[She's quiet for a long time and that worries him. He doesn't know if she just...stopped responding- was getting ready to start tearing through the mansion to find her. He only vaguely knows how much she's lost- bits and pieces of a long and sorry tale. He knows enough to know it's been a lot, and he's aware adding himself to that tally probably isn't fair.
But he also remembers AJ bringing her back to the school. He remembers Ruby patching her up and that face she made when she knew shit was bad and the chances of pulling through were slim. He remembers spending sleepless days watching her, jumping at any movment she made- listening for her taking a breath instead of that horrible death-rattle that meant it was too late for anyone anymore.
Those memories are still sharp in his mind- he can't deal with that again. It's only that she got better that he dealt with them back home. Those few days taught him a horrible lesson: that he's completely lost without her.
He can hear the sadness in her voice, feels a pang of guilt that he's done this to her, but knows the alternative is so much worse. He's not strong enough to let it go the other way. Not strong enough at all. ]
I will. When I find you.
[Like a dog with a bone. He and Clem don't have a lot of things in common, but bloody-minded stubbornness sure is one of them.]
Fuck. If something happens to you, Louis, I swear--
( The mutter leaves her harsher than she means it to. Tears still prick her eyes, and she turns off the device, shoving it into the bag.
Clementine closes her eyes tightly. Her jaw locks, and she tries to breathe out through this feeling like a fire in her chest. She's terrified. That's the truth. She is so damn scared for him.
This is one of those moments.
She's had more of them than she can count.
One of those moments where she makes a choice, and the choice results in someone else living or dying (and didn't she already have that moment earlier? isn't that why she packed her bag?). She can tell him where she is, or she can hunker down, because he'll still probably fair better without her. Even if he won't be paying as much attention because he is trying to find her.
She wants to scream again but doesn't, rubs furiously at her face, and then forces herself to stand by pushing up against the wall behind her. To keep going (to keep moving forward). To- to make this room a place as protected as she can.
I can't guarantee it won't regardless of where I am. None of us can ever guarantee that Clem, you know that.
[Not here, not back home. They have to live for the day and try not to leave a life of regret behind them when they go. Take risks. Say what needs to be said, do what needs to be done. Any of them could die at any time.
He can't promise her that he'll be safe because he doesn't know what's going to happen. He won't make that promise if he knows he can't keep it. She goes quiet again and that worries him. ]
( Clementine turned off her network device, because she felt like he'd be able to convince her if she listened much longer. It's the kind of effect that goes against everything that her instincts are telling her, screaming at her. And the conflict settles uncomfortably within her rib cage.
So the Event happens. She is found like she thought she might be, but she survives, barely. Thanks to her traps, thanks to some quick thinking at the last second and a shotgun to one of the thing's faces. Her ears are still ringing. There's a wide cut on her arm.
She is patching it up when she finally listens to the message that he sent her, and then she tries to call him back, tries to contact him back, but he's not answering (he can't answer).
He can't answer. She tells herself it is because he is busy. It is because he is saving himself instead of worrying about her. He is okay. There are just a lot of these fucking aliens everywhere, and he has to be in the middle of fighting them )
Louis- ( She can hear the shakiness in her own voice, the strained nature of it despite her attempts to speak more calmly. She hates it. ) I hope you're not coming to find me, and you're just keeping yourself alive now. Staying somewhere safe, being aware of your surroundings, keeping your guard up.
You can be angry at me later or angry at me now. You can hate me later for what I did. Just-
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teamfun
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[audio]
Date: 2019-05-08 11:48 pm (UTC)But he also remembers AJ bringing her back to the school. He remembers Ruby patching her up and that face she made when she knew shit was bad and the chances of pulling through were slim. He remembers spending sleepless days watching her, jumping at any movment she made- listening for her taking a breath instead of that horrible death-rattle that meant it was too late for anyone anymore.
Those memories are still sharp in his mind- he can't deal with that again. It's only that she got better that he dealt with them back home. Those few days taught him a horrible lesson: that he's completely lost without her.
He can hear the sadness in her voice, feels a pang of guilt that he's done this to her, but knows the alternative is so much worse. He's not strong enough to let it go the other way. Not strong enough at all. ]
I will. When I find you.
[Like a dog with a bone. He and Clem don't have a lot of things in common, but bloody-minded stubbornness sure is one of them.]
[audio]
Date: 2019-05-09 05:17 am (UTC)( The mutter leaves her harsher than she means it to. Tears still prick her eyes, and she turns off the device, shoving it into the bag.
Clementine closes her eyes tightly. Her jaw locks, and she tries to breathe out through this feeling like a fire in her chest. She's terrified. That's the truth. She is so damn scared for him.
This is one of those moments.
She's had more of them than she can count.
One of those moments where she makes a choice, and the choice results in someone else living or dying (and didn't she already have that moment earlier? isn't that why she packed her bag?). She can tell him where she is, or she can hunker down, because he'll still probably fair better without her. Even if he won't be paying as much attention because he is trying to find her.
She wants to scream again but doesn't, rubs furiously at her face, and then forces herself to stand by pushing up against the wall behind her. To keep going (to keep moving forward). To- to make this room a place as protected as she can.
Her steel returns. )
[audio]
Date: 2019-05-09 08:51 pm (UTC)[Not here, not back home. They have to live for the day and try not to leave a life of regret behind them when they go. Take risks. Say what needs to be said, do what needs to be done. Any of them could die at any time.
He can't promise her that he'll be safe because he doesn't know what's going to happen. He won't make that promise if he knows he can't keep it. She goes quiet again and that worries him. ]
You know I'm going to come and find you.
[audio] (later into the event)
Date: 2019-05-11 04:58 pm (UTC)So the Event happens. She is found like she thought she might be, but she survives, barely. Thanks to her traps, thanks to some quick thinking at the last second and a shotgun to one of the thing's faces. Her ears are still ringing. There's a wide cut on her arm.
She is patching it up when she finally listens to the message that he sent her, and then she tries to call him back, tries to contact him back, but he's not answering (he can't answer).
He can't answer. She tells herself it is because he is busy. It is because he is saving himself instead of worrying about her. He is okay. There are just a lot of these fucking aliens everywhere, and he has to be in the middle of fighting them )
Louis- ( She can hear the shakiness in her own voice, the strained nature of it despite her attempts to speak more calmly. She hates it. ) I hope you're not coming to find me, and you're just keeping yourself alive now. Staying somewhere safe, being aware of your surroundings, keeping your guard up.
You can be angry at me later or angry at me now. You can hate me later for what I did. Just-
( Her voice grows smaller. )
Just be okay.
( but he never answers. )