The Estate, Sidra, Glacia, Saturday Evening (Fandom Time)

[trigons_child]

Raven had been just a tiny bit miffed that neither Jono or Karla had called for her to tend to Hannibal when they'd brought him to Glacia, but she also knew that not everyone liked to be fussed over in the manner she usually did. So she'd kept her distance for a time to give him some space. He wasn't in any life-threatening danger after all.

After a couple of days she had to see for herself how Hannibal was doing. She made her way to the rooms Karla had given him and knocked lightly on the door. "Dr. Lecter?" she said. "It is Raven. Would you like some company?"


[For the one upon whose door Raven is gently tapping.]

Comments

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal looked up from the book he'd been going through. He did believe in staying busy, and Karla had a wonderful library.

"Come in," he called out, putting on a smile that was fairly normal.

[trigons_child]

Raven opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it behind her. "I will not be insulted if you are not in the mood for company," she said. "But if there is anything I can do...."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal put a marker in the book and set it aside. "Not at all. I know you must have been worried. Please." He waved for her to sit.

[trigons_child]

She sat down, hands folded in her lap. "I have been, yes," she said. "I do not know the details of what happened, but it is obvious it has had a profound effect upon you. And I am very sorry to learn that."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal reached for her hands, still smiling, though it was more than a little sad. "When things stop affecting us, we are dead," he answered. "I wish things had turned out differently, but I will survive."

[trigons_child]

Raven nodded. "Sometimes when I have been hurt in the past, I have longed for the time when I was not allowed emotions. But it is only a fleeting thought, for I would not truly wish to give up all I have learned to feel."

She sent a gentle pulse of comfort to him as she held his hands. "Do you wish to talk about it? Or do you not want to think about it at all right now?"

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal sighed, taking a moment to draw in that comfort. "I am thinking about it," he answered. "But I don't know that I wish to speak of it yet. I do welcome your company, though. Tell me what you've been up to lately."

[trigons_child]

"Visiting orphanages for the most part," Raven said. "Karla has put me in charge of their management. I am to make certain that conditions are acceptable to oversee the care of children who were orphaned due to the war or any other cause. There are some I have found lacking, particularly when it comes to caring for landen children."

She had to work very hard to control her temper then.

[sharp_as_knives]

"An unfortunate state of affairs that seems to be true across worlds," Hannibal noted. "The children are lucky to have you looking out for them." She was undoubtedly better than any of the Soviet overseers the Lithuanian orphanages had had.

[trigons_child]

"I want them all to be safe and comfortable and healthy," Raven said. "And loved. No child should be raised without love."

As she had been in Azarath.

"There is still much to do. I try to make my visits a surprise, but word has spread, and some of the less...dedicated orphanages have prepared themselves so they can make a show of being satisfactory. I go to the children for the truth, however."

She smiled at Hannibal. "Would you like to accompany me on one of my inspections? It might prove to be a good distraction."

He might even run into an exceptionally rude person!

[sharp_as_knives]

"If it's anything like the ones in my world, some of the children may be too frightened to speak out," Hannibal noted. "And some may be no better than the adults in charge," he added with a grimace. "I would be pleased to accompany you."

Because yes, there was a good chance of exceptional rudeness.

[trigons_child]

"That is where my gifts become most beneficial," Raven said proudly. "I have found that adults are able to more easily mask their true emotions and lie. I cannot always determine honesty with them. But most children have not learned that. They may be instructed to lie, but their emotions give them away. And if they are frightened, I can ease their fears."

She looked down at her lap, her hands fidgeting with her skirt. "I cannot help but be worried about the inevitable time when I may find a place where the children are sorely abused. It will be difficult to control my temper."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled grimly. "Should that happen," and honestly, it was more likely than not, "the important part is remembering to direct your anger at the correct parties, and to let go of it after." Abusing children was the height of rudeness, Raven; Hannibal wasn't about to talk you out of it.

[trigons_child]

Hannibal, you were a bad influence.

Raven had seen Briarwood. She hoped there was nothing that awful existing in Glacia, but Hobart had been in charge for several years, and she wouldn't put something like that past him at all.

"How do you let it go?" she said. "I still have anger in me for Karla's uncle, and the people who did Jono harm in his world. I know I cannot simply repress it, for that poisons me." She'd learned that lesson. Mostly.

[sharp_as_knives]

You killed the people that caused it, mostly. But Hannibal didn't think she was ready to hear that yet. "You let yourself be angry at them, but don't let it affect the way you view the rest of the world."

He chuckled wryly. "It can take some time. I imagine that's part of the reason Karla dragged me here. I am...working on it."

[trigons_child]

"I try to believe in the good in everyone, that all deserve a second chance, to find redemption," she said. She couldn't help but think of Anakin. If she'd known him before, and what he'd done when he was Vader, would she have been able to give him that second chance that allowed him to become the man she respected and loved almost like a father?

"It is not fair of me to judge who deserves that second chance or not," she said quietly. "But I also cannot help but hope the ones who have hurt you have been punished for it."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Thank you." Hannibal smiled at her and held out an arm for a hug. "I believe that they have been. Perhaps one day we will speak again," depending on who lived. "I have forgiven most of them already."

[trigons_child]

Raven had been wanting to give him a hug since she'd arrived, so she needed little urging to do so.

"That is very good of you," she murmured. "You have been so kind and generous since you came to Fandom. I cannot imagine why someone would want to harm you."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal could imagine quite a few reasons, himself. Just so long as Raven didn't talk to Will, though, he should be fine. Or Jack. Or Alana. Or Freddie Lounds. Or...well, there was a reason he wasn't going back to Baltimore, okay?

"Different people have different outlooks. When they clash, there can be violence." For instance, Jack thought murder was bad. Hannibal disagreed.

[trigons_child]

Even after life in Fandom, Raven was still terribly naive and trusting sometimes.

"But we were not to talk about that now," she said, giving him another squeeze before settling back in her chair. Part of her was dying to know what had happened, but that was the more vengeful part, so she pushed it aside.

"I had a gift I had planned to give to you for your housewarming party," she said. "If you would like, I can give it to you now, or it can wait until later."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled at her. "A gift? You had no need, you know. I leave the timing entirely up to you." And now he was curious.

[trigons_child]

Hoping it might cheer him up a little bit, Raven decided on now. "Please, excuse me for just a moment, it is in my own rooms," she said.

She stood and teleported quickly to her room, returning a moment later with a basket covered with a piece of cloth. This she held out to Hannibal, almost shyly, pulling back the cloth to reveal that it was full of what appeared to be several types of fruit and berries, though they were nothing recognizable as Earth or Glacian.

"My home, Azarath, was destroyed several years ago," she said. "It lies in ruins, but there are a few small areas where the trees still bear fruit. I thought perhaps you might like to try them, as you are so fond of food. It is an taste no other in your world would have experienced."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal reached out carefully, delighted. He picked up one, examining it and lifting it to smell. "These are wonderful. Thank you." He touched another berry, feeling its texture. "Do you think they would grow on the island?"

[trigons_child]

"I do not see any reason why they would not, were you to plant the seeds," Raven said.

She pointed to some small yellow-orange berries. "Those are very sweet, like a kind of strawberry-grape flavor," she said. "And that one is very tart. The skin of this one" -- she pointed to a purplish fruit that was vaguely pear-shaped -- "is bitter, but the fruit beneath is quite delicious. If there are any that you particularly enjoy, I would be happy to get more."

Azarath wasn't exactly the safest place now, what with the occasional demon prowling about, but she could teleport in and out with ease.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I should hate to put you to further trouble." Hannibal smiled at her. "But I shall definitely attempt to grow these at my house. You can have a taste of home when you visit."

[trigons_child]

"It is no trouble at all," Raven assured him. "But I would be delighted to taste any dish you may make with them. In Azarath, we mostly ate them raw."

Azarath cuisine was really boring.

[sharp_as_knives]

"If they grow well, I should have plenty to experiment with," Hannibal answered. He took one of the small berries and bit into it slowly, closing his eyes to savor the taste. When he'd finished eating it, he smiled at her again. "Thank you very much."

[trigons_child]

"You are very welcome," Raven said, pleased that he liked the gift. "And if there is anything else I can do for you while you are here, please, do not hesitate to let me know. I should be making a visit to another orphanage in the next few days, and I will let you know what that is."

[sharp_as_knives]

"I will," he promised. "At present, the caring of friends and a few distractions are the best thing for me. And you've just brought me both."