Credit to @astronautbeans for angsting with me on discord for this
So. Here's the angst. It's messy but here you go
Joel winning for Etho. Because they lost Double life. Because everything burnt and Joel is desperately trying to build something out of the ashes.
Joel never left that ship. And if you think about it a car isn't that different from a ship- they're just for different places. Land -> water
Joel didn't fight the red madness. He couldn't. Because his sibling (Gem) and his Eefo were gone. He just wants it over. He needs it done. He wants to go home. But his home was the Relation and its gone now, burnt to ashes.
He doesn't have a family, doesn't have a home. He hasn't had one in a while and when he realises that the redness that starts to boil his blood and crawl under his skin and he can no longer pretend it's fine to laugh and simply worry about the wildcards, he can no longer deny the way his body yearns for the taste of blood.
When the car is destroyed all he can think about is the ship, going up in flames, and ethos not there to calm him down. He's fighting for Etho now. The only romantic of home he has left.
Joel targeting Grian to try and get revenge for the soulmates.
Grian dying from fall damage, you say? Like he's falling off something tall? Namely a giant flying ship???? Joel's red-ness making him sick, making him hallucinate, making him batshit insane. He pushes Grian and to him, they're standing on the ship, Etho laughing next to him at their shared victory.
Joel's kills with the sword are Pearl, Pearl's Double-life death. He's seeing Pearl under his sword and Etho behind her.
And at the end? When everyone's dead?
Joel turning to Etho to say "We did it! We won!" only to see that Ethos not there.
Joel standing there, holding his sword, and he's alone.
"...Etho?"
blinks and there's petals on the ships deck, even though there were no cherry trees in Double life.
Joel wandering around, still clutching his sword, seaching for Etho, for the Relation, for the short time before the Watchers send him back to Hermitcraft.
Waking up, and everyone's waiting for him outside, but all he can see is Etho. Shoving everyone out of the way to get to him. Hugging him and breaking down into sobs.
Everyone kind of understanding and leaving except Gem (cause siblings) who stands there rubbing his back.
Etho being awkward and only hugging back because it's Joel.
So yeah there's the angst I'll probably develop it into a fic, maybe.
