InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "give it to me baby!"

Winifred "Fred" Burkle (i_figure) wrote in we_coexist,
@ 2011-06-24 16:55:00

Entry tags:

fight club, hannibal lecter, winifred burkle

Big Brains, Mysteries and Wonders (Hannibal, Fight Club Challenge)
Fred was feeling different lately. Oh, she'd been having very interesting dreams, and she'd been allowed to work on some very high tech equipment. She was helping, but she'd felt..different recently. It wasn't a good or bad different, although she did feel a craving. It was one of those cravings she couldn't quite figure out for what exactly she was craving. She couldn't name it, and if she could just name it, maybe then she'd be able to get back to feeling normal. Not that she really considered herself all that normal.

As if the City felt a need to help her out, or give her yet another distraction, she received an invitation from the City Institute. They were thinking of holding a panel for the leading scientists and thinkers on the interplay between science and magic or supernatural. The invitation was to a private meeting, and she guessed it was part of whatever was going on to find answers about the City. The Institute was starting to wonder? Maybe it was someone who was part of that meeting? There'd been flyers, she was pretty sure of that.

She knew she should probably sit at the computers and do more work, but the programs she had running, which didn't seem to be giving her more information than she'd already provided, were working well enough on their own. She wasn't needed.

Fred dressed in her more scholarly gear, even the glasses not that she always needed them much lately, and headed out to the Institute. She'd found the small conference room that looked set up for a small round table discussion, or debate; it even had snacks: small sandwiches, chips, crackers, pastries, juice, water, soda. It didn't look like a lot of food, but she'd guess at least five or six were expected. Scholars, thinkers, did like the free food and usually tried to sneak some home.

Fred Burkle settled down in a semi-plush swiveling rolly chair and waited. She didn't want to touch the snacks until others were there. It seemed more polite. She was a little excited; it'd been a while since she'd gotten to have an in-depth conversation of this kind.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

i_figure
2011-06-30 08:13 am UTC (link)

"Simplicity is sometimes mistaken for childish. Not to say that the City isn't childish, or even simple, but it doesn't need to poll us. It doesn't need to ask us our feelings. It sees how we cope by how we live." Fred stepped back before turning to sit at the table again.

"Knowing how the City works is something that I couldn't do before. The power it must use, what source? It isn't human as far as I can tell. The math is extremely complicated for location placement. Even if people think it is random, it's not. It goes on long enough it is a pattern. If it is a living creature, the City, then the pattern is shorter. Right? Living creatures have set patterns, even the most complicated. Of course, that is more conjecture - that it behaves like a living creature, this being part of a living system." 'This' indicated with a wave of her pastry laden hand at the world around them.

"To me, knowing the world we are in is not something I do not need to know. Why we are here would be nice too, but how it works..." Fred sounded almost wistful, almost. She bit into the danish and chewed thoughtfully; at least she wasn't talking with her mouth full.

She was having a discussion about life and everything else with Hannibal Lecter, the man who ate people. She was having a discussion and eating with the man who ate people, or bits of people. Who killed and ate bits of people. Something in her stomach turned, but she didn't want him to know; so, she continued eating. Just another bite of pastry. She wondered why Hannibal Lecter should bother her when Angel didn't, or hadn't.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_consume
2011-07-06 06:33 am UTC (link)

Hannibal shook his head. "I don't believe it watches us all that closely. To watch like that indicates an inclination to care. The City does not care about us beyond whatever it's purpose for bringing us here is. It does not equate what it wants with what happens to us. It made a crude and hideous Cupid because it assumes what all beings want is to fall in love. It did not let us fall in love with people of our choice, as the mythical Cupid would have done. It set us up with random faces that were, from what I gathered, more often than not strangers. And what happened after? Nothing. The spell wore off, and there was nothing."

He sat forward a little in his chair, watching her. "It is both simple and child like. Not one or the other. Not combined into one thing. Is it human? Obviously not. I do not believe it is anything remotely close to human. Even the super powered beings that are here do not measure up to what it is. And what it is, will either be revealed to us or it will not."

He couldn't help but notice her hesitation in eating more food, now that he'd revealed what he'd done in his future and indicated it didn't bother him at all.

"You would never taste human flesh, then." He said, changing the subject abruptly. Not hiding the slightly mocking tone this time.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_figure
2011-07-06 06:53 am UTC (link)

"Crude in understanding, but children watch. They watch very carefully. They care what happens to the ants, the snails, the little toys. Until they are bored. The quiet time is when it has decided to let us be, but that doesn't mean it stops thinking about us or watching us. We are the ants in its little farm, and every now and then it shakes things up to see what we'll do. And it watches." Fred wasn't letting it go. The City had an intelligence that she did not want to underestimate. There was something to this world, and while Hannibal seemed to believe he could act as he wished-

Her mental rant stopped as he commented on eating human flesh. She looked at him confused, her mind working to find the step in logic that brought them to eating human flesh. Her brows furrowed; she was missing something. That little bit of bother in her stomach was growing, and it was mixing with anger.

"What? Why would I want to taste human flesh? It's not exactly something normal people want to taste, unless they're odd gourmet types. Those who eat brains aren't the smartest. Our bodies aren't made to absorb brains; you get sick and can die from it. The rest? I don't know. But, brains, from what I understand, is a big no." Fred was pushing her luck; she knew she was, but did he really thing cannibalism was the way to go?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_consume
2011-07-06 07:08 am UTC (link)

"Untrue." Hannibal tilted his head. "People have eaten brain for centuries. Monkey, calf, it is the same, for the most part, as human. It does nothing ill to the digestion, and can actually be quite a good supplement to the diet. The brain has fats that aren't easily found in the rest of the body, no matter the species. It, along with other organs, must of course be prepared correctly, but as with other organs, is quite good for you. Not to mention delicious."

He didn't define if he'd tasted human organs, he would just make her guess that on her own. Everything he said was easily interchangeable between human and animal.

"It's like anything else, however. If somebody deprived of meat their whole lives delves into a dish of meatloaf, they're going to be sick. People think that animals are inherently allergic to things, but these things are food items one would not normally give to an animal. Raise one eating chocolate, and it's system will get used to it. Raise a person eating nothing but fruit, and their body will reject anything else after a time.

"Cannibalism is only taboo in the Puritan countries. It is a natural curiosity to have. If you had not been told that it's forbidden, would you instinctively think so? Tribes all over the world practice cannibalism for any number of reasons. Religious beliefs, conquering war heroes, to honor the dead. It's true that eating the heart of somebody does not actually grant one bravery, but it's the symbol of it, isn't it. You are squeamish of the act because your society has told you to be, because society has deemed it so. For how long has smoking been acceptable? In my time, it's touted as being healthful even. And now, in these new times, it is shameful. Because society has decided it. No longer can somebody weigh the consequences of cancer and make their own decision, they are pressured by the people around them.

"Not to say it's the same for cannibalism, by any means. Just an example."

Hannibal watched Fred. Her harsh reaction did not surprise him. It was, in fact, what he'd been going for. He'd wanted to unsettle her. Bring up something she didn't want to think about. He was tiring of this talk of the City. She was moving in circles, and it was beginning to bore him.

"So you think only an odd gourmet type would wonder at the flavor? How sad."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_figure
2011-07-06 07:28 am UTC (link)

"Yes, but the same person who suggests that social reaction is beneath him or her because it is social, based in society, is arrogant. I don't want to eat brains, I don't care what it's from because I've seen enough to know I don't like the texture. I'm not going to say I'm better than a cow because for all I know there can be some damn smart cows out there in some reality." Fred looked at him; she wasn't going to whimper and hide. At least not yet, if at all.

"Yes. Or some child. It isn't great or grand to step outside social norms. It's not something that makes anyone better. Curious, yes. But, to get a person's brains. Not talking about situation in which it is custom. I may not find it appetizing, and I do question the true validity of its nutritional value; but, that is custom. I'm talking about people who eat other people who don't belong to a certain life, tribe, whatever. It doesn't make you more informed. Or a deeper person." She wasn't backing down.

"A vampire feeds on blood because that is its animal instinct, its need. In many cases, there is a demonic essence to the vampirism. Do I find them wrong? Well, if they're killing just to kill, hell yes. But, much like a lion killing to feed, it is part of a vampire's nature. And, unlike the lion, a vampire, in most cases, can stop him or herself from killing. Now, you take a human who decides 'hey, I'm gonna have brains for dinner' where the hell is that human who is not brought up in a particular society gonna get brains without going against the law? You think there's just gonna be someone out there offering up a brain..." She paused as she thought about this. "Well, there might be, but to get to that brain, to get to a fresh brain, in a society that does not see eating human brains as a norm means doing something akin to murder in most cases. So, do spare me the rational of eating human brains and not being able to see beyond my social upbrining. Unless you were raised a cannibal or in some custom that eating human brains is part of your everyday in which you would get brains in some normal - according to your society - you're kinda screwed."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_consume
2011-07-06 07:41 am UTC (link)

Hannibal's smile continued to be unkind. "You see it as inhuman to even wonder. Petty. Yet people travel all over the world to get certain things because they wonder. Foods that the North Americas do not offer. There are places in the Orient where you can feast on a monkey's brain as it lives, while you sit around a table with your friends."

He leaned a little closer to her, doing his best to put her on edge. Staring at her, unwaveringly.

"If it is not a lion's instinct, and a vampire's as you bring up, can it not be in the nature of a man? Does a man need to be raised to be what he is? Can he not move outside of the lines that were drawn for him? Are you everything that your parents tried to mold you to be? Have you lived your life to exactly their wishes? Do you not have instincts that you never witnessed in them? Sexual appetites that your parents hid from your eyes while you were growing? Vampires are not born what they are, yet you condone what they do if they do not kill. If a man can receive his flesh as a gift from another, would you condone that as well? If a human bequeathed his brain not to science as many do, but for the meal of another, would you find that detestable? Vampires often do not ask, do they. They take. There are a few who might take from less desirable types, but they're still taking. Fewer still might not feed on any unwilling type, but what does their prey get from the action? They are still prey. Still a meal. A willing one, but a meal none the less. If a cannibal were to be presented with a willing meal, would it not be the same?"

He studied her face, her movements, took in the smell of her. "And what if a man can get what he wants without killing for it? Much like a vampire, taking only what is desired and leaving the meal alive? There are many organs that a human can live without that make excellent dishes. Their animal counterparts are very often used as food, the recipe can be substituted. Does that not break your unwillingness? Are you still, then, blinded by the flesh being as yours? You say much about it not being grand to step outside of social norms, and yet those that do often find themselves more free than others, you cannot make such a blanket statement, it is ignorant and foolish to do so. If you want to speak ill of cannibalism, do. Do not presume the statement that everyone must walk in society's path in order to be right. You yourself do not."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_figure
2011-07-06 07:56 am UTC (link)

"Yes, free. Interestingly those 'free' types as you call it are more than willing to sidestep all rules and regulations. If someone were to give up their organs, their body for the sake of being eaten, that is that person's choice. I do not agree, but then I don't exactly find someone giving up their blood for a vampire all that great. That is not a choice I'd make. What I have a problem with is someone thinking that because they can and will eat human, that they have the right to take. There is a disconnect between freedom and breaking rules." Fred's mind was going faster than her mouth for the moment, and she paused.

"I wouldn't do it for some vampire cause he is a vampire, or just cause he's a vampire..." She was losing the train of thought. Why had she brought up vampires? Well, she did know Angel, and his drinking blood hadn't bothered her. He tended to avoid human blood, so maybe that was the reason. But, even if he ate human, which she doubted he would, she didn't think he'd do it to hurt people. He wouldn't manipulate someone to feed off them; she didn't think he was a vampire who could. She knew Lestat could, or thought he could. He was in town, right?

"I don't eat organs. Not something I like." She'd at least pulled that out of what he was saying. Her mind was working on something else; vampires and manipulation were unsettling, and the idea of it was making her sick. Being used like some cattle without being asked, or making someone believe they were otherwise? At least the Pyleans didn't bother with hiding what they thought of humans.

"I myself do not what?" Her mind focused again on what he said. "What path am I walking that isn't accepted by society?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_consume
2011-07-06 08:08 am UTC (link)

"It's not for everybody." Hannibal admitted. "But that goes for all food, doesn't it. Everybody has tastes, things to their liking, things that are not. But the difference comes in telling a person they are strange for wanting or not wanting to eat a carrot. Organ meat, speaking strictly of that of animals, is just as natural."

His smile widened. "You're awfully fixated on vampires."

Hannibal sat back then, keeping his eyes securely on Fred. He took a moment to eat a piece of the cheese he had acquired from the table. He made a little show of it, to make her think of him eating, and what they'd been talking about.

"What path do you walk? Why, Fred, I'm surprised. Surely you should know. You are highly intelligent and highly opinionated. I don't mean 'for a girl', either. Your mind is incredible. But that's something that society doesn't like. Teachers do not like when their students are more brilliant, which I am sure you encountered. Children do not like their smarter peers, which I have no doubt you experienced. The intelligent are shunned as freaks. Especially with minds like ours. We can absorb and learn and while we may have a focus, we can take in anything. This is not right by societal standards. It is likely neither of us needed really to attend school at all, we could have learned what we know from books. But what would society have done to us, those that were already scared of us. I would not be accepted as a doctor without a Ph.D. Would you be as respected in scientific circles? Moving on then, to your willingness to speak that mind of yours. Society likes it's children silent. They rail against those with strong opinion, even if that opinion is proved."

He took a sip of water to pause and let her think it over. "And as a woman," He continued "You do not primp and prime yourself every second of the day. Your perfection is that you do not care. I'm guessing your bathroom does not have the scores of makeup and oodles of hair product that lesser, less confident, women have. You don't need it. If nothing else, this alone makes you abnormal in this world. Women are taught that they need those things to be pretty, that they cannot survive without them. You didn't buy into it. You do not go to the grocery store wearing eyeliner and high heels. You are not hunting always for a mate. What is wrong with you, Fred? Nothing. You are advanced. And yet? And yet. What does society say about you?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_figure
2011-07-06 08:20 am UTC (link)

"I'm not fixated." Fred sat back in her chair; she was lying. Her voice wasn't even all that confident. She kept coming back to being manipulated for blood. To allow a vampire to feed, or worse to forget that a vampire fed. It was some violation, even if she had just said that vampires fed on blood because it was in their nature. "I know one. Actually used to know one. He's not around, not that I've seen." She bit her lip to keep from saying more about it.

Thankfully, Fred didn't connect his eating with part of the topic at hand, eating human bits and pieces. Though she did connect it to eat, feeding. Her fingers grabbed the bottle of water, and she blinked as she heard it crinkle. She had squeezed it rather than just grab it.

"Society has said I was odd. I have accepted that, but I haven't committed crimes knowing that I am different. And, as nice as your words are, if they are nice at all or meant to be nice because they sound nice, I'm not above wanting someone to love me. I don't know too many people who are. Or things that aren't 'people' - belonging. We want to belong." She opened the bottle of water and took a sip. "I have to go. I'm not feeling well."

She stood and looked at him. "I'm not leaving because we're talking about cannibalism. I'm not leaving because of you. You make me uncomfortable, but I'm not leaving because of you. I wouldn't want to give you the satisfaction. I just need to go. If you want to think it's because of you, fine." Her mind wouldn't let go of it, feeding as violation. She wanted to hide away from the world, and she had no idea why. She wanted to find someone she could talk to and forget the feeling, but Hannibal Lecter as much as he might make her think was not the one to hide behind or away with.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_consume
2011-07-06 08:27 am UTC (link)

Hannibal believed her. Something had happened in their conversation to seriously unsettle the girl, but it hadn't been their discussion of food preferences or legalities. He had a suspicion that it had to do with the vampires. But she didn't seem to know it herself, so he couldn't confirm it with his usual tactics.

Instead, he tipped his head in her direction to acknowledge her desire and apparent need to leave. He had meant what he'd said about her mind. Though he'd been playing with her at the same time.

He would consider Fred. Roll her around in his mind. Perhaps pay her a visit in the future. For the fun of it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -