VIDEO. #001 / DAY371

[omittance]

-- fucking around, damnit!

[ Yes, Joel is not happy. In fact, he's turning on the bracelet because he isn't happy. It's a video and Joel looks about ready to go out and do something a lot of people might regret, considering he's put the bracelet down and he has a smaller sized shotgun in his hand.

Meanwhile.

Tess is there off to the side. She understands where he's coming from, she said it herself that if anyone fucks with one of theirs--they will wreak havoc. In this case, they're both ready to do just that. It's like Robert all over again only this time Joel's the one out for blood, not her.

Leaning against a low table with her arms crossed over her chest she tilts her head, watching on, noticing the changes in him. Tess is ready to argue with him over the network, argue that they should shit out first like who this guy is, what he's capable of, the damage he could cause in return, but what good will that do? That will just show this bastard Voldemort that they aren't serious. That they're weak.

She can be heard sighing off-camera, rubbing her fingers into her temple as he carries on. ]

I ain't messin' around here. You listen and you listen good.

[ He leans close to the camera, eyes dark and expression hard, hand tightening around the gun. ]

Voldemort, right? Yeah, you listen to me. You come near my girl again and I will give you another goddamn taste. [ Remember how a gun felt, Voldemort? Expect a repeat. ] And I'll keep doin' it until you get the message, you hear? And if that ain't enough of a warning...

[ Joel disappears from view and when he pops up again he might be holding a knife now. Oops? ]

I'll write it on your skin.

Comments

( VIDEO )

[unchain]

[Elizabeth swears she's hearing Booker but with a southern twang. the men threaten the same way, get angry in the same way... She wonders if maybe perhaps Joel is Booker in another universe.....

Nah.

she's apprehensive about responding to him because, well, it'd be like talking down an angry grizzly bear. she can only hope Tess there help him at least... alleviate his fury somehow & she thinks she should leave him alone. actually that's probably the best course of action here, but ultimately she decides to intervene anyway.]

Joel...? [the knife in his hand is kiiiiiinda freaking her out but she swallows whatever nervousness she has & speaks as softly as she possibly can.] Are you okay...?

[clearly a very redundant question but that's pretty much all she can come up with at the moment.]

( VIDEO )

[omittance]

[ By the time Joel gets around to answer this he's steamed off a bit of his rage and calmed down a little and so, when he replies, he's a tiny bit less scary. Just enough that he can actually talk without growling like a really pissed off dog. ]

Sure, I'm good.

[unchain]

Really? That's good... that's good, yeah.

[for a brief moment she looks down, hand going to her thimble while she thinks. it's about Ellie, that much is a given. the man wouldn't go near feral if it wasn't, but she decides not to bring it up. it'd only rile him up again & he's managed to calm down for a little bit.]

You know if, uh... if there's anything you need, I'd be more than happy to help. Anything at all.

[Joel reminds her awfully of Booker so maybe that's why she's already concerned for the man. she expects him to brush her off but at least she's putting the offer out there.]

[omittance]

[ He's no fool and he picks up on her nerves instantly. That's fine; let her be nervous. Let the whole damned city be nervous. If that'll get him what he wants - to get this bastard - then that'll work perfectly well. ]

I'll be fine. Just take care of yourself, y'hear?

[ He's not going to bloody her fingers with this - and it's his fight, anyway. This guy went for his kid. He's not going to get away with it. ]

Video -> Offline

[tonsofpun]

Oh what the f-

[Oh my god hands in the air, video cuts off, time to go and find him. It's not gonna take too long. When she does find Joel, she looks furious. And scared.]

Are you kidding me? You wanna challenge the psychopath to come and get you?

[omittance]

[ Joel is just. Standing there, still looking pretty peeved off. ]

I ain't scared of him, Ellie. I've met plenty of psychos in my time.

[tonsofpun]

Yeah? So have I!

[Her voice breaks a little bit, and she points at the door.]

You fucking -- challenged him. In front of the whole city. Guess who he's gotta make an example of now.

Awesome, Joel, just awesome.

[omittance]

I'd like to see him try.

[ And he's glad he made an example out of this guy. More chance he'll end up dead before the day is out. Sorry, Ellie, Joel is tired of people thinking they can fuck with his family. ]

I got this, alright.

[tonsofpun]

Fuck, Joel-

[The past several days is all building up on the back of her throat, to the point that she's almost unable to breathe with the fear of it. She's scared. He wasn't there. He didn't feel what this guy was capable of. He didn't look into his eyes.]

[omittance]

Hey, hey.

[ He crouches down and lifts his hands to touch her cheeks, looking into her eyes. ]

I'm not gonna let anyone hurt us, you hear? No one.

[tonsofpun]

[She takes a deep, shivering breath, very aware of just how dangerous this shit is. Just how easily this whole thing could spiral out of control.]

... me either.

[Ellie can't afford to let fear rule everything. Fuck this. She started this, even if it wasn't her fault, and she's going to deal with it. She's never been more serious.]

[omittance]

[ He nods before, after a moments hesitation, pulling her into his arms and giving her a quick, brief hug. ]

He even looks at you - you tell me or Tess, got it?

[tonsofpun]

[Ellie breaks down and holds him too, tightly. And she makes the decision, deep down, that if this guy hurts Joel -- it's over.

She's unleashing everything she has. What she and Professor Snape talked about... she'll do it, if she has to. If it'll get this guy to leave them alone.]

Tess? She's in on this too?

[omittance]

She was there in the video, wasn't she?

[ Joel strokes her back gently, hand touching her shoulder blades before he leans back. ]

It's alright, she thought this was a might dumb idea as well.

[tonsofpun]

Y'think she might've had a point?

[Goddamnit, Joel.]

[omittance]

[ He shrugs. ]

Maybe. She'd have fought harder if she didn't agree, though.

[video | private to Joel]

[nukeoleptic]

-- what did he do to her?

[ She looks... upset. Angry, too, certainly. ]

private video.

[omittance]

Tortured her. Threatened her. Sent someone to kill her.

[ A gruff, angry noise and then he's looking at the camera properly. ]

Bastard didn't account for me.

[nukeoleptic]

He what?!

[ She'll be embarrassed later, perhaps, at the fact that she's actually growling. ]

Where is she? Is she okay?

[tonsofpun]

[More like she knows that Joel's gonna do what he's gonna do, no matter what anybody says. ... though, he can come around.]

Well... I guess we're not un-ringing that bell anyway.

Do we have a plan?

[omittance]

She's fine, she's with me. I ain't gonna let anything happen to her.

[ He nods his head, arms crossing and expression tightening. ]

No one touches her. Ever.

[omittance]

It's a trap. If he's serious about hurtin' you he'll take the bait and come for me.

[ He shifts, going to flop back on the ground. ]

He does? I kill him.

[tonsofpun]

And then what?

[Important question, genius.]

Private

[samantha_grey]

[There's a curious look in this one's eyes as she spoke. She's seen that look before. She's had that look before. She knows that look. As she speaks, she's raking a whetstone over a scythe attached to a weighted chain.]

Voldemort. I remember having heard that name a few times. Paint me curious... who's he gone after this time?

video. GET IT JOEL

[hereticing]

Woooooow. That was scary.

[ which is...clearly part of the point. but nonetheless. ]