Gourmet Suite at the Arms Hotel, Sunday morning

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal woke up, stretched, and blinked. Then gave himself a moment to appreciate the lack of any particularly overwhelming emotion this morning.

He looked over at the others in bed with him whoever ended up in the cuddle pile and chuckled. Well, it had been interesting, there was no denying that.

However, he had no intention of spending another day in Jono's clothing or his own pajamas, thank you.

He got up carefully, took a shower and dressed casually but in his own clothes, and headed out to start the coffee.

He had a feeling they might be needing it.

Comments

[furnaceface]

Jono reached into his pocket and pulled out the crystal, giving it a little wave for her to see.

//I'm no longer some sort of weird crystal-thrall, so I'll count that as a win. Mixed feelings about returning to normal after yesterday's mood, though.// He shrugged his shoulders, stuffing the crystal back into his pocket and looking at least almost as awkward as he felt about it. //Felt good to just not care for a while. You know?//

[trigons_child]

Raven padded over to him, holding her hand out for the crystal. "May I see it?" she asked. She wanted to make certain that it was truly inert.

"And I know," she said softly. "It did free so very good."

[furnaceface]

Jono considered her hand for a moment, and then nodded, digging into his pocket and pulling out the stone again.

//Nice while it lasted, I suppose,// he murmured, placing the crystal into her hand. //Something to work toward, perhaps. Today feels almost stifling in comparison.//

[trigons_child]

She couldn't feel any emotions radiating from the crystal now; it did feel inert, as if it had exhausted its power or run its course. "It does seem to be dormant now," she said. "But it might be wise to destroy it or place it somewhere hidden in case it does become active again."

Normally she hated not being in control of her emotions, but the past two days had been so pleasant, it was hard to be upset. "Something to work for, yes," she agreed. She missed that feeling of calm, something she hadn't experienced in a very long time, something that hardly seemed possible now.

And then she remembered promising Hannibal she'd come speak to him if her fears about the future returned, and wondered if he was going to hold her to that promise.

[furnaceface]

//I'll take a hammer to it later, perhaps,// Jono replied, nodding a little. //Last thing I need is another 'angry' day.//

Really, it had been almost worth it for the happy days that came afterwards, but not so much that he'd be willing to risk a repeat.

//How're you holding in there?//

[trigons_child]

"I am all right," Raven said. "A little...unsettled. I should not have allowed myself to get caught up as I did. Though it was enjoyable."

She blushed a little and turned her head in Hannibal's direction before looking back to Jono. "What about you? Are you all right with everything that happened?" There was more than one thing she was referring to there.

[furnaceface]

//A few days' reprieve from being incessantly worried all of the time was nice,// Jono replied, shrugging his shoulders a little and looking... only slightly awkward over the question. //As for the rest? It was rather enjoyable as well. Little weird. But quite enjoyable.//

Hannibal was no Bowie. Which was probably for the best. Jono wouldn't have survived another go with Bowie without just imploding. And Friday morning with Raven? He had no regrets there, either.

[trigons_child]

Raven gave him a tiny smile. "I think I complained to both of you about not being included," she said. "I was merely teasing, though. I was pleased you had had...a good time."

Though technically, she did owe Jono a threesome, didn't she?

[furnaceface]

He hadn't forgotten!

//If you hadn't been sleeping so soundly, you probably would have gotten an invitation,// Jono admitted. //I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind.//

[trigons_child]

Raven laughed softly. "I seem to have needed it," she said. "It was good to have such a relaxing sleep. Though I am glad I was thought of. And I will try not to be offended that apparently I was not enough to satisfy you."

She was teasing, of course, because that was a lot better than awkward.

[furnaceface]

Dammit, Raven! Now Jono was fidgeting awkwardly.

//Oh, I was very satisfied,// he replied. //For... an hour. And then I wanted more. Apparently I'm a greedy bastard when under the influence of a purple shoulder rock.//

[trigons_child]

That brought another laugh from Raven, along with a silent thanks to Azar that it hadn't been her brothers behind this. "I am only teasing," she said. "But it was good to see you so happy and relaxed."

[furnaceface]

//And it was good to be so much of the same,// Jono agreed. //Good to see you that way, as well. Makes me think there might be some hope for the both of us, there. Even without the meddling moodstones.//

Wouldn't that be nice?

[trigons_child]

Raven lost her smile for a moment, but quickly tried to recover and hoped it didn't look too forced now. "Yes," she said. "That would be nice indeed."

Hope was something she was still floundering for, though.

[furnaceface]

Honestly, Raven. Jono wasn't an empath the same way you were, but he had eyes and he knew you better than that.

//Not holding your breath waiting for it, are you?//

[trigons_child]

"Not exactly," Raven admitted quietly. "I do not possess good feelings about the future." Which was a bit of an understatement.

[furnaceface]

//Too many glimpses into nightmare possibilities for your comfort, then?// He raised an eyebrow at her thoughtfully, and then reached for her hand. //I know how that feels. I could probably stand here blowing sunshine up your arse until I'm blue in the face all over again and it wouldn't do any good.//

Because, really, paranoia was kind of Jonothon's modus operandi.

//Instead of telling you not to worry about it, would it help if I offered a sounding board for your worries? I won't turn around and tell them to Karla, I won't even turn around and rip you a new one like the asshole I used to be, back when I was on rocky footing myself.// He shrugged his shoulders a little. //I have danced a few rounds in the 'being afraid of what I'm capable of becoming' ring, though.//

And, the unspoken statement left to sit there between the two of them: 'And I've danced a few rounds with you.'

[trigons_child]

"Am I that obvious?" Raven said. Because she'd been so subtle in her behavior changes lately.

She squeezed his hand. "Ever since Glacia was made into that alternate world, I have felt unsettled," she admitted quietly. "Karla knows some of it, but not all the details." She didn't even know if she could bring herself to tell Jono about them, afraid he would hate her if he knew the awful things that ran through her head sometimes.

"Yesterday, while we were all feeling so good, I promised Dr. Lecter I would speak to him if my fears return, and I suppose I will have to keep that promise." She still wasn't certain how much that would help, though it was not born of any doubt of Hannibal's skills. But what did he know about being an evil demon who would destroy those she held dear?

"But it would be good to talk to someone who would understand," she said. The irony did not escape her that so often in the past their positions had been reversed.

[furnaceface]

Ha, like Jono could bring himself to hate anybody he had cared about as thoroughly as he'd cared about Raven. Gayle, his first 'one true,' had attempted to get him eaten by a mutant-marrow-sucking cannibal, and Jono had forgiven her with a hug and a 'try harder than that.'

//It couldn't hurt to talk to Hannibal about the emotional aspect of it, perhaps,// Jono offered. //He's been good at talking to me about my own emotions, not even in the capacity of a doctor, but as a friend. And bottling up worries and nightmares never did anybody any favours.// He squeezed her hand right back. //We've both tried it. It bit us both in the behinds so bloody many times over the years. I, for one, am tired of second-guessing if my troubles are enough to warrant anybody else's concern. And yours? I've always got time for you and yours, luv. I'll listen. I'll help where I can.//

He'd done a lot of growing in the past couple of years. Or he'd finally hit the mental reprogramming jackpot and actually had an incarnation of himself in his head that had learned to cope. One of those.

[trigons_child]

"I know bottling things up is not healthy," Raven said. She'd definitely learned that lesson. "But talking about it...." She shrugged helplessly. She knew it was foolish to be afraid, but that didn't help her anxiety about how people would react if she told them about her dreams and how she felt during them, and then they'd know she was the monster she thought she was. Even now she could feel panic starting to build up inside her. It had been so much easier not to think about it and just get caught up in living life moment by moment.

She leaned her head against Jono's shoulder. "But I should talk about it," she corrected herself.

[furnaceface]

//You should talk about it. But I get it. It makes it real,// Jono murmured, nodding and wrapping his arms around her. //It means you have to face it, and the moment somebody else knows those fears, they're not just yours anymore. They've been let out into the world, they've become this tangible thing that needs to be addressed.//

He would have sighed, if he could. As it stood, the best he could do was close his eyes and nuzzle his face into her hair.

//It'll take a lot more than the things we've been through to shake me, luv. I'm not afraid.//

[trigons_child]

Raven let out a shaky breath and clung to him. She should've known he'd understand, of all people.

"I will hold you to that," she whispered. She still wasn't sure she could make herself say some of the things out loud, but she felt a little more likely to try now.

[furnaceface]

//You don't need to,// Jono promised gently. //I hold myself to it, Sunshine.//