The X-Project

Dated recently ;) As usual, Dani is making lunch for the hordes of people at Xavier's and Kitty & Lockheed stop by. Everything is very normal and Dani thinks Lockheed is cute.



As usual, Dani was in the kitchen making lunch around lunch time. Generally only the kids not in high school came to eat, but occassionally she'd get an extra person or two. They made good recruits for carrying things. And sometimes for more than that.

Kitty had planned on just snagging a sandwich and spending her free period in the lab, but Lockheed had had other plans. Ones that involved cooking, and food, and lots of both. "Shush, Lockheed," she said to the
complaining little dragon settled on her shoulder. "Yes, yes. We're going." She pushed open the door to
the kitchen. "You're just getting whatever leftovers there are," she added. "I'm not cooking anythign new
for you now. I've got work. Oh. Hi, Dani."

"Hey Kitty, Lockheed, lunch?" Dani asked, preparing vast quantities of grilled cheese sandwiches. She
wasn't in a mood to do heavy cooking, although she did have several trays of cookies in the ovens and a vat
of soup simmering. Her definition of heavy cooking was a little different than most peoples. "You have to
save some for the little kids, though."

"Oh, it smells great," Kitty said. "I like your plan far better than mine. Can I have a pair of sandwiches?" She deposited Lockheed on the back of one of the chairs, giving him a look to keep him from flying off to investigate the soup. "There still some leftover hamburger in the fridge?" she asked. "I think Lockheed and soup is a sure recipie for massive clean up efforts."

"Take whatever you want," she replied, making sure everything was ready before the Stampede of Hungry Youth invaded the kitchen. "but if he messes, you're cleaning. But Lockheed won't mess, will you?" she gave the dragon a pre-emptive Look. This kitchen was always clean and she wasn't about to make Lorna angry.

#Lockheed never messes,# he thought very firmly, unsure if this was another one of the talking-without-talking people. #It's just that it is very hard with such little hands#

Even if Dani had been able to hear him, though, Kitty rather spoiled the effect of his denial. "Oh, don't
worry about that," she said from inside the fridge. "I always clean up after him. Oh, perfect." She pulled
out the hamburger she had remembered and quickly arranged it on a plate for Lockheed, setting it on the
table while Lockheed fluttered over. "And no complaining afterwards," she told him. "This is pleanty." That done, the girl went about gathering her own lunch.

Dani watched as Lockheed devoured the cold hamburger with gusto. He had an odd feeling to him, she thought,
although it wasn't bad. It was just too....clear? maybe. "Fine," she handed him a grilled cheese, pretending to be annoyed, "Sorry Kitty. You're the only ome immune to him."

Kitty grinned, watching the little guy. "Nah, even I'm not imune to him. But exposure has given me tolerance, or something." She sat down on one of the chairs near Lockheed with her lunch. "So what've you been up to Dani? How goes your first term here so far?"

"Pretty good," Dani sat down too with a sandwich and bowl of soup, "Classes are much harder, but you have a lot more time, it seems. Ain't gotta work all night or whatever. Teachers actually care and are availible. It's different."

"Xavier's is different from anywhere, I think," Kitty agreed. "Certainly it was a good change from my old
school. What classes are you taking?"

"Um..." Dani paused, mid-bite. "Advanced cooking, economics, brit-lit, business math and autorepair, but that's independent study. And I'm auditing dance and tai-chi." That was a lot, she realized, although she had time to get all her work done, usually. And she was even doing the work, which was also different, "Ain't taking the smart classes, like you."

"Saw you in dance," Kitty said. "You're doing really well for a beginner. And none of that 'smart classes'
stuff. Quite frankly, the idea of taking lit courses still tends to give me the willies. It's just a
question of different skills."

"I ain't understanding what you or Forge say half the time, especially to each other. My old school didn't offer much, you know?" she felt stupid sometimes, around everyone. She couldn't even turn the TV on for DDR a few weeks ago! Granted, she could now, but turning on the TV was not much of an accomplishment. "We're both graduating in May, but you actually seem like you know something. I don't know if I can go to community college."

"I'm not a good comparison, Dani," Kitty said. "Seriously. I was taking senior classes in High School when I was thirteen. I was a freak before my mutation showed with basically no friends at school, and then I came to Xavier's and nobody seemed to care anymore."

Dani considered that. Xavier's was a special place, more accepting than was probably good sometimes, "But you dance. And you're dating Jamie. You're..I dunno. You ain't crazy or anything, either. Lockheed! Mine!" Dani swatted Lockheed away from an untouched sandwich on her plate.

Kitty gave Lockheed a look. "You know better than that," she said, shaking her head, then gave him the other half of her second sandwich. "Dance was the only place I had any friends back in Chicago, and that's always difficult because there's a lot of competition over who will be the best and get the lead in shows and so on."

Dani nodded in agreement, "Like the powwows. Who gets to lead the dance or play the spirits and so on. My grandmother loved watching me dance in them when I was little. And I can line-dance too, but no one 'cept Jay does that here. Of course, he'd deny it."

"Yep. It was particularly hellish when the Joffrey was auditioning for their summer works. One year a girl
tried to sabatoge another girl's audition... that was messy." She shook her head. "Am definitely glad I never really considered dancing professionally. I bet you Paige and Sam can, too, of course. I know how, in
theory, but it's been a while... we did it in gym class at my old school, but that was a long time ago."

"So what about you, Lockheed what kind of music you like?" Dani asked, involving the dragon. He was eyeing
her sandwich speculatively, so she took another bite from it.

Lockheed looked up, startled. He cocked his head and considered the question, then pointed at Kitty and went, "Cooo." Anything that made Kitty happy tended to be ok with him. Except for The Boy's music. He
did not like The Boy's music. Particularly not when he got together with omputerTalkingBoyRoomateDoug and the others.

"Good taste," Dani complimented him, although she wasn't entirely certain what Kitty listened to. "If you ever want to try something new - and not loud - come by my room. I found internet radio with the good stuff."

"What's 'the good stuff'?" Kitty asked, saving Lockheed from having to figure out how to ask that. Kitty had finished her sandwich, so she stood upt to clean off the plate, and took Lockheed's away from him as well.

"Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniel's Band," Danielle rattled off a few names, "The greats."

"Ah, ok. Yeah, he might like that. It's not -too- far off what I listen to. That is... a lot of folk and
some jazz and classic rock. Am not so much a fan of the modern yelling stuff."

"The stuff Forge listens to? It's all," Dani wrinkled her nose, "mean. And angry. Very angry. But I heard that someone proved that listening to country music could increase your chances of suicide. So who knows?"

"Yeah, there are a lot of fans of the angry, loud stuff around. Personally, I don't get it." Kitty shrugged. "But at any rate, I probably ought to get on with my work, and the little bits'll be down any second. Thank you for the sandwiches."

"Have fun," Dani smiled, rubbing Lockheed's head, "Don't tell Kitty, but I'll fix you food anytime, Lockheed," she turned back to Kitty, clearing the table, "I think I hear the stampede now."