entranceway | 015] video ----> BACKDATED TO TUESDAY MORNING <-----

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015] video ----> BACKDATED TO TUESDAY MORNING <-----

[It takes him a little while to collect himself, as the memories (most jumbled and incomplete thanks to the amount of shit he'd been pumping himself full of for the past few days) slowly filter back in bit by bit, but eventually he gets it together enough to ask what he needs to ask.

When he pops up on the feed his face is drawn and tired, the bags under his eyes even more pronounced than usual despite the fact that he'd essentially been "sleeping" for an entire day.]

Somethin' got me down in the caves. [And his tone makes it obvious that he doesn't mean "got me a birthday present". He looks down then, unsure how to put this in a way that isn't cryptic or confusing... But after a few seconds of lip-chewing and offscreen callous-picking he continues, figuring that if anything had happened, it'll be pretty clear what he means:] ...I hurt anybody?

[If he hadn't, this is gonna drag up a whole bunch of questions he'd prefer not to touch... But he needs to know what he did after the lights went out, and if that means outing himself and explaining his situation back in Georgia, well... It's the least he can do. There could be people who are owed one hell of an explanation.

And he considers elaborating now but thinks better of it, cutting the video feed abruptly to send a private text to America:]

that shit upstairs gotta go if you havent taken care of it already

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[The girl that pops up on his feed is familiar... Though not because he can recall terrorizing her in the hallway. No, he remembers her from another time, remembers giving her a quick and half-assed lesson in handguns and utilizing the closets and running from those mutts. He remembers thinking, then, that she's just a fucking kid.

And so his stomach drops when her face appears, along with that raised hand that he interprets just fine even if she's unsure about it. He ignores her question, but has one of his own:]

You get bit?

[He's assuming not, considering she looks healthy if not a little afraid, but he needs to ask. He needs to know.]

I'm okay.

[That's the only thing she can think to instantly reply with, and she gives as serious and strong of a look as possible so he knows she means business about that. She's just fine, and she always physically will be. Emotionally, she's a little shaken, but she's been in a constant state of emotional turmoil since arriving in Wonderland.]

And you look okay too. [She glances down, trying to hide the faint hint of a smile that's forming on her face.]

I was worried about you.

[Since she'd been forthcoming enough to respond at all, he's willing to take that as a no... But still, she's obviously rattled so he doubts that's the whole story.

Just like his own answer isn't the whole story:]

I'm fine. [It's a pretty blatant lie- he fucking died and he turned and presumably went on a rampage somewhere on the first floor where he'd woken up- but his expression pretty clearly says leave it be.

His next question for her takes a moment for him to work up to, during which time he's looking pointedly away from the feed. She looks fine, which means one of two things: either she'd gotten away unscathed, found a room to lock herself in until he'd given up, or he'd ripped her to bits and she'd come back whole a day later. He doesn't see any other option, here.] I didn't... You get away?

[Dying himself is one thing, but being responsible for something like maiming and killing a kid? He's bracing himself for the worst.]

[No, it's not fine. For either of them, and she knows it and he knows it, and it's just really awkward and horrible. And then that question comes out of her mouth, and she can't stop her eyes from widening a little bit more, before she steels herself and fixes him with as strong of a look as she can manage.]

I eventually got away.

[She really doesn't want him to worry about her, especially not when she's upset over whatever must have happened to him to make him that way.]

How -

[Is there a tactful way to go about asking this? She doesn't think so, so she just blurts it out.]

How did you turn into that?

[He narrows his eyes but doesn't ask how she'd escaped. There's no way it wasn't a wholly traumatizing experience and he's not gonna make her go over it again, even if he is curious as to how she'd done it.

And speaking of curiosity... At her question, he casts his eyes down, chewing at his lip in silence for a moment before looking up with a frown.]

Where I'm from that's how it is. Somethin' takes you out, you don't stay down. It's some kinda sickness... Got no idea how it works. [Pause.] Sorry 'bout... Whatever I did. You really alright now?

[She bites at her lip and nods quickly.]

I really am, I promise. I had to -

[Her voice cracks, and she looks down at away. Guilt is now rolling off of her, even though she knows it's not her fault, and it's definitely not his fault it happened in the first place.]

I should give your gun back. Is it okay to come give it to you now?

Did what you had to do.

[Doesn't take a rocket scientist to puzzle out what'd gone down. Guess she'd learned how to shoot after all...

...And he can live with that, especially given the alternative. Shaking his head, he makes sure to keep his voice as even as possible. Even, and firm- don't argue with him, Claire.]

No. You best hang on to it. [His voice softens a bit.] Might need it again.

[...And because he knows she's gonna argue anyway:]

I can get another one from the closets. Hell, I got more'n enough hangin' around in here already.

[Her lower lip trembles, and she rigidly shakes her head.]

I don't like having it, though.

[Despite having lived in Texas her entire life (and despite having a father who secretly is a special agent that has all kinds of weapons), she's never really been exposed to guns before. They scare her, because she doesn't like the kind of power they give her over others.]

I...I've never killed anyone before.

[Sure, she's tried killing Brody, but he deserved it for what he did to her. And she didn't succeed. And Jackie might have died because of her, but she wasn't the one that did it. But Daryl...

That had been her entirely. She had pulled the trigger, and killed him. And it's still haunting her.]

Ain't never killed nobody, there's nothin' left but a body when you turn.

[He can tell it's not going to help her much, but it's the truth and he ain't about to let a kid walk around here unarmed because she feels guilty for shit that she didn't even do.

And if he hadn't been stupid enough to ignore all warning and check out the Core while on his mirrorside vacation, now might be the time to explain that he knows for a fact- as much as that science shit had stuck in his head, anyway- that there really isn't anything left of a person once they turn... But all he's got left now is his gut, and that's enough for him.

And hopefully for her, too.]

I mean it, you can't walk around here empty handed. [It's not foolproof safety (because he'd had his knife, hadn't he?), but it's better than nothing.]

[She appreciates him trying to help her feel better, and she gives him a lopsided, sad little smile in return. She isn't sure if he's not used to dealing with teenagers, or just not with people as emotional as she is -

He doesn't seem to really know what he's doing, but she's grateful for his trying.]

Okay, I can try holding onto it. Not to ask for too much or anything, but do you think you have time for more lessons on how to use it better?

[Yeah, that'd be all of the above. He'd been off on his own when Beth had her meltdown and had only heard about it over the winter from Carol when all over avenues of conversation had either become too painful or run dry, and Carl, well... Carl's about as far from emotional as he is, so that'd been a non-issue. Fact is, he's had precious little experience dealing with this kind of thing directly. He's trying, though. He owes the poor kid that much.

And maybe something more than that:]

Sounds fair. Ain't like I no schedule to clear.

[Aside from drinking (which can only be kicked up a notch from here, honestly) and his regular patrols of the grounds and the woods, his calendar is pretty damn open.]

[She tries to act grown up and mature about this and accept his agreement with dignity and grace, but she can't help giving out a laugh of delight and jumping up and down, clasping her hands together. She's excited not only to spend some more time with him, but to get to learn something useful, too.]

I can teach you how to do something too. In exchange, if you want.

[She figures maybe if they're both getting something out of the deal, he won't feel so much like he's stuck teaching an annoying kid. Of course, it comes down to the fact she doesn't have a lot she can teach him. Apart from baking amazing cupcakes or how to do perfect cheer pyramids, or other useless things.]

[...Welp, that sure as hell ain't a reaction he gets often, especially in circumstances like these. It's so unexpected, in fact, that he doesn't really have a response to it; happiness or excitement or whatever it is she's feeling aren't emotions he's used to dealing with.

As far as what she's got to teach him... He's at even more of a loss. But really, he owes her some indulgence and so he won't shoot it down just yet. He don't have the energy to argue, frankly, and he ain't in the business of dismissing people's strengths. Especially not here where he barely knows what the fuck he's doing, let alone anyone else.]

Alright. [Sound more thrilled, Daryl.] Get you more comfortable usin' that thing and go from there, I guess... Got a range down by the beach.

By the beach? Sounds like a perfect place for a range. Tanning and training, all in one place.

[No, really, she'll show up for training in a bikini and shorts in hopes of getting a day full of both activities. She's a multitasker like that. The thought of it only makes her more excited, and she's entirely ignorant to the fact he's not, and he doesn't seem to know how to handle her level of energy.]

Can we start soon?

...Right.

[Mentally, Daryl shakes his head. Leave it to a kid to think about it that way. Go ahead, Claire, show up in a bikini; might as well get some nice body colour to offset the extremely awkward goggle-tan you're gonna get on your face. Safety first, kid.]

Whatever. Startin' soon, that's for the best. Been talkin' to a few people about gettin' others involved but so far nothin's been done...

[If he wasn't in Super Hermit Mode, he might have been willing to make an announcement himself... But the prospect of dealing with a bunch of people right now isn't particularly appealing, and so he's just gonna stick to this one for the time being. He owes her.]

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015] video ----> BACKDATED TO TUESDAY MORNING <-----

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