Hannibal's house (which he and Jono are very happy to have back), Monday evening

[sharp_as_knives]

Anyone who thought Hannibal wasn't going to celebrate things being back to normal by bathing, getting a manicure, dressing his best, playing the harpsichord, and then cooking just about everything in the pantry really didn't know him.

Of course, all that food needed an audience, didn't it?

So, flyers were going up all day long (courtesy of NPCs other people):

Come eat, drink, and relax while the world's not ending!
22 Phoenix Place, tonight

Because some others might want to talk or just be together and reassure themselves things were better.

And some people coped by cooking.



[Open post! No OCD. Moddable food, but tons of it, along with plenty to drink for those that need it after last week.]

Comments

[vdistinctive]

"Doc," Eliot greeted with a nod. "Glad you're in one piece. Shoulda figured you'd have one of your dinner parties goin' on today."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I try to manage one whenever people may want to decompress after a thing like last week," Hannibal answered.

He smiled and waved towards the tables. "Also, I may have needed to cook a bit."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot snorted. "Can blame for that, man. I ended up with three different chilis and about half a dozen pies, myself."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Not a bad coping mechanism, if I do say so myself," Hannibal said. "But as I have no diner to gift with the fruits of my labor, we have this."

He nodded toward the drinks table. "Beer or coffee? Or I have some very good spirits."

[vdistinctive]

"Beer," Eliot said. Whiskey sounded tempting, but he had no desire to end up acting like Nate. "Thanks. Didn't see you around on this one. You manage to get off the island, or were you just layin' low?"

[sharp_as_knives]

"That world's version of me had managed to make this place as safe as anywhere but their village," Hannibal answered. He poured Eliot a beer and handed it to him. "I stayed here, and he and his version of Jono looked after me."

He poured himself another glass of wine and toasted Eliot before drinking. "I still had to kill two of those hollows, but I gather I had it easier than many."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot used sipping his beer as a delaying tactic while he thought about how to respond to that. And still just ended up with ". . . A bit. Yeah." He shook his head and managed to down about half his glass with his next "sip". "Did they look like anyone you know?"

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal grimaced into his wine. "One of them was that teacher - the dog. Mister Peanutbutter."

Honestly, that name pained him about as much as anything.

"The other I never recognized. How did you fare?"

[vdistinctive]

Well, there was a mental image. Eliot shook it off.

"Survived," he said. "Can't say it was all perfect or easy or anything --" it was anything but, "-- but I did get to see Kathy again. So I can't say it was all bad."

Just mostly. Very nearly all.

He needed more beer.

[sharp_as_knives]

More beer incoming. Hannibal wouldn't even berate Eliot for drinking it so fast, just refill his glass.

"A silver lining to a very dark cloud, then," Hannibal said. "Did you get to meet yourself as well?"

[vdistinctive]

Eliot appreciated that. He even made an effort to slow down on the refill.

"Meet . . . no. We came upon 'im just in time to watch him die."

Eliot hadn't actually watched his double die, though. There was a blank space in his memory between the other Hardison biting it at his feet and Parker shrieking over the other Eliot's body while the other Parker bled out next to her.

It wasn't a very long blank spot. But it was . . . significant.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I'm sorry." Hannibal took closer stock of how Eliot was holding up. "That can't have been easy."

[vdistinctive]

Eliot hadn't managed to sleep much in the last few days. He was a master at hiding it, though.

"Got a gift for the understatement, Doc. Though I gather that part's harder on Hardison and Parker than me."

Them having actually seen it. And their doubles having been the ones to do it. Just like how the other Hardison's death fucked with Eliot, what with it having been the other Eliot who'd taken him out.

[sharp_as_knives]

"How are they holding up?" Hannibal asked.

He could tell Eliot was perhaps a little wilted around the edges, but that was only to be expected after this past week. He was still catching up on sleep himself.

[vdistinctive]

"Little clingy." At least they were all losing sleep together. "Can't say I blame 'em."