and when he dreams; open

[aintyourdad]

Who| Joel and You?!?!
What| Ellie is dead. Joel is very, very upset. And out for blood.
Where| Sixth floor mostly - but he's on the move so he can be anywhere in the upper floors.
When| First half of week 4
Warnings/Notes| Very possibly violence, definitely swearing, fantasizing about brutally murdering people, and mentions of the gruesome death of children.

Ding.

He almost didn't hear it, keeping away from the elevator banks as he was. Even in this state, even lost in the memories, both recent and more distant, the blood soaked into his clothes and the bandages on his hands -- he knew better than to approach the elevators without caution.

Ding.

His thought wasn't to get supplies. His thought was to find whoever else might've been stupid enough to follow the sound, poke their head out to see. He had a crowbar, and he wanted nothing more than to smash someone's head in with it, watch the blood and brains splatter everywhere, know that he was getting rid of someone who would've wanted to hurt Ellie, hurt Sarah, hurt his baby girl.

But Ellie was gone. Sarah was gone. The soldier was dead. Aunamee... He didn't know where Aunamee was.

Ding.

The elevator doors were open. No one else was around. Joel crouched behind a display case, ears open for sounds nearby. Nothing. Nothing but the canister that sat in the elevator. Fine. If someone wanted to kill him, they were welcome to. Joel shot forward, grabbing it and dashing back for cover.

It wasn't until he ducked into the restroom that he finally got a good look at it - saw that it had his name on it, saw that it had a note attached. For him.

I'm alright. Still here. I'll see you on the other side. -Ellie

Bandaged hands shaking, he sank to the floor, a choked sob echoing off the walls.

-----

[ooc: feel free to intercept him on his way to/from the elevator, in the restroom, or write up your own starter for Joel to stumble upon!]

Comments

[polyturtle]

Don hadn't exactly been looking for anyone. In fact, He'd been quietly making his way up the stairs when he heard the sobbing. Quickly steeling himself for a feint or trap, he quietly made his way towards the source.

And found himself looking at a man he hadn't seen before. Very quietly, he found himself inching closer, his hand ready to get to his weapon, just in case the encounter turned hostile after all.

[aintyourdad]

A sound - of some kind - snapped him out of his reverie, and for a moment, Joel's brain couldn't quite line up with what he was seeing. Like Kankri before, his first instinct was to jump back and shout, 'what the actual hell is that?'

However, he did understand that some people might take offense to that tactic, and he managed to keep his reaction down to a start, and an automatic reach for his crowbar as he stood up. A defensive position, however - not offensive. A stance that said I'll hit you if you come at me, but only then.

"The hell are you?" he asked - okay, only marginally more polite than what are you, but still.

[polyturtle]

He was used to it, by this time. The fact he wasn't just charging at him was a...good sign, he supposed. Though, again, what the shell was with his attempts at stealth in this Arena?

He let out his breath.

"Turtle," he replied. "What happened?"

[aintyourdad]

"And that's what I'm supposed to call you? 'Turtle'?"

That maybe explained the ridiculous turtle-shell backpacks in the gift shop he'd seen. But the fact that someone had walked in on him meant it was definitely time to move - he'd been stupid and reckless, and he could almost hear Ellie's voice in his head, cussing him out for it.

Maybe he didn't care whether he lived or died, but Ellie'd be disappointed in him if he did.

[polyturtle]

"My name is Donatello." Don frowned. "I just happen to be a turtle."

[aintyourdad]

"One the size of a human, that walks on his hind legs and talks," Joel added in, as though just happens to be was kind of an understatement. Which it was.

But he didn't seem to be posing any kind of physical threat, at the moment, so Joel made to leave the restroom. He didn't want anyone worse coming along. Unless it was Aunamee, maybe.

[polyturtle]

"Basically."

Don watched him leave, but then spotted the bloodied bandages, and his hands.

"Wait. You need..." He couldn't really understand why he was bringing it up, considering all that had happened. Even if he'd only just met this man, he almost felt stupid for feeling the need to point it out. "You need first aid. New bandages."

[aintyourdad]

Joel glanced down at his hands, almost absently. "Just need a change. I can do it myself."

Of course, it would take him about four times as long on his own and it wouldn't be nearly as good a job that way, either.

[polyturtle]

...Well, since he was there, and the other man didn't seem too likely to kill him yet, at least.

"I can do it. I've got the supplies for it. You'll be on your way faster."

[aintyourdad]

Joel sighed, unsure not so much because of the turtle thing as because of the stranger thing. He was not in the habit of letting strangers touch him, no matter what they looked like.

But after a moment's thought, he acquiesced, holding out his hands for Donatello to inspect.

"Hurry it up, then. I should be movin' on."

[polyturtle]

"...Right."

To that end, Don worked quickly. Carefully, he un-bandaged the hands, quickly examining the injuries, before flipping open the first-aid kit.

"This..." He brought out the small tube of antiseptic cream. "...This might sting."

[aintyourdad]

"I'm a big boy, I can handle it," Joel said with a faint sniff. Ellie hadn't even bothered with the warning - he'd been through so, so much worse, without complaint. A little antiseptic cream would barely make him flinch.