[ There's something in her silence, in her tone, that makes him frown, and he wonders if he's said something wrong. Wouldn't be the first time he stuck his foot in his mouth, after all. ]
... Everything okay, kid?
[ He tries to keep his tone light, but an edge of worry seeps in, despite his best efforts. ]
[ She sighs. It's Euphie all over again, but the last thing she wants to do is pussy out and hang up the phone. It's hard, and her brain can't quite provide a full blown answer as to why she's shaking at the idea of leaving the house but... She has an idea. It's winter, it's David, it's all the goddamn fucking insecurities she never had before Joel was practically wasting away in a basement while she searched for food and medicine and ended up captured. ]
[ Ellie grips her hand into a fist, fighting to still herself and she decides it's bullshit to just sit there all clammed up. ]
What's out there...
I've been out of the house maybe three times since I got here. I just.
[ She groans loudly. ]
I'm fucking terrified.
[ There, she said it. And he'd better not fucking judge her. ]
[ ... ah shit. Peter is totally not equipped for this kinda stuff, which is why his stomach sort of drops at those words. He's always been more of an action guy -- give him a problem he can punch, and he's totally on board. But with sticky things like fear and sadness, he's pretty much useless.
He's silent for a long moment, chewing on the inside of his lower lip as he tries to find the right words. ]
Did something happen? [ He asks it carefully, gently. ] What's there to be afraid of?
[ Oooooh man, now this is awkward. Neither of them can see it or realize it, but Ellie makes almost the same exact face as Peter. She bites the inside of her lip hard, and she struggles to even figure out where to start. ]
[ Ellie lowers her arm, pulling up her sleeve to stare at the ghastly, tumor-ridden scar on her arm. All she can think is "Where do I start?. So much has happened since she got bit, it's hard to even break it down, especially to a person who isn't familiar with the infection. ]
Um...
There's a lot of things. Like. More than anyone has been able to comprehend since I got here. It's a long, shitty and drawn-out story and I don't know if you even want to hear it.
Edited (I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT) 2015-05-20 03:22 (UTC)
[ Usually he doesn't pry. Usually he leaves people's past lives and histories buried where they lie -- especially when the person in question seems to act as though their pasts are better off forgotten. And Peter's fine with that -- he learned a long time ago to let them lie.
But sometimes, those memories get dredged up, sometimes something unsettles them to their core, and when that happens, he's willing to lend an ear. He might not be the most eloquent fucker in the galaxy, but he at least listens. ]
We can trade sob stories, if it'll make you feel more comfortable.
[ Ellie can't help but laugh at that last part. Sob stories. She's never even heard of it put that way. Probably because no one really talks about anything back home, and mostly because everyone has generally gone through the same thing. And the laughter is out of pure embarrassment and nerves. ]
Sure.
[ She heavily exhales. Ellie has explained where she came from a few times, but never her personal experiences. Maybe this will work out? Maybe it won't be so bad to tell someone outside of the whole situation. ]
My world? It ended about twenty years ago. An infection broke out that took down a good chunk of the human population that turned normal people into monsters. Government went haywire, towns got blown up...
I was born way after the wreckage and raised in military camps and quarantine zones.
[ The part where she got infected along with her friend? She decides to remain vague, for her's and Joel's sake. ]
Well, I left with Joel at some point to make a trek across the country and... It wasn't exactly easy.
Before I got here, he... Joel got really messed up and I wound up needing to take care of the two of us. I ran into a pack of hunters and wound up, for lack of a better term, getting captured. They were cannibals...
I watched them hack a dead body to pieces to drain the blood and hang up in a meat locker for later.
[ Ellie starts to get sick to her stomach when she begins to picture David. Immediately, she can smell his breath, hear his voice, and she makes a long pause before letting out another shaken sigh. ]
Everyone is out to get you back there. People hunt one another-- Kill and eat one another just to fucking get by and it's almost unnerving that it hasn't happened here yet.
A lot of people have told me that I'll like living a "normal" life and I literally have no idea what the fuck that is. What I just told you? That was normal.
For a while, that's really the only thing he can think. Holy shit. It's like something out of the horror movies he so often references -- the ones that Gramp rented from the video store and let him watch while Mom was busy with her appointments.
His version of growing up hadn't exactly been normal, either, where basic math was replaced with learning how to pick locks, and public speaking was substituted by gaining a mark's confidence. But at least he didn't have to contend with people turning on one another; the Ravagers were a family, in a way. And despite the threats, he didn't have to worry about them actually eating each other. ]
I'm-- damn. I'm really sorry, kid. [ It comes out quietly, roughly; might be a touch awkward, but he means it, at least. ]
You don't need me to tell you that it ain't like that here, though. I know it's weird, but there are some genuinely kind and nice people here. [ And it is weird, even to Peter. Adult that he is, he was absolutely certain that everyone had an ulterior motive for their actions; it's only recently that he started thinking that maybe, just maybe, that's not entirely true. ]
I'm not sayin' you have to trust everyone -- 'cause you'd be dumb if you did, and from what I know, you definitely aren't dumb. But here, at least, you don't have to worry too much about someone tryin' to stab you in the back.
And, hey, I know you haven't known me too long, but if you ever find yourself in trouble, you can give me a call. I'll come running. [ Well. He'll come teleporting, honestly, possibly with something very heavy in tow with which to hit things, but he'll bring that up some other time. ]
[ Yeah, that awkward silence that follows? She's used to it at this point. It's almost sickening that no one can fathom the shit she's been through. If it weren't for Joel being here, she'd feel alone in all this. ]
There's... Really no use in apologizing, dude. I mean, it was my life.
[ She pauses a moment, realizing that she's gathered her knees up to her chest, phone pressed hard against her ear. It's honestly nice to talk to someone about it-- Joel isn't much of a talker when it comes to what they've been through. She listens intently to what Peter has to say. He's probably the fourth or fifth person to confirm this place isn't so bad, that the people aren't entirely dangerous-- Or at least as dangerous as she's used to. ]
[ Ellie smiles briefly at the offer of help. It's not an offer she isn't used to, but the last time she was offered protection it was from the man who damn near raped her and skinned her alive to eat afterwards. But there's a tone in Peter's voice that she doesn't recognize, something gentler in delivery. ]
[ Ellie laughs, and it's nervous. ]
Honestly? You're the first dude besides Joel to... You know, act like you care and it doesn't sound like bullshit.
[ A beat. ]
You'll have your plasma blaster with you if I go, right?
[ He-- feels like that should be a compliment -- "you act like you care, and it doesn't sound like bullshit." He thinks it is, anyway, which is why why a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
Peter's childhood? Far from normal. Far from perfect. But he knows he'd never dare compare it to what Ellie just told him. He thought he'd understand, in a way, or at least hoped he would, but this? So beyond anything he could ever imagine.
At her question, he draws an X-shape over his chest, and holds up a hand -- even if she can't see it. ]
I, Peter Jason Quill, hereby swear that I will be far more heavily armed than a normal person would deem necessary for a movie marathon.
Which is to say, that I will be armed at all. Also? Not one, but two blasters. So. [ His shrug is almost audible. ]
[ Ellie lets out the first genuine laugh in this whole conversation. How could she possibly hate this guy? Not even a chance. And it sort of comes to her that she'll never figure out just how dangerous this place is if she hides away like some coward. The sickness is still there, the shaking is still there... But what Peter says has her feeling the most confidence she's felt in a long time. ]
Okay, okay.
[ She pauses as she takes a look around the corner, taking note that Joel isn't currently home at the moment. ]
Ah, man... Alright, you got me. I'll leave the house.
Joel will probably flip his lid, but it's probably best that I just... Leave a note.
[ Ellie gets the text and makes note of it, but she grimaces at the suggestion of "talking things over" with Joel. ]
Uhhhhh... Yeah, maybe.
But I definitely plan on keeping my phone on me. Sort of glad these things make it easier to contact people. But that can be a good thing and a bad thing, haha.
[ She pauses. ]
I guess I'll have to meet up with you somewhere, huh?
[ He runs through options in his head. The Porter would be the most obvious option, but he's not sure how far Ellie would be comfortable with going on her own. And he could understand not wanting to give away where she lives, either, especially considering Peter's still a stranger. ]
What city are you in? If you're in the government housing, I can meet you near there? Like, near the first house. Oh-Oh-One.
[ Yeah, Peter is exactly right with her not being so keen on sharing where she lives. And it's not so much the lack of trust in him at this point so much as it is her not sure how Joel would feel about it. Given what his last profession was here and who they're both connected with? It's best to remain secretive. ]
House 001, government housing. Got it.
Yeah, I can get there alright. I think there's a map on this thing?
[ He huffs out a breath, near silent -- he's glad that she seems excited, honestly. ]
Well, you better get ready, kid. I told Glitch -- that's the guy whose house we're going to -- to get Alien,, and that shit is scary as hell. And I am so not holding your hand if you get freaked out.
[ which is a lie. He's totally going to let her cling to his arm the whole time, if she needs to. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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... Everything okay, kid?
[ He tries to keep his tone light, but an edge of worry seeps in, despite his best efforts. ]
no subject
[ Ellie grips her hand into a fist, fighting to still herself and she decides it's bullshit to just sit there all clammed up. ]
What's out there...
I've been out of the house maybe three times since I got here. I just.
[ She groans loudly. ]
I'm fucking terrified.
[ There, she said it. And he'd better not fucking judge her. ]
no subject
He's silent for a long moment, chewing on the inside of his lower lip as he tries to find the right words. ]
Did something happen? [ He asks it carefully, gently. ] What's there to be afraid of?
no subject
[ Ellie lowers her arm, pulling up her sleeve to stare at the ghastly, tumor-ridden scar on her arm. All she can think is "Where do I start?. So much has happened since she got bit, it's hard to even break it down, especially to a person who isn't familiar with the infection. ]
Um...
There's a lot of things. Like. More than anyone has been able to comprehend since I got here. It's a long, shitty and drawn-out story and I don't know if you even want to hear it.
no subject
If you want, you can tell me about it.
[ Usually he doesn't pry. Usually he leaves people's past lives and histories buried where they lie -- especially when the person in question seems to act as though their pasts are better off forgotten. And Peter's fine with that -- he learned a long time ago to let them lie.
But sometimes, those memories get dredged up, sometimes something unsettles them to their core, and when that happens, he's willing to lend an ear. He might not be the most eloquent fucker in the galaxy, but he at least listens. ]
We can trade sob stories, if it'll make you feel more comfortable.
no subject
[ Ellie can't help but laugh at that last part. Sob stories. She's never even heard of it put that way. Probably because no one really talks about anything back home, and mostly because everyone has generally gone through the same thing. And the laughter is out of pure embarrassment and nerves. ]
Sure.
[ She heavily exhales. Ellie has explained where she came from a few times, but never her personal experiences. Maybe this will work out? Maybe it won't be so bad to tell someone outside of the whole situation. ]
My world? It ended about twenty years ago. An infection broke out that took down a good chunk of the human population that turned normal people into monsters. Government went haywire, towns got blown up...
I was born way after the wreckage and raised in military camps and quarantine zones.
[ The part where she got infected along with her friend? She decides to remain vague, for her's and Joel's sake. ]
Well, I left with Joel at some point to make a trek across the country and... It wasn't exactly easy.
Before I got here, he... Joel got really messed up and I wound up needing to take care of the two of us. I ran into a pack of hunters and wound up, for lack of a better term, getting captured. They were cannibals...
I watched them hack a dead body to pieces to drain the blood and hang up in a meat locker for later.
[ Ellie starts to get sick to her stomach when she begins to picture David. Immediately, she can smell his breath, hear his voice, and she makes a long pause before letting out another shaken sigh. ]
It... It got really bad when I tried to escape.
And...
[ Calm down, Ellie. It's not happening now, it's not. ]
Everyone is out to get you back there. People hunt one another-- Kill and eat one another just to fucking get by and it's almost unnerving that it hasn't happened here yet.
A lot of people have told me that I'll like living a "normal" life and I literally have no idea what the fuck that is. What I just told you? That was normal.
no subject
For a while, that's really the only thing he can think. Holy shit. It's like something out of the horror movies he so often references -- the ones that Gramp rented from the video store and let him watch while Mom was busy with her appointments.
His version of growing up hadn't exactly been normal, either, where basic math was replaced with learning how to pick locks, and public speaking was substituted by gaining a mark's confidence. But at least he didn't have to contend with people turning on one another; the Ravagers were a family, in a way. And despite the threats, he didn't have to worry about them actually eating each other. ]
I'm-- damn. I'm really sorry, kid. [ It comes out quietly, roughly; might be a touch awkward, but he means it, at least. ]
You don't need me to tell you that it ain't like that here, though. I know it's weird, but there are some genuinely kind and nice people here. [ And it is weird, even to Peter. Adult that he is, he was absolutely certain that everyone had an ulterior motive for their actions; it's only recently that he started thinking that maybe, just maybe, that's not entirely true. ]
I'm not sayin' you have to trust everyone -- 'cause you'd be dumb if you did, and from what I know, you definitely aren't dumb. But here, at least, you don't have to worry too much about someone tryin' to stab you in the back.
And, hey, I know you haven't known me too long, but if you ever find yourself in trouble, you can give me a call. I'll come running. [ Well. He'll come teleporting, honestly, possibly with something very heavy in tow with which to hit things, but he'll bring that up some other time. ]
no subject
There's... Really no use in apologizing, dude. I mean, it was my life.
[ She pauses a moment, realizing that she's gathered her knees up to her chest, phone pressed hard against her ear. It's honestly nice to talk to someone about it-- Joel isn't much of a talker when it comes to what they've been through. She listens intently to what Peter has to say. He's probably the fourth or fifth person to confirm this place isn't so bad, that the people aren't entirely dangerous-- Or at least as dangerous as she's used to. ]
[ Ellie smiles briefly at the offer of help. It's not an offer she isn't used to, but the last time she was offered protection it was from the man who damn near raped her and skinned her alive to eat afterwards. But there's a tone in Peter's voice that she doesn't recognize, something gentler in delivery. ]
[ Ellie laughs, and it's nervous. ]
Honestly? You're the first dude besides Joel to... You know, act like you care and it doesn't sound like bullshit.
[ A beat. ]
You'll have your plasma blaster with you if I go, right?
no subject
Peter's childhood? Far from normal. Far from perfect. But he knows he'd never dare compare it to what Ellie just told him. He thought he'd understand, in a way, or at least hoped he would, but this? So beyond anything he could ever imagine.
At her question, he draws an X-shape over his chest, and holds up a hand -- even if she can't see it. ]
I, Peter Jason Quill, hereby swear that I will be far more heavily armed than a normal person would deem necessary for a movie marathon.
Which is to say, that I will be armed at all. Also? Not one, but two blasters. So. [ His shrug is almost audible. ]
I've got your back, Scout. Promise.
no subject
Okay, okay.
[ She pauses as she takes a look around the corner, taking note that Joel isn't currently home at the moment. ]
Ah, man... Alright, you got me. I'll leave the house.
Joel will probably flip his lid, but it's probably best that I just... Leave a note.
Is uh.
Is this thing going on now?
no subject
Any way you can give him a call? I don't want him freaking out.
Oh, here's the address, in case he wants to know where you are.
[ And ping, a text message with the address -- a house in De Chima. ]
I think it's tomorrow night, so you can talk it over, if you need to.
no subject
Uhhhhh... Yeah, maybe.
But I definitely plan on keeping my phone on me. Sort of glad these things make it easier to contact people. But that can be a good thing and a bad thing, haha.
[ She pauses. ]
I guess I'll have to meet up with you somewhere, huh?
no subject
What city are you in? If you're in the government housing, I can meet you near there? Like, near the first house. Oh-Oh-One.
no subject
[ Yeah, Peter is exactly right with her not being so keen on sharing where she lives. And it's not so much the lack of trust in him at this point so much as it is her not sure how Joel would feel about it. Given what his last profession was here and who they're both connected with? It's best to remain secretive. ]
House 001, government housing. Got it.
Yeah, I can get there alright. I think there's a map on this thing?
I'm in Heropa.
no subject
Hey, actually, I'm in Heropa, too. You wanna just meet outside my place? I'm in block 005.
no subject
Sure.
Yeah, I'm down for meeting up with you. And you'd better have those plasma blasters, or else we're not friends. And also no bracelets.
no subject
Dude, wow, you're throwin' around some heavy threats, here. All you had to do was say please, you know.
no subject
Does it even sound like I'm the type to say please or deliver anything but threats?
Come on, man, I thought we were having a connection here. Don't let me fly over your head now!
no subject
Fine. I promise I'll have my blasters, if you promise to have those comics ready for me.
no subject
Already have them organized and packed for you. I got you totally covered in that department.
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Meet you here, Scout. Gimme a call if something comes up, alright?
[ By which he means, "if you change your mind." ]
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I'll keep you posted. But I'm sticking with this. Can't hole myself up in my room forever, right?
Plus, I think this'll be a lot of fun. I'm pretty stoked, actually.
no subject
Well, you better get ready, kid. I told Glitch -- that's the guy whose house we're going to -- to get Alien,, and that shit is scary as hell. And I am so not holding your hand if you get freaked out.
[ which is a lie. He's totally going to let her cling to his arm the whole time, if she needs to. ]
no subject
I just told you about the fucking infected I had to deal with back home. You honestly think I'm gonna be scared of a movie about aliens?
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[ He says it flatly, as one might recite the alphabet, or inform you that Columbus sailed the ocean fourteen-hundred-ninety-two. ]
But it's cool. I won't think any less of ya.
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