milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Autor leaves a delectable, fist-sized peach with the bar for the Emcee, writing a note: Vielen Dank für die Beratung. -A.

Later he curls up on the couch, adding length to a navy blue knitting project shorter than his forearm in one dimension but longer than he is tall in the other. Due to Margolotta's instruction, the boy's stitches are loose and even, for the most part. His hands are gentle as he absently moves the needles; he no longer stabs himself in the left index finger with every other purl. Nor does he get that odd, occasional dent in his rows.

But the project draped across his legs doesn't get near as much attention as the book propped up on his knees. The boy is consumed by the well-loved text, Fairy Tale: The Life of Herr Drosselemyer.

It might be difficult to interrupt him.

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So apparently Ava's suspected of-- something. She's not exactly sure what, and she's less sure what being in the woods has to do with anything. So much sketchy stuff goes on out there!

Anyway, she's trying not to spend too much time downstairs (still). But she needs dinner, which means when she spots Autor, it's with a small tray balanced in one hand: salad, bread roll, tomato soup.

She gives a cautious smile, a cautious wave.

"Hi."

Autor's not entirely sure what to do with Ava. Nor is he sure of what she wants with him, so he regards her with suspicion--for a brief moment, before relenting.

The boy sets his needles down. "Hello, Miss Ava," he says, adjusting his glasses. "Having dinner?"

Suspicion is not necessarily heartening! But it's that kind of week for her, apparently.

"Yeah," she says, "and you're ... multi-tasking?"

"Is that so surprising?" he asks, picking up the needles again to knit one stitch and purl two. "How... How have you been recently?"

"Oh, well-- not really." Her nose wrinkles. "I suck at it, though. And I definitely can't knit."

Her expression gentles a little.

"I've been okay. Uh, do you mind if I sit? Just while I eat some of this?"

Autor glances away. "Knitting isn't difficult. If you wanted to learn it," he murmurs, resting his fingers on his yarn.

Then he turns back to her. "And of course. I don't mind if you sit. But--why? I mean, last time we met, I sort of... blew up on you."

Ava takes a nearby spot, looking away herself-- down to her lap, where she arranges the items on her tray.

"You were trying to help," she says with a small smile.

"It wasn't that bad-- kinda reminded me of some of my friends, actually."

And Autor's thrown again, unsure of how to respond. "I... was. Did I succeed?" he says, very consciously avoiding Hannibal Lecter's name.

The conversation bends around him even when he's not here. How annoying.

Ava pauses, dipping her spoon into her soup and taking a sip.

--A little too hot.

"I ran into Rae," she says slowly. "Rae Seddon? And we talked a bit. She said you told her about me."

"That doesn't answer my question, Miss Ava," Autor points out, but then relents, returning to his knitting. Knit one stitch, purl two, calm down. Maybe she doesn't know herself.

"Rae Seddon is my best friend. Should I not have told her about you? I... I was worried. But if you think it was invasive, then I apologize."

"Sorry, I'm trying to get there."

She shakes her head.

"It wasn't invasive, I was just-- surprised." She breaks off a bit of her roll and dips it in the soup. "Anyway, you were right; she told me all the same things. Plus a couple more."

"No, don't be... I'm sorry for my impatience," Autor says, ducking his head. "And I'm glad she told you everything I did. What else did she tell you?"

A frown.

"About someone who ... he made really paranoid? Only then when he got caught, he insisted he hadn't done anything wrong. Rae thinks he really believed it, too."

Autor puts two and two together pretty quickly. He comes to the conclusion that Rae was trying to give Ava a concrete example of Dr. Lecter's effect on people while protecting Autor's privacy. Good old Rae.

"Yes, I know that person as well," Autor says, dipping his head. "And I know of the effect Dr. Lecter had on them. Dr. Lecter does believe that everything he does is right and justified. I believe Dr. Lecter targeted that person because he wanted to see what they would do when he pushed them."

Ava doesn't exactly put two and two together, but a suspicion she didn't have before starts to form.

(Nevertheless, she's not going to push. What did Rae say before? I'm sure he appreciated it.)

"Pushed them." Her frown deepens. "Like he pushed the vampire?"

"He threw a spoon at the vampire, so yes and no? In that I suspect he was testing limits of a different sort, to see if the myth of silver being a weakness was true," the boy says, adjusting his glasses. "In the other case, he was testing mental boundaries and abilities, so not necessarily a weakness upfront. I also suspect he was trying to discredit the person."

He cocks his head. "Did Rae mention the bit about the vampire?" Autor asks, noting mentally that Ava still hasn't answered his question from earlier.

"No." Ava shakes her head. "Dr. Lecter did-- he said he did it for a friend of his. Was that Rae?"

Autor's lips press into a thin line. "Probably, though she's no friend of his, despite his belief to the contrary," he says, wondering if he's betraying Rae by confirming this suspicion.

She takes a bite of her bread, then another sip of her soup.

"I got that sense."

Another pause.

"Anyway-- I talked to Rae, she told me that stuff, she talked a little bit about that Will Graham guy you mentioned, and ..."

She sighs.

"I guess I know what to think now."

"What do you think?" he asks gently, glad he didn't have to remind her to tell him again.

He swallows. "I mean, I appreciate your telling me. You don't have to, but..."

Ava frowns.

"The first time we met, you told me gossip was enough to get somebody in trouble. Will things be okay for you if I do tell you?"

"I'm... I think I can handle myself," Autor says, blinking. "I should be okay. And it's not gossip as far as I know, but your opinion on someone. Right?"

"Hard to know what counts around here," Ava says ruefully.

She swallows another spoonful of soup. Glances away.

Then, softer: "Okay. Yeah. I mean-- I think you guys are right that he's a bad guy. I don't think you could all be making it up."

"Good point," Autor says, just as rueful. He straightens his shoulders when she tells him her opinion, though, and nods slowly.

"And what will you do with this information?"

"What can I do?"

Ava's lips quirk, mostly down.

"We have a rule about violence, not about messing with people."