Chapter Text
“Hello again, Dr. Lecter.”
“Good morning, Freddie.” Hannibal tried his best not to sound too bored. Not only was he live on TV in front of thousands of people right now but it would also be terribly rude, no matter how little he liked the host.
“I heard your date with poor Tony yesterday didn´t go so well.”
“The discussion between Anthony and I about Dante´s inferno wasn´t as… fulfilling as I´d hoped.”
“Ohhh, what a shame.” Freddie was overacting far too much for Hannibal´s tastes but she must be doing something right considering the high audience rating of her show. “Our audience was rooting for you.” She looked to the audience in the studio who gave a loud “awwww” and applause.
Hannibal gave the audience a big smile and several girls squealed in excitement while one older lady looked close to fainting. “How very kind of you but I fear he wasn´t the right one. I liked his enthusiasm but his heart wasn´t up to my appetite.”
“Now Hannibal, you have been with our show for several years by now and still haven´t accepted courting of any omega for more than a few weeks.” Freddie pointed out. “Do you think you might be a bit too picky?”
“I just have fine taste.” Hannibal disagreed pleasantly. “I need to find the right flavor of omega for me.”
“I would argue you had some very fine omegas at your table: Alana Bloom, Bedelia Du Maurier…”
A woman from the audience shouted: “We love you Bedelia!” She wore a shirt with a big red heart and the words “Bedelecter forever!”. You could buy the cheap shirts for forty dollars apiece at the fan shop Freddie advertised every episode. Hannibal really wanted to put the host’s heart on a spike in moments like these.
Hannibal gave her a small-lipped smile instead. “I prefer my omegas a bit more… raw.”
The audience started whistling.
Freddie gave him a dirty smile. “Oh, opposites attract I understand. Well, this is a great transition to greeting our newest candidate on our beautiful island.”
Hannibal was relieved to be allowed away from the hot seat of the stage. Next time he was faking a secret child in his home land of Lithuania he´d make sure no American agent would ever get the idea to check if he wasn´t making said child up to avoid getting mated off. Or he would eat said agent beforehand instead of ripping them apart after the report was already send off. What a rookie mistake of him.
As he walked back to the rest of the candidates admits the loud applause of the audience a scrawny man with wild, brown locks and glasses walked past him. The small whiff Hannibal got from him clearly marked him as an omega and a quite nervous one as well. Maybe stage fright?
His assumption was proven correct as the omega sat scrunched over and with his back twisted as far towards the camera as possible. He also absolutely refused to meet Freddie´s eyes or look towards the audience or the camera instead he stared on the ground. There was sporadic applause as an employee of the TV station reminded the audience to clap via signs but it sounded sad in contrast to what Hannibal had gotten minutes before.
Freddie didn´t let the omega´s defensiveness get her down. “Hello there, it´s so nice to see new faces in here. What´s your name?”
The omega mumbled something no one could understand.
“Excuse me?” Freddie´s smile seemed a bit more forced than before and there was a nervous twitch on her cheek. “Could you repeat that a bit louder? And into your microphone if possible?”
The man sighed and repeated. “Will.”
“Will…” Freddie prompted him to give his last name. He didn´t react so she continued unabashed. “Will Graham, correct?”
“Yes.”
“So what are you searching for on this wonderful island here?”
“A breeder, I guess?”
“Excuse me?”
For the first time Will looked up at her and his expression was very cold. “Someone to breed me. Isn´t that what all omegas are here for?”
There were a few appalled gasps in the audience but Will didn´t seem to care.
“That´s a very… one-sided view.” Freddie pointed out, her smile slipping. “Don´t you want to find true love?”
“Doesn´t everyone?” Will answered, looking down again. “I doubt anyone finds it here, though.”
“Well, what do you do for a living?” Freddie tried to abruptly change the topic.
“I´m a professor.” Will had taken his glasses off to play with them in his lap instead of looking up.
“A true career omega.” Freddie brightened. “We like to see that. What do you teach?”
“Dead bodies.” Will answered. “I work for the FBI. I specialize in serial killers, cannibals and other mental profiles.”
A director made wild gestures at Freddie to change the topic immediately considering the show was airing on a channel quite popular with children.
Freddie got the message. “Do you have any friends?”
“No.”
By now the host was clearly desperate to find a safer – any safer - topic. “Do you have hobbies?”
“I have dogs.”
“Dogs!” Freddie sat up with hope in her eyes. “Yes, who doesn´t love dogs? How many do you have at home? Two? Three?”
“Twelve.”
Freddie took a deep breath and forced herself to another smile. “And what would you wish for in a future partner?”
Will just sighed. “I hope they like to cuddle, fit in with the pack, are obedient and like to play fetch.”
Freddie´s nervous twitch in her cheek started up again. “You´re describing a dog.”
“Yes a dog, I want my future partner to be a dog.”
That was the moment Freddie clearly gave up any hope for Will Graham.
Hannibal72384: Hannibal was clearly the hottest one again
ConnyHD: His accent is just… *chef´s kiss*
Islandlover: The new guy is a looser though. Who would want to date that?
Potterforever: Give him a break, he clearly has stage fright
Islandlover: Yeah but twelve dogs? Come on
Lovelovelove: I think he looks kind of cute
Hannigramm: Hannigramm forever!
Hannibal72384: As if that would ever happen