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.]

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[pundemic]

Hell yeah I do! I'll meet you outside.

[Time to grab a jacket (her gun's always on her, that's not something she needs to make concessions for) and head for her rooftop exit. (Thanks, Taako.)]

[signifies]

[ Clark (still using jiffy unironically) is there in a jiffy.

They have matching jackets now: he got hers for Prijata. She's one of the only people he's never had to invite to take his hand. Ellie comes forward on her own. ]

Ready?

[pundemic]

Yeah!

[She takes his hand without hesitation. Maybe he realizes how much trust she's giving him, maybe he doesn't. That's not the point of trusting someone, you don't need to have it acknowledged. She just does it because that's how she is, who she is or wants to be.]

How's the kiddo?

[signifies]

Jon's doing great. He has a friend from home here now.

[ Jon's more extroverted than him, but he doesn't seem to be less lonely.

At least he has Damian now. Clark's still not sure what to make of that formal, serious boy, but he can tell the choice for either of them wasn't made lightly. ]

How are you?

[ It's obvious to him from her broadcast she's rattled from what changed everyone. It missed him. ]

[pundemic]

Wow, really? That's awesome!

[Four months, and she's still alone. Hard not to be a little envious, but at least she doesn't have to show it.

Also: flying. Still awesome. Never gets old. These days, she doesn't dream of planes anymore.]

I'm... all right. That last big thing was... [she makes a little explosion sound, her free hand mimics one.] weird as shit.

[signifies]

Yeah?

[ She's tough. Ellie will always be all right in one way or another, but it doesn't mean Clark can't worry about her. ]

[pundemic]

[She huffs.]

I mean, did you see Taako?

[signifies]

I did.

It changed you too?

[pundemic]

Yeah.

[She heaves a dramatic sigh, and sort of just... focuses on looking at the city for a bit.]

Somebody was alive that died back home. Like... a long time ago kind of died. [A little over a year, but so much has happened since then it feels like a lifetime.] Kinda fucks with the head, you know?

[signifies]

Yeah.

[ Nobody wants to be changed against their will or remember something that didn't happen.

He can tell it was someone important to her. ]

Do you want to go camping or exploring to get your mind off it?

[pundemic]

I...

[She huffs. Curls up a bit closer to him, mostly for warmth. Flying is nice and all, and the jacket helps, but man the higher you are, the colder you get.]

I don't know. Weekend away might be nice. Jon too?

[signifies]

If you want. He's not much of a camper.