Rift Walkers

Going Alone... Partially

"Stop. Following. Me." Joel utters through his teeth as the crunching of snow behind him emits a slight cringe of a response within Noel.

"How else am I suppose to go to work!" Noel finally piped up after a few minutes of walking down the path Faye had gone. Joel couldn't keep his eyes off the horizon line, watching her leave his sight endlessly.

"Work?" Joel stopped. His mind played a tune of pain in remembrance of his old job; his old routine. He turned on his heel really quick towards the small Russian.

Noel begins to back up, tripping over his own feet as Joel glares, practically fuming.
"A-h uh- yes-?"

"Are you seriously comfortable in a place like this? Your friend-! Just got kidnapped and you have yet to say anything about it! Now you're off to "work" as if it's a normal thing!"

"Well shouldn't it be?"

Joel felt his lips simmer into a thin line, taken a back by his response. "What do you mean?" His voice lowers, or atleast he tries.

"I - and you - can't do anything about Faye's situation. It's better to stay away from that building." Noel tries to straighten himself up with his point, "Because - can you guess?"
Noel patronizingly points to the back of his neck, his sigil.

"No ability! Well for me I'm only a healer- anyway, it's better to go to work and do something."

"Even if it's fucking meaningless? How could you ever like your job in a place like this?" Joel couldn't wrap his head around it. Why Noel seems to be alright with the way things are now.

"Aren't you on your way to your job now?" Noel answered with his own question.

Joel immediately turned around and continued his trek to Elemental. He shoves his hands in his pockets with a huff, identifying Noel as utterly useless.

Noel's footsteps continue behind him in a quiet hum as he lets that conversation drift off with the winter wind.

It wasn't until they were at the edge of the city did Joel finally turn to Noel.
"You wouldn't get it."

"Get what?" Noel lightly responds, not in a condescending nature like he had been doing.

"Here, we are to work for the rest of our lives. Being comfortable will only cause you to grow weak. It made me weak before-"

"The end. Right." Noel barged, causing his thumb to be placed upon his own chin in thought. "This place isn't like before the end.
Every person has a purpose, a role to fulfill."

"It's communism." Joel blurted, his brows leveled with a dead look.

"Whatever Mr.Pessimist. Wouldn't have taken you as a person of high democracy." Noel shrugged. "Come to the Air District whenever you're not so busy and I might give you free shit."

Noel began on his own path to his endless work but Joel had began his thought process as his eyes meet the large white building he had been before this all.
The building glistens in the distance, playing a remembrance of Faye's words:

I will find you.

"Noel!" Joel suddenly raised his voice, causing Noel's shoulders to rise with the sudden urgency for his name.

Joel begins to catch up with the small Russian only then does he realize his intentions.

"Don't know how you'll get past the district lines since you aren't spirit but-"

"I've got Gale's permission." Joel nodded.
They had been upon the concrete now rather than gravel separating beneath them.

"Oh, right. That'll get you far." Noel laughed.