4th floor common room | late morning | sunday | january 17

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

Hannibal was not built for cold weather. Sure, he didn't mind but he'd much preferred it to be warm and sunny rather than incredibly cold and insanely snowing. He remembered days like this from last year and he wasn't any better prepared this year. Staying in bed had merit but it was still cold so he'd come down to the common room, bundled in blankets and clothes hoping to find some warmth.

When he found the fireplace, he sighed in relief and immediately pushed a couch up closer to it. Fire hazard? Pfft. It was warm. After he'd thawed, he was able to find himself some cookies and hot chocolate (yes, he could manage to make that) before retreating back to the couch.

With the electricity out, there wasn't much to do now. He thought about singing or something equally idiotic but settled for just keeping warm and and drinking hot chocolate.

[common room is cold but it's open!]

Comments

[vanillajello]

Kate was usually all about the third floor, but it was so cold that today coming one floor up was welcome exercise for the purpose of getting warm.

She'd been crying most of yesterday, and while she'd actually had a good night's sleep, she still looked like she'd had a rough time lately. She hoped the dim lighting would hide it. She didn't want questions; she just wanted company. And some sort of noise around her, instead of silence. She fucking hated silence.

"Cookies?" she wondered aloud, wandering in and spotting Hannibal.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Unless my eyesight's really bad, yep, cookies," he said, waving the pack at her and peering up from his cocoon. "Heya, Kate. You cold?"

[vanillajello]

"Among other things." Even if she was wearing layers and layers of clothes, and even fingerless gloves. And a blanket wrapped around her.

She came closer. "There room on that couch? And cookies for sharing?"

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"I think I can make that happen," he said, pulling himself out of his sprawl to make room and dropping the cookies in the middle of them. "Can't guarantee the cookies aren't a little melty what with being by the fire but they're good and no cooking required."

[vanillajello]

"I can deal with melty," she told him, flopping down next to him and going straight for the cookies. "Might have to try to figure out how to do some actual cooking, later, but right now, cookies are the best thing ever."

Mmm, cookies.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"What are you going to attempt to cook when there's no power?" Hannibal asked, turning to look at her and warming up his cheek too. Two birds, one stone.

[vanillajello]

"We don't have power, but we have fire. People used to cook before they had electricity, you know," Kate replied with a faint smirk. "Although really, I'm hoping to run into Liir or Priestly or someone else who's good at cooking."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Oh, if you're going to cook over an open flame, I am so getting a front row seat for that," Hannibal decided. "You might catch something on fire! Instant entertainment and warmth for me!"

[vanillajello]

"Whatever I catch on fire I'm flinging straight at you," she informed him. "Instant warmth for you indeed."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Wouldn't that be assault?" Hannibal wondered. "I think I'd have to have you arrested, Kate."

[vanillajello]

"Do you think anyone would bother coming here to arrest me in this weather?"

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"If they were super dedicated, they might." Hannibal didn't know if they had anyone like that on their force. "I could always make a citizen's arrest."

[vanillajello]

"So basically, I would have to burn you to death to escape arrest," Kate concluded. "You are not making this any better for yourself."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"You act like I'd just let you burn me to death." Even if being hot like that sounded really good right now. "I'd put up a fight, you know."

[vanillajello]

"I'd trick you. Somehow," she said. "I'm smart like that."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"You're not giving me a whole lot of credit for being smart myself," he pointed out. "I could be an undercover genius."

[vanillajello]

"You could be," she allowed. "And then I'd really have to applaud your skills of hiding your true intelligence."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Are you saying I act dumb?" he wondered, frowning in mock anger.

[vanillajello]

"Yes."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Liar." He only did that sometimes. "I think you're selectively seeing things."

[vanillajello]

"No, I'm seeing things exactly as they are."

After a pause she added, almost cheerfully, "Or I might be just saying whatever comes to my mind, without any filtering."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"If I were that dumb, you think you could have tolerated talking to me for so long?" he wondered. "Might have gotten boring if I just vapid."

[vanillajello]

"Maybe I'm preparing myself for the inevitability of having to deal with boring people later in life?" she offered. "Honestly, though, seriously dumb people aren't boring. They just give you migraine."

Time for another cookie.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Dumb people can be boring if they keep on the same topics every time you see them," Hannibal countered. "But really, most people here aren't dumb. Smart in their own way. I wouldn't know how the hell to deal with some of their shit, after all."

[vanillajello]

"Did you ever meet Eric Matthews?" Kate had to ask. "'Cause he really, really was just headache-inducingly dumb. Cute and sweet, but..." She shook her head. "But no, most people here are definitely not dumb."