forgetting

[willrememberthat]

[Ben]

[Don't think Clementine doesn't see you talking to Ellie, Ben. It wasn't too long ago that Ben had mentioned he had a thing with her, and Clementine is far from stupid--she knows what this means. Ellie probably left, came back, and now Ben's just... what? Going to play along?

She can't really fault him for that, but she's pretty sure he doesn't have a lot of people to talk to about this. Even if he did, he wouldn't. Ben doesn't really ever talk about things unless backed into a corner.

So, Clem makes the first move.]

Ben? Are you okay?

Comments

Clem

[indirectcause]

Hey, Clem.

[He really does need to be backed into a corner for this kind of thing. Direct questions help too, the kind he can't work his way around.

Damnit she is too smart for her own good.]

...It's been a weird week.

Ben

[willrememberthat]

[It's a little mean, she thinks, but she has the best intentions.]

Yeah, it has been.

Can I come over? I'll bring Copper.

Clem

[indirectcause]

[He loves her, so he'll forgive her for it.]

Yeah, sure. I'm in my room.

Ben

[willrememberthat]

I'll be over soon.

[And she is, Copper in her arms. He's getting a little too big for her to carry comfortably, so once Ben opens the door he's getting placed on the floor to get fur all over Ben's stuff.]

Action forever and ever

[indirectcause]

[Great dog fur everywhere, Ben steps aside to let Clem in.]

How're you holding up?

[Yep, gonna divert this onto her, try to stop him.]

[willrememberthat]

I'm okay.

[It's true. She's alright.]

I saw Ellie's post, though.

[She's nice and gives him the opportunity to talk before asking anything.]

[indirectcause]

[He'll just sit down with a weary sigh.]

I figured you did. [Another pause.] She wasn't even gone that long.

[willrememberthat]

[She sits down next to him.]

You didn't say anything.

[indirectcause]

[A lanky shrug.]

She doesn't need to know.

[willrememberthat]

[Clem... can't really argue that. And she's not here to.]

I'm sorry, Ben.

Do you want to talk about it?

[indirectcause]

[He is so tired of getting a losing hand. No matter what he does, no matter how he tries, he's doomed to fail. The first glimmer of hope that maybe, maybe for once things are looking up for him, and it gets ripped away from him. Only to be thrown in his face soon after like some sort of sick joke.]

I don't know. I just- it's just gonna be weird, is all. I guess it's just something you have to learn to deal with, living here.

[willrememberthat]

If she liked you before, I'm sure she'll like you again.

[Which is about as optimistic as she can be.]

[indirectcause]

[That's pretty high optimism, given everything.]

Why? So she can leave and forget me all over again? [That came out a touch more bitter than he intended, and he lets out a shaky breath.]

Sorry. I just don't think I could keep going through that. Not that way. We're just better off being friends.

[And he's better off staying in his dark little hole of depression, because at least he knows what's what there. Can't get yourself hurt if you don't let yourself feel in the first place.

Seems he still has some self preservation left, even if he's using it in the worst possible way.]

[willrememberthat]

[It's dumb, but she thinks if she were nine again she'd have something better to say. More and more she agrees with Ben.

She stares down at her shoes, sneakers that don't quite reach the floor even now, and lets the silence hang for a few moments.]

You should move in with me and Lee.

[indirectcause]

[It's awful, really, watching the change in her. Seeing her lose just a touch more of her innocence, of her faith in humankind and the world in general. It honesty worries him what will she be like, should she be sent home again. How much more of that sweet little girl will be lost to a world sweet little girls no longer belong in?

The offer is a tempting one. He's missed having that feeling of a family unit. Sitting in his room all alone, though comforting in its own ways, is not the same as sharing your living space with people you love. He can pretend he's grown up all he likes, he's still just a kid, at the end of the day.]

I don't know. ...You think Lee would be okay with that?

[willrememberthat]

[She glad he doesn't brush off the offer. Ben seems so lost and lonely that there's no way Lee could say no.]

I think so. We can have the castle add another room in ours for you.

[indirectcause]

[For once, he's making a fairly decent life decision, go him.]

I guess it would be nice to be closer to you guys.

[willrememberthat]

You guess? Oh...

[She's teasing.]

[indirectcause]

[That gets a huffed out laugh from him, at least, as he reaches out to give her hair a gentle ruffle.]

Don't be a butt.

[willrememberthat]

You're the butt.

[Said sweetly, of course!]

It'd be fun, us being closer together.

[indirectcause]

Uh huh, sure I am.

[He smiles, a genuine one, at that.]

Yeah, it would be. Safer, too.

[willrememberthat]

I know I'd be happier with you around. [No more attacks by bloaters when going to visit Ben...]

[indirectcause]

And I'll definitely be happy with you around. [No more bloaters ever please and thank you.]

[willrememberthat]

There are rules, though. One being that you have to say something if you're sad.

[indirectcause]

[Noooooo his precious brooding.]

...Really?

[willrememberthat]

Really. There's no reason for you to be alone in anything.

[indirectcause]

Sometimes, I prefer it that way.

[Not that it's even marginally healthy for him, mind.]

[willrememberthat]

Why?

[He can't REALLY like it, could he?]

[indirectcause]

I like having time to my thoughts.

[willrememberthat]

[She could ask and get a more direct answer, but she decides to be kind.]

My thoughts aren't very good when I'm alone.

[indirectcause]

[How good of her.]

...No, I guess not.

[willrememberthat]

They're not as bad when I have someone around, like you or Lee. I'm sure it's the same for you, right?

[indirectcause]

[Except when the crushing guilt threatens to consume him.]

...Yeah, sometimes.

[willrememberthat]

Then talk about the bad stuff. I'm not going to judge you.

[indirectcause]

There's some bad stuff I don't want to talk about.

[He never wants to know how he gave up, completely and totally. How much he was ready to accept and even welcome death. There are some things she doesn't need to know.]

[willrememberthat]

Why?

[She just wants to help.]

[indirectcause]

Because I don't want to worry anyone.

[willrememberthat]

I'm more worried when you don't say anything.

[indirectcause]

...I'm sorry about that. [Hey at least that much is true.]

[willrememberthat]

I don't think there's anything you can tell me that would scare me, Ben. Or worry me too much.

I notice what you do more than you think. [How many friends did he have outside of Ellie?]

[indirectcause]

That wouldn't surprise me. [Not many, that's for sure. The hard lesson he leaned was that he had to be careful who he let his guard own around. That doesn't do much for making friends.]

And I know, but I still try to avoid it. [Because she's younger than him, maybe. More that she reminds him of his own little sister, and he'd never chance hurting her in a million years, the same applies to Clementine.]

[willrememberthat]

[Clementine looks a little frustrated, but just sighs.]

It's not an offer that's going to go away, you know.

[indirectcause]

[Captain Avoidance avoids once more!]

Yeah, I figured that would be the case.