beyonce_pad_thai | BWI Airport ; Saturday Before the Picnic

Mindy could be called a lot of things, but self-aware wasn't always one of them.

Danny liked to say that Mindy packed for trips like a bear who was going into hibernation, an accusation which Mindy summarily rejected because her wardrobe was much trendier than a bear's. On top of that, the 'vacation' (and she used that word loosely) that was freshest in her memory was her trip to Haiti with Casey to provide medical assistance to people in need, and she hadn't packed much for that at all, probably because she knew was going to have to live in a tent with all her luggage and a man who was all elbows and penis. But packing to live somewhere else in the long term meant a lot of bags, and as a consequence, she was stuck at baggage claim well after the crowd from her flight had thinned out, waiting for one last suitcase.

Really, she thought, it was a good thing that this Hannibal guy was coming to meet her, because cab drivers would probably give her a problem about all this. It would be ridiculous of them, but she was sure it was true.

Hannibal	Hannibal finally managed to make his way through the crowds to the correct place. He looked around and found only one person that could be the one he'd come for. "Doctor Lahiri?" They were probably going to need a baggage cart.
Mindy	Probably. Maybe even two. Mindy turned to face him, smiling. It was easy to be friendly to someone whose voice sounded like that. "Doctor Lecter?" she checked, already extending a hand. "Great to meet you. Thanks so much for the airport rescue. I was expecting some pretty dirty looks from cab drivers." Welcome to Mindy, Hannibal. She talked a lot.
Hannibal	That was fine; Hannibal listened a lot. He shook her hand with a smile. "I should hate to leave you to that. One moment; let me get you a cart." Or two. "I'm parked just outside."
Mindy	"Thanks," Mindy called, somehow managing to project her voice to be audible over the bustle of other travelers even all the way from the luggage cart dispenser. It was a talent of hers. "I'm glad you parked close. You know, I was not expecting it to be this cold here. I think I might have been mixed up about where exactly Maryland is on a map? I thought it was south enough for winter to be over by now. Or at least not so unpleasant."
Hannibal	Hannibal returned with two carts and started helping her move her things onto them. "It isn't normally very bad; it's been rather up and down so far this year. You're coming from New York?"
Mindy	Mindy allowed Hannibal to do most of the work, but made a show of placing smaller, lighter bags on the carts so that she didn't seem to be contributing nothing. "Yep, Manhattan," she said. "I was out of town for most of the snow we got this year, thankfully. I don't care for snow. That was pretty much the one bonus of living in Haiti all through November. Not a single snowflake the entire time. Where are you from?"
Hannibal	"Lithuania by way of France," Hannibal answered. He noticed her variety of help, but didn't say anything. "I'm rather used to snow, myself." He finished packing the carts and started towards the doors, pulling the heavier one after him. "You were in Haiti giving medical aid?" he guessed.
Mindy	Ooh. Cultured. "Wow, that's so interesting," Mindy said with genuine interest. "Where in France? I was in Paris once, but only for a layover. I did see the Eiffel Tower from the airport, though." Maybe. She wasn't sure. "Yeah, my ex-fiancé and I did a service trip over there," she said, her tone just slightly short of the casual inflection she was going for. She tried sounding humble about it, but the truth was that she really believed that that was pretty amazing of her. "He was a minister, I'm a doctor, we figured we both had skills to bring to the table. Unfortunately it was cut short by a gallbladder infection, but c'est la vie, right? Did I pronounce that right?"
Hannibal	It was passable. Hannibal nodded. "I was in Paris myself; my original degree is from Paris Descartes, though of course I had to finish another internship and residency when I arrived in the United States." Silly American rules. "Are you from New York originally?" Just a few steps outside, they got to his car, parked in a pickup zone. It was amazing what rules a smile, a nice tip, and a Bentley could get people to ignore.
Mindy	"Boston, actually," Mindy said. She stopped short, taking in his vehicle. "This is your car?" Damn, Hannibal. Mindy was very interested in you all of a sudden. "It's gorgeous."
Hannibal	"Thank you," Hannibal answered with a nod. He opened the trunk; an attendant hurried over to help them load things in, and Hannibal stepped back to give him room. "A step up from the shuttle bus, at least." He'd had to drive that this summer. This was definitely preferable.
Mindy	"Ugh, I can only imagine," she agreed. "And I bet this car smells much less like teenagers and their errant snacks." She wandered over to the passenger side door, wondering with a smile, "Do all new teachers get the VIP treatment, or did I just luck out?"
Hannibal	Hannibal paused to think for a moment. "I'm not sure," he answered. "I live in Baltimore, so I had no need to fly in. The teacher who acquainted me with the school met me there." Which was probably just as well. He shuddered to think how Batman might have escorted him. "But I take my duties as a guide very seriously," he assured her with a smile. With the attendant's help he finished loading the trunk, then he tipped and thanked the man and opened the door for Mindy.
Mindy	For what it was worth, Mindy was delighted with this arrangement. She preened as she got into the car, tucking her purse and legs out of the way so he could close it behind her. "So Paris to Baltimore, huh?" she said. "That's a change."
Hannibal	"It was," Hannibal acknowledged as he slipped behind the wheel. "But as I mostly went from one hospital to another, there wasn't nearly the culture shock you might expect. And I've since learned it has its own charms." He smiled at her. "Will you be staying in the city, or on the island?"
Mindy	"On the island," Mindy said. "I'm actually pretty psyched to have a shorter commute. Although not being sandwiched between three to five Duane Reades is probably going to throw me off. It did in Haiti." Mindy loved her twenty-four-hour pharmacies. "Do you drive in every day, or is there like a campus shuttle?" Ha. Vehicles on the island. No.
Hannibal	"There is a store on the island that should sell most necessities. It's called the Turtle and Canary." Hannibal would let her find out about the panda for herself. "There are a number of other small stores as well." If she needed, say, pig fetuses or shrunken heads. "There are no cars permitted on the island; the streets are far too small. I drive to the causeway and walk from there. It's generally pleasant." When harpies or sharks weren't falling from the sky. Or hot chocolate. Maybe he wouldn't mention those yet, either.
Mindy	No cabs and stuff? That was disappointing. "Oh, so it's another walking town," Mindy said in a convincingly fake-cheery tone of voice. "Just like Port-au-Prince. Great. That'll be almost like using the gym membership I let expire when I went to Haiti." Nah. She was going to miss the subway. "But it's a nice town overall? It looks really photogenic in the pictures. And oddly topographically diverse."
Hannibal	"Somewhat smaller and cleaner," Hannibal corrected. "And I believe there is a gym as well, if you're so inclined." He got his exercise other ways. "I've found it remarkably interesting. And oddly diverse in any number of ways, topography included," he noted wryly.
Mindy	"Really? That means a lot coming from someone who's lived in actually cool places." That was the kind of thing a lot of people would just think rather than say out loud, Mindy. "I mean, how so?"
Hannibal	"The student body here - and the faculty as well, I should say - is incredibly diverse. I've learned to keep a very open mind. And the weather has been ... variable."
Mindy	"Ugh, do you mean that weird half-rain half-snow thing it does sometimes?" That was not what he meant at all, Mindy. "I hate that."
Hannibal	"Not terribly pleasant, is it?" No, he was not going to tell her yet. Yes, he was aware that he probably should. But until she'd experienced at least one odd thing (or he had someone to corroborate his words), he wasn't going to make the poor girl think she'd been kidnapped by a mad man. He really didn't need the attention.
Mindy	It was gracious of him, really. And safer for everyone. Mindy had a tendency to overreact. "Well," she sighed like this was a tremendous hardship, "That's why I packed three pairs of Ugg boots, I guess. I'll deal with it. Stupid global warming."
Hannibal	"I've found a sturdy pair of boots to be a necessity." Not that Hannibal would ever wear Uggs. Or condone them. But not everybody was blessed with a good sense of fashion. "What brings you to Fandom?"
Mindy	"Well," Mindy began, clearing her throat and preparing to spare no details, except for the ones that were embarrassing, "apparently, taking off for a year-long service trip means your trusted friends and colleagues rush to fill the vacancy in the practice after less than a month. So when I got back to New York, my job was no longer available, my fiancé‎ decided to become a DJ, and I decided that since charity was so rewarding, maybe educating teenagers for criminally low pay would be a welcome detour." Most people might have said 'I needed a change.' Not her.
Hannibal	"I can't say I think much of your former practice for that behavior," Hannibal noted. Assuming she'd made prior notification of her plans; you never knew. "But I've found this to be a rewarding experience, myself. Then again," he remarked wryly, "I haven't been trying to teach sex to teenagers." Hannibal had seen the course list.
Mindy	"Thank you for saying that," Mindy said, most sincerely. "I agree with you, it was not very nice of them. But I'm hoping I find it rewarding here too. Kids love me, so this should be easy."
Hannibal	Probably not as easy as she thought, but not necessarily because of the children. "I've found most of the students to be remarkably well behaved." Apart from Flick trying to pickpocket him and Sparkle breaking into his house. "In the classroom," he amended. "But then," he chuckled, "I'm generally armed when I'm in front of them."
Mindy	"What do you teach?" she inquired. Unlike Hannibal, she hadn't checked the course listing yet.
Hannibal	"Cooking." He smiled at her. "And related subjects."
Mindy	He could cook, too? Mindy liked this guy a lot. And, that explained the part about being armed. "See, from a teenager's perspective, our classes are probably equally intimidating to act up in," Mindy speculated thoughtfully. "Paying attention yields obvious good results. Not like history class or something, where all you walk away with is knowledge."
Hannibal	Somehow he didn't think Mindy was planning on practical demonstrations in her class, but the point was well made. Hannibal nodded. "It's easier to keep their attention with a subject that interests them, naturally. And in which they can apply the knowledge."
Mindy	Oh no. That was not on the syllabus. "So, should be fun," she concluded, deciding to be flippant and non-committal for now. "And even if it turns out not to be, it'll at least be better than sharing my office with a cantankerous other doctor who refers to me as a lamp." Someone wasn't feeling too charitable toward the coworkers she'd left behind in Manhattan. Danny.
Hannibal	"A lamp?" Hannibal glanced at her. "Should I ask?" Should he not tell her about the student who'd been turned into a plant for a month?
Mindy	"Just a weird, rude coworker from New York expressing how jealous he was of me," Mindy said. "You know, there's a perk of teaching that I hadn't considered. You get your own office that you don't have to share. Right?"
Hannibal	"Correct," Hannibal confirmed. "Although if you don't care for the cold, you might want to choose an inside room. I'm not sure how well-heated the unused rooms are, and the walls are stone."
Mindy	"So the castle picture on the website wasn't a bad Photoshop job?" Mindy said. "Because temperature concerns aside, I could get into that. I mean, I might have to keep a Snuggie in my desk, but it'd be worth it."
Hannibal	"The school is in a castle, yes." Hannibal tried not to look too pained at the mention of a Snuggie. "Completely modernized, but very solid." Which was probably a good thing.
Mindy	"Nice." Mindy approved. "And you said the kids are nice; what are the other teachers like? Are they, like, normal, or is there some kind of weird teacher initiation hazing thing?" Hey, you never knew.
Hannibal	You were being escorted by the cannibal, Mindy; that was all the hazing there was on the part of the school. He wouldn't speak for the island. "I wouldn't say they were precisely normal," Hannibal admitted, "but I've found them to be quite welcoming for the most part. I started teaching here over the summer, and I haven't left yet."
Mindy	"Good," Mindy said. "Not to say that I wouldn't make it through hazing. I totally would, but I'd rather not deal with it. It's cold out, et cetera."
Hannibal	"No hazing," Hannibal promised. "Although I can't promise there won't be things it's difficult to deal with at first." They'd be there shortly; he could try easing her into the oddities, maybe. "Every place does have its quirks."
Mindy	"Like there being no cars, for instance," she prompted. Except that probably wasn't quite what he meant.
Hannibal	Not exactly, no. "That," Hannibal agreed. He tried to think of something fairly innocuous and believable about the island's insanity. After a moment, he shook his head. "Well, there are quite a few other things, but I'm afraid I'll wait until you're more likely to believe me."
Mindy	That was a weird way of putting it. "Are you one of those people who believes in spoilers in real life?" Mindy wondered. Good-naturedly, though. "My ex-boyfriend Tom was like that. It's cool. I'll wait." She was going to be laid-back, see? At least until the island started to freak her out. Give it a week.