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[ Since the City seemed to be back to normal again or at least it was whole once more, Will had decided to come out of hiding. He'd been held up in his apartment, eating very little and trying not to exert much energy. He'd never really been all that good at fighting, so he left hunting monsters to Hannibal. Now that he had access to the other side of the City, Will had spent the last few days working on a little project of his.

He was down by the lake when the video feed came on. Sleeves rolled up, sweat sticking curls of hair to his forehead and there was a healthy layer of dirt covering him too. A small axe he'd borrowed from the armory, some homemade rope, and stacks of wood he'd already scavenged or cut down. He was making a small hut to use when out fishing originally but had extended the project upon some thought. ]

Almost done... I er, my apartment was becoming a little over populated... What with all of these fellas , Winston, myself and Hannibal all living there so... I mean, I'm not exactly okay with the idea of people adopting them... I'd hate to think some of you tried to eat them after claiming them so... So I've built a little habitat for them. Please, please respect it?

[ Will turns his phone around, letting you see the 14+ Fennic fox and pair of Nugs he'd rescued when the demons arrived. He'd made a very small compound for them, much like a chicken coop and run. A few small huts for them to take shelter in and a small fence to hopefully keep things out. It was right next to his fishing hut too! So he could keep an eye on them of course. ]

I'd say you're all welcome to come and keep them company, they like to play... Er, you're also welcome to use the trapper shack too, but I mean, I'm there most days catching fish anyways so... Yeah.

[ Awkward as ever he cuts the feed. Closing his eyes and sighing. He'd forgotten to ask if anyone wanted to help him build it up a little bigger or to see if he needed permission from the Gods to start with. Oh well~ Never mind, right? ]

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[ It's okay, it's just Will being Will. He doesn't do eye contact so he tries not to look for long when he does stare. Trying not to be so awkward and nervous all the time takes it out of him. ]

There isn't really. They came in similar to how me and you did. Only, through a tear in the fabric of space and dimensions other than a door.

[ He's telling the truth but there is a hint of satire in his tone. Will doesn't exactly have faith or believe that the Gods here are in fact Gods at all. He's very skeptical about this whole place and how it works actually. Maybe they could share ideas sometime? ]

Will.

[ Giving his name, a half smile and a flicker of a look towards the other name. ]

That's unfortunate. I've been here about... 6 months, though it's hard to tell time...

[ Not just because of their environment but because of the illness he's currently struggling with, but let's not get into that now. ]

You here alone or did anyone else you know get dragged into this mess too?

[Lance is very much the opposite when it comes to eye contact, at least most of the time, although he tries to tone it down when other people seem uncomfortable.

The response and the tone of Will's voice cause Lance to raise his eyebrows a little, definitely not inclined to believe that story, but it sounds like Will isn't completely onboard with it either. His own tone is intentionally too matter-of-fact to be genuine.]

Of course, yeah. Makes sense.

[He's a little surprised to hear Will's name, not because it's exactly an unusual one but because he's heard about a Will from Maketh and he wonders if this might be the same one. He'll have to find out, but he'll answer the question first.]

It's just me. Is it normal for there to be people here who knew each other before?

[He hasn't heard about this yet.]

[ Lance and his firm gaze shouldn't bother Will too much, he has a tendency to look at someone's shoe, elbow or the complete other direction when he's talking to you. He's much better suited for talking to people when giving lectures, it feels less social, less awkward that way.

Oh, it's all very much true. Will has nothing to gain by telling lies to a stranger. Sure it sounds obscene and far fetched but he's been here a while and lived through things he'd otherwise have found unrealistic and downright unnatural. Still, he appreciates the amusement in Lance's tone of voice and facial expression, smirking a little as he looks away. ]

Nothing is normal here... The situation, the Gods heh, even the people... But it has happened before. I've met a few people here who all know each other... I even had a colleague show up not so long ago too.

[ He feels a little bad referring to Hannibal as just a colleague, but he's not about to talk to a stranger about his friendships. As for Maketh having mentioned his? That can only mean bad news. Him and Maketh got off on the wrong foot and it's been rocky grounds ever since. ]

So Lance... Where are you from?

[He's pretty much the opposite on that as well; one on one conversations are a lot easier and less awkward for him, since he can better gauge the reactions of one or two people than those of a whole crowd. And he's not the most confident person in general.

That someone Will knows arrived here--and that apparently this happens to other people as well--is... Well, it's strange to think about the potential, mostly since Lance really isn't sure what he believes about this place. But the idea that he could have someone he knows here, at some point, is mostly a hopeful one. He's already feeling very lonely being here.]

That's good to know.

[And he means that. At the question he answers easily, mostly because it gives him perfect opportunity to figure out if this is the same Will Maketh mentioned and if she was accurate in her information.]

I'm from Washington D.C.; I'm an FBI psychologist with the field office there. How about yourself?

[ The lectures Will gives at the FBI, he doesn't class them as real interactions. He's doing the talking and they're taking notes, it's harder when you're face to face, questions, and conversation. Will just doesn't mesh well with others. He's an awkward, twitchy man.

Ah, isn't that nice? Was he able to make Lance feel somewhat hopeful? At least one of the Gods will be pleased about that. As for Will, he doesn't have much hope at all, despite being full of emotions both his own and other peoples, he finds it hard to believe in the best.

Oh, so we have another FBI agent? A psychologist too? Well isn't this just starting to feel a lot more like home? He's from Washington D.C? Will doesn't recall having lessons with the FBI from there, but there's a possibility Hannibal may know of him and his department. ]

Me? Here I'm no one... I'm nothing... I just fish and collect strays.

[ Reaching down and picking up one of the foxes as it nuzzled up against his leg. Pulling it close to his chest and stroking it gently. ]

Back home I was a teacher... Worked homicide for a while... And right before I arrived here I was a special agent hired by the FBI's behavioral sciences chief.

[ He laughed a little and raised a brow. ]

Makes me wonder why we're all here? The door is only supposed to bring in the worst of us after all... Great food for thought for a psychologist huh?

[ Hopefully his question would distract Lance, have him thinking about what he said rather than trying to psychoanalyze him. ]

[It's very difficult to distract Lance from psychoanalyzing, and this is no exception. The answer is less direct than he expected, but he'd only heard of Will's profession from Maketh and who knows how accurate her description was.

The question Will poses would bother Lance a lot more if he believed for even a second that this place is what it's said to be. Considering he's still pretty convinced he's dreaming, he's a little more worried about what this entire situation says about his subconscious than anything else.]

Are you a profiler, or...?

[There's a few reasons someone might be hired by the behavioral sciences division, although less reasons why Will might've had all the other jobs as well. Then again Lance had a stint as a professional pianist so he can't really judge on jobs unrelated to your main focus.]

Is that true, about the Door?

[Even though he doesn't believe in it, he hasn't heard this bit about how people are supposedly chosen.]

[ And Will can tell he's being or about to be analyzed. At least Lance hasn't been talking to him long and Will was careful with his answers, though that in itself could be something the other was analyzing too. This is why Will hated Doctors...

Wow, this guy is just full of questions, isn't he? Will takes a slow breath, wets his lips with his tongue and sets the animal back down before answering him. ]

I definitely fall into the 'or' catagary...

[ Maybe he'd tell Lance eventually, about his ability and his useful empathy. After all, as Hannibal said ' You're Jack's fine china. Only to be used for special occasions.' ]

I don't know if it's true or not, how does that make you feel?

[ He doesn't mean to have a quip at the man. It's a knee-jerk reaction he has to all Doctors. He sighs, considering an apology then thinks better of it. ]

From what I've discovered, the Gods bring us in to feed on. Emotional vampires if you ask me... And apparently we're all bad people or have been subject to terrible blah blah blah...

[ Surely his face should have given away his opinion on the theory too. He never said he believed it, he just repeated what he'd been told. ]

[The 'or' category; alright, so, probably not a professional profiler or psychologist. Maybe retired, but he doubts it, so possibly some other kind of consultant that could range anything from scientist to artist, even to a psychic. He wonders how Maketh had gotten the impression; had she misconstrued, or had Will told her something different?

And okay, he probably should've seen that jab coming; he doesn't acknowledge it directly, but takes it as a sign to draw back a little. It'd natural for some people to be suspicious of doctors of any sort, let alone psychologists, and not really knowing Will yet this isn't a situation in which pushing comfort zones would be helpful. Probably the opposite.

So instead of asking any more questions just yet, he focuses on just responding to what Will said.]

If they really are feeding on our emotions, then telling us that story about how and why we're here is probably very useful to them.

[At least to some of them, anyway.]

[ Will does fall very much in the 'or' category, it sounds strange but it's true. He left working the streets with Homicide after he failed to shoot his firearm, resulting in an investigation. He couldn't kill and that left to other people getting hurt. And it's true, he did apply to work for the FBI as a special agent... Only his test results proved Will was too unstable for them to hire him.

He also has a very special gift, the curse of pure empathy. Will is able to not only understand and relate to any criminal, but he's also able to take on their persona, tell you what they were thinking, what exactly they did, why the did it and what they are going to do next. This means he's more that helpful in helping to solve some of the most brutal crimes... It's just a massive drain on him.

Will did tell Maketh he worked with the psychologists in the FBI, he was a temporary special agent, there were no lies there. He even ended up telling her about his ability to... Maybe she didn't want to share that with Lance just yet? Maybe she thought the two would know each other and it would leave him at a disadvantage? ]

You'd think so huh? What you have to remember is these so called Gods were at war, something killed them off... What exactly that was, none of us know. All we've found out is that they need to use us to fuel them...

[ He smirks a little, looking at his left wrist. Under his cuff and on the underside of his wrist is a green symbol. The symbol of Fear's blessing. Will was granted it after something that happened recently, it gives him the ability to strike unimaginable fear in others if he so chose to use it... He's considering using it now, just to prove a point, just to see what would happen... But no, no that's not fair on Lance. ]

Anytime you feel anything, anything that's overwhelming at least... That's a Gods doing. The best advice I can give you?... Keep an eye on your mood, if anything seems out of sorts, there's a God here tampering, toying and influencing your emotions.

[Ah, yeah, passing those psych tests is a whole thing. Lance is usually the one administering said tests, actually.

That's definitely quite the power and Lance has absolutely no idea about it; Maketh didn't tell him a whole lot other than that she doesn't trust Will in the field, and that could've been for a lot of reasons. Since Lance is somewhat distrustful of Maketh at best and is concerned she might be a potential serial killer at worst, he's not too inclined to judge Will just on her word.

That tidbit about the supposed backstory of the gods is interesting and he notes it for later, but he's more interested in the rest of what Will says. Anything that's overwhelming is the gods' fault? He really doubts people here don't feel overwhelming emotions of their own, especially considering the entire situation in this place is stressful, but what a convenient excuse. Even more convenient if a lot of people really believe all of this.]

I'll keep that in mind.

[He means it, and he appreciates the offer of advice even if he's not too convinced about it.]

From what I understand, the gods are most interested in inspiring the emotion they represent; I can imagine there might be some overlap between a few of them, but the emotions they're named after are generally very distinct and recognizable.

[He says it as a statement but it's more a question, leaving it open for Will to correct him if he has the wrong impression here.]

[ Yea, Will agrees with that part about Maketh possibly being a serial killer at worst. He knows a little about her background, heck he almost even worked out her design but thought better of it... That and he valued his life at the time. Perhaps, if it wasn't too uncomfortable between the two of them in person, Will might be willing to work with Lance in order to uncover a few things about this place and the people trapped here.

But not now. Now he's still suspicious and unnerved by the idea of having been talking to a psychologist... Lord only knows what impression he has of Will by now. ]

I know you will. You'll keep it tucked away in the back of your mind. You'll revisit it from time to time as you doubt the reality of this place and the Gods that run it. You'll even work out conspiracies with very logical explanations, so easy and right under the nose that it's laughable no one was as smart as you to work it out in the first place. ~~because that's your design.~~

[ He was already working Lance out, just by what he'd said and the way he asked questions, leaving them open, disguised as mere comments to be corrected or added to. Will could see right through him, not many people would have been able to. ]

You are correct in a way. Only it's not just feelings of stress and discomfort. Even the more peaceful of us have lost it to rages wrath... The sad elicit with joy and the desperate... A flicker of hope...

[ It was all true and Will had lived through it all. He was skeptical too, still was in some ways but he'd enough experience here to know when his and others emotions had been tampered with. ]

Once the scales have fallen from your eyes, you'll see it too.

Edited 2017-04-21 02:02 (UTC)

[His opinion of Will is still forming, and it's kind of a muddled mess so far that's only getting murkier the more the conversation goes on. He'd probably be able to get a better sense in person, he thinks, but with how this conversation is going so far he's a little glad there's some distance.

He's not used to being correctly read by people. Sure, he's a terrible liar, but most of the time he doesn't have to lie and avoids the problem entirely; his youthful appearance causes people to underestimate him and make assumptions, and as annoying as it can be it's also incredibly useful. He likes having the advantage when it comes to communication, and to keeping his own thoughts secret while working out those of others.

Will may be in the 'or' category, but it's becoming obvious that there's definitely a valid reason the FBI hired him.

Lance bristles, a little, at Will's assessment, eyes darkening slightly and expression going a bit more tense, but he otherwise doesn't react. Letting Will talk--and saying less himself--is probably best for now; the way he says what he says prompts the psychologist side of Lance to want to help, because there's clearly personal undertones to the statements, but the part of him that works with identifying murders is telling him to be selfish at this point. Protect himself first and foremost for now, because once again he's ended up completely alone.

So he gives several seconds before he responds to any of that, choosing his words carefully when he finally does speak.]

No one exists in one state of emotion forever. Shifting outlooks, unexpected surges of anger or love or hope, surprise and turmoil and adaptation; they're all part of being alive.

[ Most people's opinion on Will are muddled and murky at best anyways, so there was no surprise that Lance too fell into that way of thinking about him. Will wouldn't appreciate Lance wanting a one-to-one with him anytime soon, however, as he'd once put it so passionately Don't psychoanalyze me. You wouldn't like me when I'm psychoanalyzed.

One thing Will Graham was good at uncovering, were secrets. If Lance had any, there was no doubt Will would be able to dig them up, dust them off and present them to Lance in a bundle of nerves and emotions from having lived them himself as he investigated. His age didn't fool Will, nor did his poker face.

Maybe he should give Lance more credit? If he knew the young Doctor was already figuring out there was something dark about Will, something more associated with murders and crime, then maybe Will wouldn't have been so brash. He was currently the suspect of some pretty horrific cases back him and the stigma of being a murderer was one Will struggled to believe he was going to face. ]

You sound just like a Doctor... Try to feel what I'm saying, instead of giving it an analytical observation and answer... Heh, being alive and being here in this dive of a Cave are something totally new you're going to have to learn to cope with. I wish you good luck.

[ Will is amused. Maybe Lance should sit down with each of the Gods and give them an evaluation? That'd be a laugh. ]

[He definitely has secrets, some old and some more recent, all in varying stages of acceptance or denial and none of which he'd appreciate anyone else knowing or using. Even his closest friends still know only a fraction of as much about him as he does about them.

Will's amusement is coming across clearly enough, and so Lance reevaluates how to respond. He's actually a little annoyed at this point, making the idea of challenging Will directly sound appealing, but it's not enough to prompt him to actually do it. A different approach is better for now, so he carefully returns his expression to neutral and loses the edge that wants to creep into his voice.]

You're right. This is a new experience.

[Whatever it actually is, it's definitely new.]

But surely you can agree that an analytical approach is only one of many, and any one alone is going to miss something.

[He definitely uses his intuition and sense of people and situations first and foremost, but contrary to the belief of some--including his friends, much to his occasional irritation--logic isn't ignored.]

[ Again, Will can sense the want that Lance is experiencing. Wanting to challenge him, wanting to analyze and draw conclusions, wanting to be right and feel good about it. Heck, Will even anticipated that Lance was going to drop his emotions and turn neutral when he next spoke, which he did.

Will smiled a little, looking anywhere but Lance's face on the other end of the video. He decided to cut him some slack, this was just their first time meeting after all. Still, he'd be very useful to have and to talk to at times, especially when Will was feeling overwhelmed by everyone else's thoughts and feelings. ]

I actually agree with you completely in what you said before and what you're saying now... You just kinda took me by surprise and it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I don't like being rubbed...

[ A deep sigh and even deeper inhale and Will was acting a bit more relaxed. ]

I'd like to talk with you more, Lance. Once you've seen or at least spoken to the Gods that is. Share some notes if you will?

[This time Will catches him totally by surprise; Lance is not at all expecting the shift in attitude, and he's not sure what to make of it. It's abrupt enough that he's a little suspicious, but then again it's also not unreasonable.

So he'll take the change in attitude at face value for now, even if he stays a little guarded; the faint smile he offers is genuine, even if it's a bit cautious.]

I guess I should lead with the psychologist thing in the future.

[He's used to meeting people as a part of work, when his profession is very obvious; in this place maybe he should be more upfront about it.

As far as talking more he doesn't have any immediate objections, even if the idea of talking to the gods is... Not one he's considered much, yet, and he isn't sure how or when he'd actually go about doing so. Still--]

Sure; I think that'd be a good idea. The more perspectives the better.

[ Will was good at changing his mind and catching people off guard. Just ask Jack Crawford, his boss back in the FBI, he'll tell you all about Will and his changing perspective. Or better yet, ask Hannibal, you'll probably get a more accurate analytical response.

When Lance commented that he should maybe let people know he's a psychologist before he starts his mind games one them, Will smiled. He liked that. ]

It would be nice, yea. I don't like being under the magnifying glass... I'd rather you try not to think about me or my actions or why I'm saying what I've said.

[ Despite his efforts to be more kind to the Doctor, Will couldn't contain the odd little emotional outburst from time to time.

Distracted again soon enough with Lance's opinion on Will's idea of talking to the Gods. ]

Careful not to prick yourself with that kind of thinking... Perspective is a double edged sword, it not only hurts the one it's pointed at but can still leap back and stab you just as easily...

[Lance supposes that's fair enough, although it's kind of difficult not to think about the meaning behind Will's--or anyone else's--words and actions; it'd be difficult enough just from the psychologist training, but he's also someone who's just naturally good at understanding people and would've been so no matter what field he decided to go into. Besides, all that aside, being here in this situation means being able to read and understand people is incredibly important just to get by.

But he can at least try not to be obvious about it in a way that makes Will uncomfortable, or try to use what he learns in order to manipulate him into revealing things.]

There's only so much I can turn it off, but I can try to tone it down at least.

[That's about as much as he can agree to without making promises he can't keep.

His eyebrows furrow slightly at Will's last comments, but he just said he would try to tone the psychologist thing down and so he stick just to facts for the moment.]

That could be true, I guess, depending on the situation. But I don't know of any instance where more perspectives and ways of thinking is more dangerous than ignorance.

[ Will just knows. He's wired up that way. You might be amazing at hiding what you're plotting or doing, but Will just has to focus on you a little and he'll soon work out what it is you're up to. This goes for analyzing him too. He knows all the tricks, he's seen them all before so Lance wouldn't be able to hide much from Will, though he was welcome to try.

At least he was willing to try/em> and make Will fell less uncomfortable... That was more than any other doctor had ever done for him. So, Lance just earned some respect. ]

At least you can turn some of it off... Mine's kind of a permanent fixture.

[ He shouldn't have said that he's only giving Lance more fuel to burn on the topic of Will Graham. Mentally kicking himself as he kept his face calm and almost stoic. ]

Ignorance is bliss, perspective is an open ballpark. There's always danger going into the unknown thinking you know it all. That aside, if you ever want some play therapy I guess you're welcome to come pet the foxes if you wanted?

[He wants to ask so badly, but he just said he'd tone it down. Why do you do this, Will?

So, despite how much he wants to ask about what Will meant instead he just files that first comment away for now. At least he can focus on the foxes thing instead; he doesn't agree with the rest of what Will said but he doubts arguing with him on it further is going to be the best plan.]

I'll have to take you up on that sometime. I've never seen a fennec fox before now, and definitely haven't pet one.

[So he very much means it about agreeing, even if he's not up for it today. Besides, it's probably best to give Will some space after this conversation.]

[ This is the frustrating problem more Doctors have with Will Graham... I'd get used to it Lance, he's not going to make it easy for you unless you somehow manage to gain his trust. ]

They can be a bit jumpy. Personally, I don't think they should be here at all... It's too dangerous for them. And despite raising them, I feel that they're going to run the risk of being too domesticated... Saying that I don't mind if you want to come pet one... They're too adorable to pass up.

[ A smile as he talks about them, one just happens to leap up at his leg, searching for attention or food from him. ]

[Fortunately--or unfortunately--he's used to people being difficult. And besides, foxes are a great distraction.]

They are really cute.

[And he understands the worry about them being domesticated, but in this place there's probably very little other choice; it doesn't seem like they could just be let back into the wild or something.]

And I appreciate the offer; I'm definitely going to have to see them sometime. But for now I guess I should let you get back to them; that one looks like it needs your attention.

[It's really, really cute.]

[ You can get on Will's good side if you talk to him about, dogs, animals or fishing any day! Just don't ask him how his hobbies make him feel.... ]

They don't get any bigger than this either. So they stay cute even in old age. Just a few more gray hairs.

[ He actually appreciates how Lance has handled this whole conversation. Getting a little heated and asking far too many questions, to being able to appreciate the little cute critters together before parting ways. ]

Alright. I'll let you feed them when you come see them. That way they can associate you with food, should I ever need to dispose of you...

[ He's kidding!! He's just giving that doctors brain of Lance's something to ponder over. His way of getting his own back for all the probing and prodding. ]

[He will definitely talk about animals; he's never had any pets, but he loves animals--even if he's not always sure what to do with them--and so will definitely take the opportunity to spoil small creatures.]

I believe it.

[Those tiny foxes with grey hairs is an even cuter mental image. And that last comment surprises him briefly, but then he actually grins.]

Wouldn't be too effective a method of body disposal, trust me.

[Two can play at that game, especially if it's good-natured ~~if a little morbid~~.]

[ Lance's response to Will's joke about a conspiracy to dispose of a body, has Will turning to actually look at the video feed for a moment. An amused expression paints its way over Will's face as he picks up on that good-nature the doctor seems to have.

Okay Sweets, you might have just earned some brownie points and a gold star. You might actually be alright after all? ]

Yea, you're right... They'd leave all kinds of clues behind anyways. Messy, inefficient.

[ Smiling once more before he looks away, back down to the animals he was just so grimly joking about. ]

Might catch you around before that, Lance.

[Video]

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