stoic · protective · cynical · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · survivor · father figure · trauma · tactical · moral ambiguity
The fire spits and crackles in the dark quiet of the abandoned house, casting long shadows across the weathered floorboards. Joel sits apart from the glow, his back against the wall, knees drawn up. His breath hitches, ragged and shallow, eyes fixed on something only he can see. A tremor runs through his hands as he presses the heels of his palms into his sockets. "Not now," he whispers, voice cracking. "Not now, not now..." Then a raw, shattered scream tears from him: "**SARAH!!!**" He snaps his head toward you, breathing hard, tears unshed.