authorafterhours

Could young Will have been a runaway kid in the sixties living with hippies? I honestly think he would end up becoming a cult leader, but I WANT him to be just a regular hippie, one with certain proclivities sure, but just a kid. So I could pair him with serial killer Hannibal ( Hannibal being himself as always).

Love your blog! ❤️

Hello there, friend! And thank you!

I admit, I'm not entirely understanding the question. Of course he can be, because you're writing him as one! ^^ I am a serial alternate universe lover and writer, canon is but a suggestion to me, lol. Time lines are more like loose guidelines, if anything. Anything and everything goes.

If you're asking if I can see him as a runaway kid staying with hippies in the 60s, then sure! I can see in one world he becomes a cult leader, as he is a good actor and manipulator. But that's another world, not yours.

I can equally see him as being uninterested in becoming a cult leader, if not actively adverse to the idea as it would require him to be more social and under more scrutiny. Depending on his proclivites, that would Not be good. Even if he likes having control over others, self-preservation and his freedom are top priorities. Could I see him in a cult commune, and learning from observation to use for his own goals while under the radar? Oh yeah. Cults were quite prevalent during the time as people were searching for alternative spiritual paths beyond mainstream religions, and that desire was often taken advantage of. (The Manson family murders are often seen as what killed the hippie movement.)

Or he could be lucky and/or smart and avoid that, as they were, to my understanding, also under increased police scrutiny. Older folks were afraid of the counter culture movement their kids were part of as it challenged a lot of their values, and I would not be surprised if that led to more calls to the police because surely those hippies were up to something. And Will would not want to be the one that has to speak to them on behalf of the group.

Hannibal as himself would be an interesting contrast to the setting given how buttoned up he is. Of course, he may present himself differently given the time and place. Depends on how you do it, really.

I can't wait to read about their summer of love story! It's an amazing idea. ^^