Baltimore, Wednesday night

[sharp_as_knives]

This had been a close runner-up when they'd been women; now that showing off was (slightly) less of a priority and they weren't looking for trouble, it was in the front by a bit.

So, here they were at this converted church that promised lovely wooden dance floors (which was an advantage) and no rude people (which was only a slight pity).

Hannibal grinned at Jono and held out his hand. "Shall we?"


[NFB due to distance, unless the squirrels hitched a lift to go swing dancing. I won't judge!]

Comments

[furnaceface]

//Can't think of any good reason why not,// Jono answered, keeping his voice between the two of them alone and smiling at the corners of his eyes as he reached for Hannibal's hand. //Unless we shouldn't be enjoying ourselves, though I can't imagine why that would be the case.//

A date, just the two of them, as themselves. It was... nice.

It was weirdly normal.

Jono was pretty sure he liked it.

[sharp_as_knives]

"No reason at all," Hannibal agreed. He pocketed the Bentley's keys and straightened the white vest on his vintage-styled suit. "Although hopefully with less violence than last time. I really am looking forward to dancing."

[furnaceface]

//I can't imagine we'll have to resort to violence tonight. Not here. Anyway, I'm wearing completely the wrong heels to make certain rat-bastards like that last one never manage to multiply, tonight.//

Jono's own black suit was... possibly in need of straightening, but honestly, if they were here to dance it was going to be shuffled about a bit anyway.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I suspect we would manage," Hannibal answered. He reached for the door and paused to wave another couple in; they simply nodded and thanked him, then the man caught the door for them in turn.

[furnaceface]

//If we had any reason to feel so inclined, I suppose we would,// Jono mused, nodding his thanks to the man holding the door in turn. //Looks like this is a somewhat more considerate crowd thus far, though.//

Consisting of two, yet. But Jono was going to try to think positive tonight.

[sharp_as_knives]

Careful, Jono - Hannibal would make an optimist of you yet!

It does seem to be, he thought back. He thanked the man himself, then joined the other couple in the short line to pay the cover. [And the suit covers more than the dress,] he signed, mostly to get in the mindset of remembering them.

[furnaceface]

//Most suits cover more than dresses do,// Jono pointed out, watching Hannibal sign, and then... clumsily attempting some signing in turn. If anybody called him on how terrible he was at it, at least they could plead the 'relatively new at this,' angle. //Really, if we get people gawking at us tonight, I doubt it'll be because of how much leg we're showing, anyway.//

It wasn't necessarily their legs that got them all of that attention the last time they had gone dancing either, granted.

[sharp_as_knives]

Well, the legs hadn't hurt.

"Probably not," Hannibal agreed. "If we're showing much leg, we're doing something very wrong. Although," he added with a chuckle, "it has been some time since I danced this way, so there are no guarantees."

[furnaceface]

//If we end up losing that much while we dance tonight, I'll consider it a night well spent.//

He would, too. Because Jono had a funny idea of 'fun.'

[sharp_as_knives]

"An interesting night, at any rate." Because so did Hannibal.

They entered the main ballroom and he looked around; most of the crowd probably wouldn't show up until after the lesson portion of the evening, but even so, it was far from empty.

[furnaceface]

//Fancy place,// Jono mused, giving a look around. //Popular, too. Maybe it's a sign that the lessons are just that good?//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Hello!" A smiling, enthusiastic woman greeted them, holding out her hand. "You're new! Definitely in the right spirit, though." She nodded at their suits. "Here to learn?"

Hannibal shook her hand and nodded back. "It's been some time since I've danced swing. It couldn't hurt to have a refresher. Doctor Hannibal Lecter; this is my partner, Jono Starsmore."

[furnaceface]

Jono waited for Hannibal to finish shaking hands, and then nodded and reached to do the same. She certainly seemed pleasant enough, anyway.

//Well, she's sunshiney, isn't she?//

This was approval! Really it was!

And once he was finished his own handshake, he signed a sort of tentative [Hello,] too. Yes, it was a wave that started by his forehead. Some American sign language was fairly intuitive, fortunately.

[sharp_as_knives]

Very, Hannibal thought back.

"Oh, are you deaf?" the woman asked. She glanced at Hannibal for clarification, but to her credit spoke to Jono.

"Not deaf," Hannibal corrected. "But Jono's injuries preclude speaking."

[furnaceface]

Jono gave a little shrug of his shoulders, and then tilted his head toward Hannibal and nodded, a kind of 'what he said, sure,' that didn't actually require anybody in the room to know how to speak with their hands.

Jono could rock charades if need be, here.

He gestured to the wrappings over his mouth with one hand, and then shrugged again. What were you going to do, right?

[sharp_as_knives]

The woman's curiosity was apparent even to Hannibal, let alone Jono, but at least she didn't say anything, just nodding and waving them to a free spot on the floor. "Grab a piece of floor and hang out; we'll be starting in just a couple minutes, to wait for any stragglers."

She left them to greet the next person in, and Hannibal steered for the empty space she'd indicated. "Most enthusiastic," he murmured to Jono.

[furnaceface]

//But polite enough,// Jono mused, following along. //Curious, but who wouldn't be? At least she didn't ask what had happened.//

A beat.

//That would've been fun.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal gave him an innocent look. "Easy enough; you were injured in an explosion. Your subsequent appearance unfortunately left you very self-conscious."

[furnaceface]

//... That was entirely too easy for you,// Jono noted, giving Hannibal a raised eyebrow in reply. //Spot-on and entirely too easy.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"The easiest thing to say is the truth," Hannibal answered. "People's minds will fill in the rest."

[furnaceface]

Jono took a moment to picture 'the rest' in that particular scenario.

//... Christ, I'm lucky to have a face at all,// he decided, shaking his head a little. //Anyway, it's nobody's business, really, so it's for the best she didn't ask, I suppose.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Also true," Hannibal agreed. "And it speaks well to the tact of the people here."

[furnaceface]

//All three of them that we've met thus far?//

Jono even gave signing that one out a spirited attempt, too. He was far from fluent by any means, but he had been doing a bit of studying lately. He could kind of almost pretend he was conversational in it if nobody squinted.

//Still, I suppose nobody's really staring yet, either. They're here to dance.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"As are we." Hannibal watched the instructor as she headed toward the center of the floor and her partner. They demonstrated how to stand to start, and Hannibal took Jono's hand, letting him be the follower.

[furnaceface]

//Felt like leading tonight, hm?// Jono wasn't complaining, really. Just looking at Hannibal with amusement clear in his eyes as he followed along. //I feel as though I ought to get used to that.//