week three - friday afternoon

[sating]

[ Hannibal has had a busy day, to say the least.

Part of it, he expected, since after what he'd seen last night, he was rather curious to see just how Annabeth had turned out. And of course, the fact that Percy was immediately drawn there was just as much a part of why he'd chosen to investigate that place. It was no surprise that he was there. But seeing the despair turn to rage had been what he was hoping for. With Annabeth and Riku both murdered, Hannibal expected that both Percy and Xion would be extremely interesting to watch tomorrow and from now on.

Of course, what he hadn't predicted was being drawn into another surgery.

He wouldn't refuse, naturally. The irony of the moment pleased him, and he did enjoy surgery a great deal. It was quite the contrast to having such a heavy hand in the murders of two people to then save two. But really, that just quietly improved his mood all the more. By the time he's finished and Sei is let to rest, he's nothing less than starving. He'd had a grand idea of enjoying a particularly decadent brunch. He had given Will his portion for breakfast, and finally, after all of the bustle of the morning, he takes his own serving to cook up. It's simple and quick, since he'd imagined he might need that today. He was more right than he knew. But as he cooks, the smell of seared heart with blueberries, caramelized onions and grated horseradish is nothing less than mouth-watering.

But he'd rather not eat alone or even in public. Even if it looks like no more than steak, he would rather avoid the questions of why he has an appetite at all after such a gruesome day.

So naturally, he finds Will, wherever he may be. ]

Hello, Will.

[ He announces himself gently, and he approaches with a plate, fork, and knife in hand. ]

May I join you while I eat?

Comments

[sweats]

[ Will is in their bedroom this time because well, investigations make the town a little crazy. He did catch Xion's glare from the kitchen earlier, and the screaming kind of clued him into the fact someone she knew was gone. He didn't want to venture past it and it only took a look out the window to see the cluster at the Sheriff's station to make him realize he should probably make himself scarce.

So, he's laying out on the couch, Winston sprawled over his legs and snoozing while he reads. He's got an arm behind his head, pillowing him and he's changed back into his sleepwear -- a shirt and boxers, socks -- because the western clothing isn't that great for lounging. When Hannibal enters, he'll drop the book to his chest and give a raised eyebrow, catching onto Hannibal's mood immediately. ]

Of course. [ . . . ] You're having a very good week, aren't you?

[sating]

[ He realizes he's glad to see Will here as he takes a seat on the other couch as not to disturb Winston. For many reasons, naturally, but ever since he had learned that Will's empathy had been increased here to keep him from helping too much, Hannibal had been concerned, in his way.

It doesn't stop him from being social with the people of the town in the slightest, but it means in moments like this, Hannibal tends to be more thoughtful. He knows that they find the most comfort in each others' presence. He hopes their evenings spent together help soothe the cacophony of emotion that Will must feel with the circumstances here. But for now? He's glad that Will seems to be relaxing despite the chaos. At least, as best he can.

He settles as comfortably as he can, and though it's hardly a dining table (which annoys him slightly admittedly), he starts to use the coffee table as one while he starts to cut his heart into smaller pieces. Though as he does, his smile does turn a bit wry.

After all, where they find comfort in each others' presence, they also find honesty. ]

Very. It has been an especially exciting one. More than I planned.

[ He pauses for a few long moments to scoop some of the topping onto his steak and take a bite. Hannibal closes his eyes as he savors the taste, and with it, he relaxes from his own tension. Though some parts of the day had been expected or planned, those that weren't did mean that he felt that this meal was rather well-deserved. A savory, hand-butchered meal after a surgery was quite a treat. But once he's taken in the flavor, he looks to Will in a sidelong glance as he cuts another piece. ]

Audentes Fortuna iuvat. I took a risk, but coincidence seemed to favor my hand.

[sweats]

[ Will hesitates a moment before closing the book he was reading and moving it off his chest to place it on the table. His arms fold across his chest and Winston shifts in his sleep, sniffing the air before letting out a whuff. Will finds himself doing the same, the taste of Hannibal's delight making him feel heady and warm. He expected it, of course, but it still feels nice against his mind, like a soothing balm over a nuisance of an itch. He finds his body relaxing soon after, the tension he hadn't noticed dripping away like honey.

He watches Hannibal then without shame, keeps his eyes on him as he cuts his heart and takes a bite, as he savors each taste. Will had some earlier and he had to admit, the meat was delicious -- fresh and warm and dripping juices on his tongue. The flavors burst as they melted and he felt an overwhelming urge to thank Hannibal in any way he could for being such an excellent chef. He was almost jealous, for a moment, that he hadn't helped Hannibal acquire the meat -- but they'll have time. There will always be time. ]

Only Annabeth and that boy was your doing, right? Percy's not going to come back from that, you know. He really loved her.

[ Idly, Will realizes, he's going to have to stay away from Percy for a while. It makes him sad, he enjoyed their conversations but he knows better than to put himself in the path of a teenage boy that ruined. He learned from Abigail, he won't risk it again. He has Hannibal and that's frankly enough for him. ]

Were you curious? To see what would happen, to love like that, if you broke it?

[sating]

[ He sees Will's attention shift to him, and almost shyly, he looks away and back to his meal. It isn't quite that, since it's much more just focusing his attention on the finely crafted meal he's made for himself, but there is a small part that diverts away from the intensity of Will's gaze. It's somewhat ironic, he knows. They've shared far more intense gazes than this. But it's something about the quietness of moments like this that's different to him. The sort of quiet acceptance that he had been chasing after for years.

He takes another bite. It's no less savory than the first, but this time, he doesn't drown himself in the hedonistic pleasure of it. Instead, he puts his focus in their conversation. ]

In a manner of speaking. Love is a great motivator. When the heart breaks with loss, we do irrational things. I'm curious to see what direction Percy will be pushed towards.

[ In a twisted way that's so unique to Hannibal, this is his empathy. There's a particular way of how he phrases it that isn't coincidental, because as he considers it, he remembers the moment that Will had denied him. His heart had broken. And in his denial of that moment, he had given up everything. He was pushed to the edge, to something interesting, and here he is now.

After all, Hannibal isn't the sort of killer that lacks emotion or doesn't understand it. He understands them perfectly, and he wants to see certain expressions of it in the world. Sometimes, they're his own. Or sometimes, they're simply ones that interest him. Which it ends up being is never quite clear, but even with the worst of his manipulations, there's usually some stroke of an intention of helping others in there. His help just comes at a greater price than anyone wants to pay. ]

And Xion is on the precipice of justifying her own existence. She needed only a small push to decide her life was worth fighting for. [ He pauses, pensive for a moment, but continues smoothly. ] In her case, I hope she decides to fight.

[sweats]

[ There's something satisfying in watching Hannibal react to him with something as normal, as base, as just being shy. It fills Will with his own sort of giddiness, makes him want to touch again and instead he just smiles and settles himself with idly petting Winston. Winston shifts, rolls onto his back to settle in the space between Will's hip and the back of the couch. It's nice, cozy even.

He listens to Hannibal's explanation and of course, of course he thinks of the comparison to the two of them. He thinks of the Hannibal's kitchen, of feeling himself drown in Abigail's blood, he has to look away for a moment and his smile falters. He lets out a slow breath before focusing back on Hannibal, gaze lingering on the dish of heart. ]

He didn't need to be pushed anywhere, you know. It's only been three weeks, I'm pretty sure he wasn't prepared for his world to shatter. It'll be interesting, sure, but it was also entirely unnecessary.

[ He's not sure if he's chastising or ruminating though, just speaking of the loss as a whole. In a way, for Will, it's like Percy's also died. He wasn't prepared to lose the boy so quickly, hadn't even made up his mind about how he felt towards him. Will sighs and it's a little melancholy but he'll move on. He always does.

Mindlessly, he finds himself petting Winston, who wakes and seems to sense Will's sudden dip in mood. The dog shuffles upwards, licking at his jaw before lying across his chest, tucking his snout away against Will's armpit. Will doesn't bother to push him off, instead scratching him with both hands and pressing a quick kiss to the top of Winston's head.

But now for the other part, Xion. Xion, who isn't quite fond of Will and Will probably shouldn't have waved when her and Sara came through earlier. He was just stuck there, eating his fill and couldn't help the impulsive gesture. It didn't earn him any good will though, and if she knew what was on his plate, probably even less than that. ]

So, a rebirth for Xion instead? To parallel Percy's death. It's rather poetic, isn't it? [ . . . ] You couldn't have expected that.

[sating]

It may have been a bit impulsive.

[ Hannibal at least agrees with Will that provoking Percy had come a bit early, but randomly picking people for the stocks was a bit boring. He always wanted a reason, and in the absence of no one truly deserving of their brush against death that would come from being put in the stocks, he had to find a different one. There was no rudeness or idiocy so great that he felt the need to punish them, and so instead, he thought to pursue something more interesting.

He looks to Will and Winston as they reorganize themselves on the couch, and Hannibal's smile is nothing short of fond despite the macabre topic. Those two moments may as well have been spoken by two different people for how Hannibal reacts to them. The casual discussion of his crimes contrasted against the warmth of his enjoyment of the domesticity was why Hannibal Lecter was such a chilling personality. At least, once you knew what he truly was. ]

But no, I did not. Technically speaking, even the stocks are clearly a gamble. I fully expected Jason to die, but they did not take the opportunity. Annabeth was unlucky that the other people who felt like murdering were more opportunistic.

[ Then it's back to his plate for another bite. ]

They will at least come together, I think. Their loss will unite them, and they will pursue the guilty party viciously. Grief and anger mix together, and in it, they may make a new friend.

[ Hannibal holds up his fork with a stab of heart on the end, looking at it pensively, but with a small smile. ]

Percy and I spoke of eliminating the selfish so that the whole could benefit. I wonder how he would feel about that now? Were he the survivor, would he look at the people dead at his feet and lift them back up again? Or would he only take Annabeth's hand and leave the rest? That's what I'm curious to see. In the meantime, I'm paying our way. With any luck, we may see Cuba yet.

[sweats]

[ And yet for Will, the dramatic shifts settle on him like a soothing balm. This is his normalcy, whole and complete as it can be for him. He feels loved and needed by Winston, warm and wanted by Hannibal, and his mind is stimulated and sated by the conversation. He should feel ill, most likely. Any rational human being would but Will has long ago tossed standard rationality to the side in order to... well, be. His work, his morals, his struggle against his mind, it was all so much and now here with Hannibal, he is fine.

He is fine to talk candidly and with a detached interest in the misery of two young teenagers. ]

Misery over Jason's passing wouldn't be as wide spread. The misery over Annabeth and Riku and both Percy and Xion's subsequent reactions will shake the town entirely. If Jason died, you wouldn't have found it nearly as amusing. There wouldn't be anything for you to work with, Hannibal.

[ He says it simply, with nothing more than an eerie intuition and a detached delivery. He's not bothered by any of this, which should be more of a surprise but he cut ties with that feeling effectively the moment the Dragon confronted him in his hotel room and asked to see Dr. Lecter.

That is when Will knew, there was no getting away from this. There was no future for him in the other direction. ]

Ah, but do you think Annabeth would let him live with that? She seemed good, firmer foundation than Percy. If he won, I don't think that would be an option for him. I don't think she would let it be.

[ Almost like Will, in a way. He doesn't know if he could ever actively do something like ... help Hannibal win this game. But what he can do is let Hannibal play to his heart's content with little interference from Will himself. Participation vs observation. It makes all the difference in the end. ]

I would hope you weren't about to forget Cuba so soon.