Phoenix Place and environs, Saturday afternoon

[sharp_as_knives]

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.]

Comments

[notamascot]

Kaylin nodded dutifully, but it was pretty clear from her face that she wasn't buying it.

Read? When she didn't have to? That was insane.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal sighed. And here he'd thought she might have been intelligent. Well, she was young; maybe she'd learn.

"Why do you think you were sent here, if not to learn different things? If all you needed to be a Hawk was to learn their procedures, they could have kept you there," he pointed out.

[notamascot]

Poor Hannibal. He was not the first nor would he be the last teacher to be frustrated by Kaylin's unwillingness to learn anything she didn't see useful - and worse, to not see how certain things could be useful.

Kaylin sighed. "I don't pretend to understand anything the Hawklord and Marcus do. I mean, what good is it to learn to use a microwave when they don't even exist in Elantra?"

[sharp_as_knives]

"I can't speak to that, I'm afraid." As far as Hannibal was concerned, there was no use for microwaves, period. "But while the specifics may or may not translate, the ability to learn will. You need to learn how to learn. How to put the pieces together and form the correct picture."

Honestly, did nobody teach critical thinking anymore?

[notamascot]

She sighed again. "I'll do my best."

Where best was some approximation of doing whatever she had to do to get by. Doing her best was what let her learn five languages in six months - but hey, she needed to learn them to be a Hawk, so...

[sharp_as_knives]

If she could do that, she could definitely learn other things if she put her mind to it!

"Keep an open mind; remember that no education is ever a waste. Even if you don't learn what they intend to teach," Hannibal added.

[notamascot]

Thus the hair-pulling frustration of her teachers!

'Even if you don't learn what they intend to teach.'

Now, that caught her attention. Hmmm... Because lots of times she did learn things even in the stupid classes. The teachers didn't often think that those things were worthwhile, but here was a teacher saying that they could be.

"That makes sense," she said, nodding slowly. "I can see that."

[sharp_as_knives]

Well, it was a little progress, anyway! Hannibal would take what he could get with this one.

"And meanwhile, enjoy it. Even the useless things can be fun," he pointed out.

[notamascot]

Kaylin nodded. "I'll try. I'm... fun hasn't exactly ever really been a thing in my life."

[sharp_as_knives]

"All the more reason to try for it now," Hannibal advised with a smile. "Enjoy it while you can."

[notamascot]

"Fun and lots of good food." She shook her head. "Strange place this is."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Is that a complaint?" Hannibal asked curiously.

[notamascot]

"No," Kaylin said. "It's just... confusing. I'm not used to that being a part of life, you know? And here... it just all seems so easy."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Even good change is stressful," Hannibal pointed out. "Moreso if you feel the need to look for the catch in everything. I won't tell you that there isn't one, but I will say this - when the island decides to pay us back for living here, it will be very obvious."

Sharks from the sky obvious.

[notamascot]

"Yeah, I've seen some of that," Kaylin said dryly. "Like I said, this place is weird."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "It can be. I find it refreshing. Look on it as a learning experience and a challenge," he suggested.

[notamascot]

"I'm trying," she said. "Even when I don't really want to, I still try."