KEEP MOVING FORWARD;

  “judging by this… map drawn out for us, we might be able to get there in a few hours.” she squints, staring at the supposed trail that’ll lead the two of them to their destination. it was a relatively safe path, taken by merchants and travelers alike. it also meant that it was open to bandits, hence, the reason for the request in the first place. simple enough. all they had to do was deliver medicine. and maybe deal with a few troublemakers on the way.

  clementine folds the piece of parchment carefully, sliding it back into her side pouch for safe keeping. she turns to her companion, smiling lightly, though the concern was apparent on her face. being a beastkin was a hassle in itself, but she couldn’t imagine what it felt like being turned into what was essentially a vampire. or as ellie put it—  half vampire. dhampir? something like that. the concept was completely foreign to her ears. maybe it wasn’t that bad.

➜ BASICS

name: clementine age: 17 race: beastkin ( cheetah ) alliance: the kingdom of airaisal  ( cotes ) appearance: ( here ! ) human body with a few animal changes. two small ears sit at the top of her head, sometimes hidden in her hair. long fluffy tail. sharp fangs and longer nails. her skin tone is of a pale yellow shade, peppered with black spots close together all over her body ( it’s not fur ). black eyes. the sclera is dark yellow, with black tear markings underneath.

➜ LINEUP

canon abilities: none race-specific abilities: enhanced strength and senses, enhanced speed on land ( body is adjusting, so she’ll fumble here and there when she’s not conscious of it ) event-specific spells: restore, slow, silence, barrier, water walking weaponry: one wooden dagger, purchased iron dagger as a back up

➜ OTHER

commonly found: around diapool, hanging about. since she’s been adapting to her newfound speed, she'll do a lot of simple delivery jobs around the city. if you see someone zooming by during the day, it’s probably her. at night, she’ll wander around the outskirts of the city or hunt within the forests, trying to stay out of unnecessary fighting. she’ll aid those in need of protection, but keeps to herself for the most part. political opinion: she just wants to go back to her pseudo-home. level of loyalty to kingdom: bare minimum. she doesn't mind airaisal, honestly. other than being a... beastkin, thing, the people are okay and she likes the nature-built city. she's mostly fed up with the situation, but knows adapting is the only way to get things back to normal.

she may be faster than average, but she’s not sonic.

seems to dislike being in water now. she’s tried to tolerate it, but...

surprisingly picked up on magic well. only learned some debuffs / defensive spells.

known as a reliable supply runner when needed.

the teen shrugs halfheartedly, though it isn’t meant to be dismissive. she’s just heard it all before. you did what you had to, it was us or them—  so on and so forth. there’s sincerity in his words that she appreciates at least. something clementine hadn’t felt that from others since her departure from richmond. then again, she didn’t give many people the chance. not these days. “it’s fine.” she says, staring quietly into the fire. “we all do what we can.”

when he asks about her story, the comfortable silence between them stirs. her heard turns, studying him with uncertainty. sharing meant trust. she didn’t trust him fully, no. but… if it hadn’t been for him, she wouldn’t be alive right now. so, she decides to oblige a little.

“was home with a sitter. while my parents went on a trip.” she starts, brow creasing as the vague memory plays in her mind. clementine doesn’t remember how sandra gets bit. an accident, maybe. “when, uh... she left to get help and didn’t come back, i didn’t know what else to do. i hid out in my tree house until someone found me a few days later. then we ended up with a group of good people.” and so many groups after that, all of them trying to survive in their own way. “now, it’s just me.” hopefully... that’ll change soon. 

There is a giggle that left her lips at the joke. It felt nice that Clementine was easing into talking to her more. While they hadn’t hung out a lot the past month or so, she remembered when she first met Clementine. To think now they’d be visiting each other and talking. If anything, a small part of her appreciated the other for keeping her company whereas so many others seemed to come and go. Her mind drifted often, hoping that some day, both of them got to go back home, especially since Clementine seemed so antsy to do so–

Elysia paused what she was doing, eyes staying on the can of soup in her hands, feeling herself tense. She wasn’t sure how she felt about answering any questions from a few months ago. In fact, she was sure that Clementine might not be happy if she found out what had happened to other self. “Ah? Yeah, okay then.”

However, it seemed like fate (or whatever) decided to intervene as the power flickered off. Clem’s voice echoed as Elysia lifted her fingers, the tips aflame. A recent ability she had learned but one she was thankful for the moment as it offered a bit of light. That was, until, Clementine used the phone’s light and caused her to squint from the brightness.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think the power just went off–” Eyes glanced around as she heard distinct….wailing? It continued and she could feel a shiver go down her spine. “Uh…I’m not sure what’s going on actually…”

The wailing in the distance sends a chill through her body, head turning momentarily in the direction she heard it coming from. Thankfully they didn’t have to yell in order to hear each other. “Shit. I don’t like the sound of that either.” Maybe it was one of the oddball inhabitants she tended to avoid. Hah. No. Clementine knew that was wishful thinking. Her shoulders grew tense, wanting to prepare for the worst, but what did that even entail? 

Glancing back in her friend’s direction, she squints back, shaking her phone to see if her eyes were playing tricks on her. That was definitely a fire... which Elysia conjured up herself? That can’t be right. She never told her—  “Is... that real? Are you doing that?” The feat itself probably isn’t extravagant in Elysia’s point of view, but Clementine doesn’t come from a fantasy land. The fact that she can do it was more than enough to impress and shock her. That being said, what else didn’t she know? She must’ve had her reasons. It was just unexpected.

“I bet I look super different in dim lighting, huh?~” Joking lightly, Ely held out the bags and did a quick twirl in place, giving off a pose after she finished one loop. It was the silliness to be expected but seeing Clementine here, she pondered how long had it been since they had last seen each other. Probably a lot longer than she wanted to admit. “Oh you know, two jobs!! Never know when I’ll need Dust around here. But sure!! The help is appreciated.”

Handing over one bag, Elysia moved to open the door to the condo and gestured for Clem to lead the way, closing the door behind them. “Different from your end, but our kitchen is over here. But to answer you from earlier, yeah! Before, it was easy just to buy for me, but with two more people, I feel like I should help and keep the food stocked.”

Easygoing laughter, she placed the food down on the counter and started to move to put stuff away, trying to keep the mood casual. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting long?”

With a light chuckle, she carefully takes the bag offered, grip tight. Elysia acted as bright as ever. She seemed okay... but was she? She was good at reading people ( sometimes ), but people like her made it hard to tell— hiding behind a smile. Lingering worries continued to itch at the back of her mind as she followed her friend inside. 

She blinks, glancing over at the kitchen. “Oh, uh, right.” Clementine promptly places the rest of the groceries upon the counter, sorting them out with ease. “Not at all. I was only there for a few minutes. Besides, the thing in the sky kept me company.” Chuckling half-heartedly, her voice trails off, gaze lowering to the random box of cereal her hand rested on. 

Normally, she was more straightforward. So why was it difficult to bring up? She took a breath, releasing it slowly to calm her nerves. She had to know. “Look, I... wanted to ask you something. About what happened a few months ago.” Did you find the other you? How did you feel after it ended? There were so many questions, but the minute her mouth opened again, the lights above them flickered and then, darkness engulfed the whole house. 

Everything has been busy lately. With all the chaos that has happened with the “joke” along with her jobs, Elysia simply wanted to keep herself afloat. It wasn’t hard, lest anyone doubt she couldn’t keep herself busy. The lingering negative feelings from the last two events that happened kept an edge to her, almost like she was expecting the next big thing to hit and force her into another situation that wasn’t fortuitous for her. Not like the Not-Sun was helping any.

With new roommates, Elysia had opted to try to keep the place full of food and little things to make them feel at home. Not that she had properly met them, but one of these days!!! Thus, when she came walking back to her place from the store, carrying bags of groceries, her head tilted to the side. Who was–ah. 

“Hehe, didn’t know you’d be visiting today!! Had I known, I would have made something special to eat.” There was a light teasing tone, expected from Elysia, but deep down, there was a little bit of dread at seeing Clementine here. 

The silence grows and it leaves the teen to wonder if she arrived at a bad time, until a perky voice from behind catches her off guard. Whipping around, Clementine’s eyes widen, then she squints, taking in the woman’s appearance. As her vision adjust, she realizes she was just the person she was looking for. “Elysia! Hey— geeze. Almost didn’t recognize you in this dim light out here.”  Her shoulders relax, relieved that she didn’t have to talk her way inside through a roommate of hers.

“been here awhile? i’m still trying to adapt to this place.” ellie had only been dropped here and stayed for a full day after all. it was strange being alone with no familiar faces to keep herself more comfortable at all. if the island was any more different, she would have panicked. she hasn’t come across any potential threat yet so that was a good sign– for now.

“that’s… kinda bullshit.” responding honestly, flipping around the wooden dagger that was grasped in her hand. “and yeah, i’ve considered it. it could be used as a lethal weapon if it was sharp enough.” ellie didn’t take much as a moment to consider her words but hopefully the other girl would be able to understand. considering where she was now, it didn’t look too dangerous. rather put together?  still– she couldn’t just let her guard down even if she’s able to adapt one way or another. her eyes cast down, “i had a few weapons before i got here. a bow and arrow… a rifle, switchblade? now i’m just left with this lame wooden dagger. if any of the markets sell what i’m looking for, i’d be surprised.” she wasn’t confident on it, if she had to be honest.

“too long. seven months? almost eight.” there’s a subtle bitterness in clementine’s tone, but at the end of the day, this is where she lived. didn’t mean she couldn’t be upset about it from time to time. “people come and go. i don’t… i don’t know how it works, exactly.”  she adds quietly, slipping her knife back into its sheath. “you might get lucky. who knows.”

her brow raises slightly at the comment, face remaining unfazed. the first thought that came to mind was she was most likely self-sufficient. she wasn’t wrong, either. with a little creativity, many items could be made lethal. clementine's physical strength was average at best, relying on being quick and smart to stay alive. plus luck. lots of it.

Forcing herself to pushing down her worries for the time being, she continues down the spiraling path that lead to the condo she was looking for— 439. A quiet smile plays on her lips, glad she was able to get Elysia to meet up with her on a day off. It had been a long time since they were able to properly hang out, with the older woman being busy. She missed it. 

clementine glances at the hat in her hands, brows furrowing as she went deep into thought. “my dad never told me.” an index finger carefully traces the big worn ‘d’ in the center, noting how it was on the way to falling off. “said he would reveal the secret once they got back from their trip in savannah.” it didn’t happen. her voice trails off at the end, taking another quiet moment to herself. she hadn’t thought about that day in awhile. at least not her parents, specifically.

suddenly, the corners of her lips turn up gently, as a better memory set into place. “don’t laugh, but… i actually know a lot of words that begin with d. it was a game someone came up with when i was a kid. since i didn’t know the meaning behind the hat.” she explains, recalling the memory fondly. it was lee’s idea, actually. definitely the teacher in him. “once i couldn’t think of any more, they’d give me a new one to remember for next time. they said it was fun and i’d be learning all at once.” acted as a good distraction for her mind too. “hadn’t played in a long time. maybe… i should introduce this game to aj later. i think it’d be good for him.” once things settled down at least.

“i used to. not anymore.” thoughts and dreams of a world long gone were useless. their way of living was different now. if humanity ever built civilization back to what it once was, it would be long after she was gone. “i’d… probably be doing what any other kid would. going to school. i was interested in a lot of things. except math.” she smiles slightly. “liked to draw when i was a kid. maybe i’d be doing something… creative. who knows.”

“i…” spirale wasn’t a safe place, but it was safer in some ways. they’d be trading off what was essentially normal to a strange land with even stranger people. on the upside— they wouldn’t starve. a place to live in? as far as she knew; always. she’d be able to give him the life she struggled to give him. he’d actually be able to live. 

“there are new dangers here. i don’t like the idea of aj being stuck in it. when, uh… when aj was sort of… here around christmas time, he was having such a good time, i…” she pauses, sighing. he wasn’t even real back then though… was he? “in the end, if aj was here with me, it’d be one huge weight off my shoulders. i’d be really happy.”