//Careful, you'll end up with your own cooking show or something,// Jono teased, nodding again at the student before they wandered off to their next class. //I really wouldn't be surprised.//

//I'd probably watch it, anyway. Maybe I'd learn a thing or two about cooking something that isn't fish and chips or chicken tikka masala.//

Hannibal would pry Jono's greasy chip techniques from his cold, dead hands.

//You can,// Jono agreed, turning an amused look toward Hannibal, //but where's the novelty in that?//

There was no television involved! None!

//Which might even come in handy one of these days?// Jono tilted his head slightly. //I'll consider it, perhaps. After all, the only person I really have to feed, unless you count whenever it's my turn to cook for the cafeteria here, is you.//

//Do you mean to say they don't already adore me? I am pretty adorable, you know.//

Also modest.

Jono was clearly amused as he stepped into the room behind Hannibal and crouched down to unlatch Joni's carrier. Like a little tuxedo rocket, she was out of there without hesitation.

//They care,// Jono replied. //Or, at least, they understand that without us, they wouldn't eat. Which is why they get so irritated with us when we leave for more than one or two days at a time.//

Also because cats were contrary like that.

//Well...// Jono looked thoughtfully at Beethoven's carrier, and then shook his head and moved to set Hendrix on top of the dresser, hopefully out of reach of the cats. //Joni cares, anyway. She's needy.//

This could be observed in the way that she was winding around Jono's ankles, in fact.

//And that's because you took one look at the canned food and held a mutiny on behalf of the cats,// Jono teased. //I'm sure she appreciates it. She adores you when we're in the kitchen, anyway.//

Well, you weren't meant to like the Friskies, Hannibal. Still, Joni did purr and bonk her little head against the hand that was giving her attention, anyway.

//Well, Joni and I do go way back,// Jono mused. //And when we aren't looking, I'm sure Beethoven tolerates her more than he'd care to let on.//

//They'd probably both fit in the carrier,// Jono mused, tilting his head sideways to look at Beethoven thoughtfully. //Beethoven doesn't drink or smoke enough, though.//

Wonder why.

//That's what the backyard is for,// Jono replied, shrugging. //Though I suppose we shouldn't be encouraging filthy habits, anyway.//

//Well, if I stay here long enough, I might just bump into my usual day anyway,// Jono mused. //But for all I know, they might draft you into something. You probably have more formal education behind you than most of the faculty combined, after all.//

... Excluding anybody else with a doctorate, anyway.

//Honestly, that might be the most important lesson they ever take in their lives,// Jono noted, shrugging his shoulders and then taking a seat on the edge of the bed. //Even after they leave here. The fun part'll be trying to figure out how to account for inhuman mutant physiology from there.//