[ That protective edge isn't missed, but it only sparks another little flicker of amusement on Hannibal's face. It's far from the first time he's seen this from someone else regarding Will Graham, but it's the first time he's seen it here. It tells him far more about what Will had told Percy than anything else, and while Percy's reassurance would be warranted, Hannibal speaks to it smoothly. ]
I'm not going to hurt him, Percy. If I were that concerned about Will sharing my secrets, we wouldn't be having this conversation at all.
[ Which is vague, but intentionally so. It's said so that Percy can fill in the blanks on what Hannibal means based on what he knows and nothing more. But at least even so, Hannibal's reassurance sounds sincere, and he doesn't seem particularly bothered by Percy knowing. On the contrary, it seems like the more Percy reveals that he knows, the more Hannibal relaxes, at least in a way. It's not quite that who he had pretended to be was a fabrication, but it's clear that the worry and concern he had spoken with and projected was.
Though even so, his expression does soften at the topic of Will, and there's a soft, grateful note to Percy's expression as he mentions staying away. Very clearly, the relationship that Will and Hannibal have is a complicated one. Hannibal has often held that there's not a word to truly describe what they are to each other. ]
Very complicated, yes. And so I'm sure he both appreciates and laments your absence. He is fond of you, Percy. He also respects and trust you, otherwise he would not have told you the truth.
[ Hannibal nods as if conceding a point ]
And I do as well. From when we first spoke of who should win, I imagined and hoped that it may be you. That is why you're welcome to tell them. Though I'd ask that you not tell them what Will had shared with you. My life before has little bearing on my actions here. I would prefer that whatever they choose to do is based on that rather than a misplaced sense of vengeance for people they do not know and will never know. That is not their justice to take.
[ There's almost a sense that Hannibal feels that the people he's wronged at "home" do deserve that justice, and yet it's also contradictory. They may deserve it, but he'll do everything he can to evade it. It's why he had mounted a defense for his insanity instead of facing the well-deserved death penalty. When Hannibal died, he wanted it to be exactly when he was ready for it in exactly the way he pictured it. ]
—Though no, it does not. Actually, I enjoy it. I always enjoy conversation over violence, though it's usually at this point that most people forget themselves to rage or disgust. So I welcome this. I can hardly address every concern or question you may have, but most are fine.
no subject
I'm not going to hurt him, Percy. If I were that concerned about Will sharing my secrets, we wouldn't be having this conversation at all.
[ Which is vague, but intentionally so. It's said so that Percy can fill in the blanks on what Hannibal means based on what he knows and nothing more. But at least even so, Hannibal's reassurance sounds sincere, and he doesn't seem particularly bothered by Percy knowing. On the contrary, it seems like the more Percy reveals that he knows, the more Hannibal relaxes, at least in a way. It's not quite that who he had pretended to be was a fabrication, but it's clear that the worry and concern he had spoken with and projected was.
Though even so, his expression does soften at the topic of Will, and there's a soft, grateful note to Percy's expression as he mentions staying away. Very clearly, the relationship that Will and Hannibal have is a complicated one. Hannibal has often held that there's not a word to truly describe what they are to each other. ]
Very complicated, yes. And so I'm sure he both appreciates and laments your absence. He is fond of you, Percy. He also respects and trust you, otherwise he would not have told you the truth.
[ Hannibal nods as if conceding a point ]
And I do as well. From when we first spoke of who should win, I imagined and hoped that it may be you. That is why you're welcome to tell them. Though I'd ask that you not tell them what Will had shared with you. My life before has little bearing on my actions here. I would prefer that whatever they choose to do is based on that rather than a misplaced sense of vengeance for people they do not know and will never know. That is not their justice to take.
[ There's almost a sense that Hannibal feels that the people he's wronged at "home" do deserve that justice, and yet it's also contradictory. They may deserve it, but he'll do everything he can to evade it. It's why he had mounted a defense for his insanity instead of facing the well-deserved death penalty. When Hannibal died, he wanted it to be exactly when he was ready for it in exactly the way he pictured it. ]
—Though no, it does not. Actually, I enjoy it. I always enjoy conversation over violence, though it's usually at this point that most people forget themselves to rage or disgust. So I welcome this. I can hardly address every concern or question you may have, but most are fine.