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James was completely overwhelmed. This was the first time he had been around so many people for this long. He was still getting used to it. Not that he hated being around Ericson but it had been a lot. James took a deep breath and made his way to the courtyard. He was happy that he was able to bury the hatchet with Clementine. It was a long talk that had started out tense and stilted but eventually they had found their usual rhythm again. What had happened in the cave and their disagreements on how they viewed the world wouldn’t be the end all be all of their bond. Both of them valued the friendship they had created and while it would still be a bit awkward at first both James and Clementine believed everything would work out with time. Besides his relationship with Clementine James had been cordial with AJ and as for the others he was getting along well. Ruby had let him hide away and help out in the greenhouse for a bit while Louis was as charismatic and bright as the first time the two of them had met. As for some of the new faces James had surprisingly gotten along well with them too. He had been worried but Omar was as calm and steady as they come and Aasim seemed to naturally arrive on the same wavelength as James when it came to conversations.
One face he had been hoping to see again was Tenn but he had heard that he had died on the bridge the night of the rescue. A soft, somberness stung at James’ heart at that, he didn’t like death especially not that of a kid and not of one who he had thought he might be able to bond with more. It was a tragedy that became commonplace since the world had ended but still James wanted to honor him. He had noticed the graveyard earlier and made a mental note to visit it to pay his respects. But as for now he needed to get some space away from a certain resident of Ericson: Willy.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like the kid or that he thought he was bad. It was just, he was a lot. He was always so enthusiastic and asked James a million and one questions about his past and the walker skin he wore. It seemed that Willy wanted to know anything and everything and while James appreciated the interest someone had in his life he was also extremely overwhelmed. So much so that he had to find someplace to hide away for a bit. But as he looked around the courtyard, watching as Omar tended to the fire and Louis was busy giving Rosie tummy rubs, he saw no options. That is until he spotted the last resident of Ericson that he hadn’t gotten acquainted with yet. Violet. She sat upon the walls, her eyes turned skyward to the clouds. The warm rays of the sun shone down, highlighting the scarring around her eyes and along her part of her jaw. James only knew her from the quick glances he caught of her around Ericson and the time that Clementine had convinced him to help herd the walkers to sneak onto the boat. The emotion behind her voice and how much everyone reacted around her made it clear that everyone cared about her deeply. As James looked at her though, he could sense her rough exterior and wondered whether he should wait for a better time for introductions.
“You can stop staring,”
Violet’s voice caught James off guard and snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Oh, sorry,” His whisper-like voice drifted along the wind. “I didn’t mean to-” His throat got tight from his nerves. His social anxiety was bubbling up inside him, it felt all consuming. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Violet didn’t look over at him, her eyes staying on the sky. A moment of silence passed before she broke it. “Willy still bothering you?”
“How did you-”
“He’s super loud even the damn walkers outside can hear him.” Violet’s gaze finally turned towards James. “Can you climb?”
The question perplexed James for a moment. “Yes? Why?” As soon as he asked the question he felt a bit stupid but before he could point out that he understood Violet’s voice reappeared.
“Just get on the wall. People know if you’re up here that you don’t want to socialize and shit.”
A soft “oh” left James’ lips then he awkwardly stood there until he realized he should be climbing. It was a bit of a haphazard journey but he eventually got up there. As he sat down he could feel Violet’s gaze upon him, watching him and studying him for a moment before she resumed her cloud watching.
There were no words spoken between them at first. Just the sounds of the world around them, Louis whistling a tune while he worked, the loud footsteps inside the buildings and the groans of the walkers outside.
It was relatively quiet as far as a day goes but to Violet it still felt loud. When she had lost her sight, her other senses kicked into overdrive. Smells were sharper, the sensation of touch impacted her greater and sounds were louder. Even with the bandages gone and regaining some limited sight, the world still seemed loud to her.
“My name is James,”
His soft whispery voice made Violet glance over to make out the restricted details she could of the man beside her.
“Yeah, I know.” Violet looked back up at the sky, only able to make out colors more than what the clouds actually looked like. “Violet.”
James gave a short nod. “The others have talked about you a bit.”
Violet nodded but didn’t give much more of a response than that. She could feel the awkwardness within the silence. She wasn’t much of a people person and she could tell that James wasn't either. Still she didn’t feel like having a huge conversation with anyone. While she didn’t want to have any conversation she had an inkling that James did and that he was trying his best to start up a new topic. In a single moment, Violet felt the air between them shift and anxiety appeared. It was palpable. Violet could feel it entering her lungs as she inhaled softly. This feeling, the strong presence of anxiety and panic, it reminded her of Brody. That was all it took to bitter her day and turn her mind to the loss of her friend. Violet could feel her throat close up as memories of her burial and funeral replayed in her mind. It was still too painful to think about but her brain did it anyway. No matter how much it hurt her mind always drifted back to those she had lost.
“Ericson is a nice place. I haven't been inside a school for forever,” James spoke up and something about his mannerisms made Violet turn her attention towards him. “I haven’t been in a group in a long time either. I’m still getting used to people.” His voice took on a softer, more thoughtful nature.
Violet didn’t say anything though. Her eyes were completely focused on the blurry movements of his hands. He would move them anytime he spoke, a way to deal with his social anxiety if she had to guess. Again her mind was through a whirlwind of emotions. Memories of the past plagued her mind as a single thought stayed in it. Tenn used to mess with his hands whenever he was shy or nervous. Seeing the similarity in James caused a lump to stay in her throat. As he continued to try and converse, the pit in Violet’s stomach grew. The similarities she was noticing were too much for her and while she could tell that James was different in some ways it was still messing with her head.
“I usually camp outside near trees and-”
“Hey,” Violet cut James off and he looked over at her.
“Oh sorry, did you want to talk?”
“No. Could,” Violet cleared her throat roughly. “Could we not talk?”
“Oh,” James stared at his hands for a moment. He must've messed something up. Still he didn’t want to pressure Violet into a conversation if she didn’t want it.
“Let’s just enjoy the quiet,” Violet lay on her back and looked up at the white blobs in the sky. “You like nature, right?”
“Yeah,”
“Okay then we can focus on that.” Violet mumbled and let her mind drift back to more neutral thoughts. Away from the pain of the past and fallen friends.
“Alright,” James shifted his weight and lay down as well. His eyes stared up at the clouds and after a few minutes he felt a peacefulness settle in his heart. He couldn’t remember the last time he had cloud gazed. Even though things seemed a bit difficult when it came to striking up a conversation with Violet he did enjoy this time. Being in the moment with nature. There was a sort of silent bond shared between James and Violet. Both of them needed time like this and while as it stood now they might not talk much it wasn’t a bad thing to have someone like this. One who could sit in the silence and take in what the space around them had to offer.