sharp_as_knives | Phoenix Place and environs, Saturday afternoon

Current Location: Town

Entry tags:

Phoenix Place and environs, Saturday afternoon

The day Hannibal had been anxious enough (thanks to that odd crystal) to plan even further ahead than usual, he had contacted some people about possible residences on the island. This week, he had heard back from them about a place becoming available.

His first instinct had been to thank them politely and ignore it. But he'd been caught up in an FBI investigation at the time, and their voicemail had gone unanswered. Now, with Bedelia having stepped away and Will playing an unknown game, well. It could never hurt to be prepared, could it. After all, it wasn't as if his finances couldn't bear another house, even if it weren't on this island with its ridiculously cheap real estate.

Besides, even were he not to need it long-term, someplace more secure and private than the hotel might be nice, in event of being stuck here during more...enthusiastic invasions.

So, he had come out to look at the place, which he'd only strolled past before.

He wasn't sure which would have to go first, honestly: the regrettable "landscaping" or the horrid decor.

On second thought, no, he was perfectly sure: it was the sign over the gate proclaiming it to be "DOOMHAUS". No matter what your own name was, there was no excuse for inflicting it upon a perfectly reasonable architectural structure.

[OOC: Cut for some spoilers through Hannibal S2E2, "Sakizuke". Open for anyone who wants to catch Hannibal evaluating the environs of (the former) DOOMHAUS. Periodic SP until tonight.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You have no idea, Hannibal, no idea.

"That's like a Records mirror," she said, looking at it. "I need to get one of those. Kenzi said she'd help me learn how to use one."

Kaylin shook her head. "No. We don't have those - not to carry around. And I don't know anyone real who has access to Records at her house. I don't really have anything other than clothes and my daggers. Never saw the point."

Or had the money to get them.

Hannibal nodded. "Other things can help with homesickness as well." He led the way up the stairs to his office. "We've already established that music isn't one," he noted a bit dryly but not meanly. "What about foods?"

This was Hannibal. He had his go-to subjects.

"I guess I'm not so good at this," Kaylin admitted glumly. "Food is... a means to an end back home. I've never had the kinds of food there are here. Mostly I get bread and cheese, maybe a stew or something, sometimes a fruit or maybe if I didn't bet all my money, something sweet from a baker."

She sighed. "Mostly I just think about it and miss it. And tell myself I'm lucky to have something to miss. Not everyone does."

Hannibal chuckled. "There is no right and wrong way; only things that might help. And yes, not everybody has a place to miss. If reminding yourself of what you miss is enough, then that is all you need."

He led her upstairs and to his office. "Please." He waved her toward a chair. "I have cheese, cold sausages, and some very good bread." It probably wasn't much like bread and cheese she'd have gotten back home, but it was artisanal and very good.

Kaylin considered that as she followed him up the stairs. "I'm not sure it's enough," she admitted, "but it's what I have, so it will have to do."

She made her way to the chair and sat comfortably. "Sounds like what I'd have back home. Except probably fancier and better quality."

Hannibal chuckled. "I do enjoy my comforts. I haven't always had them, so I like to make the most of them now that I do." He set about getting the food sliced and set up on the small table between the chairs.

"I can understand that," Kaylin said. "I guess for me it's well... having a place where I belong. Which is why I didn't want to come here. I'm afraid I'll lose it.'

"What reasons did they give for sending you here?" Hannibal asked. He set the food down between them and settled into the opposite chair.

She made a face. "They said I needed to buckle down and learn and that maybe if they sent me away and made learning here be a condition of becoming a Hawk that maybe I'd pay better attention to my teachers."

"And have you found that to be the case?" Hannibal asked.

That got him a one-shouldered shrug.

"Sort of? I mean, I try, but I still don't get how most of this is going to help me be a Hawk."

"You might be surprised." Hannibal laced his fingers across one knee. "What is being a Hawk?"

"It's... they say here that it's kind of like being one of your policemen. There are three Halls of Law. The Hawks deal with crimes that have been committed, the Swords keep the peace, and the Wolves chase down those foolish enough to try and run." She looked a little wistful talking about it, but proud, too. "I'm going to be a Hawk. Even if it kills me. Although Marcus says I'm more likely to be the death of him one of these days."

"He's the... kind of the one in charge of the day to day stuff like the duty roster and chewing out whoever needs to be chewed out," Kaylin explained. "The Hawklord is in charge of everything that happens in the Hall. I can't officially be a Hawk till I'm 18, so I'm here learning... stuff."

Hannibal chuckled at her disdain for "stuff".

"And what is it that Hawks do? Day to day, how do they deal with these crimes?"

She shrugged. "We patrol. We follow up on tips, interview people, track down suspects, all that sort of stuff."

Okay, she mostly tagged along, but she was helpful!

"And how do you track down suspects? How do you get people you interview to tell you what you need to know?"

"You talk to people they know and places they've been. And sometimes you threaten them a little." She made a face. "But not too much in the Hawks. Mostly I get to take statements and then try and see if they're telling the truth or not."

Kaylin looked up at him. "Lots of people lie."

"They do," Hannibal agreed. "What if somebody knows something you need, and doesn't trust you? What would you threaten them with? Or what would you do to get them to trust you?"

She shrugged. "Mostly - "

And then she shook her head. She'd almost talked about Barren and she never talked about Barren. She'd say something else.

"Mostly Teela and Tain do that. They're Barrani and pretty much nobody messes with them - except other Barrani and the Hawks don't usually have to police them."

Hannibal sighed. "I don't know what a Barrani is. But if you wanted to convince somebody to tell you something, what would you do?"

He gave in and prompted her. "Threaten something they value? Try to find common ground to make them want to trust you?"

"I guess, tell them they'd be cooling their heels in one of the cells, if they didn't find their tongue," Kaylin admitted.

In Barren... Well, in Barren her methods hadn't mattered, no matter how unethical the Hawks would think they had been. Only her results. Which was part of what had gotten her in trouble. But she wouldn't think about her inability to be that ruthless today.

"And if they didn't care?" Hannibal asked.

"Let us say for the sake of argument that I have information that you need. I'm unwilling to tell you - I'm scared, or perhaps I don't trust you. I don't care about jail. What would you do?"

Kaylin shrugged. "I don't know. Figure something out, I guess."

"I, on the other hand," Hannibal pointed out, "have an advantage. If I were to need your cooperation, I could threaten your ability to become a Hawk. Or if I had the ability, I could offer you the position as an incentive if you were to tell me what I wanted."

He leaned forward. "I could do these because I understand what it is you find important. If you understand what a person values, it is much easier to encourage them and find common ground. Or to threaten them, if you have need." He chuckled. "As a less drastic measure, I could threaten to lock you in a room with nothing to do and force you to listen to opera."

Kaylin looked utterly horrified. "You wouldn't! Not opera!"

Yes, maybe he could threaten her ability to become a Hawk, but she didn't think the Hawklord would take just one man's word. And she was pretty sure her other teachers would vouch for her, so she wasn't so worried about that.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject