(no subject)

[just_cant_lose]

 
Jim has dragged a sofa over to the Observation Window this afternoon, right up close to the glass so the main room is blocked out of view as much as possible. He could pass as any random hipster today, in low-slung jeans and soft cardigan, and he's got earbuds in. 

You might not see him, as he's lounged out along the length of the couch, screwing a drone together and staring out at the stars. You might hear him though, as he occasionally bursts into random lines of songs he's listening to. Currently on the playlist, 'he drives me crazy!'

At least he's got a good voice?

'Like no one else...'

Comments

[just_cant_lose]

'Your capacity for pleasant interest is weird. But yes, that's what I'm saying.'

Jim would rather have no interest than the pleasant sort. Just sort of...being with someone, and not being set on fire by them - what's the point? Tedious. It has to be all or nothing.

[cook_the_rude]

"Most people you meet," Hannibal says, "most food you can eat, most products of culture and most cases to work on are pleasantly interesting at best, nothing more. There is only one Will Graham, only one Goldberg Variations. If I only accepted to one, all the rest of my time would just be empty. So I have relationships with the likes of Alana or Sinric, roast lamb or dodo, and play Mahler, Britten or jazz."

[just_cant_lose]

'You must have more tolerance than me. Doing stuff that's just okay is worse than doing nothing. it's actively bad.'

Better to retreat into your own head than fill hours with people who make you want to pull their eyes out, they're so tedious. Jim's never been good at finding distractions.

[cook_the_rude]

"Remember that my 'pleasantly interesting' is not 'just okay', it's the highest quality there can be, short of unattainable rarity and forbidden treasures."

Beat.

"So, I sometimes eat dodo, aliens, and mythical beasts here."

[just_cant_lose]

'And while that's a novelty, it lasts only as long as the time it takes to eat a meal. And it's still just food.'

All, or nothing.

'Which one's Will? Unattainable, or forbidden?'

[cook_the_rude]

"When we started out, both."

[just_cant_lose]

Jim's eyebrows raise again, a mockery of surprise.

'You make it sound like he's diminished, the close you you've got.'

But he knows that, for Hannibal, he hasn't.

'Perhaps you should be making up a new category for him, if he doesn't fit those two any more.'

[cook_the_rude]

"Now he is Will Graham, a category in and by himself," Hannibal says.

[just_cant_lose]

Jim puts his mug down, and slouches back.

''Does he know how highly you think of him? I mean, have you ever stated it explicitly, or do you not need to?'

[cook_the_rude]

I don't have to," Hannibal says.

[just_cant_lose]

Jim looks at him for a long moment.

This immediately makes him wonder how many of Hannibal's opinions on the matter are wishful thinking, or misinterpretations. Graham might even be clever enough to be playing him, though Jim doubts that - whatever else Hannibal is, he's undoubtedly intelligent. Still. If Will isn't clever enough to get what Hannibal's silently offering, but Hannibal wants him to enough to believe he does...hmm.

'Okay,' is what he says, and drinks his coffee.

[cook_the_rude]

"You don't go through what we've been through without realising what you mean to each other," Hannibal says.

[just_cant_lose]

'Knowing what you mean to each other doesn't mean you want the same outcome.'

Obviously?

[cook_the_rude]

"Unless it's an outcome that we both have to want," Hannibal says. "Hence the dragon."

[just_cant_lose]

'Yessss, but what happens when you're not in that sort of situation?'

Things organised by other people are always going to be dodgy. Far better to sort out your own.

[cook_the_rude]

"Sooner or later, there was bound to be a situation like that," Hannibal shrugs. "I just had to be patient."

[just_cant_lose]

Jim tilts his head at him.

'Why wait, is my point. Do you never engineer the things you want to happen? '

[cook_the_rude]

"I am doing that," Hannibal says. "But I had to wait for the right occasion."

[just_cant_lose]

Jim's getting quite interested in the idea of meeting Will. It'd be good to get the other side of this.

'Well, you'd know. But c'mon darling, you must be a little bored of waiting for a resolution by now.'

His expression turns a little sly.

'Frustrated, even.'

[cook_the_rude]

"Hence he pleasant interest in Sinric," Hannibal says.

[just_cant_lose]

'Meh.'

Which should accurately convey what he thinks about that. He fails to see the point.

He rolls to his feet suddenly, depositing his coffee mug on the table and catching up his drone.

'Well, I'm going to refrain from gloating too much about having someone upstairs who's on my level. I'm just going to go up and enjoy him.'

[cook_the_rude]

"Have fun," Hannibal says, smirking.

[just_cant_lose]

'Oh, darling.'

Jim laughs as he rounds the sofa, and puts a hand on Hannibal's shoulder for a brief squeeze.

'Always.'

There's definitely a spring in his step as he walks away.