#green house cleaning boston

[sluts4matt]

CLASS PROJECT

pairing: soft!nate x latina!reader

summary: nate had always been distracting, you knew that, but you didn't realize how distracting he was until you got paired with him for your final project of the semester and couldn't seem to actually focus on it.

warnings: SMUT, swearing, making out, oral (female receiving), fingering, pet names (use of the words ma and princess), no actual p in v in this one.

word count: 2449

author's note: im a matt girl i swear but guys nate’s boston accent 😍😍

you had been paying attention all of class, or so you thought until the teacher called your name and your head shot up, you're eyes shooting wide. "did you hear what i said?" she asked, her hands on her hips as she looked at you expectedly.

you shook your head, looking down bashfully, "no ma'am," you admitted. she sighed, making a tsking sound before repeating herself, "i just assigned a group project for your final, i need you to partner up with nate," she said, causing you to look to your side.

the boys blue eyes were already on you as he gave you a small smile. you looked back at the teacher nodding your head before the bell rang. people started packing up as the teacher sighed, "the bell doesn't dismiss you, i do," which earned eye rolls and groans from students.

"see you tomorrow everyone, i'm expecting to hear that you guys have come up with great plans for this final," she called as people walked out.

you packed up your things, waiting patiently for nate to grab his stuff. he turned to you, his eyes shining, "my house or yours?" he asked, digging around his pocket for his keys as you did the same thing, digging around in your bag for your own.

"mine," you replied, pulling your keys out finally. he followed as you walked out of the classroom going towards the big double doors at the front of the school. "should i follow you? or do you want to send me your address?" he asked, making you stop in place.

the realization that nate didn't actually know where you lived settling in. you grabbed a pen from the side pocket of your bag, swiftly grabbing his arm, and flipping it over to write your address across his pale flesh. "there, now i'll see you in 20," you said, before turning and heading to your car.

nate showed up at your house 5 minutes earlier than you had told him, his hair slightly damp and messy. you tilted your head at him, making a small tsking noise, "gonna have to teach you how to be punctual with your time," you teased, making him roll his eyes playfully.

"sorry for being early," he said, his tone mocking your own. you turned, walking away as you let him in. your mom came from the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel.

"you must be nate," she smiled, her cuban accent thick and her eyes a dark brown, different than your own green ones you had received from your fathers genes. "yes ma'am," he smiled politely, nodding his head as he took her hand in his own shaking it.

she let him go, waving her hand, "nonsense, no need to call me ma'am, makes me feel old, my name is naomi," she said, her tone soft and inviting.

"well, thank you for having me naomi," he smiled, his cheeks dimpling cutely. "oh of course, mi casa es su casa," she said, turning and heading back to the kitchen. "your mom seems nice," nate stated, looking down at the girl who was watching her mom go back to the kitchen with a furrowed expression.

"yeah, sure," you mumbled, turning towards the stairs, "come on." nate followed behind you as you ascended the stairs, stopping outside your room.

you pushed open the door, your eyes landing on the unmade bed and clothes scattered on the floor, "sorry about the mess," you said, stepping in and immediately picking up the scattered close.

"my rooms probably worse to be honest," he chuckled, giving you an amused look as he watched you scurry to clean it slightly. he couldn't help his nose as he picked up the subtle smell of weed and mint, something he wasn't used to but didn't hate.

"ok, it's better," you said, straightening up and taking in a deep breath. "my rooms not normally messy," you say with a timid smile, "i was just in a rush this morning," you say, turning and walking to your desk.

"it's fine, don't worry about it," he said, plopping down onto your bed. "okay, the big question is, what are we doing this project on?" you mumble, flipping through your history book.

you didn't even notice nates eyes on you, his mind racing with a million thoughts. you were gorgeous, a fact that had been established in middle school, the way your curls cascaded flawlessly down your back. he would be lying if he said he didn't use to count your freckles when you weren't paying attention.

his eyes would trail down your tan skin, wanting to be able to touch it innocently, just to feel if it's as soft as he thinks it is. your eyes were a beautiful shade of green, something that always caught his attention. your lips were full, always painted in a sheer red, pink, or purple gloss that he found himself wanting to taste.

you were the embodiment of perfection, or at least he thought so. the way you laughed, the way you smiled, the way you carried yourself, the way you made friends easily and never really got in trouble, always doing the right thing. he was always jealous of the people who got to call themselves your friend, not having the guts to walk up and start an actual conversation with you.

"don't know, wasn't actually paying attention," he shrugged, nonchalantly, bringing a hand through his golden locks. "that's helpful," you huffed, looking over at him, "guess we're winging it," you gulped, already repeating the words 'i'll get a good grade on this' in your head over and over.

"guess so," he nodded, pulling a random bucket you had in your room over next to your desk chair. he rested his elbow on your desk, his chin going into his palm as he looked a the text book sprawled out in front of the two of you.

"maybe we can talk about the civil war," he said, his eyes squinting at the page as he tried to read the words. "maybe," you said with a frown, "would be mediocre though," you sighed, resting your face in your hands.

nate chuckled, watching you groan, "we'll think of something," he said, "we still have all month," he reminded, watching as your face changed from frustration to something else, something more relaxed.

"yeah, i guess," you sighed, pushing the textbook away and grabbing a notebook, "we should at least make a timeline, and list topics we can talk about," you suggested. "yeah, why not," he shrugged, his eyes meeting yours, his pupils dilating as he watched your lips purse together, something you always did when you were thinking.

you wrote a bunch of different topics, things to talk about, and important dates that nate had forgotten.

an hour passed and nate had been more of a distraction then he had help, not that he wasn't helping every once in a while.

his eyes were still on your face as you tapped your pen against the paper, his mind thinking of a hundred dirty things that he shouldn't have been. "you're staring," you stated, looking up at him, his blue eyes darting back to your green ones. "my bad," he shrugged, a smirk playing at his lips.

"what's got you so distracted," you asked, tilting your head slightly. "you," he shrugged, watching your expression go from confused to intrigued, your lips forming a small pout, making him bite his bottom lip.

"oh yeah?" you asked, your eyebrows raising slightly, "what about me?" you questioned, closing the notebook, and tossing the pen onto your desk, giving him your undivided attention as you turned towards him.

"you're just a very distracting person," he said, leaning closer to you. you let out a small laugh, "how am i distracting?" you asked, your eyes flickering to his lips for a second, making nate grin.

"do you really want me to tell you, or do you just want me to show you?" he asked, his eyes going half lidded as he watched your lips part, the tip of your tongue running over your bottom lip, making him clench his jaw.

"show me," you said, barely above a whisper, leaning closer to him. he didn't need anymore invitation as his lips met yours in a gentle kiss, his hands gripping your waist, bringing you closer.

the kiss was innocent, at first, both of you testing the waters, feeling each other out. your lips were just as soft as nate imagined they were, his large hands pulling you into his lap, his chest pressing against yours.

the kiss turned heated, your guys' tongues sliding together. his hands finding there way under the fabric of your shirt, feeling the skin on your back. he softly brought his hands up just to gently run his nails down.

you whimpered, the feeling of his blunt nails on your back sending shockwaves through you, goosebumps forming. nate pulled away, looking at you as you panted, his eyes dark, pupils blown. "i think i like kissing you," you breathed out, making him chuckle, "i think i do too," he mumbled, connecting his lips to yours again.

this time the kiss was hot, nates tongue exploring your mouth, his hands trailing up your sides, his thumbs just under your breast. he pulled away, attaching his lips to the spot right under your ear. you let out a gasp, your eyes going wide at the sensation.

"nate," you whispered, as his lips sucked the spot on your neck. your hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer to you. you felt him grin against your neck, his teeth gently grazing over the area he had just sucked, making you whimper.

his hands found the hem of your shirt, "is this okay?" he mumbled against your neck, his lips peppering kisses along the column of your throat. "mhm," you breathe, nodding your head.

he didn't need anymore confirmation as he pulled the fabric off of your body, his eyes immediately going to your chest, a red lacy bra, with a bow in the center holding the two mounds on your chest together. "so pretty, ma," he said, his voice deep, sending heat between your legs.

he didn't waste time in unhooking the material, tossing it to the floor. his lips found their way to the newly exposed skin, sucking one of your nipples into his mouth, his hand showing the other one love as his fingers tugged and twisted at the pink bud.

you were a panting mess above him, your hands tangled in his hair as he worshiped your body. he released your nipple with a pop, his eyes connecting with yours. "lay back for me," he mumbled, watching as you complied, laying down on the bed, the cold sheets touching your warm back.

he hovered over you, his lips leaving a trail of kisses down your body. he stopped right at the hem of your shorts, his hands undoing the button and zipper, quickly pulling them down your legs.

he licked his lips, seeing the red lace that matched your bra, a damp spot in the middle, his mouth watered. "can i eat you out, pretty girl?" he asked, looking up at you, his blue eyes dark with lust.

"please," you whimpered, making him smirk. "such a nice girl, using your manners," he said, leaning down and nipping at the flesh of your inner thighs. you let out a small whine, watching as his lips made a trail to where you needed him most.

he left open mouthed kisses along the inside of your thigh, before he pulled the red fabric to the side. he licked a fat stripe up your slit, causing your hips to buck. he chuckled, placing his large hand on your stomach, and pinning you down, his fingers digging into the flesh.

"don't move, princess," he commanded, his tongue lapping up the juices that were spilling from your core. his tongue flicked over your clit, sucking it into his mouth, his lips wrapping around the small bud. one of your hands flew to his hair while the other flew to your mouth, trying to silence the moans coming from your lips.

"want to hear you baby," he mumbled, releasing your clit, and plunging two of his long fingers into your tight cunt. your head flew back, the pleasure overwhelming as his fingers curled inside of you. "fuck, nate," you breathed, "my m- fuck," you cut yourself of with a whine.

"moms h-home," you panted, his fingers pumping in and out of you at a fast pace, curling just right to hit that spot inside of you. "don't care," he said, his teeth gently nibbling at your sensitive clit.

your walls clenched around his fingers, causing him to let out a groan. he pumped his fingers faster, the wet sounds filling the room, "such a sloppy cunt, you gonna cum for me?" he asked, his tongue flicking against the sensitive bundle of nerves, "going to be a good girl, and cum for me?" he questioned.

"fuck, nate, i- fuck, m'cumming," you cried, your legs shaking as his fingers and tongue worked in sync, his free hand moving up to tweak at your nipple. you felt the knot in the pit of your stomach tighten, your toes curling.

"there we go, cum for me baby," he encouraged, watching as you came undone around his fingers, your juices flowing out of you and onto his hand.

"fuck, so pretty, coming on my fingers," he said, his thumb rubbing circles on your clit as he worked you through your high. once your breathing went back to normal, he pulled his fingers out, he kept his eyes trained on you as he stuck them in his mouth, cleaning them, then pulling them back with a 'pop'.

"rags?" he asked, his hands rubbing over your thighs as he watched your legs shake. "bathroom," you mumble, pointing to your bathroom door. he disappeared for a minute before coming back, a white wash cloth in his hand.

his feet carried him back over to your bed, kneeling in between your legs as he swept the fabric between your thighs, cleaning the mess. once he was done, he tossed it into your hamper, making his way back onto the bed.

"you doing okay?" he asked, laying on his side, his head propped up on his hand, his elbow on the mattress. "mm, better than okay," you mumbled, opening your eyes to look up at him.

he smiled, his dimples showing, "glad i could be of assistance," he smirked, making you giggle, rolling your eyes playfully.

tag list:

@chrryclouds @sturniolossss @junnniiieee07 @sturnioloa @tillies33ssss @hysteria-things @soimightlikeoldmen69

#chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #chris sturniolo fanfic #chris sturniolo smut #matt sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #matt sturniolo fanfic #matt sturniolo smut #nate doe #nate doe fanfic #nate doe smut #nick sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo

[cowgurrrl]

Everyone I’ve Never Met

Pairing: Ellie Williams x platonic fem!reader

Summary: “You can put your strength down. I’m sitting here with you at your kitchen table. You don’t need to say anything.” - Eden Robinson, Writing Prompts for the Broken-hearted aka you tell Ellie the truth [2k]

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, angsty angst angst, tumultuous parent/child relationship, references to what happened in Salt Lake City, talks about Anna, grief

She looks shocked when she opens the door to find you there. You smile and glance inside her little house, doing your best to keep the peace. 

"Can I come in?" You ask. She doesn't nod or say anything. She just turns on her heels and leaves the door open for you. You walk as though you're entering hollowed ground, gentle and quiet, so you don't disturb anything in her home. It's clean enough to support life, although you wish she would let you take her laundry from the corner it's piling up in. She stands awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, and you smile at her again, hoping for a glimpse of that innocent girl you saw so much of five years ago. "How's Dina?"

"Why are you asking about her?" She clamps up.

"Just curious," You try to soothe her, but her shoulders are still by her ears. You take a deep breath and hold the thick file in your hands. "I know you're mad, but I've been working on something for a while and wanted you to have it." You say, placing it on the table next to her.

"What is it?"

"There were some people who owed me favors back in Boston. They were able to get me some information about your mother," you say. She looks confused but opens the folder anyway. "It was a shot in the dark. I didn't know how much they'd be able to find, but-"

"How were they even able to get all this stuff?" She asks as she sifts through the stack of papers. There's more than you thought there would be. Letters from patients that Anna helped, scraps of newspaper with her handwriting on them, a half-finished silly lullaby called Ellie's Belly. You wanted to cry when you read it. Few obstetricians practiced after Outbreak Day; even if they did, they needed the equipment to do sonograms. The likelihood that Anna knew she was having a girl before she gave birth was slim to none, but she still wrote this for her Ellie. Your heart hurts when you think about how much she loved the daughter she never got to raise. 

"Anna Williams had a lot of people who loved her. When she died, people were devastated. Made them cling to what they had left a little tighter. What did you know about her before this?"

"I knew she was a nurse and was friends with Marlene, but that was pretty much it. I have her knife and a letter she wrote me," she trails off as she picks up a faded Polaroid. She shows it to you hesitantly, like she's afraid you'll rip it up. "Is this her?"

"It was in with Marlene's stuff. I don't know if this was before the Outbreak or after," you glance between her and the smiling redhead, forever frozen in time. She looks kind with big green eyes and a big, toothy smile. She can't be more than twenty-two in the picture, and you wonder how far away she was from getting pregnant. "You look just like her." For half a second, Ellie grins. Her fingers trace the outline of her mother's features. You wish she were here. You wonder if you two would've gotten along, but it seems hard to imagine that you wouldn't if she's the woman who brought Ellie into the world. 

"Did you… were you able to find anything about my father?" 

"Nothing concrete. Some people said he was a FEDRA officer. Others said he was a smuggler passing through. She never said anything to anyone about who he might be," You watch her shoulders slump a little, and your fingers twitch to squeeze her. You don't. "I'm sorry." You say instead. She shakes her head and shrugs.

"It's fine." She says. It doesn't feel fine, but you nod anyway. You take a few steps toward her front door, suddenly feeling like you're intruding. 

"I can leave you with all this. I know it's a lot to take in."

"Wait," she stops you, looking up from the tiny ghosts of her mother, and the air seems to get trapped in your lungs. This is the most she's looked at you since she found out. "How is he?"

"He's okay. He misses you. We both miss you." 

"I miss you, too. This whole thing... it doesn't just have to do with you two. There's more that I'm trying to figure out."

"I get it. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to give you answers." 

"Thanks," she walks over to her cabinet and pulls down a big bottle of whiskey. You both sit at the table as she pours two healthy drinks. Joel probably wouldn't approve of you two drinking before patrol tomorrow, but you don't care. The silence is less uncomfortable now and feels the most normal in months. She sloshes the drink in her glass, a pensive look taking over her features, and you lean back in your chair to watch her. 

"I can hear you thinking." You say. She puffs air out of her nose in a quiet laugh and looks at you.

"Am I that obvious?"

"No, I just know you," it spills out of your mouth, and she chews the inside of her lip. "What's goin' on up there, kiddo?"

"Tell me what really happened that day." She says. You take a big sip of whiskey as you remember waking up in the Firefly hospital. A lot of it is still blurry, and you're not sure if things will ever get clearer. You don't know if your brain is protecting you from the horrors of that day or if you genuinely blacked out. What you can remember is bloody and riddled with shell casings, broken glass, and bodies. So many bodies.

"You're not gonna like it."

"That's not what I asked."

"Marlene and some Fireflies were in the room with us when we woke up after the smoke bomb went off. We wanted to see you, but she told us you were going into surgery and explained that they would crack your skull and pull the Cordyceps out of your brain to get what they needed for the cure. Just like that," you shake your head. You didn't realize how angry you still were at Marlene for deceiving all of you, for making you think she had a future when she never intended to let Ellie walk out of the hospital. "Something snapped in both of us. They pointed guns in our faces and were told to escort us out of the hospital and to the highway, but the Firefly soldiers walked us right past our stuff. They never had any intention of letting us live, so we did the only thing we knew how to do."

"Kill?"

"Survive," you correct, remembering the blind rage that overtook the both of you that day. "One of the guys grabbed me, and that was all Joel needed. I don't remember much else, but I know we made it out with you. I know we did horrible things and killed people because nobody mattered to us as much as you did. As much as you still do."

"Why did you choose me? You could've helped save the world. They would've hailed you and Joel as heroes, but now you're just here."

"During that first year, you became our world. You made us laugh and worry and love for the first time in years. It became an unspoken agreement that you were more important than us, that if it came down to saving you or either of us, we would always pick you," you say. "So that's what we did. We picked you. We saved our world. Fuck everyone else." 

"So many people have died because there isn't a vaccine. Riley, Tess, Sam," she takes a breath as she looks at that polaroid again. "My mother."

"And making one wasn't going to bring them back."

"So, you don't regret it?"

"I regret lying to you and how it's affected us, but I don't regret saving you."

"My life would've had meaning. You fucking took that from me."

"There was never any proof that the cure was going to work. They were experimenting. That's all they were ever going to do. Once we realized that, there wasn't a chance in hell that we were going to let them do that to you," you say. "If you were going to die in that hospital, we were going to die right alongside you."

"Maybe that would've been better." Hardened eyes bore into yours as she says it. She's unflinching, precise, and hits you right where it hurts. You’ve seen the same tactic in how she kills, in how you and Joel kill. The similarity makes you want to throw up.

"Maybe," you nod. "But, I would do it all over again, even knowing what I know now." Ellie shakes her head and takes a big sip of her drink. The silence that fills the space between you is unbearable. You want her to scream, to yell, to throw a tantrum. You want her to unleash all her anger so you can love her anyways. You want her to see that even as she yells and hates you, you'll still stand there and say, "I can take it. I'm not afraid of you because I know you and I love you.”

You don't know that you can ever forgive Marlene for putting so much weight on fourteen-year-old shoulders. Ellie was a kid. A kid with immense guilt who felt like the only way her life could have meaning was if she died because everyone she has ever loved had died. Even if you had the chance to go back and ask Ellie's opinion, you still think you would've done what you did. A teenager in that headspace is not the right person to make decisions about their mortality. But just because she's alive and has a new life doesn't mean the weight Marlene gave her is gone. If anything, it's gotten heavier, and she's gotten quieter. 

She rubs her eyes and bounces her knee under the table, a habit she picked up from you. She's exhausted and looks like she could start crying at any second. "I trusted you." She mumbles, sounding so much like the Ellie you met all those years ago. Your throat feels raw as you stare at her.

"I know," you say. Your voice is soft but not quite apologetic. "Ellie-"

"You were right. It's getting late, and we both have patrol in the morning, so you should go." She says, standing from her chair to put her empty glass in the sink. With her back to you, you look up at the ceiling to force the tears back into your eyes. You clear your throat and stand, but she doesn't turn. 

"Try to get some sleep," You say in place of "I love you," and she hums from the sink. Anna's smiling face watches you leave her Ellie's house and walk back out into the freezing night, feeling emptier than when you showed up. You glance through her window and find her still standing at the sink, clutching her stomach as her chest moves quickly. It looks like she’s having a panic attack. You want to go back in to soothe her, to hug her and tell her everything will be okay, before you remember that you probably caused the attack. You feel like you just got punched in the stomach as you go against your better judgement and start walking home.

You wonder if this is how it’s going to be for the rest of your lives— watching her life unfold behind glass, unable to do or say anything to make her feel better. At least, she’s alive, you try to remind yourself, but is it really living if she’s not sleeping, eating, or letting herself feel anything? Is it a life if she’s mourning every time she should’ve died but didn’t? Is it a life if you’re watching her slowly kill herself from behind glass, your desperate screaming falling upon deaf ears?

Or did the most important part of all three of you die in that hospital and you’re walking corpses? Does digging into a wound to find and name the bullet make the pain any better?

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(June stop getting philosophical at the end of every fic challenge)

#ellie williams #joel and ellie #ellie tlou #ellie the last of us #anna williams #the last of us #joel miller #joel miller fic #joel miller x reader #the last of us x reader #platonic Ellie Williams #i wrote this for me but you can read it too i guess

[bumpkinspice0]

Recovery Time: Chapter 2

Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

No use of y/n

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 2362

Summary: Mystery Man is up and it's time to establish some boundaries if you're going to continue to help him. Whether he follows them or not, that's up to him.

Warnings: ANGST, Very negative self talk from Joel, stubborn Joel be stubborn, thinking about past trama

Series Masterlist

Previous - Next

AO3

_______________

Chapter 2: Recovery Time

He hasn’t said anything, not that he struck you as a talkative man. Every time you check on him he’s still out cold. It’s been just over a day. 

He must be moving, though. You left a plate of dried venison and green beans on the nightstand before bed that night and it was licked clean in the morning. Gus paces the hallway outside the door, keeping a watchful eye. You were right, he didn’t like a stranger being in the house.

“Easy boy,” You scratch between his ears as you pass by, “It’s only for a bit. Then you can sleep in the bed again.”

You wonder where he came from. If he was traveling into the QZ or running from it. That’s where everyone who passed near here was heading. Boston was over 25 miles away from here. The closest road leading into Boston was over 10 miles away, too far to just get lost in your neck of the woods. Was he looking for something? Someone? Or maybe he really was just that lost. For some reason, you doubt that looking at him. His gear and scars suggest a well-traveled man. A man who's seen it all. A survivor. You desperately wanted to know more about him.

As much as you loved lingering around the house all day like a clingy child, you still had responsibilities. 

Without a deer to skin and process— Like you planned to today— you tend to the remaining vegetables in the garden. One more row of carrots and tomatoes to harvest then the squash will be ready in a few weeks. The rain was generous to you this summer. Your pantry shed and dry storage are full for the first time in a long time.

You weren’t good at gardening before everything. You had a few houseplants you didn’t kill, but that was about it. You got good at it because you had to. The Massachusetts woods didn’t have much to offer other than game hunting. 

You learned through trade. Medical services for seeds and growing tips. It was all easier to come by back then. Your single year as a nurse before the outbreak was better than nothing to most people. They came to you for help with payments of supplies or services. You never turned anyone away, even if they were empty-handed.

Now only you were left.

Funny how you got more experience in your field after the world ended. That and you learned whatever you could squeeze out of Art when he was willing to teach you. He was a top surgeon for 20 years turned small town doctor, he knew things you’d never find in a book. You’d traded with him for what he had to offer as well, you suppose. A friendship was formed out of necessity there. 

You hoped he’d like what you’d made of his cabin. His home was now almost unrecognizable from what it had been— but in a good way. You just hear his gruff voice say “Well, that’s different.” In the most endearing way he could manage. 

Growing things had a rough learning curve but eventually, you had a full, well-maintained garden. You like to think you had a good rhythm going for your whole property. When the people around you dried up, you had little else to focus on. You’d made yourself a home out of your friend's old hunting cabin— a good one.

You’re checking the rain barrels when you hear a shift inside. Gus, who’d been perfectly content napping on the porch, snaps to attention.

Mystery Man is up and moving. 

You walk inside to see him seated struggling to get his boots back on. He’d found the spare clothes you’d left him. 

“What do you think you're doing?” you ask, dumbfounded. He couldn’t even walk a day ago- not that whatever he was doing now could really be considered walking either.

“I’m heading out,” He grunts, re-lacing his right boot. He’s removed the bandages and splints from his ankle. There’s no way that boot’s going to fit on that swollen-ass foot. “Thank you… for the hospitality.”

His movements are weak and clumsy. You’re amazed he’s even fully continuous right now. 

“I don’t think you’re in much shape to go anywhere,” you stand in front of him crossing your arms, “You have a serious sprain, trauma all over your body, and have lost a stupid amount of blood.”

“I’ve had worse.”

You believe him. That still didn’t help things. 

“You’re not gonna make it 10 feet out there.”

“Watch me,” He says, forcing his boot over his injured foot. You grimace in sympathy at the look on his face. A look of pure pain. Surely he can’t be serious? No-- No this was just more fight or flight acting up.

He stands, putting all his weight on his good leg. He’s big. Somehow broader when he’s standing.

You see the sweat plastering his brow from the effort. His eyes are glazed over. He’s delusional— very likely in shock. The gravity of the situation has settled in and he’s panicking still.

“Just hold— I’m offering you food and shelter.” You try to reason.

“I g-gotta get back.”

“To where?”

“The QZ.”

“In Boston? That’s over 20 miles away.”

So he was from the QZ after all.

He doesn’t seem phased by this information at all. You don’t want to fight him to get back into bed and he can’t be properly reasoned with in this state… so you take a gamble. The only way to show him how stupid he’s being is to just let him try. 

“If you want to go out there and die then be my guest.” You step aside, “Your ammo is in the first kitchen drawer to the right. I'll point you in the right direction outside.”

He looks at you for a moment, slightly shocked you’re suddenly being so passive. Still, he takes the opportunity. He takes a single clumsy step, grasping onto a nearby table for support. You step out of the room and he goes through the doorway. He makes it 3 steps down the hallway before collapsing— again. Still, about a step further than his first attempt the other day. Progress is progress you suppose.

“Stupid man,” You grumble before helping him up. 

“I gotta get back.” He mumbles but doesn’t fight you as you limp him back to the bed. He’s grasping at the edges of his consciousness by the time you get his head back on the pillow.

“Rest a little more then we’ll talk.”

“No, I—” He groans before his head falls limp on the pillow.

You wonder if you’ll have to do this all over again in a few hours.

-------------

There was only pain. Blinding white hot pain. The kind someone could never get used to, yet Joel thinks he should be by now. It was practically a daily occurrence at this point. It wasn’t just pain this time though, he felt weak. Constantly tired, just grasping to stay awake for more than a handful of minutes. Blood loss, dehydration— getting his ass handed to him. All factors that landed him in this new prison inside his own body. 

Everything hurts. Every goddamn inch of him. 

It was stupid of him to go out alone, he knew that and went anyway. He went looking for trouble— for blood. His only outlet these days.

Tommy was leaving. His own brother cursed his name, spat in his face, and said he was leaving to go try save the world again. Idiot.

“I never want to see you again.” Tommy’s exact last words to him. Not that they saw much of each other anyway, Tommy could hardly look at him. Still, it stung. Joel didn’t blame him and did his best to respect his brother's wishes. But even in doing so, the feelings of betrayal festered inside him like a disease.

So instead of just simply trying to talk to his brother— he went out to look for a fight. Didn’t tell anyone he was going, he just left.

Raiders willing to trade bullets for almost anything. A two-day walk from Boston. He got a day into his journey when the regret seeped in. Tommy left in two days. If he turned around there he could make it back and maybe see his brother off. Say he’s sorry for everything. Sorry for what he’d put him through.

Convince him to stay.

The raiders found him first. He was surrounded by at least a dozen. The next thing he remembers he was covered in blood that wasn't just his and dead bodies with pain stabbing into every nerve ending. Barely able to walk, still he pressed on. Tess or Tommy couldn’t save him this time. He was on his own.

And now he was here. Trapped in a stranger's bed, barely able to move. In a way he’s grateful, in another way he wished he’d been left to die. Then at least he wouldn’t have to live with the knowledge that his only family left in the world hated him. He even tried for something with Tess and decided to just keep it business. Another person who couldn’t love him. 

He tried to run from it all again, and he failed. 

Instead, he’s stuck here. Stuck here with his thoughts.

-----------

It’s almost nightfall when you enter the room again. 

“Mister?” You crack the door open, a candle in one hand and a plate of food in the other. He shifts in the bed, clearly awake, “I brought you something to eat. And a change of bandages when you’re done.”

He turns to face you at that, his face more lucid than his afternoon. Good. 

You take a seat next to the bed and he slowly sits up, face wincing in pain at the movement. Well, at least he’s being more careful. You hand him the plate—rabbit with potatoes and green beans. 

You introduced yourself again and he barely acknowledges your name, graciously accepting the plate without eye contact.

 “Why are you doing all this?” He asks weakly. 

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” You simply answer. This man wasn’t used to being shown kindness. That’s fine, you’ll still give it anyway. Still, it brings up a question. Something you want to clarify, “You’re… not going to hurt me, are you?”

His stern expression doesn’t move, but something in his eyes almost looks… offended maybe? Contemplating?

“No.”

He picks up the fork and starts eating. You let him get a few bites in before you ask. 

“Why did you want to get back to the QZ so badly today?”

He pauses, eyes focusing as if trying to recall the memory from just a few hours ago. 

“What day is it, do you know?” He asks. 

“September 16th.”

“Damn it,” he mumbles to himself, dropping his head. 

“What?” You’re suddenly very curious about his life.

“Nothin’,” he mumbles, stabbing another potato onto his fork, “I just… had to see someone.”

“Who?”

“Brother,” He answers dryly, “Shipped out today.”

“Is that who Tommy is?”

He pauses mid-chew, head still down. You fear you’ve offended him somehow.

“Yes.” He says it so softly you almost miss it.

“I’m sorry you missed him.” When you say it he gives you an almost annoyed look. A look that says you don’t fucking know me, lady . Fair enough. You choose to push this conversation in a more productive direction, “Can you tell me what happened to you?”

He pauses again, taking a particularly long time to chew on a piece of meat. Again, he’s debating on whether to tell you anything. 

“If I know more, maybe I can help more,” you encourage him, even though there’s probably not much else you could do. 

He sighs, “Trade deal went sour. They ambushed me. Barely got out.”

A man of few words and unhelpful explanations. Fantastic. 

“How many were there?” You ask.

“None, now.” The unspoken words ring loud in his statement. I killed them all. It makes you a little tense but there wasn’t any threatening tone in his voice. He’s just stating a fact. Killed or be killed, that’s how so much of the world out there is. 

And honestly, you’re a little relieved that there’s no one tracking him. It was a small anxiety in the back of your mind the last few days. You’ll light the stove tonight and sleep in an actually warm house. 

He’s finished his plate, gaze looking down at the bed sheet, refusing to face you. The dark shadows of the candle caressed over the plains of his face, deepening his stern features. He looked… sad. So sad. He’d missed something important because of this injury. Seeing his brother off. If his brother was FEDRA or a Firefly there was a possibility of never seeing him again— stationed somewhere across the country. Somewhere you couldn’t just walk to. 

When anyone leaves now there’s always a possibility of never seeing them again though, even if they’re in a gun-toting convoy.

You don’t want to push the topic. Instead, you just take his plate from him and stand. 

“If you’re gonna be here then there’s some rules, okay?” 

He actually bothers to look up to you before you continue.

 “No weight on the foot for at least a week. If you wanna walk anywhere you use crutches, I have a pair. The bathroom’s across the hall, use it freely except for the shower. That’s cut down to once a week. Let me know when you want to use it and I’ll dress your wounds accordingly. No leaving the immediate area without me, not that you’ll go far.” You say the last sentence in a joking way. He doesn’t laugh, “You want anything, you ask me. You fight me on anything regarding your recovery, and you’re out.”

“This is sounding more like a hostage situation,” He grunts.

“For a captor I think I've been doing a good job keeping you alive and safe, but by all means leave if you like,” You inform in the nicest way you can manage while still sounding threatening, “Feel free to test your chances out there.”

He looks down again, scoffing. 

“What’s the recovery time on this?” he mumbles.

“Up to 6 weeks.” you bluntly answer, “Probably less if you do what I say.”

“Then I’ll be out of here in 2.”

You completely doubt that.

#joel miller #joel miller x you #joel miller x reader #joel miller fanfiction #joel tlou #tlou #the last of us #Recovery time

[josephquinnswhore]

I’ll Be There For You

Pairing: Joel Miller x female/“daughter” reader.

Summary: Joel comes to the conclusion that he deserves to have another chance at having a daughter, and you get a second chance at having a dad.

Word Count: 5.2k

Content Warning: typical tlou violence, blood, guns, reader contemplating suicide at the start, protective Joel, reader gets shot.

Life in the QZ was hardly luxurious, however you strived to see the positive things through rather than wallowing in the negative. Something you looked forward to was your dad playing guitar every night before supper, the strumming and melody of a song that was of his time, gave you both a sense of normalcy.

Your dad was one of the few that were allowed to leave the safety of the walls of the QZ, doing supply runs around the surrounding ruins of the city of Boston. There were few instances where the group doing the supply run were late to return and a series of unfortunate events meant that today was one of those days, the sky starting to darken as the sun sets on the horizon, the cool breeze drifting in from the north. You check the time on your watch, the simple block letters reading 5:57pm; a black and blue G-Shock watch, built to withstand the conditions you’ve put it through. It belonged to your mother, she passed when you were younger and your father handed it down to you at your mother's request, the small token the only memory you have that she ever existed. 

Standing unaccompanied outside during the day wasn’t safe, the violence seemingly increasing by the day, being a fifteen-year-old girl alone at night was dangerous. Tess walks up to you putting a hand on your shoulder,

“come on hun, let me walk you home. I'm sure he’ll be home soon.” She walked you through the streets to your apartment, her hand never leaving the small of your back. 

She gives you the gun that was on her hip, for your safety till your dad gets home, knowing what some of the men in this town were like.

It was 7:30pm when your dad came stumbling through the door, exhaustion written on his face, an unfamiliar look in his eyes had you feeling unnerved. “Dad are you okay? There’s blood on your shirt.” You frowned pointing at him and he lets out a humourless laugh, “it’s not mine sweetheart, I’m okay, made it back to you in one piece.” Your feet have a mind of their own as they step toward him, wanting nothing more to embrace him into a hug, the anxiety in your heart evaporates. He holds a hand up to stop you, “let me have a shower first,” he gestures to the blood that covers his green button up long sleeve shirt, “then I’ll play you a tune on the guitar, your favourite.” You smile and offer a weak nod as he walks past you into the bathroom shutting the door behind him. You start preparing for dinner, buttering bread and opening a canned package of pasta, years past its expiry date but well enough to declare edible. 

As you heat the pasta up you start washing some dishes to clear the kitchen, sinking into your nightly routine wanting your dad to be out here with you. Stuck in your own head and hands slippery from the soap suds on the plate you’re washing, it falls from the grasp in your hands and smashes on the ground, thousands of pieces that ended up across the house. Groaning in frustration you wipe your wet hands on your jeans, feeling the outline of the handgun Tess had given you earlier in the evening.  

Rustling came from the bathroom and the door banged against the doorframe, “dad?” Before you could think your hands gripped the handgun, turning off the safety, the feeing in your gut telling you something was wrong had your heart racing. 

The door burst open after something collided into it, that-something, being your dad, infected. Blood dripping from his wrist through his clean white sweatshirt, veins protruding from his face were dark and he growled at you, charging at you full speed he was across the room in seconds. The echo of a gunshot rang through the concrete walls of the apartment as you pulled the trigger, your dad- the body was lying with his back to the ground, blood pooling around him. 

The smell of blood, smoke from the gun and burning pasta became too much, your body fell to the ground at the weakness of your knees, screaming and pointed the handgun to your temple, you couldn’t do this without him-you couldn’t do this alone. 

How would you ever sleep again without hearing the sweet lullaby of your favourite song on the guitar, any living memory of your family now dead on the floor only feet away from you. 

You failed to notice three people storming into your apartment, Tess, Joel and Dan, Dan was someone your dad had been on a run with this evening that lived in the room across the hall from you. Tess snatched the gun that kissed your temple and pulled you into her body, “you’re okay. I got you.” Your body trembled beneath hers, Joel mumbling in the background of your ringing ears, “Fuckin’ hell. Check her for bites.” Tess sighed against you and checked your body, confirming you weren’t infected, “she’s clear.” 

Joel sighs running a hand through his hair he turned to Dan, “did you know about this?” The accusation is his tone as he pointed to the bite on the infecteds wrist, Dan only hung his head in silence. Joel stepped toward the cowering man, “you stupid son of a bitch you could’ve gotten this kid killed.” Tess snapped, “hey. Not now Joel.” Joel grit his teeth and grunted, “get the kid out of here. She doesn’t need to be ‘round this.” 

Tess picked you up and half-heartedly carried you to her room which was only down the hall, your body numb as you sat on the lounge. 

“Think you can eat?” You shook your head, knowing if you attempted to eat the contents of your stomach would paint the floor. 

“Get some sleep. I’m so sorry.” Her condolences went in one ear and out the next as you lie on your side, trembling. Tears spilling from your eyes as your brain replays the scene over and over. You try to remember your dads laugh and smile, it only made the ache in your heart worse.

When Tess finally fell asleep you broke down, sobbing quietly, your attempts to muffle the sound from the thin frail blanket proving unsuccessful to your efforts.

Joel hears you from one door down, unable to sleep into the early morning as he hears you. He can’t help but feel SORRY for you, you’re just a kid, it’s not his business, but he can relate to the guilt and loss you’re feeling, he worries he’ll find you dead next after finding you about to take your own life. It wouldn’t hurt to check on her in the morning, just to make sure, he reasons.

The next morning Joel stands hesitantly at the front of Tess’s door and tries to convince himself to walk away, to his surprise he doesn’t, he enters the apartment and sees you lying on the lounge, lifeless almost. He gently kicks the lounge, and your body doesn’t flinch, the only indicator that you’re alive is that your eyes moved to look at him. He stands with his hands in his jean pockets, “how you holdin’ up?” Fucking idiot what a stupid question, he internally scolds himself. 

You huff, “fuckin shit. Why are you here?” You sit upright and Joel takes in your features, dark circles around your eyes, puffy cheeks and messy hair. “Heard you cryin’ all night.” You shift uncomfortably, “oh, sorry.” Joel reached into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small bag, full of dried fruit, nuts and beef jerky. “Thought you could eat.” You accept and as he’s walking off, he hears a quiet, “thank you Joel.” 

Something stirred inside him that made him feel guilty and he thought, wouldn’t hurt to check on her tomorrow, just to see if she’s okay, then that’s it.

However after the second morning visit, that wasn’t the end of it, he continued to visit you every morning and one day came bearing bad news, Tess had gotten infected on a supply run and she sacrificed herself to save Joel, that was three months ago and frankly you’d become attached to Joel, he was the only person you felt you had in your life. He continued to visit you every day after breaking the news to you, to make sure you’re still alive, and he can see small improvements in your healing, five months had passed after the first incident and three months since Joel told you about Tess, you’d fully moved in to Tess apartment now, your belongings invaded her apartment as hers lie stagnant. Joel refuses to accept he has any influence and regards how strong you were for holding together. 

That morning after he visited you, only for a few minutes to drop off some bottled water and food and small conversation ensued.

“You still havin’ them nightmares?” Joel already knew the answer, he had heard you nearly every night from his own room. Rushing from his own room to reassure you that you're safe, sometimes he stayed for a few hours after and sometimes he went straight back to his own room. You nod as your eyes meet his, “yeah. Sometimes I'm fine other nights It's like I'm reliving it.” joel offered a sympathetic look and his hand patted your shoulder before telling you a lie. “It’ll get better kid.” You smile at his optimism, “thanks.” he walks out of the door, your mind filling with more positive thoughts, giving you some motivation to take care of yourself.

Joel heads into a building and pushes past the long line of people waiting their turn to use the radio, with a bribe of cigarettes he’s let in and is notified no one has heard anything from Tommy in 8 weeks. He decides then and there he’s leaving, today. You cross his mind, he shoves the thought down, you’re not his problem, Tommy is, so why did he feel a sense of guilt at the thought of leaving you.

Today you had showered, brushed your hair and put on clean clothes, finally stepping outside, your body soaking up the warmth of the sun and wrapping your arms around yourself in hope of shielding your body from people’s judgemental stare. 

You see Joel rushing out of his apartment with a backpack on his shoulders, looking back and forth as he disappeared down the streets. Your curiosity spiked and you follow him, your body praising you for the movement, loosening your aching joints. 

Joel was, escaping? Tears stung your eyes and your heart felt bitter, he didn’t owe you anything so why did it hurt that he was leaving you here. 

“Joel?” He turned to face you and he sighed, that unfamiliar feeling settling in his stomach uncomfortably. “You’re safer here, kid.” He tries to reason, tears fall down your face, “that’s so far from the truth Joel and you know it. My own...” you stutter and exhale, “my own father tried to kill me in our own apartment. I’ll have no one if you leave me here. Please.” You beg and Joel’s shoulder slump, “you got 5 minutes, a second later and I’m leaving without you.” You nod and rush back to your and Tess room packing essentials and rush back to meet Joel, a burn present in your lungs from running and chest heaving, with all but 20 seconds to spare. “C’mon then, gotta get somewhere safe before dark.” 

For the first time in your life, you left the safety of the walls of the QZ and with Joel by your side you’d never felt safer. 

The weeks went by timelessly as you were covering ground quickly and only coming across a few infected which Joel took care of, few words were spoken between the two of you, but becoming more comfortable around each other, Joel was still at times distant with you, and you were as you saw yourself; a liability. You were another mouth to feed and body to protect, you couldn’t wield a weapon like Joel did, the trauma of ending your own father's life as the infected coming full grit when you came across a runner, what your father had turned into. Your body not strong enough to fight the infected off. Joel for one was grateful you did what you were told, exactly as you were told.

The next morning you were both awake at dusk, the bright colours reflected off your skin as you begin the journey across the country in search for Tommy heading north-west. You try to take your mind off the burn in your calves, you didn’t want to complain and make Joel stop, he was already doing you a favour by bringing you along so you decide to make conversation, seeing how much you can get out of him without being a pushover.

“What did you do before, everything?” Joel turns to look at you briefly before hesitating, “we were called contractors.” You nod, prying him to continue. “What’s a contractor?” Joel raises his eyebrows, “like building, houses, stores that kinda thing.” You smile, “that’s pretty cool,” Joel smiles to himself at your comment and shrugs nonchalantly, “yeah. We were cool. Everybody loves contractors.”

Joel secured a small house in the middle of the woods after 12 hours travelling and two small rests in-between, the darkening sky indication that you needed to stop for the day, there were no sign of recent tenants or infected in the house. He pulled a bookshelf over the front door and an old steel freezer over the back door, securing the house. You pull out your sleeping bag and set it up on the floor in the second story master bedroom, the mattress completely deteriorated showing exposed springs all over. Pulling out a can of baked beans, you eat them cold until you were scraping the bottom of the can to eat the remaining sauce.

Joel joins you and sets his own sleeping back up feet away from your own, lying down and starring up at the ceiling, the darkness pulling you into its haze.

“Joel?” Your quiet voice hardly reaches his ears across the room, he turns to you, “hm?”

“I gotta tell you something serious.” Joel watches you, “what?”

“Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon?” Joel huffs, before you can finish your joke he interrupts, “I hear the food is good, but they had no atmosphere.” You gasp, looking at him in fad-annoyance as he ruins the punchline of your joke, “you dick, you ruined my joke.” He rolls over so his back is facing you, so you don’t see the smile on his face.

A few minutes of silence pass and you stifle a laugh, trying to cover it as a quiet cough, “you know...” you start and Joel sighs, “the person who came up with the saying ‘laughter is the best medicine’ had obviously never had diarrhoea.” A silent exhale leaves Joel’s lips before he chuckles quietly, his body vibrating everything he does, you start laughing as a result and for the first time you hear him laugh. A few minutes pass and Joel readjusts his body once again, “get some sleep, try not to shit yourself while you’re at it.” You smile and shake your head, “night Joel.” He mumbles under his breath, “yeah. Night kid.”

Time seemed irrelevant when you’re travelling for 12+ hours a day on foot. The snow beneath your boots provided some relief to the burn in your heels. Alas; you didn’t complain, you felt like Joel was opening up to you and the last thing you wanted was to annoy him by complaining.

Joel knew you needed a break, he always knew. Your stubbornness and anxiety silenced you, your body sluggish and steps smaller as you struggle to step through the snow, puffs of cool air creating a cloud as you breathe through your mouth. He shortened his steps, he wanted badly to find Tommy but knew it would do him no good to have you collapse from exhaustion and him having to drag you the rest of the way, leaving you wasn’t an option. He admired your strength and resilience to continue even though you were straining your body, you had become his counterpart and he didn’t hate it. You were no equivilant of his daughter of his-by any means. The dynamic changing between you as you found yourself caring for Joel, fearing for him when he fought off an infected, wondering what you would do if you were left all alone.

“Stop thinkin’ so goddamn loud.” Joel’s voice pulls you out of your head and a wave of embarrassment comes over you, “sorry.” He huffs out of his nose and finds a small cave to set camp in, you start to gather twigs and branches and Joel takes them from you, “go and sit down, rest.” You start to protest, and Joel raises his eyebrows and you do as you’re told, setting up both yours and his sleeping bags in the empty cave, shivering as the winter air bites you through your flimsy jacket.

Joel comes back with the mountain of sticks in his arms, cradling them and starts to build a fire. With some matches he lights the fire, taking all too long to warm your freezing body.

His eyes watch you as you shiver, your sleeping bag tucked around you and your body sitting as close to the fire as possible without catching alight. He takes off his outer layer leather jacket and throws it over you, still wearing three layers and admittedly starting to sweat as the flames filled the small area of the cave. “Joel I can’t take this-,” trying to hand it back to him he holds his palm out to stop you. “I’m sweating, don’t need it. Put it on.” You comply and start eating your ration of beef jerky, swallowing a small amount of water to wash it down. “What sort of music did you listen to?” Joel lifts his head to see your body still, no longer shivering and he shifts to get comfortable, “this band called Bon Jovi, they were a rock band. Had some great hits.” Your eyes water slightly at the mention of the band that made the song your dad played for you every night , your dad always used to talk about rock and metal bands, how he grew up in the 80s and loved the music scene and style, widening his palate when he met your mum who was into pop and soul music.

You cry quietly and feel Joel’s eyes on you, “I’m sorry.” You wipe your tears away with your sleeve. “The song my dad used to play for me every night was ‘I’ll be there for you’. Bon Jovi was one of his favourites, turned out to be one of mine too-was.” Joel felt sympathetic toward you, he knew the song well and it was enough to make a suffering teenager emotional, let alone what you had to do to the man it reminded you of. “You should get some sleep, getting late.” You nod your head in agreement, your eyelids feeling heavy with each blink. The warmth that enveloped your body like a giant blanket, after a few minutes you felt yourself drifting to sleep, a gentle hum of your favourite song came from the man sitting across from you, unable to fight the melody you succumb to your exhaustion and fall asleep.

You woke up before Joel feeling refreshed, your mind replaying the hum of that song, felt like maybe you had found some kind of pathway to healing. You sat upright and packed your bag quietly, setting it to the side, picking up Joel’s gun and moving outside of the warmth of the cave, looking for any signs of danger while Joel gets some sleep.

You do a perimeter check and lean against a rock beside your campsite when you heard Joel wake shuffling noisily as he woke, his eyes turning to you in a panic to see you standing outside with his gun. “You fell asleep, so I kept watch, did a perimeter check and it’s all clear.” Joel groans as he stands, his knees clicking as he straightens his back. “You could’ve gotten hurt, give me that.” He snatches the gun off you and sighs. “I just wanted you to get some rest, I’m sorry.” Joel exhales and runs a hand over his face. “Wake me up next time, okay? Can't risk havin’ you out here.” You nod and Joel packs his things, handing you a portion of dried fruit to eat for breakfast.

White was all you could see for miles, the snow covered the ground in a thick layer, crunching underneath your boots, tree branches weighed down with snow bent crookedly. There were no infected out here, you hadn’t seen them for days. “Why haven’t we seen any infected?” You watch Joel as he walks beside you, head forward unmoving. “Too far from the city, that’s where most of them are.” You accept his answer and go back to walking in silence.

The thundering noise of horses comes barrelling towards you, half a dozen people all armed with guns, Joel grabs your arm and pulls you behind him as the people circle you, pointed their weapons at you and you turn to see you're surrounded. “Get behind me.” You do as Joel tells you and stand behind him, both raising your hands in surrender. “We're not looking for any trouble just passing through.” Joel tries to reason. The man directly in front of you wore a cowboy hat and bandeau around his face, “drop the gun.” Joel takes the strap of his gun off his shoulder and sets it on the ground, his arms back up above his head.

The man turns his attention to you, gun raised and aimed right at you head, “you.” Your heart is hammering in your chest and your breath quickens in a spike of anxiety. “Take five steps back.” Joel turns to look at you, then back to the man, “why don’t we just talk this through?” “Why don’t you shut the fuck up,” the man sneers. “Okay, easy.” Joels voice softens, trying to ease the tension.

You look at Joel and he turns his head to look at you and nods, his eyes trying to reassure you but faltering for a moment. “You’ll be okay.” You take five steps back from Joel and your eyes land on one man behind you with his rifle pointed at you.

“You been near infected?” The man you assume is the leader asks. “There aren’t no infected out here.” The man scoffs at Joel, “the hell there aint.”

He whistles and a dog starts barking, your eyes watching it as the handler brings him forward the leader speaks, “last time for a bullet, if you're infected, he will smell it and he will rip you apart.”

The dog barks aggressively and is let off the restraint of the leash, it walks up to Joel, sniffing his boots and jumps up on him with his front legs briefly holding the position before walking back to the handler. “Like I said, we can just move on.” Joel states, wanting you out of this situation he knows he can't protect you from. The man looks at you and nods his head, his gun pointing towards you, “now her.” The dog stalks towards you lowly growing, Joel looks over his shoulder to look at you, wide eyed and panicking you shake your head at him and he looks forward feeling panic course through his body, you weren't infected but didn’t like the dog's menacing behaviour. The dog approaches you slowly, Joels body tensing as he looks forward, unable to shake the terror of seeing you torn apart by this dog.

The dog nudges you and licks your hands causing you to giggle, you pet his head and Joel turns around to face you, exhaling the relief he felt as he saw you cuddling the dog. The man nods and whistles, calling his dog back away from you. You rolled your shoulders forward to relieve them from their tension.

“You just bought yourself ten more seconds, what you doin out here?” Joel replies, “just lookin for my brother, that’s all nothin’ more.” The lady from the back moves forward on her horse in front of Joel, “what's your name?” “Joel.” She looks between you and Joel and nods to the leader.

The man behind you pulled his horse forward, eyes fixated on your watch, you turned your head noticing him closing the distance between you, his gun still ready to fire. You yelped as he grabbed your wrist, inspecting the watch. “What the hell are you doing, she aint infected! Let her go.” Joel yelled. The man snapped at Joel who watched on hopelessly as the others watched on, “shut up,” he looked back to you, “where’d you get this watch?” You whimper against the grip on your wrist, “it was my mothers.” His grip on your wrist tightened and started to twist it, “tell me the fucking truth.” Tears slipped past your eyes as his fingernails dug into your flesh. “I’m telling the truth.” The woman protested, “Nick, leave it. Shes just a kid let her go.” He turned to snap at her, “this was my sisters watch and she was murdered in cold blood. She knows what happens to her.” Joels eyes looked to the group, hoping someone would help. You were just a kid; this grown man was hurting you. “I don’t know what happened, I swear, it was my mothers.” You were sobbing at the searing pain in your wrist and fear overcoming you. You looked at Joel, a silent plea, begging for his help. You were met with his conflicted eyes, hopelessness written all over his face.

You were pushed to the ground harshly, whimpering as you tried to stand, Joel takes one step towards you before the gun is pointed towards him, “dont.” Joel growls and looks between you and the gunman, the crack through the air happened so suddenly, your body falling limp, face first into the snow, blood staining your clothes and the snow beneath you. Through your ears ringing you hear multiple gunshots and Joel screaming for you, his body dropping to the ground next to you rolling you over so you're on your back. His hands covered your wound, “oh no. No, no no.” your breathing was erratic and tears fell from your eyes, Joel cradled your body in his arms, “you're okay, I got you.” He tears the bottom of your shirt and you write in pain, screaming. “I know, I know, I know it hurts.” He puts pressure on the wound, his body trembling as he watches you helplessly. He picks your body off the snow and the woman jumps off her horse and helps Joel lift you onto the now free one they had shot the gunman off. Joel straddles the horse and follows the group back to camp. Your eyes start fluttering, the weight of them proving too much to keep open, your body coming in and out of consciousness. “Look at me baby girl, keep your eyes open.” Your body falls limp as you pass out and Joel puts pressure on your wound with one hand, the other controlling the reigns of the horse. He can't let this happen again, grief overwhelming as he looks at your body and sees his failure of Sarah happening all over again.

It only took minutes to get to their camp, for Joel it felt like hours, time slowing as the fate of your life lies in his hands. Everyone got off their horses to help Joel carry you down, jumping to the ground he carried your limp body to the infirmary they had available, two people immediately ushering him to lie your body on the bed and they immediately tended to your wounds. “Joel?” He turned around to see Tommy and they met each other halfway to embrace in a hug, “Tommy.” Joels body slumped against Tommys as he led them outside the building and into the repair shop.

“What happened Joel, from the start.” Joel slumped as he sat on a stool, Tommy following and sitting beside him.

“She was attacked, her father was infected, and she had to shoot him, she had to kill her own father. I felt this guilt, that a child had to do that where she was meant to be safe, found her with the gun to her head.” Tears fell from Joel’s eyes, “I checked on her the next morning and was worried she was dead. It was only meant to be once, but she grew on me.” Joel rubbed the side of his face, “something about her felt familiar, she reminded me so much of-” Joel shook his head, not able to speak his daughters name as he chokes back a sob, “I couldn’t leave her there Tommy.” Tommy lifted his head to meet Joel’s eyes, “i have dreams every night.” “What kind of dreams?” Tommy replies. “This kid having the same fate as…Sarah, I'm failing it's all I do, it's all I've ever done. Now I can't help but feel like I should've left her, I wouldn’t have gotten her killed.”

Tommy shook his head, “this isn't on you Joel, you're fighting the world all on your own.” Joel’s voice was thick with emotion as he shook his head, “for the first time in decades I wasn’t alone, now I'm living that nightmare over again.”

The door flew open, banging on the cupboard as it flew open, Maria walked through the door watching as the two men stare at her, “she's awake.” Joel stands up that quick the stool falls to the ground and he’s out the door in seconds, ignoring the burn in his lungs as he runs to the building you were in, flinging the door open to see you bandaged up and hooked to an IV, eyes open and watching him. “Joel.”

The moment his name left your lips he was by your side, checking over your body and seeing if you were alive or if his mind was playing a cruel trick to deceive him. His hands held your hand, your free hand coming up shakily to wipe the tears that escaped his eyes, “didn't know you cared about me so much,” you say jokingly. Joels stare didn’t falter, “I do.” The seriousness in his voice giving you a comfort you didn’t know was possible from the day your dad died. “I believe you Joel.” Your eyes felt heavy as the pain medication dripped from the bag into the IV, flowing through your bloodstream, relieving your body of the pain. “Don't got enough damn blankets in here.” Joel huffs taking off his jacket and pulling it over you. “Get some sleep baby girl.” in your drug induce haze you reply, “mkay dad.” Emotion overcomes Joel as he starts to sing your favourite song;

“I'll be there for you

These five words, I swear to you

When you breathe, I want to be

The air for you

I'll be there for you

I'd live and I'd die for you

I'd steal the sun from the sky for you

Words can't say what love can do

I'll be there for you.”

#joelmiller #joelmillerfic #dadjoelmiller #teenreader #dad daughter #joelmiller dad vibes #fluff #angst #joelmiller angst #tlou #joel the last of us

[joannaliceevans-fanficblog]

Yes Darling

Summary: You are the wife of the beloved crime boss, Steve Rogers. The beautiful, devoted wife, that stays home. Enterains his friends, and co workers.

But when your not doing those things, you live a whole different life.

Your Steve’s wife and his play thing.

Dark Mob Boss Steve Rogers x Reader Wife

Warnings: Mentions of smut, (clit rubbing) slight mind control. Also, slllllight mentions of breeding.

This is an 18 + fic. NO minors allowed. 

Also this isn’t proofed checked, all mistakes are on me. 

Evening came rolling in over the high rise penthouse in Boston. The busy streets was barely getting started. You stood in the bathroom, with hot roller in your hair as you did your make up.

Applying powder to your face, along with some mascara, light eyeshadow, (your husband doesn't like bright bold colors) and finally winged eyeliner. Adding one last touch up, you placed some red lipstick. Smacking your lips, you gave yourself a smile.

Turing off the lights, you headed to the closet and chose the outfit for the night. A green dress, with the skirt up to your mid legs, and with three buttons. You then placed your stocking on, along with the matching garter belt, that your husband purchased for you.

You almost placed, your panties on. But your husband doesn't allow it. Once you had your outfit on, you went back to the bathroom, and fixed your hair. Removing the rollers out, detangeling them, with your fingers.

Placing a black scarf over, you tied it into a bow. Satisfied, you headed out and placed your cream colored high heels. Then, going to your vanity, you placed your pearl necklace on. But as you did, you noticed the marks on your neck from the previous night. Still fresh, and it hurts just from a tender touch. Putting on a brave face, and headed out to the kitchen.

By the time you headed to the kitchen, the timer went off and you grabbed a pair of mittens on the counter. Opening the oven door, the aroma of rosemary, lemons, and thyme Pot Roast filled the room. Placing it on the counter, you then went to take the sides dished out. Mashed Potatoes, with Gravy and some Roasted Vegetables. Along with some warmed Dinner Rolls.

The front door opened and your husband's famous voice came thru.

"Honey, I'm home!" You heard. You placed the platter down and went to greet him. He looked up and he smiled.

"There's my best girl." He said, as you walked over to him and went to take his jacket off.

"Hi darling." You said, as you took his jacket off and placed it on the hanger. You smoothed out his shirt and gave him a smile. He grazed his eyes, over you and smiled.

"Steve darling, dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you get yourself washed up?" You said, reached for a kiss. Steve returned the kiss and went to the bedroom.

By the time you had the dinner table set, you placed the wine bottle down and Steve entered. You noticed he had his clothes on, from earlier. Then you saw  something in his hands. Fear ran through your body, as you knew what the item was.

Your still sore from the night before, and you were still dumb to think that it wouldn't happen again tonight.

"Honey, this looks great." Steve said, as he took a seat down.

You swallowed hard, "Something to drink honey?"

"Wine is good honey." Steve replied. You gave him a loving smile and popped open the bottle. You then poured him a glass, and then yourself some.

You were about to serve him, when he stopped you. Steve ordered you to sit down and went to serve you, your meal. Steve platted your meal, then he went to place some into his. 

   Dinner was quiet for the most part. Steve had mentioned what happened today, and it was nothing new. You explained, you day. Did the laundry, cleaned the house, and did the groceries. After dinner was done, you collected the dishes and Steve went to the living room. You cleaned up, placed the dishes into the washer, and placed the leftovers into the fridge. 

“Honey, come here.” You heard Steve say. It wasn’t in his normal tone, but the one that you were all too familiar with. Like the one from last night. Swallowing hard, you hurried out of the kitchen and to the living room. There stood, Steve standing in the middle. His sleeves were rolled up. 

“Present to me.” He said, looking straight at you. Swalloing once more, you quickly rushed over to your husband and stood in front of him. You looked at him, with your pretty eyes and kneeled in front of him. You looked down, with your hands behind your back. 

Steve’s finger, went under your chin and forced you to look up, towards him. 

“Such a beautiful lady.” Steve said, as he took your collar. You felt the cold metal, wrapped around your neck. You heard the clicking sound and it was held snugged. 

His thumb rubbed around your lips, smearing your lipstick around your lips.

“Ready for around 2?”

**

Steve carried you, to the secret room in the penthouse. Your dress was on the floor along with your bra. You were tied to the bed, with blind fold over your face. Your legs were spread wide, and also tired to bed as well. Your heart was racing, as you felt Steve’s presents around the bed. Then you felt the bed dip and he stood over you. 

He ran his fingers around your bare dripping pussy. You wanted to moan, but you weren’t allowed too. Steve’s rules, unless he tells you too.

“Now sweetheart. We have to start again, the last time you didn’t listen. Do you want to be my good girl?” Steve asked, as he placed his finger around your throbbing clit. stYou needed to be his good girl. Steve is your husband and you will always do as he say.

Yes, Darling.

#Steve Rogers #dark steve rogers #Steve Rogers drabble #steve rogers fanfic #dark steve rogers smut

[midnightdevotion]

Name?

Hangman X reader

Warnings: uhhh none really? swearing I guess

a/n: This is part 1- hope you like it! 2k words

It's a hot end of summer day that you finally make it to your new home in small town California. Ready for a change of scenery and a slower paced life in a place where no one knows you or what happened to you.

You feel a simmering hope in your heart when you open the door to your new home. You're home. You knew you'd have your work cut out for you. Buying an older home at the steal you did, you were ready for the repairs of a lifetime. DIYing was about to become your new biggest hobby.

Shoving the old door open you grimace, the pictures definitely didn't make it look this bad. Shaking it off you decide that before you bring any of the minimal belongings you have with you, you should probably clean up a bit.

Running to the local grocery store, you find yourself slowly meandering around. Excited to start a new life yes, excited to clean up dust that has been collecting for 10 years not so much.

Truth is, you've always been a planner. You planned to graduate in marketing and start your career right after, you planned to buy your own home just out side of Boston, you planned to get married and raise you kids in that house, you planned every aspect you could about your life. It all went out the window the same minute you did out of that beautifully decorated Boston church. The minute you decided that Aaron wasn't what you wanted, the life you had started and were working so hard for wasn't one you wanted at all.

Your poor parents thought you were loosing your mind. To be fair not many people crawled out of a basement window in a church before marrying the CEO of Hansley Corp. You were supposed to be a Hansley by now, on your honeymoon in the south of France.

While you were thinking of how you ended up here staring at different dust sprays, you hear someone clear their throat.

"You know I never thought it was hard to pick out some dusting spay but you're making it look like the biggest decision of your life and I'm concerned I've been choosing wrong my whole life now" You let out a laugh before glancing over at the observant stranger.

"Well you know those pesky dust bunnies just piss me off" He raises a brow at your response, and you take him in fully. He's very attractive, with the whole blond hair green eye panty dropping smile thing he has going for him.

However, things in your life are complicated to say the least.

"no really I just got lost in thought- I may be procrastinating. You wouldn't blame me if you saw how much dust was waiting for me in my new house. "

"Now procrastination I understand very well, Can't be worse than some of the housing i've been assigned before" You glance back over him at that.

"army?"

"navy, I'm a Naval Aviator" If that is supposed to impress you, you can't tell, but you take note of it anyway.

"then yeah I can imagine the mess those seamen make" you find yourself cracking a grin at your own joke before you finish. His deep laughter coming from beside you has you filled with relief and something else you can't quite put your finger on.

"that was good-- You're new around here then" it's not so much a question as a statement but you find yourself nodding.

"Yeah, honestly I've been in town about an hour- You know where the hardware store is?" If he's shocked by your question he doesn't show it.

"yeah it's-- here I'll write the address down" and he flips the pad of paper he's holding and writing out an address for you. Are people always so nice in Small towns?

You're so use the hustle and bustle of Boston, that most the time you even look at a stranger you get a 'fuck off'.

"Thank you-- I have my work cut out for me on this new house"

"have you fixed up houses before?"

"Not even sort of, but now is a great time to start isn't it" you thank him again before diligently putting 8 bottles of pledge in your basket.

"Well uh- I'm new to small towns but I'm pretty sure it means I'll see you around..."

"My names Jake" You smile at that because it's so fitting.

"well I will see you around Jake" and with that you cart off, and it's not until your way out of sight that he realizes, he never got your name.

----

"No guys you don't understand she was gorgeous!"

"Oh we understand just fine hangman" Phoenix laughs

"Hangmans in looooooooveeee" is roosters reply, and he can't help but groan.

"I didn't even get her name" he sighs, Rooster and Phoenix share a glance, actually surprised how much hangman seems to be hung up on this.

"Look you said she just moved here right? So you will see her again and you can casually approach and see how she is settling in." and hangman could kiss rooster for having that idea.

"You're right" he plays with the toothpick in his mouth, refocusing on their game of pool, secretly hoping that he saw you again sooner rather than later.

---

"Motherfucking piece of shit" You kick the door that decided to get stuck, it doesn't budge. Sighing you look up to the lightly clouded sky, it's nearing 7 o'clock, you are exhausted, have a list a mile long to do and you can't even get inside your new home.

Kicking it one last time for good measure you almost cry out in joy that it opens. Hefting the box you had in your arms back up, you make your way inside the dusty entryway.

You didn't have much to bring in anyway- having chosen to sale all your furniture with your old house you had nothing more than a few boxes of personal belongings. Carrying them all into the master bedroom you decide to get to work. You start with dusting off the old countertops, which thankfully still look like a beautiful granite.

It takes you two hours to dust the kitchen and the living room, sweeping and vacuuming everything multiple times. Coughing when the dust kicks up and swearing like true sailor does.

It feels like the 90th time you've emptied the damn vacuum from how much you cleaned up. It's a solid 10pm when you decide that's all you can handle for the night.

You set up the cheap air mattress you bought earlier today in the middle of the furniture-less but very clean living room. Ordering a pizza and sighing as you think about the to-do list for tomorrow.

New door.

clean the rest of the house

order a damn bed

maybe buy some dishes.

You left it at four because you weren't sure how long cleaning the house would take you, or somehow taking off and putting on a new door? Can you even buy new doors same day?

You had so many questions and so many doubts about being able to do this, but when you think of the alternative- going back home to Boston, you decide you can do anything.

You get your pizza and eat in on your air mattress, watching some show on your phone like some sad frat boy. The ache in your back and tiredness behind your eyes is quick to catch up with you, lulling you into a sleep that despite being on an air mattress is pretty peaceful.

----

You awake to the sound of your door being knocked on. It startles you, you didn't know anyone in town why would someone be knocking at... 9:37 am? Groggily you slowly make you way to your door and fight it open. You don't expect to see a woman and her daughter staring at you.

"Hi! I'm Penny and this is Amelia, we live right next door- we've been waiting for a neighbor for years and we just wanted to welcome you" She thrusts a plate of cookies at you and you take it automatically.

"I um- wow that is so nice... I'm y/n it's definitely nice to meet you-- sorry for the groggy and unkempt look it's not how I usually answer doors" you almost grimace when you think how Aaron would've reacted to you opening the door like this.

"No worries- we woke you up, sorry for that by the way. We will get out of your hair but If you ever need a drink come down to the hard deck and it's on me for waking you!" you bid them a goodbye and shut the pain in the ass door. Shocked at the cookies in your hands and the politeness around town, but you like it, and it's definitely something you could get use to.

Placing the cookies on your counter you messily shove one in your mouth before heading up the stairs. You make quick work of dusting and vacuuming the master bedroom before you head into the shower.

You let the warm water slide over you and relax your sore muscles. Despite what one might think, climbing out of a church window- panic packing and driving 4 days to the other side of the country and then cleaning up an unholy amount of dust made you sorer than you could've thought. When you feel you've cleaned off any and all remnants of dust on your skin you climb out.

Quickly getting dressed and ready, you check your phone to see 42 missed calls from aaron and several from your friends and family. Deciding it wasn't going to be todays problem you lock it again and make your way down the stairs.

Finding jakes note for the hardware store you grin a little at his messy handwriting, it suits him. Giving the stubborn door a glare as you make your way out of the house.

Sighing as you stare at doors in the hardware store you here a small chuckle.

"we've got to stop meeting like this" you turn to see none other than Jake, who looks like he's working on a project of his own. His cart full of varying tools.

"if I didn't know better all those tools look like you might be ready to start serial killing" He laughs.

"No no, just helping my buddy fix his back porch- what did these poor doors do to you?"

"Nothing-yet. I just don't know which one I like better"

"I'd go with this one personally, it's strong and secure for safety and you could paint it any color once your done remodeling"

"hmmm that's a good point" you grin at him.

"thanks for being my small town savior once again" He gives you a cheeky smile right back.

"it's what I'm here for" you detect a small twang to his voice and decide to ask him another time about where he is from.

"Hangman!" his head moves to that, the shout coming from a couple aisles down.

"well I guess I should get back to the pain in the ass"

"Hangman?" you question before he makes his escape.

"Oh yeah it's my callsign- all pilots have one and it basically becomes our names after that."

"Oh well good to know, have fun Jake" be wishes you fun with the door picking process too- a strange sense of butterflies filling him as he makes his way to the stubborn mustached man, you still called him Jake.

and god dammit he forgot to ask your name again.

---

Taglist:

@captainmarvelnerd

@averyhotchner

@alanadetigy 

@luckyladycreator2 

@multiplefandomsmess 

@tkmarvel-divergentbish

@ohh-to-be-a-frog

@roosterschanelslut

@americaarse

@malindacath

@atarmychick007 

@trikigirl271

@lustfulseonghwa

@smoothdogsgirl

#top gun #top gun maverick #jake hangman seresin x you #hangman seresin x reader #hangman x you #hangman #hangman top gun #Jake seresin #hangman x reader #Jake seresin x reader #Jake hangman seresin

[like-likes]

This is Dad's Farm. I'm inheriting it.

It is still going to cost us $200k, sort of. We are buying it from my two brothers. If we had sold it like we all originally considered, we would have split the profit three ways. Yet, after all the fees involved in selling (do i really have to list them? There is a lot.), getting $100k each after all that would be wonderfully and incredibly ideal, so hub's and I factored that into this investment and we're happy to give them them each their most ideal fair share.

Fortunately, we have a home to sell (a small one floor ranch in a city suburb) and now is still a really great time to sell so it's definitely time. Our goal is to get our city home on the market before memorial day. In the meantime, we are free to move our stuff in while we clean it up.

There is a very large stone pit which was once part of a barn's foundation long ago. Ever since I first lived here back in 2002 we've always used this space as a bonfire pit for peace and parties.

Before pictures are good to have. You didn't want to see the before/before we cleaned out the clutter, did you? That was last year. I have all these awful colors and unfinished projects and the overall conditions of the house burned into my memory... Dad never did much updating. Funniest part about that detail is that he worked professionally as a finished carpenter in the Boston union.

Here's some junk on the second floor:

oh, and back to the kitchen. I decided to take off the cabinet doors on the top. They are ugly, don't open well or don't close well depending on the season so fuck these cabinet doors!

Ugh blurry video screen shots. Trust me, it looks better. We have a large pantry elsewhere for food in ugly packages. Only plates, cups, etc... clear bins of foods (like rice or pasta) in this kitchen on these shelves. The new colors I'm working around kinda go like this:

We are all so excited! Our kids (adult kids, 20 & 25), are both super excited, even after seeing all the work involved. One of them wants a dog, the other wants a cat... and as long as they can pay for their needs, as soon as we are settled in - I don't mind. We need a cat anyway for mice. We already have a dog, but my baby is getting up in the years so she's gonna have to keep to the first floor. But oh, ok wait - now we're also talking about goats to help with our landscaping and chickens because why not? Yeah maybe probably... one animal at a time! ok?

Wanna see some of the leftover junk and repairs involved? Here's some. I don't think I mentioned from the first picture we're working on getting a quote from a company that literally jacks up a side of your house to repair a corner post (currently incased in a green tarp, thanks, dad).

Thanks for checking out our happy little project. ;)

I hope no one minds if I tag it stardew valley since it certainly feels like the real life beginnings of one and I wanna keep that vibe going as we all settle in here. :) My daughter was asking about growing vegetables! This girl's personality is comparable to a Hailey. My son is more of a Sebastian. My Hubs? He's a Gus. What am I? A mix of Leah and Robin, I think. :)

#story time #sdv #stardewvalley #this old house

[ahemerson]

It's like if moveobjectson worked on surfaces lol

All my current plants sequestered in my Kitchen for a photoshoot. I was cleaning and rearranging their other homes in the house.

The little ones I've been working on cloning for my wedding in August to use in my centerpieces and that people can also take as wedding favors.

The Swedish Ivy clippings and the Green Spider Plant sprouts took root in water before I planted them.

The Lucky Bamboo and the Boston Fern I had to divide at the roots.

#plants #greenery #greenhouse #indoor plants #spouts #sims 3 #Swedish Ivy #Green Spider Plant #Boston Fern #Lucky Bamboo #plantblr #plant photography

[infected-immunity]

🏹 Hunger Pangs 🏹

They hadn’t travelled far before everything went to shit. 

In the days that followed Dan and Amber being torn apart, Ellie couldn’t quite shake the sounds out of her head. It turned out the outside world was just as cutthroat as everyone said. Great. Fucking fantastic. Way to kill the novelty of it all. 

The real issue had been figuring out what to do next. Running seemed like a good plan at first. Away from man-made structures. Away from houses, sewers, roads, abandoned cars- away from all of it. In the brief terror-infused aftermath, it was easier to wish to never see another person again. Dan had been carrying the pack with the map and most of their food. There was no way in hell she was going back to see what was left of him, or what he’d turned into. Screw that. So, what next? 

Which way was home? 

Hell, it wasn’t even like walking to any other city settlement would be safe. The guards would do their obligatory ‘Are You Infected’ check and it would be game over. 

The woodland had been cool when she’d first stumbled across it. The ground was spongey. It smelled different to the sanitised concrete of the Boston QZ. There were bugs and green for as far as the eye could see. And then it got dark. The woods were much less cool in the dark. The noises they contained felt worse when you couldn’t see the small forest creature they belonged to. It was hard to sleep out in the open, under a poorly constructed canopy of sticks. Staying in the woods felt pretty useless. There was only food out there if you knew how to hunt- a skill that Dan and Amber hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with when it came to teaching. 

And so, Ellie resorted to wandering further, feeling the growing bite of hunger with every passing day and hour. Eventually, the hunger fuelled a bold decision to creep out of cover to where the old signs of human life were. At least roads were everywhere, right? And roads had signs! That seemed like the best way to figure out where to go next. Roads were also littered with the husks of long-dead vehicles. Maybe, just maybe, they weren’t all picked clean. Maybe one of them, just one, would have some expired snacks buried in a glove compartment or a back seat pocket. 

It couldn’t hurt to try. 

Pocket knife in hand, Ellie ventured out of the overgrown thicket, cursing to herself as a bramble caught on her sleeve. Past the road and over a steep ledge of dirt and shingle was a huge expanse of water. Ellie paused, feeling her eyes widen. 

“Whoa.”

That was the sea, right?! There was no way this was a lake. If it was a lake, it was a fucking big one. If it was a lake, she’d be able to drink from it. There was even a boat out there! Cool. Ellie paused, wondering idly to herself whether it was possible for the infected to be stranded on boats. There had to be, she decided after not much thought. Perhaps that meant there were entire cruise ships, floating lost in the ocean with infected staggering around the deck. Her lip twitched as she contemplated whether the idea was sad or funny. 

Her stomach growled again, stirring Ellie back into motion. With her knife, she began prying windows down, taking every effort to be as quiet as possible. After checking three cars, it was beginning to get frustrating. As it turned out, people mostly left trash in their vehicles. Disheartened but hungry enough to keep trying, Ellie turned her sights onto a truck. Truck drivers needed food, right? With a grunt, Ellie finally convinced the window to lower. Straining to reach, her fingers curled around the door handle and pulled before clambering inside to rummage. 

Another growl. 

This time, not from her stomach. 

Ellie froze, scanning the road. Stalking through the cars was an infected. Instinctively, Ellie’s grip tightened around her knife as she watched infected begin to tumble and crawl out of vehicles, stirred by the movement of prey. 

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!

Was it better to hide in the back of the truck, or make a break for it whilst they were still at a bit of a distance? If the infected were staying inside some of the cars, waiting felt like delaying the inevitable. 

Running, then. 

Marlene’s reminder swam to the forefront of Ellie’s mind.

‘Being immune won’t stop them from tearing you apart.’

Geez, thanks brain. 

Where was safe to run, anyway? The woods were too far now, and climbing a tree (although cool in theory) had proven way too difficult when she’d given it a shot. The road was out in the open. What about the water? Would that slow them down? It felt like the best option. With a breath, Ellie collected herself, counting down in her head before opening the door and bolting. 

She didn’t need to check over her shoulder to know they’d seen. A vicious screech from the nearest infected alerted the others. Ragged, hungry breaths sounded at her back. Were they getting closer, or just louder? The ground beneath her feet changed from tarmac to shingle. The water was close. The boat was close too. Were there infected on the boat? 

A bleak, amused part of Ellie wondered if they were enjoying the show. Would they try to paddle ashore to chew on her too? 

Ellie’s stomach lurched as her ankle buckled, sending her crashing into the ground. A wheeze sounded from above, and the closest infected dropped. With a shriek, Ellie scrambled away, convinced it had descended to sink its teeth into her until she saw it twitch and fall motionless, an arrow jutting out from its head. 

“Oh, shit.” Disbelief escaped Ellie in a single shaky breath as she picked herself up in an attempt to reach the water before the other infected closed the distance. 

The shape on the boat moved. But it wasn’t jerking around like an infected. Had they shot the arrow?

“Hey!” Now felt like a good time to start shouting. 

“I’m not sick!” Arms waved in the air desperately as Ellie made her best effort to wade into the icy water. Shit, it hadn’t looked that cold! Grimacing, Ellie fought the water, reaching her waist before hesitating. Drowning was preferable to being torn apart. Would the infected follow her in here? Could she reach the boat without swimming?

“Don’t shoot that fucking thing at me! Shoot at them! I can’t even fucking swim, what the fuck!”

(( Starter for @1womanarmy ))

#1womanarmy #tlou rp #twd rp #crossover rp #I told you I suck at short starters haha #hope this is okay! #welcome to the 14 year old that expresses every emotion she feels through swears :) #the last of us rp #ellie williams rp

[veesbees]

The Edge of Everything ¹ The Last Of Us  season one

Summary:

Penelope was born into an already dead and bare world. Her parents only stuck around for about five years, before ditching her and leaving. For the past nine years, Penelope's been living alone, fending for herself in the Boston QZ. One day, she finds a hidden radio where her long-gone mother tells her that she needs to go with the Fireflies without any explanation.

For those long nine years, Penelope had thought her parents were dead. So being told by her supposed mother that she needs to be with the Fireflies was surely a surprise. On top of that, being completely disregarded by Marlene, the head of the Fireflies, and handed to two grumpy people to be smuggled out of the QZ? Not Penelope's cup of tea. But as their adventure goes on, with a protector, Joel, a jokester, Ellie, and Penelope silently observing the two, Penelope doesn't think that that'll be so bad...

In which Joel gets two daughters in the end.

☁︎ fourth !!! chapter in ‘the edge of everything’

☁︎ episode three of tlou ;) a lot of fluf to squeeze in this episode + next episode too :D

☁︎ word count: 8,404

The sky was dim, the sun rising in the distance. It had only been 12 hours since Joel dragged Ellie and Penelope out of the state house, leaving Tess behind.

Penelope knew there was nothing they could do for Tess, but it didn’t help that Penelope had grown attached to her. 

The whole night, Penelope had laid on her side, curled up in a ball, clutching onto her picture of her parents and herself. She tried to go to sleep, but when she closed her eyes, all she could see were the flames, and Tess’ body standing in the middle of the room as Penelope was dragged away. She could hear Ellie’s cries of protest swirling in her head along with her protests.

Penelope didn’t notice she had been crying all night. Only to realize when she rolled over to see Ellie watching her. Penelope whipped her running nose, lifting her cannula away from her face to clean it with her sleeve. 

Joel had left early in the morning to do whatever. Penelope didn’t care. 

Or maybe she did.

She can’t tell.

Ellie had Joel’s coat over her body as she sat against a tree.

The sun was rising on the horizon, creating a soft glow of light. Penelope sat up out of her curled position, the bitter morning air nipping at her body. She wrapped her father’s coat tightly around her torso to block out the air.

Penelope’s eyes follow Joel’s figure as he returns from wherever he went. He moved to his belongings, going through his backpack.

“You want your jacket back?” Ellie asks Joel.

He doesn't respond, still going through his bag.

Penelope glances from Joel to Ellie. Ellie leans her head back on the tree. There's silence between the trio. Penelope has nothing to say. And neither does Joel. so she says nothing.

Penelope rakes through her backpack, searching for her dried beans and a jar of peanut butter she managed to fit in her bag. She took them out, handing Ellie some of her beans. Ellie scrunches up her nose, shaking her head. Penelope smiles and tosses the beans in her mouth.

They didn't taste good, but at least it was something. As she was chewing on her beans and peanut butter–not the best mix, but she was starving–Penelope saw Joel toss something to Ellie. Ellie snatched up the object, opening it up. She stuffed the food in her mouth, chewing it.

“I’ve never been in the woods.” Ellie finally said, food still in her mouth.

Penelope glances around her surroundings. She finished her food, saving the rest for later. She was playing with a leaf in her hand. The green object crumbled in her fingers as she pulled it apart, inspecting it. 

“More bugs than I thought,” Ellie announced, looking around.

Joel and Penelope stay quiet. It’s not like Ellie was asking questions. Penelope didn’t know what else to say. Just, ‘Oh, yeah, there are a lot of bugs.’ or something like that. But it took too much energy to speak at the moment for Penelope. 

“Look, I’ve been thinking about–”

Joel quickly stands up, pulling on his backpack. “I don’t want your sorries.”

“I wasn’t gonna say I’m sorry. I was gonna say that I've been thinking about what happened.” Ellie retorted, leaning forward. “Nobody made you or Tess take me and Penelope. Nobody made you go along with this plan. You needed a truck battery or whatever and you made a choice. So don't blame me for something that isn't my fault.” Ellie spoke defensively.

Penelope scratched her eyebrow, trying to stay out of the conversation. She glanced from Joel who was standing up with his gear on, to Ellie who was sitting crisscrosses-apple-sauce under the tree. The two stared at each other. Joel finally gave Ellie a subtle nod and Ellie motioned with her hands.

Joel bent down to get his gun. Penelope took his actions as a signal to get ready.

Penelope stood up, stretching a little bit. Her ankle was aching, but not as much as it was yesterday. Her black Converse was helping her ankle stay in one place. The night before she went to bed, she used some duct tape to secure the sneaker on her left foot, so she didn't have to move her ankle in any weird way. 

She also had fixed her long brownish-blonde hair into a loose braid. Penelope’s hair was so long that without a braid, it reached the end of her elbows.

Penelope shrugged on her backpack, walking side by side with Ellie. Ellie handed Joel his coat as she approached him. Joel took the piece of clothing, straightening it out in his hands.

“How much longer?” Ellie asked.

“Five-hour hike.” He responded.

Penelope scrunched up her nose, mentally preparing herself. She shifted on her feet, trying not to put weight on her left leg.

Ellie tilted her head. “We can manage that.”

Joel nodded, turning around and leading the way.

Penelope sighed, following after Ellie. Their footsteps thumped quietly on the dirt ground. They had been walking through the greenery, Penelope turning around in wonder looking at all the plants and leaves. The chirp of birds and bugs is the only sound other than the trio’s footsteps. 

The trio walked across a bridge. Penelope stopped for a moment, looking over the railings. She looked down at the water, seeing all kinds of fish and ducks in the water.

“Do you think Meatball would be around here?” Penelope asked Ellie as they stood together looking over the railing.

“Nah, I think it’s too far away,” Ellie replied, shaking her head.

Penelope shrugged sadly, pushing off the railing.

They resumed walking, catching up to Joel.

The trio were quiet for the first few hours. Penelope and Ellie say something every so often, mostly in awe of the environment around them. They were now on an open road, standing side by side. Trees surround them on either side of the road.

Ellie stood on Joel’s right, Penelope walking a little bit behind Joel on his left. “You’ve gone this way a lot?” Ellie asks Joel. “No infected?” She pushes.

“Not often, no,” Joel responds.

He was clanging around at his surroundings, looking over Ellie and Peneleope’s heads. Ellie reached Joel’s shoulders, while Penelope was a little shorter than Ellie.

“What are you looking for?” Penelope asks this time, glancing around just like Joel is.

“People.”

Penelope hums in response, glancing at Ellie.

Joel quickens his pace, Ellie and Penelope copying his movements.

“Are Bill and Frank nice?” Ellie asks.

“Frank is.”

Penelope pierced her lips. “What about Bill?” She furrows her eyebrows.

“He’s…not so nice,” Joel responded.

“Oh.”

There’s a pause in their conversation.

“How’d you get that scar on your head?” Ellie speaks up, looking at Joel. 

Penelope turns her head to Joel, looking for the scar. “What scar?” She speaks up.

Joel sighs heavily.

“What? Is it something lame?” Ellie asks with a smile on her face.

Penelope moves from Joel’s left to his right, standing beside Ellie trying to find the scar on his face.

“Like you fell down the stairs or something?” 

“I didn't fall down any stairs.”

“Okay, so what then?”

Joel pauses, glancing at Ellie.

Penelope stayed quiet, studying Joel’s face. She itched at her cannula on her face as she watched Joel and Ellie’s encounter.

“Someone shot at me and missed.”

“See, that’s cool,” Ellie says waving her hand as an emphasis. “You shoot back?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you get him?” Penelope speaks up, glancing back at Joel’s scar.

Joel inhaled deeply. “No, I missed, too. It happens more often than you think.”

“'Cause you suck at shooting or, like, in general?” Ellie asks.

“Ellie!” Penelope shoves Ellie's shoulder at her question. “That wasn’t very nice,”

Joel slowly turns his head to look at Ellie. She shrugs.

“In general,” Joel says simply.

It's quiet as Penelope and Ellie linger back a bit. Ellie’s eyes catch a look at Joel’s pistol in its holster and get an idea. “You know, seeing as it's just the three of us, I was thinking I should pro–”

“No,” Joel says quickly.

Penelope giggles as Ellie sighs, piercing her lips. Ellie gives Penelope a look, and she instantly stops laughing. Joel leads them to a building, stepping over a fallen tree. The two younger girls follow him. They approach the building, Joel walking quickly to the entrance.

“Cumberland Farms.” Ellie reads aloud, saying it with an accent. 

The trio walks to the building. Joel turns to the younger girls saying, “Hang back a minute. I gotta grab some stuff I stashed.”

Ellie continues walking, wrapping her arm around Penelope’s to drag her to the door.

“Stashed? Why do you have stuff stashed here?”

“You ask a lot of goddamn questions,” Joel said. He reached the building walking into the door.

Penelope tried to stop and ‘hang back’ as Joel instructed, but Ellie pulled her through the door.

“Yes, I do,” Ellie said sweetly, following Joel.

The door creaks open as Joel enters the building.

“So…are you gonna answer me or what?” Ellie pestered Joel. Ellie led Penelope into the building, following Joel through the door.

The smell of dirt wafts through Penelope’s nose as they enter the ‘Cumberland Farms’.

Joel finally answered Ellie’s question. “We hide supplies on routes in case we find ourselves short on gear, which I currently am 'cause–”

Penelope eyed something as they walked in between the tiles. Ellie did too, saying; “No way!” Ellie pulled Penelope to the old game, letting go of Penelope’s hand to jam the buttons on the game. Penelope read the words, ‘Mortal Combat’ on the machine. 

“You ever play this one?” Ellie turns to ask Joel. Penelope gingerly touched the joystick, unsure what this is. 

“What is this?” Penelope asks Ellie.

Ellie blanches at Penelope. “This is only the best game ever !” She shakes Penelope’s shoulders in excitement. Penelope laughs, her face brightening up in a smile.

“I had a friend who knew everything about this game. There's this one character named Mileena who takes off her mask and she has monster teeth and then she swallows you whole and barfs out your bones.” Ellie jams her fingers expertly on the board, exhaling. “Oh, man.” She sighs, throwing her head back.

“You’d love this game, Penny.” Ellie finally says.

“Uhh, I don’t think so.” Penelope disagrees, shaking her head. Ellie swivels to Penelope, a look of shock on her face. Penelope holds up her hands in surrender. “I don’t like gore!” Penelope tries to defend herself. 

There's a crash behind the two girls. Penelope and Ellie turn around at the same time.

“You forgot where you put your stuff,” Ellie stated.

“No.” Joel denies, shaking his head. Penelope giggles, covering her mouth. Joel gave her a glare, instantly shutting her up. “I’m just zeroing in on it.” He stutters. “It’s been a couple of years.”

“Are you seriously trying to find an excuse to convince a couple of teenage girls?” Penelope chuckles, fixing her backpack straps, glancing at Ellie. Ellie laughs, shaking her head.

Joel on the other hand turns away from the girls, trying to find his stash.

“Okay, well, I’m gonna take a look around, see if there’s anything good.”  Ellie walks away from Peleope’s side.

“Trust me, it’s all been picked over already,” Joel says quickly, kicking something.

“Maybe,” Ellie agrees. “Maybe not.”

Ellie reaches a doorway, “ Is there anything bad in here?”

“Just you.” Joel quips.

Penelope giggles at Joel’s statement, wandering around the illes of tore down displays.

“Ah, getting funnier,” Ellie muttered with a glare toward Penelope.

Penelope approaches Joel, kicking away some debris. Joel pushes a metal box, muttering, “fuck.”

“Oh! Ellie! Joel said a bad word!” Penelope quickly ran from Joel’s side to the doorway where Ellie disappeared. Joel sighed at Penelope’s antics, shaking his head. “I am a grown adult, I can swear.”

“Sure you are, Joel.” Penelope turned from the doorway not waiting for Ellie’s response.

It’s quiet as Penelope makes her way back to stand beside Joel. Joel scoffed, moving to a different place in the room. He kicked at fallen-over displays.

“So…have you actually forgotten where you put your gear, or…” Penelope trails off, picking up a display to check under it. “What are you even looking for, anyways?”

Joel glanced over at Penelope. “A trap door or something.” He responded.

“Ohh. Okay, I’ll help you look.”

Penelope walked over to a fallen-over display to pick it up. It wasn’t heavy as she pushed it to the side. She ran her fingers over the ground, trying to feel for something to grab onto. Joel crouched down somewhere behind Penelope.

“I found it,” Joel said, using his knife to trace the outline of the square. 

Penelope abandoned her search walking over to Joel. he pulled out a turquoise metal box, propping up the board of wood to reveal the contents hidden. Joel opened up the box, rummaging through it. Penelope noticed all kinds of ammo, a medical kit, and a lot of cloth and alcohol in the box. She rested her hands on her knees as she hovered beside Joel.

Penelope was quiet along with Joel as he went through the items.

“Hey, isn’t Ellie taking a long time wherever she is?” Penelope asks Joel, turning her head.

Penelope glanced at Joel.

“Ellie?” Joel called.

Ellie didn’t respond.

Joel stood up with some difficulty, using some of the contents to help him up. Penelope straightened, moving to stand behind Joel.

“Ellie!” Joel tried again.

There was silence.

Penelope watched as Joel pulled out his pistol, cocking it. He walked swiftly motioning for Penelope to stay there. He moved to the doorway, peaking his head in. “Ellie?” He called once more. 

“Picked over, my ass,” Ellie replied sassily, holding up a box in her hand.

Penelope exhaled, shaking her head. “What’s that?” Penelope motioned to the box in her hand as Ellie moved to her side.

“Tampons.”

Penelope’s eyebrows furrowed. “And those are…?”

This time, Ellie furrowed her eyebrows, her own look of confusion on her face. “What?”

“What?” Penelope replied, waving her hands to the box, a light blush on her face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ellie stared at Penelope. She took her backpack off to shove the box in her bag. She glanced over to Joel. “I’ll tell you later.” She sighed.

“Okay?” Penelope tilted her head, prominent blush on her cheeks.

From beside the girls, Joel closed the box, putting it back in the hole. He moved to put the gun back in there too, only for Ellie to say; “What are you doing?”

“There's not much ammo out there for this thing.” Joel shoved the gun in the hole, “Makes it mostly useless.”

“Well, if you're just gonna leave it there,” Ellie whined motioning to Joel who was covering the hole back up with the plank.

Joel stood up.“No.” He denied Ellie, shaking his head.

Penelope glanced at her friend, seeing Ellie roll her eyes. Ellie quickly followed after Joel, stomping her feet. Penelope followed quickly after the two.

*        *       *

Over the long hours of walking, Penelope had worked up a sweat. She took off her plum-colored sweatshirt, trying it around her waits to reveal her striped tank top. She was glad that she decided to wear layers, and packed a few changes of clothes. 

Penelope also pulled her long braid to the side, trying to get the flyaways out of her face. She was walking beside Ellie, looking around at the scenery. 

Penelope couldn’t get over how beautiful the greenery and plant life were. It surprised her how vibrant and untouched some of the places that they’d traveled to were. Over the long hike, Penelope had acquired countless rocks shoved in her pockets. She would stop every so often to pick a few up. Only small ones. None of the big ones she had seen sadly. She tried to stay out of Joel’s view when she did this.

But little did she know, Joel walked ever so slightly slower just so Penelope could evaluate which rocks she wanted. He played it off like he was thinking of where they should go.

Ellie noticed this and would ask if Joel was lost. Joel would deny it every time.

To Ellie and Penelope’s amazement, they walked by a clearing to find a broken-down airplane.

Penelope gaped at the sight.

“Holy shit,” Ellie dragged out her words in amazement.

The trio came to a slow looking at the airplane.

“You fly in one of those?” Ellie asks Joel.

Joel looks over to Ellie before answering. “Few times, sure.”

“So cool,” Penelope breathed out.

“Didn’t feel like it at the time.” Joel countered. “Get shoved into a middle seat, pay 12 bucks for a sandwich.”

Ellie turned to Joel. “Dude–you got to go up into the sky.” Her voice was filled with awe.

There was a pause as Joel motioned to the airplane. “Yeah, well, so did they.”

Joel turns to continue walking, leaving the two girls to follow him. Penelope licked her lips following after Joel.

“Grim,” Ellie whispered to Penelope.

They were now walking on a sandy road, with lots of empty space between the trio and the trees.

“So everything came crashing down in one day?” Ellie asks Joel.

“Pretty much.”

“How?” Ellie pestered. “I mean, no one was infected with Cordyceps, everybody's fine, eating in restaurants and flying in planes. And then, all at once? How did it even start? If you have to get bit to be infected, then who bit the first person?”

Penelope’s mind was reeling. She’s never thought of the old world as much as Ellie seemed to. Penelope looked at Joel for an answer.

“Oh!” Penelope speaks up, her eyes lighting up. “Was it a monkey?” 

“I bet it was a monkey.” Ellie agrees with Penelope.

“It wasn't a monkey.” Joel denied. “I thought you went to school.” He addressed his statement to Ellie.

“FEDRA school. They don't teach us how their shitty government failed to prevent a pandemic.” Ellie stated. Joel is quiet for a moment. Penelope glances at Ellie, then back to Joel. She scratches at her nose, fixing her cannula. 

“No one knows for sure, but, best guess, Cordyceps mutated. And some of it got into the food supply. Probably a basic ingredient like flour or sugar. There were certain brands of food that were sold everywhere, all across the country, across the world. Bread, cereal, pancake mix. You eat enough of it, it'll get you infected. So the tainted food all hits the store shelves around the same time, Thursday. People bought it, ate some Thursday night or Friday morning. Day goes on, they started to get sick. Afternoon, evening, they got worse. Then they started bitin'. Friday night, September 26, 2003. And by Monday, everything was gone.” Joel finishes. 

Penelope wrings her fingers as she thinks about what Joel said.

“It makes more sense than monkeys,” Ellie said. “Thanks.”

Joel hesitates. “Sure.”

The trio continues walking through the pathway. Their footsteps crunch on the ground. Joel holds out a hand in front of Penelope and Ellie, stopping them.

“What?” Ellie asks looking around.

“We’ll cut across the woods here.” Joel motions to the trees.

“Isn’t the road easier?” Ellie pesters.

“Yeah, it’s just…” Joel hesitates. “There’s stuff up there you shouldn’t see.”

Ellie smiles, backing away from the trio. She walks backward saying; “Well now I have to see.”

Penelope hesitates, watching Ellie as she retreated down the sandy road.

“I don’t want you to,” Joel says. “Serious. Ellie.”

Joel follows after Ellie. Penelope walks beside Joel, playing with the straps of her backpack.

“How bad is it?” Penelope asks Joel.

Joel glances at Penelope. His face softened a moment before he shook his head turning back to Ellie.

“Can it hurt me?” Ellie calls from in front of Joel and Penelope. 

“No.”

Ellie quickly turns around to face Penelope and Joel. “You’re too honest, man. Should’ve said axe murder.”

Ellie quickly reaches for Penny’s hand, pulling her further away from Joel. Ellie quickly walks deeper down the road. Penelope turns back to Joel for a moment, before matching her pace with Ellie’s.

“Uh, whatever it was, I think it’s gone,” Ellie says in a sing-song voice.

Penelope glances around at her surroundings, looking for whatever Joel might’ve wanted the two girls to not see. Penelope’s too distracted looking over at the hill to notice Ellie stopped walking. She bumped into Ellie’s back, instantly apologizing. “Oh, sorry Ellie.”

Ellie didn't answer, her eyes fixated on something below them. Penelope follows Ellie’s line of sight, her mouth falling open in shock. There were skulls . And human remains. There were suitcases thrown around. Penelope’s eyes widened in horror as she took in what was before her. The remains were in a ditch, on the side of the road. Penelope had stared for a while at the contents, unable to focus on anything else. 

Joel had approached the two girls.

“About a week after Outbreak Day, soldiers went through the countryside, evacuated the small towns. Told you you were goin' to a QZ, and you were if there was room. If there wasn't.” Joel trailed off.

Penelope tore her eyes away from the scene in front of her. “These people weren’t sick?” Her voice was hollow.

“No, probably not.” 

“Why would they kill them, then?”

“Why not just leave ‘em be?” Ellie spoke this time, feeding off Penelope’s thoughts. 

“Dead people can’t be infected,” Joel responded.

Angry tears had pricked at the corner of Penelope’s eyes. She looked away, exhaling.

*        *       *

After many more hours of walking, a town came into view. 

There were leaves all over the paved road, some trees bare of their leaves. Penelope stepped on each crunchy leaf, completely bored out of her mind.

The trio hadn’t talked much since Joel’s speech earlier. 

There was too much to think about.

At least for Penelope, there was.

The trio approached a gated-in town.

Penelope standing on Ellie’s right, Joel in front of the two girls leading them to the gate. The gate looked rusted and unused. 

“Stay there.” Joel looked back at the two girls before turning to the gate. He punched in the code, the gate beeping, and opened the door.  Joel held the door open for the two girls, Ellie entering first, and Penelope second. Joel came in last to close the gate. He took the lead as they walked through the community.

Penelope couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful structures. She’s so used to the bland brick buildings in the Boston QZ, so it’s nice to see a change of scenery. 

Joel slows down as they reach a white house with an American Flag. The yellow flowers were wilted and dead. Penelope itches her eyebrow, following Joel up the steps of the house.

“Where are Bill and Frank, Joel?” Penelope whispers. She’s afraid to speak up. Too nervous for someone to pop up out of nowhere.

Joel doesn’t answer Penelope’s question. Instead, he reaches for the golden doorknob, opening it. The door was unlocked. Joel quickly pulls out his pistol. Slowly walking in, Penelope is greeted with the smell of dust. She inhales deeply, falling into a coughing fit. She tries to be quiet, but her heaving chest disagrees with her.

“What the fuckkk ?” Ellie voices, looking around at the fully furnished house.

“Bill?” Joel spoke loudly.

Once Penelope’s coughing fit is over, her eyes watering a bit, she takes in the house she’s in.

It’s covered in dust but still furnished. 

It felt homey to her.

Like the people who lived here actually lived . And were happy.

The walls were covered in framed pictures, and stairs led up to the second floor right in front of Joel. 

“Frank?” Joel tried again.

Penelope and Ellie looked at each other.

Where are they?

Penelope fixed her nasal cannula itching her nose beneath the wire. The dust in the house was really getting to her lungs. It wasn’t very fun for her.

Joel turned around to the girls behind him. “You two stay here. Ya hear anything, you see anything, yell.” Joel’s voice was stern.

He turns, going to look around the house.

Ellie’s voice stops him. It was tentative. Quiet. Not like Ellie at all. “What if they’re gone?” Ellie asks, voicing Penelope’s thoughts.

Joel turns instantly. He glances at her, then at the room in front of him. He turns back, advancing into the room. 

Okayyy then.

Ellie and Penelope walk into the dining room, taking in the surroundings.

“Ellie, look at this,” Penelope motions to the moldy food on the plates. “This is so gross.”

Ellie’s eye is caught on something else on the table. She moves past Penelope to pick the object up. “What’s that?” Penelope asks from beside her.

“Uh, I dunno,” Ellie responds. She hastily puts the object back where she found it like it had burnt her.

“Okay then,” Penelope eyes her friend suspiciously, moving from the dusty dining room to the living room.

Ellie does the same, placing her hands on the piano in the room. It let out a noise, startling Penelope who was staring at the half-finished paintings. The colors of the painting were dull, with some of the paint strokes messed off and trailing off the canvas.

These people were living in luxury , Penelope thought.

Still studying the paintings, Penelope called out to Ellie. “Hey, so do you want to tell me what that box was, from earlier?” Penelope’s voice trailed off as she noticed Ellie looking intently at something in her hands.

“What’s that?” Penelope motioned to Ellie.

The two were caught off guard as the front door slammed shut. Penelope jumped out of her skin, trying to suppress her shriek. She latched onto Ellie’s coat in fear.

Ellie froze in shock. Once they were sure it was nothing, Ellie laughed at Penelope’s reaction. “It was just the door, Penny.”

“Ellie?” Joel called out.

The two girls moved from the living room to the dusty dining room. Ellie didn't answer.

“Penelope?”

Joel rounded the hallway corner, walking right into the dining room. Ellie had pulled out a chair, along with Penelope. They were both bent over a piece of paper.

“It’s from Bill, Joel.” Penelope pointed to the letter in Ellie’s hand.

Ellie gathered the envelope, and read out; “‘To whomever, but probably Joel.’” Ellie paused. “I figured we fell under ‘whomever.’” Ellie dropped the envelope on the disty table.

“It came with this,” Penelope pushed forward the key that she was playing with. It made a mark on the table as she pushed it towards Joel. 

Joel walked forward, setting down his backpack. He took the key into his hands, inspecting it. “So, they’re dead?”

Penelope hummed in response, nodding her head solemnly.

Joel nodded, turning around. Away from the two girls. He exhaled, shaking his head.

“You–you wanna?” Ellie asked, motioning to the letter in her hand.

Joel shook his head. “Go ahead. You do it.” his voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

Penelope looked at Ellie, nodding her head, mouthing, ‘You read it’. 

Ellie took in a big breath, readying herself. “‘August 29, 2023. If you find this, please do not come into the bedroom. We left a window open so the house wouldn't smell, but it will probably be a sight. I'm guessing you found this, Joel, because anyone else would've been electrocuted or blown up by one of my traps.” 

“Hehehehehehehehe.” Ellie paused, speaking in a monotone. Penelope looked at Ellie incredulously. In response, Ellie pointed to the lettering on the paper, to which Penelope nodded. 

Ellie continued, “‘Take anything you need. The bunker code is the same as the gate code but in reverse. Anyway, I never liked you, but still, it's like we're friends, almost. And I respect you. So, I'm gonna tell you something because you're probably the only person who will understand. I used to hate the world and I was happy when everyone died. But I was wrong, because there was one person worth saving. That's what I did. I saved him. Then I protected him. That's why men like you and me are here. We have a job to do, and God help any motherfuckers who stand in our way. I leave you all of my weapons and equipment. Use them to keep–” Ellie cut herself off.

Penelope glanced at the paper once again, blurry tears in her eyes. Her eyes widened as she read, ‘ To keep Tess safe .’

To Ellie’s reaction, Joel walked over to the two girls, taking the paper gingerly out of her hands. He read over the paper, staring at it. Well, more like glaring at the paper. Joel folded it up, straightening. “Stay here.” Was all Joel said as he exited the dining room.

The two girls sat, stunned. They heard the door opening and closing, loudly after Joel.

“So…that went well,” Penelope muttered. She shifted in her seat, pulling her legs up. 

The two girls stayed quiet. What else were they supposed to say? The letter Ellie just read aloud was…Grim. 

Five minutes after Joel left, he returned. 

He stood in front of the two girls for a moment. Instantly, Penelope and Ellie straightened up. 

“Show me your arm,” Joel instructed Ellie. 

Elie moved quickly to stand up, pulling up her coat and her sweatshirt sleeve to reveal her bite mark. Joel stared at it.

“I just finished makin' a truck battery. It's charging right now.” 

“Okay,” Ellie replied quickly. She still had her arm up for Joel to look at.

Penelope had pulled off her cannula, not wanting to waste any of the oxygen she needed for later. She turned off the tank too, stuffing the cord into her bag. While doing so, she brushed her fingers over a piece of paper. Joel and Ellie’s conversation drowned out behind her as the piece of paper required her full attention.

“...used to be a Firefly. And my–” Joel said.

“A Firefly?” Penelope interrupted, standing up. Joel looked over to Penelope from behind Ellie.

“Yeah.” He said, questioningly.

“My parents said they were a part of the Fireflies.” Penelope started, a small blush coating her cheeks as she had just interrupted Joel. “Do you think they’d be with your brother?”

Joel paused. He answered her slowly. “He might. Tommy might know where some of them are out there. Maybe they can get Ellie to this lab.” Joel finished. Penelope nodded wordlessly as she clutched the paper in between her fingers.

“All right,” Ellie answered. The tree paused for a moment. Ellie spoke uncertainty into the silence. “Listen, about Tess.”

Joel holds up his hand, stopping Ellie from saying anything more. “If I'm takin' you two with me, there's some rules you gotta follow. Rule one, you don't bring up Tess. Ever . Matter of fact, we can just keep our histories to ourselves. Rule two, you don't tell anyone about your condition. They see that bite mark, they won't think it through. They'll just shoot you. Rule three, you do what I say when I say it.”

“We clear?” Joel glances at Penelope who is sitting straight as a board, her eyes forward.

“Yes,” Ellie answers.

“Yeah,” Penelope replies quickly.

“Repeat it.” Joel prompts.

“Ellie nods slowly, piercing her lips. “What you say goes.”

Joel motions to Penelope. “Uh–yeah. You’re in charge. Listen to you,” She quickly mumbles, pulling on her braid anxiously. 

Joel nods his head slowly at the two girls. “Okay.” He whispers. Ellie exhales looking at her feet.

“So what now?” Ellie recovers asking Joel.

“We grab what we can.”

Joel leads the two girls down into the basement, thudding down the stairs. The room is pitch black, and covered in dust. Penelope breathes out heavily, trying not to inhale all the dust and fall into another fit of coughs. Ellie looks around in wonder, her eyes entrapped by all the guns and survival supplies around the room.

“Holey shitt,” Ellie exclaims. “This guy was a genius.”

Joel stands in front of many scenes, poking at the keyboard. Penelope wanders from Ellie's side to Joel’s side, looking at the screens. 

“Why was the music on?” Ellie asks.

“If he didn't reset the countdown every few weeks, this playlist would run over the radio.”

Ellie comes to stand behind the screens, bending over to look at the screen just like Penelope and Joel. “80s.” Ellie declares proudly.

“Is this outside?” Penelope points at the security cameras, looking over to Joel for an answer.

He nodded, to which Penelope became engrossed. She clicked some buttons on the scenes, changing the pictures. She breathed out in wonder. “Woah,” She whispered.

Joel moved to stand closer to the screen, tapping on Penelope’s shoulder. “Grab some cans from over there. Nothin' dented or swollen.” Penelope nodded quickly, moving to start inspecting the cans in the pantry.

Ellie on the other hand, had something else in mind. She moved to the wall of guns, pointing. “Dude.”

“No,” Joel replied, not looking up.

“There's a wall of them.” Ellie reasoned.

Penelope glanced up from the cans, shaking her head. “What about my gun, Joel?”

Joel glanced at the younger girl, instantly shutting her up. “Okay…” She whispered, waving Ellie over to her to sort through the canned food.

*        *       *

Moments later, Penelope and Ellie moved from the basement, back into the hallway. Who knew how many supplies Bill and Frank stashed over the years? It was mind-blowing how much stuff they had stashed. 

Ellie was pulling rolls of toilet paper from the closet that was in the hallway. Penelope found a large duffle bag deciding to fill it up with whatever supplies they were going to need. Between three people, they were going to need a lot of supplies. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to carry all of these supplies since they were going to use Bill's truck.  

Penelope wandered upstairs, finding a spare bedroom. It was filled to the brim with clutter. She walked through the room, searching under the bed, and in the dresser for supplies. Joel came upstairs to see Penelope rummaging through the room.

“What’d you find?” Joel asked Penelope from the doorway.

“Oh.” She jumped up from looking under the bed. “There’s a closet, but I think it's locked.” Penelope pointed to the closet door.

Joel nodded making his way through the room. Using the key Penelope gave him earlier, he opened the door. It was pitched black in the room. There was a string that Joel pulled on, turning on the light. 

Penelope smiled as Joel grabbed a box. The box read ‘WOMAN’S SHIRTS.’ Penelope eagerly pulled open the box, searching through the contents.

“Eli!” Penelope yelled. “I found the jackpot!” she was pulling shirt after shirt out of the box. 

Ellie bounded up the stairs eagerly.

“What room are you in?” Ellie called out.

“Straight, then left!” Penelope called out excitedly.

As Ellie came into the room, Penelope was holding up a fist full of shirts in her hand. “Look what Joel got!” She was waving it around excitedly.

Ellie quickly sorted through the discarded shirts, looking through them. Penelope made sure to give Ellie most of the long sleeves, remembering how Joel told Ellie that she needed to cover up.

Penelope found a green tank top covered in stripes and gasped. “Ellie, look–do you think this’ll look good on me?”

Joel watched the girl's interaction, pulling out more boxes for them to scrounge through. He himself grabbed clothes for him to bring along. Not as much as Penelope looks to be, but definitely enough to last.

*        *       *

As Joel went to check the car battery, the girls brought their overstuffed backpacks to the car. Penelope had found two spare backpacks for herself and Ellie. She couldn’t find one for Joel, no matter how hard she looked around the house. Since the two girls had found extra backpacks, they put their clothes and luxury items in there.

Like their shampoos, blankets, hygienic products, and just extra stuff they didn't need in their actual backpacks. This was helpful for Penelope specifically because that meant she didn’t need to take her two oxygen tanks out of her already overfull backpack.

“It needs another hour,” Joel called out to the two girls in the garage. Penelope was laying in the backseat, flipping through a magazine.

“Penny! They have hot water!” Ellie exclaimed from outside the truck.

Penelope jumped up in excitement, throwing the magazine somewhere in the backseat. She jumped up, running past Joel to Ellie. “Really?!” She asked in excitement, feeling the hot water flow over her hand.

“Yep,” Ellie said, smiling. “I'm takin' a shower.”

“Ugh, me too,” Penelope decides following Ellie out of the garage.

“And then you're showering because seriously.” Ellie trailed off, waving a hand in front of her nose, addressing Joel.

“Eli!” Penelope laughed, pushing Ellie out the door. “I’ll race you!”

Joel watched his– the two girls out the door, shaking his head. 

*        *       *

After Ellie had taken her twenty-minute shower, Penelope shoved Ellie out of the way. “About time,” Penelope said before slamming the door shut.

“Hey!” Penelope heard Ellie screech through the door. “Now, you don't take a twenty-minute shower!”

“Sure, sure!” Penelope rushes. 

Penelope walked into the room, dropping her backpack filled with clothes on the floor. She had her towel in her hand, along with her brush. Penelope whipped the bathroom mirror of its condensation to stare at her reflection in the mirror.

Penelope’s eyes looked more sunken in, her naturally reddish and blotchy cheeks looked hollow in her reflection. Her brown eyes evaluated her hair before her. Penelope’s blondish-brown hair looked very frizzy and flat in her braid. Her usual curls were wrapped up into a knotted braid. 

She started to pull her hair out of the braid, getting her fingers stuck in the strands. After a long time of pulling the–not so simple–three strands from each other, it left Penelope’s hair an absolute mess. Her hair was uncontrollable, it was frizzing and poofing up around her face. 

Don’t even get Penelope started on brushing her hair.

It was an absolute pain.

Penelope rarely brushed her hair dry, but was she willing to go into the shower with her knotted hair? She thinks not. 

Penelope sections her hair off, repeatedly brushing through the ends of her hair, before getting her hairbrush stuck in some of the knots. Nothing is more frustrating than hair. After repeatedly assaulting her hair, there are no more knots, but it is now poofing everywhere.

Ignoring her reflection, Penelope pulls her mane of hair to the side, turning on the hot water.

Penelope hears a knock on the door. She pauses. 

“Hurry up in there,” Ellie yells through the door.

Penelope rolls her eyes, opening the door. “Yeah, try dealing with my hair.” She motions to the mane of her hair before slamming the door shut in Ellie’s face. She can hear Ellie’s laughter through the door.

Ignoring her friend's laugh, she strips off her striped black Converse, her tank top, and her jeans. Free of her clothes, she steps into the shower. 

The stream of warm water instantly relaxes her muscles. Back in the QZ, they didn’t have hot water. All they had was cold water, making showers short and unpleasant. Not to mention the warm mist makes her lungs feel revealed. She sighs contently, her body enveloped in the hot water.

She washes her body of the girt and grime, making the water at the bottom of the tub becomes sudsy with soap and discolored with brown. The feeling of nice quality soap on Penelope’s body feels so nice, compared to the ration stuff she got back at the QZ.

Getting her hair wet, the frizzy curls fall wet. She wrings them around her fingers as they are drenched in water, trying to tame the curls. She separates her hair in layers to make sure her hair is all wet before using shampoo. Earlier in the day, Penelope snatched a mint-scented body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. She saw there were other scents, like lavender, or roses, but she prefers mint to the stuffy scents of flowers.

She lathered her hand up with a generous amount of shampoo and massaged her scalp with the contents. Her hair turned sudsy with her efforts. After mashing enough shampoo in her hair, she squeezed her hair to get rid of some of the suds before rinsing her hair out. As she looked down at the tub once again, the water was discolored once more. But on the bright side, her hair felt so much cleaner now and smelt so much nicer than sweat.

Once the shampoo was cleaned out, she applied the conditioner to the ends of her hair. Penelope does not put the conditioner on her scalp, learning the hard way. Since then, she’s only applied the conditioner to her ears and to her ends. Nowhere above that. After that was done, she rinsed out the contents, leaving her hair feeling smooth. She wrapped all of her hair around her hands, squeezing the extra water out before turning off the water.

Exiting the shower, Penelope dries herself off. She wraps her hair in the towel, leaving it there wrapped up while she gets dressed. She just pulls on her new jeans she found earlier today, along with a plane tank top. Feeling it growing colder, she pulls one of her favorite sweaters out of her bag. It was a creme color, with deep maroon around the neckline and hemline with a deep blue along the edges. She pulled on her socks and her Converse, before getting ready to leave.

She puts away her body wash, shampoo, and conditioner in a separate part of her bag.

Before leaving, she uses the bathroom. As she wipes, she feels a throbbing pain in her abdomen. She clutches her stomach in discomfort. Brushing it off, she pulls up her pants, going to flush. Penelope’s eyes widen in horror as she sees crimson red in the toilet. Penelope freezes. Involuntarily, Penelope lets out a shriek.

She hears a thud outside, then banging on the door. “Penny?” Ellie calls, knocking on the door. “Penny, what’s up?”

Penny doesn't reply, instead muttering, “Oh my god. Oh my god!”

Penelope can hear the door knob rattling, and then opening. “Penny, what’s wrong?” Ellie turns Penelope around to face her.

Penelope is trembling, the dull ache in her abdomen growing stronger, no longer discomforting, now throbbing. Her knees were growing weak from the pain. “I’m dying,” Penelope mutters, shaking her head.

“Penelope.” Ellie tries. 

There's another knock on the door, and Ellie swears. “Go away, Joel.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes!” Ellie yells. “No!” Penelope also yells.

“We’re fine, Joel. You can go.” Ellie says, opening the door enough for her head to peek through.

Ellie turns back to Penelope. “Penny, it’s alright. You aren’t dying.”

Penelope shakes her head. “Yes, I am! I’m bleeding– down there!” Penelope says in embarrassment, hiding her face in her hands. 

Ellie sighs, sitting on the wall of the tub. “Listen to me, Penelope.” 

Penelope slowly looks up through her fingers.

“It’s called a period. You get it every month. You bleed from your vagina each month, and there’s a lot of pain. There is nothing you can do about it.” Ellie speaks slowly, placing her hands on Penelope’s shoulders.

Penelope’s face pales as she looks at Ellie. “Every month?” She whispers.

“Yes,” Ellie speaks. “Every month.”

“Oh, my god.”

Ellie sighs. “That box I got from earlier today that you asked about?”

Penelope nodded her head.

“Okay, those are tampons. They’re for your period. But you can use a pad. I’ll go grab one.” Ellie stands up, reaching the door. “I'll be right back,” Ellie assures Penelope.

All Penelope can do is sit on the floor, clutching her stomach. She looks shellshocked at the new information, and like she’s about to hurl. Ellie comes back quickly, holding an unopened box in her hands.

“Okay, here, these are pads.” She opens the box, grabbing two pads out of the box. “Uh, do you have underwear for me to show you how to do this?” Ellie asks.

Penelope nods, taking a pair of tattered underwear out of her bag. She slowly hands them to Ellie.

Ellie takes them in her hand and opens the package. “Okay. So what you're gonna do is open the flap on the wrapping. All you have to do is pull both sides open, then it'll lay flat. From there you pull the pad out, and lay it on your underwear.” Ellie demonstrates, with a funny look on her face. She shows Penelope the underwear with the pad on it before continuing. “Then you take the wrapper in the middle and pull it off. Then wrap the two sides under the underwear. See?” Ellie asks Penelope.

Penelope stares hollowly at the underwear. “Got it.” She whispers.

“Uh, okay. Here, I'll let you try it. I'll leave to give you some privacy.” Ellie nods, throwing away the pad, and setting the piece of clothing on the counter. She leaves, closing the door behind her.

What the fuck is going on? Penelope thinks dazedly.

*        *       *

Moments after that whole…fiasco in the bathroom, Ellie was playing with the grandfather clock in the dining room. Penelope trudged heavily down the stairs with her backpack on her shoulders, her wet hair soaking through her sweater.

“Oh hey, Penny. You alright now?” Ellie turns away from the clock.

Penelope nods weakly with a small smile on her face. “Yeah, I am. Thank you.” She whispered, moving to take the chair Ellie sat in a few hours earlier.

Ellie turns back to the clock, playing with something in it. Something clatters out of Ellie’s hands as she struggles to catch it. Penelope lets out a laugh, clutching onto her abdomen in pain as she laughs. “Oh…my…god, Eli, you should see your face.”

“Oh ha ha. Shut up.” Ellie mumbles closing the grandfather clock.

Ellie moves to snoop through the house, pulling on a prince of furniture, and revealing a desk. “Oo, that’s cool,” Penelope voices. Ellie closes it, searching through the drawers. Ellie pulls something out of the drawer. A second later, she rushes to her backpack as Joel climbs down the stairs. She shoves the object in her bag zipping it up quickly. She recovers quick;y as Joel stands in the hallway.

Penelope gives Ellie an odd look, before closing her eyes in pain. She rests her head on the table. 

“Well, don't you look pretty,” Ellie states, smiling.

Joel stands in the hallway for a moment before responding, “Shut up.” 

Joel tosses Ellie two objects which she catches. “Nice.”

Ellie taps Penelope’s shoulder, holding the second deodorant in front of Penelope’s face. “Oh sweet, thanks Joel.” Penelope quickly replies, snatching the object. She pulls up her shirt to apply some, Ellie doing the same.

*        *       *

Ellie leads Penelope to the truck, Penelope following behind her tiredly. 

Penelope opens the back seat door, opens it up, and climbs in. She throws her backpack to the side, pulling her oxygen tank out and her blanket. Instantly she puts on her cannula, her lungs aching after a while.

Ellie throws her coat and backpack into the back seat. “Hey! Watch out for my head, Eli!” Penelope shoves Ellie’s stuff to the far side of the backseat, brushing her hand on the rifle. She recoils her hand, instantly going to her cannula.

Joel fixes the rearview mirror to face Penelope. Penelope smiles as she sees herself in the reflection. She throws the blanket over her shoulder, laying down on her side. She used her backpack full of clothes as her pillow.

“This car will never not be cool,” Penelope breathes from the backseat. 

Ellie touches everything in the car. From the mirror to the buttons on the door, to the visors above her.

“It's your first time in a car?” Joel asks.

“It's like a spaceship,” Ellie responds with a smile on her face.

“No, it's like a piece of shit Chevy S10, but it'll get us there, I think.” Joel turns to get his seat belt on. “Seatbelt.”

Ellie and Penelope both give him questioning looks. “What’s that?” Penelope asks.

“Seatbelt,” Joel repeats, pulling on Ellies. 

“So cool,” Ellie whispers.

He turns around to the backseat to point to Penelopes. He sees Penelope laying on her side, instantly reprimanding her. “Hey, sit up. If we get into a car accident, you’d be dead, lying like that.”

Penelope instantly sits up, straightening. “Right, nice mental image, Old man.” She pulls on the ‘seatbelt’, clicking it into the buckle by her hip. “This is so cool,” She whispers.

“Would ya leave it?” Joel asks as he drives out of the garage.

Penelope watches, leaning into the ‘central console’. She rests her elbows on there, much to Joel’s dismay. “Put it back.”

Ellie jams a tape into the music player, and the car lets out noises. “Ellie,” Joel says sternly.

“Oh my god! Eli! It plays music,” Penelope exclaimed in wonder. 

Ellie moves to take the tape out like Joel told her to, instead, Joel says, “Oh, no, wait. No, leave it. Leave it.”

The music plays softly through the car. The sun setting in the distance, blinding Ellie and Penelope. Ellie puls down the visor to cover her eyes.

“This is good. This is Linda Ronstadt. Do you know who Linda Ronstadt is?” Joel asks, quizzing Penelope and Ellie.

“You know I don't know who Linda Ronstadt is,” Ellie says sassily, rolling her eyes.

“Uh, no?” Penelope says uncertainty.

The trio is quiet as they absorb the music, reaching the gate. Joel stops the car, sighing. “Oh, man.”

Ellie shrugs. “Eh, it’s better than nothing.”

Joel smiles at Ellie’s statement. He clicks the pin on a device. Penelope sighs and leans back into the door. She rests her head on the window, pulling her blanket around her body. She watches from the corner of her eye as Joel glances at her and Ellie as he drives, trying to hide his smile. 

Joel drives forward from the gate, starting their long journey.

#the last of us #i hope you like it #fanfiction #posted on ao3 #writerslife #ellie x fem oc #i love how protective joel is of ellie and penelope already

[stargirlfics]

I heard we were talking about what cologne Chris might wear, and I was summoned because I have a few ideas, so here’s a short(ish) list

Personally, I feel like he, at least for special events like the red carpet, is a Tom Ford kind of guy. It’s just a very classic brand for cologne, especially like higher end cologne but the question is which one, and I’ve narrowed it down to what I think the three are, the first being Tabacco Vanille (an old favorite of Harry Styles) Grey Vetiver or a personal favorite of mine Oud Wood. He also gives me the vibe of maybe a La Nuit De L'homme by Yves Saint Laurent or like any of the Creed colognes, honestly, because they are very expensive and fancy and extremely popular amongst male celebrities. But if I had to guess specifics, maybe Green Irish Tweed just feels very Boston to me agshdj, Aventus, or Royal Oud

But I also feel like he may not be into heavier, muskier, and traditionally “masculine” scents and would for something more subtle like Gucci Mémoire d'une Odeur (another favorite of Harry Styles, lol), which is light and one of the main notes is chamomile which is super calming. Runners-up are scents like Skin by Clean Reserve or Fresh Life Eau De Parfum, or Cannabis Santal (I really feel like this is his vibe Cannabis Santal isn't as soapy as the others its more grassy and nature-y, but it's just muah chefs kiss)

Tldr, I feel like he alternates between very homey scents, nothing too strong or abrasive but basically the scent equivalent of a warm hug or a drink by the fire lol or something very clean and natural and barely-there, almost soap-like, but when you get close to him you’re like “hmmm he smells nice.” But yeah, that’s my piece. We love, and respect bath and body works in this house though I will never give up Pure Wonder it smells so good. Also, Chris absolutely would buy you whatever fragrances you want :) I send so many anons I feel like I should pick a tag or something afhjafjkkdstj

Ooh you gave us an analysis anon this is cool cause I agree about him probably not leaning towards heavier scented cologne!

I could see Chris liking scents that are more airy, nature-y, clean but not overpowering if that makes sense, soap like as you said, yeah!

#asks #cevans

[mariacallous]

A new gold rush is underway in Latin America—only this time around, the bounty is white. With its sprawling salt flats, the region is rich with a new ore—lithium—and everyone from Germany to China is clambering to get in on the race.

White gold, or lithium, is a coveted critical mineral that is key to making the batteries that drive the energy transition. Some 60 percent of the world’s lithium reserves can be found in the so-called lithium triangle, a region that encompasses Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. It’s not just lithium either: Peru and Chile are the world’s two largest copper producers, while Brazil is home to 17 percent of all nickel reserves.

“Latin America is front and center in the race for minerals,” said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It’s just about every single mineral you need to power the modern infrastructure, the green infrastructure that we’re going to need.”

That has sparked a global scramble to tap the region’s wealth—one in which Chinese companies have an edge. For decades, Beijing has rapidly ramped up its trade and investment in the region, entrenching its economic ties and influence there while the United States’ attention wandered. A growing number of Chinese projects in Latin America now center around the clean energy sector, part of what experts say is emblematic of a broader shift, as Beijing scales back its big-bore lending and zeroes in on what it sees as the prize.

“We’ve all known that renewable energy would eventually get the momentum necessary to pick up speed and really dominate the investment horizon,” said Rebecca Ray, an international development finance expert at Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center. “And we’re beginning to see that pivot in the [China-Latin America] relationship, where it goes from potential to reality.”’

Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century found loads of silver in Potosi, Bolivia. Chinese investors think they’ve found their own mother lode of a different kind. Chinese firms won a bid to develop two lithium plants in Bolivia last month, beating out offers from American and Russian companies. Led by Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology, the consortium is betting big on Bolivia’s enormous potential mineral wealth—estimated to be home to the world’s biggest lithium resources—although extraction challenges and political hurdles have long stymied the Bolivian industry’s development. Bolivia’s lithium just isn’t as easy or cost effective to pluck as it is in neighboring countries.

“Many countries and many companies have gone in there, tried to exploit the resource—for lack of a better phrase—and just run into challenges either with the government or with purifying that brine,” said Chris Berry, president of House Mountain Partners, an independent metals analyst, referring to the process of drying brine in salt flats to extract lithium ore. “That’s always been the problem with Bolivia.”

Beijing has found more success in Argentina, with Chinese battery powerhouse Ganfeng Lithium paying $962 million to buy Lithea Inc. and snap up the firm’s rights to two salt lakes. A year ago, another Chinese company, Zijin Mining, funneled $380 million into Argentina to build a lithium carbonate plant.

Beyond lithium, Beijing has also struck deals for solar, wind, and hydroelectric projects across the region, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into solar parks in Argentina and Brazil as well as signing contracts for hydroelectric projects in Bolivia and Argentina. In Brazil, Chinese firms have also made inroads in the country’s electric vehicle industry. Ray, the Boston University expert, said as Western firms withdrew from the region during the pandemic and resulting economic slowdown, Chinese companies moved in and began building up their portfolios. “And so now, Western companies may be playing a bit of catch-up,” she said.

Part of the allure of partnering with Beijing, experts say, is the very nature of Chinese deals. China has boasted about its no-strings-attached financing, with fewer economic and political conditions than Western lenders. Many Latin American governments see China as the only option, and criticism that Beijing’s lending practices have overburdened borrowers with debt have failed to resonate in the region, Berg said. Last September, debt-ridden Ecuador and China inked a deal to restructure $4.4 billion in debt.

“[Governments] know that they’re not going to get the same level of quality by partnering with Chinese companies, but they also will get fewer headaches, fewer regulations, fewer lessons on the environment, fewer complaints from [nongovernmental organizations],” Berg said.

In the past, Chinese-funded projects have come under fire for creating lasting environmental harm, including deforestation, pesticide toxication, and the mismanagement of delicate ecosystems. In Ecuador, for example, a copper mining project operated by the subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned company led to the displacement of local populations, land seizures, and environmental damage, according to the U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee. Still, China’s silver has currency.

“Even though China has this image as insensitive to environmental protection, it is the principal player in this region in this very dynamic green energy sector,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program. “That’s to the disadvantage of U.S. companies and influence in the Western Hemisphere.”

Western countries, which have marketed themselves as more environmentally and socially conscious investors, have been rushing to compete. Last month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to Argentina and Chile to secure new lithium deals while the European Union updated its trade ties with Chile just a few months ago. Canada has issued regulations that forced three Chinese companies to divest from Canadian lithium mining firms.

The Biden administration’s answer, the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, promises multi-sector, region-wide cooperation and involves 11 countries that account for some 90 percent of GDP in the Western Hemisphere. Although the details of the partnership haven’t been hashed out yet, Washington has pledged to use it to expand supply chains and boost economic growth—all while deepening U.S. trade ties with the region.

All of these competing interests have put Latin American leaders in a tricky position. They can get easy money, with headaches. They can get good money, with strings attached. But it’s all part of the new great game.

“They’re all really trying to triangulate both Western and Chinese financing,” said Stephen Kaplan, a professor at George Washington University. “In a lot of ways, the region is looking to circumvent some of the geopolitical tensions.”

But increased interest could also come with its own benefits. As foreign investors scramble to make attractive offers for clean energy deals, Latin American governments are also in a unique position to pick the highest bidder—and maximize their own economic interests.

“It serves Latin America to have competition,” Ray said. “If they get to have competitive bidding processes with many different competitors—be it European, Chinese, American, Japanese, Korean—they may get better outcomes than if they’re just working with one.”

[frenchiefitzhere]

Frenchie’s Imperium Lasko Headcanons, part 1

In case you haven't heard, I am the reigning queen of the President Moore simps. And these are their stories /ref Appearance Height: 6’2”-6’3” Hair  Color: Blond or sandy brown Length: Respectable and professional, but fun to ruffle your fingers through Eye color: Dark brown, almost black Tattoo: photo-realistic single feather in black ink on right side of his chest Wardrobe:  Glasses: Designer half-moon readers. He owns these in several metals. Suits: This man owns more suits than Barney Stinson. He is always impeccably dressed. He knows how to dress for his height. Everything is slim cut. Suits are all classic colors, but he likes to play around with different color shirts and ties and pocket squares. Yes. Pocket squares. Everything is made of premium natural fibers: silks, linens, wool, etc

n.b. Lasko goes to the same shop as James.

Shoes: For work, Lasko almost exclusively wears Oxfords. When relaxing at home, he’ll wear loafers, but only those made from fine Italian or Moroccan leather. 

He can occasionally be spotted wearing a black fleece or windbreaker with the academy logo on it. That’s the only time he’d be caught dead wearing athletic gear outside in public.

This image of Orlando Bloom checks out:

But also…Sebastian Stan??? (yessir)

Office and Living Space Office: 

Lasko’s office is chock-full of antiques that he chose to complement the old world carved walnut details on the ceiling, wainscoting, French doors, and built-in bookshelves. The office is longer than it is wide, with his desk on the side nearest the three tall windows. The windows have green velvet curtains. Lasko’s desk is immense and heavy, also carved wood, with a green blotter on top. He fully takes advantage of the Bond-villain swivel chair image. There are two shorter, green leather chairs in front of his desk for guests.

At the midpoint of the office, there is a reading alcove set into the bookshelves. There are a few wingback chairs, a coffee table, and a sofa positioned around a small wood-burning stove. Also at the midpoint is a full-length oval mirror beside a valet stand where he often parks his jacket while he’s working.

Inspiration for Lasko’s presidential office (Algonquin Club in Boston):

At the far end of the office (farthest from the window), there is a severe-looking rectangular conference table. 

Per @teafairywithabook: Lasko’s office also has a full residential suite attached in similar decor. Apartment: Lasko owns a penthouse condo in downtown Dahlia. Where his office is classic Old World refinement, his apartment is severe, spartan modernity. Black and white, clean lines, minimalist design. (Think Kingpin’s place in the Daredevil series.)

Country house: Of course he has one. On a fucking vineyard. Spanish tiles on the roof. All that shit. A Mediterranean-ass mansion that looks like it was plucked right out of the south of France. (Addition from @teafairywithabook: Country house has stables. Because Lasko in riding boots etc. Yes please.) Personal Life, Possessions, Preferences

Personal taste: On the whole, Lasko likes imports and prefers the finest and most expensive of everything.

MF-er always has a mirror accessible. He is vain as shit.

Karaoke jam: King of the Clouds (Panic! At the Disco) 

Car: Aston Martin DB11 in China Gray

Season ticket holder to Dahlia Civic Opera (box seats). Often trades these out for political favors.

#redacted asmr #redacted headcanons #redacted imperium #redacted lasko #president moore #imperium lasko #my beloved #i love him so much #my skrunkle

[spaciousreasoning]

Let the Games Begin!

Ordinarily, this being the 28th of February, this would be the last day of the month. But since we are in a Leap Year, there's one more day to go before March arrives. Today's rain makes it seem like the lion is arriving early, and the ash in the back patio is already sprouting many little green shoots, so, yes, it does seem as if spring is here.

Our realtor came today to do all the paperwork and discuss everything that needs to be done to get out place on the market. Someone will come in the next few days to do some cleaning for us, followed by someone taking away a few of the extra things we're not going to carry to Oregon.

Then the real estate photographer will show up in about a week. We have to arrange things so it looks like nobody is living here, which is not the easiest task considering that we will still be living in this space until the actual move takes place the week of April 21.

Once the place goes up for sale, we also have to make plans to get out of the house when potential buyers want to look it over. At least we don't have to hide all the clutter like we will for pictures. We hope there won't be that many disruptions before someone makes an offer we are willing to entertain.

We just barely said good-bye to the siblings, and we're already deep into the moving madness. While we are making some progress, it feels like we are still behind in getting ready. Even stopping to breathe for a moment seems like a waste of time, given there is so much more to accomplish.

But having family in to visit just before the insanity was a much needed distraction, and we had plenty of fun and are way too much food and some of those involved had more than a little extra to drink. Getting back to my men's meeting last night was quite a relief. It was also nice to have Les back visiting to accompany me. Phyllis has returned to Boston briefly to take her mom back, and she will be back in Tucson by the weekend. We look forward to spending some casual time with them. Some for some more distraction!

#moving #packing #selling

[josiahhuddington]

IMPORTANT DETAILS

Full Name: Josiah Scott Huddington Age: 36 Occupation: Park Ranger Time in town: Just Arrived (May of 2023) Neighborhood: Downtown in an apartment with Orion Blakely Street Address: coming soon. Face Claim: Scott Eastwood

BASIC DETAILS

Nickname: Jos, Siah, Si, Scotty Ethnicity: of German Decent Gender: Cis-Male Pronouns: He/Him Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual Date of birth: March 15th Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts; lived in New York for the last several years Education: College Degree - Criminal Justice at Duke University Zodiac Sign: Pisces Prominent Traits: untrusting, compassionate, athletic, genuine, helpful

FAMILY DETAILS

Family Members: Mother & Father - Heather & Ian Huddington, Siblings - One younger sister Birth Order: Oldest Child Pets: An Australian Shepherd named Xena, soon to be adopting a bunny he rescued in the wild. Marital Status: Single

PHYSICAL DETAILS

Height: 6'1" Body Type: Very athletic, muscular to represent that Eye Color: Blue Hair Color: Blonde Scars/Marks: Freckles on his shoulders, a scar on the bridge of his nose from an injury during college, a scar on his ankle from a reconstructive surgery from a baseball injury Facial Hair: He can be seen sporting a beard sometimes; more of a goatee than anything and he keeps it really trimmed and short. Tattoos: coming soon Piercings: None

PERSONALITY DETAILS

Phobias: Losing his family Allergies: None Signature Scent: Sandalwood is a scent that’s usually associated with Josiah. He’s not one that uses a ton of scented products in his normal routine, but, he does use sandalwood scented stuff a lot. House Decor Style: minimalistic, the man could really use some help in the decor department Vehicle Type: Jeep Wrangler TJ Model, Orange in color; he has the soft top version Favorite Foods: Pasta dishes - chicken alfredo, chicken parmesan, lasanga, barbeque pork ribs, salad with french dressing, cookies and cream ice cream Favorite Color: Forrest Green, Gray, Blue Favorite Movie: Die Hard Favorite Music Genre: He prefers more upbeat music, but as far as genre, he doesn’t have a preference. He listens to a lot of older rock with the top of his jeep down. Favorite Song: coming soon Hobbies: hiking, going to the gym, volunteering at shelters, working out, running, cooking, relaxing in hammocks in the trees Town Activites: Baseball Outdoor Club Camp Volunteer Clean Up Crew Reenactment Club Support Group (ADHD) Beer Brewing Likes: silk sheets, black coffee, breakfast for dinner, belting music while he cleans his apartment, family dinners, helping those in needs Dislikes: lack of communication

#josiahstatistics

[alyosiuscreightonward]

Dear Diary. Random thoughts.

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Ugh. If you could just please give me a moment to explain.

I’ve been trying to shed the fact that I’ve had some exposure to politics. It started at a young age when LBJ (see MTG’s recent remarks about LBJ), now I may not have fully aware nor fully understood what was happening, however years later, I’ve a different perspective.

The Vox Populi all have chimed in.

Yet the consensus is that there are several camps: Love, Hate, Like, A Definite Maybe and I’ve Never Ever Voted, but from my recliner I’ll complain about everything.

This is not uncommon. Since history is now becoming a trigger word for many people, it exists regardless. I know that in my experience and what happened in my life is now a moot point; yet I grew up in a space that was very reminiscent of the United Nations. I had folks such as Barbara Jordan, William F. Buckley, Jr. and Benjamin Netanyahu come into my home and break bread and have some fellowship. I was ignorant. I thought that it was normal to have these people orbit my world.

Meanwhile as I was going to school, I didn’t give it a second thought that I would be able to meet kids and their families from Japan, Korea, England, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Israel, Ghana and Russia. I thought it was perfectly normal to have Black and White living together.

Then in March of 1974, I saw first hand the ugly face of Racism, Bigotry and Hatred when I moved to NYC from Boston. At that moment in time, desegregation was happening and children were being bused from one school to another school. I knew some of the characters involved such as Louise Day Hicks. I had met her once and I was flabbergasted.

At William Cowper Junior High School in Maspeth, Queens, NYC, I had been physically assaulted several times by four boys who were of the view that I was the sole reason for the rioting in the streets due to busing and integration. They all believed that I had moved to NYC to escape the violence and school integration.

Uh…William Cowper was racially diverse. Yet I was positively discriminated against because I was from Boston and I must have had a finger in the desegregation movement. Dude.

As I mentioned earlier, everyone has opinions about what did happen and what is happening. Folks have complained about LBJ through JRB.

Folks rant and rave about each and every President yet not one person has ever said that they had a personal visit from The President who had deliberately singled them out and then destroyed their lives. The Mayors nor The Governors have come out to your house and knocked on the door and said, “I don’t know you but I’m going to ruin your life because I can.”

Your Grandparents don’t need Medicare/Medicaid. You like me have been employed since 1977 and you don’t need Social Security. You can’t have Clean Water from the municipality but you can have water from the culverts that run along the highways. You can’t have Clean Air because of the Chemical Plant we want to build next to your house. Here in the United States, we can say that the government sucks however in some countries you can’t. In those countries where you can’t say anything about anything, you can and will absolutely disappear never to be seen again should you ever utter a word about the government or the people in power.

I’m pretty sure that none of you had read George Orwell’s book 1984, but you want to actually live life like those depicted in Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale. Apparently you have a dream that like the movie Soylent Green is a goal. The subplot was that if you were considered undesirable etc you’d vanish and then lo and behold Soylent Green.

In some of those totalitarian countries, yes, there’s universal healthcare but it’s not what you think. One person has been riddled with bullets, they just might be first in line and then maybe not. One person may have infection and may need antibiotics, but they just might not get those antibiotics. Malaria can be controlled like Polio but like Leptospirosis, we don’t need or want a vaccine because there are nano bots and microchips in them.

We need more incidents like Columbine, Parkland and Uvalde. We need more heartbeat bills in place in order to deny women prenatal care and after they give birth, we need to abandon them altogether. We need to stop telling men that masturbation is a heinous crime and that all women need to get pregnant just because. Women absolutely should be seen and not heard and women like Margaret Thatcher, Corazon Aquino, Benazir Bhutto and Angela Merkel are all ruining it for women. There shouldn’t be women like Wilma Rudolph, Babe Didrikson Zaharias or Billie Jean King.

Biden wants to make an attempt to bring folks together in order to have things like clean water, clean air and a healthy debate about a plethora of issues that could actually help us.

Yet the Orange Palpatine wants me dead because I said, hey now, Florida is disappearing and I don’t like that. I said, hey now, they’re strip mining the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River is polluting the drinking water of Texans. He says that’s okay. The water is only becoming more polluted by erecting more fracking sites in people’s backyards. Then on TV and in Movies, diversity, equality and inclusion are crimes against humanity. Ed Sullivan should never had introduced us to Diana Ross and The Supremes. Why is there a Bruce Lee or Yakov Smirnoff? Why on God’s green earth would anyone ever want to go see the remake of The Color Purple or even just acknowledge Crazy Rich Asians. Harvey Korman as Mother Marcus on Carol Burnett show is acceptable as Milton Berle in a dress but RuPaul or Tyler Perry, two black men who practically pass as women. Kill them immediately. We absolutely need more shows like Make Room for Daddy, Father Knows Best, The Honeymooners and Leave It To Beaver. We never ever should have heard about Norman Lear, Flip Wilson and we must absolutely get rid of America’s Got Talent Show because they promote diversity, equality and inclusion.

Erasure of James Brown, Rick James and Bad Bunny is a great example to show us that Andy Williams, Perry Como and Pat Boone is the only way to go. I mean erasure of Judy Garland, Adele and Taylor Swift together would make an awesome impact for saying women need to be barefoot and pregnant and they should be able to do everything for their men including breathing.

In conclusion, if Joe Biden is doing such a horrible job then why do have the ability to change the channel and look for a different perspective? Yet the twice impeached, twice indicted and liable for sexual harassment retiree in Florida wants to give you only one channel to watch and no chance at all for a counterpoint? Yeah that Governor in Pennsylvania should never had fixed that portion of the highway. Every single dog, cat and animal should have the ability and right to have rabies and there’s no need for veterinarians. Thank goodness Rodney King is dead because once he uttered, why can’t we all just get along was his downfall.