Hannibal (or someone's) house, Saturday morning

[sharp_as_knives]

Tristan stirred and his subconscious registered a soft surface under him. He woke, his hand going to his knife, but there didn't seem to be any immediate danger. He was in a very soft...bed?

He frowned. It was warm, and soft, and there was firelight at his back, but where was he?

Comments

[furnaceface]

Well, Jono really only had experience cooking for a very pregnant Karla in the last while. He had no idea how much food to make for a perfect stranger, and his own appetite while he'd been massive and blue probably wasn't a good indicator, either. So...

He was kind of winging it, here. And trying not to side-eye Tristan for licking off his fingers. That cat licked her own bottom with the tongue that had just been licking those hands, Tristan.

//It shouldn't be too long,// Jono offered, giving the onions a stir. //The potatoes take the longest, generally.//

... Given that Tristan was licking raw meat from his fingers, Jono wasn't going to bother asking how he took his steak, either. He didn't imagine the man was terribly fussy in that regard.

[sharp_as_knives]

Tristan fed himself and his hawk the same meat at times, so...no, not terribly fussy. How cooked he liked his meat largely depended on how hot the fire was and how hungry he was.

"Bene olet."

[furnaceface]

Jono nodded a little.

//I'm kind of jealous,// he admitted, prodding at the potatoes a bit. //My partner does all the cooking, generally. But he does all of the eating, too.//

And it was easier to ignore that he wasn't actually putting the food into his mouth if he wasn't the one cooking it. Especially since if he was cooking it, he got to make it the way he liked it. He glanced Tristan's way, and then decided to clarify, //I can't eat. This'll all be for you.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Tristan raised his eyebrows, but he supposed that made sense. Part of the curse, presumably. "Tua socias?"

[furnaceface]

//Hannibal,// Jono replied, nodding faintly. And then pausing before clarifying. //He owns the house. But he's... er... out for the weekend.//

That, like the curse thing, seemed like the easiest way to explain that one away.

[sharp_as_knives]

Tristan just accepted that at face value and leaned in to pick an onion out of the pan.

[furnaceface]

//Careful, it's hot,// Jono cautioned, but let Tristan do as he pleased otherwise. It wasn't like he was going to be eating those onions as well, after all. He was maybe a little more lax about kitchen safety today than he had been the other weekend, as a kid.

It really was remarkable the things he couldn't be bothered to care about after a few long, nonconsecutive years spent without a mouth.

//And the rest is nearly ready anyway.// He tipped the eggs onto a plate, and tossed the toast on there, too. //This'll tide you over until the meat and potatoes are done.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Gratias," Tristan said, reaching for the toast and using it to scoop the rest up with. It was good, and he nodded his approval.

[furnaceface]

//You're welcome,// Jono replied, settling back to lean against the counter while he wanted for the rest of the food to finish. //When you get hungry again, let me know. I don't actually mind doing the cooking, and the kitchen can be a bit confusing for people who don't know their way around it.//

Jono was from what was more or less the present, and he didn't know the function of half the things Hannibal kept in the cupboards.

[sharp_as_knives]

Tristan snorted. There wasn't even a fire pit or spit in this kitchen! Jono was welcome to do the work.

He wasn't saying as much, though. He was too busy eating.

[furnaceface]

See? Confusing! And Jono wasn't going to direct Tristan to the grill in the back. He wanted to get through this weekend without burning down the house, if at all possible.

//Actually, if there's anything at all you need, just let me know. Odds are, I'll be able to get my hands on most of it.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Arcus?" Tristan asked in between bites. Did Jono have a bow this time? One that wasn't dusty?

[furnaceface]

A little smile creased Jono's cheeks, right by his eyes.

//I've been keeping better care of it since the last time you've been about,// Jono assured him. //Just try to refrain from shooting the big pink birds on the front lawn. Hannibal likes those more than he lets on, I think.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"No shooting pink birds," Tristan agreed. If those were the exclusive property of whichever lord owned this place, he'd make do with other things.

[furnaceface]

//Excellent.// Jono served out the rest of the food-- the potatoes seemed done, and the steak was a little more well-done than medium rare, but he figured Tristan wasn't going to nitpick too terribly. //Then while you eat, I'll bring out my bow for you. The preserve isn't a bad place to go if you're interested in looking around the woods. I can show you the way when you're done eating.//

It seemed... slightly less illegal than shooting arrows off in the backyard.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Preserve?" Welcome to an unknown concept.

[furnaceface]

//Ah...// Hooboy. //An area of wilderness that people aren't allowed to build in. To keep from using up everything there...//

Explaining conservation to somebody who had no cause to know about it was going to be fun.

[sharp_as_knives]

"...Using up?" Tristan asked. "The land?"

[furnaceface]

//The land, the trees, the wildlife. Humanity is... not terribly great at respecting the world around them, once they find ways to exploit it with minimal effort.//

Jono shrugged faintly.

//The planet is something that can be used up. Where you're from, that's not even really a consideration, yet. Here and now... that's something that people are trying to pretend they can't see, plain as day.//

He handed Tristan the next plate, with the rest of the food on it.

[sharp_as_knives]

Use up the world? How could that even begin to happen?

Tristan just shook his head, took the plate of food, and started eating. It seemed easier than trying to figure out things like that.

[furnaceface]

Probably the sanest course of action, really.

//Here, while you do that, I'll go get my bow.//

That, too, seemed... well... sane. More or less. Best to keep the man occupied and fed, right? Even if it was occupied with a weapon. Oops.

[sharp_as_knives]

Tristan was wonderful with a bow! He defied the laws of physics with it!

He nodded and set to on the food.