[ Open-ish ] Be Our Guest

[avoirfaim]

Who: Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham, Evelyn O'Connell, Cecil Palmer, Elizabeth, Lindsey McDonald, Seta Souji, Meg.  Unconfirmed: Martha Jones?, Agent Washington? Alice Liddell?  George Lass? America? Stiles Stilinski? Mr. Gold? Isaac Lahey?  
Where: The Dining Room
When: The evening of 4/16
Rating: PG-13, CW for implied cannibalism. 
Summary: Hannibal Lecter throws a dinner party.

A dinner party is not something to be taken lightly. It is the denouement to his great performance. Hannibal Lecter comes from on high to deliver a great feast, to feed the fine cows the innards of pigs, creating carnivores out of the unremarkable and shaping the circle of life and death in his image. The stage must be set for the actors, those fine meat dishes, in their costumes placed meticulously on select china. He had finished cooking most of the dinner at around 5:00, right when he had asked Evelyn to show up. The choices she gave him for tableware had been delightful, and he picked the right one for his palette.

He had asked the guests to arrive at 5:30, and he bustled around the dining room to prepare with Evelyn. Tables were pushed together and aligned carefully, a tablecloth draped upon and each place set. In front of each place there was a name tag. There were a few extra places at the end of the table, just in case of any emergency.

The dinner itself will begin when all those who RSVP-ed have arrived. Bon Appétit.

ooc: have some notes! This is only technically open to the people he invited to his semi-formal dinner party, party crashers will be frowned at and be added to his handy dandy dinner list. Not everything is Jesse, and if you want to know which is which ask me on plurk (I have one with all this information already done) or PM me. Obviously if I listed you as being in this thread you obviously don't have to comment in these are just the people he invited!  If your character would have not RSVPed or they would have RSVPed and it just never ended up going down no worries, pretend it did!  We can just pretend anyone who didn't show up isn't on that handy dandy chart up there.  

Comments

OVERTURE ♦ closed to Evelyn ( and Isaac? )

[avoirfaim]

He's bustling, with shirtsleeves still rolled up. Everything must be set properly and it seems, as he's coming out with the finger foods to place on the table, that Evelyn has done a proper job of setting the places. He places the plates down, adjusting them ever so slightly for perfection, and adjusting any uneven silverware in the process. Now, for the placement of nametags...

[nascensibility]

Evelyn, to her credit, picked out five different silverware patterns for Dr Lecter to choose from before taking a brief leave to change into her dining attire, because he seems like the sort of person who puts great stock in cutlery. Smoothing the front of her dress before stepping back into the dining room, she appraises the table.

"...I see you chose the Deco pattern," Evelyn comments drily (it was her second favourite) and adjust the chair at the head of the table.

"How are you arranging the guests?"

[avoirfaim]

To his credit, Hannibal Lecter has always had good taste in friends. Evelyn's silverware options had all been to his liking, and she presented herself with dignity and grace in the face of his gift earlier that day. Watching her carry on made him smile, even though she is far more reserved than she had been that morning, digging through that chest cavity he left exposed for her to explore. It only told him what was obvious enough: that someone had identified the body.

Jesse's name is on one of his nametags, in elegant gold script, warm in his breast pocket. His hand goes to that pocket, slipping the tags out and going through them, all focus and perfectionism.

"I did, and thank you for the options. You have better taste than most." His eyes glance at the chair she adjusts and mentally puts it back in the angle he had placed it. He could do that later.

"Those invited were all helpful when I arrived, but I plan on putting those I've come to know better at the head of the table. Will Graham and yourself at the front, with I believe Stiles Stilinski, Bela Talbot and Jesse Pinkman at the very end."

[nascensibility]

The table is fairly large - it's interesting that Hannibal is used to entertaining so many people by himself - but Evelyn doesn't say anything out loud. Clearly he knows what he's doing. Tapping her fingers on the back of the chair she nods along appreciatively at his arrangement, flattered to be at the head of the table.

The pleasant smile only falters at the last name.

"Ah...um. Hm."

...is her exceptionally eloquent reply, recalling in great detail the morning's work spent in the library cordoning off the non-fiction section, getting her hands dirty, and summarily regretting getting her hands dirty. Jesse Pinkman, whoever he is, still happens to be friends with a number of Wonderland's residents. Evelyn doesn't think that she'll be able to wipe from her mind the expression of mounting horror on Blake's face any time soon.

APERITIFS

[avoirfaim]

The table is set, and the guests have begun to arrive. The meal won't start until everyone who has RSVPed is seated, but until then feel free to mingle or find your seat, with a glass of wine and a small selection of finger foods on the table. One of them is a brisket and brie bruschetta.

[goodnightlisteners]

Cecil is nothing if not punctual. Actually, he's many, many other things--punctual is just one of them. It's important to arrive on time, after all, whether it's to a dinner party, your job, or your own death.

Or someone else's death/dinner party, in this case. Not that Cecil knows that.

In any case, he is here right on time, ready to mingle and nibble and hopefully not have a nervous breakdown a month or so down the line when the whole truth comes out.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji has never seen seen Cecil in person and he is just way too curious not to approach him. He's still a little bemused that he's even here, and he looks a bit dazed when he initially sees the table.

"Wow..." He doesn't even know what half of this stuff is.

[goodnightlisteners]

Cecil nods sagely in response to Souji's comment. "Wow is right." He looks sidelong at Souji, expression mildly concerned.

"Um...I don't suppose you know what all this stuff is? I mean, that's a soup obviously, but the rest of it...? I don't want to be rude."

tag her!

[ex_alighthouse135]

Elizabeth arrives punctually and is definitely impressed by the state of the table alone. She hasn't even seen all the food yet! But just the little finger foods are enough to floor her.

"Oh, it all looks so elegant. I'm afraid to eat them."

Not that she should be afraid--why ever would someone be! They're just so lovely, practically a work of art themselves! Her affinity is for paint brushes and song, but Hannibal has made art from food!

"They ought to be framed, each and every one."

[avoirfaim]

Elizabeth arrives just in time, right as Hannibal is refastening his cuffs and slipping on his jacket. He buttons it and smiles his most pleasant smile at the young woman, ready to bask in her compliments. Moreso in the ones that follow, while she gorges herself on Jesse Pinkman's organs.

"That is very kind of you, Elizabeth, but the experience of a fine meal isn't complete until you have tasted it."

He lifts one of the petite bites of brisket and brie bruschetta and places it down on the aperitif plate he had deemed for her. He hands it to her then, ever eager to serve man.

[ex_alighthouse135]

She was very pleased to receive the invitation; there's no way she'd be even a minute late.

Innocently, she accepts the elegant looking bite of food. Yes, it is a work of art in itself! She lifts it and eats the bite without reservation, chewing and trying to appreciate the flavor with as much knowledge as she can muster.

"I'm sure you're a brilliant psychologist, Dr. Lecter, but it's almost as though you missed your calling." She's sure he could compete with the most skilled chefs if he wished to.

ENTREE

[avoirfaim]

Before the main courses, there will be a soup. A parmigiano pumpkin soup with prosciutto. Following the soup there will be three main courses on the table, for the guests to choose from. One will be a marinated beef heart comfit with blood orange sauce, the most adventurous selection, a veal ravioli with a morel and walnut cream sauce, and some kidney dish I couldn't be bothered to look up.

Following dinner will be a selection of fruit and cheese, as well as a brandy cheesecake with a cranberry drizzle.

Feel free, once you've finished your meal, to stick around and chat with your friends and your host. If you've had anything but the beef heart and the dessert though, you may find yourself feeling a bit hungry around midnight.

[digophelia]

Really, though, the proper and sensible thing to do - even for Alice - is to be polite. But this is nothing more than wrought from her natural curiosity, nothing else. Besides, she cannot think of the last time she was even present for one of these things. Likely some sort of Liddell family dinner, sometime when she was a child. That was a long, long time ago.

Alice doesn't come here any less distant and aloof before, not by a long shot. There are still bitter memories that hail from Rutledge that remind her to always be on guard and always be cautious. She's composed well enough, there's that; she's been relatively free of lucid dreams and hallucinations, well up until this point. It's a blessing... for now. In nothing more than her usual pinafore blue dress, along with the vorpal blade resting underneath the said pinafore, Alice small. She's always quiet, keeping to herself and as always, curiously poking around. For her, it is amazing; nearly a year in poverty and ten years in Rutledge, she hasn't seen, ate, or smell food like this in a very, very long time.

[eatsyourscience]

Souji cooks almost every day, but he's never even tried to make anything like these dishes. He can't even guess what went into half of the dishes he just ate, but it was all good. He might feel differently if he knew what some of the main ingredients were.

As everyone is finishing up dessert, Souji approaches Alice.

"It's nice to see you here."

[digophelia]

Needless to say, Alice is, after all, an all around cautious person. She has made a point to keep to herself, never one for immersing herself socially. She feels safer observing, her more notorious habits of being near a wall, near an exit. Alice tenses as soon as she hears a voice, turning to Souji with a tense gaze.

"Why?" It only takes a minute for Alice to realize that, no, that's a genuine greeting. With a huff, Alice merely crosses her arms, "It would be the respectable thing to do to honor the invitation. For whatever reason."

everyone tag her! - at the table

[ex_alighthouse135]

To all:

Elizabeth can hardly believe how much work the good doctor put into this dinner party. She's never attended anything quite like it. Sure, she's made a meal before for her friends, but that was small, only the four of them. Hannibal's French cooking puts her own to shame.

"The food is incredible, isn't it? And so lovely, too."

[Her dress: here.]

To Hannibal:

"I had no idea you were such an amazing chef, Doctor." She's marveling at it all. "I don't suppose you give lessons. I've been trying to learn French cuisine from the cook books I've found in the library." She has for some months now, worked at it, in an attempt to make her French Musketeer friends happy.

To Will:

It's hard not to take note of those sitting around her. The man on her right appears to be particularly quiet. She's not sure he's enjoying himself, for whatever reason that might be. Some just aren't the social type, though. Were Athos dragged to such a gathering, she's not sure he'd come out of his shell, either.

Elizabeth takes it upon herself to turn to the man slightly. She smiles sweetly and asks, "Mr. Graham, wasn't it?" At the very least, she could engage in introductions.

[evilhandissues]

Lindsey asked the closet for a suit and got the same one he went to Holland's party in. Apart from losing that beautiful floating on air feeling that he's had for the past week or so ...well. This almost makes up for it. Smiling at her he smiles.

"It's delicious." He'd probably never dug in with as much gusto as he had.

[avoirfaim]

It seems that he made the right choice indeed, inviting Elizabeth. She's charming, and just the sort of people he likes to keep around. Impressed by all manner of things, humble, and polite. The perfect person to fill a seat in his audience.

He sips his wine and it blends perfectly with his choice of sauce. He smiles, presenting the face of someone entirely interested in what Elizabeth has to say. He's not.

"A cookbook is a poor excuse for a proper teacher, I would be happy to help."

ajs;fdj oh no she's cute

[glumshoe]

Ultimately it's Hannibal that has control over the seating arrangements, so through no fault of her own, Elizabeth is sitting next to the man that earlier that day had to look at the mess made by the serial killer sitting directly to his right. Will's silence is not conspicuous to anyone that's crossed paths with him. It follows that after the morning's events Hannibal would also sit him next to a stranger; he's more resigned for her than himself.

"Will is fine," he says to his wine glass, slightly angling his shoulders toward her. It takes him a moment to lift his eyes to hers, balanced somewhere between exhaustion and a sincere desire for the conversation to die before it starts. Mild guilt to follow. "A first name basis is fair since I haven't heard of yours, Miss Elizabeth."

Re: ENTREE

[evilhandissues]

"I'll be honest." Lindsey turns to the nearest person, "I knew you could eat cow and all the parts thereof but I didn't think it'd taste this good. Stockyards-"

He swallows, "...cows smell terrible."

[avoirfaim]

Hannibal chuckles from the end of the table, taking the moment to breathe in the smell and taste of his own work.

"Luckily for us all, the waste and hide of a cow are avoided in most cuisines. The inside of a cow smells as fresh as the inside of anything else, assume the animal was healthy."

[monopolies]

Today is a valuable lesson in never inviting America anywhere because he responds to parties in much the same way he responds to wars: if he isn't one of the hosts, he'll inevitably show up late, throwing himself into action regardless of his readiness. It takes a lot of prodding from his boss and respective assistants to clean him up for important events. Even then, no amount of fancy formal wear and dazzling appearance can clean up his personality.

On this occasion there is no one to remind him, no one he thinks he needs to impress, so he puts absolutely no effort into anything except showering beforehand. Much like normal humans his age, his primary motivation to going to this dinner is the promise of free food.

He is dressed in his best for such a fancy occasion. Guided by smell alone, he trots into the dining room like an alpaca at the famous Vienna Lipizzaner show. Greetings will have to wait a few minutes while he eyes the gorgeously presented platters, nearly on the verge of tears of how pretty they are and how delicious they look wow. He finds his seat and, remarkably, actually sits up straight and presents himself with basic table manners. Years of drilling from England have made it as reflexive as reloading a gun. A small miracle to everyone in his general vicinity, surely.

Between courses America decides to circle around the table prodding people for samples of their dinner, stuffing some into his pockets and immediately eating others. Each bite, Jesse or not, is greeted eagerly. Much better than the Donner Party; better food preparation and better weather. The beef heart looks particularly appetizing, though his face scrunches up hearing the name.

open to all

[glumshoe]

On the day that the Chesapeake Ripper makes his triumphant debut in Wonderland, Will is given a seat of honor at Hannibal's table, not set apart and cast as Peter to deny him thrice. To Will, possibly a token of how pleased Hannibal is with him now that his tune has changed. Appropriately, his evening dress is low key and not nearly as sloppy as an alleged deranged psychopath might be believed to wear.

During the main course Will is prone to keeping to himself, sampling the beef heart purely out of the knowledge that the organ had been a standout, grey and still in Jesse Pinkman's open chest. Several veiled looks are shot at Evelyn, balanced somewhere between concerned and warning when in all truth there is no avoiding consuming what ought not be consumed if appearances were to be kept. Anyone trying to start a conversation will have to contend with a stiffness that melts in the wine, and aside from the odd compliment about the dinner, conversation does not start with him, but it can certainly end.

[digophelia]

An accusation of "alleged psychopath" isn't anything new and original pertaining to Alice's past. Matter of fact, the statement hasn't left her, at all, because she, unfortunately, has many experiences with people falling underneath that line. Some of them so blatant and others very well hidden. Particularly Dr. Angus Bumby, whom still haunts Alice's memory and has been a general friendly reminder that not everyone can be trusted.

Which is why she's been quiet, completely neutral, so that she's hoping that someone just honestly mistakes her for being shy. It's not necessarily the truth; she feels like she's walking on pins and needles, with faint reminders of Rutledge filling the room and the voice of Dr. Wilson seeping through her head, along with loose hallucinations and worries. The only thing that manages to beckon her here is the very slender, very petite girl has never ate any food like this before, never had the privilege. It would have made her heart break on a normal day, in utter enthrallment that she had the privilege to even eat and drink these things.

Not today, unfortunately. Rutledge is haunting her, it's playing over her head as she's been keeping to herself. She's doing this for the sake of English hospitality and curiosity alike. True to herself, Alice is still in her blue, signature pinafore dress, inwardly grateful she's managed to ghost through here without deep conversation. But now she's approached the table, with a very, very deep grimace on her face. She isn't too thrilled with the prospect of sitting around this many strangers, especially being close to them.

She'll be fine, she tells herself, sliding her hands in her apron's pocket, remembering the gilded handle of the vorpal blade. Security. Equally just as stiff, the very thin Alice reluctantly takes a seat beside this man -- a very odd looking man with strange hair and strange attire. Then again, everyone looks strange, except for Elizabeth, which only makes her heart sink, a little more. She settles her skirts, as she plops there, offering half a glance to Will. That's his name, isn't it? Everyone wears a mask of sanity that eventually slips.

"Hello." As if that could be anymore awkward; Alice is tense, her shoulders are rigid. She is far from used to being social.

who me late never

[avoirfaim]

Hannibal is a good host. He gives each of his guests their proper level of attention, with the seating arranged so that those who deserved more of it were closer to his own seat at the table's head. It's all old world formality that he even acknowledges the presence of his other guests beyond watching them eat one of their number with a gusto. They hardly matter, a series of mouths to eat with and hands to applaud with louder, in light of his special guests. Evelyn to his left, the muse for tonight's performance, and Will to his right, who isn't eating what he should be eating. He tries to keep conversation with Evelyn, with the others, tries to make conversation with Will that goes beyond staccato half-sentences, but he can't stop looking back at Will, at his plate.

He hovers like a mother bird. He wants Will's attention first and foremost, an attention being blatantly ignored in the subtlest of manners.

He reaches out with the serving spoon and takes three of the ravioli from the dish, transplanting them to Will's plate with the appropriate amount of accompanying sauce.

"while I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the beef heart, you really must try this too."