if I can change their minds about anything, but maybe they can get a bit of an opened mind about how things work here. I mean… you shouldn't have to marry anyone if you don't want to." She seems more upset about that than Kamala leaving the band.
Gwen nods. "Amen. Why go to college for eight years to practice for half that?" She looks into Kamala's eyes, then says quietly, "But I want you to remember something, okay? 'If you want to hear God laugh…tell Him your plans.'" She chuckles. "I've had to learn that a LOT this summer."
"My whole life is to be set up to make me a good, dutiful, fruitful, and appeasing wife. I am not as beautiful as some others, so my I will have to use my brains to earn those affections and approval." Kamala doesn't sound anywhere near as upset as the other two women. She's come to accept it as the fact of her life and what will be someday. To Gwen's quote, she smiles, "A woman may be married for four things: for her wealth, for her noble descent, for her beauty or for her religion. Choose the one who is religious, lest your hands be rubbed with dust. I only have one of those four going for me." she says with a small laugh.
MJ snorts, "Well, that's just a ridiculous set of criteria. You should do what you want to do." She shakes her head, "And anyone who doesn't think you're pretty is dumb, to be perfectly honest. You look different, sure, but that's not a bad thing at all."
Gwen snorts. "Really? I was going to go with your beauty, if you don't mind me saying it. And noble is in the heart, not the blood." She smirks. "I think that, with a few tips from the makeup maven here, you could be a VERY foxy lady." She points to MJ with a smile. "But whatever you do, Kam, don't sell yourself short. I think you should become a doctor, if that is what you want to do. If it's something you love to do. Helping others…"
"Oh, I don't sell myself short!" Holding up her hands in defense, Kamala frowns. "Please, do not mistake the devotion to my faith for not believing in myself." she says with a small chuckle. "And my parents have wanted me to be a doctor since I was born. So, a doctor I'll be." Go ahead, ask her what she wants to be.
Mary Jane then grins, "Okay, that's what they want. But the important thing is… what do you want, Kamala? I mean, it's your life, not theirs. You should listen to what they ask, but in the end, it's your decision, and yours alone."
Gwen Stacy nods. "Yeah. You ought to do what YOU want to do. Not what THEY want you to do. That's the beauty of America."
"My parents would disown me if I did that." Kamala says, shaking her head. "I love my family, and this is something I must do. It is something that is required of me. Does it make me happy? Perhaps, some day." the Pak-American gives a shrug of her shoulders with a sigh. "I only want to do good." she offers quietly. "If being a doctor and then a mother is what does that, then so be it. Anyway.. I still get to enjoy most of American life. Milkshakes and apple pie and music.. well, some music."
MJ sighs, "You're saying you must do it, but you still haven't said what you want, Kamala." She passes a look to Gwen, then gives Kamala a wry expression, letting it drop for now as she adds, "But, you better buy our record of infidel music." She winks to Kamala at that.
Gwen nods. "And get tickets to our disrespectful shows. AND buy the concert t-shirt. Because there will be t-shirts." She sighs. "Want Coke, juice, or lemonade, Kamala? I just realizes I'm being a bad host.
"Lemonade is fine." There is still disagreement on whether or not cola is halah in her religion as she reaches to hug Gwen first and then Mary Jane. "What I want?" Kamala asks with a grin as she moves back to her seat. "I'd be a super hero if I could. I mean, look at the amazing lives they lead. Though I'm sure they have problems too." the young woman says with a laugh. "And I did say what. I want to do good in the world."
Mary Jane grins, "Yeah, but that's pretty vague. Doing good can be done by all sorts of means." She hrms, "A superhero? That'd be pretty cool, but I'd probably trip over myself if I tried." There's a slight shrug at that, "Me, I just want to make sure people get justice. Seems to be a lack of it these days… or more like, people are realizing that there's a lack of it."
Gwen nods and smiles. "How about that? A superhero rock band…?" She winks. "With all due seriousness, MJ is right. But right now, you have to learn to be courageous in all things. Whether facing down the Rhino or telling your parents instead of hiding your gifts under a bushel.
"Gifts? I don't really have any!" Kamala offers quickly. "I mean, they already knows I'm smart." she says with a grin and a shrug. One could probably see the sweatdrop on the side of her head. She's not exactly sharing secrets at the moment. "Anyway! What's this I hear about you having a roommate?" Subject change, go!
MJ smiles, "Yeah, tell us more about her! Come on Gwen, you can't bring up a defector from North Korea and just leave it at that."
Erk. Uh, yeah, okay. You did blrt that out.
"Okay. Her name is Cindy Moon. She is here, seeking political asylum. Apparently her parents give up…well, EVERYTHING…to get her here. I gave her my old room. A friend of my dad's was able to get her a legit green card and she is downtown at Immigration to get herself started on her citizenship requirements and classes."
"Oh, that's awesome. And scary. My parents used to tell me stories about coming here at first. They were fortunate to find 'family' in Jersey City. I can't imagine how they would have done it alone. Your friend is lucky to have you." Kamala says with a small nod of her head.
Mary Jane nods, "That's great that you're putting her up Gwen." She hmmms, "Do you need any help with anything? I mean, I think it's good that you're not here all by yourself, anyway."
Gwen smiles wryly. "Sometimes, Kamala, you have to take a stand for what you know is right." She looks to MJ and chuckles. "Well, I would like you to meet her sometime. I don't want her to feel she is being isolated, so I want her to meet as many people as possible." She looks around. "I may also teach her some self-defense stuff. North Korea ain't happy their girl made it off the reservation."
"Oh dear." Kamala says with a small frown. "That does sound pretty bad. There's someone helping me with a few self-defense courses. Well, a couple of someones." she says with a shrug. "I guess I should have learned to defend myself sometime back, but there's no time like the present, right?"
MJ hrms, "Well, that explains some of the setups back here. I mean, I know a little bit about self-defense, but it wouldn't hurt to learn more anyway." She frowns a bit, "Can't always rely on Spider-Man to save me, right?"
Gwen nodded. "Yep. Never too late to learn something new, you two. And if you want to come here, then we can put some mats down and work on our respective disciplines." She picks up her drink and takes a sip. "I think the fences are sufficiently high enough."
"Wait. Spider-Man has actually saved you? Oh wow!" Kamala says with big and bright eyes. "He looks really scrawny in photos? Is it all muscle?"
Mary Jane grins, "It seems to be. I mean, he's crazy strong from the looks of it, but he saved me once… no, twice. He's pretty nice, though, not sure why he gets all the bad press."
Gwen is smiling thoughtfully. She opts not to mention the one time she met Spider-Man and he got on his high horse. "I'm sure it's very impressive."
"Twice!" Kamala bounces in her seat. "…I have a theory on that. I think the guy at the Daily Bugle, he just wants Spider-Man to do better, and he's just trying too hard. You know, like an Abu that isn't sure how to raise his beta." she shrugs her shoulders, but oh man, is she grinning. "I bet he's cute under the mask. But sooo off limits. Sigh. Infidels." she says dreamingly.
MJ chuckles, "I think he was hitting on me once… I had to tell him I have a boyfriend. I mean, I…" She suddenly blushes bright red at that, "Um, nevermind. Er, so, what were we talking about?"
Gwen smirks. "Using the backyard for a place to practice fighting."
"Yes, yes you have a boyfriend. And Gwen's probably dating too. And me? I'm the girl that gets hit on first at the club because they want to use me to get to know you." Kamala teases openly as she sips on her lemonade, careful to make sure it is just lemonade and nothing else.
It is just lemonade, with a little tea mixed it to make it more refresging. Gwen stood up and stretched, then said, "Anyone need a refill? I have some Cokes in the fridge, and some juice as well." She pauses. "Kamala Khan, stop selling yourself short. I firmly believe that there is some person out there eagerly pining away, hoping dearly to change your religion." She winks, taking the glassed to the kitchen.
Mary Jane blushes a bit more, "Well, I mean, Peter and I… it's… well… um…" Her cheeks are almost the same color as her hair at this point, and she nods, "Exactly, Kamala, you have a lot going for you. Don't ever sell yourself short."
"…love me, love my religion." Kamala rolls her eyes at that. "I shouldn't have to change that for anyone." Ironic, considering she's going to and willing to accept she will have to change her whole life for a husband of same faith.