#queue'd ;

The rain was gentle, but he preferred not to get wet. Arm linked with Bedelia's, the two watched the crowd huddled under the museum's awning as people filed inside to stay dry.

From a distance they looked like any other couple enjoying a moment alone. The steady rain, beautiful garden, and balmy summer afternoon would make for a romantic setting under any other circumstances and for any other pair. In Hannibal's mind there was a streak of romance as he clenched her arm tight, though of course his idea of romance was unorthodox.

"They certainly picked a bad day for an outdoor gala," he said with a smirk.

Dr. Lecter glanced down at Dr. Du Maurier. He was calm on the surface as the wheels of his mind continued to turn. Every move was analyzed.

@thesheepcote sent: ❛ here, i noticed you lost this earlier. ❜

If Jin could have blushed he would have. Instead he smiled wide. Finally he’d been noticed. If it took losing part of his outfit to get there then so be it.

“Oh, you found my scarf!”

He reached delicately for the small light blue chiffon piece in Ken’s hand. It was clearly part of Jin’s outfit, an accessory meant to match his navy pants and cerulean blazer. Without it his neck felt so bare. Still he hesitated in that brief moment where they both touched opposite ends of the fabric.

Quick work had the scarf tied neatly back in place around his neck like the decorative bow on a Christmas gift.

@therelentless sent: do you ever think about the future?

"Of course," he said, "there's much to consider. Where I will go, how will I start over, who will go with me? I have many questions about the future."

The sun had set not long ago. With nightfall came a new day for their kind: freedom under the cover of darkness. They had the world at their fingertips and centuries upon centuries of experience between them.

"We have so much time it's hard not to think about what the future holds."

Well, they had Staten Island at their fingertips. That was still good. They could still do something if they wanted to do something. Yves had no real purpose for his visit other than to expand his own personal network. He would have to rely on Nandor for suggestions in an unfamiliar land.

Yves sighed as he sat in the parlor of his host's dark and dim home. He crossed one leg over the other and looked over to his fellow vampire.

@consumare sent: 'you are very distracting when you want to be.'

"Perhaps you have a wandering eye."

Noel smirked. He sipped at his scotch. As he set the crystal glass down on the end table a strand of blond copper hair fell down across his face, escaping from where it had been neatly coiffed. Sleeves rolled up, top button undone, Noel knew he had drank a little more than he should have. His cheeks were dusted a gentle pink, a telltale sign that he had imbibed a few drinks that night.

Tick, tock. The clock continued to count the seconds, minutes, hours as the two men sat in Noel's living room. The record player that one played Couperin and Vivaldi had now fallen silent as the two men neglected to change out the records. The bottle of scotch the forensic examiner had selected sat nearly empty atop the mahogany coffee table between them.

It was late. Noel didn't know what time it was. The last time the clock properly chimed felt like ages ago. The outside world had gone quiet and dark long ago.

With a sigh Noel sunk further into his armchair. The leather upholstery creaked as it rubbed against itself. Noel stretched his legs out and let his head roll back slightly, exposing more of his bare neck.

@thesheepcote sent: ❛ we’ve got some time to kill so why don’t you tell me a little about yourself ? ❜

Jin shuffled uncomfortably. His first few days in Barbieland had given him figurative whiplash. He woke up in a new place with few memories only to be greeted by a world that did not know him but that he somehow knew well. He had learned he was "unofficial", whatever that meant. That left him with very few places to go. No dream house. No job to do. No friends to confide in.

That was when he was directed to her: "Weird" Barbie. Patron saint of the discontinued and disregarded, Jin climbed up the steep steps to her wildly patterned altar and pleaded for her guidance. Apparently she knew how to fix the defective, and being unofficial felt kind of like being defective. If anyone could fix him, it was her.

"I'm not so sure I know much anymore at all," he said with a sigh, "it's like I'm in a bad dream or something."

The bright and gaudy colours on the walls clashed with odd angles in a way that made him feel even smaller than he already did. Whimsy loomed over him, as if to mock his aimlessness and disappointment.

He tapped his foot rapidly. Nothing was the way he thought he remembered it and there were portions of his memory that seemed to be missing entirely.

"I know I was supposed to be Barbie's friend but she doesn't recognize me. I know that I'm supposed to like Ken and he's supposed to like me, but he doesn't know me either. None of them do."

It hurt to say that nobody knew him, that he was a stranger but knew he shouldn't be. Jin felt like he'd lost his mind, and he was not designed to feel that way.

@consumare sent: despite birthdays being rather trivial to hannibal, he's always willing to give an expensive gift, and flaunt his wealth. the box is sitting on the kitchen counter as they walk in, light blue with a deep blue, silk ribbon. hannibal ushers toward it with a grin before he begins collecting ingredients for the dinner he intended to cook just for jin. inside, jin would find a blue dress made of silk, with sleek straps, and a slit up its leg. he's grinning a bit as he ties his apron around his waist, glancing up at jin when he's finished. 'i would like you to change into it, please,' hannibal said. it isn't quite a demand, but he isn't asking, either. 'there is a guest room upstairs you may use,'

When Jin had accepted Hannibal's invitation he was initially a little hesitant — not because he didn't want to go, but because he did. Though he could often be hedonistic he wasn't totally mindless. He knew it was a bad idea to get too personally involved with someone who was supposed to be his therapist. It was unprofessional on Dr. Lecter's part, a red flag, but the doctor was a matador and Jin was a charging bull running headfirst into the crimson banner that should have served as a warning.

Before he could say anything, he was urged to open a box with a rather expensive looking blue ribbon. It looked so expensive. He almost didn't want to touch it. Almost.

The ribbon slipped open with a gentle motion, and as he opened the box and pulled out the garment his face went a shade of faded ruby. When he had discussed his fashion preferences with his therapist he hadn't expected it would result in such a gift. He bit at his lip and nodded at the request, almost too embarrassed to speak.

Blue silk in hand, he navigated Hannibal's labyrinthian house to the guest room. In the quiet dark he could think clearly. This was insane. This was unusual. He shouldn't have come here. It was too late to back out. Clearly Hannibal wanted him here, or he wouldn't have done so much preparation. To back down now after accepting such a gift would be terribly rude. He did not want to spoil the evening, and even though he knew it was a bad idea to get personally involved with Dr. Lecter, he was going to do it anyways.

When he slipped the dress on it fit nearly perfectly. It made him wonder how carefully the doctor had watched him if he was able to estimate his size so accurately. It made his heart beat faster with a sickly mixture of excitement and anxiety. He was acutely aware in that moment that the other had been watching him somehow, devouring him from an appropriate distance until the two could be alone. For what purpose he wasn't completely sure but he thought he had an idea. Whether he was right or not was yet to be made clear. So far when older men had bought him expensive gifts they wanted one thing and one thing only.

"This is... incredible. Beautiful," he said as he rejoined Dr. Lecter, "I don't know what to say. I mean, thank you, obviously, but this is really something special."

Jin smiled, hands unsteady as he smoothed the fabric across his body. He felt vulnerable, as if he was standing nude on a Broadway stage for an entire audience to see. With this part of him exposed he felt a pang of desire for Hannibal's approval.