Hedda Winchell/Dame Rumor: Breakfast

[has_it]

From her seat at the bar, Hedda Winchell peruses the latest news and pseudo-news and alternative news and not-news-but-actually-olds all filtering through her tablet. Taken together, the data passing her gaze ranges from high-minded discussion to further serve the Public Interest, to the sensationalized, attention-mongering stories that the public is actually interested in, to the pithy clickbait and tabloid trash designed to be seen and immediately taken in without question, supposedly dismissed and forgotten until they still manage to influence one's decisions some time down the line.

It's fascinating to see the same topics in all levels of reporting, these days. At least for her.

Hedda sips her coffee, pausing for a little while to take in the latest media arguments trending on Twitter, the unsubstantiated and partially-substantiated claims by either side, the name-calling, the memes, the veiled threats, the general spouting of words without communication.



...Hmmm... pancakes sound good this morning. Or french toast. Something sweet.

Comments

[cook_the_rude]

"Good morning!" says a polite voice from the direction of the kitchen door.

That's Dr. Hannibal Lecter, bringing a heavy laden breakfast tray.

[has_it]

Hedda looks up from the text-based shouts of thousands into the cold and boundless ether, and smiles. "Ah, good morning, Dr. Lecter!"

[cook_the_rude]

"Would you like to share some breakfast?" Dr. Lecter offers. "Man -- and indeed woman -- does not live by the word alone."

[has_it]

"That's a very kind offer indeed, thank you," she replies, gesturing to offer him the seat by hers. "You are quite right, of course. The voids that can be filled by the right words and good foods are entirely different."

[cook_the_rude]

He sets down his tray, and sits.

"Thank you," he says. "And yes, they are different, but both very necessary for our wellbeing: - food and thought both."

[has_it]

"I do hope you've been finding plenty of both, as I have," she smiles at him, her wide eyes bright. "How have you been?"

[cook_the_rude]

"Enjoying myself with an extracurricular Christmas in medieval Monte Cassino," he supplies. "All a bit Name of the Rose, if centuries earlier."

[has_it]

"Early enough that the temple's repurposing would have still be relatively recent, then?" she remarks, curious. "Hopefully it wasn't too like Name of the Rose, and avoided all murder investigations."

[cook_the_rude]

"No murder," Dr. Lecter assures her, "but political intrigue of the times, galore. I set some things in motion and got to practise my skills on an exiled and incognito prince of Byzantium."

[has_it]

"Indeed," Hedda certainly look interested, offering to pour for them both. "Coffee? Political mutilation was quite popular at the time. Had they blinded him?"

Blinding one's political rivals could certainly prevent them from ever leading a normal life, at that time, much less leading an army. And such blindings were quite dramatic, and left clearly visible scars; they made a good warning for other potential rivals, as word got around.

[cook_the_rude]

"Thank you," Dr. Lecter accepts the coffee. "And yes, with fire. I got to help with the scar tissue, and found that there was some rudimentary vision remaining in one eye. With time and eye drops, it might even improve a little, now that I managed to unclog the tear duct. The downside is that he will no longer dramatically weep blood from his sightless eyes."

[iprotectyou]

Having foregone his armor, Baze sits at the bar, shaping and sanding ironwood inserts intended to mate with the stock of his lightbow on either side of the shoulder extension. The ironwood is incredibly hard, and shaping the inserts takes a great amount of effort with a hammer and chisel--a challenge which Baze gleefully meets. He has a sweating pitcher of water resting near his elbow and two glasses, one of which is full and he periodically drinks from.

He glances up with a smile when the woman orders her breakfast.

"Hoi! May the Force of others be with you! I'm Baze Malbus. What is that delicious-looking food?"

[has_it]

The woman smiles at him, her manicured hands cradling her cup of black coffee as she inhales the fragrant steam. "A pleasure to meet you, Baze Malbus," she smiles a politely friendly smile. "I'm Hedda Winchell. And this is a plate of french toast."

"I do not often have a sweet breakfast, but today seemed like a good day for it," she explains, assuming that he might be from a world other than modern-day Earth. "French toast is sliced bread that has been soaked in a mixture of egg and milk and spices - I quite like vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in mine - and then fried in butter until cooked through and crispy on the surface. Usually, it's then dusted in a little bit of powdered sugar, and served with something sweet to go with it. Either maple syrup, honey, or fruit jam or preserves."

[iprotectyou]

"That sounds amazing," Baze says, rubbing his rotund belly.

"Thanks for the explanation. Are you from an Earth?"

[has_it]

"Would you like some as well? The Bar serves excellent french toast," she smiles.

"And yes, I am from Earth. Currently, I am located in the city of Los Angeles, California. Though by your question, I can guess you are not from Earth, yourself, and so Earth places I name may not offer any context," she chuckles. "Where are you from?"

[iprotectyou]

"Oh, no, I'm fasting, but thank you. I'm sure she makes wonderful French toast," Baze says, beaming at her. He chisels away at the insert.

"I'm from Jedha, a moon in the Terrabe sector in the Mid Rim of my galaxy. It's a desert moon with a permanent winter. I've heard of LA, though! A couple of people here call that city home."

[has_it]

"Oh then you must try it when you break your fast," she insists, lightly touching his arm, though she doesn't try to dissuade him from his current choice. "French toast is a delight."

"A desert moon with permanent winter," she echoes, fascinated. Her curiosity shows in the wide eyes set into her angular face. "And in a galaxy with named regions and sectors within those regions... Meaning interstellar travel is well-established and a common thing..."

This is marvelous.

"Oh, but you must think Earth terribly backwards. We are still in laborious preparations to send people to our nearest planetary neighbor, and some wonder if we will even manage that."

[iprotectyou]

Oh, hey, she touched him! That's awesome. He'd give everyone a bear hug if he could, so light arm touches are absolutely welcome.

"Just because Earth's space travel is primitive doesn't mean the whole planet is backwards."

There are other reasons he thinks that.

"But since you're planet-bound, you've developed a multitude of cultures and countries and foods--like French toast!"

[has_it]

"Maybe we just haven't gotten to the point your galaxy is at, yet," she smiles. "I imagine there was some point in your galaxy, long, long ago, when the people of the various planets and moons were just beginning to branch out and settle, or just beginning to talk to one another. There's always hope that people of Earth will one day range that far, and not just meet the people of other worlds through places like Milliways."

She looks forward to seeing it.

"Tell me about your world, if you would? Is it like Earth, with different nations and cultures within each planet and moon, or is the one prevailing, unifying culture for each world as a whole?"

Jedhaean? Jedhese?

[iprotectyou]

"I hope that happens within your lifetime," Baze says, his tone utterly sincere.

"Come to think of it, witnessing the beginning of space travel must have been incredible. We've had it for thousands of years, so whoever witnessed that is long gone. It's almost a shame."

Baze brightens even further upon her request.

"Jedha was a very cold moon, as I've said. Each planet or moon had their own culture, but there wasn't a multitude of cultures and countries per planet, like there is on Earth," Baze says, running the sandpaper over the insert.

"Jedha was a place where pilgrims soujourned to for all the temples. People--humans and non-humans alike--woukd travel from all over the galaxy just to visit."

[has_it]

Something in her eyes brightens faintly, and her smile grows as she listens. "That sounds marvelous, Baze. All of those people, from so many far-flung worlds and cultures, traveling across the galaxy to the temples at Jedha. You must have seen so many different kinds of people, from all walks of life. What did you do there?"

Why yes, she did catch the switch to past tense.

[iprotectyou]

"I did, indeed," Baze says, his tone wistful.

"We were Guardians, protecting the Temple of the Kyber, which are crystals in tune with the Force. The Force is an energy field that binds and surrounds all things."

[has_it]

Hedda seems fascinated. "And people came from all corners of the galaxy in pilgrimage to the temples. To... worship? Pay homage? What did they seek in the places dedicated to the Force that binds all things?"

[iprotectyou]

"Most people sought to worship, but some found enlightenment," Baze says, grinning from ear to ear.

"Those pilgrims sought the secrets of the Force from those who knew them, like my friend, Chirrut. He can rhapsodize about the Force for hours."

[has_it]

"Enlightenment is a rare jewel to find," Hedda smiles, almost sounding wistful.

She leans in a bit, chuckling as though admitting a sin. "My curiosity would lead me to ask about the secrets of the Force they sought, but then they would not be secret, would they? Your friend Chirrut was a Guardian at the Temple of the Kyber, as you were?"

[iprotectyou]

"Yes, he was. The best Guardian," Baze says cheerfully, beaming. Just like Chirrut can rhapsodize about the Force, Baze can rhapsodize about Chirrut.

"Still is, frankly, even after death. He's blind, and he shot down a starfighter moving at high speed in the rain with a bowcaster. I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

[has_it]

"And I'm sure I'd love to meet him," she says, entirely sincere. "Whyever did the starfighter need to be shot down, however? Was it a threat, that put the temple in need of its guardians?"

[iprotectyou]

"No, we were protecting the Rebellion's starfighters," Baze says, sobering up a little.

"They were bombing a research facility, and while it's a shame we had to bomb a place of science, the Empire was using it to research kyber crystal weapons."