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!

[that_oldsaying]

She let him.

It wasn't like holding her hands was going to do anything to stop her, if she didn't like it.

Nanika's head remained tilted.

"When?" she asked, her voice somehow younger and older than Alluka's at the same time. "When, when, when?"

Re: Arrive!

[sharp_as_knives]

"Whenever you like," Hannibal answered, pleased to have gotten even this much of a reaction. "As often as you like, if Alluka doesn't mind."

Re: Arrive!

[that_oldsaying]

Nanika blinked at him, a frown drawing her eyebrows closer to each other.

"When?" she asked insistently. "When, when, when?"

Re: Arrive!

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal made a moue of frustration, then shrugged. "Why not now? Stay here for a while and talk to me, and I'll make you hot chocolate if you like, and Alluka's later."

Re: Arrive!

[that_oldsaying]

Nanika considered him for a long moment.

Then she said, simply, but with the sort of finality that could end a world:

"Okay."

There. Wish granted.

She shook her head and peered around curiously. Her eyes and mouth were still black pits of emptiness.

Re: Arrive!

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled at her. "Do you like hot chocolate, Nanika?"

Re: Arrive!

[that_oldsaying]

Nanika studied him curiously and then leaned over to peer at the marshmallows, much the same way that Alluka had done. She left Alluka's bunny on the ground though and the whisk too.

Neither of them interested her.

She pointed to one of the marshmallow jars and looked at him.

She wanted that one with her hot chocolate!

... Nanika was not much of a talker, generally speaking.

Re: Arrive!

[sharp_as_knives]

"That one it is." Hannibal smiled and brought the marshmallows closer so she could try them if she wanted. Then he leaned down to (finally) pick up the whisk. Instead of washing it, he set it in the sink and took another out, then held it out to Nanika. "Would you like to help? Or would you rather I do it?"

Re: Arrive!

[furnaceface]

Jono, finally, was starting to relax a little, wending his way into the kitchen from where he'd been anxiously standing in the doorway.

This... wasn't so bad, so far as wishes went. Hot chocolate with a little girl, however powerful she happened to be. Time spent getting to know that other child, the one that hid behind Alluka's smiling face more often than not.

Jono didn't speak, not just yet, but he did pause to give Hannibal a glance that was somewhere between curiousness and approval before stooping over to pick up Alluka's rabbit from the floor.

Re: Arrive!

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka would appreciate that a lot, Jono.

Nanika went up on tiptoes to peer into the jar before carefully selecting a marshmallow and examined it from all sides before solemnly sticking the whole thing in her mouth.

She took another and reached out for the whisk Hannibal offered her.

She'd help!

Re: Arrive!

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal handed it to her and started the milk heating. "When this is warm, I'll start adding the chocolate. You stir."

Re: Arrive!

[that_oldsaying]

She took the whisk and watched what he did intently as she chewed on her marshmallows.

When she was done that, she looked between him and the pot.

Re: Arrive!

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled and stroked her hair, then started shaving the chocolate into the milk. "Stir gently; it will melt together, watch." It probably wouldn't be the best-whisked chocolate ever, but that wasn't the point at the moment.

Re: Arrive!

[that_oldsaying]

Nanika gave a sort of shiver-twitch as he petted her, but it didn't bother her so she just glanced at him and then back at the pot.

Because he'd told her to, she awkwardly tried the whole stirring thing. Nanika was terrible at it, but it was interesting.

She stopped to peer into the pot.

Re: Arrive!

[sharp_as_knives]

It definitely wouldn't be the best-whisked chocolate ever, no. But as Hannibal shaved a bit more in, it was starting to look at least like an uneven chocolate milk.

Hannibal reached for her hand and gave her a look of polite question. "May I show you?"