#char: ellie williams

[kurishiri]

are there any official ages or age ranges for the ikemen villains characters? 🤔

expect updates and edits!

helloo anon! i dont think official ages have been posted, but they have dropped some info so we could make some guesses or ballpark ages. jus be aware as a disclaimer, i’m ballparking in the dark for some more than others, so don’t take my word as the be all, end all. there r probably others with more accurate ideas abt ages. but that said, i’ll try to provide as much explanation as i can under the cut bc spoilers-

ellis: 24

kate: at least 24, maybe around 25-26

ring, nica: 25-27 (?)

liam: 26

jude: 26-30

william: 28

elbie: 29-30

alfons: 30-31

harrison: likely 27-30, but could in all technicality be anywhere from 20-31

roger: 32, as the median

darius: ??? likely a bit older than the twins but the possibility of being the same age or younger than them isnt completely off the table either

victor: ??? but probably the oldest one in crown

explanations under the cut

ellis is the youngest member of crown. he was 12 when he ran away from home, and that was 12 years ago. hence, that would make him 24

kate calls ellis with the —kun honorific in japanese as he is her kōhai (junior), so kate is older than 24. but as ellis is the only one she uses this honorific with in crown, she may be the 2nd or 3rd youngest

liam was 9 when he set fire on his house and lost his parents, and it was mentioned his dad was supposed to be dead 17 years ago, hence making liam 26

if ellis is 24, then roger is probably around 32— we know bc alec, the previous bearer for the curse of the thorns, died when he was 8 or 9 at the oldest. in roger’s rt its implied that one is born with a curse and is first activated from an event, and no two ppl can have the same curse simultaneously, so ellis was born (and received the curse of the thorns) after alec died. so we know from there that roger could be around 8, 9 years older than ellis

it was mentioned roger is slightly older than alfons, though there is not a solid concrete number as to by how many years, but it’s around 2 to 3 years difference

jude is definitely older than ellis, though presumably not by many years. and although this is an if event, in his dark if, kate mentions that jude is a boy around her age. if we give some leeway into that and assuming that part also applies to canon, then he would probably be around 26, if kate is around 26. it is also mentioned when oswald, the doctor who saved jude, was talking about jude’s past, he was talking about a time around 20 years ago, and kate thinks to herself he couldn’t have been older than 10. this puts a cap at jude being 30 in present time.

elbies mom took her own life when he was 6, and that’s around when the doctor started examining his dad. if alfons was still on the streets at 7 years old (implied in rogers past records), he was taken in by the doctor after he was 7. it would make alfons a little older than elbie, but its unknown by how long, but not too many years

i feel in general, alfons age is a bit wishy washy considering we dont even know his “true birthday” .. he jus picked a date (specifically the day he met elbie!) and was like “ye thats my bday now 🙂‍↕️”

will was 14 when he formed crown with victor (it’s unknown how old victor was), and 14 years have since passed. this would make will 28

heavily corrected: harrison’s dad was killed when he was 17, and that happened when william and victor were the only two members of crown. so it could have happened when crown was just founded 14 years ago, making harry possibly 31. and elbie and al were probably the first ones to join crown, for sure at least 3, 4 years ago. that would set the actual age range to 20-31. but he is likely at least 27, considering kate doesn’t use —kun with him, if we assume she’s around 26

now the twins and darius r probably like the most wishy washy guesses out of all of them. for one there’s just not much info abt them out bc theyre v new chars. buut there is some tinie clues.

there is a scene in rogers rt where he asks nica if they met before, and nica replies that he forgot. now it is just as likely that nika is lying here (as its implied he has a good memory), maybe bc he doesnt want to talk abt it or it may also be for ring, but if he is truthful then its probably the case that it was from a time when he was too young to really remember anything, which would probably make him somewhat considerably younger than roger

on rings end, during the “don’t look at anyone but me” event, ring basically asks kate to not be so formal and feels weirded out she uses —san with him (.. as she does with nearly everyone else, with exception of ellis, i think liam, and for one time only, alfons). maybe a part of it is like its in his char to not like formalities, but on the other hand, he never asks alfons to drop —san or use a different honorific with him the same way he did with kate, in the crown vs vogel event. so it may be a reasonable assumption to make that ring may be similar in age to kate .. or at least, more similar in age to kate than he is with alfons. so i ballparked them around 25-27

darius is kind of a mystery— we do know that he has, in some way, saved the twins in the past (presumably from experimentation), so the twins r indebted to him. its probably reasonable to think he is older than the twins .. probably in his 30s even?

that said, seeing as he is of a noble upbringing, as he mentioned this in one of his bond stories where hes like “ik how table manners work bc its been taught to me but i jus choose not to apply them” or smth along those lines. so he could be capable of “saving the twins” even when younger than them or the same age as them if that makes sense

ty to friends @.natimiles, @.valkyyriia, @.candiedcoffeedrops, @.drachonia, @.memoria-99, @.romromi, @.groovylita, @.shatcey, @.dark-frosted-heart who have helped with this! also if anyone else has any more info to drop — or correct — feel free to lmk! i will be sure to credit :>

[theurgists]

⋆｡‧₊°♱༺ KARMA ༻♱༉‧₊˚.

ellie williams x fem!reader

summary: you and ellie have been separated for a while. and by a while, you mean enough to allow yourself to move on, but there's one single issue. all of her flings look just like you, and you'd be a fool not to notice.

warnings: 18+. mentions of marijuana, marijuana use, reader gets called a name or two, a bit of angst, some drama, not proof-read

a/n: a repost yet again! ;))

Your left hand shook, fingers gripping the red plastic taking refuge within your clammy palm — slowly raising its contents to the white rim. Adrenaline coursed through your body as if your veins were injected with sugar water — eyes narrowed and nostrils flared. 

Staring so intently had never been something you did unashamedly, opting to linger in the background, heart heavy and lip quivering under the extensive pressure of your internal insecurities. 

And this had your jaw clenching. The ridges of the bottom and top row of your teeth grind against each other with such force, that the muscles around your mouth grow sore. A certain ache had you raising your unused hand to rub your index and middle finger against the right side, soothing the developing pinch. 

Swallowing the thick pool of saliva that had formed in the center of your mouth, your lips parted to let a small, dry scoff escape. Muffled by the music pounding through the floor, reverberating from the tips of your toes up to your skull, your disapproving hum went unheard as you tore your eyes away from the dreadful sight. 

It shouldn’t bother you. But after a  whole fucking year, watching her arms circle around someone else’s waist, still set your heart a flame in the worst way possible, charring you from the inside out. 

“You’re seeing what I’m seeing right?” 

Cocking your head to the side, you could feel your neck crack slightly as you parted your lips to speak, loosening your tight grip on the poor solo cup squished between your fingers.

“I’d be blind not to. She looks just fucking like me.”

 Ignoring the slight shakiness that had riddled your body in an unexpected wave of what you had come to recognize as bitterness, you guided the rim of the cup to your parted lips, taking a large gulp of the alcohol, drawing in a tiny breath to help ease the sting. 

“The nerve��” 

You ran your tongue across your lips, staring at your companion for the night right in the eyes as your lips curled upward into an unamused smile. 

“She’s not my problem anymore so it shouldn’t matter.” You mumbled in your cup, knowing she couldn’t hear a word you said due to all the muffled noise practically shoving its way into her ear canals.

You were thankful for the darkness the living room provided, aside from the cheap-looking disco lamp hooked on the ceiling in the middle of the room, the different array of colors slowly becoming an eyesore as the night carried on and you grew miserable.

Clearing your throat, you leaned over, nearly bumping your shoulder with hers. “Did Donovan tell her to come?”

That sly bastard loved to fuck people over. You had grown to let it past your thick skull and alter your mind, seeing him for who he was. He was no longer a close friend — as he had encouraged some fucking outrageous actions from someone you thought you knew better than yourself. Donovan Proctor had dug a hole precisely six feet deep and six feet wide, and you were sure he made it just for you. 

He was an annoying little fly buzzing around your ears, taunting you with the unfortunate circumstance of having to witness your ex-girlfriend swallow someone else’s face. And by the end of the night, you’d hunt the fucker down and choke him out with your bare hands. 

The sudden knot in your stomach wasn’t from watching a stream of saliva glisten between their parted lips, nor the way her thin, rough fingers gripped the other girl's clothed hips, squeezing like she had done with you whenever things would grow hot and heavy; that wasn’t it by any means. 

It was from the unease of having to stare at someone who shared similar aspects with you — physically. Truthfully, it was odd. This whole situation was fucking odd. 

You weren’t friends with Donovan, you weren’t much of a drinker, and you barely fucking left the suffocating comfort of your house, so the question that was begging to be answered was… why?

Why out of all the nights that you had slowly spent rebuilding the courage to face the outside world again — as dramatic as it sounded —  had she decided to grace you with her presence?

Lifting the corner of her plump lip in a snarl, Mina, the one who had dragged you out of your bed earlier in the night, shifted to the side. “I wouldn’t put it past him. As occupied as that man-child is with making his money, he lives for this kinda shit.”

She hummed, “It’s his party, I'm sure he’ll hear it through the grapevine wherever he might be. Then again, she is one of his closest friends so I wouldn’t assume he has it out for you tonight just yet.” 

Craning her neck, tendrils of hair ghosted past your shoulder, tickling the skin there as she scoffed dryly, unzipping her purse. The leather strap shifted on her shoulder as she unzipped it, not once looking down as she trained her eyes to blur the people zooming past her vision. 

“I’m pretty sure she just looked at you.”

Rolling your eyes as far into the back of your skull as they could go, you heaved out a sigh, dramatically puffing out your cheeks, and squeezing your lids shut. “I need a fucking blunt.”

At the feeling of your warm hand entwined with another, you opened your eyes, barely able to process the fact that your feet had started guiding you toward the front door, wide open and awaiting your exit. 

As Mina giggled almost manically ahead of you, the scent of weed wafted up your nose from the open pocket of her beat-up purse. The smile that appeared on your face was one of joy as you followed, suddenly eager at the chance to relax the thoughts devouring your brain.

“I rolled before we came here. I had a feeling we needed one handy. Don’t mean to brag but I was right.” She shouted through the music, whipping her neck to look at you before looking forward again. 

Once your foot hit the first step and the gust of wind that you so desperately needed hit your heated face, you felt as if your lungs were no longer being crushed by the tightness of the secluded house. 

You were surrounded by the woodlands. Light from the moon shone down, casting shadows on the leaf-covered ground, illuminating the different shades of green and browns mixed throughout a small pile that you could tell had been raked earlier in the day before everyone’s arrival. The crisp night air weaving its way through the thin fabric of your clothing raised the hairs on your arms, creating goosebumps you tried to smooth down with a hand as the flick of a lighter reached your ears through the songs of crickets. 

“I can tell you’re trying to contain your murderous rage,” Mina spoke, closing her glossed lips around the tobacco leaf. 

You watched with interest as the end of the blunt developed an orange hue as she inhaled, smoke swirling. Raising an eyebrow at her observation, you bent down, sitting on the last concrete step of the staircase, shoving your hands between your thighs.

Frowning slightly, you shook your head from side to side gently. “Mhm, if you can figure out who it’s directed to I'll give you brownie points.”

She touched her chin, blunt between her fingers as she pretended to think for a minute. “Okay, I have three options.”

You clapped your hands together loudly, the sound echoing, fading with another whoosh of wind. “I’m all ears.”

Extending her hand, she wiggled the blunt in your direction, silently telling you to take it from her which you did without hesitation, taking a long drag before blowing out, coughing in the process. The hit was harsh, the back of your throat taking most of the damage as you tried not to heave up a lung, already growing lightheaded at the lack of oxygen. 

She stood in front of you, hand on her hip. “It's either your ex-girlfriend sucking face with her new one, which is my second option, and our dear old Donovan who we both know is out to get you for whatever reason .” 

Crossing your arms in an ‘X’ formation, you blew a raspberry before hitting the blunt for a second time before handing it off.

“On the right path but one of your answers is wrong. The girlfriend didn’t do anything. The other two, however…”

As Mina went to speak, she removed her eyes from you at the sound of the front door opening, revealing the man of the hour in all his cocky glory as he dragged his feet down to where the both of you were situated. 

His knee dug into your spine uncomfortably as he placed himself on the step above you, the scent of his musky cologne consuming your senses. It was so strong, you could practically taste it on the tip of your tongue. 

“What are we gossiping about out here.” He teased, clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth in a taunting manner. 

He didn’t have to look at your face to know he was clawing his way under your skin — no. The rigidness of your spine told him all he needed to know and you could feel the enjoyment radiating off of him, looming over you as if were a storm cloud.

Gritting your teeth, you watched from the corner of your eye as he plucked the blunt from Mina’s hand, flicking the ash on a leaf that was in the odd shape of a boot, you thought. “We’re talking about you and how you like to ruin my life.” Turning your body to face him, a condescending smile painted your lips, teeth and all as you narrowed your eyes. 

He shrugged, feigning innocence as he took his bottom lip between his teeth, concealing the smug grin that threatened to make itself known. You never had the urge to smack someone as badly as you did at that moment.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Cut the shit, you invited her here after I specifically asked you not to. And I was being nice about it too.” 

Donovan shook his head. “Since when was cunt a nice word?”

“Since you started wearing my patience thin. That was the nicest you were gonna get, so you should be grateful.” 

“I’m always looking forward to your spicy attitude, little b.” 

Furrowing your brows, the skin between them creased as your eyes ran across his dimly lit face, the muffled sound of music and shouting keeping you grounded as you stared straight at him, face as hard as stone, fingernails digging into your palms as you balled them into tight fists.

‘Little B.’

It had been a nickname he had created for you after your unfortunate break-up with his good friend. 

Little Bitch. That’s exactly what you were to him. 

“Fuck you.” You spat. 

The longer he sat there, with that stupid smug look on his face, the harder it was to restrain yourself from punching him square in the jaw.”

“Donovan,” Mina began, sensing the thick tension that had formed between the both of you, the silence uncomfortable as she leaned forward cautiously.

“What Mina?” He asked, tongue darting from behind his chapped lips to lick at the dry skin there. Averting his gaze from your burning irises to stare at her, he chuckled. “She knows I’m just fucking around with her.” 

Outstretching his hand, he blew smoke directly in your face, causing you to squeeze your eyes shut, chest heaving up and down quickly. 

The anger within you had reached its peak. One more sly comment and you’d deck him in the face, no hesitation. Snatching it from him, your hand shook, fingers growing numb once again as you bit the skin of your bottom lip, taking a long inhale before you exhaled, concentrating on which direction the wind decided to take it. 

“Just leave me alone, Ellie.”

Simultaneously, the three of you whipped your heads toward the door, watching as your ex-girlfriend, Ellie emerged from the doorway, hands tucked into the deep pockets of her jeans, clomping down the stairs with such speed that she was past you before you could blink. 

“C’mon,” She pleaded, grabbing her wrist to stop her from moving any further. Well aware of the audience she had a couple of feet away, she opened her mouth to speak only to find herself blubbering like a fish out of water. “What did Barry even say to you?”

From your position, you could see your doppelganger roll her eyes, arms crossed over her massive chest as she snatched her arm back from Ellie’s tight grip. 

“He said a lot of things.” 

Scoffing, Ellie shook her head in confusion, removing one of her hands from its position to pinch the bridge of her nose in mind frustration. “About what?”

The girl looked around, scanning her surroundings before her eyes landed on you, malice pooling deep within her eyes as she laughed without emotion. “About her.” 

Pointing a finger in your direction, she narrowed her eyes into slits, as if you were the cause of all her problems. 

Well, unbeknownst to you, you secretly were. Not just because Barry had told her all about your intense relationship with her current girlfriend, but because it was blatantly obvious that said girlfriend wasn’t over you whatsoever. 

She wasn’t stupid. Her appearance is what lured Ellie to her in the first place, and you were the one to blame. In every single one of Ellie’s relationships, she’s managed to find women who shared more than one similarity with you physically and flaunt them off on social media. 

In truth, you hadn’t been keeping up with her as much as she had done with you, too focused on your life issues and your close-to-impossible healing process to give a fuck about how many women she had gotten intimate with. Now, as you sat there on the steps, blunt in hand, eyes as wide as saucers, another rush of adrenaline coursing through you, it was as if the rose-colored glasses had been magically lifted from in front of your eyes. 

Ellie Williams had looked for you in every girl she found, and yet, none of them were you. That was the unfortunate conclusion you had come to realize as the five of you uncomfortably looked at one another.

You were caught in the crossfire. Fuck. Why’d she always manage to fuck shit up for you?

Aiming your eyes toward the ground, your ears picked up the sound of crunching gravel as Ellie spun on her heels, rapidly blinking in surprise, chest suddenly tightening as her eyes landed upon your hunched figure, tugging on a shoelace to occupy yourself from the tense silence. 

Her girlfriend looked at her with such disgust that if looks could kill, you were sure Ellie would be more than six feet under at this point. She raised a finger, poking the left side of her chest, momentarily knocking her off balance, lips raised in a snarl as she spoke through gritted teeth. “Un-fucking-believable.” 

And with that, she turned, stomping away from the auburn-haired girl, lips pursed thinly as she fished her keys from her purse. 

Sighing to yourself, you took another drag, lifting your head, eyes boring into the back of the poor girl who hated your guts, the thin material of her black low-cut shirt wrinkling as she wiped her palms on her sides, drying her hands from what you assumed was her tears as you frowned to yourself.

Darting your eyes toward your ex, you could feel the organ in your chest begin to beat rapidly. Banging so loudly against your chest that you were positive the force was strong enough to crack a rib or two as you extended a shaky hand, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. “Do you want a hit?” 

“Go to hell.” 

With your jaw slack, you watched as she retreated up the steps, aggressively yanking open the door to disappear back inside, the array of colors from the disco light reflecting off of the porch pillars that held the small rain roof. 

The expression that morphed the muscles of your face was one of anger as you spun around on the step to face her, trying your hardest not to focus on the awkwardness oozing off Donovan and Mina who had just been watching the situation play out in real-time, both speechless for once in their lives as you yelled at her back. 

“No cause what the fuck was that?” You asked, genuinely confused. 

Cocking your neck in Mina’s direction, you passed her the burning tobacco leaf, guiding yourself up the steps and through the crowd of sweaty bodies and the lingering stench of BO that threatened to burn your nose hairs as you searched for her. 

“Ellie!” 

Quickening her pace, she let the darkness of a narrow hallway consume her, swallowing her figure as she made her way past the three doors on either side of her, bee-lining it straight to the bathroom.

You were growing increasingly frustrated at this game of cat and mouse that had developed in the five minutes that the two of you had been around each other.

 Why you were chasing after her? 

You had no clue, but you did have a ton of fucking questions that were itching to be answered and as she turned the metal knob of the door, you swore to yourself that you’d seek them all out tonight, in the privacy of Donovan’s shabby, yet surprisingly clean bathroom. Away from curious eyes. 

Sliding yourself in the crack of the door right before she closed it, you rubbed your eyes at the change in lighting, pressure building up behind your sockets from the harsh fluorescence. 

“What’s wrong with you?!”

At her words, you turned on your toes, mere inches away from her face as she twisted the lock behind her, green eyes twinging with dislike: and for some reason that broke your heart in two. 

You could never dislike her. Even if she hurt you the way she did.

Why couldn’t you be mad at her? That was something you had asked yourself more than a handful of times as the months went on and she occupied herself with other women. 

It wasn’t fucking fair. 

Pursing your lips, you crossed your arms over your chest, inhaling the scent of her sweet cologne, suddenly feeling small under her burning gaze. “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? Do you seriously think people haven’t fucking showed me who you’ve been snuggling up to after we broke up? It’s fucking weird.”

The lines on her face slowly faded away as she wrung her hands together, leaning her head against the cool wood of the door, the small scrunchie holding the hair that she lazily put up pinching the skin of her head as she closed her eyes. 

It was quiet aside from the muffled chatter outside and the air vent above, collecting dust every second the two of you stood there in silence.

Raising a brow, you rolled your eyes, sighing dramatically as she peeked at you through narrow slits. From your position, clothed calves touching the edge of the cool bathtub, it still looked like her eyes were screwed shut. 

She was staring at you — wracking her brain for a sentence to say that wouldn’t seem so passive-aggressive as if she didn’t just tell you to go to hell nearly two minutes ago. 

The bright yellowed hue of the bathroom light illuminated your stoney face, casting a glow so angry that her eyes had started to water. 

“So you’re just gonna stay silent? Ellie, they always look just fucking like me.” You seethed, tapping the point of your shoe against the tile floor. 

At that, she opened her eyes, shaking her head from side to side. “I don’t know what else you want me to say.” 

“I want you to explain what the fuck is going on?”

“There’s nothing to explain, just let it go. Go back to the party.”

“No. You’re not shutting me out this time. It’s not a coincidence that every single girl you’ve decided to bury your fucking fingers into sorta looks like me.” 

“Why’d you have to say it like that?”

You scoffed at her lame attempt to play dumb. “‘Cause that’s exactly what it is and it’s embarrassing for you.”

“This isn’t something I wanna talk about right now.” 

Her response was curt, void of all emotion. 

“Well, too bad. I'm not letting you leave until we figure this shit out. We’re adults Ellie. Talk to me like one.”

Running her tongue across the top row of her teeth, the freckled girl sucked in a deep breath, crossing her left over her right, pressing her back flat against the wooden door. “That’s real funny coming from you.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“Don’t play dumb with me.” She sighed, arms flexing as she scratched the nape of her neck — a nervous habit. “You ask Donovan to tell me not to show up, and now you want me to act like an adult?” 

“I wonder why I said that?” You pressed, trying to justify your cowardice actions.

Ellie, as smart as she was, had come to realize long ago that she was in no position to say the things she was spewing in your direction, but she just couldn’t help herself. In her eyes, treating you like shit on the bottom of her shoe was the only way to go about things, even if she wanted nothing more than to have you touch her again. 

Reaching out a hand, you grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look you in the eye as the heat of your open mouth fanned her face, causing her to wet the skin of her lips. 

You weren’t exactly sure if the sudden confidence that took over was from the heat of the moment or the current high you were experiencing but you didn’t care. You did not give a single fuck that you were as close as you were to her, feeling the heat of her skin against yours as her facade cracked with every passing second.

“Please.”

The change of emotion gave you whiplash. You were used to her being straightforward with you, words never faltering no matter how hurtful they might’ve been. That was something you loved about her — you still do. She always kept you on her toes, and now you were flat-footed.

“I can’t do this with you.” You whispered.

Her small sigh echoed in your ears as you rubbed your thumb against her jaw, feeling her left hand circle around your wrist, gently removing it from her face, fingers ghosting over the palm of your hand before she entwined her fingers with yours.

It hurt all the more, knowing that this was finally it. She’d finally find the courage to leave you there, despite the unknown force pulling her body in your direction, rattling her to the very core. 

You were still in love with her. She was still in love with you.

Simple.

Ellie Williams wasn’t sure of a lot of things, but one thing that she would bet her whole life on was that you were her karma. 

And God, did it bite her in the ass.

[cowgirlcherrie]

⬭ 𓈒 hey there! all star. chapter one: all stars repent

╰   * rockstar! ellie x singer! reader x rockstar! abby

synopsis: At All Star Music University deviance isn’t tolerated. When the band room is up in flames with 3 music students to blame, community service at a band camp in the summer is in order.

warnings: 18+, MDNI, smoking, drinking, arson, fighting, violence, will get sexual in further chapters, platonic soulmates (for now) between r! and abby, partying, slightly dark but may get darker, kissing, touching, angst, fluff + comedy, smut, crushing, mutual pinning, swearing, rock band references, music college AU, just shitty choices, fem reader

a/n: so excited to start this fic series! Literally put my previous Ellie fic idea on pause because I had to get this one out before the idea like completely lost me, but inspired by rebelde & camp rock and this, and this beautiful art by @kissesskittens ♡ enjoy my loves! reblogs and comments are always appreciated I want to know what you think!

01. all stars repent

Right place wrong time will certainly do it to the most lavish and meticulous.

The silence was so prominent that you were too afraid to cough. Afraid to even breathe in the container of an office. Your head was making up all the possibilities of what people would be saying. Good girl gone bad! Or the aspiring pop singer is an arsonist. It all just made you debilitated. Fiddling with your bottom lip watching the ticking of the clock almost as if you were waiting for a bell to ring. The ticking, slow and steady, matched the pace of Ellie’s shaking leg syncing with Abby’s drumstick against the wood of her chair. You rarely prayed for such occasions, but now? You were on your knees hands looped together hoping for a miracle. 

“Do you three know how much trouble you are in?!” The Dean, Mrs. McCall-Ster spoke up from her desk, voice booming in the small yet vacant room, making Abby smirk at her anger. Abby’s pink and black peek-a-boo highlights in her blonde hair flashed with every head tilt she made from her ponytail.

“Dude what did you do!” you shouted, slightly pushing Abby and Ellie away from the melting drumset, the smell of char and burning wood filling your nostrils as the three of you backed away from the burning music equipment. The flames reflected a warm light on the three of you, coughing to get out of the way.

“I mean how does this even start?” The dean cried out, taking off her glasses to rub her eyes in frustration.

“Take your fucking lighter!” Ellie shouted, pointing at Abby’s lighter which was leaking fluid onto the remaining lit instruments. The flame roared.

“What?” 

“Fucking hell [Ellie please!] Abby take it!” Ellie screamed. 

All three of your voices were meshing together as you all were screaming at each other.

The hi-hat plate from the drums falls to the floor.

You shrouded into your seat even more, as Ellie’s leg bounced against yours – that was the only way to get you to breathe, through your nose this time and not through your mouth.

“Is something funny Ms. Anderson?” The dean asked Abby making Ellie and yourself turn heads to the blonde, seeing her lips zipped tightly looking down into her lap that she was manspreading in. Abby shook her head.

“Fucking hell” Ellie groaned out, throwing her hands up – tilting her head up at the pearly white ceiling.

“Language Ms. Williams!” 

“We are going to get expelled!” you cried out, bringing a hand up to your mouth as your eyes started to water at the sight of the room deteriorating in flames.

“Doll go grab the extinguisher in the hall– shit…there goes the amplifiers, Hurry!” Ellie shooed you pushing you into the hall.

“Just pull the fucking fire alarm!” Abby shouted.

“Sorry,” Ellie coughed scratching through the strands of her loose hair at the nape of her neck.

“What’s our punishment?” Abby dragged, rolling her eyes then putting her drumstick down to tap your armrest of the chair – making you snatch it from her large hands placing the slender wood into your lap in an organized fashion.

“Punishment? you should be lucky you three aren’t getting expelled for public destruction of school property!” The woman hissed, looking at a paper in front of her. Your head tilted, letting out a sigh of relief when she said you weren’t getting expelled, but that definitely meant there will still be consequences, hell academic probation, on-campus service work? The possibilities were endless

“At the end of the Spring Semester, there will be no summer for you three —”

“But!”

“But nothing Ms. Williams, You all will be working at the All-Star Camp as counselors for our kid’s enrichment program” 

Ellie growled as you shrugged and Abby kissed her teeth. This was indefinitely deserved and entirely ridiculous. You couldn’t survive three months in a room with Ellie and Abby hell they would probably bite each other’s head off while you were at it. Trying to stop your best friend and your crush from recreating a fight club brawl was way more stressful than you thought. 

“How l-long is this for?” You question, your voice is soft contrasting the raspy aggressiveness from Ellie and Abby all afternoon. All eyes are on you. This was the first thing you had said in all of this summons. Your hands were tugging at the bottom of your red and black plaid uniform skirt shifting under Ellie and Abby’s gaze.

“Excellent question, starting June first, you will be set to head back to campus meeting our bus that will transport you to our All-Star Camping site. June 20th you all are free to go, with the exception that in the fall you will clean the destroyed practice room.” Mrs. McCall-Ster explained, taking out a brochure from her pile of photos and putting it in front of you all. The three of you leaned forward, you fully committing to grabbing the pamphlet with Ellie and Abby on both sides of your shoulders. 

Abby snickers as she points out the NO SMOKING under the rules and regulations portion with her finger, making you send a jab into her stomach. 

No smoking or E-cigarettes of any sort…

No phones…cabin wired phones only 

No extra guest 

No leaving the campground premises 

Ellie cleared her throat, “So, uh…all these rules apply to counselors as well?” Ellie questioned scratching at her throat.

“In simple terms yes, it’s to ensure public safety”

“I’m still gonna do like 3 things off this list anyways” Abby whispered in your ear making you let out a low giggle at her response. Ellie only glanced at the two of you, faint confusion wore on her face like a jacket. Ellie licked her lips before going back to the pamphlet. 

Rules didn’t stop rockstars anywhere – Hell all of you wouldn’t be where you are without a little bit of rule-breaking.

“So are we clear? It’s either Band Camp counseling charity or expelled” The Dean shrugged. The choice really was yours. Reaching behind her she brought out a sign-up sheet, with a blue pen clipped to the clipping board. It was separated into 3 columns. One for your name, Student ID, and email. 

You bit the bullet. Vouched yourself first to make the decision. Digging in your backpack’s front pocket to bring out a pink pen scribbling your name on the paper – sealing it with a click. Slamming the inked catalase down to flesh the paper. 

“Free to go?” you question, vastly glancing at the clock above the elder’s head.

“As you wish”

With that you grabbed your bag from the floor, gently making your way out of the office. Not even bothering to look at Abby, Ellie, or even the dean, the conversation was enough to exhaust you. Ellie and Abby bore holes into your backside, before locking eyes with each other rushing to be the first at the pink pen you left behind. 

Honestly, you were glad. Glad that this wouldn’t wreck your student record, put you on academic probation, or make your parents run your ear off. They were already on your ass already about you being so far from home and not calling. Your phone was almost nonexistent from your end, and communication was cut entirely.

Making your way out of the administering building, where the Dean’s office was located you let out a loud audible sigh throwing your bag on the ground to sit on the creaky wooden bench, kicking the cobblestone and pebbles beneath you. Tugging frequently at your tights and almost wanting to pull your hair out of your scalp. You didn’t understand how Abby…or even Ellie did it. This rebellious nature left you with knots in your stomach, feeling sick at the thought of being taken for a hard-headed rule breaker. Coincidentally enough you found yourself waiting for Abby to leave the office, knowing that the two of you would walk back together to your dorms. 

Abby, not only your best friend, personal chauffeur, and roommate but happened to be the wisest out of the two of you. At times she can be self-serving and rude, thanks to her nepotism, you still cherished her support. 

She was there when Elora from your fall semester music theory class, broke off your situationship to start pursuing some other girl seriously, despite Elora telling you that she was ready for a relationship. As for more current events, when you started having a crush on Ellie…Which Abby didn’t really understand but thugged it out just for you. 

“Boo!” Abby shook your shoulders, creeping up behind you giving you a shock, as you jolted from the bench – turning around to slap Abby on her rock-solid arm. Abby laughed watching your pissed expression as the breeze blew by making her hair block her face. 

“So…I corrupt you yet? How did we do Robin?” Abby took her hand shaking the top of your head as you swatted her hand away. It was like having an annoying bug nagging in your ear. 

Abby’s appearance was disheveled, her hair pulled back in a ponytail exposing her 3 helix piercings in one ear, stick-n’ poked star constellation trailing down her left ear and her uniform worn terribly. The red jacket of her uniform top bunched up in her hands – tie loose around her neck as her button down was untucked in her pants. Dickes, form-fitting with her drumsticks sticking outside of her back pocket. Abby was cool in your eyes, everything you wished to be – you wanted to just not care about anything anymore, you wanted her confidence. 

“Bad corruption tactic Batman, think we almost killed half of campus” you mumbled robotically making Abby shriek a laugh. You grabbed your bag from the floor, slinging it over your shoulder – tucking the drumstick out of your hands and into Abby’s butt pocket letting out a huff of air.

“What’s with the long face? and I know it’s not because of Mrs. McCall-Ster” Abby questioned swinging her hand around your shoulder as the two of you walked back to your dorm building. That was just an invitation for you to ramble. 

“Did you see how good she looked, oh my god Abby, like her shirt was a little loose– clearly not ironed by the way and her hair…fuck the haircut looks so–”

“Please be quiet…god ew!” Abby stuck her tongue out like a child in disgust as you rolled her eyes. Afternoons often went like this. You see Ellie once in your hectic schedule, sending glances her way – looking back at her twice before running off to Abby to boast about how good she looked.

“I let you talk to me about Nora [keep your voice down gosh!] it’s only fai–” Abby sent the hand she had around your shoulder to cup your mouth, making you stick your tongue out licking her hand making Abby wipe her hand on your skirt. “You’re so nasty!”

You popped a middle finger, almost tussling with Abby when a gentle finger tapped your shoulder. The faint smell of cigarettes and musky vanilla wood filled your nostrils, making you whip your head around to see the auburn-haired rockstar in the flesh. Ellie, like Abby wore her uniform incorrectly, her tie loosely around her neck, this time her button-down was tucked in partially to her trousers. The freckled-faced girl recently cut her hair trading her usually pulled-back look for a mullet, as a cigarette dangled from her pink slightly cracked lips. She gave you a gentle smile, teeth and all – smile dropping at the sight of Abby.

“Forgot something?” Ellie questioned, her voice was groggy and smooth, definitely rough with her delivery – but with her tone it sounded like she was trying to be softer, for you.

“Hmmm…I don’t think so” you challenged raising your eyebrows just the slightest, mirroring Ellie’s smile. Ellie took the cigarette out from the bed it made of her lips digging in her pocket to reveal a pen. But not just any pen, your pink pen.

“Holy shit! Thank you!” you exclaim reaching for the pen – you were so caught up in your fear you were willing to ditch your pen back at the Deans office. Abby was turned away from the two, her failed attempt at giving privacy – trying to ignore the conversation that was happening – not even bothering to give Ellie a hello. As you reached for the pink-coated plastic your fingers, for a second, brushed Ellie’s feeling her slightly dry and cool fingers twitch at the touch of yours.

“Yeah…yeah it’s no problem” Ellie emphasized the no problem, abruptly bringing the cigarette up to her mouth like a safety net to protect her from saying the wrong things. You could tell she was anxious – what she was anxious for however, that was particularly cloudy. Her hands were jittery, the rocking on her heels back and forth. She had something to say.

“So the community service…you sign up?” you question, hitting the pen against the palm of your hand, trying to make conversation.

“Oh definitely, I was not getting expelled – that’s fucking ridiculous” Ellie exhaled the smoke, her eyes flicking between your pink-tinted lip gloss that rested upon your lips, quickly shifting her eyes back to your face. She could smell your perfume – it was strong and sweet, Ellie almost wanting to take a bite as if you were a rich and delicate dessert. 

The dulcet moment was ruined by Abby clearing her throat, making you blink your dark eyelashes repeatedly at her interruption. 

“Sorry…not really, but sorry to ruin the vibes here we actually have to go…boxes” Abby excused, grabbing at your arm to drag you away. 

“Thank you, Ellie! See you in June!” you shouted as you waved politely with a closed smile, making Ellie smile right back at you, tossing her cigarette to the ground and stopping on it with her beat-up Converse. 

“See you…dear” Ellie turned on her heels walking in the opposite direction, plugging in her headphones.

It was almost cinematic, the way you started to whisper-yell at Abby dragging you, arguing about how she ruined the moment. Calmness from Ellie’s end as she walked in her own direction, wired headphones playing loud rock in both ears. You would be dreaming about Ellie’s face for the rest of May until you finally got to see it again. This time in front of a campfire, as you direct little kids on how to properly use instruments. You just had to hold on until June, which felt more like a rabbit walking into a cage with a bunch of lions ready to feast.

☆*•. 

Packing was hard to do when it felt like a goodbye. Packing where you spent 7 months crying, yelling, and screaming all felt foreign to you. It was like taking the training wheels off. You wanted nothing more than to try and stable yourself before you fell over and had to start anew. Throwing pictures in boxes, and putting clothes in bags trying to scrape the room spotless, was peculiar. You never thought you would see the day when the room you had grown to love would be vacant and probably passed to some incoming freshman. 

“This is still hard as fuck…I mean look at the way your dad signed this shit” you pointed “...and the little wine stain too oh he was definitely drunk” You lifted up a signed drumhead by Abby’s father that she gifted you for Christmas. Jerry got himself into a little bit of a hustle, becoming the drummer for a Foo Fighters equivalent band he was like a Roger Taylor from Queen, Taylor Hawkins, or Ringo Starr. He was a fucking pro, and pretty good at his job too. It was no surprise that Abby fell into the shoes that Jerry used to fill becoming a drumming prodigy in no time.

“Bro…I still remember asking him to do it too! he squished my cheeks together– real tight and you know what he said,” Abby trotted over to you from her side of the bed where she was stuffing her room decor in boxes to grab at your cheeks, pretending that she had a glass of wine in her hands, “Tell your friend, or whateva she is to be a star! And go get shit done!” 

You let out a laugh as your cheeks had been squeezed by Abby’s thick hands as she gave you a gentle slap to the face before getting back to work. 

“Oh isn’t your guitar signed by David Grohl too!” you exaggerated, turning around from where you stood at your desk, playing Pictionary with an imaginary guitar. Abby let out a groan tilting her head back in annoyance. 

“And you know what your little girlfriend told me?” Abby turned around again to face you, mocking Ellie “Go to hell! You fuckin’ Nepo-baby!”

You snickered under your breath with your tongue in your cheek. “Does she kiss her mother with that mouth?” you laughed at the statement walking over to Abby and smacking her on the back of the head.

“Hey-...”

“I hope she doesn’t kiss you with that mouth either…” Abby whispered making fish lips at you, resulting in you smacking her on the head again as she shrank away from you avoiding your hands.

It was times like this you were certain you were going to miss room 1105. Where your room was too close to the bathrooms and you could hear the toilets flush every time or the annoying beeping from the ongoing traffic. It was all surreal. 

“I’m gonna…really, uh miss you- you know” you stuttered out, holding a picture frame in your hand as you put it in another bag. “We are literally moving in together next year off campus, don’t get all sappy on me!”

“I’m not, I’m not!” you defended, “I just feel like good roommates are one-hit wonders around here, so I’m really glad I got you and if I ever got in trouble here…Batman, I’m glad it was with you” you confessed your chest feeling decompressed from the weight of your emotions leaving your mouth.

Everything you were saying was awfully true and right. You had your ups and downs – even though you were seeing her again it still felt like a harsh goodbye. 

“Thanks for dying my hair with Kool-Aid by the way, I taste the fruit punch and grape every time I’m in the shower” Abby sneered throwing a shirt of hers at your face. 

“At least it wasn’t fucking Manic Panic!” you shouted, throwing the shirt back at her.

“Language, Mrs. Williams” Abby teased, mocking Mrs. McCall-Ster from earlier. That did sound nice, Ellie’s last name with your first. It felt good to hear Abby say it, almost making you bite your tongue to tell her to say it again– but slowly.

“Oh get your shit together!”

☆*•. 

JUNE 1ST.

Staying local was a smart decision, Abby picking you up at the ripe hour of 6 am, as you trudged to her car under the dimly lit sunrise. Sky still blue making the trees shine in shades of navy. You couldn’t believe you were really doing this, feeling yourself get antsy. You had 3 months to potentially get with the girl of your dreams you couldn’t screw it up. Not now. You weren’t sure at all what Ellie thought of you or where her head was, hell the girl was hard to read. So fucking hard to read. Your deepest fantasies were filled with her, hovering on top of you in a dimly lit room as her hands ghosted your face, trailing down to your lips and giving delicate kisses to your collarbone. 

Would it pain her to slip in an – I like you.

That’s all you wanted to hear. 

“Chop chop! Walk with some passion…thank you” Abby howled, rolling down her window to be face to face with you. Abby now had long curtain bangs, the Kool-Aid from May fully washed out of her golden locks but this time black rectangle sunglasses rested on her face. She changed. Not in a bad way she looked cooler and healthy. Like she wasn’t eating cigarettes for dinner or spending sleepless nights making music. A shark tooth this time rested on her neck – skin sunkissed and slightly red from the sun.

“Why are you wearing sunglasses, the sun isn’t even out?” you scrunched up your face in confusion, throwing your bag in the backseat and making your way to the passenger side. “You’re an ass” Abby mumbled pushing the sunglasses to rest in her hair, revealing the pealing around her under eyes.

“Wear sunscreen penis-face!” Abby groaned at your response, finally seeing your appearance. You were thriving in the summer heat. Hair put in a half up-half down sealed with a cute bow. Your skin was healthily moisturized and also kissed by the sun, creating a permanent glow on you. Candied jewelry decorating your neck, with beaded and yarn bracelets at your wrist.

‘Don’t you look cool! I’m scared of you…cute hair” Abby teased making you pretend to flip your hair before getting in the car. The Ac was blaring, alongside some heavy rock music, as Abby bobbed her head back and forth to the drumline. The click of your seatbelt was enough confirmation to make her put her foot down on the pedal. 

“So how was your week and a half of your summer before our life goes to shit for a month?” Abby teased tapping away at the wheel you slumping in the seat to her right. “Good…I guess? I don’t know – I went to the beach, played beach volleyball with a bunch of strangers, got totally wasted”

The window was down blowing the curly pieces from your braids into your face. Hair sticking to your lip gloss like glue. 

“There’s my girl…so, what about the girl?”

“Ellie?”

“No, your mom– yes! That girl” Abby suggested, waving her hands and motioning for you to tell her more. 

“She may or may not have been in my Instagram likes and comments…” you respond with a shit-eating grin on your face, recalling such events.  

Rockedoutellie: This is so sick! Rockedoutellie: aren’t you just pretty tho, love the view ;) 

“She what!” Abby shouted giving you a slight shoulder nudge with her elbow. “So when is the wedding?”

“Not happening she’s just being friendly”

You psyched yourself out of reality. You felt like a kid again, in primary school, picking up a dandelion blowing wishing that your sandbox lover would like you back. Ellie pulled at your heartstrings and any crush longer than 3 months…might as well have been love. You stalked into her Instagram too, giving as much love on your post as she gave you back. It was only fair.

PinkMicrophoneprincess: So…When’s the tour? PinkMicrophoneprincess: Free guitar rifts by Ms. Ellie Williams? Your followers should be thanking you :))

It was cute you thought. Just girls being girls it was entirely natural, and light-hearted. Too soon to start thinking about things too deeply that would send you overthinking into oblivion. 

“So…you gonna set any rules with this estrange lovers of yours” Abby suggested, making you rub at your scalp “What do you mean?”

“Like…not letting her distract you from the fact we have work to do?” Abby pushed further making you squint your eyes at the girl. Well yes, you did have a job to do but it all could be managed with a little fun. She must play me for a fool, you thought, kissing your teeth subtly, going unnoticed by Abby. 

“Yeah…yeah, should we bet on it?” 

Now this was risky business, you couldn’t catch the words that were falling out of your mouth, melting like butter and slipping in between the crack of your lips. A bet was stupid and you were grown – to be honest you weren’t sure what it would bring you besides months works of crying and bad luck. It was far too late to change your mind now.

“$10 that you could totally not fall in love with her at this camp” Abby taunted making you swallow hardly feeling a tightening in your chest. You already were “Make it 30 with the inclusion that I could hook up – no strings attached”

“Ooh,” Abby sang through arrangements of laughs. “What happened to my innocent girl? You are getting risky…Robin”

“Don’t hate the player, Batman…hate the game” You shrugged. 

The devious nicknames the two of you shared were back. The names that only came out when you were about to do something entirely devious that could potentially cause detrimental damage to your lives. Batman and Robin, partners in victory and in danger.

What were you doing?

Your body was yelling at you to pull the stops, almost as if a red emergency light was flashing above your head screaming STOP! In all caps. An endless pit grew in your stomach with nausea washing over you, suddenly you didn’t feel good, nerves racking with anxiety; it was a miracle you didn’t throw in the white towel yet. Something terrible would brew at this camp and you knew it. Trying to stay your hardest away from Ellie Williams was just the tip of the iceberg.

Ellie was a wild card. A mind-blowing audition got her into the university – 3K followers on Instagram, she was well known and well respected. She was also devious – a heartbreaker to some magnitudes, her ex-girlfriend being the living proof of that. Ellie Williams would blow you out of the water, break some hearts and definitely send a sword piercing through yours. Biting at your nails you realized you were ready to risk it. Fuck around and find out for all you cared. 

You might as well make this summer worth it. 

Abby spits into her hand – you doing the same as she put her hand out in front of you.

“Seal or no deal”

You gripped her hand firmly, nails scratching against her dry skin as your collected saliva melted into each other, liquids morphing into one at the connection of your hands, warming up the sticky substance in between. The deed has started and you were tempted to win it.

“Bring it on Anderson”

next chapter

© cowgirlcherrie

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[kirammankisser]

✩ writing list !

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

fandoms/characters i want/will write for if requested !!! i’m new to writing on tumblr so i’m not sure how to start but lmk !!!?

you may request nsfw on any chars without sfw only! 

✩ adventure time

 ⋆✦ marshall lee

✩ call of duty

 ⋆✦ könig

 ⋆✦ simon “ghost” riley

✩ cry of fear

 ⋆✦ simon henriksson

✩ five nights at freddy’s

 ⋆✦ michael schmidt (movie)

 ⋆✦ sun/moon (sb)

 ⋆✦ gr freddy (sfw only)

 ⋆✦ william afton (movie+comics)

✩ the last of us

 ⋆✦ ellie

 ⋆✦ joel (sfw only.. sorry)

 ⋆✦ dina

 ⋆✦ abby

✩ randal’s friends/ranfren

 ⋆✦ randal von ivory

 ⋆✦ nyen

 ⋆✦ nyon

✩ scott pilgrim vs the world

 ⋆✦ scott pilgrim

 ⋆✦ wallace wells

 ⋆✦ todd ingram

 ⋆✦ ramona flowers

✩ stranger things

 ⋆✦ steve harrington

 ⋆✦ eddie munson

 ⋆✦ mike wheeler (sfw only)

 ⋆✦ johnathan byers

[aubrieluvsher]

╰┈➤ "𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲"

Hi! Welcome to my blog.

Terms and conditions - my readers will be female and black or Latina presented. do not ask me to write about rape or child x adult smut, that is just down right disgusting and if you’re into that stuff respectfully get off my page. I will write about TLOU, Acrane, overwatch, attack on titan, into/across the spider verse, Re8 but if you want to recommend a character from a video game, show or movie feel free to ask!

My name is Aubrie - level 18 - woc including black and Latina - Ellie Williams #1 fangirl

In this blog you will find: female reader x female chars which some fics may include smut so MDNI!

My request are currently open!

[sporadiceagleheart]

Do any of you memorial pages or supporters have joy from Rachel Joy Scott she is in heaven spreading around joy and peace and her and more Angels rest in peace in heaven fly high and we all miss them all Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, Eliahna “Ellie or Elle” Torres, Makenna Lee “Kenna” Elrod Seiler, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Layla Marie Salazar, Jacklyn Jaylen “Jackie” Cazares, Maranda Gail Mathis, Alexandria Aniyah "Lexi" Rubio, Tess Marie Mata, David Charles Kerr, Melissa Helen Currie, Ross William Irvine, Charlotte Louise Dunn, Kevin Allan Hasell, Brett McKinnon, Mhairi Isabel Macbeath, Sophie Jane “Soph” Lockwood-North, Megan Turner, Hannah Louise Scott, Joanna Caroline “JoJo” Ross, John Alexander Petrie, Emily Morten, Abigail Joanne “Abbie” McLennan, Josephine Grace “Joey” Gay, Olivia Rose “Liv or Livie” Engel, Daniel Gerard Barden, Charlotte Helen “Char” Bacon, James Radley Mattioli, Ana Grace Márquez-Greene, Jesse McCord Lewis, Chase Michael-Anthony Kowalski, Catherine Violet Hubbard, Madeleine Feng “Maddie” Hsu, Dylan Christopher Jack Hockley, Allison Noelle “Allie” Wyatt, Benjamin Andrew “Ben” Wheeler, Avielle Rose “Avie” Richman, Jessica Adrienne “Jess” Rekos, Caroline Phoebe “Boo” Previdi, Noah Samuel Pozner, Jack Armistead Pinto, Emilie Alice “Em” Parker, Grace Audrey “Gracie” McDonnell, Bojana Asović, Ana “Anci” Božović, Ema “Emica” Kobiljski, Angelina “Gina” Aćimović, Adriana “Adri” Dukić, Sofija “Sof” Negic, Alyssa Miriam Alhadeff, Hana St. Juliana, Evelyn Marie Dieckhaus, Hallie Ladelle Scruggs, Saffie-Rose Brenda Roussos, Nell Jones,

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[ashs-cardboard-box]

The Last of Us

Joel Miller -

Nothing yet.

Ellie Williams - (p!/f!)

Nothing yet.

Miscellaneous Char. -

(F! Male!Reader) Utter Silence - Joel and Ellie/Male!Reader

[lovers-spit-left-on-repeat]

nonbeliever; ellie williams.

chapter one - graveyard city.

series masterlist

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

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

art = @sunsbleeding

summary: Amaya Abel makes a decision.

general warnings/notes: language, violence, brief gore, nightmares, sleep paralysis, cursing, death, weapons (guns, knives, axe), familial issues, mentions of religion/implied religious trauma, implied suicidal thoughts.

word count: 6.6k

They kept them in separate rooms. At night, she heard Ellie’s hoarse voice and the brash of her cuffs through the thin walls but pretended to be deaf to them. Some part of her charred heart rested easy knowing it meant they’d both heard each other break.

“You killed them, May.” That voice had been rattling around in Amaya’s skull for more days that she cared to count; no matter the time that passed, it would always be there. When it did call out to her, she was no longer in the grungy, mildew-scented room Marlene was keeping her guarded in. The mall’s neon sheen blazed behind her eyelids and the smell of a childhood she never had became all she could discern. If the mall hadn’t been dead silent that night, maybe Amaya would never have heard how her sister’s voice quaked—“You killed them, May.”

Her sister, ever-strong. Her sister, ever-stony. Her sister, ever-dead.

When its call ceased, she almost missed it. To feel like an iceberg had replaced whatever lived beneath her ribs was better than feeling the absolute hopelessness she felt now. Amaya knew what the bones and blood expected of her; do good on her promise and keep Ellie safe. She should be protesting louder every night a wall continued to separate them, demanding an answer from Marlene when she came in the morning: What are you planning for us? When can I see her? What do you know about Maria? When are you going to kill me? And yet with every passing moment, she remained still, just as she was taught.

Today was no different.

Marlene came late in the afternoon, or at least when Amaya thought was afternoon by the warmth pouring through her boarded-up window, briefly turning choice shards of the area from gray to gold. Exposed arms littered with grime, Marlene watched her with a calculating stare for enough time that the sunlight shifted an inch. Amaya tried to imagine Marlene younger, before the outbreak. Did her smile gleam? Did her skin glow? Did her eyes hold a thousand miseries as they did now? Maybe. But as Maria used to say, monsters have always been monsters.

Amaya wondered how her oldest sister would feel saying that to her now.

“You here to finally kill me?” The coily-haired girl asked, eyes boring into the older woman. Her skin, however rich and dark in the noon sun, looked dull as ever. Her cheeks were beginning to hollow out, lips cracked and peeling, the roots of her curls beginning to turn grey with the weight of a long life—however long a 14-year-old’s life could seem.

Marlene took a step closer and Amaya had to keep in mind not to flinch. Her heavy boots dropped laboriously against the creaking wood and she bent down to the younger girl’s eye level. Amaya had imagined for many nights how it might go. A gun to the head. A knife to the throat. Or maybe they would just chuck her into a herd of infected.

Marlene scanned her again with the eyes of a hawk. "You have a choice," she said. Amaya raised her hickory eyes in confusion.

“My sister didn’t have a choice,” she snapped. She did, though, Amaya thought. The people who didn’t want to give Riley a choice in the first place were who people like Marlene, like Riley, fought against. But she was bitter. And so fucking angry.

Marlene raised her hand for silence. “Don’t start with me, girl. I know what you’re feeling.”

“Do you have a sister?” Amaya asked, letting her thoughts stray to those of a younger version of the Firefly again. She said nothing. “Then you don’t know what I’m feeling. You knew her for six weeks. There hasn’t been a moment in my entire life where I’ve ever existed without her.”

“Until now.”

Despite her frail state and the heavy eyelids, despite her paralyzing grief and debilitatingly absolute feeling of sinking, Amaya had never wanted to raise her fists more. Not even Bethany from the FEDRA academy inspired such rage. Not even Ellie inclined such loathing.

“Your friend’s gonna be brought in her in a few minutes,” Marlene said, as if she hadn’t ever said a word of damage. “You are both to stay quiet. You hear me? No bickering, no yelling, quiet. And when I’m finished with my business, we’re going west.”

“Great. A girl you think may go batshit any moment is gonna be locked in here with me, a 14-year-old, who is starving—”

“By your own doing.”

“—weak, and completely unarmed.”

“You know what she is, Amaya. You know what this means. That’s why we’re going west.”

It was Amaya’s turn to watch her. Down the hall, booted-feet shuffled against wood and calls of orders ricocheted. They were leaving. They truly thought Ellie was immune. Sure, Amaya was there the night she was bitten and saw her remain perfectly sane, but she was reluctant to pass faith just yet. She still hadn’t ruled out that God, if there was one, was only keeping Ellie’s sanity in tact to torment her. Based on past events, it wasn’t entirely inconceivable.

“And where exactly in this scenario am I getting a choice?”

Marlene settled into a sitting position. “You can leave with us and keep your promise to Riley—”

She certainly had Amaya’s attention now. The girl sat up rigidly and pressed her back farther into the wall. “How do you know about that?”

The older woman had the nerve to grin. “You talk in your sleep.”

Her ears beginning to burn, she was grateful that it didn't show through her thick curls. Amaya wondered what else the older woman might’ve heard and asked, “Or?”

“You stay. Fend for yourself and probably die trying.”

“Doesn’t seem like much of a choice.”

“Maybe not. But you have a chance to redeem yourself of whatever horrors you’ve committed. A chance to do good by your sister. To honor Riley.”

Amaya looked at the strings of light gliding through the planks bolted to the window. When she was alone, she twined her fingers through them and watched as they danced upon her skin. Fire on fire. Sorrow on sorrow. Just like the day she made The List.

Amaya was eight when she saw her angel last. Her angel, with black locs of omnipotence as a crown and wings of fire on her back, had long since flown from the nest of instability that was their family. Maria shared only half of her blood with Riley and Amaya but had always been equally a part of them as they were of her. She never shared their home but visited enough to be familiar with the morning songbird’s tune. Riley might’ve been the voice in her head, but Maria was the beat of her heart.

One hushed winter night that Maria was visiting, she brought up this place she and her father built in the west; “paradise in hell”  the 30-something-year-old called it. Maria thought it would be a good idea for the Abels to move there, but their mother disagreed. There was enough yelling that night to last a few lifetimes, but when it was finished, Maria was gone. They kept in contact through letters narrowly 3 times a year delivered by strange men: one in a jean jacket, the other older and grayer, but never saw her again. Once, Riley tried to escape with the men by sneaking from their shared room a night they’d come by, but the denim-clad man found her almost instantly. As Amaya pretended to not ache at the thought of the last sister she had left leaving her behind willingly, Riley started her cycle of acting out.

After the newly estranged siblings were brought to the academy the week their parents were slain, the letters stopped coming. Amaya pondered for a long time if Maria simply didn’t know what happened or where they were or if she did and was so innately disgusted by her actions that she decided to forget she ever had sisters. When they were still speaking (barely more than a few sentences a day, but something) Riley claimed with malevolence that she was probably dead. Amaya never believed her. Her heart was still beating, so Maria’s was too.

Still, Maria Abel was on The List in bold, black ink, along with every other person she was getting ready to lose. And once she felt her sanity slip from beneath her, it was transferred to a physical copy, kept in the back of her jean pocket where it lay eroding. Not yet sliced from it with whatever writing utensil she could find, but lying in wait for the moment Amaya would raise one in confirmation. However nonsensical and concerning the slip of paper was, it served as a comfort, like she had control over who was scratched off even if she never did. It was also a reminder of what she was, what she had done.

Amaya stared for a second longer at the ropes of sunlight. “You would never let me go,” she mumbled thoughtfully. “I’ve seen too much. I’ve heard enough to end the Fireflies in Boston. You’ll kill me if I say no.”

And Amaya wasn’t even sure if she would protest.

Marlene studied her for a few seconds. “Do you have something you want to say to me?”

She almost scoffed. There was a lot she wanted to say. A lot she wanted to scream. But once again, she couldn’t part her lips and force sound from her arid throat when emotional paralysis took over.

After remaining sleepless three nights in a row when she and Ellie were first brought here, Amaya finally caved and let her back melt into the peeling wall. Uncomfortable, yes, but she had the perfect view. As moonlight streamed like a bird’s song through the boarded window, she could see the moon, whole and milky and content in its loneliness. As it shone, she temporarily forgot about all the treachery that made her up. She forgot that she wasn’t forgiven. When she roused in the morning, Amaya couldn’t move.

For a few minutes that she swore were decades, her body laid there, eyes wide and steeping, but completely and tragically still. Across from her, sat who she thought was simply a reflection at first. But Amaya didn’t have fine brown braids tied in cloth or her mother’s face. Riley was unmoving too, but the early morning sunlight illuminated her eyes and grey skin to the point that it looked like she was crying silver tears. Amaya hadn’t slept since.

So yes, she was giving into gutlessness and refused to ask Marlene the question her sister’s dying wish beckoned.

Protect Ellie. Maria is alive.

Maria was alive, and Riley thought Marlene knew where she could be. As she could barely feel her own heart much anymore, she refused to get back a definite answer when it could destroy all the hope in her chest she pretended didn’t exist. The List was begging to be altered, and she was too afraid to lift the pen.

Marlene left without another word.

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

Amaya could hear Ellie in the next room. Cursing and infuriated, as usual.

“Amaya wouldn’t —” her hoarse voice rang before the rest of her words got lost between wood and stone.

She didn’t think she’d ever heard Ellie say her name. Not in the five years they were at the FEDRA military academy together, not in the night they were forced into adulthood three weeks ago. Wouldn’t do what? Leave her? Stay with her? What she wouldn’t do is let herself think about the shorter girl and the rage her sienna eyes brought for longer than two seconds.

“She’ll fucking kill you—” Ellie began to yell again.

A gunshot crackled. For a second, Amaya was benumbed by the thought that they finally decided to get rid of Ellie. Fed up with their lies and lack of cooperation, she would be next. Amaya stood severely and looked around the room for anything to defend herself with, but it was vacant except her drab quilt and the jacket she'd been using as a pillow in the corner. She didn’t want to die. She had a promise to keep. Part of which could’ve already been broken.

Protect Ellie. Maria is alive.

Marlene, now armed with a gun, barged into the eroding room. She held a bulky violet backpack that looked a couple of decades old.

“Shit,” she mumbled distractedly. “Fucking Kim. Can’t handle an exchange to save her life.”

Marlene waved over whoever was standing beyond Amaya’s vision into the room. Three people came in; two weary Fireflies who looked relatively young, and Ellie, alive and as well as someone who was infected could be. The adults wasted no time in leaving. Marlene looked back at the pair a final time. She tossed the pack towards Amaya, which thudded through the uneasy silence.

“Don’t kill each other,” she prayed and slammed the door behind her.

Amaya didn’t know what to do besides stare. For the few seconds of hush, she stood perfectly still, like her mind had just sprang from a dream. But this time, it was eyes the shade of vengeful fire that bore into her instead of the brown that matched her own. Ellie wore the same thing from the mall, new rips and patches of grime as accessories. She had a pack of her own and something glinted against the shards of sunlight in its side pocket. Her posture was just as bad and her expression was just as confused. But her eyes. Her fucking eyes.

The kiss of a bruise was gone, and the florescent lighting from the mall on the last day Amaya saw her clearly was replaced by something raw and golden and terrible. Fire on fire. Sorrow on sorrow.

Other than the dirt and old clothes, Ellie looked healthy. Her face was twinged with a shade that corresponded with her lips and her loose umber hair curled at her hairline. And worst of all, Ellie’s eyes had the nerve to blaze like burning wood. Maybe with malice. Maybe with fear. Fucking asshole.

“You look like shit,” Ellie said, crushing the silence with her usual vulgarity and dragging her eyes over Amaya. She withstood the urge to cross her arms over herself in insecurity and opted for a snarl instead.

“Thanks, Veronica.”

“D’you know what’s happening?” Ellie disregarded the comment. She moved to peer out of the boarded window but got a face full of nothing but sky and brick. “They were just running the usual tests and brought me here.”

Amaya shrugged. “Marlene said we’re leaving.”

A sharp bang tolled out. Amaya tried to look unfazed as Ellie flinched.

“Leaving? And going where?”

“West. Wouldn’t tell me specifically.” Maybe to their deaths, maybe to Maria’s 'paradise in hell'. Amaya picked at her nail beds in aggravation at their joint state of confusion.

“Why?”

Amaya glared harder. “Wouldn’t tell me.”

“Who knows what they could do with us?” Ellie began to pace. “They could be selling me to some fucking mad scientist for my…blood or whatever.”

Protect Ellie.

Another gunshot. The girls leered at each other again for a few seconds before Ellie snatched what had been flashing from her pack’s side pocket; a switchblade. She advanced towards the splintering door and would’ve turned the knob if Amaya hadn’t seized her wrist, red rings around it from her cuffs.

“Marlene said to stay put.”

Ellie turned back to the girl and smirked. “She should’ve known better.”

She opened to door and started to slink down the hallway in the opposite direction of the sounds of aggression.

“Ellie,” Amaya whispered sharply, poking her head past the doorway. She watched as the shorter girl looked back at her and beckoned her to follow. “Ellie!”

Another gunshot, this time accompanied by some yelling that chimed barely 20 feet away. Amaya had no choice, she realized. Not if her sister’s voice was whispering along with the creaks in the wood.

Protect Ellie.

She hurried to grab her backpack and ducked out of the room.

Daylight which was steadily getting dimmer peaked through holes in the walls, much like the room she’d grown familiar with. Each floorboard screeched like they were carrying a million dead bodies on their unbending shoulders. Ellie was in sight, but too far to yank back. The girls treaded together for a few seconds, flinching with every bang and yell. Then, the commotion ceased. The world was still apart from Ellie and Amaya’s lingering breaths.

The shorter girl turned to face Amaya, eyes unsure. Amaya feigned valor and nodded to her to keep going. As they walked, they found a soiled man with a lake of crimson beneath him and an entirely spotless axe a foot from his outstretched hand. Amaya picked it up and frowned when she saw her reflection in the foggy steel.

“Guess this guy didn’t have much luck,” Ellie commented. Amaya shushed her, but when Ellie realized the axe was still in her clutch as they trekked away, she said, “Interesting weapon choice when everyone around us has guns...”

“Better than a switchblade.”

They walked through two more corridors in silence, weapons braced. The smell of gunpowder and blood was causing Amaya’s head to whirl, but she pushed on. Then, Ellie, still in front, came to a halt. She turned to face Amaya and placed her palm out.

“Hold on,” she whispered.

“We need to keep moving before we end up like the guy back there.”

“I know, just not down this hall. We’ll find another way.”

Amaya could tell by the metallic scent dawdling above them what was behind the corner. “I’m not a fucking baby, Ellie.”

“Amaya—”

But she wasn’t listening. Being eternally bewildered and treated like a child was worse than the freezing fear. As far as she could tell, she’d yielded all claims to innocence long ago. Amaya plowed past the sienna-eyed girl and twisted around the corner.

The acidic aroma of flesh beginning to rot was nearly enough to knock her over. Barely ten feet away, a girl who couldn’t have been older than her early 20s lay with her neck bowed against the wall, body slack and straight on the floor. Her eyes were unobstructed and Amaya swore they were looking right at her. Dark, gaping, and barren. A bullet found home between them and leaked red-tinted despair and venom. Amaya wished she listened.

She had been completely indifferent towards the man with the axe, but this girl was familiar. It didn’t matter to Amaya that in the world outside of the youngest Abel’s pain, she was a stranger. And Ellie knew exactly how it would affect her.

Amaya knew that face. She shared that face. The ochre glow of the dim hallway made her brown skin glare as the corners of her eyelids kissed. Riley.

Amaya didn’t care to acknowledge the sound of stomps and pained grunts coming closer. She didn’t comprehend Ellie’s hand on her shoulder or the pull of bile in her throat. As of she was drowning in remembrance, the flickering lightbulbs, faded wallpaper, and scent of blood blended in one great, sloppy, tragic painting. Riley.

Amaya was in the mall again, hands marred with red-hot guilt. The body’s mouth began to move; “You killed them, May,” it whispered.

It took more than a yank of her jacket for her release. Ellie seized her hand and dug her nails into her shoulder, not letting go as she hauled the girl away from the body and down into the next corridor. She shoved Amaya into a vacant room identical to the ones they’d been staying in and thrust her against the wall next to the entrance.

“It wasn’t her,” Amaya told Ellie as she continued to hold her clammy hand, but it sounded more like a plead than a declaration.

“I know,” Ellie huffed. She stared at Amaya’s blown eyes and drooping face. “I know.”

The grunts of pain Amaya had barely processed were rising louder, only a few feet away now. Ellie, who still hadn’t taken her damned eyes or hands off her wondered allowed: “Marlene?”

Then, another noise sounded. A scrape, coming from their right this time.

“Not Marlene,” Amaya whispered, but Ellie wasn’t listening. She took her hand from Amaya’s and flipped open her switchblade. Before Amaya had any time to pull her back a second time, she pounced through the doorway.

Amaya squeezed her eyes shut as a mass bashed against a surface. A gruff, masculine grunt rang out on the other side of the wall Amaya was fused to.

“Fuck,” a winded Ellie panted as the click of a gun echoed in the stillness.

“Joel?” It was Marlene’s voice this time.

“Marlene?” The man’s words had a distinct twang to them.

A frustrated sigh puffed. Her next words were directed to Ellie. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

Amaya still had her axe. Whoever was on the other side of her wall could be down in seconds, even if she was inexperienced with wielding the weapon. But he had a gun and wasn’t alone. Amaya’s thoughts swam rapidly.

Protect Ellie.

“Ellie…” Marlene called. When the only response she got was more heavy breathing, she called again. “Ellie. Where’s Amaya?”

“Right here.” Amaya forced her body forward and slowly swerved out of her hiding place. She let her axe clang to the floor and raised her hands. Eyes still blown and cheeks flushed, she peered around the room; A tall man with a graying, patchy beard and a plunging crease between his eyebrows was scrutinizing her, Ellie, and Marlene. Behind him, another woman idly pointed her gun at Amaya. Ellie was on her ass, her back to the wall. The southern man dwarfed Amaya as his shoulders squared in defense. She carefully maneuvered herself around him as he watched, keeping her back against the wall as she'd been taught.

Amaya looked to Ellie again, who was already glaring at her, clearly vexed. “You should’ve just stayed in the room,” the girl grumbled.

All dread and recollection of the woman with familiar eyes vanished as Amaya’s eyebrows settled harshly over her pointed eyes. “And you should’ve waited for me before charging at a man armed with a gun,” she snarked back.

Ellie shook her head but didn’t take her fiery eyes off her accomplice. Amaya stood with vigor as she held her sore body upright, setting her lips straight as she skimmed her eyes to Marlene.

The older woman was holding her hands out like her, gun directed at the ceiling instead of the attackers. A dark stain was growing on her ratty tank top.

“Shit,” Ellie whispered as she took in her appearance too.

“No, it’s okay, I’ll be alright. And you,” —she glimpsed from Ellie to Amaya— “can’t be stupid like this. You have a responsibility.”

She didn’t need another reminder.

“We were gonna move Ellie out of the zone tonight,” Marlene began to say to the older man. “But we won’t make it anywhere like this. Not for a while, anyway. So now I’m thinkin’…you’re gonna do it.”

“The hell we are.”

“I can do it,” the Firefly by Marlene’s side said.

“I’m not going with them!” Ellie peered back up at Amaya with pleading eyes. “We’re not going with them.”

Amaya didn’t know who to look at. Ellie’s sienna stare was fixed on her like she was the only thing she'd ever seen and Marlene observed her in anticipation.

What exactly was her responsibility now? She found Marlene. She kept Ellie safe to the best of her abilities. Amaya endeavored, even when she was stricken with callous grief and fueled by rage alone. Their fate was out of the hands of a promise.

But it was more than that, no matter how many times Amaya tried to disavow it. The fact that Riley didn't know the pledge would last longer than the mere hours it should've taken for Ellie to turn had no significance any longer. It had ceased being just a promise the second the bullet soared three weeks ago, the second Riley Abel was struck from The List. It was symbolic of something bigger and greater than the guilt of sisterhood. She felt its reverence with each heave of her feet. Yes, she’d found Marlene. Yes, she’d protected Ellie to the best of her abilities. But her job didn’t stop there and that thought alone nearly made Amaya crumble to her knees and lift her hands to the heavens.

Amaya wasn’t raised religious. No one was anymore. How could you be when this world was so absent of all good, all righteousness, all serenity? There was no God. If there was, Amaya wouldn’t be haunted by his children. So then why was she praying to one now? Was it for guidance? Was it for repentance? Was it for him to strike her down where she stood and relieve her of this all?

Amaya didn’t know what would happen if she followed Ellie west with two strangers, but she did know one thing. It wasn’t just a promise. It was an oath of truth, a wish for peace, a dream of deliverance. Made for a girl-turned-corpse. Marlene told her she would have to make a choice. This was it.

God fucking damn it.

Amaya let her eyes drift to Marlene, who stared back knowingly.

“Tess,” Joel looked around at the woman who still held her revolver in Amaya’s direction. “We don’t have time for this.”

Tess watched him, then turned to the bleeding woman. “Who is she?”

“To you? She’s cargo. And her…” Marlene pointed to Amaya now. “They’re a package deal.”

Below her, Amaya watched a little relief bleed into Ellie’s expression.

“Hold on, now you want us smuggling two kids?” Tess exclaimed.

“We don’t smuggle people. Sorry.”

“I can do it,” the short-haired firefly--Kim, she shortly learned-- said again.

“Kim, you don’t have a fuckin’ ear on your fuckin’ head. Could you please?” Marlene paused to rub her temples. “There’s a team of Fireflies waiting for Ellie at the old State House. They’ll know where to take Amaya afterwards.”

Amaya’s head shot up. “You mean—”

Maria is alive.

Amaya knew Riley would never lie about their sister, but the possibility had never felt real until that very second. Her chest swelled with warmth and her head reeled with alleviation. This was what hope feels like, she realized.

“Yes,” Marlene confirmed. “Last I heard, a contact there knows where Maria last was. It’s not a promise, but a possibility.”

Amaya nodded gratefully. Joel scoffed.

“I know what’s out there,” she continued. “We were going with an entire squadron for that very reason. But now, I don’t have a truck, I don’t have a squadron, FEDRA’s five minutes away…what I do have is you. And I know what you’re both capable of. For better or worse."

“What’re they capable of?” Ellie wondered aloud.

Neither Tess nor Joel made any movement.

“You get them there safely, they’ll get you what you need. Not just the battery. The whole thing, whatever you need. I swear. I swear.”

Joel looked to Tess, who jerked her head. The pair stalked a few feet away and began whispering. Amaya let her shoulders drop and sighed. She reached down to pull Ellie up from the floor, who brushed dust and dirt from her already dirty clothes and looked the taller girl in the eye.

“Thanks,” she said, and Amaya was reminded of the circumstances of their relationship. Fire on fire. Sorrow on Sorrow.

“I’m not doing this for you,” she snarked, careful to keep her voice low as she picked up her axe. “I couldn’t give less of a shit about a vaccine. I’m doing this for my sisters.”

“I know,” Ellie looked away, rubbing the red rings around her wrists from her shackles.

Amaya could admit to the sprawling ball of warmth in her chest and quit her pessimism. She could admit that maybe she wasn’t all grit and stone, but eager to be good. For Maria. For Riley. She could acknowledge her fear and intrinsic need to protect. But Amaya was an Abel. And Abels didn’t break.

The deal was made. Soon, they were off into the cold streets of the Boston QZ, heads low, splashing steps eager for freedom. Tess and Joel brought them to an apartment complex, complete with mice nibbling on crumbs in the corner and water leaking from the ceiling. As Amaya and Ellie entered their space, Tess cleared her throat.

“Give us a minute,” she instructed and shut the door behind her. The girls were alone again.

Ellie pivoted to watch her abetter look around and shuffle her feet from one corner of the room to the next. Flower pots and coffee table books replaced by whiskey bottles and loose trinkets, the place was certainly lived in. But Amaya was no one to judge given that the most luxurious place she’d ever stayed had multiple mold infestations.

The adults' voices were only slightly muffled by the armor of wood separating them. Ellie began to pick around the mess of the living room as Amaya watched critically.

“Don’t touch their shit.”

“And what exactly do you call what you’re doing?”

Amaya looked down at her bustling hands that explored the contents of a nearby shelf but only rolled her eyes. Slanted against the nearest windowsill, her tawny skin mixed with the pinks and yellows and blues of the glass butterfly whirling in the window. Ellie watched the colors kaleidoscoping in silence as Amaya leafed through the pages of a book— “Morse Code and Other Essential Languages”.

There was a serene glow coating her dark eyes, the look only a person who didn’t know they were being watched could capture with such nuance. Before Ellie’s thoughts could pull her further down a rabbit hole, Joel stomped back in.

“So,” Ellie began, holding her own book now that she’d used to distract her from the girl with rainbows in her skin. Joel sat down on the ratty sofa and looked like he was holding back an exasperated sigh. “Who’s Bill and Frank?”

He glared in warning and Amaya stepped in front of the subject of his annoyance, blocking his vision of the prying girl.

“The radio,” she pointed to the back box and pulled the slip of paper Ellie was trying to decipher. She read it over. “It’s a smuggling code, right? 60’s, nothing changed; '70’s, they—whoever they is—got new stuff…”

“But the ’80s,” Ellie went up on her toes to read over her shoulder. “Just has an ‘x’ next to it? What’s that one?”

The couch creaked as Joel rose and Amaya regretted leaving her axe on the windowsill. She instinctively reached a hand back and hovered it over Ellie’s forearm, trying to drive her back, but Ellie wouldn’t budge. He approached them, took Ellie’s book, and rashly tossed it on the cluttered coffee table. Ellie put her hands up in annoyed defense.

“Told you not to touch their shit," Amaya shrugged.

Within minutes, the trio had settled into appointed spots; Joel on the couch feigning sleep, Amaya sinking into the cracked armchair after making sure Joel couldn’t see her cramming the morse code book in her pack, and Ellie sitting crisscrossed by her feet. She knew it was stupid to not remain vigilant, that this man not even five feet away had already exhibited his ability to harm them. Her axe was in clutch, resting against her leg. Eventually, sleep, like her sister’s call, caught up to her.

When she woke, she was still. The sun had set and streetlights were their only illuminators. Ellie was still at her feet, back resting against the leg of the chair and half-reading a book, and Joel lay stiffly on his sofa. Above him, though, posing on the arm of the sofa by his feet, rested the golden eyes and silver tears. Riley.

They were a mirror of each other, a cursed, blasphemous symbol of sisterhood. Monster reflected monster. Dead reflected dead. Neither creature said a word.

Amaya could dart her eyes around, but couldn’t bring herself to squeeze them shut. You killed them.

She looked to Ellie, wondering if her mumbling as she flipped through a book could be her saving grace, could pull her from this nightmare—no, this was no nightmare. This was as real as she was evil. This was real, and she was evil. Ellie's proximity made her chest flutter underneath her fear and she thanked God that the mumbling girl was facing away from her. Amaya felt the glacier in her ribs expand, pressing against her chest. She felt ready to burst. If she did, she’d go willingly.

Just then, the buzz of a helicopter jolted Joel awake and the feeling of an all-consuming winter dissipated.

Tess returned not long after and they started their journey in the dead of night. By the time they reached the surface of their underground passage through the Boston QZ, Amaya was panting and resisting the urge to retch at the scent of mildew and feces. However awful the room at the Firefly base was, it simply stood no chance compared to Boston’s sewage system. As she groaned while climbing over the rust-ridden latter, Ellie, eyes bright with the exhilaration of actual freedom, reached her hand down to assist her. Amaya glared and pulled herself up without her help.

After a couple of close calls (most of which were brought about by Ellie) they made it to the city wall. For a few fleeting moments Amaya began to think that their journey wouldn’t be as hard as Marlene made it seem, but fate had other plans.

Facing away from them stood a young, black-clad FEDRA soldier. Tess made a quick hand motion, instructing them to try and move silently around the man, but as she moved, Amaya stepped on a stick of wood. Its snap echoed like a gunshot in the night.

The soldier twirled around after zipping up his pants and aimed his gun, which flailed from criminal to criminal. “Don’t move. Don’t fucking move.”

At the sight of his gun drawn, Amaya dropped her axe. She grabbed Ellie’s arm and pulled her behind Joel and Tess. The quartet huddled close as lightning began to flash, each flash a frame in their final moments. The soldier lifted the panel of his helmet and Joel’s shoulders slightly unbunched. He seemed to recognize the young man but kept his hands up and his movements slow.

“You gotta be shittin’ me.”

“Ok, let’s talk this out,” Joel tried to reason as he and Tess moved in front of the girls, but the soldier jutted his gun again.

“Turn around. Get on your fucking knees. Do it!”

They obeyed.

“Fuck did I tell you, man.” The soldier’s attention was solely on Joel now and behind her, Amaya could feel Ellie try and pull herself from her grasp. She only held on tighter; Protect Ellie. “I said stay the fuck home.”

“Listen,” Tess called, ever the diplomatic voice, “you let us do this run, we’ll split the cards with you.���

He ignored her and directed them to raise their hands to their heads. From his belt emerged a scanner and as Tess complained, Ellie and Amaya looked at each other with fear bubbling deep in their stomachs. The first zap ricocheted in the air, then the second, until the cold metal pressed against Amaya’s neck.

Her axe, she remembered. But it was feet away, glimmering and sleek in the midnight rain.

Protect Ellie, Riley’s voice echoed.

Protect Ellie.

Protect Ellie.

Protect Ellie.

The soldier moved to the subject of Amaya’s whirlwind thoughts and in one swift movement, Amaya grabbed a rock by the soldier’s foot and swiveled to jab its sharpest edge into his calf. As he yelled, she kicked the back of his knees. The soldier, once illuminated by the power-hungry glow of nature's boom, fell to his knees. Amaya wasted no time in tackling him backward.

Ellie scrambled away as Tess and Joel watched in stunned silence as Amaya had the upper hand, pushing all her weight into her fist and pounding down onto his face. But her glory was fleeting. The soldier clamped his gloved hands onto her throat and squeezed. Instantly, the punches ceased and she was thrown to the ground with a worthless thump.

Amaya gazed up at the night sky in her concussed daze. She could hear the click of the soldier’s guns aimed at her and then a war cry and thump, but she didn’t take her eyes off the sky. Its tears looked like snow from her view and she was briefly reminded of her family’s shack in Camden during the winter months. She so desperately wished to be tiny and mushy-brained again, joined in the virgin snow by Riley as she swept her arms up and down to create wings of the holy. She had prayed every night for mercy, that she might be able to play in the snow with her big sister in some version of the afterlife. Despite all the heinous acts she’d committed, despite the oath that rested on her tired shoulders, Amaya believed she deserved at least that.

For a second, she thought she was getting her wish. An angel flew into view. Not one like Maria, but something that transcended even immortality. As it stared down at her, kind and round-faced and cherubic, its wings blurred in bursts of light around its head as it reached for Amaya's face. The angel placed its hand there and once she felt the inexplicable warmth, she regretted cursing religion’s name and claiming its falsehood.

“What was that about not charging at grown men armed with guns?” The angel asked.

Amaya blinked. Nails drilled into her skull as she was pulled upright and leaned against the rock on which she was thrown. The soldier was nowhere in sight, but Joel’s knuckles were bloodied and shaking. Ellie crouched in front of her with a hand hovering over her shoulder.

“What the fuck?”

Tess came over and nudged Ellie to the side, moving to peer at Amaya’s head wound, which was beginning to pulse along to her heightened heart rate. Tess pressed two fingers against it, feeling for blood or an open cut as Amaya shuddered. She was briefly aware of Ellie’s staring and Joel’s hand-flexing.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Ellie asked.

“Definitely concussed,” Tess began to conclude, “and I don’t see too much blood, so…probably.”

“Probably?”

“I’m fine,” Amaya claimed as she began to rise from the dirt. Joel was looking at her now with a mist of peculiar sorrow over his eyes. “I’m fine. Let’s keep going.”

No one made any protests as Amaya found her axe and backpack, which had been flung off in the fight. But before they could get back on the move, something caught Tess’ eye; a red so bright coming from the missing guard's scanner, Amaya was surprised she hadn’t seen it sooner. Tess stared for a second, before moving to get it. Tess raised it to herself, then to Joel, who flung around and pulled Amaya away from Ellie.

“Joel,” Tess called as Amaya tried to pull herself from Joel’s grasp.

“Wait, she’s not sick!” She yelled. “She isn’t sick!”

Ellie’s eyes flew around the trio until settling on Amaya pleadingly.

“She isn’t sick!” Amaya tried again. Then Ellie did the one thing she wasn’t supposed to.

“Look!” Ellie yelled as she pulled up her sleeve, revealing the only reason she was still alive. She looked at Amaya. One of the reasons.

“This is three weeks old,” she explained as Tess dove to grab her arm, stretching the marred flesh of the bite mark. “Nobody lasts more than a day, right? Does this look a day old to you?”

“She isn’t lying,” Amaya claimed, finally breaking herself free of Joel’s iron grip. “I was there. I swear, we wouldn’t lie.”

“You would’ve killed me if we'd said anything!"

“I should fucking kill you. Both of you!”

Amaya crept up to Tess, who was staring at the ground in complete disbelief. As slowly as she could, she raised her hands in caution as she had few hours prior.

“Look, I know it’s impossible,” she began to reason, ignoring the incredulous wide-eyed glare Ellie was sending her. “I didn’t believe it at first either, but it’s real. I was there. This is real. And they’re gonna catch us if we don’t go. Now.”

Right on cue, a siren started to wail. Tess gave herself three seconds to think, then hurried to start pulling the girl’s away from the city wall. Joel was still staring at Ellie with an unreadable expression.

“Joel, we gotta move,” Tess called after him, still moving the girls farther away. Ellie gripped the arm of Amaya’s jacket as she led the way toward a gap in a nearby wire fence. “We gotta move, Joel!”

In the violent downpour of a terror-filled night, Amaya could hear distant screeching. She paused and looked back on Boston as her curls plastered to her forehead; her home of five years. Somewhere in the rubble and sorrow that made up the city, rested the reason she was still breathing, as well as the reason she didn’t deserve to be. Her skin prickled in shame to leave her behind, even if there was no longer anything in her besides disease and death. Everything felt so explicitly real for the first time since she was nine, and Amaya was doing everything in her power to push that feeling away and focus on her task. All she had to do was get to the Fireflies and find her sister. After that, no more diplomatic women, grumpy old men, or sienna eyes. Couldn’t be that hard.

“Come on,” Ellie called from a few feet away. She had let go of her arm a while ago, and Amaya almost missed the feeling of her, even if her touch was only to hurry Amaya along. Amaya looked back to the girl with fire eyes and a cherubic face, then to Tess and Joel, who stood talking in hushed tones as they waited. She looked back at the graveyard city once more and said goodbye.

previous chapter

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series masterlist

[cafecinnamon8]

im kind of dying

[namesetc]

Hi! I'm looking for long names that have lots of nicknames. I have no preference masculine or feminine. Thanks!

Elizabeth - Eli/Ellie/El, Liz/Liza/Lizzie/Lizzy, Iz/Izzy/Iza, Beth, Izabeth, Lizabeth, Eliza/Elisa/Elissa/Elise, Bess/Bessy/Bessie, Bethan, Betsy, Bette, Betty, Buffy, Ella, Elsa, Elsie, Libby, Liddy, Lili, Lisa, Lise, Lisette.

Alexander/Alexandra - Al/Ally, Alex, Alexa, Xander, Ander, Lex/Lexa/Lexie/Lexi, Xandra, Andra.

Katherine - Kat/Kath/Kathy/Kathie, Rin, Rene/Renée/Renee, Kathrine, Kathri/Kathrie, Katherie.

Margarete - Marg/Marge, Margo, Margi/Margie, Maggie/Maggi/Magi.

Christopher - Chris/Chrissy/Chrissie, Christo/Christy/Christie/Christi.

William - Will/Willy/Willie/Willi, Liam, Bill, Willia, Illia.

Jonathan - Jon/John, Jona/Jonah/Jonna, Than.

Josephine - Jo/Joe, Jose/Josey/Josie/Josee, Joseph, Josephi/Josephie, Phine/Phinie/Phiny, Nina.

Amelia - Am/Ame/Amy/Amie, Amel/Ameli/Amelie, Lia/Lea/Liah/Leah, Li/Lee.

Charlotte - Char/Charl, Chary/Charie/Charrie, Charly/Charli/Charlie, Lotte/Lottie, Charlo, Carly, Lola, Lotta, Tottie.

Anestasia - Anna/Ana, An/Ann/Anne, Anest, Anesta, Nesta, Annie, Stacy/Stacie/Stasy/Stasi/Stasia, Tasia, Sia, Stasya.

Genevieve - Evie, Gen/Jen, Genie, Genna, Genny, Ginette, Ginny, Viv, Vivi.

Natalia/Natasha - Nat/Nate, Natie/Naty, Talia, Tally, Tasha.

Susanna - Sookie, Sue, Sukey, Susa, Susie/Suzy/Suzie/Susy, Suze, Zanna/Sanna, ZuZu, Anna, Annie.

Veronica/Veronika - Nikki, Rona, Ronnie/Roni/Ronni, Vera, Viki/Vicky/Vickie, Vero.

Wilhelmina - Billie, Mina/Minna, Minnie/Mini/Minni, Mimi, Vilma/Velma, Willa/Willah, Will, Willie/Willy, Willow, Wilma, Wilhelm, Helm, Helma/Helmi

Robert - Bob, Bobby/Bobbie/Bobbi, Bobbin, Dobbin, Hob, Rob, Robbie/Robby, Robin, Bert.

Theodore/Theodora - Ted, Teddy/Teddie, Teo, Terry, Theo, Dore/Dora, Dory.

Beatrice/Beatrix - Bea/Bee, Beah/Bia, Trice/Tris/Trish, Trix/Trixi/Trixie, Tricia, Trace/Tracie/Traci/Tracy, Beatri, Tri/Tree, BB, BT, Babe/Bebe, Bix/Brix, Betty/Bettie.

Nathaniel/Nathanial - Nat/Nate/Nath, Nathan, Niel/Neil, Thaniel, Thane, Than.

there are tons more so if none of these work let me know and i'll get some more!

[damnrightshow]

Thursday show is only live. No YouTube sorry.

I want to see at club, hope to see you soon !

Check today’s playlist. And imagine.

I’ll do the show again on Monday, feel free to access Mixcloud live.

And have a fabulous weekend all !

1. "Dancing Close" RITA JOYCE (Ren-Cen)

2. "Why She Had To Go" BURNING DESIRE (Charisma)

3. "I Don't Know Nothing Else To Tell You, But I Love" MONICA (Toxsan)

4. "Gonna Find A Way (To Get You Back)" NEIL REED (Music-Now)

5. "Hey Lancelot" JO ANN KING (Phil La Of Soul)

6. "Everybody Walking Together" PROPHECY (All Platinum)

7. "Fast Man" THE PC'S LTD (Fran)

8. "Party Time" THE MASTERS (Masters)

9. "Our Thing Is Through" LEE SHOT WILLIAMS (Shama)

10. "Clap Your Hands" REGINALD MILTON & THE SOUL JETS (Milton)

11. "Where Do You Go" JBC BAND (Jeree)

12. "Since I Was A Little Girl" HARD DRIVERS feat VIVIAN LEE (Hawes)

13. "Peace Still Is With Us" APOLLOS SHOW BAND (Johnlewis)

14. "Fell Into A Bag" RIVER CITY FUNK BAND (R.D.M.)

15. "Butter Nut Part 2" BLACK TRUTH BAND (Black Truth)

16. "Funky Thing" LARRY ELLIS AND THE BLACK HAMMER (Al King)

17. "Investigation" SHERLOCK HOLMES INVESTIGATION (Tramp)

18. "Egg Roll" THE M&S BAND (Funk 45)

19. "Deep South" THE FOURTH LEVEL (MD)

20. "My Mind Set Me Free" HOUSE GUESTS (House Guests)

21. "You Blew My Mind" VERNON GARRETT (Kapp)

22. "Life In The City" FRANKIE (North Broad St)

23. "Don't Fight The Feeling" MASTER FORCE (Rain Forest)

24. "Just Want You To Know" GANGBUSTERS (North Countrty)

25. "Forever" JOHN SIMEONE (TNT)

26. "Gold Of My Life" MIXED EMOTIONS (Rock-Way)

27. "Party On The Moon" ODELL KNIGHT (Valiant)

28. "Here I Stand" THE GETTO CHILDREN (So-Char)

29. "Funky Chick" THE MAJESTICS (Morsound)

30. "I Can't Find Another" THE SPECIALS (Satch)

31. "What About Child" GOLD (Soul 7)

32. "Modernization" SONS OF THE KINGDOM (K.O.G.)

33. "Need Your Love" THE UNION PACIFIC (UP)

34. "Be My Friend" RIPPLE (GRC)

35. "You're The One" KINGS GO FORTH (Mr. C)

36. "The Best Is Yet To Come" MR. PRESIDENT (Favorite)

37. "Good Good Good" MICHELLE DAVID & THE TRUE-TONES (One World)

38. "Hey Girl" JO STANCE (Ricky Tick)

39. "10000 Miles" AMERICAN GYPSY (Chess)

[galadrieljones]

As You Were (Chapter 10)

Fandom: The Last of Us | Pairing: Joel x OC | Content: Fix-it, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Found Family, Joel Lives | Rating: Mature

Masterpost

Summary:

When Joel and Ellie take a wrong turn on their journey from Pittsburgh to Wyoming, they find themselves lost in what feels like a time warp: a beautiful place with a dark and dangerous secret, filled with painful reminders of the past. But they aren’t alone. When they meet Cici and Noah, a mother and son fighting tirelessly for survival, things change. For those with little hope to spare, family is what you make it.

This is an AU, starting after the events of the Summer chapter in the first game, and extending into the timeline of the second.

Chapter 10: The Yellow Brick Road

“Goodnight, baby girl.”

Around ten or so, Ellie was sitting in the window of the farmhouse, looking out at the rain. She was carving into a piece of wood with her knife, something she’d picked up outside. Her carvings had no direction and no intentionality. She didn’t know how to carve shapes out of wood, but she thought that would be neat to learn someday.

“Hey, Ellie. Do you want some cocoa?” said Cici. She was heating milk in a pan on the stove. She had her hair down and she was wearing soft pajamas. She looked pretty and mild in a way that seemed to Ellie as effortless.

“You guys have cocoa?” said Ellie.

Cici smiled. “We do. But no marshmallows, I’m sorry to report.”

“I definitely want some cocoa."

They all sat around in the living room, drinking their cocoa, which was delicious. Cici had some music playing quietly on the record player. It was Elton John, his Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road album from the 1970s. Ellie didn't recognize it, but like with most things she had never experienced before, she thought it was pretty neat. The music didn’t seem to bother Danielle and Becky and it brought a sort of nice, old fashioned feel to the house as if all was normal and everything would be okay, even if somewhat haunted by the past. Danielle and Becky were worried about Danielle’s father Jeb, and her brother Zach, who had been out hunting since that morning. They were supposed to be gone overnight, but the storm and the Infected was putting pressure on the situation.  

“They’ll shoot if they have to,” said Danielle, comforting Becky with her hand on her knee. Danielle was sturdier and less concerned. She was also not pregnant. That seemed to make a difference, thought Ellie. “They know what to do.”

“I locked your house tight,” said Cici. “No more sick will get in.”

“What if they break through the windows?” said Becky.

“They would only do that if there was something inside they wanted,” said Cici. “The house is dark and quiet, which is important. The sick are generally less active at night around here, because there’s just less sound.”

“Thank you,” said Becky, her red hair still braided tightly to her head, though it was getting piecey around her temples. “That’s a good reminder.”

Ellie sipped her cocoa, looking down into its chocolatey depths, thinking about how Cici was thoughtful in the way she referred to them as “sick.” The Amish girls did not seem to look at the Infected as if they were inhuman, but as if they were merely humans who had gotten sick. What if the people are still inside? Sam had said.

I'm scared of that happening to me.

Cici came over and sat down next to Ellie. Together they looked down at their cocoa, then back to the fire. Danielle had gone to the kitchen for a glass of water, and Becky had gone with her. She seemed too anxious to be alone. They were leaning against the counter now, and speaking another language, which Ellie obviously did not recognize.

“They’re speaking some sort of German,” said Cici, like she had read her mind.

“That’s so cool,” said Ellie. “What do you think they're talking about?”

”Probably Noah.”

”Noah?”

”Danielle has a crush on Noah,” said Cici, taking a sip from her cocoa. “She always has.”

”Seriously?” said Ellie.

”Yeah,” said Cici. She had her hands tucked into her sleeves. You could only see the tips of her fingers where she held the mug. “I think he liked her, too, but it was short-lived, more than a year ago, and he’s very stoic.”

”What happened?”

“William died,” said Cici, shrugging. “Noah sort of gave up after that. On a lot of stuff.”

”Geez,” said Ellie. “I’m sorry.”

”Don’t worry. I think he's finally starting to come back around,” said Cici. “But at the end of the day, Danielle’s Amish, and Noah’s not. Her religion would never allow it anyway.”

”Religion?” said Ellie. “Why would that matter? Aren’t there more important things?”

Cici shrugged. “Maybe to us.”

A little bit later, Ellie thought she saw a set of headlights come swooping up the hill, some ways down the driveway, out behind the electric gate near the trees. Ellie got spooked. She realized who it had to be, and she set down her cocoa on the coffee table and went running for the window.

“Ellie?” said Cici.

She could feel everybody looking. She touched the glass. “They’re back,” she said.

“Should you call your mom on the radio?” said Joel. He was pulling in through the trees, up the long driveway, toward the gate. It was dark, deathly quiet. “I don’t think they’re expecting us so soon.”

Noah had been quiet for most of the ride. He said, “Yeah, I'm on it.”

He took out the walkie as Joel put the truck into park, but then he thought he saw something unsettling waver over by the tree line, kind of a scribbly noise in the dark. He killed the engine, gestured for Noah to be quiet. Together, they listened. They could hear the crickets, the wind in the trees.

Then, the walkie went off. It was Cici, startling them both. She said, “Noah, is that you guys? Over.”

In the long night of the silent countryside, even the slightest disturbance could draw out the enemy. Joel shook his head, and Noah turned off the radio. Coming out of the trees then, almost immediately, interested in the sound from the truck, it was a clicker. Then one more. Then another. Noah and Joel both picked up their guns.

"If we molotov those things, more will just come out of the trees," said Noah.

“I’m guessing the fence is hot,” said Joel.

“Definitely,” said Noah.

“We need your mom to turn off the fence so we can get inside. They’re clickers, so I reckon we can make it, if we’re quiet.”

Noah turned on the walkie. He said, softly. “Mom. Do you copy? It’s us, but there’s a problem. Over.”

The frequency was quiet. Nobody was responding.

“Mom?” said Noah. “Mom, are you there?”

There was a tussle then. It was Ellie. She had picked up the radio. “Noah?” she said. “Is it you guys?”

“It’s us,” he said. “Hey. Where’s my mom?”

“She’s heading out to the crow’s nest. She told me to stay here until she radioed.”

“Shit,” said Noah. “Is the fence hot?”

“Yeah,” said Ellie. “She said to turn it off when she gives the all-clear.”

Noah looked at Joel, who took the walkie. “Ellie?” he said.

“Joel?” said Ellie. She sounded relieved to hear his voice. “Hey. Holy shit. Are you guys okay?”

“We’re fine,” said Joel. “But we got clickers, outside the electric fence. We’re still in the truck.”

“Clickers?” said Ellie

A floodlight came on overhead then, sudsing the earth with pure white light and surprising the hell out of them. Joel had to shield his eyes. The sound it made, a great, electric humming, was enough to draw attention from the clickers, who screamed.

“Ellie, kill the fence,” said Joel, fixing to get the hell out of there.

“What about Cici?” she said.

“Just do it.”

Ellie obeyed. They both exited the truck at the same time. Something exploded behind them then, a long, fiery curtain. They stumbled forward, and the clickers went straight to the fire—them and twenty more, emerging from the darkness. Joel and Noah made a break for the gate. Noah hauled it open, but its convulsive moaning brought some more Infected out of the trees. Joel fired his pistol a few times into the darkness, then pulled the gate closed behind them, dropped the latch, and shouted into the radio for Ellie to hit the power. Ellie confirmed. They backed away then as a handful of runners rushed the fence. They were gutted by the electricity and burned to death in minutes, crumbling into char. The smell was terrible. Soon, all went quiet aside from the fire burning through on the other side, crackling as an ode to summer.

“What the hell just happened?” said Joel. It must have been two molotovs, maybe three to start a fire that fast and big.

“Mom?” Noah shouted up, toward the crow’s nest

“It was me,” said Cici. She was climbing down the ladder.

"It was you?" said Joel.

“Thank Jesus that worked.” Cici almost started crying as her boots hit the ground. She had been carrying her rifle which she dropped when she saw Noah. She ran to him and grabbed him by the ears. He hugged her tight, picked her up off the ground. “Thank god,” she said. “Thank god you’re okay.” Then she looked at Joel. “Thank you, Joel. Thank you.”

Joel simply nodded chivalrously, having done his part. Then, looking away so as to spare them their privacy and switched on the radio again. He said, “Good work, Ellie.”

“I’ll come out and meet you,” she said.

“No, you stay right there, where it’s safe,” said Joel. “I’m coming. Over and out.”

Ellie waited on the porch. She was ringing her hands. She hadn't realized how freaked out she'd been until that very moment. When Noah and Cici came up first, they were talking about things she couldn’t hear. Ellie watched them with a strange kind of longing and excitement, even as she felt she should probably look away. She couldn’t help it. Noah had his arm around Cici's shoulders, seemed to be reassuring her about something. Ellie had never known that sort of love before, or ever really even seen it up close. She found it to be fascinating, like watching a movie, but she was in it.

Noah saluted her as they walked by and said, “All clear, cap'n.”

She laughed.

Joel was coming up, too. He was looking around, as if on patrol. When he saw her though, he dropped his guard and smiled in this kind of bashful way. Then he came up the steps and  hooked his thumbs over his belt. "Hey there," he said.

Ellie was relieved to see him. She was relieved that he was not dead. And it was not just seeing him that put her at ease. It was his bigness, and how he filled his space. His familiar smell and how it never seemed to change. She held her hands behind her back now and said, “Hey. You made it.”

"I told you we would,” said Joel. He reached behind him then, took something out of his back pocket. It was all rolled up. “You did good back there. You and Cici both. You saved us.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“I got this for you.” He handed her the sweatshirt.

Ellie took it, shocked and confused. She immediately fanned it out, and got excited. “Holy shit,” she said. “This is for me?”

“Yes ma’am,” said Joel. “Try it on. Make sure it fits.”

She tugged it over her head and held her arms down by her sides. It was soft inside. It fit perfectly. She looked right at him and said. “How do I look?”

“Very collegiate,” said Joel. He rumpled her on the hair, once. She thanked him, stood there vibrating, just for a minute. Then she followed him into the house.  

There was a moment that evening when Joel felt himself living a momentary crisis. Keenly aware of all that had happened, he sipped cocoa and looked down at his hands. He had felt a seam rip, somewhere inside his chest, exposing a raw piece of his memory from the past twenty years. He could not pinpoint when it had happened, but he felt it now. Cold inside, he was looking out the window and leaned with his forehead on the glass. Cici had turned off the floodlight, leaving the night as quiet as it had been when they’d arrived.

At some point, Danielle, the Amish girl with the yellow hair came up beside him and stood as little and straight as a candle. It sort of took him by surprise. She said, “Hello, Joel.”

She had been introduced to him earlier. Her and her pregnant sister-in-law. Joel glanced down at her and straightened up proper, a product of his good Texas manners. “Hello,” he said. “Danielle, is it?”

“That is right,” said Danielle. She looked out the window then, into the depths of the night sky. “I just wanted to ask a question. Did you happen to see any other men while you were driving over the ridge?”

“No,” said Joel, thinking on it. “No, I don’t believe we did.”

“Okay,” she said, disappointed, looking down at her boot laces. “Thank you. I would have asked Noah, but he is busy.”

“You missing someone?” he said.

“My father and brother,” she said. “They went out hunting earlier today.”

“They know their way around the land?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then I’m sure they’re fine,” said Joel. “I’m sure they just took shelter from the storm. It was pretty strong.”

“Thank you,” said Danielle. “I’m sure you’re right.”

Joel glanced back to Noah. He had been talking to Cici and Ellie over at the kitchen table, about what they’d learned back in La Crosse. “Are you and Noah friends?”

“Yes,” she said. “I mean, sort of. We’re the same age. I have known him a long time.”

“Do you all know what’s happening, with the land around here? The rivers?”

“Yes,” said Danielle, wistful. “We do. I know that Cici and Noah are preparing to leave because of it, with you and Ellie.”

“What will you do, you and your family?”

“I think we will go north,” she said, her hands balled up in the front of her dress. “We have lost everyone, and now our farm, too. We cannot stay here, especially not alone.”

“I’m very sorry,” said Joel. “About your farm, your family, your community. All of it.”

“Thank you, but you don’t need to say anything,” she said. “The Lord gives, but he also takes away. We’ve heard of other communities up north of La Crosse who may welcome us, many include Amish.”

“We met a couple of guys from a place called Midway. You know it?” said Joel.

“Yes, we have heard of it.”

“They seem to have a good thing going on, north of the spores. I’m sure they could use people like you, farmers and such.”

“Becky and I have many skills that we think we could offer. And my father and Zach, that’s my brother, they are very skilled as well.”

“There you go,” said Joel, smiling. She seemed broken somehow, very sad. He felt a little embarrassed for noticing. He said, “Are you doing okay? You just worried about your dad?”

“Yes,” she said, trying to liven up a little. She put on a very good happy face. She said, “But I’m sure you’re right. I’m sure they’re fine.”

“Okay then.” He looked back out the window. In the reflection on the glass, he could see Danielle, looking back toward the kitchen table. Noah looked up, right at her, just for a second, and she immediately turned back toward the window and sighed. Joel wondered, briefly. Perhaps? He sipped some more of his cocoa.

“Noah is brave,” she said. “Him and Cici. They have helped us for so long. It is scary to imagine life without them.”

Joel felt that same seam tugging open again, from before. It caused him strife, but it was also easy to jury-rig it shut, for now. The cocoa was warming his soul. It was trying to make his problems seem silly. “I know what you mean,” he said.

“How long have you known Ellie?”

“Not long,” said Joel.

“Well, she speaks highly of you,” said Danielle. “It seems you have been through a lot together. Do you think that sort of thing can change someone?”

“Yes, I do,” said Joel.

That night, he and Ellie were getting ready for bed in the upstairs bedroom. Danielle and Becky were sleeping in Noah’s room, across from Cici’s at the end of the hall, and Noah was sleeping downstairs. As Ellie brushed her hair in her gray pajama pants and her new sweatshirt, Joel sat thinking and looking down at his knuckles. Noah was still awake downstairs. You could hear him playing some music on the record player, real low. It was Elton John, something very old that he only remembered because it was a golden classic that he might have heard on the oldies radio station when he was a kid, or that his grandma might have listened to back at the dairy farm in Odessa. It was a song called Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road. The song was nostalgic.

Goodbye, yellow brick road, where the dogs of society howl.

“Hey, Joel?” said Ellie.

She was turned around now, looking back at him, holding the brush in both hands. She looked like a little girl.

“Yes,” he said.

“I was just wondering. Cici said we’re gonna leave in a couple of days. That we’re going to a place called Moline, in Illinois?”

“That’s right,” said Joel. “It’s right on the I-80, which is how we get back on the road to Tommy’s.”

”Are they gonna stay in Illinois?”

”I don’t know, Ellie. That’ll be up to them.”

She set the brush down, and then she came and sat down next to him, right next to him, on the bed. He scootched a little to give her space. The bed creaked. She pushed her sleeve up. Together they looked at the bite scar on her arm. “Should we tell them?” she said.

Joel studied it closely, the pink ridges and bumps. It was almost like a flower. A mean flower. Tenderly, he pushed the sleeve back down. “No,” he said. “Not yet.”

She sighed and looked down at her feet, which barely touched the ground. “Okay.”

“How you doing?” he said.

This seemed to surprise her. She shrugged. “I’m okay. Why?”

“I was just wondering,” he said. He took a great, deep breath. "We could talk. If you want."

“Talk about what?”

“About Pittsburgh," he said. He wasn't looking at her. She was terrifying in moments like these. Joel did not fear Infected or bad guys with guns. But with Ellie, sometimes, he was speechless. He didn't know why.

“You mean about Henry and Sam?” said Ellie.

“Sure,” said Joel. “Henry and Sam.”

“I don’t know,” she said, turning slightly toward him. “Do you wanna talk?”

“I'll listen," he said. "It's just been a lot that's gone on. Spending time with Noah made me realize that."

Hanging her head then, she reached into her pocket. She switched her knife open, eyeing its shiny blade. She did this whenever she didn’t know what else to do with her hands. It was a nervous habit. “It just seems so pointless, don’t you think?”

“What seems pointless?”

“Their deaths,” she said. She closed the knife back up and put it away. “Their lives. I don’t know. It’s like, one minute they were there, and the next, they weren’t. Poof. They were dead, and we were gone. We’d made plans. Now, it’s like their lives didn’t mean anything at all. Like they never even existed.”

“They meant something to you,” said Joel. “To us. For a little while. That’s more than some can say, in the end.”

“I guess,” said Ellie. “I’m just scared. I don’t wanna lose anymore people, Joel.”

She looked up at him with big eyes, like puddles. “I know, Ellie.”

“What about you?” she said, turning the tables. “Are you okay? After La Crosse? What Noah told us, about the sacrifices, like, shit. That seems pretty gnarly.”

“It was gnarly,” said Joel. “It was. But for the most part, we came into the aftermath. There was less action than we had anticipated. I’m okay, Ellie. You don't need to worry about me.”

“Well, I worry,” she said. “So deal with it. And I just—all I mean is, if you ever wanna talk, I’ll be here. Okay?”

He was looking down at his hands again, where they were folded in his lap. He felt big and mean beside her. He wondered if he deserved her, or any of this at all. He said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. She smiled then, like she was satisfied with the conversation and therefore, unburdened. Then, she got up and went back to the mirror and continued to brush her hair. “I used Cici’s shampoo today,” she said. “Does my hair look shinier to you?”

Joel found this very amusing. He said, “Yeah. You know, I think it actually does.”

“You should try it," she said.

“Ha,” said Joel.

“You might just like it…”

“I’m turning out the light now.”

“I’m serious…”

“Goodnight, kiddo.”

She sighed, set down the brush on the bureau. She seemed herself again, so positive and bright. It was a relief.

“Goodnight, Joel," she said.

That night, Joel could not sleep. He felt like his brain was working overtime for some reason. After Ellie dropped off and her breathing gone even, he got up silently and put his boots back on and went outside to chop some firewood. He had noticed it dwindling in supply upon their return, and it would still be a few days before they left the farm. The nights were getting colder. He loaded his shotgun and went out past the creek to a healthy pine grove just inside the confines of the electric fence. He didn't hear a soul out there, Infected or otherwise, only the bubbling of the poison creek and the crickets and the whip-poor-wills. The rain had stopped but the sky was still dark with clouds, and you could not see the moon. He cleaned up a few logs on the edge of the tree line, bound them up and hauled them in on a pallet, which he pulled on a rope. Once back to the house, he split the logs and left the axe on the stump, stacked several bundles near the chimney and then carried another bundle back to the house.

As he was walking in the door, he ran into Cici. She had on a blue wool jacket and a pair of warm gloves. He surprised the hell out of her when he came in the door. It made him feel bad.

"Joel," she said. "Holy shit. You scared me."

"I'm sorry," he said, setting down the bundle and unbuttoning his coat. "I didn't know you were up."

"I couldn't sleep," she said. "I thought I'd chop some firewood."

"Beat you to it," said Joel, showing her the bundle under his arm.

She seemed a little dumbfounded, taking off her gloves. "You didn't have to do that."

"Well, I did it anyway," said Joel. He went into the living room, which was empty. Noah's sleeping bag was still rolled up next to the fireplace. Joel tossed in a log, then another, started stoking it with the cast iron poker. "I see that Noah is elsewhere."

Cici shrugged. She was over in the kitchen now, leaning against the counter. "He’s probably with Danielle, out in the crow's nest."

"Danielle?" said Joel. "The Amish girl?"

Cici smiled. "It's not as weird as it seems." She poured herself a glass of bourbon. "You want some?"

"Sure, I'll have a little," said Joel. He settled down into the couch with a great big sigh.

Cici joined him. They both held heavy-bottomed glasses, poured neat with about two fingers of whiskey. "Here's to you," she said.

"Me?" said Joel.

"Yeah," said Cici. "For helping Noah. I'm just like, extremely thankful."

Joel looked down into his whiskey, swirled it around a little. "He's a pretty brave kid," said Joel.

"Yeah, well. Maybe too brave," said Cici. "Still."

They touched glasses, drank. The whiskey was good. The fire was very warm, and very big.

"So how does that work?" said Joel. "With Noah, and Danielle? I wondered if maybe something was going on, but ain't that like, against the rules?"

"It definitely is," said Cici. "But they're teenagers, and in a few days, they will both have to leave this place, and they'll probably never see each other again."

"So what you're saying is, fuck the rules," said Joel.

"Pretty much," said Cici. "I'm mostly kidding though. They're just friends. But they grew up with each other. That changes people."

"Yeah, I get it."

"I worry about her, a little," said Cici. "She's a nice girl, and she's braver than you think. But so much in Danielle's life is riding on her finding a suitable husband."

"And that ain't Noah."

"He ain’t very suitable, no."

"If we’re looking at the grand scheme of things," said Joel, "it seems like repopulating the earth is a little more important than religious rules right now. But I ain't been close to God in a long time. That's just my sinner’s opinion." He drank.

"You sound like Ellie," said Cici, smiling into her whiskey. "She said almost the same exact thing."

Joel looked at his watch. "Ellie's a good kid," he said.

"Have you ever been married, Joel?" said Cici. She was looking at the fire as she said it, not at Joel. She drank her whiskey.

"Yep," he said.

A little time went by. As usual, she did not press him for details. She was a mysterious woman. She never dropped her hand.

He felt her looking at him then. As a mystery, she was full of plot twists. So he looked at her, too. Her hair was a kind of dirty blond, nothing special, and it was down now and tucked behind her ears. She had fine bones. Her eyes were brown: dark and deep, like bullets. They were so different than Ellie's, which seemed to float on the surface of her face. He expected her to say something, but she didn't. Instead, she just reached for his left hand and picked it up by the wrist. Her touch jolted him upright. He thought she was looking at his wedding ring finger, but she wasn’t.

"You need a new watch," she said.

You kept complaining about your broken watch.

He looked down as if seeing it for the first time. He scratched his head. She gave him back his wrist and he pulled his sleeve down to cover up the whole thing. "Should we put the music back on?" he said. It put a cap on the conversation.

She went along with his suggestion, finished her whiskey and got up from the couch. She crossed the room in her socks, dropped the needle on the record player, then she made a face at the Elton John. "This is Noah's," she said.

"Well, it ain't Madonna," said Joel, "but it'll do just fine."

"Excuse me?" she said.

They drank more whiskey and talked, sitting on opposite ends of the couch.

***

On the record player: 

“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John

***END PART 1: THE FLOODPLAIN***

Coming soon - PART 2: THE 1-80

Thank you for reading!! <3 -gala

[randomfandomimagine]

Yay🥳🥳 Btw do you have some chars you want a request for?

Thanks, I’m so excited too!! Thanks for asking, sweetie! Right now, these are some characters I would love requests for when they open on Friday:

Cloud Strife

Zack Fair

Tifa Lockhart

Aerith Gainsborough

Jake Peralta

Rosa Diaz

Amy Santiago

John Wick

Eggsy Unwin

Wade Wilson

Merlin Emrys

Arthur Pendragon

Ryuji Sakamoto

Anakin Skywalker

Finn (SW)

Rey (SW)

Ellie Williams

Link (TLOZ)

Geralt of Rivia

Jaskier

Nathan Drake

[sporadiceagleheart]

Rest in peace to those Angels here's my 3rd edit for Friday July 19th 2024 tribute for Maite Rodriguez, Eliahna “Ellie or Elle” Torres, Makenna Lee “Kenna” Elrod Seiler, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Layla Marie Salazar, Jacklyn Jaylen “Jackie” Cazares, Maranda Gail Mathis, Alexandria Aniyah "Lexi" Rubio, Tess Marie Mata, David Charles Kerr, Melissa Helen Currie, Ross William Irvine, Charlotte Louise Dunn, Kevin Allan Hasell, Brett McKinnon, Mhairi Isabel Macbeath, Sophie Jane “Soph” Lockwood-North, Megan Turner, Hannah Louise Scott, Joanna Caroline “JoJo” Ross, John Alexander Petrie, Emily Morten, Abigail Joanne “Abbie” McLennan, Josephine Grace “Joey” Gay, Olivia Rose “Liv or Livie” Engel, Daniel Gerard Barden, Charlotte Helen “Char” Bacon, James Radley Mattioli, Ana Grace Márquez-Greene, Jesse McCord Lewis, Chase Michael-Anthony Kowalski, Catherine Violet Hubbard, Madeleine Feng “Maddie” Hsu, Dylan Christopher Jack Hockley, Allison Noelle “Allie” Wyatt, Benjamin Andrew “Ben” Wheeler, Avielle Rose “Avie” Richman, Jessica Adrienne “Jess” Rekos, Caroline Phoebe “Boo” Previdi, Noah Samuel Pozner, Jack Armistead Pinto, Emilie Alice “Em” Parker, Grace Audrey “Gracie” McDonnell, Bojana Asović, Ana “Anci” Božović, Ema “Emica” Kobiljski, Angelina “Gina” Aćimović, Adriana “Adri” Dukić, Sofija “Sof” Negic, Alyssa Miriam Alhadeff, Hana St. Juliana, Evelyn Marie Dieckhaus, Hallie Ladelle Scruggs,

[goddamnmuses-a]

Wanted Opposites

So I got this idea.. just kinda gonna shout it out to the world.. of writing a list of canon muses I want my muse to interract with.. you’ll see what I mean... Under the cut because long. 

Salazar Slytherin

Rowena Ravenclaw

Helga Hufflepuff

Godric Gryffindor

Voldemort

Albus Dumbledore

Basically any Harry Potter characters.

Christopher Weasley

Any of the Next Gen Harry Potter characters. 

Any Weasley

Again basically any Harry Potter characters

Rocket Raccoon

Any of the Guardians

Llyla 

Other anthropomorphic characters like from Sonic or Star Fox or something

Peter Parker

Mary Jane

Gwen Stacey

Felicia Hardy

Harry Osborn

Norman Osborn

Miles Morales

Any of his rogues gallery

Basically any other marvel character too. 

Wade Wilson

Vanessa Carlysle

Lady Death

Shiklah

Ellie Camacho

Gwen Poole

Cable

Weasel

Negasonic Teenage Warhead

Colossus

Any other Marvel characters basically

Pietro Maximoff

Wanda Maximoff

Lorna Dane

Any other speedster like The Flash or Reverse Flash

Any other marvel character

Aaron Davis

Miles Morales

Any other Spider-Man/Marvel villain/character at all tbh

Levi (Cloak of Levitation)

Doctor Strange

Any other personified marvel items. 

Brian Braddock

Betsy Braddock

Peggy Carter

Captain America

Red Guardian

Any other Marvel character. 

Lucifer Morningstar

Chloe Decker

Amenadiel

Mazikeen

Linda Martin

Ella Lopez

Trixie

Detective Dan Douche. 

Any other angels

Any other DC characters now he’s been seen in Crisis. 

John Constantine

Zatanna

Sara Lance

Swamp Thing

Etrigan The Demon

Doctor Fate

Deadman

Zatara

Any of The Legends

Any other DC characters

Tim Drake

Batman

Batwoman

Nightwing

Red Hood

Damian Wayne

Spoiler

Basically any of the Bat family. 

Any other DC character too. 

Ravi Chakrabarti

Liv Moore

Peyton Charles

Clive Babineaux

Major Lillywhite

Sterling Archer

Lana Kane

Cheryl Tunt

Pam Poovey

Dr Kreiger

Cyril Figgis

Barry Dillon

Ray Gillette

Malory Archer

Any other Spys. 

Nathan Young

Rudy Wade

Simon Bellamy

Alisha Daniels

Kelly Bailey

Jess

Seth

Abbey Smith

Anyone else from Misfits 

Kratos

Atreus

Laufey

Mimir

Thor

Freya

Basically any God from any pantheon

Cal Kestis

Cere Junda

Jaro Tapal

BD-1

Greez Dritus

Saw Gerrera

Taron Malicos

Merrin

Ninth Sister

Trilla Suduri

Darth Vader

Sorc Tormo

Any Jedi or Inquisitors. 

Savage Opress

Darth Maul

Asajj Ventress

Count Dooku

Mother Talzin

Merrin

Sheev Palpatine

Ahsoka Tano

Anakin Skywalker

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Any other Jedi or Sith

Tyrion Lannister

Daenerys Targaryen

Jon Snow

Arya Stark

Sansa Stark

Cersei Lannister

Petyr Balish

Oberyn Martell

Melisandre

Jaime Lannister

Brienne of Tarth

Bran Stark

Margaery Tyrell

Joffrey Lannister

Tommen Lannister

Tormund Giantsbane

Varys

Bronn

Jorah Mormont

Missandei

Any other Game of Thrones character

Sandor Clegane

Daenerys Targaryen

Jon Snow

Gregor Clegane

Arya Stark

Sansa Stark

Cersei Lannister

Melisandre

Jaime Lannister

Brienne of Tarth

Joffrey Lannister

Tormund Giantsbane

Bronn

Gendry

Any other Game of Thrones character.

Draco Westley

Daenerys Targaryen

Eragon

Saphira

Smaug

Mushu

Jormungandr

Godzilla or any other Kaiju

Any other Dragons or Dragon related characters. 

Billy Butcher

Homelander

Annie January

Hughie Campbell

Becca Butcher

Queen Maeve

Black Noir

A-Train

Frenchie

The Female

Madelyn Stillwell

The Deep

Mothers Milk

Any other The Boys characters

Any other Superhero/Anti Heros

Death

War

Fury

Strife

Lilith

The Charred Council

Any angels/demons

Grey

Basically any supernatural characters/creatures

Diego Dynamic

Any Cyberpunk/Futuristic Characters

Ciri from the Witcher as she travels through worlds. 

Geralt of Rivia  

Ciri

Yennefer

Dandelion

Triss Merigold

Renfri

Fringilla Vigo

Keira Metz

Vesemir

Lambert

Eskel

Any other Witcher/Fantasy characters

The Blacksmith

The Doctor

The Master

Clara Oswald

Amy Pond

River Song

Rose Tyler

Jack Harkness

Martha Jones

Donna Noble

Rory Williams

K9

The Ravi

Any other Doctor Who/Sci-fi characters.