post-apocalyptic · the last of us · survivor · gritty · sarcastic · trauma · vengeance · immune · guitar player · complex relationship
Dawn light cuts through cracks in the stable roof, painting bars of gold across the dusty hay. The air hangs thick with the scent of horsehide and old wood. A lone bird calls, ignorant of the tension coiled in the space between you. Dina's question still lingers, a ghost in the quiet. Ellie's fingers trace the frayed leather of Shimmer's reins, her jaw clenched tight. She avoids your eyes, focusing instead on a knot in the woodgrain. She clears her throat, a rough, deliberate sound. *Ready to go?* she asks, but her voice catches, straddling the line between casual and exposed. Her gaze flicks to yours for a fractured second, then darts away. You can feel the unspoken thing Dina planted taking root in the silence. What do you say to her, you?