issue #1 | text

[survivorsguilt]

[It's taken a few days for Ellie to find her way. She has an apartment, but she's not getting comfortable or even really considering it 'hers'. It's temporary. A good hideout until she moves again. She knows where to find food, but she's not going to get lazy. It feels like a good idea to stay in the practice of fending for herself as often as she can.

Figuring out the network and how to do anything with her phone had taken some practice. But now that she's got the basics down, there's something important Ellie needs to ask.]

im looking for joel. hes a big grumpy guy with good aim and a talent for pissing people off. if you see him, tell him ellie is looking for him. joel if you can see this but you cant answer me, im hanging around those weird tall pointy apartments. let me know youre okay.

[It's way easier to say that kind of thing over text, where no one can hear her voice fill with worry. She doesn't really want to consider the possibility that he's not here. That she's alone again.]

Comments

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[wendigoner]

I'll keep an eye out. I haven't met anyone named Joel but that does mean he isn't here.
What does he look like?

text

[unitas]

I don't see a Joel in the contact list, unless you think he'd use an alias?

[survivorsguilt]

thanks for the tip. problem is, i dont know if he'd use an alias. its never really come up before. anyway. ill check it out

[You know, once she figures out how to.]

[survivorsguilt]

scruffy beard. scruffy everything. tall. hes got dark hair but hes practically a grandpa so its kinda going gray.

[Maybe if she picks on him enough he'll magically appear.]

sound familiar at all?

[survivorsguilt]

i dont think so? but its possible, i guess. maybe hes just not using his phone. or maybe he didnt get one. thanks for looking. i cant figure this shit out

[Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.]

[text]

[synthedick]

Most folks who get pulled through the Door end up here on their own, but if this Joel character is here, he can't be too far. There's only so much city he can wander through.

[Which isn't very reassuring, he's sure.]

[survivorsguilt]

[Oh boy. Straight to the hard questions.]

i didnt see him in that arena place, but i mean there were fucking sharks everywhere, you know? he was RIGHT with me last i remember before coming here.

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[survivethis]

I'll keep an eye out for someone matching that description when I'm out on patrol.

[survivorsguilt]

[Fuck.]

so you mean chances are hes not here.

right. thanks.

[The reply possibly sounds a little abrupt, but it's not born of anything malicious. She's upset.]

[synthedick]

[He knows, Ellie. He knows.]

Yeah, chances are he's not here, but that doesn't mean he won't turn up. Folks come and go, and it's not unheard of for people from the same place to get pulled in eventually.

[survivorsguilt]

[It's hard to say so far which is the worse place to be, honestly.]

well the door is a bunch of stupid bullshit.

[The poetry of an upset 15 year old.]

[survivorsguilt]

[That's all it takes to restore a little flame of hope in her chest. She's gonna hang onto it tight.]

really? are there many people from the same place here now?

[survivorsguilt]

thank you. thatd be awesome.

what kind of patrol?

[She's grateful for the offer, but at the same time, the word patrol has some very negative connotations in her mind. Tight military regulations. Gunfire. The beep of a handheld scanner: infected, or clear?]

[survivorsguilt]

[Despite everything she's feeling, the reply makes her laugh. It's an abrupt, sharp thing, but a laugh all the same. It brings her some relief that whoever this is isn't pretending like everything's cool.]

so. anyone come through with you when you arrived?

[synthedick]

You'd be surprised how many. I've even had a few people from my neck of the woods show up in the time I've been here.

[survivorsguilt]

[...huh.]

guessing where you come from is pretty nice then

[survivorsguilt]

[Okay. Alright. Yeah, she can hang onto this. This is fine. Hope definitely won't cause her any pain in the long run.]

thats really good to know. thanks

[synthedick]

No problem. If there's anything you need, just give a shout.

[Or a call, or whatever.]

text

[burn_all_the_babies]

i saw sum1 that might bee the joel! scruffy smelly gotz old man hairs

[ Tina isn't used to texting, she never really writes at the best of times. Sure she can read but it's been a long time since she's ever had to write anything for anyone, so yea, sorry about the terrible texting. ]

w8 no w8 i fink itz just a bear. unless joel was/is a bear?

[unitas]

If he's here, he got a phone. Hope doesn't leave people out and, when he does, there's a reason for it, usually because they don't belong. [ Or, that's what she's come to understand this last nearly year and a half. ]

Do you need some help? I've been here awhile so I've already got all this stupid shit figured out.

text;

[feelslikeimspilling]

[ From the way it's worded, this looks like someone who the door has only just brought in. At first, Will skims over it, thinking nothing more of it but then something draws him back to it.

He's been meaning to do more good in the City, after all, the trouble that's been had recently, so maybe this could be where he starts making amends? ]

I haven't seen a Joel on the contact list. I bet you've been getting a lot of that though huh? Your names Ellie right? I'm Will. Did you manage to get out of the arena alright? It's possible if Joel came with you, he might still be there. Could I go and have a look for you? Call you when I get there and describe who and what I see?

[survivethis]

I'm in the city guard. A bunch of us are. Basically, I roam around to make sure no one's been attacked by a random monster. While I'm out, though, it doesn't hurt to look for your friend.

[Most days things are peaceful, but once a month it seems like everything goes to hell until the gods clean up the mess.]

[survivorsguilt]

makes sense. i guess this place doesnt feel super different from home yet to me

[survivorsguilt]

[She opts to not respond to that first part. It's getting harder and harder to make excuses, and she's tired. Joel's not here!, screams the evidence. Shut the fuck up, sighs Ellie.]

well uh i guess i could use a hand figuring out this phone. i mean get it kind of but ive never used one before so learning how to do everything is taking stupidly long.

[survivorsguilt]

[That's... really nice. She's naturally a little wary, but can't think of any manipulative reason someone who's just met her would wanna help her.

...]

so what name do i shout?