March 2025

to answer you: yes, I have a daddy kink with Will and I think mine stems from the desire to experience intimacy that is only eroticized but there's still that safety of it being wanted and consensual and seen as tender and paternal. Am I took fucked up? lmao

Thank you so much for answering! And no! Oh my god, of course you’re not fucked up, you are very bright and self aware for knowing yourself like this, there is no shame, it’s a good thing that you are able to channel this into something fun and safe like fiction! And I know exactly what you are saying, it’s very common for those who have struggled with sexuality to feel more safe in fantasies where a figure of fear and/or disgust becomes a figure of desire. It’s a way of taking back the narrative and turning pain into pleasure.

In answer: I’m thinking of a fic I wrote in which Abigail gets a stomach ache from Will’s secret junk food stash and Hanners makes her congee and reads to her. That’s the whole plot and so do I have a daddy kink? Maybe? My father was my favorite parent until he went MAGA so sure those stories might be wish fulfillment. But a kink I don’t know.

In the context we’re talking about here, we refer to a kink when the characters’ relationship with the daughter/child is eroticized in subtle or non subtle ways. I don’t think yours is a sign of that, it seems like a fantasy about normal parent/child interaction!

how different do you think hannibal and wills story would be if hannibal had worked from the outside in rather than the inside out? rather than slowly getting his hooks into wills psyche, just straight up seducing him successfully from the beginning. i know we can make jokes and assumptions that they could have hooked up in season two but i wonder. like if the physical romance was already there, how much more difficult would it be for will to resist hannibal? or would it not change much at all? these are my shower thoughts lol, i enjoy your thoughts so i thought i’d run it by you

In a way, getting his hooks into Will’s psyche was Hannibal “straight up seducing him successfully”. Will, specially in season one, was way too lost and repressed to accept a direct, physical approach to seduction. I believe if Hannibal had tried something else, then it would have to be to seduce him through the Ripper, since Will was infatuated with him (as a killer) already. And to answer your question, I think it would change a lot, yes. Will is touched starved and Hannibal is a touch master. Will would have a hard time letting go of the level of pleasure and affection he’d get from Hannibal in this canon-divergence.

on the musing abouti daddy kinking hannigram, embarassingky enough, i honestly never ever got the daddy kink thing, had an ex who called me by it during sex for a bit and it didnt put me off but i didnt really enjoy it either. then after many many fandoms i stumble on hannibal and for some reason these mfs are the only ones thst do it to me? its really hannibal mkre than will, my dad died when i was 16, and in a way that totally puts my dad on a pedastal he reminds me of hannibal in that he was always the scariest man in any room, capable of great violence, but very intelligent and not necessarily a show off. not good at expressing emotions and causing pain theough any attempt. my memory has forced me to forget a loooot of the negative parts of my relationship i had with my dad even though it was only a few years ago and so i struggle to connect whyy i sexualize normal moments he has with abigail (not that i think he was predatory to her but more so god i wish i was her bc even in that context of a paternal figure id find that so sexually affirming) . and whyyy daddy kink hannibal fics give me a feeling of security, a good kind of embarassment, a weird sense of freedom, and obviously that level of comfort making it feel easier for me to express sexual desires ? idk. maybe i explained it to you. dont feel pressured to reply im just curious if this inspires any rhoughts if not then i appreciate u letting me ramble and open this avenue of thought at least to myself

Thank you so much for having the vulnerability to share! It’s more common than you think! You said an ex called you “by it”, by it, did you mean daddy? If so, are you trans or a cis man? Perhaps neither and your ex was just calling you daddy cause they wanted to haha.

Asking because I have been noticing an interesting pattern in Will vs Hannibal daddy fantasies between cis women and trans men, and I am finding it very fascinating, if you don’t mind me asking, of course!

Either way, we can definitely try to understand this. So by remembering your father primarily as an authoritative yet emotionally distant figure, you create a narrative where his power and intelligence are foregrounded, while his emotional shortcomings are softened. Hannibal fits into this reconstructed memory perfectly, because he is dominant, powerful, emotionally restrained, and yet highly protective (at least in his own twisted way).

The safety found in daddy kink Hannibal fics likely stems from the fantasy of an all-knowing, all-controlling figure who provides structure and approval, something that might have been inconsistently given in childhood. The paternal figure might represent both the superego (moral authority) and the object of forbidden desire (the Oedipal dynamic), making this attraction a way to reconcile those two forces.

Your wish to be in Abigail’s place, even in a non-sexual father-daughter dynamic, suggests that Abigail represents an idealized version of yourself in relation to the father figure. This could be an attempt to rewrite your past relationship, to imagine a dynamic where paternal approval and security are tied to erotic affirmation rather than emotional distance or neglect. Desire is structured around a lack, you crave Hannibal’s approval (as a stand-in for your father’s), and in fantasy, this approval is inherently sexualized.

The fact that “normal moments” between Hannibal and Abigail feel sexually affirming to you suggests that authority and care, when coming from a father figure, are erotically charged due to their scarcity in reality. Because Hannibal, like your father, is emotionally distant and capable of harm, his approval or tenderness becomes exceptional…and that rarity makes it even more desirable. Eroticizing these moments may be a way of regaining control over past emotional deprivation, transforming it into something you can derive pleasure from rather than something painful or unresolved.

The daddy kink fics providing a “good kind of embarrassment” and a sense of freedom points to the psychological relief found in submission within a structured, paternalistic dynamic. Embarrassment implies vulnerability, but when it is safe, when the authority figure (Hannibal) provides approval and guidance, it becomes affirming rather than humiliating. Relinquishing control within a defined structure paradoxically creates a space where deeper desires can be safely explored. The emotional distance of the father figure (Hannibal) makes this dynamic even more appealing because it turns approval into something that must be earned, heightening its value.

Keep indulging in those fics, they help you resolve a lot of unconscious issues, providing a safe way to engage with them! <3

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.

I love the name Mia!<3 sounds like a name Will would choose for her.

When you said 'disruptive' and 'hide secrets' made me think of something...Like, maybe she would talk a little around her father at some point, maybe as a way to make him think she wants his attention? But I mean in a way like she wants to know how her father would react to that, even if small. And then to bigger yells of attention.🤔

I kind of imagine Mia as a girl who analyzes whoever is there in front of her and gives a critical judgment in her head first, finding imperfections and small signs that usually escape the eye of all people. And so she did to her father, but it's hard to analyze him fully. That's probably a secret she keeps by heart, because she'd go to the line of 'not everyone deserve to know every secrets you have.' , including her own father.

Mia means mine in some languages, so I thought it would be fitting that possessive dad Will would choose that name :).

She’d be a very smart girl, I agree. I believe Mia would be a tricky kid to deal with, due to Will’s inability to reinforce boundaries, and so she would not know how to draw a line at what’s her problem and what’s her dad’s problem.

Okay so I am a sucker for data and surveys so I thought I could add to the uhhh discussion of daddy kink in the Hannibal fandom? For context, I’m a trans man, since you inquired about that earlier for an anon. For most daddy kink fics and just in general, it’s not so much of the title but more so the actual care and attention? And even for the title, I honestly prefer Dad over Daddy. My father was emotionally & physically abusive when I was younger, so there’s also that. I was sexually abused when I was younger as well, though the exact figure who did it is unknown. I relate to anon’s jealousy(?) of parental scenes with Abigail and Hannibal, as well as their unintentional sexualization of those scenes, but only when applied to them.

Oh how interesting, thank you so much for sharing, anon! It does add to the intriguing data hahaha.

I have a theory that this dynamic stems from how Will embodies qualities typically associated with femininity and the “girl dad” archetype, while Hannibal, rather than being his direct opposite, occupies a more complex and nuanced role. This could explain why, within the “daddy” niche, cis women tend to prefer Will, while trans men gravitate toward Hannibal.

To expand on this: Will’s affection is not contingent on anything other than existence itself, he loves without condition, without expectation. His is a passive, all-encompassing kind of care, making him fit the “girl dad” role; he would not demand much from a daughter, allowing her to explore the world freely, without judgment or constraint. Hannibal, by contrast, is a sculptor of those he loves. He does not simply accept: he refines, shapes, and nurtures toward an ideal. His child would not only be cherished but also carefully molded, held to high expectations, yet guided with precision and tenderness.

These preferences may reflect different paternal experiences. The cis women I’ve spoken to in this fandom often describe relationships with fathers marked by either abuse or an enmeshed, complicated bond. Meanwhile, many trans men recount a dynamic of maternal codependency or emotionally distant fathers, figures they perceived as cold or disappointed in them. These formative relationships seem to influence the way father figures are later internalized, idealized, and, at times, eroticized in fantasy.

Of course, this is a broad generalization based on patterns I’ve observed within this fandom, specifically among those engaged in this particular fantasy. If it doesn’t resonate with you, that’s entirely understandable…it’s not meant as a universal truth. What fascinates me is how these early dynamics shape the fantasies we construct around paternal love, authority, and desire.

I am in the camp that I would Will would call Hannibal daddy in bed, although I think it would mortify Will at first..... I think his repressions just wouldn't be able to stay repressed forever, especially with Hannibal and his aura. An older man, in control, exudes a type of comfort/safety, seems to be a natural caregiver (when he's not eating people of course lmao)

Hahaha, that’s certainly a theory, anon! I think Will is way too daddy himself to do it just out of a natural inclination, but I do think they would 100% roleplay, so in that context I think Will would love to call Hannibal daddy. And honestly? Lowkey vice versa!

in response to the dad kink topic of conversation with hannigran

1) damn really just calling me out

i watched the show for the first time when i was in a very tense situation with my parents (planning on moving out the second i turned 18) and while i thought both will and hannibal were attractive, i spent far more time thinking about them in father figure roles. i think the hug that hannibal gives abigail in the kitchen (we all know the one) was what really solidified his role as Dad™️ in my head

2) i hadn’t even thought about the whole “dangerous towards everyone but me” aspect of a will/daughter dynamic, but now that you’ve put it into words, i think you’re completely spot on. i wouldn’t say that i was closer with my own father (he was a withdrawn man who spoke little and emoted even less) but i preferred that over my mother’s constant lectures and preferential treatment of my siblings, and i think that’s why will appealed to me as Dad™️

he was the perfect blend of my real life father’s lack of affection but with the perfect addition of: he COULD be soft and affectionate if given the chance (as seen with his dogs) and i found myself yearning for that emotional connection

3) i’m not proud of it but i spent months after watching the show living within my own head (much like will does at times) imagining a scenario where i was will’s daughter that hannibal also ends up feeling a paternal bond with….and much like will, i was more than willing to overlook the damage hannibal was able to inflict because he showed care as he plunged the metaphorical and literal knife down.

sorry this is long winded

Thank you for sharing! This is fascinating, and how everything works in the psyche. And I don’t think you should be ashamed of spending a lot of time inside your head, anon. Sometimes it’s the only safe place we have! <3

Okay so I am not cis, but I'm not a trans man either, I float somewhere in the gender spectrum of "i have no idea but i sure as hell am not cis". That being said I AM afab. And I find myself very drawn to daddy kink and hannigram, but I dont find myself placing Me in these imagined scenarios. I apply the kink to them, or other ships, but if I try to imagine myself as part of the imagined scene it becomes instantly disconcerting.

I think I've always projected onto fiction but also draw a very strong line between Myself and Fiction. So to put myself in these scenarios, even imagined, defeats the purpose for my mind. I think it helps to know i was sexually abused at a very young age, and again in my teen years, so I wonder if the disconnect comes from not wanting myself to be in a sexual situation but finding coping by putting it onto fictional characters where its not real and thus cannot touch me.

Thought sharing my perspective might be an interesting outlier answer compared to the ones you've gotten so far haha

Thanks for sharing! I think most fans self insert in an indirect way, as in they don’t imagine their literal selves, but rather create a character that they can project into but still remains distant enough for the mind to actually enjoy the fantasy, so I think that might be what you mean? It’s very common. I’d say it’s rare for people who suffered abuse to literally self insert, most of us need the safety of a somewhat different character that we can step into but it’s not literally us :).

Hi, how are you? Could you do some kind of headcanon about how Will Graham's character would react to his girlfriend cheating?

Realistically? I don’t think he would care on an emotional level since he barely had a deep connection with his wife, let alone any type of girlfriend (which is such a funny term in regards to Will). He might use the excuse to kill them or at least the other person, although I don’t think he would either, since he prefers to kill what he considers “bad people”.

Ok I need to ask this; Will's and Hannibal's reaction of their daughter killing an animal at a young age and then later on a person?

(if she was raised by both Will and Hannibal I mean)

If their daughter killed an animal at a young age, Will would meet the revelation with his usual blank expression, perhaps just the barest furrow of his brow, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He’d ask her why. Did the animal hurt her? Was she curious? He wouldn’t raise his voice. Instead, he’d make her bury it or dispose of it properly, watching her the entire time, searching for signs. If she was curious, he would redirect that curiosity: introducing her to anatomy through already-dead creatures, controlled, methodical. If it was self-defense, he’d teach her how to avoid harm without inflicting it in return.

But in the back of his mind, he would know. He’s seen this before, hundreds of times, on crime scene photos and in interrogation rooms. The first tell-tale sign, the first domino in a chain that doesn’t end well. But how could he judge? How could he call it monstrous when he himself had stood on that same path so many times?

Hannibal, on the other hand, would be amused. He’d watch Will’s reaction with veiled interest, perhaps even suggesting to their daughter that she keep it from him, just to see how long she could. He wouldn’t scold her, not as a child. But he would explain the concept of unnecessary cruelty, not out of morality, but principle. Killing for a reason is art; killing without purpose is wasteful. He would let the moment pass, filing it away for later.

And later would come. When she was eighteen, maybe twenty, and a body lay at her feet instead of an animal’s.

Will would stare. Silent for a long moment, before asking in that slow, measured cadence of his, “Why did you kill this person?” The same way he asked if the social worker was inside the horse. Not condemning, not accepting…just peeling back the layers of an answer he wasn’t sure he wanted.

He would help her. Of course, he would help her. Moving the body, hiding the evidence, all with the efficiency of a man who has done this before, who knows exactly how much blood will seep into the floorboards and what it takes to scrub it out. But when it was done, he’d take away her weapons. He’d tell her, not in anger but in frustration, that she was being reckless. That she was jeopardizing herself. That she was too young to be this careless.

And depending on her reasons, he would either lecture her in that circuitous, disorienting way of his, never fully condemning, but never truly approving…or, if he found himself understanding her, if he agreed in some way, he would say nothing at all. Just a blank stare, a slow nod. “Next time, you tell me,” he would say, his voice even, unreadable. “Don’t take matters into your own hands.”

Hannibal, predictably, wouldn’t care in the slightest. If anything, he’d be more offended by the lack of refinement. He would chide her, not for the act, but for her lack of precision, her lack of grace. He’d insist she learn, properly, under his guidance, he’d want to shape her hand around a blade. And then he would probe. For hours, for days. Picking apart her reasoning, setting her mind through a labyrinth of psychological experiments, orchestrating little tests of control, just to see what she would do.

And as for Will and Hannibal themselves, there would be arguments. Will would say they ruined her, Hannibal would insist that nothing is ruined, that everything is subjective. They’d circle each other with words the way they always do, pushing and pulling in a dance we all know too well.

Hi milk, I love all your analysis about Hannibal and Will.

Especially how it would be if they had a daughter. And you said that they, especially Hannibal, would make sure that their daughter is well educated ( art, history, literature, manners, culture, and so on) but also in academics.

But what do you think if the daughter has a learning disability? Severe ADHD, dyslexia or 'mathematical dyslexia' ( I forgot what it's called, I hope you know what I mean)

I'm dyslexic and have ADHD myself, and even most psychologists don't really understand it fully, because the problems are something you just can't explain to someone who doesn't have it themselves.

I think Hannibal would try and figure out how to accommodate her and Will might figure something out with his empathy.

But what do you think about it?

As a psychiatrist and general doctor, it’s certain Hannibal would find many ways to accommodate or, because he doesn’t that type of personality, would try to experiment with her to see if he can “fix” her or perhaps even create something entirely new. He loves to play God, after all.

Will would certainly be empathetic, yes. We’ve seen him with Peter, and Georgia. He seems to feel like he is also disabled somehow and that he can relate to them.

I think Hannibal would put even more effort into her education in this context. He would likely take it as a challenge. And he would make sure he’d find something she is naturally good at, turning her weaknesses into strengths. Again something he seems to enjoy doing.

Hi, this is the fic rec anon again. I’m torn between thanking you for reading the story and apologizing for putting it in your orbit. Like the other anon said, this can be an isolating headspace to be in.

In that vein, I wanted to ask you for something, and I’m struggling to say it right. Would you, if/when you have time, read my follow-up story? It’s not nearly as skillful as Shelter Us, it’s my first fiction story. I wrote it in a furor of - idk - obsession, terror, self-preservation, and bleak determination to wrench myself back from the emotional cliff. I think I did alright, but they’re big footsteps to walk in.

It’s really uncomfortable asking. Obviously, there’s the addictive gratification of an artist gaining approval that seems both universal and shameful. But more than that, so much deeper than that, there’s a raw plea for people to tell me the hope I clawed back from the jaws of this story isn’t just a self indulgent fantasy. That a story of healing can be as real as the destruction that preceded it.

And perhaps most intimidating of all, I like to imagine that maybe my hope can be shared. We feel like we’re alone but we’re not. We can’t see each other in the dark, but we’re there.

I want to reach out and grab someone’s hand, offering and taking strength. But how on earth do I do that when my means of expressing myself is wrapped in so many layers of obscurity and horror?

It’s not like I’m going to be able to sit Work Bestie down and say, first we’re going to watch a show where murder and cannibalism are metaphors for love. Then I’m going to explain the HEU and how a mediocre movie is somehow the best portrayal of the emotional isolation that comes from being forced to mask in exchange for affection. Then an even more mediocre movie where the best part is the antagonist who appears for a grand total of seven minutes. Then you’re going to read a gut punch of a story where the characters I’ve asked you to love and empathize with all brutalize each other. THEN you’ll be ready to understand what I’m trying to tell you about my emotional state.

How the hell?

But you’ve gotten to step 4 out of 5. I don’t have to pull you into my world, you got here on your own, and I am starved to the bone for company.

You don’t know me, you don’t owe me anything. Just getting this far is a lot to invest emotionally on the word of an internet stranger. But I have to ask. I have to ask every time I get a chance like this. Maybe the fear of asking is part of the work. I don’t know. I’m still just stumbling forward.

Either way, thank you again.

Please, never feel ashamed to ask validation on your art. It’s something we all crave. I read it. I found your ending much more satisfying. The ending of the original story made me sick to my stomach, even though it is the more “realistic” one, unfortunately. So thank you for rewriting it in my head, something had been haunting me, but it has been replaced with your story <3.

Tysm for opening up the discussion on daddy kink and sa trauma healing! I wrote a fic similar to the one anon recommended but it was Will and his biological daughter, but I was too afraid to post it so I never did. I was shocked at how you were able to analyze the daughter in the same way I wrote her. Anyway tysm, love your blog!

Aw no problem, it’s a necessity, really. And honestly, anon? Post your fic. We’ve seen it all in ao3 hahaha, just make sure you tag it properly, but do it as long as we still have freedom of expression. It means something to you and if you want to, post it. Our fandom is much more understanding and accepting for these darker themes than most.

How do you think Will's daughter he raised on his own differs from the one with Hannibal? I loved the analysis but they seem different and I was wondering why.

The difference between Mia and Amara is rooted in the men who raised them, their circumstances, their needs, the versions of Will Graham they belonged to.

Mia was raised by season one Will. A man isolated, desperate for connection yet terrified of the ache that comes with it. She was not an individual to him but a creation, a totem of unconditional love, affection, and acceptance, the things he craved but could never truly touch. She became every feminine archetype in his life: maiden, mother, lover. The embodiment of the illusion that he was good, something he clung to with white-knuckled desperation.

She was born when Will was barely twenty, so before he had control, before he understood the shape of his own mind. She was a product of that chaos, a little insect trapped in the web of his need. He kept her close, too close, because he had no one else. She was his, and that meant she was him.

Amara was different. Amara was forged by love, not need. She was not a desperate grasp for stability but a calculated act of defiance, a miracle Hannibal created simply because he could. A challenge to God, a work of art. She was perfect, sculpted by two men who wanted to prove that they could make life itself bow to their will, defying the laws of nature.

But perfection dulls. The shine of her infancy wore off.

This Will was no longer searching for meaning through another person, he had Hannibal. He no longer needed a companion to tell him he was good. Now, he feared connection, because Hannibal destroyed everything he bonded with.

And so Amara became an offering, an attempt at something untouchable. If she belonged to both of them, then perhaps Hannibal would not ruin her. Because she belonged to him as well.

Hi! I’m a cis queer woman and a fellow Hannibal fan ofc. While I don’t personally enjoy daddy kink or dynamics like that (even though I did have a rough childhood, which is a noted contributor), I think your impromptu poll on this is very interesting because it dips into a trend I’ve always noticed— people in the Hannibal fandom tend to be more open to or likely to participate in/have “harder” kinks or ones that society as a whole may find awkward or even taboo-adjacent. Many of us are also prone to enjoying contemplating and analyzing things more and have more of a philosophical-adjacent mindset than others. I think it’s very telling about this that the core message of the show is understanding and acceptance and that subjects like violence, manipulation, cannibalism, mutual power struggle, etc are things that contribute intrinsically to the character’s stories in a way that has a gloss of deeper meaning and symbolism. So I think it has a unique edge in drawing in people who are neurodivergent/live with mental disorders like BPD or DID, are queer, interested in certain kinks, or may otherwise be inclined to view those things more objectively in the fictional context and be more willing to think on them. Anyways. Those asks and responses of yours have been making me wonder what percent of the fandom is into daddy/mommy kink, harder kinks like knifeplay or bondage, monsterfucking, or have a different mindset around things like death, morality, connection, etc…. Maybe someone should make a big poll questionnaire lol. Thanks for reading my very lengthy ask that’s more of a letter to the blog author lol 🫶

Absolutely! The nature of the show contributed to the kind of people that participate in fandom, I think it’s why it has endured the test of time, frankly. Other fandoms who tend to be more prude, have a rotting quality to them. It gets exhausting after awhile. It’s tiring to feel as if you have to hide or over explain yourself all the time to avoid the flood of judgement. I love it here. I love our freaky little corner.

Milk, do you think that version of Will (from Shelter me) could realistically exist?

Some of it, I do. In my theory Will is schizophrenic so the episodes are likely to happen. That specific type of abuse? No, I don’t Will would become the perpetrator of this type of violence. His preferences seem to lie elsewhere, in the shady paths where he always remains a victim.

What would be the reaction of daddy hannigrahams of their daughter self-destructive behaviour?

We need to establish these behaviors first. Amara’s self-destructive behaviors could be subtle but pervasive, stemming from a life shaped by manipulation, expectation, and control. Likely a tendency toward self-medication. Raised in an environment where substances were used to control both victims and her father, she becomes well-versed in the art of using and hiding drugs. She’s under constant pressure to meet impossible standards, especially from her father Hannibal, so it makes sense she might seek an upper to stay alert and perform. Whether it’s a stimulant or something to dull the pain of her emotional isolation, she knows Hannibal would detect it, he would smell it immediately, so she’s learned how to hide it, to mask the scent with something else, some perfume or balm that covers the truth.

Will, however, notices everything. His sharp eyes don’t miss a thing. He confronts her, quietly, before he’d even think of telling Hannibal. He’d ask her directly, sensing the lie in her, but Amara, caught off guard, denies it. His frustration builds, and it becomes clear that while Will can tolerate almost anything, a lie to his face is the one thing that will rattle him. He grabs her by the arm, his grip firm, and with a whisper of exasperation, demands the truth. Amara, stunned by this side of Will, stutters. A part of her feels a strange satisfaction, dangerously thrilled by the attention, even though it’s born of anger. But she lies again, pushing the limits, testing how far she can go. Will looks her over, his gaze dark and disappointed, his disgust palpable. He lets her go, his silence more cutting than any words could be.

Amara, now free, takes a shaky breath, but Will is far from finished. He waits. The opportunity comes, and as she walks down the corridor, he appears behind her, grabbing her by the arm and pressing her into the wall. She stumbles, caught off guard. “What’s going on?” she asks, confusion in her voice, but before she can fully process what’s happening, Will shoves his hand into her back pocket, retrieving two white pills. He doesn’t speak, only glares at her, then turns to yell for Hannibal, summoning him.

Hannibal arrives, his eyes flicking to Will, then to Amara. Will tosses the pills toward Hannibal with barely restrained rage before walking away, leaving Amara standing there, exposed. Hannibal, ever composed, looks at her with a mixture of concern and quiet disappointment. He doesn’t lash out like Will does; instead, he tries to understand. “Why are you doing this?” he asks, his voice softer but no less intense. He tries to find the reason behind her actions, to offer solutions.

But Amara, despite his attempts, remains distant. She knows the answers Hannibal is seeking, yet she doesn’t offer them up. Perhaps part of her doesn’t want to be fixed, doesn’t know if she can be fixed. Not now that she finally got some attention.

About the question of Amara's self destructive behaviour...So Will is actually scared to find out Amara is doing this to herself? Or he left her with Hannibal so he can let out some anger for the whole discovery somewhere else?? You made me hold my breath here😭

Will didn’t trust his capacity to properly handle the situation. He’s the parent that finds out what’s wrong but not the parent that resolves the situation, that’s Hannibal’s talent. Will has a hard time pulling out of his own projections to actually see someone else’s perspective unless it’s sinilar to his, so he lets Hannibal handle that.

sooo I really really really want to understand why Will has that oedipus type of dynamic with his daughter but Hannibal doesn't? kiss kiss milky

Good question! I think Hannibal actually would have the same type of lack of boundaries with his daughter or even son that Will does but it’s not tainted with perversion. It’s genuinely pure affection and intimacy while Will, because he represses so much, it ends up manifesting as a complex, you know? Hannibal has no shame, he doesn’t think of himself as evil and bad and dark and twisted, but Will does, he struggles with his self perception, and this ends up affecting the way his intimacy with a daughter is perceived and taken.

I'm curious to know how exactly the lack of boundaries manifests in Will and Mia and Hannibal and Amara or a hypothetical son!

For Hannibal, there is no perversion in his own perception of his nature. When he examines his daughter for breast cancer prevention, his touch is nothing but clinical, detached in the way only a man utterly at ease with himself can be. There is no lingering doubt, no moment of discomfort, just care, precise and untroubled.

Will, however, would feel wretched about that. It would gnaw at him, the difference between them, the unbearable weight of his own self-loathing and relentless self-judgment. Where Hannibal moves through the world unburdened, Will is trapped within his own mind, his every thought twisting in on itself, corrupting even the purest of intentions.

And so, Hannibal’s child can curl up in his lap without it meaning anything beyond affection and protection. There is no second thought, no underlying tension, just warmth, just closeness. But Will’s child cannot. Because the moment it happens, his repressed mind twists it into something else, something shameful, something dark. He recoils before the thought can fully form, but it lingers, poisoning everything. It’s why he keeps himself at a distance, why intimacy terrifies him, why he avoids relationships at all costs. It’s why, in season three, he saw Molly slaughtered. Because his mind sours everything.

there are a lot of asks about amara & mia's relationships with their fathers but can i ask would you want to share anything about the dolarhydes? i've never imagined francis in a parental role but the idea is very intriguing

Of course! Savannah was raised by her mother, the result of a fleeting, uncertain night between two people too young and too unsure of themselves to make anything more of it. Francis had been awkward, as had she, and though they had shared a kind of intimacy, it was never built to last. When she became pregnant, she didn’t tell him. She preferred solitude. And so she had Savannah alone, raising her in quiet isolation, with no family, few friends, and a life shaped by her own self-sufficiency.

She died when Savannah was sixteen, taken by cancer, but not before ensuring her daughter would have a place to go. She left her with Francis’ name. When the state tracked him down, Savannah had no choice but to go to him, she had no one else, no inheritance, nothing to tether her to the life she had before.

At first, they simply coexisted. Both quiet, both deeply introverted, they gave each other space, never intruding, never demanding more than the other was willing to give. But in time, comfort grew between them. Francis tried, really tried, to make her feel at home. She had always taken the bus before, but now, he drove her wherever she needed to go. He asked her what she liked to eat and made it for her. He ensured she was comfortable, that she had what she needed, that she felt safe. And she did. He was strange, but so was she. He respected her boundaries, and in time, she learned to respect his. She never opened the attic door. Never stepped inside his bedroom. Never went through his things. The complete opposite of Mia.

For a while, everything seemed fine. She noticed his moods…how sometimes he became more withdrawn, more tense, but he never let it spill over in front of her. Until one night.

She had fallen asleep on the couch. He came home late. She was barely awake when she felt him at her feet, sobbing. Confused, she asked what had happened. He told her he was fighting it for her, that he wanted to be strong, but he was afraid, afraid he wouldn’t be able to control it.

Immediately, she jolted upright, staggering back. It? Her mind went somewhere dark, somewhere she didn’t want it to go. She thought he meant her. That he meant something sexual.

And then he started walking toward her, still crying, howling, telling her the Dragon wanted her. Telling her to run.

She tried. She got to the door. But he was already there. He wasn’t Francis anymore. He was possessed. He grabbed her, held her too tight, and she screamed, but just as suddenly as it began, he broke. The thing inside him fractured, and he fell apart, collapsing at her feet. He spent the night sobbing in her lap, begging for forgiveness, telling her he could feel it, this creature crawling through his mind, twisting inside him.

She told him she could feel it too.

She didn’t understand why. She couldn’t explain it. But the way he touched her, the way he made her feel important awoke something in her that she didn’t want to run from. For the first time, she saw him not as a stranger, not as a distant, unknowable figure, but as her father. And she wanted more of that.

So she stayed. She tried to help him. And for a time, she thought she was succeeding. When he met Reba, she thought he was getting better. But then everything went downhill. And when it did, she saw the attic. And she ran.

Dolarhyde, in canon, is a reflection of Will, a man with immense capacity for love and care but no proper vessel for it. And when he finally finds one, when he finally feels it, it destroys him. Because the love they feel is too much. Too unbearable. Too all-consuming. And neither of them ever learned how to survive it.

Could I ask, what do you think would be a dynamic between Dolarhyde and a child of his with Reba in some world where the dragon can stay repressed just a bit longer?

Interesting thing to contemplate. I think if it was a boy, just like Will (they are very similar) he would project too much, see a mirror, be afraid the boy would turn out like him. A girl he would shelter way too much probably. See her as he saw Reba: precious and scared he could hurt. He would have a strange relationship with her. He loves her deeply but cannot connect on a obvious level or in the way he connected with Reba, through touch and affection. He would have a invisible connection with her, always there but not tangible, if that makes sense.

What do you think makes Will and Hannibal “identically different”?

If Will is the Moon, Hannibal is the Sun. Complementary, yet opposite. Identically different. They are two sides of the same coin. Yin and yang. Identical in their differences.

Hii Milk!🥺 Good to see signing me with the worm emoji was a great idea to make myself known even anonymously! I hope you don't hate me for the many questions I'm sending you haha.

This time not a question directed to Mia or Amara, but the old ask of the daddies' reaction to their daughter killing made me think of something else but I thought to wait a bit since we're all so hyped for Mia, Amara and Savannah😅

I don't know if you ever heard of a Yandere? A term used in mangas/fictional stories who talks about a girl/boy obsessed with someone so much that they go too far like stalking and killing anyone trying to get in their and their's crush way. But some cases of real yanderes existed, and the closest diagnosis of these 'lovesick' individuals would be BPD, ASPD and even DPD (according to Google and various symptoms).

Now, I'm not really into yandere stories because they are most of the time not well written and stereotyped to the bone. And also a personal reason of mine, because I had to deal with a lovesick individual myself. So this is why I tend to avoid these topic even if I'm finding them fascinating in some cases. And the case would be a thing I've been thinking a lot of times; What would be the reaction of the parents (who are equally messed up individuals, with a history of crimes behind their shoulders) to a potentional child that begans to show worrying signs as the time passes, and eventually finding the person, and everything begans to go low and lower?

So this is the question; What would be the reaction of Hannibal and Will, to a child (either male or female) who is showing problematic behaviour, especially when they grow and find the love of their life? Making them going extreme to get the person they adore?

Andddd I send an another long ask, sorry this sounds so sudden but y'know, the topics less discussed can turn in something interesting. I like to talk about my daydreamings/tales my brain suggest, so this is a warning itself.😭

-🐛

Hi worm 🐛, always nice to see you here!

I don’t think Will or Hannibal could judge their child for displaying lovesick behaviors hahaha. I think they would see a mirror of themselves. I think Hannibal would not discourage completely, and I think Will would let them know that it leads to very dark places. But ultimately they wouldn’t get in the way. They would be curious to see what happens.