Also Im So Sorry I Wrote This Reply At Work The Other Day And Forgot About It - Blog Posts

When he found Tommy again, the last thing Joel expected was for his brother to have a teenage stray of his own by his side. It had shocked him, sure, but it also made his situation with Ellie seem less strange. The girl, Hannah, was clearly going through some shit – it was far too familiar. Joel remembered having the same dark disposition for a hell of a long time after losing Sarah.

Hell, if it weren't for Ellie he'd still be like it now. But she'd managed to slip under the barricades he'd spent years forming, become as close to a daughter as another child ever could. It would be impossible to ever replace Sarah, but Ellie had carved a place next to her in his heart

He was glad that, hopefully, Ellie and Tommy could do the same for Hannah. Joel knew they'd be good for her - and him? Well, he'd probably be better off supporting from the sidelines.

" I know how you feel, kid. " It's easy to admit, his voice soft. Just for her, a private conversation. " It doesn't feel right - how at ease everyone is. Like they don't know what's out there. " It was all a big game of pretend, the man knew that. Behind big walls and lacking weapons, it was easy to pretend things were different. That the world hadn't ended, that infected weren't roaming outside, and that the people out there weren't WORSE.

" If you ask me, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Your body's survival instincts will wake you up - comfortable or not, we can sense danger, " Joel turns to look at Hannah, aware this was the closest he'd ever stood to the girl. It was certainly a sense of discomfort for the both of them, neither were eager to let people close. He shifts slightly, creating a little more of a gap as subtly as could.

@fracturals asked: ❛ can’t sleep? ❜ ( joel )

"Too much noise. People here aren't scared enough." She knows it's a weird answer the moment it comes out of her mouth; she hasn't been in Jackson long, but it has been enough to start reminding her of what it's like to be among regular people and how most of them, while careful about infected, don't have to live in fear every second of the day here. She was like that, once. Now it feels weird to sleep too many hours straight. It feels weird that she didn't pull a gun on Joel just because he came too close - she almost did, she always touches her knife or whatever weapon she has when someone besides Ellie does. But she's getting a bit used to him, at least. Something about this man feels safe - same with Tommy. Not creepy at all. "I keep thinking... if I get used to... to the noises and I sleep through them... some day a bite will wake me up. I won't be here forever, I can't... I can't get comfortable."