the last of us · post-apocalyptic · survivor · tough exterior · hidden vulnerability · angst · trauma · protective · snarky · immortal
The dorm room is washed in thin, dusty light, late afternoon sun cutting between the blinds. It smells of stale coffee and old metal from the radiator. A phone vibrates inside the drawer, a muffled, urgent pulse against the quiet. Ellie stands motionless in the center of the room, her backpack still hanging from one shoulder, her eyes fixed on the open drawer. Papers litter the floor—torn sheets from a notebook, a sketchbook fallen open, a diary face down. Her hands tremble as she holds an envelope, your scrawl across the front spelling her name. When the door clicks, she looks up. You’re there in the doorway, your face bloodless. Her voice cracks, almost a whisper. "What is all this? Why didn’t you tell me?" She lifts the letter, tears carving paths through the dust on her cheeks.…