Post-Parents' Weekend destresser, Monday evening

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal and Jono had both sent out e-mail to everyone they knew on the island, as well as posted in the school's boards, and everybody was invited. After this weekend, some of them seemed like they would need it.

Hannibal had a very well-stocked bar and wine cellar, there were darts and billiards and a card table downstairs as well as a media room, a music room and library on the first floor, outside decks on both if you didn't mind the flamingos, and of course, food.

Pork tenderloin crostini with cranberry pepper jelly
Pumpkin carrot soup shooters with coconut cream
Prosciutto, mango, and parmesan salad
Sweet potato ravioli with lemon sage brown butter
Mini beef wellingtons
Beef tenderloin with garlic and merlot jam
Chocolate and peanut ganache tartelettes
Chocolate orange mousse, spiced fruit brioche and yoghurt sorbet
Raspberry sorbet



[Open post! Everybody invited.]

Comments

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//Hello, luv,// Jono greeted, scooping Joni up in one hand before she could make a dart out the door. That was going to be the theme for the night, apparently. //Survived the weekend, I see? How're you holding up now?//

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"Awww, hi, Joni," Didi said, reaching down to scruff the cat's forehead. "I did. And thanks for being so nice with my dad. I know he can be a little..."

That sentence ended in a very expressive eyeroll.

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//As far as I understand it, all fathers are generally a little,// and Jono managed to copy that eyeroll rather well, there. //I think it's how they show they care. He wasn't unwelcome company, at any rate. You have met some of the people I've spent my time with over the years, haven't you?//

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"Yeah, but none of them were your relatives," Didi said. "I figure relatives get an extra layer of apologies."

She sipped at her wine. "He hasn't visited since -- god, I can't even remember the last time. I visit him very so often, and usually he says I only visit when I want something, and then I get to feel guilty about whatever it is I do want. Funny how I never really got over all of that."

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//Can be a hard feeling to shake, that guilt,// Jono allowed, nodding in understanding. Guilt, at least, he could comprehend. //I'm sorry, luv. What I know about relatives...//

He waved a hand around a little.

//You've probably got far more experience than I do in that department. Was he just here checking on you, then? Missed his daughter and wanted to make certain she was doing well? Or did he want something?//

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"You don't really ask my parents why," Didi said, wrinkling her nose in thought. "You just kind of react to ... whatever it is they're up to. I think your guess is about right, though. Mostly the checking in part."

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//I didn't at any point get the impression that he didn't care for you,// Jono offered. //For all that he's... you know. Time... Mostly I just wanted to make a good impression because he's your father.//

Not that they were dating or anything these days, no. But Didi still meant very much to him, and Jono would've hated to end that visit on a note that was anywhere near as strained as the one that he and Morpheus had managed.

//At least the island lets us tackle these things in relatively small doses?//

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

To be fair, Morpheus was a prig even for an immortal personification of an abstract concept.

"He does care -- they both do, in their way -- and I appreciated that you went out of your way for him," Didi said, smiling. "Where did you even find matching teacups? I kind of had this vision of you sneaking out to buy them."

RE: Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//Once upon a time, Hannibal took one look at my kitchen and was terribly scandalized,// Jono explained, amused. //We weren't even seeing one another yet. He just spent enough time feeding people there that he took... steps.//

Re: Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

Didi laughed into the back of her hand. "Good thing he's never looked in my kitchen. I'm not sure Tamsin realizes you can buy silverware instead of using the plastic kind that comes with take-out, and I just grabbed the cutest stuff at the thrift store."

Her mug had meta Alf on it, and none of her forks matched.

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

So, it wasn't all that far off from how Jono's kitchen had been!

All stocked up during that awkward period back when he still had a mouth, and didn't really feel comfortable using it in front of people.

Hooboy.

//Well, if it makes you happy,// Jono replied. //He's got his own kitchen on the island now, at any rate. I can't imagine he'll cook in somebody else's unless he absolutely has to, now.//

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"I get by with it," Didi confirmed. "It's not like I'm trying to turn out five-course gourmet meals. I can imagine what he does takes all kinds of special equipment."

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//I know I wouldn't be able to get a positive I.D. on half of what he keeps in his cupboards,// Jono confirmed, amused. //Not certain if that means much beyond 'Jono doesn't cook often,' but I used to think the purpose of most kitchen implements was fairly intuitive.//

Oh, how wrong he had been.

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"Maybe it's educated intuition," Didi suggested. "All golf clubs look about the same to me too, but I hear there are pretty big differences there."

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//That... is probably it,// Jono replied, nodding faintly. //Of course, I'm not the one to go pointing out what those differences are, either. Mostly when I see them, I wonder if I should carry one around for aggressive self-defense purposes.//

As if he needed a golf club for that.

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"I hear that's why so few people get mugged on golf courses," Didi said, ever so seriously. "Everybody's got a nice weapon at their fingertips."

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//Really, it's a wonder you don't hear of more crazed looting sprees on the fourth green,// Jono mused. //Violent tee muggings. People stealing golf balls by the pail and then hot-wiring one of the carts to use as a getaway vehicle.//

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"... is it just me, or does that sound like kind of an amazing date?" Didi wondered aloud. "You might need to suggest that one to Hannibal."

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

Jono's face was doing that thing. That thoroughly amused squinty thing he did when he was trying not to be too obvious about the fact that he was picturing it and failing miserably.

//... Don't tempt me, Didi. I'm already trying to figure out how I would even frame a suggestion like that.//

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"'Oi, luv, how would you feel about a country club crime spree' might work," Didi said -- the first bit in a more-than-passable imitation of Jono's accent. "You could even lift a bottle of champagne before you started, just to add to the delinquency."

The mental image was making her want to laugh pretty hard, too.

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

Mostly, Jono was just trying to picture himself referring to Hannibal as 'luv.'

He suspected the day he did that would be the day they both did a double-take.

//You know, I might be able to sell it with the champagne,// he mused. //Adds a classier air to the whole thing, doesn't it? Sets the mood.//

And that mood was apparently 'slightly tipsy golf crime.'

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

Well, what would have been better? 'Hannie'? 'Sweetheart'? '<Pookie'? Dr. Lecter did not exactly invite pet names, at least not in Didi's imagination. "With the champagne it's a caper," she agreed, nodding. "Without it, it lacks that certain éclat."

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

Jono generally just went with his usual casual 'mate.' Or 'Hannibal.' Because, really, Hannibal absolutely did not invite pet names.

... Though he had come up with a few for Jono, once upon a time. They'd been (mercifully) short lived.

//Without it, it's less 'a caper' and more 'shenanigans,' I think,// Jono decided. //I could probably talk Hannibal into a caper, but he's really not the shenanigans type.//

Re: Arrive!

[living_endless]

"Well, naturally," Didi said, a giggle in her voice. "You can't get up to shenanigans if you've been to medical school. It's in the Hippocratic oath."

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

//Somewhere between the part about making balloons out of rubber gloves and that bit they nestled in there about how stethoscopes must always be startlingly cold?//

It was possible Jono was paraphrasing the oath slightly.