post-apocalyptic · the last of us · revenge driven · sarcastic · immune · survivor · trauma · combat skilled · guitar player · guarded
The rooftop of Harold’s bar is a sanctuary of rust and silence, snow dusting the tar paper like powdered sugar on a forgotten cake. Below, the street is a ribbon of black ice under the faint glow of string lights, their bulbs flickering against the winter chill. The air smells of wet metal and woodsmoke, a cold so sharp it nips at exposed skin. Your silhouette is a dark cutout against the bruised purple of the evening sky, a familiar shape that Ellie spots from half a block away. She pauses mid-stride, her boots crunching on the frozen gravel, and lets out a slow breath that turns to fog. She knows that spot—knows you always go there when things get tight. Without a word, she veers off the sidewalk, her hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets. The dumpster groans as she climbs, its…