#it happened when tlou got an adaptation

[toorumlk]

Hey! Do you think there’s any chance they might not make Romione canon in the upcoming HBO series because of the popularity of other pairings and JKR’s somewhat recent statements concerning the ship?

fair warning this is gonna be a long post!

you know anon, i’m not gonna deny that the possibility of romione not being canon in the hbo series doesn’t keep me up at night HOWEVER COMMA-

I believe romione will be safe because i’m placing a lot, if not all, of my faith in the upcoming hbo series being repeatedly described as a "faithful" adaptation of the 7 novels. which we can deduce to mean romione friends to lovers slow burn endgame and all that good stuff (maybe i'll talk about the potential of book romione and the serial tv medium some other time)

and sure, it can all be marketing/pandering/etc. but i find it so hard to feel cynical about hbo because i love LOVE their shows and i'm of the belief that they know how to tell a good ass story (and romione happens to be a good ass romance subplot). i also have such positive feelings about the showrunner Frances Gardiner (consulting prod on succession and also has killing eve under her belt) who JKR chose herself and one of the exec producers of the show who's set to direct of a bunch of episodes Mark Mylod (succession, the menu, tlou, got)!!!! and if you know me at all you'll know that succession is one of the main pillars of my personality and i fucking love that show so bad I would follow anyone who was part of the making of that show off a cliff if they asked me to. and Mark Mylod is a fantastic fucking episodic director who's directed and produced some of the best episodes of television ever, so i know he knows how to tell a good story. and though i'm a lot less familiar with Gardiners' work, she is a female creative who has some of my personal favourite episodes listed in her imdb (chiantishire, living+, tailgate party) who's pitch of the show made joanne give her the job so.... and y'all know im a canon bootlicker and love the books so all i'll say is.. real recognizes real.

so knowing the creative team behind hp series had a direct hand in making my favourite show of all time gets me so excited and giddy!!!!

but here's where my personal theories and speculations start: I really think with this hbo series, JKR is on a mission is create something wholly and newly hers. she was barely involved creatively in the production of the movies until DH pt. 1 and 2 and the movies have almost become an entity of its own that's drifted so far away from her. of course i realize me even just talking sympathetically about JKR is deeply touchy and might piss some people off but as a fellow creative, i feel for her man!! when i think of the best books in the series in my opinion that are filled with the best bits of world building and political commentary, what i find is that GoF was handed to a director who didn't even read the book, OotP was the shortest movie in the franchise despite being the longest book and how it entirely missed the Quibbler plot and all of harry's rage, or HBP that was filled to the brim with *chefs kiss* tom/voldemort lore which was done a complete disservice in the grey and brown sludgy mess that is the HBP movie.

and knowing that JKR now has a strained relationship or had a falling out with most of the top dogs involved in the films like Kloves and Yates (hallelujah what who said that) and Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe means this show has the chance to be a behemoth that’s entirely joanne’s, like the books are. it’ll be free of Kloves' Hermione and harmony (harry x hermione) favouritism or Watson's take on Hermione's character that makes my ass itch or Yate’s complete inability to direct his actors and make non-action scenes have heart, soul and heft. but i also can’t not address the elephant in the room: this section of the discussion is filled with every shade of grey possible because what led to the falling outs was that they all vehemently disagreed with JKR's anti-trans views and good on them they absolutely should! but like.............. i hated kloves' writing and his butchering of ron's character, i think yates is a static and boring director and im not a fan of emma's acting so like... a win is a win? NO IT'S NOT. but IT IS. BUT IT'S SO NOT. but do you see what i'm getting at???

the point i'm trying to make is that joanne is not the same person she was when she was first writing the books or when the movies were being made. I think she's a lot more ruthless and cutthroat now and while i disagree with her methods and condemn her transphobia.... i think this newfound hardness to her will lend itself to making the hbo series the best HP adaptation it can be, I'M SORRY it's absolutely fucked and i acknowledge and abhor her gender critical politics as a queer woman but im also an artist who just wants good, high quality stories to be told 😔😩

and as for the other popular ships and JKR's somewhat recent comments about romione:

I think its safe to say that joanne dgaf about this fandom and what's popular in it anymore LMFAOOOO 😭😭😭 i genuinely respect that she's always stood ten toes down about how draco's not some antihero, bad boy love interest and at best is a cautionary tale on prejudiced bullies, so I don't think that's changing anytime soon. especially considering that the dramione cottage industry that its fans have made is more or less a reactionary "fuck you" to joanne and canon which they do by writing fanfic about crimes against women and making merch and binding physical copies of said fanfics (really showing it to the big baddie transphobic DV survivor by *checks notes* auctioning hermione off as a sex slave) so I doubt she'd ever consider other ship's popularity seriously. as for the possibility of harry and hermione becoming endgame um..... if the show plans to faithfully adapt the books then we'd get harry and hermione’s quintessential sibling dynamic plus we’re already free from Kloves (also i have faith in francesca and mark knowing that harmony are just plain BORING) so i think the chances, again, are low. and if joanne really wants to stick it to her old colleagues, she can go down the route of pushing romione that much harder (and she really wouldn’t have to do much, it’s all in the books already) 😭

as for the comments on romione that she’s made in recent years, i think a lot of it’s been blown out of proportion or have gone through a terrible game of telephone. what she said (paraphrasing here) about ‘wishing she’d handled ron/hermione differently because a lot of what went into them was a wish fulfillment fantasy’ has turned into ‘jk rowling regrets making romione endgame???!!’ which is just *takes a drag from a cigarette* just another tuesday around here. i also would link to two meta posts by @saintsenara on the topic of endgame romione which i wholeheartedly agree with it

all i have to say is that going into making this show i hope joanne remembers that she based ron’s character off of a person in her life she liked when she was younger and who is still a good friend of hers now 😭😔

you guys probably know i’m in animation school which is basically film school in a different font. so i’m quite literally training to one day work in the story department on projects and work alongside writers, directors and producers, so this stuff means a lot to me! she and the creative team behind this upcoming show have the chance to make something really special and i’m finding it hard not to root for them!!!!!

[creedslove]

OMG BESTIE YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT.

i had this dream where me, Joel and Ellie were in Jackson and him and I were together after years of surviving and then (I still don't know how) I switched to the no-outbreak time where Sarah is alive and Joel is in his 40's. We didn't knew each other and I accidently bumped into him while walking with my daughter Ellie (at that point I'm in tears) and we look at each other and I have this deja vu and he seems to have it too! We don't say anything, just smile at each other and then I wake up. (I hope it makes sense 😭)

I wish Joel was real. (especially with his silver hair and southern accent that makes my knees buckle)

No outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

A/N: omg bestie you got me screaming and crying and throwing up honestly! This dream is amazing and it sort of reminds me of X-Men Days of Future Past in which Wolverine needs to go back in time to save the mutants and prevent the extinction of mutants and humans! I like this idea so I turned into a headcanon adapting to the no mutation tlou reality hehehehe

• Joel thought the dreams he was having were beyond explanation at how weird they really were; every single night he would wake up in cold sweat, panting and wondering what the hell was going on with him

• his dream was always the same: he would dream about a world that had ended and for some reason he had survived, where monstrous creatures that seemed a mix of humans and some kind of fungus had wiped most of civilization and the world as he knew; in the dream Joel was a low life, a depressed, lonely and hard guy who had lost the will of living right after his daughter got killed and that was enough for Joel to snap wake and immediately tiptoe to her bedroom, just to watch her sleep and make sure she was alright and her bedroom was still pink and full of butterflies and not some ruin of what things used to be

• it puzzled Joel, because he had no idea where that was coming from; he wasn't one to watch zombie or horror stuff, reading books was definitely not his cup of tea and he seriously couldn't understand why kids like Sarah obsessed over watching TikToks, so he thought he didn't actually have the creativity for that

• maybe he'd eaten one of Tommy's suspicious brownies by accident?! It could be a possibility, but his brother was extra careful with these since Sarah was around

• still, it didn't matter the reason why Joel had those disturbing dreams, but the frequency they were happening, and not only that: he very often saw people he knew from his everyday life in the dream as well

• such as his former girlfriend Tess, his brother Tommy and his girl Maria, he recalls seeing those two kids who lived down the street from him... Henry and Sam, he recognized them from Sarah's school, the older brother making ends meet and always having to attend parent - teacher conferences and the little one being the gifted student his daughter told him about

• even that nut job from the other block, Kathleen showed up every once in a while, Bill and Frank, and several other friends and acquaintances Joel had met through his life and the city

• but from all the crazy shit his, what baffled him the most was that you and your daughter Ellie featured in his dream as well; he knew Ellie was a firecracker from all the school meetings he'd attended, which honestly amused him. He thought she was pretty strong and smart and it always made him chuckle when she put a boy back into his place

• but it was so confusing to him that he almost had a fatherly bond with her, at the same time he had a relationship with you. Joel had always found you attractive and he very often kept in the back of his mind his desire of asking you out, but he never went through it, and yet, in his apocalyptic dreams you were going strong, it was just odd

• Joel kept thinking of those dreams for a few days, he even considered seeing a shrink after Sarah told him he should do it, but being a stubborn Miller the way he was, he just shrugged it off and eventually, his sleep went back to normal and he got too caught up with work to pay attention to things like that

• it was only one weekend where he was taking a walk around the neighborhood with Sarah, he ended up running into you, smiling and waving gently, he felt his heart skip a beat, thinking of your apocalyptic romance and thinking of how crazy it would be to miss something he never really had

• when you saw your neighbor Joel waving and smiling from across the street, you immediately reciprocate, he was handsome and you would be lying if you said you didn't have the slightest crush on him, but he would think you were crazy if he ever found out you had the craziest dream about him, in which you both had to survive in an apocalyptic world while being a couple 🥴

____

[evilwrongdoer]

bella ramsey x f!reader, they invite the reader onto the tlou set and introduce them to pedro

word count: 1,6k

I kinda went my own way with this one, hope you like it!

You were nearly buzzing with excitement.

The car was dark, the sun had yet to rise and the tinted windows just made it seem more like nighttime.

You understood though, riding in a car with a soon-to-be celebrity had its pros and cons.

Bella was staring out their window, fiddling with their rings as you stared in their direction, trying not to be too obvious.

She had invited you onto the set of a new upcoming series that she was playing in, "The last of us", a higly anticipated video game adaptation that was likely to give Bella a fair amount of fame.

You wondered if he was nervous. If the idea of gaining so many fans overnight scared them, or maybe excited them, like their mere presence did to you.

The two of you had known each other for a little over a year now, meeting at a small cast party one of your friends invited you to.

You had gotten lost, or rather, your friend had left you. You sipped reluctantly on your long island ice tea, which you regretted buying  since your friend had disappeared and "drunk in a room full of strangers" wasn't exactly your idea of a fun night.

You sat at a high table in the corner of the club, fiddling with your straw and wishing you had just stayed home, when suddenly, a beautiful person sat next to you, and all of a sudden you were happy your friend had left you.

The two of you chatted for the rest of the party, and in talking to them you felt as if the whole world disappeared around you. He was absolutely mesmerising and he looked at you in a way no one ever had before. Despite your intense feelings towards them, you were too intoxicated to truly know if they felt the same, and too scared to do anything about it if they did, so the two of you became friends. No, more than that, best friends, and even though you wanted more than that, you decided a little Bella was better than no Bella.

After that, you were inseparable, hanging out at every chance you had, causing quite a few of Bella's friends to ship you.

A few weeks ago, Bella invited you to the set of the last of us. You were quite happy but never really thought it would happen as you didn't want to get in the way of him while he was at work.

Now, here you were, freezing your ass off somewhere on the outskirts of Alberta, Canada.

They were set to film parts of episode three today, and you really hoped you'd get to see Bella act in some scenes.

You watched as they set up cameras, lights, and most importantly, the snack table.

You and Bella hadn't really talked that morning, apart from the odd weather comment and loose small talk. You figured it was because of the cold, or the fact that she wasn't really a morning person, but some part of you knew that wasn't really true.

The two of you got to talking more as they got into costume, and you even got to meet one of his co-stars.

"Okay, would you rather live as a whale for a year or.... live as a horse for 6 months?" You questioned, looking at Bella with wide eyes as a make-up artist painted blood and dirt onto her face.

You sat backwards in a crappy plastic foldout chair, now in a trailer as Bella got ready for filming.

"As a horse, duh, it's half the time," He replied, looking straight forward into the mirror as to not disturb the artist's work.

"Yeah but like, horses are like super weak, if you break your leg or something they'll shoot you straight in the head," You gestured as the make-up artist looked at you confused.

"Ah! Don't say that, we're literally supposed to be on horses in a few weeks!" They grimaced, fearing for the horses.

"I never took you for a horse lover," you shrugged, folding your arms under your neck and watching as Bella's make-up came to life on her face, "Same though, I have thalassophobia,"

You stared directly at Bella now, knowing that you could say you were "looking at the make-up" or "just thinking about stuff" if they asked you about it later.

You watched as she messed with her cuticles or bit her cheek, and again took to wondering what was going through her head.

After she finished getting ready, the two of you walked quietly onto set, where you just so happened to stumble upon one of Bella's co-stars.

Pedro Pascal.

You wanted to scream. To just drop dead right then and there. But that would be all too embarrassing. You had been a fan of him since you saw your first movie, and you even had a crush on him when you were younger.

He wasn't as intimidating as you thought he'd be, although that's probably because he looks 6'3 but he's really 5'11.

Bella smiled warmly at him, differently from how she smiled at you. You wondered whether that was a good thing or not.

"Pedro! This is my... friend that i told you about!" Bella spoke, happiness filling their voice, and you threw a kind smile on your face, pretending as if you didn't hear them pause.

"Hi! y/n, right? I've heard so much about you!" Pedro gleamed, leaning in for a hug.

You hugged him tightly, something about him making you feel safe and at home. You finally understood why he played so many father figure roles.

You briefly introduced yourself to him and chatted a bit before letting the both of them leave to filming.

It took quite a few hours, with Bella getting a total of three breaks in which the two of you barely spoke, tension completely filling any room you were in together.

You planned to confront him about his cold behavior, at first feeling angry, and then later sad. You once again pondered the nature of the way they had been acting. Did she all of a sudden lose interest in you? Maybe they weren't feeling well? No, that couldn't be it, if they were feeling well enough to act, she was feeling well enough to not ignore you. Maybe something was up with him?

You let your thoughts drive you as you stared in one spot for what felt like eternity.

In the background of your thoughts you could faintly hear someone talking, something you chose to ignore, thinking it was just some far-away conversation.

"Hello? y/n? I asked you if you were ready to leave?" Someone spoke, trying to break you out of your haze.

A sharp snap in front of your face made you remember where you were again, and you now looked around as the staff was cleaning up things that you could've swore they'd just set up.

"Huh?" You looked up at Bella, blinking to make sure it was really them.

"There you are, what happened? I kept asking you if you were ready to leave and you just continued staring at the ground," Bella stared at you, their eyebrows furrowed in an emotion you couldn't place.

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that. Let's go." You quickly muttered, grabbing your bag and throwing away the now-stale cookie that you'd been holding for over 20 minutes.

"Well, lead the way?" You looked at Bella, waiting for her to start walking.

They stared at you and shook their head, then immediately began walking.

The two of you walked silently to the car, as you desperately tried to build up the courage to talk to her.

As you got in the car, you began,

"Hey, so, how come you've been so quiet today?" You asked Bella, putting on your seatbelt carefully.

"Oh I was just,-" They cleared their throat as if looking for an excuse "Tired, y'know?" She was looking into your eyes now, albeit reluctantly.

You tried to think of something to retort, although their excuse, true or not, seemed believable enough for you to let it go.

"Yeah, okay." You looked down, giving up on your now long gone plan of confrontation.

It's not like you knew what you were confronting them for anyway.

She was just being weird, and she'd been weirder before, it's not exactly like this was a first.

You were so deep into your thoughts that you almost forgot how close together you and Bella were sitting. So lost in your head you barely noticed your eyes slowly fluttering shut, or your head leaning onto Bella's shoulder as you slowly fell asleep. 

Bella was blushing hard, the darkness in the car doing absolutely nothing to hide the fact that he was absolutely smitten by you. 

Your breathing was soft and even as you unknowingly snuggled closer to Bella in your sleep.

They were frozen, sitting straight up like a statue with their eyes blown wide and their face red. She thanked god that the car ride home was fairly long, wishing you could stay like this forever. This was why he was being so weird, the more he spent time with you the more difficult it proved to talk to you without blushing or stuttering or just straight up freezing when you spoke. 

You meant everything to her and they weren't about to let some stupid crush get in the way of your friendship.

Slowly, Bella got more and more comfortable until it came to the point where they no longer could keep their eyes open. She carefully lay her head on yours and fell asleep as well, the two of you now clinging to each other like velcro, not bothering to care about the driver, or the fact that you were in a car, or the fact that "Best friends" weren't usually that clingy.

Ok, this took way too long to write and I think you can CLEARLY tell how touch starved I am, but anyway, enjoy!

[soulofapatrick]

TLOU: They React To You Being Pregnant

𝑱𝒐𝒆𝒍 𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓

Y/N’s POV

My heart pounds as I know I can’t hide it from him for long because he’s so eagle eyed and he’ll pick up on me only picking later in the day patrols rather than the early morning ones I usually choose. I had to stop doing them due to the morning sickness that had my head over the toilet until around lunch time but even then the smell of certain foods can set me off. Dina learnt the hard way with that when she pulled a pack of beef jerky from her pack and I was running for the bushes with a hand over my mouth. 

I think Dina’s had her suspicions and has told Ellie and Jesse what she thinks because the three of them have been very protective of me recently and have been trying to make sure they’re paired up with me or that at least one of them is nearby which means they’ve pretty much all walked in on me throwing up. 

It’s just every time I go to open my mouth and tell Joel I freeze up, my mouth feels dry and suddenly I’ve forgotten have to say my own name let alone those two words. I’m scared he’ll leave me because of his memories of Sarah. He got Ellie already fully made and didn’t have to go through the whole early years parts which meant she was capable and adapted to survive in this world unlike a baby. 

“Ellie said you wanted to talk to me.” Joel’s voice knocks me back to this plain of existence as he lets himself inside and closes the door behind him. Oh yeah, my three best friends definitely knew I was pregnant because this is Ellie’s set up. Of course it is. 

I wait until he’s standing a few feet away, taking a deep breath before just saying it, “Joel, I’m pregnant.” 

Silence. His honey eyes are wide and his mouth agape before he surprises me. He’s closing the distance and falling to his knees, hands reaching for my belly but hesitating, looking up at me with glassy eyes. I nod and the bottom three buttons of my shirt are being undone and fingers are ghosting over my belly before they’re joined by feather light kisses. 

“I’m going to take care of you,” He’s whispering, “I’m not going to let anything happen to either of you.”

𝑻𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒚 𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 

Y/N’s POV

The gasps Ellie and Jesse let out confirms my fears: I’m pregnant. Oh I am so screwed. It was just a silly one night stand but now here I am stuck with a not so silly problem. I don’t realise I’m crying until two sets of arms wrap around my shoulders and both of them lean their heads on my shoulders comfortingly as I begin to sob, my hands gripping their sleeves tightly. 

“Can we-“

“Who’s ass are we kicking?” Ellie cuts off Jesse’s polite caution. I just shake my head because I know what their reactions are going to be as neither of them would be able to guess who knocked me up. We’ve barely spoken in public but we’ve been spending time together on patrols and late nights when neither of us can sleep. We didn’t mean for anything to happen, it was just one night with both of us having a little too much whisky and sad thoughts. The next morning I was gone before he could wake up so it wouldn’t be awkward and well… here we are. 

“Y/N.” Ellie’s tone draws me out of my thoughts and I look up to see the very man I’m crying over standing in the doorway. It sends another wrack of uncontrollable sobs through me and Ellie’s glancing between me and him before she utters a quiet, “Holy shit.” 

“Come on Ellie,” Jesse’s reluctantly letting me go but Ellie hovers before I gently shove her away. Tommy waits in the doorway until my best friends have gone with the familiar click of the front door.

“I heard you were sick,” His voice is soft, cautious too as if he’s going to scare me away but I’m pretty sure it’s the other way. He approaches, crouching in front of me, brushing a tear away with the pad of his thumb and cupping my cheek in his rough with work palm, “What’s wrong sunshine?” 

“I’mpregnant,” I blurt out and his brow furrows, so I take a deep and shaky breath before repeating myself, “I’m pregnant.” 

I prepare for the yelling, the throwing things and the walkout but all I get is Tommy’s knees hitting the floor as he asks, “Are you sure?” I nod in response and a surprised sound is yanked from my throat when I’m being picked up and spun, Tommy practically yelling with joy, “I’m gonna be a daddy!” 

“You’re not mad?” 

“Why would I be mad?” He sets me down on shaky legs, “There’s no one else I’d rather have a baby with than you.” 

“Really?”

“Really.”

𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆

Y/N’s POV

It wasn’t the way I intended for Jesse to find out; I wanted to tell him myself and alone but then Dad saw the pregnancy test in the bin and well shit hit the fan. Everyone in town is still wary of Joel and this was a good way to make them even more wary with the way he reacted. 

Dad had stormed from my bungalow all the way across town with me calling for him to stop and that I didn’t want him to do this but it was too late as he had slammed the bar door open, almost taking it off his hinges with a growl of “Where the fuck is he.” It was so embarrassing as the bar had fallen into a silence as Joel scanned the room to find Jesse with Dina and Ellie. 

I had signalled for Ellie to intercept our adopted dad but she couldn’t because his whole attention was on Jesse so Ellie just stood to one side with me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders as if she could tell I was about to cry. Dad had Jesse by the front of his shirt and was yelling, “Who do you think you are, going around and getting my daughter pregnant?!” Jesse’s cognac eyes had widened at the news and Ellie held me tighter, finally understanding why I had been sick the last few days and why I suddenly really hated the smell of the soup she usually made us. Dad seemed to hesitate at Jesse’s reaction, finally realising I hadn’t told him yet so he leans in close to Jesse and hisses, “You better step up and be a good father,” before Tommy’s intervening. 

There’s whispering as Jesse steps over to us, everyone wanting to know which of the Miller girls he knocked up and I don’t think either of us cared at that moment because he’s asking quietly, “Is it true?” 

“Y-yeah.” I reply, looking everywhere but him as Ellie lets me go. I’m about to protest to Ellie when strong fingers grip my chin and I’m being pulled into a breathtakingly desperate kiss that has me wrapping my arms around his shoulders. 

“I’m thinking congratulations are in order for the happy couple.” Tommy raised his glass, despite Joel’s glare and it seemed like the bar just went back to it’s busy self and Jesse’s comforting grip on my hip let me know he’d never be letting me go again. 

[misspearly1]

When Two Worlds Collide Series

Chp1 || Chp2 || Chp3 || Chp4 || Chp5 || Chp6 || Chp7 || Chp8

Pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader x Arthur Morgan 

Chapter Three: The Lady They Both Want

WC: 4.8k

Warnings: 18+ Content. Minors DNI. Joel’s POV & Readers POV. This is more of a filler chapter. Mentions of female masturbation. The guys are getting along now and they’re both very interested in their female companion. Friends to Lovers. Eventual Smut. Love Triangle. Alternative TLOU & RDR2 Universe. Mentions of guns. Light amount of jealousy. Bounty Hunting. (And the usual outlaw stuff).

AN: Ahhh! I really enjoyed writing about Joel and Arthur getting along here. They’re finding common ground now at last. The next chapter will be the kinktober fic, so lookout for the reblog tomorrow! Hope you enjoy the read, thank you.

People sometimes forget the value of the little things in their life. It happens, and it’s ok to forget from time to time, but Joel really forgot about those little things, and it really never occurred to him before just how easy everything was back home. It never occurred to him just how hard it would actually be to adapt in a world where someone like Arthur Morgan thrives. 

It’s a different way of life here, and it was most shocking to the man to realize all of those little things that he so dearly misses were a luxury. For example, there are no cars here in this otherworldly dimension. They have been invented, but they’re so incredibly rare that Joel is yet to see one driving around, and he doesn’t particularly favour traveling everywhere he needs to go via horseback.

At least it’s better than walking though, he thought while sitting atop his horse. 

It took a hot minute for Joel to get used to the saddle again after it had been a shameful amount of time since he went riding. It was a struggle in the beginning, but he eventually got the hang of it again and now he rides like it was as easy as breathing.

When he was just a young boy, he used to visit his grandpa's ranch and his parents taught him how to ride a couple years after he learned how to walk, so he felt lucky and thankful for even remembering how to ride a horse, otherwise he would’ve had a much harder time getting around with Arthur as they work day in and day out thieving from undeseving rick folk. 

That’s another thing Joel didn’t think would be so hard: trying to earn a living. It’s a hell of a lot more difficult gathering money here, and it makes him realize that much more about how easy his life was back home. Of course, he had his fair share of difficulties much like everyone else does and there were a few bumps in the road that he didn’t think he’d be able to overcome, but generally speaking, his life was pretty good compared to most. 

The man thinks about all of the good things he once had, and took advantage of, whilst waiting for Arthur around the outside of his campsite. He watched from afar as the members of the Van Der Linde Gang went about their usual daily business and made the most of everything they did have. Albeit, it wasn’t much and they weren’t living an easy going or unproblematic life, but they had each other and their loyalty was unlike he’s ever seen before.

Arthur’s gang didn’t need a roof over their head. They lived freely and comfortably off the land. They were one big happy family without that blood related bond and Joel can understand that. He, too, has friends that are like brothers to him. They would take him in without hesitation and put clothes on his back and food in his stomach should he ever fall on hard times and need the help. 

Having said that though, he feels a strong pang of sadness in his gut just thinking about his friends and how they’ll probably be searching the whole of Austin, Texas after his sudden disappearance. He can’t even bring himself to think about his little brother as the pain is too much to handle. Tommy will be worried sick and heart-broken, probably beating himself up over the possibility of never seeing his big brother again. And his parents would be even worse.

This is, undoubtedly, what Joel struggles with the most: trying not to miss his family so much that it makes him depressed. He couldn’t afford to spend too much time thinking about all of those scary what ifs. He had to remain calm and cool-headed. Not only for himself, but for you too. 

It’s been almost two weeks now in this otherworldly dimension, and yet there’s still no answers on finding a way back home. Arthur did send a letter off to that man who talks like he’s from the future, but it’s just a matter of waiting until he hears back from him.

While Joel has been putting on a ‘brave face’ and trying to stay positive and hopeful for your sake, he has found some form of comfort and release by working alongside the cowboy. You were right about taking a chance on trusting him. He’s been nothing but generous and helpful ever since that day by the pond, even though Joel is almost certain that Arthur is only helping out because he’s attracted to you. But that doesn’t really matter though. It shouldn’t matter. 

What’s most important is making sure you’re safe until he finds a way to get home. Then, and only then, will he ease up a little on being so overprotective over you. He can’t help but feel that responsibility to take care of you and provide everything you want or need. It’s his fault you’re even here to begin with and it’s become his duty to fix everything and make it right again. The man knows how hard this has been on you. He sees you lose a little hope every day that you're stuck here, and although he knows you don’t hate him, or blame him for all of this happening either, he feels responsible. 

Despite the fact Joel didn’t really like how much Arthur was attracted to you at first, because there is a fear he’ll take you away from him, he can’t deny that the cowboys presence has helped lift your spirits. You’ve slowly but gradually become less frustrated and anxious about this whole situation. It���s become a little easier for you to cope. You’re still worried, of course you are, but you’ve not been so emotionally overwhelmed and swallowed up by the fear of never finding a way home.

To put it simply, you’re becoming the very thing that Joel was trying to be for you, which is cool, calm and collected while providing help wherever and however you can. You can’t deal with the emotional guilt around robbing folk, and he understands why, so he and Arthur take care of that sort of stuff instead. Besides, he prefers it that way anyways. It’s much easier for him to know you’re safe and secure back at camp instead of being out here doing the sort of things he and Arthur do.

So that’s what you have been doing this last week; keeping busy and making yourself useful with setting up the temporary campsite every day. The location near the pond is long forgotten about now. It was moved to a much safer and more discreet location yesterday morning and it will probably stay there for a few days before moving again.

The campsite is set up along the shoreline of Flat Iron Lake, just beneath a couple trees hanging over the embankment to provide some cover and it’s also just a short ride away from the Van Der Linde’s hideout in Horseshoe Overlook. Arthur chose that spot to stay close in case of emergencies. His gang doesn’t know about Joel and you, but Hosea Matthews does.

Joel has met with Mr. Matthews twice now, and you’ve had the pleasure of his company more than that. He’s a kind old man, wise spoken and open minded to the bizarre occurrence of falling into a different dimension. Hosea has even pitched in to help out too. He’s been finding jobs to ear some cash and set up a connection with someone in Rhodes who regularly hands out tips for stagecoaches to hold up. That’s what Arthur is busy with right now as a matter of fact. He’s chatting with Hosea in camp and gathering a couple more jobs to be completed for the day before meeting up with Joel. 

Putting his binoculars away when noticing Arthur leaving Horseshoe Overlook, Joel sat on the saddle of his horse and waited patiently for the man's return. They’ve amassed a comfortable amount of money in the last week, but there needs to be a constant flow of cash coming in to supply everything the camp needs. You have plenty of clothes and a copious amount of food now, but there’s only two tents, one bedroll and one blanket. And you don’t have a horse yet either. 

Joel, as well as Arthur, want you to be prepared and ready for every possible scenario, therefore you need guns and ammunition kept in camp, and you need to learn how to use them too. That’s the next order of business; getting you a horse then teaching you how to use a gun, but first, he needs more money to do that.

And since Arthur approached with a hopeful look on his face, Joel assumed there was a handsome amount of money to be earned today, which means they’re going to be busy. “You look very happy.” He pointed out that shit eating grin on Arthur’s face, then jerked his chin outwards in question. “What do we have on the list today?” 

“Take a look for ya self.” He replied. Handing the list over then reaching into his satchel for a pack of cigarettes, Joel scanned the piece of paper and nodded approvingly. He was right to assume there’s a lot of work to do. The list was bigger than the last and it looks like they have a long day ahead of them.

First up was heading into town and collecting all of the bounties from the sheriff, which was four suspects in total and they were worth two thousand dollars all together. Next on the list were two stagecoaches with the time and location of their travels. One of them will be passing through Strawberry this afternoon, and the other will be passing through a place called Tall Trees in the middle of the night. Then, the last couple jobs on the list were buried treasures and where to find them. 

“Hm. This is nice.” Joel nods again and folds the piece of paper before handing it back over to Arthur – who then held out a half smoked cigarette for him to take. Joel accepted the offer and brought the butt of the object to his lips, sucking on the thing a couple times to take the edge off his nerves. He doesn’t smoke regularly. It’s never really been his thing, but he’d indulge with the occasional cigarette here or there whenever he’d be stressed with life and work back home. And since he’s been feeling extra stressed-out these last couple of weeks, he’s smoked more than he usually ever does.

“Thanks.” He muttered. “And make sure to pass my thanks onto Hosea too. I appreciate all the help.” 

“Ah, there’s no need.” Arthur shook his head, waving him off like it wasn’t a big deal. “Hosea already knows you and Y/N are thankful. Old man’s just happy to help.” He took the cigarette back from Joel and puffed on the thing a couple times before flicking it into the grass. “We ready, big boy? I wanna get a chunk of this done before this afternoon. Maybe check on Y/N before heading over to West Elizabeth if there’s time.” 

“Ready.” Joel grunted and rolled his eyes over the pet name. Readjusting his position on the saddle to better suit his comfort, he commanded his horse and started heading east. “Let’s go, sunshine.” He called out casually and stifled a smile upon hearing the man chuckling behind him. 

Joel didn’t want to admit that he enjoyed the cowboys company just as much as you have. He’s a little rough around the edges and they got off to a bad start with each other, but he’s got a sarcastic sense of humour that Joel likes no matter how much he tries to deny it on the inside. They argue and bicker quite a lot, but they also work well together and get the job done without issue. 

The only real underlying issue between them is that you’re the lady they both want.

Much later that day along the Dakota River, Arthur stood by his horse and watched the show unfold as Joel tackled a female suspect to the ground. He tied her hands and feet together behind her back as she tried with all her might to resist, and the man found it rather amusing. She’s a real nasty piece of work who deserved it anyway after kicking him right between the legs earlier. 

“Make sure those ropes are tight.” He instructed acidly, still bitter over the fact his balls were aching. “I don’t fancy another run around trying to catch her.” 

“You couldn’t fucking catch me, ya slow sack of shit.” The suspect – Darla – replied, making Joel chuckle with the use of her insult toward Arthur. He found it funny that she, too, called him a sack of shit just like he does. But he did as the cowboy instructed and made sure the binds around her ankles and wrists were tightly secured. He didn’t fancy another run around either.

Darla is the last of the bounties and she’s been the worst one out of them all. Arthur was kicked between the legs, and Joel’s face was clawed by her hands. “Why don’t you let me go? I’ll show you a better use for those ropes.” She tried to bargain for freedom, but to no avail. 

“Christ almighty. Will yer just be quiet.” Joel sighed heavily, tiredly, then yanked her up off the floor before carrying her over his shoulder. He walked towards his horse and stowed the woman on the back, securing her tightly with some more rope to make sure she couldn’t escape. They’ve learned their lesson once by underestimating her, and they shan’t make the same mistake again. After she was dealt with however, he turned to face Arthur and asked: “Enjoying the show, asswipe? Could’ve helped me out back there.” 

“C’mon now.” Arthur winced while readjusting himself then mounted his saddle with a painful groan. “I assume ya got a pair of balls, right? You know how much that shit hurts.” He gave an unwanted explanation as to why he didn’t help chase after Darla. He was too busy laying on the ground, heaving with pain while Joel hunted her down instead. “Besides, she’s the last one and we got some time to waste before heading over to West Elizabeth, so keep ya hair on and cut me some slack, big boy.” 

“Big boy!” Darla squawked and burst into a fit of laughter, the sound annoying Arthur so much that reached over and yanked on her binds. “Shut the hell up, woman.” He warned, only it didn’t work. She didn’t stay quiet and proceeded to insult the men all the way back to Valentine. They were quickly pissed off by her remarks about their friendship and the use of their pet names for each other, but once they made it to the sheriff's office and handed her over, they savoured every minute of silence on their ride towards camp on the shores of Flat Iron Lake. It was just after midday now and they were not only hungry for food, but hungry for your attention too. 

Approaching camp with a smile on their faces, both Joel and Arthur felt proud of you leaping into action as you assumed they were trouble. You went for the gun and savings box, but relaxed quickly after realizing there was no threat. “Hey.” You waved, but furrowed your brows with concern when seeing Joel’s face. “Oh my…” You sighed then moved towards him and reached out to cup his face with your hands. “What the hell happened?” 

“Just a scratch, darlin’.” He shook his head, assuring you that it was nothing to worry about, but you didn’t take your hands away from his face and he began to lean into your touch as you dragged the pad of your fingers over his cheek. It felt so comforting. Your hands were soft and delicate, but beside you though, Arthur cleared his throat and tore your attention from him. 

You pulled your hands away and spoke to the man, asking him if he was okay and Joel bit his tongue as Arthur explained what happened and didn’t leave out the details about how he was kicked in the balls either. “Oh, you poor thing.” You sympathized. “C’mon. You should rest a while and eat before getting back to work.”

To Joel’s surprise and delight, you turned back to face him and held his hand, pulling him toward the campfire to sit down on the sandy shores around the lake. You grabbed a little first aid kit and opened it up, instructing Arthur to take a seat and relax. “Let me fix lunch for you both, but first I gotta take care of this-” you gesture to the scratch on Joel’s face. “-Don’t want you to catch an infection.” 

Leaning back onto the palms of his hands while you attended to his minor wounds, Joel saw the expression on Arthur’s face in the corner of his eyes and struggled to hide his smile. It spoke of envy and desire, as if he were wishing he had a couple wounds you could attend to.

While you cleaned his face and your fingers dabbed his skin gingerly with a featherlight touch, Joel couldn’t help feel so free and easy, his shoulders slumping with a heavy exhale as he closed his eyes to revel in your attention. He’s been so starved of your company ever since Arthur came along, and as selfish as it sounds, he has missed having you all to himself. 

“You look exhausted, Joel.” You point out and rest a hand on his chest, his eyes opening to look at you. “Why don’t you eat something then rest for a while. D’you think you’ll have time to?” You asked, to which Arthur replied instead. “Plenty of time, Miss Y/L/N. We don’t have to leave for another hour or so. But we’ll be back really late tonight.” 

You turn to face Arthur and don’t see the way Joel glared at him. “Well that settles it. Both of you eat up then lay down-” he smiled with that, feeling a sliver of victory that Arthur wouldn’t have you all to himself either. “-I’ll keep a look out while each of you rest in the tents. Arthur, you’ll have to get your bedroll off your horse. We don’t have another one unfortunately.” 

“Naw, it’s alright.” He shook his head and lay down on his back, resting his hands behind his head before closing his eyes. “I can sleep anywhere. It’s no problem.” You turn back to face Joel now and smile, watching the irises of his eyes expand the longer he looks at you. He smiled as well, and you didn’t miss the way his eyes dropped to your lips either. It was quick, but you caught it and started to burn up under his wanton gaze. “You uhh… You hungry?” You asked bashfully, and he only nodded in reply, his eyes slowly blinking with tiredness… or with something else. 

Moving towards the fire and scooping out some of the stew into a bowl, you also asked Arthur if he would like any, but he politely declined and closed his eyes again, opting to get a little more sleep instead. You moved back to sit beside Joel and handed the bowl over. “It’s hot. Be careful.” You said in a whisper, keeping your voice low so you don’t disturb Arthur or the peaceful silence that had fallen over camp.

Joel had the opportunity right here, right now, to have you all to himself, but you were right. He is exhausted and he does need some sleep for the long day that awaits him. The list isn’t even halfway done and he wants to have a day off tomorrow to spend some quality time with you. 

After eating every last bite that you scooped into the bowl for him, you took the dish and put it to one side before grabbing a pillow. “Rest up, Joel.” You urge him to lay back and place the pillow beneath his head. “I’m not going anywhere and I’ll keep watch.” You reassured as he closed his eyes, relishing in the warmth of his hand resting on the small of your back. 

He didn’t take his hand away, not even after he had fallen asleep and light snores left his lips. It’s like he just wanted to feel that you were beside him; to know that you won’t leave. That’s why you assured you wouldn’t be going anywhere. You’ve spent multiple nights in the tent with Joel before getting a second one for yourself, and during that time you slept together, he would always be so close and feel that you were safely resting beside him. He must be a physically touch kind of guy, and you don’t mind that at all in the slightest.  

Although you felt a little weird to stare for so long, you felt confident that he wouldn’t mind you watching over him attentively. You’ve missed gazing at him while he sleeps. It’s been nothing but a pleasure to have Arthur around, and you really like the man, but you’ve not given Joel the attention you once used to give. He needs it; needs your comfort like he would comfort you during your meltdown. It’s obvious that he’s missing his family, his pets and his friends back home, and you worry for his mental wellbeing because he’s quite clearly trying his darn hardest to keep you safe and happy. 

Later when the time came around to wake the men, you decided to wake Arthur first and offered him some food. He accepted this time and thanked you for the bowl of stew. He, just like Joel, ate every last bite and you took the dish away to be washed. Once you were finished cleaning up however, he approached with an offer that piqued your interest. “Would ya like to learn how to shoot a gun tomorrow? Me an’ Joel will teach you.” 

“Oh yes. That would be really useful.” You nod eagerly, not because you want to learn how to shoot someone, but because you want to learn how to properly use the firearm should you ever need to defend yourself. You can wave the gun around and pretend to be serious about using it on an attacker, but if push comes to shove, you’d miss every shot and very quickly become defenceless.

Arthur is an outlaw. He sure knows his way around a gun, and Joel would regularly visit the firing range with his brother on the weekends. He knows his way around a gun too. But you, on the other hand, do not know how to use a firearm or how to aim with precision. 

“Here.” Arthur moved towards you and pulled out one of the guns from the holsters on his belt. “I’ll give ya one quick lesson right now. First thing you’re gonna do is take a firm stance and plant yer feet in the ground. Like this–” he  showed you first before moving to stand behind you, correcting your position by pushing your feet apart with his boot. “That’s much better. Keep ya feet parallel to your shoulders,” he instructed with professionalism, then stood closer and brought his arms around you to place the gun in your hands. 

You felt your heart skip a beat when he stepped closer, the proximity between you and the man was so small that you could feel his chest mere inches away from your back. It was a breath-taking move that sent a signal straight to your heat naturally with the presence of a big strong burly man so close to you like this. You could feel his breath rolling down your neck as he sighed heavily. “There you go, just like that.” He kept his hands hovering beneath your elbows, re-adjusting your arm ever so slightly to better your aim, only you couldn’t concentrate after hearing him praise you in that thick southern drawl. 

Perhaps the real reason you trusted Arthur so easily is because he’s just like Joel in so many ways. Not only do they work similarly with drive and focus, or share the same sarcastic humorous nature, but their voices are deep and rough, yet equally soft like honey and it always reels in your attention in the very best way.

You gripped the gun with both hands and held your breath with anticipation as Arthur leaned in a little closer to place his hands atop of yours, helping you keep the gun nice and straight. “I think you’ll do just fine tomorrow.” He said earnestly. “I bet you’ll surprise yourself. You got the stance nailed down, sweetheart.” 

“Thanks, Arthur.” You replied gratefully. “I appreciate your vote of confidence, but I don’t know. I’ve never fired a gun before and I think the kickback will probably surprise me the most.” 

“A smaller gun would be better.” Said Joel, the sound of his voice startling as you quickly tilt your head to look at him. He stood with his arms above his head and stretched out his muscles, but his shirt riding up his body a little made your eyes drop to look at the revealed skin. You rolled your lips together and stifled a moan at the trail of hair beneath his belly button. It disappeared into his pants, which were hanging so low on his hips right now that you could see his v-lines and a glimpse of the curled hair above his mound. 

Quickly turning away with fear that he would catch you staring and call it out, you don’t really think Joel would mind all that much, but to save yourself the embarrassment of practically stealing a glance and drooling over what you could see, you turned away before he noticed.

Now that you were feeling aroused and hot with passion, you couldn’t even get back to what you were originally doing and lowered the weapon. “A smaller gun would be better.” You agreed with Joel and handed the weapon back over to Arthur. “We’ll pick this up again tomorrow.” 

There was a smile on Arthur's face that spoke of mischief and perversity as he drawled in a flirtatious way. “Sure thing, sweetheart.” He winked at you, the gesture making you choke on the moan in the back of your throat before you quickly turned away and busied yourself with something. You needed a distraction, and a moment in privacy to relieve the palpable ache between your legs. Joel and Arthur were both turning you on, and it was driving you feral. It's been a while since you pleasured yourself and the need for relief is growing exponentially.  

Once the men had got themselves prepared and ready for the workload ahead, they each said their goodbyes in their own sexy and adorable ways before leaving camp with a promise to be back after midnight. As soon as they were out of sight, you ran straight to your tent and buried your hands between your legs, mewling softly into your pillow with the wishful dreams of feeling their hands working you open instead. 

However, as soon as Arthur had a moment alone with Joel, he turned to face the man with that same mischievous and perverted smile on his lips then revealed a little secret. “That woman is head over heels for you friend, and you don’t even see it.” 

“No she’s not.” Joel retorted quickly, denying what he yearned for so badly every night. “Y/N and I are just friends. She doesn’t like me like that and besides, it’s you who she’s head over heels for and you’re the one who doesn’t see it.” He said with a slither of spite in his tone. 

“You think so?” Arthur questioned optimistically, to which Joel looked into his eyes and nodded with deject. He truly believed that you were head over heels for the cowboy, and not him, but Arthur persisted. “Well, maybe we both can’t see it, then. Maybe it’s because we don’t believe a lady like Y/N could even feel such a way about us, but I’m telling ya. She likes you. Didn’t you see the way she was looking at ya back there?” 

“And I’m telling you the same thing.” Joel persisted as well. “She likes you. Didn’t you see the look on her face when you winked and called her sweetheart?” 

With sudden realization striking the men simultaneously, they each slowed their horses down to a complete stop and turned to look at each other with disbelief etched on their faces. “Y/N likes the both of us?” They asked in unison, hopeful that it was true. They both wanted you. That’s a fact. But the thought of sharing you and that beautiful attention you give them didn’t cross their minds. 

Until now.

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[lakemichigans]

tlou episode 6 thoughts!!

- i love the introduction of joel's interrogation tactic ("your answers better match up") being used in a relatively low stakes, chill situation. i hope this scene was a little taste of what's to come, rather than a replacement for the scene we'll see later. (also I loved that couple's dynamic!! so much was shown in so few lines of dialogue)

- ellie with the whiskey omg riley reference??

- holy shit the tension of that scene with the dog was impeccable. my heart seriously skipped a beat when the dog barked

- the reunion with tommy was even more emotional than in game, and i love that they're already living in the established jackson area! it means there are so many little references for players to notice

- "just because life stopped for you doesn't mean it has to stop for me" 😭

- when joel thought he saw sarah :((( and the fact that it happened immediately after talked about sarah and had a little panic attack from the grief. everything that's happening with ellie is bringing up so many emotions and they're all portraying it SO PERFECTLY

- i loved the scene between maria and ellie. in the game, we know maria is the one who tells her about sarah, but we never see it happen. i looooved being able to see ellie's reaction to that.

- "i'm failing in my sleep. it's all i do. it's all i've ever done." FUUUUUUCK just kill me 😭

- tommy and maria expecting a baby fits thematically and i'm very curious to see how that plays into part two / season 2. no spoilers for anyone who hasn't played it but i'm excited to see if there's some crossover between their baby and a future character

- the giraffe poster watching joel while he says he's not her dad. liar liar pants on fire! also i think it was a smart decision to not have ellie run away (it works in the game but would only be a waste of time in the show) and instead to have her say that she overheard the conversation earlier. great adaptation of existing material

- but i do think the scene where ellie and joel decide to go together felt a little rushed as a result of the aforementioned change. on one hand i like how quick it is, because they've both done all the thinking they need to do on their own, so it's only matter of saying "yes". but at the same time it felt a little blink-and-you-miss-it. it's also a very quick decision in the game, but it comes after an arduous bout of gameplay, so it doesn't feel so rushed. i'll have to chew on this one some more!

- i'm so glad they didn't make the jackson folks be the cannibals like some people were theorizing

- "you gonna shoot this thing or get it pregnant?" made me laugh so loud omg

- i'm a little disappointed we didn't get any environmental storytelling about the students at the college. the whole section being crammed into the last 20 minutes was... an interesting choice. i know most of that part of the game is just exploration & gameplay, but i feel the show had a unique chance to explore what the students went through after the outbreak that was only hinted at in notes. it had a lot to say about humanity and community and it could've been a neat parallel to jackson

- yesss that was a much more realistic injury that's still life threatening but actually possible to recover from, rather than rusty rebar fully going through his abdomen lmao

- and he got stabbed in frank's shirt 😭 and the depeche mode song plays 😭 fuck 😭

- SO EXCITED FOR RILEY!!!!!

[abbystanaccount]

Seeing the asks you’re getting…I think people are being way too critical of season 2 because of how they feel about Part II in general. Brace yourself for some grade A discourse and misogyny. I know you were in the trenches when Part II came out before as well 🫡

I don’t care what anyone says, I will act a fool about Abby. Also, I love your blog and art blah blah blah

Yeah I just got an ask that's like a Bella casting hate comment which I've seen a lot of. Some of the castings I don't love and there's definitely people out there that would look closer to the game versions, but this is an adaptation it doesn't need to be 1:1. It's actually kind of cool when they add things that expand on the characters lore, but we can also keep those aspects separate if we prefer. I'm going to try and keep game and show versions of characters as separate entities for the most part.

I'll definitely complain about some things but like I don't want to spread hate about the actors, and when we see Kaitlyn in action I'm gonna try and support her and the portrayal for the most part...

I wasn't in the fandom right when the leaks were happening, I joined August 2020 but yeah there was a lot of hate. Even today people are still made about TLOU 2 and it'll resurge again with the show 🙃 My algorithm over the years hasn't been too bad though and hopefully there'll be some positives too and new art made and such! and thanks 🤗

[racingcore]

do you too go insane over any parallels and foreshadowing moments that happen in the show? because i literally lose my mind over it every. damn. time.

i know it’s expected but i just never could’ve even dreamed that a video game adaptation could be so incredibly good, never mind the best game ever (real. this is a fact.) getting that treatment. i’ll never get over how lucky we are lmao

im so insane about The Last Of Us y'all have no idea. absolutely feral lmao. i feel the need to tell people im fan of both game 1 and 2 cuz you know all the shitstorm around 2nd one cuz gamer boys got no storytelling comprehension. i have so many thoughts about tlou2

I lose my mind too jess! [i hope its fine if i call you by that. saw your profile 😅] like all the little things. the glance at the watch everytime something related to sarah. THE SIBLINGS THING TLOU HAS GOING ON!!!!! THE PATTERNS WE ARE GONNA SEE ALL THE WAY OF THEM INTO THE SEASON 2 HOPEFULLY!

henry and sam.... kathleen and michael are both Joel and Tommy in ways that only people both a fan of game and show will know.

ellie being the hope of humanity in ways which is not creating the vaccine. kathleen killed by a child as deserved. the poetic cinema slaying. ellie being delighted by joel killing someone vs sarah being horrified. sam only attacking ellie when she touched him. riley died ellie live.... ellie tried to save sam and believed she could... sam dying anyways. joel's mine and tess i never asked you for anything.

SO MUCH. DONT START ABOUT BILL AND FRANK episode.

ngl i always wanted a show on tlou,, cuz the story is so fucking brilliant and when i got to know they were actually making with one the original creators involved i was on cloud 9 babyyy pffft. as you said we are indeed very lucky that we are getting this and the people who really love the game are working on it. and as you said, one of the best games ever. my fav game ever too.

i love good storytelling. im so insane about this jess im losing my mind actively. i really went off didnt i? hope ya dont mind

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

can i ask why you like zombie fics? :0 and like. what tone/tropes/ect you like?

WELL. I generally just enjoy apocalyptic stories. I read the Left Behind series when I was like, 11, just because my dad happened to have all the books (hilariously, I don't think he ever read more than the first two or three lol but we had the ENTIRE series. 12 books. and I later collected the Left Behind Kids ones too skskdnfnskfnsk. hashtag just church kid things???) and it kind of just... grew from there. I don't think I ever really gave zombie stories in particular a second thought until I was like... 14 and a friend had mentioned that she watched the show The 100 and I just. got curious about it, bc it's already a post-apocalyptic story, which is enticing to me personally, and in the midst of my secondhand fandoming via that friend, I came across this one fic that made it into a zombie apocalypse AU. it's called "This Is A Song About Somebody Else" and the worldbuilding is just... AUGH it's just such good worldbuilding?? like the way zombie infection works in that story is SO interesting and the way it's shaped the world the author places the characters in is so well fleshed-out. (I will say, fair warning, there is some sexual content in the middle of it, but the worldbuilding and character arcs are good enough that I just kinda scroll really fast as soon as I hit that and continue reading once the scene is done skdcnskfnskfn). basically I attribute my love for zombie stories to that really well developed fanfic I read when I was 14 and then last winter spent literally two days scrolling back through AO3 to find again. and I've still never seen the source material!! I've never watched The 100 and honestly idk if I ever will!!! but I secondhand fandomed for a while and that fic gave me an interest in zombie stuff that continues to this day akdkxkanfndskfn

so the thing with apocalypse stories in general, including zombie ones, is that action doesn't cut it for me?? like my favorite apocalypse stories are Station Eleven (the book, not the HBO adaptation. I have thoughts on that that I might share at some point but idk.) and Gracie's (@imissthembutitwasntadisaster) apocalypse-verse and those are both... very quiet. almost mundane even as the world is ending/has ended. there's a calmness to it that I can't totally explain, but it's really just... life. living in the midst of things. and that's the thing that got me about This Is A Song About Somebody Else, too! there's calm. there's a sense of stillness that's fallen over the world and it's kinda chilling but also draws you in!! THAT'S what I think I love the most in apocalypse stories. (also — TLOU definitely gets the balance of action/mundanity right as well, even though being based on a video game there's a lot more action required than a lot of the stories I'm discussing here.)

and obvs when I'm talking about this stuff, there isn't just ONE THING I'm into regarding apocalypse/zombie stories. I like all kinds! I'm not picky tbh. but my favorites are when the worldbuilding is interesting and presented well, and also when the horror of the circumstance is very present in a way you the audience can really feel. I LOVE the horror of it all. but also, what it comes back around to is the perseverance and what makes it WORTH persevering.... the HOPE.

[messrmoonyy]

IDK if you've seen the adaptation of TLOU yet or not but I have a Joel idea that I need to tell someone.

Fem!Reader is the granddaughter of the Adler's, she meet Sarah a few years before the outbreak (when reader is 12 and Sarah is 10) and the pair become fast friends, almost constantly hanging out. When the outbreak happens, Sarah lives (bc I said so, damnit) and Reader goes with Tommy, Joel and Sarah to wherever they go. About five years after the outbreak, Joel and Reader are on a run, gathering supplies for their small little group when they get caught in a snow storm. The pair take shelter in a building and have to huddle by the fire for warmth. Feelings are admitted, smut happens and they decide to try their hand at a relationship (which they keep a secret for months bc there is more important things to worry about).

Sarah finds out after a close call between the group and a pack of runners (Reader obtained a sprained ankle and got separated from the group), when Reader finally does return. She doesn't like it at first but she comes around after realizing how happy her father is and how happy her best friend is.

I have watched the show! And I’m loving it so much it’s doing the game justice and the acting is nuts. It’s just incredible.

I love your idea! If you ever write it out as a fic or did you want me to write it or??? I would probably change the age of reader. Idk I feel a bit icky when older characters know people when they’re literally children and then they get together. That’s just me.

I currently only write for Tess but if you wanted me to take a crack at Joel I could, I would just have to make some changes to this specific idea like I mentioned above to make me more comfortable with it.

Thanks for sharing your idea lovely! <3

[penvisions]

dev writes {{masterlist}}

hello hello! this is all still so new to me, to be positng fic on tumblr. i’ve had an ao3 account for years so i figured why not migrate things over here as well! share it with more people c: these are the pieces i’ve been working on the last few months, i’m really excited to share them with y’all

they are self indulfgent to an extent, but that’s a part of life, no? i hope they bring something to you if you decide to check them out!

any and all likes, reblogs, comments, asks, shoutouts are so so greatly appreciated ♡ please feel free to reach out if you feel so inclined ♡ i’d be happy to chat with y’all

The Last of US (TLOU) - Joel Miller x Reader

Summary: You may have been young when the world fell, but you adapted with all the challenges that come with trying to survive. You spent your time doing runs out in the badlands beyond the QZ walls to ensure people had little pleasures to keep them going. You were dropping off some medical supplies that FEDRA was willing to pay big for when you got tangled up in a mission that involves a teenager with a mouth almost as smart as yours and gruff older man whose graying curls were his only redeeming quality. But the longer you traveled with them and the more that happened out in the open land of what once was, the more you find yourself connecting with them and wanting to protect them both at any cost.

ao3 link || masterlist 

Summary: The longer, more dangerous patrol routes around Jackson are designated to you and one Joel Miller. You both have an understanding with each other, talking wasn’t the biggest concern for either of you, but being confident in each other was. He wasn’t a bad friend in your scavenged life, but then again you were beginning to think you didn’t want to be just his friend…and that’s got you more than a little sexually frustrated.

ao3 link || direct link 

Summary: You were the supervising bartender that happened to be the only person brave enough to offer help in the kitchen when they find themselves short staffed with some no call, no shows. But Joel Miller doesn’t want some floozy who doesn’t know the first thing about food in his kitchen. He makes it clear, but the tension between you two only heightens when you show him up and he realized that you do know what you’re doing. It’s driving him up the wall to see you in his kitchen, in his space day in and day out. But he needs the help and you’re so willing to give it to him. 

sneakie peek || sneakie peek 2

Triple Frontier - Frankie Morales x Baker! Reader (ex EMT! reader)

Summary: Running from the past to a new city gave you the perfect opportunity to open your own bakery. You're a regular at Brass Knuckles, and the owner is the right type of friendly you need in your life. Along with him, comes his group of friends, one Frankie Morales. You develop a crush on him nearly instantly. Can you manage to get your head above water long enough to tell him he's the most gorgeous man you've ever met?

ao3 link || masterlist 

The Mandalorian - Din Djarin x Force Sensitive! Reader

Summary: You’ve been on the run for as long as you can remember, from a lot of different people and a lot of different things. Everyone seems to see you as either a prize to show off or a captive to exploit. You had been successful in keeping a low profile and evading brief captures. That is until your mother contracted the Guild and the Mandalorian came to possess your tracking fob. Will he be the reason your freedom is no longer something attainable or will he be the one to help you achieve it in ways you never anticipated? 

ao3 link || masterlist

rough summary || sneakie peek || sneakie peek no. 2 || sneakie peek no. 3

Narcos - Javier Peña x DEA Agent! Reader 

summary: You’ve been in Columbia for a few years, having family ties that allowed for the trasnfer from CA to be easier to leave your old life behind. You’ve kept your head down and your plate full until you get paired with Steve and his partner to help tag an elusive informant. That’s when things get complicated both at work and in your personal life. But you’ll be the first to admit that the notorious pair don’t have any power over you, until you’re actually faced with seeing them day to day. 

sneakie peek

[therealjammy]

Well, I finally watched the first two episodes of TLOU and I have some thoughts, which will be beneath a cut in case some of you would like to avoid spoilers (and I’ll tag this appropriately too, so don’t worry!) Here we go...

My initial thoughts are this adaptation is definitely one of the best video game adaptations I’ve seen--which are, to be honest, quite few--and I’ve enjoyed how similar it is to the game I’ve known since 2014 but also different. I did enjoy getting to see more of a glimpse into Joel, Sarah, and Tommy’s characters in episode one, a little slice of normal life juxtaposed with a strange phenomenon murmured on the radio or seen through police cars racing through town; and then the night everything went to shit was just so brilliantly done, I was literally on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen despite knowing what does. All the performances regarding Sarah’s death were stunning, and so many kudos for Nico Parker for making me care about Sarah when she had a small fraction of screen-time!

I adored Ellie’s introduction. And Marlene’s. And Tess’s. And Joel’s. All I can say is *chef’s kiss*

And as for the second episode, the opening to that was, I thought, far more unsettling than the opening for the first. We’re seeing the cordyceps fungus taking over in real time; it’s no longer a scientific prediction, it’s a scientific reality, one that has neither medicine nor vaccine to stop. The actors in those scenes had my breath shortening; their characters’ terror and horror was palpable and jumping off the screen; it got me thinking that I could never imagine being an epidemiologist or microbiologist thrown into something novel and realizing there’s no possible way to stop it--except to kill everyone.

But as we know, the bombing method didn’t work.

Now for Tess, my beloved! Anna Torv played her so well; I was beyond pleased with her performance and her interpretation of the character, and that ending in episode two made my heart ache. Not as much as it did when I played the game, but it was an ache all the same. I was sad to see her go.

As for my qualms, I thought it was interesting that they decided to get rid of the spores and have more of a fungal neural network that the infected were connected to. It’s not necessarily a bad change, I think; it makes for interesting worldbuilding, and I’m curious to see how that will play out in future episodes, because so far I don’t understand why it’s that way--which is probably the point. And my other qualm is probably one that’s pretty popular by now: Why was Tess’s death by a gooey fungal French kiss and not by being ripped apart? It would’ve been brilliant (albeit if it wasn’t shown, of course) if there was that callback to telling Ellie, “You’re not immune from being ripped apart.” It just felt really unnecessary to me, and frankly disturbing. In this case, I prefer the game’s way of dealing with her death. It felt more true to Tess’s character.

I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts eventually, but that’s all for now. Thanks for reading xx

[juvederm]

i'm not rly concerned with what the ud movie is gonna be like (it also hasn't even been written yet so) i'm just more nervous about the amount of people it might bring in. big fandoms intimidate me so bad so the thought of a large crowd coming in 😭 but i do think the movie will make people appreciate the game more. like we definitely will be seeing people do "until dawn throw backs" in light of the announcement, so it's not like the game is gonna get overshadowed or anything. when tlou got adapted into a show i saw just as many tweets about the game as much as i did about the show, so

my biggest concern aside from the large crowds, is the reignited ashley, emily, jess and hannah hate that is for SURE going to happen again. this is the second wave y'all. or maybe the third, who is even counting the amount of times ud has some sort of random resurgence and then people come out the woodworks with shit to say abt the girls. we all must band together to fight this hate yall. who gaf about the movie. i'm getting my shield ready

[brenobikenobi]

Wrecked

Summary: It wasn’t supposed to happen — you got injured because of your own mouth running off. Now you’re forced to face the music when Joel gets a glimpse of you. Pairing: Joel Miller/Reader (she/her pronouns used) Fandom: The Last of Us (television series focused) Warning(s): Minute depictions of violence (flashback form), mentions of depictions of violence (it’s The Last of Us, are we surprised), slightly OOC Joel Miller (first time writing TLOU, y’all), mention of alcohol, random asshole residents in the QZ, overprotective Joel Miller, hints of a secret relationship, pre-Jackson, pre-Ellie (quarantine zone), depictions of apocalyptic surroundings (quarantine zone, Cordyceps Infection, ration tickets, FEDRA, etc.), depiction of injuries, blood and gore, gendered terminology (usage of she/her pronouns). Please read this piece with your own caution. Word Count: 3,045 A/N: Hello and welcome to my first The Last of Us imagine! It's been a few hours since watching the show and as a player of the game and someone who watched gameplays of it for years, this adaptation is absolutely amazing so far. I am so excited to see more and hopefully write again for the show/game as time goes on.

The hot water on your bloodied and bruised hands was almost too much.

While often it could be considered a brief sight of comfort, it now held a stark moment of sheer pain. Nonetheless, you couldn’t really fight the temperature as the evidence on your hands was too much of a reminder to what had happened — and you would be glad to end this torment of your skin, once the contents of crimson red were washed away down the drain and away into who knows where.

Steam rises in softening fumes as the heated water dances across flesh, softening what has dried there so you could begin wiping it away. What was harder to remove, you would take a ratty old washcloth and clear it off the best you could… but the stain still remained. Your eyes would focus on that damned spot, trying to scrub as hard as you could but nothing could truly fix what was evident as soon as you looked at the broken, dirty mirror above the sink.

All signs pointed directly to the wear and tear on your face. You had gotten jumped.

It wasn’t meant to happen, truly that’s what you could recall (or so tried). A normal day or what could be considered in the quarantine zone, where FEDRA reigned over all since the end of the world twenty years prior at the hands of the Cordyceps outbreak. What felt like a safe haven was mainly the farthest thing from it, especially with some residents who thought they were above others. You, along with your company, kept to yourself as you would get up, work, take what you could as payment through ration tickets, and tuck yourself away into your confined space to repeat the same cycle again and again until you eventually bit the dust.

That was until you opened your mouth and fought back. That’s what did you in.

It was a small group of people, who often crossed paths alongside you and your company, that came looking for trouble. Taking the familiar path towards the apartment in Boston QZ, you would keep your head down with hands in your pockets as you carried on. Only this time, one man seemed to walk out in front of you in a way to get you to stop. That’s what slowed down your pace, causing you to still as you raise an eyebrow and turn around.

That’s when his buddy had come out next. Followed by another of sorts, you quickly realize it was three against one. You were surrounded and likely, this wasn’t going to bode well for you.

“Well, isn’t this a treat?” they spoke, walking forwards two steps and you seem to remember going three steps back. “Where are you off to?”

You didn’t answer. He always told you not to answer them, just try and get out of the situation in the best manner possible. There was no need to get violent over this.

So you stayed silent, opting to turn away. No matter if one of his men were close behind, you had to find your opening. He tells you not to pick a fight, it isn’t worth it if it means you get harmed.

“What? We don’t get the privilege of an answer?” they taunt and you feel it slowly rising in your system, how your blood boils at the sound of them picking upon you. How in the end of the world, there’s no shortage of bullies as people have learned to adapt to the new world around them in any way they can. They come out of the woodwork, almost like moths summoned to fresh light. “Stay awhile, we just want to talk.”

“I fuckin’ doubt that,” you remarked, where you immediately cringed because you know you denied the one rule he warned you about. Don’t give them an answer. 

“She speaks!” the ring leader says as his buddy seems to cut you off from the opening, blocking you in between the three men as they step closer. “Where you headin’?”

Stop while you’re ahead. “None of your fuckin’ business.”

Tsk, tsk, tsk goes the man’s tongue against his teeth as one seemed to press his chest against your back. “You know, you’re not being very nice. We’re just trying to hold a nice, friendly conversation…”

One hand of theirs had reached forward, tugging lightly on the collar of your oversized denim jacket that wasn’t yours to begin with. Instinctively, you reach up and slap his hand away as his friends seem to chuckle lightly at how quick you fought back. Almost like you were the little girl on the playground who got her pigtails tugged by the boys and see just how fast you would react in such a manner.

“Oh! And she’s got a little fire in her too! Temper, temper…” the ring leader teases, a wolfish grin on their face before they had stepped forward and leaned down. “Tell you what… I’ll make you a deal that’ll get you out of here scot free.”

“And what exactly are you willing to deal?” you had wondered. You should’ve shut your mouth. You were disobeying him every second you opened it to respond.

“Heard you were working this morning,” the ring leader says, as their grubby hands reach for your denim jacket’s collar again and seem to move to your shoulder as if holding you in place. “Which means you got your ration tickets… Since you and your friend are so buddy-buddy, I think you might not need those. Why don’t we make a deal and you hand them over before a pretty girl like you gets hurt?”

You thought about it: once, twice, thrice times over. Yet you remember that the second you made eye contact with the ring leader, you had smiled… and it had led to you doing the exact opposite of what they wanted. Because you remember hocking a loogie into their eye, earning disgusted yet stunned looks from his two buddies. The ring leader had wiped his face clean, causing them to stare at the DNA evidence on their fingers before you finally cleared your mind of the fog of self-defense in your head.

You were fucked. And you had ran, before they threw you against the wall, stole what they could find on you after laying their hands upon your very person once you delivered a bone-crushing punch to one’s nose and ran off like thieves in broad sunlight. Like they were too damned scared to stay around and face the consequences of beating down an innocent quarantine resident.

Your train of memory becomes derailed as soon as the front door shuts on the other side, sending you into jerking your hands back from hot water. You had almost forgotten your surroundings from the reel in your head, looking around to find if a towel was anywhere near. Grabbing hold of one over the curtain rod, you wipe your hands clean and replace the towel before a voice shouts out.

“Y/N, is that you?” they call out, prompting you to know that it was time to go out there and try to act like nothing happened when it had. “Didn’t think you’d be back by now.”

If only he knew why you were. “Uh… yeah, give me a second. I’m almost done.”

A shuffle of footsteps outside the bathroom signal that he’s turned away, possibly in the small living room that is closest to the entrance of the tiny kitchenette. It was go time now, knowing that there was no turning back from facing what lies ahead. You reach your hand forward, trying to compose your emotions before internalizing them and twist the doorknob. With a hard push (since the door often got stuck), you push it open into the small studio apartment before coming face to back with none other than him.

Joel Miller. Your buddy.

It was no secret to others that you and Joel had surprisingly bonded. Honestly, it had come as a shock to many when they knew who Joel was — a man who kept his emotions under lock and key, then cemented behind 12 foot walls. You may not know every detail about his past, nor what he has seen over the last twenty years, but somehow you had made your way to him and extended your hand as if to remind him one thing.

You aren’t alone. It reads across your face as clear as day. Not anymore.

Which is why it scared you wholeheartedly to face him. He had his back turned, cleaning up something that had been left in the sink with his head bowed and shoulders slouched. Maybe if you shrunk yourself up enough, you could bypass his stare but alas that did nothing. Because as soon as you step back, the floorboard creaks and he turns to face your direction as he holds a washcloth and mug in hand.

What he sees is almost enough to drop the mug entirely.

Minus from the scrapes and bruises evident on the skin of your neck and face, it was mainly the bruising eye, swollen cheek, bloody nose and the split across both bottom and top lip to show you had fucked up entirely. The denim jacket you had stolen from him to go work this morning had blood staining the collar, which luckily didn’t belong to you (but from the ring leader himself) but it still stained the worn fabric below your jaw. You looked absolutely wrecked and Joel, full heartedly, looked terrified.

He had never looked terrified when it came to you before.

“What in the hell?” Joel drawls, lowering the mug with more force than intended as it echoes once it’s placed down. He crosses across the floor, holding the washcloth as he nears you and you almost lurch back again before realizing this was someone safe, someone warm, someone you knew.

“I can explain—” You begin.

“I sure as hell hope you fucking can!” Joel hisses, his tone causing you to almost drop the tough act all together before he reaches his fingers outwards and lifts your chin while being mindful of the wounds close by. “God, what the fuck—”

“I’m fine—” You try to put off.

“Don’t you lie to me, Y/N. You are far from fine,” he insists, causing your stomach to twist as he looks you over before one question falls from his lips. “Who did this to you?”

Silence fills the room around you, despite the ambience from outside as FEDRA’s vehicles went moving by as fast as they possibly could to keep the peace or what they thought it was outside. You meet his eyes, seeing he was awaiting his answer before you drop your head and you feel sheepish as you try and steady your voice.

“You know who.” You remind him. He’s dealt with these so-called men of the quarantine zone. He knew what they often did to you, from taunting to teasing and now physical harm.

It didn’t take him long to connect the dots, causing him to scoff as he knew what you meant. Knowing his anger didn’t help in this moment of vulnerability, he decided it was best to work on what needed to be fixed now: you. Urging you with one hand, you slowly sit down at the table while he sits across from you in the opposite chair and raises your chin again but not too much. In the natural light, all he could think when he looked at you was that you looked like hell and you looked nothing like that the morning before you left.

Taking the washcloth, he bunches it up as precipitation leaks from the fabric. “You wanna tell me what happened to not answering?”

You clench your jaw, a wrong move as you hiss slightly because of the blossoming bruise along the curve of it. Before you could recover from that, he was gently cleansing your face of the dried blood that had caked over your cupid’s bow and lips from the wounds of your nose and lips. No matter how careful he was trying to be, you knew he had to be using slight pressure to get every ounce of it off of your very person.

“They cornered me on the way back,” you reveal, wincing back slightly before his hand stops you from moving too far and keeps you in place so he can continue. “I was minding my own business, but he touched me and kept provoking me—”

“One touched you?” Joel repeats. He stops his work as he eyes you, hearing you loud and clear.

“Not in that manner, no!” You insist, hoping it would calm him before you continue on. “The leader, he just made a big show of picking on me and then he— oh fuck.”

“What?” Joel wonders, seeing you frantically patting the front and sides of the denim jacket before his eyebrows raise and he lowers the washcloth away from your face. “Stop it, slow down — what’s wrong? What else did he do? Talk to me.”

“That stupid son of a bitch!” you exclaim, prompting Joel to grow further confused before you look him in the eye and clarify. “That fucking bastard and his friends took my tickets.”

Joel’s gaze darkens. “Your ration tickets?”

“No, my game day tickets— yes, Joel, my fucking ration tickets!” you seeth, raising onto your feet as you sense Joel standing beside you in order to slow you down. “Fuck, I’m gonna have to ask for more work again. Fuck, this isn’t good. I’ll have to try and get—”

“Y/N, hey— Y/N, listen. Listen to me, dammit, before you panic yourself to death,” Joel demands, causing him to use force as he turns you to him and you stare up at his aged gaze, silent before he speaks. “I understand you’re upset but think about this: ration tickets are one thing, but you’re lucky you got out of there with your life. Especially with how banged up you got from this whole ordeal… fuck, I gotta find you some ice.”

He had twisted your chin to the side, where he could see the swelling of your jaw underneath the blossoming bloom of blue, purple and deepening red. In a moment of silence as he carefully checks you over one last time, you can’t help but speak.

“You should see the guy who led it,” you reveal.

Joel stills, raising an eyebrow as he twists your chin back to look at him and he looks down at you. He keeps you in his hold, sending a small shiver down your spine but your composure stays still. The way he looks at you, as stoic as the man can be after years of personal demons knocking down his door, he seems to look at you with this… carefulness. Almost as if you wonder who else he has looked at like this and if he reserved it for those he cared about most.

Were you someone he cared about most? Or was that all in your head?

Maybe it was because of the concussion you thought you had, there was no telling the difference anymore.

“What’d you mean?” Joel asks as his thumb runs along the uninjured part of your lips. Damn him, the fog in your brain was destined to return now.

“Before they had a chance to grab anything, I did what you taught me,” you admit as he raises an eyebrow, as if asking for further clarification. “This isn’t my blood on your jacket. It’s the guy who led the group’s blood. I broke his nose.”

Silence again. For a moment, it was almost like silence was the only thing accepting of you both as you stare at each other before a small chuckle, drier than anything, is let out from Joel. And in its brief appearance, it still sends a cooling effect over you as if you were searching for it the entire time.

“You broke that guy’s nose,” Joel repeats, seeing that you were wholeheartedly serious before he grins crookedly and then squeezes your chin lightly with the pad of his thumb and his index finger. “That’s my girl… Guess you got some semblance of fight in you.”

“Maybe there’s some part of me that you don’t know that well either,” you confess, looking up at him before you decide to break the serious act you put on. “On the other hand, I think my knuckles are bruised too—”

You see him shake his head, leaning forward as his lips — soft yet slightly chapped — press against your forehead. In the silent space shared between two souls that had been ripped from normalcy and thrown into apocalyptic situations from different parts of the nation, they had found solace in this little moment between both. This was both your moment to share and nothing, not even some asshole and his pack of idiots could try and take that solitude away from you.

“You’re something else,” Joel murmurs, moving closer as his chest is pressed up against yours. There it was again, that warm feeling in the middle of your chest — it never goes away. “You know that, right?”

You tilt your head, as if to mull over his words. “Hmm, I think I’ve heard that before. Was it you who said that ages ago—”

Joel doesn’t let you have it. Instead he leans forward, capturing your lips in a delicate kiss where you can focus every sense on him and him alone. Beyond the musky mix of tobacco, mint and some cheap rye whiskey from a run, you twist your hands into the ends of his salt-and-pepper threads before his lips shift and you hiss before pulling back lightly.

“Shit, sorry,” he murmurs as his thumb strokes your cheek. You shake your head, as if to assure him that the pain was temporary and the bliss of the kiss was forever, in your mind. You curl your hands into the denim shirt he wears, carefully pulling him closer than it was physically possible to with your noses bumping together delicately.

“Don’t worry,” you murmur, voice a hush despite it just being you both — it had always been both of you, in this short period of time. “It’ll pass.”

And with that being said, Joel presses his lips against yours for another whiskey-hinted kiss — pain present or not.

[moon-ursidae]

TLOU HBO EPISODE 2 SPOILERS

general thoughts and shit are going here in a list! see ya’ll on the other side!

got a late start bc i was w a friend i hadn’t seen in a long time.

ANYWAY

oh shit okay jakarta this is where it pretty much started yea?

yuuuup there’s military men

this is so fucking horrifying bro

the slow buildup is so fucking good

i’m excited to see what neil does w this episode bc we know the dude can direct the shit out of a game haha

OH MY GOD WHEN SHE MADE THE INCISION IN THE LEG AND YOU COULD SEE THE GROWTH??? GROSS BUT AWESOME

AND IN THE MOUTH?? STOMACH CHURNING. SO AWESOME.

oh my god wait so the u.s. government probably got the idea to bomb after they did in jakarta?? CRAZY.

i feel so sorry for this woman. she’s absolutely horrified. these poor people in general dude. jesus christ.

the cold opens so far have REALLY set the tone well for the episodes and series as a whole

if anyone skips this intro, i simply do not trust them

BELLIE!!!

this is fucking gorgeous

DIRECTED BY NEIL DRUCKMANN

joel and tess sitting there like parents the next morning after you miss curfew💀💀

“there’s not gonna be anything bad in here?” “just you.” “oh, funny.” THEMMMMMMM AAAHHHHH

his hand :(

anna torv is so pretty

LMAO the difference in what they’re eating

“you must’ve heard that he wants to shoot you.” AND THE WAY HE DOESN’T EVEN FUCKING BLINK

bella is literally ellie you bitches that doubted them better EAT GRASS

“whatever happened to me is the key to finding a vaccine”

LIKE THE GAME HAHA

“fuck you man i didn’t ask for this” !!!!!!!!!!!!

“if she so much as twitches” AND SHE STARTS JOKING HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA

bella is ellie bro

joel is so over this shit lmao

“jesus fine i’ll just have to throw a fuckin sandwich at them.” I LOVE HERRRR

omg joel moving the heavy ass furniture HAHAHAHA

THIS IS FUCKING GORGEOUS

THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD

OMG ALL HER PINS ON HER BAG 🥹

pedro looks so goddamn fucking good my god

omg i remember seeing bts of this SOOOO long ago this is crazy

she lied about riley to tess :(

“mom, dad, boyfriend?” “i’m an orphan and uhh nooooo” so subtle and so good.

THE MUSIC FROM THE GAME AHH it’s changed slightly but it’s the same basically

HE IS SOOOOOOOOOOOO ATTRACTIVE

sorry haha

THESE PRACTICAL SETS ARE CRAZZZYYYYYYYY

HOTEL???

“i don’t know how to swim.” “seriously?” “you think we have pools in the QZ?” “no, smartass. i mean-“ *jumps in to show her that it’s shallow* “i don’t know how i was supposed to know that” LMAOOO I LOVE THEM SO FUCKING MUCH ALREADY

also it’s not the last of us without wading in some gross water

THE FRONT DESK BIT HAHAHA

I LOVE HER SO MUCH

“you’re a weird kid” “you’re a weird kid”

proceeds to get fucking jumpscared by a skeleton and joel jumps to see what’s up

AHHHHH🥺

him reaching to help her up and them both letting go as soon as possible but joel lingers there and looks at his hand🥲

probably bc of the whole infection thing but also 🥺

guys if you have to take the elevator shaft DON’T.

JOEL GRABBING HER HOOD TO MOVE HER💀

BOOSTING HER UP TO FIND A WAY AROUND HAHAHAHAHAHA JSBSJSBSJSBSJHDHDHDHSHSBWKDBK

NOW THIS IS A FAITHFUL ADAPTATION

omg now they’re left alone together HAHA

“where’d you learn to do that?” “the circus” AND HE JUST LOOKS SO EXASPERATED HAHA

i love that ellie is so inquisitive about who joel is in both the game and series now. i would be doing the same if i was traveling with this man i met less than 24 hours ago, but it just hits so much harder knowing what joel’s been through yknow?

him stopping her immediately from asking personal questions bc he doesn’t wanna get attached and doesn’t want her to get attached either bc that would be harder for him AHHHHHHHHHHHH

“how long do infected live?” “oh i thought you went to school” IN SUCH A SASSY WAY I LOVE HIM

he looks so fucking good.

“what about that guy last night?” THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER KSHAKSHSKV

saved by the bell joel haha

HOLY FUCK. THAT’S ALL INFECTED????

i like that this is how they’re introducing the tendrils more. tess is telling both ellie and the audience how they work

“museum.” YYYYEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAA BABBYYYYYY

BUT ALSO FUUUUUUUUUUCK NO.

these practical sets are INSANE

i fucking love how they’re so smart with each other already

OH FUCK IT’S CLICKER TIME BABYYYY

the way they’re trying to get her to shut up lmao

this is bad. they are making so much noise without making any noise and i’m STRESSED

that’s so many bodies holy fuck

OH MY GOD IT’S THE ROOM FROM THE TRAILER

LEMME SEE THOSE CLICKER PRACTICAL EFFECTS BABY

THE WAY I JUST GOT CHILLS DOWN MY FUCKING SPINE TO MY GODDAMN TOES JUST HEARING THE CLICKING SOUNDS

OH. MY. GOD. THE WAY THEY MOVE. THE WAY THEY SOUND. I AM SO SCARED.

OH FUCK OH SHIT OH FUCK

IT’S SO MUCH BIGGER THAN JOEL OH MY GOD

RUN?? JOEL SKAHSKSBOWBSLWBSKSBE

FUCK TESS IS ON HER OWN. NOOOOO

THIS IS ALSO SO ACCURATE TO GAMEPLAY BC YOU CAN JUST HIDE FROM THEM AGAIN AFTER YOU ATTRACT THEM

THE WAY THAT I’M SCARED TO BREATHE OR MOVE

OH MY GOD THEY’RE FUCKING HORRIFYING

THE SILENCE TO THE CLICKER BEING SO CLOSE AND SO LOUD???????

THIS IS SO CRAZY

OH MY GOD IT’S ONE OF THE FIRST FINAL SHOT THAT THEY POSTED ON SOCIALS

FUCKING JUMPED OVER THE COUNTER???

AHHHHH THIS IS SO SCARY

PLEASE NO TENDRIL I WILL THROW UP

TESS!

tess…

“twisted ankle, but yea.” AND ELLIE GETTING BIT AGAIN AND SAYING “i mean if it was gonna happen to one of us.” AND TESS’S FACE OH MY GOD PLEEEAAASSSSEEEEEEE

THE BLOOD ON HER JACKET :(

OH MY GOD IT’S THE FUCKING SCENE THE PLANK CONNECTING BUILDINGS AND THE SHOT AHHHHH

this is another way i KNOW neil directed this

the way joel is immediately tending to tess :(

and how she’s snappy w him bc he’s being pessimistic, as per usual, and she’s dealing with A LOT rn

he looks kinda hurt dude AHHH

THE SCENE!!!! THE SCENE!!!!!!!

THE SAME MUSIC!!!!!!!!!

i’m crying.

“is it everything you hoped for?” “jury’s still out. but man you can’t deny that view.”

THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HERRRRR

AND HE IS THE LAST ON THE ROOF AND LOOKS AT THE FUCKING WATCH AFTER LOOKING AT THE VIEW MORE😭😭😭

I’M SO EMOTIONAL

and the frame stays on the ladder with the capitol in the background like the game 🥺

omg the way tess is so far ahead of joel and ellie AHHHHHHH

him checking on her arm to see what’s up AHHH

oh fuck. it’s the capitol building.

the way his paternal instincts have already kicked in i can’t. the way he moved ellie from the bodies UGH.

tess’s desperation is so palpable from the moment she stormed inside. anna torv is fucking fierce and i love her.

“that’s not my fucking home!” uh oh.

me during this whole fucking scene:

oh my god.

ALL THE FUCKING RUNNERS UR JOKING

PLEASE DON’T LET HER BE FUCKING MAULED TO DEATH I WILL RIOT

“save who you can save.” I WILL GO INTO THIS IN A SEPERATE POST BC KAHAKSB

the way he DRAGS her out of there.

oh my god. the way she’s left standing there but she takes those last few breaths to recenter herself. FUCK man.

PLEASE DON’T LET HER BE MAULED.

this is almost worse oh my god.

the way she’s frozen in fear oh my god

the tendrils will never NOT be disgusting.

jesus christ.

i fucking LOVE that final shot of ellie. i will also discuss further.

THAT’S IT??? MORE PLEASE OH MY GOD.

i gotta wait a week for bill and frank??? DAMNIT.

IT’S ELLIE’S T-SHIRT!!!!!!

the part where joel is talking to bill looks like a flashback! he’s got a lot less gray goin on. i’m excited to see more of their relationship!

BTS TIME!

YEEESSSSS CLICKER BTS

barrie gower popped the FUCK off holy shit

SEE. THEY PUT HELLA THOUGHT AND RESEARCH INTO MAKING THE CHANGE TO TENDRILS.

FUUUCK man tess was literally about to start her redemption and she finally found hope :(

“neil understands how to create fear” YEA HE FUCKIN DOES GODDAMN

okay! holy fuck! i’m emotional! AHH!

i’m gonna go think about this shit and make seperate posts for my thoughts later bc it’s almost 3am haha

fucking amazing job to the cast and crew again. holy fucking shit.

i’m obsessed.

[dissonantdreamer]

I think I am the only one who hates the idea of TLOU getting a tv show. I feel like removing interactivity just won’t be the same, TLOU works because it’s a video game. If people are excited don’t let me take away the excitement from you. Moments like Ellie saving Joel and my ass( I am separating us because even tho I control him, I am not him) during encounters, Joel and I spending hours searching for comics, at the end of the game, when you have to kill the doctors, I couldn’t do it, I waited there for 10mins waiting something else to happen, that conflicting emotion won’t be replicated in the tv show. And also, it’s the same story, sure, they will add new scenes but at the end, overall, it’s still the same story and I literally have no interest in watching the tv show when I just the story in the games are way more impactful

Thoughts under the cut. A disclaimer since last time I posted about the show a few anons got shitty: These are personal thoughts and feelings. Not discourse. Cool? Cool.

I'll be honest, anon. I feel the same way. Television adaptations never go over well, most of the time it's a grab for money from HBO they pump in a lot of their own opinions and water down the final product. Most shows go on longer than necessary to prolong their ability to sell merchandise. Look at GOT and The Walking Dead. The networks lock in these shows before the story is finished and it leads to creative differences causing the writers to leave and the network to have full creative control over a story that isn't theirs. They care about the bottom line, not the characters or the world that someone spent a portion of their life making. The Last of Us stops being Naughty Dog's and is subject to the will of an algorithm. Didn't test well with audiences because it got a little to real? That's fine we'll rework a few scenes. I will say the only thing I hope for is world lore. I really want to know more about certain infected, as long as the writing source is Neil. I am happy for the actors who are getting cast, I think they'll do a decent job most of them I've seen in other films and shows and they're all solid.

That being said, a show takes so much away from the original material. There is no way to articulate the way I felt after the first game, no way to make me feel the deep gut feeling of helplessly watching Joel betray Ellie's trust like that. To lie to her after everything. The way my heart raced when I was trying to escape David as Ellie. The entirety of Left Behind leaving me crying because by the end, I loved Riley just as much as Ellie. Even the comics allow for more controlled yet engaging story telling. The plot set out beforehand and it unfolds and wraps up neatly giving us insight to Ellie's past, while also expanding the world of the game without taking away anything. We know what's going to happen to her and yet we're still engaged.

I do hope for the best for this venture. It's a story that has been an important part of my life and helped me through some difficult times as well as put me in the orbit of some wonderful people. I understand that the franchise is going to take some hits. Ones that Naughty Dog has hopefully considered and weighed, many people will get into the series and want to play, many will not care about the source material. People who have played the games might not support the show, they also might. Time will tell. Not knocking anyone who is excited for the show, that's perfectly fine to be hopeful for more content and to support the actors and writers. I'll probably find a stream for some of the lore if this is how they want to incorporate new information, but deep down I'd rather a few DLCs and a Part III before I see a series.