clem feels comfortable around ellie  ,  more so than she wants to admit to herself  .  she’s willing to talk to her about things that she refuses to talk to anyone else with  .  for example  ,  ellie knows more about lee than anyone else in jackson does  .  all except the fact that clem was the one that put the bullet in his head  .  it’s not that big of a deal  ,  not in this day and age  .  and yet  ,  clem still feels guilty  .  she huffs  ,  slowing down in order to walk next to ellie  .  there’s a moment of silence before she inhales  ,  teeth sinking into her lower lip  .   ❝  that’s pretty fucked  .  sorry  .   ❞  she pauses again  ,  glancing around for a moment  .   ❝  you know  ,  i think lee would’ve liked you  .  he didn’t like groups too much but  …  i think he would’ve been okay with this one  .   ❞

        𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐒 𝐌𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄 , 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 , && 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃.   it’d made her blood boil , it’d made the sense of tightness in her chest almost suffocating.  these people knew nothing of what happened in seattle , of what they went through let alone ellie.   even dina knows why she did what she did && has chosen not to personally hold it against her━if she were in her shoes, && she could’ve been  with what happened to her mother ,  then dina would’ve done the   𝙴𝚇𝙰𝙲𝚃 𝚂𝙰𝙼𝙴.     eyes close for a moment ,    ❝  we both have things to apologize for even if you won’t see it that way , ellie.  ❞      tone continues level as dina tries to keep her composure despite the ever rising flood of   𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓   inside of her.  a shaky breath is taken into her chest , arms crossing over chest as if to defend herself against what was about to leave her lips ,     ❝  you left me , you left us ,  && everything inside of me wanted to hate you for it.  but , i know that i could never hate you.  i believe that you’re sorry ,  i can see it . .  ❞        ;         as long as dina has known she loved ellie she knew that it’d always be her━ellie, to dina, was the person she was suppose to be with.  dina was meant to have a life with her ,  why would she let this get in the way?  it’ll be hard    𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈   their relationship , but she’s decided ever since ellie came back that this was what she wanted.  ellie needed to know that she didn’t lose everything.   bottom lip quivers ,  eyes glancing away as burning hot , yet slightly relieving ,  tears begin to pour out of her eyes && down flushed cheeks :     ❝  you hurt me so-so much when you left . . it was like you took a piece of me with you.  ❞   tone turns sorrowful for only a moment ,    ❝   i’ve decided i don’t want to be mad anymore , i don’t want to let my feelings over what happened 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍   me on he inside anymore.  ❞     eyes meet ellie’s again ,    ❝  when i left the farm i left all of the trauma && the pain behind . .  but i never left you , ellie.  ❞     a deep exhale leaves her chest ,  like a weight had been lifted.      ❝  i’m willing to try to fix things if you are.   i want too.  ❞    head nods as to reassure ,    ❝  do you-do you want that?  ❞    brow arched.   [do you still want me?]

the girl must recognize her name based on the relief that spreads across her features, the way her shoulders drop. jill’s own tension falls, a smile starting. it’s been a long time since she’s seen a kid; the youngest in their group is rebecca and she’s into her twenties now. there’s something about the reminder of generations continuing that makes the world feel a little lighter. 

the question is understandable. it’s rare to see anyone traveling alone, and often suspicious, but apparently she’s not the only one enjoying the silence and solitude of the afternoon. 

“ groups are easier to notice and we don’t want to lead anyone back to us or to jackson. so it’s just me today. what about you? “ 

she doesn’t want to tell her that a kid shouldn’t be out on their own like this. knows that the world they live in makes everyone grow up way too fast. but it makes her wonder just who authorized it and why, or if they even knew this girl was out front all alone. 

at the introduction, jill’s hand is halfway out to shake hers when suddenly she stops, the name sitting at the back of her mind like an itch. the hesitation lasts only a second and she takes the girl’s hand, eyes falling to the tattoo that adorns her forearm.  

ellie… 

her eyes widen, a sensation like her stomach dropping as realization hits her. of course the name is familiar; it wasn’t long ago that she heard it in the mouths of the fireflies. 

a stupid plan. reckless. inhumane. involving a child to be used as little more than a sacrifice in a fruitless attempt at a vaccine for a fungus. 

it’s too late to hide the recognition and jill gives an apologetic smile as she releases the handshake. she might be wrong, it might just be a coincidence, but she swears she can see a scar beneath the ink. one that mirrors her own, hidden under her sleeve on the tender part of her bicep. 

well, one way to be sure… 

“ you the same ellie the fireflies went after? “

your head nods in agreement,   taking into account what she said.    there’s a reason patrols are typically separated   —   a group of six divided into twos.    each duo goes   &   scouts the region they’re assigned,   killing any stray infected who’ve wandered in or forage for any food the last patrol might’ve missed.    ❝    that makes sense.    i,   on the other hand,   just wanted the  alone  time.    patrols give me the chance to think,   you know?    ❞    jackson’s too loud   &   some of the residents are pretentious assholes   —   you aren’t blind,   you note the looks they give you for your appearance   &   the tattoo that covers your forearm.    to the older residents,   you’re not the typical teenager they saw prior to the world going to shit.    to the others,   you’re too quiet   &   too much of a loner for their liking   —   it makes you look suspicious,   in joel’s words.    [well,   fuck that   ;   i don’t care.    it would be your usual response,   opting in a sigh from joel.    why  would  you care about their opinions?    they didn’t know you,   just like you  hardly  knew them.]    

you note the hesitation in shaking your hand,   your brows furrowing in evident confusion.    you go to open your mouth,   to question if everything was okay until you hear the question spill from her lips.    at that moment,   you could feel your heart plummet inside your chest,   drowning in  every  emotion you’d tried so desperately to bury.    you had shoved all memories of the fireflies in the back of your head,   storing it in a chest   &   locking it   —   you had thrown the key away years ago.    you can hear joel’s words echoing,   the whole speech of being careful,   not giving your name out to strangers   —   every rule he had given you about going out  alone.    the first time you break them,   this happens.    [what  a  fucking  joke.]    it doesn’t stop your heart from thumping to the rhythm of a war-drum,   anxiety flowing your veins   &   agitation blooming across your face.    your lips remain parted,   brain attempting to find the words to speak.    instead,   you finally close them,   gulping as you instead squint your eyes,   head tilting to the side.

@ehlie​ liked for a starter ! 

he should be studying  .  jayden is well aware of that fact  ( only because he’s sober )  .  he has a test on friday and if he fails  ,  his dad is gonna be pissed  .  then again  ,  his dad is always pissed  .  besides  ,  he wasn’t too worried  .  he was practically a honor roll student without the studying  .  brows arch towards the girl  ,  a faint grin on his features  .  ❝  wanna get high  ?  ❞

two young hunters on the precipice of the badlands,   teetering between lawlessness and the sound comfort of a village just beyond their shoulders.      their rifles are twins,   and it seems their intentions too;    she brings her weapon down and deadlocks on the fumbling body of an infected,    the one scrambling about the meander.    quickly,     his own spins off his shoulder and settles perfectly into the grip of his hands,    his palms polished with lethal intent.    the electric crackle of the gun going off to claim its target leaves the quiet river spotless.    in another second,    a few new rotten faces crawled out of their shadows in their fruitless pursuit of the sound.         ❝       there,   i saved you a penny and five seconds.        ❞     jace steps away,    the bones in his fingers ringing softly from metal and impact.    he looks to ellie,    all low-lidded eyes and lazy grins.        ❝       hit those two buffoons without missing,    and i might just tell you the story tonight.        ❞

SHE HAS EVERY REASON TO BE THIS UPSET  .  you know that  .  she deserves to be able to lash out  ,  even if it’s at the one person that wants to protect her  .  though  ,  you can feel yourself becoming upset at her words  .  all you’ve ever done since you took both her and riley in was try to protect them  .  to do what you thought was best for them  .  but  ,  obviously what you were saying didn’t get to them  .  if it did  ,  riley wouldn’t have snuck out to see her and she’d still be alive  .  you inhale sharply  ,  a glare resting in your eyes as you turn your focus towards her  .  ❝  ellie  ,  don’t start  .  i didn’t make riley leave and i’m not leaving you  .  i’m trying to protect you  .  so  ,  please  ,  let me do that  .  ❞

YOU KNOW SOMETHING’S OFF BETWEEN ELLIE AND CLEM  .  you’re good at picking up on things and for the two to usually be attached at the hip when it came to patrols and otherwise  ,  they’ve barely even made eye contact this morning  .  it makes you worry  .  you know you shouldn’t  .  if clem wanted to talk to you about something  ,  she knows she can  .  you just hope that ellie knows the same  .  you shouldn’t question ellie about whatever is going on between her and clem  .  clementine is damn near an adult  ( she turns eighteen in a few weeks )  but  ,  you’re still worried  .  what if its more than that  ?

you huff  ,  nodding faintly at her question  ,  smile still present on your features  .  ❝  my day is going okay  ,  just a lot on my mind  .  nothing for you to worry about  .  ❞  you pause for a moment  ,  wondering on how you can word this without sounding too  …  well  ,  nosy  .  though  ,  that’s exactly what you were being  .  ❝  have you spoken to clem today  ?  she’s been a little off since last night and i know the two of you are like two peas in a pod  .  ❞

the moment clementine’s name is brought up,   your heart sinks.    it falls into a pool of water   &   drowns right then   &   there.    it stings like an electric current,   lightning surging through everything   &   electrocuting you.    there’s a sense of anxiety that burrows itself into your heart,   your gaze faltering from lee to the ground,   watching every step you face.    hands shove themselves into the pockets of your jeans,   shoulders raising in an inhibited shrug.    ❝    i haven’t,   sorry.    ❞    it’s a quick natured response,   a rarity for you   &   abnormal.    lee knows you,   he’s not dumb   —   he’ll know something’s off.    he  already  knows something’s off.