Hungry Hungry... Victors, Mon, 2 am, ISO: Sarah

[Anole]

Being a teenage boy, Victor had an appetite with a size and timer much like a pregnant woman. He felt like a pig next to Jono, who never ate at all but... them's the breaks. He wasn't fat (he didn't think, but did his butt look big in those shorts?) but now that parental controls were gone it was much harder to eat healthy. And with Megan the Baking Fairy keeping the kitchen supplied with cookies, cupcakes, and other sweet unmentionables, Vic thought it wouldn't be long before he had thunder thighs and a muffin top.

Stealing into the kitchen, dark except for the lights under the stove hood and one by the sink, he padded barefoot over to the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk. Protein! And then, grinning, he added three thick, chocolate-studded cookies. Um... flour! Baking soda! Aw heck.

Laying the cookies on a paper towel, Victor happily began his late night snack, or, as he liked to think of it, pre-breakfast.

[Marrow]

At two a.m., when you had just been woken with a start from a dream that you couldn’t remember, but you absolutely knew was worse than bad, there was only one thing to do as far as Sarah was concerned.

Drown it in sugar.

Quietly slipping out of bed in order to not wake Paige, she padded downstairs in a pair of men’s boxers rolled down to her hips and an A-shirt – her Standard Sleeping Attire ™ - and followed the faint lights towards the kitchen. Bony plates skirted the tops of her shoulders, elbows and knees so she could conserve some of her energy while she slept. And since she didn’t expect to see anyone, there was no need to retract them. Not for a simple late night food fest, anyway. And the way Meg had been baking there was sure to be something sweet she could gnaw on. Maybe there might even bee some cold chicken left from dinner. Or ice cream. Ohhhh, cherry pie ala mode would definitely be heaven right about now.

But once she got to the kitchen, she found it already occupied by one of the other new residents. “Hey,” Sarah said without blinking as she walked into the room and headed to the fridge. The boy was green, and covered in scales, but if anyone could meet him for the first time and not gawk, it was Marrow. Besides, she already knew he was there, and what he looked like, and at her worst, she’d been far freakier. She knew what it felt like to have people look at you cross-eyed just because the X-gene had given you a healthy dose of Star Trek Guest Alien # 6. Fuckers.

“You must be Victor, right?” she said warmly as she head to the fridge. “I’m Sarah, welcome to the mansion. I see you’re hungry too. Mind if I join you?”

[Anole]

Vic's answer to that same problem was either turn over his pillow, pop in his headphones and try again, or get up and watch some cheesy TV with a bag of potato chips and some onion dip. But now with Megan around, his actions might've mirrored Sarah's more.

As the new person entered the dim light of the kitchen, Victor first thought it was a guy. Then a side silhouette showed it wasn't, but... maybe a girl in football pads? His teeth froze mid-bite, trying to puzzle it out.

Then she said what passed for hello for him nowdays.

“You must be Victor, right?”

Vic finished his bite, chewed hurriedly (or as hurriedly as he could at 2 am), swallowed and said, "Yeah. Nice to meet you. Um. What's your name?"

He wasn't staring so much as trying to figure out what was going on around her shoulders and joints and if he should offer to get her some tylenol or something. Concern and nothing more.

“I’m Sarah, welcome to the mansion. I see you’re hungry too. Mind if I join you?”

"Oh. No. Not at all. It's more your kitchen than mine." Somewhere inside his head that made way more sense, but he was still sort of a third asleep, so it was just the right thing. "Um. Are you okay?"

He blinked as the harsh light from the fridge made a long rectangle on the floor. "There's some leftover ham and Megan has a few pies in there," he offered, as one who knew. Every night before he went to bed he checked, and in the morning too, and once after lunch. Know your leftovers. "Aaaaaand... I think maybe there's some cake too. Angelfood and chocolate coconut."

Vic was going to have himself some of the latter after he'd digested the cookies.

[Marrow]

“I’m Sarah, welcome to the mansion. I see you’re hungry too. Mind if I join you?”

"Oh. No. Not at all. It's more your kitchen than mine." Somewhere inside his head that made way more sense, but he was still sort of a third asleep, so it was just the right thing.

“Nah,” Sarah countered, opening the fridge door, “you live here now, it’s your kitchen too.”

"Um. Are you okay?"

“Huh?” Sarah turned from perusing the fridge contents to glance at Victor, looking slightly puzzled. Then, she bought enough of a clue to realize he meant her bones. “Oh, this?” She glanced at her shoulder. “Don’t be worried about that, it’s just my mutation. Accelerated bone growth mainly, some heightened strength. Two hearts, yadda yadda. I don’t usually walk around like this, but when I sleep it helps if I let some out. Saves some energy. So, is there any chicken left?”

He blinked as the harsh light from the fridge made a long rectangle on the floor. "There's some leftover ham and Megan has a few pies in there," he offered, as one who knew.

“Ooooo, pie,” Sarah said appreciatively, looking in as Victor rattled off the contents.

"Aaaaaand... I think maybe there's some cake too. Angelfood and chocolate coconut."

”Oh dear god, I think I’m in heaven,” Sarah mused, as she pulled out several different plates and set them on the island counter and went to get a plate. “Seriously, I can pack away enough sugar for a three or four people,” she explained companionably, “part and parcel of my powers. I need to eat a lot.”

Coming back to the Island, Sarah pulled out a stool and sat down, helping herself to a piece of the afore lusted after cherry pie. “So, are you settling in then? I heard you got shoved in with Jono. My condolences. Hope things aren’t too bad for you with Emo Boy.”

[Anole]

Right then Victor wasn't the fastest lizardboy on the block, but he was starting to wake up a little more now that he had to actually think of his answers in actual words.

“Nah. You live here now, it’s your kitchen too.”

Vic blinked. "Oh. You're right."

Sarah paused and then explained. She didn't get uptight about it, or mad, and that was good. Vic's Power of Flee was weak in the mornings.

“Don’t be worried about that, it’s just my mutation. Accelerated bone growth mainly, some heightened strength. Two hearts, yadda yadda. I don’t usually walk around like this, but when I sleep it helps if I let some out. Saves some energy. So, is there any chicken left?”

"Two hearts?" His Power of Editing was weak too. "Wow, like a Klingon!" In the dim light he blushed. "I didn't see chicken, sorry. Just the ham and some roast beef in the deli drawer."

Feeling like he should offer something in return, he said, "I have scales and a long tongue and I jump really high and I stick to walls."

Two cookies down, one to go. Victor took a long swig of milk.

“Ooooo, pie.”

"Megan's pie," he corrected, feeling it was a worth distinction. All other pies could go home. "Cherry and apple. Her apple's SO good with cheese. And caramel sauce. And vanilla ice cream with chopped walnuts."

Victor was staring dreamily off into space, and if he'd been a cartoon Victor his eyes would have been replaced with little hearts. Sarah lost no time in raiding the fridge and neatly arranging the many platters and half finishe pie plates all around the counter. It was like food art.

“Seriously, I can pack away enough sugar for a three or four people. Part and parcel of my powers. I need to eat a lot.”

"Not a problem here," he grinned. "I'm a teenage boy. Part and parcel of being one. I eat a lot too."

She had good taste. Cherry pie. "There's ice cream in the freezer," he said helpfully." Mmm. Cherry pie with a scoop of vanilla, stuck in the microwave for 20 seconds.

“So, are you settling in then? I heard you got shoved in with Jono. My condolences. Hope things aren’t too bad for you with Emo Boy.”

He chuckled. "Jono isn't so bad. It could've been a lot worse, you know? He's so much older and I'm just this stupid little kid." Vic shrugged and took a helping of the chocolate coconut cake. A generous helping. "The only thing that bothers me is that he's always there."

[Marrow]

There's ice cream in the freezer," he said helpfully."

“Oooh, good idea. I like the way you think, Victor,” Sarah said, smiling as she eased of the stool to raid the freezer, coming back with a pint of vanilla and dropping a generous scoop on her slice of pie.

“So, are you settling in then? I heard you got shoved in with Jono. My condolences. Hope things aren’t too bad for you with Emo Boy.”

He chuckled. "Jono isn't so bad. It could've been a lot worse, you know? He's so much older and I'm just this stupid little kid." Vic shrugged and took a helping of the chocolate coconut cake. A generous helping. "The only thing that bothers me is that he's always there."

“Ah well, that his MO all right,’ Sarah told him around a mouthful of pie. “Holeing up and snarking at anyone that tries to get him out of his cave. Course, if I woke up one day and my mutation blew half my face off I’d be pretty dark and mysterious too.” She paused just long enough to take another bite. “Seriously, those of us with obvious mutations have it harder than the others. I mean, my hair color’s one thing. People might stare but they don’t freak out over that, you know? But I didn’t always have the control over my bones that I do now. It was seriously bad juju.”

Reaching out for the ice cream again, Sarah added another scoop to her pie, in order to keep the pie/ice cream ratio at a good, even level. “Your powers sound pretty cool to me,” she said, taking another bite. “What’s a Klingon anyway?”

[Anole]

“Oooh, good idea. I like the way you think, Victor.”

Vic smiled modestly, he was just doing his job. Some desserts demanded accompaniment. After Sarah was done with the ice cream, Vic spooned some between two of the cookies to eat with his cake. That way he didn't have to put his fork down.

“Ah well, that his MO all right. Holing up and snarking at anyone that tries to get him out of his cave. Course, if I woke up one day and my mutation blew half my face off I’d be pretty dark and mysterious too.”

Victor had heard this or that regarding what had happened to Jono and hadn't said a word to his roomie. But to have it said just so plainly was both shocking and... and... just sad. But there didn't seem to be any lingering medical problems that Vic knew about, no pills around the bedside table or special this or that. But it had to be pretty traumatic. More traumatic even than getting your house trashed while thugs beat you damn near to death and same to your folks.

“Seriously, those of us with obvious mutations have it harder than the others. I mean, my hair color’s one thing. People might stare but they don’t freak out over that, you know? But I didn’t always have the control over my bones that I do now. It was seriously bad juju.”

"I'm sorry," he said, and he meant it. Vic knew how bad it could get. "It's... different. People think it's just cool with us and we're freaking out too and it's not fair."

The last three words he hadn't meant to say because they were foolish and childish and other -ish words but he couldn't help it. It wasn't.

“Your powers sound pretty cool to me.”

A faint grin. "Bobby said that too, but..." he's weird wasn't quite right. Bobby Drake was just one of those people who thought lizard boys and ice men were too cool for the room. He probably still thought fart jokes were funny too and knew how to have a tailgate party.

"I wish I could find a hat," he added, a wish he didn't think would ever be realized. "It gets hot."

“What’s a Klingon anyway?” Victor had been going, one bite of cake, one bite of ice cream cookie and this made him pause. He knew the WX kids were kept in a big bunker and tested and trained and all, but he thought they would have even a little TV. That and he sort of thought all those warrior types instinctively knew what a Klingon was without needing Star Trek, the same way they instantly identified with kilted men in blue body paint waving swords.

"They're... um. There's a TV show called Star Trek? And it's a ship that goes into outer space and they meet this real bunch of tough guys called Klingons who would eat your face just as soon as look at you. They're kind of like really burly ninjas, with codes of honor and stuff, and I read somewhere that if you wanted to play one on TV you had to be at least six feet tall, even if you're a girl."

And Klingons had him thinking, so he asked the ultimate question: "Pirates or ninjas?"

[Marrow]

“What’s a Klingon anyway?”

"They're... um. There's a TV show called Star Trek? And it's a ship that goes into outer space and they meet this real bunch of tough guys called Klingons who would eat your face just as soon as look at you. They're kind of like really burly ninjas, with codes of honor and stuff, and I read somewhere that if you wanted to play one on TV you had to be at least six feet tall, even if you're a girl."

“Ahhhhh,” Sarah said, with clear seriousness. “I grew up on the streets, so I never got much of a chance to watch TV. And after that, well, let’s just say the place I was and the people I was with kind of frowned on anything other than kicking ass and taking names. I guess I’ll have to look into this show though. They sound like my kind of people.”

And Klingons had him thinking, so he asked the ultimate question: "Pirates or ninjas?"

“Hmmmm…” Setting down her fork, Sarah leaned back in her chair and gave Victor’s question some serious thought. On the one hand, pirates were seriously cool, as her time with Kurt in the Danger Room had proven. Swords and sailing ships and running people through were definitely fun activities, no question about it. On the other hand, ninjas were kind of like what she had been trained to be by Weapon X, and were so good at what they did that they could kill you before you even knew they were there, and afterwards slip out like a shadow in the night.

“Well,” Sarah began thoughtfully, picking up her fork once more. “At the moment, I think I’d have to go with Pirates. Though in my defense, I have to say that Kurt has been seriously corrupting me to the dark side on this question with his totally awesome pirate sims in the Danger Room. Plus there’s the whole Johnny Depp factor. How about you? What’s your answer?”

[Anole]

Vic laughed quietly. "The Klingons were all about kicking ass and taking names! That's like, their whole reason for being! I think it's part of their religion..."

When she paused at his question, Victor put down his ice cream cookie and fork to properly hear her answer. If Kurt had been working her over like he did everyone her answer would be pirates, but if she was too much into the Crouching Tiger mode it would be ninjas.

“At the moment, I think I’d have to go with Pirates. Though in my defense, I have to say that Kurt has been seriously corrupting me to the dark side on this question with his totally awesome pirate sims in the Danger Room. Plus there’s the whole Johnny Depp factor. How about you? What’s your answer?”

If Vic had been a little younger he would've laughed and clapped his hands. Awesome! "Pirates," he said firmly. "I'm all for living on a huge boat on the ocean, wearing weird clothes, swordfighting, and constantly looking for loot! On the minus side though, you have bad food, unwashed bodies, and scurvy, but hey, no one cares if a pirate has a gold tooth or eight."

Yes, Johnny Depp was a good factor too, but he wasn't going to let her in on that little secret yet. "But if Cowboys was an answer I'd probably go with that one first," he admitted. "Or Spaceman."

"How's the pie?"

[Marrow]

"But if Cowboys was an answer I'd probably go with that one first," he admitted. "Or Spaceman."

“Also good choices,” Sarah replied, punctuating her words by pointing her fork in Victor’s direction.

"How's the pie?"

Sarah made a happy face. “Fucking orgasmic, as usual. Meg sure knows how to bake, I’m telling you. Thank god for my metabolism or I’d be three times my size by now. But, I’m going to need something to drink before cake. You want more milk?”

Getting up, Sarah claimed a glass before grabbing the milk from the fridge and settling back into her chair. She poured herself some of the cold liquid before offering more to Victor. “So, any particular reason you wound up here?” she asked, taking a huge sip. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m not trying to pry or anything.”

Just that moment, a meow caught Sarah’s attention and she turned to find Grendel swanning into the kitchen as if he owned the place. “Hey buddy, did you smell the moo juice or what?” she said, tapping the chair next to her. “Come on up and get some before we drink it all.” The tabby obligingly leapt up onto the chair and began lapping at the milk in the glass Sarah offered him.

“This is Grendel,” she explained as the cat enjoyed his milk. “Bobby gave him to me shortly after I arrived. I’m surprised he woke up enough to follow me downstairs.”

[Anole]

A little thrill of shock snaked down his spine when she said 'fuck', but he grinned. He knew what she meant. It was fucking orgasmic. Megan seriously had a third mutant power. Baking.

"Same," he agreed, "And yes, please." More milk would rock. The cake was soft, moist, and complemented perfectly with the chocolate frosting and dustings of toasted coconut, but that didn't mean it didn't stick a little to the roof of his mouth. Sarah filled his glass and he drank gratefully.

“So, any particular reason you wound up here? I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m not trying to pry or anything."

He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Hungry. And... dreams." He didn't elaborate, but he didn't want to. Skirting the edges of his waking moments he'd seen flashes of his mom begging, his dad shouting, his own blood all over his hands. Victor shrugged again like it was no big deal. It wasn't, not till they were full-fledged dreams he woke from in a cold sweat. And since his pores had gone a little weird since the lizard boy transformation, sweating was in itself an event. But feeling he needed a little more, he added, "I'm here for the safety."

Just then he could've swore he heard a cat. Looking down, it was. Dang. Who said they could have pets? That goldfish was looking more and more possible. The little cat sashayed into the kitchen and slinked up to Sarah like a king awaiting his servant's actions. How cats did that was a mystery to Vic.

“This is Grendel. Bobby gave him to me shortly after I arrived. I’m surprised he woke up enough to follow me downstairs.”

Victor chuckled. "All Bobby gave me was an ice handshake. Aren't you... worried? That's your glass and all."

Something in him calmed, seeing the cat. Something so... ordinary. Here. Where roommates didn't always have mouths or need sleep and short men with pointy hair scared him out of his mind just with a look. "He's a cute one. He just walks around then? Does he have a box?"

[Marrow]

Victor chuckled. "All Bobby gave me was an ice handshake. Aren't you... worried? That's your glass and all."

“Nah … I heal. Kinda like Logan, only not as fast,” Sarah explained as Grendel finished his drink and began to wash his whiskers. “Besides, when you can pull your own bones out of your skin, you sort of don’t sweat something like a little cat spit.”

"He's a cute one. He just walks around then? Does he have a box?"

Sarah nodded as she set the glass back on the counter and helped herself to a piece of cake. “Bobby has a cat too. One of Grendel’s litter mates. They’re pretty good buddies, they play and what not. The mansion’s big enough that I don’t really let him outside, and he generally hangs out in my room or in the big windows on the south side of the house.” She paused and shrugged. “You know, the usual cat stuff.”

Sarah took a bite of cake, closing her eyes at the rich, incredible taste savoring it before speaking again. “It was really nice of Bobby to give him to me. It really helped when I got here, after they rescued me, to just have something so normal, if you get what I mean.”

[Anole]

“Nah… I heal. Kinda like Logan, only not as fast.”

He looked up, surprised. Upon further inspection, her hair was kinda pointy, on that one side. But she wasn't smoking or looking at him like he'd make a damn good pair of boots or smelling vaguely of male musk, which was sweat, sawdust, motor oil, rare steak, and Doritos. No, right now Sarah sort of smelled like cherry pie and fabric softener.

“Besides, when you can pull your own bones out of your skin, you sort of don’t sweat something like a little cat spit.”

"Uuulgh!" Victor stuck his tongue out (short, not long) and instantly blushed. "I mean... god. Sounds brutal. Like... wow. How do you stand it?"

And why did she do it? And for the love of god, don't let her demonstrate while he was eating such great cookies. She explained about the cat, and he nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. But instead of getting a welcoming cat, he got a welcoming Brit.

"Yeah. Like you need something to remind you you're not on some other planet. Things can get so surreal so fast." Metal men and girls who didn't need doors and people who read minds and lizard boys. "Bobby didn't seem like a cat guy to me. More a dog one."

Vic could easily see Bobby Drake pounding across the back lawn with a dog, maybe a big one that he could wrestle and ride and share ice cream with like Sarah was with the milk. "Wonder if I could get a goldfish."

Cake still left, he layered another ice cream cookie. "I'm going to weigh a billion pounds in a week and I don't care at all."

[Marrow]

"Uuulgh!" Victor stuck his tongue out (short, not long) and instantly blushed. "I mean... god. Sounds brutal. Like... wow. How do you stand it?"

Sarah simply shrugged and ate another piece of pie. “How do you stand what you are?” she asked rhetorically. “I mean, it’s just what we are right? It’s not like we have a choice in the matter. Besides, it’s not like it used to be. I have control now.”

"Yeah. Like you need something to remind you you're not on some other planet. Things can get so surreal so fast." Metal men and girls who didn't need doors and people who read minds and lizard boys. "Bobby didn't seem like a cat guy to me. More a dog one."

“I think he’s just more like an animal person in general,” Sarah replied around a spoonful of ice cream. “You know, kind of like the All American Boy Next Door. Who can turn into ice,” she added drolly.

Vic could easily see Bobby Drake pounding across the back lawn with a dog, maybe a big one that he could wrestle and ride and share ice cream with like Sarah was with the milk. "Wonder if I could get a goldfish."

“Never hurts to ask,” she replied.

Cake still left, he layered another ice cream cookie. "I'm going to weigh a billion pounds in a week and I don't care at all."

Sarah chuckled softly. “I don’t think I could gain weight if I tried. And I do.” She worked hard in the gym to put on even a pound of muscle, with success, but no matter how hard she tried she could never add any curves to her figure. “It’s as if my body has a set point and I can’t get past it. Everything I eat goes into maintaining my mutation. I even have special vitamins I have to take. Calcium and minerals and shit. And don’t get me started on how much milk I drink.”