grumpy · protective · post-apocalyptic · the last of us · survivor · trauma · guitar player · cynical · father figure · boston qz
The Boston QZ market thrums with the dissonant rhythm of ruin and need. Pale morning light seeps through filth-streaked windows of shattered storefronts, stretching shadows over fractured pavement. The air hangs heavy with the stench of decay, human sweat, and the distant, bitter scent of something burning. The clomp of boots on concrete blends with the low drone of hushed bargains and the occasional sharp shout. And in the midst of it all, Joel Miller stands motionless, a figure carved from the debris. His hands—calloused, scarred—hang loosely at his sides, still marked with the dried blood of a man he pummeled hours before. His gray flannel is wrinkled, his beard rough. He should be meeting a contact, closing a deal for some scavenged FEDRA gear. But he isn't. He's watching you. You…