Tommy's Guide to Owning a Pet Army

Settling and meeting

It was nice traveling with Clementine. She listened to Tommy as he rambled on about his life, occasionally petting her. She often had to growl to stop him from running into something, but it was worth it when he gave her an affectionate pat as they journeyed onwards.

He had been thinking about what he should do. He had been walking for while now, wanting to get as far away from his home as possible. He wondered what he would do when he thought that he was far enough. He sighed, pushing that thought to the back of his mind as he shivered, realizing that night must've dawned upon them. He stopped, sitting down and feeling around on the ground as he started to clear away any brush or sticks that would irritate him and Clementine while they were sleeping. He heard her footsteps wander off, presumably to get some food. He felt cold. He hated when she went off, but he knew it was for their own good, as they needed to eat. He had grown accustomed to always having his hand on her. She would ground him making him feel safe, he liked knowing that someone was always with him. It reminded him of how Dream would verbally abuse him, tell him want worth it, deteriorate his happy memories, then leave him alone- leave him to contemplate what he heard, to really soak it in. He had no one to talk to, no one to listen to him, no one to comfort him when he was sad. It had broken him. He developed a fear of being alone, of not having anyone in his field of vision. Of course, that fear had gotten worse when he became blind. He now couldn't see anyone, couldn't see their faces and their emotions. It hurt.

He whimpered curling into a ball as he pushed his face into his legs, wincing as his face burned from the tears and pressure. His mini crying session was interrupted by the heavy thumping of polar bear paws, dropping something into his lap. It was small and warm, shivering a bit as it cuddled into his hands for warmth.

He melted.

He cooed softly as he rocked what he assumed to be a baby kitten in his arms, cuddling it close as he slowly relaxed.

Something else plopped into his lap, a fish Clementine had caught for him. He smiled, putting his hand forward to find her head as he planted a kiss on her forehead. She then sat down, curling herself around Tommy in a protective position. He was grateful for Clem. She made him feel safer than anyone or anything had ever made feel, asides from Henry. He fell asleep with her protective warmth and a new friend curled in his arms.

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It had been a few months since he had gotten the kitten, of which he named Ace. They had now become old enough to walk on their own, not needing to be dependent on cows milk or on Clementine and Tommy to protect them. They were a grounding point for him, always sitting on his shoulders while he walked or rubbing up against him. It helped, and he was grateful for them.

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It was time that Tommy thought about settling permanently. He was satisfied with how far he had walked, and now he wanted to find a place where him and his animals could call home. He wanted to make a peaceful life, a life with no explosions or screaming. He wanted to farm and get a useless hobby. He wanted to get more pets and train them. He wanted to finally sit down and learn how to operate life being blind. He wanted serenity, he wanted peace.

He finally found the place one cold morning. He had face-planted right the thick bark of a jungle tree as Clementine had failed to roar in time for him to dodge in time. He yelped, rubbing his nose as he sneezed, cocoa powder dusting all over his face, singing his eyes. He licked his fingers and grinned. Cocoa meant a jungle. Jungles meant groves. Jungles meant tons of branches and bushes, possibly hiding a house and a few more buildings.

He smiled, as he slowly went deeper into the jungle, tripping over bushes, trekking through the lush foliage as he walked until he stepped down into what he assumed to be a little grove under an overhang, as he felt colder as he walked into a specific spot in the grove. He ran around the grove, measuring how big it was by counting his steps, then mentally making sure that he would remember that for later.