Cerulean [Hannibal] ✓

a glance

He hadn't expected to be there at a young womans door with flowers in his arms at that day. But there he was. At Saturn Atlas's door.
It opens a few moments after he rang and his eyes rake over her form. Her body was clad in a grey sweater that fell off her shoulders and a pair of sweatpants. Her choice in socks was fluffy white socks with grey cats on them and blue hearts. On her nose a pair of glasses with circular lenses. She looked beautiful. Even in this moment. In her very raw, true essence. "Hannibal.", she says, surprised. "I hope I don't disturb you." "Even if you did I don't mind. Come inside. Its freezing out there." He steps into the cozy warmth of the newly built home, equipped with everything modern technology had to offer. But still it manages to look homey. Maybe it was the colors. Blue, copper and gold, grey and white. "Your coat you can leave right here. Should I get a vase for those beauties?" "It would be preferable, wouldn't it?" Saturn leaves and quickly returns, just as he has hung up his coat. She places the blue hortensias into the vase and places it onto the dresser in the hallway. "For everyone to see. Follow me. Let's see if I have a tea you'd enjoy. Or would you like wine? Coffee? Brandy? Gin? Wodka? Scotch? Whiskey?" Hannibal is greatly amused by her ranting. "Tea would be excellent. Thank you." She casts him a smile over her shoulder, entering her kitchen. "Well.. You may have to choose between a looot of tea. I have too much of it and I need to stop but.. I just can't." Opening a drawer she pulls out a bunch of little boxes filled with dried and labeled tea. 8 boxes with 6 compartments equals 48 types of tea. "I have more but not opened yet. But I think you'll find something between these. I'd suggest the lotus and pear flower one. Very lovely flavor." Hannibal looks at each of the teas. They are all high quality whole dried bits and emit, as he opens the box he has chosen, a variety of sweet to herbal scents. "I think I shall go with your suggestion then." Saturn smiles. "Very well." While he had still been choosing which tea to pick, she had already placed her kettle onto the stove. The noise it emits notifies both of them that the water is boiling. She has opened a small teapot and fills a metal filter with the tea, before pouring the hot but no longer boiling water onto it, then closing the lid. Taking a cup from a cupboard she then leads the way into her living room, where she places the tea pod onto a little contraption over a candle so it would stay warm, whilst pouring herself the last cup from the old pot and Hannibal the first of the new one. Offering him the cup he accepts it and they both take a seat on her couch where she had obviously previously been working. "May I ask what you have been working on?" "Of course. Let me show you." Placing her cup onto her wooden couch table, she takes her laptop and places it into her lap. Quickly typing in her password, all numbers Hannibal couldn't even register, so fast did she type, she shows him a bunch of examples for Chinese medicine she was currently learning. Hannibal felt a bit sceptical but said nothing non the less. "You don't think it works? Put down your cup. Let's do this." He places down his cup. "You wouldn't mind taking of your blazer as well?" He takes off the blazer matching his pants and small hands gently follow his muscles until they find his sore shoulders. He had lifted quite a bit when he had taken care of Sartaine. Gentle but noticeably she follows patterns again and again and to his wonder he can actually feel the soreness reduce and the bloodflow increase until it's completely vanished. Saturn notices it as well and leans back, a smile on her lips. "I told you it would work." "You have proven me wrong. It appears I need to come here far more often for treatment, doctor." Saturns face flushes. She laughs, covering her cheeks with her hands. "I'd be glad to have you." He brings one of her hands to his lips, earning a soft smile from her. "What would you like to do? No more work for today.", she decides, closing her laptop and taking her cup again. An example Hannibal follows. "I've gotten to know you quite a bit. But aren't you curious about me?" "I am. But it always felt like it would seem like I am trying to avoid speaking about whatever question you'd ask next.. I'd like to know what your profession is. What are your interests? What accent is it that I'm hearing but not exactly sorting into any category?" "I am currently working as a psychiatrist in my own private office. But before that I was a surgeon for many years. Mostly on emergency duty. My private interests are mostly the arts. I find the opera to be my favorite part of that. Otherwise I have taken great interest in cooking, drawing, mostly black and white, and composing. For the cembalo. The accent you may hear is Lithuanian. It is where I was born.", Hannibal tells her and she listens closely, her lips softly smiling and her eyes glimmering with interest. "May I ask your age?" "It is no trouble. 48." Saturn nods. "I would have guessed you to be around that age. Maybe plus minus 2 years." "I'll take that as a compliment." "That's good to me. Well.. Is there anything I can answer for you then?" "How did you get interested in the medical field?" "My mother is a nurse and my father a doctor. Must I say more?", she chuckles. "Family tradition?" "Not necessarily. I was just always raised around medical equipment. And I always was fascinated with biology and how living beings work. They encouraged me further and I decided I wanted to work in those fields for the rest of my life. But my grandfather on my mothers side was a doctor as well.." "I see.. What is it with you and the color blue?" She smiles. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Blue reminds me of the sky. Of the sea. Of my home. I grew up right by the ocean, you know. With a private beach and my bedroom was painted blue." Hannibal can practically see her think herself back. "What happened?" "My parents.. Are examples for why being in the world of medicine is dangerous. They became addicts. Taking pills to function. Eventually me and my grandfather, the one who is also a doctor, called the police and a mental health clinic on them. They were taken away. And since I was too young, I couldn't stay there. I had to live with my grandfather. Not that is was bad. It was wonderful. He had settled down in Texas and had a ranch. Horses and cattle. But I always miss the ocean. The water. So.. Since I have my work here, I painted my home blue. And in my holidays I drive to my childhood home and spend the time there." "Your parents didn't want it anymore?" "They committed suicide. They couldn't handle being clean. And I can live with that. I hardly ever knew them anyways." "And your home is exactly the same?" "Not at all. I had the old house moved away. As best as one can. Gave it to my old neighbor. Who had lost most of his in a fire accident. He slipped and passed out and his cigarette caused a fire. So then he had a nice home and on my property I had some architects built a lodge made of wood and stone. The floor inside is made of gravel that has been covered with a layer of Resin to not be painful when walking on it but even and smooth. Maybe if we both have time I'll take you with me. It actually has two bedrooms.", she offers the cannibal a smile and he nods. "I'd love that."