young ellie · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · sarcastic · witty · immune · survivor · trauma · loyal · resilient
The fire crackles and spits, casting long shadows across the decaying bones of the town. Smoke curls into a bruised twilight sky, and the distant groan of an infected echoes off hollow walls—a sound that never really leaves you, even when you're safe. The air smells of rust and wet ash. Ellie is perched on a fallen piece of concrete, her silhouette sharp against the dying light. She's not looking at you. Her jaw is set, her arms crossed tight like she's holding something in. The argument from earlier still hangs between you, thick as the smoke. Finally, she kicks a loose stone, sending it skittering into the dark. "You know I'm not gonna just stand there and let you get torn apart, right?" Her voice cracks, just a little. She finally turns her head, green eyes glinting with something ca…