Breath of Fresh Air

The little orange dragon chirruped and lay his head against Lily's neck, rumbling to try and help her further calm down.

"Actually, since you've asked - I do have several vegetables ready to chop up," Mr. Harn announced, sliding some over towards Lily and the cutting board with a smile. "Thank you kindly. I appreciate your help."

"Father, what about me?"

Mr. Harn chuckled. "You've only eaten chicken so far. I'll appreciate your help when you do something."

"Heh, fair enough," Noah replied, and he hopped off the stool to start making the sauce. "We doing pesto for this salad?"

"Right on, kiddo. Thank you."

Noah beamed and set to work mixing up a creamy pesto sauce to add to the salad later.

------​

"Eeeyup," Mr. Jenkins said with a knowing smile, carefully taking the other end of the foot with both hands. "That's how it starts, ya know. You young kids don't take any damn care of yer bodies, and ya end up with a body like mine," he teased good-naturedly. "So! We bringin' this foot to my house, or yours?"

Either way, once they were in whistling distance, he planned to call Chaital over to help carry the foot. He certainly couldn't lift it by himself, but it seemed cruel to make Jasper keep carrying it when he was injured.
 
"Of course," Lily said automatically, accepting the things given to her and getting set up with a cutting board and knife when provided. She smiled at the way Noah and his father played, and made sure to give Pumpkin extra love and very quiet thanks before washing her hands again and getting started on the chopping. It was just a salad, so she was sure bite size pieces were good enough.

"Do you do a lot of cooking together?" She asked when they had been working quietly next to each other for a minute or two, feeling much calmer and more steady thanks to time and Pumpkin's help. "I bet dinner's are a lot of fun in your house." When it was her and Jasper, they enjoyed each other's company, but with both of their work they didn't often eat together at the same table.

***************​

Jasper smiled a little at the way Mr. Jenkins 'scolded' him, shaking his head and doing his best to take most of the weight despite the fact that he knew his muscles would burn by the time they got back. "To yours is fine. I'll have Fern help me take it home later on." With Lily gone, he'd had the dragon help him on the initial trip, but Infernus had wandered off somewhere afterwards, not wanting to stay around Koatl when she was agitated. Jasper hadn't minded.

"I'll be okay, if it's too heavy," he said again as they walked, keeping to whatever pace Mr. Jenkins set. "I'm kinda used to haulin' metal around." He forged pieces by himself, after all, so he had to be able to lift things. He didn't want Mr. Jenkins exerting himself too much if his arms got tired.
 
Noah nodded and gave the pesto sauce another stir. "We sure do. With how busy we both get, dinner's almost the only time we see each other," he admitted. "We kinda have a rhythm going. We mess around and shit while we make dinner, talk about how our days went when we start eating, and go back to messing around afterwards."

"That's right. Gives us both sort of an anchor," Mr. Harn agreed. He scraped the chicken into a large salad bowl with the greens and sighed. "Noah, I don't suppose you and your dragon - what was her name? Chaital? - will be visiting for supper often?" he asked hopefully.

Noah smiled. His plan to find his father a new roommate would probably be a welcome surprise. "We're sure gonna try! Right, Lily?" he asked with a wink.

----

Mr. Jenkins scoffed. "Sure, but yer used to carryin' metal with two arms that ain't injured. I'm helpin' ya till we get closer to Nah house." Despite the metal foot's weight, Mr. Jenkins managed to carry his end fairly well, only adjusting the weight in his arms once or twice.

Eventually the pair were in whistling distance from the old mill house, and Mr. Jenkins let out a shrill whistle.

Chaital arrived moments later, landing nearby and folding her wings with a soft rumble. She tilted her head and sniffed at the metal foot, her ear fins perking forward.
 
"That sounds nice," Lily mused as she focused on chopping, imagining having fun together in the kitchen. It wasn't that she hadn't gotten along with her parents, but her mother had always been a bit more serious in the kitchen, and had wanted to focus more on learning than playing. She had fond memories, still, but it was interesting to compare their families and traditions.

When Noah looked at her she had to try and bite back a laugh, just smiling and nodding along. "Mm-hm. I don't know what the rules are around here for dragons her size, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind ferrying Noah back and forth. She's pretty smitten with him." The roommate thing would just have to be a secret.

****************​

"It's not that bad," Jasper insisted with a little laugh, but didn't try to get the older man to let go any more. His arm was beat up, but it was just scratches and bruises. The muscle and bone were fine.

When Mr. Jenkins whistled it made Jasper jump a little, having been focused on walking and carrying, but seeing Chaital coming towards them solved the mystery quick enough.

"Hey, there, workin' girl." He said when she was close enough, giving her a little smile despite the throb in his jaw. "Mind giving me a hand with this? I promise it's not as scary as it looks. You can even drag it through the dirt, if you want." It was meant to be durable, anyway, and it was only the prototype. He wouldn't need it in stellar condition to make a new one, and it was good to test it out anyway.
 
"Well, there is a bit of red tape around bigger dragons," Mr. Harn admitted, "But being we're in the saddle business, there'll be plenty of forms I can pick from to make things easier." He smiled as Noah poured in the pesto sauce, and he began tossing the pasta salad. "Family dinners are quite fun. And you know, depending how this night goes . . . maybe we'll move them to Lower Floaten."

----

Having been a scout, Chaital had seen all sorts of moving mechanical parts, some larger than her. She was more interested in the foot than scared of it. And when Jasper kindly asked her to move it for him, she chirped and gingerly took the foot in her jaws, lifting it up. She had a vague idea that the thing was important, so it should be well taken care of.

"Thatta girl," Mr. Jenkins praised, patting her shoulder with a sigh of relief. "Thank ya kindly. Let's get this foot home so I can patch up Jasper, eh?"

Chaital chirped and wandered off with the foot, making her way towards the home. Once she reached the dragon shelter, she paused and glanced at Jasper, as though asking where to set the foot.
 
Lily made a thoughtful sound as she chopped, careful of her fingers and how moving jostled Pumpkin on her shoulder. "It's so strange to think about. Down below, dragons are relatively unregulated. Jasper's little ones live in our house, and run around the neighborhood on their own sometimes." It was relatively accepted that dragons were not to be messed with. If they were big, they could kill you. Even small ones could hurt you badly - and sometimes more than that, if they were small the person they belonged to was likely to maim you if you touched them. She knew Jasper would break bones, if anyone ever hurt Nobu or Naga.

"Ooh, that could be fun!" She gave a smile and set the knife gently aside to find out where she should put the chopped bits. "I'm sure Mr. Jenkins would like the company. Jasper visits as much as he can, but he gets lost in his projects, sometimes, so it's not all the time." It had been more lately, but that was mostly due to Noah inviting them, and Mr. Jenkins wanting Jasper around to make them more officially family.

***************​

"Thanks," Jasper murmured gratefully when Chaital took the weight, rubbing his forearm when the muscles burned on finally relaxing. "It's not that bad..." He would have insisted more, but the bump he'd taken had rattled his brain a little.

"Ah, here, I can take it inside." He shifted closer and gave her a little pet up and down her neck in thanks. "Don't want it getting in the way of your cozy times, once the others come back." He said it with a little smile, and reached out to take the weight from her, but wanted it inside more to keep it safe than to keep it out of her way. He didn't think anyone would believe it if someone tried to steal his work, but couldn't help feeling possessive. "All right if I take it in, Papa J? Promise not to scratch the floors."
 
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Mr. Harn smiled. "That's probably just as well if he's not there as often. Especially with me being from Upper Floaten and all. Besides, it'll give me more of a chance to see my family and all of the dragons. There aren't nearly enough dragons up here."

"Don't some come to the factory for custom fitting, though?" Noah asked.

"Oh, sure. But they're only ever there for a short while. And they're usually not ones to tolerate pets and cuddles."

Noah beamed. "Oh, you are going to love Chaital. And Nobu! Probably even more, actually. Nobu loves cuddles. Do you think Jasper will let my father hold Nobu, Lily?"

🐲🐲🐲​

Chaital rumbled proudly and set the foot back in Jasper's hands as delicately as she could, knowing it was fairly heavy. Then she sat back on her haunches to watch him carry it inside. She was curious how a foot that big would fit through the door. If the metal foot fit, hers might, too.

Mr. Jenkins smiled and held the door open for Jasper. "Hell, you know the floors are already scratched to pieces. Go on ahead and put it wherever. I'll go get some bandages an' medicine and meet you on the couch, eh?" He waited until Jasper was inside with the foot before closing the door (Chaital made a mental note that the door did indeed fit), and then he hurried off to fetch some supplies.

A few minutes later he sat down on the couch beside Jasper. He poured some antiseptic onto a rag and nodded. "All right. Face first, eh? Then you can hold an ice pack on yer chin while I get everythin' else sorted." He leaned forward and held out one hand, trying to cup it around the non injured side of Jasper's face to hold his head steady. "This might sting a bit. Ya ready?" he added, holding up the rag.
 
Lily hadn't meant to imply that Jasper would be around when they were visiting, only that having two different groups to visit would mean Mr. Jenkins had company on more days, but she decided not to clarify. It would be fine

She gave a soft laugh and nodded for Noah when asked about Jasper's dragons. "Nobu is a big boy, and he mostly goes where he wants. Jasper might develop a twitch for a while, but if Nobu likes you I'm sure it'll go a long way towards softening him up. I'm sure he'll warm up eventually, like he did with Noah." He just had to get over his own prejudices first, like he had with the younger Harn.

***************​

Jasper only made a soft grunt of effort when Chaital handed the foot back, and used both arms to get it in the house and set it very carefully down out of the way so no one would trip on it. Though he didn't really want to be fussed over, he did take a seat on the couch to wait, gently freeing his injured arm from its sleeve and leaving his over shirt hanging off one shoulder. He wasn't sure he had time to go home and back, so he hoped Noah's father wasn't going to balk at him for not being properly dressed.

"Promise not to cry." He said with an amused little smile when Mr. Jenkins came back with medicine, and just did his best to hold still and be quiet. He'd hurt himself worse while working before, he was sure, so it wasn't like he couldn't take the pain, not that it made it any more fun to experience. "Glad I look tip-top for your guests." He huffed a little breath of laughter even as he winced at the sting. "Think I'll scare him off?" It was going to be a great first impression, that was for sure.
 
Noah beamed. "Yeah! He totally tolerates me now," he told his father.

"Does he? That's a good sign," Mr. Harn said warmly. He sprinkled a bit of herbs on the pasta salad to garnish it, and then nodded and closed up the container. "There, now. Our main dish is ready. Lily, what sorts of foods are Jasper's favorite? You know the way to a person's heart is through their stomach."

------

"Our guests, ya silly," Mr. Jenkins said with a smile. "This is yer home too, ya know." He very delicately cleaned Jasper's face as best he could, and then handed him an ice pack. "Put that on yer jaw, why don't ya?" Then he worked on patching up Jasper's other injuries, which thankfully all seemed minor. "I tell ya what, Jasper, they ought to be damn impressed with ya, takin' a tail right to the face from a dragon. If they got anything mean to say about it I'll kick 'em out of the damn house myself. That's a promise."
 
"He's not so bad," Lily said, tone shifting into something almost shy, knowing she shouldn't say too much. "Some painful things happened here, and . . . he blames the whole city for what happened. . ." It was difficult to get a person to reason that not every individual was the same when they were hurting so much. She was sure he knew it, deep down, but it was harder to acknowledge when there wasn't someone like Noah right in front of him, proving the point.

With a little shake of her head, she tried to let it go and just gave them a smile again. "It's really hard to pick favorites! I'm sure he'll be too busy being grumpy to think about food anyway. Oh! But I bet if you bring something for the little dragons, that'll help! What kind of fruit do you have around here? They really like pears, for some reason, but we don't see them very often." The way to Jasper's heart was through his babies, after all. He didn't care so much how people treated him.

***************​

This is your home too, ya know. The words curled around his lungs with a sort of bite like the ice he pressed to his skin, shocking but soothing at the same time. He knew he had Lily, and they had a few good friends, but it was strangely overwhelming, thinking he really had a family again. He was, perhaps, quiet for a beat too long, but held his arm out obligingly for Mr. Jenkins to clean and didn't complain about the stinging.

"It wasn't a big swing. . ." He insisted weakly, giving a faint, sheepish smile. If Koatl had really meant to hit him she'd have shattered his jaw rather than bruised it, or broken his skull open completely. "She just startled a little. Don't . . . Don't let me get in the way. Promise not to make them think I just got into a fistfight." He was stubborn, and ornery, and kind of an idiot sometimes, but if he was the reason things didn't work out between Mr. Jenkins and his actual family, Jasper would never forgive himself.
 
Noah blinked and tilted his head. "I never said he was bad," he said, partially teasing and partially serious. "But seeing as how Mr. Jenkins adopted him, he's my brother now. And you know how siblings are, Lily. But I really do love him. He might be rough around the edges, but he cares about people. You should've seen him that first day with me - after you left."

Mr. Harn nodded at Lily's question about the pears. "We sure do! Do your dragons like them sliced, halved, or whole?" he asked, meandering back to the fridge and bringing a box with to put the pairs in.

***************​

Mr. Jenkins raised an eyebrow as he finished wrapping up Jasper's arm. "Aren't ya just gonna tell 'em what happened? I know Noah in particular would really like ta hear about Koatl's new foot." And maybe Mr. Harn, too, if he was anything like Noah, but Mr. Jenkins didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Finally he patted Jasper's arm and stood up. "Anyway, I ain't worried. I'm a little nervous I might start bawlin' like a baby when I see Axle again, but asides that . . . things oughta be fine. I know he's gonna like ya, Jasper."
 
Lily melted a little at the reassurance that Jasper had been nice to Noah since the beginning, if only in actions rather than words. "He's really more stubborn than anything." She agreed, petting idly at Pumpkin wherever she could reach. "Oh- we should take them whole. Naga likes to naw on things, and Nobu likes to be fed pieces, but we can cut one for him once we're there. Thank you! I'm sure they'll like a treat. Maybe we can bring one or two for the big dragons, if you have enough."

***************

"What if I wanted to let them guess?" Jasper suggested with a little chuckle, and very carefully put his arm back into his tattered sleeve when it was covered in bandages. "He'll see the finished product some day."

He made a little face as Mr. Jenkins got up, not liking to think that it was going to be a lot of crying from all involved, but at least hoped they would be happy tears. "Don't worry about me. . ." He urged with a shake of his head. "Tonight's not about me. . . I just want you to be happy." If Noah's family hated him, that was fine. All that mattered was that Mr. Jenkins got his family back.
 
"We certainly do. I couldn't bring pears for the little ones and then not let the big dragons get any," Mr. Harn said, laughing as he filled the box up to the top. "Now, as far as getting to Lower Floaten goes - shall we take a dragon or a pipe elevator?"

Noah blinked. ". . . A what?"

Mr. Harn chuckled. "There's a side project I've been working on I've been meaning to show you. Would you both like to see it?"

----

"If yer gonna make 'em guess, be ready for lots of questions," Mr. Jenkins warned, though he was smiling. "An' as far as the foot goes - kinda hard to miss it when it's in the middle of the house, lad." He gave Jasper's good shoulder a gentle pat. "But now you listen here. Yer just as much mah family as anyone else is. An' I'd like tonight to go smoothly fer everybody. You included. So if ya need a break, or want some time alone, you feel free to head out, all right? Ain't no one would think poorly of ya for it."
 
"Thank you!" Lily couldn't help but smile big and happy. Infernus and Chaital and Boulder would be happy with their treat too, even though they were bigger. Still, at the mention of a 'pipe elevator', she though she looked a bit boggled. "What's that? Does it take you all the way down? Oh, I want to see!"

***************​

"It's in a corner!" Jasper insisted, giving a laugh and finally getting himself up to his feet, a little more somber and shy as he did so. ". . . Thanks, Papa J." He paused, trying to find the words for more, than just gave a little sigh and gave the older man a hug. "Just, thanks. . . Come on, I'm only lightly maimed, I can help set the table."
 
Mr. Harn smiled warmly. "That's right. Not to worry, we've tested it with plenty of inanimate objects first. I was the first human test yesterday, and it went exceptionally well. I'd be honored to take you both for a ride." He led the way out of the house, once everyone was ready, and made his way to a small back room at the end of the factory. There was an innocuous metal door that he opened with a key to reveal an elevator box made of quartz on all sides with a metal floor. "Here we are. Everybody in!" he said cheerfully.

-----

Mr. Jenkins held him back, closely but not too tightly. "You're very welcome, Jasper," he murmured. He straightened up and chuckled. "And yer right! Yer plenty strong enough to help set the table. Whyn't you do the plates an' cups, and I'll get the side dishes set out?"
 
Interest captured, Lily followed eagerly after to see what on earth a pipe elevator was, and was not disappointed. It was so strange looking, and while she wasn't entirely reassured by the singular human test it had gone through, she was sure Mr. Harn wouldn't take them on an adventure that was dangerous.

"Wow!" She didn't hesitate to scurry inside, looking curiously around and shifting her weight back and forth to see if it would move at all, a grin on her face. "That's such a long way for an elevator to go! How long does it take?" She gave her knees a little bend, hands out a bit and posed as if she were ready to hop. "What happens if I jump?" It was mostly a joke, but she did wonder if it would jostle under just her weight.

***************​

"Yes, sir," Jasper murmured good-naturedly, and set about getting the plates and cups without much hurry. They had a little bit of a wait, so he took his time with the task and after everything was ready sat down again to ice his face in hopes that it wouldn't swell too horribly, despite already looking pretty purple. He hoped Lily wouldn't worry.
 
But Mr. Harn looked as calm and collected as ever. "This," he announced, jumping onto the floor before she could. The elevator barely jostled; it felt just as of he'd jumped on the floor at home. "I may have forgotten to mention this elevator was tested with weights of up to six hundred pounds. We'll be quite safe." He leaned back on the handrail and pressed a button. "The ride down is about five minutes, give or take, and there are plenty of emergency exits and failsafes."

Noah smiled and looked out the clear walls as the elevator began descending. "It's so gentle," he murmured. "It barely even feels like we're moving."

Mr. Harn nodded. "That's right. And only a few people have access to the elevator entrances and exits, and all are normally locked. Especially since not very many people frequent both Upper and Lower Floaten."
 
Lily made a startled little sound when Mr. Harn jumped into the elevator, only to dissolve into a giddy sort of laughter after. It was even more funny to think of how she'd thought all the older adults in Upper Floaten would be stuffy and rigid. Mr. Harn seemed relaxed and fun, and it had taken her by surprise. His assurance that they weren't too heavy helped, too.

"This is so cool!" She exclaimed when it started to move, excited, and put a hand on Pumpkin's side in case he didn't like it. "The only way I know we're heading down is how I can feel it in my stomach!" Being inside elevator, she almost couldn't even feel it in her ears.
 
"And we can see everything," Noah breathed, staring out the window with the light reflecting in his eyes. "It's - it's gorgeous. Look at it all."

Mr. Harn beamed proudly, glad the pair were enjoying the elevator ride. A few minutes later, the elevator came to a stop in Lower Floaten. Mr. Harn made sure to lock the entrance behind him. Then he pulled in a deep breath and began making his way toward Mr. Jenkin's house.

He still knew where his father in law's house was. Even after so many years.

His breath caught in his throat when he came across the familiar pawprints and shoe prints in the dirt. "Aw, look. Here's where Pumpkin and Ol' Boulder used to race," he murmured.

Noah smiled. "Old Boulder's probably out for his daily walk right now. Still uses this path, too."

Mr. Harn nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

A few minutes later they arrived at the old mill house. Axle froze in front of the door, one hand shakily raised into a fist. "Should I knock, do you think?" he asked quietly, glancing at Noah. Noah nodded and smiled, so he tapped on the door a few times. "Mr. Jenkins?"

Inside the house, Mr. Jenkins hurried straight to the door and pulled it open. Then he blinked and stared. A small smile began to cross his features. "Look at ya. Ya gotten a lot taller since I last seen ya," he murmured.
 
Lily was excited about the ride and joined Noah in looking outside, bouncing a bit antsily on her toes. It was strange to be on solid ground again, and she hopped out to walk after the others with a pep in her step. Mr. Harn was nervous, she was sure, but reminiscing was nice, wasn't it? He had been to these areas of Lower Floaten before.

"Ooh, thats so cute," she cooed at the idea of Pumpkin's footprints still hanging around, though she wasn't sure they were old enough to actually be his. "Boulder's usually out and about. Fern's around the Dragonry somewhere, too! I'll have to find him later so you can meet him." He might even come to the house looking for her and the others.

At the door she meant to stand back a little to give the others their time to say hello and get used to seeing each other, but when Jasper poked his head around a corner she immediately slipped past them.

"Holy shit-" She reached up with both hands to grab at his face, thought better of it and took hold of his shoulders instead, looking up at him with wide eyes. "What happened to your face!"

Jasper only sighed and rolled his eyes, trying to metaphorically brush her concern aside despite not fighting the grasping hands. "A wall and I had a disagreement." He grumbled, turning obligingly to let her see the bruising, and eventually held up his bandaged arm for inspection so he wouldn't have to deal with her seeing it later. "She didn't like my shirt, either. Otherwise, I'd say the fitting went pretty well."

She gasped a little and picked at his sleeve, then just stood back with a little shake of her head. "That was today? Geez, I thought you fell down some stairs."
 
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