The deck of the Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Friday afternoon

[betterthanaplan]

So. Duke had been in Fandom for two weeks now. And while he'd absolutely never say out loud that he felt like he had a handle on things . . . he felt a bit like he had a handle on things.

Case in point: he was lounging on the deck of his boat, sipping bourbon and pondering whether or not he could sail to 2008 Baltimore, stash an inexpensive bottle somewhere, then walk across the causeway to 2019 Baltimore, pick it up, and sell it all nicely aged. He was pretty sure he could get away with something like that without breaking time. So long as he didn't manage to run into his older self or something. But wouldn't his older self know to just avoid Baltimore in 2019?

He was not so lost in such thoughts as to not notice the small green thing creeping around his crates, though. He dropped his hand down to the butt of the gun taped under his chair.

"Pretty sure biting your subjects is a big reporter no-no."

The gremlin made a sort of grumbling, snarling noise, and scuttled off. Duke nodded to himself and sipped his bourbon.

Yeah. He was getting a handle on things.

[open boat deck is open!]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

"I covered 'don't fuck with pirates, they will murder you' the first week. From there, I'm perfectly happy sticking to Hollywood cliches." Duke poured the rum and gestured for Hannibal to grab a seat. "Probably a good choice. I have no idea what liquor would go with nettle pudding."

He'd only decided on rum because he knew it went with pork. Well, and because this bottle promised to be very good.

"Tell you what, I wish they'd had something like 'History of Cooking' at my high school growing up. I might have actually gone to class."

[sharp_man]

"When I first came to Fandom," Hannibal said as he sat, "I worried that the students here might not be adequately educated, given the usual classes we offer. The more I hear of the American education system, the less I'm inclined to worry."

He picked up his glass of rum and toasted Duke. "Bon apetit."

[betterthanaplan]

"As a product of that education system, I'd be offended. If it weren't totally true." Duke raised his glass in return and took a sip. "I'm pretty sure all the schools back home wanted to teach us was how to sit down and shut up."

Neither of which had been in Duke's wheelhouse as a teen.

[sharp_man]

"Neither of which you excel at, I'm guessing," Hannibal said approvingly.

He sipped his own rum, taking a moment to savor it properly. It really was very good.

"So have you always been interested in cooking?"

[betterthanaplan]

"Oh, I'm great at them now. But meditation wasn't really part of the Haven curriculum." Though in retrospect, it really probably should have been. "Not always, no. Grew up -- let's call it 'food insecure'. Now that I've got access, I find I prefer the finer things in life." He swirled his own rum, and gave Hannibal a tilt of his head. "You?"

[sharp_man]

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. "Much the same, actually. Soviet orphanages aren't known for their luxuries. When I was adopted in my teens by my uncle, I started by hoarding food, and ended by learning to cook, and I have never looked back." He smiled. "When I lived in Baltimore, my dinner parties were legendary."

They still were, really, though not exactly for the same reasons.

[betterthanaplan]

"I believe it. I'm more of a backyard barbecue kind of guy. Or one of those locals-only beach shacks with shrimp to die for. So what brought you stateside? Fleeing the red menace?"

[sharp_man]

"Curiosity, for the most part," Hannibal said. "Also a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins to complete my US residency."

[betterthanaplan]

Duke whistled. "That'll do it. I don't know if anyone's ever offered me a full ride to anywhere but the pokey."

[sharp_man]

Hannibal chuckled. "Well, at least that's someplace. Probably not recommended, though." He took another moment to savor his rum.

"So, I came to the US, and then I came to Fandom, and I have never regretted it." He shrugged. "It is rarely boring here, I've met people of species and types I never would have believed existed in my world, and I also met my husband. Fandom does have its oddities, but it gives more than it takes, I think."

[betterthanaplan]

"Ah, see." Duke pointed to Hannibal, bouncing his finger in the air. "I suspect you're a bit biased. What with the husband thing." He sat back, nursing his rum, and looked out along the boardwalk. "Still, I can see where it has its charms. Even if it doesn't seem to know how to be a proper island town."

[sharp_man]

Hannibal chuckled. "I am indeed biased. My husband is also one of those types of people I would never have imagined to exist. Not least because he was willing to marry me."

He sat back and looked around. "Even with that aside, though, Fandom does have its charms, yes. And perhaps you can help it to be more island-like."

[betterthanaplan]

“I might just.” Duke shrugged. “Or the novelty of ‘oh my god a real boat’ will wear off and I’ll be just another guy ranting about gremlins and squirrels.”

[sharp_man]

"Or that," Hannibal agreed. "But you will then be in good company, if I say so myself."

[betterthanaplan]

"I'd say you should work on that speech, man, but I'm not actually sure how you would go about it that sound any better This place really does have to be experienced to be believed."

[sharp_man]

Hannibal grinned. "There, you see? I said you would better believe me for having experienced the island somewhat first. There are few people who believe it all at first."

[betterthanaplan]

"And I'm pretty sure anyone who does has spent way too much time in Delirium's realm," Duke said. "I can see why that welcome picnic at the school is so popular. How many betting pools are there about how and when the new kids' brains break?"

[sharp_man]

"Some people are from worlds almost as interesting as this one," Hannibal said. "My husband, Jonothon, is from a world that has seen magic, people with diverse powers, and aliens; Fandom would have been much less of a shock for him. There are several here from his world or ones like it." He shrugged. And he hadn't been thrown for much of a loop himself, but then he'd met an alien first, and had no reason to doubt his senses; he was practical that way.

"As to the betting, that depends upon which teachers are in attendance."

[betterthanaplan]

"He from the galaxy far far away?" Duke asked. It seemed like at least half the people he'd met so far had been. "Which teachers are the betting sort, then? They're probably way more fun."

[sharp_man]

"He's from Earth, but a different version of it," Hannibal said. "And most of us are; it depends on our moods, I suppose."

[betterthanaplan]

"So what you're saying is, this town needs a bookie."

This town did not need a bookie.

[sharp_man]

Hannibal smirked. "There would certainly be a market for one."

Of course it did.

[betterthanaplan]

"That's good to know. 'Cause I gotta say, this 'only working one day a week' thing? Might be one of the weirdest things about this island."

He had a very long list of "one of the weirdest things".

[sharp_man]

"It is fairly unique," Hannibal agreed. "I have my teaching job, and my practice, and I work with the students at Jono's school, and I have my hobbies. Hobbies are useful."

[betterthanaplan]

"Hobbies are good." Duke shrugged. "I've spent enough time at sea to be pretty good at entertaining myself."