Portalocity, Sunday afternoon

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal often adored surprises. Especially for other people. All he'd told Jono was to dress in comfortable but presentable clothing, meet him at Portalocity, and be prepared for a day off the island.

And not to bring the banjo. Honestly, Jono.

"Ready?"


[OOC: NFB for distance once they leave, but that they went somewhere is fair game. Open for interaction before they go, why not?]

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[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled and hugged back. "You're welcome. Shall we go? There are children waiting."

[furnaceface]

Jono gave a nod that was a touch on the enthusiastic side, clinging a little more tightly for a moment before easing back again, trying not to look too overwhelmed as he nodded a yes.

//Let's,// he replied. //Let's do exactly that. And. And.//

God, he used to know how to communicate, he could have sworn it. The best he really had now was a wave of wordless appreciation, a glimmer of just how touched he really was as he reached for Hannibal's hand.

//Let's.//

Words.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "After you." He waved Jono toward the library.

[furnaceface]

Jono wasn't dragging Hannibal inside the way the little boy from earlier had been doing to his mother, no, but it was a near thing. Fortunately, Jono had at least a modicum of restraint hidden in there somewhere.

Which meant he was only half-bouncing anxiously from foot to foot once he was through the door.

It was going to be an excellent day.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal was more amused than anything; he steered them toward the main desk, where the charming girl directed them to the children's area. There were already a number of children milling about, including the boy that had passed them earlier, and they looked up at them hopefully.

The librarian for the area approached them, smiling. "You're Dr. Lecter and Mr. Starsmore?"

[furnaceface]

//Jonothon, please,// Jono replied, halfway just testing the waters as he stepped forward to offer the librarian a handshake. To his delight (which mostly just manifested itself by means of yet more enthusiasm to be here), nobody in the room so much as blinked. //Where do you need us?//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Just over here, please, Jonothon." She gave them a grateful look as she led them to a corner set up with two chairs. "Thank you both for coming; we get a lot of disadvantaged children here, and their parents don't often have time to volunteer."

She brought out a stack of books and set them on a small table next to the chairs. "These are some bilingual books to start you with; you probably won't get through them all this time." She laughed. "Be prepared for a lot of interruptions and questions, not all of them relevant." Because children. "¿Your Spanish is fluent, Dr. Lecter?"

"It is," Hannibal answered with a nod. "Though more peninsular than American, I'm afraid."

"So I hear," she said, grinning. "Don't worry; you'll manage, I'm sure. If either of you need anything, I'll be over there behind the desk. Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Maria. Can I get you anything else?"

[furnaceface]

Jono looked between Maria and Hannibal as they chatted in Spanish. He caught a few words here and there, mostly by virtue of having spent so much time with Angelo back when he was attending the Massachusetts Academy, but really didn't have a hope in hell of following along without mentally eavesdropping, and... no, not today.

//I think we'll be fine,// he decided, poking through the titles. Some counting books, some ghost stories - Jono recognized La Llorona, again, because of Angelo - and cuter, more whimsical things. The coyote one looked promising. The one about the happy poop had him doing a double take. At least the kids would get a kick out of it, he supposed. //Is there any particular order we should read these in? Or should we let the children decide which comes first?//

It was going to end up being the poop book, he just knew it.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Whichever you like," Maria said. "Readers' choice."She turned to gather the children, and Hannibal shuffled the books.

"She wanted to know how good my Spanish is," Hannibal explained. "It's more Spanish than Latin American, but that shouldn't be a problem. What about this one?" he suggested.

He was not reading the poop book first, Jono.

[furnaceface]

Jono gave the book a thoughtful once-over, and then he nodded his approval.

//Cuban folk-stories seem like an excellent starting point,// he decided.

Better than poop!

//Shall we get started, then?// He took a seat, and made a reach for a second copy of the same book, flipping over to the first page and giving it a once-over. //Are we... going to take turns reading on the same page?//

[sharp_as_knives]

"I think so, don't you?" Hannibal opened his book and waited for the children to settle. "It will be more conducive to developing their language skills."

[furnaceface]

//True enough,// Jono agreed, giving a little nod as he waited for the same. //And mine, perhaps. Always did mean to pick up a little Spanish. Beyond the sort of words Angelo typically used, that is.//

Angelo's Spanish was often not even remotely kid friendly.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I can imagine what that sort is," Hannibal said, amused.

And as the children mostly finished settling, he looked at Jono expectantly, letting him do the introductions.

[furnaceface]

//The colourful sort,// Jono replied, winking, before he looked out at the children, most of whom were giving them an expectant look as well. //Er...//

Still, nobody seemed to be freaking out, so he squared his shoulders and nodded to the little crowd that had gathered.

//Hello.// God, he was bad at this. //I'm Jono, and this is--// A pause. //Doctor Lecter?//

Was that what Hannibal wanted to be called? Jono shrugged. If Hannibal wanted the children to call him something else, he'd speak up, he was sure.

//And we'll be here to read to you through the summer.//

Which was about the tall and short of what Jono knew of the situation, thus far.

[sharp_as_knives]

That was the important part, anyway. "Hello," Hannibal said. "Hola. Who speaks Spanish?"

A few of the children raised their hands, and he beckoned them closer. "You can sit closer to me," he told them, mentally translating for Jono. "Jono will be reading in English, and I will be reading in Spanish."

[furnaceface]

//And it can't hurt for all of you to pay attention to both of us,// Jono said, nodding to the English speakers in the room. //Hopefully you'll learn something. I know I'm hoping to pick up a bit of Spanish while I'm here.//

Which he'd decided to do all of Just That Moment, since this whole thing had been something of a surprise.

[sharp_as_knives]

He was getting a bit of amusement from Hannibal over that, too. "Are you all ready?" he asked, then repeated it in Spanish.

[furnaceface]

Jono waited until all the kids had said their 'yes'es and had calmed down a little bit, and then he began to read.

And if he happened to slip into doing certain voices for certain characters... well... telepathy was excellent for that. And maybe he was showing off. A little.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal's voice might not be quite as flexible as Jono's, but different inflections and tones he could do. This wouldn't have been his idea of a fun time, but it wasn't unpleasant, and he never minded the opportunity to guide young minds.

[furnaceface]

And once the first book was done - after several interruptions from excited children who wanted to ask questions along the way - and the kids were clamouring for a second, Jono couldn't help but turn a look in Hannibal's direction.

//Pretty sure I'm addicted to this, mate. You've gone and created a monster.//

Just saying.

[sharp_as_knives]

"It's all a part of my nefarious plan," Hannibal answered. "To make you enjoy yourself."

[furnaceface]

//Ugh,// Jono replied, not all that disgusted, really, but the situation seemed to call for it. //Bloody dastardly.//

He held up a second book.

//Coyote, next?//

Look, it wasn't poop!

[sharp_as_knives]

"Why not?" At least it wasn't poop. Hannibal found a second copy of it and flipped to the first page of story.

[furnaceface]

Jono was going to try to get away with a lot on the grounds of 'not poop,' for as long as he possibly could. And he would use these nefarious powers to...

... Pick really cute looking children's books to read. How diabolical.

//Excellent. Well, then...// He looked back out at the kids. //Settle down and we'll start on the next one.//

[sharp_as_knives]

By the time they finished that one (and several more interruptions and explanations), Maria was signalling that their time was over, and Hannibal set the book aside and thanked the children, solemnly shaking one boy's hand before being all but tackled by a tiny girl with a huge smile.