[Yeeeah, probably the best idea. Still, Isaac should probably go look up Madoka at some point, she was pretty nice to him.... well, this is as good of a reminder as any.]
[Slightly backdated to earlier on the 26th.] If you're getting this, you wanted to know more about the clones. I'm going to tell the network what I know soon, but here's a copy of my notes.
She was at the end of her rope days ago, now she's just clutching at nothing and trying not to drown beneath all this. It feels like she hasn't slept since this all started, except for those few hours while she was still under the effect of Max's empthy, and there's a part of her that just wants that back.
Not caring was so much easier.
But that's not really an option, just like starting to cry isn't, as much as she wants to do that, too. She can't lose it in front of Ellie; if nothing else, it feels too manipulative.]
Okay.
[She drops her head into her hands, sounding defeated, because she just - can't look at Ellie. Can't think of Jesse hurting her, can't think of having to kill him for it.
[Ellie's waiting for Steph to argue, maybe even threaten to drag Joel into this, but it doesn't come. She doesn't like how Steph sounds, but Ellie's stubborn.]
He won't hurt me.
[It's not so much faith in Jesse as much as it is faith in herself. The last time anyone had her pinned, struggling, she took a machete to their face. As much as she likes Jesse, she'd like to think she wouldn't hesitate.]
I know you're worried, but I doubt Jesse is the worst person on the moon.
[And it's not that she doesn't think Ellie would be able to defend herself, but she knows that sometimes getting away isn't enough to undo it. Sonya fought Jesse off, but she's still been carrying that guilt and blaming herself for months. She still broke down in Steph's arms.
[She knows Jesse hasn't exactly been subtle about his drug use, that he's called himself a junkie before, but she still pauses a second before answering.]
Meth kind of fucks you up. So does emotional abuse.
[And she thinks it's a combination of the two that put Jesse where he is now.]
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