croissant happy hour

[herr_bookman]

"...but still will keep"--and here a pause--"a bower quiet for us, and a sleep," Autor recites. "Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.*"

The boy pats Bar, bidding her a goodnight before he hops over the counter. He takes a few moments to take secret things out of his sylladex and to review his list. Then he writes a message on the blackboard in neat, flowing script:

Croissants with Surprise Fillings
All Vegetarian
Unfilled Also Available
He sets his blue, twenty-sided die on the counter, and waits for the first customer.

*Endymion: Book I, by John Keats

Comments

[cook_the_rude]

"Ah, but you have to come to the point where you even think of them," Dr. Lecter says, taking a sip and nodding briefly in appreciation. "Where you can be that dwarf on the shoulder of giants."

[herr_bookman]

Autor props his elbows up on the bar and leans on them. "I'm not doing this to impress you, Dr. Lecter," he says, and adjusts his glasses. "I'm doing this because I find it fun."

[cook_the_rude]

"That's the spirit," Dr. Lecter says, smiling over the rim of his wine glass.

[herr_bookman]

And that smile is wholly unnerving to the boy. Dr. Lecter is easier to deal with when Autor prepares for him, but he's still Dr. Lecter. Autor shivers, almost imperceptibly. "Can I get you anything else, or are you sated today?"

[cook_the_rude]

"I would like to try the brie and onion," he says, "in honour of our good friend Jean Valjean."

[herr_bookman]

Autor hesitates. He already gave the brie and onion away, but he has two extra in his sylladex. The boy regards Dr. Lecter for a moment, and then withdraws his book from his pocket.

"Thus do I pine and surfeit day by day, or gluttoning on all, or all away,*" he says, and rummages through his foodbag to find the prized croissant in a donut box. He plates it, and notes mentally that it is still warm.

*Shakespeare, Sonnet 75

[cook_the_rude]

"What a superior way of storing food," Dr. Lecter says, watching him intently. "It's still warm."

[herr_bookman]

Autor lifts one arm in a shrug. "It's an interdimensional space, so nothing goes bad in it," he says, flipping through the pages of his sylladex before replacing it in his pocket. The pages are marked with items such as bags and books. He turns to face Dr. Lecter. "Enjoy your croissant, sir."

[cook_the_rude]

"Thank you, Autor," Dr. Lecter says, picking up his plate and his wine, and wandering away to a table, where he can be seen doing just that, and only that, for a while.-

[herr_bookman]

And once again, Autor's left thoroughly confused. He blinks for a moment, furrowing his brow as Dr. Lecter gets himself settled. Then he hops over the bar, steeling his courage enough to wander over. "Wait," he says, "why did you leave?"

[cook_the_rude]

"To enjoy my wine and my croissant," Dr. Lecter says. "You seemed to consider our conversation over; I'm delighted if it is not."

[herr_bookman]

"Well, no, now I'm just even more confused," Autor says, curling a hand around his hip. "You've never left me alone when I expressed the desire for it before, and you never do anything without a reason. What's behind this?"

[cook_the_rude]

"You want an explanation?" Dr. Lecter says. "You're not that much of a raw apprentice, Autor. You have a very good idea already."

[herr_bookman]

Autor stiffens. "You're... pleased with the way I've been acting, so you're offering up a reward of sorts."

[cook_the_rude]

"Short as you are," Hannibal says, smiling, "you've come up a little higher towards eye level, so there is no point any more in pulling you up."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine had been looking forward to Autor's happy hour, wondering what filling she'd get to try (and sure it'd be delicious, whatever it turned out to be). So, when she comes down the stairs, today, she looks for him behind the bar. But he isn't there. The croissant happy hour announcement is up, and all the accoutrements of a happy hour are in evidence, but not Autor.

Autor is standing at the table where Dr. Lecter is having a croissant.

It's a wonder if Dr. Lecter's hair isn't singed by the force of the look Rae is aiming at the young man beyond him.

[herr_bookman]

Autor was about to say something smug and flippant to Dr. Lecter--he'd even prepared the smirk--but Rae's look arrests him, and forces him to swallows his words. His mouth works as he watches her, suddenly ashamed and unable to tear his eyes away.

[cook_the_rude]

"Did a dragon just appear behind me?" Dr. Lecter asks, smiling at Autor.

[sunbaked_baker]

There is no clearer way for Rae to communicate her intense feelings of What the hell are you doing? than this look. Words would likely be a step down in clarity, at this point.

They'd talked about this. About being smart and staying away from serial killers. About not goading serial killers. And here Autor is, having obviously approached Dr. Lecter. Left his place tending happy hour to follow after him. And now he's making snarky remarks to him!

Rae spends a lot of her older sisterly feelings at home wishing her teen brothers would make smarter life choices in the hopes that they'll survive longer - she hadn't expected to need to spend so many of them here, as well.

Setting her jaw, Rae comes the rest of the way down the stairs, and makes her way across the bar room towards Autor and the table where Dr. Lecter sits.

[herr_bookman]

And now she's approaching--Autor knew she would, but he still struggles to rein in his panic. That look of hers still sears him to the bone, to the marrow, and eventually he finds enough air to clear his throat.

"Evening, Rae," the boy says, voice small. "Would you like a croissant?"

[cook_the_rude]

Dr. Lecter turns around and smiles at her.

"Hello, Rae," he says. "I was wondering if you'd turn up."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Wouldn't miss it," she replies, in a tone that would be light if not for the steel behind it. "I'd like to try my luck with a croissant or two, definitely, but it seems our happy hour host has gone walkabout."

'Strayed' seemed a little too on the nose.

"Mind excusing us, Dr. Lecter?"

She'd like to have a private conversation with the bartender.

[herr_bookman]

Autor blinks at Dr. Lecter, as if he'd forgotten that the man was there. "Ah," he says to him. "Yes, please... please excuse us."

Rae's tone galvanizes his spine, and he gestures to the bar. "Shall we?"

[cook_the_rude]

"Of course," Dr. Lecter says, "if our mutual friend has finished with me?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Sounds like he has," Rae says, nodding to indicate to Autor that he should lead the way. She doesn't add 'for now', but she can hear it, nonetheless.