#AND BEDELIA GOES UP AND APOLOGIZES

[starlight-nerd]

Bedannibal Headcannons

(For the two people that wanted it lol)

1. Hannibal makes a point to celebrate Bedelias birthday even if she doesn't want to. But he won't tell her when his own birthday is. It's probably on some document somewhere, but Bedelia can not find it for the life of her, and she's very annoyed about it.

2. Most of the framed art in Bedelias home is Hannibals work.

3. If Hannibal does something to upset Bedelia, he doesn't apologize verbally. When he realized she's upset, he instead cooks one of her favorite meals.

4. Banter is their most common form of communication.

5. They do not have a set 'date night'. They just go out whenever they feel like it. Which ends up being at least twice a week.

6. Hannibal has a secret file folder hidden in his desk that's just full of drawings he's done of Bedelia from over the years.

7. Whenever Bedelia buys a new perfume, if Hannibal doesn't like it, he either gets rid of it, or hides it on her, so she's forced to keep using the ones he likes.

8. Bedelia hates long car rides, so Hannibal often goes with her and volunteers to drive.

9. Bedelia sometimes leaves him buisness cards on his kitchen counter. Though it's rare and she only does so in extreme cases of 'rudeness'.

10. Both Bedelia and Hannibal prefer to show eachother how they feel, rather than tell.

11. Bedelias bathwater is the temperature of the sun, while Hannibals showers are maybe lukewarm at best. He doesn't understand how she can handle water so hot and not turn into soup, and she wonders why he won't get in the tub with her.

12. They're both early risers, although Bedelia usually is the first one awake, she just tends to stay in bed until Hannibal is also awake.

13. Hannibal orders/makes gourmet chocolates in all of Bedelias favorite flavors during her period.

14. They each have a spare outfit or two at the others home for when they stay the night.

15. Hannibal taught Bedelia how to ballroom dance in her living room at 2am while they both heavily indulged in wine.

16. Whenever Bedelias Psychiatric works got published, she would sign a copy and have it hand delivered to Hannibals office. More than a few may or may not have lipstick marks on the front page.

17. They shared quite a few hotel rooms together while attending Psychiatric conventions/talks.

18. Hannibal has a small touch up make up kit in his glovebox for Bedelia.

19. Bedelia only owns one pair of shoes that isn't a heel of some type, and it's a pair of ballet flats Hannibal gave her.

20. When Bedelia first tried to refer Hannibal to another psychiatrist, he did the equivalent of the "It's funny how you think death will get you out of this relationship". Meme.

[ghostforwhat]

when you’re off of work would you please elaborate on your hannibal service top agenda,,, please my family is starving

i don’t want anyone to starve so obviously I will extrapolate on the service top aspect of Hannibal Lecter o7!! I am going to get so carried away and I apologize in advance.

Alright going to start this off by saying I do think they’re vers but only in regards to each other, I think for canon relationships, Will has a tendency to allow himself to be directed while Hannibal loves to orchestrate. With each other, though, it grows increasingly and alluringly complicated. Arguments could be made and subsequently thrown out depending on what part of the show you’re watching and post fall is an entire free-for-all because you can’t tell me two grown men survive murder-suicide via cliff and then settle into the puritanical rigidity of who tops and who bottoms.

Okay that being said, honestly i could make the case that both of them lean more toward making sure whoever they’re with is getting the most out of the encounter (maybe for different reasons; the popular trope of Will’s empathy causing a sort of blissful feedback loop and in Hannibal’s case, it stands to reason the politeness overlaps with a challenging sort of hedonism, he’s in control and playful about it) but I think that specifically for Hannibal, Will’s reactions are what he’s constantly seeking and then hoarding. Like. Will responding to stimuli that Hannibal presents is basically the premise of the show and Hannibal very clearly gets off on that, maybe not anywhere explicitly but we see shots of his pupils dilating, his gaze always caught on Will, licking his lips, all in response to Will reacting to him. It’s very rare he’s outright hungry at the beginning of a conversation or interaction, he seems to maintain a sense of aloofness until Will snarks or baits or replies or even defers and then, it’s as though he’s desperate to see more. I'm not getting into the whole them eating meals together because I'll devolve very quickly but like. just keep in mind the way Hannibal watches Will eat, as though he savors Will instead of the meal he cooked. Right. Okay. He gets caught up in Will’s responses very quickly, enraptured and almost stupid about it and trying to immediately trigger more which!! Goes hand and hand with him doing very uh lets say unique acts of service (the malewife jokes are only half jokes); the breakfasts & dinners, the driving, the caretaking. Yes all that’s manipulative but to Hannibal, that doesn’t negate that it’s still getting him the responses he wants and that’s also maybe why he’s so quick to say they’re friends because he’s viewing it as a form of relationship building and quite frankly, that is the only way that man knows how to build relationships; he sets himself up as a crutch and then breaks your leg and unfortunately at that point, for Will, for Jack, for Abigail, for Bedelia, for Chiyoh, you are too grateful to be standing that you forget he’s the reason you can’t do it on your own. The others I mentioned learn either very quickly or very (in painful irony) rudely that he is only a crutch as long as he enjoys it, as long as he can benefit from holding you aloft.

However. In Will’s case, he tries to remove himself and finds that it’s him who can’t stand and he’s immediately resentful and desperate to take back that ability, leaving another gift, another act of service, for Will to prove that he can still provide it and detrimentally putting himself on the map for Jack and Mason in the process. He’s so eager to have Will’s response, he waits at his own fucking crime scene. Will gives him what he wants and he’s too overwhelmed to respond with any sort of power or immediate selfishness, he runs again. And then. Muskrat Farms and his surrender. I feel like I don’t even need to explain why that backs up my case here, that man is so so ready to rescue and then surrender all because Will’s involved; two things he’s never done in his entire life, they essentially reduce him to this almost pathetic thing and it doesn’t give him pause at all because again, they’re acts of service whether Will wants them at that point or not. Like Bedelia said it best, he’s obsessed, he wants every reaction, every word, every sigh and curse, he’s very single-minded about getting them and he doesn’t care who he has to hurt, himself or others, to get them. Now, combine all that and the cliff scene and tell me that man doesn’t spend every second they’re in a bed together completely and utterly focused on Will and Will alone.

[aparticularbandit]

I RAN OUT OF FUCKING TAGS ON THIS POST UGH.

me, still in the process of writing finding family, still getting general other wanda or spin-off fic ideas.

bandit no one wants to read wanda sees bedelia dumaurier for therapy.

(also me: but i want to write self-indulgent fic! let me write traumatized babies together!)

[tethered-heartstrings]

There are differences in how Will and Hannibal apologize.

Will keeps his apologies very short. There are no excuses or explanations. He feels sorry and apologizes. The only time he adds an addendum is when he apologizes to Abigail, and I think part of that is to justify it to himself as well. Because in that scenario, an apology is not enough. He knows that, but he still feels guilty. Every other time it is straight to the point. He knows he was in the wrong and owns up to it very simply. His feel genuine. His remorse is believable.

Hannibal does not apologize simply. Only twice does he just say, “I’m sorry.” The first time was to Alana after taking Abigail out without Alana’s permission in “Oeuf”, and the other time was to Bella after she woke in the hospital after her overdose. Every other apology comes with an excuse, as if he is not really sorry. As if he is justifying his error to who he is talking to and apologizing because it is socially expected. He tells Will he is sorry for psychoanalyzing him, but reflects it back onto Will saying, “you do it too, so am I really so wrong?” He uses similar patterns with many of the other apologies as well. He even goes so far as to tell Bedelia, “I am sorry you feel that way.” Not that he was in the wrong, but that its her fault for thinking like that.

I know I made a joke about how Hannibal says this to Will:

He did use his apologies sparingly, because he didn’t mean most of them.

[luci-cunt]

Hannigram??? Works???

aka: Hannibal and Will’s relationship isn’t healthy but at the end of the series its sort of has the potential to be? Or: a very long and rambly analysis of idiot gay cannibals and the power of equal standing in relationships

(1.5k words because I murder brevity with my teeth)

Trigger/ Spoiler warning for: Hannibal

-------------------

Ok I said they have the potential to be healthy and not that they are healthy because--lol, they’re not. 

In the first season they’re “friends” but Hannibal’s also gaslighting the hell out of Will/ keeping a life threatening disease diagnosis from him/ framing him for murder/ shoving their daughters ear down his throat.

In the second season they’re almost enemies? but not really? Because Will is just as fucked up as Hannibal is so he doesn’t actually consider Hannibal to be his enemy, he just realizes he has Hannibal twisted around his finger and starts jerking the fucker around and it takes Hannibal all the way up to the finale to realize he’s not the one in control anymore.

In the third season they’re struggling because they don’t know how to be equals, they’re both fucked up and don’t know how to have normal, stable relationships so they’re jsut kind of feeling in the dark, falling back on old habits (eating your problems, murdering your problems, running away from your problems, etc) when things get uncomfortable. It’s--again--not until the season finale that they both realize that’s what they’re BOTH doing and find a comfort in realizing they’re both trying, but not succeeding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Hannibal finds people interesting he “fosters codependency” so they cannot leave him (Abigail with the Boyle murder cover-up, Bedelia with getting eaten, Will with literally all the first season). Meanwhile Will just doesn’t do close relationships. Alana is the only person he considers to be his friend but she’s constantly fighting to keep that title, same with Beverly actually. Will himself doesn’t put any effort into keeping those friendships, he leaves it entirely up to them.

But Hannibal and Will’s bond forms so easily that it surprises both of them--and then when Hannibal defaults to his need to make Will dependent on him so he can’t leave, Will defaults to his rejection of dependency and points out that’s what Hannibal’s doing but also goes along with it because he finds himself almost wanting to be closer to the man.

This--the fact that Hannibal’s attempt at closeness is recognized and accepted, and that Will is allowing himself to be open with someone--is new to both of them. Equally.

(By the way this is in the form of Abigail, Hannibal fosters codependency by putting the responsibility of Abigail on both his and Will’s shoulders and Will allows this by recognizing it, pointing it out [”You’re fostering codependency doctor.”], and then still allowing it [going along with the Boyle cover up].)

Just--ok think about Dolce. (The ep where they reunite in the third season and Will tries to kill Hannibal only to get shot by Chiyoh and then for Hannibal to decide he’s going to eat Will’s brain before the Italian’s show up and kidnap them both.)

Will finding Hannibal is big for both of them: because it means that Will looked for Hannibal--actively sought him out by reflecting on past conversations they’ve had--and it also means that Hannibal was where Will could find him. It’s a shaky apology on both sides because they aren’t willing to actually apologize for any of their actions but they recognize the pain they’ve caused on another.

However, Will tries to murder Hannibal because he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I mean--he does--what I mean is that this relationship is such unexplored territory for both of them that it’s uncomfortable at first, and Will doesn’t trust Hannibal to be waiting on the other side while he stumbles thru the dark rn, so he falls back on old habits and tries murdering the problem.

Hannibal tries to eat Will’s brain because he’s also falling back on old habits (eating his problems) because he’s also uncomfortable with the new territory. He’s just more open to fumbling, but he’s hypersensitive to rejection (Mizumono, Dolce, getting himself arrested when Will tells him to get gone, that “Was it good to see me Will?” scene, etc.), and he takes Will’s stabbing attempt as rejection. At least until he drags him away and they have their “you forgive like god does Will--would you have made it quick? Or would you have stopped to gloat?” “Does god gloat?” “Often.” Conversation, and he realizes he’s not being rejected BUT he reminded that he’s still terrified OF the rejection so--boop eat the man.

(Oh also Will running away from the problem by letting Hannibal kill him--which, yes, is what was happening. He could have warned Jack that Hannibal was under the table as SOON as Jack came in the door but instead he waits until the last possible second. Also you can’t blame it on the drugs either if he can complain about Hannibal’s soup and keep up with this idiots waxing poetic ramblings he can tell that Jack came in. Also also also: Hannibal told him Jack was coming and also got under the table literally there was no reason for Will to NOT call out to Jack when he came in except that he didn’t want Jack to stop Hannibal.)

I guess what I’m trying to say is that in season one the power balance is in Hannibal’s court--and season two it’s in Will’s--and then in season three it’s wildly rocking back and forth between both of them before someone hits a metaphorical pause button--aka the “this is all I’ve ever wanted for you--for us.” “It’s beautiful.” scene.

Fundamentally I think this show is about Hannibal and Will’s relationship. The cliff scene is as much an ending as it is a beginning. That “it’s beautiful” exchange is both of them realizing they’re EQUALLY having trouble finding footing in their relationship, they’re realizing they’re BOTH uncomfortable to a certain degree with the new territory and that it’s just that for both of them--new territory.

Idk, you know when you’re taking a test and you have no idea what the answer to some question is so you’re slyly trying to look around to figure out if you’re the only one being stupid or if it’s just a hard test? And you don’t see anyone else looking around so you just miserably try your best but it’s not your best becasue you’re already in the mindset that you’re an idiot? And it’s not until after the test at lunch when you hear everyone else talking about how difficult it was that you realize you weren’t the only one struggling?

THATS this.

Hannibal and Will are both extremely lonely people becasue they’re fucked up. No one can know Hannibal entirely because he’s a serial cannibal, and no one can know Will entirely because his boredom with other peoples mortality scares them. Neither of them have been seen entirely until the other came into their lives, but they’re not used to being seen so it’s scary.

Both of them react to one another hostilely first--Will blatantly being an asshole at the prospect of Hannibal psychoanalyzing him and then Hannibal putting on this guise of “I’m completely removed from the situation and just curious to wind this man up and watch him go” but he’s not removed.

Honestly to me it feels like it was originally Hannibal’s plan to just leave Will in jail taking the blame for his murders, but actually misses Will, because being seen was scary but the other option is so lonely.

Will’s going through something similar, but he’s less inflammatory. Hannibal is all action, present--Will is getting too close? Get rid of him. He starts missing Will? Get him back. He has a problem and he acts on it immediately.

Will is patient and willing to wait and watch--Hannibal frames him for murder? Set up an elaborate series of events that will end in Hannibal losing something he holds more dear than his own life--his freedom. Mason kills his unborn child? Convince Mason to kill Hannibal so that Hannibal will torture Mason for Will.

Hannibal is dramatic and Will is apathetic, they’re both danger but different brands.

If the first two seasons are them trading power, then the third is them wildly grabbing for it despite the fact that they don’t want power over one another, and that final episode--that final scene--is them realizing this.

I said it was a beginning as much as an ending because it’s now that their relationship can finally actually advance, but it’s also the conclusion of them working separately, and instead embracing the idea of fumbling together.

I honestly don’t know where people get the idea that the show is about Hannibal “corrupting” Will. If that’s the case then this final episode makes this show a tragedy. Good succumbing to evil.

But--motherfuckers its not!!!

Will isn’t good, he tells us from the first episode he enjoyed killing Hobbes, that the reason he stopped being a cop was because he knew once he started killing he wouldn’t be able to stop. He manipulates people constantly, he got Abel killed, tried to get Chilton murdered, and then a season later he gets Chilton burned alive. He’s not good, he’s fucked up!!!

This show isn’t about corruption--it’s about realization!!!

Idk I love them, I hate them, and I love them.

[madsteacup]

hello there! I saw your post explaining "hannibal has agency in the world" and I was wondering if you could explain one more thing if its not too much of a bother? How did Will came to the conclusion that Hannibal loves him after Bedelia said "if Im to be Bluebeard's wife, I would've preferred to be the last"? I've searched and read the Bluebeard's tale but couldnt understand what does that have anything to do with the conversation? Thanks a lot! :D

Hi friend! ^_^ It’s not a bother at all! Again I’m not sure if I’m the best person to ask but I will certainly do my best! 😊 Apologies on the length, I struggle to be concise. 😅 (And for the record I didn’t understand this part very well either, so my response here could be totally wrong, this is just my best guess. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Okay so let’s start with What is Bluebeard’s Wife? According to Wikipedia, Bluebeard’s Wife is a French folk tale where Bluebeard is a wealthy man who has been married several times but each of his wives have vanished with no explanation. Bluebeard ends up marrying the daughter of his neighbor against her will and he whisks her far away to the countryside. One day he leaves to go on some trip and leaves the keys to their home with her and tells her she can open any door except an underground chamber. While he’s gone, of course what does she do? She goes to open the forbidden underground chamber! And inside she finds all the murdered corpses of his previous wives. In her surprise she drops the key and it falls in the blood on the floor. Apparently this is a magical key that you can’t wash blood off of (because it’s a folk tale) and so when she realizes she won’t be able to hide what she has seen from her husband, she tells her sister and they plan to run away. However, before they can run away, Bluebeard returns and discovers what they have done. He threatens to kill her and she asks him for one last prayer with her sister before she dies. Then as Bluebeard is about to kill her, their brothers arrive and kill Bluebeard (how did they know??? folk tale magic??). Therefore Bluebeard’s last wife inherits Bluebeard’s fortune. She uses it to give the dead wives a proper burial, shares the wealth with her family, and eventually remarries. Happy ending for her.

Okay so, now to get to your question: How did Will came to the conclusion that Hannibal loves him after Bedelia said "if Im to be Bluebeard's wife, I would've preferred to be the last"?

In case anyone needs a refresher on this scene, here is a link to the clip.

Essentially the scene goes:

Bedelia: Hannibal has no intention of seeing me dead by any other hand than his own, and only then if he can eat me. He's in no position to eat me now. Will: If you play, you pay. Bedelia: You have paid dearly. It excites him to know that you are marked - in this particular way. Will: Why? Bedelia: Why do you think? Will: Bluebeard's wife. Secrets you're not to know, yet sworn to keep. Bedelia: If I'm to be Bluebeard's wife, I would have preferred to be the last. Will: Is Hannibal in love with me?

So Hannibal is Bluebeard in this analogy. Will compares Bedelia to one of Bluebeard’s wives, which makes sense, there are some similarities: just like the story, Bedelia ends up “marrying” Hannibal (a murderer) somewhat against her will and is whisked away by him to a far away place (Europe), and by her own admission knows that Hannibal aka Bluebeard plans to eventually murder her. There are some parts of the story that don’t match exactly, for example Bedelia already knows Hannibal’s crimes (more or less), so she isn’t going to discover anything like the wife did in the folk tale. But as you can see from the folk tale, Bluebeard’s last wife is the only one of his wives that have a happy ending - Bluebeard dies, she gets money, justice, happiness and love. All the rest of Bluebeard’s wives are murdered. So when Bedelia says if she has to be one of Bluebeard’s wives, she would have preferred to be the last – it is because she would prefer her happy ending, consisting of Hannibal dead (or at least secured in prison) and her safe.

What is unspoken here is the implication her words have - she is essentially saying that if she is not Bluebeard’s last “wife,” then Will is. Think about this for a second. She is implying that Will – not her – is going to be Bluebeard’s (Hannibal’s) last “wife” and get the happy ending. Although I don’t think she is so naïve to think her happy ending (Bluebeard/Hannibal dead) is the same happy ending Will would want/manifest. I’m sure Bedelia knows that unlike her, who, to use her own words, has been with Hannibal “behind the veil,” Will has always been “on the other side” (with Hannibal).

⭐️ So now the million dollar question - how are the next words out of Will’s mouth “Is Hannibal in love with me?” How does he come to that realization? ⭐️ So here is my theory: I think that Will has known he has had feelings for Hannibal for a long time. But I think this moment is the FIRST TIME Will has EVER SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED that Hannibal might have romantic feelings for him too, the first time Will ever believed it could be possible that Hannibal might really be in love with him, might reciprocate the feelings Will has for him for real, not as a manipulation.

Why do I think this? I suspect that during the three years Will spent trying to distance himself from Hannibal it was probably easier for Will to pretend that Hannibal was incapable of love or didn’t love him. Maybe all these years Will carried around his love for Hannibal but never thought it would or could be reciprocated. Now all of a sudden Bedelia is metaphorically calling him Hannibal’s wife, which implies that Hannibal has feelings for Will too - after all, marriages typically need both parties to be in love, not just one side, which is likely why Will is now considering it is possible for Hannibal to be in love with him when he never had before.

And keep in mind Bedelia is someone who not only was Hannibal’s psychiatrist but also has had some form of a romantic relationship with the real Hannibal, and was the only one who spent time with him while he was on the run, so she is uniquely “qualified” to comment to Will on Hannibal’s emotions - because to be honest, who else would Will believe this from? Bedelia would know better than almost anyone how much Hannibal loves Will (she probably heard it non-stop in Europe since she was essentially a stand in for Will, and she certainly heard about it a lot in therapy with Hannibal). Will would scoff if anyone else implied such a thing to him, but Bedelia implying this carries enough potential for truth that Will can’t totally dismiss it as a possibility. So even after she says it, Will still isn’t sure if he can believe what he is hearing, so he asks her explicitly, “Is Hannibal in love with me?”

...anyway...that is my best guess???? 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤷🏻‍♀️ I am sure there are many others out there who probably have a better understanding of this – if that’s you please feel free to correct me or add on! And thank you for the ask! ❤️

[arikandkade]

Okay so like-  ....omg can I just talk about something here-? Something I noticed that hit me like a metric TON of bricks filling up the inside of a semi truck wall to wall.  Preemptive apologies for the length.  (thats what he said)  

So....this clip. OMG.  This video is all about the actors and the director of Hannibal talking about what scares them the most and I can't help but go wide eyed at just How. Much. Each- and every one of them bleeds their roles even through their own personal answers. I'm just.... in a state of shock and awe at hearing their responses that seem to mirror their characters personalities.   Scope the scene below the cut for this shiiiiiiiiiiiit  v v v

 Sooo.... let’s look at the answers individually. Cause WHOA.

David's answer is so in depth, and profound, and so thoroughly well presented when he explains it, it almost instantly solidifies his position as a director. What he explains speaks to his understanding of fear, the deep impact it has on him even now, how it makes someone feel and the effectiveness of where, when and how it can settle in on your surroundings or psyche. It really does highlight and display his masterful ability to weave fear, trauma, and anguish so artistically into every ounce of the show, from the settings/murders, to the mindset and hallucinations, all the way down to the choreography of pivotal scenes and the deep inset meaning behind the hundreds of Chekhov's guns in both physical and literal forms the show displays.

Lawrence's answer was 'everything'. He mentions not liking horror movies because life in and of itself is scary enough. He mention that there is something inherently scary about everything. This reminds me so much of Jack, a man who's had years of experience working within the FBI, seeing the worst that humanity has to offer in nearly every manner the world can offer it. It just fits so well when you think of all the things Jack has been through, and how little he trusts the world around him. I could see Jack not enjoying the horror genre as it is something that hits far too close to home for what he does for a living.

Caroline also mentions her fear or horror films but less in a world comparison manner like Jack and more as a personal distaste for them due to having a weaker constitution. She mentions her struggle with watching them in general due to a 'weak nervous system' which speaks to Alana who, although she tries not to, can never seem to not let her emotions or nerves get the better of her in most situations. Emotions drive her actions no matter how she may try to remain professional or impersonal. It all amplifies why Alana may not like watching horror movies as she may see each villain or murder as a person to analyze and sympathize with. Partially similar to Jack as well, Alan is far too close to that medium being a theme in her normal life, with Will, Hannibal, Mason/Margot, and Abigal all with blood stained hands for one reason or another. 

Now Hugh, Hugh mentions what I think it a very interesting fear of heights, snakes, and interviews. What I find extremely interesting in these fears lies within the words themselves. There's a very specific kind of visual flash I can just SEE when hearing those words out loud- that reminds me a great deal of Will and the wonderful way Hannibal (the show) deals with its depictions of irony (saying one thing and immediately transitioning to the real meaning behind a characters words). 

Think of Will mentioning his fears to someone who asked, and then imagine as he is saying them, punctuating each word one by one as he goes down his list, and the images that would appear right after them. "Heights"  Will begins to answer with an indifferently cold but serious look wrought over his face. Cut away to the infamous ending scene of the show where Will throws both Hannibal and himself off the edge of a cliff and plummets into the waters below. Considering the lack of appropriate force or distance the two may have had in their trajectory towards and into the water I could imagine the act, as well as the fall itself, having been quite a painful and traumatic experience. 

"Snakes" he replies again as he goes down the list, a little a degree less hostile as he cocks his head slightly to the side, diverting and lowering his gaze for only a moment. We cut to an image of Alana and Jack, Dr. Chilton and Bedelia, Brian and Jimmy, in their various stages of planning ways to track down and capture Hannibal and Will. They are, as well as others before them, the 'Snakes' Hannibal refers to when describing what he sees Will as the second time they meet. The snakes that slither into Hannibal's home and the ones that will slither by their own soon enough, if they haven't already. Whether they have been or are now, snakes will always be Will's natural enemies, a danger to him and his home/family.

"...Interviews." Will spits with a chilling venom as a twitch pulls at his upper lip in deep disdain, sky blue eyes pulled and pointed up at his target now with piercing and unbreakable particularity.

Shots of Hannibal's first attempt to psychoanalyze Will, Dr. Chiltons, Alana, Jack, all making their own attempts to get inside of Will's head. The thing Will hates most, the thing he is most uncomfortable with and  fears are people trying to see inside him, getting too personal with him and seeing too much of him. Questions about him, poking/prodding, interviews, interrogation of any kind (especially when Will is with Hannibal some time after season 3) any act to know him, any deeper than on a surface level, would be a fearful notion considering he and Hannibal are both high end murders, and red flagged fugitives. 

Mads's response is pretty funny. His answer (along with the general mention that many things scare him) is 'Long line to the bathroom after 4 beers'. A seemingly sassy or ridiculous response until you think about his character. Considering who Hannibal is and what he revels in most in life, he has very little actual fears, but there is one thing we know that, when issued as a threat against him, had even this psychopathic cannibal behaving properly and cooperatively in aerated captivity, and that one threat was indignity. Hannibal is a man of dignity, of standing, of fine art, culture and music. He lives a refined life and those that threaten that lifestyle usually do not continue to do so for long if Hannibal has any say in the matter, but, when Alana threatens him with the indignation of taking away even his toilet when locked up at Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane you could see in his eyes (past the look of murder) the fear of such a ultimatum in spite of his unwanted desires to corroborate peacefully. The personal loss of dignity is what Hannibal fears more than anything else, so when Mads mentions the fear of being stuck in line for the bathroom after many beers, it parallels with Hannibal's fear: the threat of public humiliation or shame. Especially considering both men's highly renown social standings. Hannibal's high end and well known way of life among the classes and Mads' own personal level of fame.

....isn’t that crazy? Now, this could be mostly conjecture, and possibly reaching, but I couldn’t help make the comparisons the moment I heard them and then go on a drawn out disquisition about how much I just love this show and cast and crew involved in it.  UGH.  I could gush forever about them. In fact I intend to. I love this show.  If anyone else wants to yell about it with me feel free. I love discussing Hannibal. 

via GIPHY

[margotverger]

bloom’s duality

[Sequel to Guillotine’s Glint! | Read on Ao3]

I can't lose this. I can't lose you.

Margot's words remain imprinted on the fleshy fabric of her brain; when she closes her eyes to sleep, fitfully, they are illuminated on the red screen of her eyelids. Bright, stark white; white as stars. Navigation through the grim and murky waters of their hiding. In her dreams, she sees her family, becalmed on a red sea, a black mass surging from the depth. It has no face, but she knows it is him. The kraken has awoken, and has come for his pay. All the while, Alana is marooned on an island of her own creation, frozen as she watches those foul appendages pull her family deep into its toothed maw. Entirely helpless.

She wakes up with a scream in her throat, and Margot hovering over above her, haloed by the overhead light. Her eyes are wide, terrified, wet with fear. Morgan is stirring, his dreamscape disturbed. “Bad dream?” Margot's hands are so soft, fingers brushing along the dip and curve of her cheekbone.

“Bad dream,” she echoes, voice weakened, raw, as if she really had been screaming. She seeks comfort in a kiss, chaste and brief. “I think I'll take watch now.”

Something has to be done about this.

*

She invests in a trainer, taming her paranoia about interacting with others. While it is incredibly unlikely Hannibal intends to enact his plans through a mere idol, one can never be too certain. To allow someone into her sanctuary is to create a leak in the boat. But it must be done. If she is doomed to be a sitting duck, she might as well be one that can fight back.

*

Aleksandra is her name. A bulky Russian woman, she towers above them, so much so that her blonde hair, cropped short, almost touches the ceiling. Despite the toughness that emanates from every curve of muscle, Morgan takes an instant liking to her. Alana sees it as a good omen.

(A good omen is still an omen, says some small part of her.)

*

Aleksandra stays with them. She instills a nutrition plan for she and Margot; things that will imbue them with strength, stamina, enough protein to carry them through the absolutely ruthless training plan she has in mind. At night, when Margot is sleeping, Alana trains in the living room. First, building tolerance, stamina; warm ups, muscle building, elasticity. Reflex training. Basic combat. Then, into styles: krav maga, kung fu, taekwondo, boxing; the list is endless, and Aleksandra skips nothing. She knits each style together seamlessly, so that Alana may find what best suits her. She trains until the sun rises and then some, and only rests when the night comes round to. Her exhaustion kills any dream, and she is glad for it.

*

She finds time for tenderness regardless. Devoting her life to protection can be as double-edged as devoting her life to paranoia. Instead, she employs Aleksandra's extra time to look after Morgan. They play games in the living room or what could be—tentatively—called the garden, while she has alone time with her wife. There, she allows herself to kiss every place that has gone unkissed for so long (too long), to worship Margot's soft skin, scarred belly, the curves of her thighs. She kisses and licks and paints patterns with her fingertips along the canvas of her wife, and allows herself to be lost in the world of her body, in the world of pleasure that has been alien to them for so long. Other times, they merely sit in silence, enjoying the sound of their slow heartbeats, appreciating each rise brought on by their breath. The reminder that they are here and alive, and for the moment, at peace.

When Margot's eyelids become heavy with sleep, Alana finds herself staring, reverant. I'd do anything for you, her heart sings a hymn. God, I'd do anything for you.

*

Margot and Aleksandra are in the bedroom, which doubles as a playroom for Morgan nowadays, when the door knocks. Alana freezes, her knife stagnating, only half-way through the cucumber. Nobody is supposed to knock on the door. Nobody is supposed to know where they are. A small voice, that same voice, is tearing her apart for her foolishness, but she retains a calm visage despite herself. She inhales through her teeth, recalling everything Aleksandra taught her, and goes to the door, bracing herself for the worst.

But she does not come face to face with the monster who has haunted her dreams. She comes face to face with its' psychiatrist.

She shuts the door in Bedelia du Maurier's face.

*

Minutes pass, maybe few, maybe many. All Alana knows is that the quiet rumble of life in the bedroom is the most beautiful thing she's ever heard, that her heart is beating louder and faster than it has even post-nightmare, and that Hannibal Lecter's psychiatrist is, somehow, on her doorstep. Part of her wants to believe it was merely some sort of illusion; an invention of stress. Some diluted madness taking form in the most bizarre shape imaginable. After all, why—and how? – is Bedelia du Maurier on her doorstep?

She takes a steadying breath. Only one way to find out. She opens the door, and finds that Bedelia is still standing there, her glacial expression betrayed by the rise of her eyebrow. She's miffed. “That was rude, Doctor Bloom,” she says, voice stiff and velveteen all at once. Her skin crawls at the very word. It must be deliberate. Instead of confronting that particular turn of phrase, she affixes a sharply polite smile to her face. Out of Bedelia's line of sight, Alana's knuckles are blanching against the doorframe. She half-expects it to splinter and snap beneath the pressure of her.

“My apologies, Doctor du Maurier. You took me quite off guard.”

“I imagine so.” Without moving, Bedelia's eyes explore what they can of Alana's home. “May I come in?”

Hidden beneath the pale pink of Alana's lips, her teeth are grinding. Then: “I don't see why not.”

*

“You have a quaint little home.”

“I was in the mood for something smaller.” Safer. Less shadowy corners for Hannibal to lurk in.

“I can imagine,” Bedelia purrs, eyes ceasing their roaming of the living room and settling on Alana's gaze. She has striking eyes. The colour of ice. Just as cold, too.

There is a silence.

“Do you have any wine?”

She chooses to ignore that. “Why are you here?” Alana asks, and her voice is quiet. Still, but with the threat of a tremble. A storm brewing in the column of her throat. “How did you find us?”

Bedelia opens her mouth to speak, but finds herself interrupted.

“Alana, are you done with those snacks—“ her words find themselves decapitated mid-sentence. “Alana,” she repeats, her voice carrying the threat of fear.

“Margot,” comes her quiet response, her gaze unmoving from Bedelia. She trusts her wife. She does not trust Bedelia du Maurier. “Make sure Morgan and Aleksandra stay in the room.”

Margot lingers, uncertain, but her doubt is ephemeral; she leaves, silent as a ghost.

“You seem to be wary of me,” Bedelia notes, “despite the fact we are both victims of the same man.”

A mirthless hm, one that jerks her lips in a way that could almost pass for a smirk. “You don't strike me as the victim type, Doctor du Maurier.”

“If I did, would you enjoy my company more?” the graceful tilt of her head; hair pools over her blouse like liquid gold. “As I recall, that appears to be your type.”

She narrows her eyes, contrasting the almost feline dip of Bedelia's nude-dusted lids. “How did you find us?”

“My apologies, I seem to have struck a nerve.” Alana can see, so very clearly, why Hannibal decided to bring her along with him on his Florence escapades. Whatever hope she had that the stories were true is distinguished; her doubts have flared into a great and angry beast. There is something in her eyes, something bright and cruel and cold, that suggests they have never once been blind to Hannibal's nature. “You're a bright woman, Doctor Bloom. I'm certain you can piece together a suitable answer.”

“Aleksandra? She's been off the grid since she got here.”

Her simpering smile patronizes her, and Alana's voicebox bobs in her throat. “Not off the grid enough.” Bedelia moves then, as slow as a cat on the prowl. Alana half-expects her pupils to narrow to slits, black knives ready to pierce and carve. She leans forward, and even the slide of her hair manages to look predatory and controlled. Her fingers lace together, French tips digging into the vanille crème of her own skin. “Do you want to know why I came here? Why I looked for you?” She waits for no answer. “I wanted to know if I could. Because if I can find you, so can they.”

Her breath stutters, her eyes blowing wider than they ought to – a shot of fear, adrenaline pumping through her blood, then followed by a relief. They, meaning not only Hannibal; they, meaning Will is alive. Despite the years, there remains something tender for Will Graham yet. She hopes he can say the same for her. “They survived.”

“Unfortunately so.” It is Bedelia's turn to narrow her eyes, blonde lashes almost ghosting along the curve of her cheekbone. “I do hope that little response is fear, and nothing else. Like I said, you're a bright woman.”

Her confidence is blooming, piece by piece, as things fall into place: her own strength, her wife's, Will's survival. She says nothing, but her thoughts must show on her face, for Bedelia's glacial demeanour fractures for only a moment, eyebrows furrowing.

“Your faith, while … admirable,” she barely restrains a sneer, “is misplaced, Doctor Bloom. The Will Graham that rose out of that water is not the one you knew. He is something new and sharp. One has to wonder what lurks in the mind of the one who walks willingly by Hannibal Lecter's side.”

“Yes,” Alana stares deep into those near phosphorescent eyes, as pointed as a blade, “one does.”

Spider-web fractures crack along the porcelain of Bedelia du Maurier's facade, exposing veins of frustration. Her eyes are alight, almost. Jaw hard-set, she says, with a voice brittle as winter: “You understand nothing of the man who holds your fate in one hand and scissors in the other.”

“He doesn't hold my fate. I do.”

Is that admiration, there, glimmering alongside the slow-burning anger? Perhaps. “And here I had assumed your naivete had shattered along your pelvis.” Bedelia lets out a sigh that falls somewhere between suffering and irritated, gaze breaking from Alana's only to rise to the heavens before falling to where her legs sit, primly crossed. “I see that I will have to force you to see what he really is.” She unfolds herself, only to set about fiddling with, presumably, her stocking. Alana watches on, expression morphing into a deeper state of vexation with each passing second. Then, in a moment of stark shock, Bedelia separates her leg and sets it to the side. Her gaze is unflinching, but there is a vulnerability there. Raw as a mineral, jagged and sharp.

“This is what they are capable of. What Will Graham is capable of.”

“He did that to you?” Alana's voice catches in her throat, only escaping in the shape of a whisper.

“I presume the cooking of it was all Hannibal, but he certainly helped in eating it.”

A sharp stab of nausea: acid pools in her stomach as her skin cools.

“Did he tell you of his visits to me? How he took Hannibal's role as my singular patient?”

“No.” She swallows. “He didn't.”

Bedelia tilts her head, hair shifting with it. Something violent flashes in her eyes. It almost appears to be something like satisfaction. “An interesting thing, that, isn't it? I must admit, I don't blame him. Not after the things we discussed. Do you know what he said to me, on the eve of Hannibal's escape?”

Alana is quiet.

“He looked me in the eyes, Doctor Bloom, and said: meat's back on the menu.”

*

“I'm sorry.”

“What for?”

“For this. For everything. If it weren't for me...”

“If it weren't for you, I'd have been torn apart and eaten alive by pigs. Alana, you brought light into my world when there was only darkness. You redefined what family meant for me. You showed me what love is. Don't ever apologize for this. For us. For Morgan. I'd follow you around the world.”

Alana offers a weak smile, though the tears on her face aren't wholly from fear anymore. “You might have to.”

“So be it.”

*

The world has shifted. Their world has shifted.

Bedelia du Maurier's words lie side by side Margot's on the canvas of her lids. In her dreams, she is still marooned. Will Graham appears as if from air, all light and divinity. Will, she says, voice thrumming with relief, Will, thank God you're here. You have to help me. The water is lapping at the white sand, staining it red, then black; it grows thicker and thicker. Margot's screams grow loud and desperate as Will's gaze remains indecipherable, the entirety of his eyes blown out by light. Please, and she reaches out for him, her friend, her conspirator, and begs.

Oh, Alana, he hums in that voice, yet it doesn't sound like him. It sounds new and terrifying. He takes her hand, and his skin is burning. There are no Gods here. Not anymore.

He pushes her into the black sea.

[thecreaminhiscoffee]

Categories for Con/Crit Opinion Meme:

Headcanon

Genres: Fluff Angst Slice of Life Crack Romance??

Length: One-Liners Para Multi-Para

Voice

Character Development

Consistency

Grammar/Spelling/General Writing Stuff

I’m not going to be analyzing smut threads, even if it is a genre of RP writing, because even though I’m reading them, I’m not a fan of smut where it gets super detailed and tend to grow uncomfortable - I skim sections and I don’t write it or have a tendency to read it so I can’t actually offer any constructive criticism. It’s not my area of expertise in the slightest. I’m also not going to be analyzing in relation to adherence to canon. I may comment on it if I know the canon well, but I’m more concerned with the character as you write them, not as they are portrayed in their original state. That’s why you have the Headcanon, Character Development, and Consistency categories. That said, I should note that I’m not reading all of your threads. Of the four of you who sent in a request for the opinion meme, all of you have been around writing your characters for years. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Instead, I’m picking significant character relationships and reading across those because that will give me a greater idea of development and consistency within a continuous context. So, for example, if I was going to do Jessica, I’d be looking at her threads with Roger, Scully, Alana, Regina, Shadow, and Bruce. Possibly others as well, but those are the ones that jump to mind - if I was actually doing Jess, I’d know more. Or, if I was looking at my Bedelia, it’d be Alana, Fiona, Margot, and Clarice. Possibly Abigail, too, considering the thread. If that makes sense? I do apologize if this is not what you thought you were signing up for, but I did note in the tags that I was going to do constructive criticism with the meme, as it specifics that the mun will be brutally honest (which is why I haven’t done one of these before). On the other hand, I do know just how desperately the RP fandom tends to want constructive criticism, so…that’s the why of it. If, given the above, you wish to retract your request, please let me know. If you would like to extend a request, having not done so already, you may find the meme link here. But please note that I will be extremely picky on these and will likely only be doing them with those that I’ve known long enough to know they will not be hurt or offended by my words. It also goes without saying that this is for mutuals only.