#i have no explanations someone please psychoanalyse me

[lazylittledragon]

about to start my yearly critrole campaign 2 rewatch so prepare for me to be absolutely insufferable

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

BTS RAPLINE TRIPTYCH PAINTING~

<- So Far Away -> Awakening <- Daydream ->

- - 23ish Hours later and it is complete! - -

Now starts a very long explanation (which I will try to keep as concise & understandable as possible but... well, you know me lol that probably won’t happen lol) as to what the rapline’s solo mixtapes and this triptych means to me...

I’ll start at the beginning, which isn’t the first piece I created (which was J-Hope’s painting), but actually the final piece I made; Suga’s. 

Suga’s mixtape maybe spoke to me, personally, the most out of all of them; the roughness of the tracks, along with the raw and meaningful lyrics are some of the most emotionally charged tracks Bangtan have produced. 

I named Suga’s piece ‘So Far Away’, which is the final track on the album, and one of my personal favourites. Not only is it Suran’s haunting vocals that add a really dream-like feel to the track, but the lyrics really give the concept of a ‘journey’ of self-love (which is a big overall theme of this triptych).

A sense of something in our pasts being so far away from who and where we are now, but also the idea that the place we want to go also seems so far away in the distance... It’s the beginning of a journey, and the beginnings of anything are always difficult. 

The imagery to accompany this is more subtle than the others, since the imagery in the two music videos released during this album (Agust D (title) and Give It To Me) are less about this more ‘melancholic’ theme. So I went with the colour scheme of the music videos (darker greens, turquoises and blues, with bursts of yellow, orange and red as part of the flames and dramatic lighting). I also used the glimpse of a ladder we see in Agust D (ladders are steeped in lots of traditional symbology, and I also wanted something angular and red to contrast nicely with the green background, so I won’t go into too much about that). 

And although the music videos are quite dark, I wanted to keep the light and clouds around the moon (which I’ll get to in a minute) bright. And although I feel like I could have made it a touch darker, I like the overall vibe of the piece, as it doesn’t feel too gloomy.

(Important thing to mention, I didn’t create this triptych to psychoanalyse everything in the Rapline’s mixtapes which may or may not relate to their mental health. This piece is a wholly personal piece, with using my own emotional responses to the mixtapes as a way to look at recovering and learning to love yourself...)

The oversized clothes (with a big focus on the folds of the clothing) was inspired by the Spanish Surrealist artist Remedios Varo, who I only discovered recently but immediately fell in love with her dream-like paintings. In particular, this piece was inspired by the first panel in her own triptych she painted between 1961-62.

This piece (called Toward the Tower) was another starting basis for background styles and colour-schemes, as well as the more stylised (but detailed) figures, clothing and buildings. The piece is Varo’s own commentary on life in a convent, and the ideas of entrapment and freedom (which are continued throughout the triptych). And although this differs greatly from my own triptych, I think the way in which Varo approached the artworks and theme are something I wanted to emulate in my own piece.

Now onto the moon iconography I included. Now, because I initially started with J-Hope, who I made into the Sun was more of an after thought, this idea only really came about because of that. But as soon as I made that choice, I realised how perfect it would be to have Suga be his seemingly ‘opposite’: the moon. 

The moon gets its ‘power’ (so to speak) from the light of the sun, and the gravity that binds it to our planet and allows it to control tides and effect seasons (I think... Look, I don’t pretend to know everything about the moon, ok, I just think she’s beautiful and doing a great job...). So the idea behind this is that in fact to start a journey of self-love or recovery, we often have to look to others for advice and support. (This may be actually seeking out help from a professional, chatting to a friend or family member, or simply discussing your thoughts openly to a diary or something similar...). We need to make an effort to share our burden with ‘others’, even if it is difficult. 

(I don’t pretend to know everything, or anything, about dealing with mental health, by the way. But I do know a bit about learning to love yourself, and dealing with moving on from a rough patch... Basically, I’m only speaking from my personal experiences so please don’t come for me....)

I think Yoongi, along with the Agust D mixtape, fit perfectly with the concept of the moon. A big part of this is the cycles of the moon, and the very nature of change and movement which that encompasses. I went with a full moon in the sky, as it usually indicates the end of the cycle (i.e. the end of your difficult past) and suggests the start of a new one (i.e. the start of a brighter future).

The flames are mainly a crossover from Rm’s piece, although fire is a big theme in Suga’s music videos (and personality in general). Though I will go more into the fire in Rm’s piece...

The final thing I want to talk about for Suga’s part is the lyrics I included on the ribbon. I decided instead of trying to wade through all the songs on each mixtape to find the perfect lyric, I’d instead take the lyrics from their more reason Trivia tracks on the Love Yourself: Answer album. 

Suga’s, which is called Seesaw (and is my personal favourite, I might add), speaks of a kind of ‘seesaw’ battle that exists between himself and someone (or something?) else. I’ll admit, I haven’t looked into the reasoning or real meaning behind the song, but I was drawn to the lyrics: 니가 없는 이 시소 위를 걸어 니가 없던 처음의 그때처럼 (I’m walking on this seesaw without you just like the beginning when you weren’t here). I interpreted this as the ‘you’ representing the version of yourself that you want to be, versus the version of yourself that you are at that point in time... The precariousness of walking on a seesaw and trying to balance public personas and internal monologues is a very poignant theme, even to people like you or me. There’s also a sadness to the lyrics, the idea that the situation feels hopeless, like it was before. It’s a cycle, perhaps, of self-hatred (something we all get into now and again). And, just like on a seesaw, one step in the wrong direction and we can easily fall back into old ways and viewpoints of ourselves...

Primarily, Suga’s piece is a beginning. The beginning to one of the most difficult journeys we take in life; the journey to loving ourselves.

The next piece is actually not Rm, despite his being the central panel. Obviously, the colours and imagery are supposed to flow into each other in the order they are presented, but I decided half way through that it made more sense in terms of my message to have J-Hope’s be the actual ‘second panel’.

So, here is where I’ll talk about the very first piece of this triptych I created; J-Hope and ‘Daydream’. 

The whole idea of creating a triptych for the rapline’s mixtapes came to me as soon as J-Hope had released Hope World. I love the stark contrast between each of the member’s styles, both musically and aesthetically, as well as the way that they all reflect an overall ‘bangtan’ feel. 

And actually out of all the music videos, ‘Daydream’ is probably one of my favourites. The whole vibe, use of colour, editing style, and the way it works seamlessly with the song is basically perfection, and it fits with J-Hope’s personality and music style brilliantly as well. And although the album itself didn’t speak to me as much as the other two member’s had; it still really showcases the talent and diversity of J-Hope’s music ability. 

Right, now to my artwork... So I was obviously inspired heavily by the Daydream music video, both in the aesthetics and symbolism (aka the fish). It also fits perfectly with the surrealist style I was going for. The overall brightness of the mv was perfect for the sense of ‘hope’ I was trying to portray in this piece.

So this was based on the very last panel of Varo’s triptych, which is called ‘The Escape’. 

Much as the title suggests, the final panel is an escape up into the mountains. It suggests a climb away from dark storm clouds into the light. And my own interpretation in my piece was definitely based on this sense of freedom. But to fit with both J-Hope’s mixtape (aka the Blue Side outro track which deserved a full song!!!!!!), my own personal connections and also to fit with the aesthetics of Varo’s piece, I wanted to include the element of blue and the storm clouds. 

The main reason behind this is to reflect the fact that even if someone appears happy on the outside, there’s always a chance something darker and melancholic... This doesn’t undermine or make the happiness you may see or feel any less real, it’s just important to acknowledge that hardships exist and are all a part of life... Going through tough times, having ‘scars’, shows that you have survived!

The lyrics I used from his Trivia: Just Dance reflect this idea too. They translate roughly as ‘my dreams that once had no answer, now become something we can relate to’... Also, the position of Hoseok’s head (which was partly just because I really like the reference image because he look beautiful to be quite honest), looking away as if towards the future, fits with this concept too. 

I think I wanted this piece to mainly be the dream of recovery, the dream version of yourself... The bright sunshine in your life that you hope one day will be reality... Putting it and Suga’s either side of the Rm central piece helps it to reflect the idea of Past - Present - Future. Not necessarily in a chronological sense, but more the way in which they react and connect to eachother. 

The final piece of the series is the central Rm panel, which is also the one with the most symbology. 

I actually did this one as a part of a collab with other artists to celebrate Namjoon’s birthday (it had to the hashtag ‘infinitereasonstolovejoonie’ and it was the cutest thing ever!!!).

Ok so there’s a lot to breakdown with this piece, so I’m going to start first with the reference I used for Rm’s head. I knew I wanted to use something from the Joke music video, because I really loved the straitjacket look coupled with the extreme chiaroscuro used in the mv. Unfortunately, most of the reference images were really bad quality (since they were mostly just screencaps), as well as them being difficult to draw angels, making it all the more of a battle for me to draw... I like that I made him look down, purely because it both contrasts with Suga and J-Hope, and also in the way it suggests both defeat and hope. Defeat, in the way looking down is linked with shame, and hope in the idea that it could almost suggest that Rm is about to look up...

The background also links to these contrasting ideas. The dark blue and stormy clouds, mixed with the flashes of lightening help to create a sense of the phrase of ‘every cloud has a silver lining’. This idea was mainly my own invention, since most of the references (including the music videos and Varo’s paintings) didn’t include lightning. The colourscheme was vaguely inspired by both the Joke music video as well as Varo’s central panel. 

Titled as ‘Embroidering Earths Mantel’, it is probably the piece I took the least inspiration from out of the three. Varo’s piece shows the girls in the convent she had known to be trapped and forced to work, a hooded figure in darker clothes overseeing them... This sense of danger and being unable to escape was the main concept I took away from this... Another thing that I took from this was the use of the yellow in contrast to the dark and stormy sky (which I chose to do flames, which were taken from the Awakening music video).

Speaking of the Awakening mv, I decided to only really use the flames from the aesthetics, but still use the name as the title of the piece. ‘Awakening’, much like Rm’s looking down head, is evocative of moving from one state (being asleep/looking down) to another (being awake/looking up). It’s not awake, it’s not final or definitive. It’s a transitional period. 

Put in the centre of Suga and J-Hope’s pieces, Rm’s represents the ‘present’. A time when you’re working through recovery, or where you’re beginning to learn to love yourself. It’s not an easy or particularly ‘happy’ time, and it often contains a lot of hardships and difficult to decisions. 

I thought this fitted the best with Rm, who is the leader of BTS. He has to carry a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, which I represented literally in my piece with the 6 lightbulbs/microphones that drip onto his shoulders (this imagery was inspired by both the Do You music video, as well as the album cover). Another interpretation, and probably the one I was aiming to be more prominent, was the idea that although being a leader means he is responsible for a lot of the groups public image/etc, the other members aren’t a burden, but instead act as an anchor for his strength... You can almost see the ‘drips’ acting as puppet strings; the other members lifting him up when times get tough.

This links back to the idea of the moon I talked about in Suga’s piece. Although recovery and learning to love yourself, or whatever it is you’re dealing with, can’t be solved immediately just because you have a loving family or friends, having a person you trust to talk to can help you deal with things a lot easily then trying to go it alone... This is probably one of the most difficult things in dealing with mental health struggles, since most of us are really reluctant to ask for help in fear of being an annoyance to others... We always make excuses that our problems, whatever they may be, aren’t worthwhile discussing or talking about since everyone has their own problems and you don’t want to burden them even more...

(And although this is advice that I rarely take myself, I just want to say Your problems are not worthless, you are not a burden to others, and you deserve to be happy!)

The final part of Rm’s piece is the lyrics I chose from his Trivia: Love. 너 땜에 알았어 왜 사람과 사랑이 비슷한 소리가 나는지 ‘I found out because of you Why “person” (saram) and “love” (sarang) sound similar’. I chose this both because I wanted it to fit with a ‘reason to love joonie’ (i.e. his brilliant lyric writing skills), and also for the way it relates to my own experiences. 

The ‘person’ in my case is less an actual singular being, and more the art community online and the k-pop fandom... So without going into details, the last few years haven’t been the easiest for me, so having the k-pop community to enjoy memes with, listen to and get excited about music with and to be artistically inspired by really helped me get through feeling lonely and down... And although I’ve (luckily) never had any horrific experiences, I know that a lot of people who like k-pop and are a part of community have (or are having them), and having k-pop around has helped them survive the most difficult situations...

I wanted this triptych to both a personal and universal piece, something people can relate to and understand (as well as be able to appreciate on a purely aesthetic level).... 

I hope that everyone who has taken time to read this ridiculously long essay about this piece get’s this sense of inclusion, which is something I truly admire about BTS in particular... 

Just remember, if you’re going through a difficult time, things really will get better! Recovery, Life, Self Love; it’s all a journey that there’s no guidebook to... 

And to quote BTS’s ‘Young Forever’:

~~Dream : Hope : Keep Going : Keep Going~~

Thank you for reading!

[this piece is available on my redbubble btw]

[victorineb]

A Different Fork

For the True Mates day of @hannigram-a-b-o-library​‘s SummertimeSlick event, an Omegaverse re-imagining of Hannibal’s very first episode, Aperitif (part of a series of standalone fics that can be found on AO3).

Thanks for the gorgeous banner go to @desperatelyseekingcannibals​ (look, I’m finally using it hon!).

Also on AO3.

Please let this be a hallucination.

Will closed his eyes and hoped. This had never worked for him before but short of impaling himself on Jack’s coat rack, he had few other options.

In theory, Will knew all about the Omega imprinting impulse and had always thought it was a damn silly trait. The idea that from one scrap of physical contact, an Omega could identify their ideal mate seemed more like something out of a fairytale than a biology class, despite having heard the tales from Omegas who had experienced it.

One scrap of physical contact like, say, a handshake.

Like the one Will had just exchanged, at Jack’s behest, with Doctor Hannibal Lecter. The one which had caused his body to light up like a Christmas tree, or one of his dogs catching the scent of a rabbit. The one that had told him, in no uncertain terms, that the tall, poised, exquisitely turned-out man in front of him was, biologically speaking, a bullseye. A touchdown. Will Graham's golden ticket.

Maybe Jack had a particularly sharp letter opener on his desk.

The advantage, of course, of the imprinting process, was that no one else was aware of it. The Omega could keep quiet and go about their business, leaving the Alpha in question none the wiser, at least until they could ascertain compatibility in other areas.

Unfortunately, during their brief conversation, Doctor Lecter had quickly proved himself interesting in more ways than just his pheromones. He had matched Will’s mind thought for thought, easily falling into good-humoured (on Lecter’s side, anyway) conversational sparring. In other circumstances, Will would have been pleasantly surprised to be engaged in such a way. In Jack’s office, with Jack’s scrutinising gaze upon them, Will could only be suspicious.

“Whose profile are you working on?” Without allowing the doctor space to answer, Will turned to Jack and iterated, “Whose profile is he working on?” They were going to get precisely thirty seconds to give what would undoubtedly be an unsatisfactory explanation, then Will was getting the hell out of there.

Hannibal slid smoothly into the proffered space, to answer, “I'm sorry, Will. Observing is what we do. I can't shut mine off any more than you can shut yours off.”

Will reflected that there was little more annoying than someone who really understood you, except possibly someone who could intrigue you when intrigue was the last thing you wanted.

“Still,” Lecter continued, with a minute expression that Will easily read as apologetic, “it was completely inappropriate for me to indulge in this situation, despite the compelling nature of our exchange. In fact, I am not here to profile anybody. I take it you have not informed Mr Graham of the reason for our meeting?” This last was directed to Jack, with the barest hint of reproach.

“Informed me of what?” Will asked, trying not to notice how easily he and Lecter formed a unit against the bigger man.

Jack sighed and tried to look apologetic but something in the way he looked from Will to Hannibal and back again spoke of satisfaction and Will suddenly knew what he was going to say.

“No,” he gritted out firmly.

“Will, just hear me out. Studies have shown,”

“Studies have shown what, Jack? Getting fucked on the regular by a nice, strong Alpha is the best way to keep unstable Omegas under control? Is the FBI in the business of arranged marriages as well as capturing psychos, now? Maybe you could combine the two, identify potential threats to society and neutralise them via match.com!”

“Will, that is not,” Jack attempted to explain.

Will, all too aware that Dr Lecter was watching him with rapt fascination, cut him off. “Can it, Jack. I have better things to do than listen to this farce and so should both of you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I've got a class to teach.” Will headed for the door but found himself blocked by the doctor, who had moved with a surprising turn of speed. Will tried very hard not to add that to the list of Hannibal Lecter’s attractive qualities.

Lecter held up a hand in apology and asked, “Please, permit me a moment more, Mr Graham, if only to say that I had no intention of coming here today to claim a mate. Such an idea would be both outdated and preposterous.”

Will wanted very much to barge past him and away from this entire debacle. Except, this close, the doctor’s scent was – dammit – comforting and the calm it lent him gave Will just enough perspective to see that the older man had also been manipulated by Jack. He could see the affront buried beneath the calm exterior and decided he would at least let the man explain his side. It might even be worth it to see Crawford told off by the man who conjured images of bone arenas in casual conversation and who read Will as easily as Will read killers.

“Fine,” he said, levelly, his eyes meeting the perfect knot of the doctor’s tie straight on, “under what pretence did Jack bring you here?” He heard a huff of displeasure from behind him but kept his back to Jack, happy to close him out of the exchange.

“Jack came to me on a recommendation from a former student of mine, Alana Bloom. I believe you know her?”

Will failed to hide a grimace. If he had anything approaching a social skill, he'd have liked to know Alana far better than as the friendly, concerned acquaintance she was.

“Jack was, I believe, acting out of genuine concern for your well-being and came to me with the suggestion that we might begin having sessions.”

“Psychoanalysis?” Will spat. “Bad idea, doctor, you won't like me when I'm psychoanalysed.”

At this, Lecter made a small sound of amusement and he rested an arm on Will's shoulder. “In fact, I doubt that very much, Will. May I call you Will?”

Distracted by how much he wanted to lean into the doctor's touch and by how rare – as in, completely non-existent – that urge was, Will found himself nodding.

“Thank you. Please call me Hannibal, if you would prefer. However, again, you misunderstand my intentions. What Jack and I agreed might work to your advantage is if we had… conversations, regularly, off the books and with no connection to the FBI. In effect, I would have been an Alpha in your life without, of course, being the Alpha in your life.”

Will still felt this was an unacceptable intrusion. Except, the conversation he'd just had with Dr Lecter was by far the easiest, most stimulating one of his life, despite the tension flowing in the room. It was all too easy to imagine more conversations like that, like friends might have. And, though Will had worked hard to convince himself otherwise, a friend might be something he would like to have. He could ignore his biology and simply appreciate the company of someone who actually seemed to see him for who he was.

It was horribly enticing.

And then Lecter upped the stakes.

“Having said all that, Will, I find myself minded to alter my proposal, somewhat, if you are amenable.”

Will raised his eyes, this time all the way to the doctor’s jawline and asked, warily, “Oh?”

From behind him, Jack, who Will had completely forgotten about, echoed, “Oh?” with rather more aggression.

Hannibal turned his gaze from Will and towards his boss. “I apologise for going off-script, Jack, but circumstance, and perhaps fate, have brought us to rather a different place. It has become increasingly clear to me, as this meeting has progressed, that Will and I are in fact highly compatible as mates, both biologically and psychologically.”

What?

“What?” Jack roared, incensed.

Now Will forced himself to look Hannibal in the face, noting his utter calm despite Jack’s outburst. He found himself pleased anew by warm brown eyes and impossibly high cheekbones.

“Indeed,” Hannibal continued and took his opportunity to gain eye contact with Will, who squirmed but didn't look away, “and judging by his reaction to me, I believe Will is aware of it, too.”

It should have been uncomfortable, being seen so clearly. Instead, Will had to try hard not to bask in it and merely nodded.

“In that case, I propose that we agree to having such conversations alongside a more traditional process of courtship.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “I'm pretty far from traditional,” he said and then realised that his words indicated acquiescence.

“As am I.” The doctor's eyes practically twinkled. “Which is why a conventional process might be a good thing for both of us. Boundaries are often a good thing.”

“Ok, stop!” Jack bellowed. “Doctor Lecter, this is completely outrageous! Will, I'm sorry to have put you through this farce, I will have this man ejected from the building and you will never see him again.”

Hannibal stepped past Will at this, stalking towards Jack in an unexpectedly predatory manner. “You are not Will’s father, Agent Crawford. Your involvement in this manner ended the moment we changed the terms of the proposal.”

The two men began arguing Will's future as though he wasn't in the room. Happy to be invisible for a moment, Will dealt with the problem in his own way, letting the pendulum swing on two possible outcomes.

In one, a life spent doing good under Jack Crawford's thumb. Endlessly marched through inventive crime scenes and the too-compelling riptide of killers’ dreams. The safe embrace of his home and his dogs and the easy pain of loneliness.

In the other, a man who could match, challenge and understand him. He could still do his job, but with support to wrap around himself and something more than Jack as an anchor. Perhaps it wouldn't work. Hannibal might turn out to be cruel, or distant; Will might prove too easily pulled in by darkness, or unable to share himself or his life. Hannibal might hate dogs.

Still, a warm uncertainty seemed more promising than a cold inevitability.

Will came back to Jack pounding his desk, looking like he'd rather be punching Hannibal and yelling, “What, were you just going to put your mark on him right here and now? You cannot just walk into my office and claim Will without his say-so!”

Will placed himself in front of Hannibal, told Jack “You're right, he can't,” and promptly turned to bend his mouth to the doctor's neck and bite down. It would only be a claiming mark, an indication of intent, rather than a biological bonding. If nothing was done, it would fade quickly with no lasting effects. Still, it was risky and the fact that Hannibal didn't make a sound in response was worrying.

Jack's tone was utterly scandalised as he said, “Will! That was completely…”

“Unorthodox,” Hannibal finished, in a voice that, to Will’s relief, was full of breathless admiration. “A trait I value highly in all things.”

Will, surprised at his own boldness and the affection in Hannibal's gaze, ducked his head and stuttered, “I… I'm sorry, that was impulsive. I…”

That was as far as he got, though, before Hannibal tipped Will’s head to the side and laid a claiming mark of his own.

Will suspected the crash he heard was the sound of Jack hitting his own wall, rather than the sound of his heart bursting but he'd never been one for over-romanticising. Though, as Hannibal raised his head and Will found himself unexpectedly aroused by the sight of his own blood in another man's mouth, he wondered how well he really knew his own romantic inclinations. Then Hannibal smiled, the first full, genuine expression he had made, and Will realised he would soon have the opportunity to find out.

“Ok,” Jack announced, clearly working hard to keep his voice level, “you two take this… whatever this is, out of my office. I'm done looking at it.”

“Gladly,” Will retorted and allowed Hannibal to steer him from the room, a hand on the small of his back.

Outside and a little way away from Jack's office, the two men found an empty room, cleaned themselves up, and regarded each other.

“That was… unexpected,” Will offered.

“Quite,” Hannibal responded. “I genuinely had no intention of gaining a mate today, Will. I will gladly release you if…”

“If that was posturing for Jack Crawford's sake.” Will walked towards Hannibal and then crowded him against a wall, murmuring, “Hang on to that thought, I just want to check something.” And then he pressed up against the doctor, placed a hand against his cheek and moved into a kiss. Soft and questioning, the kiss gave Will his answer within moments as Hannibal pulled him tighter and they moved in harmony, moaning softly with satisfaction. They parted only when breathing became an issue and Will knew that passing up the opportunity to do that over and over again would have been the biggest mistake he could have made.

“I certainly hope that was not for Jack’s sake,” Hannibal quipped and Will laughed with him at the thought.

“I'm reasonably certain that if I lived the rest of my life without ever doing anything else for Jack Crawford, I'd be a happier man,” Will postulated.

“Hmm, then we may have to see what can be done about that.”

“Please tell me you're not the kind of Alpha who tries to run their Omega’s life for them.”

“I suspect such an Alpha would not have responded so favourably to your move to claim them. This morning I was happy to spend the rest of my life unmated. When I saw you, I saw a man who is my equal, who could be a partner, not a chattel or a slave. That is what I want.”

“Good. I’d hate to think I imprinted on an idiot.”

Hannibal's eyes lit up. “Then...”

“Yes, Alpha, from the minute I saw you. Though the fact that you provided the only conversation I've enjoyed with a stranger in thirty-odd years was more of a deciding factor, if I'm honest.”

“That was you enjoying a conversation?”

Will shrugged. “I don't play the way most people do.”

Hannibal grinned. “I believe we have chosen very well, Will. Now, if you would permit me, I would like to take you to lunch.”

Will glanced from his scruff to Hannibal's flawless outfit. “I don't think I'll fit the dress code at your usual haunts, doctor.”

“I do believe I could change most restaurants’ minds about that. However, I in fact intended to show you back to my home. Cooking is one of my greatest pleasures and I would very much like to share it with you.”

“Wait, I've snagged myself a successful doctor who’s a chef in his spare time and you've got a scruffy, unstable guy who spends his days thinking about killing for a living. Hannibal, are you sure you don't want to back out?”

As if to emphasise his disapproval of this idea, Hannibal leaned in to suck gently at the claiming mark he'd left on Will. Then he pressed a slightly bloody kiss to Will's mouth and smiled. “Oh, my Will. I am so very much looking forward to knowing you.”