Hannibal's home, Baltimore

[sharp_as_knives]

After the rehearsal, Hannibal headed home and brought up a copy of the script on his tablet. Really, a play? What had he been thinking?

Well, that he'd have two fairly dangerous people in his debt, naturally. But still. He poured himself a nice glass of wine, put on some music, took off his jacket and shoes, and sat down with his tablet to go over both the script and the latest local news.



[OOC: expecting one, open to calls or whatnot!]

Comments

[sharp_as_knives]

"Have you scraped the window paint?" Hannibal asked. He guided Sparkle in to the fireside.

[myownface]

Sparkle kind of slogged along to where Hannibal was guiding him, though at the question he found himself attempting to spin on his heel to go back to the window to investigate. Which mostly meant that he was now facing the opposite direction and cartwheeling his arms, because balance wasn't going to be a thing.

"... S'dark out."

So he hadn't caught the state of the windowsill on his way in.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal nodded and steadied Sparkle with a hand on his shoulder. "In that case, I reserve the right to be very cross once it's light out. Until then, can I get you anything?"

[myownface]

"Dunno," Sparkle grumbled. "Didn't really come here thinking to ask."

God, Hannibal's floor was fascinating. Did Hannibal know how fascinating his floor was?

"... Nice floor."

Now he did.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal had never particularly thought much about this floor, beyond it being a pleasant and sturdy hardwood. "Thank you." He steered Sparkle to a chair. "What was it you did come here thinking, then?"

[myownface]

Oooh. A Chair. Sparkle sat down heavily in it, heaving his shoulders up in a halfhearted shrug while he tried to figure out a way to dance around 'I couldn't stay on the island anywhere near him, and here is the safest place I can get to.'

"You know. I was around. Having a great night. Thought I'd check out the masonry. It's still good, by the way. A plus, good job." A beat. "I fucking hate everything ever."

That was not actually in reference to the masonry. The brickwork was really nice, though.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I'm sorry to hear that." Hannibal retrieved his wine and set it by the other chair. "Wine?" he asked. "Or I do have more beer."

[myownface]

Hannibal presented the really tough choices in life, didn't he?

"Both. Beer. I don't know." Both? Both. "Both."

Both.

"It's a both night. It'll make a good chaser for, um... stuff. Potato juice."

Vodka. Same difference.

[sharp_as_knives]

Potato juice. Of course.

"I'll be right back." Hannibal went to the kitchen for the beer, and put on water for tea while he was at it. He did still have some of those mushrooms, after all. He wasn't going to waste good wine tonight, though; while he wasn't averse to teaching Sparkle to appreciate it, he rather thought that would be lost tonight.

"Here." He handed Sparkle the glass, waiting to make sure he had hold of it before letting go.

[myownface]

Probably a good idea to avoid anything that actually had some sort of impressive monetary value attached. Sparkle wouldn't properly appreciate it anyhow, beyond the fact that it was going into his face and making him more drunk.

"Thanks," he muttered, staring into the glass before glancing up at Hannibal curiously. "You're not going to like launch into some sort of... of... like... afterschool special about underage drinking and responsibility or something if I drink this, are you?"

Because it was not actually too late for Sparkle to attempt to make his way back out the window, Hannibal.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Perhaps on the dangers of climbing whilst drunk," Hannibal allowed. "You didn't drive here, did you?"

[myownface]

"Drive what?" Sparkle gave Hannibal a kind of weird little wide-eye before shaking his head. "What I didn't walk, I figured out public transit for. Buses. S'weird. Ever try figuring out bus fares after like eight..."

Eight... Drinks. Of some sort.

"Anyway, I didn't drive. Because I'm all, like, fucking responsible."

Yeah. That was why.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Well, seeing as you're so responsible, why should I give you a lecture?" Hannibal picked up his wine and clinked the glass to Sparkle's. "Cheers."

[myownface]

Yeah, Sparkle had no idea what to make of this, but he was pretty sure that this was the opposite of what usually happened when he got caught breaking into someone's home while drunk.

"Cheers," he echoed, a little warily, before downing the contents all in one go. Because he could be wary and ridiculously stupid all at the same time if he wanted to be.

[sharp_as_knives]

The kettle in the other room whistled, and Hannibal set his wine down and held out his hand for Sparkle's empty glass. "One moment."

[myownface]

The glass was empty, but Sparkle clung hard to it for a moment all the same before relenting and holding it out toward Hannibal's open hand.

"Tea?" He glanced toward the other room curiously. Tea was so not beer, Hannibal. Sparkle wasn't drunk enough to not know that much, yet.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Tea," Hannibal answered with a little smile. He headed back to the kitchen, raising his voice in case Sparkle didn't follow. "You seemed to be in the mood for something strong; this is the strongest I have."

Plus it had the advantage of not making him nauseous or putting him to sleep immediately, like alcohol would.

[myownface]

There was a long, thoughtful pause after that statement, while Sparkle drunkenly considered the implications of what Hannibal was saying. And then when he finally spoke, it was with a somewhat perplexed, "The fuck kind of tea is that?"

Stronger than whatever other fancy shit Hannibal had in that no-doubt super expensive liquor cabinet of his? Sparkle had to see this.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal poured the water in to steep and carried the pot back in on a tray with a cup. He set it on a little table that he pulled closer, but just out of the reach of Sparkle's elbows. "Would it help if I pointed out it's made from mushrooms rather than tea leaves?"

[myownface]

So, Hannibal was moving straight up to the top of the 'best teacher ever' list. Ender had been pretty high up there for a while, but Ender had never offered him magic mushroom tea, so...

"Yup," Sparkle decided, without really needing much time to stop and think about that. "Yeah, that would pretty much say everything that needs to be said, right the fuck there."

[sharp_as_knives]

"It will need a few minutes to steep, though." Hannibal sat and looked at Sparkle. "Meanwhile, do you feel like talking about whatever brought you here?"

[myownface]

Sparkle continued sitting, looking right back.

"'S stupid teenager shit," he warned. "Fucked-up messy breakup crap, or something. I don't even fucking know."

At least Sparkle understood 'teenage drama' when he was right in the middle of it and kind of smearing it all over other people.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal spread his hands. "Messy breakups are in no way exclusive to teenagers, I can assure you. If you want to talk about it, I'm a very good listener. No judging."

Well, not that he wouldn't, but he wouldn't tell you unless you asked.

[myownface]

"Promise?"

Yeah, Sparkle felt stupid about asking that question pretty much the second it left his mouth. But as it was, his brain-to-mouth filter was shot already. Alcohol tended to have that effect on him.

"Because, I dunno, for all I know I'm the fucking crazy ex here and I'm halfway to being totally smashed and I just broke into your house and at this point, I mean, no offense, but most people would have started totally judging already."

[sharp_as_knives]

"You're right; I do judge," Hannibal admitted. "I judge you to be very troubled by something and in need of a place you feel safe. I judge you not to be in the mood for being told what to do or how you should feel." He eyed Sparkle. "So. If you like, you can tell me what's happened, and perhaps I can help you to make sense of it. Or, you can talk about how it makes you feel, and I will listen. Or," he leaned forward and poured out the tea, "you can drink, and say nothing, and I'll simply make sure you don't walk into traffic."