#fedra orphanage

[thisisthehill-i-die-on]

Okay, but what if Joel found Ellie when she was younger. They get to Jackson and one day she just casually drops something HORRIBLE that fedra does to all the orphans. And Joel Can't. Stop. Thinking. About. It.

So he decides he has to go back to Boston and save all of the kiddos in the fedra orphanage. Jackson puts together a unit so they can rescue the kids. Joel goes back to Jackson like a mother fucking duck with all the babies following along 🥺

[dev1lm4n]

shroom

pairings: joel miller x f!reader

summary: in which you tried to help your grumpy mentor get over the mushroom's aphrodisiac side effect.

word count: 3.9k (gosh yea i went over the top with this)

warnings: explicit (18+), no actual penetration, thigh fucking, slight age-gap and reader's implied to be an orphan.

notes: honestly this is just a reason to write desperate joel but oh well :)

What lies beneath the gray-ish rocks were dove gray with a subtle hint of purple. Fresh air broke through your nasal cavities, gusts of wind combing your loose strands gently like a doting mother. Even in a photograph you could quickly take into account that it was peak summer, for the steep valleys are finally visible and pretty asters bloom abundantly on every inch of green. 

You would’ve guessed mid June was the cause of these heavenly blessings. The rest of the year the ranges were as white-peaked as any storybook mountains and they were especially cruel to visitors. Summer was just more so your cup of tea. 

Despite the relentless sun rays burning your skin and the itchiness from sweat and mosquitos, it’s a lot more inviting. Felt a lot like a long awaited vacation, one where you’d get tanned with friends on seashores and gossip about boys like it was the most important thing on earth. Things like that are simply left for your imagination. The United States of America hasn't been as liberating, ever since Cordyceps happened.

It’s not the first time you scaled along the wilderness in order to get to your destination unharmed. Without getting bitten by chomping, pestering infected, or worse, people. Nature is just naturally serene. A hug of browns, a shelter of long dwindling limbs, and a variety of edible materials that’s free to use. You were a quick learner and a considerably great adaptor. 

From dusty books piled up in your home, a FEDRA orphanage, you picked up knowledge on a collection of plants and animals native to the country. Being a resourceful forager might’ve been your one and only redeemable feature, and perhaps the only reason why Joel Miller agreed to bring you along on his trips.

Tess was the one who scouted you in the most bizarre fashion possible. You remembered vividly how she interrogated the fungi you picked on the city’s outskirts, asking why you’d pick up the one thing people refrain from eating these days. You remembered the amused look she had on her face, but it was all too long ago. Too long you’re starting to forget what she looked like smiling and full of hope. Time has passed and you’re not the same snotty, bratty teenager anymore. 

Though, you’re not exactly grown.

Still budding with youthful stupidity and brashness.

Which is where Joel came in handy. He was your tamer. The one who’d put a rough hand down when you’re being too rash in making decisions. The one who’d tug on your leash when you’re an exploding mess of fury. Tess was kinder and sweeter and.. more of a makeshift mother figure to you, while Joel was whatever he was. He wasn’t introduced into the picture until last winter where you managed to get two different people hunting for your head. Which you still insist wasn’t entirely your fault.

Tess was worried, you understood, but he’s a real mood killer at times.

You watched along the trees, how they swayed in a warming breeze. Hands tied behind your back as you hummed a nursery rhyme fondly. This time it was ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’ on repeat for a billion times, which you’re sure is going to get some unappeased comments from the ball of grouch behind you. He always hated anything fun. Always chalking it up to being far too dangerous or distracting. You were even banned from keeping a firearm around him. What a joke.

“Quit singin’. You’re going to attract trouble.”

“Fucking hell.”

“What was that?”

“You’re such a bore, Joel.”

You could feel his gaze on the back of your head, probably looking at you as if you’re a foul harm to society. Tess always said that it’s just the way he looks but you don’t buy it. You’ve seen the way he smiled at a thing she said, even when it’s closer to a shy grin than a full ear-to-ear smile. An exasperated sigh was all you heard from him next, then a few grumbles about how you two are going to set camp next to a large pine tree as it’s getting late.

“It’s getting late or are your old knees aching?”

“What’re you doin’?”

Joel’s voice almost shook your skin off your bones. There was a delicious moment when you turned on your heels to face him, face washed blank with confusion, like your brain cogs couldn’t turn fast enough to process the information. It’s like you’re caught popping his favorite pills, when it really was just another one of your fascinating finds. You weren’t planning on sharing with him out of all people, so you were visibly annoyed. The distasteful twist of your lips had him scowling.

“It’s just food. Reishi mushroom.”

You showcased the fungus, waving it in front of his scrunched nose. The mushroom was reddish brown varnished with kidney-shaped caps that fanned out the closer it got to the ends. It’s supposedly bitter tasting, but it wasn’t poisonous. You looked convinced enough it wouldn’t straight-up kill the both of you upon tasting, even when it’s your first time encountering such a species.

“You sure it’s not poisonous?”

“You could have the first bite if you’d like.”

He looked at you with that expression– the same one he put on when he’s interested in taking on your challenge instead of diffusing the bickering. It’s harder to see what he’s conspiring when the darkness is borderline blinding. You couldn’t cater to every wrinkle and divot on his face, even with great concentration. Joel reached for the mushroom and held it lightly against the rough pads of his fingers. Examining it much closer under moonlight’s glint.

“We’ll have it tonight as soup.”

His words were absolute, even when Tess is around. You knew that and he knew that. It was unspoken. You surrendered your merry bounty willingly without throwing a childish tantrum this time. He can be cruel and unapologetic; you weren’t exactly eager to go through that route with him. Especially when your first filling dinner is on the line. You simply nodded at his decision, twisting your tactical knife back into its shell and stuffing it deep into your cargo jeans. Slightly sour about the entire ordeal.

There was always something cathartic about having a filled stomach after a long day of trekking, borderline orgasmic if you had to describe it in another way. It was an extremely appreciated coincidence as well that Joel managed to have in hand an actual unopened can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Although horrifically passed its best-by date, it wasn’t rancid or anything. Just slightly sour, but you’re sure the preservatives on that can would do you a favor this once. 

You could barely breathe upon settling down on your sleeping bag. The buttons on your cargos digging into your inflated stomach, in which you hastily undid once you’re entirely submerged in the parachute-like material. You huffed. Burped and earned an irritated grunt by none other than Joel Miller. Then let the chirping of crickets and rustling of leaves create a peaceful symphony to lull you to sleep. Gentle summer breeze carried the scent of pine and wildflowers, invigorating your senses. And you’re gone in just a split second.

It felt like being coddled by nature itself, as corny as it sounded. What you didn’t expect was to be startled awake when the moonlight’s still as bright as ever. A light fuck escaped your lips. Irritated was what you are. You’re as aware as can be, ears tuned in to whatever it is that posed a threat to your goodnight sleep. But nothing came up. Just the occasional hoot of an owl, distant calls from coyotes, and what seemed to be woodland creatures rustling around the thick bushes. 

Maybe it’s just your terrible paranoia cruising. Maybe you’re starting to hallucinate from fatigue, or maybe it’s just some stupid squirrel in the branches. You shuffled in your cocoon of a sleeping bag before turning ever so slightly to face Joel’s side. To face where Joel Miller, your irritating companion, is supposed to rest. Though for the first time in history, his absence crushed your heart.

You were terrified. Eyes wide and round as you stared in disbelief.

He was gone.

You scrambled to your feet. Taking unlevelled steps towards his side of the camp, you could feel your chest tighten at the confirmation of his disappearance. He wasn’t there no matter how many times you flipped his sleeping bag front to back.

Has he deserted you? Did he finally get tired of you? Were you being way too bratty today? You didn’t think you’d be this distressed at the absence of someone you hated with a passion, but here you were, waterline overrun by stray tears threatening to spill out at any given time. So weak and helpless, it’s pathetic.

Was that a moan? 

You froze, as still as you could be, trying to listen intently if the sound decided to repeat itself. It did. This time you could make out what it sounded like: guttural, low, and indistinct. The way your face contorted was comical to say the least. At this point, your mind started to race with all the creative questions. Was it an animal? A person in distress? Oh, or is it something more sinister and dangerous? You didn’t have your gun on you so it’d be obvious suicide if you went on to pursue, wouldn’t it?

This is how people died in horror movies

You knew that and a part of your youthful curiosity (the chunk Tess hated so much) made you take another step forward towards the general direction. The puddle you stepped on rippled and splashed. Your wary eyes dart around, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of movement.

There was nothing of course. Just the waving branches that’s starting to make you feel a little disoriented and claustrophobic. All you could hear was your own ragged breathing above the low groan that once again was being emitted from behind the tree line. You swore it sounded more human-like the more you tuned in.

Dry branches crackled and broke underneath the heavy soles of your boots, making you cringe inwardly at the thought that someone must’ve noticed your moves by now. This is far beyond stupid you decide. You should've prepared an eulogy by now. Maybe even a few stems of the lovely aster you enjoyed so much. If this was a serial killer lurking underneath your shadows, your funeral was right around the corner. But it wasn’t. What made the noise wasn’t a stray squirrel, nor was it a stray clicker. It was Joel fucking Miller. 

"Joel?"

His name slipped out of your tongue like melted butter; unstoppable and out of instinct. He's looked at you multiple times during your stays in Tess' flat. Sometimes with gentle aloofness and other times with what you chalked up to be disgust or even disdain, and you'd always cater to his glares with your incredulous grin. This time it was.. different.

His pupils were large— larger than what you think was humanly possible with it almost swallowing the entirety of his irises. A humorous part of your brain wondered if he was turning into some sort of werewolf because of the full moon, if he'd pounce on you with his furry claws.

Your running thoughts made you steer away from what's actually presented in front of you. The more that you look at it, he looked somewhat.. pained. He's never looked pained before, not when a bullet lodged in precisely behind his arteries or even when an upset customer drove a rusty knife down his side. Joel's been annoyingly tough. But now he's visibly drenched in sweat, face adorned with a shade of crimson, while he shivered and groaned against the base of a tree. This was odd. You slowly crouched over to his side, but your attempts were futile when he's waving his arms in your direction as if shooing a dog away.

You frowned. He rolled to his side, trying to avoid your incoming slaught of confrontation.

"Were you shot?"

"No."

"Were you clawed by a bear?"

"No."

"Are we going to play 20 questions or are you going to let me help you?"

He turned slightly, just enough so that he could finally see the irritation weaved through your expression. Joel then grumbled something about how you shouldn't be out here and that it's better to get back in your sleeping bag. You ignored him, as always, inching even closer to see what he's up to.

Stubbornness runs deep in your blood and you weren't going to let him die out here in the woods when you could barely read a map by itself. You didn't even know how to determine where North is. To simply put it, you'd die without him standing up straight, whether in this unruly jungle or under the gun of Tess' customer.

"Your mushrooms are poisonous," he accused sternly, boring his deep brown eyes into yours. 

"No. It's not. I'm fine and well, so it must be a you problem mister," you probed your fingers into his tough chest, not accepting any sort of insult to your own specialty. "Fuck, are you having some sort of heart attack?"

"I'm not. I'm just.. oh god," he stifled his groans with his palm. Now that you're finally seeing him in a better light, it looked like he was.. palming himself through the thick fabric of his tight jeans. Was he rocking into his own palm? Or was it just your perverted imaginations playing tricks on your silly little mind?

Your stomach lurched at the possibility, then a curl of disgust had you pressing your lips together into a thin line. This is your time to back away. He gave you that chance a while ago and you should've let your curiosity lay low. He was your goddamn mentor and worse, Tess' partner, it'd be wrong to see him in this state. But isn't it your responsibility for inflicting this kind of torment? It's your idea to harvest the mushrooms. You're dealing with some twisted version of Schrödinger's cat where no good options are presented in front of you. It's a moral dilemma.

"Are you?" you squeaked. "Are you masturbating?"

"No. Just get back to.. oh."

"Do ya need help?"

He looked at you like you're his inferno. The one that's going to drag him straight to hell from your sweet sweet words. God, he shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be looking down your loose tank top like some old geezer, you're probably twenty years his junior and he's here rubbing his inconvenience away at your expense. You didn't even know what you're offering. Did you even know what he's like?

"Please, just. You're going to regret it, sweetheart."

"How would you know?"

"I'm like old enough.. fuck.. to be your dad or something. You should just go. Tess is gonna kill me if she knew."

"Joel, this is my fault," you persisted, eyes bright with a sense of genuine worry.

Joel's jaw clenched hard at your enticing offer, a bead of sweat dribbled down the side of his temple nervously. He looked like he was struggling to pull out a coherent reason as to why this shouldn't happen. Why he shouldn't be the one to defile your innocence and corrupt you with his bloody hands. Nothing came out though, just a brief desperate grunt. 

You swallowed thickly, before taking his lack of an answer as a sign of encouragement. Your hands moved painfully slow. As if waiting to see whether he'd push your hands away or try to stop you in any way, but he never did. Not even when you touched the damp denim clinging onto his bare skin, gently as if he's made of porcelain.

You've never.. done this which frankly explained the awkward touches you're prone to do, or the look in your eyes that further emphasized the fact that you had no idea what you're doing. Aside from the scarce pornographic magazine stashed in your orphanage's library, there wasn't any sort of guidance as to how you'd navigate your sexual life. But you’re almost sure that this was a good start from the way his scrunched up eyebrows start to untangle at your touch. 

With that in mind, you traced over the shape of his confined cock, before settling on the damp tip leaking over his jeans. It felt warm and somewhat foreign. You circled over the spot several times, encouraged by his low groans. Did he feel good?

"Fuck. Okay. You wanna help me out and be a good girl?" he rasped, finally grasping your hand with his calloused fingers to get you even closer to where he wanted you. He guided you eagerly. All voices of reason vanished in his head.

You weren’t able to say anything. It felt like you're drowning in his existence; the oak-like smell of his flannel, the rough syllables he uttered, and god that terribly persuasive grin he had on. He's secretly smug about this and you knew it.

"Come here," he beckoned you to come closer and so you did, without a single complaint like what your chatty mouth is used to. You're so quiet and pliant– something he's been wishing for from the start of your journey. Joel feverishly pulled you back onto his lap, pressing his hardened front onto the thick fabric of your cargo pants. 

You yelped. He let out a soft mumble of your name. His hips stuttered at the new sensation. He's more than ready to feel you from the inside, get wrapped up in your velvety walls, but the thought of Tess had him pulling on his reins. "Listen. I'm not– oh.. I'm not going to ruin you, okay? Just gonna.. Just gonna use your thighs."

Thighs? What’s that supposed to mean? Your clueless expression had him shudder in anticipation. You’re so cute and perfect to corrupt. It’s definitely not the first time he thought of you in that manner. He secretly loved each and every one of your bickering games, it riled him up beneath all the cold shoulder facade. 

Without further warning, Joel manhandled you with his strong arms. You let out a strained gasp as he towered over you, the ground hard against your back. Heat and adrenaline ran through your veins at the sight of his concentrated eyes. He looked determined to go through with this, no matter the consequences.

He took in all of you, not with his touches, just with the soft brown pupils he’s blessed with. You knew that he wasn’t going to be all sweet and lovely, although you silently wished he’d be a little gentler when he pulled your cargos off. You’d wish for him to tell you how pretty you are and how much you meant to him, because as fucked up as it was, you’ve always wanted him to like you. The infatuation was cliché and stupid, but you could never have enough.

Joel was quick to fold you in half, holding your legs up by the underside of your thighs as he observed. A warm palm hovering over your throbbing cunt extinguished any last traces of your desire to rebel; the heat between your thighs only became worse at his nimble fingers dragging along your panties. Out of a need for more, you rubbed your thighs together and tried your best to buck into his touch with a shaky breath. 

“I’m not a good guy,” Joel trailed off while he busied himself unbuckling his belt, the sound of the leather sliding out his jean loops ignited a fire within you. “Fuckin’ killed so many people. Stole their things and ran.”

“Do you.. oh.. do you still want to go through with this, sweetheart?”

The nickname was quick to send goosebumps down your back. He’s driving you insane and he had the audacity to ask these questions. He should’ve just seen how drenched you are beneath the scant excuse of panties. You nodded breathlessly and god was it a sight to watch his moral beliefs crumble apart at your confirmation.

“Keep your thighs together, girl,” he ordered briefly, nails digging into your plush thighs as he finally freed his cock. It’s feverishly hot against your skin and drooling with a copious amount of precum, you could even feel the head teasingly poke onto your clothed slit. You shuddered and clenched around nothing at the sensation. “Please.”

“God. Such a good girl are you?” he managed to find the time to tease you as he slid between your thighs, looking down you could see the flushed bulbous head twitching with need. Joel let out a groan he's been holding on to for a long time, even just having your plush thighs squeezing him was enough to send jolts of pleasure through every part of his aching body. 

He started to thrust his hips at a slow pace; drawing them back slowly and pushing them forward with enough force to knock you back onto the tree trunk each time. Your heartbeat grew wild in your ribcage, hard and fast as he relished in the feeling of you. You weren’t sure of what the feeling was, but you could feel your clit pulse at the friction his cock made everytime it slipped through.

You admired the color of his tip which reminded you of a wild salmon, slightly pink with tinges of nudes, spilling so much of that thick milky substance which quickly coats the insides of your thighs. What a sight it was to be beneath Joel Miller. Your past self would’ve probably envied you for getting so lucky, whimpering and gasping for air as he held you with an iron grip. It felt so good, you’re at a loss for words. All those nights spent pining over him and spreading your pretty pussy to the mere thought of him is finally paid for.

“Feel good, girl?

He granted you a form of reprieve when his fingers finally pulled your panties aside to quickly find your clit and tease it in tight circles. His calloused fingers provided such good ridges to grind yourself onto. The sound that’s spilling out of your lips was embarrassing, almost pitiful, but it seemed that with each and every whimper Joel looked even more pleased. The expression on his face was sinful by itself. You could only imagine how foul this scenery was from a third person point of view.

“So good to me, shit, where did that pretty mouth of yours disappear?”

He bucked even faster, and so did you, eager to chase after the euphoric friction one another provided. The coil finally broke at his last press against your needy clit. You whimpered, an airy sound as your cunt clenched frantically around nothing, globs of white leaking right through your panties and onto the dried up leaves underneath. 

Joel let out a smooth chuckle at the sight, dutifully rubbing circles onto your clit as he reached his high. Ribbons of white spurt out unconditionally. There was so much you wondered when his last release was. Your tank top was drenched and so were your thighs. The sheer obscenity had you buckling onto him. You felt hot, over-sensitive, and wrong. 

Realization sunk into you as he pulled away and settled to your side.

“No speaking of this,” you murmured, still in a trance of blissful pleasure.

“Yes, ma’am.”

His chuckle resonated, only to mingle with your own.

[bumblepony]

I had a piece commissioned for @penandinkprincess Babyverse with Joel & Tess adopting a 4 year old Ellie after they accidentally smuggled her out of the FEDRA orphanage she was living in. @frnchedvanilla was the artist who created it!

[jacksonscouts]

A TLOU rec-list from the Jackson Scouts!

We've got a buffet of fics to choose from: Try some fluffy cakes, angsty cookies, and beautifully-crafted pies!

Take a slice of our homemade self-recs!

looking for the light - 700 words, Starting with the smallest, this is a beautifully written fic about Joel taking care of baby Sarah. It's very slice-of-life🍰 By: @sixhours Not Strong Enough (WIP) - 4k words, Ellie has avoided returning to Jackson until she hears that Tommy's dying. This has a Dellie exes-to-lovers plotline!! By: @auburnstargazer Sierra Nevada (WIP) - 11k words, Ellie and Abby cross paths again and put aside their differences to take care of Lev. You could cut the tension with a knife! By: @punkassfrance

There’s No Road That Will Lead Us Back - 20k words, A Tess Lives AU where Ellie and Joel are savage as hell to each other on the road to Wyoming. By: @adhdprincess Skin (TW: referenced rape/noncon)- 40k words, Ellie and Joel meet at Silver Lake instead of Boston. This story was an absolute emotional rollercoaster with the most satisfying ending!! By: @paigegonerogue Dark Shades of Innocence Lost (Explicit, Minors DNI) - 56k words, You meet Joel Miller, the owner of Club Inferno, and he hits on you with a southern drawl so heavy, it makes you fold in minutes. By: @mermaidgirl30 Blood runs thicker than water (WIP) - 230k words, Joel and Tess get Ellie when she’s a baby and raise her themselves. Joel is so in character that I have to remind myself he didn’t write this. By: @roselees

Taste these homemade cookies from friends!

mend - 800 words, A short, sweet fic about Ellie working up the courage to come out to Joel. This is told in a Joel x Reader format from Joel’s POV. By: @goodwithcheese, rec'd by @sixhours spots of bother - 8k words, In Jackson, Ellie gets chicken pox, and infects Joel and Tommy. We love a classic sick fic! By: noah_swan, rec'd by @roselees strange highs and strange lows (WIP) - 11k words, Joel gets Infected. Luckily for him, Ellie's immunity is more easily shared than first thought. By: @consultingzoologist, rec'd by @roselees The girl in the grit - 20k words, Joel meets Ellie several years early while working at the FEDRA orphanage. “feels like a love letter to canon with its own original twist.” - roselees By: @boopernatural , rec'd by @roselees Wasteland, Baby! (WIP) - 44k words, An Ellie x Reader fic that takes place post-TLOU2 where you and Ellie learn to heal from each other. “it’s imperative that people read it’s life changing” - ellstronaut By: @cherriesxinthespring , rec'd by @ellstronaut The Stars Incline Us (WIP) - 240k words, A poetic long fic that starts with Ellie and Joel settling in Jackson and develops into a thought-provoking conflict where Ellie has to protect Jackson. By: @wordspinning , rec'd by @adhdprincess

If you read a story and enjoy, consider leaving a comment! Writers love encouraging comments, even if it's just a heart emoji ❤️.

This rec-list is here to uplift the wonderful writing community in this fandom. Please share this around to show support for writers!

Thanks to @saradika-graphics for the divider!

[elliespuns]

I just hope Part III is coming

No word about it so far. But if there's Part 3, I hope (with all my mushy heart) we'll get some prequels to Joel's and Ellie's lives. 

I can see it so clearly. Joel's life before the outbreak day; his life with Sarah and his ex-wife, or his relationship with Tommy. Maybe even some flashbacks to his happy moments with Sarah. Ellie's life before Fedra; her life in the orphanage before Marlene took her to the military school or her meeting Riley and becoming friends with her (I know we got this in the comics, but I wouldn't mind seeing it on the screen). What I would love to see the most, though, is how Ellie had to deal with Riley after they both got bit. I also want to see what Ellie did after.

I'm not even going to mention just how much I want to see more of Ellie and Joel's flashbacks to before they grew apart.

This is just wishful thinking, though. I am not counting on this, but one can dream, right?

[musings-of-a-rose]

I've been a Joel supporter since the game came out and after watching that episode, and especially now that I've become a mom since the game, I still stand firm in my choice to support what Joel did.

For those saying "But he lied to Ellie!" - yeah. He did. But you know who else did? The Fireflies. Marlene. She even had the balls to say to Joel "You're not giving her the choice because you know what she'd choose." Implying that she would choose to be operated on. But you know what? She didn't give Ellie a choice either. Marlene even said they sedated her and told her nothing so she wouldn't be afraid. That right there says Marlene doesn't know for sure that Ellie would choose self sacrifice, so she withheld that rather important piece of information from her.

Ellie is also 14 years old. This sort of decision is way too much to put on her shoulders, and I say this as a very mature 14 year old when I was that age.

"Ok, but this is the fate of the world!" Says who? What they didn't give you in the show was the letters/notes Joel finds in the hospital saying Ellie wasn't the first immune person that they've performed lethal surgery on to poke around in a brain. And you know what? None of it worked. Could Ellie have worked? Maybe. But it's a slim chance in hell it would and that just wasn't worth it to Joel.

You also can't vaccinate a fungal infection. It doesn't work that way, which is why doctors give people creams and hope for the best when they have fungal infections.

Also, this was ONE doctor with some nurses. A doctor and a scientist are not the same thing. Granted, a doctor would be better at figuring something out, but that wasn't his area of expertise. He'd need a whole team of experts to even hope to find a cure IF it was there. They also had no equipment, no mri's or cat scans, nothing. Yes, they were in a hospital but right before Joel enters the room, one of them asks "Do we have enough power?" They're not even sure they can power the room to perform the surgery - how ar they going to spend countless months and years on a supposed cure?

BUT let's overlook all of that and say by some miracle they find a cure. How are they going to mass produce said cure? They most likely don't have the resources for this as everything is shut down and 20 years old. And even if they did, how to mass distribute it? Marlene said the Fireflies would, but so many people distrust them so who's to say they'd accept it? Not to mention Joel, by himself, took out an entire building of them.

Marlene also had the audacity to say to Joel that she understands his plight because she was there when Ellie was born so she gets it. No, you don't. You took your friend's baby out of obligation and put her in an orphanage and straight into a FEDRA school/camp. Marlene came back when Ellie was bit, chained her up in a room for weeks, and kept performing experiments on her to see if she would turn. She didn't raise Ellie so she couldn't possibly have known that sort of connection.

In the end, Joel chose love because he loves Ellie like he loved his daughter. And if I were in his shoes, I 100% would've made the exact same decision.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[final-girl96]

Firefly Chapter Fifty-Five

Flashback

“Raaa!”

Ellie's eyes flew open, “Ah!” She threw someone onto the floor and took the switchblade from underneath my pillow. She was prepared to fight for my life until I realized it was just her best friend Riley.

“Riley?” She asked, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Riley was laughing, ���Ow!” She said as she slowly stood to her feet. “I landed on my hip.” Ellie stood from the bed and looked at her best friend. “What the hell? I thought I was bitten,” she said. Riley let out a chuckle, “I know. It was kind of awesome,” she told her with a smile. She paused and looked at Ellie, who still had her blade trained on her. “Well, you're not gonna kill me, are you?”

Ellie rolled her eyes and put the blade away, ”I haven’t seen you in. I don’t even know how long,” she told her girl in front of her. Riley sighed, “Forty-five days. Well, forty-six... technically. Wanna know what I've been up to?” She asked. Ellie was a little angry at her best friend for leaving her here, at the FEDRA school, or as she liked to call it, the orphanage for unwanted children, “All this time... I thought you were dead,” she exclaimed.

Riley softened and reached for the chain around her neck. “Yeah. Here,” she removed the pendant from her neck and passed it to Ellie. “Look.” Ellie took it and examined it. She was looking at a round pendant with the fireflies symbol on it. “No way,” she said in disbelief. Riley shrugged and looked around the room. “Still no roommate? I had to sleep under Liz for three years, and you know how much that girl smells.”

Ellie didn't answer about the roommate. Instead, she said, “You're a Firefly.” Riley pulled a picture of her and Ellie from the wall. “You still have it up,” she said softly.

Ellie came back to reality and rushed past her, opening the door, checking the hallway to make sure no one heard them. “Wha- What are you doing?” Riley asked, setting the picture down. Ellie closed the door and turned to her best friend. “I'm making sure I don’t get caught with a Firefly in my room,” she said.

Riley rolled her eyes at her, “Relax. There are no soldiers on the entire floor,” she said. Ellie gave the pendant back, “Here. Congrats,” she said, more harshly than she meant to. She was still upset with Riley for leaving. She turned away from her but Riley caught her arm, “Hey! Are we cool?” She asked.

Ellie scoffed and snatched her arm free. “Are we cool?” She said in a joking tone. Riley's eyes softened. “I disappeared and you're mad. Ellie scoffed in reply. “And... I owe you an explanation. Let's get out of here and I'll tell you all about it,” She said, hoping Ellie would agree with her.

“It's almost morning. And I have military drills. You know, where we learn how to kill Fireflies,” Ellie said, pulling away. Riley reached down and grabbed Ellie's jeans off the floor. “Put some pants on, and let's go.” Ellie caught them with a sigh. She had a battle going on in her head, but it didn't last long as she pulled her pants on. “This is so dumb,” she commented. Riley opened the window again and stepped out of it. “Come on. When have we ever gotten into trouble?”

Riley led them through the alleyways, being careful not to get caught by the FEDRA officers that were on the night watch. It was way past curfew. She led them to an old apartment building that was no longer being used because of how bad it was inside. Parts of the roof were caved in letting the elements in.

They climbed up onto an old dumpster in the back alley and crawled through a window. “That was close, huh?” Riley asked. They had almost been caught by the flood lights FEDRA used but were able to duck down just in time. “You're kinda fast there. I'm impressed,” Riley said. Ellie said thanks before following Riley up a flight of stairs. “So, how did you find them?” Ellie asked. “The Fireflies?” Riley asked. “Yeah.”

“Remember that Firefly that you bit and stole his gun?” Ellie acknowledged that she remembered him, and Riley went on to tell her how she came to be with the Fireflies. “That's Trevor. I saw him walking the street, so I tailed his ass. I followed him into this alley, and all these Fireflies ambushed me. They took me right to their hideout. To Marlene.”

They jogged down a hallway, turned, and ducked under the bored up door to an apartment. “Were you scared?” Ellie asked. Ellie decided to slow down and look around the apartment, and Riley waited until she was finished. “Terrified. I thought this time she would actually shoot me. But instead, she just says, “what took you so long?”. She was expecting me,” She answered, Ellie.

Ellie was standing at a dining room table and picked up a flier. It had a picture of Marlene on it. A front photo and her side profile, side by side.

WANTED

FOR FIREFLY AFFLICTION

At the bottom had a description of Marlene and any other criminal priors she had and cautious for what to be aware of if someone were to come across her. But at the top, someone had taken a black marker to it, writing HERO over the large red wanted for firefly affiliation.

“And she just made you a firefly?” Ellie asked, turning back around. “Something like that. That whole almost killing me thing was a test. She wanted to know I was committed.” Ellie jogged back over where Riley was and followed her into the main bedroom, or at least that's what it looked like. The ceiling was caved in exposing the apartment above. Riley and Ellie climbed up onto whatever it was that fell all the way from the roof, Ellie wasn't sure what it was. She just climbed up on top of it and to the next floor.

The room they were in had been a kids' bedroom from the look of posters on the wall. There was a giant hole in the wall that looked into the living room and kitchen area of the place. Ellie flattened her back against the wall and carefully crossed to the other side of the room. “Who do you hang out with these days?” Riley asked, climbing through the hole in the wall. “I don't know. No one really,” Ellie answered. “What about Tino and the rest of them? How are they doin’?

“Riley, those are your friends,” Ellie said, following her into the next room. “But you talk to them,” Riley told her. Ellie rolled her eyes and looked around the apartment. “Yeah. Yeah,” she mumbled. She followed Riley around the corner but came to a stop when she saw the firefly's symbol on the wall marked in red spray paint. Above it said “find the light”.

“Have you found the light yet?” Ellie said, rolling her eyes once again. “Oh, har, har.” Riley responded. “Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend your people,” Ellie said sarcastically. She turned to see Riley ducking under another hole in the wall that led to the laundry room of the apartment building. “So, what? You buy into this whole thing now?” Ellie asked, following after her. “All I know is I'm not a soldier,” Riley told her. They walked out into the hallway, and Ellie saw another sign written in black spray paint and one in red underneath it.

Don't be a sheep

WAKE UP

FEDRA SUCKS

As the two teenage girls headed up the stairs, an announcement came over the intercoms around the QZ.

Attention. We are pleased to report the zone has been free of Cordyceps infection for thirty days. Your cooperation and dutiful attention to suspicious activity…

“Thirty days, my ass. People are getting infected all the time. They just do a good job hiding it,” Riley said. They ran up the steps, took a left, and went down another hall. “You've run into more infected?” Ellie asked. “That's part of my ignition. They actually made me kill this… You know, let's talk about something else.” They went to the end of the hall and jumped through a busted out window and onto the roof tops.

[sixhours]

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tag @joelmillerisapunk and @burntheedges!

Here's a snip from the yet-to-be-named birthday fic with Joel & Ellie. 🎈 Just a girl and her dad hanging out in an abandoned Party City in Utah, pre-hospital fiasco.

~*~

“So…you don’t know when your birthday is?”

“I told you, it’s April.”

“That’s not–I mean, most people have a…a day. A birthday. That’s why they had all this shit,” he says, waving his fork around.

“Well, FEDRA kids don’t,” she says. “That’s just when Marlene brought me to the orphanage, I guess.”

“You should pick one.”

“Pick one what…a birthday?”

Joel shrugs. “Yeah. Just, y'know, pick a day. That’s your birthday now.”

“Well…what if I picked today?”

“Then I’d say ‘Happy Birthday,’” he says drily. “Are you gonna finish your food or what?”

She pokes at the stew, wrinkles her nose. “It’s all meat left.”

Joel sighs, holding out his can so they can switch. She accepts it happily and continues picking out the carrots and potatoes, leaves Joel mumbling something about gout and scurvy and need more protein.

~*~

Tagging: @chronicallyonlinewriter @captainredspade @bumblepony @marceltheshellwithflipflopson @march-flowerr and anyone else who wants to play <3

[alethiaii]

Anna Williams, Marlene's bestie: If you could please find my daughter someone to bring her up and make sure she's safe.

Marlene: Ugh, fine, I guess. *dumps Ellie in a FEDRA run orphanage/military school, an organization she's at war with and constantly has her cronies blow FEDRA shit up.*

Me: Kay, kay, kay, kay...That's not how you fulfill your best friend's dying wish but hey! Look for the light, Marlene. Find some brain cells while you're at it.

[last-uncharted-land]

🍄

this is a pretty experimental au in which i make use of the tlou universe, but shape the story around the uncharted characters (particularly, young Nate and Sully from the 3rd game's flashback, and the occasional familiar face from their storyline).

the main characters from both universes will not be interacting with each other in a meaningful way. again, this exists as a way to try my hand at somewhat fitting the uncharted characters into the tlou universe without completely discarding the uc storyline.

art by my sister, @cidade-tempero (i only added in the title in the proper font ^^)

story overview under the cut

aka Nate and Sully's journey to find Sam (who disappeared over a year ago) ;

basically, sam and nate were from the Boston QZ (because in UC4, the orphanage is there) and lived in one of the FEDRA boarding schools;

At some point, Sam decides he's going to leave FEDRA school because he doesn't want to kill fireflies (but he doesn't want to be a firefly either);

he ends up becoming a smuggler (Joel and Tess style) and doing his best to save up food cards and resources to eventually get Nathan out of there too ;

at some point Sam gets a pretty good job that would make enough to go ahead with their plan if he managed to complete. the problem is that, unlike everything he's ever done, he would have to leave the QZ and go relatively far — like out the walls far;

Nate doesn't like the idea but there's nothing he can do about it, really;

Sam says that if he doesn't come back in a year it's because he's fucked up and there's no point looking for him. he leaves instructions on what to do if this happens;

almost a year passes and he hasn't come back, so Nate concludes he ha no choice but to go after him. just like that, the attempts to escape from Boston begin;

these attempts are always thwarted by the same guy: that's right, you guessed it. Sully!

in this au, he was basically working with FEDRA. that's because he was in the navy before and so on, and because he was the best paid at ZQ. For him, payment was payment, no matter where it came from;

he was the only guard who always caught Nate trying to climb the QZ walls before he could get out. but he never arrested or reported him, to the point that they were more or less friends after a few months of that;

eventually, Sully is assigned to take part in the execution work in the quarantine zone and it is at this point that he decides that he is done working with FEDRA. he couldn't stay there either because refusing to do a job like that was pretty much asking to be murdered;

he waits for the right moment and the next time Nate tries to escape, he helps and they both get away;

they initially travel together out of convenience (Sully doesn't really have anywhere to go, and Nate doesn't have enough experience to get by on his own in the whole fucked up world). with time, their relationship starts to develop as it would in their own storyline (don't worry, we're getting that found family!)

----

so thoughts? while i already started actually writing the fic, if you wanna give any suggestions or requests, the inbox is open!

[randomnoteforfuturereference]

The way the Jacksonites emphasize protecting their kids (and putting them in front during movie nights) provides such a great contrast to FEDRA using orphanages to churn out soldiers and Kathleen dismissively declaring how "kids die all the time".

[jacksonscouts]

Gather round, Scouts!

Let's meet @roselees, our Scout Spotlight winner! Feel free to say hello or give reactions in the comments. Now without further ado...😊

1. What was your first introduction to TLOU?

Is this when I confess I'm a relatively new fan? 🙈 I first played the game in about 2021 when I was looking on the PS Plus catalogue for something to play, and I've been hooked ever since!

Finding out there was a show was just an added bonus, even if streaming it here isn't super accessible. I wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of games in this genre so it was an accident I stumbled across it, but I'm very glad I did.

2. What would Joel's favorite girl scout cookie be?

3. What TLOU moment lives rent-free in your head?

None.. he's on Atkins ✋️.. my terrible show reference aside, in terms of an actual answer, I'm not from the States so my knowledge of girl-scout cookies is limited to pop culture but after a bit of googling:

I think he'd be kinda basic.. he's probably a thin-mints kind of guy. Whatever Sarah would buy, he'd probably sneak one when she went to bed, in typical dad fashion.

4. Any special talents?

Tess' goodbye in the game was an especially poignant moment because I went into it completely blind - I hadn't had any spoilers and had no idea what was coming. I'm a big fan of exploring different types of relationship and connections within media and so I really loved how they managed to essentially canonize how important Tess and Joel were to one another in that final scene without having either of them out and out /say/ it.

Something about the way in which their relationship is so clearly this unspoken bond built up over the years was really beautifully done and it really does occupy so much space it should be paying rent

And for the show - I'll keep it quick here because I've rambled enough - but definitely the scene where they first arrive in Jackson. I'm also a sucker for found family and I adore how it leans into that trope as well as showing the first instance of Ellie struggling with that new dynamic; it's the first real moment in canon where she goes from being a FEDRA orphanage kid to realising she could have a real home somewhere and all that entails.

I love how you can see that on her face when they get there and she's clearly awestruck by the most mundane things, yet is obviously also struggling with Tommy being effectively this newfound obstacle because she has no idea how his presence is going to shake up the - already turbulent - dynamic she's developing with Joel. Safe to say I have an awful lot of thoughts about those two scenes LMAO

I wouldn't say I'm a super talented person all things considered but I am quite proud of my writing! I've been in fandom spaces for a long time but it's only in recent years I've really been happy with the quality of the work I'm putting out there; it's just for fun, but - as most fic authors on here can vouch for - I put a lot of time and energy into making the plot and the characters tick ❤️ I'm also a historian, which isn't necessarily a talent but something I'm equally passionate about!

5. Would you like to promote anything?

I wouldn't mind promoting my ao3 to anyone whose interested in reading some more TLOU fics - I'm roselees over there too. I currently have an ongoing canon-divergence AU where Tess, Joel and Tommy raise baby Ellie (who they discover at the same time as the Fireflies is in fact still immune in this timeline) and I have several others in the works: a Sarah!lives AU, a part one rewrite following the original idea for the game wherein Tess is the antagonist, and some Jackson!Joel and Ellie shenanigans.

I'd also 100% recommend that if you're a part of the LGBT community or just otherwise an enthusiastic ally, if you want to check out the @tloupride blog run by me and @consultingzoologist, for the whole of pride month we've been reblogging posts that relate to the queer community and TLOU, as well as providing prompts for people to submit their own fanart and fics! We're hoping to keep the blog up as an archive of LGBT pride within the fandom so if you're interested, be sure to check it out ❤️

[elliespuns]

Confirmation of a part 3!!! But what and who will be in it?!? Omg! I feel it won’t be Ellie 😭

I also have a feeling we either get Tommy, Abby, or Lev. Maybe the three of them together. Neil said something about Part 3 starting with Tommy. So he's definitely going to be there. I like Tommy, but I fear that if Ellie and Joel won't be in Part 3 (at least as flashbacks or smtn), it won't be enough for me to want to play the game. I would gladly watch the gameplay, yes. But if they don't include Ellie and Joel, my heart will be devastated because now my hopes are up.

I know we can't get Joel; I am not stupid. But there's so much of him we can still get. We need to know more about his life before the apocalypse. I wonder about his life with Sarah. What kind of father he was. Why he and his wife got separated and what she looked like. What Sarah thought of it or if she was even old enough to care at all. Whether it was hard for Joel at first to be a single dad or whether he was just natural. What happened in those 20 years before meeting Ellie. How he and Tess got together. There is just too much we don't know.

I want to know more about Ellie's younger years too. About her mom. About her childhood and the orphanage she was growing up at before she ended up at FEDRA as a teenager. There's so much we don't know about Ellie from her childhood. They could basically give us something from the American Dreams too, to show us flashbacks of how Riley 'saved' Ellie from the bullies and about how they became friends. Or just simply giving us a scene of how Ellie got her scar or how she got the chemical burn.

Details, I want details. I want Ashley and Troy at it again.

[mswyrr]

thoughts on ellie

Somebody did a cute “sunshine + sunshine protectors” post with Ellie on the sunshine side. It was really cute! But it got me thinking about how Ellie is both sunshine and sunshine protector toward Sam.

She wants Joel to be her dad, to feel the safety and protection she has NEVER felt in a FEDRA orphanage, but she also wants to grow up to be like him. She smiles admiringly when he says “I’m persistent” about protecting Tommy. She bears witness to Bill’s letter and that bond he and Joel shared, of being protectors. And she leaps into making a younger child feel safe and protected when she meets Sam.

She's growing up even as she's also coming into the role of being Joel's kid. It’s making me really excited for S2.

Bella is doing so brilliantly capturing how Ellie is both a kid (and getting to be a kid with a parent and feel protected for the first time in her life) but also someone growing up and we see glimpses of the adult Ellie will be.

Watching a talented young actor depict this stage of life (the "fuck you! .... tuck me in" stage as the showrunner called it) is making me think it must be wild to parent a kid thru that. Just wild.

The really high quality way all of this is being done has really made me think they will handle the second game’s story well and end on a note of hope.

[blush-and-books]

uhhh idk how to articulate this but also there's something so genuine and sweet about ellie saying she'll follow joel anywhere he goes. she still doesn't know so much. she was raised in a fedra orphanage with a shit education and doesn't know what the possibilities for life could be, what her options are, what her future could look like. joel does. in saying she'll follow him anywhere, she's telling him she trusts him enough to make their future together