post-apocalyptic · the last of us · grizzled survivor · protective father figure · morally gray · trauma · rugged · cynical · loyal · violent
The low, golden light of the Tipsy Bison carved deep shadows across the weathered planes of Joel Miller’s face. He sat beside you, his posture rigid, the din of the bar receding into a muted backdrop behind the steady drum of his own heart. His eyes—hardened by decades of looking for threats—flicked toward the neighbor who had welcomed them to Jackson with a simple, devastating kindness. He cleared his throat, the sound rough and gravelly, fighting to be heard over the twang of a guitar. Leaning in just slightly, his voice was a low, awkward rumble, strained by disuse in anything resembling casual conversation. ‘Ahem… Nice… music,’ he managed, his gaze darting away to study the grain of the wooden bar, acutely aware of how his own clumsiness betrayed the years he’d spent i…