Hannibal didn't even have to stop at reception this time. The girl waved him in, and smiled politely. It was a refreshing change, and he'd have to compliment Jonathan on it. Surely it was his doing.
He did, however, stop to knock at the office door itself. It wouldn't do to just barge in and make himself at home. This was not his home. He'd never even worked within the asylum. So as welcome as he might have been, Hannibal easily bowed to politesse.
The smell of the tea wafted to him. It was delightful how many of his compatriots were now fixing the beverage in anticipation of him. He had a love of it from his mother, and a fondness from Lady Murasaki. The two women combined created a deep longing that resided well within him.