Somewhere on the mainland, Sunday afternoon

[sharp_as_knives]

One of the best things about having a multiplicity of worlds to choose from was that you could find nearly anything if you were willing to look long enough. In this case, a hang-gliding school that ran through the entire course in one long day.

It had more to do with the fact Hannibal was a fast learner than that he didn't want to wear jeans any more than he had to, honestly.



[For the one mentioned! NFB for distance.]

Comments

[sharp_as_knives]

Why should I do that? Hannibal asked. If you enjoy it, you should. Hannibal was nothing if not an enabler. He looked forward to learning the differences between this and the collar and experiencing both for himself, but if Jono enjoyed this way of flying on his own, why shouldn't he?

He adjusted his weight and dove a little, then caught the air again and rose once more. He found freedom in many places himself, but this was still thrilling.

[furnaceface]

//Somehow, I figured that might be your answer,// Jono admitted. Because, really, Hannibal had never really struck Jono as the sort of person to refrain from doing things that were enjoyable without a good reason. And, try as he might, Jono couldn't actually come up with that many good reasons. //Have we even got someplace to keep one of these things?//

... His old apartment. His other old apartment... Jono had more than a few options looking at his own real estate alone.

[sharp_as_knives]

The gym, or the storage room, Hannibal added to Jono's growing mental list. And the beach and cliffs would offer a good place to practice. Hannibal swooped to one side, grinning.

[furnaceface]

//... Brat.// This was, as always, a term of endearment that Jono tended to reserve for when a certain somebody was being a shameless enabler in exactly the way Jono had hoped he would be. //You know if I went ahead and got one for me, I'd have to get a second. After all, there's a certain sort of charm in gliding with company.//

And while Hannibal was welcome to use the collar to fly along, Jono didn't want to have him flying circles around him all the time.

[sharp_as_knives]

I could fly with the collar once I've learned a bit more, Hannibal answered, oblivious to Jono's semi-grumpy thought. He caught a bit of air in a quick rise and dip, just for fun.

[furnaceface]

//True enough,// Jono agreed easily. It was hard to stay grumpy when he was up in the air like this. He veered a little, having seen a few other gliders catch a thermal for lift over that way not long before. //But I'd like to be able to keep up now and then, too.//

He'd flown with that collar enough to know that there was a certain sort of satisfaction to leaving everyone else riding your wake.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled and followed Jono toward the thermal. Two gliders it is. Perhaps we can request them for wedding presents. Do you think any of the suppliers have registries?

[furnaceface]

//Doesn't strike me as a traditional wedding gift,// Jono replied, his tone bordering easily on laughter, now. //But we've got a whole multiverse to poke at, I'm certain there's something out there that would. Besides, I don't think we need a new toaster.//

[sharp_as_knives]

That depends upon how nice the toaster is, Hannibal said, equally humorously. But we'll see what we can find.

[furnaceface]

Jono was quiet for a moment as he put his focus into catching the thermal, riding the lift it gave him for a few blissful, uplifting seconds.

//Worst that can happen is nobody gets us hang-gliders for our wedding present,// Jono agreed, the amusement clear in his voice when he finally spoke up again. //Honestly, I'd be most surprised if anybody did. But then, on the island, people might see the ability to glide as a sensible necessity.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Warren might purchase them for us, Hannibal pointed out. He, after all, understood the value of flight. Or Lucivar, if he attends. It took him a moment longer to catch the thermal, riding up behind Jono.

[furnaceface]

//I don't think Lucivar would know what to make of a wedding registry if somebody sat him down and explained it to him,// Jono replied, because the idea of Lucivar even having the first idea as to where to start managed to break his brain a little. //... Worthington, maybe. Granted.//

Because guy with wings. Even if there was still that animosity between them. Forever.

//Speaking of, I don't think Karla's gotten back to us about the announcement, yet. At least, I'd like to think I'd know if she had. I still have functional eardrums. Did I mention, Dinah didn't get hers?//

That was probably something he could have mentioned weeks ago, granted.

[sharp_as_knives]

You didn't, Hannibal said. He sighed, though whether that carried through mentally he had no clue. I'm beginning to wonder if any of them made it through.

[furnaceface]

Well, Jono caught enough of the exasperation in Hannibal's tone to be able to guess, at any rate.

//Off-island, I have no idea. Emma knows, but you posted that thing on the internet, didn't you?//

You know? The thing on the web-place about the stuff. There were probably cookies involved. Or the googles.

[sharp_as_knives]

She mentioned some places we might go for rings, Hannibal answered. But yes, apart from her, I haven't heard from anybody off the island.

There had been no googles involved, Jono.

[furnaceface]

//... I'm going to have to make phone calls, aren't I?// Like a responsible adult with a telephone and the ability to use it? //Christ, Karla's going to kill me if she realizes how long between the notice going out and us realizing that nobody's gotten back to us yet.//

In his own limited defense, things had been...

... Well, not busy, exactly. He was working fewer jobs these days than he could have been!

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal sent the mental equivalent of a shrug, though he didn't let it show in his movements. People often are slow to respond. I hadn't realized there was a problem, either.

[furnaceface]

//Well, yes, but Karla. There should have at least been shrieking by now.//

Jono had met Karla. That seemed, at least, like the bare minimum. He was going to have to write a sternly worded letter to whoever it was who was responsible for delivering these things. And then deliver it in person, by hand, or else they might never see it.

[sharp_as_knives]

I had rather been enjoying the lack of shrieking, Hannibal thought, amused.

Better Jono deliver the letter than Hannibal. There might be rather more than stern words otherwise.

[furnaceface]

//Perhaps that's why I took so long to notice it wasn't happening,// Jono joked back, leaning forward and taking his glider into a slight descent again, to pick up more speed. //Too many other things on the go to really take much stock in the silence.//

... He'd get smacked so hard for that by so many people.

//But I suppose I'll have to start reaching out, at least. Dinah's the only one who's gotten back to me with a date that doesn't work for her. Hell, Momoko was surprised to learn that we'd been seeing one another at all.//

Jono was... not great at keeping in touch with people.

[sharp_as_knives]

We've been seeing each other for almost two years now, Hannibal thought just a touch incredulously. It might not have been serious for the first year, but it would have been difficult to miss, he'd have thought.

[furnaceface]

//I suppose that would be an easier argument to make to somebody who was actually living on the island at the time,// Jono supplied, keeping his delight at Hannibal considering their string of flings to be 'seeing each other' to himself. He took the little thrills where he could find them. //And Momoko can be a very perceptive person. Just, not always about things that most people would take for granted as obvious.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Well, Hannibal considered it to be seeing each other, anyway.

I suppose I can forgive her, he thought. One wing caught a bit in another thermal, and he adjusted his weight to bank into it. But it does mean we should likely call everybody we need to.

Honestly, the mailed announcements had been supposed to prevent this!

[furnaceface]

Really, Jono considered it basically the same. They just hadn't been exclusive, yet. Or really acknowledging it in public.

Incidentally, it helped Jono feel a little better about how jealous he'd felt around this time last year, when that psaltery player had been clearly flirting.

//Probably, yes,// Jono sighed, banking a little in an attempt to seek out a thermal of his own. He didn't want Hannibal getting too much higher than he was. //But at least once that's dealt with, we can start making actual plans. I've been dying a little to actually get doing some of that, believe it or not.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Have you? Hannibal didn't bother to hide his pleased reaction to that. He had been anticipating doing most of the planning himself. Not that he'd minded, but it would be good to have Jono's input.