[ No, he can't hail a cab. Getting cars to run at all has gotten harder and harder over the last few years, even for FEDRA. For a nobody like Joel, it's walking all the way.
He doesn't take the bait, just rolling his eyes at Jesse's posturing and sarcasm. There are things he can do to make this unpleasant for Jesse, things that'll leave him still breathing and worth every ounce of that bounty. But there'll be plenty of time for Jesse to learn that for himself if he puts a toe out of line. For the moment, he's moving, if not exactly without complaint, and that's good enough.
They walk for a while. Joel doesn't feel the need to encourage conversation, and so it's quiet. But while they make fairly good time - Jesse doesn't drag his feet and try to delay too much, at least not that Joel can see - the fact is that it's way too long a walk for them to ever have had a hope of making it in one day. And getting caught out past curfew isn't worth the risk, not if he can help it. It's nearing sunset when Joel gestures with his gun to an alley that doesn't seem to lead much of anywhere. ]
[ Jesse does drag his feet a little, but not enough for Joel to really yell at him for. He talks for most of the walk, even when Joel stops replying. It's fairly obvious that he can't let more than a minute or two of silence go by without filling it with something, even if it's just humming a song to himself or kicking at rocks and gravel along the street.
He notes the sun getting low in the sky, but it seems like Joel has everything figured out. Or at least he should. People generally don't just go kidnapping other people without some kind of plan mapped out in their heads, right? Unless they're some kind of psycho. But Joel seems a little more put together than that. This wasn't something just done on a whim.
Jesse arches a brow as he looks down the darkened, dead-end alley and then back at Joel. Twice. ]
Oh yeah, sure. Just--go down the totally dark, sketchy-ass alleyway that, y'know, isn't a completely wicked out pathway to certain death.
[ Jesse throws his arms up, spouting sarcasm and waiting for Joel to give him some other option. When he doesn't, his face scrunches up. ]
What're you, high?. No way, man. You go in there. You're the one with the gun.
[ It becomes obvious pretty quickly that the kid can't keep his mouth shut if his life depends on it, and eventually Joel just sighs inwardly and resigns himself to the background noise. There may come a point where silence actually matters, and if he's threatening the guy with a fucked-up kneecap if he doesn't put a lid on it from the jump, there'll be no way to make it clear when he needs to shut up for real to keep them both alive, as opposed to just because the constant sound is driving Joel slowly insane.
So of course he argues this, too. Joel just stops and looks at him, his expression stonelike. ]
We're both goin' in there.
[ As if he's about to let the kid out of his sight for one second. He jerks his head towards the alley, a clear indication of so get moving. ]
'Less you prefer t'sleep out on the road. Get stepped on by FEDRA soldiers before they shoot your ass for breakin' curfew.
[ It's no huge surprise that Jesse comes off as an idiot. That's partly a defense mechanism. Better to be underestimated, and all that. He's not actually as dumb as he seems, though, and he knows how to shut his mouth when his life depends on it. For the most part.
Jesse's expression softens a little when Joel explains, with little patience, that they're both going down the Creepy Serial Killer alleyway. Okay, then. Maybe that makes it a little less daunting. But he's not about to admit that out loud.
Instead, he lets out an exaggerated huff. ]
Yeah, fine, yo. Whatever. Hopefully neither of us get, like, tetanus or some shit.
[ Does Jesse even know how one gets tetanus? It's something to ponder as he pauses intentionally before turning down the alleyway, squinting as if it'll somehow help him see into the shadows. He nearly trips over a discarded pile of junk, but catches himself, blue eyes darting back at Joel momentarily as he shrugs. ]
[ Well, at least the kid's capable of listening. Joel recognizes the change in his expression when he learns that he's not being sent down the alley alone. So he really had been scared. And for whatever reason, he trusts Joel to look after him down there, instead of just thinking he's being marched to his death or something.
Well. He is worth more alive than dead. At least for the moment.
Joel just grunts noncommittally - he's not about to get pulled into some drawn-out conversation about shots and infections - and waits for Jesse to move. He's right behind him, and though he knows this tunnel and doesn't have any reason to suspect trouble here, he is actually on alert, as always, just in case. So the worst Jesse has to worry about, apparently, is tripping over his own two feet and smacking facefirst into the ground. Joel stops short behind him when he nearly does just that, and though he doesn't say watch your step out loud, his expression should say it all. ]
Keep movin'.
[ His tone is, maybe, just a shade more patient when he says it. The kid may be an idiot who'd crossed the wrong people and hadn't had the brains to get the hell out of dodge after, but it's been a shitty day for both of them, and he's still going. He hasn't made another attempt to run off or turn Joel's gun back on him. Maybe there is hope for him, after all. At least until they get to where they're going and Joel turns him over to the people he'd screwed over, that is.
But that's a problem for Jesse, and it's a problem for later. For the moment, he just follows Jesse down the alley until they reach the doorway he'd been watching for. It looks like it's boarded up, but Joel calls for Jesse to stop and then he's fiddling with the handle, pulling the whole thing open, boards and all, to reveal a darkened hallway. ]
In here. Y'got a light?
[ There's always his flashlight, if Jesse says no. ]
[ Jesse pauses, a look of confusion on his face when Joel tells him to wait. But then the guy's prying open this door that looks like it's off-limits. Except the boards come with it. Huh. Good camouflage. He eyes the entryway before looking at Joel. ]
Uh, no. You didn't exactly give me a chance to pack up any of my shit back there, remember?
[ Jesse makes a face. He's certain people are plundering his hideout as they speak, taking anything and everything he's got left to his name. It's not the first time he's lost it all, but that doesn't make it suck any less. Guess it doesn't really matter in the long run. He's just a dead man walking, anyway. But something dawns on him and he pats his pockets. ]
I got a zippo lighter, I think. But I dunno...might wanna save the fuel in case we actually need it for somethin'.
[ He pulls it out of his pocket anyway, flicking the lid open and closed. It's something to fidget with when the uncertainty of it all is crawling through his veins like a sickness. ]
[ No, he hadn't. Joel's not that stupid - not when Jesse could've had a gun hidden away under a pillow or stuffed in with his clothes. He grimaces, then nods reluctantly. ]
Keep it.
[ Not that he wants to drain his flashlight battery either, but the lighter'll come in handy for more than just lighting their way. He pulls out his flashlight and turns it on, holding it up over Jesse's head to illuminate the path in front of him. ]
Walk til you get to the end, there'll be an opening on your right.
[ Yeah, it might've been dumb to just let him grab anything he wanted, but Joel could've overseen it--or picked out things Jesse might need himself. It doesn't matter anymore, though. They're not anywhere near where Jesse's hideout was anymore, and, even if they were, it's likely being picked over now by anyone who came upon the unconscious guard outside. His things are being dispersed either way, and turning back was never an option for either of them. ]
O..kay?
[ Jesse's tone ascends like he's asking a question, because he kind of is. That is, until Joel pulls out his flashlight and holds it high to illuminate the path for both of them. Jesse turns back, but only turns his head to the side instead of fully looking over his shoulder; that light is bright as fuck. Must be one of those LED deals.
Even though it may not seem like it, Jesse pays close attention to directions, and he turns his head to the right as he nears the end of the hallway, looking for the said opening. It's less of a doorway and more of a break made in the drywall in between the beams, like it's been hacked away by some sledgehammer. ]
In here?
[ Jesse sticks his head through first, which, in retrospect, probably isn't the brightest idea. But there's nothing that's particularly threatening on the other side, so he steps through, catching the toe of his sneaker on the edge of the opening and stumbling through. He hears a noise, but it sounds far away. No immediate threat, but that doesn't stop his heart from picking up pace; blue eyes going wide like saucers in the dark. ]
[ Joel's already learned that most of the kid's comments don't necessitate a response. Not as far as he's concerned, anyway. He doesn't respond to Jesse's questioning acceptance, just follows him down the path, and at his question about the turnoff he just grunts in assent. He does have to close his eyes briefly in exasperation at the reckless way he just sticks his head through - it's a wonder he hasn't been killed already, with an attitude like that, but then, the kid's probably spent his whole life in the zone. Never had to think about or deal with what lives outside.
Luckily for Jesse, this place, at least, is secure. Joel's made sure of that. He follows him inside more carefully, freezing in place and listening intently when he hears the noise. ]
Nothin' we need t'worry about, hopefully.
[ Nothing that can reach them in here, that's for sure. He fixes his gaze on Jesse, watching him curiously, and not a little appraisingly. ]
[ It's true, much of what Jesse says is something like a monologue--things to be heard, but not necessarily responded to. It's difficult out of habit for him not to sort of narrate his life. Maybe it comes from spending a decent amount of time by himself, or maybe he just talks too much. Either way, it's a habit not yet gotten rid of. Jesse is a little more than reckless when he sticks his head into the hold in the drywall, but does he really have much to lose at this point? If anything, he'll maybe be granted a quicker and more merciful death than what those he's fucked over are likely to afford him. But that quick death doesn't come and, even though a sound rattles through the old bones of the building, it's not close, and Joel is that thinking-ahead type who would've made sure the pathway was clear. At least as much as he could. ]
Hopefully doesn't sound that definite.
[ Jesse snaps back before really giving in a second thought. He softens, though, looking around as the flashlight beam enters the hole behind him followed by Joel. ]
I get it, though. Nothin's ever definite these days.
[ Jesse shrugs off that thought, but his head darts back in Joel's direction at the man's question. There's a longer pause this time. Maybe the longest in any of their conversation. Jesse tries not to allow the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end; tries not to let a tremor shoulder its way into his body. ]
Yeah. Couple times.
[ He hasn't been bitten yet, but that doesn't mean he hasn't had a couple of close encounters, one of which where he'd needed to go hand to hand with the things and finished them off with a piece of broken glass. There's still a scar running across his palm and tha creases of his fingers because of it. Jagged and raw like the memory. ]
[ For the moment, at least, and that's all they have to worry about right now. Later is for worrying about later.
But Jesse's responses surprises him, his eyebrows going up despite his stoicism. Huh. Yeah, he hadn't expected that at all. He might've guessed the kid might have seen one - if he's dumb enough to get caught up in everything else he'd gotten caught up in, it makes sense he might find himself somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. But killing one? ]
Y'got lucky, then.
[ That's true no matter what. Meeting even one of those things - it's never a sure thing for anyone, no matter how skilled you might be. And Jesse...Joel gives him one more appraising glance before walking the perimeter of the small space, just in case. It doesn't take long. ]
[ Jesse's not entirely sure if it was luck or what. He knows he's scrappier than he looks, but honestly, he hadn't been sure he had it in him until it came down to life or death. He's still not sure about that because there are still nights when what he did bothers him. He gives Joel a long look when he asks how it happened and he turns over his hand, holding it out palm-up for Joel to see his scars. ]
It happened when I got a hold of the stash. I got intel that it was comin' in from another QZ. Figured it'd be easier to get to it on the outside than once it made its way in here since it was only traveling with a couple of people--efforts to keep it on the low or whatever. Anyway, while my guys were gettin' the stash secured? Guess the struggle caught the attention of some infected. We barely made it back. One of 'em ended up breaking through. Killed one of my friends outright, and infected another. He downed it but I didn't know he was bit. Guess he was too scared to tell anybody so I didn't know 'til he came after me. So I had to take him out myself with a broken bottle. That's how I ended up with this. The bottle broke in my hand while I was fighting him off.
[ Jesse lets his scarred hand drop to his side again, shrugging it all off but it's clear in his suddenly glossed-over blue eyes that it's something that continues to affect him in spite of his efforts to shove it all away. ]
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zvi
no subject
Date: 2023-02-07 07:16 am (UTC)He doesn't take the bait, just rolling his eyes at Jesse's posturing and sarcasm. There are things he can do to make this unpleasant for Jesse, things that'll leave him still breathing and worth every ounce of that bounty. But there'll be plenty of time for Jesse to learn that for himself if he puts a toe out of line. For the moment, he's moving, if not exactly without complaint, and that's good enough.
They walk for a while. Joel doesn't feel the need to encourage conversation, and so it's quiet. But while they make fairly good time - Jesse doesn't drag his feet and try to delay too much, at least not that Joel can see - the fact is that it's way too long a walk for them to ever have had a hope of making it in one day. And getting caught out past curfew isn't worth the risk, not if he can help it. It's nearing sunset when Joel gestures with his gun to an alley that doesn't seem to lead much of anywhere. ]
In there.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-09 12:57 am (UTC)He notes the sun getting low in the sky, but it seems like Joel has everything figured out. Or at least he should. People generally don't just go kidnapping other people without some kind of plan mapped out in their heads, right? Unless they're some kind of psycho. But Joel seems a little more put together than that. This wasn't something just done on a whim.
Jesse arches a brow as he looks down the darkened, dead-end alley and then back at Joel. Twice. ]
Oh yeah, sure. Just--go down the totally dark, sketchy-ass alleyway that, y'know, isn't a completely wicked out pathway to certain death.
[ Jesse throws his arms up, spouting sarcasm and waiting for Joel to give him some other option. When he doesn't, his face scrunches up. ]
What're you, high?. No way, man. You go in there. You're the one with the gun.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-14 07:41 am (UTC)So of course he argues this, too. Joel just stops and looks at him, his expression stonelike. ]
We're both goin' in there.
[ As if he's about to let the kid out of his sight for one second. He jerks his head towards the alley, a clear indication of so get moving. ]
'Less you prefer t'sleep out on the road. Get stepped on by FEDRA soldiers before they shoot your ass for breakin' curfew.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-15 03:54 pm (UTC)Jesse's expression softens a little when Joel explains, with little patience, that they're both going down the Creepy Serial Killer alleyway. Okay, then. Maybe that makes it a little less daunting. But he's not about to admit that out loud.
Instead, he lets out an exaggerated huff. ]
Yeah, fine, yo. Whatever. Hopefully neither of us get, like, tetanus or some shit.
[ Does Jesse even know how one gets tetanus? It's something to ponder as he pauses intentionally before turning down the alleyway, squinting as if it'll somehow help him see into the shadows. He nearly trips over a discarded pile of junk, but catches himself, blue eyes darting back at Joel momentarily as he shrugs. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-02-16 07:01 am (UTC)Well. He is worth more alive than dead. At least for the moment.
Joel just grunts noncommittally - he's not about to get pulled into some drawn-out conversation about shots and infections - and waits for Jesse to move. He's right behind him, and though he knows this tunnel and doesn't have any reason to suspect trouble here, he is actually on alert, as always, just in case. So the worst Jesse has to worry about, apparently, is tripping over his own two feet and smacking facefirst into the ground. Joel stops short behind him when he nearly does just that, and though he doesn't say watch your step out loud, his expression should say it all. ]
Keep movin'.
[ His tone is, maybe, just a shade more patient when he says it. The kid may be an idiot who'd crossed the wrong people and hadn't had the brains to get the hell out of dodge after, but it's been a shitty day for both of them, and he's still going. He hasn't made another attempt to run off or turn Joel's gun back on him. Maybe there is hope for him, after all. At least until they get to where they're going and Joel turns him over to the people he'd screwed over, that is.
But that's a problem for Jesse, and it's a problem for later. For the moment, he just follows Jesse down the alley until they reach the doorway he'd been watching for. It looks like it's boarded up, but Joel calls for Jesse to stop and then he's fiddling with the handle, pulling the whole thing open, boards and all, to reveal a darkened hallway. ]
In here. Y'got a light?
[ There's always his flashlight, if Jesse says no. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-02-16 06:41 pm (UTC)Uh, no. You didn't exactly give me a chance to pack up any of my shit back there, remember?
[ Jesse makes a face. He's certain people are plundering his hideout as they speak, taking anything and everything he's got left to his name. It's not the first time he's lost it all, but that doesn't make it suck any less. Guess it doesn't really matter in the long run. He's just a dead man walking, anyway. But something dawns on him and he pats his pockets. ]
I got a zippo lighter, I think. But I dunno...might wanna save the fuel in case we actually need it for somethin'.
[ He pulls it out of his pocket anyway, flicking the lid open and closed. It's something to fidget with when the uncertainty of it all is crawling through his veins like a sickness. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-02-19 04:48 am (UTC)Keep it.
[ Not that he wants to drain his flashlight battery either, but the lighter'll come in handy for more than just lighting their way. He pulls out his flashlight and turns it on, holding it up over Jesse's head to illuminate the path in front of him. ]
Walk til you get to the end, there'll be an opening on your right.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-20 06:57 am (UTC)O..kay?
[ Jesse's tone ascends like he's asking a question, because he kind of is. That is, until Joel pulls out his flashlight and holds it high to illuminate the path for both of them. Jesse turns back, but only turns his head to the side instead of fully looking over his shoulder; that light is bright as fuck. Must be one of those LED deals.
Even though it may not seem like it, Jesse pays close attention to directions, and he turns his head to the right as he nears the end of the hallway, looking for the said opening. It's less of a doorway and more of a break made in the drywall in between the beams, like it's been hacked away by some sledgehammer. ]
In here?
[ Jesse sticks his head through first, which, in retrospect, probably isn't the brightest idea. But there's nothing that's particularly threatening on the other side, so he steps through, catching the toe of his sneaker on the edge of the opening and stumbling through. He hears a noise, but it sounds far away. No immediate threat, but that doesn't stop his heart from picking up pace; blue eyes going wide like saucers in the dark. ]
What was that?
no subject
Date: 2023-02-26 07:56 am (UTC)Luckily for Jesse, this place, at least, is secure. Joel's made sure of that. He follows him inside more carefully, freezing in place and listening intently when he hears the noise. ]
Nothin' we need t'worry about, hopefully.
[ Nothing that can reach them in here, that's for sure. He fixes his gaze on Jesse, watching him curiously, and not a little appraisingly. ]
Y'ever seen 'em up close?
no subject
Date: 2023-02-28 04:42 am (UTC)Hopefully doesn't sound that definite.
[ Jesse snaps back before really giving in a second thought. He softens, though, looking around as the flashlight beam enters the hole behind him followed by Joel. ]
I get it, though. Nothin's ever definite these days.
[ Jesse shrugs off that thought, but his head darts back in Joel's direction at the man's question. There's a longer pause this time. Maybe the longest in any of their conversation. Jesse tries not to allow the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end; tries not to let a tremor shoulder its way into his body. ]
Yeah. Couple times.
[ He hasn't been bitten yet, but that doesn't mean he hasn't had a couple of close encounters, one of which where he'd needed to go hand to hand with the things and finished them off with a piece of broken glass. There's still a scar running across his palm and tha creases of his fingers because of it. Jagged and raw like the memory. ]
Killed one.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-04 03:12 pm (UTC)[ For the moment, at least, and that's all they have to worry about right now. Later is for worrying about later.
But Jesse's responses surprises him, his eyebrows going up despite his stoicism. Huh. Yeah, he hadn't expected that at all. He might've guessed the kid might have seen one - if he's dumb enough to get caught up in everything else he'd gotten caught up in, it makes sense he might find himself somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. But killing one? ]
Y'got lucky, then.
[ That's true no matter what. Meeting even one of those things - it's never a sure thing for anyone, no matter how skilled you might be. And Jesse...Joel gives him one more appraising glance before walking the perimeter of the small space, just in case. It doesn't take long. ]
How'd it happen?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-04 09:15 pm (UTC)[ Jesse's not entirely sure if it was luck or what. He knows he's scrappier than he looks, but honestly, he hadn't been sure he had it in him until it came down to life or death. He's still not sure about that because there are still nights when what he did bothers him. He gives Joel a long look when he asks how it happened and he turns over his hand, holding it out palm-up for Joel to see his scars. ]
It happened when I got a hold of the stash. I got intel that it was comin' in from another QZ. Figured it'd be easier to get to it on the outside than once it made its way in here since it was only traveling with a couple of people--efforts to keep it on the low or whatever. Anyway, while my guys were gettin' the stash secured? Guess the struggle caught the attention of some infected. We barely made it back. One of 'em ended up breaking through. Killed one of my friends outright, and infected another. He downed it but I didn't know he was bit. Guess he was too scared to tell anybody so I didn't know 'til he came after me. So I had to take him out myself with a broken bottle. That's how I ended up with this. The bottle broke in my hand while I was fighting him off.
[ Jesse lets his scarred hand drop to his side again, shrugging it all off but it's clear in his suddenly glossed-over blue eyes that it's something that continues to affect him in spite of his efforts to shove it all away. ]