[ Peter is still in the living room, having earlier cast a worried glance when Ellie seemed slightly-- panicky? Upset? When she excused herself, he figured she needed time to calm down. It's also why he doesn't find it too odd that she seems to have been gone for some time.
The buzzing of his device and the apology, though? That bothers him.
There's no response from Peter for a while, because he excuses himself for a moment -- "I should check on her," he explains to the group -- and knocks on the door to the restroom. No answer, naturally, and when he opens the door, he sees the open window.
He doesn't quite sigh, but he does scrub his face. He's mostly frustrated at himself that he didn't see this coming. Ellie will receive the following texts in rapid succession: ]
[ Ellie gets the message on the drive home with Joel, but given that the conversation she'd been having with him was anything but comfortable? She refrains from responding until she's home and in a separate room. Joel is pissed, and understandably so. While Peter thought that Ellie provided Joel with the address and contact information for Peter and Glitch, she had withheld it by neglect. It's not that she didn't want to share the information with Joel, it was that she was so convinced he would try to talk her out of it. Sure, she managed to sneak out of the house with a note, but Joel ended up talking her out of it via text anyway. ]
[ you spoke to him a couple of times over the network and on the phone and now youre at a party with him? ]
[ Not to mention the fact that Peter's much older than Ellie, brought booze to the party, and teleported her practically four states away from her home. It sounded like a great idea at the time, because Peter seems like such a decent dude, but once Joel's perspective got in? It completely changed. He's right. There's no reason to jump at the chance to even give a shred of trust to anyone, especially when they're older. ]
im fine just things
[ She pauses in the next message, not wanting to totally tell Peter it's Joel's persuasion that changed her mind. ]
[ God, she feels so fucking bad... Why did she even try to reach out and make friends with people? All she's going to do is snap or get scared and then creep everyone out. ]
[ Okay, you know what? This texting thing is VERY frustrating and she is not sure how people can stick to this. She quickly calls Peter, guilt coloring her voice entirely. ]
Dude, I'm so fucking sorry, and texting is a pain in the ass.
[ He answers after a couple rings, and when he does, he forces lightness into his voice. Sure, he's disappointed, but with as guilty as she sounds? It's not gonna help. Like, at all. ]
[ Ellie lowers her voice, trying to be quiet on the phone. Last thing she needs is Joel to give her shit for talking to this guy again. And he could, by all means be right about Peter but... Dude, this guy really went out on a limb for her. ]
With a practiced motion, he pulls his headphones off from around his neck and stops Mom's mix tape, setting the whole thing aside on his nightstand. His voice is softer when he speaks again. ]
Can't promise I can help much, but if you wanna talk about it...? [ He leaves the "I'm here" unspoken. It seems pretty obvious, anyway. ]
[ 'The hell is a guy in his thirties doing hanging out with kids?' That whole conversation is running through her head like a goddamn broken record, and Ellie wants so badly to just believe what she had believed before: that Peter is a super awesome guy and someone she really wants to be friends with. ]
Back at the party?
[ When she can't find the words, she makes a sound of frustration and caves in on herself. ]
Dude, I showed up with a full chamber loaded and a switchblade. I'm willing to bet money here that I was the only kid there concerned about who to take out first if everyone turns on me.
How the hell did you ever adjust to this place? There's no way society in space could possibly be anything but violent and totally unsafe.
He makes a sound -- almost like a vocalized shrug. ]
You're right. The life I led -- it was violent. Dangerous. I mean, I grew up with pirates and mercs. Everyday, one of the guys aboard would tell me how good my flesh probably tasted after a good roasting. And that was just between the ages of, like, nine to fifteen. Once I went on jobs? [ he lets out a whistle. ] Whole other story.
You never really lose your instincts, kid. I still scan every room I walk into for security and easy marks and escape routes. But you gotta learn to adapt. That's all.
[ Ellie tries to laugh at the joke, but she just can't. What gets her the worst here is it just feels like she'll never truly adjust to this place. How the hell is she supposed to be a "normal kid" when the first thought she has is how to properly maim someone to win enough time to run away? There's no way she could even be close to how the kids here are. ]
So what's a dude your age doing hanging out with teenagers and bringing booze to parties?
[ And she only asks this because Joel did, and she really couldn't answer that question. ]
[ "A pain," more like. If they were speaking in person, she'd be witness to another shrug. ]
As for the hanging out thing? I'd like to point out I wasn't the only adult there. [ like... Honey Lemon is an adult, right. Sabriel, too. Just barely. ] But to be honest? Mostly I was there for the movies. It's been a while since I got to watch a regular Terran flick.
[ That-- brings him up short. He doesn't know this Joel guy, but from the way Ellie talks about him, he has to figure he's her guardian or something. ]
... Ah.
And I'm gonna go ahead and guess you didn't pass along my contact info or the address, huh.
He was just going to try and talk me out of it! I'm not going to figure out how to fit in here if I just hole myself up in our apartment forever, right?
[ Peter just-- sighs. Quietly. But as much as he tries to suppress it, it's still audible. ]
Kid. You and Joel are from the same place, yeah? And what little I know of it? It sounds like a shitty place.
Imagine if you were him. Imagine if he just up and left and didn't leave anything behind but, like, a Post-It saying "see you later, don't wait up." You'd be pissed, right?
[ This is so frustrating. Ellie groans, and it's not because she thinks he's wrong it's just... ]
It's not like I blame him for being pissed. I get it-- I fucked up and probably scared the shit out of him.
But I'm not exactly enjoying being this odd kid out with so many people fucking pitying me and encouraging me to be normal. I left because I wanted to give being normal a shot and.
Well, apparently normal kids don't show up to parties with a fully loaded gun.
There's no such thing as normal, kid. Not here, not anywhere. And it's not gonna help nobody if you just sneak out without your friend's knowing. It'll just piss the both of you off, make him try to rein you in tighter.
'Sides. I showed up with two guns, fully charged, so.
[ Ellie makes a rattling noise of discomfort. God, she hopes that Joel just... Leaves Peter alone. But she knows damn well that this is not even close to a possibility. Before she can even make a comment, Peter changes the subject. ]
[ And it hits her what went down at the party and she just. Gasps. ]
I did not! That was not a fucking flinch, I moved back in surprise and awe! There was no fear, no freaking out, I was awed.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text;
im really sorry, dude
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The buzzing of his device and the apology, though? That bothers him.
There's no response from Peter for a while, because he excuses himself for a moment -- "I should check on her," he explains to the group -- and knocks on the door to the restroom. No answer, naturally, and when he opens the door, he sees the open window.
He doesn't quite sigh, but he does scrub his face. He's mostly frustrated at himself that he didn't see this coming. Ellie will receive the following texts in rapid succession: ]
it's fine
you should have said somethin
how long ago did you leave
are you ok
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[ you spoke to him a couple of times over the network and on the phone and now youre at a party with him? ]
[ Not to mention the fact that Peter's much older than Ellie, brought booze to the party, and teleported her practically four states away from her home. It sounded like a great idea at the time, because Peter seems like such a decent dude, but once Joel's perspective got in? It completely changed. He's right. There's no reason to jump at the chance to even give a shred of trust to anyone, especially when they're older. ]
im fine just
things
[ She pauses in the next message, not wanting to totally tell Peter it's Joel's persuasion that changed her mind. ]
things came up and I had to go... im sorry
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[ well, sort of. ]
let me know if you need to talk. i'm around
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youre totally bummed out aren't you?
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u get home ok?
Phone call;
Dude, I'm so fucking sorry, and texting is a pain in the ass.
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You kinda get used to it.
You alright?
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Honestly?
... No.
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With a practiced motion, he pulls his headphones off from around his neck and stops Mom's mix tape, setting the whole thing aside on his nightstand. His voice is softer when he speaks again. ]
Can't promise I can help much, but if you wanna talk about it...? [ He leaves the "I'm here" unspoken. It seems pretty obvious, anyway. ]
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Back at the party?
[ When she can't find the words, she makes a sound of frustration and caves in on herself. ]
Dude, I showed up with a full chamber loaded and a switchblade. I'm willing to bet money here that I was the only kid there concerned about who to take out first if everyone turns on me.
How the hell did you ever adjust to this place? There's no way society in space could possibly be anything but violent and totally unsafe.
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[ That-- was probably a joke.
He makes a sound -- almost like a vocalized shrug. ]
You're right. The life I led -- it was violent. Dangerous. I mean, I grew up with pirates and mercs. Everyday, one of the guys aboard would tell me how good my flesh probably tasted after a good roasting. And that was just between the ages of, like, nine to fifteen. Once I went on jobs? [ he lets out a whistle. ] Whole other story.
You never really lose your instincts, kid. I still scan every room I walk into for security and easy marks and escape routes. But you gotta learn to adapt. That's all.
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[ Ellie tries to laugh at the joke, but she just can't. What gets her the worst here is it just feels like she'll never truly adjust to this place. How the hell is she supposed to be a "normal kid" when the first thought she has is how to properly maim someone to win enough time to run away? There's no way she could even be close to how the kids here are. ]
So what's a dude your age doing hanging out with teenagers and bringing booze to parties?
[ And she only asks this because Joel did, and she really couldn't answer that question. ]
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... And Glitch. He was being really insistent.
[ "A pain," more like. If they were speaking in person, she'd be witness to another shrug. ]
As for the hanging out thing? I'd like to point out I wasn't the only adult there. [ like... Honey Lemon is an adult, right. Sabriel, too. Just barely. ] But to be honest? Mostly I was there for the movies. It's been a while since I got to watch a regular Terran flick.
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I didn't tell Joel where I was.
[ Might as well just keep this conversation moving along. She likes talking to this guy, and at least she's safe in her room for now. ]
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... Ah.
And I'm gonna go ahead and guess you didn't pass along my contact info or the address, huh.
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[ No. No she did not.]
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Kid. You and Joel are from the same place, yeah? And what little I know of it? It sounds like a shitty place.
Imagine if you were him. Imagine if he just up and left and didn't leave anything behind but, like, a Post-It saying "see you later, don't wait up." You'd be pissed, right?
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It's not like I blame him for being pissed. I get it-- I fucked up and probably scared the shit out of him.
But I'm not exactly enjoying being this odd kid out with so many people fucking pitying me and encouraging me to be normal. I left because I wanted to give being normal a shot and.
Well, apparently normal kids don't show up to parties with a fully loaded gun.
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'Sides. I showed up with two guns, fully charged, so.
[ He puffs out a breath. ]
I'm guessin' your friend's pissed at me too, huh?
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He uh... He definitely asked about you, sooooo...
[ Yeah. A little. ]
But it's totally my bad. I told him that.
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He's gonna wanna talk to me, huh?
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I have no fucking idea, man.
Probably? Yes?
I really hope I'm wrong, but at the same time I get it.
[ This is so fucking weird. It's not like he's her father or anything. ]
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[ He falls quiet for a second, then, in an effort to cheer her up, ]
By the way. You totally flinched when the little dude popped out of Kane's chest. I saw it.
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[ And it hits her what went down at the party and she just. Gasps. ]
I did not! That was not a fucking flinch, I moved back in surprise and awe! There was no fear, no freaking out, I was awed.
There is a big goddamn difference!
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