thearena | open;

Who| Joel and YOU?!?!
What| Joel has found the TLOU store and isn't pleased. Alternately, Joel has found a copy of his biography and is REALLY displeased.
Where| The TLOU store; the bookstore.
When| Week 2 yo
Warnings/Notes| Cussin', possibly violence, references to body horror and torture/murder etc.

[ Option A; the TLOU store ]

He stumbles upon it early the second week. They've been scouring every shop and store - anything might have useful items, after all, and even if they don't, potential hiding spots are good to have as well. So it's a shock when he makes his way into the next shop on his list and finds -

Toy plastic gas masks. A neon colored flamethrower. Artfully tattered backpacks, bandanas, plaid shirts. Dawn of the Wolf posters.

The scowl on his face deepens as he wanders further into the shop, not liking any of this one bit but wanting to be thorough, too. And then, there they are. Ugly as sin, and even knowing they're fake, made of rubber, enough to get his heart racing a little faster - clicker masks.

[Option B; Story time ]

Later in the week, he's making the rounds and ducks into a bookstore for a breather, not expecting to find anything of interest. That is, until he picks up a book at random and sees his own goddamn name on it. It's like watching a train wreck, really - he starts flipping pages, unable to look away. The story itself doesn't bother him. Even the exaggerations, the blatant inaccuracies, the clearly biased point of view - he couldn't give two shits.

But the fact of its existence is just one more reminder that the Capitol seems to know everything about them. Things they shouldn't have any knowledge of, they know about. Enough to twist it all around to suit whatever their purpose happens to be.

There isn't much that frightens Joel, but this is kinda scary.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"How about you go fuck yourself," Tess snarled back when he stepped closer, her last warning. And fuck Panem. Fuck the Capitol. Fuck this place.

Close hand-to-hand style combat was more of her area of knowing; Tess could fight a mean fight with her fists and elbows and knees when it came down to it. Unfortunately she wasn't as prepared with the one skate versus his dual blades. She was able to fend off the first two slashes, using the skate to parry one and push that blade away while sidestepping to evade the other.

It was the following slashes that came next that Tess gave a surprised gasp of shocking pain as one blade cut the skin of her right bicep open, a deep diagonal gash. That was when she began to call over her shoulder, "-Joel!"

She hadn't been quick enough.

The second frenzied slash split the white shirt over her left ribs, blood spilling and quick to wet and stain the thin fabric. That last cut pushed her back on a stumble, came close to dropping her to a knee. She gritted her teeth to bite back the cry, agony like lines of fire where he had cut her, as she pressed her hand over the gash beneath her shirt, blood pushing its way between tightly held fingers

Tess brought up her skate to fend off what would possibly be the next swipe to cut her down completely.

It happens very fast.

There's a sound behind Joel, Tess's voice, and then he turns and there she is - scuffling with someone. Bleeding. Maybe Joel is getting used to people not wanting to fight him, or maybe it's just been how easy this arena has been on him so far, but a small part of him is almost surprised at the sight. He almost hesitates.

But of course, he's never lost his instincts, honed over twenty years of living in a brutal world, of knowing at any moment he could have to kill or be killed.

He's got better weapons than Tess - a crowbar he found in his locker - and he makes use of it now, in defense of his partner. He bull rushes the man, runs in swinging the implement, putting all his weight behind it, very little finesse and all brutality. There's no mercy in the way he moves. Anyone who tries to hurt Tess or Ellie gets the same treatment.

Nasir had just been about to attack Tess again but he only just started to slide his weapon away from hers and bring it back to cut her when he saw the man charge at him. Nasir was light on his feet and his lithe body responded quickly. He pushed himself to the side--

But it wouldn't be enough and knowing that, Nasir held out his knives. If Joel didn't stop he would impale himself in very short order.

Tess is grateful for when Joel rushes in, taking a step back. She lowers the skate and has to tighten her grip on it no matter how bad the sting is in her upper arm, the limb experiencing faint tremors. Nasir had possibly slashed into the muscle, she's not sure and won't be until this is taken care of.

She keeps her attention focused on the two, watching how they move and waiting for should a moment come up where Joel needs her to step in and help, but Tess is certain that he'll be able to hold his own against Nasir. She knows just how brutal Joel can be and how he fights.

He sees the knives and veers away, albeit a bit too late to avoid them completely. One cuts through the fabric of his shirt and slices into the skin of his side, but he avoids the worst of it, and manages to get a good strong swing with the crowbar.

Nasir shot back away from the crowbar but the hook caught on a bit of his skin, ripping it from his chest. He let out a sharp hiss as he doubled back even more but that only made his eyes blaze harden. He looked from Tess to Joel, sizing up both opponents before charging back in, relying on his speed to strike at Joel and dodge Tess without getting hurt.

It was because she'd caught the blade cutting into her partner that Tess sprang forward with a dangerous and dark expression, caring little for the slice of pain as she threw her arm forward in an attempt to slash at their opponent, practically growling out, "You son of a bitch -"

Joel is used to scuffles, used to fighting for his life, fighting over resources, contacts, food, territory. Used to it.

He doesn't know what this fight is about, though, except some psycho who likes to fight. Or some idiot who wants to die. Because that's what's going to happen here - him and Tess, against one guy, that's not a fight. They've known each other too long, watched each other's backs too many times, to let one guy get the better of them.

He sees Tess lunging, and shifts his weight, turning his body so their attacker will have to divide his attention, so that he can't keep his eyes on both of them at the same time. He swings the crowbar again, not looking to do much more than disarm him. If he can get in close, it'll be all over. He's broken more than enough necks in his time.

open;

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Then I realized I hadn't tracked this thread. Sorry.

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I guess I'm not getting notifications at all. Sorry again.

That's okay!

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