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

[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?

[wronganswer]

[ Honestly, being distrustful is more normal to Anderson than everyone else here who's been relatively forthright and welcoming to her. She doesn't take it personally.

As for being upfront herself, she just has nothing to prove. Everyone where she's from is in the same boat as herself, and she sees no reason to hide anything. Maybe being a telepath makes her less secretive rather than more. She has a different perspective on what is going on inside everyone else's heads, and she sees no reason to hide. ]

Essentially. If there's an assignment up for grabs, sometimes I look into it. You did say you wanted to go exploring.

[pundemic]

[She mulls that over. Then,]

All right. Then sure, I'll tag along. Or... whatever. Just name a time and place.

[wronganswer]

How about this weekend? Do you have school or something? Work?

[ She pretty blatantly doesn't know how most teenagers handle their schedule around here since the teenage roommate she does have has openly told her he doesn't intend on going to school here. ]

[pundemic]

[Ellie and school disagree with each other. The only education she knows was the sort you got in military prep in the apocalypse, not exactly the ideal. But she nods to the latter.]

Yeah, I work. It's fine, it's just during the week. Weekends are free.

[A beat.]

I'm Ellie. Like the username says. Hi.

[wronganswer]

[ She's not going to say a single thing about it. What does she care if kids go to work instead of school? At least they're doing something.

Anderson smiles in greeting, an open, easy expression despite her relatively severe demeanor. ] Hey. I'm Cassandra, but pretty much everyone calls me Anderson. You've probably been here longer than me, so if you have any requests on where to go, I'm all ears.

[pundemic]

[She shrugs, fairly visibly on the camera.]

I don't care. Wherever. But - no offense - I'm not just going to pack up and go on a weekender with somebody I don't know. Let's meet up first. I don't know, coffee or something. Whatever the 'cool kids' are doing these days.

[Did she airquote that? She definitely air-quoted that.]

[wronganswer]

Sure. That's smart of you. If it makes you feel better, I'm a police officer. [ Since Anderson is from an incredibly corrupt society and doesn't necessarily think that it would, she adds, ] I wouldn't do anything to endanger my badge.

But I can buy you a coffee tomorrow after work if you're up for it.

[pundemic]

Definitely does not make me feel better, thanks.

[Military corruption? Kind of a Thing where she's from. But whatever, different worlds. She can handle it.]

Sure. Coffee. Sounds great. When and where?

[wronganswer]

[ She smiles wryly. ] Can't say I blame you.

How about you pick? [ Since she's the one feeling distrustful, Anderson doesn't mind offering a small olive branch wherever possible. ]

[pundemic]

Uh... how about that place on 4th? They've got a cat picture on the front window, can't miss it.

[She sort of intentionally leaves the name out so she can't google the place (or whatever) it beforehand and sort of just has to walk there instead, mostly so that Ellie can have the immediate advantage.]

I'm free right now. So... half an hour?

[wronganswer]

[ It makes her faintly sad that someone that young would need to be so cautious, because she'd just started to believe she's the only one here from a place quite as bad as Mega-City One. Maybe not. Anderson had felt isolated and distinctly odd, unsure of the implications, but she finds she does not feel better having a suspicion that she is not alone in having so rough a background.

All she says is an easy-going, ] Sure. I'll see you there. Coffee's on me. [ Since she has secured income and all that.

Anderson arrives a little early just by habitual punctuality, and has thrown her zip-up hoodie on over her informal detective's clothes, bulky futuristic pistol at her hip. She waits outside, lingering near the entryway, staring idly up at the sky. It looks idle, but really she's basking in her empathy, a faint buzz of emotion like the lulling murmur of a crowd chasing across her skin. She can't pick out anyone's individual feelings like that, but the general sense of presence, of pressure, is enough to provide a backdrop. It's relaxing to someone from a huge metropolis. ]