Hannibal's house, Sunday morning

[sharp_as_knives]

Yes, there was a brunch going on. However, Hannibal wasn't an alumnus, and those he knew were mostly staying with him. And while he appreciated the school's effort, he'd prefer to eat his own food, thank you.

So, he was up and cooking breakfast. The windows throughout the first floor were open to let in the breeze, and he had Rigoletto playing in the background as he worked. The rosemary grapefruit was nearly done, the crepes were keeping warm, the omelette was baking, and the bacon was sizzling in the pan.

It really was a lovely morning.


[OOC: Open for anyone who stayed the night, and anyone who wants to drop in!]

Comments

[furnaceface]

//As a matter of fact...// Jono shrugged his shoulders a little. //I did help train up Karla's army. And before that, I was a teaching assistant at the Xavier School. I've got experience teaching how to fight and how to fight dirty.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"I would hope Karla's army was somewhat older," Hannibal said, raising an eyebrow at that. "But if you taught to students, maybe you could come with me to visit and help?" He smiled. "We both might learn something, and I won't even use my previous trick."

[furnaceface]

//Was just listing my credentials,// Jono replied with a shrug. //But if you'd like a hand helping her out, I wouldn't mind making the trip. And your trick is quite certainly not something that we'll be teaching to her while we're down there.//

You were only going to catch him with that one once, Hannibal. Even if he certainly hadn't minded that trick any.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "No, we won't. Although it would be good to teach her how to defend herself against someone with powerful abilities." He frowned into his coffee. "I doubt she and the other landen children would have made such tempting targets if they were more capable of defending themselves."

[furnaceface]

Jono winced faintly.

//People rarely make targets of those who can protect themselves. But she can learn to use that to her advantage, if they underestimate her. Make certain she sets her boundaries, and knows exactly where to strike and how hard if somebody oversteps them.//

His eyes flashed white for a moment, glowed a little, and he furrowed his brow.

//Kaeleer has laws that work very much in her favour, if anybody does ignore those boundaries.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"So I am learning," Hannibal answered with a nod of satisfaction. "But the first step must be to live for long enough to invoke the law."

[furnaceface]

//That's why we teach her what she can do with her hands, with her teeth. Show her how to fend off an opponent that's much larger than she is. Especially a Blood one.//

That was the sticking point, wasn't it? If the person after her was going to abuse Craft or not?

[sharp_as_knives]

"So you'll come with me and help, then?" Hannibal smiled. This could prove to be very interesting.

[furnaceface]

//I have very little patience for bullies,// Jono replied, giving Hannibal a brief nod. //I'd hardly say no to the opportunity to teach somebody how to be rid of them. Especially a child who already has too much experience behind her.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"You realize that if we start to teach her things in the orphanage, it's unlikely to stay a class of one?" Not that Hannibal minded, so long as the children were decent. He didn't think Jono would either, but he thought it worth the warning.

[furnaceface]

Jono just raised an eyebrow in response to that.

//Teaching a gaggle of small, formerly abused children ways to help avoid being abused again? Oh no. I don't know if I'm at all the type.//

He couldn't get more deadpan if he tried, really.

//Honestly, I think the bigger danger here is the very real possibility that I'll end up wanting to bring the lot of them home.//

Because, again, big squishy pushover with a bleeding heart.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Will you need me to enforce a limit?" Hannibal asked, amused. "Tell me how many you'll allow yourself, and I'll keep you to that number."

It was all in the budgeting, right?

[furnaceface]

//Well, they're social creatures, aren't they? I'd have to get at least three or four, so that they don't get too stressed in their new surroundings, and all...//

He was really only mostly joking.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Of course," Hannibal answered, deadpan. "And I'm certain Karla will barely notice the new additions to her household."

[furnaceface]

//She and Warren have taken to bringing them in lately,// Jono replied with a shrug of his shoulders. //And the estate is enormous. I'm certain with all they've got on the go right now, it'd probably be at least a few weeks before they noticed the new playmates for Cora and Nyles.//

You know, Jono, most people at this point just contemplated maybe getting another cat.

[sharp_as_knives]

"You could start a boarding school here," Hannibal suggested. "For Blood and landen orphans alike; it could help them greatly to look past prejudices. Although the aristos would likely hate it."

As if he didn't realize that would be an incentive.

[furnaceface]

//I would have to tap somebody in to run something like that for me, I think. It'd be bloody difficult to run a boarding school and play security detail for Karla at the same time.//

...

//It's... tempting, though.//

Dammit.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Some of the orphanage directors we met were quite good, and I'm sure the children already here have an excellent tutor. And you've worked at a school before, after all."

Hannibal, you troll.

[furnaceface]

//Two schools,// Jono agreed. //Just what I need, I suppose. Something else to bury myself in. I haven't had anything like that in months, really.//

Except for all of the brain-straining he'd been doing lately, at least.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Maybe it's time for it?" Hannibal suggested. Then he shrugged. "Then again, it is a rather excessive suggestion."

[furnaceface]

//Your suggestions rarely come in half-measures, do they?// Jono certainly didn't seem to mind. If nothing else, it was food for thought. //Perhaps we'll see how well I get along with the children, first, and go from there? Actually meeting them might help.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"That is a very good first step," Hannibal agreed. "After all, they might be perfectly horrible."

They weren't. Well, apart from being children.

[furnaceface]

//I'm less worried about them being horrible and more concerned about how they'll react to me,// Jono admitted. //I've had children scream and cry and try to run from me before.//

That whole monster thing. Kids didn't seem so keen on hanging out with a guy whose face was on fire, after all.

[sharp_as_knives]

"These children have seen real horrors," Hannibal answered seriously. "And they looked no different from people you'd pass in the street. I doubt they'll be judging on appearances much."

[furnaceface]

Jono gave a small nod of his head, though his expression remained dubious. After all, it wasn't as though the children who had shrank away from him in the past hadn't.

//Even so... I'd rather get to know them a little better, get to know their situation and so on, before I start making plans to sweep in on a white stallion to carry them away to... whatever.//