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Yrael enters today from the humid warmth of a pre-thunderstorm New Orleans, the sea- and city-scented air oppressive and thick. There are the sounds of a crowd of people having a good time - or at least a loud one - from through the door. But the occasional droplets from the sky are signalling that the bottom is about to fall out of the low, dark clouds passing overhead, so Yrael is getting while the getting's good.

Iridescent glitter and bits of tattered confetti are caught in his stark white hair and on his white clothes, falling in drifts in his wake as the albino young man crosses to the bar.

"Atlantean please, my dear Bar," orders the Bright Shiner, grinning up a storm as he claims a bar stool as his own.

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Teja approaches, Count sitting on his shoulder and shedding a few pale grey hairs down the faded black tee-shirt saying GOTH in big red black-letter type that Teja is wearing with a pair of lived-in, timeless leather trousers and motorbike boots. He's being of the future today.

"Greetings, Yrael," he says. "It is good to see you here today."

"It is good to see you as well, Teja," Yrael says, cheerfully, offering his own greetings and a crackly scrap of paper confetti to the cat.

"Your afterlife looks like it is treating you well. How have you been, my friend?"

"I would be better," Teja says, leaning his elbows upon the bar, "if I were not so worried about my forge-helper, who has gone back into the raging waters that brought him here, almost a year ago."

Count jumps off, onto the surface of the bar.

Edited 2014-05-29 16:04 (UTC)

"If he has gone from this place into his own world, there is little use in waiting expectantly and wringing one's hands - you know how the door is."

Fickle.

They have both lost loved ones to it. They know that song.

"Better to occupy your thoughts and efforts elsewhere, so that when or if your forge-helper returns, it can be a pleasant surprise instead of a release of tension." The missing forge-helper not returning is a very real possibility, so Yrael would rather Teja not remain in a constant state of worry.

Edited 2014-05-29 16:15 (UTC)

"You could help me by distracting my soul in solving another puzzle that has turned up lately," Teja says. "Different realities lie side by side here like the different pages of the same book, disassembled and laid out on the table."

He makes a wide, sweeping motion over the top of the bar, as if spreading said unbound pages.

"Of course," Yrael nods, both to the request for help and the metaphor.

"Some worlds are closer to each other - the worlds from which the Nobodies came, for example, an entire sheaf of worlds where the boundaries are thin - while even greatly disparate worlds share similarities, and share stories of happenings in other worlds," he smiles, and borrows a piece of the Goth's metaphor. "Ink from one page bleeding into the next."

Edited 2014-05-29 16:26 (UTC)

"There was wonder how much the Doctor Lecter that is here now, is like or unlike the Doctor Lecter that what here before, whose grave we visited in Florence," Teja says. "It would be simplest to ask you, as you were friends with one and are now with the other."

"I am, indeed," he replies with a smile and a slight nod. "Though what brought up this wonder? There have been other patrons who share names."

Yrael sips his Atlantean wine, at ease with his friend.

"I spoke of this with Bruce Banner," Teja says. "I know there have been several Lokis, for example, from the one that necessitated the third rule, to the lovely red-headed god we have now. It is clear they are not the same. But Hannibal Lecter just might be."

Let him think it is merely a dispute or bet with Bruce Banner, if he wishes to.

"I remember when that rule was enacted," Yrael nods, grinning wryly. Iridescent glitter shimmers as it falls from his hair. "Trust gods and immortals to make things more difficult for everyone else, hmm?"

Yrael is very upfront about making sure he creates his share of difficulty. Just usually not the kind of difficulty that leads to the creation of new rules.

"I'm not sure I know Bruce Banner, though not every time I meet someone do I get their names." Especially when he is conning them for scritches. "Does he believe there is another of himself, then, or was this just a subject that came up in conversation?"

Edited 2014-05-29 20:07 (UTC)

"It came up," Teja says. "He had heard the name before, and I know from you that there was one of that name here before, also. So, are they the same, or entirely different?"

"I couldn't say either way, truly," Yrael replies, sipping his wine. "The Doctor Lecter whom I first met was simultaneously from an earlier time by a little over a decade, and from later in life by over two decades, I would say, than the Doctor Lecter who comes to Milliways now. Their respective doors would be located half a world away from one another, in any case."

Edited 2014-05-29 20:23 (UTC)

"And how are they similar, apart from the name?" Teja asks.

"I would say they both are people who love life, and what it has to offer," he replies, musing. "Good music, good food, good company... but then, that is common among all of my friends. Myself, as well."

"Anything in common in their personal histories?" Teja says. "For one thing, they are both mind-healers and doctors both."

"I do try to curb my curiosity when it comes to my friends' private affairs, you know. So I know comparatively little of their respective personal histories."

Yrael's grin says clearly that Teja is as subtle as an axe to the skull, but his suggestion is mild. "You would likely do best to ask Dr. Lecter yourself, if it is his personal history that interests you."

Though, if Yrael notices Teja's interest, then Dr. Lecter certainly will be able to, as well.

"Did I hear my name?"

It is Dr. Lecter himself, turning up beside them. "Hello, Yrael. Hello, Teja; and hello, little Count!"

The cat comes to sniff his proffered fingers and be rubbed behind the ears.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Lecter," Yrael grins, turning to welcome his friend into the conversation. "Indeed you did. Teja and I were discussing one of Milliways' odd tendencies - that very occasionally, people who share names but are from different worlds find their ways here."

"And we were citing you," Teja says, "as an example of that -- Yrael and I went to visit the grave of a man in Florence that shared your name, and was Yrael's friend before. He was the custodian of a palace in that city, and died there, at a ripe old age. But he came in from earlier, and was much older than you, I hear."

Yrael sips his wine. "From the turn of the millennium, or thereabouts. Possibly a year or two after. At that time and place, the Dr. Hannibal Lecter I knew was the curator of the Capponi Library."

"You told me," Dr. Lecter says, "when I was new. It's how I'd like to end my life as well. I know that there's other versions of some people. Not just the same name, or the same face, the same person, only different. That could have been me, from one world over."

Pause.

"Florence is a lovely place as it is. How did you get there?"

"Through Teja's door," Yrael answers. "And then by motorcycle."

"I have a car now, if you wish to go," Teja says. "See the grave of the man who was you, and was not you at the same time. Would you come also, Yrael?"

"Indeed," replies the Bright Shiner, smiling as he takes the last sip of his Atlantean wine. "If an outing is to be made, I would certainly enjoy seeing Florence again."

"Absolutely," Dr. Lecter says. "Let us go; the weather is miserable in Baltimore at the moment, the snow being replaced with incessant rain. I would very much enjoy going to Florence."