Hannibal's house (where Jono isn't being lied to today), Friday

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal hadn't noticed anything different yet today himself. He'd heard the radio, which had made him cautious, but it wasn't as though he made a habit of lying to the cats, or even to Jono these days.

So, he was staying inside for the moment and working on new wedding preparations. It wasn't as though things could go bad that way, after all.



[OOC: Open post!]

Comments

[sharp_as_knives]

That got Kanan a raised eyebrow and an incredulous look. "I would normally soften this by saying that I'm terribly sorry, but the fact is that that is one of the most blatant falsehoods I have ever heard. Human beings - and every other sentient species I have met, with very occasional individual exceptions - all feel emotions. Peace may certainly be one of them, but only one. And repression never leads to anything good."

[uncertain_dume]

The corner of Kanan's mouth twitched, something approaching a smile again.

"It's a guideline," he said, shrugging. "Being overwhelmed with emotion can lead to fear and anger, both of which are influences that can cause a Jedi to fall to the dark side of the Force. The rest of the code puts that part into perspective a bit better, perhaps. Otherwise, saying something like 'there is no ignorance, there is knowledge,' would definitely make people squint."

Kanan had met more than his fair share of ignorant people over the years, after all.

[sharp_as_knives]

So had Hannibal. He'd eaten a few.

"Letting your emotions overwhelm you and direct your actions can definitely be counterproductive," Hannibal allowed. "But feeling them is a part of life." He smirked a little himself. "Being afraid of falling keeps you away from ledges. It's only when it keeps you from enjoying the view that it's a problem."

Nor was he going to forget their original discussion. Sorry, Kanan. "If you never confront what happened and allow yourself to fully feel the emotions connected to it, they will continue to blindside you and to drive your actions, if only by fear of them."

[uncertain_dume]

"I let myself feel what I could afford to feel," Kanan sighed, finally. "I was a kid, I was scared and alone. I had plenty of time to remember exactly how it felt when they murdered Master Billaba and I kept on running. I wasn't a terribly great Jedi at the time. I cried. I tried to figure out who I should blame... who I should hate for what happened."

He was looking resolutely down into his coffee, now, refusing to make eye contact.

"I found it in me to hate a lot of people."

[sharp_as_knives]

"What did you decide upon in the end?" Hannibal asked.

[uncertain_dume]

"I decided that I had more important things to worry about," Kanan replied. "That I could sit and yell at the person I used to be, and resent the people who never came back, and none of it would change anything. Nobody was going to come back. I saw to it that the clones who killed my Master were dead," and that came out a little more blunt than he would have liked, "and then I disappeared."

[sharp_as_knives]

"That's a good start," Hannibal said. "What about the things you couldn't afford to feel?" He spread his hands. "Here, if only for a while, you have the luxury of safety and time."

[uncertain_dume]

"I... I don't... know what to do with those things," Kanan said, frowning. "I haven't had either in so long. I don't trust them. And the more people insist that I have both, the more I think they're trying to sell something. The more I want to run."

Running, he trusted.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled. "And that's why you have to confront those feelings. Otherwise, they're controlling you."

[uncertain_dume]

Kanan was quiet for a long moment.

And then he sighed.

"I don't have any more arguments that the island will let me speak," he muttered. "I might have to consider the possibility that there's something to what you're saying."

He wrinkled his nose. "Even if I really don't want to."

Thanks, Fandom.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "Fair enough. Would you rather experiment with different fruits and vegetables to see what you like?"

His point was made; he could afford to be merciful now.

[uncertain_dume]

Kanan snorted.

"I would rather re-live the time I ejected myself into the vacuum of space," he replied. And really, it had to be true. Kanan was that bad at talking. "Fruits and vegetables sound fantastic."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Fruits and vegetables it is," Hannibal said. "Although now I'm curious about the time you ejected yourself into space."

[uncertain_dume]

... Dammit.

"It was to free myself from a ship full of clones," he explained, turning a 'Force save me from myself' sort of look toward the ceiling. "Men I'd served alongside in the war. They were deciding what to do with me before my execution. I figured... if I was going to die, it was going to be on my terms. So I opened the airlock and let myself get dragged out into open space."

There was a brief pause.

"I was rescued shortly after."

Clearly.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I approve," Hannibal said. "But I'll go and get some fruit now."

[uncertain_dume]

"Thank you," Kanan replied, and there was an almost desperate note to it, then. "Fruit. Good. I like fruit. Much better than talking."

...

"Shutting up now."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Many people do; that's why there are entire professions dedicated to getting them to talk." Hannibal grinned as he went to the refrigerator. "Shall we start with berries or melons?"

[uncertain_dume]

"I'm curious about this world's melons," Kanan replied. "I've already sampled a lot of the berries."

...

While Hannibal's attention was on the fridge, Kanan was going to just slap himself in the forehead with one palm.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal might not have seen the gesture, but he got that impression anyway.

He gave Kanan a bit of space, taking his time in getting out and cutting up bits of the melons and a few other fruits he had on hand. It was wonderful having a multiverse and always being able to get things in season.

[uncertain_dume]

And Kanan... Well, he didn't bury his face in his hands while he waited, per se. But by the time Hannibal was finished with the cutting, he was sitting there and frowning at the top of the table, looking half ready to bolt again. Or to stab himself in the back of the hand with his fork if his mouth started to do things of its own accord, again.

Possibly mostly that second one. The thought had very much crossed his mind.

[sharp_as_knives]

Human meat was really best once properly cooked, Kanan.

Hannibal came back with a platter filled with small cubes of various colors and consistencies. "Some of Earth's melons," he said, placing it on the table as he sat back down. "And no more awkward questions. Although you should feel free to say whatever you like."

[uncertain_dume]

"If I'm lucky, I'll just end up comparing the flavor of this stuff to the meiloorun back home," Kanan replied, turning a wry smile toward Hannibal. "I'm looking forward to putting my focus into the food and not a heap of messy history that I'd rather not talk about ever again, anyway."

The jury was still out about whether or not he wanted to cut his losses and see if the Expedient could actually take him somewhere fit for human habitation from here, granted.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Fortunately, then, I am every bit as interested in your comparisons of the food." Hannibal smiled and gestured at the plate. "Where would you like to start?"

[uncertain_dume]

"Alright, uh," Kanan considered the plate before him, and then made a reach for a melon with a yellow striped rind and white flesh. "This one looks a bit like something I'd find in a market back in my home galaxy."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Chamoe," Hannibal said, "Korean melon. One of the few you can bite into without peeling, due to its thin rind."