ƈɾυҽʅ ƈσɯαɾԃҽss

kelly selwood, 21, caregiver, pearl street {isabelle fuhrman} singing, "give me liberty or give me death!" ain't nothing else. I want what I want, not what I need. Even if it kills me I'll be free. I want what I want, not what I need: The American Dream.

[kcllwood]

sysoyev‌:

she’s  blissfully  unaware  of  the  biter,   until  she  hears  yelling.   blinking  at  the  sound,   she  realizes  the  danger  in  front  of  her.   she’s  quick  to  grab  her  gun,   and  even  quicker  to  pull  the  trigger.   it  goes  off  with  a  BANG.   finally,    she  looks  up  towards  her  mentee.   shit,   shit,   shit.   ❝   we  have  to  go.   now.   ❞   there  was  no  doubt  that  walkers  would  be  coming  after  them  now.   ❝   they’ll  be  coming.   ❞

She flinches, jumps even, at the sound of the gun. No matter how many times she hears it, it’s still jarring. She scrambles to pick up her bag again and get a grip on the gun Alyona had given her — what seems like so long ago. Kelly nods, hurries to her side, taking a small ( the smallest ) comfort in having this protector next to her. “Will you come back with me? To the mall?” She doesn’t know what she’d do if she said no. “Please? You can’t stay out here by yourself, with... With all of them coming.”

[kcllwood]

sysoyev‌:

the  radio  man  had  made  it  clear   :   no  one  in  the  camps  were  safe   —  so  what  did  that  mean  for  her?   a  wanderer,   a  drifter   …   temporary  homes,   travelling  all  around  the  state.   she  could  just  LEAVE.   it  wouldn’t  be  the  first  time.   but  her  heart  flutters  at  the  thought.   what  if  someone  needed  her?   a  soft  heart  was  her  curse.   she’s  lost  in  her  thoughts,   not  quite  seeing  what’s  right  in  front  of  her  face   :   a  walker.

Kelly was lucky enough to hear the broadcast from another person’s lips rather than the radio itself. She would’ve panicked. Fortunately, she was able to get instructions from the kindness of a stranger who told her to get back where you came from before you get killed. So she ran, fast as she could ( pretty damn fast ). And she ran faster when she saw a familiar figure wandering straight into the path of a zombie. “Alyona!” she shouted, horrified. “Watch out!” She could yell and warn and scream from afar all she liked, but she didn’t think she’d ever be brave enough to jump between woman and corpse and save her.

[thcrin]

I am Chidi. Chidi is me.

[kcllwood]

shcperd‌:

he’s had the same piece of gum in his mouth for the past twenty minutes and it’s reached a new level of DISGUSTING. elijah isn’t inclined to care or mind it, though. he’s lost in his own world. two bombs dropped on his head; both nuclear. he isn’t sure how he SURVIVED the impact of either one. yet here he is. she loved him – she loved him and he’s going to be a father. in name alone, apparently. how’s this supposed to work ? mommy fights daddy when daddy’s camp tries to murder hers ? very pedagogic. very fit for children. he’s getting ahead of himself – he doesn’t even know if they’ll live long enough to see that baby. 

fortunately kelly provides a distraction from his swirling mind. he’ll take what he can get. elijah flips the gum inside his mouth as she speaks. ❝ i’m sure it patched up JUST FINE, kiddo, ❞ he informs and adds a shrug. a few moments pass and he spits out the gum. another moment, he speaks. ❝ you can take a look, though. ❞

She can tell he’s been thinking, thinking hard, about something really pressing. And immediately, she wants to offer her help. Emotional help. But she’s already offered physical help and she can’t just walk up and wonder aloud if he’s having a hard time dealing with the end of the world. She’s so busy thinking through her next steps that she almost misses his giving her the go-ahead.

“Well, good,” she says lightly, ignoring his gum. Gross, but she doesn’t mind. “It can never hurt to double check. Especially with all our limited resources around here.” She stepped towards him and tucked her hair back, always her instinct when she went into paramedic-mode. “Can I see?”

[kcllwood]

beavcham‌:

they  were  in  for  a  long  night  .  not  that  other  nights  were  particularly  short  or  pleasant  !  the  cabin  wasn’t  made  for  two  ,  comfortably  .  but  the  complaint  was  nowhere  to  be  heard  ,  as  she  spread  out  the  used  blanket  on  the  drape  .  not  much  in  the  pillow  department  ,  a  potato  sack  filled  with  somewhat  clean  cloths  she’d  pulled  from  dead  biters  .  she  only  hoped  kelly  would  be  comfortable  .  ❝  were  they  fun  ?  ❞  she  asked  ,  her  head  turning  back  to  the  other  with  a  smile  .  ❝  my  mom  never  let  me  and  my  brother  play  them  !  said  they  would  rot  your  brain  .  ❞

The lid opened with a satisfying pop and Kelly smiled, proud of herself. “Beans, beans, the wonderful fruit,” she murmured happily. Her mood improved greatly within four walls and a roof; the change was practically palpable. She looked over to see MJ working on a makeshift bed. “Hell yeah,” she said with a grin. “I mean, my brother and I only ever played this one army one, but we loved it.” She paused, tilting her head as she considered Mary Jane’s tone. “Were you and your brother close?”

[kcllwood]

avarusism‌:

❝ that’s a little vague. ❞

+  @kcllwood​

  ATTENTION TURNED TO THE OTHER, a calming breath being used to SOOTHE her impatient soul. it wasn’t a matter of her being annoyed with kelly, but rather the boisterous roars of laughter that filled the air — some nights she’d shut her eyes TIGHTLY, imagining that they were lions. some nights that was easier than facing the alternative. other nights, all she wanted was a simple conversation with a friend. ❝ kells, i have SOMETHING for you. do you really want to question it and make commentary on how vague of a statement that is or do you want to see what i’ve got for ya ? ❞

Kelly barely caught Delaney’s little sigh, but she heard enough to know to shut her mouth and just say yes. She wasn’t much for surprises — scaredy-cat that she was — but how could she turn down a little something from Delaney?

“No!” she insisted, matching the blonde’s pace. “Sorry, just... Surprises make me nervous.” Most things made her nervous. Not Delaney though, she could take care of herself. Kelly wasn’t built like that.

[kcllwood]

rosescoloured‌:

he   laughs   at   that,   but   he’s   happy   to   hear   that   it   wouldn’t   be   such   an   awful,   bad   thing   to   meeting   him   again.   partly   because   he,   too,   wouldn’t   mind   seeing   her   more   times   than   he   would   and   could   count   but   he   also   didn’t   want   to   be   a   bother.   “i   don’t   know,”   noah   shrugs   coolly,   “that   would   be   the   easiest   and   fastest   way   that   i   could   get   to   you.”   he   looks   at   his   newly   bandaged   hand   ;   sabrina   always   said   that   he   was   full   of   stupid   ideas   but   if   stupid   ideas   could   prompt   others   to   laugh,   then   he’ll   gladly   accept   being   the   boy   with   stupid   ideas.   “maybe   next   time,   i’ll   dislocate   my   shoulder   or   something.   it’ll   be   painful   but,”   he   glances   at   kelly.   “based   on   past   experience,   i   think   your   smile   can   help   ease   it   a   bit.”  

Her smile only grows when he laughs, when he smiles, when she sees that little glint in his eye that lets her know he’s only joking. People don’t joke anymore. She missed it more than she realized.

Besides, who wouldn’t melt if someone told you your smile could take their pain away? He knew exactly what to say. “That’s very sweet of you,” she said amiably, yet still almost chiding. “But if you show up here with your shoulder popped out of its socket, I’m not going to be smiling.”

[kcllwood]

“ does hurting me make you feel good or something? ” @ mj

right here, darling!

[kcllwood]

@beavcham — “ does hurting me make you feel good or something? ”

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m doing my best,” Kelly sighed, not lifting her eyes from Mary Jane’s wound. She tried to work a little faster, but MJ had really made a mess of her arm. A maze of little tears and scratches full of crumbles of asphalt crisscrossed the girl’s skin and Kelly just wanted to make sure it was clean so nothing got infected. Besides, she liked to think she’d gotten friendly with MJ and she didn’t want to drag this out.

[kcllwood]

rosescoloured‌:

noah   grins,   an   appreciative   look   that   won’t   leave   him.   he   is   beyond   grateful   for,   not   only   her   kindness   and   amiability   but   her   company   also.   it’s   less   lonely   …   and   he   knows   what   loneliness   is,   and   he   imagines   breathing   a   sigh   of   relief   at   having   a   friend   around.   he   takes   her   hand,   only   momentarily   shying   away   with   the   realization   that   his   hands   must   be   at   their   warmest   …   again.  

“kelly,”   he   nods.   “it’s   nice   to   meet   you   too.”   although   he’s   certain   that   he   shouldn’t   stay   (   sabrina   will   be   looking   for   him   …   and   his   guilt   will   lead   him   to   tell   her   that   he   got   help   from   someone   else   other   than   her   ),   he   can’t   seem   to   say   no.   “would   you   like   me   to?”   he   doesn’t   mean   to   tease   her,   but   it   comes   to   him   naturally   anyway.   “i   can   stick   around   for   a   while   —   if   it   means   i   get   stick   around   here   longer   with   you.”  

He takes her hand and Kelly freezes momentarily. It’s not enough to notice, she hopes, just enough that she has to adjust her mindset and remember to give his hand a slight squeeze before he pulls it away again. She smiles, warmth in her cheeks suddenly.

She likes the way he says her name. Nobody around here said it like that, so... Comfortably. More often than not, she was “honey” or “sweetheart” or anything bigger people could call little girls. But she wasn’t that little. She laughs a little at his teasing and nodded. “I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing your face again. Although I hope it’s not because you’re hurt.”

[kcllwood]

sysoyev‌:

features  fall,   gaze  turns  toward  anything  else  but  kelly.   ❝   i  had  ilya.   that  was  all  i  thought  i  needed.   ❞   she  murmured,   hands  digging  themselves  into  her  pockets.   ❝   i  thought  i’d  have  him  forever.   ❞   how  awfully  had  that  turned  out?   she  doesn’t  want  to  think  about   —   think  about  the  fact  that  maybe  he’s  not  out  there  searching  for  her  at  all. 

after  a  silent  moment,   she  finally  looks  at  kelly.   ❝   do  you?   ❞

She didn’t mean to bring up bad memories, sad ones, or make the woman uncomfortable. “I’m sorry,” she murmured absently, feeling guilty for more reasons than that. Her thoughts were still with her brother. Once she started on that course, it was hard to stop thinking of him and the end he must’ve met.

All because of her. She couldn’t look up, even though she knew Alyona’s eyes were on, waiting, expecting an answer. “I want people to trust me,” she said quietly. “But I don’t do much to earn it.”

[kcllwood]

tag dump!

[kcllwood]

shcperd‌:

he’s placed himself in a v u l n e r a b l e position, he knows. such is the DANGER of shocking news. he’s going to be a father. he’s going to be a father and all he can think about is the last time his hands squeezed the life out of another man, and the recent event in which someone else’s blood painted him from head to toe. he still remembers the taste of it; copper, salty, not entirely unpleasant. he’s been a wolf for as long as he can remember – a wolf who defends his own, sure, but a wolf still. and how can a WOLF with blood-stained teeth hold a child ? how can he even touch one without shattering it – without letting his sins spill onto fragile flesh ? claire CLEARLY hasn’t thought this through. there’s a target on his back the size of colorado itself and now he’s supposed to…to WHAT, exactly ? pretend the blood and the rust and the brutality never happened ? yeah, right. that feat seems impossible even for the next lifetime, let alone this one. elijah sheperd is not a good man. not a soft man. not a sweet man. he’s not a man built for keeping tiny creatures safe; his hands are too large for that – the claws can’t help but dig in. and now…now there’s a miniature version of him, of claire, on the way, and all he can think of is the BLOOD, and how death pays for death and how he’s delivered enough of it that quite a few people would like to come and collect. he doubts murdering a baby is beyond them. he’s lost in his thoughts. he’s D I S T R A C T E D. a crocodile that sleeps is bound to become someone’s handbag, and a hunter could have very well just come into range. the footsteps sell them out. he doesn’t bother turning to face them, but instead offers: ❝ if you’re here for joe’s head, you fucked up. i’m not babysitting today. ❞

Kelly hadn’t exactly been looking for Elijah, but she hadn’t not been looking for him either. It was more in the realm of I need to think about someone else for a while so I don’t go frickin’ crazy. She knew something was up because he barely noticed when she first walked in. A few steps later and she was almost behind him when he spoke up.

“Actually, I’m here for you,” she said. Her tone was quiet but still light. Always light — Kelly was a breeze in the hot desert of Pearl Street’s “normal” residents, a light spot in the dark. She knew nobody really thought she belonged here. Something about being surrounded by dangerous people ( dangerous people fighting something outside these walls ) made her feel a little bit safer. “I just wanted to make sure that wound I patched up the other day was healing okay.”

[kcllwood]

inhvmanitas‌:

✞  ▪  —  how some of these lost  ,  FRIGHTENED souls have managed to find shelter  &  solace within the confines of the pearl street mall  ,  taking company in the form of a rag - tag band of criminals  &  thieves  ,  well  ,  quite frankly  ,  it’s FAR beyond the realm of his comprehension  .  but somehow  ,  for some UNFATHOMABLE cause  ,  feeble minds  &  bleeding hearts find their way through iron gates  &  manage to end up HERE  .  though he does not find the girl before him ENTIRELY useless  ,  he knows she is soft  .  having worked in close quarters with her  ,  he’s seen as much  .  &  in this new world  ,  softness is of kin to WEAKNESS  .  poor  ,  sweet kelly  ,  a lamb seeking safety in a den of LIONS  .  vincent often wonders if the girl even realizes  .  he’s DOUBTFUL  .  

            she’s trembling  ,  shaking like a goddamn LEAF  .  under most circumstances  ,  the doctor wouldn’t ask after a reason  ,  an explanation  .  she’s clearly UNINJURED  ,  so by default  ,  anything she could offer is of little relevance  ,  little SIGNIFICANCE to him  .  but vincent tries to maintain a FACADE of interest in his campmates  ,  feigns concern where appropriate to garner TRUST  .  he hums silently  ,  thoughtfully  ,  as dark irises scrutinize her breathless silhouette  .  brows furrow just a tick  ,  a flash of incredulity  .    ❝  shaken up  ,  ❞  he repeats slowly  ,  curious  .  ❝  you look like you’ve just run a marathon through a WARZONE  .  did something happen  ?  ❞

Kelly likes to think the best of people and she always hopes they’ll do the same, but around here she knows it doesn’t work like that. Still, she doesn’t like the way he’s looking at her. It happens a lot. She takes a deep breath, convincing herself she’s safe within these walls and there’s nothing to be scared of and everything is fine.

Everything is fine. Maybe if she said it more often, it might actually be true. “I just freaked myself out.” She tried for a smile but didn’t get there and let it go. “I’m not out there a lot so I get paranoid and my brain plays tricks on me... Nothing happened.”

[kcllwood]

sysoyev‌:

❝   guns  are   …   they’re  dangerous,   моя любовь.   you’re  not  wrong  to  be  afraid  of  them.   ❞   gaze  travels  down  to  where  the   gun  rests  in  the  younger  woman’s  hands.   ❝   but  of  course,   they’re  very  useful  now.   ❞   a  glance  outside  the  window  to  make  her  point.   ❝   i  want  you  to  be  comfortable  with  a  gun,   but  never  cocky.   you  never  know  when  that’ll   …   mm   …   ❞   she  searches  for  the  word  in  her vocabulary.   ❝   backfire.   ❞

Kelly nodded in agreement, turning the gun over in her hands. She liked its shape, despite her apprehension. It fit right in her hand, comfortable and worn. She liked its concise, definitive build. She could understand how it felt to be able to protect oneself.

She couldn’t help but laugh when Alyona found the right word. “Right. Don’t want it to backfire,” she said with a smile. “That wouldn’t be good.”

[mjalti]

love lemon trees! i too am bitter but growing

[kcllwood]

beavcham‌:

nails  played  with  her  fingers  ,  momentarily  ,  before  palms  came  to  clap  against  clothed  thighs  .  there  wasn’t  much  .  food  ,  space  ,  but  sharing  was  caring  !  nothing  but  the  best  .  ❝  hey  ,  what  are  teammates  for  ?  i  need  to  go  out  and  grab  more  food  tomorrow  …  but  if  you  can  get  a  can  open  ,  there’s  beans  under  the  counter  .  ❞

Kelly’s next smile grew with gratitude, immense gratitude, and she finally felt like she could move toward Mary Jane’s space. “I can do that!” She eagerly went looking for the cans and slid her bag off her shoulder. She wasn’t carrying around much. She had a pretty heavy-duty kitchen knife she’d snagged from her house in Cherry Creek right after the virus began to spread. And then she had Alyona’s revolver. Slowly but surely, she was working up the courage and skill to brandish it. The knife should do for opening up the beans.

“Teammates is a good way to put it, actually. All of us versus zombies.” She talked as she went about it. “Like a video game or something.” She wished it was a video game.