Hannibal's house (which should be Jono's by now but isn't), Friday evening

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal had been, unsurprisingly for those who had been at the wedding, rather annoyed recently. He suspected his sudden attack of snake earlier this week had been the island's way of giving him a vacation.

Or of keeping him here and not out hunting quite so much. Though that did little to explain Jono's transformation. Or maybe it did.

Whatever the reason, he had now been himself again for most of a day, and he was feeling much more relaxed.

It helped that he was in his kitchen, working on a simple veal saltimbocca and listening to some lovely music.


[OOC: Expecting one, but open!]

Comments

[sharp_as_knives]

But then how on earth was Hannibal supposed to know who it was?

He paused, checked that nothing would burn if left, and came to open the door. "Sparkle." He didn't frown, but he could see that something was bothering his guest, and his gaze sharpened just a bit. "Please, come in."

[myownface]

Sparkle gave Hannibal a little smile, not his usual brilliant grin, but... it was something. He wasn't so worried yet that he couldn't at least fake being pleasant, after all.

"Hey, Doctor," he said, nodding his thanks and stepping inside. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

He'd offer to come back later, but there was a chance that he'd need to pack or something. He'd probably have to do that later, instead.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Not at all," Hannibal said, then smiled as if confiding, "I was just about to put the veal in the pan. Your timing is perfect."

He led the way back to the kitchen, checked that the oil was still heating, and moved to get Sparkle a beer. "How are you?"

[myownface]

Sparkle was so not going to turn down the beer, seriously. He shrugged his shoulders by way of reply, though at least he decided to supplement it with a, "Could be better, I guess. Long week."

Long lot of things, really. Between local worries and the rest of the damn world...

"And, uh, you? Settling back in, getting ready to try again, all that good stuff?"

[sharp_as_knives]

"In a few weeks," Hannibal agreed. He set the glass down in front of Sparkle and went back to the stove to put the meat in the oil. "Can we count on you once more for music?" he asked. "It should be quite safe this time, although I'll understand should you prefer to bow out."

[myownface]

"I, um," Sparkle said, intelligently, reaching for the glass and kind of staring into it for a moment. "I don't entirely know. Something might have come up."

He bit the inside of his cheek.

"I'm probably leaving the island for a while. I don't know how long. It's... Atton's missing? And one of the other Jedi thinks maybe I could give them some kind of insight about how to find him again."

Not that he knew the galaxy well enough to be able to guess at it. But he could appreciate that Mical was grasping at straws at this point.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal flipped the meat over, and now he did frown. "What's happened?"

[myownface]

"I don't know," Sparkle admitted with a sigh, pausing for a moment before saying more in order to take a mouthful of the beer. "He went off on a mission one day, like he always does. Except then he didn't come back. He's still alive out there somewhere, or at least I guess I'm kind of assuming he is. I haven't heard anything from him in weeks now. But the other Jedi are getting worried. He's vanished."

He drummed his fingers against the glass just once, and then took another mouthful. The concern was apparent on his face.

"I'm their last resort," he sighed. "I'm not, like, a fighter or anything like that. Especially not in the sort of shit that Jedi get all wrapped up in. So I'm like... I don't know. Their good luck charm? Bait? They'll probably just park my ass at the temple on Coruscant and play twenty questions with me until they figure out where Atton's gone. Or until they figure out I don't know anything, I guess."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal thought for a moment as he finished up, garnished the veal, and set plates down in front of Sparkle and himself.

"Do you think you can trust them?" he asked neutrally.

[myownface]

Sparkle made a derisive snorting sound at that, followed shortly after by a murmured "thank you" for the food and a tight little smile.

"They're Jedi," he added, shrugging his shoulders a little. "Of course I don't think I can trust them. But..." He was quiet for a few seconds, groping around for words. "I can trust that they want Atton back safe and sound. And I've been to Coruscant enough by now that I can more or less handle myself if anything goes a bit sideways. So, like, I don't imagine it'll be much different from any of the other times I've visited. Just... less Atton."

Which, in fairness, would make it pretty different. But he'd paid his visits while Atton was busy doing other things in the past. Mostly he'd just stay out of the way. Maybe cook or something to make himself useful until they found some kind of lead or something.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal nodded, satisfied that Sparkle understood that much. He trusted the Jedi very little himself, thanks to Skywalker.

"Should you need anything, please call," he said firmly. "I'll do whatever I can. Although," he acknowledged with a rueful smile, "if you're in trouble of the violent sort, that's liable to amount more to sending Jono than to showing up myself."

Hey, he wasn't the hero in this relationship!

Napkins and silverware set out, he sat by Sparkle to start his own meal.

[myownface]

"If I need anything, I'll keep that in mind," Sparkle replied, giving Hannibal a little smile and reaching for his fork. "But if it's trouble of the violent sort, chances are I'll have found a place to hide or the Jedi will have handled the worst of it before anybody from Fandom can figure out where they're going, anyway."

Not just because it was a galaxy far, far away. Coruscant was huge and the temple was confusing for anybody who didn't know their way around. But Sparkle would bear that all in mind anyway. It couldn't hurt.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Mm." Hannibal paused to enjoy his mouthful. "Just keep them between you and the trouble." That way, if they couldn't be trusted, they wouldn't be at his back. "And be careful."

[myownface]

"Will do," Sparkle replied, cutting a piece of veal free and falling silent for a moment to savour it. "Hopefully things go smoothly, though, and the worst I have to deal with is Brianna getting pissy because I'm teaching the Padawans that food can totally have flavour without throwing the whole Jedi order into a state of chaos."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal gave him a mild look of outrage. "What are they feeding these...Padawans?...when you're not there?"

[myownface]

"Hell if I know," Sparkle lamented. "I refuse to eat it. I just know they complain about the food they're given for weeks after I visit, so they must be eating, like, gruel or something."

Okay, it probably wasn't that dire.

"And Padawans are, like, baby Jedi. The trainees, I guess? Means I can teach them good eating habits while they're little and impressionable and they still believe me when I tell them that vegetables are awesome."

Atton.

[sharp_as_knives]

This was not in any way improving Hannibal's opinions of the Jedi or convincing him they weren't some form of cult.

"They should feel very lucky to have you," he said.

[myownface]

"The Padawans love me," Sparkle replied, grinning faintly. He was probably the last person to try to dissuade anybody from thinking that the Jedi were some kind of cult, really, but since the worst that Atton had picked up from them was a bad case of the heroics, he generally let it slide. "I show up, they eat well for a while, and I teach them all sorts of things that would scandalize the by-the-book Jedi if only they knew."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I'm pleased to hear it." Hannibal smirked back and toasted Sparkle with his wine glass.

A thought occurred to him. "Tell me, do they have caf there? That universe's version of coffee, or something similar."

[myownface]

"Caf? Sure," Sparkle replied, tilting his head at Hannibal quizzically. "You know somebody from that neck of the woods or something? I'm sure I could find some and bring it back if things aren't too hectic. It's pretty common."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal nodded. "Kanan Jarrus. I've been introducing him to Earth food and drink, but he insists he misses caf. I might be able to help if I could taste the differences myself."

[myownface]

"Monday radio guy?" Sparkle pursed his lips for a moment, pretty sure that's where he heard the name, and then shrugged. "Sure, then. I mean, I guess I can relate. Caf scratches the coffee itch whenever I'm visiting the temple, but it isn't like I'm ever there for long, and it's not quite the same. Atton gets the same way about nerf and how beef isn't really a good replacement, too."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I suppose it comes down to what we're used to," Hannibal said, smiling. "Although in your friend Atton's case I wouldn't rule out sheer perversity."

[myownface]

"Well, yeah, because Atton," Sparkle laughed, and it almost managed to hide the worry that was still sitting somewhere underneath. "But then again, nerf. It is pretty good. He's almost made a convert out of me."

[sharp_as_knives]

"You'll have to cook for me some time," Hannibal said. "When you aren't worrying about your friend."

He squeezed Sparkle's shoulder. "Should you need any guidance, or simply a friendly ear, call me."