Palatial Intimacy

III - The Palace

Will, shocked into silence, merely stared at Doctor Lecter with wide eyes. The man stood up from his bench at the harpsichord, fixed his suit jacket, and walked towards him.

"I— Doctor Lecter." Will couldn't believe where he was. From what he'd been told, moving into someone's brain with the LOOM was supposed to be a chaotic experience. It was supposed to be a choppy combination of memories, riding a tsunami of thoughts and visions that were barely comprehensible. He remembered an account that he'd read about online, in which the investigator said it was like a montage of the suspect's behavior. Kill after kill after kill, the man had to watch them back to back. He hadn't gone back to the FBI since.

"Where are we?"

"Really, it's good to see you." Lecter was the one to hold out his hand this time. His wrists were free, and Will could see the prominent veins running up them and through the backs of his hands. They shook. "That process was awful."

"But this isn't...where are we?" Will began looking around in amazement again, but the movement suddenly caused a wave of nausea to spread through him. His vision split in two, and he almost had to crouch on the ground to get his bearings. He put his hands on his knees, blinking. "God. Shit."

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Lecter rushed to his aid, straightening him up and supporting him with his hands on Will's shoulders. "Do we need to get you out of here?"

"I need...I need to sit." Will held back a heave.

"Of course. Come here; I'll walk us slowly." Lecter carefully led them into the room he'd come from, guiding a dizzy Will to an armchair near the room's massive fireplace. Will sank into the soft cushion, leaning his head back and trying to keep still.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I think I know what's happening, I just...need a moment."

"Take all the time you need."

Will waited for the sickness to subside, which only took a minute or two. He braced himself to open his eyes again, as he was afraid of what he was about to face. Something was going wrong here.

"Okay." Will took one last deep breath and opened his eyes. Doctor Lecter had taken a seat across from him, their chairs close enough that they could reach out and brush fingertips. "I'm sorry."

"There's no reason to apologize. Are you okay?"

"I don't know." Will stared at him. He didn't want to move his head again and start another wave. "Where are we? Is this a dream?"

"Not necessarily. It feels like a dream, though, doesn't it?" Lecter smiled at their surroundings. "It's so beautiful here. It's everything I could ever ask for."

"Are you dreaming, Doctor? Is this some kind of memory?"

"No to both. We're simply existing in my head."

"But...no. No, that's not what's supposed to happen. How is this—"

"Will — can I call you Will?" He waited for Will to nod in agreement. "You look very pale. I think you need to take more time. Get your senses straight. Can you do that for me? Just lean back, close your eyes if you need to, and take it all in."

Will reluctantly followed, exhaling another large breath. From what he could see without moving his head, this room was even more grand than the last one. The fireplace was etched with what looked like thousands of intricate designs, and the blazing fire made the room the perfect temperature. The crackles were soothing. The smell of burning wood grounded him. He heard a distinct pattering coming from somewhere above, but he couldn't bring himself to look up. His eyes must have shifted upwards, though, as Lecter looked for him.