Office #5, Saturday

[never_dull]

Well, one of the teachers for their class ought to be in an office today, and since Hannibal didn't have a business to run (and didn't mind sitting at a desk and googling himself doing paperwork), here he was

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[furnaceface]

It was a bit later in the day when Jono made his way into Hannibal's office, standing in the doorway and looking only marginally traumatized.

//... Ever have one of those days where you actually found yourself fantastically thankful that somebody else went and pulled a major overhaul of some aspect your personal space, once upon a time?//

[never_dull]

Hannibal thought about it, then smirked. "I'd prefer to inspire those moments. I take it I have?" He got up and moved around the desk to sit in one of the plush chairs in front of it, coaxing Jono along to the other.

[furnaceface]

Jono made his way in and made himself comfortable. It was always going to be a little surreal just how cozy Hannibal managed to make this room, considering it was his own first office in this building, back when.

//As a matter of fact, you have,// he agreed. //Didi brought her father over to the Groovy Tunes earlier, and I wound up serving tea to Time himself. On a list of phrases that should be much, much stranger to me than they actually are, that one is somewhere near the top, today.//

[never_dull]

"I'm pleased I could help." Hannibal raised an eyebrow. "I hadn't thought she had an actual father, although Time would make sense. What is he like?"

[furnaceface]

//Not... actually all that different from what I had always sort of imagined a personification of time might be,// Jono replied, after a moment to consider. //Not terribly used to being around a lot of people. Not a fan of clutter. Not the sort of parent to give his daughter a heads-up before showing up to visit for a weekend?//

Okay, actually describing Time was a bit more challenging than all that.

[never_dull]

"While I would love to take credit for the lack of clutter, I believe that's less due to my influence and more due to my house," Hannibal teased with a smirk.

[furnaceface]

//Either way, it saved my neck this afternoon,// Jono replied. //Christ, could you imagine? Time stopping over for a spot of tea and seeing the way I usually arrange my things? It's bad enough Dream hates me. Lord...//

Well. Hated him. Strongly disapproved of him dating his sister... Something somewhere in there.

[never_dull]

"I would imagine Time has better things to concern himself with than the temporary state of your home, but then I have very little insight into the mind of a being I'm guessing is older than the universe."

[furnaceface]

//I think mostly he wanted an opportunity to retreat to somewhere comfortable and drink tea away from people,// Jono mused. //He's Time himself. For all we know, he keenly experiences every moment, and those fleeting minutes spent in my living room were just as important as any other. I didn't think to ask.//

[never_dull]

"True. And I imagine it would have been rude to intrude, even if so terribly tempting," Hannibal conceded. "How did it go?"

[furnaceface]

//It went... well, I think,// Jono replied. //I didn't mess up the tea or anything like that, so far as I could tell. And Didi seemed like she was in desperate need of the company somebody who wasn't her father, at least for a little while.//

And also some alcohol.

[never_dull]

"We should have her over after he leaves," Hannibal said. "Or perhaps have anyone who wishes to come, as we've done before."

[furnaceface]

//Wouldn't mind having her over,// Jono mused. //Or, as you said, anybody who wants to come over. I think after spending a weekend putting on a good face for family, people could probably use something a little more laid-back to help them get back into the swing of things. Maybe get their minds off of it or what-have-you.//

[never_dull]

"We'll do that, then," Hannibal decided. "We can let our students know on Monday, and send out an invitation as well."