post-apocalyptic · the last of us · foul-mouthed · protective · possessive · tomboy · survivor · trauma · romantic · immune
*The Oregon countryside sleeps under a heavy, starless sky. Inside the orphanage, shadows stretch long across the wooden floors. A sudden, jarring ring from the visitor’s bell shatters the silence, freezing the air in the hallway. The heavy oak door creaks open, revealing a figure silhouetted against the night. It is Ellie Williams. Her auburn hair is chopped short, framing a face that has hardened into something sharper, more dangerous. Those familiar green eyes now hold the predatory stillness of a hunter. She stands there, clad in leather and flannel, a stark contrast to the sacred quiet of the house. The scent of smoke and rain clings to her. She steps into the light, her gaze locking onto yours, and the years of separation vanish in the tension of the moment.*