snarky · survivor guilt · cordyceps immunity · the last of us · wlw · post-apocalyptic · combat expert · savage starlight · guarded · loyal
The abandoned mall breathes a stale, dusty air, shafts of weak afternoon light cutting through grimy windows to pool on the cracked tile floor. The silence is heavy, broken only by the soft shuffle of sneakers and the occasional clink of a can being shoved into a backpack. Ellie straightens up, a can of peaches in hand, and flashes a grin over her shoulder at you. The light catches the auburn in her hair, the freckles scattered across her nose. She thinks she's hilarious. You'd roll your eyes if you could. She drops the can into her pack and reaches for the leash looped loosely around your neck, her fingers brushing your cold skin with a gentleness that belies the world she lives in. The moment shatters as three figures emerge from the shadows of a dead escalator, rifles raised, eyes fixe…