#c. tate

[redscrunchi]

@c0kehead / sc  ↳ song: she used to be mine ( jessie mueller ) 

“ It's not simple to say --- that most days I don't recognize me ... “   There’s a tremor in her hand, a long drag of her cigarette taken before ocean blue eyes dart up to him and then away, exhaling a long plume of SMOKE.  Her knee jumps and bounces, unsure --  she recognizes his face.  She’s made his life hell since he transferred here.  ( why does she do that ?  She doesn’t really have a good reason. )  But it looks like they’re both trying to get away from the crowd of the party downstairs.  No one saw her sneak out.   She gestures to the empty space on the lip of the roof beside her.  

“ ... I don’t even know your name. “   it’s not an APOLOGY, but it is spoken shyly, admonished. 

[eatrude]

@c0kehead​ || happy halloween !

“ no, I didn’t pick up candy. “  The stare he gives Tate is a strange and curious one.  He hadn’t considered the need for any -- there are plenty of deserts present and Tate might very well be the only person under the age of 30 even present at the party -- 

“ I made plenty of cakes though ... “ 

[eatrude]

@c0kehead

“ I don’t typically see patients as young as you. “  And he gestures to the sofa across from him, for Tate to take a seat.  “ So I know my office is not perhaps the most ACCOMMODATING.  I hope it doesn’t intimidate you.  But then -- I’m told other therapists haven’t had much luck.  Your previous recommended you be sent to me, yes?  I’m sure you’re tired of having to explain yourself.  But why don’t we start from the beginning?  I have the files they transferred to me. “  

The ones currently sitting in his lap, that he CLOSES decisively and slides away. 

“ But I am not your previous therapist, and I’d like to hear everything you have to say, without the veil of her opinion. “ 

[eatrude]

@c0kehead cont x

There is a startled moment of silence, breath drawn, at the sudden outburst -- he doesn’t so much as glance in the direction of the discarded book or the sound of something BREAKING.  All his attention remains on Tate.  He isn’t certain whether Tate is telling HIM to shut up -- or himself.  Hannibal waits a moment, relaxes his shoulder and speaks softly, gentle with his tone: 

“ You have every right to hate her, Tate.  I’ll in no way attempt to persuade you otherwise ... but this ... ? You are not defined by this ... “ 

[eatrude]

"Happy Father's day !!" Tate handed over a ridiculous looking card --- One of the ones with a cat on it , and a bad pun on the inside that read ' I loaf you so much .'

unprompted asks || always accepting ! 

oh, he’s ENDEARED.  The smile spreading over his face says as much – he’s SURPRISED, to be honest !  Hannibal opens it, reading the pun and LAUGHING a little, soft.   He smiles at Tate, leaning to give him a hug.    “ I only have two patients today – would you like to go out to celebrate after … ? “ 

( Hannibal values FAMILY above all else – and this, he had always believed, might be beyond him.  This, though he makes fairly light of it, is moving and profound. ) 

[eatrude]

" Please ... Don't leave me here alone to rot ."

angst meme || accepting ! 

“ I won’t, Tate. “   There’s no hesitation, no second guessing the answer -- Hannibal reaches, soothes a hand through Tate’s hair.  There’s no erasing what’s been done, no wiping clean the past -- but building something new on the barren foundation left behind is more than possible.  Hannibal has the utmost faith. 

“ You’re my family, Tate.  I don’t intend to leave you behind. “ 

[eatrude]

❝ Hmm, isn’t sex weird? ❞

i asked for this but idk if it was a meme || accepting ! 

Hands pause in their work, and eyes lift to observe Tate and consider the strange question.  No, altogether the question itself isn’t that unusual – Tate is a teenager and undoubtedly questioning many aspects of himself and this is just one of the things he’ll express a curiosity over.  The bewilderment comes from the fact that Hannibal can explain the facts without any trouble but it’s just … different, trying to explain something the way a PARENT would … 

“ … I don’t know if WEIRD is the right word … it can be a number of things, including confusing though … “ He sets down the knife he’d been carving with in order to give Tate his full attention.  “ Did you have a specific question … ?  Something I can explain to you … ?  Or was it just a rather general statement? “ 

[elysivita-blog]

🐕 Rest their head on my muse’s shoulder

nonverbal starters || accepting ! 

Maternal care has been LACKING in his life -- SHE KNOWS.  It leaves a very particular kind of void, she sees all the potential a person can have, good and bad, the road of their life extending before them and his is a path of great divergence.  He settles against her and a SURPRISE runs through her, brief but visceral before her heart melts in her chest.  A warmth that spreads through every limb.

She hums in response to it, voice low and sweet, and settles her head atop his -- her voice turns to singing, lilting quiet lullabies in the still air -- if she had a blanket, she would settle it across him, but she doesn’t.  She’s warm, though, emits a radiant light of it, halo of warm SPRING ... 

  “ If this were the last snowfall     No more halos on evergreen     If this were the last glimpse of winter     What would these eyes see? “