[ And there it is. She isn't yelling, hasn't started gesturing hugely or shoving at him yet, but Joel has come to know Ellie's anger well in the past year. It won't take much at all to really set her off.
But as tempting as it is to flip that switch in Ellie, he swallows back the urge and rolls his eyes behind closed lids. She wouldn't be this defensive if she didn't understand why he was annoyed with her or what she was risking every time she sneaked out beyond the walls, and Joel wished he could just fucking call her on it and demand obedience the way he had when they first met. She was just like him, though, and Joel figured she would just dig her heels in harder if he tried.
So instead he did what he always did during this particular argument: sighed, shrugged, and let her get away with it. ]
God forbid, Ellie. You might make a damn friend.
[ She was already back to pouting in the direction of the water, sparing Joel the need to police his facial expression so carefully. Sometimes he wanted to shake her with every ounce of frustration he felt, but right now he was just tired. Everything he'd done, all the fighting and murder and lies, had been to get her back here. Jackson was the safest place Joel had seen in a long time, but he was helpless to do anything about Ellie sabotaging herself. ]
Look. I get it. It's... I bet it's weird, alright? But you do like it here. The horses, Tommy and Maria...
[ For all he wants it to come out a statement, it seems to be more of a question, or at least a prompting. Tell me what's so terrible, his expression says when he looks back at Ellie. ]
no subject
But as tempting as it is to flip that switch in Ellie, he swallows back the urge and rolls his eyes behind closed lids. She wouldn't be this defensive if she didn't understand why he was annoyed with her or what she was risking every time she sneaked out beyond the walls, and Joel wished he could just fucking call her on it and demand obedience the way he had when they first met. She was just like him, though, and Joel figured she would just dig her heels in harder if he tried.
So instead he did what he always did during this particular argument: sighed, shrugged, and let her get away with it. ]
God forbid, Ellie. You might make a damn friend.
[ She was already back to pouting in the direction of the water, sparing Joel the need to police his facial expression so carefully. Sometimes he wanted to shake her with every ounce of frustration he felt, but right now he was just tired. Everything he'd done, all the fighting and murder and lies, had been to get her back here. Jackson was the safest place Joel had seen in a long time, but he was helpless to do anything about Ellie sabotaging herself. ]
Look. I get it. It's... I bet it's weird, alright? But you do like it here. The horses, Tommy and Maria...
[ For all he wants it to come out a statement, it seems to be more of a question, or at least a prompting. Tell me what's so terrible, his expression says when he looks back at Ellie. ]