#she is called clem for multiple reasons | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cloudy-roro · 5 months ago

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I'm interested with how you would make the tributes avoxes without getting their tongues cut out I remember there was a theory that there are different types of avoxes but I don't remember where I learned about that or the details of it while I'm not putting it out of the capitol to disfigure and cut limbs for avoxes they wouldn't go that far because they still need the avoxes to be able to serve them and not be too grotiscue to look at since they would have to look at them one way or another and while they don't mind brutality they don't want their servants to look grotiscue I guess that's why in the movies they have masks or wear lipsticks but that's nor here or there (sorry it turned into a rant)

I too agree that the venom is kinda weird I have always interpreted that the reason clem didn't die when bitten is because she immediately got an antidote? I guess while the tributes didn't have access to medicine and were bitten multiple times but i agree I find it confusing that circ and coral got weird mutation while treech just died in seconds and it's kinda weird how it varies how long it takes for the snakes to kill who they bite

Reaper being a dad figure is absolutely canon to me he and jessup are the dads of the group although in my experience a fathers rage is the worst thing to encounter my dad is always the most chill and nerdy person that loves giving us hugs and is the most polite person one can encounter but if he ever gets angry it's terrifying we all have to stay quiet until he calms down ( don't worry he's not abusive) so while reaper is mostly silently intermediating if he gets pushed too far he'd snap I mean in the movie he's biggest moment of anger is when dill dies and he dares the capitol to punish him after he honored the tributes so while he's mostly calm and intimidating when it comes to the capitol he snaps ( understandably though) so hearing Clem ranting about how difficult she had it and then hearing her trying to justify the capitol and how the avoxes are the best alternative plus an intimidating getting person angry has to be terrifying

You're the treech expert and biggest fan you have made him play a big part in lots of your aus at this point ik if you get a au you would include him 😌😉

I think I like the idea of the nice mentors making a hole through the arena walls to let the tributes sneak out of the arena maybe pup gets some explosives from he's father's arsenal or basement and then io disable the cameras because better safe than sorry

I think it would be kinda sweet after the tributes are safe maybe some of them give Clem a talk about how she doesn't have to constantly be the perfect people pleaser and that she shouldn't let the snake features make her give up on her self because I personally think another reason she lashed out on top of everything is in a vain society like the capitol having a crazy disfigurement like that would case alot of body image issues and beats her already low confidence so maybe one of the tributes like dill or wovey or maybe lamina give her a talk about how beauty isn't everything and that her finally doing the right thing is the most important thing about her and they hope that she continues on that path I just think it would be a nice character development for Clem as much I have my contervtial opinions on clem I think she's supposed to be a parrler to how people would give in to socital pressure and give up their morals to not lose their safety and comfort despite how much it hurts so I think if the circumstances were different and she got a wake up call and allowed to reflect on her way of thinking and put herself in the tributes shoes and realize how corrupt and brutal the capitol is

So I don't know if you have seen my unpopular opinions on Clemensia posts but I have been thinking of an au based on them

So the long and short of it is that I don't think that the snake venom affected Clem mentally or emotionally because I don't think snake venom can do that rather I think her drastic change in character in the book is because she's alot more unwell Then she lets on she is constantly anxious about keeping up appearances and following the rules to an unhealthy degree believing that it's what will keep her safe and she's willing to put her morals and opinions aside if it means she keeps up the image she built that's why despite being uncomfortable about the games she tries to find a solution that won't get her in hot water like suggesting making the tributes avoxes when that's arguably a fate worse then death in my opinion and the snake bite basically made her have a mental breakdown because she felt that all these years having to keep up appearances was for nothing and she didn't know how to handle that so she resorted to lashing out and her cruelty towards reaper was in part because she wanted to have some form of control over her situation and reaper was the perfect candidate for that because she literally have his life in her hands ( that's just my opinion it's okay if you disagree )

So about the au imagine that the arena tour was delayed due to brandy attempting to kill arachne though she doesn't succeed in doing it this time because tanner stops her before she drove the knife to Arachne's throat (this one is @majorsoapfan idea) but the difference is that people Saw brandy attempting to murder arachne and now barely anyone wants to get near the tributes or the zoo ( I just want all of the tributes alive) except sejanus of course who keeps feeding the kids by himself

Clem is let out of the hospital earlier and when she hears of what happens she goes to the zoo to taunt reaper to make herself feel better ( I also headcanon that part of Clem did blame the tributes for what happened to her missed up ik but like I said she's not right in the head now) and reaper of course wouldn't be having any of that he'd lash out and start screaming at Clemensia and say all his opinions about her and when Clem attempt to tell him that he has no idea what she's been through and that what happened to her was their fault

Reaper is shocked to see the snake skales but he doesn't back down and tells Clem the finishing blow he says: "well I'm sorry that this happened to you but stop blaming me or the rest of them for that, we literally have no choice ever since our names were called so stop acting like you are the biggest victim her Bec this is just a fraction of what real suffering is like you couldn't handle being locked up in a hospital well try working for hours on end in terrible conditions since you were a kid and you get shot or whipped for just attempting to eat or not working hard enough Then you can come to me and talk about suffering you coward)

( I get that what happened to Clem was bad but compared to what the tributes were put through she had it far easier at least there were people trying to stabilize her meanwhile panlo and sheaf were left for their injuries to eat them alive while staying in horrible conditions and I say that as someone who is scared of hospitals )

Clem is taken aback by this and reaper keeps going screaming at her until Dill comes to hold his hand and treech ( because ik you won't miss an opportunity to involve him in the fix it lol) tell reaper that she isn't worth it and reaper back down

Clem is left speechless but then sejanus reluctantly comes to talk to her and he explains to her why the tributes would think that way about her as well and letting some of his opinions about her that he kept to himself known

The next day Clem makes up her mind and reaches out to sejanus and the mentors who she knows Care about their tribute and they try to find a plan to get the tributes out and save them both to finally do some good after staying for so long silent she is finally willing to do the right thing and not passively watch from the side and in part because she knows that freeing the tributes would be the biggest middle finger for Dr gaul

I admit I don't know what their plan would be and I'm worried if Clem would include Coriolanus to it but that's the set up I have for now for what could lead to a fix it

Hii!! This ask actually gave me an idea for an AU where instead of the games, the tributes are turned into pseudo-avoxes lmao. They get to keep their tongues because Gaul wants to make the games happen anyway and she needs them to be able to speak to do the whole sponsorship/getting people invested thing, but that's for another day.

The snake venom was always weird to me, because the same snakes have two completely different effects. They apparently turn Clemensia into a vicious snake woman, but one bite kills Treech in seconds? Circ and Coral have rainbow liquid leaking out of their body? How does that work? My best guess is it's the venom reacting with whatever antidote they gave Clemensia that made her a snake woman, but that makes no sense because antidotes are usually antivenom of some kind or maybe activated charcoal to stop it from being absorbed into the bloodstream. It is... Not explained well. Seems like a "whatever the narrative needs" situation but that's just me I guess. I like your explanation a lot more! She just had her snap moment and took everything out on the one person who couldn't hit her right back, which sounds like something people tend to do.

Reaper doesn't seem like a screaming type to me, he's more of the deadly calm aura, so I see him either getting really icy with her or actually raising his voice for the first time, the latter of which would have more impact. It would really show that's shit's about to get real, I think, which would push Clemensia into action because she realizes just how far she's let herself sink. See, to a Capitol person, being an avox probably sounds better than being thrown into the games because at least you're alive. They don't understand the how horrific a life of slavery without an ability to even speak to people, would be. We all know they have a problem putitng themselves into other people's shoes so I imagine it would be hard for them to comprehend just how horrific it is to take away someone's ability to speak. At least you're alive, right? Avoxes are so normalized in the Capitol that it doesn't even occur to any of them to consider that it might be a fate worse than death, because it's normal. To Clemensia, turning the tributes into avoxes is the "nice" option, so when Reaper yells at her about life in the Districts and the truth of the games she starts reevaluating everything about her stance here.

Treech helping Dill calm Reaper down is very welcome, I'm glad you acknowledge I would have found a way to shove him in here no matter what you do, because I would have :D. I see Reaper as someone who's almost like a dad friend? To all of the tributes, but especially the ones younger than him (so most of them lmao). First Dill holds his hand and tries to calm down, which only works a little, so Treech decides he'd rather avoid another close call like the one with Brandy and goes over to help her. Eventually, the reason Reaper calms down is because the other tributes are starting to get upset at him putting himself in harm's way because the peacekeepers are very triggerhappy and just waiting for him to push too far to murder him. That's when Sejanus pulls Clemensia away and gives her a calmer version of what Reaper just told her, finally fully opening her eyes to the fact that even the good, 'nice' mentors aren't good people. Sejanus is the best of them, and even he has his flaws. It's time to prove they're good people by doing a good thing for once.

I have a few ideas for how she and the good mentors might go about this, so I'll try to be brief.

First is, of course, to get them out before the games begin. A bit of a tough task but it's doable. With so many influencial family's funds they could bribe the guards to let the tributes out with a nice hefty sum of hush money, using the Capitol's corruption against it, but this would be a little tricky because that's a lot of guards there. The time frame that minimizes the amount of involved peacekeepers is very small and risks them being caught by non-bribed guards, and the more people you bribe the bigger the chance someone will slip or cave or sell you out for double the prize. Definitely possible, but a logistical nightmare. The better choice is to for them to use either the money or the connections (most likely Pup) to get their hands on some kind of sleeping agent (the futuristic kind that doesn't risk death) and gas the zoo entirely. Including the tributes. Can't hit all the guards and not at least risk the tributes here, but that's okay. The sleeping gas would buy them quite a bit of time so they can come in a truck and just put all the tributes in the back. They'll have to scrub security footage anyway. They can go in guns blazing and just bonk the peacekeepers over the back of the head, they can have a futuristic, larger scale spy plane and throw a ladder down into the zoo enclosure to let the tributes climb out... There are a lot of possibilities.

These were all ways the mentors could get the tributes out, but they could also give the tributes the means to escape and wait with a big truck to take them to safety outside of the zoo. Maybe they sneak a set of lockpicks and some bottles of chloroform into the zoo, or a blowtorch so they can melt through the metal bars of the encosure. They could give the tributes blackmail material on the guards to coerce them into opening the zoo and letting them out. Plenty of options here.

Then there's the possibility of getting the tributes out of the arena instead, which is honestly a lot easier because there's less guards. Just take out the gate guards and the job's done, so as long as they inform the tributes of the escape plan to make sure they don't kill each other, it should work out fine. Or if they don't want to, I reiterate: Spy plane with a ladder. Or a helicopter. As long as it happens at night it should be fine, and if they're caught people will just assume it was the rebels and not think any further. They'll realize the tributes are gone anyway so as long as the mentors aren't caught the result will be roughly the same. Something else I can think of is them digging through a weak spot in the arena wall to create a new exit so nobody notices anything happened until they check and realize there's a massive hole in the outer wall. I could see this working if the mentors blow a hole in the wall the night before the games, when the place isn't secured, and fill it back up to look like nothing happened. Then they can easily take the rubble out again quietly after the start of the games. In all these scenarios, they'll need to sneak out to make it happen, so maybe some of them stay back to create an alibi for the mentors that go to get the kids out? I doubt it would be too difficult, as long as they keep an eye on Gaul.

They could easily deal with that by just sicking her snakes on her or killing her in her sleep or something, with the double advantage of literally killing the biggest pushback to ending the games later down the line, but that's just an idea...

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xfriki26 · 3 years ago

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👻More separated at birth Luigi headcanons.👻

•Growing up between ghosts wasnt easy, watching yourshelve grow up and change year by year while everyone else still… the same, like Frozen in time, fortunatly for him, his ghost fam always suported and no mather what, he was always one of them.

•Luigi sees Chambrea as a maternal figure, she was the one who mostly took care of him when he was a kid and Luigi accidentaly called her "mom" multiple times, even as and adulto she still worries about him.

•As the only living being in the hotel, everyone makes sure he takes care of his health, unlike ghost, that eat or sleep just for fun, Luigi really needs to do It to stay healthy.

•Luigi's main work in the hotel is doing bellhop work with Steward, but he also helps sometimes Morty, the triplets and Clem in their respective jobs.

•For obious reasons, Luigi doesn't fear ghosts, instead, hes terrified about living beings, specialy humans, Hellen has some fault about this she make sure Luigi grew up fearing the living world, telling him horrible stories when he was just a child.

•Polterpup acts as his emocional suport pet, he never leaves Luigi alone and will help him in wathever the green guy needs, the feeling is mutual and he would never leave behind his puppy.

•His response if someone asked him why is he living with ghosts would be: "I may be alive, but im totaly dead inside".

#Luigi's mansion 3 #Headcanons #Luigi #Mario Bros separated at birth au #Lm3

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spotsupstuff · 3 years ago

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Another question I have is about Clem. As she eventually starts to grown into a teenager and a young adult does she ever struggle with gaining further independence /freedom from her 3 dads? I would imagine they would gain a sense of overprotectiveness due to LBD.

I DID get ur og question about this! (Im so fuckin sorry its been over two weeks now) N I’ve had a multiple brainstorm sessions between me myself n I cuz of it which is the main reason that it’s been takin this long Originally I wanted to say No mostly cuz I haven’t written parents like that before n I’m not,,, exactly familiar with that kinda parenting so I wasn’t sure if pokin that kinda stuff is smth I could Do Right, but egh fuck it, makes sense for them to go into a hyperdrive n I could use the practice instead of shyin away from it

Therefore; Yah! Each is a bit different tho Mister Gao is the only one who ups his protective game Because of the whole WBS deal- both cuz of the obvious long term of Clem’s absence which yanno basically means she was declared dead And because mister Gao already lost his wife so Clem is the last surviving biological part of his family. One can understand why he’s internally screamin bout this

Sam Gao-Woods is the only one who’s trynna hold back on the protectiveness cuz he sees how apeshit mister Gao is with it n so he’s like “Aight, I’m p sure the wee thing needs a breathin room Somewhere, so I’m gon be it.”. He still cares so so much for Clem, but he lets his love manifest rather as freedom than a methaphorical choke hold

Now Six Ear is interestin cuz his overprotectiveness doesn’t have anythin to do with WBS at all. Even after s3 finale he is still kinda in love with the idea of her. Six Ear with therapy is still Six Ear which means tendency to be a control freak is a thing and stalkin is basically a second nature to him For the first few years it’s not that bad especially cuz Clem doesn’t have any desire to really Expand her personal space n rather wants her dads to be as close as possible cuz of depriving her time with WBS- possessed or not- was

But Yah, as she starts growin she starts requiring more privacy, as she starts healing n going into teenagehod her emotions start to get more intense (therefore kinda explosive) and on TOP of All That at 16 her WBS powers start to show up more than just making her pupils glowing white Thats gon end up bein an arc between her n Six (n kinda mister Gao- he gets spooked by the stuff happenin between the former two which prompts him to address his own overprotectiveness). The fact that Six still harbours positive feelings towards WBS doesn’t sit right with Clem and when she tells him, as her only magically skilled father, what’s happening with her, his reaction is mostly positive and as if he was Expecting this which pisses her off cuz she is absolutely distraught about this They end up having an argument during which Six pulls the oppressing parent card cuz he obviously knows best and Clem ends up blurting out something serious that she didn’t actually mean which results in Six gritting his teeth and walking away This part isn’t 100% solid yet, but cut few days later, Clem hasn’t seen a single sign of Six Ear yet, he isn’t answerin text messages or calls and when she comes to lao Zhu’s noodle shop to ask about him everybody just shrugs. So basically the “child chases after a parent to fix everything” thing (😬) happens on purpose from my side n from HERE I ain’t got the events solidly planned. I’d LIKE to sneak a physical fight between the two in Some kinda way in here- Six is obviously not goin all out, maybe it could culminate in Clem blowing up with the ice powers (similarly to canon- who knows, knows. 👁) which forces Six to take this seriously, idk yet

#Spot says stuff #lmk #mk gao clementine #mk macaque #mk mister gao #mk samuel gao-woods #fruit twins au

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strawberrylemonz · 4 years ago

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Masked Crowns

Part 16

Part 17 [CURRENT]

Part 18

@petrichormeraki @applepie1000 @artistconk @ivorylin @sydneys-sketches @snapdragonfirefly @bargledblocks

--------------------

“Theo, stop moving around! Clem, stop fucking around and quite biting my ankle! Hey, don’t use that tone with me, young lad- Clementine!”

Fundy appeared half dead as he laid on the couch, exhausted. He watched as both Theo and Clementine hounded Tommy, who was just trying to make adjustments to their formal wear. Groaning as he hoisted himself into a sitting position, Fundy rubbed his eyes as he addressed his uncle.

“Give it up, Tommy, they aren’t gonna sit still. Wilbur gave them candy this morning.”

“I know, Fundy. Jesus, what the fuck was Wil thinking?!”

“Look at the bright side, you were able to quickly make adjustments to the bot-boys.”

“Only because Grumbot and Jrumbot are saints. I swear, Grian is a better father than I am at times. Don’t fucking tell him I said that- Clementine! What the fuck?!”

Both Fundy and Tommy looked down to the two children, who both appeared to be offended. Clementine huffed as she stomped her kicking foot on the ground, her arms crossed as she glared at her father. Theo did his best to match his cousin’s level of intimidating energy, giving an annoyed looks at his father and great uncle.

“No!”

“No what?”

“Noooo!”

“Ender- Clem, I can’t understand what's wrong when you throw fits, okay? Take a deep breath, collect yourself, then tell me what’s wrong.”

“Hnnnn”

Tommy frowned as he stared at the younger girl, who seemed to grow more irritated by the second. He knew her, though, could read her body language perfectly. She wasn’t angry or irritated, she was hurt and upset. Kneeling down, he held his hands out to his daughter, who glared at them in fury. After realizing her father’s hands weren’t going to combust, she sighed as she placed her tiny hands in Tommy’s bigger ones. Slumping her shoulders in defeat, she frowned down at her feet. Giving a frown of his own, Tommy lowered his head to try and make eye contact with Clementine, to no avail.

“Hey, look at me. Please?”

He watched with slight appeasement as she tilted her head up, her eyes slowly meeting Tommy’s. He gave her a hesitant smile, gently rubbing her tiny hands in a comforting manner as he did so.

“What’s wrong, little moth?”

Clementine didn’t talk much, opting to use her growls and grunts to communicate. This, however, wasn’t a situation where that form of communication would help things run smoothly. Moving her eyes from her dad’s face down to their joined hands, she frowned as her bottom lip began to quiver.

“I’m bad.”

“...What?”

“No good. Bad. Not nice. Not calm.”

As he stared at the sad expression resting on the girl’s face, Tommy suddenly felt small once again. He felt the same way he did when his father complained about him, not realizing his youngest was listening. He remembered the self doubt he felt and the hurt in his chest when his dad would compare him to his older brothers. It had fucking hurt when he was a kid, and it still did. And now? Now he was doing the same to his daughter. He was the fucking worst.

“No-Clementine, that isn’t true. Fuck, I- That’s not what I- Listen-”

Tommy sat down completely as he leaned forward, peering into the sad eyes of his daughter. Fuck, who knew being a parent would hurt his heart so fucking much? He was in his fucking feels at the moment, and it was all because of the toddler that stood before him. He was so scared of hurting her, of giving her reasons to despise and disown him as her father. He had to fix this, he needed to.

“The day I found you, I felt a piece of me return. It’s okay that you’re not like your cousins. You know what? I’m glad you’re not like them. You’re you, and you are being the best you there is. You’re not bad, Clementine, you’re fucking lovely. Don’t ever doubt yourself, okay? You’re a fucking badass, a brilliant one, too. I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to compare you to your cousins.”

The small smile that graced Clementine’s lips was enough to fill Tommy with relief. Pulling her into a hug, he smiled as he felt her cling onto his shirt for comfort. Looking to the side, he hummed as he motioned for his great nephew to join in on the hug. Theo, who was quietly watching it all, happily ran into the hug, pulling his father along with him. So much had happened in such little time that Tommy forgot that kids were easily overwhelmed. From discovering new family, the park’s opening, house renovations, and then personal schedules, it was too much for the two to handle. They got along and enjoyed their cousins, but Tommy and Fundy had forgotten that they needed more than just that. They needed reassurance that they were enough.

“Now, can you two please let Tommy make final adjustments to your outfits? We have a ball to attend to, after all.”

--------

Attending the ball was truly a blast from the past. Tommy snickered as Kristin gushed about the matching outfits her grandbabies and youngest son were wearing, alongside with her own. Most of the members from the Dream SMP just gawked in silence as Lani, who was matching with both Drista and Tubbo, twirled and bragged about how wonderful of a designer and tailor Tommy was.

“Tommy made those?”

“Yup! He sure did!”

“But they’re so...elegant.”

“Oi! Fuck you!”

Laughter erupted from the group as the music played in the background. As the group conversed among one another, pairs began to break off to dance.

“Pa!”

Tommy peered down at Clementine, who held her hands up expectedly. Letting out a laugh, he scooped her up into his arms, smiling as she giggled with every bounce her father caused with his laughter. She smiled brightly at him as he fixed the tiara on her head. She laid her head on his shoulder as he swayed along to the music, both content. After a moment, Tommy felt his daughter’s head lift from his shoulder.

“Cousins.”

He turned to follow her line of sight to see Theo, Grumbot and Jrumbot all waving at him, their suits and hair fixed appropriately for the occasion. Returning the wave, he smiled at his daughter, setting her down with a nod.

“Yeah, you four go dance and have fun. Be careful.”

He couldn’t help but smile as her curls bounced as she squealed in excitement. Giving Tommy a hug, she quickly grabbed a hold of her cousins and rushed to the dance floor, smiling as her cousins argued as to which pair should dance with who. As he watched his only child scurry away with her cousins, he couldn’t help but sigh. The feeling of a hand on his forearm caught his attention. Turning to the side, he saw Tubbo smile at him, Lani and Drista right behind him.

“C’mon, let’s go dance.”

----------

Tommy and Lani were doing their best to not disrupt their dancing with silent wheezes of laughter, they really were. It’s not their fault, everyone was making it so hard for them!

“It’s like he’s dancing with Mount Everest!”

“Holy shit, this is hilarious.”

The pair watched in amusement as Tubbo bossed an awkward, but happy, Ranboo around the dance floor. The height difference in itself was enough to make the sight laughable.

“Tommy, over there.”

Following Lani’s line of sight, Tommy damn near belted out laughter as a grumpy Drista was stuck paired with one of the park’s guests, who would not shut up about her relation to Dream.

“Poor girl, losing her sanity.”

“She’s about to break, it’s fucking hilarious. Should have given her a fork.”

“We’re here to dance, Tommy, not commit a felony.”

“Rich coming from a girl with multiple knife pockets installed into her dress.”

“You installed them!”

“You commissioned them!”

The two began to bicker like the besties they were as their friends and family danced around them. Phil and Kristin danced and twirled as they shared whispers to each other, their smiles brighter than ever. Wilbur and Techno were awkwardly dancing with one another, their empty insults to one another growing louder the longer the brothers were with each other. Grian was teaching Grumbot the proper way to waltz, Bad and Skeppy goofingly twirling around them. Clementine and Jrumbot happily danced off beat, no one even daring to teach them the proper moves. Quackity, Karl and Sapnap laughed as they spun around together, the three pulling George in from the sidelines. Just as Tommy was about to make a comment, a sharp elbow jabbed his side.

“Ow! Lani, what the fuc-”

“Shh! Look!”

“What are you-”

“Just look, it’s important!”

And important it was. There, standing at the food tables, was Fundy. He wasn’t alone, though, not at all. There, making the hybrid blush and stutter, stood a guy. Lani and Tommy exchanged knowingly looks, before dashing over to the nearest hiding spot.

“Move over!”

“No, you!”

“Shh, listen!”

----------

“Go away.”

Theo frowned as the words left his mouth. He crossed his arms as he glared up at the emotionless mask before him, the face behind it hidden well. That didn’t stop Theo from being able to read body language, and the vibes he was getting weren’t necessarily hostile, but they weren’t welcoming as well.

“I just wanted to get a good look at you, to know you. Makes sense, doesn’t it? You are my son after all.”

The word sounded so wrong coming out of the unseen mouth. Son. As far as Theo was concerned, Dream was no father to him. His only dad was Fundy, and Fundy was all he needed for a parent.

“Your crown looks very nice, did you design it yourself? And I like your suit. I noticed that it matches Fundy’s perfectly. In fact, both of your crowns match perfectly with one another.”

Theo wasn’t planning on responding to any of the comments, not that he’d have to try. Dream just didn’t seem to catch the child’s drift, continuing to talk despite the boy not responding.

“You have my hair color, it looks good on you. You’re obviously a shapeshift, like Fundy. Have you tried shifting to your more humanoid form? Oh, your eyes. You have-”

“My eyes.”

He may have been young, but Theo wasn’t daft. He knew that Dream (he would not call him father) was the reason for him having to live in the burrows up until then. He didn’t know what all Dream did, but he knew that it was enough to make his papa and uncle Tommy hurt very badly. He wasn’t going to let Dream see him with his guard down, not around him. He just stood and glared at the older man, who seemed to not have taken a hint to the child’s body language. Theo just confidently stood his ground as he watched Dream kneel before him, reaching over to gently pat his head, not seeming to care about pushing the crown around. Theo was quick to catch his crown, which fell off his head the moment Dream pushed it off. Much to Theo’s relief, the unwelcomed form of affection didn’t last long.

“Ow!”

“Dickhead! Dickhead!”

Dream pulled his arm back as Theo hid a laugh behind his hand. Standing in confidence was Clementine, who had just bitten Dream’s hand. She just growled and hissed at Dream, taking a protective stance in front of Theo as Grumbot and Jrumbot stood by his side, ready to defend their cousin. Dream just rubbed his hand, before pointing at the emerald jewel dangling from the girl’s necklace.

“I only know one person with an emerald cut exactly like that. You must be Tommy’s brat. What did he name ya again? Clementine? Figured. I guess it’s true after all, trouble attracts trouble. Don’t tell me that you’re just as problematic as your dad-”

“Shut up!”

Theo huffed as he yelled at Dream, who wasn’t expecting such an outburst from the quiet child. Grumbot narrowed his eyes as the man, pulling Theo behind him as he did so. Jrumbot, on the other hand, just mocked the masked warrior.

“-meanie mask man!”

“Fine! We’ll talk once you’ve all calmed down. I’ll see you around, Theo.”

Dream let out an annoyed huff as he walked off, giving a half-wave to Theo. Once he was completely out of sight, Theo was mobbed by his concerned cousins, who were quick to assess him. Clementine began to sniff for any off scents while Jrumbot clung onto his arm, whines escaping his artificial mouth as his older brother inspected Theo. Whilst checking for any possible injuries, Grumbot began to question the younger boy.

“Were you hurt?”

“No.”

“Did he threaten you?”

“Nuh uh.”

“Well, is he as big of a jerk as Uncle Tommy said he was?”

Theo blinked a few times before laughing, causing the worried faces of his cousins to morph into confusion. After a moment, an amused look graced Grumbot’s features. Clementine and Jrumbot only continued to watch in confusion. Finally calming down, Theo responded with a nod.

“Yeah, he is. He tried acting like he was my dad.”

“We should tell your dad.”

“Are you kidding me?! He’s talking to a potential dad! Let’s just go bother Uncle Tommy.”

“No! Spy. Uncle Grian!”

“I’m sure dad won’t mind us bothering him. Let’s get going.”

Making sure they all had their belongings, the four children scurried off towards Grian. As they happily spoke with the father of the bot boys, Theo felt a chill down his spine. Turning around to peer behind him, he noticed a familiar white mask. If he clung onto his uncle a bit tighter than usual, Grian didn’t mention.

#memories in the stars #memories in the stars au #fwt fankid #fwt fankid theo #hermit!Tommy fankid #hermit!tommy fankid clem #dadinnit au #sbi is a family pog #hermit!fundy #hermit!Kristin #hermit!tommy au

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decennia · 4 years ago

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Okay, I need to discuss headcanons between my JW bb, Willow, and the Corporals!! LET’S HEAR THE JUICY GOODNESS!!

WILLOW IS HONESTLY MY CHILD AND THE CORPORALS WOULD ALL AGREE ✨

For transparency, I think I should state that like 80% of the Corpsemen do not like Owen Grady. Each for their own reasons, but still.

Willow and Malcolm

Malcolm is not a kids person. The closest he's ever had to having one is Enzo "Junior" Dizon, and even he was adopted at sixteen. So Malcolm genuinely finds Willow's presence a nuisance.

It also doesn't help that he discovers pretty quickly that she's a Grady. He blames the entire Indominus escape on Owen, so whatever mildly softened words he may have attempted to summon are immediately tossed out the window. He and the Corpsemen know the price of one life against thousands is no contest, and he is incredibly irritated by the fact that Grady's life was prioritised over the integrity of the park security.

Constantly refers to her as "child," even though she is evidently a teenager.

In spite of what an annoyance she is to him, she is a part of the civilian public he was contracted to protect, and so does everything in his power to do so. Begrudgingly.

Notoriously stone-faced, she actually unknowingly managed to get a chortle out of him when she landed a good swift punch on her father.

Willow and Clementine

Clementine worries that Willow looks up to her. She wouldn't wish the life she has lived on anyone else, and doesn't want Willow to follow in her footsteps.

Clem finds that Willow brings out the better in her. She can see the admiration in the young girl's eyes and she never wants it to fade. It's refreshing; she is so often used to seeing disdain etched in people's faces. That being said, she knows that if Will ever found out about Clem's past, she would definitely hate her.

Willow only knows her by her codename, Calico. Clem vows that if they make it out of this, she'll tell her her real name. They do, and she does.

Bonding over archery.

Clem risking her life for Will multiple times. Will calling Clem a superhero. Clem struggling and failing to prevent the melting of her glacial heart.

Willow and George

Will meets George "Sable" Cassidy when he steps in between her and a raptor.

Like Malcolm, he also very much isn't a kids person, but he does have a soft spot for those that have been neglected or abandoned by their parents. Given his own achingly similar history with his own father, he immediately decides that he loathes Owen Grady.

He'd been pretty on the fence about it prior to meeting Will, but as soon as he hears about Will and Owen's fractured relationship, he's mentally kicked Owen's teeth in four times over.

Clementine is the one who knows George the best, and even she is taken aback by this whole new side of him. He is constantly reassuring Will that it was nothing that she had done to drive Owen away, because shitty fathers are shitty. It's not your fault, he says. Remember that. It was never your fault. And in the way his voice cracks and falters a little, it sounds like he needs to hear it said more than she ever would.

He isn't much of a hugger, but he allows Will to hug him. Which, according to Clem, is nigh unheard of.

Willow and Hector

Listen, Hector "Serval" Reeves is just everyone's dad. He for sure adopts Willow on sight.

She reminds him of his eldest, due to their similar ages and overall disposition, so he literally would take the Indominus on in hand-to-hand combat if it so much as breathed in her direction.

His wrists are stacked with multiple coloured hairties, a practice he developed from being a dad to two girls. He gives Will one of her choosing when he sees her hair getting in the way.

He gives her the codename "Little Lynx" so she can feel included. He calls her that when he can see she is scared. It helps a little.

Tries his best to shield her from the bodies and bloodshed they come across. It works, about 92% of the time.

Willow and Enzo

Enzo was separated from his sister when they were younger. She would be Will's age now, and he feels very connected to Willow through that.

Enzo is quite a quiet and withdrawn guy, so it takes a while for him to muster the courage to mention it to her. He admits to Will that he hopes his sister turned out like her. Smart, strong, brave. Doesn't take shit from anyone.

In a total role reversal, the adopted becomes the adoptee as she totally dubs Enzo her older brother, because he reminds her of Jonathan.

Enzo proudly tells her all the cool dinosaur facts he's remembered (he's not much of an academic, so this really is a big achievement for him).

He is the only one who encourages Will to forgive her father and attempt to mend the relationship. He would be immediately apologetic and respectful of her boundaries should she shut him down, but he had a very different upbringing to Will and George, and thus would not fully understand; Enzo's father was killed, he never chose to leave his kids. Enzo operates on the notion that he would give anything to see his father again — and Willow has that opportunity because Owen is still alive — but George would be quick to point out that yes, Owen was still alive, and yet, he continued to choose to keep his distance. The decision, of course, is left in Will's hands, with no further intervention from any of the Corpsemen.

#oc: willow grady #fic: ascension #oc: malcolm drake #oc: clementine roscoe #oc: george cassidy #oc: hector reeves #oc: enzo dizon #fic: innocent abominations #fic: ia #crossover #luucypevensie #the way i love them all so fucking much please i'm soft

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wastelandcth · 5 years ago

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we’re going home - cth

we’re going home (calum hood x fem!oc) || masterlist || series masterlist

summary: how calum discovered home isn’t necessarily a particular place but rather can be a point in time, a memory, or a person.

warnings: calum is having a bad day.

author’s notes: hope you guys enjoy this chapter! once again - based off of vance joy’s album nation of two!

previous chapter || next chapter

Calum hadn't been home in years. Sure he'd visited a couple of times during the holidays or whenever they were on tour or doing promo. But he hadn't been able to enjoy being home in years, not since he left with the band to London those many years ago. He missed not having to go to bed in a small bunk that made his back hurt in the morning when he woke up in a city he hadn't fallen asleep in. He missed being able to take Duke on a walk, hell, he even missed waking up to him barking at the birds in the backyard.

Lying awake in the bunk for what seemed like the third day in a row, Calum listened to the soft breathing coming from Clementine next to him. She'd been asleep for a couple hours, something that Calum was extremely jealous of, she could always just fall asleep whenever and wherever. He'd held her close when they had gotten into the bunk after the band and they had played an intense round of Mario Kart, Clementine's laugh ringing out throughout the bus as. Michael had decided to call it a night, no longer being able to stand coming in second place and especially after Luke had beaten him and he was brought down to third.

With one of his arms wrapped around Clementine, their soft whispers about the day they'd spoken in the darkness of his bunk. Calum felt her breathing even out and eventually heard the soft snores leaving her body, with her mind in dreamland, Calum was left alone with his racing mind. The last couple of shows had been exhausting for him, his body still not accustomed to the ever-changing time zones they seemed to be experiencing every day. He was tired, exhausted even, of waking up after restless nights in a new city or in some cases, a new country. He was tired of the constant interviews that all asked the same questions. He missed the days when he could run home to his mother on the days when it all became too much. Calum was just tired and eventually, his brain shut off for long enough that his eyes closed and sleep overtook him.

It wasn't much of a surprise to the rest of the band and Clementine that Calum wasn't himself lately. He'd been grumpy ever since the bus had pulled into whatever arena they'd be playing at the next day. Clementine had noticed how his hands wouldn't stop shaking, his fingers playing an invisible bass. She had tried to cheer him up, to get him to talk to her about how he was doing. She even tried distracting him with pictures of Duke that the dog sitter had sent her and all she got was a simple nod before Calum walked off the tour bus with the rest of the guys, off to some radio show they'd have to do before they had the rest of the day off to explore whatever city Calum hadn't bothered to look up when he woke up to his alarm blaring. He was like this sometimes, locked away from the rest of the world as his sunglasses shielded everyone from seeing his tired eyes, so the car ride to the radio station was quiet and lonely for him, the rest of the band lost in their own conversations as he tried to get a couple extra minutes of sleep.

Clementine had been checking out at a local grocery store when she got the call from Ashton. A sigh leaving her lips as she rushed to pay for the few essentials she'd picked up for herself and Calum. Ashton's retelling of the radio show made her nerves run wild as she made her way back to the arena, knowing she was walking into a situation her and Calum had only been in once before. Calum's bad days were an accumulation of multiple days gone wrong, finally spilling over. The man was known for his blank expressions, never showing emotions whether they be good or bad. So whenever those emotions did spill over, Clementine knew that he'd been holding something in for far too long.

When Clementine saw the other three men standing outside of the tour bus, small smiles on their face, she realized that either Calum had kicked them out or he was a lot more bothered by this morning's events than Ashton had let on over the phone. Giving Aston's arm a small squeeze, Clementine walked up the steps and onto the tour bus. The lights weren't on, the windows filtering soft light into the bus. Calum's soft cries were heard throughout the bus, the only other noise was the bus engine, which hummed like a song you hear in a dream.

Calum looked out of the tour bus window, his eyes focusing on the birds outside. Anything he could do to get his mind to be blank. He hadn't slept since yesterday, his mind was awake after the radio show, the adrenaline pumping through his body and mind. Even now, when the sun was shining through the bus windows, Calum was sitting on the couch, his fingers tapping against the couch as he watched the birds fly away when they'd eaten all the crumbs, moving on to their next destination.

Making her way to the back of the bus, Clementine felt her heartbreaking as she saw Calum. His shoulders shook with every sob he let out, his body curled under a blanket with his back turned to the door, his gaze focused on the outside world.. The soft knock against the wall Clementine made caused his head to perk up and turn to look at who the intruder was. His eyes were overflowing with tears, his nose red from his hoodie sleeve coming up to wipe away his sadness. He stayed silent as he sat up, pulling open the blanket as he looked at her, his brown eyes pleading for her. Once she was in his arms, Clementine wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him close as she laid back against the couch. They laid like that for what seemed like ages, Calum's cries muffled against her shoulder as she ran a hand through his hair, her lips pressing kisses to his curls every once in a while.

"I...I don't know what happened. I just couldn't play the damn notes and I couldn't remember the right words." Calum finally spoke after his tears had died down a bit, his voice shaky as he pulled Clementine closer to him, his face nuzzling itself in the space between her neck and shoulder. "I didn't feel like myself, didn't feel like I was putting on a good show for the fans and they all just seemed to laugh it off. And the stupid questions they kept asking were just...it's like they don't even know us, we're not teenagers anymore and they talk to us like we are I couldn't...I was an asshole to them, to the fans, to the guys, and even to you. I'm sorry..." He mumbled, his voice laced with sleep as his tired eyes closed, his brain wishing he could tell her about everything he was feeling.

Watching Calum sleep, Clementine couldn't help but hold him a little closer than normal. He was so good at hiding his emotions, she knew that the radio show going bad wasn't the reason for the breakdown. But she wasn't going to push him more than he had already pushed himself these past couple of days, she'd noticed the lack of sleep. How his eyes weren't as bright as she was used to while they explored arenas and the city sights whenever they had a chance. She'd noticed how he hadn't told her any facts about the cities they'd seen the last week, he hadn't mentioned the wonky buildings in Amsterdam and their meaning. He hadn't been Calum, and Clementine wasn't going to push him into admitting what was really wrong until Calum was ready to say it out loud. Looking back down at the sleeping man, she pressed a kiss to his forehead before her own eyes closed and she joined him in sleep.

Clementine's arms were around Calum when he'd woken up, her hands running through his curls as she tried to soothe his anxieties, his worries, his fears. His body had stopped shaking a while ago, his sobs being replaced by soft breaths as he listened to the soft words Clem spoke into his ear. She'd only ever seen him like this once before when his thoughts overran him and the pressure of the world became too much for him. It was when their relationship first took a turn into something more than just sex, it was the first time he'd slept over at her place. It was when Calum realized that Clementine was different, that she was more than just a distraction from whatever the hell was going on in his mind. It was when he realized that Clementine was someone he wanted in his life whether that'd be as a friend or more. And as she let Calum cry into the band shirt he'd gotten for her from the merch stand a couple days ago, Calum knew she would always be there for him, in the good and bad days.

Calum's head raised from her chest, his puffy eyes meeting the guys' as they walked onto the tour bus. Ashton's smile made Calum sigh, his body sitting up as he turned to face them. He knew he should say something, but all he could manage was a shrug of his shoulders as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright, Hood. Let's get some good food in you. We got a whole night out planned." Ashton nodded, chuckling as Calum shook his head and sighed, "Oh come on, when have I ever led you wrong?"

Calum's mouth was on fire as he ate the noodles, coughs escaping him as he took a sip of his milk tea. The guys laughed at him, Ashton teasing him about how he told him that the spicy was going to be too spicy. But Calum was always up for a challenge and he was going to finish his noodles even if it meant his taste buds would be gone for the next couple of days. Clementine laughed softly, leaning against his arm, her lips meeting his cheek. Her laugh brought a smile to his face, his eyes looking over at his friends and then they landed on Clementine, who also seemed to be in as much pain as he was from the spicy food. The guys had planned a whole night out for Calum, none of which included a club or a beer. Which Calum was eternally grateful for, he didn't think we could handle a night out with paparazzi following them and then having to wake up with a hangover tomorrow.

After a very spicy and laughter-filled dinner, Ashton led them all to a park nearby, the place lit up with music and stalls offering different keepsakes. The night market was bustling with people, no one seeming to mind the group of them walking from stall to stall until they found their way to the open grass field where the music playing in the air seemed to float up into the stars. Even as they all sat down in the grass, a bottle of cider passed between them all, Calum felt like he was in a dream, a dream he didn't want to wake up from. He felt warm, Clementine's hand was holding onto his arm, seeking warmth as he looked up at the night sky, his attention shifting to his best friends who seemed to be laughing at how Luke was horrible at trying to speak to the German shopkeeper earlier that day. His own laughter surprised him, the bottle of cider being passed to him as Michael went off into a story about how he'd almost broken his guitar at the last show they'd played when he tripped over a microphone stand Luke had thrown. Calum felt his worries slip away from him, even if it was just for a moment, he was happy about it. He felt content, he felt safe, he felt like everything would be okay in due time. Calum realized at that moment that this was home to him. That being there in the park on a cold winter evening with his best friends and Clementine, that was home. It might not always be perfect, hell, it was almost never perfect but at that moment as he sat in the freezing cold next to them all, he knew he'd always be home as long as he had them all by his side.

#calum hood imagine #5sos imagines #5sos blurbs #5sos one shot #calum hood blurb #calum hood one shot #calum hood #5sos #gemma writes #nation of two ch

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pi-creates · 5 years ago

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Do you have any moments in TWDG that gave you chills or left you extremely shocked? For me, the scene at the bridge in episode4 where Minerva comes out of the woods gave me chills and a feeling of dread because in that moment i knew that somebody was gonna die. Especially when Clementine and Louis slowly look over at eachother and they both knew what was going to go down.

Oh I feel that, anon - the bridge scene puts a pit in my stomach. To me it’s just awfully harrowing because you can hear the determination in Minnie’s voice, and she’s got nothing left to lose. So it really does make you worry about what exactly she’s going to do - and the ominous atmosphere of the scene lets you know it’s nothing good.

I will add that my feeling of growing dread actually started in the woods before the bridge, though. Everything was just too pleasant, too lovely, too safe, and what the hell did that AJ choice mean? So that feeling of something bad is about to happen was lingering around for a while. Minnie just decided to answer that particular call.

But as for the series as a whole... there are probably quite a few moments that got visceral reactions out of me - not always chills or shock, but like, I still get a reaction from these scenes even though I’ve played through the series multiple times.

Like, in S1 when Brenda has Katjaa at gunpoint on the stairs in the dairy. They’re silhouetted by the flashing storm outside, and when one of the flashes illuminates the reanimated Mark at the top of the stairwell... it’s such a strong visual and I love it.

This one is probably a bit too specific, but there’s that moment in S2 when Troy grabs Clem by the back of her neck and forces her to walk... and I can’t stand that. I don’t think I can accurately describe how uncomfortable that makes me. So many horrible things happen in that season, but it’s Troy’s mannerisms in regard to Clem that still make me the most tense, all because of that neck grab.

And there’s the Kenny stuff... he just generally makes me mildly uncomfortable, and on a few occasions actively scared me on my first run. While he doesn’t scare me anymore, he does still make me uncomfortable in all the scenes where he makes that face and can berate or hurt Clem. I can deal with it for the most part, but the way he looks at Clem at Parker’s Run... it makes my jaw lock in place. The bad chills with that one.

Oh, also that scene right near the end of S2 when Clem’s walking through the snow and can only see a small area around her - the shadows of walkers wandering around and nothing else as she searches for the rest stop. The stillness and how quiet everything is really gets to me, especially after everything that was just happening. I guess this bit still hits me a little because it really feels like Clem might actually have just lost everyone, and there isn’t a guarantee she’ll find them again. I dunno... that feeling just sticks with me for some reason, if only for a while because everything after that... it’s a thing.

Then you can just put the whole intro sequence of ANF on the list. That was a damn good intro, very chilling to see little Mari talking about her dead grandfather walking around. And the panic is so clear with everyone as stuff starts getting worse. Love it.

And ANF did give me one moment that shocked me horribly - but not in a good way. When you don’t shoot Joan after the execution moment and David decides to just murder Clint... the guy trying to negotiate a peaceful resolution... instead of Joan. This pissed me off, and still pisses me off. So like, this shocked me because how is that a solution?

The Marlon confrontation also shocked me - because unlike other times when characters suddenly died, there wasn’t some enemy force introduced to us yet (aside from Abel, but we had no reason to think he’d choose that moment to show up and stir up trouble). So the idea that Marlon died, and not only from a main character but the one we are told we have complete trust in... it hurts and it is shocking. I think I’ve made it clear before that I wish this was a determinant action, but I get why it’s there and it is well done for what it is.

Then there’s the Parable of the Twins spiel. This doesn’t hit as hard on replays, but the first time around - god damn. Minnie’s delivery of the lines, and all the little changes to her facial expressions... I felt it, ya know?

#twdg talk #twdg s1 #twdg s2 #twdg s3 #twdg s4 #i might have gotten carried away answering this one

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itsclementime · 5 years ago

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clementine st clair: real estate princess

( ZOEY DEUTCH / FEMALE / TWENTY-FIVE / SHE/HER ) i always seem to run into CLEMENTINE ST. CLAIR at jukebox records. i’ve heard that if the REGULAR CUSTOMER had to choose one go-to record, it’d be VIENNA by BILLY JOEL and that they can be CAPTIVATING but also kind of SELF-DESTRUCTIVE. for some reason, they always make me think of FLOWERS PRESSED BETWEEN OLD BOOK PAGES, RED WINE IN SOLO CUPS, AND FRENCH VANILLA CAPPUCCINOS. — ( kate, 25, pst, she/her )

hi! i’m kate! i’m 25 years old and hold chaotic scorpio energy. i write far too much and develop plots/relationships so deep even samara couldn’t crawl out of the well they’re held in. i live in los angeles, ca but hail from oklahoma so i go a little southern sometimes. i also have ms rory as a character~! without further ado, here is my sweet clementine!

clementine was born on august 4th, 1994 to james and melanie st. clair. she was a miracle child for her mother at age 37 and the only child to be born to her two parents. she’s always wanted a sister, but her parents never entertained that idea.

she grew up in a million different places. her father owns multiple apartment buildings all over the city and they’ve hopped from place to place, as he likes to be present amongst his tenants. it is less of a kind gesture and more of a Big Brother gesture—he craves control, which he exerts in every way possible over his only daughter.

clementine used to liken herself to a caged bird—always admired, but never allowed to fly. even now at 25, she feels like she is often trapped in her father’s iron grasp.

she was given everything she wanted, called “the little princess” and doted on by anyone who came into the house. it gave her a bit of a big head when she was younger, but made her restless as she got older. she’s used to getting what she wants, but doesn’t like to be doted on.

clem has tried to run away from home at least 10 times and been brought back each time. the longest she lasted was a week at a friend’s house when she was 16. her father sent her to an all girls’ boarding school for the last two years of high school and that was her last attempt.

when she’s stressed out, she puts on her headphones and goes to sit in the cafe for hours on end and re-reads pride and prejudice.

though the apartments above jukebox are the most popular amongst her dad’s properties, it’s his least favorite. which makes it clementine’s favorite property and the one she chose to live in when he gave her a choice of properties. it was the smallest amongst the apartments, but ensured her father would come around less and that’s what she wanted.

clementine has never had a real job. she’s worked at a few random places here and there for a few weeks at a time, but it interfered with her social calendar and she couldn’t put up with that for too long.

she wants desperately to be friends with the jukebox staff but often convinces herself that they won’t see her the way they see their coworkers and regulars because of her uptight father. this is especially true with the tenants of the apartment building who have experienced his temper flares.

clementine loves to paint. she wanted to go to school for studio art but her father wanted her to go for business management, so she compromised and went for business management. she spends a lot of her free time sitting at the park and practicing different mediums.

her favorite comfort foods are chinese takeout (orange chicken and chow mein or beef and broccoli) and homemade spaghetti. she’s tried a million ways to make it herself but she’s never been able to perfect it—she’s a terrible cook.

she has never been in a relationship longer than 3 months. she gets bored very easily, especially with boys. she loves to play.

(TW: alcohol) clementine often likes to drink herself silly. she’s not honest with herself nor the people around her and she’s found that drinking opens her up to her feelings and emotions more. when she feels she really needs to open up to someone, she’ll show up to their place with alcohol.

clem loves thrift shopping. her entire wardrobe is made up of recycled pieces, mostly from the 1970s, as that’s her favorite silhouette and color palette to work with.

ok basically clem is a headstrong princess who wants to be treated like a regular girl but often has a hard time acting like one. she’s argumentative and has a short fuse with people she knows, but friendly to those she doesn’t. deep down, she’s a lonely little rich girl who desperately wants friendships that go beyond the surface level.

#jukeboxintro #i will ... probably elaborate on this #but i wanted to get it out into the world for plotting and interaction purposes #enjoy my whirly girly!!!#also ... bless jess for this graphic #ain't she purdy

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cirillafionaelenriannon · 6 years ago

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VIOLET (twdg) HEADCANONS:

- was selectively mute for a good portion of her childhood - realized she was a lesbian at a young age, around eight or so. there was a girl in her class who used to trade sandwiches with her at lunch time and she fell in love. - her grandmother taught her a few different types of dances. she used to be able to do a decent pirouette, but her postures so fucked now she doesn’t even bother. also she’s just...not that into ballet anymore. she still really likes dancing tho. slow dancing...of course. - taught her grandfathers parrot to say fuck (im kidding but also not really) - her favourite nursery rhyme is ‘sing a song of sixpence’ and she used to sing it to tenn at night after the twins went missing. before that her favourite nursery rhyme was hey diddle diddle but tenn really likes sing a song of sixpence and seeing him smile in such a hard time....yeah.... - grew up listening to really old country-style music. she often references ‘that one song about keying your cheating husbands car.’ - would like to one day, key a car - has tricked louis into eating a bug. and has been tricked into eating a bug....... - used to dot the ‘i’ in her name with a star (not a heart, that was brody’s thing) - her hand-writing is really really bad. like it’s always been bad but it’s just gotten worse because she never writes anymore. it’s like scribble. but her hands tend to shake a lot so she can’t help it. - has never eaten a peach in her LIFE - this is basically canon but: is deeply insecure, in more ways than one. has never felt good enough for her friends or girlfriend(s), (meaning minnie or clem,,,but i imagine she gets better at dealing with this around clem). - there’s an old game of monopoly at ericons’ and violet makes the mistake of playing it with louis one time and he tries to cheat multiple times but somehow ends up losing every game they play (all of which last hours), and basically she learns never to play board games with louis again because it always ends with him crying or her flipping the board over and storming off. - whenever someone calls her a bitch she tallies it on her wall - and when it reaches five she goes the fuck off - i say this because violet has definitely punched mitch and marlon countless times for this - i said this in my ship post but: violets bones crackle like snapped kit kats and it terrifies everyone at the school - she literally sounds like a clicker. you hear her creeping down the halls in the dead of night and it’s like she’s gone full last of us mode - cracks her knuckles a lot. like, annoyingly, a lot. - this is also prominent in my writing but: when clem calls her sweetheart.....she becomes...an absolute mess... - went through a phase where all she wanted to do was tear her clothes apart and ending up destroying many pairs of jeans because of this and like it’s the apocalypse violet, come onnn - for this reason she spent a year wearing one of brodys old pairs and they didnt fit and it sucked because .. they were purple ..

#text #valkyrie.txt #twdg #violet #violet twdg #violentine #i kno i said id post these tomorrow but whatever have them now

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 6 years ago

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with you [chapter one]

Summary: Clementine pops the question, Louis has nightmares, Violet can’t let go of the past, Mitch doesn't know how to handle gross feelings, Ruby's a goddamn sweetheart, Willy doesn’t ever remember to knock, Aasim can't dance, and James is here, too.

Nothing like a wedding to bring this family together.

Note: Holy shit, you mean I’m finally posting actual [with you] stuff again? Yeah, I can’t believe it either. If for whatever reason you don’t know why this is being re-uploaded, then you can find all the information on this post here. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

Otherwise, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my stories and for the support y’all have given me through this nonsense haha. It truly means a lot, and I can’t tell you how nervous I am about posting this because I AM proud of it and I want y’all to like it, too!

So, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you! ❤️

Ch1 | Ch2

Read on: AO3 | FF.net | Wattpad

---

A supply run to the train stationed was a spur of the moment decision.

While finishing up their morning hunting trip- checking and resetting traps, hunting adult rabbits and capturing any babies for their ever-growing rabbit farm- it seemed their duties were done. Just as they were ready to head back, Louis mentioned it wasn’t too far away.

“Up for a little adventure?”

Given that they’ve torn the place apart, Clementine wasn’t sure if it’s really an adventure to travel that way anymore, but AJ was more than willing to go back and look around.

She figured it wouldn’t be so awful to go and collect anything they might’ve missed from their previous trips, though she felt this was more of an excuse to stay out longer, to enjoy the cool air and each other’s company.

Aasim deemed it a waste of time, choosing to take back everything they collected and meet up with Mitch and Willy, mumbling something about repairing one of the gates.

Up ahead, but not too far, Louis tells some crazy, exaggerated story as AJ hangs on to every word. Something about Aasim and a shark, she gathers. It’s ridiculous enough to make her rolls her eyes but smile all the same, especially when AJ calls him out on absurd details.

“Aasim doesn’t have a peg leg!”

“Or does he? Tell me this, has anyone actually ever seen Aasim’s bare leg? No, and that’s because it’s a peg stuffed into a boot.”

“No, it’s not!”

Clementine spots a walker lingering in the trees from the corner of her eye, its head twitching with interest at the sound of the boys’ laughter.

It’s the first one she’s spotted today, likely due to James doing his part of their arrangement.

They worked out a decent system when first offering him a place to stay; anywhere they plan to hunt or scavenge, they let James know in advance so he can gather and lead stray walkers away, making trips a lot easier and quicker. In exchange, he’s welcome to stay in a room and eat with them whenever he wants.

He rarely stays multiple nights in a row, but Clementine’s glad to see him and the others get along when he does stick around.

She picks up a large rock and chucks it. The walker follows the noise with a low gurgle.

The decrepit train station is empty.

The dead couple remains as left; slumped over, tied to their chairs, and still holding hands.

They try and gather as much as they can, like salvageable, leftover food hidden beneath the trap door, duct tape and a few bandages. Clementine finds a working lighter beneath the table, stuffing it in her pocket as heavy thump vibrates behind her.

“Oh-ho!” Louis calls out from behind the counter. “Looks like I found your secret stash.”

Clementine quirks a brow, leaning over the counter to peer down at him. He flashes her a bright smile and waves a beaten up chocolate bar.

“Seriously?” When she tries to reach for it, he teasingly jerks it away.

“I don’t think so, darling,” he pockets the bar. “Gotta save stuff like that for a special occasion.”

“Special occasion,” she scoffs. “Like?”

“Like when it’s your birthday, or if it’s someone else’s birthday and you forgot to get them a present,” Louis glances away, shrugging a shoulder with a sheepish grin, “or, y’know, for date night.”

“Date night, huh?”

“Woah...”

From behind her, AJ shuffling around the dead couple, unfolding something small and gray. Upon a closer look, Clementine can tell it’s a wallet, and from it, AJ pulls out a five-dollar bill.

“Look at that,” Louis approaches the boy with a grin, “looks like dinner’s on AJ.”

“Huh?”

Louis takes the wallet and pulls out some credit cards. “By the looks of it, we’re getting a three-course meal.”

“With extra dessert,” Clementine smiles.

“Triple dessert.”

“Quadruple dessert.”

“Now, that’s what I’m talking about!”

AJ looks between the two of them, clearly confused. “I don’t get it.”

Louis goes to explain, but something small falls from the wallet with a soft thump. A plastic casing preserves a photo with handwriting on the back and a bent corner.

“Oh.”

“What is it?” AJ asks.

Louis holds up the picture, motioning to the couple. “It’s, uhm... their wedding photo.”

“Wedding photo?” AJ studies the picture. Clementine moves around them to look as well.

It’s jarring, the idea that the young couple are the same people as the decaying bodies in the chairs before them. They’re both so clean and happy with wide smiles and life in their bright eyes.

The woman’s beautiful, Clementine thinks, with her hair braided back into a bun of curls and her cheeks a pretty pink. Her dress glows white with glittering details, and the diamond ring is visible on her hand resting against her husband's chest.

“They look...” AJ’s mouth twists as he searches for the right words.

“Happy?” Louis offers.

“Well, yeah, they’re smiling, but...” AJ looks at the dead bodies. “I don’t know. It’s weird. Why’re they dressed like that?”

Louis laughs, “Well, little dude, back before the walkers came, people used to get married. It was a pretty big deal, and when they did, they’d have a wedding. Think of it like a huge party with lots and lots of people to celebrate the couple’s marriage.”

“Okay,” AJ says. He takes the photo and studies it. “What does that mean? To be married?”

“Uh, well,” Louis scratches his neck, “it’s what people used to do to prove they really loved each other, I guess. It was, like, this big step to take to marry someone and call them your wife, or your husband.”

“Everyone did it?”

“No, not everyone.”

“How come?”

“Uh, well,” Louis says, “it wasn’t for everyone, I guess.”

“But anyone could do it?”

“I think so.”

“Even me?” asks AJ. “I can get married?”

Clementine smiles. “You’re a little young for that right now.”

AJ frowns and crosses his arms. “How old do I gotta be?”

“Well, there isn’t really a set age-”

“And I can marry who I want?”

“Yes, but,” Clementine shoots Louis a glance, looking for help with an explanation. He shrugs a shoulder in response, clearly amused. “It’s not something people do anymore.”

“Why not? I mean, you just throw a party. We’ve done that before. And I can marry whoever I love? Like you, right?”

At that, Louis laughs. Clementine sighs. “Uh...”

“Marriage wasn’t for that kind of love, buddy,” Louis says, “it’s a bit more complicated than that.” He puts the picture back into the wallet and tucks it into the dead man’s pocket. “These two didn’t love each other like you and Clem do. They got married because...” Louis’ smile almost turns sad, “they were in love, as a couple.”

“Oh...” AJ thinks, “oh, like a kissing love.”

“A kissing love,” Louis agrees. “Exactly.”

He winks at Clementine, making her roll her eyes and suppress a smile.

“Like you and Clem?”

Warmth rushes to Clementine’s cheeks as a loud, nervous laugh escapes Louis.

Before AJ can ask his next question, there’s a soft bang against the door. The conversation’s forgotten as they glance among themselves, silently telling each other to stay on their guard, get low and carefully maneuver to the door.

AJ peeks out the window, confirming their suspicions.

“Monster.”

Clementine nods. “Just one?”

“Looks like it.”

They all stand, relaxing a little. The door’s closed, so one walker isn’t a threat.

Louis hauls a hefty bag over his shoulder. “Well, I think we’ve gotten all we can get,” he says. “We should head back.”

“Right.”

Louis hesitates, glancing back at the walker couple. It’s quick, but she catches it. The look in his eyes is like whenever someone mentions Marlon or Brody or other fallen classmates, or whenever he brings up his parents in passing. Almost a sad nostalgia, with maybe some pity and longing. She hasn’t quite deciphered that one yet.

Regardless, it’s gone when he turns back to AJ, Chairles in hand, saying, “Think we can take that deadhead?”

Clementine remains behind as they go, the crack and squelsh of the walker skull being struck echoing from outside as she approaches the couple, glancing down at the man’s rotten hand entwined with his wife’s.

He still has his ring on.

“Clem?”

“...Coming.”

---

It stuck with her for the rest of the day.

From when they entered the gates of the school again, continued with their daily chores, all throughout dinner, to now sitting on the couch with Louis in front of the burning firepit. His arm rests comfortably behind her as he chats with Omar, allowing her to lean back into his shoulder and chest.

From what she could tell, he wasn't thinking about it, and neither was AJ.

He let the conversation of marriage go after Louis moved onto another topic. She knew he was trying to avoid the obvious question on AJ’s mind to spare everyone the awkwardness.

“Like you and Clem?”

Like Louis and her...

Marriage isn’t something she thinks about. Not truly, anyway.

Sure, there had been that dumb “marry, ‘flip’, kill” question that seemed to come up during their card games, and sure, from all the groups she’d been in, some had married couples.

Like Kenny and Katjaa.

Christa and Omid.

David and Kate.

Rebecca and Alvin.

And before the walkers, her parents had been married. Happily married with little to no problems.

She doesn’t remember a lot about them, but some things stood out in her brain when she concentrated hard enough.

Like how her father would always kiss her mother’s cheek before going to work and after coming home. It didn’t matter if she was cooking, or still in bed, or working on a project, or on the phone, he always kissed her. It was like some unspoken rule.

And how they laughed together. Her father had this deep, rumbling voice that practically shook the house when he laughed, and his laugh only made her mother laugh harder.

And the cute names they called each other.

Sweetheart. That’s what her father called her mother.

Sweetheart.

But, marriage isn’t something that stuck in her brain, not something she actively thinks about.

Seeing that wedding photo, the couple who chose to die together tied to those chairs, and actually talking about it, hearing Louis talk about it, seeing him look back at them the way he did... it stuck with her.

And-

Something lightly tugs as her hair, breaking her thoughts. She cranks her neck to look up at Louis as he pulls something from the messy ponytail of her hair.

“Sorry, you had some grass there,” he grins, holding up a green stem before flicking it away. “Figured you wouldn’t notice with how zoned out you were. Where’d you go?”

“Nowhere.”

“You went somewhere.”

“I was just enjoying the fire.”

“Hm,” Louis nods before reaching up to tip the hat off her head. “Here, turn around.”

She shifts around with her back to him and hat in hand as Louis, as gently as possible, frees the purple band from her hair. His long fingers attempt to comb through the absolute mess of curls, and if she weren’t so used to him doing this by now, she’d be embarrassed by the disaster placed upon her head.

“Haven’t heard from James in a while,” Louis mentions. “Didn’t see him out there, either.”

“There were barely any walkers today, so he’s out there somewhere. Probably in his camp.”

“He does know that he as a bed here, right?” Louis begins braiding her thick locks, weaving chucks of curls the best he can, “I mean, it’s nothing fancy, but it has to be better than sleeping on the ground. Or in a tree.”

“Maybe you should tell him that,” she suggests with the hint of a grin, glancing back at him with a perked brow.

Louis chuckles. “Yeah, because I’m gonna get through to him.” He jerks his chin over to the tables where Mitch and Willy sit together with Ruby and Aasim. “If you and Mitch can’t convince him to stay permanently, then I’m afraid no one ever will.”

Louis ties off the braid, placing it over her shoulder to look at.

He’s gotten better at this. The first time he ever braided her hair, it was, for lack of a better term, very ugly.

Aasim was appalled upon seeing it, insisting he shows Louis how it’s done. Which was a bizarre thing to learn about him- Aasim could braid hair quickly and beautifully.

Since then, Louis’ skills have improved immensely.

Facing him again, she smiles, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you.”

He goes to speak, but Ruby’s approaching figure catches their attention.

“Ya got watch, Lou,” she jerks her thumb back at the post. “You and Aasim.”

“Aw, seriously?” Louis pouts, which quickly turns into a smirk. “Hey, wanna switch? I can take your morning shift and you can go with Aasim tonight?”

“Nope,” Ruby shakes her head, pointing back at the tower. “Get goin.’“

Louis slouches, mumbling quietly, “I tried, my dude...”

“Don’t keep ‘im waitin’.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Louis stands, reaching his arms high over his head to stretch out his body. He lets out a satisfied groan as they fall back to his sides. “I’ll be there in a second.”

Ruby nods before walking off.

His foot taps hers. “Guess I’ll see you tonight,” he says, leaning forward. His fingers caress her jawline as he lightly pulls her towards him and places a quick, soft kiss on her lips. “I’ll try not to wake you.”

“Goodnight,” is all Clementine can muster up to say.

“Goodnight.”

He leaves her with a smile.

And as she watches him walk away, twirling the end of the braid around her finger, it occurs to her with a single, strange thought.

I want to marry that boy.

---

Clementine tries to fall asleep, but she’s restless. She doesn’t know how long she’s laid there, but no position, no angle allows sleep to take her.

AJ snores quietly in his bed on the other side of the room, and Louis still won’t be back for a few hours, leaving her with nothing but a near-silent room and noisy thoughts.

It’s maddening.

Not bothering to gather her boots or grab her hat, she tiptoes out of bed and slips out, quietly closing the door behind her to not disturb AJ.

Footsteps thump against the wooden floors causing her to turn, alert and listening.

Violet keeps her eyes forward as she walks down the hall, not giving Clementine any acknowledgment as if she were nothing but the door itself.

Clementine watches her, a greeting caught in her throat that she pushes down.

By now, she knows better.

To say it’d been awful between the two of them ever since the delta fight two years ago would be an understatement. She still can’t even breathe in Violet’s direction without getting ‘fuck you’ eyes, and talking was completely out of question. Not that Clementine didn’t still try, but it seems that Violet’s determined to keep herself in the shadows of the school.

She’s gotten a little better, though. Two years ago, she’d only talk to Tenn and Louis. As time went on, she expanded her daily communications to Ruby, Omar, and Aasim.

Not her, though.

Louis once tried to help them patch things up.

It didn’t go over well.

Clementine tries to put it out of her mind as she moves down the opposite direction. Down by the entrance doors, grumbles echo through the quiet air where she finds Ruby grimacing at something in her hands.

“Hey,” she greets.

“Oh, Clem,” Ruby smiles. “Thought you went off ta bed?”

“Can’t sleep.”

Ruby expression softens. “Bad dreams?”

“No.”

“AJ snorin’ too loud?”

Clementine chuckles. “No, I’m just not tired, I guess.”

“Ah, well, ya wanna help me fix Willy’s shirt?” she holds up a dirty blue shirt with a tear along the side. “Got it caught again and didn’t bother stopin’ to untangle himself.”

“Sure.”

Clementine kept the shirt still and flattened against the table while Ruby goes to work.

“Wish that runt would be more careful,” she murmurs, “always tearing his clothes up. What’ll happen if he ruins all of ‘em? That boy’ll be in nothin’ but rags here pretty quick.”

“You could have him sew his own stuff.”

Ruby scoffs. “Yeah, right.”

Clementine watches her steady hand as she sews in comfortable silence. Being around Ruby like this is peaceful. The two had gotten close over the years, and for that, she’s grateful. She adores Ruby.

“So, somethin’s got you wanderin’ around this late. What’s on yer mind?”

Clementine hesitates, thoughts going back to earlier at the train station, as well as racking her brain for any time she’s ever talked “romance” with the girl before her. Aside from a few comments about her and Louis, nothing sticks out.

”Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure, hon.”

“Have you ever liked someone? Like, had a crush?”

The redness on her cheeks brightens as Ruby blinks down at her needlework, processing just what the question entails. “I-uh- what in the world are ya askin’ me that for?”

“Just curious if anyone ever caught your fancy,” Clementine replies. She didn’t think the question would actually make her flustered.

Ruby pokes herself with the needle, hissing a cuss.

“Well,” she says, “hate ta disappoint you, but no.”

“Never?”

Ruby shakes her head. “Nu-uh.”

Clementine thinks back to Aasim and Louis’ constant teasing of the poor boy.

“You don’t like anyone here like that? Not even a little?”

Ruby hesitates.

“No.”

She finishes sewing up the shirt and holds it up in front of her.

“Why the sudden question?” she asks.

“I don’t know,” Clementine answers honestly. “Just was curious, I guess.”

Ruby shifts her weight onto one foot and scratches at her arm. After an awkward silence, she sighs.

“Well... alright, can ya keep a secret?”

Clementine perks up, nodding, “Yeah, of course.”

“Don’t get excited. He, uh... he’s not real.”

“What?”

Ruby’s blush deepens. “Sometime after all the adults left, I had a hard time sleepin’ at night. Ms. Martin was startin’ ta worry ‘bout me. She told me I should try readin’, it’ll take my mind offa everything, and I remember tellin’ her how stupid that was. But...” Ruby sighs, “I still let her read ta me before bed one night. A love story called ‘The Woodsman.’ Well, kinda a love story. She read it so well and,” she grins sheepishly, “I guess I kinda fell in love with Milo.”

Clementine smiles back. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Milo’s this handsome woodsman doin’ everythin’ he can to help support him and his family, right. He’s kind, like, genuinely kind. And the way he describes and talks about Abigail just is enough ta melt your heart. Or make ya cry, mostly both.”

“Do they end up together?”

“No- Well, sorta? Ya see, Abigail’s taken and forced ta live on top this big ‘ol mountain by this old, ugly witch as punishment fer Milo killin’ one of her wolves- uh, it makes more sense when ya read it,” she explains, running her fingers over the fresh stitching in Willy’s shirt, her mouth twisting. “Milo tries and tries again ta climb the mountain and save her, but every time he gets a little bit closer, he slips and tumbles down.”

“Shit.”

“Everything he does, he does it fer her. To free her of that witch’s cruelty. And the crazy part’s that he doesn’t even know if she loves him back. He don’t care if she does or not, he keeps climbin’ anyway and it eventually kills him,” Ruby shakes her head. “Never makes it back to Abigail.”

“That’s... awful.”

“Can’t tell ya how many times that part’s made me cry,” Ruby laughs dryly, “and it’s even worse ‘cause as he’s laying at the bottom dyin’, he’s still thinkin’ ‘bout how only he knows she’s up there and only he can save her and... he dies. He dies and becomes a star.”

“A star?”

“In the sky. High up there and he watches and protects her from the witch until eventually, Abigail dies, too.”

“And becomes a star, right?”

Ruby nods. “Right.”

She folds up Willy’s shirt neatly, draping it over her arm.

“After we lost Ms. Martin, I went through some of her things and found the book. Can’t tell ya how many times I’ve read it. Guess I always liked the idea of someone lovin’ me that much, enough ta fall down a mountain over and over again just ta save me. It’s justa silly fairytale, ‘cause I know someone like that doesn’t exist, but… thinkin’ they do still helps me sleep at night.”

“That’s not silly,” Clementine grins. “I think it’s really sweet.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” Ruby smirks. “Don’t want ‘em ta think I’m too soft.”

Clementine laughs. “I won’t.”

Ruby’s gaze falls as she mulls over something, something sorrowful passing over her brow. Clementine nudges her.

“Hey, you’ll find your Milo someday.”

“...Ya think so?”

“I do.”

With a sincere, thankful grin, she says, “Well, sorry I blabbered so much. Think it’s time I hit the hay. Thanks fer helpin’ me and... fer listenin.’”

“Thanks for sharing that with me. It sounds like a good read.”

“I’d let you borrow it if ya want.”

“I think I’d like that.”

Ruby beams at her, smile wide across her face. She gathers all her things and is just about to walk back to her room when Clementine stops her.

“Ruby?”

“Hm?”

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Don’t hafta,” Ruby says. “Just ‘cause I shared, I mean.”

“I know.”

“Well, alright, then.”

Clementine hesitates, and in a whisper, she says, “I think I’m in love with Louis.”

Ruby laughs. “Oh, hon, that ain’t no secret,” she grins, “it’s all over yer face when yer together. His, too.”

“No, I mean...I really love him.” Clementine laughs again, this time feeling silly herself. “Y’know, if Louis were cursed by some witch and put on top of a mountain, I’d never stop climbing to get him back. Is that crazy?”

“No,” Ruby walks toward her, reaching down to grab her hands. “Not at all.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Ruby says firmly. “In fact, you should tell him that.”

“Yeah?” Clementine smirks. “’Hey, Louis, by the way, if you ever happen to get cursed and kidnapped by a witch, I promise to save you.’”

That makes Ruby giggle. “Well, if any one of us were ta get cursed, it’d probably be him.”

They laugh together now.

“Does he already know? You ever tell him how much you love ‘im?”

“I have,” Clementine says. “Lots.”

“Good. Ya never know in this world... don’t want any more regrets than we already got.”

“I know. Believe me, I know.”

---

He shouldn’t still be thinking about it, but he is.

Even now, up on the watchtower looking over the silent forest, Louis thinks about all the times he, Clementine, and AJ have gone back to the train station, trying to remember if he ever stopped to actually look at the walker couple hunched over in their chairs together.

No, he barely paid them a glance once he knew they were taken care of.

Now, they’re all he can think about.

“You’re quiet,” Aasim mentions, lowering his binoculars and paying him a side glance.

“And you’re observant,” he retorts without missing a beat.

Aasim’s gaze falls down to the deck of cards in Louis’ hands as he absently shuffles them, but says nothing more, rolling his eyes and turning back to peer through binoculars.

Watch is uneventful as always.

Not that he’s complaining- it’s what Louis prefers.

A calm, quiet night of watch is better than a night of being constantly on edge, panicking at an extreme increase of incoming walkers, or catching assholes trying to sneak in.

No, he appreciates the silence outside the walls.

It gives him time to think about things.

Back home- well, back in the old house he lived in before being sent away to Ericson, they had an incredible dining room on the first floor. Monochromatic, with dark hardwood floors and a glass chandelier above the dining table.

There was a fireplace, too. They only used it during the winter, but above the mantle hung a beautifully framed photo of his parents on their wedding day. Around the holidays, when the fire was ablaze and his jam-packed stocking hung from the mantle, his mom would string lights around the frame, the same lights trimming the rest of the room.

And for the life of him, Louis can’t actually remember what the photo itself looked like, what his mother’s wedding dress looked like or if his father had his beard or not. He can’t even remember what color the background was.

The only thing he remembers about it is seeing it poke out of a cardboard box the morning he was being brought to Ericson, surrounded by several belongings packed away, ready for a move away from the freshly bare walls and empty fireplace.

Of course, all three of them were going in different directions.

He hasn’t thought about that for a long time, but thumbing through the walker’s wallet and seeing their wedding photo struck something.

His parents were happily married at one time, just like the walker couple. They fell in love, had a wedding, had him, and then everything went downhill from there, didn’t it?

“Tomorrow, we should work on expanding the kennel for the rabbits,” Aasim mentions. “We’ve got two who could have babies any day now.”

“Lucy one of ‘em?”

Aasim frowns. “Dude, I told you not to name them.”

“I didn’t. Willy did.”

“...Wait, seriously?” Aasim sighs, rubbing at his brow. “I told Mitch to keep him away from them. They’re not pets, they’re food.”

Leaning forward with his elbows against the wooden edge, Louis rubs his eyes and sighs.

He needs to stop thinking about this shit- his parents, marriage- it’s all in the past and nothing will come out of letting it weigh on his mind.

He forces himself to think about how at the end of his shift, he gets to go back inside and up to his dorm where Clementine’s waiting for him, then he’ll get to climb in their warm bed and finally get some sleep.

Hopefully.

Shit, he needs a distraction.

“You even see anything out there?” he asks.

“No, everything’s quiet.”

“Good.”

Moving closer to Aasim, Louis shuffles his deck of cards one last time before dealing out seven to Aasim and himself, setting the rest between them. Picking up his cards, he moves his fours all together and waits for Aasim to get the idea.

With a sigh, Aasim follows suit.

“Usual rules?”

“With a twist.”

“Of course.”

“Winner gets to ask the loser a question.”

“Fine.”

“Alright... got any fours?” Louis asks.

“Go fish.”

“Damn.”

He draws a card.

Aasim rearranges his cards, asking, “Got any sevens?”

"Double damn.”

Louis hands him his seven.

“Nines?” Aasim asks.

“Go fish.”

---

The night sky is a comfort compared to inside, the cool air offering more solace than her own bed.

Rubble crunches and kicks beneath as Violet drags her feet, her focus stuck on the cracked cement, fallen bricks, and the upcoming bell laying motionless on the side. It’s rusted over from years of being left in the rain, a sickening metallic smell emanating off of it.

She comes to a stop, her gaze stuck without really looking at it, as if her thoughts have smeared her visual focus. Thinking back on it, there isn’t a time where she remembers the bell actually being attached where it was meant to be. Not that it really matters. She’s not here to admire the fallen bell and it’s greater purpose, nor to mourn its untimely fall.

“Vi?”

She nearly jumps, whirling around to find Tenn watching her, his fingers twisting nervously and concern furrowing his brow.

“Shit, Tenn,” she curses, fully facing him while crossing her arms over her chest. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m on patrol,” he says, reaching into his pocket to proudly pull out his patrolling knife, the same one AJ uses when he walks around at night. “I saw you come out here and you looked mad.”

“So you followed me without saying anything?”

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he offers a soft grin. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t,” she lies, rolling her eyes. “I’m fine.”

He nods slowly but doesn’t turn to leave, instead eying her over-sized coat and the bell she stands beside.

"It’s a little cold out here. Why don’t you come inside? It’s late.”

“I said I’m fine, Tenn. I’m just getting some fresh air.”

“Then, do you want some company? I can take a break from patrol and go up there with you.”

She knows he’s trying. He’s always trying with her, trying to get her to talk to him the way she used to or smile or… something.

Sometimes he as bad as Louis in that regard.

“No.”

“Oh.”

She hates to think it or feel it or whatever, but right now she can’t deal with him. She can’t deal with anybody. She can barely stand to look him in the eye and his voice gnaws at her eardrums, too loud and too damn concerned.

She just... really needs some quiet.

When he doesn’t move or say anything else, Violet turns on her heels and approaches the stairs, only for him to call after her.

“Are you sure? I can climb up with you-”

“I said I’m fine, Tennessee,” she snaps much harsher than intended. “Go back on patrol.”

The effect of her words is instant in his soft, slightly hurt expression.

Fuck.

“Oh-okay,” he stutters out, nodding. “Just- just be careful not to slip, and if you need anything...” he trails off, waiting for any type of response. When he doesn’t get any, he turns and walks back the way he came, adding, “Goodnight, Vi.”

She watches him go, wanting nothing more than to bang her head against the bell until it rings.

Why the hell did she have to do that? Why couldn’t she just say, “Thank you, Tenn, I would love the company” or “Thank you, Tenn, but I want to be alone right now” or-

It doesn’t matter now. Tenn’s gone, back on patrol and doing his best to protect them and the school from danger. She’s proud of him for that, though she’s never had the opportunity to tell him that.

No, that’s a complete lie.

She’s had plenty of opportunities. Every time she sees him practicing his bow with Willy or learning defensive strategies from AJ, she could easily walk over there and tell him how good he’s doing.

But she doesn’t, because each and every time those things happen, Clementine’s there with him.

And that just-

Fuck.

A yawn builds up in her throat as she takes the first set of stairs to the wall. She shakes it off, beginning her climb to the top.

Another sleepless night that will undoubtedly lead to a deep sleep in the morning. Seems to be her usual schedule these days; complete daily tasks with as little issue as possible, eat dinner, retire early and pretend to try and fall asleep for the rest of the night until dawn breaks, then actually sleep until breakfast is long over.

It’s not so bad when she has night watch, but tonight’s not the case.

In fact, tonight’s a completely different story.

She managed to fall asleep peacefully with a full belly and a relaxed state of mind, something that’s rare even now. She’d been hopeful curled up in bed with the comforter wrapped around her, and that was stupid.

“Shit,” she hisses when her foot slips, causing a short pang of panic in her gut before she catches her self, holding tight and waiting as Tenn’s words repeat in her mind.

She wonders how long it would take them to find her body -her walker body- if she did fall, as morbid as that may be.

Deeming herself safe, she continues her climb.

It was a good dream.

Of course it was.

The one night she finds some peace and her own brain has to fuck it up with false, happy realities. On top of it all, she crossed paths with Clementine on her way here and that made everything worse.

Now it’s all she can think about.

The mere sight of her pisses Violet off.

Though, at this point in her life, she’s not even sure if she can accurately pinpoint why. They haven’t spoken- really spoken- in nearly two years but the pain is still present in every second she’s near and Violet can’t stand it. She refuses to stand it.

Never again.

The breeze is stronger at the top, sweet against her face and through her hair. It’s one of her favorite feelings to be up here alone beneath the stars, the wind calming and the sight breathtaking.

Planting herself down in her usual spot, Violet takes a few deep breaths and pulls off her jacket, digging around in the pockets for her notebook and an old green glitter pen.

The notebook isn’t traditional in style, but completely handmade with loose leaf paper sewn together and her name decorating the cover. It was a gift she received two years ago from Tenn, Aasim, and Ruby when everything seemed to finally calm down after the delta.

It’s a gift that she’s held onto earnestly, one that she used regularly, one that she needed.

Aasim said it was for her thoughts because “writing’s easier than talking sometimes,” and that’s one hell of an understatement.

She refused to write in it at first, knowing that once she did, everything that happened would become more real and the weight of that would crush her into dust. It wasn’t until that fight with Louis that she began writing in it, listing a number of ways she could possibly apologize to him.

Now, it contained everything; memories, different constellations she found in the night sky, thoughts, observations, mini diary entries…

Sometimes she wrote about her parents, her grandma. Sometimes she wrote about the others, sometimes she wrote about Louis, about Minnie, about Tenn.

Sometimes she wrote about Clementine.

Sometimes… she wrote about the delta, the interrogation room, about the cold water, the walkers, the explosion…

And sometimes, she tore pages out and tried to forget.

Opening up to the next blank page, Violet draws a series of dots representative of stars before connecting them in the shape of two birds. Next to one, she draws a speech bubble and writes, “Fly away with me!”

She sighs.

It was a good dream, far from a nightmare and somehow, that made it worse.

She and Minnie were in the fishing shack, lying on the bed and holding hands, talking in muffled, obscured voices. Everything around them was warped, but they were together without any chaos.

Violet always wanted to do that.

She always wanted to go there with Minnie, carve their initials on the wall together, then cuddle in bed while Minnie sang to her until the sun set. When night fell upon them, the need to be together kept them in that bed, even at the cost of worrying the others.

That never happened.

The closest Violet ever got to the fantasy was waking up early and going there by herself to carve the initials, then leading Minnie back as a surprise.

That was the first time they ever kissed.

But, that was it.

They grabbed their spears and went fishing.

The only thing memorable about the kiss is that it was her first. Quick and a little awkward, but enjoyable, she thinks.

Maybe.

Fuck, it was so long ago.

Violet rubs her face on the sleeve of her shirt, murmuring “stop” several times under her breath.

While being up here is calming and peaceful, now that she’s sitting alone beneath these stars, Violet realizes just how lonely it can be.

Yeah, lonely.

It’s fucked but it’s nights like this that she wishes for the comfort of another beside her to talk to about this stuff, but when someone offers her it to her like Tenn did, she refuses it.

Why?

Because she actually longed for the comfort of a girl who aided in her suffering at the hands of an evil bitch hellbent of kidnapping as many as she could for her army? A girl who had a face she once loved but eyes as hollow as cold space itself and who was a lovely yet sorrowful memory she’s held on to for far too long, but just can’t seem to loosen her grasp of?

That comfort is a falsity, a pipe dream and she knows it.

No, she longed the comfort of friends who desperately want to help her no matter how much she pushes them away. Someone who understood the pain she felt and comforted her with beautiful art and kind words, or someone who saved her life and loved her and never stopped trying.

Someone there in the flesh who offered himself to her every day who she repeatedly turned away from.

Because isn’t that who she is now…?

A person who craves the comfort of interaction but also flees from it the first chance she gets.

One big, stupid, fucking contradiction.

But at least she has the night sky, right?

No matter what, the moon and the stars would never truly leave, they’d come back to her every single night, and that’s more than she could say for most.

---

Clementine’s still awake when Louis sneaks in.

He tries his best to be quiet, stopping at the door to slip off his boots and jacket, tiptoeing around before slowly sliding into bed with her with a huff.

She lifts her head off the pillow, silently watching him rub at his tired eyes.

“Hey,” she whispers.

“Shit,” he curses, startled, but relaxes when she sits up on her elbows. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” she sighs. “Been in and out.”

Louis scoots closer to her so that her chin rests against his shoulder. He entwines their fingers, bringing their hands to rest against his chest.

He’s freezing from being outside, so she yanks the blanket up closer to fully cover them, causing him to let out a content sigh.

“How was watch?” she asks.

“Same ol’, same ol’,” he replies. “Convinced Aasim to play go-fish with a twist ‘til he got mad,” he yawns. “Asked him when he’s finally going to confess his undying love to Ruby and he threatened to throw my deck over the wall.”

Clementine chuckles. “Sounds about right.”

They find a pleasant position with her arm around his waist and her body pressed snug against his back. He kisses the back of her hand as his eyes flutter shut, the day's exhaustion catches up with him.

"Guess we’re going to expand the kennel tomorrow,” he says. “Lucy and another rabbit are going to have babies soon, so that’ll be a lot of fun.”

“Hmm.”

“How was your night?”

“Better now.”

The corner of his mouth twitches into a grin.

Their hands raise and fall with every breath he takes, and soon he’s fast asleep. His heartbeat is soft against her hand, the rhythm a sweet lull. She keeps herself awake a little longer to make sure he remains peaceful.

She runs her thumb over his, thinking back to the couple in the train station, wondering what their last kiss was like, what their final words to each other were. She wonders if there were a lot of things left unspoken, things that wanted to be said, needed to be said.

She squeezes his hand and allows her eyes to rest.

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