01. [Action]

[smallsurvivor]

[Clementine woke with a shudder, body jolting itself awake. She hadn't intended to fall asleep, and particularly not in a place like this. It was a wide open forest, far from the confines of a safe place. She must have been careless, probably exhausted. It was a miracle she woke up with her face still intact! Before she could do anything, there were certain important points that needed to be thoroughly examined. Her arms, suddenly bare (why bare? She'd been wearing two shirts when she was last awake!), didn't seem to have any visible bite marks. Nor did her legs. She was sore around her shoulders, though. Had she been bitten there?? She'd have to find a mirror to be sure.

Or other survivors. Clementine was supposed to be looking for Christa and Omid. She hoped they weren't dead. Moreover, she hoped she wasn't dying. Whatever happened before, staying here was a bad idea. Lee didn't give up everything just so she could forget what he said! She just needed to keep her gun close and--

Oh gosh. Even her gun was missing! She'd have to try to find an abandoned store with some other firearms. And then she'd potentially have to find a way away from whoever cleaned her up and changed her clothes. They were probably really nice people with good intentions, but what if they weren't? Ever since the walkers started shambling around, she'd thought she knew who was trustworthy. But now most of the trustworthy people were dead. And she was on her own and nobody was going to look after her and why wasn't her gun anywhere??

She needed to get moving. She'd go off on her own and she'd figure out where she was and why she was there and then retrace a trail back to Savannah. Christa and Omid were the last semblance of family she had left. They had to be somewhere. Clementine needed them to be somewhere. She needed them to be alive. She needed to touch their faces and gauge the life in their eyes and make sure nothing terrible happened. It was possible that the people who cleaned her up were still alive, but it was just too risky to try to attract anyone's attention. If she came across a pencil and paper, she'd just have to leave a thank you note instead.

At least the river was a landmark. Rivers led to oceans right? If Clementine followed the river far enough she'd have to run into the ocean, which was right next to the Savannah area where she wanted to be. Everything would work itself out. It just had to work itself out. More than enough bad things already happened.

Feel free to encounter Clementine anywhere on her journey. Perhaps she'll find you in the forest going about your business. Maybe you'll spot a silent pint-sized person peeking at you from around a corner near the outskirts of town. Clementine knows better than to approach. Walkers respond to sound. It's important to stay as quiet as possible.]

Comments

[originaljackass]

They make it at a farm. A big farm. With cows and tractors.

[smallsurvivor]

[ . . . ]

It's not a dairy farm. Is it?

[originaljackass]

It's an everything farm. Seriously, the place was huge.

[smallsurvivor]

So they had enough animals that the meat all comes from them? You're sure?

[originaljackass]

Yeah. Positive. Now go get changed.

[smallsurvivor]

Okay. Thanks Jack!

[So maybe there's a little more bounce in her step as she scurries to the changing room. It's getting harder to find a downside to this place, all things considered.]

[originaljackass]

[Jack hangs back and watches her go. Kids, man.]

That girl ain't right.

[smallsurvivor]

[She returns fully dressed, giving a small twirl when she reappears.]

It doesn't look stupid, right?

[originaljackass]

Clem, you look great. If you were twenty years older, I'd be asking you on a date.

[smallsurvivor]

But then I'd be old.

[29 is like. Grandma-age isn't it?]

[originaljackass]

Ten years older, then. But it's a good look for you.

[smallsurvivor]

Okay! [She nods brightly, returning to Jack's side.] Okay! Then I'll wear this! It's kind of tight on the top though.

[She's neglected to utilize the wing-holes in the back of the top, not yet having realized that she's got a set of them.]

[originaljackass]

Yeah, well, that's cuz you got your wings caught in there.

[He generously does absolutely nothing to help.]

[smallsurvivor]

Wings? But I don't have--

[She turns herself around, struggling to look over her shoulder.]

[originaljackass]

[He'd wondered how she had been so calm about her own wings. It never occurred to him that she simply hadn't noticed them. Jack braces her by the shoulder, then pokes at the lumps on her back.]

What do you call these?

[smallsurvivor]

[She yelps then, tensing.]

That's. Um. That's where I think I got bit. [And now he knows and he's going to stop being nice to her and this can lead nowhere good.]

[originaljackass]

No, they're wings, Clem. Hold still.

[He sets his briefcase down, digs about in it until he comes up with a small knife, then he turns on her to cut some holes into the back. Which shouldn't appear odd at all.]

[smallsurvivor]

[She flinches and holds herself still, stifling back the urge to squirm.]

But I don't have wings.

[originaljackass]

{A little bit of knife work later and she's got a pair of wings popping out of her back. He points off to a nearby mirror.]

Ten bucks says you do.

[smallsurvivor]

But you said there's no money--!!

[But she's turning around anyway, struggling to process what those two big yellow things are behind her.]

[originaljackass]

It's an expression.

[smallsurvivor]

Oh.

[Well there's still the wing thing!]

How do I make them work?

[originaljackass]

[Jack wiggles his with practiced ease.]

You gotta give it some time. It's like learning to wink. You can't do it all at once, but eventually you get the hang of it.

[smallsurvivor]

You can wink too? [That is not a skill Clementine's thought to master. But now she wants to. Oh Jack, the things she can learn from you!]

[originaljackass]

... yeah. Winking is one of my many talents.

[Not really something he considered a marketable talent, but who knew?]