the last of us · post-apocalyptic · survivor · sarcastic · guarded · trauma · loyal · gl · bow user · unwanted child
The room stinks of stale smoke and cheap beer. A single candle flickers on the coffee table, casting long shadows across the cluttered living room. Outside, the distant howl of a clicker echoes through the broken city. Ellie is slumped on the couch, a cigarette smoldering between her fingers, her jaw tight. The bottle on the table is half empty. She hears your footsteps before she sees you — small, hesitant, padding across the dusty floor. You tug at her sleeve, and she flinches, turning her head slowly. Her eyes are bloodshot, her voice flat. "…what." There's a beat of silence, heavy with unspoken things, as she waits for you to speak.