randomosity | [For Will - Modern AU] What Secrets do Masks Hide?

[For Will - Modern AU] What Secrets do Masks Hide?

It was strange, to find herself here. Margaery Tyrell came from a noble house, the Tyrell family in England. Her father was a wealthy tycoon in his own right, but in truth the main fortune of the family was earned from generations before.

They were well-known from the reality show Tailing the Tyrells. Recently Margaery had fled England after a scandal broke out about her brother Loras and the nobleman Renly Baratheon. The man Margaery had been arranged to marry. Of course Margaery had abandoned that possibility, and came to the States for a new, fresh start. As part of her adjustment, she had started seeing Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and he had helped a great deal.

But there was something lingering and dark about him that made her nervous...

Hannibal had invited Margaery to the masquerade costume party he was hosting. Margaery had been apprehensive, but after some convincing, she relented. So there she stood, in Hannibal's dining room as hors d'oeuvres were served. Margaery wore a mask of black velvet and green lace accents to compliment her green dress with black lace sleeves. Her hair fell in loose waves down her back, secured in sections with bright green ribbons that kept her mane tamed and lovely. Across her cream-colored neck were dark jewels in silver setting.

She didn't know anyone here, even after Dr. Lecter had pressed her to talk to some of the other guests. Margaery didn't want anyone recognizing her from the show and asking her questions about her family, her brother especially.

So Margaery busied herself with sipping white wine from a glass and looking over the artwork that decorated Dr. Lecter's walls.

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Why Will had agreed to come tonight was anyone's guess, really. His concerns and commitment to convince seemed to fell on deaf ears, much to Will's dismay. But Will was an exceedingly good fisherman and this fish had yet to slip through his hands. Perhaps a change of lure was due? More excitement for a bigger, fatter fish? Yes, that would do and that was why he came tonight. To test the waters and bide his time.

Social settings set Will's nerves on end, the pleasantries, whispered compliments and comments all seemed so deafening when one was trying not to listen at all. The gaze of eyes, masked by masks made more obvious by the burning sensation as they turned to Will's direction. He hated it so.

Propping up the wall, trying not to judge those who partake in Hannibal's feast. Swallowing as his suspicions rose to the surface like bile in the back of his throat. It was then that he saw him, looking dapper and as grand as ever as he strode confidently towards him.

"Hello, Will." Hannibal spoke, that slight and calming smile offered on thin lips. Will rolled his head on his shoulder, glancing up to look at him. His voice slightly disinterested and cold. "Doctor Lecter." He offered in return. "Come Will, please, there is no need for such formalities. You are among friends now are you not?" Will grit his teeth behind a forced smile, almost grimacing sarcastically. I'm not your friend. He would utter in his mind, afraid to cause a scene so for the time being he'd have to play along, even though it pained him to do so. "Hannibal." Nodding, trying to make it sound less fussy, more like an old handshake between two dear friends.

"That's better!" Hannibal exclaimed, patting a hand on Will's back and moving him further into the party as he did so. " You look a handsome and personable man in this attire, don't you think? " Will let out an awkward single laugh. "I look stuffy and fake, like a taxidermist's wet dream." Hannibal laughed at that, then raised a finger and nodded his head. A small group of people had gathered near them, interested in talking to Hannibal. "Excuse me, Will. We shall catch up later." Turning and leaving with the few, Will was now alone and in a rather central part of the room. Leaning against the table, pushing aside a plate of fancy food he'd rather not have seen. It was then that he spotted her.

Ribbons in hair and skin so pale. She was like one of the paintings currently being studied. Will pushed himself back up and made his way over to her side. "It was originally supposed to a scene of sorrow, but they misinterpreted it for love, hence the name. " Pointing to the small carving under the oil painting. Will wasn't an artist, far from it, but he'd been in this room enough times and heard Hannibal babble on about the art as if it were alive and in the room with them itself enough times to give a rehearsed opinion of the work.

In the background Margaery had heard the voices of Hannibal and his other guests, but she hadn't been paying very close attention to the contents of the conversation. She had simply been trying to blend in, a wall flower among the other glittering guests.

When she heard a man's voice addressing her, Margaery glanced to the side, trying to identify the voice and see if she recognized the man. But of course, dressed as he was and not recognizing his voice, Margaery couldn't identify him. She glanced between him and the painting, and smiled softly at his words.

"Well, when you think of it, isn't sorrow rooted in some form of love?" she pointed out. "For how can we feel sorrow for someone or something without first feeling some kind of love for them?"

She tilted her head and smiled at him. There was a slight hollowness to his statement, but she wasn't about to be rude and call him on it. "But that's a very perceptive observation. Are you an art critic, mister...?" She trailed off, hoping he would introduce himself, or at least give a first name - as she did not intend to give her own full name. The whole point of being here was to blend in and forget the worries caused by her fame.

Margaery paid close attention in the meantime to what was going on around them. She could feel Hannibal's dark gaze upon them, and it made a slow shudder roll through her body. But there was comfort in her new companion; from what she could see of his face, he was rather handsome, and the dark gravel of his voice suggested there was more to him than met the eye - the irony being that she couldn't see everything that normally the eye would see. There was a solid build to his figure that she appreciated.

Will, tried not to look her in the eye, which was actually easier than normal, considering they eyes were the main part their masks left free. Yet Will found his gaze drifting over her form. Her elegant dress and those eye-catching jewels. She must have been some rich doctors daughter, Hannibal probably knew her father, or had dated her perhaps? The room seemed full of men and woman alike who were ready to dote him, it was a little sickening to think of how many of them actually knew anything about Hannibal, or at least the Hannibal Will thought he knew.

After her response about the painting, Will tipped his head and took another look. "Well, with all things considered... Could it be a mistake? Could be pity they feel... You don't have to love to pity, it could be a darker relationship, one with seeds that lay deep, festering in the soils of resent and dislike." Rambling on as he often did, Will was already half expecting her to give a polite smile and make up some overused excuse as to why she suddenly had to leave. Yet, she remained? And in fact, she wished for a name?

"Ah well." Gesturing to his mask, Will smiled a little awkwardly and leant in to talk in a more hushed voice, a voice meant only loud enough for them alone. "I thought the whole point to all this, was so that we don't actually know who one another is?" Standing back straight, hands slipping into his pockets, Will gave a little sway on the heels of his shoes before smiling with an amusing thought in his head. " Let's just call me Mr Dearheart? Goes with my get-up." Twiddling the small antlers on the top of his mask, looking rather embarrassed and awkward with the small talk.

Sighing after the exhausting palaver of having to introduce himself in disguise, Will shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders a little. "I'm a total utter fake. I just know what Dr Lecter told me before. I just like the look in their eyes, their expression. Almost like the artist was painting their own emotions in there. Talented, truly." His voice was calmer now, more like his normal self. "It's er, Will by the way. My name that is. I'll only forget the made up one I gave you. So, yeah." Rubbing the back of his neck before snatching a drink from the tray of a passing by waiter.

While Will evaluated Margaery and tried to pinpoint why she was here and what her relation to Hannibal was, Margaery was doing the same. Was he a colleague of Hannibal's? Or a wealthy socialite? The truth of the matter never occurred to her, so Margaery maintained a careful skepticism while they talked.

She looked at the painting while he continued off his first thought. Margaery pouted her lips and shook her head. "Mmm...you think so? I don't think so. I think there's true emotion here. See the brushstrokes? Look how loving they are and careful," she gestured to a particular section of the painting. "No, there is emotion and love here."

When he was playful and refused to answer her and give his name, Margaery giggled and leaned in a bit, dropping her voice as he had. "Mr. Dearheart, you say? How charming! Then may I introduce myself, Rose Lady's the name." Margaery laughed at her own silly name that she had concocted for herself. It sounded terribly poetic, but if anyone knew anything about the Tyrells, they knew the crest was the rose, and that Margaery was often referred to as the Tyrell Prize Rose.

When he leaned back and revealed his true name and how he knew about the painting to her, there was no avoidance nor reproach in her expression or voice. Margaery smiled and nodded slowly, understanding. "It's all right - I'm more of a literary fiend than an art lover, myself." She turned to face him more fully. "I'm Margaery. It's nice to meet you Will. So, how do you know Dr. Lecter?"

Will had his own opinion of the painting in question. While he would admit to agree with Margaery, he would refuse to explain how he believed it to be a much darker version of love, something painful and lonely. Love was a double edged knife, it could protect you and yet with the very same blade, it could cause immense pain and suffering.

When she seemed amused by his antics and even played along with the fake names, Will smiled bashfully. It was actually nice, interacting with a stranger. Perhaps the masks help? Perhaps not being himself made it easier? Despite how it made him feel like biting his tongue, he would have to thank Hannibal later for forcing him to attend.

"Margaery? That's a pretty name. Margaery~" He said it again, slower this time, letting the letters fall off his lips. "I'm more of a 'find it and fix it' kind of a guy. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate pretty things but I'd rather busy my hands than observe the doings of others." A half truth, if you considered his line of work, though Will thought his job would be quite a heavy subject to comment on when just meeting someone. "How do I know Hannibal?" He said, looking back over his shoulder to where the Doctor was standing, watching them both as they stood before the painting. He'd been watching them this whole time, it was a little unnerving.

Hannibal raised his glass as he was spotted spying on them. Will gave a quick fake smile and raised his own in return before turning his attention back to his new friend. "I've worked with him on occasion. How about you?"

If he had shared his true opinion with her, he might have found that she was of the same opinion. She typically had a rose-colored vision of love, and tried to focus on the happy side of it. But she knew, God did she know, about the dark shadow that love cast. How it could cause just as much pain and torment as it caused happiness and passion. It was an addiction, really, for once one lost love the first time, only another love would fix the pain.

She smiled when he enunciated her name. Margaery liked how it poured from his lips. She focused on the curve of his lips longer than she probably should have, but this was easily hidden by her mask. "Thank you," she smiled, glad that he liked her name so. "I always found it rather old-fashioned."

But she didn't have the heart to change it. "That's admirable. A good work ethic is not often found these days," she complimented him.

Margaery tilted a brow when he explained how he knew Dr. Lecter. But no, it was 'Hannibal' was it? He was on a first-name basis with the good doctor? How interesting. Margaery tilted her head a little as she absorbed that fact. Her eyes followed his gaze when he looked to Dr. Lecter. When Hannibal lifted his glass to them, Margaery tilted her head down in greeting to him. But her glass was soon pressed to her lips. They were colleagues. That made a bit more sense to her.

"Dr. Lecter is...helping me work through some things," her voice was hollow. As if she herself didn't really believe it. It was her own half truth. She suspected the doctor had ulterior motives. Margaery didn't trust him. And she had thorns planned for if she discovered her suspicions were correct.

"Old-fashioned is good, it has meaning and value. Timeless. Like the painting, beautiful and grand." Will gulped more of his wine, it was his nerves if truth be told. Here he was, a hermit of a man, awkward in social settings and faced with a beautiful woman who wished to talk idly with him at leisure? He needed all the liquid help he could get.

A humbled smile shy and small where it sat on his lips when he took her compliment about his work ethic. "Well, I er..." Huffing out a single laugh before shaking his head. "I've er grown lazy, complacent and fat with knowledge. I mostly teach... You didn't say what it was you do?"

Hannibal looked as though he was trying to edge away from the guests that had cornered him, this frustrated Will. He could tell that Hannibal wanted to interrupt or eavesdrop on their conversation. So, Will moved over towards the bookcase, gesturing for Margaery to follow. "He's a well-renowned Docter, I'm sure he'll help you to the most of his ability. I ... " Will paused, he felt conflicting feelings. To tell her that he too had sort Hannibal's help, or did he swallow down the desire to share?

As they moved and continued to talk, Hannibal watched them curiously. Tapping his guests on the arms as he made his excuses to leave, drawing ever closer to the two. Like a wolf with the lamb.

Margaery found herself spellbound by his words. For a man who seemed so uncomfortable talking, he was indeed very eloquent. She smiled when he paid her yet another wonderful compliment. "You flatter me, you're far too kind."

Her brows lifted, impressed when he told her of his profession. "A teacher? Well that's hardly complacent, now is it? What level? University? High School? Younger?" No, he seemed too well-spoken for middle or elementary school. Surely he was a professor of some kind, that would explain why he was a colleague of Dr. Lecter's to call him by his first name.

Margaery glanced furtively when Will looked away to Dr. Lecter. She witnessed the reaction of both men and was intrigued. Dr. Lecter didn't like them talking alone where he couldn't hear them. Why might that be? Will didn't like the idea of Dr. Lecter getting closer to them. Why might that be?

But when Will nudged her towards the bookcase, Margaery went with him. She didn't want to talk to Dr. Lecter. With so many people here, she had figured that he would be amused enough with them and wouldn't feel the need to talk with her. Margaery looked to Will when he spoke again, and tilted a brow when he hesitated. "You...?"

He was holding back, but why? Margaery gave a soft smile. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But if you're worried I might say something to someone or do something because of it, I promise you no such thing will happen." Margaery tentatively set her hand on Will's forearm to reinforce her point. That he could trust her.

Oh, Will was well spoken for s self-proclaimed shut-in. He knew all the words and how to use them best, most people were put off by them, intimidated by his wonderful brain, but the few who shared a small pleasure from the creepy, poetic way in which Will sometimes spoke, they were the few he was most interested and who were by far, the most interesting.

"Ah, no. I mostly give lectures on-" He had to think how best to describe his role at the F.B.I Too much information and he could wind up reading about himself again on Tattle Crime again. "-On the brain. Heh." He sighed deeply, anxious and caught off guard. She still hadn't said what it was she did for a living, this made him slightly suspicious of her.

She was so kind, so keen and easy to talk to. She must be a plan? Hannibal set her up to this? Deciding it was for the best to keep it light, Will used quick wit to change the subject. "What? You'd have me open up on a first date? And one where you didn't even buy me dinner?" A mock gasp and a smile. "Scandalous, Rose Lady, so, so, very scandalous indeed." Tapping his glass lightly against hers before taking another drink.

Will would find that Margaery was one of those people who took pleasure in how he spoke. She found him interesting, and if nothing else, he seemed genuinely sincere and a good person to talk to. Her head tilted when he mentioned what he did for a living, intrigued.

"So...you're a psychiatrist, like Dr. Lecter?" she asked. "Well, either way, your work sounds leaps and bounds better than mine." She had avoided to question purposely - what did she do for a living? Played a main cast member on a reality show? Been a spoiled trust fund brat living off her father's fortune? "I feel as though whatever semblance of a career I may have had is far too off-track now. Not sure precisely what I want to do."

Her choice of words and delicate tone likely did nothing to persuade Will that she was 100% genuine. Margaery wouldn't even look over her shoulder to Hannibal; she didn't want to risk making eye contact. When Will made his joke, Margaery smiled and laughed softly. She sipped her own drink before looking to Will with a smile on her face, eyes glittering beneath the mask. "Perhaps another time then." Deep down she figured they would never meet again, unless they both happened to be invited to the same party again. But Margaery so badly wanted for this to not be their only encounter. She was rather enjoying his company.

It would still baffle Will, to learn that Margaery was fond of chatting with him, seeing as he dreaded social activity, especially on this level. Perhaps the fact that Will didn't watch the television and tried to avoid the papers had left him as one of the only people in the room who wouldn't recognize her should her mask be taken off. Whether or not that was something she'd be happy about will remain unknown, however.

"I'm..." He draws the word out, thinking how best to explain his job. "I'm... Complicate-- I mean, it's complicated." He reviled, awkwardly. Thank God for the drink, he could stop talking for a moment and busy himself with a drink as he tried to shake off the anxiety. What she mentioned about her career had him curious and Will wanted tp learn more. The joke about giving too much away on a date had worked wonderfully as a means of slightly flirting and Will was surprised with how easy it felt with her. He was about to respond in turn when a certain well dressed Doctor finally came and stood directly between them.

"Will is a dear friend of mine. I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." Nodding to Margaery, then Will. Swirling the glass of red wine he held in hand, tipping his nose into the glass to get a full smell of it before taking a moderate gulp. He just had to butt in, didn't he? And when they were just starting to relax around one another.

A fact she would likely find as a godsend if they were to encounter each other once again. Margaery was so tired of having to don dark glasses and wigs and other such disguises in order to hide from the paparazzi. She loved her brother, and if his preference was for men, she was fully supportive of that! But the scandal it had raised and the hassle she had to deal with now, she damned him nearly every day.

Will's stammering had Margaery tilting her head in curiosity. He was holding back, how strange. Clearly he didn't trust her, but they had only just met, what had she expected? Margaery smiled, and tried not to let on that she knew he was withholding information from her. If he saw fit to trust her with it in time, he would. If not, she would be fine - it was none of her business anyway. She was holding back herself anyway, so it was only fair.

When Hannibal appeared, Margaery smiled, but it was not the same smile she had offered Will. The smile for Will had been sweet and genuine. The smile for Dr. Lecter was a bit forced, a demand of polite society - Margaery's acting skills allowed her to mask just how forced it was, but a keen eye would see the clear difference. Or at least that they were not the same.

"No need for apologies, Dr. Lecter," Margaery replied. "It's a party - overhearing conversations is bound to happen." Margaery sipped her own wine, eyes closed as she savored the sip - it would be important to note that when she'd sipped her wine while talking to Will, her eyes had remained open.

"It's a wonderful gathering, Dr. Lecter," she added. "Thank you again for the invitation, though I hardly thought I merited one."

Will seemed a little on edge now that Hannibal was standing between them. He swayed on his feet, placing his glass down on a small table, to which Hannibal side eyed him, finding it bad mannered to set it down without a coaster under it, still, it was Will who had done it, and Will was easy for the Docter to forgive.

Slipping his hands into his pockets, seeming agitated and finding it hard to look at the two of them now. He didn't like it when he was spied on and found no other reason why Hannibal would find himself and Margaery so fascinating that he'd ignore his other guests.

"Margaery here was telling me you're helping her with some stuff? ... Is it not a bit unorthodox to socialise with your patients?" His dig was at Hannibal himself and didn't reflect in the slightest how he felt towards his new friend, Margaery. Hannibal, however, shot Will down in an instant. "I socialise with you all the time, Will. Having conversations and consultations are two entirely different things, wouldn't you agree?"

Hannibal took a drink of his wine, eyes trained on Will, waiting for his reaction. He'd listened enough to know that he'd introduced himself as a teacher, he wanted to see what would happen when Margaery learnt that Will too, was in fact a patient of his.

Will's edginess did not go unnoticed by Margaery. But she said nothing of it, nor did she let on that she had noticed it. She let the gentlemen talk amongst themselves for a moment.

When Hannibal outed Will as his patient, Margaery tipped a brow. She had never seen Will in the waiting room, but as she usually went to see Hannibal in the early morning, that was not so strange. She looked to Will, replaying what had been said between them, positive that there was more that both men were holding back. The way Will talked, even if he wasn't aware of it, he regarded Dr. Lecter as a colleague. So why then would Dr. Lecter identify him as a patient?

"Is it not unorthodox, to say nothing of illegal, for a psychiatrist to identify a patient as such without the patient first doing so?" Margaery pointed out as she took a slow sip of her wine. She glanced to Will, and back to Dr. Lecter. "Mr. Graham had not identified himself as a patient of yours, Dr. Lecter. You naming him as one, that violates doctor-patient confidentiality, doesn't it?"

She sipped her wine nonchalantly, doe eyes wide and innocent, though her tone reflected a clever edge at having landed her own little dig at Dr. Lecter. He had indeed been rather rude to Will upon interrupting their conversation and making the poor man feel so anxious.

Margaery was happy if her comment provided some relief to Will, but knew Dr. Lecter likely had a comeback for it.

Hannibal turned to look at Margaery, smelling then sipping his wine again. Those eyes of his showed no sign of what he was feeling, what he was thinking or what he was about to say. He was good at masking his emotions, he wore his person suit rather well. "Forgive me." He nodded to Margaery, he said no name nor did he call her 'Miss Tyrell' to prove he still respected patient and doctor confidentiality. Outing her was not his plan, it was Will he wished to embarrassed.

"I find that myself and Mr. Graham have a more personal relationship than we care to admit. Blurring the lines of professionalism and friendship is often a flaw as such. Will is my colleague and my dear friend. I feel looking out for his mental and psychological heath comes as second nature. As I'm sure he feels the same for me?" Turning to look at Will, who by this point was reeling in annoyance, avoiding looking at either of them. "We're not that close, Hannibal... friends is pushing the boat out a bit." Hannibal smiled at Will when he said that, enjoying the reaction that rose to the surface.

It was awkward, the air that surrounded the three, yet there Hannibal lingured, basking in the heat that came from Will's annoyance, enjoying the smell of recent and frustration. He studied the painting they were regarding before offering the same opinion Will had just given Margaery about it, knowing fine well that too would annoy Will. Before leaving the two Hannibal nodded to Margaery. "I look forward to seeing you again." Turning to smile at Will. "Goodbye Will." He said, turning his back and walking straight into a welcoming crowd of people complimenting him on his party.

"Well... " Will's face twitched and distorted as he tried to contain his emotions. "Isn't he just a pleasure." Shaking his head, touching Margaery on the shoulder and tipping his head aside. "Thank you, thought.... but you didn't have to say anything. He's... Like that with me. I think I get under his skin. " A slight playful smile was offered before Will gestured that they head out on the balcony for some fresh air.

Margaery knew that look; Hannibal wore his person suit well indeed, but she was also perceptive. In her own way, she had gotten under his skin, but when he didn't level a veiled insult at her in turn, clearly she wasn't his target. Will was. Margaery listened carefully when Hannibal explained himself. She sipped her wine and kept her eyes trained on the two men.

Then Will gave his reply. Margaery had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from smiling, laughing even.

When Hannibal gave his assessment of the painting, Margaery didn't give as detailed or interested a response as she had for Will. She was polite, and generally agreed, but clearly not as invested in Hannibal as she had been in Will. When Hannibal left, Margaery smiled and tipped her head to bid him goodbye in turn.

The air felt much better with Hannibal gone. Margaery felt free to relax again, her body language completely changed. She couldn't help chuckling at Will's contempt. "I see you aren't exactly his biggest fan." When his fingers brushed over her shoulder, Margaery tilted her head at his words. "I know I didn't - but he was being rude. I felt it necessary to point out his hypocrisy, as he considers rudeness a sin when it is committed against him."

Margaery kept her wine in hand, though the glass was almost empty, and moved to the balcony as Will had indicated. The air was crisp and cool, it helped bring her temperature down from the heat of the room. Still, she felt a little warm, being in Will's company. "So he's always like that with you? I have to ask, how do you stand it?"

Will shivered a little as they made their way out onto the balcony. The was fresh with a nip to it, made you feel refreshed after being in that stuffy room full of people with too many opinions. A few other guests were out there too, smoking away on their cigarettes and cigars, a few other off around where the lamp was low, moths bumping and bashing at it, their silhouettes casting a puppet show on the ground of their intimate affections. Will turned away, clearing his throat.

It would have been rude to ignore Margaery's question. Though Hannibal made him feel uncomfortable at the best of times, it was something even harder to talk openly about him. "You don't stand it... You need therapy to get over it." He joked and smiled at her, before leaning over the railings and looking off into the woods behind the house. "Don't get me wrong, Hannibal is a talented psychologist, you'd struggle to find a better one... It's just he likes to see what's going to happen next." Will's eyes glazed over as he looked out over the treetops and the canopy of stars that twinkled down upon them. "I'm his favorite toy... He likes to wind me up and watch me go."

Turning and leaning his back against the railings now, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath and tilted his head back. In that moment he was calm, he had clarity and everything was okay. As the nipping wind passed his face, flirting with the deep, dark curls of his face, Will smiled to himself, he could feel Margaery watching him. " What? I know you're smirking." His voice was almost playful and yet he still held his eyes closed.

Margaery far preferred warmer climates; her wardrobe similarly reflected this preference. But she also wasn't one to shiver nor whine when she was uncomfortable. She stood straight and proud, listening to her companion as he explained the complicated relationship he shared with Dr. Lecter. A fine actress, no one would suspect that she was cold or uncomfortable in any way. But then...it seemed easy to not be distracted by such things while in Will's company.

"Ah, the irony," she laughed. But his addition to the sentence had her on edge. Margaery tilted her head and furrowed her brow. "How manipulative...and you allow him to do this to you unimpeded?"

She couldn't explain why that irritated her. Already she didn't like the idea that someone was manipulating Will, even after only knowing him a few minutes. But was that the true reason, or was she shocked in dismay at Dr. Lecter's behavior? That was something she would not expect from her own psychiatrist. She expected better of him.

But she was focused on Will now. Seeing how serene he was beneath the night sky with the wind wrapping around him. A man being manipulated by another man. Yet he seemed strangely okay with that. It baffled Margaery. She did smirk though, already he knew her too well, and she shook her head with a soft laugh.

"I've never known a man to be so accepting of being manipulated," she replied. "You're certainly a different breed of man, Mr. Dearheart." She chuckled as she used the fake name he'd given yet again.

Opening his eyes to her questions and comments. Will gave a half smile, pushed himself up and off the railings so that he could join her at her side. He wasn't used to female company if it wasn't Alana or Beverly, and that was strictly a working relationship, he'd not even thought to offer his coat when they fist stepped out into the cold. But that's what he was doing now! "Ah, my bad. Sorry, where are my manners." Shaking his head as he slipped his arms out of his sleeves and dropped his fancy coat over her shoulders. It was Hannibal's coat, true, but it smells of Will's aftershave, not that it was anything noticeable of course.

"The trick with Hannibal is, I let him push and watch but I don't admit that I'm fully aware of it. He thinks he's so smart winding me up, when all along I'm acting half the time." Partly true, partly a lie. Hannibal was more manipulative than Will knew at this point.

Turning his attention up to the stars again and smiling as he pushed his mask up, just so he could better see them. He'd forgotten there were rules at a gathering such as this, but at least it was too dark to fully see his face. "There's something haunting about the night sky. People think it romantic or breautifu.. I think it's sad... Some of those stars are already dead and yet still they burn, mistaken for bright shining... Yet it's nothing more than the death rattle of a dying celestial body."

He was rambling. Shaking his head and looking back towards her after he lowered his mask again. "Hm? You think I'm so different from other men? It's my horns, isn't it?" Tipping his head, like a stag would when locking its antlers with another. It was playful and spontaneous, which he'd feel anxious about in a few moments.

Margaery blinked slightly at him when he moved to put his coat over her shoulders. It was far broader shouldered than she, the coat was clearly too big for her small frame. But it was charming; and she could identify Will's scent over the scent of Dr. Lecter's usual cologne. His aftershave wasn't the best, but there was a comforting nature about it. "Thank you - you didn't have to, I'm not that cold. This simply isn't a climate I'm used to," she admitted. But all the same she was grateful for the gesture.

She listened carefully as he explained further how he tolerated Hannibal's manipulation. Margaery recognized a certain level of masculine denial; he couldn't outright admit to himself that he was being completely manipulated by another man in front of a woman.

When Will turned his mask up, Margaery found herself immediately looking to his face, seeing the real mystery man beneath the mask. She smiled; he was not quite what she had pictured; more rugged and masculine than the clean-shaven Dr. Lecter. There was a certain primal attractiveness to him. Margaery nearly missed his remark about the stars.

"Hm? Ah...but you can't deny the lore behind the constellations is alluring," she replied, glancing up to the stars. "And the moon, how it calls to the animal within and draws it forth to the surface...there is a serenity in it, somehow."

When he replaced his mask and gave the comment about the horns, Margaery laughed heartily, covering her lips with her hand until she quieted down a bit. "That must be it." The pure smile was unmistakable, and the sparkle in her eyes was not hidden in any way by her mask.

Will was clean and tidy enough, he bathed and wore fresh clothes, it was just that he kept getting the same bottle of aftershave for Christmas every year, he was used to it, pretty sure it was the same one his father used to use. Home comfort over attracting a mate. Pretty much Will's take on it anyway. So long as Margaery's cute little nose wasn't offended by it. "I'm just being polite really, I'm freezing but I'm used to it." He smiled and rubbed his hands together, blowing on them. Standing closer to Margaery's side, sharing some of the little body heat that was coming off of her.

As for the topic of being manipulated, Will wouldn't admit it fully because that's what Hannibal wanted. Hannibal had already conditioned Will into thinking the way he was now, it was all so amusing and entertaining to the good Doctor. If only Will truly knew how under the thumb he was, he'd have been ashamed.

"I see you know your stuff. I prefer the more native beliefs of the moon. That it's lover stayed on the earth too long, got trapped in the body of a wolf... He howls his pained love and detachment from his lover every night until she returns to the sea in the morning..." He was rambling on and could ramble forever when it came to wolves or dogs. So he stopped himself and smiled slightly.

Seeing her laugh at his antics was nice, it warmed Will despite the cold night air. He laughed along with her and made some more small silly little motion with his antlers, getting a little be too close to her face than he'd realized. Pausing for a moment before pulling away, awkward that he'd invaded her space. Just then, the door opened and a few guests came out in a loud rabble, disturbing their peace.

As brutal as his aftershave was, it wasn't terrible in Margaery's opinion. She was used to Loras and his floral cologne, or Willas and his more wood-based colognes. Both her brothers though were guilty of overuse of the product. Margaery herself tried not to use too much perfume when she wore it, restricting it to just a dab or two on her pulse points and sometimes a careful spritz into her hairbrush to incorporate the perfume into her hair.

Margaery laughed softly when Will was so honest - really, she found it refreshing, his honesty. She liked it. Margaery reached to lift the jacket slightly from her shoulders. "Really, I'm not that cold, if you need it, don't stand on ceremony, there's no sense in us both freezing to death out here."

She found her gaze drifted back to the moon when Will told his story. A small smile crept across her soft lips the more he spoke. "I've heard that story too, yes. There is no comparison to the ancient tales of love and the beauty of nature." She didn't mind his rambling, rather she enjoyed it.

When Will continued to make his playful motions, Margaery laughed again, and when he did indeed get too close, she eased her face back and covered her smile with a delicate hand. After a moment her hand retracted, revealing her wide smile and showing that she in no way felt awkward or uncomfortable. But when the door opened, Margaery glanced over her shoulder and looked slightly disappointed when she saw the other guests join them on the balcony.

"Mm...so much for our privacy," she whispered, rolling her eyes a little. But she was used to being surrounded by people.

Despite her not wearing much of it, Will was rather fond of her perfume, especially when the wind brushed over her pretty locks, drifting the scent straight into Will's face. In fact, he'd lean in from time to time as they swayed lightly on their feet from standing still. He wondered what the rest of her smells like? If she had a sweet tinge to her skin normally or if she was warm smelling like freshly cooked peach buns?

When she went to remove his jacket, Will set his hands upon hers and kept it in place. "Honestly... Besides, you'd emasculate me in front of all the other men here that wish for your company!" laughing as he eased his hands away from her shoulders slowly.

Watching the lines her face pulled in when she smiled and laughed, only made Will smile more himself. She was addictive, had an effect on him that made him feel so carefree and silly. It had been years since he'd acted this way with someone he'd just met. Knowing she was fond of the old fables of nature and love only confirmed it more so to Will, that he had to keep her company for the rest of the evening.

As the rabble arrived, Will too sighed. Shaking his head as their noise was far too loud for his and Margaery's conversation. "I know, how about you grace me with a dance?" Going to take her hand as his other held the door open when the last of the intruders came outside.

When Will's hands fell upon hers as she attempted to remove the jacket, Margaery blushed at the contact. His hands were a little rough, but she didn't feel threatened. His grip was strong, but tender enough. She smiled at his quip and gave a dismissive wave. "There are plenty of women for the other men here to ogle and woo. They have no need of pursuing me." And she would prefer it that way.

Not just because she preferred her privacy. But also because she was enjoying her present company and didn't want the encounter to be spoiled.

Margaery gave a soft sigh again as more people took their idea and walked out onto the balcony. Such a pity, the setting had been so intimate for them. But when Will made his suggestion, Margaery blushed a bit. She hadn't expected the invitation to dance; after talking with him, it seemed like the last thing he would be interested in was dancing. But she wasn't about to refuse.

"I'd love to," she replied with a smile. She glanced to his jacket again that rested over her shoulders. "If we're going inside, you should likely take this back then. I shall be quite overheated with it, I think." Plus, she wanted to be the envy of the room - part of her celebrity ego.

A fair lady with dark hair dancing with the dapper Dearheart? Surely such scenes existed only in novels.

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[For Will - Modern AU] What Secrets do Masks Hide?

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