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At least an eight like that.

[Ellie grins and stuffs her mouth with omelet. Maybe they can put the girl in a modern city, but she still eats like she's in the QZ.]

If you don't burn it next time I'll see about giving it a nine.

[With two hungry girls shoveling food into their mouths, there is no way that omelet can last and soon Riley is leaning back rubbing her full stomach.]

I'm gonna get fat here. It's official.

Pffft. Fine, I'll take that.

[Ellie kisses her fingertips, leaning back in her chair too, muffling a little burp.]

S'okay. I'll roll you around everywhere with me.

[Riley throws her hands into the air in triumph.]

Yes! I can be fat and never walk again!

I'll get you one of those little red wagons or something.

[SO DUMB.]

Oh man, that would be awesome. Do you remember pictures of kids way back when who got to have their parents pull them around everywhere? Fucking amazing.

[The things they latch onto.]

Did you ever have one?

[They tend to stay away from questions like this -- talking about the past. But every so often, Ellie asks.]

[Riley shuts down pretty quickly. Mainly because talking about her parents makes her...really uncomfortable. After all, her last memories of them are less than pleasant and she still remembers how warm her dad's blood was. What her mom's face looked like after...]

Nah. I remember seeing a picture of one once though and thinking it was neat and there were tears and shit because I couldn't have one.

[At least she's being honest about this one. She might not be smiling or joking around but she's at least shared something.]

[Ellie goes quiet too, rubbing her arms. She feels guilty, never likes that look in Riley's eyes.]

... hey. If you don't want me to, I won't ask about it.

[She looks down at the plate. It's not that she doesn't want to share this with Ellie. It's not that at all. Mostly this is just...really hard for her. While she believes Ellie's seen a lot of shit it's just so different when you have to kill your own father after he's ripped apart your mother.

It's...so different.]

Nah. You can ask.

[She lets out a sigh and shifts in her chair.]

You're my girl now, right? I guess it means you should be able to ask this stuff.

I don't think that's what that means.

[But it makes her smile, like it does every time Riley refers to her as "her girl".]

... but you can ask whatever you want, too. I don't think we have a whole lot of secrets anyway.

[She snorts a little.]

I know, right? The shit's kind of out in the open.

Allll the shit.

[Ellie spreads her hands across the table, indicating just how much shit.]

Yeah.

[And now an awkward silence because she doesn't know what else to say at this point. She could ask what happened during the year she didn't see her but she can't bring herself to do that.]

[Honestly, Ellie doesn't know where to begin, either. She lets the silence happen, nudges Riley's foot under the table. It's something she's done a thousand times before, but this time she accompanies it with a hopeful smile.]

So, I stole a horse once.

[She looks up at her and offers her a little smile. At the very least, she's trying to get back to her usual self.]

Yeah?

Yeah.

I mean... shit, it sounds kind of stupid now, but... Joel was gonna leave.

[The smile leaks away a little, but she pulls it back on.]

So I did the dumbest thing I could think of and stole one of the horses, and I rode off. I found this old farmhouse. Practically intact, you would've loved it. There was this bedroom. I guess it must have been for a girl our age.

... she had this diary. With one of those little useless locks, right? And I read it.

She was scared of all kinds of weird shit. Like dances. ... and having the right haircut. It was so weird.

[That sounds like her Ellie. Doing dumb shit like that. Honestly, it's something she would have done and that's probably why she really gets it. Smiling a bit more, she listens then lets out a short laugh.]

I remember looking at a letter once when I was out in the city. This girl was sending it to her best friend and talking about what makeup and shit she should wear to impress her boyfriend.

[She gives Ellie's foot a nudge.]

I don't get girls back then for all the makeup and dresses and stuff.

Same reason I don't get why they make stuff like werewolf masks.

[Big ol' shrug.]

You think we would have been worried about that stuff, if we were born back then?

No way I would have. I can see you getting into a bit of makeup though. You'd look good in it.

[Of course, Ellie sucks and looks good no matter what. It's really not fair.]

Me though? Psh. Fuck that.

I'd look like a clown.

[Ellie purses her lips, making a fish face.]

... really? You'd never put on a dress, huh?

Girl, I would look so dumb in a dress.

[She gives her a Look.]

[Ellie gives her a long, considering look.]

Bull. Shit. You've actually got hips. And boobs. You'd have something to hold it up.

Hips and boobs do not a good look make.

[Riley sits up then gives her a look over before getting up and waving for Ellie to do the same.]

Get up. Let me look at you. I'll tell you if you've got the body for a dress or not.

[Grumbling, she gets to her feet and holds up her arms, pulling a particularly awful-looking face.]

This is so dumb.

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