Log: Jake meets the dragon

[x-courier.livejournal.com]

Jake sneaks out of a meeting to get a sandwich, and meets Lockheed, who stares at him until he´s fed. Kitty drops by as well, and they chat.




Remy had to go to the can, and Jake took the opportunity to escape to the kitchen for supplies. After two hours of discussing possible contacts in Istanbul, contact procedures, and everything Jake usually had people doing, Jake was in dire need of an experimental sandwich. Possibly one with lots of tomatoes.

Lockheed was not intentionally slowing his flight around the school every time he went past the kitchen, of course. There was a lot of tricky shrubbery and he could get some good maneuvering practice in, and if that happened to let him peer through the window and see if there were any People Who Might Give Him Food, well, that was a side benefit, but certainly not his main goal. And yes! It paid off! There was a person entering now. Lockheed did not know the person, yet, but that was a small matter. All people could be induced to give him food, even the CrazyMetalStickMan had given him food, albeit nasty firestick food. Lockheed carefully positioned himself by the doorknob of the kitchen door and, grasping it in his paws, winged himself into a turn, opening the door. He had mastered a new trick and it was coming in handy.

Jake backed guiltily out of the fridge, excuse ready to be given to Remy. He paused, staring. Unless Remy had suddenly become a little dragon, that wasn´t him. There was a dragon in the kitchen, his mind repeated slightly hysterically. A dragon! Staring at him with huge eyes. No, not just him. Jake followed to look automatically. The dragon was looking towards the fridge. From Jake to the fridge and back again. Jake blinked.

Hmmm... Just the begging-eyes-look didn't seem to be working. Lockheed added a little tummy rub, to make sure the man knew what he was talking about, and then went, "Coooo?"

The light dawned. "You want food? Uh, I was just about to make a sandwich," Jake said, then blinked hard. I´m talking to a dragon. All right, stranger things have happened, but. Baby dragon.

Lockheed immediately perked up. Sandwiches were good. He bobbed his head, letting the man know that that would be an acceptable offering, before crossing the floor to climb up onto one of the stools to watch him.

Jake gave the dragon a bemused look, then shrugged. All right. Sandwiches for two it was. He´d gone the relatively conservative way today -- much to Dani´s delight, he was sure. He´d seen the look on her face when she´d come by to write up the grocery list and caught him during his most experimental phase. Her face had been a curious mix of despair and horror. So Jake had decided to be nice. Feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and black olives. He thought he´d seen garlic bread somewhere...

Lockheed sniffed in the direction of the sandwich. Well, it smelled interesting, if rather on the ruffagey side. Opening his wings, Lockheed glided off the chair towards the NewandImproved home of All the Food in the World and landed with a little thump before looking back at the man. The fridge might be NewandImproved but it still did not have a dragon sized handle.

"You´re allowed in there?" Jake wanted to know, pausing the tomato cutting. The dragon wasn´t that hard to understand, really, once he got over the whole dragon factor.

Allowed would be... stretching things, but it seemed the new man did not know about the Green-haired Queen or Kitty's rules. This could be promising. Doing his best to project an air of innocence, Lockheed nodded.

Those were some big innocent eyes right there, Jake noted. He wasn´t sure he trusted them. But on the other hand, no one had bothered to tell him the correct kitchen etiquette in dealing with dragons, so... Jake grinned. Obviously any resulting havoc couldn´t possibly be his fault. He went over and pulled the fridge door open, curious as to what the little one would do.

Oh... it was so tempting. The 'fridge' was open, All the Food in the World was before him... and if he took advantage, the Green-haired Queen would never trust him in the holiest of holies (the kitchen) again. Not to mention what Kitty would say. It was soooo difficult being a good dragon.

Taking wing, Lockheed peered into the 'fridge' getting his first, and possibly his only, look at All the Food in the World, marveling at the selection. Finally his sharp eyes settled on the familiar looking packages. Checking over his shoulder to make sure the new man was watching, he reached out and tapped a claw on the cold-drawer with the sliced meats in it before dropping back to the ground.

Jake was amused. He nodded solemnly at the dragon, who apparently wasn´t that fond of the vegetarian option. He motioned for the dragon to fly aside, and pulled out the drawer. "Ham okay with you? Unless there lamb somewhere in here..." He held up the packet for inspection while he searched for the (possible) lamb.

Lockheed hadn't ever tried this 'ham' stuff, but it looked tasty. But he knew he liked lamb... Maybe he could get both? Trying the tactic that occasionally worked on The Boy he tapped on the ground twice.

"Both? You are a dragon after my own heart," Jake grinned, and finally located the lamb. "Do you want something to drink while you wait?" He backed out of the fridge, giving the dragon space to point at something if he/she wanted.

Lockheed pushed himself back up into the air, peering into the depths of the 'fridge'. Ah, there was the white stuff. His claw carefully tapped against the milk jug before he dropped back to the ground.

"So, you've learned a new trick, have you, Lockheed?" Kitty's voice came from the entrance of the kitchen, startling Jake and the dragon.

Both spun around, probably wearing similarly slightly guilty expressions, even thought they hadn´t been doing anything wrong, per se.

"I´m making sandwiches," Jake said by way of explaining. "Lockheed? Is that your name?" he added to the dragon.

Lockheed nodded, even as Kitty said, "Yep, that's him. Lockheed, this is Jake. When you stopped going past the window I figured you were up to something, thought I'd come check."

"He wanted food," Jake grinned. He paused, just as he was about to grab the milk jug. "Um. Am I not supposed to give him food? Because, uh, big eyes, man."

"No, it's ok," Kitty reassured him, moving into the kitchen and scooping the dragonet up. "He always wants food. Pretty much voracious, and we all fall prey to the big eyes eventually, don't we, Lockheed?" Lockheed cooed from his comfortable spot in Kitty's arms. "He likes meat best, but he can and will eat anything, up to and including cigarettes in one unfortunate circumstance, so just be careful you only ever give him stuff that is actually food."

"He ate cigarettes?" Jake blinked. "That couldn´t possibly have been very tasty." He grabbed the milk jug, and went over to the bench where his sandwich components lay ready to be assembled. He looked towards Lockheed. "Both lamb and ham, right?"

"He did, and I don't think it was, although I believe the fire-breathing taught Remy not to do that again." She raised an eyebrow and looked down at the dragon in her arms. "Ham? I see..." There was a definitely disapproving tone in her voice. She wasn't going to stop him from eating pork, but she wasn't ever going to give it to him, and was not above the odd guilt trip. And it definitely seemed to work. Lockheed looked away, down at the ground and did his best to give off an air of "I don't know what you're talking about, what's this ham stuff anyway?"

"Oh! So that´s what Wanda meant by fire-breathing dragon. I did wonder," Jake mused. He gave her a sideways look. "You have ham issues, don´t you?"

"If by 'ham issues' you mean I'm Jewish and don't eat pork or dairy and meat together, then yes, I have ham issues. Lockheed, of course, is free to do whatever he wants." There was an art to saying one thing and so very clearly meaning another, and her tone quite definitely told the little dragon that while he Could eat the ham, she would be Ever So Proud of him if he didn't, and not a little Disappointed if he did.

"You are definitely a better Jew than I am," Jake noted. If it was possible to be a lapsed Jew, he was as close to it as was possible. Of course, none of his aunts took any notice of this. He was about to put the ham on the sandwich, when a claw poked his shoulder.

Lockheed, looking both mournful and contrite, scratched the back of his shoulder then shook his head at Jake. He didn't want to make Kitty sad, and the 'ham', whatever it is, seemed to have high upset-Kitty levels to it.

Kitty hugged the little dragon slightly, making no other mention of his sacrifice on her part. "Well, I don't really keep kosher all the time, just high holidays, but the pork and the dairy are easy to manage."

Putting the ham aside, Jake turned to the lamb. "Yes, well, I´ve never really tried," he said wryly. "Which you´ve probably realized by now." Oh, it was spicy lamb! Someone at the mansion needed a pat on the back and a batch of cookies for that.

Kitty settled onto a stool, Lockheed happily placed on her lap and receiving the scritch. "Why not? If you don't mind my asking."

"Don´t know. Partly growing up in boarding schools, I think, partly that I get hungry a lot. Power related. Shifting spends an awful lot of energy." He paused, focusing on sprinkling the feta cheese. He turned towards her, grinning. "Besides, I like cakes way too much."

That got him a very decided tongue-sticking-out followed by a pout. "I'll give you the power thing, though. Phasing doesn't really seem to burn any extra energy on my part, far as I can tell, so it's never been a consideration."

Jake nodded. "I expect Rahne and purple cat person have the same thing though. Possibly Shiro and Paige as well. Never really asked, and Jean wouldn´t show me anybody else´s medical files."

"The purple cat person is Catseye, or Sharon, but she doesn't like that name. And why would Dr. Grey have shown you anybody's medical files?"

"Because I was curious? No, she didn´t buy it either." He commented at her doubtful expression. "Gave me cookies though."

Kitty shrugged at that. "All the medical staff will give you cookies if you sit quietly through an exam or don't fidget to much. Hell, Dr. McCoy will give you cookies for just about anything."

Jake brightened. "Really? Maybe I can fake a cough or something..." He put the final finish on to the sandwiches and turned around. "Lockheed? Plate and glass?"

Kitty laughed at the idea of Jake pretending to get slightly ill for random cookies. Well, he'd probably done stranger things than that for food. "Plate," she told him, setting Lockheed down on the ground, "and a bowl. He hasn't got the fine control for glasses, and none of them are really designed for a snout."

He went to look through the cupboards for plates, a glass and a bowl. He hesitated a moment, then got a cup as well. Remy was probably getting pretty impatient by now, but perhaps he could be pacified by coffee. Apparently one of the mansion rules was that when you took the last bit of coffee, you put some more on. Sensible rule, really.

Her lap free, Kitty moved to pull some carrot sticks out of the fridge then hopped back up on the stool. Lockheed was following Jake's moving about with a fair bit of interest. Clearly the man had not yet learned that feeding the dragon was always the first step.

Jake glanced down to avoid stepping on the little dragon, and met a fairly intent stare. Food the stare said. Jake blinked. I know there is food for me and you are not giving it to me, the stare continued. Lockheed had very eloquent eyes. Jake put the cup down, and went to place one of the sandwiches on a plate, which he then held out uncertainly.

Much better. The plate was taken carefully in Lockheed's paws and he glanced at Kitty for permission before lifting himself up carefully off the ground onto the table where he set the plate down and sat back to pick up the sandwich and start into it.

"Come pour him milk?" Jake suggested, as he put his own sandwich on a plate. "I´ll just end up giving him too much."

"Sure," Kitty said, hopping off the stool. "Thank you, by the way, for taking care of him. He's a glutton, but he's my glutton and I'm fond of him, and he gets so pitiful when he can't find someone to scam food off of." The saucer of milk was set down next to Lockheed's plate, and she gave him another couple scritches before going back to her carrots.

"No problem. Once I got over the whole dragon thing, he´s really quite easy to understand. Like Meggan," he added. "Except she talks more."

"He actually probably knows more English than she does, he just can't speak." Kitty waved a carrot at the dragon. "Nathan tells me his thoughts are all in English, and he understands what we say."

"Interesting," Jake said, and added it to his ever growing files of "interesting" things about the mansion. He went to find some ice tea before he went back to commandant LeBeau. "Where did you pick him up?"

"Jamie was given Lockheed's egg by his father, Fafnir's son, for being willing to pun with him during Jamie's stay in Asgard." Kitty had clearly been living at Xavier's for too long, as that explanation almost sounded normal.

Jake blinked slowly at the lemon ice tea. "Of course. Why did I even ask?"

"Because you're a silly boo who has forgotten what life at Mutant High is like?" Kitty hazarded. Lockheed managed not to snort his milk in amusement, but it was a close thing.

"Apparently," Jake grinned. "It´s very good of you all to be reminding me, really. Any time now, someone´s going to tell me they´re taking a vacation on the living island of whatsit, and will be coming back with spotty apple people, and I´m not going to blink."

"Well, Jamie and I were thinking of spending our summer break out there, but we decided prep for college would be easier to do at home," she deadpanned.

"Yeah, I´ve heard living islands can be such a bother when it comes to college preparations," Jake commiserated. He held up his glass and balanced the plate waiter-like on his palm. "And on that note, I leave you two to it."

Kitty grinned. "I'll see you later, Jake."

He exited the kitchen, then remembered something, and backtracked, fetched the coffee cup, grinning at Lockheed and Kitty, exited, paused again and poked his head back in. "Oh, and by the way? Congratulations, again." And then he went back to the boss, whistling happily.

"Wheee!" Kitty said, munching down on her carrot.