video @ellie

[pundemic]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Each of those words has a separate amount of emphasis. Ellie is holding her hands up and gesturing like she's trying to make an invisible margarita or something. Anyone who's ever been around teens should recognize the fact it's teenagerese for some form of frustration.]

I'm bored out of my fucking mind. Anybody want to go exploring? Monster hunting?

[Basically: her AU was that she never lost Riley, that it was the two of them that went across America in search of the Fireflies. She never met Joel at all, and her feelings about that whole mess are so mixed she's even willing to go shopping just to take her mind off it.]

Comments

Video / UN: JaggedFan

[de_evilise]

Ohh, Exploring sounds good - I need to get out and stretch my legs [ As normal Marinette ] once in a while. I've been cooped up all day. Sure, I'll come along.

Video / UN: JaggedFan

[pundemic]

[Normal-seeming girl roughly her own age? Check? Maybe? Ellie's learned not to take anything at face value these days. She gives the other girl a sort of once-over.]

So don't take this the wrong way or anything, but can you look after yourself? I can teach you how if you don't, it's not a big deal, I'd just rather know in advance.

Video / UN: JaggedFan

[de_evilise]

[ Ohhh, yeah that's a *thing* she needs to be careful of. ]

Kiiind of. I mean.. I guess it would really depend on what I'm dealing with. I'd appreciate any tips or tricks though - I wouldn't want to be a burden to you.

[pundemic]

[Whoo boy. Okay.]

Let's start with the basics. How long have you been here?

[de_evilise]

I just arrived earlier this month. How about you?

@cjk [ locked audio ]

[signifies]

Hey. I've got something you might want to see.

[pundemic]

Is it a pony?

[That is absolutely her snappy reply, Clark. She's grinning as she says it, though, and he can probably tell by the sound of her voice.]

[signifies]

Even better.

When can you come by the house?

[pundemic]

Uh... [A quick look at the time, and then,] Now, I guess? Not doing much else.

video, un: anderson

[wronganswer]

Sure. I've been taking trips out into the abandoned section of the city, anyway. You can come with me if you like.

[ Part of her motivation here is that she doesn't want a teenage girl to go charging off into a dangerous area out of frustration, but Anderson truly does go out into it by herself regardless and wouldn't mind the company. It's not so dangerous, and she's confident in her ability to protect one citizen from the assorted wildlife. ]

video

[pundemic]

[It's the you can come with me if you like bit that gets her to wrinkle her nose up a bit. So maybe she's just a fussy teen that's a bit mistrustful of adults in general.]

Anderson, I guess? What exactly do you get up to out there?

[She's not out to interrogate her, just sort of wants her measure first before she commits to anything.]

[wronganswer]

Yeah, that's me.

[ Anderson does think of herself as an adult, and an authority figure, but it's more an attitude than age. At only 22, others in her peer group might not qualify. But it's hard to deny her sensible, no-bullshit demeanor. ]

Not much, really. Where I'm from... we don't have wildlife like this. [ She shakes her head. ] I haven't seen anything but a city or barren wasteland my entire life.

[pundemic]

[She looks skeptical at best. Sensible, no-bullshit demeanours in adults has often meant that they're either lying or want something.

Also: someone being so open about coming from a place that sounds like she describes it is downright fucking weird. Ellie has gone out of her way to just seem like a normal teen, she's mostly kept her weapon handling skills on the DL, and if anyone asks she has a story about a crazy uncle (mostly a stand-in for Joel) who's paranoid about the apocalypse who she sees a couple weeks a summer while her parents vacation in... somewhere else. Paris? Maybe Paris. Seems like a nice place, with the Eiffel Tower on every postcard and pamphlet she's ever seen describing it.]

So what, you just... wander around taking in the view?

video | username: bigbad

[idolpire]

[There is a lot going on in his life right now, Ellie, but it's a) the fact that there's a child on the screen that has him pausing and b) the language. Not that he hadn't heard it before, but from someone that young, he was expecting a hand to come from off screen and swat her.

It didn't happen. Pity.]

Shouldn't you be somewhere with adults?

[Yes, Spike. State the obvious.]

All tucked up tight and safe and not out trying to get yourself eaten?

[pundemic]

[lmao wow does 'not out trying to get yourself eaten' hit about ten million different sore spots with her.]

Missed the part where that's any of your fucking business.

[If anyone's tone could suggest you need a hobby, it'd be the one she adopts just there.]

You can take your 'tucked up tight and safe' and shove it up your ass.

[idolpire]

Oh, let's see. 'Come along with me on a magical adventure where you can watch me get munched on, la-di-da'. You do realize this isn't exactly a rabbit hole, Alice.

[Oh, please let her not be human so he could bite her... Or at least give her a good spanking.]

[pundemic]

Golly, because I've totally been here for four months and somehow magically failed to notice it's fucking dangerous.

[She wiggles her fingers to show just how very Done Me A Frighten this all is to her.]

Is your IQ always room temperature, or is this a special case for you?

[video | un: edward.elric]

[alchemyfreak]

You go monster hunting often?

[He's not entirely alien to the concept of kids that like to murder things, so his tone is mostly curious. Not that he looks like more than a teen himself, anyway.]

[pundemic]

[Yeah, about that...]

Uhhh. Not that often or anything. Just, you know. Been here a while, so... sometimes it comes up.

[She is definitely not an angry survivor of an apocalypse, no sir. Not the least.]

[alchemyfreak]

[Well, that doesn't answer the question of assessing skill level. He's not sure if that answer is intentionally vague, or missing the point. Maybe time to try a different tactic.]

So, what you're saying is you can hold your own, right? I used to know some kids that'd get a kick out of that sort of thing. Hunting down monsters.

[Now is not the time to get nostalgic, but his gaze definitely flickers some at that mention. Kids, more like monsters hunting monsters - but he'd learned not to judge.]

Look, sounds like we could both use a distraction. If you can defend yourself and that's what you really want to do, I'll go with you.

[Right, offer's out there. Take it or leave it. Ed is very used to being dismissed as a kid by adults and lumped in with the adults by teens, at this point, so he's not going to push either way if he gets the feeling he's not trusted.]

[pundemic]

[Once upon a time, she wanted to trust people. She's lost the taste for it these days, but-- a few of the ones she's met here have been showing her it's not the only way to live. Between Clark, Taako and James she might just end up being a Real Girl after all.

Ellie takes a deep breath.]

I can defend myself just fine. But I'm not going anywhere with someone I don't know, either. So... who are you?

[She lacks tact. Sorry, Ed.]

Video @the.boneless

[ragnarsson]

[It's been a while since he's seen that familiar chicken face.]

You know what they say. If you're bored, you're boring.

[Just ignore Ivar. He's got to be this way before he'll actually contribute anything useful to the conversation.]

[pundemic]

[She rolls her eyes with exasperated fondness.]

Oh, fuck off Ivar. We both know I'm not.

[ragnarsson]

No, but you brought this upon yourself. Do you realize all the things there are possible to do in this city alone? Not to mention outside?

[Maybe more so for a Viking that's unused to things like shopping malls and movie theaters, but still. There's things like fire horses outside the city walls. Get with the program, Ellie.]

[pundemic]

Yeah? [This is her best 'duh' voice.] I kinda do? That's why I'm asking for company to go do that shit.

[A beat.]

Wanna come?