Hannibal's house, Saturday

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal was learning that while Jono as a snake might have more of an excuse to burrow under the covers, Jono as a human was no more eager to get out of bed when he was warm and comfortable. And bribing him with food didn't work quite as well this way.

Beethoven, however, had different priorities, and Hannibal himself needed to eat as well, so he gave up, left Jono in bed curled up with his tablet, and went down to cook. He hadn't yet decided if he'd be nice and bring a tray up, or if he'd make Jono stretch himself if he wanted to share.


[OOC: Expecting the one who's already in the house, but open for whatever!]

Comments

[furnaceface]

//Oh, I don't know about that. I manage to do plenty without setting the bed on fire. You'd think I'd have more trouble with that.//

He shimmied into the dining room and flopped down into the nearest seat.

//... Granted, I used to.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Yes, well -" Hannibal stopped short as he sat and looked up. "Were your clothes too difficult?"

[furnaceface]

//Those involved effort.//

Before noon, Jono didn't do 'effort.'

//I'm not spilling fire out everywhere, that's something, at least.//

Because he'd fallen asleep with his wrappings on. Because that.

[sharp_as_knives]

"My dinner table thanks you," Hannibal answered. He shook his head. "I have another robe, if you'd prefer. Something less likely to trip you up."

[furnaceface]

//Wouldn't damage your dinner table even if I was,// Jono muttered, maybe just a touch sulkily. //But I can put on a robe if this bothers you.//

It was just so warm! Why did Hannibal not believe in warm?

[sharp_as_knives]

"I'm not dictating your clothing yet," Hannibal said. "Wear what you like." He ate a bit of sausage, sharing the taste. "I apologize if you took that as a slight to your ability to control yourself. I did not intend it as such."

[furnaceface]

Jono's eyes closed in appreciation, even as his brow furrowed a little at the apology.

//It was a manners thing, then, wasn't it?// He had to be sure, had to have that clarification, otherwise it was going to just gnaw at him. //The whole, 'at least try to put on clothing to sit at the table' thing. Of course you didn't mean my self-control specifically. You put your hand in it from time to time...//

Yeah, now Jono was kicking himself for taking it as a slight, and kind of regretting being out of bed if he was already putting his foot in it like this.

[sharp_as_knives]

"So far as I'm aware, there is no manners guide that covers how a guest on fire should approach the table. It would therefore fall to the host to dictate such things." He gave Jono a serious look. "And so far as I'm concerned, you're welcome at my table with or without your wrappings, and any guest who would say otherwise isn't welcome."

Hannibal took another bite and a sip of coffee. "No, I meant it as a comment not to set fire to the table. I was, however, not remotely serious. Again, my apologies that it seemed I was." He smirked. "I clearly shouldn't try subtle humor on you early in the morning."

[furnaceface]

//Ugh, no, no subtle humour at this hour of the day.// Jono glanced toward the clock. //... No subtle humour before I've gotten so far as to achieve clothing, at least.//

Which might not be for another few hours, yet.

//Though it might be... a good idea to avoid 'lighting things on fire' jokes with me in general. I spent a lot of my life learning as much control as I have now. It still tends to rub the wrong way.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"I will avoid them in future," Hannibal assured him. "I thought your fire wasn't actually flame; I hadn't realized it was an actual possibility."

[furnaceface]

//A bomb isn't actually flame until you set it off, either. Doesn't mean you don't have to be bloody careful with it until you do.// Jono shrugged his shoulders, unconsciously burrowing a little deeper into the blanket. //But you had no way of knowing, and I don't exactly talk about 'that time I blew up the entire dormitory building because some girl kissed me,' and other such things terribly often. Those things aren't exactly my proudest moments.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled. "I can see how it would be a touchy subject. There is still so much about your powers I don't know. And some things, no doubt, that are so innate it wouldn't occur to you that they need to be told." Hannibal shook his head and flicked one hand dismissively. "I wish that I had better insight into what it is you're experiencing."

[furnaceface]

It took Jono a moment before he became fully cognizant of what the hell had just happened, here. One moment, Hannibal was sitting nearby, eating breakfast. A second later, and Jonothon found himself blinking, hand rising up to check the bandages around his face. There was fire in his line of vision, and that almost always meant himself.

Only, it wasn't. And there hadn't been an explosion to herald what had just happened either. It was more that part of Hannibal had just... drifted away like so much ash.

Once it did click, though, Jonothon was dropping the chair (and the blanket) as he shot to his feet and made his way over to Hannibal to offer him... a hand? To make certain he wasn't just seeing things? He wasn't certain what. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. He'd worry about how later.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal didn't know what was happening, either! He'd just been sitting there, and then it was as if the entire world had twisted, and he was dizzy and cold and light and... //??//

Jono would have to forgive him if it took him a moment to get his thoughts together. He had to filter out all the others, first.

[furnaceface]

Jono froze mid-step. He couldn't help it. There was just something about hearing Hannibal's mind projected back to himself so clearly, instead of having to listen himself, that made him stumble. That's what it felt like when he spoke?

Why was this happening?

//Easy, mate...//

Again, those were questions to ask in a minute. For now, while Jono had a twisting, uneasy feeling somewhere deep down in the guts he didn't have, he could at least pull it together enough to offer Hannibal a hand, both physically and psionically. Here, sit, relax, silence...?

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal...well, his instinct was to take a deep breath, but that didn't seem to be possible. Well, not mostly. He heard Jono's voice and grabbed it firmly, assessed the difference in the feel from his own thoughts, and...oh. Oh.. He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself, and nodded, letting Jono help him sit.

What had - well, no, it was fairly obvious what had happened. //How?// he asked Jono, wide-eyed.

[furnaceface]

//I don't know,// Jono replied, shaking his head a little. He wasn't wide-eyed so much as he was worried, eyes not leaving Hannibal's face for a moment. //One moment, everything was normal, and then...//

His brow furrowed a little.

//... then you wished that you understood me better.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal frowned and sent a burst of rueful and incredulous laughter. It was getting easier to settle into this as he got used to it. //I suspect the island has a rotten sense of humor.// This had better only be temporary; he had skills that would go terribly to waste otherwise. //I wish I knew what it was up to this time.//

He blinked.

[furnaceface]

Blink?

Why with the blinking now?

Jono was blinking back. Not for the same reason, mind. More because he had no idea what in the world Hannibal's blinking was about.

//Er?//

[sharp_as_knives]

//Apparently we get five wishes each,// Hannibal shared. //And it only lasts the weekend.// Thank goodness, though he kept that thought very close to himself - it didn't seem terribly polite to think around Jono.

[furnaceface]

//Thank goodness,// Jono murmured, because honestly now, he wouldn't wish this particular state of affairs on anybody. Especially not people he actually liked. //Bit of a shite first wish, though. It's not really worth losing half your bloody body just for the sake of understanding my sorry state of affairs...//

[sharp_as_knives]

//No,// Hannibal assured him, //now that I know what it is, this could help quite a bit. And it's...interesting. Besides,// he added, his eyes twinkling, //you know how I do adore dramatics.//

[furnaceface]

//You do certainly like those,// Jono allowed, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. //Still, I'm not entirely certain what in the world you could possibly be getting out of this.//

Besides that understanding that he'd wished for. Besides that.

//Breakfast's going to go to waste.//

It was a tragedy, okay?

[sharp_as_knives]

It was!

Hannibal sent a disgruntled mental sigh. //Beethoven will eat it.// He levered himself up, getting used to the very different balance. //I should probably put something more than a robe on.//

[furnaceface]

//Might I suggest a lot of leather,// Jono replied, a little flatly, as he doubled back to retrieve the blanket he'd dropped. //I have spare wrappings in my coat pocket if you need them.//

Hannibal was new to this. Jono figured the safest bet was probably something he wasn't terribly likely to light on fire in the process of putting it on in the first place.