Hannibal's house, Friday evening

[sharp_as_knives]

The bouquet was lovely - dark red roses, glossy dark leaves. Classy, yet sedate. He rather thought Bella would have appreciated them.

He wasn't entirely certain if Jack would, but his duty as a friend hardly ceased simply because they'd had an altercation.

He pulled out a sheet of good cream stationery and pondered what to say. To be eloquent, or simple?



[OOC: For the one who TOTALLY DOESN'T REALLY LIVE HERE, HONEST. And open to phone calls, texts, etc.]

Comments

[furnaceface]

Jono believed that, sure. And maybe he'd ask about that bridge Hannibal had to sell, too.

//I'd say I appreciate that, but generally your ideal of 'take advantage' these days seems to involve making me enjoy myself even more.// A beat. //Which is purely nefarious. Absolutely.//

[sharp_as_knives]

It was better than his idea of "take advantage" with people he didn't respect!

"In that case, I promise to take advantage," Hannibal said, equally solemnly. He tucked the envelope into the roses. And since there didn't seem much point now in calling ahead, picked up the flowers and nodded toward the door. "Shall we?"

[furnaceface]

//Let's,// Jono agreed, heading over to open the door. //Need me to take anything?//

... Not that there was much to take, admittedly.

[sharp_as_knives]

"No, thank you." Hannibal followed him. "So long as Joni doesn't try to sneak out." Beethoven rarely tried; he knew he had it good, and was too old to be very curious.

[furnaceface]

//I'll keep a foot in the doorway, then,// Jono decided, giving a quick glance around for any tiny black-and-white streaks of lightning who knew what 'going outside' looked like. //I suppose I could just tuck her away into my pocket. I haven't done that in a while. But I don't know if it'd be a good idea if there's liable to be a crowd.//

'Trampled' was not a good look on kitties.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Which there is." It was really not a good look, no. Hannibal kept an eye out, too, as he slipped out. And gave the flamingos a stern look, lest they think that the flowers were food.

[furnaceface]

They managed to get the door without alerting the fluffball, at least. And the trip to the Portalocity station was uneventful as well, if somewhat more rainbowy than usual. Really, the trip to D.C. was just as uneventful, to Jonothon's eternal bafflement.

//I still don't get it,// he mused as they stepped through the portal. //Are you bribing them somehow? I won't tell your secret, I promise.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal laughed. "I treat them politely and order the portals. I have no idea why they would treat me any differently," he confessed. "Where shall we go first?"

[furnaceface]

Jono gave a bemused little shake of his head.

//Seems like most people are...// He paused a moment. //That way. Something about lights, I think?//

[sharp_as_knives]

"That way it is." There were any number of people about, most of them as uninteresting as the majority of people anywhere, but there was a decided mood of excitement that promised a bit more interest.

[furnaceface]

And Jono was already very much picking up on the mood as they walked, a bit of a spring kicking into his step the closer they got.

//Right, so, even if we can't get to whatever it is through the crowd, I'm glad we came here,// he decided. //Hell, I've never felt so many people this happy in...//

...

//I'll need to think.//

Ever? Probably ever.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smirked. Not all of the people were happy, of course - and he mentally tagged those who weren't, in case they made a fuss and were rude - but Jono's mood was amusing, and it was quite a festive atmosphere. He checked the street signs as they walked. "The White House, perhaps?"

[furnaceface]

Oh, even Jono noticed those who weren't happy. He was half expecting to see signs complaining about the blight that was the dirty mutie scattered in and around the crowd.

Right. Wrong brand of bigot. Though there was almost certainly some crossover between the two.

In any case, compared to the rest, they were just background noise. Jono wasn't here to pay attention to their ilk, and if they did become a problem, he was more than equipped to make them stop.

//It is that way, isn't it?// He didn't just bounce on his toes in anticipation, no. You were almost certainly completely mistaken. //That's a good sign, right? Happy people. White House?//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Certainly a good sign for the government in charge," Hannibal answered. "And for the happy people." And for the vendors of anything rainbow.

[furnaceface]

Which Jono was already starting to notice coming out in spades. He didn't even know half of the things being sold even came in rainbow.

//... Very happy people,// he agreed, side-eyeing one such vendor. //I think I might give the celebratory rainbow suspenders a pass, though.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Thank you," Hannibal answered, dry but serious. "And I'm fairly certain the island has more than enough glitter."

[furnaceface]

//Suppose I could pick up a flag, though,// Jono added, deciding to bypass the glitter completely, himself. //Seems a bit like the thing to do right now, doesn't it?//

Most people were wearing rainbows. Jonothon was in head-to-toe black. He felt weirdly more conspicuous than usual.

[sharp_as_knives]

"You could," Hannibal agreed. They seemed tacky in the extreme, but if Jono felt he needed one... "What would you do with it?"

[furnaceface]

//Probably just wave it around a lot,// Jono decided, his tone a little brighter than it had been even a few minutes ago. //I'm not going to resort to wearing it like a cape or anything, but showing support's always good, right?//

Said the guy who still hadn't really paused to consider that those rainbow stripes kind of applied to him these days, too. Jono maybe hadn't spent much time trying to put his sexuality into boxes, lately.

It was kind of a fluid thing, admittedly.

[sharp_as_knives]

Boxes were dull and limiting. Sexuality, art, morals - Hannibal loathed boxing things in.

So, if this were going to make Jono happy and not interfere with any plans of his... He waved a hand. "Why not?"

You weren't flying it at home, Jono. There wasn't a flagpole, and Hannibal wasn't installing one.

[furnaceface]

That was fine. He'd pin it up inside Groovy Tunes instead. Or the Boards. Jonothon was not actually hurting for places to fly a pride flag.

//Why not,// Jono agreed, wearing one of those silly happy faces that he wore only occasionally. Was he just flat-out letting the ambient mood get to him? Absolutely. And was he a little bit joy-drunk already?

Maybe a touch.

... Was he reaching to take Hannibal's hand on his way to the nearest vendor?

Well, yes. There was also that, too.

[sharp_as_knives]

Well, Hannibal had wanted to see this. So he was letting his hand be held and smirking a little as they headed over. If nothing else, maybe this would teach Jono how much more fun it was to be happy.

[furnaceface]

Fortunately, Jono understood that happy was fun! He was just... also stubborn, and admitting that he understood as much was a difficult proposition.

At least the happy-drunk didn't push him so far that he forgot that his voice would probably go over poorly in most versions of the world. And the necessary miming and gesturing to indicate that he wanted a flag wasn't frustrating in the least, for once.

It really was a pleasant change of pace. But good luck getting him to admit to that.

//See, flag!//

... Yes, Jono. Yes it was.

[sharp_as_knives]

"So I see." Hannibal nodded gravely at the flag. "Very gaudy festive."

[furnaceface]

Jono was just smirking at you now, Hannibal. He knew you well enough, at least, to know just what you were probably thinking, after all.

//Oh, c'mon. Rainbows are lovely,// he decided, leaning sideways to bump his shoulder against Hannibal's before picking up the pace somewhat to see what was going on at the White House.

This was what you got when you encouraged a happiness high. Remember this.