⋆ ★ REQUIEM FOR THE ACCUSED ⋆ ★

PINK PONY CLUB

"god, what have you done? you're a pink pony girl." - chappell roan

carl and salem were deep into the comic book, their laughter punctuating the quiet of the room. they had just reached a part where spider-man's spidey senses were hilariously over-the-top, making them both crack up at the absurdity of him sensing a cookie being stolen from a kitchen miles away. carl tried to imitate spider-man's web-slinging, making exaggerated gestures that only made salem laugh harder.

"if i could have any superpower," carl said, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye, "i'd choose teleportation. i'd be able to travel anywhere in the world instantly. imagine the endless free vacations." he grinned, clearly enamoured with his idea. salem smiled, the thought of exploring so many different places brightening her mood.

their laughter was interrupted by michonne's voice calling from downstairs. carl and salem exchanged looks before reluctantly closing the comic. they got up and made their way downstairs. in the kitchen, they found rick standing by the counter, a bowl of cereal in hand. he looked more like himself, though he was still weak. michonne was busy preparing her gear, a soft smile on her face as she greeted them.

"ready?" michonne asked, glancing at carl and salem as they entered. "yeah." carl said, grabbing his hat off the bed and putting it on. he adjusted it, his character finally complete.  michonne nodded and motioned toward the door. rick, still recovering, stood by her side, his cereal forgotten as he focused on getting ready for the day. he and michonne exchanged a few words, a brief discussion about their plans and what they hoped to find.

once they were ready, michonne followed carl and salem out the door. carl quietly walked along the side of the road--his thoughts focused on judith and her passing. salem walked beside him, her limp less pronounced as her leg continued to heal. they wandered through a few abandoned houses, their search proving fruitless each time. the excitement of their morning faded as they moved from one empty dwelling to the next. the houses were in disarray, stripped of anything useful or interesting. the silence between them grew heavier with each step.

carl's face was set in a grim expression, and his eyes carried a lingering sadness. michonne noticed his mood and tried to lighten it with jokes and light-hearted comments, hoping to spark some of the happy carl. "you know," she said with a grin as they stepped into another dusty room, "if we find a trampoline in here, you're gonna have to show me your best moves."

carl shrugged, barely acknowledging her attempt at humour. "yeah, sure." he mumbled, his voice flat. he continued to sift through the debris without much enthusiasm, his thoughts elsewhere. michonne's smile faltered slightly, but she didn't let it show. she carried on with her upbeat chatter, trying to keep the atmosphere light despite carl's evident struggle. she shared stories from before the outbreak, silly anecdotes that she hoped would bring a smile to carl's face, but he remained distant, lost in his thoughts. 

salem walked beside carl, her eyes catching his occasional glances, sensing the weight of his silence. she tried to keep pace with him, her quiet presence a small offering of comfort. as they approached another house, michonne broke the silence with a lighthearted attempt to lift the mood. "i'm not very good at making kids your age laugh. toddlers though—they find me hilarious." michonne said as they climbed the steps, her voice cutting through the tension.

carl raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued despite himself. "what do you mean toddlers?" he asked, watching as michonne rapped her knuckles on the front door, her eyes scanning the windows for any sign of movement. "i had a three-year-old son and he happened to find me extremely funny." michonne replied, pushing the door open with a gentle creak. the mention of her son seemed to stir something in carl, a spark of interest that nudged him out of his brooding silence.