10:24 AM – July 31, 2025 (three days later)
Dot [Ellie]
The past couple days flew by without incident. After Tommy and Andrea gave them the third degree, Ellie kept a low profile, avoiding Lydia at all cost. Despite the fact they still had to share these 'classes' together, they managed to keep from interacting. Maybe the teachers there knew the situation. Had to, right? Keep the animals apart, or something like that. Still, she wouldn't argue. The sight of her face was more than enough to make her want to vomit.
They were still no closer to finding out where to go as they were four days ago. Tommy wasn't being forthcoming, and she had long since started wondering why. Impatience, something she had been struggling with for a long time, came back in full force, and she found herself getting agitated. She wanted out of this place, to be back on the road again and finish this journey. Preferably sooner rather than later.
She found herself balancing along the edge of the sidewalk beside Carl, the boy having asked her to help him out with one of his jobs. Ellie agreed simply to get away from the house. Having school to go to was a mixed blessing, but going beyond the walls? Despite everything she'd seen out there, that sounded like bliss right now. That, and she hadn't really gotten time to talk to him much after the fight. She wouldn't apologize for calling that bitch out but forcing him to break it up wasn't exactly on her list of moments she was proud of. She didn't know how to bring it up, though, instead deciding to break the ice another way.
"So, uh… what do you do on these runs?" Guessing, since we had to get our weapons, it won't just be a walk in the forest…
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Carl was pleasantly surprised when Ellie took him up on his request for help. Not that he needed the help, but he hadn't had the time to apologize to either of them for the fight at the campfire. They always seemed to vanish, once classes got out, and they were never wandering out and about. Avoiding trouble, perhaps, which he appreciated. She followed beside him as they took the short walk to the gate, and he couldn't help but glance around their surroundings to make sure Lydia wasn't watching. The last thing any of them needed was Lydia causing trouble because he's spending time with the new girls.
Upon him glancing over his shoulder, both at the girl next to him and the thankfully empty road behind them, she voiced a question. It was only a matter of time. "Well, my job is to go out and find… Stuff. Eddie at the gate has the lists for the scavengers - We try to find whatever's on the list." He couldn't help but smile slightly at the vague answer, but it really was all he knew. The contents of the list were always a mystery. "But, it's always an adventure! Anyone can ask Tommy for something they want, and he decides what goes on the lists and not. People want all sorts of things."
He tried to think of some past adventure that might rouse some excitement in Ellie, but they were already approaching the gate. As they got close, Eddie slid off of his stool and put down his book, rummaging in his pockets till he pulled out a folded piece of yellowing notebook paper. Carl reached for it when he got close enough, but Eddie pulled it back. "Sorry, Carl, but your girlfriend isn't allowed to leave." There was a heavy silence.
Carl looked at Eddie with what he hoped was an unreadable expression, before saying, "She's not my girlfriend." Then, he lunged forward and snatched the paper from Eddie's hand. Satisfied with his catch, he continued in a calmer tone. "Why can't I take her?" He knew that Carl didn't like following orders without reason. Throw me a bone here.
Instead of providing a serious answer, however, the doorkeeper just laughed and grabbed his book. "Tommy's orders, buddy. Not my business why." He settled back down onto his stool with one more critical look at him and Ellie. "Be safe out there. Don't shoot your eye out." Apparently, East of Eden was more important than the problem at hand. Eddie was a good guy, but sometimes he was too laid-back. It just made Carl grind his teeth.
Trying his best to calm himself, he turned back to Ellie. "Did you know about this?"
Dot [Ellie]
Ah, scavenging. Definitely worse things they could've been doing out there than that. In fact, she often found herself enjoying the scavenging part of being outside the walls, especially if it meant finding something cool, like when they scouted out that clothing store in Plattsburg. She put on a smile as Carl tried to make it sound more interesting, an 'adventure'. That was one thing she was beginning to admire about him, even if he was or wasn't being serious: despite everything that's obviously happened to him, he still tried to make the best of the life he'd been given and tried to spread that to others. Definitely a welcome change compared to the hostility Lydia possessed in droves.
As Carl tried to get the list from the guard, Ellie found herself rolling her eyes. Should've known. The dickheads are always the guards. As the man explained that it was Tommy's orders that she couldn't leave the community, realization slowly dawned on her. Of course, because she was immune, he didn't want her being in harm's way. She huffed, mentally cursing. Thanks, but no thanks. I can take care of myself. Didn't help matters that Asshole McGee was trying to make them feel uncomfortable by calling her Carl's girlfriend. She didn't let it bother her, after all, she's heard worse living in the Zone. Carl had managed to nab the list, anyway. Once he turned back towards her and asked if she knew anything about her not being allowed outside the walls, Ellie shook her head.
"No one bothered to tell me, no." She let out a frustrated sigh, pulling several strands of hair out of her eyes and tucking them back behind her ear. She shot the guard an annoyed glare before returning Carl's gaze, lowering her voice. "Thanks for trying, though. I looked forward to just getting away for an hour or two." She decided not to mention anything about why they were keeping her inside. It was obvious that he didn't know, so telling another person didn't seem like the right move.
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Carl didn't reply to Ellie at first. What possible reason could they have to keep her in here? Eddie seemed to have lost interest in them completely, so he turned and pulled the redhead away from the guarded door. "Well, this is bullshit." Not like saying it made a difference, but it sorta made him feel better. He glanced around aimlessly, trying to figure out what to do next. I could always sneak her out…
His job won out. He said, "Let's take a look at the list to see if it would be anything especially interesting," and pulled out the list. It was a full sheet of paper, folded as many times as it could be. Already unusual, as paper was scarce these days. At the top of the list, it had the usual column of numbers, and he read each entry out loud. "More paper… Wasteful fuckers. Batteries, a red lightbulb, a whetstone, fishing supplies, duct tape… Books?" At the end of the list, in very distinct handwriting, was a list of book topics. Eleanor's handwriting. "This is odd. Books on epi… Epidemiology, pathology..." Carl wasn't a big reader, and these were big words. "Books under biochemistry? This looks like a trip to the library." Suddenly, he had the urge to check around the street, to make sure no one was watching them. Are you really gonna do this?
Well, I guess every leader makes a stupid rule once in a while. "Ellie." He turned to the girl, his voice serious. "Do you want to sneak out?"
Dot [Ellie]
Books? About biochemistry? Ellie wasn't really aware of what biochemistry was, but she could make a decent guess. The handwriting looked immaculate, immediately leading her to believe that it was Eleanor's, the doctor that checked out her bite a few days ago. So, she's looking into it. Are they trying to figure out how to make the cure? The thought crossed her mind, boggling as it was, and she couldn't help feeling her jaw drop slightly. No wonder they're trying to keep me in here. She recovered quickly, though, just in time for Carl to return his gaze towards her.
"Do you wanna sneak out?"
She shrugged her shoulders, letting out a half-chuckle. "Fuck it. Let's do it. Let's go find us an epidem- epidemol- a whatever book."
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
There we have it, then. Carl didn't hesitate. Immediately, he was walking back in the direction of the school. Ellie hurried behind, and he talked over his shoulder as they walked. "We can probably find a bag out there, so don't worry about getting a backpack." Getting in the school would be hard, since it was all locked up, but he preferred to think of it as less eyes around the secret door. Many people knew about it, but it was almost like an evacuation exit, and they hadn't had any reason to use it.
The houses passed, and he greeted any passersby as if nothing were wrong. Going over the wall was a serious violation of Tommy's rules, mainly because he liked to keep tabs on anyone coming and going. They'd have to use the door again when they got back, or else suspicions would be aroused. Carl knew Eddie would tell the nighttime gatekeeper if he hadn't left out the big door, and he couldn't afford any questions. Both he and Ellie were already armed, so they didn't need to go to the armory. Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought.
They came upon the school building, in all of its rundown glory. It had once been an old church, and with the lack of an actual school in the area, it came to suffice. There was a courtyard behind the building, but before Carl had arrived, they'd walled it off. The back of the church sat right up against the wall protecting the town. Checking to see if the coast was clear, he led Ellie to the side of the building, where there was a side door. Luckily, they had some bushes and an old pine tree blocking some view of the street.
As he fumbled with the door, trying to get it open, he began explaining to Ellie. "There's a storm cellar that has a door in the basement here, and a door on the other side of the wall that we've covered with boards and stuff." If they were trying to keep her trapped here, for whatever reason, she should know the escape route in case something went wrong. If anything, he liked to think Tommy was trying to protect her, so it was just aiding the cause. "It's an escape route... What the fuck!" Finally growing frustrated, he turned his attention wholly to the lock until it opened with a satisfying click. He breathed out a sigh. "There we go…" After slipping his paperclip back into his pocket, he opened the door wide and turned back towards Ellie. "Are you ready to go?" Despite the fact they were breaking rules, he couldn't help but grin, already excited just to have company on his job.
Art [Clementine]
Waking up to find Ellie's spot in the bed empty wasn't surprising per se, though it definitely had the cogwheels in Clementine's head turning unlike most other mornings. The girl dressed up in her now worn and scruffy red jacket, scratching at the back of her head and yawning loudly in hopes of alleviating some of the weariness so very evident in her eyes. Lee hadn't heard from Ellie either, and Joel was… somewhere else, probably.
So maybe Ellie went off on her own without telling her. That was… cool, right? Not like they had to do stuff together all the time. Clem told herself she was cool with it, anyway... but it was really fucking tough to shake away that nagging feeling of disappointment. Whatever.
Since she didn't… really have any other friends, Clementine figured a stroll around Jackson would be a good past-timer. Sure sounded like it beat the alternative: staying in her room reading books all day… though admittedly, the longer she spent walking aimlessly, the more appealing that seemed to her. Clem watched some of the workers do their thing, a couple saying some really corny stuff to each other in the courtyard. A guy jogging by the school. They all looked a ton livelier than she did, like they actually had something to do. It brought about some type of envy from Clementine, who would constantly avert her eyes from the people she walked into, hands rarely leaving her pockets.
After so long on her own, Clem never thought she'd actually miss having a friend around.
It made it all the more remarkable, the moment she spotted Ellie hanging out with Carl near the school building. That's where she was that whole time...? Clementine scrunched her nose and narrowed her eyes, trying to make out what exactly they were doing. She didn't get very far doing that, needless to say. There was a moment's hesitation before Clem finally decided to walk up to them, a voice in her head telling her it was probably not something to poke her nose into. The girl did it anyway, a hint of mischief in her expression, as part of her was eager to get back at Ellie for ditching her in a day without any classes. Lo and behold, as she snuck behind the two, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Carl was picking a lock. To think she actually took him for a boy-scout kind of guy...
"Go where?" She asked abruptly, leaning forward with interest. Whatever it was they were doing, it sure looked like she caught them red-handed.
Dot [Ellie]
Ellie's heart jumped as Clementine's voice pierced the air, but she managed to calm down once she realized who the voice belonged to. Given that they were sneaking out, the idea of getting caught was all too nerve-wracking. After all, they were still on 'probation' with Tommy and Andrea, and she doubted that sneaking out would make things better. She turned towards Clementine as Carl opened the door, almost genuinely happy that the girl had shown up. When Carl had asked for her help this morning, she didn't realize that it was going to be something that'd probably take up much of her day, so having her friend along made the whole thing a bit better.
"Oh, hey Clem," Ellie spoke quickly, putting on a smile. Despite how much she wanted the girl to come along, she wasn't really sure how she was going to feel about sneaking out. "Uh, we were just- Carl asked for help on his scavenging run, so I was coming with. You're more than welcome to join us. Right?" Ellie turned to face Carl, hoping that he'd agree. Three heads were better than one anyway, right?
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Well, of all of the people who could have stumbled upon them, at least it was the least likely person to rat them out. At least there's that. Still, when Carl saw Clementine's face peering through the shrubbery, he couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath. "Shit…" There was nothing worse than getting caught with your pants down. He didn't know what possible excuse he could stammer out, but Ellie reacted much better than he did, thankfully, even inviting the other girl along for the run. He could apologize to both of them at the same time, now. Two birds with one stone, or something like that. Upon asking him if it was okay, he just shrugged. "The more, the merrier." Unwinding his nerves, he adopted his grin again, but his eye was on the road beyond, and the figure coming down it.
Tommy was strolling down the road, hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. Whatever had him in a sour mood, Carl didn't want to know. "We need to go, now." He leaned forward and pulled Clementine into the building, trusting Ellie to follow. From inside the building, he released the girl and half-shouted, "Close the door!" With a slam that felt amplified by the emptiness of the room, darkness settled over the three teenagers. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Tommy was coming down the road." With an eye roll that was lost in the poor lighting, he looked at Clem. "Obviously, we're taking the undesirable way out. Ellie isn't allowed to leave, for some reason." Part of him hoped that she could provide some sort of explanation as to why, since Ellie had seemed oblivious.
Art [Clementine]
Clementine raised an eyebrow, her hands leaving the base of her pockets in favor of crossing her arms. A scavenging run… inside the school? You'd think Ellie of all people would know by now that she wasn't that gullible. They were quick to invite her to tag along - an attempt to save face, the girl assumed - though saying she was okay in the least with whatever the hell they were up to would be one massive leap of faith.
Of course, before she could say a word, even one vowel of protest, Carl grabbed hold of her hand, pulling her inside the dark, former church. The exploit had Clementine notably pissed off, though she looked more confused than anything. Carl did one hack job of explaining what the heck was going on, and Clem found herself raising her voice the instant he was done. "Hold on a minute…! We're sneaking out?!" She asked, glaring at the boy's silhouette. It didn't end there. They - Tommy, Andrea, or whoever - weren't allowing Ellie to leave, probably for good reason, and Ellie knew exactly what that reason was, or so she fucking hoped. Clementine then turned her head towards other girl, the one everyone was working so hard to get to the Fireflies safe and sound… a scowl vaguely visible in that crazy dark place. "Ellie." She said with a snarl, just narrowly resisting the urge to shake her head.
"You're sneaking out?"
Dot [Ellie ]
Carl had quickly ushered them inside the church, closing the door behind them before explaining the sudden rush. Clementine, undeniably exasperated by the whole situation, focused her attention on her, asking the question that elicited a slight scoff out of Ellie. She understood where her friend was coming from, though found herself not really getting the why. Sighing, she took a step away from the two, glancing around the darkened room quickly before returning her attention to Clementine.
"Oh, come on, Clem. Carl needed someone to watch his back while he's out there, and the guard at the gate's just being an asshole." Besides, it's not the worst thing I've done. I've gotten out of the orphanage half a dozen times back in Boston. She shifted in her spot, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not like sneaking out's the worst thing in the world." She finished, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
Art [Clementine]
Clem's eyes widened for a split second, narrowing the following instant, accompanied by the girl's soft outcry. "Are you fucking crazy?" It was dumb, just the dumbest thing she'd ever seen Ellie try to do. The fact that Carl had a hand in it was almost too hard to believe, but it was even harder to blame him for it. Unlike Ellie, he had no idea of what was at stake. "After all the crap we went through, you're just… leaving with Carl without telling anyone!" Clementine's heated gaze sprung downward towards Ellie's forearm, her rowdy, resentful tone giving out in place of a quieter pitch of voice, though not a smidgen less furious. "... Or did you forget?"
She couldn't spell it out right then and there, obviously. Ellie could've been brash and totally irresponsible, but she wasn't stupid... which for Clementine in particular, felt like an amusing thing to acknowledge. Point was, Ellie knew what she was getting at, and Clem was furious over her acting so damn carefree about it. The girl sighed through clenched teeth, hastily looking away, as if pondering over what to say next, before locking her eyes on Ellie. "I'm telling Tommy."
Dot [Ellie]
"No. I didn't," Ellie instantly replied, biting her lip as Clementine stated that she'd rat them out to Tommy. She thought, out of anyone, that Clementine would have her back on this, to do something interesting and potentially productive for the community. Simply put, she was going stir-crazy in here, and they still haven't learned anything about where the Fireflies were, so sitting around doing nothing was starting to get old.
She let out a heavy sigh, avoiding Carl's gaze as she took a step closer to Clementine, trying to appeal to her somehow to get her to at least not rat them out. "Look, I just - I want to do something - not just sit in the house all day reading books for school. I get the risks." Because I know that's what you're getting at. "It's supposed to be safe out there, and I've got Carl watching my back, and yours… if you come." Though I doubt that I could convince you, now. "Some of the things on that list are important enough to take the risk. So… I understand if you don't want to come, but I'm going."
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Carl was only a little glad that Clementine didn't attack him for jerking her inside, because he knew he couldn't win against someone that small when he could barely see anything. She was obviously not happy with the situation, so he backed up a little bit, but was taken aback when she directed her anger at Ellie. The redhead stammered out a response, but as she explained it, he began to realize that to anyone, this would look bad. He tried to think of something to say, but they only kept arguing. Only… something was off.
Clementine was acting like Ellie was like some kind of priceless object, and was important. Something he didn't know about. What was so important about this girl that Tommy locked her in, and her best friend agreed with it? He looked between them, narrow silhouettes in the poor light. Ellie is the… taller one, right? Why should he ask her, anyways? Clementine seemed like a straightforward, no-bullshit person. At least, she punched Lydia when she deserved it. "I may have one eye, but I can see there's something important here that I don't know about." They were silenced. After a few seconds, when they said nothing, he sighed and turned to the shorter silhouette. "Clem, what's going on?" Don't give me shit, please.
Art [Clementine]
It was tough, hearing Ellie try to appeal to her with something like that, telling her that she was desperate to get out and do something… that she wanted her to have her back. It didn't matter how many times Clem tried telling herself how wrong it was, how it was the most ill-advised thing in the world. It was Ellie and doing something genuinely fun beyond the walls. It couldn't possibly sound unappealing, regardless of the way she wanted to spin it. For as much as it was hard to admit, Clementine did consider it... throwing caution out the window for no other reason than because Ellie nagged her to. She really did, for however short the time they spent in silence lasted.
Before she could give Ellie any sort of straight answer, Carl's voice, his question, sent shockwaves through Clementine's neck all the way down to her grimy boots. Goddamnit, Ellie... The girl cursed in her own thoughts, knowing by then that the two of them were toast. There wasn't any time to come up with a good excuse. Hell, she could barely make out the look on Ellie's face, let alone try to come up with a plan. Clementine hid her staggering under a pair of crossed arms and a sharp tongue, determined to keep Ellie's condition from Carl.
"It's got nothing to do with you."
She'd been in Carl's position, once. Ellie was… sort of a terrible liar, but things were different now. Everyone was counting on keeping that bite in her arm a secret.
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Clementine was quick to dismiss him, but he already had a foot in the door. Carl stepped forward, hoping she could see him better than he could see her. "So you admit there's something going on?" Thoughts of Tommy catching them had passed, these girls were hiding something. Had Tommy put the rule in place because of it? Was Clem locked in, too? He ran a hand through his hair, trying to coax some sort of brilliant answer to his question from the recesses of his mind, but he knew he didn't know enough to piece it together.
She had come to him and asked to be taken outside the wall. Why would she go to someone who was practically a stranger? Someone who didn't know the secret. Now, he was being ignored by a little snitch. He scowled in the darkness, snapping back at Clem. "It started to involve me when I broke the rules because of you two!" he said. With a deep sigh, he pushed his anger to the side. He spoke again, in a calmer tone, "Whether you like it or not, I'm going to find out, now that I know there's something I don't know. So, can someone clear the air?" He wouldn't let it go; if they wouldn't give it up here, he'd go to Tommy or Andrea later.
Dot [Ellie ]
Things were spiraling out of control. Carl was starting to catch on that something wasn't right, and Clementine wasn't making things better. Carl wasn't going to let this go, not when they've made it blatantly obvious there's a secret being kept. She felt bad for him, despite how angry she was at the situation. He probably thought she was manipulating him, and that couldn't have been any further from the truth.
She was glad that Clementine couldn't see her face in the darkness, the scowl that had etched its way across her face being less than flattering. She knew that she was probably just as at fault for this situation as she was, but she couldn't help but feel bitter about it. All she wanted was to help out, and Clem had blown it for her.
Sighing, she turned towards Carl's silhouette, biting her lip as she mulled over what to do. Finally, she opened her mouth, letting the question circling her mind out in a quick breath. "If I tell you, promise me you won't freak out."
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
The silence Carl initially got in response was not the right answer, but Ellie surprised him by being the one to respond. Taken aback by the plea, he didn't say anything initially. Is it really that big of a secret? Clearing his throat, he responded. "Well, it's not like it's anyone else's business, right? I won't say a word." Hopefully, that would put the girl at ease. If it was this serious to them, he wouldn't go and violate their trust right off the bat.
Dot [Ellie]
Right, okay, yeah… guess it's time to do this again, then…
At this point, there was no backing out of it now. Clementine would probably advise her against it, but the situation demanded it, just as it did when she first told her baseball-capped friend back in Pittsburgh. She took in a deep breath, pacing slightly, before focusing on Carl again.
Alright, here we go…
"Back in Boston, months ago, I… got bit by the infected. The fungal ones." She gulped, mentally cursing herself with each word. "For a while, I just… waited to turn, but- but I never did. Weeks after that, I met Joel, when he was hired to smuggle me out of Boston and take me to the Fireflies, so they can make the cure. That's… why we're here, to find out where the Fireflies are from his brother. I'm guessing he doesn't want me going outside the walls because… you know… it puts the cure at risk."
Of course Clem's right. When the fuck isn't she?
Clearing her throat, she continued in a soft tone. "I've got the bite to prove it, on my arm."
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Carl waited with patient intensity, giving Ellie the chance to explain herself. Explain herself with the most ridiculous spiel of bullshit he couldn't have imagined. There was something about the soft, almost timid tone of her voice, however, that made him not quite so sure it was all lie. Shaking his head, he turned and stepped forward, searching for a wall. "That's such an insane excuse, I really don't know if it's true or just bullshit." Talking over his shoulder, he found and followed a wall towards the front of the building, until he reached the door to the stairwell off to the right of the main door. With a click, it opened. He turned back to the shadows. "So, I'm going to see if you're telling the truth. Follow me, there's a light downstairs."
Going back outside might be a terrible idea because of whoever might be lurking, so the only way to go was down. The church had, apparently, been clean of the infected; Barricaded, but empty. The basement had been clean, a single bulb on a chain and shelves lining the wall. It acted as a storage room for the school supplies, but the cellar door was painted over. The small room had not been empty; People hiding from the infected had gone inside and hidden, with supplied that obviously didn't last. They hadn't even bothered to clean up the bones; No one had a reason to go in there. He took his lighter out of his pocket and held it high, sparking the flame and leading the girls down the staircase. When he reached the basement, he quickly pulled the chain and turned on the light.
They followed down, but he went no further. Turning around, he forced himself to keep his eye open as the lights turned on, so he could see the two of them. Carl didn't bother hiding the speculation in his voice as he addressed them, "What the hell is going on?" Talk of immunity, of cures, of things that everyone knew didn't exist. The only world was the world full of cannibalistic monsters, and there was nothing we could do to change that.
Why would I believe anything different?
Art [Clementine]
Clem's once wide eyes had been shut in frustration, nothing but disapproval in her expression. There wasn't a speck of doubt in her mind, by then, that Ellie couldn't keep a secret to save her own life. Joel'd be pissed and they'd both probably end up hearing an earful from someone because of it, but now Carl knew, and it was too late to do much of anything about it. Clementine followed them downstairs, towards the light, where a bunch more explaining was about to crop up, she wagered. Screw it. May as well…
"Look, it's… it's true, alright?" Clem chipped in, arms still crossed. "I thought it was crazy too, but it's real. Whatever it is, it doesn't affect her. Ellie's immune."
"The reason we're after the Fireflies, why they won't let her leave… that's why." The girl stated with confidence, though her gaze told the opposite, brimming with regret as it shifted away from Carl and Ellie alike. Only thing she could hope for at that point was for Carl to keep his promise and not freak the fuck out.
Dot [Ellie]
As Clementine tried to explain everything to Carl, Ellie slowly rolled up her sleeve to reveal the bite. She had cleaned it that morning, so it looked… not so bad, really. She flicked her gaze back towards Carl, deciding to not say anything since Clem had already done most of the talking for her. It was on him to decide whether or not he wanted to believe her, as long as they got this over with and could move on.
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Well… It was definitely the bite.
Carl couldn't have mistaken it. If you've lived this long, you knew what a human bite mark looked like. Or, a scar of one. Faded, not a red mess of tissue but a flesh-colored one where teeth had definitely sunk into her forearm. It was… unlike anything he'd ever seen. At first, he was speechless, his mouth gaping ever-so-slightly. Had they been in any other circumstance, he'd have been hacking off her arm, probably against her protest. However, it was obvious that this wasn't a fresh bite. It was an old bite. When faced with something he was sure didn't exist, he didn't know what to believe. Once he saw it, he hardly even heard Clementine try to back up Ellie's claim. This was just about all he needed.
He forced himself to muster up some sort of response, before it got too awkward. "So… you're bitten, but you're… okay." The words had to be spoken, to be felt, before he could decide how he felt about them. It was foreign. Alien. Clementine mentioned they were looking for the Fireflies - a reasonable aspiration, if you were immune. He'd never dealt with them personally, besides being hassled in his travels a little bit, but everyone knew what they stood for. Finding a cure. The bite was no doubt there, but that left one uncertainty. "If you're trying to go to see the Fireflies, why are you still here?" It didn't make sense to stick around, once you had what you wanted.
Dot [Ellie]
Ellie felt her lungs decompress as Carl seemed to finally calm down and believe them. It was always nerve-wracking when the immunity had to be revealed to someone, an anxiety too difficult to get over, yet she'd been forced to do it all the same. If Clementine had just gone with them, then this wouldn't have had to happen. She felt petty for thinking that, but she did just fuck up her chances on going outside the walls.
When Carl asked why they were still there, Ellie let out a scoff. "We've been waiting on Tommy to tell us where to find them."
She was starting to think that he had no intention to tell them in the first place.
King Caw [Carl Grimes ]
Tommy wasn't one to beat around the bush, unless it was really getting under his skin. Carl assumed Ellie was that thing. Their leader knew where the Fireflies were stationed - just like half of the community - as most of the people here were retired Fireflies. Carl, by osmosis, also knew. One of the things he loved about this place was that there was no bigger entity with its tendrils in the community; there was no fear to speak your mind. You could discuss anything, and there was no fear of repercussion. This was a big topic for discussion, that no one knew about.
So why wasn't anyone saying anything?
Tommy hadn't told him anything, Andrea hadn't told him anything. Just that these girls were visiting with Joel. Maybe… they don't want me to let the cat out of the bag. Nearly a week later, and they didn't know anything more. This already had questionable written all over it. Carl backed up until he was against the wall and sat down, rubbing his brow, trying to guess what Tommy was trying to do. The girls were in school. They're looking for science-y books. And Tommy has some serious qualms against the Fireflies - something they probably didn't know. Clearing his throat, he spoke across to them, "Coming to him might not have been the best idea; he kinda hates the Fireflies. Thinks their terrorists." It sucked to be the one to drop this bombshell on them, but someone had to do it at this point. Carl could only begin to realize the significance of what Ellie's immunity meant, but he did know that he'd try to help them if he could. It just didn't make sense for him to try to keep someone immune away from the Fireflies!
Dot [Ellie]
Things started to make sense as Carl tried to explain a potential reason why Tommy was dragging his feet. She chewed on her lip, her eyes flicking between the boy and Clementine in rapid motions. She cursed underneath her breath. "Andrea mentioned something like that, back at the dam. Makes sense now, I guess. But…" she let out a heavy breath, shaking her head. "I trust Marlene. The Fireflies are the only ones out there with the stuff to get the cure and share it with the world. There's no other choice here." And I'm finishing this, no matter what. "We have to go."
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Carl was silent. So that was the way it really was? Ellie didn't beat around the bush - apparently, she'd made the decision on the importance of making it to the Fireflies long ago. And, he couldn't help but agree. He knew that in a community of mostly laborers and marksmen, they didn't have the brainpower to make leeway on a cure efficiently. That was why they were sending their trusty poster boy to go fetch the right books. The logical thing to do would be to send her to wherever the scientists were; not here.
Suddenly, taking her outside the wall didn't seem like such a good idea. What if she were to get hurt out there, where she isn't supposed to be, and it was him to blame? Hell, he'd deserve the lynching. He spoke up, "I don't really want to be responsible if you end up getting hurt out there, Ellie." He liked the redheaded girl, but he liked the prospect of a cure even better. "I understand why you didn't tell me. But now that I know, I can't sneak you out and risk it." He hesitated for a second, before continuing, "I could help you all get out, if it gets to that point. But not till then." A voice in his head told him he was stupid, but he ignored it. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
Art [Clementine]
Clementine's eyes restlessly shifted towards the stairs on her left and back, worried that someone would spot them down there, or even worse, overhear any of what was being said. Ellie wouldn't stop talking - sometimes it sounded like she couldn't help herself, really - until they'd reached the crux of that whole thing; Ellie was immune, so they couldn't leave… and they couldn't leave, because they didn't know where to go. She could feel her brows twisting at the mention of Tommy, who Carl insisted was the wrong guy to approach about it. Hates the Fireflies...?
Clem hadn't put any real thought into it until then, but… Carl did know Tommy. Probably better than most, actually. While Ellie was occupied citing that woman, Marlene, that was the only thing going through the other girl's head. If he knew about Tommy and the Fireflies, even as far as how he felt towards them…
Her gaze met Carl's in a dash, just as the boy was about to finish what he had to say. He had to know more than he was letting on, she couldn't be any less certain of it. Clementine waited and didn't speak until the moment the basement had fallen completely silent. Though the girl's lips moved in a soft pattern, her eyes remained unwavering, dead-set on the boy who tried to sneak Ellie out of Jackson. "You know where the Fireflies are..." she said, the tone of her voice nearly vacant. It wasn't so much a deduction as it was a well-educated guess, but by then, the girl was thoroughly convinced. If he didn't know where they were… he had to know something. He had to. Clem crossed her arms in a manner almost indignant, waiting for Carl to speak up.
"Tell me I'm wrong."
King Caw [Carl Grimes]
Clementine's next question didn't take him by surprise - His offering to help was a pretty big hint that he knew. Carl crossed his arms and answered curtly, "Well, sure I do. Most people here do." He paused, but knowing what she'd say next, he continued. "But I can't tell you, or you'll all leave immediately, and they'll have to point the blame at someone." This someone was, of course, him. Unfortunately, even to himself, his argument sounded lackluster.
Taking a deep breath, he stood back up and spoke in soft tones, "Listen. I need you to lay low and do what they tell you to do. Tommy isn't an unreasonable man, so let me talk to him and see what's up first." As he continued, his voice hardened. "Don't try anything stupid and get us all knee-deep in shit, got it?" This already looked bad - him, at the back door, with the two new girls; one of which is immune and banned from leaving. This wasn't at all what he'd expected when Joel's brother showed up again, and he couldn't just toss aside Tommy and Andrea so easily. Why were you so stupid in the first place?
Dot [Ellie]
You don't want to be responsible for me? I can take care of myself, asshole. The thought crossed Ellie's mind as she breathed in deeply, exhaling in an angry breath. What was it with people thinking that she was incapable of defending herself? What made it worse was that Carl was her age, and still thought that she couldn't defend herself nearly as well as he could. She felt her fingers curl into fists, holding back the anger boiling to the surface as Carl and Clementine spoke about the Fireflies and their location.
So, he wouldn't take her out there, and he wouldn't tell them where to find the Fireflies.
What an absolute dickhead. He was just looking after himself, not even bothering to think about the importance of their mission. How could he just hold back information like that, when it was so fucking crucial?
The urge to escape dissipated as anger filled her veins. She clenched her fists, looking away from the boy bitterly, before letting her fingers uncurl. He wasn't worth the effort. Her gaze fell onto Clementine, feeling the urge to get out of that stuffy basement as soon as possible.
She bit her lip, holding back harsh words she wanted to unleash on Carl, before she finally managed to meet his gaze and find the words she needed to say. "We're getting to the Fireflies, with or without you." She turned back towards Clem, brushing past her as she headed towards the door. "C'mon, let's go."
Art [Clementine]
Clementine found herself raising a brow at the boy's response, any semblance of triumph brought about learning the Fireflies' whereabouts being crushed by what followed. His reasoning made sense, she inferred, selfish as it may've been. It did little, however, to help drive away the scowl nesting just under her piercing amber eyes.
Ellie walked away with angry steps after saying her piece, something Clem couldn't help but sigh at. Not that she was surprised. Really, Clementine found it just as discouraging… waiting days for an answer that never came, only to be told to wait some more. It's no wonder why Ellie was so desperate to ditch that place. I'm lucky I found them when I did… with her and Carl now awkwardly staring at each other, Clem's shoulders loosened as her eyes drifted away from his, the girl staring off into space. Now that that whole thing was dealt with, she had to make sure Ellie didn't do more to get them in trouble. "I'll see you, okay?" Clementine stammered softly, climbing up the stairs to rendezvous with her friend.
"Hey, wait!" She yelled, wrapping her arms around her chest as the cold breeze outside once more rushed past her. It didn't take long to catch up to Ellie, not in the quickened pace Clementine walked in, yet the girl grew frustrated at Ellie's aloofness, nonetheless. "What is wrong with you? You were gonna sneak off without telling me?" Those words ended up escaping her as careful thinking took a back seat. It did sound a lot less self-centered when her reason for being mad didn't involve feeling left out.
Dot [Ellie]
It wasn't long before Ellie stomped her way back to the side door, preparing herself to return home. Laying in that bed was starting to sound nice, for once, though even that thought was interrupted by Clementine's words from behind her. Ellie stopped by the gate leading out to the street, hand outstretched to yank it open, but she pulled it back as she turned to look at Clem.
She knew she was being bitter, and found herself not caring. Maybe that made her a bad friend, just like she's thought a dozen times, but at that moment, only one thing was in her mind.
"All I wanted was to help out." Her words were cold, angry, and she struggled to maintain her voice, as if it'd give out at any second. "Their doctor is looking into the cure, so I thought that maybe helping Carl find what she needs would… I don't know, help? We were just going to walk out the front gate until that jackass wouldn't let us out. Things sorta just… happened from there." She let out a heavy sigh, averting her gaze from Clementine's. "You were asleep, and he asked for help. I didn't really… think it through."
As obvious as it is.
Art [Clementine]
Excuses; That's all she was hearing. Like somehow the fact that Ellie lied to Carl about being immune just to take a stroll beyond the walls made it any better. "I can't believe you," Clementine hissed, disapproval so evident in her eyes it made the glares she'd shot at Carl earlier look plain. The girl raised her voice, returning Ellie's cold tone with sharp words of her own. "If anything happened to you out there, then that's it. Don't you get that?" The thought of it alone had the girl fuming. The things they had to do, the months it took to get there, all the times they almost died. It would've all been for nothing, and they would've lost their only shot at a cure… and still, none of that even held a candle to the possibility of losing her best friend.
"Why can't you fucking take this seriously?"
Dot [Ellie]
As Clementine's words washed over Ellie, she turned away, back towards the gate, and closed her eyes, breathing in quiet, rapid ins and outs. The fact she knew Clementine was right only pissed her off more, and she was too proud to admit that to the girl's face. She knew that she was being unreasonable, but… what was she supposed to do? Just sit down and do nothing? Harsh words hung on the tip of her tongue, but she kept her mouth shut and her gaze focused on the wrought iron gate in front of her. She's lost, after all, no need to alienate her only friend because she was pissed off.
Even if she wanted to tell her to fuck off.
She opened her mouth to reply, to say something along the lines of 'sorry' and 'forget about it', but the words failed to come out. Instead, she glanced at her friend, anger subsiding into a somber glower, before stepping towards the gate. She pushed it open, not even bothering to look around her to see if anyone would see them, then headed home as fast as she could walk, hoping that Clementine wouldn't follow her.
Right now, she needed time to clear her head, before she'd say something she would regret.