week three - post-trial

[sating]

[ As soon as their trial is dismissed, there's very little hesitation in who Hannibal heads to.

Naturally, he does give Will's hand a squeeze, a quick "I'll see you later," but with all the chaos of the day, there are other people he needs to see and tend to. In fact, so many that he almost wonders about who to go to first, but... His bias wins out. For each of the people he's taken a liking to so far, there was perhaps no one where that was as true as Xion. So, he goes to her. Follows her, if necessary, and when he speaks her name, his voice is full of sympathy and concern. ]

Xion—

[ But it's only her name. She'll let her drive the rest of this. ]

Comments

[sating]

[ Hannibal's serious expression starts to turn to a smile as she mirrors back more optimism, since that's what he had been hoping to draw out of her and get her to understand. Even for people with more normal circumstances, this would be a traumatic event that would be difficult to pull out of. For Xion, he was admittedly unsure if she might, considering her basic understanding of... Life in general, really.

Perhaps that helps her. At least here. ]

You can. You are far stronger than you think.

[ He says it with such certainty that it's clear he believes that. He believes in her. Hannibal gives her shoulder a small squeeze, then draws his hands back as he stands up straight. ]

Things are likely to get more difficult before they get better. I will say that is nearly a certainty. But just remember that you can cling to your own life and livelihood. There is nothing selfish about that.

[ceded]

[ "Stronger."

Xion looks up at him, clasping both hands over her chest instead. Her expression is very serious all of a sudden. ]

Dr. Lecter... what does strength mean to you?

[ The way she asks it may make it clear he is not the first person she's asked this question. ]

[sating]

[ The question surprises him, and he moves his head slightly in a gesture that conveys that mild confusion. He had expected a reaction to his encouragement, but not quite a question, and certainly not this one. So he has to ask: ]

If you'll give me a moment to consider it, may I ask in the meantime why you ask?

[ceded]

... because I'm learning it can mean different things to different people. When I got here, I thought strength was ... just never showing weakness. Never being weak.

[ Did it break again? ]

But now I'm starting to think it might be ... something else.

[ It's about...staying true to who you are and what you believe in, even when things seem impossible. ]

So, I was wondering what you thought it was. Because if I need to be strong... I want to know ... what that means.

[sating]

Ah... I see.

[ He nods along, though he does lapse into a short silence. It's a rather unusual question, and it's not quite one he considers often, so it takes him a genuine moment of thought to come to a conclusion. He could give a psychiatrist's answer, and it dances on the tip of his tongue, but he ends up giving a more honest one. ]

Strength is to survive. I mean survival in a broad sense here, not necessarily as something physical, though it can be. Strength is to look into the face of struggle and carry forward, not without fear, for fear is a part of us— But with as much understanding of that struggle as we can grasp.

[ He looks to her, and he gives a small nod ]

...Here, it's more literal than it tends to be. But I would define it the same way in Baltimore. When we look into the abyss, whether it is a game we're forced to play in or the despair of a trauma past, we can't avert our eyes from it. If we continue forward, then that, to me, is strength.

[ceded]

[ Xion looks up at him in silence for a long moment as she processes those words.

It's ... both similar to and different from what Harry said to her. She's starting to wonder if she should ask everyone. What kind of answers she'd get. ]

Dr. Lecter, I ... want to keep moving forward, but I want to do it with my friends beside me. I may not be able to keep them safe, but ... I want to try. I have to keep trying, [ she whispers. ]

[sating]

And I hope you do.

[ His response is immediate, and by contrast to her whisper, his voice is stronger and more certain. Hannibal is trying to encourage her through his words, and he's not very subtle about that, though he believe she would respond best to more straightforward things. Subtlety and leading may be harder when she's so "young." ]

I'm afraid that I can't promise that things will get better. Not immediately. Our situation doesn't lend itself to that. But even in the face of all of this, I hope you don't give up. I may not have known you long, but I feel that you're a strong person, Xion. So I believe you can have the very strength I've described.