poison_isley | Hannibal

They'd chatted comfortably and Ivy decided she liked him. She would definitely not kill him on purpose. That placed him in a special category of people she wanted to like her. Friends was a little far to go, but friendly was about it. And she kind of wanted to impress him, too.

Ivy had promised him a vegan meal and she and her vines had gone wild in the kitchen of her new house. It was small but it had a small garden in back and a decent kitchen. She'd just kind of claimed it when she spotted it online. The last realtor that came by was so confused...

She had opened the wine and invited him, making light chat as she finished up the menu was entirely vegan. To start was a simple potato cream soup with caramelized leeks, then bacon wrapped scallops with a paprika sauce and beetroot dusting served with tempura vegetables and a beautiful miso risotto, also dusted with the beetroot.

There was no reason to hide herself, so when he stepped into the kitchen she had plenty of extra 'arms'. Everything smelled rich and flavourful. Even as she cooked, dishes were being washed and dried and put away. Vines retrieved utensils and stirred the risotto and retrieved the pineapple from the sous vide for dessert.

"Let me just get this on the plates and we can sit at the table," she said. A vine wound it's way to him with the bottle, offering a refill.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

anamusebouche

"No, I'm not," Hannibal argued. "I pollute, lile everyone else. I never said you were wrong about your comparison."

From:

poison_isley

"Stick with me, kid. We'll get your carbon footprint down," she smiled fondly.

It was kind of nice, being...validated.

From:

anamusebouche

Hannibal smiled. Ivy was growing on him.

He wondered if he could get her to loose it completely and cause her next murder spree.

"The risotto is delicious," he complimented as he savoured his bite.

From:

poison_isley

"You are going to have to try so hard to beat this," she nodded in agreement. "I'm really excited for dessert. Sous vide ananas with toasted coconut. I thought a little Polynesian influence would go with the general pan-Pacific vibe of the menu."

From:

anamusebouche

"I love your palate," Hannibal smiled. "More wine?" he asked as he picked up the bottle.

From:

poison_isley

"Yeah, thanks," she said, offering her glass.

"Tell me where you were before here. You said you travel a lot. Anyplace good?"

From:

anamusebouche

"I've spent some time in a witness protection program of sorts, and I cannot divulge locations," Hannibal offered. "But before that I travelled a great deal. I spent a large portion of my childhood in France, I went to medical school in the United States and I lived there for quite some time. But when I travel for pleasure I usually choose the Mediterranean."

From:

poison_isley

"I've never been to the Mediterranean. I would love to see the olive groves. Some of the trees are hundreds of years old. Just imagine what they could teach," she smiled fondly.

From:

anamusebouche

"Dinner in an an olive grove is an extraordinary experience. Especially when the jasmine blooms." Hannibal decided not to tell her how the olives were traditionally harvested by beating the branches with sticks until the olives fell to the ground. "Then I will make you a vegan meal inspired by the Mediterranean."

From:

poison_isley

"I can't wait. How much longer is the house going to take? Do you have a move in date?" Ivy asked as she finished her plate.

From:

anamusebouche

"I'm in no rush," Hannibal said. "I'm staying at-" He debated whether to share the details of his relationship with Alcuin. "A friend's house."

From:

poison_isley

"Ooh, a friend?" she teased with a tiny, lascivious smile. "Or, like, you know. A friend." Ivy added more flatly.

From:

anamusebouche

"The former, if you must know," Hannibal said. He did not repeat her tone of voice, though. "We were together before I left, and I count myself lucky that he embraced my return."

From:

poison_isley

"That's actually kind of sweet," she smiled. It kind of made her want to puke, but if they were happy, good for them.

From:

anamusebouche

He smiled. "I'll stop talking about my love life."

From:

poison_isley

"Sorry I can't reciprocate," she said. She could. She could tell him about Chuck and the doomed shitfest that the now-called-off wedding had been. She could tell him about Harley. She could, but for some reason she just wasn't ready to face that part of her past.

From:

anamusebouche

"You don't have to tell me," Hannibal assured her.

From:

poison_isley

"Good," she replied. "Are you ready for dessert? I'll go plate it. There's a lighter dessert wine in the fridge that might pair well."

From:

anamusebouche

Hannibal nodded. "I'll get the wine," he offered and walked with her to the kitchen.

"I appreciate a meticulous cook, he complimented noticing her clean and organized kitchen.

From:

poison_isley

"I'm a scientist before anything. That's how I got my degree. I can't stand when things aren't tidy," she explained.

From:

anamusebouche

"I used to be a surgeon; so I applaud a tidy workspace," Hannibal said as he searched for the bottle of desert wine.

From:

poison_isley

Every single label was a sweet wine. All would pair nicely with vegan dishes. On the left was a smaller, narrow bottle of a late harvest reisling with notes of golden raisin and peach. The fragrance was sweet and crisp as an autumn vineyard.

Ivy plated the pineapple and did her best to make it pretty. Once she was satisfied, she took the plates.

"Bring the wine. We'll eat in the garden."

As she stepped out the French doors, moon flowers spiraled open, perfuming the air with the delicate scent.

From:

anamusebouche

Hannibal took the slender bottle and opened it. It smelled delicious and so he chose it to bring to the garden. He closed his eyes for a moment, wrapped in the sweet scents of the garden. "Yours is a truly awe-inspiring gift," he said, pleased, delighted at the scents.