#Beloved Bloater

[icalledhimpietro]

Tbh at this point and knowing this godforsaken place, I'm not surprised people want to fuck the bloater 💀

Yall, Ive been on this site for WELL over a decade now and this kinda shit still amazes me...

THE BLOATER?!?

[unalteredgraces]

I wish we would have gotten to see more infected, especially stalkers, those creeped me out the most while playing the game

it would've been really cool to see more infected, i understand why they did it like this instead but i'm hoping they'll expand on it more in season 2

[lockdown-bard]

My thoughts on The Last of Us HBO:

The opening credits are fucking amazing and good thing they kept most of Santaolalla's work or hands would have been thrown.

Pedro fucking slaps as Joel Miller - Construction worker

I have seen Sarah die in game like ten times in my reruns at this point but god did I want to cry when I saw the scene in the series

I like that they showed us the first third of the episode from Sarah's POV, whoever has played the game or seen gameplays knows what's coming, but you need that extra info for the people who don't know anything, and what better way to make you feel attached to the character than to show everything through their eyes?

Some scenes are shot in the exact angle you get in the game, like the truck scene and Sarah's death. I look forward to seeing more of those details

Quarantine zone looking a lot like I'd imagine a real life one would look. Abandoned run-down buildings? Neat.

Tresspassers are now hung in public in the show, not executed in line on the streets like in the game, but it does drive the point across. We don't see how they execute infected people so far in the show.

I only wish we'd get to see more of the transport/sneaking/puzzle solving involved in the game. I know it's not practical, but I feel like Joel and Tess's chat with Marlene could have happened on the move like it did on the game.

Tess my beloved, I feel like at this rhythm next episode will be your last, but I love you

Marlene is the Marlene from the game, Merle Dandridge. Amazing detail.

Wish Tess and Joel would have killed Robert like in the game, they had beef with him and it showed.

Bella as Ellie fucking slaps, they are killing it so far and I'm really looking forward to seeing her Ellie grow as a character. Also, their Ellie snarkiness and sarcasm? On point.

Give me more moving terrain scenes please, sneaking through the guards when trying to escape the quarantine zone was one of my favourite parts in the game.

They kept the exact same music and sound effects from the games where it counted, like in the Sarah scene, the part where Joel and Ellie get back to Joel's place and wait until night to leave, etc. They kept some dialogue the same as well.

Neat thing, with the radio codes. I love the music as well, it'll be cool to see how that progresses later on! Looking forward to crying if I hear True Faith or Take on Me.

The effects look amazing, Clickers will probably make an appearance as enemies in the next episode and they are looking very good. Very much looking forward to the runners and the Bloater as well!!!

We'll now get more backstory for Bill, so I'm expecting that will be... Fun and sad at the same time. I liked him in the game, and now that we're getting more context... Well, I'll feel more for him.

Apparently this season will be 9 episodes long, so they'll either cover the whole first game in this one (which seems likely considering the pace so far) or maybe they'll split summer and autumn and then winter and spring in season 2? Who knows

The teaser for the whole season shows scenes from the winter chapter and also a shot that seems to be from the end of the game, when Joel is trying to rescue Ellie from the Fireflies' hospital, so perhaps they will adapt the whole game in a season.

[sothisisablog]

BLOATER MY BELOVED

[ems-art-box]

HES HERE!! BLOATER MY BELOVED!!

[legion1227]

The Last of Us: TV show Review. (Mild spoilers).

This has to be up there as one of the best video game-to-live-action adaptations, correct? 

When the first few episodes dropped, some critics and journalists praised it as the first ever good video game adaptation. However, in the last few years alone, animated shows like Cuphead, Arcane, and Castlevania already broke the "video game curse," as some might describe it. The Last of Us cements itself as a show up there as one of the greats and on par with the equally superb game. 

Years after a zombie outbreak, Joel and Ellie trek across America and endure hardship after hardship that the undead and fellow survivors throw their way. 

As far as an adaptation goes, The Last of Us tv show follows the game closely but also has its own identity. There's a blend and demonstration of respect as the creative team, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, who also crafted the beloved game, follow the blueprint the game left, yet also add different and new elements that don't take away from the game, adding depth to the story instead. 

The third episode of the Last of Us focuses on Joel and Ellie shortly before shifting hard to tell the love ballad between characters Frank (Murray Bartlett) and Bill (Nick Offerman) for the majority of the hour. Bill's contribution to the story in the game is vastly different as Frank is already dead, and we get a glimpse into his depressing lifestyle without his partner that's coincided with a boss fight in a school against a bloater. As much as I would have loved to see a throwdown between Joel, Ellie, Bill, and a jacked zombie, the beautiful love story told instead was acceptable. It's one of the first instances the show displays that I always wanted to see with a game adaptation to film or tv. 

When adapting a book, game, or otherwise to a small or large screen, I believe you need to find a sense of balance. You have the original material before you, plenty to adapt with your vision, but also implementing original ideas that fit the story adds to the medium and makes it a more unique experience as opposed to the original material. 

The Last of Us show is what I want from an adaptation. The game is already near-perfect, and the show follows the game close enough while interjecting new ideas that differentiate it from the game while also putting it on par in terms of quality. 

Bill and Frank's love story is not the only story and dynamic that works. Episode 8, titled Left Behind, adapts the DLC from the game where you play as Ellie. A significant portion of the DLC tells another love story between Ellie and her best friend, Riley (Storm Reid), as they explore a mall. The bond these two children share comes off as authentic as they marvel at the sights before them with genuine delight. If there's something the show succeeds at, it's portraying duo dynamics. 

Bill and Frank and Ellie and Riley are two relationships fueled by love and end with tragedies, resulting in breaking the viewer's heart. Episode 5 is the same as Joel and Ellie come across two brothers, Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard). Of all the stories, how theirs ends broke my heart the most, even though I knew how it would end since I played the game before. I suppose I forgot how depressing the story of Last of Us could be. And if the show is going to continue following the route of the games, then when season 2 drops and follows the events of the second game, everyone is going to shit themselves with grief. 

Among the multiple duos and different dynamics, Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie is the driving force. Pascal and Ramsey deliver performances that put the two on par with the game's voice actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson. ( Sidenote: I love how they got the voice of Ellie to play her mother in the show. A genius choice. However, having Baker play 2nd fiddle to a cannibal as opposed to his counterpart in Johnson was odd and comedic in juxtaposition, but he made the role work.) Pascal's portrayal of Joel has him put up a much stronger stoic front that Ramsey's Ellie slowly breaks down as the two forms a bond by the last episode. Joel may have lost a daughter in the first episode, but he found a new one in the end. 

There are not many complaints I have about the show. It's well-acted and smartly written, the action scenes are shot well, and the story feels grounded for a zombie apocalypse tale. It's literally just as good as the game. 

I do find two gripes. One, I think the show could've used one more episode to help with the pacing. The whole section with Joel and Ellie with Bill in the school was omitted in place of Bill and Frank's love story. While I respect the choice, it would've been nice to find a way to incorporate Joel and Ellie having to traverse a school and watch out for the undead. Ideally, you could have the duo strengthen their bond more in an episode like this while also avoiding and/or murdering more zombies. (which brings us to my second point.) Two, there weren't enough zombies. The huge concern in the apocalypse for survivors appears to be other survivors. Realistically, zombies, clickers, and undead in any form should be just as worrying as other groups of survivors. But across several episodes, the lack of presence of zombies is felt. I hope season 2 rectifies the issue by displaying more zombies as a terrifying threat. 

As amazing as this show was, it was equally depressing. 4.5/5. I am simultaneously looking forward to and dreading the events to follow in the next season. 

[the-beskar-alchemist]

Episode 4

Back at it again!!

Whew! This episode had me in a choke hold, I definitely enjoyed it and am excited to hear what everyone thinks about a couple things I noticed. So here are my thoughts for tonight’s episode.

As always, spoilers for both the show and game (including a slight Part 2 spoiler) are below the cut!

Ellie looking at herself in the mirror reminds me of a spot in the second game where she stood in a bathroom with Joel in the background and made faces lol

Was I the only one on the verge of screaming “But is the safety on??” while she was handling a gun?? (I mean yeah, I get she has official FEDRA training but even a trained person can make a mistake)

I canNOT begin to express to you how happy I am that they FINALLY showed the pun book

(I’m trying to focus on the scene where Joel is siphoning gas but all I can think of is how good Pedro looks in those jeans)

THEY DID THE CUT SCENE THEY DID THE CUT SCENE THEY DID THE CUT SCENE

It’s my favorite cut scene from the first game, Ellie fucking with Joel about the magazine always cracked me up every time, and the fact that it looks almost EXACTLY like the one in the game?? The amount of detail in this series gives me such Chicken Soup for the Soul type feelings (points to those of you that get that reference)

Why am I cackling at seeing an Arby’s sign?

Joel lying to protect Ellie, I mean chances are he was actually telling the truth but even in a remote location such as that you can’t be too careful about keeping your guard up (and then he stayed up to keep them safe, Joel my beloved I adore your protectiveness but you need to sleep too babe) And also them mirroring the “Okay” from the game where Ellie/Sarah just accept that Joel has the situation taken care of

We finally get Joel’s coffee addiction on screen lol (and of course watching Pedro’s mouth at work is always a plus when it involves eating/drinking something)

Tommy being a “joiner” wasn’t really elaborated on in the game, so I’m glad they’re emphasizing that aspect of his personality (also the Desert Storm thing makes more sense now)

Joel calling Ellie “cargo”, acting like she’s just a promise he has to keep for Tess and nothing more, Joel you adorably grumpy cinnamon roll, you put your jacket on her to keep her warm while she slept, you made sure she was well fed, you want her to get some sleep because she needs it, who you trying to fool babe?

So they switched Pittsburgh for Kansas City

Joel why didn’t you grab your backpack????

I’m glad they changed it from Ellie killing the guy to just paralyzing him, I want that slow-fade instead of just making her a mini-assassin

So the group that took over the city is much larger than what we see in the game

I can’t tell if Pedro is just acting like Joel has a stiff back or if his actual back pain aided in his performance

Him checking on Ellie was just……omg this man has my heart all over again

Not her first time??? Okay I may need to make a post about this, but I’m pretty sure this has to do with her and [redacted]........(I’m making a separate post for this, it’s too much of a potential spoiler for the series)

Sam really loves Superman, or at least the version that HBO could get away with lol

Is the tendril network underneath the crater???? Why does it look like it’s breathing??? (Why am I getting the feeling that we’re going to see a bloater soon??)

I love that they included the sound trap tactic, I hope we get to see more of it

Joel still trying to console Ellie, I love him your honor

I wonder how much Pedro had to hold back to avoid laughing too much because you just know he had a hard time filming those pun book scenes because he had to be so serious about it lol

SAM AND HENRY SAM AND HENRY

They used the song “True Faith” from Part 2!!!! I adore that song!!

I was equal parts tickled beyond measure, and on the edge of my seat with this episode. Going from such a beautiful episode like “Long, Long Time” to THIS? I’ve got whiplash, but in a really good way lol. Can’t wait for next week!!

Endure and survive!!

[misspearly1]

Tag Game

Thank you for tagging me, @scorpio-marionette & @boliv-jenta 💜

Which one of your fics would you enjoy the most if you were able to read it for the first time?

This easily has to be Fair Trade for me and that's because I wrote about my little girl in there, (my dog, Fizzy). There was moments I did cry typing things up about her, so this story in particular means a lot to me.

Which fic are you most proud of? Why?

Stumbling love. This was my first story every, (about Joel Miller). I like to look at that one and compare it to my newer pieces, to show myself how I have progressed since then.

Is their a work you would like to do over again? For any reason, to perfect it, to relive writing it, ect.

Ahhh, yes. Surprise Birthday Party for Frankie Morales. First story I wrote for the Pedro Fandom and all I can say about that is... I'm sorry.😅. Joking aside, the idea and concept is there, I just didn't execute it well when writing it up, so a do over would be nice I suppose.

How do you feel about comments/reblogs/likes?

These are amazing tools to help your favourite blogs keep providing content, so keep telling your favourites blogs what you're liking about their work.

For me, I love the feedback. Reading the feedback on my own work and other peoples work brings a huge smile to my face knowing that someone has enjoyed the story or a particular moment, especially with the way people express themselves with the feedback, the gifs make me giggle.

Is there a fic that you were shocked to find other people liked? Why?

Maybe Beloved Bloater. I love reading sex pollen fics and I wasn't too sure if my own readers would enjoy my first written sex pollen work. I was pleasantly surprised that they did enjoy it, which only enables me to write more 😉. Again - the feedback helps to let your fav blogs know what they're readers are enjoying.

Is there a fic you wish more people had liked?

Honestly, I am struggling to find a fic that I am disappointed with on the likes, so my answer would be no for this one.

Is there an idea that you were excited about but just didn't pan out?

Ahhahhaa... yes. 😅 Self doubt has caused me to change things in my fics once of twice in the past, but I do have a particular story concept about a bad boy Joel Miller beating some guy up for calling the reader a slut sitting in my google docs because I thought it may have been 'too much'. So, it just sits there collecting dust.

How do you feel when you post a new fic?

I do not know if I should be anxious but I am honestly not. I press that post button, close my laptop/phone and get back to my life. Making a coffee, watching tv or going to work and check my blog after some time has passed, then reply to my readers, find mistakes in my fic and fix them, etc.. I am not perfect and neither is my writing, so I won't allow myself to stress over it. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I do and it's a pain in the ass haha. (Like right now, I'm on a hiatus because it was starting to become too much worrying).

NP Tags: @joelsrifle @something-tofightfor @supernaturalgirl20 @sturkillerbase @rcughroad @winchestershiresauce

If anyone would like to join, please do so. I have really enjoyed reading your responses to these questions 🥰💜

[survivorsfm]

helloooo, good night from the est to our beloved members and lurkers alike ! it’s a little bit late, but we couldn’t close shop for the day without letting you know ENDUREFM IS BEING REVAMPED ! the reasons behind this decision can be found under the cut, and any doubts or suggestions you could have after reading remember our ask and dms are always open ( but we’ll get to them probably tomorrow ! ) .

the reason and goal behind this revamp is very simple: neil druckmann ( tlou’s creator ) is a zionist israeli who supports palestine genocide and has been open about it, in consequence, we are taking everything related to the last of us out of our group in order to not have it related to the game / show in any way, not only because we don’t want to spread any information about something that’s giving money to zionism, but also because the game is actually inspired on this invasion. we don’t think this will change much about the brutality palestine has been suffering for decades, but it’s still the least we can do, and the only way to move forward keeping my ( admin awkan’s ) personal ideals and values untouched ( something i’m grateful my lovely co - admin nina supports me in ) . this won’t change much about the group, either, honestly, considering we’d barely used tlou lore at all, but we will remake and change all the graphics and of course modify certain things such as:

the part in our plot that mentions tlou and the uec will be deleted, we’re going with a fictional university in colorado or some other nearby state, considering ( if i’m not mistaken ) the uec is a fictional uni created for the game.

we’ll add new lore regarding the virus that ended the world ( of course ) . we already thought about one that’s a mix of various other apocalyptic stories and we have something solid and interesting in mind, we think. but it won’t be anything hard to get nor too intricate because we don’t know if we’re gonna use it that much, especially since the focus of endure was never the virus. we really hope you like it, though !

the quarantine zones will be safe zones from now on, since we haven’t heard about other media using that specific term, and even if it’ll make sense or if it’d been indeed used in other media, we relate it solely to tlou, so we rather not use it.

we’ll rename locations that we took from the game / show or that we inspired in its lore ( like the bloater ) .

the group’s name, because obviously we took it from the “ endure and survive ” quote that … with the knowledge we now have, just sounds terrible.

everything else will remain the same. the sanctuary’s origins, its goal and work system, the current conflict, the coalition, the originals, the social and political structure and so on.

you’ll see this change happen during this first week of december, so don’t hesitate to ask questions or share your suggestions if you have them, like we said up there before the cut, our askbox and dms will always be open, as usual.

hope all of you are having a wonderful tz, and thank you for reading !

[bettertomorrows-ao3]

Are You My Mother?

Ellie is frantic. Dina is amused. JJ has some questions.

JJ stays still in Ellie’s arms and his teeny voice is muffled when he says, “Max said you’re not my real mom so we’re not a real family and that you only fake love me.”

Tags: Post-Game, Family Fluff Rating: Teen for language

EllieDina Week // Day 4 // FAMILY

---

It’s almost sundown when Ellie gets a visitor at work.

Her office is a medium-sized shack located near the stables of the main gate, a perfect place to house all the paperwork she needs in order to facilitate her new role as the patrol manager. Ellie had originally argued with Maria that the chore didn’t even exist, that it seemed like a feeble arrangement to give her a task somewhat similar to what she was used to just so she could still feel useful around town.

Maria admitted to some truth to Ellie’s point, but she also insisted that she would love for Ellie to start learning to ropes of leading the town. There was a buried emphasis in her request that suggested Maria only trusted Ellie to be the one to succeed her role in the future. That Ellie was already deeply embedded in the tangled mess of a family the Miller brothers left them with—and implication was what led Ellie to accept the job on the spot.

Managing patrol rotations is not the laid-back kind of job Ellie thought it would be.

It’s far more stressful than what Maria initially described it would be, but it’s a task that keeps her on her toes on a daily basis. It was hard to believe it at first, but rescheduling patrol rotations sometimes felt like hugging an exploding bloater. Not to mention how balancing patrollers with the right partners oftentimes resembled the act of gathering sheep into a barn. One wrong move, and a stray could lead the pack in the wrong direction.

Jackson’s townsfolk always knew she would have the job in the future, anyway. There was a tacit understanding that regardless of the complications of their familial relations, Maria’s niece would one day take over the duty of leading Jackson. It was never a question of whether it would ever happen, but more of when Ellie would feel comfortable to take on these responsibilities.

It came as a surprise to those who personally knew her—that Ellie would start making her way up before she was even in her thirties. Most of them thought they would have to wrench a 100-year-old Ellie away from patrolling duties, so to have her willingly take a job inside Jackson’s walls was a bit unnerving.

The desk job isn’t as exciting, but it’s definitely enough work to keep her busy throughout the week. Her favourite part of the job was toward the end of the day. When her last task was to wait for the afternoon patrols to come back home, and she spent the time quietly drafting ways to adjust routes for possible expansions to the town. Nothing felt better than to wrap up a workday with a glint of hope for a better future for her son.

Ellie is knee deep in concentration, head down studying a map and ready to sketch out a new patrol route when a knock on the door breaks her focus. It’s Andres, Dina’s new apprentice at the electric shop, a gangly young man whose family recently moved to Jackson. His presence immediately makes Ellie panic. They’ve only met three times since Dina hired him, and their interactions have been cordial at best. So, what else could warrant his appearance at her office at the end of the day if it weren’t for something urgent?

“Hey, uh… Ellie. A-are you busy?” he croaks out, Ellie can tell he’s nervous, but what for she’s not sure yet.

“Andres, right?” she asks hoping to calm his nerves even though she knows exactly who he is, “what’s up?”

“D-dina sent me t-to tell you to please… go to her house as soon as pos-possible once you’re finished with work,” Andres stutters out, making Ellie all the more concerned.

Ellie stands up from her desk and promptly grabs her coat from the chair, “did something happen? Is she hurt? Is JJ okay?”

She tries to calm herself enough to hear a response from him. Whatever it was must have not been too terrible, because if something dire had indeed happened to her family, there is no way Maria would have sent this semi-stranger to send the news.

“Oh! I don’t—um…” the young man stutters and brings a hand up to rub the back of his neck, “she didn’t say. I’m just a messenger.”

With her jacket half worn on her back, Ellie looks down to the scattered papers on the desk and then to the clock on the wall. She only had 30 minutes left before the last patrol shift returned and reported back to her. Ellie was not one to ever leave her post early, but she was unfortunately not immune to whatever nervous energy Andres passed on to her.

The whole situation was terrifyingly curious, and she had to get to her family to find out what was happening. Ellie scribbles a note on a torn piece of paper, neatly folds it, and hands it to noticeably anxious Andres.

“Since you’re a messenger and all… can you quickly send this to Maria for me, please?”

**

Ellie tries not to sprint to Dina’s house. She doesn’t want to alarm anybody in town, so she ends up speed walking instead. In hindsight, sprinting would have probably looked way less ridiculous than the quick shimmy her hips do when she makes herself walk fast.

The thought comes too late. Dina’s house is already in view when she decides to run the rest of the way.

Ellie pauses on the porch to catch her breath. She knocks on the door twice before she curses to herself. Why is she knocking when she has a key to the door? Ellie digs in her pockets for the familiar shape of the metal when the door swings wide open.

“Did you forget your key again?”

Ellie looks up and releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Dina is leaning on the door frame with a smirk on her face. She looks perfect as ever and all Ellie can’t stop herself from hugging her right away. Relief floods her senses when she feels Dina reciprocate, her arms wrapping tightly around Ellie’s waist.

“Are you fine? Like, you’re not hurt?” Ellie whispers into her ear.

“Yes? Is this a trick question? Why?” Dina is puzzled by Ellie’s panic-stricken face and leads them into the house.

“Andres said I had to come home, and he was all nervous and twitchy, so I freaked out and kind of ran here,” Ellie admits before adding, “wait, what about JJ? Is he safe too?”

Dina eyes Ellie as if gauging to see if she was being pranked. When she realizes that Ellie was serious, she laughs and gives Ellie a quick peck on the lips.

“JJ’s upstairs doing homework, but babe, you do know Andres has a speech impediment, right? Like, it’s a medical condition, it doesn’t mean he’s actually nervous,” Dina chuckles when Ellie finally realizes that there was actually nothing to worry about.

“A speech impediment? You mean to say I got nervous for nothing?” Ellie takes a step back to shrug her jacket off her shoulders.

“Mhm,” Dina agrees, and takes Ellie’s jacket to hang on the coat rack by the door.

“So, what was so urgent you sent you lackey out to fetch me?” Ellie tilts her head to the side, still so apparently confused by everything.

“Well… your son—” Dina starts but Ellie interrupts her.

“Oh no. What did he do?”

Dina points up to the stairs, “your son picked a fight at school today.”

Ellie’s eyes bulge out in amazement, “Potato picked a fight? But… he’s only five years old!”

“That’s what I thought!” Dina shrugs, “but then I remembered who his parents are and then I realized that the apple really didn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Holy fuck, you didn’t not just say that,” Ellie laughs.

“I literally just sounded like my mother,” Dina groans.

“Seriously, though,” Ellie asks, treading carefully but not without a smirk on her lips, “why did he get in a fight in the first place? Because questionable parents aside, he’s practically an angel!”

Dina sighs and leans forward letting Ellie hold her once again, “he said he doesn’t want to talk about it. Only that he wants to ask you something important.”

Ellie glances up toward the stairs wondering what their son could possibly want to ask her. She wonders what kind of demon would have likely possessed their sweet little spud to attack another student at school. The worst part is not even knowing how to explain to their son about not resorting to violence when the world they lived in required such actions to survive.

Despite the severity of the situation, Ellie couldn’t help but to joke, “if he wants to learn how to punch better, he’s asking for the wrong mom.”

The comment earns Ellie a light jab to the chest from Dina.

“Oof. Way to prove my point, babe.” Ellie shakes her head and grabs Dina’s hand to lead them upstairs to JJ’s room.

They share a look understanding that whatever JJ wanted to talk to Ellie about, they all had to do it as a family.

**

Ellie enters JJ’s room first. They find him slumped and sitting cross-legged on his big boy bed. Ollie is on his lap, and they seemed to have interrupted a silent conversation between JJ and his beloved toy. Ellie slowly makes her way to sit on the edge of the bed leaving Dina behind to lean on the doorframe. Their family was complete, but they still wished to respect JJ’s request to only talk to Ellie.

“Hey, bud. I heard what happened at school today. Wanna tell me about it?”

JJ sinks further into his bed and fiddles with Ollie in his hands. He hesitantly looks up and whispers, “do you love me?”

The question baffles Ellie and feels her heart breaking at sound of doubt in her son’s voice. She is more than a little concerned that her son somehow thinks there is a universe in which she could possibly stop loving him. She immediately scoots closer to him and wraps him tightly in her arms.

“Of course, I do, Spud. What makes you think I don’t?” Ellie eyes Dina by the door making a speechless plea for some comfort on her part. Dina only nods her head, assuring her that she is doing all right.

JJ stays still in Ellie’s arms and his teeny voice is muffled when he says, “Max said you’re not my real mom so we’re not a real family and that you only fake love me.”

“What? Who the fuck is Max?” Ellie growls making JJ flinch under her grasp.

Ellie has a sudden urge to hunt down this Max to teach a lesson about not meddling in other people’s business. Dina loudly clears her throat as if to remind Ellie that she is veering off track. Ellie has to remind herself that children can be unconsciously callous and that whoever this kid was probably didn’t mean any harm, and most likely doesn’t know any better.

“Are you angry with me?” JJ asks her and slithers out of her arms.

Ellie is reluctant to let him go and only does when Dina approaches them to sit next to her.

“Mom is not angry with you, Tater,” Dina speaks up, “she has her thinking face on.”

JJ pokes Ellie on the cheek as testing to see if his mom would notice. Ellie fails to hide the smile that emerges on her face. She kisses JJ on the head and comes up with a way to explain the dynamics of their family to a five-year-old.

“Do you remember the book I read to you the other night about the lost bird asking the dog if she’s his mother?” he nods and she continues, “well, our family is kind of like that. You have momma, and you have me. And just because we don’t look alike, it doesn’t mean that I’m any less your mom than momma is to you. Do you understand?”

The truth is that the allusion to the old story isn’t quite fitting to their situation, but Ellie hopes that it is basic enough for their little boy to understand the way their family works.

“You’re the dog and me and momma are birds, and you love us anyway?” he asks so innocently she and Dina can’t help but to laugh.

“I love you always no matter what other people say, Spud,” Ellie reassures him, and she is relieved to see him accepting her explanation, “we’re our own little family and I will always be your mom, even when you don’t see me.”

“What about momma? Do you love momma too?”

Dina tilts her head at Ellie, mimicking the hopeful look in their son’s eyes.

“Your momma owns my heart, Tater.”

Ellie feels Dina’s hand grasp one of hers, their fingers intertwined. JJ sees the contact, jumps on them, and nuzzles his little head in between theirs. The moment was so tender they almost forgot what had started the discussion in the first place.

Until JJ spoke again, “if we’re always a family, how come you don’t live with us?”

And damn, their son really did have some hard-hitting questions that night.

[unboundform]

       "listen --- " hershel allowed a nervous smile to form on his face. he wasn’t someone who had the chance to do runs on his own, and he’d been relishing in the fact that he’d get to pick at buildings alone away from people. it was maggie, his beloved mother, who had ruined that good mood in the morning, when she’d announced that a new person would be joining his runs. hershel had a way of doing things. in and out. so he could get home safely to his mom -- a new person would completely ruin that for him “just.. i don’t trust people to do these with me. so, please --- stay close to me. the building we’re going to has had bloaters in for a while.” bloaters, the big fuckers who’s weight slowed them down enough for survival, but if they surprised them. the horses neighed, ready to go on their adventure “if you put me at risk, it’ll be me that kills you, not the dead.”

@kissespoisoned​ liked for a thing !

[survivorsfm]

*       ANONYMOUS   ASKED       :       Where could you see victoria pedretti, maddie phillips, and julia dalavia ?

nonnie eye— this got my hopes up high as a kite istg u better be serious with these ladies cuz they’re some of my faves and my poor dyke heart could not take it otherwise. but hala, lez gaurrr ! i see VICTORIA as our archivist ( highly wanted ), a herbalist, a teacher ( dani clayton vibes my beloved ), a designer or engineer, a nurse, or a farmhand / farmer ! MADDIE gives me vibes for a warehouse keeper and / or bartender at the bloater, a guard or scout trainee, a library assistant, our projectionist ( highly wanted, but only a part - time job ), a tailor, and also a farmhand ! finally, i see JULIA fitting as a blacksmith, an armorer, also a bartender at the bloater, an instructor at the technical school, a carpenter, handyperson or electrician, or our comms’ tower maintainer ( highly wanted as well ! ) . hope these are helpful in some way. if you need further aid tho don’t doubt to come back !

[survivorsfm]

*       NUTTEHWRITES   ASKED       :       MW roles / faceclaims / vibes ?

ohhhhh. are u ready for this ? okay. first, mw roles: the bloater’s manager, doctors, our communication tower’s maintainer, our clerk ( if they’re the clerk from the originals even better ), lit any role from the maintenance wing, a teacher, professors / instructors for the technical school, a blacksmith is also highly wanted, our head of training, our chief guard, farmhands and our butcher ! also any of the available roles from the originals being taken would be amazing *intense star eyes emoji* for face claims, i’m gonna leave you some of my personal favorites but also some of the names that have come up repeatedly among our members: mackenyu arata, idris elba, viola davis, havana rose liu, carla gugino, mena massoud, brie larson, julia dalavia, louis hofmann, ricky whittle, jessie mei li, rahul kohli, angela bassett, courtney eaton ( lit anyone from yellowjackets actually ), victoria pedretti, paul mescal, ayo edebiri, milly alcock, may calamawy, gabriel luna. if none of these inspire or convince you lmk, i have a fuckton of other names and we also have a most wanted tag and a most wanted sideblog you can always check ! finally, for vibes: i’d love to see the town clown or stoner ( or both ) ; someone shy whose shyness often makes them irritable, annoyed with themself even; someone mistrustful that doesn't really rely on anybody specifically because they come from a qz or another community where they were betrayed; an openly hostile but not bad person, just someone who’s not nice but they’re also very productive and hardworking so they actually give a lot to the community ( and care a lot about it ) even when they bark at everyone every other day; some flamboyant gays would be fun to have; people who don’t give a fuck about the end of the world they’re just chilling; someone who lost everything way before the outbreak so now they’re like meh, this is fine. and honestly i could go on for ages, but i’ll stop here because i have no intentions of rewriting the bible sjfjdkdk. hope some of these help you, my beloved ! and sorry for the late answer, i’ve been a lil bit busy irl. :(

[survivorsfm]

over  a  year  has  gone  by  since  the  dooming  day  of  the  infiltration,  the  uec’s  community  slowly  getting  back  on  its  feet,  residents  rebuilding  their  homes,  their  shops,  grieving  their  losses.  it’s  been  a  painful,  languid  restoration,  oftentimes  leaving  the  workers  so  spent  the  first  months  they  barely  made  it  home  before  falling  asleep,  defeated  by  exhaustion,  overrun  by  the  sight  that  didn’t  seem  to  get  better  no  matter  how  much  labor  they  put  into  it.  it’s  been  a  year  since  this  community,  always  a  lighthouse  in  the  storm  until  the  invasion,  knew  something  aside  from  endless  reparations,  restlessly  scavenging  for  materials,  and  the  fright  and  anger  that  simmered  within  them  every  time  they  looked  at  the  debris  of  a  place  that  was  once  a  shelter  for  everyone  who  needed  it.   but  today  is  omar  williams’  birthday,  and  time  doesn’t  pass  in  vain.  with  the  sanctuary  almost  completely  back  on  its  feet  and  the  reluctance  the  wounded  community  has  been  feeling  to  gather  and  celebrate  dissipating  in  the  face  of  commemorating  their  most  beloved  member’s  sixth  decade,  there  is  a  buzz  in  the  air  that  the  inhabitants  hadn’t  felt  in  a  while    —    it  tugs  at  the  corners  of  their  mouth  in  nervous  smiles,  make  the  young  squeal  in  excitement  apparently  out  of  nowhere,  gives  the  people  a  different  reason  to  make  extra  work.   and  it  is  all  worth  it  when  the  old  janitor,  the  survivor’s  beloved,  the  heart  of  the  sanctuary  crosses  the  bloater’s  threshold  and  the  cheers  from  every  member  of  their  newly  rebuilt  home  bring  the  most  brilliant,  awestruck  smile  to  his  wrinkled,  gentle  face.

omar  williams,  the  most  cherished  and  respected  member  of  the  originals  is  turning  sixty  today,  and  the  uec’s  people  have  been  preparing  a  surprise  party  for  weeks.  every  member  had  a  part  to  play,  a  job  to  execute,  and  now  that  everything  worked  out  as  expected,  the  only  thing  left  to  do  is  let  loose  and  celebrate  for  the  first  time  since  the  coalition’s  horrific  onslaught.  

relevant  information:

as  stated  in  the  third  paragraph,  the  celebration  takes  place  at  the  bloater.  the  residents  are  scattered  as  much  inside  as  outside  the  sorority  house  turned  bar.  feel  free  to  locate  your  muse  wherever  you  desire.

unfortunately,  all  the  bloater’s  employees  are  working  tonight,  the  booze  demand  high  and  seemingly  endless.

there  are  tables  with  food  in  the  corners  and  the  music  blasts  from  the  speakers  thanks  to  the  engineers  and  the  maintenance  wing’s  workers  who  managed  to  set  up  a  rather  successful  sound  system.  

the  ambiance  is  overall  cheerful,  full  of  chatter  and  laughing  and  joyous  exclamations.  

nonetheless,  since  this  is  the  first  time  the  sanctuary’s  people  gather  to  celebrate  after  their  losses,  feel  free  to  navigate  different  moods  and  emotions  for  your  character.  are  they  relieved  the  sanctuary  is  back  on  their  feet  and  willing  to  have  fun  again ?  are  they  mourning  someone  who  perished  during  the  infiltration  but  their  esteem  for  omar  has  them  there  anyway ?  do  they  still  harbor  anger  for  what  happened  and  are  part  of  the  tipsy  groups  ranting  passionately  about  how  pissed  they  are ?  the  options  are  endless,  and  while  it  doesn’t  involve  major  impact  in  the  community,  go  ahead  with  it !  however,  if  you  feel  unsure  about  your  ideas  or  the  path  you  wanna  take,  talk  to  us !  let  us  know  any  doubts  you  have and happy writing !

[misspearly1]

Joel Miller (The Mountain Between Us) Movie Concept.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 ||

Hello my friends! I have a few ideas brewing, and one in particular that I am prepping for is based off the movie 'The Mountain Between Us.'

While I will be keeping it similar to the movie, I obviously will be changing a few things to fit the requirements of the characters Joel & Y/N. Here is a little teaser synopsis ✌🏼...

Endure and Survive.

When Joel Miller, a 26 year old carpenter and Y/F/N, a 24 year old photojournalist, finds out their flights have been grounded in the Airport of Utah, it's a difficult situation for the pair as they’re both desperate to get back home for the Christmas holidays, to get back to their families.

After hiring a willing pilot named Walter, who believes he can beat the storm and get them both to a connecting flight in Denver, neither Joel or Y/N anticipated that this flight would be the first step in changing their lives forever!

Walter suffers a from a fatal stroke mid-flight, which causes the plane to tragically crash in the snowy mountains of Utah and he dies in the process. With the flight not being filed on record, and Joel or Y/N also not alerting their families of their travel, they’re both alone in this journey of fighting against the extreme elements of nature to get back to society - to get back to safety.

Together, Joel and Y/N must fight to Endure and Survive.

————————————————————————

Hehehe! I do hope people catch the reference to name I have chosen for this fic. There it is folks. this is my next story in the works. (So far, I’ve only written the synopsis 🤣) My other stories are still ongoing, while they might be a little slow.

— IMPORTANT—

A couple questions: Should I add more to Fair trade? Because I feel like the last chapter has ended on a good note 🤷🏼‍♀️. Should I add a third, finishing chapter to Beloved Bloater to end the story???? Let me know your thoughts please. Thank you readers 🙏 💜

@marydjarin @extraneous-trip