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.

@cjk [ locked audio ]

[signifies]

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

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 / 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.

[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.]

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.

[signifies]

Even better.

When can you come by the house?

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?

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?

[pundemic]

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

[signifies]

Do you want me to pick you up?

[ It's faster and she likes flying.

He's also really excited, okay. ]

[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?

[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?

[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]

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.)]

[pundemic]

[She mulls that over. Then,]

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

[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?

[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]

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?

[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.

[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. ]