//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.//

//Unless they've fainted,// Jono pointed out. //Or their mutation compromises their vocal cords. Perhaps they've blown out their bottom jaw and for whatever reason they don't remember they have telepathy?//

He shrugged. //Not to mention the wealth of students we have from here who aren't exactly masters of the English language yet. I'm hardly Xavier's only import from somewhere not America. 'Can't communicate' is sometimes the status quo around here even when there isn't an attack. Trying to cover as many bases as possible around here is more often than not the pragmatic thing to do.//

//They make do as well as they can,// Jono agreed, //but people tend to learn pleasantries before they learn things like 'please don't amputate that tail, that's actually where my lungs are.' Even when they're mutants.//

He shrugged, and then leaned a little closer to Hannibal.

//Not that we have any students at the moment who have their lungs in their tails. I hope.//

Jono just waved a hand at that.

//Bad example,// he admitted. And one that a few mutants on campus might even take exception to, come to think of it. //Though I suppose it might be best to leave any education about mutant-specific physiology to Hank, come to that.//