Work Text:
Joel’d had many allies over the four games. Well, in truth, not nearly as many as anyone else, aside from maybe Lizzie or Mumbo, though they’d only been around for Last Life. So he supposed that didn’t exactly count. In Third Life, he’d had his dogs, and that was fine with him. They made him feel safe, warm, like he was truly home. Sure, he’d put up Scar’s banner on his house, but outside of small trades that was about it. He found Third Life quite fun, frankly. He got to kill, he felt alive, it was great fun! Joel never understood how some of the others felt so…depressed, after it ended. He thought back to Grian specifically, he remembered the man crying to him after the final session ended, but it was hard to make out his incoherent rambling.
Then Last Life came along, and suddenly things began to make more sense. In came Scar, laughing and causing shenanigans with him- it felt like they really connected. When they stole the enchanter, Joel saw it as them setting their bond in stone for the season. Magical Mountain would live it ‘til the end, he’d thought. And, in the second session, they’d both separately chosen to wear wizard outfits! It was amazing, he really felt in-sync with Scar in that moment. And, sure, they both tried to kill each other, but they were Boogeymen! Joel didn’t hold it against him, and neither did Scar to him. They laughed about it, and both went to try and kill someone else. Though, for Joel…that didn’t go well.
And when Joel was red, and Scar broke the bridge…in a way, it almost felt like Scar was hitting him with that pickaxe. Maybe that’s what Grian felt like when he hit Scar in the cactus ring, but in that case it was Grian causing the damage himself. Joel was completely powerless to get Scar to come back, all he could do was ask to stay friends. But, when Scar agreed to give him and Grian lives- they were friends again! Though Scar seemed more antsy after that. Joel considered the idea that maybe he’d gotten ahead of himself in their allyship. Oh well, atleast they were still friends.
Then Etho happened. Joel quickly found his soulmate in Double Life, being one of the first pairs to do so. He didn’t know the man well, but Etho quickly took to Joels sense of entertainment. He felt so connected to his soulmate, though he always wondered if that was because of their soulbond. When he thought about Cleo, Scott, Pearl and Martyn…maybe not. He remembered building the RelationShip, excitedly waiting for Etho to return. And when he did, Joel couldn’t help but smile so brightly when the man liked it. The whole game he just felt so in-sync with Etho, it was amazing. But, alas, all good things must come to an end, such is the way of a game like this. They lived, they burned, and they burned.
And, really, Joel didn’t know what to expect when the group got together to chat after the final session. He thought of so many things he might’ve talked with the others about. But one thing he didn’t expect was to hear that while he was building them a home, Etho was considering an offer to leave him for Impulse and Bdubs. He didn’t in the end, and it was all just a fun joke, but something in Joel felt hurt. Was he really that replaceable? Not that Impulse and Bdubs were bad people, not at all, he found them quite fun, but he was Ethos soulmate. Not a single time had he considered leaving him behind. And yet, Etho nearly took the first opportunity to abandon him. He shook it off, it was just a game, wasn’t it?
Finally, Limited Life began. Joel quickly met up with Jimmy, the two not long taking to spending their time together. Now, Joel had never had a true relationship with Jimmy, not in this series atleast. Sure, they’d talked and interacted and such, but they were never truly allies or enemies. Honestly, after watching Jimmy through the games, he felt somewhat bad for the man. He wanted to see Jimmy smile, grin and beam with excitement, he didn’t care if Jimmy won, but he wanted to see the man genuinely happy at some amount of success. And if that success was just not being the first one out…maybe Joel wouldn’t mind taking his place there. He quickly felt connected with Jimmy, the two becoming the ‘bad boys’ of the season together. Sure, Joel felt something in himself finally break when Etho commented about him making a boat with someone else, but it was fine. He had Jimmy now, and he was happy with that, especially with how in-sync they were.
And then…Grian.
When Joel really thought about it, if he’d ever had a friend in all of this, it was him. In Third Life, they’d only been somewhat acquainted, and sure they ended as enimies, but everyone kind of was in that one, especially when it came to Joel. But in Last Life, the two of them joined together as red names, and the connection began to spark. They lived together, they fought together, and when he thought about it, they truly did die together. But death isn’t the end, not here, so he didn’t have to worry about death doing them part. And in Double Life, they had their soulmates, yes, but they spent so much time together- Joel really felt the connection strengthen.
His connections with Scar, with Etho- they were but simple string, barely holding the two together. But he and Grian were stronger then rope, and not just that, they were pure stone by then. And it made sense, really, the one person Joel’d never truly thought on was his best friend. Was all it took for them to be like this Last Life, though? Was it just the bloodlust driving two insane men together for a short period of time? No, no. It was so much more than that. Joel and Grian weren’t just red names working together in Last Life, no, they were partners. Joel remembered his disappointment in Double Life, when he found out he and Grian weren’t soulmates. The two played it off as a joke, all in theatrics, but they could tell. They both knew they just wanted another shot together. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised when they did in Limited Life.
Grian wasn’t just his Bad Boy, or his partner in crime, or his ally- Grian was his person. They were always in-sync from the very start, and it never wavered. When Grian was AFK for a whole session, Joel swore to protect him and by god did he try his fucking best. And, if he was honest with himself, everytime he lost sight of Grian that session- or saw him in danger, Joel was afraid. He was so, so scared. He didn’t know he could feel like that here, but he did.
Maybe Joel and Grian had been unconventional in their allyship with each other, but both knew they were connected in all but flesh and bone.