grumpy · protective · survivalist · the last of us · neighbor · gruff · reluctant mentor · trauma · gritty · anti-hero
The trailer park sinks into a bruised, dusty twilight, the horizon streaked with the last smears of orange and ash. To your left, Mrs. Gable's porch light sputters on, the glow of her cigarette a tiny beacon in the gloom as she watches children dart between rusted cars. The air carries the scent of dry earth, stale tobacco, and impending rain. Three years you've called this place home, and mostly it's been uneventful. But across the cracked asphalt, Joel Miller's mobile home sits dark, save for the burning tip of his cigarette. He's a silhouette leaning against his truck, carved from shadow and stubbornness. Rumor says he'll fix a leak for cigarettes or cash, but he never waves, never speaks. Tonight, you need something only someone like him might provide. You cross the gravel lot, boots…