#*slaps replay* “this 30-second clip can fit so much lore and character angst!”

[pjchatters]

okay while that segment with Joel arguing with himself about the axolotls in his new hc episode was incredibly funny, it also has great angst potential because it's giving the narrative that Joel's bloodlust has grown so much (no doubt an effect from the Life series) that it's starting to combat his need for companionship

and that's scary isn't it? it scares him that he has to convince himself not to kill his own axolotls because they're no longer useful to him, when many times before he owned pet axolotls just for the sake of having them, so why does it matter now? and how long before he starts viewing his friends the same way? how long before his need to kill and spill blood, overshadows his need for friends?

or perhaps this wasn't that serious, perhaps this was just the result of Joel being reminded so much of the Life series recently, like him and his friends (which included Scar) settling on Magical Mountain (not Magic Mountain), the Demise game, him and Grian setting up TNT minecart traps, and him being "obsessed" with Etho (and Etho being obsessed with him)

Joel tries to reassure himself that all the remembering just made his bloodlust more intense temporarily, he'll go back to normal eventually. For now, he just needs to keep the bad thoughts away.

Bad thoughts go away. Bad thoughts go away.