CotND: Ell-Griffin

Elves work with the US Military to create manned fighting robots--magic, technology, and culture clash are the norm. An excerpt from one morning when a gift literally lands on the breakfast table.

"What," Kody gestured with her spoon at the ball of fluff and feathers that had just ground to an unceremonious halt in the middle of one of the dining tables. "Is that?"

Leo tried to look unflustered. He had made sure to close the door to the room when he left this morning. The little guy was not smart enough yet to be opening doors. "Looks like an Ell-Griffin."

The little fluff ball twisted around until it was laying on the table, belly down, all four dog-like legs splayed out around him. He was covered in light brown fur and his body looked very similar to a puppy, until you noticed the lion-like tail, yellow beak where a nose should have been, the subtle bird-like contours to the head, and the darker brown wings. The little fluff-ball looked up at Kody with curious black eyes before wagging it's tail and making a growling noise that turned into a bird-like cheep.

He hadn't been sure what Kody would think of the little guy. She took all the weirdness of elves and magic, secret military groups and giant robots in stride, but you really never knew when you were going to hit that "too much" line. Cale's breaking point had been four months in, when Al had grilled pixies for the entire GAFU unit. It was generally considered to be almost gourmet food where Leo, Thgin and Al had grown up, but it also very obviously was what it was. Cale had nearly knocked the entire table on its side, packed half the gear from his room in the barracks, and disappeared for a week. At the end of the week he'd shown back up, well-adjusted and making with the lute jokes. Everyone had to hit a limit on learning all this at some point. He was dreading when it hit Kody, and three months in, it was about due. A miniature Griffin nose-diving into the middle of the table during a Saturday Brunch before work might just do it.

"Can it eat this?" She picked up a piece of bacon off her plate.

Leo stared at her for a long moment. "Uh... yeah."

She proceeded to feed the little fluff-ball all of the bacon from he plate, being careful to not let the beak get her fingers. "So, an 'Ell-Griffin'?"

"Minatures. They're generally kept as pets."

"It's adorable. How big do they get? Whose is it?"

Leo shook his head in astonishment, "They usually max out about the size of a... Great Dane I believe is the comparable dog?"

"LEO!?" Thgin chose that moment to come skidding into the mess hall. "Leo! Kody's present got out! I just opened the door for a second an--" He stopped short, seeing the Ell-Griffin sitting happily in the middle of one of the mess hall tables with Kody feeding it table scraps. "Oh."

Leo put his head in his hands and groaned, "I'm going to short sheet your bunk and fill it with scorpions."

"My... present...?"

"They're a little hard to get, so I got him when I had the chance. I figured he'd make a good Christmas present."

"But Leo, if--"

He had wanted to present the little fluff-ball to Kody in a much more cool way. Planned, with dinner, some drinks, Christmas lights, a gift wrapped box containing the collar, and his compusure in tact. "If you don't want him it's no problem. I mean, I'm sure I can find someone else that wants one. I realize he's not exactly an inconspi--"

"Oh, no way!" Kody scratched the little fluff-ball's head and slid him across the table closer to her.  "I'm keeping him!"

Leo couldn't help but break out into a grin at that. She liked the little guy.

"So what's his name?"

Leo leaned on one arm, regaining his composure. "The owner chooses that, don't they?"

"You haven't been calling him anything?"

"Fluff-ball," Leo laughed as he said it.

"Feather-Brain. Chaos-Incarnate. Destructo-Bird," Thgin added as he took the seat next to Kody. "I lost count of how many socks he's chewed up. I share a room with Leo and that little whirlwind of property damage."

Leo smirked, "Maybe you shouldn't leave your clothes lying around for him to get into."

"He hides under the bed and attacks my feet!"

"It's called playing," Leo laughed. "He's just a baby."

Kody picked up the kitten-sized Griffin. "Will it be okay if I keep him here at the barracks though? I haven't exactly explained the entire part-time job to my Dad or brother yet."

Leo stared down Thgin as he answered, "I can't imagine it being an issue."

"So he just needs a name now, right?" Thgin caught the message. He was already in deep with Leo for 'letting the cat of of the bag' early.

"Pretty much."