sharp_as_knives | Gourmet suite at the Arms Hotel, Sunday

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Gourmet suite at the Arms Hotel, Sunday

This was the most crowded Hannibal could recall being in quite some time. There were several children in the master bedroom, one of whom was apparently his, her other father in another bed in his room (yes, thank you, Angela, but they were not a couple here, and you could stop looking at them like that), and Jono's friends on the pull-out couch in the living room.

On the bright side, it was a built-in audience for breakfast. So Hannibal was brewing some excellent coffee while he worked as quietly as possible at cinnamon polenta pancakes, sweet potato & pork belly hash, rosemary grapefruit, thick-cut bacon, and toast from some very good, dense bread he had.

And mimosas for the adults. He had a feeling they still might need a drink.

[OOC: open to those who stayed the night and anyone with a need to drop by!]

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Oh, her heart. She knelt down, too, and opened her arms to him. "Not distressed, darling, just confused. You're from many years--" and at least one universe "--in my future. So I don't know about most of the things you're talking about. Your father and I just met a few months ago, even. So this is all a little new to me."

And, y'know, kind of shocking. A bit.

"But there's no doubt in my mind that your parents love you very, very much and that you're very happy back home."

Where they were heavily implied to be eating people. That was a thing.

"I'm sorry if I made you think I was mad at you. I'm not. Just a little confused."

Audric hugged her tightly, nuzzling close. "Father, can you explain things?" he asked. "You'll do it better."

Because his parents could do anything.

"I can," Hannibal said cautiously, one soothing hand on Audric as he watched Karla. "But it depends upon what your mother wants to know, and who she intends to tell."

He probably couldn't kill Karla and everyone that would support her, but he could disappear. It would, however, be terribly inconvenient. He would really rather not.

Probably not. If for no other reason than both Warren and Jono were pretty much impossible to kill and if he tried (especially if he succeeded at killing her), it would go very, very poorly for him.

"So...what Audric is saying is true, then," she said quietly. "Not some kind of confusion or inside joke. And it's a long-standing habit of yours."

"Well, I haven't killed any of your courtiers yet," Hannibal temporized, "but if you have anybody in mind...?"

He was gambling that either the humor in his tone or the actual suggestion would get her thinking of other things than that initial shock.

And that Audric wouldn't suggest Kayla as an ingredient again.

"Don't even tempt me," Karla muttered, practically by habit. Then she shook herself; it was distressingly easy to see how whatever had happened between them to make that okay had come about. How many times had she threatened to eat someone's heart? Hadn't she asked for someone to deliver her uncle's remains on a platter?

And it wasn't like murder was illegal in Kaeleer...

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "No killing off my courtiers without my express permission," she decided. "Well, or without really good reason." Then, looking right into his eyes, "You kill people."

It wasn't a question, though she was waiting for confirmation. And it carried no real sense of judgment. Besides the children, there was no one here whose hands were clean, except possibly Momoko.

"Yes," Hannibal answered. He gave her a little bow. "None of your courtiers without express permission or a very good reason," he agreed.

She tilted her head at him, muscles tensing ever so slightly. "You are very close to people I care about. You are trusted by people I care about. Is that trust misplaced?"

If the answer was yes and he answered honestly, Karla would let him vanish and never say a word against him. If it was yes and he lied to her now and then later proved to be false...

Well. That was for later, wasn't it?

"Mother!" Audric objected. "Why are you being so mean? You trust Father."

He tried to find a way to convince this younger version of his mother that there was no reason to be this way about things.

"You acknowledged paternity," he said slowly. "Doesn't that tell you that Father can be trusted?"

Hannibal thought about it, sensing this was important to her. "These are people I have come to like and to value. I cannot, of course, promise anything about the future, but I have no plans to harm anyone here in any way. I don't kill indiscriminately." Honestly, that would be rude!

"I am trusting you as well," he added. You could make his life very difficult with just a few words now, Karla.

Edited 2014-02-25 05:09 (UTC)

Karla bit her lip, looking from this new child to the man she'd come to consider a friend and back. Audric made a valid point. There was a version of herself out there that knew exactly what he was capable of and still trusted him enough to give him full paternal rights to her son.

And again, looking around the room, the person with the most blood on her hands while still in her right mind was...Karla herself.

"You haven't given me any reason to distrust you," she admitted softly. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

He'd been allowed astride a unicorn when no one else had been!

Because he was awesome.

"Thank you." Hannibal nodded. "I shall do my best to continue." Remembering their conversation after helping the unicorns, he added, "Consider this merely another way in which I might be able to teach your courtiers some manners and usefulness. Should you ever wish it."

Karla, stop snickering. You're encouraging the cannibal.

"That should be far less tempting than it is," she said wryly. "I can only assume it was this kind of flattery that led to the munchkin over here."

Presumably in a universe that didn't have a Warren in it.

"Presumably." Hannibal chuckled and smoothed Audric's hair. "Although the offer stands even in his absence." It was rare to find a sanctioned outlet for his art; it was an intriguing idea.

And this was where Karla smiled and explained that, yeah, she was joking and no, that was never going to happen because hello. Cannibalism. Kaeleer might not have any laws about murder but there were still limits, okay?

"...I'll think about it."

D'oh!

Hannibal gave her another little bow. "In the meantime, may I interest you in some pancakes?"

She darted a curious look at him.

They weren't--?

Okay, no, not the pancakes. The bacon, though?

"Pork," Hannibal answered the unspoken question. "Although if you should feel adventurous...?"

"Is there, Father?" Audric asked, perking up and swiveling his head towards the kitchen.

Karla...wasn't entirely sure how to react to such an enthusiastic response from her son for human flesh.

Were there parenting books that covered this sort of thing?

Hannibal could probably write one! Child psychology wasn't his specialty, but he did have the training.

"Not here, I'm afraid," he answered Audric. "I wasn't expecting to cook for anyone with the palate for it. But I should have some sausages in my office."

Hey, at least he wasn't refusing vegetables!

Why would he refuse vegetables? They were delicious!

"Will you get them?" he asked, looking up hopefully at his father. "We can have Mother try them! Her first time will be with us, together!"

What a silly and yet delightful thought!

"I can't leave my guests in the middle of breakfast; that would be very rude," Hannibal pointed out. "But your mother is welcome to join us for lunch, unless she has other things to do."

That way Karla had an out. Provided she could say no to that adorable face, but that was hardly Hannibal's problem.

Hannibal Lecter, manipulative? Film at eleven!

Right after the groundbreaking editorial about how water was--get this--wet!

"I--err, well, you see, I'm not really sure--that is..." Karla stumbled over her refusal, caught between curiosity, revulsion, and Audric's bright and shining eyes that pretty much begged for them to share a family meal together. "I think it's a little to soon for me to make that step," she said lamely. "But maybe next year, if you come back to visit us again?"

Audric tried for stoic, but he was not yet as good as his father at hiding his emotions. "As you say, Mother."

Great. Now Karla felt horrible. For not eating people. How was this even her life?

"I'm sure Dr. Lecter--err, Hanni--err, your father and I can come up with something to do today as a family instead." Big, pleading eyes towards Hannibal. Help her fix this!

Gourmet suite at the Arms Hotel, Sunday

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