Hannibal's House: After-BDE Trauma Party

[sharp_as_knives]

Yet another island oddity had come and gone, and yet again it seemed to have taken a mental and physical toll on several people Hannibal rather liked. So tonight he was cooking comfort foods and low-snobbery (but still gourmet) snacks, tea, and hot chocolate, and his bar was very well stocked.

He'd talked to the other researchers and sent messages to his friends welcoming them to join him if they wanted (except for Jono's, which had been more of a politely worded demand for his presence), but the lights in the house were on and the door was open, if anyone else felt they needed company.

Or just to sit in the corner and cry. Hannibal wouldn't judge. He might take notes, though.

There was food:
Mini grilled-cheese sandwiches (artisan cheese, home-baked bread, probably some with moddable! things like capers or veggies or ham)
Tiny meat pies
Roasted potatoes with salt and rosemary
French fries which tried for greasy and didn't quite have the heart to make it, sorry Jono!
Tiny pies of moddable fruit
Ice cream of several flavors (lavender and honey! vanilla bean! dark chocolate! moddable!)
Chocolate truffles of various moddable! flavors
Other assorted moddable, go to town! things

And drink - if it's a high-end liquor, it's here. Also home-brewed people beer and good wine, both dry and sweet.

[OOC: Open post is open! NM; just put it all here, no OCD.]

Comments

[vdistinctive]

"Took a look on Friday," Eliot said. "Ended up fighting off a wooden tiger. Went down a little easier than the manager guy's ones today, though."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I can't help but wonder why some people were drawn in, and other managed to escape." Hannibal finished rinsing the blood and started in on the splinters. "There doesn't seem to be much of a pattern to it."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot shrugged, a slight twitch of his lip the only sign that he was in any pain. "Dunno. Sounds from the radio that at least some of it involved transformation or death."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Mm. Well, with any luck it's gone for good. Although I doubt many people would fall for that a second time." There were always a few idiots, or there would be new people, but mostly not.

He pulled another and turned Eliot's hand back and forth. "I don't see any others. Do you feel any more?"

[vdistinctive]

Eliot flexed his hands and nodded. "Feels alright. Thanks." There were more in his leg, but he figured he could take care of those once he got through a beer or two. "Fall for it, probably not. But there'll be a few who go in anyway, trying to prove something."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal couldn't actually argue with that, so he just shook his head in reluctant agreement and took out antibiotic ointment and some gauze. "Let me wrap that for you, and then I'll let you get to the food and drink."

[vdistinctive]

"Much obliged, Doc. I can get out of your hair, let you get back to your friends."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Not at all." Hannibal went to work coating every puncture with the gel and wrapping Eliot's hand lightly. "There are few people I would turn away tonight," Anakin "and you're not one of them. Stay as long as you like."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot tipped his head. "Well thanks again, anyway." He didn't really do polished edges, but his momma certainly taught him how to be properly appreciative. "Hope you've got yourself a good back stock. I get the feeling this one was almost tame for some folks who've been here awhile."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I always do," Hannibal answered, smiling as he put away his things. "I wouldn't say this was mild, but certainly the level of trauma seems to have varied greatly from person to person."

[vdistinctive]

"That's generally how trauma works, in my experience."

[sharp_as_knives]

"True," Hannibal allowed. "But in this case it seems some - like yourself - were barely touched by it, while others were under its influence for days."

[vdistinctive]

Admittedly, Eliot wasn't super clear on that part. He hadn't even really rescued anyone in particular, going up against the big boss the way he had. "Fair enough." He sipped his beer. "Suppose I lucked out; most I've really got to do is work out a better way to fight off wooden cats."

Because apparently you never knew.

[sharp_as_knives]

"This place makes you say all sorts of things you never thought you'd have to, doesn't it?" Hannibal noted, amused.

[vdistinctive]

"This wasn't actually the first time I've had to fight a carnival --" and he'd nearly lost, last time, "-- but yeah. Pretty much."

[sharp_as_knives]

"You fought a carnival before you ever got here? That sounds like a story."

[vdistinctive]

"Well, technically at one. It wasn't evil, just being used as a battleground by Russian mobsters." Eliot shrugged. "They were pretty good at using the rides as weapons, though."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Points for innovation, I suppose. Nobody was hurt apart from them, I hope?" By which he meant the children, if the carnival had been open, but it seemed polite to include the adults in that.

[vdistinctive]

"We faked an emergency to get the place evacuated," Eliot said. "And the kid the mob kidnapped got out just fine."

He'd gone home with a massive concussion and several broken fingers himself, but that didn't count.

[sharp_as_knives]

Of course it didn't; Eliot had known the danger going in.

Hannibal's lips thinned in disgust. "I'm glad to hear it. Children shouldn't be put in such a position."

[vdistinctive]

"You'll get no goddamn argument on that from me."