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]

Small, but it was a definite start. A crack in the shark-thoughts that light could creep into. Light and dark thoughts working together, fighting back. Hannibal wondered how much of this would translate back into Jono's frame of mind; he headed back to the doorway where Jono had been watching.

[furnaceface]

Jono was eyeing Hannibal thoughtfully as he returned to the doorway, stepping aside to let him back into the room. The surroundings were a little more finished, now. There were posters on the walls, instruments on display. A few scattered albums on the shelves.

"I can count on the fingers of one hand the people in this world that I'd trust to do even a fraction of what you just did. And that's after some manner of horrible industrial accident," he noted, pursing his lips a little. "Huh."

[sharp_as_knives]

"In that case, I am honored," Hannibal said seriously. "I assumed that since you didn't stop me, it wasn't a problem." He rubbed Jono's arm. "Do you think it will help at all?"

[furnaceface]

"I suppose we'll have to wait and see," Jono replied, giving Hannibal a sardonic grin. "It feels better in the here and now. And I can probably make a few of those same connections again myself, if this wears off. I never would've thought to turn the... snake thoughts, the creeping, nagging ones, against the violent ones that way."

[sharp_as_knives]

"You have all the ammunition you need. You simply need to find it and make the best use of it," Hannibal said. "Those constant thoughts can be worse than the large ones sometimes. Make their persistence work for you."

He smiled and wrapped an arm around Jono. "I'm glad I could help. Thank you for trusting me."

[furnaceface]

Jono nodded and leaned up against Hannibal again, wrapping an arm around him in turn.

"You haven't betrayed that trust yet," he murmured. "That means a hell of a lot, I suppose."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Mistrust isn't always logical," Hannibal said. "I wouldn't hold it against you if you were much more wary." And it might be healthier, but that was beside the point. "I know you've had very bad experiences in the past, and those can color your responses regardless of a new person's actions."

[furnaceface]

"They can and do," Jono agreed, and... okay, he was kind of clinging. Both there in their minds and physically, where their flames were still twisting together. "Though I suppose... most of those violations haven't been from people I already trusted..."

That was probably the first time he'd acknowledged that.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I'm pleased to hear it," Hannibal answered, letting him cling. "Betrayals from those you trust can cut much deeper than others."

[furnaceface]

"They can," Jono muttered, hanging on tight. "And... it isn't that I haven't been betrayed before. I told you about some, before. But not... nobody's really stepped into my head and..."

He shrugged and pressed his face into Hannibal's shoulder.

"It's hard to trust in general. Harder still to trust people with my head, I suppose."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I don't trust easily myself," Hannibal murmured. As witness how tightly his own walls were up. "Though in my world, somebody doing something like this wouldn't be possible."

[furnaceface]

Jono nodded a little. He was aware of those walls, after all. He had his own, well beyond the thought-sharks. Hell, even a few of those were on the other side of those barriers.

"Seems like that's the case in a lot of realities," he allowed. And then he hesitated for a moment before tentatively venturing, "You sound like you know a bit about betrayal."

An observation. Not necessarily a question, even. Just... Making note.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Unfortunately so." Hannibal sighed. "What was it you said?" It took a moment, but he had a very good memory, and Jono's was right there as well. "Trust is a dangerous proposition. I'm still not certain I've forgiven him."

[furnaceface]

Jono was silent for a moment before leaning backward again, just enough to look Hannibal in the eye.

"He..." He furrowed his brow faintly, and then shook his head. "I won't ask you to talk about it, not if you don't want to."

Though he suspected he remembered the aftermath.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal stared at nothing for a moment, his hands stroking Jono's sides idly.

"I gave him my friendship. My trust. I let him see me as I am. I helped him, watched him grow and transform; he made me think that he wanted it, that he was becoming something beautiful. But he rejected it. Rejected me and his own truths, betraying us both."

[furnaceface]

Jono was silent, mulling on that for a minute, before he nodded, just a little.

"A dangerous proposition," he murmured. "I'm sorry. I can understand why that would be a terrible risk to take, after something like that. You don't have to crawl into somebody's head to hurt them, to be cruel."

He didn't know this other person. Knew that he existed, and that he'd hurt Hannibal. Couldn't begin to guess at what had gone on exactly, and didn't think that it was his place to do so.

But he could pull him into a proper hug. He knew that he was standing on the other side of Hannibal's walls, and he was going to respect that they were there. But he didn't think it was anything that would cause him to attack him the way this other man had.

[sharp_as_knives]

"You don't have to physically crawl into their head to be there, either." Hannibal sighed and held Jono. Even if Jono didn't yet know him as Will had, it was comforting to have this much.

He could only hope that this wouldn't turn on him as well.

[furnaceface]

"No," Jono agreed, holding Hannibal close. "No, I suppose I don't, do I?"

For the time being, he wasn't going anywhere. Jono tried not to presume anything about the future. He couldn't say, when it came to tomorrow.