open; lay your weary head to rest

[shivving]

Who: Joel & YOU
Where: Tartarus
When: Throughout the event
Rating: R for eventual death
Summary: There's a hundred monsters between him and Ellie. Joel will cut through every last one of them to get to her if that's what it takes.
The Story:

[ Joel opens his eyes, and his heart sinks. The room he's in is unfamiliar, and it's immediately obvious what's happened. It's another event, the mansion transforming itself around them as they sleep.

At least he remembers who he is this time.

He gets to his feet and goes to the window, frowning at the sight of a dark, foreboding green sky. Then he takes out his phone and calls Ellie. The connection's spotty, but he manages to get her location - his main objective, because he's willing to bet that she's no longer in the next room over, as she had been when he'd gone to sleep the night before. He's also willing to bet that it's not going to be a picnic in the park getting back to her.

And as it turns out, he's right. He's barely taken two steps when something horrible and screeching whizzes past his head, and just the sound alone is nearly enough to drive him insane.

Oh, this'll be fun. ]

Comments

[backpacking]

[ Joel is being torn apart, but Ellie can't choose to heed his last words or go down fighting before she's - gone.

There's a strange moment, one where she sees the stranger running to them, and then... what? A blur of movement, a rush. It's beyond confusing, and she has no idea what's happening until she's released, after which she stumbles, dizzy, and whips around to look for Joel. ]

Joel...! [ But he's nowhere to be found, and so she has to round on Jesse, eyes wide and almost accusatory, expression wild. ] What the hell did you do? Where is he?

[quickgenius]

[Jesse had expected this, almost. Had known that Ellie wouldn't react to being forced away from Joel. So she takes the consequences easily. Although she defends her actions. She can't help it.] I did what he asked. He wanted you safe.

I couldn't save him... but I could save you. I could do what he wanted.

[What he would have done himself, had he been able.]

[backpacking]

Well I want him safe! [ She shouts, but she isn't looking at the stranger. She's whipping around, trying desperately to find the way back... though she has no idea which way she'd come, and knows that time is - crucial. ]

Take me back. [ Ellie demands, now rounding on Jesse. ] You brought me here, now take me back!

[quickgenius]

[And it feels like she's been kicked in the stomach. She hates this. Barry would have been able to save them both. Cisco. Caitlin. Her dad. They all would have figured out a way.] I'm sorry. It was too late. There wasn't... [Time. Even being a speedster, there hadn't been time. She'd gotten there too late.]

No. [She wants nothing more than to do what Ellie wanted, but she can't. She won't. Joel is dead and she won't go getting the one person he wanted to protect more than anything killed. She couldn't save him. She won't fail him. Any more than she already has.] There's no way in hell. He'd kill me when he gets back.

[And she's not breaking a dying man's wish.]

[backpacking]

He can't kill you 'cause he's dead! [ She continues to shout, emotion overcoming login. In Wonderland, you come back to life after death. She's seen this happen to other people, but never herself, and not Joel, either. This... is new. Horrible, brutal, and new in the worst way. ]

You don't know he's dead! He was just attacked! He's... Jesus, he's been through worse before, and he pulled through! You don't know him, or me, and you've gotta get me back there!

[ Sorry, Jesse. The normally level-headed Ellie is just in chaos at the moment, thrown there over the death of her closest confidant. ]