tushanshu | 001 ⚡ audio

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[ How long has it been since he last sat at a working computer? Twenty some odd years now? Joel stares down at the keyboard. It shouldn't be that hard to get working, he knows there's a power button somewhere on the damn thing.

The last thing he remembers using was his cell phone, even then his memory is hazy on the brand and size. He almost doesn't remember what it had looked like, what he'd had on it or the list of its contacts.

Dammit--focus. Gotta find her. Figure out what the hell is goin' on.

A deep breath.

The device is powered up, and it takes a solid minute for the screen to show up, his eyes roaming over the icons on the screen as if trying to remember what is what. There's got to be some way he can use this to get in touch with someone - anyone. With her. If she's even here, he reminds himself. Which seems impossible given what he last remembers happening before blacking out. ]

This on? [ Joel wonders where the microphone is, but what does it matter. He should be able to speak and it should pick up his voice no problem. ] Am I gettin' through here to anyone?

[ Fuck it. ]

Look- [ Heaves out a heavy and impatient sigh. On edge. Old nerves wrought with anxiety he's trying real hard to keep bottled in. ] -I'm lookin' for a young girl. Just over five feet, has a scar on her right brow, brown-red hair in a ponytail, sorta past her shoulders. She'll be wearin' a faded jacket and a gray shirt with a backpack on her back. [ Or was last he'd been with her. ]

She's got one helluva mouth on her too, you can't - Christ--you can't miss her.

[ Like hell will he mention her name on a network of strangers, though, even if it would benefit him more in the end than anything else.

Joel tries to keep his voice steady; he can't afford to break apart on some foreign network. To strangers. Keep it together, keep it together. But if someone tells him they haven't seen her--he might just slip up and lose it. ]

If she's here - then where?

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[Jesus. Jesus.

It's not like Tess hasn't considered the possibility he would show up at some point. Far from it - she's only assured Sarah and probably Ellie too that he would, eventually. If only to make them feel better. Especially Sarah.

And has she thought about it? Thought about what she would say? Over and over and over again.

But shit. Hearing his voice so suddenly, so unexpectedly, and now she's just drawing a blank. How to even begin this? How to do this in a way that won't just fuck with his head? There is no way. No real way to soften the blow. Not for her, and especially not for Sarah.

She encrypts this as best she can - she's still figuring things out but she'll be damned if this gets aired all over a public network. No fucking way.]

'bout time you showed up, Tex. Ellie's way too much for me to handle on my own.

[When in doubt, deflect with humor.]

[ Too many emotions slam into him at this voice, those words, and they send his mind reeling. This has to be a joke, some cruel viciously played joke. It can't be real. Joel's end of the line is nothing but dead silence following the sharp intake of breath after their connection is established.

It's probably a good thing that video isn't enabled, he's sitting there staring with unblinking eyes at the otherwise blank desktop screen. His elbows go to rest on the desk, hands lifting to cover over his mouth and nose, drag up to completely cover his face and then drag down. ]

Jesus - [ It's a muffled mutter behind his hands.

On one hand Joel's relieved to hear that Ellie's there, that she's safe. And then on the other he's stunned and at a loss at hearing a ghost. ]

--Tess?

[ He's so unsure, so hesitant and afraid. Disbelieving. He remembers the Capitol building. Boston. Leaving her behind.

What the fuck is wrong with this place? ]

[Yeah, that went about as well as she figured it would. There's a pause as she quickly sends a message to Sarah, because she really, really doesn't want that to happen on the network. Best to get them both physically to the same place, somewhere they can have some privacy and however much time they need.

Nevermind how much Tess aches to see his face again, herself.]

The one and only. [The lighthearted tone drops, somewhat, though, and she sighs.] Trust me, I don't get it either. But I'm here, I'm alive, and I'm - healthy.

[Not infected.]

Where are you? I can't do this crap on the network.

[ Healthy. To him that says she's not healthy, it speaks the words she won't dare to over the network. He almost doesn't want to believe that, needs to see it for himself but how can he? How could he face her after turning his back at her command for him to flee? What a fucking cowardly thing to do, he could've stayed behind and fought at her side, he could've helped her through her turning point, held her hand or kissed her goodbye at the very least.

Instead he had left her to deal with it all on her own. Left her to die alone.

Joel's mouth is dry, he has to take a moment to work the glands to produce saliva, to get his tongue and lips wet again while his mind wracks itself for how to properly form words. ]

I... I don't know. Building said something 'bout 3B? [ If that rings any bells. ] And Earth.

[ Does that mean she's coming to him? Are they meeting? Will he be put face to face with one of the few ghosts that haunts him at night? ]

Edited 2014-02-12 10:55 (UTC)

[It's like she can hear him grasping, trying to form the words. Fuck, she needs to see him, be able to reach out and touch him and let him know she's really here, that it's okay, even though this shouldn't be happening.]

That's really close to me. I'll be there in five.

[Yes, she's going to do exactly that - god, he's so close, he's just around the corner from her practically. This needs to happen in person - things she just can't explain on the network.]

I'll be here. [ Ain't like there's anywhere else for him to go, really. ]

Joel?

[a pause, but only for a second before it sinks in. Joel's here. What does that mean though, that he's here? Does that mean he died, or he's just asleep? Fuck, did they both get killed?]

Holy shit! Joel! Fuck, you're here!

[lose one person important to you, get back another. She isn't sure what to think.]

Edited 2014-02-11 21:28 (UTC)

[ It hadn't occurred to him in the time between waking up in the basin of water to the now when he had arrived at his room. Was he dead? Was he dreaming? That had been one helluva dream, reaching the city, pulling Ellie from the water and trying to apply the chest compressions to get her back. Joel remembers the Fireflies speaking to him and then a stab of sharp pain at his temple followed by darkness. ]

Ellie?

[ He can't believe he's hearing her voice coming through. So this means she's alive? Somehow by some miracle he had managed to save her, or they had? ]

Ellie-- [ His voice is rough, thick with emotion it feels like his throat's clogged and he's choking on it; he had almost lost her. ] --where are you? You gotta tell me so I can come an' get you.

[right. Right. He would want to come see her, to make sure she was okay. And she wanted to see him too. But she realized the cafe she was camped out at might not be the best spot to meet]

I can come to you. Just tell me what's near-by. I can find you, I promise. It might even be near-by. Are there lots and lots of trees?

Or treehouses, because that's where I am.

What the hell're you doin' in-- never mind. I'm in... this room. My room.

[ Why is she in a treehouse? Is that where she's been all this time? ]

I'm not-- I'm not actually in a treehouse! That'd be fucking weird.

But your room isn't helpful. What's around it? C'mon, Joel! It'd be pretty sad if we could never find each other because we're both bad at directions.

If we had any infected here then bein' up in there would be your safest bet. Hold on. Don't move.

[ He's going to his door to open it and double check for any numbers. He vaguely remembers 'Earth'. ]

3B. Earth. Sound familiar?

There aren't any infected here. It's clean. [she presses her hand against the console, practically bouncing. She can figure out where he is from that, and she is selfish and wants to see him sooner rather than later]

Okay, Earth Sector, 3B. I can figure out where you are, easy. Be there soon.

Be careful.

[ The words slip out without him meaning for them to; he'd damn near lost her already in Salt Lake City, he won't again. ]

[The man sounds as if he is in some distress; better to keep the camera off, Temeraire thinks. The voice that comes out of Joel's speakers is--a little strange, nevertheless: resonant and deep, and not entirely human, but there is very little he can do about the fact.]

Yes, there is a girl here with that description. Are you her father?

No I'm - I'm her... guardian.

[ This is probably the first time anyone's ever really considered him as Ellie's father. They've only known each other just over a year now, though, and he does care for the girl or else he wouldn't have been so frantic about her near drowning. ]

She found me.

Well, that is very nearly the same thing, is it not?

[Pause.] She has been here some four months at least; I first made her acquaintance last All Hallows' Eve. You must be very happy to have found her, if the world you come from is as bad as she has said.

[ Joel chooses to ignore the comparison between father and guardian. It doesn't matter to him, what matters is that Ellie's here and she's found him. ]

It was bad enough.

I am sorry to say the situation we are in is not much better, having been pulled into the middle of a war, but at the very least I am given to understand the food is an improvement.

Oh, I beg your pardon, I have not introduced myself: I am called Temeraire, and you are?

Joel.

I couldn't care less 'bout the food, not 'til I see her for myself.

[ Which should be soon. ]

Then I will leave you to it, Mr Joel: but if you find yourself in need of anything, after you have found her, pray do not hesitate to ask. [He had sounded so very worried, after all.]

Ah- Joel. Just call me Joel. And I appreciate that.

There are a few kids around here. If you look around on this thing, you might see her if she was brought here.

This thing come with a list of contacts?

I don't think so, but it archives conversations. It's strange.

So I should look for archived conversations from her?

[ Ain't nobody got time for that. ]

If she's important, why not?

[ He's new, so he doesn't realize that there are such long stretches where there's nothing but time to kill around here. No matter how industrious a person tried to be, it would sneak up anyway. ]

Ah... try a few days back, a man talking about a holiday.

[ There'd been a few kids talking on there, she recalls. ]

[ Joel checks the date on the system; he never gave a shit about Valentine's Day. ]

Valentine's Day. That's the only holiday comin' up I remember.

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