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[It is fortunate that a particular brand of brutality, a coldness teamed with a natural instinct to survive is a necessary requirement in this new, perilous world of theirs. It comes so naturally to Hannibal and with such ease as to almost appear thoughtless - though not reckless or unintelligent, as Hannibal is always so meticulous in all of his planning - that, without it, he surely wouldn't be alive today to watch her car come to a gradual stop beside the curb.]

[It's only a mild curiosity and perhaps the passing notion that she might come in useful to him that has him striding over to her door, seemingly unarmed and unhurried. Lightly, he raps his knuckles against her window in a familiar rhythm. Tap, tap tap tap tap. Tap tap.]

[And waits politely for an answer.]

[Carol knows that she's going to have to find a place to go if she's going to survive on her own. But right now, she needs a moment to collect herself. Despite what Rick seemed to think, she hasn't completely shut off her feelings. She's not the cold-hearted murderer he's made himself believe she is so he doesn't have to face the reality of what happened.]

[She did what needed to be done to try to ensure their survival. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. That's something she'd heard a few times before. Some movie or another.]

[After a few minute, she's finally pulled herself together and is about to look at a map when she there a sudden rap on the window. It startles her, and she curses herself for letting her guard down. But the person there is obviously not a walker. Very much alive, in fact. But still, the Governor is out there, so she has to be careful, especially since it's pretty brazen to just come up to someone in a world like this.]

Are you all right? I didn't realize there was anyone around here.

Edited (HTML fail!) 2013-11-07 01:49 (UTC)

Yes. Very well, in fact, thank you. [He certainly looks it. Though his clothes are a far cry from the pressed tailored suits Hannibal favours, they're clean and whole and that's more than can be said for most. Aside from a certain bagginess to his overall appearance, a second-hand quality that sits uneasily on him as though it knows it doesn't belong, he almost looks... Normal. If such a thing can possibly exist anymore. There are - on the surface, at least - no obvious signs of trauma.] I was about to inquire after you, actually.

[His eyes fall to the open map on her lap, scanning briefly for signs of a weapon.] Are you lost?

[And that certainly hasn't escaped Carol's notice. While she's not in rags herself, her clothes are definitely showing their wear. It looks like he hasn't been too badly off, like he's been somewhere like Woodbury. The only thing that keeps her from worrying that this might be the Governor himself in fact since she never got a good look at him is that he has both his eyes.]

Not so much lost as trying to figure where to go from here. [Her knife is still in its holster around her thigh, and the gun is in the well.] I--I just had to leave the place where I was before.

I'm sorry to hear it. [Although Hannibal knows better than to ask as to the reasons - interesting and varied though they're sure to be - why. She doesn't owe him an explanation and, even if she did, he can hardly count on her, a stranger with no ties to him whatever, to be truthful.] Unfortunately, staying in one place for any great length of time is a surprisingly difficult thing to achieve these days. [Without the proper provisions and planning that is, both of which Hannibal has in spades.]

May I offer you some assistance? [His eyes, sharp and far too penetrating, fall back to the map, tracing over it as though he can discern where she's been and where she might go from here simply by looking.] Or have you already settled on a plan of action?

[Carol softly thanks him for his words while glad that he doesn't push to find out exactly why she's been put out from the only family she's had for the last two years. She doesn't know if she'll ever be able to talk about that. Like Rick told her, chance to make a fresh start - she might as well take that to heart.]

Yes. Yes, it is. I thought I might have found that, but it turned out not. [For her, at least. She's not sure about this man. She's still trying to figure him out, especially with the way he looks at her while also offering his help.] Before all this, I might have asked if you knew a good motel, but that's pretty much out. But if you know of a place that's relatively safe, at least for a day or two...?

[She doesn't dare think that there might be a chance of staying anywhere longer than that. Not now.]

(Another car pulls up and then over on the opposite side of the road. He was going to catch hell from the group when or if he got back, but he had to go out and look. He feels a very slight bit of relief, though it does not show, and even more confusion and the feeling of being lost. He shuts the engine off and opens the door silently, stepping out and looking right at Carol. He stays quiet and waits for her to look over and say something.)

[Needing some air, Carol had stepped out of the car for a moment, trying not to cry. She had known what Rick had planned. From the moment, he told her that Maggie was staying behind. A few moments later, she hears the car pull up, her hand goes to the gun in her waistband. It takes her a moment to recognize the car, and then she sees Daryl getting out. He'd come after her?]

Rick told you what happened?

[She's not sure what else to say at the moment, considering she had half-expected him to tell them all she had been killed.]

(He looks down for a moment when she asked that then right back up at her. No he was not happy about this, in fact, he was pretty hurt and plenty pissed off.)

Yeah, Rick said enough.

(He says little else. No "Why did you do it" or any "Did you do it" comes out. He figures if it did not happen she would say it. Hell, even if it did, she would say it. He takes a few steps over. If this were anyone else, they would probably mention the fact they took off as soon as they heard to go find her, maybe even mentioned needing to be held back for a moment while Rick explained what had happened when she left...but he does not.)

(He knows that she had almost grabbed the gun on her waistband, but he makes no move to draw any of his own weapons.)

[She takes a deep breath and nods at his answer, still silent for a moment. Even without Daryl asking those questions, they're still hanging in the air between them. And when he steps closer, she looks at him.]

They were already choking on their blood. I had talked to Caleb. He said when that starts... [She shakes her head.] We saw how fast Patrick died. I didn't want to see what happened to him happen to them. And I thought that maybe I could stop it from spreading any further. We already suffered enough loss.

[She doesn't know how he's going to react to that. Rick thought they could be saved. But they don't have what they used to have. Not equipment or medication. Not even doctors. Not that what she did helped anyway. But she had to try.]

(no subject)

I miss her already! T___T

I do too. :( Keep telling myself she has to be back.

Daryl will rescue her! ... Right? /wibble

Hopefully he'll try to find her!

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no subject

Rusty, rusty muse. Here's Daryl anyway.

Aw! No worries! :-D

Thank you kindly. Now if they'd get to this in canon! :)

I wish they would! And apologies for the slowness - it's busy at work!