#thank god for Dina and her map

[boopernatural]

Thoughts on the last of us part 2?

Omg… you have no idea what you’re walking into anon…

It is far and wide the most impactful game I’ve ever played.

There is a lot of criteria in which I could judge it and you asked and I have the day off so…

Firstly, the gameplay!

In my opinion, the gameplay in this is some of the smoothest, most fun of any game. Just like the first game, the transition from cutscene to gameplay is so fucking seamless I was sometimes taking a minute to realize I was in control again. The vast map and wide variety of controls you have over the character to me is incredible! Playing as Ellie is my favorite, she moves so fluidly and the jumping, climbing, ducking, crawling all of it feels so natural and immerses you so much. The highest difficulty I’ve beaten it on is hard so I can’t speak to the grounded or survivor challenge, but for me hard was perfect balance of challenge while still being fun and not too frustrating. The fight near the end with Ellie as the boss was the hardest one for me. And the rat king was a good chase scene/fight too.

Secondly, the visuals.

Naughty Dog never disappoints me with how fucking stunning their games look. The map of Seattle is seriously an amazing feat. Even during gameplay I’m struck by the beauty of the surrounding world, just like tlou1(esp after the remaster). I play on PS5, and so the graphics are just fucking phenomenal imo. My normal gaming experience is decent quality visuals in a cutscene and then clear jumps to gameplay more focused on function. TLOU2 (and 1) doesn’t make you choose. I seriously want to shake the creatives at Naughty Dog and just thank them for all the late nights and missed family dinners they must’ve had to create such intricate and well made visuals.

Some examples of shots I just think are neat:

Thirdly, the story/character arc.

I’ll admit it. The first time I played through this game I was miserable. Joel’s death was a nightmare come true, for Ellie and me. The scene was so well crafted, the dread building up to it, everything. Joel finally settling in and opening himself up to kindness and even heroism (in saving Abby) was his fucking demise. I don’t know what that says but… well, that’s what happened.

I was able to shelve my grief and enjoy the Seattle bits with Ellie and Dina because like her, I wanted those fuckers dead. The drama between Ellie, Dina and Jesse somewhat mirroring Mel Owen and Abby was interesting, but I felt our Jackson trio was much kinder to each other and healthier and would have worked it out a lot better. Jesse dying was so unfair.

The flashback scenes with Joel broke me. The entire museum arc… god. I’ve never played a video game that devotes an entire chapter to gameplay of something mundane and fun, no threats, no fights, the only interaction is climbing a big t-Rex or spinning a planet diagram. The dialogue is amazing, shows how comfortable they are with one another and that they’re really operating like a father and daughter. Things weren’t all doom and gloom. Joel getting her the tape, encouraging her to wear the helmet and close her eyes and Ellie being fully immersed into this fantasy (similar to what Riley does for her in the DLC with the arcade game!) I just love that the people who love Ellie foster and groom her creativity and imagination.

Ellie was trying so hard to ignore the lie between them, to pretend things were okay, and sometimes she could. Sometimes she forgot that this horrible thing existed underneath the surface.

But of course, it festers and rots when it’s untouched. The finding strings portion was amazing. Joel was OP as hell and I like that the game really shows how nothing will stop him from keeping his girl safe. He fucking kills a bloater with a machete and doesn’t get hit once. Unheard of?! The ending sequence where she confronts him was hard to watch. You feel what both of them are feeling and are somehow rooting for both of them to not have to address this pain.

Ellie returning to the firefly hospital… Joel racing after her, pulling her in for this hug like they’ve done it plenty before, you talk to me…

The devastation in both of their faces when the truth does come out. They both want so badly for this thing not to be here. For everything to be okay.

Then, you get to the theater. Abby is there. I’m thinking: I’ve reached the end! Let’s fucking kill her.

And then….3 years earlier.

I was angry, actually. I did not want to redo these three days as this character I despise! Even though Abby had great gameplay and some awesome fights that were really fun, I found myself just waiting for it to end. I was like game, this bitch killed Joel, sorry but I don’t care about her or her people.

The Tommy sniper bits were amazing and made that all feel worthwhile. Seeing him on the warpath to avenge his brother, and seeing his real darkness through all the evidence he left behind was amazing.

I liked the storyline with Lev and Yara, didn’t like the Owen/Abby abrupt back shots scene. Felt like a very NSFW siblings or dating moment. Not an Owen fan one bit! Felt bad for Mel, even though I didn’t like her as a person. Felt worse for Ellie when she realized what she’d done to her.

Then, finally got back to Ellie at the farm. I was pleading right alongside Dina for her not to go. Joel would have wanted this for her, this safe quiet life with her family. Everything would still be worth it to him if she stayed. He would have fulfilled his purpose. To give Ellie a life.

And then she fucking leaves…even though I knew she would, I was devastated for my Ellie. All I’ve ever wanted since I saw that lil switchblade-wielding lunatic is for her to be safe and happy. But it is in character for her to get in her own way.

Santa Barbara was fun, the Rattlers made me full of rage bc they were so difficult lol but a super unique concept and I enjoyed the play through of those parts a lot.

Ellie being the one to save Abby’s life. I love this. I am biting this I am chewing it I am swallowing it whole. I have so many thoughts on this one choice that I could write another way too long post about it.

Ellie and Abby finally have a fair fight. Even ground, both wounded and weak, both tired of all of this.

I wanted her to kill Abby. Still do, actually. I personally think… you’ve already killed hundreds of people who weren’t even the ones who directly killed Joel lol… but ok. I get what the game was trying to do. I just didn’t roll with it. That’s really my only story critique. And it’s barely a critique cause I like the ending as it is too.

Especially because, after my 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc play through, I grew to like Abby. I enjoyed her scenes and gameplay much more the second go through when I knew what to expect and where it was all going. I always thought her revenge on Joel was fair bc an eye for an eye, he’d do the same thing and Ellie did worse. But looking at her differently helped me enjoy the story more.

It would have hurt a lot more I think, to watch Ellie murder this girl I liked, and in doing so doom the little boy she’d sought to protect. Abby and Lev at the end as a mirror for Joel and Ellie in tlou1 was just… how can I make out with a concept? So. Good.

Ellie’s ending is so gut-wretching and sad I can barely even talk about it. 

She lost everything. Her biggest fear was ending up alone. Joel died before she could make things right with him, she lost Dina and Jesse and JJ and Tommy.

The flashback with Joel to the night before he died did provide me a little solace. Merely in the fact that Ellie was able to come out to him, something she was scared to do, and knew that he loved and accepted her as she was. (Honestly how could she ever doubt that?) and that he died knowing she still cared for him and wanted him in her life. I just know he must’ve spent that whole night feeling hopeful and anticipatory for the future. Fucking crushing.

When she picks up that guitar, a gift from Joel, the first bridge he rebuilt after their tenuous return to Jackson, the connection he forged between them when something unspoken was trying to pull them apart, the only way he could truly express to her how much she meant to him, and obviously a way Ellie reciprocated that…

Gone. She can no longer do the one good thing that threaded between them even after his death. And she abandons it.

She leaves the guitar there. The guitar she loved so fucking much she got the moth from it tattooed on herself forever.

I don’t know where she’s going. I’ve seen some say maybe she’s going back to Jackson to try and make things right. Unfortunately… that isn’t the interpretation I had.

I do know that this game made me feel things a video game never has. Living with these characters for so long. I felt Joel’s pain when Sarah died in the first one, and that was a sorrow that carried over into every scene of every game. I felt -viscerally- the horror and agony and pure unbridled rage at Joel’s death. I felt each misstep, each loss, each success and each surprise. These characters are not avatars to be played, they are people, and it’s fucking incredible. This story is complex and huge and sometimes really frustrating and unpleasant, and sometimes you hate it and sometimes you love it.

Neil Druckman said that whether people like his stories or hate them, as long as they’re not ambivalent, he’s done his job.

To me, Neil has done his job tenfold.

[moon-ursidae]

it’s time for session #2!

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR BOTH OF THE LAST OF US GAMES UNDER THE CUT!!!!

these notes are so scattered if you read them without context and i am SO SORRY lmao. i’m typing them so fast trying to keep up with my brain that’s going 700 mph and the game. ANYWAY, we’re getting a very late start tonight bc i was helping my friend learn guitar for a few hours haha

total play time: about 2 hrs and 40 min (there’s not much story progression here just exploring seattle!)

okay so we last left off with ellie and dina in the woods on horseback post joel’s house. i have not gotten farther than the woods bc i was super ultra mega tired. so let us continue!

okay sooooo this section is called the gate cool cool cool

this is fucking gorgeouuusssssss

omg dina listing off all the people that joel crossed

i’m sure there’s more before that bro

oh my god the LIGHTINGGGGG in the woods so so good

we’re so close to seattle i’m scared

so much happens here man

map acquired✅

CARD BABYYYYYY

jesus christ i L O V E the aesthetic of nature reclaiming land and man made structures. it’s sooooooo pretty

oh shit QZ!

i’m looking through ur journal ellie hope you don’t mind haha

dina seems to be sick? well. i know why but ellie doesn’t yet so shhhhhh

it’s so sad to me that every drawing of joel so far that ellie’s done, she hasn’t been able to draw his eyes. that was the last thing she saw of him while he was alive. like she wants to get them just right but everytime she draws it that means she has to look him in the eye again. and maybe she’s feeling too guilty to do that rn. ugh idk i know neil always does shit like that but maybe i’m reading too much into it haha. ANYWAY that is one of the most heartbreaking parts about her journal dude. UUUUGGHHHHH 😭

“i really love her.” 😭😭😭😭 ELLIE TELL HER PLEASE

we just got a letter, wonder who it’s from🕺🏻

kieran?? kieran duffy??????

haha wrong game

also lemme just say, i fucking love dina

she’s so sweet and empathetic, but will cut the fuck out of a bitch when needed

I HAVE TO PARKOUR?? UP HIGH?? IN THE LAST OF US?? OVER A GATE??

this is some nathan drake shit bro where’s nolan north

FUUUUUCK I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA FALL BRO OH MY GOD

hoooooollllyyyyyy fuuuuuuck this is a big city jesus christ

LMAO her wobble before she fell down to the platform below

this game is so gorgeous. holy fuckin shit i’m gonna say that a lot huh?

THE SOUND DESIGN??? WHEN GOING DOWN THE LOOKOUT TOWER AT THE GATE OF THE QZ??? WHEN SHE FALLS AND IT ECHOES?? THAT SHIT WAS CRAZYYYY

guys i’m gonna be honest. i’m team brick.

i LOVE being able to break windows this is so fun

oh god i have a horrible memory plz don’t make me memorize these gate codes

side note: i love ellie’s hair here. i’m gonna have to try a lil half up half down situation

i saw someone on twitter point out that it looks a lot like tess’s hair🥺

“well, we believe in you” shimmer and dina? or baby and dina? hmmm things to consider

totally unrelated, but i can’t not hear ashley johnson going “babyyyyyyyyy” with an s.o. since the mighty nein reunion lmao

ellie seeing dina and going “babyyyyyyyy” like yasha LMAO

ANYWAY

fuck i hope i can pull out that page of codes dude

THANK GOD

oh shit another hotel

i’m traumatized after the last on dude you can’t make me go back

H O L Y. S H I T.

THIS IS SO OPEN I’M GONNA SPEND SOOOOOOOO MUCH TIME HERE

FUCK DUDE

this is fucking crazy

there’s so much small shit everywhere oh my fucking G O D

omg joel was definitely reading that space book for ellie she just talked about an early moon mission at this tank

DINA’S JOKE “she’s sounding a bit hoarse” they’re literally made for each other

OH MY GOD I JUST FOUND THE DR. UCKMANN CARD NO FUCKING SHOT

damn is this his way of addressing the crunch work hours at naughty dog?

“once a well respected researcher… questionable experiments in the realm of pushing human limits saw him ostracized from the scientific community… Laurent Foucault of SPARK Laboratories found his work dubious…”

the music is hauntingly beautiful in this area oh my god

OH MY GOD THE SCANNERS THAT DETECT THE VIRUS FROM THE BOSTON QZ IN THE FIRST GAME

i miss the first game LMAO even though i JUST finished that

THERE’S A FUCKING PEARL JAM POSTER IN THE MUSIC SHOP😭

IF I EVER WERE TO LOSE YOU, I’D SURELY LOSE MYSELF😭

i feel like this is supposed to be hank williams which would be fucking sick bc “alone and forsaken” and all that jazz haha

“guitars starting at $49.99” BRO SINCE WHEN I FUCKING WIIISH DUDE😭

as a drummer, i can confirm dina is a fucking natural

“i love you?” A H H H H H

ANUTHA CARD WOOO

Das Wort is my favorite card so far. he just like me fr

WAIT THIS IS THE TAKE ON ME SCENE

i will cry

SHE’S PLAYING FUTURE DAYS😭😭😭😭

BARRE CHORDS??? ellie i could literally never wtf

the chords are all accurate too holy fuck naughty dog

ashley has such a nice voice oh my god

i’m gonna fucking cry bc they put this in the hbo trailer

AAAAHHHHHHH😭😭

this is why i fucking love music dude. it transcends everything and always will. it’s the one thing that connects everyone. and it’s connecting people in this game too and i UGGHHH i love music holy fuck

the way dina looks at her🥹

and also knowing that joel was the one that showed her all of these songs and artists bc ellie wasn’t even alive to hear take on me and future days, and literally everything else. GOOOOODDDDDDDD😭😭

“you should have kissed me then.” “i wanted to.”

god i love dina and ellie they sound like an old married couple already

first dawn of the wolf poster i’ve seen!!! WOOOOO

i’m gonna come back to the nutrition distribution center bc i feel like that shit is gonna be bad news bears

“wasn’t joel all about coffee?” as he should. i’d be all about coffee too if i didn’t have it for years

ANUTHA CAAAARD

i really like the Big Blue card too

THAT FUCKING INFECTED IN THE BATHROOM SCARED THE FUCKING SHIT OUT OF ME MY SOUL LEFT MY BODY OH MY GOD

so many fucking side quests oml what do you mean “barko’s”

oh my god there are so many fucking alleyways to go down

THERE’S SO MUCH TO DO I AM SO BUSY FINDING SECRETS AND STUFFS

BARKO’S LOCATED

it’s too dark in here i don’t like it

“they think we’re sheep! BARE YOUR FANGS.” what in the fuckin trump train “sHeEpLe” is goin on in here

i feel like i’m gonna get fucking jumped by infected again in here

THIGH HOLSTER ACQUIRED

omg plz “we can get a little creature to take care of” AND THEN THEY HAVE A FARM AT THE END😭😭😭

STUN BOMB ACQUIRED

i have already spent 2 hours in this fucking QZ holy shit

i just wanna explore rn i don’t wanna progress story atm

i am secret hunting

ANUTHA CARD BABYYY WEST GATE 2

it doesn’t even look like i’ve done that much😭

i also have a bad feeling about this bank

oh fuck this shit. it goes underground

they are ALWAYS underground bro

dina this is not cool, this is scary

i don’t fucking trust this shit

HOW DID I FUCKING KNOW

infected or whateva🙄

SHOTGUN ACQUIRED

FUCK this bank dude i’m GONE

dina said she’d get a farmhouse with the money😭😭

okay i think i’m gonna stop here bc it is literally 5am and i am sleepy haha. no story! but got some goodies and secrets out of the way! i will continue maybe tomorrow? not sure bc i am quite busy but we’ll see!

having a really good time so far and i love watching ellie and dina’s dynamic! still lots of buildings and secrets to loot! i’m excited >:)

[caitsyoi]

I wanted to talk about FEDRA in Seattle a bit. What they did was super impressive, even if it did end really badly for them.

Under the cut because there are lots of pictures and I talk about FEDRA too. Actually, this got really out of hand but it is interesting af to me, so click below to read my thesis on FEDRA.

I think the singular most impressive thing that FEDRA did was building this wall. I estimate that the constructed about 5 miles of concrete wall (based on Dina's map and the distance in RL Seattle), and this wall is around 4 stories tall. I have no idea how they managed this during a pandemic of this size. Maybe Seattle got a heads-up from other infected areas, and maybe they set up temporary barriers first while constructing this one. Still, that is a lot of material to haul to and set up during a devastating outbreak like in the TLOU universe. It is insanely impressive.

They also set the QZ up into zones, and the zones were created using concrete walls about a story high. That's even more work they had to do, all the while fighting off infected and trying to keep everyone fed.

I can't imagine they were receiving supplies from outside for long, their supply routes probably didn't stay functioning too long past Outbreak Day. It's unknown whether they started up any farming of their own or if the WLF was the first to do that, but as you can see here, searching the buildings for food and supplies was a very important task. If that was all they had for food for 5-10 years, it is no wonder there was heavy rationing and food shortages.

Another interesting thing about this picture are the cleared zones. Based on this and Dina's map, they cleared the zone around the FOB, Capitol Hill (and another just outside the wall but still in the neighborhood of Capitol Hill), and they cleared parts of what I'm guessing was downtown (that is if the WLF use the same names for zones as FEDRA did). They hadn't cleared the stadium (implying they weren't doing any farming), or a lot of areas in the north central part of Seattle (what is referred to as the "Contested Zone" by the WLF, which you can see on Issac's map). The security situation in the QZ was a real mess.

FEDRA did make an attempt to move people out of less secure zones and into safer ones. You can see that in some of the notes you find and on the doors to some apartments. I actually looked this up to find out what it means. Basically, the "X" means "Dangerous - Do Not Enter", "0-6" is supposed to be time and date but it could number of survivors and corpses, "NE" means "No Entry" and it's where you would indicate types of hazards, and DOA is what you think it means (this is also typically where they state the condition and amount of people found). If you want to see the reference I used, look here.

In the notes you can find, it seems like the safe zones were not a pleasant place to be. They sound like the lawless refugee camps you tend to hear about in war-torn areas. It's not surprising that some people resisted going, like the Seraphites in the NW and the residents of Hillcrest in the NE.

Another unpleasant aspect of QZ life - rationing. This seems to be a thing in every QZ we see in game, although to be fair, we only see Boston and Seattle. All the citizens of the QZ were divided into 3 groups based on their role in the QZ. "A" ration cards are the best and held by soldiers, but it's unclear who got "B" and "C" cards. What is clear is that just like in Boston, this caused a lot of resentment towards the soldiers. The WLF used this resentment to recruit members, much like we saw with the Fireflies in Boston. It makes sense, since Issac used to be a Firefly.

Ration cards also worked as identification. It's what they needed to move between different zones or enter certain areas. The WLF probably got a lot of goodwill by falsifying ration cards (and it probably allowed them to move weapons and supplies around much easier).

This is how I figured out the soldiers were type "A". This was on the FEDRA trailers near the main gate, which are designated as authorized personnel only. It also says "ablebodied" here, which makes me wonder if there was forced conscription like you saw in Boston. This seems very likely to me. It also seems like there was not a high standard for those selected for conscription, other than being physically able to do it. Again, this was probably not a popular policy.

It's pretty brutal that they didn't allow anyone with any disease or condition into the QZ. This adds up for what you find out about FEDRA in other parts of the game, but it's still sad to think of the people who weren't contagious but were still denied entry. It's also sad to think of the contagious people who were denied, although that is a bit easier to understand (although still so fucked up).

You find a note near the Fuck FEDRA gate that lists the amount of people allowed in, the amount turned away, and the amount that were kicked out. Over time, the amount allowed in decreased to 0, and the amount turned away or banished greatly increased. Again you can see why they grew to become very unpopular.

Another thing you get from these signs is that there were a ton of restrictions: no photography in certain areas, you had to surrender your firearms, no freedom of movement, and you weren't not allowed to enter OR leave the QZ without permission. Again it makes sense when you are dealing with something as dangerous as the fungus, but you can still see why this was not popular with people. Life under FEDRA was pretty darn oppressive (though it isn't much better in that respect under the Seraphites or the WLF either).

They also had a curfew at night, which also makes sense. Honestly, I wouldn't mind this because who the fuck wants to go out and possibly come across infected in the dark? I wouldn't even want to see them in the light.

There are also signs all over former FEDRA property telling people to report any suspicious activity. This makes sense with dealing with infected people, there were probably a lot of scared, recently infected people who tried to sneak in. You can see though how this was probably not just used to locate potential infected, the WLF and possibly the Seraphites were also targeted.

This is another common sign you see. They really weren't afraid to use lethal force either, there are several notes mentioning how FEDRA was willing to kill without trial, just shooting those they suspect in the street. It is not hard to see why they were overthrown. Violence begat violence, and the WLF paid them back in kind.

It had to be so hard to live in the QZ and find out someone you care about is infected. If you don't report it and they found out (which I imagine they'd have to find out eventually), you could be killed as punishment. If you do report it, you are effectively killing them. I understand why FEDRA was so strict about infection, but damn is that brutal.

Last but not least, I love that they took real photos of the different kinds of infected. Some poor FEDRA soldiers were tasked with bringing back a runner, a clicker, a stalker, and a bloater. A pretty common story for soldiers everywhere, sometimes you just get the shit jobs. I also think it's funny that in Boston they just drew pictures instead.

I also love the advice they give. For runners, it's all about not letting them swarm you. For stalkers, it's all about checking your surroundings. For clickers, it's all about keeping your distance. Finally, for bloaters it's basically don't engage unless you absolutely have to. All great advice.

Another interesting fact, there is no indication that FEDRA was ever aware of the existence of Shamblers. The earliest mention is a WLF soldier who found one and left a note to report back. That means that this type of infected took at least 5-10 years to first show up.

And that's it for my FEDRA post. If you can't tell, the TLOU universe is interesting as fuck to me. Like, I would spend cash money on a book just about TLOU lore.

Once again, if you got through all this, you are my people.

[ellieswhoreeee]

The Two of Us. pt 2

authors note; thank you guys for the support, it really means a lot to me! Im glad you guys liking the story so far! Anyways, here’s part two! Also, i’d like to apologize in advance for any errors or if something doesn’t make sense. English isn’t my first language so i’m sorry if there’s something wrong :)

Endgame pairings: Ellie Williams x fem! reader.

Warnings: Violence, marijuana, swearing, ect.

———————————————————————

It really hurt seeing them together.

You felt the disappointment, the hurt and the jealousy as they simply talked. Though you know there was a deeper meaning behind their seemingly innocent conversation. You know more than anyone about them. Being one Ellie’s best friends is both a blessing and a curse.

She smiled, looking slightly flustered after Cat whispered something in her ear, and you couldn’t help but clench your jaw at that.

It was a troubling sight, really it was. Everything seemed so off. Like it wasn’t real. But it was. Ellie was laughing with the cool girl who can do tattoos, one of your friends. God, it really felt like you were getting jabbed in the heart over and over again.

But you had no right to jealous at all. She wasn’t yours to be jealous about.

Cat looked around, making sure nobody was looking- but held eye contact with you for a moment before she leaned in and kissed Ellie on the lips. That’s when you finally looked away, continuing to fix Gemini’s saddle.

Gemini was tied to the fence by the barn and was close to the fence. Other horses lined up beside his right side. Today’s group was getting to leave for the morning. Earlier than usual.

Mondays are rough.

“How long have they been together now?” Jesse asked when he walked over to you as you were packing up for patrol. You turned to look at him so you could have an actual conversation. He looked directly into your eyes, almost as if he was trying to figure you out. Jesse was someone who could see everything with one look. You kinda hated him for knowing so much about how you felt about Ellie without telling him much about it.

“…I wanna say 2 months, but we both know it’s been longer than that.” You replied with a frown, continuing to distract yourself by finishing to prep Gemini for patrol.

“Y/n, could you stop looking so miserable? It’s starting to bum me out.”

You chuckled lightly, finally stepping away from Gemini and decided to lean against the wooden fence beside your horse. Jesse decided to the same, and he leaned against it with you. You looked down at your hands, deciding to pick at your cuticles just so you wouldn’t look at the couple. “Why don’t you look just as miserable as me? Didn’t Dina break up with you? Again.”

“Ouch, you really know how to turn on certain emotions.”

“I’m serious. Like, i haven’t been broke up with, yet here i am…” You paused, you stopped picking at your cuticles just to look across the street, where the couple was. Happily minding their business. Ellie and Cat were talking and laughing sweetly. Again, with that pain in your chest. “Utterly heartbroken.”

Jesse patted you on the back, it was his way of comforting you since he had no idea how else to help. “It won’t get easier. One moment you think you’re stronger than whatever you’re feeling but then… you realize it doesn’t matter how good you hide it. If you keep on hiding it, the pain will get to you before you can express those feelings properly.”

“I’m gonna be honest Jesse… I have no idea what you mean by that.”

“Of course you don’t…” He mumbled with a laugh. Again he patted you on the back and pushed himself off the fence. “Think about it clearly.” He then walked off, somewhere towards Maria and some other adults.

Again, you and Gemini were left alone together.

You couldn’t help but think about what Jesse brought up earlier. What did he mean by that? You’re not sure how to process what he meant. Either you were completely clueless- or Jesse tried to be all wise but failed.

“Y/n! Come over here.” You heard Maria’s voice, which broke you from your trance. You left Gemini tied to the post as you walked over to Maria and some other people. Mila and Benji smirk at you as you walk closer. Mila and Benji are your close friends and have been for a while. Though you haven’t seen them lately because of work. Everyone is extra busy lately. Mostly.

“Look who finally decided to join us.” Benji remarked as he wrapped his arm around you once you were close. He pulled you closer and walked towards Maria’s table that was used for placing maps for patrol.

You pushed him off of you gently and made a grossed out face at him. “You really stink, Benji. When was the last time you took a shower?”

Benji only smiled and raised his left arm up to smell his armpit and his clothes too. “It’s my natural musk, all the ladies love it.”

You and Mila looked at each other simultaneously. It was as if you were on the same wavelength. Both of your rolled your eyes at him. “As a lady, i will be speaking for everyone when i say you smell nasty.” Mila exposed truthfully while crossing her arms on her chest.

“Hold up, you’re not a lady, you’re a brute.”

“Oh, i’m the brute? You haven’t taken a proper shower in weeks. Jumping into lakes and rivers don’t count.”

“Says who? It’s more natural,”

“More like nasty.”

You ignored the two bickering idiots and moved closer to the table where Maria was. “What were you thinking Maria?” You asked, looking down at the map of the area. It stretched out for miles.

She looked up at you. “Have you ever done the urban trails? It leads up to the dam checkpoint.”

You shook your in response. “I haven’t. Do you want me to take that route? You should pair me up with someone who’s done that trail then.”

There’s a lot of trails, so there are at least 10 or 15 trails you’ve never done before. These type of trails are the longer routes. The reason you haven’t done those routes is because Tommy isn’t that confident in you to take on the longer routes.

But now it was different, not only are you older but more capable of handling yourself more than anyone.

“You’re right…” Maria paused, she was thinking, trying to slowly put some pieces together. “But there isn’t anyone on duty right now who knows the trails that i can think of.”

Jesse’s head perked up at what she said, smirking at you from across the table. He was right next to Maria like always. She trusts him a lot because he was also a natural leader. “Actually, Ellie knows that trail.”

You instinctively felt your heartbeat start to speed up, and your face started to warm up at his insinuation. You knew what he was doing. “Ellie and Dina are already planning on running their routes on chestnut drive. I can take a group and we’ll figure it out together.” You intervened, giving Jesse a look that said, ‘shut up’.

“No, Jesse is right. You and Ellie can take the urban trails. It’ll be much faster with you two clearing that area. We can’t send a group to one trail- especially not now when we’ve been getting reports of infected in the southern territories- the opposite direction of urban trails.”

You sighed, knowing that her words were always final. You scratched the back of your neck- feeling an inch. “I’ll go let Ellie know. Jesse talk to Dina.” You give him another glare and just he smiled, sending a wink your way.

You turned around, looking over at where Cat and Ellie were still talking. Lately, things have been awkward between you two. It may have something to do with the fact that you maybe- just maybe that you were avoiding her.

It didn’t really matter, Ellie hasn’t noticed anything differently anyways. Or so you assumed.

“Ellie!” At the sound of your voice she quickly turned away from her girlfriend. She dropped Cats hands and fully turned to face you. Her full attention was now on you. But of course, you didn’t notice that either. “Assignments! Let’s go, kiss your girlfriend goodbye and get your ass on shimmer!”

It was getting easier to hide your feelings, even your distain for the couple and how you felt about Ellie.

“Fuck… Alright, just give me a minute!”

You gave her a thumbs up, and turned away. You walked towards your horse, seeing Jesse waiting there for you. He must have finished talking with Dina. He held out a hunting rifle and a shotgun towards you. He looked between both guns. “Which one do you prefer?” He questioned.

You smiled, looking at both guns. “Quite the tough question, Jes.”

Ellie walked up behind you, looking right over your shoulder. She was so close to you. Your breathe hitched lightly as she observed both guns. “I think you’re more of a rifle girl. It suits you more than a shotgun.”

Jesse grinned, and his eyes sparkled for a moment when you looked at him. He then nodded, agreeing with what Ellie had said. “That settles that then.” He held the rifle for you to take, which you did. Jesse then passed the shotgun to Ellie.

With the help of the sling, you tossed the rifle over your shoulder. Ellie was staring at you, trying desperately to get your attention without having to say anything but you were occupied with Gemini once again. She sighed, and decided to just start the conversation.

“So… Where have you been lately? I haven’t seen you around, not even in the mess hall.” Ellie hesitated but walked over to Gemini’s mane. You were by his saddle, and when you stared into her eyes it felt like it was only you and her. Instinctively, your eyes trailed from her eyes to her lips. You couldn’t help it. She was so close. Ellie shyly looked down at her hands as she continued to mess with Gemini’s mane. “I’ve uh… Missed hanging out with you. We still haven’t finished our halo campaign.”

You bit the inside of you cheek, and decided that laughing nervously would help ease your nerves. “Yeah, i’m sorry about that. I asked Maria for more assignments since… You know, i have nothing better to do.”

Ellie wanted to say something but held her tongue. She wanted to say something to continue your conversation but you interrupted her instead. “Listen, Maria wants you and me to handle the urban trails. Pretty sure we have to replace Danny and Axel at the dam checkpoint …”

“You and i,” Ellie corrected suddenly, making you stare at her in disbelief and confusion. She gave you a smirk. “You said ‘you and me’ but that isn’t proper grammar.”

You rolled your eyes playfully at her. “Fuck off, Williams. Did you even listen to a word i said?”

“So, we’re back to last names? Since when?”

“Since you decided to be a grammar queen, you dick.”

“Woah! Language, there are children around, L/n!”

“The only child i see is you.” You replied with a happy smile on your face. You and Ellie climbed on your horses and waited by the gates. Ellie continue to talk to you like nothing was wrong- well, not like she knew if there was something wrong anyways. You kept stuff to yourself.

You missed this. You missed hanging out with Ellie. You just… Missing having her by your side, kicking the worlds ass together but now… Ellie was with Cat. Her relationship put a wedge on your friendship. You felt farther away to Ellie then ever.

Everything has changed. Which sucked because you weren’t sure how to deal with the changes. It was all going by so fast. You just wished everything was different. It was selfish of you but… You didn’t care.

“Y/n, you with me?” Ellie snapped you out of your thoughts. She looked back at you as the gates opened.

You nodded. “Always.”

[layce2015]

The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 14: Abby Showdown

Chapter 13

After making it back to the theater, we regrouped and started to patch up our wounds. Joel and I were in another backstage room while Dina was resting in the other room with Ellie. After checking his leg for the bullet wound Abby gave him, I grabbed a bucket full of water and a wash cloth next to me, and I started to wash Joel's face.

"Honey, I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about." He said and I shake my head. "It's okay..." I said but then I winced a bit as I moved my right shoulder a bit. "You sure about that?" Joel asked as he raised an eyebrow at me. He goes over to the table and grabs the first aid kit then opens it.

"Okay...take off your jacket and shirt." He said and I sigh as I remove my jacket and then I take off my shirt, leaving just the tank top on. Joel walks over behind me and looks over my wound. 

"Well...good news is there is an exit wound, so we don't have to dig around to find a bullet." He said. "Thank God." I muttered and he chuckles just as I feel the wet rag hit my wound. I sucked in a breath from the sting of the water hitting my exposed flesh.

"Jesus, (y/n)." I hear him muttered. "What?" I asked him and I feel the back of my shirt being raised, feeling the cool air hitting my back. "These bruises and cuts..." Joel said, concerned. "Well, I did have to fight through hell to find you." I said as Joel ran his fingers along my back. 

"You should've stayed home. You didn't have to come all this way for me." Joel said and I scoff at this. "Oh please...like you wouldn't have done the same if it was either me, Tommy, Ellie or the boys." I said as I look over my shoulder at him. Joel chuckles a bit at this. "Point taken." He mutters and I smiled at him and he starts to clean my wound.

"Speaking of which, how are the boys? They safe?" Joel asked. "They're safe. Maria is watching over them. They've just been worried about their dad being lost." I said. "I didn't want to worry them even more by saying Hey, boys. Uh, your dad was kidnapped and is probably getting beaten senseless, so I have to go save his ass." I said and Joel chuckles a bit. "So I just told them that he got lost and Ellie and I were gonna go find him and bring him back."

"Well, I appreciate it." He said and I giggle at this as he starts to stitch up the wound then my smile fades from my lips. "Joel..." I said, softly, after a few moments of silence. "Hmmm." He hums then I hear him bite down on the string of the sutures and I take a deep breath. "I'm gonna be honest...I was so scared that I was gonna lose you. I kept thinking of the worse case scenario and how to explain it to Aiden and Ethan when I got back...if I made it back." I said and I look down, sadly.

I hear him walk around then he stands in front on me. He gently grabs my chin and pulls my face up towards him. "And when I had one of those assholes cornered, they told me that Abby was gonna kill you tonight if I didn't make it to you in time...." I said, my eyes tearing up. 

"(Y/n)...you're never gonna lose me." Joel said as he places his hand on my cheek and strokes it with his thumb. I lean into his touch, never realized how much I missed his touch until he did this. He kisses me lightly on the lips then goes back to fixing up my wound.

Minutes later, he finished cleaning and sewed up my wound then he sits down on the couch and I could tell how tried he looked. "Hey, you go ahead and rest." I said to him as I sit next to him. "What about you? You look like you need it more than me." said Joel. "I'll rest once we get back to Jackson and in our own bed." I said but he didn't seem to want to budge.

"I appreciate your concern, sweetheart. But...I can handle it. You rest." I said, firmly, and a small smirk plays on his lips. "Yes, ma'am." He said then I lean over to him and kiss him once more. I stand up as he starts to lay down on the couch, I kneel down to him then pushed back a strand of his graying hair before I kiss his forehead. 

"I love you." I said to him, softly.

"I love you, too." He said as he starts to close his eyes and drift off. I give a fond smile at this, put my shirt and jacket back on then I leave the room, shut the door and make my way to the main stage area. 

As I walked towards the curtain, Ellie comes up next to me and I smile at her. "Hey, Ellie." I said. "Hey, how's your shoulder?" She asked me. "Doing better. Dina doing alright?" I asked her. "Yeah, she's just...sleeping. How's Joel?" She said. "Resting." I said as we go up to the curtain and hear Tommy and Jesse talking.

"That's not gonna work. It's completely covered in snow." I hear Jesse say as we got closer to the curtains. "No, by the time we get there, the whole area'll be thawed." Tommy said as Ellie and I walked out from behind the curtain and out on the stage.

They were at the front edge of the stage, looking at a map, seemed like they were discussing something. Both men look up at us as we walk up to them. "Hey, what are you guys doing up?" Ellie asked them. "Couldn't sleep." Tommy said then he turns to me. "How's Joel doing?" He asked. "Good. He's resting right now." I replied and Tommy nods.

"Come take a look at this." Jesse said and Ellie and I sqaut down to look at the map. "Thought is to head home via Ellensberg." Jesse said. "If we're in Fall City by tomorrow, we're doing good." Tommy said and I nod. "Sounds good." I said.

"What about Abby?" Ellie asked and I looked over at her. "I mean, what if she comes after us...again?" Ellie said. "If she does....it won't be pretty. We got Joel back, safe and sound. That's all that matters." I said and Ellie nods in agreement.

"I'm really not looking forward going through Idaho again." Tommy remarks. "What you should worried about is what Maria's gonna do to you when you get home." Jesse points out and I chuckle. "We've been through worse." Tommy said as Ellie and I stand up then walk over to a ledge of the stage and sit on it.

"However, I was passing through some ritzy section of town, came across this necklace. It sparkles alot and I think it's real gold." Tommy said, proudly, then Jesse and I turn to him. "You think it's real gold." I said, questioning. "It's real gold." Tommy said. "Let's see it." Jesse demands and Tommy walks back and chuckles.

"I know what real gold looks like." Tommy said and he starts to walk away. "If it's legit, can we say its from all of us?" Jesse asked him and Tommy laughs. "You find your own damn bribes." He said as he walks away.

I roll my eyes and Jesse turns to us. "How you guys doing?" He asked. "Fine." Ellie said. "Better than I have been the last few weeks." I replied as Jesse nods. "By the way, thank you for coming back for us." Ellie said to him. "My friend's problems are my problems." Jesse said and Ellie scoffs as I smile.

"You're such a sap." Ellie said to him. "All right, how about, my friends can't get out their own damn way?" He said, shrugging. "That's better." Ellie said and I chuckle at this.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud and the three of us look towards the door. Then we heard Tommy let out a yell. "Shit!" I muttered then I turned to Jesse. "Go to the back and guard Joel and Dina. Ellie and I will handle this." I said. He nods and heads towards the backstage while Ellie and I run up to the door.

We burst through the door but for a split second, I saw a person with a gun and this person moved their gun at us. "Get down!" I shout as I grabbed Ellie's arm and pulled her down, getting behind the front counter, just as a couple of gunshots go off.

"You okay?" I asked her and she nods. 

"Stand up!" A female voice demanded but we stayed hidden. "Hands in the air or I shot this man!" The voice said and I lean over the corner and see a very buff woman with long blonde hair that was braided, her gun aimed right at Tommy who was on the ground.

This had to be Abby.

"Don't you do it, girls. Get out of here!" Tommy yells at us. "Stand up! Now!" Abby yells. "Don't you fucking dare--" Tommy screams, panicked. "Shut the fuck up!" Abby yells and she kicks Tommy in the stomach. My heart was racing at this but not from fear, from anger.

I stand up, quickly, aimed my gun just alittle bit to the right and fired, the bullet just zoomed past her left ear and she looks at me, shocked. "Enough!" I yelled, angrily, and the two of us glared at each other. "I won't miss next time." I warned her.

"Toss your weapon." Abby demands me but I stay still. "Toss your weapon!" She yells at me, angrily. "I'll toss mine if you toss yours." I said. "Not gonna fucking happen." Abby growls. "Well...isn't that a shame." I said, still have my pistol trained on her, and she seemed taken aback by this. I guess she's never had anyone really stand up to her.

"(Y/n), no..." Tommy pleads and Abby looks down at him then at me before her face scrunches up in a snarl. "(Y/n) Miller." She growled, her voice full of anger and malice. "Abby." I said in the same tone as hers.

"I've been waiting for you." She said. "So I've heard. You kidnapped Joel, and tried to lure me out to get me too. But I'm sure this isn't turning out how you wanted." I said and I see anger flare in her eyes. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to kill him back at the cabin." said Abby, angrily. "But you didn't. You waited til I got here so you could kill us both." I said then I scoff. "You're just as sick as your bastard of a father."

Abby's eyes flared at this as she yells. "Don't you ever say anything against my father! He was a good man! All he wanted to do was make a cure. Save mankind. But you and your husband came in and killed him! And destroyed the Fireflies." 

"They were going to trade my daughter's life for a cure!" I shouted back at her and I could see, from the corner of my eye, Ellie looking shocked by this. "Tell me this, Abby...if it was you on that operating table, would your father go through with it?" I asked her.

She hesitates for a moment before she speaks up. "I would've wanted him to go through with it." She replied and I rolled my eyes. "That's not the question I asked. I asked would your father go through with it, not you." I said and she looks down and I smirk a bit. "Not so easy, is it?" I said and Abby's jaw clenched at this.

"It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is this moment right now." Abby said and she glares back at me. "Not only did you kill my dad, you killed my friends..." she said and she goes to aim her gun at me. "You brought that on yourself!" I spat. Abby clenches her teeth and before I could react, Tommy gets up and grabs her arm then the gun as it fires and I duck down. Ellie gets up and fires towards Abby but misses as she and Tommy struggle.

I get up and fire as well but she ducks then punches Tommy across the face. He falls towards his left and lands on his front then Abby fired at him. "Tommy!" Ellie and I screamed and I fired a few more bullets towards Abby before Ellie and I run back towards the theater and head into the stage.

"Don't you fucking run!" I hear Abby yell as we get up on the stage and get behind the curtain. We go over to the side of the doorway while Ellie grabs a plank of wood and holds it up. Abby then comes in, aiming her gun, and Ellie rushes at her and yells. "Motherfucker!" And she smacks the plank of wood on Abby's hand, knocking the gun out of her hand.

Abby then grabs Ellie by her shirt collar, spins around and slams her against the wall. Ellie pulls out her switchblade and goes to stab her but Abby grabs her hand and holds it back.

I run and jump on Abby's back then wrapped my arm around her neck. I try to pull her away from Ellie but then she hits the back of her head against my face, making me lose my grip on her. She quickly turns around then grabs my head and headbutts me and I fall backwards.

I go pull out my gun but Abby gets on top of me and wrestles the gun out of my hand, tossing it aside. "Get off of her!" Ellie yells then she jumps on Abby's back and stabs her in the arm. Abby screams out in pain then knocks Ellie off of her and I punch Abby across the face.

Ellie gets back up, quickly, then pulls her off of me and tosses her to the side as she comes to help me up. Abby let's out a roar of anger then she comes at me like a fuckin' bull and knocks Ellie off the side and grabs me.

The two of us struggle then she tosses me down on the ground, got on top of me and grabbed my neck. "You took everything from me!" She yells as she slammed me down against the floor until it collapsed and we fall through the lower parts of the stage.

I scream out in pain and rolled a few times, before I quickly got up on my feet. I look over and see Abby getting up as well but before she could do anything, I hear a yell and then Jesse ran in and tackles Abby down to the ground. I stood there shocked as he punches her a few times in the face then he pulls out his knife and goes to stab her.

But she holds it back, grabs the knife out of his hand and stabs his hand. He yells in pain then she stabs him in the leg and twists the knife in his leg. "Jesse!" I shouted and I run at Abby as she shoves Jesse off of her.

She gets up to face me and comes at me but Ellie jumps on her back and stabs her in the back. Abby screams out as Ellie said. "Get away from my mom!" And this made me stop in my track, I felt happy once she said that. 

But it quickly went away when Abby knocks Ellie off of her then spins around and headbutts her so hard, she falls to the ground. "Ellie!" I yelled and Abby and I run towards each other and we started throwing punches at each other on any part we could reach.

I'd have to say Abby has quite the punch, felt like I was getting kicked by a horse or an ox.

But at one point, Abby grabs me by the throat then pins me up against the wall and begins to choke me. I gasp for air but Abby's hands slowly constrict my breathing. "You don't get to rush this." Abby growls as I try to fight back but I was slowly losing consciences.

My heart was racing and I kept trying to gasp for air that wasn't coming while I stared into the eyes of this woman. And all I could see was nothing but bloodlust in her eyes, this woman is definitely out for blood. I began to realize that Abby won’t stop until we're all dead, I have to take matters into my own hands if I don’t stop her soon.

Suddenly, two loud gunshots ring out and Abby screams in pain, then a third gunshot sounds out as she let's go of my neck and falls to her right side. I cough and gasp for air then look over at her to see that she had been shot twice in her left leg, one in her thigh and one in the calf, and once in her arm.

She growls in pain as she pulls up her arm to her chest and held her leg with the uninjured arm then looks up, her eyes flaring with anger. I look to where she's looking at and I felt relieved when I saw who held the smoking gun.

Joel walks towards Abby as she glares up at him. Joel stares down at her as she sucks in a breath. "You fuckin' people." She growls at us then she looks up at Joel. "I should've killed you back at that cabin." She said. "You're right....you should have." Joel said as he walks closer to her while her leg and arm were bleeding out. "But you underestimated one thing..." he said and he raised his gun towards her.

"Don't fuck with my family." Joel said and he fires, shooting Abby in the head. I gasped at this then look over at Joel as he heads towards me and helps me up after I finished regaining some oxygen. "You alright, hun?" Joel asked me. "Never better." I said and the two of us pull each other close, and I finally let out tears of joy as I finally got my husband back.

"It’s okay, it's okay. I’m here now." Joel whispered to me as I bury my face into his chest and I feel him kissing the top of my head. "Joel...(y/n)." I hear Ellie say and I pull back from the embrace to see her standing near us. I smiled at her and hold my hand out to her. "Come here, sweetie." I said and Ellie immediately complies, joining in and forming a group hug as tears began pouring down her cheeks also.

Joel holds both of us close as we go down to the ground on our knees as he says, softly. “It’s okay, It’s over now.”

And he is right, it was over now.

The three of us have nothing to worry about now that the threat is taken care of. We're back together...as a family.

Two Weeks Later

"We're home." Tommy said once we made it over the hill and see the familiar gated community. "Bout fuckin' time." Ellie said, relieved. "You said it." I sighed. 

After the fight with Abby, we ended up having to patch up Jesse and Tommy, who was really lucky to be alive. That bullet Abby fired on Tommy only took out his right eye but if she had aimed it over alittle more to the left, the bullet would've hit his brain. Jesse had a hole in his hand and he was walking with a bit of a limp but otherwise he was doing alright.

After we patched them up, we heard on the radio transmission that apparently the WLF and the Scars were at war and it sounded like they were killing each other off one by one. All I could think about was good riddance. The next day, we looked for any sort of transportation and, lucky for us, we found a truck that was working. We siphoned some gas and started to make our way back home.

And just a few minutes ago, we ran out of gas but, luckily, we weren't too far from Jackson so we ended up walking towards the front gate. 

"Holy shit! Someone get Maria!" We heard a voice yell once we made it to the front gate. The gate opens and reveals the beautiful community of Jackson, I didn't realize it until now how much I missed it.

All of us walk through the gate and there I see Maria as she runs over to Tommy. "Tommy!" She exclaims but stops once she sees the patch over his eyes. "Oh shit." She whispered. "I'm okay, Maria." Tommy assured her as she stares at him for a moment before she hugs him. Then Jesse's and Dina's family came over to them and started hugging them as well.

"Mommy!" I hear a couple of voices say before I was tackled in a hug by Aiden and Ethan. "Oh my babies." I whispered as I kneel down then hold them and hug them. Ellie comes up next to me and they look over at her then hug her as well. 

"Hey, you little hellraisers." Ellie jokes as she hugs them back. "We missed you guys." Ethan said to us and I smiled. "We missed you too, sweetie. But hey, I got a surprise for you two." I said and their eyes light up in excitement.

I stand up and move to the side just as Joel walks up, a smile on his face. "DADDY!" Both boys shout, excitedly, and they run towards him. Joel kneels down and opens his arms out just as Aiden and Ethan run into them and hug him.

Joel holds both of them close then started to kiss the side of their heads as I see tears rolling down his face. "We knew Mommy would find you!" Aiden exclaimed onc he and Ethan pull back from the hug. "Yeah, she said she would." said Ethan and I smile at this. "She was right." Joel said then he hugs them once again.

Ellie and I exchange a look for a moment before we walk over to them, kneel down and hug them as well.

One big happy family embrace.

@fangirl-inthe-us

@sleepylunarwolf

@critical-musings

[thegeminisage]

i have started watching tlou2. i will probably not blog about it much but if i post spoiler content it will be tagged with #tlou2. if you can see this post you’re in trouble. 

ok BIG MAJOR MEGA SPOILERS below this cut

sorry if the cut’s not working for you...just scroll down i guess :(((

tlou2 list so far:

good:

S C E N E R Y. everything is so pretty even the people

to elaborate: facial capture and graphics are out of this world. micro expressions? frizzy HAIR?? hair is the holy grail of gaming graphics

even the SNOW keeps tracks after you walk through it. there’s so many little touches and fine attention to detail...the family photos in joel’s home, old and new, the way the characters have aged, the environments just chock full of detail and storytelling...

even the KISSING looks real. everyone always looks so weird and awkward kissing in games and i wince every time but like...holy shit they nailed it

the opening scene with lil ellie and the gee-tar :(

ellie gay. gay disaster lady. love that for her. “don’t ruin our friendship don’t ruin our friendship don’t ruin our friendship” god bless

her journal is v expressive. nice change from boring typed up journals that feel ooc that come in most games. same deal with the map - instead of an interactive graphic we get ellie scribbling on a real map of seattle made pre-outbreak 

i love that dina is jewish and that she talks about being jewish!!! good for her

that dude jesse is HILARIOUS every time he was on screen i was cackling

gas mask bong in the secret weed basement this is exactly what 2020 needed naughty dog got at LEAST one thing right

there are a lot of little touches like that actually that are funny - the actors expressions, the horse named japan, the notes about patrol, the inside jokes, etc. it was a funny game until it got Dark

bad:

i don’t know if i like the direction the story is going we’re only 3 hours in but like. hm. is the moral “violence bad” bc like...we know?? 

zombies make icky noises. jumpscares. no thank you

when [redacted] died i like. look. i’m anti character death in general unless you do a damn good job but most of what they succeeded in doing a job was making me feel scared and upset which is like...i get pathos is necessary and i know they’re trying to say something about pointless violence but the whole thing just rubs me the wrong way. idk. i guess we need to get further in before i can articulate this better but it just feels so pointless to put ellie through YET ANOTHER round of trauma

LIIIIKE ok call me cr*zy but the way they held her down and hurt her and killed [redacted] even though she was begging to stop...it felt like i was watching a rape scene. i have watched actual rape scenes that churned my stomach less. idk man it was bad vibes. like i knew it was coming and it was gonna be bad but :/ and then this whole thing of revenge :/// i’m gonna reserve judgment until i get to the end but like structurally it feels like one of those exploitation rape/revenge horror movies like last house on the left or something. No Thanks

i get that something had to happen to have a conflict bc you don’t have a story if everything goes well all the time but like. it felt like...needless shock value shit. the violence and the helplessness is like. yikes.

pacing feels weird, which considering how well the first game was paced is ???. we cut from that very intense scene and the wind-down in town straight to like...heart to hearts while riding horses...and now there’s a fetch quest for gas and lots of wandering to do...i like exploration games but the push to make this Bigger and more like a Real Game feels kind of like...arbitrary especially considering how tightly and perfectly paced the last one was...

the bit in the synagogue did feel a little bit like a Very Special Episode Where Ellie Learns About The Holocaust. what were they teaching her in those schools?? how can she not know about the holocaust??? i don’t think it was a bad section, i actually really liked it and liked getting to know dina, i just wish it had been done with a subtler touch. it’s like reading fanfic where everyone recites the definition of asexuality just because it happens to include an asexual character

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

Favored Ones, Part 7. (Joel Miller x Fem!reader)

Description: When you spend every evening with someone who’s deeply under your skin, a certain relationship can be developed. So it’s crushing for Joel when Y/N suddenly disappears. But there’s way more to the relationship that one would’ve guessed.

A/N: The last chapter before we proceed to the actual fucked up story. 

Warnings: x

Word count: 2.7 K

Tagging: @missdictatorme @xxgoldenhour @nemodoren @gladiosamicitias @jodiereedus22​

If you like this story, please, more parts can be found here! :): H E R E

When Joel got up in the morning, he was grumpy yet relaxed. His night was one of the best he had in a long time. He could describe it as unforgettable. As he was putting on his clothes for the forest teaching session, he caught himself smiling.

Joel was looking forward to seeing you again that morning even if you left not too long ago. When he started to think differently, he was even missing you. Your smell and your taste were still in his hut, invasive more than the Spanish invading America. Your taste was in his mouth even after he brushed his teeth and he smelled yourself on his skin when he took a shower.

Oh, he was going crazy for you, definitely, because he was afraid that the others will smell you from his own body.

With that, he took his bow and his old trusty revolver and went to the stables for his horse. He met Ellie there, and she was grinning at him like she knew what's up with him. She looked tired as hell, just as tired as he was, so he had an idea of what she was doing that night.

"Wow. You're not the Joel that I know." - She looked at him and have him a leash for a horse he was taking almost every time.

"Why?" - He chuckled and walked by Ellie's side through the town. Both of them looked happy and contained, which wasn't a normal thing for a long time. People were smiling at them and waving them - to their shock, they waved back.

"Joel. You're smiling and you're in a good mood." - She bumped his shoulder with her fist and giggled. - "I haven't seen you like that since... I've never had."

"I guess. Y/N is really fun to be around." - Joel smiled and Ellie opened up her mouth. You scored! The balls were in the hole! You've run a home run! She was about to scream with happiness. She couldn't believe that you had actually talked Joel down.

"Oh, so that's what we're talking about. Good to see you finally trying to move on." - She nodded. - "Dina is actually fun to be around." - Ellie winked with nothing else to say and left to join her group of friends. Joel stood back for a minute or two, just watching you chat with that Jesse boy.

You were laughing, standing there in your winter coat with a bow and a quiver over your shoulder. You looked happy.

“Don’t tell me that you two are fucking.” - You yelled suddenly. It was so loud that only someone def wouldn't hear it. You were looking at Ellie and Dina, both of them looking at you in complete shock. - “Holy motherfucking shit, guys. I know that you’re into licking holes, girls, but this was way sooner than we expected. You talked about it like… Yesterday. Nice. Good job!”

Joel had to chuckle. That was how he knew you for all that time - except now he could hear you saying his name and moaning with pleasure in his head, he could see your boobs jumping around and he could almost feel the warmth of you on his finger. But you still needed to be tamed down.

“Y/N, language.” - He told you with a chuckle and his eyes were shining. Your face shone with an innocent, lovely smile as you nodded. You definitely were thinking about fucking him as soon as you will be able to get your hands on him. - “We have children here. Alright?”

“I’m sorry. It just took me by surprise. Not gonna happen again, I swear.” - You looked down on your lumberjack shoes and smiled innocently as he and his horse walked past you. He heard some of the remarks Jesse has and he heard you laughing at that bickering.

"Hey, kiddos." - Joel greeted his favorite little lads. The thirteen-year-old twins Bobby and Greg, the boys were just loving the time they could be in the forest. They were really good at taking the skin off of a rabbit and they were making really good traps. - "Nice to see you. Are you looking forward to today?"

"Of course. Tracking down foxes will be really cool!" - Bobby yelled out loud and he wiggled so much that he would have fallen down if Joel didn't catch him. - "I think that Y/N wants to talk with you." - Greg said with a curious tone and looked at you sitting on your horse. Joel smiled - not at the boys, but because you were there and behind him.

“So, just as we agreed?” - You spoke in a light, excited voice as he began to turn at you. You were dressed in a winter coat, but could see a flash of his shirt beneath it. He also saw only the upper part of your face, because your lips were covered.

“Yeah, just as we agreed. Stay in the area of the mapped roads and be back on time. No unexpected things today, I beg you.” - He answered. Was he... Worried? Yeah. He was worried about you getting lost or hurt. He knew you could look after yourself, but letting you go on your own was weird. Joel wouldn't be there to take care of you. He slowly rose his palm to smooth the horse's neck.

“How many times we’ve been into the woods, big guy? I know those places like the back of my hand. I will be okay and I will behave well, I promise.” - You winked at him and just as you looked around to control the situation around you, your fingertips quickly brushed over his hand. You were cold as ice, but that small contact still made him excited and his body filled with anticipation. But before he could say something, your hand was gone and somehow and Joel could tell that you're biting your lip and that maybe, you're getting wet again. Before the cordyceps epidemic, he had heard that women are into secret relationships, which made them even more eager to fuck every time they could... No. There was no room for thoughts like that. He stopped himself.

No place for that.

Your head turned back to look in front of the horse, but he could say that you're smiling even more than before.

“I would say you behave. Safety first. You see something you can’t shoot with a bow or kill with a knife, you run. Won’t you be cold out there?” - That was it. He was definitely worried about you. You will be all alone up in the forest and if anything happens... No. There was also no place for that.

“Wouldn’t you wanna know, old man?” - You bickered back with a playful tone and showed him your watch with a set timer before you got to hold on the leash again. - “Got my timer set and bow steady, time to go. See you somewhere around Whitetail, Joel.” - And with that, you rode out of the town and Joel watched your back disappearing in the forest. He hadn't got the greatest feeling about all of that, but he tried to calm himself down.

You knew your way with the bow and you were even greater with a knife. If anything would've happened, you would've run, but you were smart enough to start an offensive or use a hiding tactic. You will be good.

He would feel sad and worried if Adam wouldn't open up his mouth. Adam and two other boys were the ones who were making those mornings a living nightmare.

"Hey, Joel? Where's Y/N going?" - He teased Joel. His tone was rude. - "Who's ass are we going to watch?" - He asked again. At that moment, Joel just tensed up, exhaled slowly and turned to Adam as something was telling him that he should beat the fuck out of that adolescent cocksucker and his little friends, but when he was about to grab Adam's jacket, so he could roll the boy in the snow and beat his face.

But thanks God for Ellie at that moment.

"You can watch my ass, you jerk." - She drove so her horse stood next to Adam's. - "But if you watch Dina's, you're dead." - She turned the situation into a joke.

"But you're a dike, Ellie. I can't have wet dreams about you." - Adam chuckled and with that, Joel clapped his hands.

"Alright, alright. We'll do it like we do I always, our today's keepers are Jesse, Ellie, and Dina, so if you see anything suspicious, just tell me or them and we're leaving." - He got on his horse's back and with that, the session had officially started.

The younger kids had a lot of fun, as they usually did. The older kids were annoying the hell out of Jesse and Dina about they broke up and the rest was just kind of... There and listening.

In the middle of Joel talking about foxes and their behavior in the forest since the apocalypse, a girl named Mavis stood up and watched something in the woods.

"What do you see?" - One of Adam's friends asked in that typical tone of his. - "A big, scary fox? It's going to bite you."

"Charles. Keep that down." - Dina said annoyedly as Adam laid into her and Ellie with another stupid question. - "Or I swear I fucking kick your ass."

"No... It's not an animal, asshat. I think that I see a man." - Mavis whispered, but when Joel and the others turned that way, the prelude was gone. While Joel believed that maybe she really saw someone walking by, as the other did, everybody else said to Mavis that she should get some glasses. - "I swear to God, I saw a man with black boots walking that way. He had some fur and he disappeared immediately." - Mavis whispered to Joel and he hugged her with one hand. He tried to calm her down, but Ellie approached him with a worried face.

"Mavis, honey, go to your horse." - Ellie leaned down to kiss her forehead and patted her shoulder as she made Mavis leave. - "Joel... There are no people there. It's been... Two years since we have seen someone strange here. I feel like we should get back inside and investigate it."

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea. Might've been a hunter who's only passing by, but there's never enough carefulness, right?" - Joel said to Ellie and smiled. It was almost time to meet you at Whitetail, so they had to be going no matter what. They drove to Whitetail in thirty minutes after you should've met up with them and the crossroads were empty. You weren't there.

"Okay. She's probably lost track of time. No big deal." - Ellie waved it off with a smile, but Joel looked even more worried after that. He shook his head and looked at the three of them.

"She had her timer set and she promised me to be back on time. I trust her." - Joel answered worriedly.

"Joel, really, it's not that big of a deal." - Dina got into the conversation with a nice, assertive tone. - "Y/N usually has her head all over the place. This isn't anything new or unusual."

"Maybe she met the hunter guy from before. And the layer of the snow it really thick today, maybe Sadie got stuck in it." - Jesse presented his idea to the class as well, but Joel wasn't interested in a shitty bit.

"Let's do it like this. You two will stay here and I and Ellie will lead the kids back. Then we'll join you again." - Joel said as if it was a definite decision, but Ellie cut him off.

"Or what about me going to look after her while Jesse and Dina stay here on a watch? That's a better idea." - She said as she turned her horse in the direction you're headed. Joel's protest wasn't valid as she made her horse run as fast as it was possible.

She had no time to lose over Joel's protective bullshit or his need to plan everything out. If something happened, she needed to find you immediately - it was freezing cold, the snow was reaching her upper thighs and the night was coming quickly during those times. Ellie took you as her family, you were dear to her and she knew that from that night, Joel was officially seeing you as someone who could belong with him.

When she arrived at the alleged spot, she sat on her horse's back straight and exhaled. She didn't dare to call your name out loud, but she wasn't blind to see the shoe prints in the snow - and they certainly weren't yours. Those were man's footprints. And not one pair, there were multiple sizes.

Ellie for off and took her gun out to have it nearby if she would need it to her and probably your defense as well. But the first red flag had risen up in her eyes when she saw small bloodstains in the snow. It could've only been the blood of the animals that you've hunted down, but there were no bigger stains that indicated the place where the animals got shot.

So she decided to follow the trails down the road. There were footprints, broken branches on the ground - and the blood was more and more visible as she proceeded further to the woods. When she saw the animal lying on the ground, she stopped for a minute, only for the realization to hit her.

It was your own fucking horse. When she ran to its dead body through the snow, she almost slipped and fell down, watching the animal with her eyes wide open. Its throat was sliced and its knee was practically pierced with an arrow. It was still warm tho, so it didn't lay there for too long. 

Something caught and she thought it might have been the hunter she and Joel saw just an hour ago. They could she still be near - but Ellie didn't go after them. It was too dangerous. She didn't have any idea how many men there were, how armed there was and in what state they have you in.

You could be well and alive as well as bruised, with something broken or dead. She needed to immediately tell everyone - so they could figure out what had happened and how to make it right again. 

Her horse was running than the earth was spinning around the sun as she traveled to the meet point at Whitetail. Dina and Jesse were still on a watch there, sitting by a low fire to keep them warm and to scare the animals away as the sky was getting darker. She almost couldn't catch her breath as she ran the hill to meet up with them.

“I-I found Sadie, her horse.” - Ellie stuttered, looking at both of them.

“Why didn’t you bring him back? We could look into her logbook.” - Jesse answered and Dina shook her head. She knew Y/N way better than he did. Y/N had never done her responsibilities until she necessarily needed to. 

“She only wrote notes to her logbook when she was back in the town. She did write only when she was scheduled to go out. It wouldn’t help at all.”

“Dead. That horse is dead with an arrow in its knee and sliced throat. I do have any idea where she is.” - Ellie said with a panic in her voice. She was already thinking about what this is going to do to Joel. I will hurt him like shit - and as well as she knew him...

She knew that he’ll probably go on a rampage just to find that woman.

[marvelsviking]

Odd Sense (2)

Ivar x OC

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.6K

A/N: Back again. I posted this a few days ago but wasn’t happy with it so I revised some parts and added more. Hope you guys enjoy! AND THANK YOU FOR 400 FOLLOWERS! <3

As the plans to help Ivar and his brothers get home was coming together, Ivar was becoming more and more impressed but also a little peeved in a way as he watched you translate. A princess. The fucking princess of a country he and his brothers just so happened to wash up on. A princess that knew his language. A princess that had healed him, his brothers, his crew AND the rest of the kingdom. A fucking princess. If the gods had wanted him to meet his soulmate in another country, they could have sent a gentler sign to him. Instead, Thor had to throw his ass to her like a rock.

The way she held herself with grace but the scars on her hands told a different story. Of course, there’s something more to her. She’s a fucking princess AND a healer and when Ivar compared the obvious differences between Laya and what Ivar assumed to be her sister, he couldn’t help but have a strange gut feeling. Laya by title is a princess but she wasn’t necessarily treated by one. She stood by her father like a servant and her clothing didn’t scream “princess” like her sisters’ did as she sat in a chair next to the King.

There was something more to her. Something more complicated than Ivar could ever imagine and he just had to find out what it was. That’s where the intriguing factor came in. The peeved off factor was how the bitch sitting next to the King wouldn’t stop sneering at Laya and the way Ivar was staring at her. It was almost like she saw Laya as filth. Almost like how his father used to look at him but less-

“Ivar, what do you think?” Ubbe halted his thoughts and his eyes tore away from your face to the display in front of him on the massive stone table. Four miniature ships on a map that showed the land they currently occupied and the vast sea with surrounding countries. The plan was to have the ships take them to their original destination with Ivar’s remaining men and enough of King Abassi’s men to go through with the raid and come back and give a certain percentage of treasure to King Abassi as a thank you for his men and the ships to go back home to Kattegatt. The plan was straight forward and brilliant the only problem is that his brothers and the King couldn’t decide on how much treasure they should give away and with Ivar being the King of Kattegatt, it was his turn to debate with the King.

Ivar tapped his fingers on the table a couple times to front like he had been thinking the entire time and made eye contact with Abassi for the first time since this discussion started.

“Five trunks of gold,” Ivar spoke to the King and then turned his attention back to Laya. She blinked at him for a  quick moment, mouth slightly agape at the deal that was just spoken to her before translating them to her father. As soon as “Five trunks” where translated, her father raised a hand to stop her, not breaking his gaze off Ivar.

“Unacceptable for the number of my men that might die under your command.” He spoke with a clenched jaw. Ivar stopped himself from exhaling heavily and smiled.

“ Deal.”

“Ivar. Are you sure about this?” Ubbe whispered in his younger brothers’ ear. Ivar nodded and locked eyes with the King in front of him once again.

“Half of our gold. It is only fair, no? We are taking half of his men and his ships.” His smiled widened as the King whispered into Laya’s ear and then dropped when she looked back at him with concerned eyes.  She then stood straight and took a breath before speaking.

“My father wonders if you are planning to trick him so he would like to have a safety in place while you go on your raid.” She spoke with her head high, but he could tell that she was slightly worried about the response Ivar might give.

 “And what safety would that be, princess?” He leaned forward and placed his chin in his hands, looking up at her.

Laya turned to her father and translated. Whatever her father said back to her, her sister was not having it as she shoots up out of her chair and yelled down at her father while pointing to Laya. Her head lowered in apparent shame as her sister continues to yell at her.

King Abassi stood up and slammed his palm down on the marble table and Laya’s eyes filled with shock. The other princess slowly sat down with a scowl on her lips as the King used his deep voice to scold her. When he was done, he signaled for Laya to translate to Ivar and his brothers.

 “M-My father says that one of you must stay here and my sister, Princess Aja, will go with you in order to ensure that you will return with the remainder of his men and his ships, as well as keeping true to the promise of half of the gold raided.” This time her voice came out shaky and her eyes were glossy with tears threatening to spill over. Whatever this Princess Aja had said to his sweet Laya, it had clearly hurt her.

“Why her?”

“My sister is next in line for the throne, therefore, she is valuable to the Kingdom. My father assumes that your brothers are valuable to you too. If my sister ends up dead by your hands, the same happens to the brother that stays by ours.”

“What if I want you instead?” Ivar dared. King Abassi was smarter than he thought, no doubt about that, but Ivar wouldn’t be caught dead with someone who came off as prissy as Aja in his care. The princess would surely end up dead, Laya wouldn’t.

“M-Me? I’m just the Kingdoms’ Healer.” Laya stuttered with wide eyes. Ivar smiled at her while shaking his head.

“You are also a princess. You did introduce yourself as such, didn’t you? Also, if I’m trading in one of my brothers who mean so much to me for someone, I would appreciate if it was someone whose presence would be welcomed. No offense but your sister is not fit to be around my men and you did help heal my brothers and I as well as the remainder of my men. They will be honored to be in your presence.”

“Yes, well… I-“ She let out a sigh. “Would you like me to leave out the part about my sister?”

“If you wish, my dear.” Ivar leaned back in his chair as Laya blinked a few times at the nickname before she translated to her father the new offer. It took a lot more back and forth but the King agreed for Laya to go with Ivar and that the decision of which brother will stay in Monstraya will be revealed the day they go off on their raid.

Ivar didn’t like the smirk that sullied Aja’s face when the deal was made. The obvious fact that she wished her sister nothing but ill will made him sick to his stomach. In a way, it reminded him of Sigurd.

Ivar asked Laya to escort him to his room and journey was mostly silent until all of the questions he had held in flew out from his mouth.

“What kind of princess becomes a healer? How do you speak my language? And why does your sister hate you so much?” His brow deeply furrowed as these question confused him more now that he had said them aloud.

She let out a soft laugh that made his heart skip a beat. Her eyes went to the white stone ceiling as her lips pursed and released a soft sigh.

“By title, I am a princess but by blood I am illegitimate so I do not carry the full status. That gave me the opportunity to do as I pleased with some limitations and my mother inspired me to become a healer. My sister hates me because of the freedom I have and her mother raised her to see me as dirty blood and I told you how I speak your language. Last night.” She stood in front of Ivar and looked over him.

“Last night is very foggy,” Ivar admitted. He wouldn’t say it out loud but the only thing he clearly remembered from last night was Laya’s face and voice.

“Must have been the medicine I gave you then. I’ll lower the amount I give you so that you can sleep well and keep your memory.” She mused as she continued to lead him to his room.

Once they reached Ivar’s room, she helped him into his bed and left to retrieve the meds. After Ivar finished it, she changed his bandages again and he requested that Laya stay by his side until he fell asleep saying that a healer should be sure that their patient sleeps soundly before going off duty.

She stayed with him until she was sure that he was in a deep enough sleep. She told her self that it was because Ivar was her patient but she couldn’t help but feel something warm, something peaceful, something… a bit unsettling and just like Ivar, she couldn’t figure out what it was about him.

She wasn’t an idiot though. She saw the way Ivar dotted on her during the meeting, felt him staring at her the entire time and saw how wide his lips spread when her father agreed to have her go with them instead of her sister. She just hoped that the current infatuation Ivar has with her would prevent him from hurting her and that her fathers love for her was strong enough for him not to risk her life while she was away.

Laya wasn’t a manipulative person like Aja, but if that’s who she had to stay alive, then so be it.

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