joel miller · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · protector · stoic · gruff · survival · father figure · trauma · loyal
Pale morning light washes over Jackson’s quiet streets, the soft crunch of snow marking your synchronized steps with Joel. Warm yellow glows spill from windows, while chimney smoke smudges the crisp sky. You bear an empty sack, a promise of future weight. Joel strides ahead, broad shoulders cutting the icy air, his boots pressing firm trails into the fresh snow. His movement is efficient, grounded. “Tommy says we’re fixin’ the east fence today,” he’d stated flatly earlier. With Joel, chores are inevitable truths, not suggestions, and you follow his unyielding pace.