[ WEEK ONE ]

[sheriffexe]

WEEK ONE

CURRENT POPULATION: 40 It's a rather quaint town when you get down to it. At least, that's what the Sheriff would argue. Warm and dry in the mornings and afternoons with a brisk coolness in the evenings. The perfect type of weather to just sit out on your rocking chair and observe the comings and goings. ... Of course, there's not much in the way of comings and goings when there aren't any actual people here to watch. Nevertheless, don't let that get you down! The town is your oyster and those roosters won't stop crowing until everyone's out of bed. Up and at 'em, rise and shine, it's time to make the day yours! After all, there's nothing wrong with the town today and you might just want to savor it while it lasts. This post functions as the general mingle post for the week. Wanted Posters and other small events will be posted in top levels below. If there's any questions or requests, please send a PM or shoot a PP to robowest.

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Comments

[sating]

As we all do, I imagine. And in that, I admit that I would be surprised if He were to have any answers.

[ He admits it casually and coolly, but the way he says it is so smooth that it almost doesn't seem blasphemous. It's gently factual. Hannibal pauses briefly, as if he's considering whether to speak to the rest of what she says or not, but that's more for show. With a comment like that, he can hardly let it go.

Even so, his expression is gentle as he continues. It's more the tone of a psychiatrist that's lightly concerned, but not pushing. ]

But it sounds as if you have come from somewhere similarly quite difficult. Better or worse than where you find yourself now?

[leadastray]

[Elizabeth finds herself speaking freely here, not that she's ever been very guarded, but she has been starved for conversation. In her tower she only had Songbird who never spoke back, she didn't realize until Mr. Dewitt how important true conversation was. So she takes this chance to unload a little.]

I'm not sure... neither here or where I came from is where I truly want to be, and I don't know if being here brings me any closer.

[sating]

[ His eyebrows raise in interest, and he inclines his head towards her lightly. He's clearly indicating for her to continue, but like his voice, even the gestures are soft. ]

Oh? If you do not mind my asking, where would you like to be, in that case?

[leadastray]

If I could be anywhere, it would be Paris.

[She smiles wistfully at the thought, though it falters as she remembers Mr. Dewitt's betrayal over travelling there. That was the closest she had ever come, and it wasn't very close at all.]

[sating]

[ He smiles warmly, and that warmth is quite genuine, though Elizabeth wouldn't know it. He turns to face her just a bit, and he's clearly engaging in the conversation just a bit more. ]

An excellent choice. Paris is a beautiful city. It's been a few years since I've been. I stopped in the city briefly on my way to Florence.

[ Even that's slightly more than he tends to give freely, but as the conversation briefly turns to himself, he's quick to divert it away to her. ]

What draws you to it? [ He looks back to the church briefly, but he turns his full attention towards her as a physical gesture. He faces her, then adds: ] Art? Music? Or perhaps food? Or all three, as I would say myself.

[leadastray]

You- you've been there? That's phenomenal! I don't even know where to being with my questions. Um...Oh! I know, what's your favorite place to visit there?

[She huffs out a silent laugh, clearly excited by this new information with how she's talking fast and animated. This was now the closest she had gotten, a genuine article! She would be jealous if she weren't so wrapped up in her awe.]

All three absolutely! Paris has been in my dreams since I first read about it.

[sating]

[ He considers her question, and that consideration is genuine, though it does end up being brief. There are many places he likes to visit in France, but in Paris itself, he finds his answer almost embarrassingly predictable. ]

The Louvre. There's scarcely a better place in the world to immerse yourself in art. From ancient times to more recent memory, being able to wander the halls and know that it would be quite an accomplishment to see every work within is a great pleasure. It's a challenge I'd like to take up, but my travelling never quite pauses long enough in France for me to do so.

[ Though he wouldn't call visiting particularly phenomenal. It's not terribly hard of a city to visit, but the way she phrases her questions makes him wonder. But he'll get to that. For now, he inclines his head to her slightly. ]

But before I get too caught up in my admiration of art, allow me to introduce myself. Hannibal Lecter. It's a pleasure to meet someone with an enthusiasm for all three.

[leadastray]

[Before she can gush more about Paris she's caught and embarrassed about her lack of manners, sh guesses those got away from her in all the excitement.]

Oh! Oh, I'm sorry for my rudeness. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Lecter, I'm Elizabeth.

[sating]

On the contrary, it's not rude at all. I can think of little better reason to forget introductions than for admiring a city like Paris.

[ He motions generally away from the church with a smile, since as quaint as it is, it's nothing much to look at. ]

If I'm not interrupting, would you care to join me for a walk, Elizabeth? With little else to do, I'd be quite happy for a conversation partner.

[leadastray]

[ELizabeth takes one last look at the church, at all its similarities and differences. It would be best, she thinks, not to dwell on this any longer, and so she turns back to Mr. Lecter.]

I'd like that, thank you.

[sating]

[ Hannibal leads her away from the church, heading generally towards the homestead instead. They could go into town, but it's a place he imagines they've both seen enough of. They might as well walk somewhere slightly more scenic, though as they do, he continues the conversation about Paris, at least in part. It's just the part he's particularly biased for. ]

Also, to offer... This is hardly Paris, and I hardly have access to my full kitchen, but I can at least offer a taste. Cooking is a great passion of mine, and in particular, the French way of cooking is my favorite.

[ He inclines his head towards her lightly ]

If you would like, of course.

[leadastray]

[Elizabeth follows along beside him. She has to admit, despite the situation the scenery is beautiful. She had seen the world below before, in pictures, in tears, but she had never experienced it fully like this. It's been strange having to adjust to the altitude and sturdiness of ground that stretches countless miles downn, beneath her feet...but she welcomes it. For now though, she tries to focus her attention to the conversation at hand, to soak in all the information she can because this man is offering dreams.]

That's a wonderful offer, is it really alright? Because I would absolutely love that if so. Does this mean you were a chef, before here?

[sating]

Of course. I would not offer otherwise.

[ Hannibal takes a lot of enjoyment in cooking for others, after all. The more people he had around his table, the happier he tended to be. Serving others his elaborate dishes was ultimately one of his unique forms of narcissism. At least it tended to benefit others, so long as his ingredients weren't too exotic. ]

Yes and no. It's my greatest pleasure as a hobby, but I wouldn't dream of it as my profession. To make art into work also means it loses some of its appeal, at least to me. [ He nods as a physical beat in the conversation, then continues smoothly, ] I'm a psychiatrist by trade, though I've been taking something of a sabbatical in recent years.

[leadastray]

[This man must have lived a luxurious life, to be able to make choices like that. Admittedly, Elizabeth is harboring a bit of envy at this point in the conversation, but there's hope there too. Meeting him, being here, it means that there's a chance for her to finally experience life and all she's read about. As soon as they're out of this.]

A doctor then? No wonder you seem so well learned. Did you help a lot of people, is that why you've traveled so far?

[She's full of questions.]

[sating]

[ They're questions he's happy to answer, since he was quite honest about wanting a conversation partner. Hannibal loves people and loves talking to people, so he's enjoying this as much as she is. It's interesting to him in the way that drew him to psychiatry in the first place. There was the visceral thrill in surgery, but not knowing the people he was operating on had been less satisfying. So now, he combines them both. But no one here seemed to know of that, oddly enough, but that was a detail he was grateful for. ]

I certainly hope so. The problem with psychiatry compared to other practices is that it's imprecise. I can speak to my patients for years, every week without fail, yet still be uncertain as to whether our conversations help. But that's something of what drew me to it as compared to, say, surgery. I enjoy people.

[ His smile is soft, fond, and sincere. ]

But it's not why I've traveled, no. That's simply for pleasure. I had a practice in Baltimore for many years, but left it to pursue my other passions in Italy.

[leadastray]

[She laughs lightly to to herself]

I'm still not sure about my opinion on people. I spent so much of my life as an observer, and the ones I've met have been good and bad alike. I know I love living though, traveling, seeing sights, people are all part of that.

You're very lucky, Mister Lecter, it sounds like you've traveled a lot.

[sating]

[ He looks to her curiously, since her phrasing catches him by surprise, but also catches his attention. It's an odd way to put it, and he can't help the urge to want to dig into why. He could call it a professional compulsion, since it is genuinely difficult to turn off his penchant for psychoanalysis, but... That's also something of a hobby too, if he's honest. ]

Oh, the people are the part of traveling that interests me the most. You're correct, after all. I've seen many places in the world, since wanderlust has been a part of my life since I was very young. Seeing the sights is always a pleasure, but what encourages me to stay is always the people. Good and bad alike.

[ He concedes to that small point with a smile, then asks gently: ]

You find yourself to be an observer, though? That's a surprising thing to hear from someone so young.

[leadastray]

[Another observation: this man must be pretty wealthy, to travel so much for recreation. But she's read enough about etiquette to know asking would be rude, so instead she moves on, this is where things might get tricky to explain.]

I didn't have much of a choice until recently. Observing was all I could do... To have the option of anything else is a new concept to me.

[sating]

[ Sheltered, he assumes, but she's quite well spoken for that. He can't imagine such a sheltered life where someone would call themselves and observer yet be conversational so easily, but clearly, it must be so. He's curious and wants to pry, but he can also be patient. So rather than dig, he offers instead. ]

My— Then this town is perhaps a unique opportunity. It is not quite the option of everything else. But certainly more.

[ He makes a thoughtful noise, then looks to her. ]

If not observing, you have the chance to act. What would you do here, given the chance? What would you want to learn from experience rather than observation?

[leadastray]

[idk either Hannibal it's some inconsistent writing! Anyways.

Elizabeth takes a moment to really think on this. From the moment she left her tower she was shuffled from place to place, there had only been a brief moment to truly bask in her freedom before it all went to chaos. Her answers come out both stilted and rushed as her mind goes to all the things she could do now, and her first thought is that pier.]

I want to listen to music, directly from the musicians, and dance to it. I want to...

[She laughs a little, at how simple these ideas are going to seem.]

I want to go shopping, choose my own clothing and items to bring home. Maybe see an animal in person, if there are any, I'd love to touch a horse-

Sorry, I'm babbling. This must seem silly to you.

[sating]

[ He listens, and when she stops herself, Hannibal shakes his head. ]

Not at all.

[ It's honest, as Hannibal often is, but also more than his simple words speak to. They're such simple things that he finds himself believing that she's been more than simply sheltered to harbor such desires, and he has to wonder how. But even so, Hannibal smiles warmly. ]

I'm afraid I cannot help with all of them, but there's at least one I could offer. I still wonder how and why, but my harpsichord has come here with me. If you would like music, then I can easily provide music. [ He smiles slightly wryly ] Dance is more difficult, as I've yet to master the combination of the two, but hopefully an unpartnered dance would suffice.

[leadastray]

You're a musician too? It sounds like you have almost as much uninterrupted time as me.

[This is a joke, of course, but she really does wonder about his home circumstances. That's what happens when you don't know more than glimpses about the modern day, I guess.]

That would be...Words can not express how lucky I feel to have met you right now, Mr Lecter. Thank you.

[WORDS I'M SURE SHE WILL REGRET.]

[sating]

Simply a gift and dedication to the arts. [ He gestures lightly towards his head, but his hands are immediately clasped primly behind his back again once he's done ] I forget very little, so memorization comes easily to me. Luckily, this includes musical notes.

[ His explanation is simple, but asking further will get more than Elizabeth would probably expect or want... At least he admits it humbly, since it seems more of his interest is in Elizabeth and her enjoyment than stroking his own ego. In fact, her sincere thanks surprises him, and he shakes his head lightly as an expression of that surprise, but it's not meant to dismiss her thanks. ]

Why, you're very welcome, Elizabeth. That's quite high praise, so I must be careful to select a song that's suitable to receive it.

[ He considers that for a moment, but continues after a soft laugh. ]

Though there is the matter of moving it... I hope you don't mind waiting a few days. It's currently in my room, which is quite cramped with both the harpsichord and Mr. Auditore. I'll ask a friend of mine to help me move it somewhere more conducive to dancing.