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[focusrighthere]

[Immediately after he woke up, he began to panic. This was the wrong place to be. He was alone and some piece of shit took his watch -- his watch, Jesus Christ, why? It was broken, it wasn't worth anything to anyone but him. He swears under his breath and envisions a slow death for the party responsible while he moves through the giant castle like an angry shadow.

Normally he knows how not to be seen, but with the confusing events clouding over his judgment he's moving a bit too fast. It's huge in here. He's nowhere near Tommy's camp anymore, that's for sure. What he needs to do is push forward and search every area for Ellie, just keep searching until he finds the little girl he's lost somewhere along the way. Again.

If you are unfortunate enough to bump into Joel first, he's got a backpack full of weapons and explosives and a hell of a lot of snap judgments to make about anyone he might run into. It might not look like the start of a friendly encounter.

But he has no idea to expect magic from anyone or anything. You're all normal, fallible civilians, right?]

Comments

[focusrighthere]

[Not scared, cautious. Joel crosses his arms over his chest and glances both ways again, this time as a method of avoiding eye contact. He's not very nice, but he's not about to start barking at an innocent-looking kid who is offering to help him.

Which is suspicious. But so far it's quiet. It's just him, his backpack stuffed full with about eight different kinds of weapons, and the runt. He gives his name.]

Joel.

[willrememberthat]

I'm Clementine.

[She's reminded of Lily's dad for a moment, vaguely, briefly, and quickly decides to not think about that. Not all old guys were that... way.]

Um, do you want to see the kitchen? Most people are hungry when they get here...

[focusrighthere]

[The kitchen? Joel could barely remember what it was like not to be hungry. He looks sort of unsure about the idea that there'll be any food for him there; he's used to empty and raided kitchens, but this place... it was like someone had thrown him back in time.]

Sure, Clementine. You'll take me there?

[Despite himself, his tone softens out a little when he replies. She was so young. Goddamn it.]

[willrememberthat]

[Knew it. She smiles a little more easily now, stepping a few steps in the direction of the kitchen.]

Uh huh. This way. It's not far.

[focusrighthere]

That's a pretty name.

[He doesn't know what to say while he trails behind her, so he lets himself fall into a compliment. She'd perked up a little when he'd let his guard down.]

You're not here alone, are you?

[willrememberthat]

Thanks. I get that a lot. I don't think I've met anyone named Joel before.

[Not that a nine year old has that big of a social circle.]

No, I have friends from home here. [She was alone, at one time, but that seems like forever ago.] We take care of eachother.

[focusrighthere]

Glad to be the first.

[And he was definitely glad to hear that she wasn't alone. Nobody this young should be taken away from their home and have to live in a big castle without anyone they really knew. He figured her "home" was different from his own after what he'd learned; hopefully it was some place vaguely stable.

If only you knew, Joel.]

That's good. I'm sure they wouldn't wanna be separated from you, either.

[willrememberthat]

There might be people here you know.

[It's not long before they reach the large doors of the kitchen. Still, Clem's able to easily push them open as she hurries ahead. It's warm, inviting--safe. And clean.]

Here! You can get something to eat and I can show you the journals.

[focusrighthere]

[He already found the most important one, so he's quiet at first. It's the only reason he's allowing himself something to eat. Now he has to get used to the place and this one sure seems to know her way around.

Could still be some kind of trap, but he decides to risk it when he follows her through the kitchen doors. Joel blinks hard at the sight; it's one of the most beautiful things he's seen in 20 years. A fully-stocked and spotless kitchen.

He wanders over to a bowl of fresh fruit and stares at it like it might be hiding a bomb.] Can't believe this. [He didn't hear what she said last. Now he's checking up on one of the fridges.]

[willrememberthat]

[Clem watches him closely. She hangs back at the bowl of fruit, grabbing a few grapes for herself as he goes to the fridge. She can recognize that sort of awe, though her year is nothing compared to twenty.]

What do you mean?

[focusrighthere]

All this.

[But he pauses during his incredible journey through the kitchen. Is it safe to eat this food? Clementine was picking at the grapes, so he takes a few careful steps back to her and does the same. She'd already tested those.

The taste of the first grape brings back some memories. Holy shit.]

Goddamn. [Hold your tongue. She's not Ellie and she's younger. Joel looks at her and a surprised, raspy laugh forces its way out of his mouth before he can stop it.] You have no idea, kid. It's been decades since I've seen anything close to food like this.

[willrememberthat]

I didn't have fresh food for a long time before coming here, either. Not decades, though.

[focusrighthere]

[That surprises him. Clementine had reminded him of the way kids were before. Maybe a small part of him was hoping she hadn't been through too much and had latched onto that idea like it was a comfort.]

You didn't? [A pause.] What was your home like?

[willrememberthat]

I'm from Georgia. A while ago, everyone went crazy and started eating each other.

[She frowns, taking another grape.]

Dead people don't stay dead anymore.

[focusrighthere]

[That sounds... a little like home and very off at the same time. Joel trains his eyes down and back up at her, trying to make sense of it.]

Don't stay dead?

[Christ.]

Don't like the sound of that at all.

[willrememberthat]

Yeah. We call them Walkers. You turn faster if they bite you.

[focusrighthere]

[Joel nearly flinches at the word "turn"-- he's visibly tense and can't look away from this little girl now. Walkers.]

We, ah - we've got something like that. But they're not dead, just infected. Real dangerous. [A beat. Who knows what she's seen after all? He feels a pang of frustration and sadness for Clementine and he doesn't even know her well yet. She's just so damn young. He braces his elbows on the counter, leaning down to sorta get on her level.] Is it really safe here, y'think?

[She'd said it before, now he was collecting on it. If she knew what bad was she'd know what safe was. He's sincerely seeking her reassurance.]

[willrememberthat]

[She looks surprised--well, maybe he really means Walkers and doesn't know that's what they call them--but she doesn't want him to worry.]

Sometimes bad things happen, but there aren't any monsters like Walkers. There are a lot of good people here, too. Knights and heroes. It's okay.

[focusrighthere]

[Knights and heroes, huh? Like something out a storybook, with a castle and the whole cast of characters. Exuberant amounts of food. Shell-shocked kids who wander around with their older and equally shell-shocked counterparts.

Joel nods.] Alright, then. If you say so.

Guess we're lucky to have some of our people here with us.

[willrememberthat]

Yeah. It's not bad, here.

[focusrighthere]

Beats outrunning monsters, doesn't it?

[willrememberthat]

Where were you before you came here?

[focusrighthere]

Hm... year's 2034.

[He's gathered that not everybody is from the same time period, let alone the same world. As impossible as that sounds, as much as his mind is trying to tell him to reject that concept. Clem's from Georgia, but it doesn't sound like her breakout period or circumstances match up at all with his own.]

Last place I lived before here was Wyoming.

[willrememberthat]

That's really far in the future. It's 2009 where I'm from. [Or somewhere around there. Thanks, comics.

Clementine frowns. 2034. It's never really occurred to her to think about the future. The plan was always to find her parents, find safety. They've never thought about looking for a cure, and she's never really let it sink in that maybe this wasn't a temporary thing. Walkers would be around forever, until there were no people left.

If she made it to 2034, she'd be nearing her parents' age. She'd be older than Lee, maybe, and he'd--]

I'm sorry you have to deal with monsters, too.

[focusrighthere]

[2009. Four years before the infection started. Joel was 26 years old and Sarah... she was 8. He spaces out about the same time Clementine does, thinking about things he would rather not be thinking about and frowning at nothing in particular.

He leans his hip against the counter and folds his arms over his chest, features darkening over and brow furrowing up. It's not until Clementine speaks again, apologizes about the monsters, that he trains his eyes on her and gives her a closer look.

She looks no older than 8 or 9, he thinks.]

That's alright. [There's something tender in it. Quiet. He almost wants to ask about where her parents are, but he knows better than to bring it up before she does.] Your, ah, your friends. You said they look after you?