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[Those days on the boat are like a distant memory. Clementine came back to the time she was in and was forced to endure her usual life.
For her, it's been awhile. She's taller, more like her pre-teen self. Her hair is the same, kept short just like Lee taught her and when she appears, at first she doesn't realize her scenery has changed. She turns, to snap a retort.]
Still. Not. Bitten.
[Her voice is lower, her expression one of unbridled anger. Her left sleeve was caked in more blood than the rest of her, as though she's injured.]
For her, it's been awhile. She's taller, more like her pre-teen self. Her hair is the same, kept short just like Lee taught her and when she appears, at first she doesn't realize her scenery has changed. She turns, to snap a retort.]
Still. Not. Bitten.
[Her voice is lower, her expression one of unbridled anger. Her left sleeve was caked in more blood than the rest of her, as though she's injured.]
[He's seen that look before in a child just as young as this one. The familiarity of it makes him pause when she turns, not sure if the anger is directed at him or at the world.]
I can see as much.
[His voice is gentle and calm and he fully expects her to get even angrier for it.]
Is that blood your own?
[He asks, because he knows it's very likely that it's not.
Since, after all, the last time he'd seen a child like this was in a mirror.]
I can see as much.
[His voice is gentle and calm and he fully expects her to get even angrier for it.]
Is that blood your own?
[He asks, because he knows it's very likely that it's not.
Since, after all, the last time he'd seen a child like this was in a mirror.]
[Clementine isn't locked in the shed anymore and he's not who she was expecting. She takes a step back from him, watching him carefully. Her eyes leave his for a moment as she glances at her arm and back at him.]
It's mine. It's not a bite!
It's mine. It's not a bite!
Have you tended to it?
[He doesn't move to touch her or even close the distance between them at all. He doesn't quite understand what her worry about bites is, but that can wait until he's sure she's not too badly wounded.]
[He doesn't move to touch her or even close the distance between them at all. He doesn't quite understand what her worry about bites is, but that can wait until he's sure she's not too badly wounded.]
[Clementine shakes her head.]
I need a bandage. Do you have any?
I need a bandage. Do you have any?
[Luckily, he does. It's a habit he's never shaken, though it's useful enough, considering the people he usually has to look after.]
I do, but you'll need to wash the wound out first so that it doesn't get infected. We'll need to find some water.
[If she rejects him, he'll give her the bandage, of course, but he can't bring himself to just leave her.]
I do, but you'll need to wash the wound out first so that it doesn't get infected. We'll need to find some water.
[If she rejects him, he'll give her the bandage, of course, but he can't bring himself to just leave her.]
I poured peroxide on it already.
[Clementine holds out her right hand for the bandage. She seems a little less guarded.]
I just need some help and I won't bother anyone else.
[Clementine holds out her right hand for the bandage. She seems a little less guarded.]
I just need some help and I won't bother anyone else.
[He's not sure what peroxide is, but she seems to have the situation well enough in hand. He reaches into his robes and pulls out a small, neatly tied bundle of fabric, removes a few strips and hands them to her.]
I'll give you any help you need. Don't worry about being a bother.
[And since she's at least not openly hostile--]
My name is Ja'far. What's yours?
I'll give you any help you need. Don't worry about being a bother.
[And since she's at least not openly hostile--]
My name is Ja'far. What's yours?
[She takes the bandages from him and pushes her sleeve up. The gash in her arm is brutal. A gaping wound that's been stitched with five loops, poorly spaced apart. It's going to leave a huge scar. She starts wrapping it with the bandage.]
I'm Clementine.
I'm Clementine.
[He nods and watches as she bandages herself.]
That's going to leave a very big scar. What happened?
[She's not eager to speak, but he's afraid that she'll go off on her own if he doesn't keep her talking.]
That's going to leave a very big scar. What happened?
[She's not eager to speak, but he's afraid that she'll go off on her own if he doesn't keep her talking.]
[He's not wrong. She needs to regroup, and she hasn't had a chance to do that in a little while.]
I was bitten by a dog. Just a dog.
[She finishes and uses her teeth to tie the knot.]
I was bitten by a dog. Just a dog.
[She finishes and uses her teeth to tie the knot.]
[That worry about being bitten again...]
You seem very worried about being bitten. Does that mean something different in this place?
[It's not something he's noticed himself since waking up here, but that doesn't mean he hasn't missed something. He's not sure if she's one of the other people who's been magicked here or not. Her clothing isn't the same as what he's seen on the townspeople, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's not from another island.]
You seem very worried about being bitten. Does that mean something different in this place?
[It's not something he's noticed himself since waking up here, but that doesn't mean he hasn't missed something. He's not sure if she's one of the other people who's been magicked here or not. Her clothing isn't the same as what he's seen on the townspeople, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's not from another island.]
Zombies. I wasn't bitten by zombies.
[Clementine drops her sleeve and glances at him again.]
Thanks. For the bandage.
[Clementine drops her sleeve and glances at him again.]
Thanks. For the bandage.
[Zombies? He's not familiar with the term. Something poisonous, perhaps?]
You're welcome. Where will you go now? I assume you're by yourself?
[He'd at least had the rest of Sham Lash when he was her age. They'd tended to keep an eye on him whether he wanted them to or not.]
You're welcome. Where will you go now? I assume you're by yourself?
[He'd at least had the rest of Sham Lash when he was her age. They'd tended to keep an eye on him whether he wanted them to or not.]
I'm just going to get out of the way.
[Clementine backs away. She's not sure where she is, not yet, and she can't stay there with him. She doesn't answer his questions, she just steps back until she's comfortable to take off at a run, into the woods on the island.]
[Clementine backs away. She's not sure where she is, not yet, and she can't stay there with him. She doesn't answer his questions, she just steps back until she's comfortable to take off at a run, into the woods on the island.]
[After very little consideration at all, Ja'far decides to follow. It's the exact sort of thing he would have screamed his lungs out at Sin about 12 years ago and here he is doing it himself. The irony isn't lost on him, that's for sure. Still, because of that foul-mouthed little brat he'd been and how things turned out for him, he can't just let Clementine go off on her own.
When he catches up to her, he doesn't approach her immediately, but doesn't make an effort to keep his presence hidden.]
When he catches up to her, he doesn't approach her immediately, but doesn't make an effort to keep his presence hidden.]
[She can hear him chasing her. Her eyes dart back and forth, looking for an escape route.
Never let yourself get trapped.
There's a low hanging branch and she grabs onto it, scrambling up the tree slowly. Hopefully he can't climb.]
Never let yourself get trapped.
There's a low hanging branch and she grabs onto it, scrambling up the tree slowly. Hopefully he can't climb.]
[Climb? He could probably jump that. Instead, he just stops at the bottom of the tree.]
There's no need to run. I don't know what it is that you're afraid of, but you'll be at at disadvantage facing it alone. Do you even know where you are?
There's no need to run. I don't know what it is that you're afraid of, but you'll be at at disadvantage facing it alone. Do you even know where you are?
[Clementine sits on a branch breathing hard, leaning against the tree. She looks down at him from above, frowning at him.]
I got what I needed from you. Just let me go.
I got what I needed from you. Just let me go.
Edited 2013-12-26 08:09 (UTC)
Go where, exactly? Are you familiar with this island? You don't seem to be.
[He's not budging.]
[He's not budging.]
[There's a crack as Clementine breaks off as big a branch as she can hold and she holds it with the broken end pointed at Ja'far.]
Just let me go. I don't want any trouble.
Just let me go. I don't want any trouble.
If you can answer my questions, I will.
[He won't, but she doesn't need to know that.]
[He won't, but she doesn't need to know that.]
I'm not answering anything.
[Well she can just wait him out. Clementine isn't budging from the tree.]
[Well she can just wait him out. Clementine isn't budging from the tree.]
Then we shall be here for quite some time. I hope you're comfortable in that tree.
[He sits down at the foot of the tree and folds his arms in his sleeves.]
[He sits down at the foot of the tree and folds his arms in his sleeves.]
[She is, relatively. She drapes the branch over her legs and slouches a bit. Clementine is quiet, she can wait. In the meantime she's looking around. She hasn't exactly seen this forest before. She isn't sure where she is, but she doesn't hear any zombies. That's a good sign. At least, they'll get Ja'far first.]
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