First off I felt totally called out in your answer about why some people in Hannibal fandom have a daddy kink. I (cis woman) have this fantasy where I get badly hurt and either Hannibal or Will sees me hurt and then takes care of me. It's actually more about being seen than saved. In both cases what is appealing to me is the aspect that I don't think Will or Hannibal is a very caring person so for them to care about me I must have some value. Often I imagine myself as Will because it makes it more believable ad I don't have to imagine my (or a female) body. Not that any gender deserves to get hurt more than others. It just puts a barrier between me and the imagined violence.

In general I have found a lot of healing while being in this fandom. I have childhood sexual trauma and have had a lot of difficulty dealing with it. I'm in my mid twenties and have just now started dating someone for the first time in my life and I have no idea how to navigate this! Touch in particular is really hard but fortunately I've found someone really patient even though they don't know what's going on. Through this fandom I've come to accept parts of me that I've had a lot of shame about. For a really long time I've resented all the kinky parts of myself out of fear. I felt that they made me evil or more like my abuser. But it feels easier now to own them. I feel really grateful for all of the people who make content in this fandom!!!

I get it, anon! Imagining ourselves as either Will or Hannibal is very common in the fandom and most fandoms, in reality! It’s a way to dissociate, it’s why the majority of those who engage in m/m fiction are cis women or trans men, as it offers a way to dissociate from the female body that might have suffered trauma.

And you’re absolutely right, it does offer a sense of value in this fantasy that you are being cared for individuals who don’t seem to care about much else. It’s the appeal of “dark characters”.

I’m so glad you’ve found healing and a safe place to engage in things that were painful and now have a vessel for you to regain some control over the narrative and find a way to heal <3.