[When the voice speaks next to him, Hannibal turns to face Abel before replying. There is no hurry to him, no being caught off guard showing. It is a habit he will have later in life of needing to see and study before giving an answer no matter how small the matter.]
[Nothing approaching recognition or surprise coming to his maroon eyes. Abel is a stranger to him in a city full of them. Only briefly does his bland mask break when his eyes flick to a nearby flying car and then back.]
A genuine observation. It was that year before -
[An aborted gesture of waving a hand to everything around him accompanies his words. Calm, quiet. That must be maintained. Instead he looks Abel down and up. The wheelchair seems barely noted with how quick his eyes move up to Abel's face.]
It's a little disorienting. [He offers politely in way of an apology for his standing dumbly in the middle of the sidewalk. The urge to ask if this is real is clamped down tightly.] And unexpected. I didn't mean to be in your way.
no subject
[Nothing approaching recognition or surprise coming to his maroon eyes. Abel is a stranger to him in a city full of them. Only briefly does his bland mask break when his eyes flick to a nearby flying car and then back.]
A genuine observation. It was that year before -
[An aborted gesture of waving a hand to everything around him accompanies his words. Calm, quiet. That must be maintained. Instead he looks Abel down and up. The wheelchair seems barely noted with how quick his eyes move up to Abel's face.]
It's a little disorienting. [He offers politely in way of an apology for his standing dumbly in the middle of the sidewalk. The urge to ask if this is real is clamped down tightly.] And unexpected. I didn't mean to be in your way.