12. Mea...culpa?

[orderfromchaos]

[Public, video]

[They're the kitchen of Dillon's parents' house: relentlessly suburban, a few southwestern touches, from the touristy Navajo-ish vase on the table to the sepia color palette, well-coordinated. There are floral magnets on the fridge, and one Hannibal Lecter humming as he makes what appears to be gourmet tomato soup and fresh-baked bread. He's wearing an open lab coat over his suit that he grabbed while attempting to join an infirmary shift, right before Dillon hurriedly hustled him out.]

I kind of...fixed him.

[Not like you fix a car; Hannibal wasn't broken, he was himself. Like you fix a dog.]

I thought it would wear off but it hasn't, and his room is the same so it doesn't count for graduation but I don't. Actually know how to undo it.

He's not faking, either.

[Voice pitched more deliberately across the room, though he hasn't been been whispering or anything; Hannibal could have heard him before if he was listening.

Hey, Hannibal, say sorry to the nice people.

[Hannibal pauses, sets down the wooden spoon and turns to the comm, contrite, shifting, a little uncertain.]

I'm terribly sorry for what I've done. It seems almost unreal, but I do not mean to belittle anyone's suffering. I apologize.

[Dillon waves him back to the soup.]


[Private to Jean]

I'm pretty sure what you do is more. Versatile, than mine. I know it's a lot to ask, but could you check and see if you can reverse it?

Comments

[orderfromchaos]

I know, I know I shouldn't have, alright?

[darknessb4me]

Did I ask that?

No.

What did you do?

[orderfromchaos]

I don't know the words for it, I never did it on purpose before. I just - like - smoothed him out. His soul's still there, that's fine. I'm not controlling him directly or anything. He's just...nice, now.

[darknessb4me]

I don't know why I'm surprised. It's what you're hired for, after all. Do the rest of the ship and get it over with.

[orderfromchaos]

I wouldn't. Not to - most of you.

[Congratulations, Arthas, he actually feels a lot more guilty when he thinks about why that is.]

Anyway, he's not graduated, apparently the Admiral prefers the hard way.

[Also not even a little surprising.]

I do think it wears off. But maybe not...fast enough.

[darknessb4me]

The Admiral is a hypocrite.

[Arthas inclines his head to indicate Hannibal, in the background.]

Put him on.

[orderfromchaos]

Okay.

[He totally doesn't hand his own comm over; even though Hannibal is trustworthy now, Dillon doesn't want him seeing private conversations and remembering them later. But Hannibal has his own comm and Dillon tells him to call Arthas.]

[youwill]

[It takes him a moment - the soup needs a few more ingredients - but eventually, he picks his own comm up, all curious and pleasant.]

You wanted to speak with me?

[darknessb4me]

What did he do?

[youwill]

He--

[That's met with a moment of confusion. 'He fixed me,' is his first thought, that's what Dillon said himself. But there are more precise descriptions.]

He defended himself. [It's honest regret on his face.]

[darknessb4me]

What is "fixed," what the hell is that?

[youwill]

I was not well.

[Confused, again; he thought that much was obvious.] I hurt others. Now, I have no desire to.

[darknessb4me]

Let me make this clear: I don't like you.

If I kill him, do you go back to normal?

[youwill]

Why would you do that?

[darknessb4me]

I would do whatever works.

[youwill]

Nothing needs to work. Please do not hurt him.

[darknessb4me]

I'm sure you think you're contributing your opinion, but you're not. Take it up with me when I'm done.

[youwill]

There is nothing to be done. I don't need to be - reverted.

[orderfromchaos]

[He calls across the room, from off screen -]

It totally doesn't work! I tried it at home. The way he is has got its own momentum now.

Dillon's communicator

[darknessb4me]

What about killing him, then?

Dillon's communicator/private

[orderfromchaos]

I honestly don't know. If Jean can't help, it's an option we're considering.

But I'm pretty sure she can.

Dillon's communicator/private

[darknessb4me]

I don't trust psychics.

We'll see.

Dillon's communicator/private

[orderfromchaos]

Death is basically just another way of kicking to the admiral. My resurrections generally - contributed. To pulling people into my sway.

And I think most of us would trust her more than him.

Dillon's communicator/private

[darknessb4me]

If he hasn't graduated Lecter, he doesn't approve. Death is a reset. I've trusted that much dozens of times.

I'm not going to spend much time convincing you. You should be nowhere near the resurrection.

Dillon's communicator/private

[orderfromchaos]

[He shakes his head.]

You don't have to convince me. That's a good - you're right.