xp_logs | Log [Jamie, Miles] - Food & Cooties, and a touch of more serious too...

Thursday afternoon. In which Jamie goes to find Miles for one of the usual "hey, new food" sessions (Spicy Duck Empanadas this time) and talk both serious and not ensues.

Jamie nudged the suite door open with his foot, juggling the hot plate from hand to hand as he made his way into the common room. The Ninja Turtles were on this time of the afternoon, which meant there was a decent chance that--yep. Jamie grinned, seeing a bald green head poking up over the back of the couch. "Hey Miles," he called, "I'm doing some extra credit for Lorna and need a taste tester before I turn it in, you in the mood for a snack?" He stepped around the couch and set the plate on the coffee table with a flourish: golden brown half-rounds of fried dough, liberally drizzled with steaming gravy and cilantro sour cream sauce. "For your delectation today," he said officiously, "we are proud to present spicy duck empanadas, prepared with exquisite care by our featured cook." The grin won out again. "Just mildly spicy, I promise. Doug can make all the war on his taste buds he wants, but some of us can live without a scorched-earth policy, eh?"

The food itself had already caught Miles' attention entirely, keeping him distracted through most of the offer as the little boy caught on to the concepts of 'new food' and 'all yours' for the most part. The mention of both the words Doug and spicy in relatively close proximity brought a look of mild (and not entirely unfeigned) horror however. "Miles thinks Doug likes his food way too spicy -- it is spices with some food in them just to make pretend, even, sometimes!" Maybe it was exaggerating a little, but such things were the province of little boys anyway, in Miles' estimate. "Miles has had duck before but Miles has never had Spicy Duck Empanadas before," he added a sing song lilt to the last word in very much the same way Alison always did.

"I think you're absolutely right about that. Boy's gonna burn off his lower intestine one of these days, and I'm gonna be right there to tell him I told him so." Jamie settled into an alert slouch on the other end of the couch, watching Miles and the plate of empanadas intently. "Hey, dig in, buddy. I need to know if Lorna's gonna come after me for committing high crimes in her kitchen."

Miles placed the plate on the table in front of the TV and availed himself of the fork on the plate with a grin. And then the knife. And after that followed a war cry which would have made any pirate about to attack a hapless merchant ship proud, though the actual cutting up of the food was far more restrained.

The first bite produced a comical eyes popping wide and watering just a touch from Miles, though he enthusiastically finished the first bite and went for a second. Forgetting entirely to comment.

Jamie shifted impatiently, twiddling his fingers as he watched Miles eat. Finally, it was all just too much to bear. "So?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. "How does it taste? C'mon, be honest, I'll take it like a man."

"Miles is busy eating now," was the reply once the current bite had been carefully swallowed, and then followed instantly by another. It was hard to laugh and chew at the same time but Miles managed it without too much trouble thankfully, and the next moment which allowed for speech was followed by "Milesthinksitisverygood!" And another bite.

Jamie stuck his tongue out at Miles. "Dork. I'm glad you like it. Not too spicy? I toned down the pepper a little from the actual recipe, figured I'd see what happened."

"Miles is not a dork! Jamie is the dork! Pbhhhht!" Grinning cheerfully at that declaration, Miles then worked neatly away at polishing off the rest of the meal. "Miles thinks it was just spicy enough, but MIles knows he is more sensitive to spicy things." Alison had had to warn him several times after repeated 'aah too spicy!' incidents with food. But Lorna always made sure to label the foods for him when there were spicy things in the refrigerator now - yet another of those reasons why Lorna was so neat in his eyes.

"Oh sure, I go to all the trouble of finding a new recipe and making it just for you, and I'm the dork. I get it. I know what's going on here." Jamie grinned. "But that's what I meant, is it too spicy for you. Lorna always says that the best cooks know their audience--I'd make it different for somebody who liked spices more."

The last bite was being taken care of and Miles looked down at his plate, then up at Jamie, still chewing carefully. And then raised both eyebrows at him in a classic 'Well, d'uh!" gesture while pointing at the plate with his fork. He knew enough now that he was allowed to have preferences and didn't have to eat what he didn't like, after all!

Jamie snickered. "Well, cool. I think you might've missed a crumb or two there, though." He stretched out on the couch and pulled two packages of Junior Mints out of his pocket, tossing one to Miles. "So apart from eating like a horse that got loose in the grain bin, what's new with you, big guy?"

The Junior Mints were claimed but not opened yet, being kept for just a bit later in the now rare unconscious habit which had started to slowly fade since his arrival at the mansion. To simply always spread out whatever meals or snacks he had, so as to not end up too hungry at any given time. Swinging his legs from over the edge of the couch after placing the now clean plate on the table, Miles considered the question carefully. "Miles is learning how to play Chess. And Go too! And also has to ask Hank to show him how to make Origami animals. And Mama says Miles is going to be ready to take normal classes after the summer too!" A hint of pride showed through at that. The news had been entirely unexpected and the look on Alison's face as she told him had been so very proud and shining.

Jamie's eyebrows shot up, and his grin threatened to split his face in half. "Dude! That's awesome! Now you too can join the grand fraternity of homework complainers. You gonna do anything to celebrate? And chess and Go and origami too, man, you're gonna need my powers one of these days." He cocked his head. "So who's teaching the board games?"

"Mama was saying we might go out for a special evening! Movie and restaurant!" Miles beamed at the thought, bouncing a bit on the couch, then sobered up. "Haroun is teaching Miles the chess and go games." There was a pause, and Miles grinned sheepishly. "Miles did not telling him that Miles is calling the pieces the same as in Warcraft."

"Zug zug," Jamie replied solemnly. "Haroun, huh? How's that going?"

The grin that the words had generated faded at the mention of Haroun's name, and Miles frowned a bit, looking down. There were all the obvious signs of someone Thinking there, and not just a bit at that. "Haroun makes Mama happy." That alone, it seemed, was enough to break the Thinking long enough for Miles to smile a bit. "And Haroun is trying very hard, too. To spend time with Miles." At first it had felt it was because he had to, but nowadays... "When Haroun forgets he is supposed to be trying, Haroun is fun."

Jamie nodded. "Some people are like that. At least he is trying, though, huh? And I'm sure once he relaxes a little more it'll be easier." Jamie tried to imagine how long that might take, and suppressed a nose-wrinkle. "Maybe he's just not used to kids?"

If Miles had had much of a nose, he would have been wrinkling it. As it was, he did the odd little frown with no eyebrows thing he was getting good at these days, and shook his head. "Miles thinks he is afraid of kids." Sighing, he shook his head. "Maybe afraid is not the right word. Miles is not sure what it is. Maybe... uncomfortable. But more than just that."

"Well, he doesn't exactly seem like a settling-down kinda guy," Jamie said thoughtfully, "and now here he is involved with a single mom. S' probably kinda weird for him." He shrugged. "Don't really get it myself. I mean, you're cool, Alison's awesome, what's not to like? But then, maybe I'm weird." A slightly dreamy smile spread unconsciously across his face. "I'd marry Kitty tomorrow if there wasn't the whole, y'know, being too young thing."

Miles watched Jamie's expression for a moment, before slowly making a face, not unlike one might after swallowing a lemon whole. And not being fond of lemons. "Bleach! Cooties!"

Jamie came back down to earth with an almost-audible mental "thump," and grinned wickedly at Miles. "Cooties, is it?" He wiggled his fingers. "Did you know cooties are especially contagious by tickle?" Then he pounced.

"GYAH!" It was a talent all little boys had, to be able to wriggle away from tickle attacks. Except in certain situations - when utterly taken by surprise or when caught by their mothers in such an underhanded way. The former applying fully in this case, Miles was soon reduced to a pile of wriggling giggles, one hand occasionally flailing out in a attempt at something like self-defense.

Jamie whooped as he shifted targets, fingers skittering from ribs to armpits to the bottom of Miles' feet. When they were both breathless with laughter, he sat back, folding his arms with a satisfied expression on his face. "There. Now you're covered in cooties. What do you have to say to that?"

"Miles thinks this means..." Making sure he was free and had room to get away, he hopped to his feet. "War!" And that meant racing away to find one of the nerf guns and possibly some allies, at that.

"We had to go and introduce the kid to Bugs Bunny cartoons," Jamie grumbled cheerfully, and darted out of the room to raid his own arsenal.