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

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal gathered up his food and set it out for the cat, reluctantly setting the dishes in the sink and leaving the cleaning for the moment. He spent the time in simply feeling what it was like, experiencing it, since that had been the point of his wish, after all.

And in the back of his mind, he kept up a steady stream of wordless mental murmuring, calm comfort directed Jono's way. It was probably a bit more distracted than his usual calm, but he had no intent of letting Jono wallow because of this.

[furnaceface]

Jono, meanwhile, was trying to slip walls into place, little barriers so that it wouldn't be immediately obvious just how much this was bothering him. Nothing obvious, of course. Just something to absorb the worst of what Hannibal might pick up on in the way of ambient mental noise.

At the same time, Hannibal's murmuring was calming. More than he would've had otherwise.

//At least you caught on to how to use it quickly,// he noted.

It had taken Jono a while just to get a hang of speaking. He'd needed a lot of focus just to get words across without sending terribly broken sentences.

[sharp_as_knives]

//It would seem to have interpreted my request rather literally, and gifted me with your current experience rather than your initial one,// Hannibal answered. //And after all, I have experience with you speaking to me, if nothing else.//

Yeah, good luck hiding, Jono. Hannibal didn't need telepathy to know this was bothering you.

Hannibal wiped his hands and went to put an arm around Jono. //I would appreciate some help in bandaging, though. I've never had to wrap myself so extensively, and this is...very distracting.// He tried to keep the flames down and out of his line of vision, at least.

[furnaceface]

//Tell me about it,// Jono replied, leaning against Hannibal just a little. //Right, then. Let's get you wrapped up.//

And then he could sulk about it when they were done! Best plan!

[sharp_as_knives]

There would be no sulking, Jono!

//And let's get you some clothes. Unless you plan on making a toga from that sheet,// Hannibal answered.

[furnaceface]

//Maybe I do,// Jono replied. //Maybe today is 'blow your face off and wear a toga' day. Very important holiday among my people.//

Mutants? British? Punks? Who knew?

[sharp_as_knives]

//What a coincidence,// Hannibal answered smoothly. //It's a holiday among my people as well. The traditional activities consist of sitting around with friends and attempting to understand them.//

Because if Hannibal couldn't eat, he could damn well be manipulative.

[furnaceface]

//I still feel like there are less extreme ways of going about that,// Jono muttered, making his way for the stairs. //I'm not...//

He stopped himself short, if only because he knew damn well that finishing that sentence with 'worth this' was probably just likely to have Hannibal dig in even harder to prove a point or something.

//... thrilled. About this.//

A lame finish, but also true enough.

[sharp_as_knives]

//I had noticed,// Hannibal answered. And had a very good idea of why that was. //Less extreme, perhaps, but none so enlightening. Does it help to know that I could wish to reverse it if I wanted?// he asked.

[furnaceface]

//Not as much as perhaps it should,// Jono confessed, hiking his shoulders up a little. //Wouldn't know how to begin putting words to what's bothering me around it.//

At least, not without that 'not worth it' part.

[sharp_as_knives]

//Don't, then,// Hannibal advised. //Show me.// They were both telepathic now, after all.

[furnaceface]

And really, it only needed one of them to show the other, or to take it however they pleased. That wasn't stopping Jono from bunching up at the shoulder a little bit more.

//S'just a jumble of twisting feelings,// he replied as dismissively as he could. //They wouldn't do anybody any good.//

And they were his, dammit. His messiness to cling to.

[sharp_as_knives]

//It's likely that includes you,// Hannibal said, rubbing Jono's back.

[furnaceface]

//Generally is, yes,// Jono agreed with a shrug of his shoulders. //Still, I just... It's...//

He wrinkled his nose a little.

//I share badly.//

Clearly.

[sharp_as_knives]

//So I've noticed,// Hannibal said. He led them into the bedroom and sat. //But I remain hopeful.//

[furnaceface]

//That I'll be more forthcoming about what's bothering me right now?// Jono was going to at least try not to look too sulky as he made his way to his jacket to pull his spare bandages from his pocket. //I suppose dreaming big doesn't hurt too much...//

That was super unhelpful, Jono. He did relent on his way back to Hannibal, at least.

//I'd feel... more comfortable trying to articulate than I would just opening a floodgate of feelings with no real context behind them. And as much as you could, I really don't plan on letting you poke around in my head.//

[sharp_as_knives]

//As you like,// Hannibal agreed, reaching out to run a hand through Jono's hair. //Maybe now would be a good time to work on those feelings. And on other things. However liberally my wish was interpreted, it is an opportunity not to be wasted.//

[furnaceface]

//Other things?// Jono's tone was questioning, even if his eyes were closed as he leaned his face into Hannibal's hand. So help him, it was going to be difficult to wind the man's bandages while he had his eyes closed. But that was hardly going to stop him from appreciating the contact. //Might have a better chance at sorting through 'other things' than feelings, really. I've always been shite at those.//

[sharp_as_knives]

//Other things also involving feelings to some extent, I'm afraid,// Hannibal answered, a bit of amusement threaded through his words. //But I think you can manage.//

He tugged Jono a little closer, curious about what it would feel like to contact him flame to flame.

[furnaceface]

//Ugh, I hate feelings,// Jono mumbled, leaning along with the tug. The barest bones of that curiosity reached him as well, and his eyes flickered open to regard Hannibal quietly. //... Did you want to stay unwrapped for a while longer?//

[sharp_as_knives]

//Only if you're willing to do the same,// Hannibal answered. //Aren't you curious?//

[furnaceface]

Jono was quiet for a full ten seconds before he nodded, just the slightest bit.

//I would be lying if I said I wasn't,// he admitted, setting his spare roll of wrappings to the side, and then reaching up to start pulling his own out of the way. //I can't... I mean, it's always oddly... intimate... when you touch the fire. Just with your hand. With... with more psionic flame, though...?//

Those were all certainly words there, Jon.

[sharp_as_knives]

They were definitely words, yes. Hannibal sent him a bit of his own curiosity and amused affection. He reached out with one hand to help Jono, and tugged the other toward his own flame.

[furnaceface]

Jono didn't really gasp, obviously, when Hannibal pulled him closer. Of course, he hardly needed to. If Hannibal's fingers in the fire had been oddly intimate before, having the physical manifestation of their respective psionic entities twisting together like two candle flames combining was altogether indescribable. There was a split moment where Jonothon was fairly certain he could tell where his mind ended and Hannibal's began, and then a moment still where everything was melting walls and crumbling sandcastles, and his arms wrapped around Hannibal in a desperate bid to keep him close push him away closer too much he had no idea, but it wasn't bad at all.

//Warm.//

For somebody who was so used to feeling so cold, 'warm' was possibly not the most accurate word for this, but it was the closest he'd felt in a while.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal's wish might have given him the knowledge and level of control Jono had, but it couldn't prepare him for something Jono himself hadn't known about. It was overwhelming; warm, yes, but a bit like drowning. Hannibal was contained by habit and necessity, and the thought of being known was both intoxicating and frightening. He'd tried with Will, albeit in a much less immediate way, and still smarted from the memory.

He did his best to keep up some walls - for his own protection and for Jono's, and if he projected the second half of that a bit more, he could hardly be blamed, could he? - while being as free with surface thoughts and sensations as he could.