Fandom Counseling, Friday

[sharp_man]

It was nice to have a covered walkway between the house and his office on days with inclement weather. Even if that weather was just marshmallow snow.

Hannibal would be in his office doing paperwork and trolling APA forums unless anybody stopped by. Outside, Joni was chasing marshmallows around and pouncing on them, Beethoven was grooming marshmallows and looking disappointed when they got smaller, and the flamingos were huddling under the porch after a few too many bonks on the head from marshmallows.

Ah, Fandom.


[Open post!]

Comments

[mother_love]

The last session had gone better than Billy had expected. Of course, he had really expected to be laughed out of the office when he started really talking about things. So ya know, low bar. But it still progress ... so that was good, right?

He had been given homework for the time between the next session and as difficult as things like journaling and writing had always been for Billy, he had done his best. And with the small notebook tucked under his arm to keep any sticky marshmallows from messing it up he path and stood on the porch as he knocked.

One thing he was quickly learning about the island he was now going to apparently be calling home for some time- the weather was all kinds of whack!

[sharp_man]

Hannibal answered the door and nodded. "Mr. Coen, please come in. Coffee? Towel?"

He knew what the weather was like. He would probably be bathing cats later.

[mother_love]

"Thanks" he said as he ducked inside. "Umm coffee please... I'd ask for a towel or two for the shoes but I think it might just be easier for everyone if I just leave them here? Is that ok?"

He really wasn't too keen on walking around a nice office in his socks but then again, his entire wardrobe, regardless of how 'put together' he tried to come off, was waaaaaaaaaay below the bar set by Dr. Lecter's appearance. So, ya know... losing battle regardless.

[sharp_man]

"Please," Hannibal said. "It's probably for the best." He tossed Billy a towel and started pouring coffee.

[mother_love]

Billy nodded and slipped his shoes off and toweled off as much of the marshmallow mess as he could. When he was convinced he had as much of it off as he could, he walked in.

[sharp_man]

Hannibal nodded his thanks. "So, how have you been doing lately?"

[mother_love]

"Doing alright" Billy said simply. "I've... been trying to write a few things down. Like you asked" he said lifting the small notebooks slightly. "Fair warning though. I suck at writing... and homework has never been my strong point" he said with a faint hint of a smirk.

[sharp_man]

"It doesn't have to be excellent literature," Hannibal told him, coming to sit, "it only has to be accurate and descriptive of your feelings. Where would you like to begin?"

[mother_love]

"Well..." Billy said after a moment. "One of the things you had me think about was 'worst case scenarios' about.... everything coming out and being know."

He paused for a moment. Worst case scenarios were never his weak point honestly so his mind had been able to come up with quite a few.

"I guess one of the worst cases would be someone finding out and... my sentencing being carried out. I am still technically a wanted death row war criminal as far as the government is concerned."

[sharp_man]

Hannibal nodded and laced his fingers over his knee. "If we assume that word could get out from Fandom and someone from your world could make it here, what do you think might happen next? You are looking at the broader brush strokes; narrow it down. Who would come? What would they do?"

[mother_love]

"I guess...." he said thoughtfully, never having really given much though to the specifics. "It might not be as likely if I am, in fact, stuck here. But before... it would have been easy for someone to call it in. If my CO is still alive it could be him... or someone else from the Marines."

He paused for a moment pondering over a thought that came to him.

"It's not likely but I guess there could always be the chance of getting an appeal or something. Try and prove it was false charges, Get that opportunity I never had before... slim as that likelihood is."

[sharp_man]

Hannibal cocked his head. "You are still thinking too far in advance. Keep it to each step, before attempting to predict the whole. If they find out you are here, the worst case scenario is to send somebody to get you? Who is most likely?"

[mother_love]

"Probably my commanding officer, considering he was the one who brought the charges up against me" Billy reasoned after giving it a little more thought.

[sharp_man]

Hannibal nodded. "And how do you think he would fare on Fandom?"

[mother_love]

Billy couldn't help but give a slight smirk at that thought.

"He'd either try to arrest half the island or he would run away screaming after a couple shenanigan days if it took him that long to track me down."

[flamesburned]

Liz found the marshmallow snow rather peaceful as she turned up for her next session. She loved snow and the cold weather and for Fandom the event didn’t seem that bad.

She knocked on the door.

[sharp_man]

Hannibal answered and smiled. "Liz, please come in. Coffee?"


[I'm so sorry; I never saw this!]

[flamesburned]

“Yes please,” she said with a smile as she entered, “thank you,”

[no worries at all :)

[sharp_man]

"How have you been?" Hannibal asked. "Please leave your shoes by the door. Would you like a towel?"

He himself was in his stocking feet; marshmallow snow was messy.

[flamesburned]

Liz took her shoes off, “actually a towel would probably be a good idea,” she nodded, realising that some of the marshmallow snow had stuck to her.

“and I’ve been doing okay,” she said as she thought about it, “I …I …better than okay, I think,”

She had no idea how quickly that was going to change in the next 24 hours.

[sharp_man]

"Glad to hear it." Hannibal brought her coffee over and smiled. "Tell me about it. Have you been preparing for the holidays?"

[flamesburned]

“It’s …I’ve been socialising more, Prompto’s he’s …” and there was that faint blush at the mention of his name, “we’ve been going out more …it’s been nice …really nice,” she said.

There was a pause as she picked up her coffee and had a sip of it, “I haven’t quite decided what I’m doing for the holidays,” she considered, “I thought I might go home for a few days, Professor Broom and I usually go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve,”

[sharp_man]

"There is a church here, although I've no idea what sorts of services they have," Hannibal admitted. "It is a time for family, though, isn't it? And your team are your family."

[flamesburned]

“I normally handwavily go over to the mainland for services,” Liz told him, “it’s …I have a bit of a complicated relationship with my faith and my powers,” she admitted, “but Christmas …has always been important, even more so lately, the team …I’m lucky to have them,” she said with a soft smile.

[sharp_man]

Hannibal met that smile with one of his own. "What is Christmas for you, then?"

[flamesburned]

“Well growing up my parents were pretty strict, very traditional Catholics so … a lot of it revolved around the nativity, going to church …advent “ her voice trailed off as she remembered those childhood Christmases with her parents and brother, “I guess a lot of the more traditional aspects remained with me … “ she considered, “I suppose it was always about the hope that Christmas could offer,”

[sharp_man]

"Hope is never a bad thing to have," Hannibal said, smiling. "How do you celebrate these days - advent is unique on Fandom, as you know."

[flamesburned]

“It’s definitely been interesting being back here for the holidays… I can’t remember if Fandom was like this when I was a student,” she said with a smile as she thought back to those days, “some of the events were familiar but there were definitely some new ones in there,” she had actually really liked the mistletoe and kissing Prompto …which turned out they didn’t need the mistletoe’s help for that one. She did blush slightly when she thought about that.

She considered his question, “Well, providing we didn’t have a case to work on … I usually went to church and then spend time with my team, Professor Broom … he took me in after everything happened, he’s Catholic as well so having that connection definitely helped when it came to celebrating Christmas,”

[sharp_man]

"My family was Catholic as well," Hannibal said. "I understand the traditions, even if I rarely follow them."

He had too much of a god complex to worship anyone else, not that he'd admit that.

"If I remember correctly, Prompto is from a completely different world. Is he celebrating with you?"

[flamesburned]

"We haven't really mentioned Christmas," she said as she considered, "I think he might be busy with the work that he does when he goes home - " Prompto had told her about what his world and home was like but she realised she didn't know what holidays he celebrated, she'd have to ask that next time she saw him, "he did mention about taking me back to his world for a visit after the holidays though,"