The apartment over the Groovy Tunes, Saturday evening

[sharp_as_knives]

After last night, Hannibal had returned home, shaved and bathed, and enjoyed a relaxing day as himself. Beethoven was still enjoying the heat lamp, moreso now that Joni had headed home along with Jono, who'd had his own neglected apartment, mail, and so forth to return to.

They'd made plans for the evening, however, so Hannibal had eaten, picked up a bottle of beer to share as usual, and put a small leather pouch in his pocket, as definitely unusual. He'd changed from the buckled pants and t-shirt but was still dressed casually this evening, in a light blue cashmere sweater and his designer jeans. He had no illusions Jono wouldn't see the attempt for what it was, but with any luck it would still relax him subconsciously.

Hannibal didn't really get nervous, as such, but he was just a touch hyperaware and concerned about how things would go. Oh, he'd manage either way, but one was certainly preferable.

He knocked politely at the door at the same time as he thought loudly, Knock, knock.



[OOC: For the one behind the door, and specifics OH SO VERY NFB. Also NFI, but OOC welcome!]
[WARNING: Mentions of murder and child abuse]

Comments

[furnaceface]

//You know,// Jono mused as he opened the door, nodding and stepping aside for Hannibal to come inside, //your knocking habits are probably my favourite on the island. No chance I'll miss you when you come to call.//

Because his ears worked just fine, as did his telepathy! Jono did take a moment to take in the casual dress, tilting his head thoughtfully at it before shrugging and leading him upstairs to his room. Of course he had the entire building wired for sound, but he could play whatever music he wanted to in his room and not have to worry about bothering Squall and Rinoa, and so that was where they were headed.

... He'd cleaned somewhat, for once.

//How've you been? You're looking cozy today.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"It seemed a day for it," Hannibal answered. "I've been quite well; it's good to be human again, if only for the self-regulatory temperature. And you?" He eyed the somewhat-cleaned room and smirked a bit. "Productive, for one."

[furnaceface]

//Productive,// Jono agreed, scratching at the back of his neck. //Everything's been a bit itchy lately - er, telepathically - so I thought I might do some extra cleaning. Especially since I was expecting company, and all.//

Not that Hannibal hadn't ever seen Jonothon's mess, granted, but he enjoyed these music sharing sessions and Hannibal's company both, and thought that cleaning up some would at least be a nice gesture. His music magazines had found their way onto a shelf! The guitar paraphernalia was mostly contained off to the side of the room! The boxes upon boxes full of CDs and vinyl were.... sort of stacked. Ish.

It was more impressive than it sounded, considering how much music Jono actually had.

//Make yourself at home. Can I get you anything?//

[sharp_as_knives]

And Hannibal appreciated the effort! It was a lovely gesture.

"A glass and bottle opener, if you'd like," he said, hefting the beer. He sat on Jono's bed, leaning against the wall, but left his shoes on. Just in case.

[furnaceface]

Jono was taking note of the shoes, too. He spared them a brief, curious glance, and then shrugged and walked over to his nightstand, where a glass and a bottle opener were already waiting, in among the rest of his bric-a-brac.

He'd tidied. That didn't mean the room was spotless.

//Lookit that,// he teased, //it's like I was expecting you or something.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"I can't imagine why," Hannibal teased right back. "You'd think we had plans or something." Maybe he was becoming predictable?

Probably not entirely.

[furnaceface]

Not completely, no. Jono passed him the bottle opener, glass in hand.

//You would think,// he agreed. //Though you've got me wondering...//

He nodded toward Hannibal's feet.

//Dressed to stay but ready to leave. Either you're waiting for me to take those off for you, or something's up.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Perhaps both," Hannibal said. He took the bottle opener and opened the beer. "You're welcome to take them off if you still want me to stay in a few minutes."

He handed Jono the bottle.

[furnaceface]

Jono's brow furrowed a little. He wasn't completely certain what to make of that, but he poured the glass full of beer, and then offered it back to Hannibal, raising an eyebrow as he did so.

//Sounds like something I might want to sit down for,// he observed. //Having second thoughts?//

Jonothon, you had no idea.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I make it a habit of having second and third and fourth thoughts about everything," Hannibal answered, smiling as he took the glass. He swirled it, inhaled the scent, and took a sip.

"However, if I weren't very serious, I wouldn't be doing this." He took the leather pouch from his breast pocket. "I am more concerned about second thoughts you may have."

[furnaceface]

Jono gave the pouch a curious look, but shook it off and took a seat on the edge of his bed all the same.

//I haven't had any of those so far,// he noted, warily. //What've you got there that you're so convinced is going to make me have them?//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal handed it to him. Then got up to pace. It used up some of his energy, and kept him on his feet, just in case.

He took a sip of the beer, too, automatically sharing the taste. A slight distraction might be welcome.

[furnaceface]

Jono closed his eyes for a moment, appreciating the flavour even as he contemplated how heavy the little pouch felt in his hand. Joni had toys that weighed more, easily. But not much in the world seemed to have as much gravity as this did, now.

Without speaking a word, he opened the pouch and emptied the contents into a waiting hand. And if he had breath, it would've been stolen away by the dull stone that was left sitting in his palm. It was set in a manner common to the Jewels of Kaeleer's Blood, and while it still had the faintest echo of what looked to be the Rose, it was... dull. Shattered. Any power, any life that used to be held within it was gone.

//Whose...?//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal turned to face him, hands in his pockets. He was, not coincidentally, between Jono and the door.

"Whose do you think it is?"

[furnaceface]

Jono's fingers curled around the stone, and a chill ran along his spine. He wanted to throw the stone, wanted to stuff it back into the pouch and shove it back at Hannibal and pretend he'd seen nothing at all. Wanted to...

To something. He wasn't sure what.

//They found another one,// he said, carefully. //Last week. Another one of the buyers. His Jewel was missing. His killer had painted him across the walls, and then had taken a souvenir.//

He might not be in Karla's Court anymore, but nobody could stop the people who had been working under him from writing to ask him for advice, now that he was technically no longer on the case.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Hardly a souvenir," Hannibal said. "But I thought physical proof would be a good idea. And for the record," he corrected evenly, "he painted himself across the walls. With every bit as much enthusiasm as he showed when he violated those children."

[furnaceface]

//You told him to.// Jono's voice was strangely hollow as he turned the stone over in his hand. //'Would you kindly?'//

Not for the first time, Jonothon found himself wishing he could be ill.

//His sentence would've been death anyway. You had him carry it out himself.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"I thought it most appropriate," Hannibal answered, the tiniest touch of coldness creeping into his voice. "He did everything to himself that he had done or wanted to do to the children. The ultimate in poetic justice." Albeit Hannibal had directed the artistry.

[furnaceface]

Jono nodded a little, looking and feeling more tired than he had in a long while.

//I've done that before,// he noted, carefully. //Sent a man away to get himself killed. Planted a thought in his head and walked away. He was probably torn apart because of something he admitted to because of a compulsion I gave him. Sick bastard who handed little girls off into their own personal hell. I don't regret it.//

He carefully tucked the Jewel back into the little leather pouch, and held it back out to Hannibal.

//Would do it again.//

He closed his eyes.

//Might've done the same to these people you've been killing, too. Just... I'm... surprised it was you.//

To say the least.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal shook his head. "I don't need that; do as you like with it. I only took it because I feared that you wouldn't believe me otherwise. I didn't want to have to do this more than once."

He was relaxing a bit now that Jono hadn't immediately attacked him, but hadn't entirely left the vicinity of the door yet.

[furnaceface]

Jono looked back down at the pouch, and then, shrugging his shoulders, tossed it onto the nightstand. He'd figure out what to do with the cold dead thing later. It wasn't a trophy. Wasn't something he wanted in his bedroom, in his home. He was repulsed by it, and wasn't completely certain himself if that was because of who it used to belong to, or how he felt about the person who had given it to him.

//... Why are you telling me this now?//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal was silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "When we started becoming friends, Karla advised me not to tell you. But when it became a relationship...you deserve to know." He sighed. "And frankly, I wanted you to know. I might have said something sooner if it weren't for...prior bad experiences." To put it mildly. "I intended to tell you last week." And then he'd spent it as a cobra, thank you, Fandom.

[furnaceface]

Fandom was super helpful that way, wasn't she?

//You gave him your trust,// Jono replied, softly. //The wall, whenever we're bouncing around inside of one another's heads. The thing I don't get to see.//

It was this. It was possibly more. Who knew?

//I... I have to confess, I don't entirely know what to make of this. Why Karla would make you keep the secret. Quite how I feel about... about the art of it all. I'm not in a position to throw stones over murder. I get the feeling that you'd have to work a long time to catch up to me, even if this is something you've been doing since long before you ever knew of Glacia. But it's... a paradigm shift, I suppose. You were always dangerous. I could tell that without even trying. But... you hide the rest well.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Yes." It answered so much of what he'd said. "I have years of experience in hiding, and a very good knowledge of the human mind. And I promise you as I did when the island made us tell the truth - I have lied only by omission. I've told you nothing, shown you nothing, that isn't true of me."

He looked away, then back. "I understand that any such revelation may take time to process. But may I ask you a question?"

[furnaceface]

Jono closed his eyes for a few seconds, and then he nodded. He had so many more questions, himself. He wasn't sure how to ask any of them.

Might as well answer Hannibal's, instead.

//Of course.//