Jukkasjärvi, Sweden

[sharp_as_knives]

After the party was over on Monday, Hannibal went home, did a bit of research, threw a lot of money around, and booked them a portal for the morning. Then he slept.

The next day, he smiled at Jono as they stepped through the portal. It was bright and cold and very, very far from Fandom. "I hope this will do."


[OOC: For the partner! NFB for distance unless the squirrels followed them.]

Comments

[sharp_as_knives]

Well, the hot drinks were something to warm Jono's hands, at any rate. And to share.

About that sleeping situation, though...well, they would be inside.

"If we get inside, they'll have warmer clothing," Hannibal said. "Thermal outer suits. Then we can get settled in and decide what to do without needing to hurry. No hurrying all week," he promised. "Unless you want them to wake us for the borealis; they have a special alarm for it."

[furnaceface]

Thermal outer suits? Well... Hannibal had mentioned that the hotel was cold. Now he was managing to pique Jono's curiosity even further.

//No hurrying all week,// Jono mused. //Really, I don't do much sleeping at night anyway. Either way... it's bloody cold out here. Let's get inside and warm up, then.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Let's," Hannibal agreed. He led the way, a bellhop in full winter gear coming to meet them and bring them through the doors, which were fur-wrapped with antler handles and let into the side of what looked like nothing more than a hill of ice, albeit with nicely carved ice windows in the side.

[furnaceface]

Jono followed along, wide-eyed, processing what it was they were looking at, here. And what they were looking at was... very nicely arranged ice.Very nicely arranged.

//I... what?//

Well, this explained the cold, then.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Välkommen till Icehotel!" their guide announced cheerfully. "Welcome to Icehotel." He led them to a lobby carved in intricate shapes of snow and ice, the front desk carved out of solid blocks and with an equally cheerful (and equally bundled-up) receptionist behind it.

"Thank you." Hannibal nodded to them both. "We have the Polarnatt suite. The name is Lecter."

The receptionist looked it up and nodded and smiled. "You do. Welcome, Doctor Lecter and Mister Starsmore, is it? Right this way."

[furnaceface]

//Polarnatt?// This, of course, was said to Hannibal alone with a questioning look, though Jono supposed he was about to find out, wasn't he? //Never a dull moment even when we're getting away from it all, is there?//

And that was said fondly. Jono really didn't seem to mind all that much.

[sharp_as_knives]

"It was this one or the room designed like the London Underground," Hannibal murmured back cheerfully. "I liked this one better."

Their new guide indicated various points of interest as they passed - the bar, carved and lit to seem as if it were underwater, the smooth-carved hallways and how much ice and snow - or "snice" - they contained, and one corner where an artist with a chisel and a soldering iron was still sculpting a bit of artwork.

Their room was behind an ice door with the consistency of frosted glass, the lights from the walls and under the bed lighting it well but indirectly. Their guide pointed out their thermal outfits on the bed, then smiled and left, and the bellhop did the same after leaving their things.

[furnaceface]

Which left Jono standing there, looking bemused.

//There's a bobcat staring at me.//

This was probably the last thing he would've guessed they'd be doing to get 'away from it all,' admittedly. But it was fairly awesome all the same.

//And the bed is made of ice. Hannibal, are we going to be sleeping on a bed that's made of ice?//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "The sleeping bags and furs make it quite warm, I've been assured. I did, however, reserve a warm room for the evening should we need it. If this proves too cold, we can switch for the rest of the week. A little less exotic, quite a bit warmer."

He pointed to the other side of the room. "And you're forgetting the wolves."

[furnaceface]

//The...// Jono blinked in the direction that Hannibal was pointing, and then projected something that was more or less a laugh. //Well, won't those be some handsome faces to wake up to first thing? What are the odds that I'll forget they're there by morning and I'll end up having to pay damages on a pack of melted wolves?//

They were awesome, for the record. Jono probably wouldn't melt the wolves.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Hopefully the handsome face you wake up to first will remind you," Hannibal said, grinning back. He reached for the warmer outer clothing they'd been left, shaking it out. It was hardly the most fashionable, but even he could be practical.

[furnaceface]

//Only if I can find that handsome face underneath all of those layers,// Jono mused, looking down at his own winter gear. //So, bundling up like this is basically our lives for th'next little while?//

Hey, he didn't actually mind all that much. It wasn't as though he needed to unzip and shuck ten layers just to take a piss or anything.

[sharp_as_knives]

"So long as we're outside, or many places in this building," Hannibal agreed. "The other buildings are traditionally warmed. And it will put us on a somewhat equal footing." He held up the included balaclava.

[furnaceface]

//Somewhat,// Jono replied, reaching forward to give the balaclava a poke. //Once I'm dressed for the weather, people aren't even going to look twice, are they?//

He glanced up from the winter gear at Hannibal, giving him a scrutinizing look.

//Sneaky one, you are. I'm running out of things to complain about, beyond some mildly cold toes. What'll I do with myself then?//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Visit the gift shop, I expect," Hannibal answered, smirking. "I imagine they have those chemical warming pads for your boots."

[furnaceface]

Jono just did what needed to be done in response to that. He wrinkled his nose at Hannibal, and then started to pull on his winter gear.

//I suppose that would... I mean, yes, true, I wouldn't have anything to... that is...// He blinked as he shrugged into his coat. //Huh.//

Effectively, there was nothing to complain about.

Even for Jono.

This was weird.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Don't worry," Hannibal said, grinning as he swapped to the warmer boots provided. "I'll still have to eat, and there is a bar we can visit." He kissed Jono's temple. "I imagine there will be some drinking among all the mingling."

[furnaceface]

//Ooh! I can complain about that!//

Thank you, Hannibal. You'd just given Jonothon a reason to go on living now that everything had gotten all perfect all of a sudden.

//And sleeping in the cold... probably won't even be all that bad. It isn't as though I don't have experience, after all. This time it comes complete with a bonus person to curl up next to under the covers.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal was giving like that.

"It will probably end up quite warm in the sleeping bag," Hannibal agreed. "Though if you're amenable, I should love to see the walls and ice reflecting your flames for a minute or two." He could paint it later, once he'd committed it to memory.

[furnaceface]

Jono tilted his head a little, considering that.

//So long as the walls are closed off enough from everything else that people won't come running at the sight of fire flickering from inside the room with all the ice animals in it, I don't see why not,// he decided. //I'd hate to have to explain that one while trying to warm up again.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"They're thick enough," Hannibal confirmed. "And candlelight isn't uncommon, should anyone wander by the door."

Fully dressed and beginning to warm back up, Hannibal took Jono's hands. "Or we can blame the northern lights."

[furnaceface]

//Ah, asking for a light show in blue, are we?// There was a wry note to Jono's words, as there often was when discussing his psiflame. But he really didn't seem to mind, nor was he really getting down on himself about it the way he was sometimes prone to. He gave Hannibal's hands a squeeze. //Mood lighting.//

Since the colours of his flames really did seem to reflect his mood from time to time, that comparison was apt enough.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Any colors you like," Hannibal said. "The borealis isn't only blue and green, you know. But I'm not looking for any sort of show - only yourself in a setting that will reflect beautifully."

[furnaceface]

//Well... this will definitely reflect,// Jono allowed, nodding. //If I'm of a mind to at some point, then I don't see why not.//

It still bewildered him, sometimes, that Hannibal liked watching his flames so much. He supposed it shouldn't, that there was something calming about fire, especially when you knew it wasn't going to burn you, but the whole idea of it was still fraught. Complicated.

//Thank you,// he murmured, //for this. The quiet. The peace of mind. It's just what I needed after all of that.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled. "You're quite welcome. I never mind spending time in luxury or new experiences, particularly with the proper company."

It was less about the calm of fire, and more about the beauty of Jono's life and potential for destruction in one lovely form.