The Beginning of Us || Sansa Stark & Ellery

[moffnat]

THE BEGINNING OF US
A ROLEPLAY WITH ELLERY AND SANSA STARK

Two years after the events of "The Last of Us," Ellie and Joel are living
happily at Tommy's Dam in Jackson County, Wyoming. Things appear to
be going quite well, to the point where both of them have allowed
their guards to lower. But when the tides turn against them once again
and they find themselves in incredible danger, it seems that only the bonds
they have formed with others will see them through the darkness.
​

CHARLIE MORRIS

Charlie Morris

AGE: 25 YEARS

HEIGHT: 5'5''

LIKES: MUSIC, READING, GUNS, JOKES

DISLIKES: BEING UNDERESTIMATED, AGGRESSION

PERSONALITY: CHARLIE IS VERY LIGHT-HEARTED, WARM AND CALM. SHE KNOWS HOW TO CALM TENSION IN THE AIR. SHE IS PLEASANT TO BE AROUND AND ACTS AS A CALMING FORCE WHENEVER THERE IS TURMOIL. SHE IS CARING AND LOVING, BUT WHEN ANGERED, SHE CAN STIR UP A STORM. SHE IS NOT LACKING IN PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS. SHE HAS A TENDENCY TO HOLD A GRUDGE.

BACKSTORY: CHARLIE WAS 3 WHEN THE APOCALYPSE BROKE OUT. HER MOTHER ESCAPED WITH HER AND FLED TO BOISE, IDAHO, BUT THE QUARANTINE ZONE EVENTUALLY FELL AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS. AFTER TRAVELING FOR A FEW YEARS AND GOING FROM PLACE TO PLACE, THEY ENDED UP BEFRIENDING TOMMY AND MARIA, AND HELPED TO FORM THE DAM COMMUNITY THEY HAVE TODAY.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO: CHARLIE LOVES MUSIC. SHE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME LISTENING TO THE HITS OF THE OLD DAYS, RAIDING MUSIC STORES AND ASKING OLDER PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE BANDS/SINGERS. SHE IS AN INCREDIBLY GOOD SHOT. SHE HAD COMPLETED MILITARY TRAINING FROM THE BOARDING SCHOOL IN BOISE, AND WAS RENOWNED FOR HER ABILITIES AS A SNIPER. MOST OF ALL, SHE LOVES FINDING ARTIFACTS FROM THE PAST AND LEARNING ABOUT THEM, WHICH SHE RECORDS IN A LITTLE JOURNAL TO SHARE WITH HER FUTURE CHILDREN SOMEDAY, SHOULD SHE HAVE THEM.

FAMILY: LILLIAN WRIGHT (MOTHER, AGE 45), BRIAN WRIGHT (STEP-FATHER, AGE 51), KILLIAN WRIGHT (HALF-BROTHER, AGE 7)

AVALINE KIM

Avaline Kim

AGE: 18 years

HEIGHT: 5'4''

LIKES: Hiking, jogging, climbing trees

DISLIKES: Being called short, her father, owls

PERSONALITY: Stubborn as hell, Ava seems like a sweet girl on the outside when, in reality, she is anything but that. She used to run away from home many times, almost to the point where she lost herself in the woods for five hours before her older sister found her. Avaline is a strong-willed girl and doesn't let a few Clickers intimidate her.

BACKSTORY: Being born into the apocalypse made Ava weary of everything around her. Even when she went on her little adventures in the woods, she would always encounter at least one of the Infected wandering around. She would easily dodge them, but when she came home, she could never dodge her father's abuse. With a alcohol addiction, he spent his time lounging around the house, pretending to "guard the house" from the Infected. Ava's older sister and mother worked in the kitchen areas of the quarantine zone they lived in, but one day, tragedy hit and they were taken away from her at the age of seven. Since then, the brunette and her father had to move out to Wyoming, where she stays in a rundown house scavenging for food and handling her father's tantrums for alcohol and terrible beatings.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO: Ava always wanted to learn how to shoot a gun properly and kill one of the Infected with it. However, the only things she knows how to shoot are a pistol and a revolver. Obtaining a rifle would be a life-long dream come true for her, though most areas she scavenges are picked clean. Her main weapon is a bow and arrow, the bow carved out by her sister from a grand oak tree that fell over in the woods one day. Learning how to read and write properly would be awesome, too, but that was mainly her fault that she didn't attend the school the quarantine zone provided for kids.

FAMILY: Su-Ah Kim (MOTHER, AGE 39), Elliot Gold (FATHER, AGE 64), Suzy Kim (OLDER SISTER, AGE 21)

CHARLIE MORRIS

Charlie Morris

AGE: 25 YEARS

HEIGHT: 5'5''

LIKES: MUSIC, READING, GUNS, JOKES

DISLIKES: BEING UNDERESTIMATED, AGGRESSION

PERSONALITY: CHARLIE IS VERY LIGHT-HEARTED, WARM AND CALM. SHE KNOWS HOW TO CALM TENSION IN THE AIR. SHE IS PLEASANT TO BE AROUND AND ACTS AS A CALMING FORCE WHENEVER THERE IS TURMOIL. SHE IS CARING AND LOVING, BUT WHEN ANGERED, SHE CAN STIR UP A STORM. SHE IS NOT LACKING IN PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS. SHE HAS A TENDENCY TO HOLD A GRUDGE.

BACKSTORY: CHARLIE WAS 3 WHEN THE APOCALYPSE BROKE OUT. HER MOTHER ESCAPED WITH HER AND FLED TO BOISE, IDAHO, BUT THE QUARANTINE ZONE EVENTUALLY FELL AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS. AFTER TRAVELING FOR A FEW YEARS AND GOING FROM PLACE TO PLACE, THEY ENDED UP BEFRIENDING TOMMY AND MARIA, AND HELPED TO FORM THE DAM COMMUNITY THEY HAVE TODAY.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO: CHARLIE LOVES MUSIC. SHE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME LISTENING TO THE HITS OF THE OLD DAYS, RAIDING MUSIC STORES AND ASKING OLDER PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE BANDS/SINGERS. SHE IS AN INCREDIBLY GOOD SHOT. SHE HAD COMPLETED MILITARY TRAINING FROM THE BOARDING SCHOOL IN BOISE, AND WAS RENOWNED FOR HER ABILITIES AS A SNIPER. MOST OF ALL, SHE LOVES FINDING ARTIFACTS FROM THE PAST AND LEARNING ABOUT THEM, WHICH SHE RECORDS IN A LITTLE JOURNAL TO SHARE WITH HER FUTURE CHILDREN SOMEDAY, SHOULD SHE HAVE THEM.

FAMILY: LILLIAN WRIGHT (MOTHER, AGE 45), BRIAN WRIGHT (STEP-FATHER, AGE 51), KILLIAN WRIGHT (HALF-BROTHER, AGE 7)

AVALINE KIM

Avaline Kim

AGE: 18 years

HEIGHT: 5'4''

LIKES: Hiking, jogging, climbing trees

DISLIKES: Being called short, her father, owls

PERSONALITY: Stubborn as hell, Ava seems like a sweet girl on the outside when, in reality, she is anything but that. She used to run away from home many times, almost to the point where she lost herself in the woods for five hours before her older sister found her. Avaline is a strong-willed girl and doesn't let a few Clickers intimidate her.

BACKSTORY: Being born into the apocalypse made Ava weary of everything around her. Even when she went on her little adventures in the woods, she would always encounter at least one of the Infected wandering around. She would easily dodge them, but when she came home, she could never dodge her father's abuse. With a alcohol addiction, he spent his time lounging around the house, pretending to "guard the house" from the Infected. Ava's older sister and mother worked in the kitchen areas of the quarantine zone they lived in, but one day, tragedy hit and they were taken away from her at the age of seven. Since then, the brunette and her father had to move out to Wyoming, where she stays in a rundown house scavenging for food and handling her father's tantrums for alcohol and terrible beatings.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO: Ava always wanted to learn how to shoot a gun properly and kill one of the Infected with it. However, the only things she knows how to shoot are a pistol and a revolver. Obtaining a rifle would be a life-long dream come true for her, though most areas she scavenges are picked clean. Her main weapon is a bow and arrow, the bow carved out by her sister from a grand oak tree that fell over in the woods one day. Learning how to read and write properly would be awesome, too, but that was mainly her fault that she didn't attend the school the quarantine zone provided for kids.

FAMILY: Su-Ah Kim (MOTHER, AGE 39), Elliot Gold (FATHER, AGE 64), Suzy Kim (OLDER SISTER, AGE 21)

[fieldbox=Charlie Morris; The Sniper, #00ccff, solid, 0, helvetica]

CHARLIE MORRIS
"We should never forget the way things used to be."​

AUGUST 12TH, 2035. I talked to Janet earlier today. She explained to me what Facebook was. Apparently it was a website where you could look up all your friends and talk to them online, "add" them and communicate with ease even though you were far apart. I thought the idea was incredible. Things would be so easy if we had Facebook in these times. It's almost like a

"Like a..." Charlie thought aloud, tapping her chin with the pen in her hand. The thought came to her. "Oh! Like a web of information...perhaps that was why the called it the 'world wide web.' Hah. Clever." Charlie wrote the words as they came to her mind, jotting them down in the little journal of past information that she kept with her at all times. She was always fond of journaling. Charlie kept two different books with her; one served as a diary, while the other was filled with all sorts of different scribbled information about life before the end the world. She hoped that one day, mankind could rediscover the printing press and maybe she could mass produce her findings. Almost like a history book to be taught to new generations. But that was her ambitious side coming out to snag her from reality, and deep down she knew that those wishes were better kept away.

"Hey," came a voice from behind. Charlie closed her book and turned to see Ellie, mischievous as ever, skip up to her side and hop up on the railing that ran the edge of the dam's outer wall. "Whatchya writin'?"

"Stuff about Facebook," Charlie replied. "Janet told me about it."

"Oh, cool." Ellie swung her legs happily over the railing. "Wanna hear some jokes?"

"Nooooo," Charlie groaned, throwing her head back in defeat. "God, Ellie, please no, I still can't get over the last one you told me about the peanuts in the park."

"About them being...a-salted?"

"Ugh!" Charlie broke into a string of giggles, shaking her head. "Oh my god. That's so bad, I hate it."

Ellie laughed triumphantly. "Come on, it's a great one! Oh wait. Hey, hey Charlie--I used to be addicted to soap. But I'm clean now."

"No!" Charlie pushed away from the rail and burst into laughter. "No, Ellie! God! Here, you watch this side of the wall, my rifle and I are leaving."

"Get back here, love meee." Ellie hopped off the rail and chased after Charlie, lacing arms with her and walking side-by-side. "I have wall duty with you. Let's sit around and shoot clickers and talk shit about the girls Tommy keeps trying to pick for Joel."

Charlie scoffed. "Pff. Why would I care about that?"

"Oh, I see, trying to play it cool now?" Ellie winked. "I see riiiiight through it."

"You are so irritating." The statement was made with love. Charlie sighed and leaned back against the rail, setting her journal down on the concrete by her feet. The way Ellie hated Tommy's matchmaking skills was always the most hilarious of conversations, and she would be damned to skip such humor today. "Okay, kiddo. Shoot."​

[/fieldbox]

 

[Ellery]

[fieldbox="Joel Miller; The Savior, green, solid"]

JOEL MILLER
"I struggled for a long time with survivin', and no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."
​

"Jesus boy, what the hell is this thing?"

"It's for your date tonight, big brother." Tommy, who had been sitting amused in his chair the whole time, smirked at Joel's outfit. The once ironed out shirt Joel wore was slightly tattered at the ends with specks of blood here and there, but it was in good enough condition for his big brother to score a night with a lady that had come in a few months ago. Tommy noticed how the girl would clam up whenever Joel was around, however, his dense brother never got a hint as he was always too busy looking after his baby girl and the dam. Now that the town was running on electricity, they had to make sure it didn't attract too many of the Infected that could be lurking around. But, a chuckle escaped his lips when he saw how tight the shirt was on Joel's torso.


The older brother looked at his sibling as if he was nuts. "You want me lookin' like Hulk on this blind date?" He fumbled with the buttons and took it off in seconds. "Why do you keep hookin' me up with these girls anyways?"

"Come on, you know why." Tommy set his legs down on the ground from the table, leaning on it instead and resting his chin upon his interlocked hands. "You need to loosen up, man. Find some lovin' and settle down."

Joel grunted at the idea. He couldn't think about settling down ever until this damn plague was gone, even though he knew that it wouldn't be anytime in his generation. The pain of losing another loved one would be harder, though, and he didn't want to risk it. He already has Ellie to take care of, and having another woman in his life would probably drive him crazy anyways. "I'm going to the dam. Make sure Ellie stays inside the town's perimeters."

"Joel, wait!" But, Tommy's brother was already walking out on him, tossing the shirt on the table and walking out of the little cabin Tommy owned in the middle of town. Sighing, he followed Joel out and tried to persuade him again when he saw an unfamiliar hooded figure speedily walking through the crowd of people in the square.

"What in the world?" Tommy followed the figure until it disappeared, too tiny to spot in the hoard of people laughing and chatting away in the town's square. He tried to push through people and squint to see any tiny hooded people, but none came to sight. He shrugged slightly, thinking of it as just a play of the light or something along those lines. Turning back around, he saw Joel had made a great distance towards the dam and ran up to him in order to catch up. "Now, where were we . . ."​

[/fieldbox]

 

[moffnat]

[fieldbox=Charlie Morris; The Sniper, #00ccff, solid, 0, helvetica]

CHARLIE MORRIS
"We should never forget the way things used to be."
​

"...and I hate the way she dresses. Have you seen those floral print shirts? Eugh! Honestly, I think Tommy misreads Joel's taste by a long shot. If Joel hooked up with Freya, the house would look like a fucking nursing home."

Charlie nearly snorted up the water she was drinking. She covered her mouth and coughed before bursting into a long string of laughter. "Ellie, Jesus. Have mercy, I can only take so much."

"But I'm serious!" Ellie raised her hands dramatically, but Charlie didn't miss her devilish smile. "I swear. I mean, Joel needs to get hitched I guess. We could use some company in our dumb little house and he sucks at eating the popcorn I throw at his face when we're watching movies. I just...I don't know." The teen's demeanor suddenly changed to one of muted sorrow, and her shoulders sank in defeat. "I just want him to be happy."

How could Charlie not be touched by the sentiment? She smiled despite the topic and placed a gentle hand on Ellie's shoulder for encouragement. "Hey. Don't worry about it so much, okay? My mom and I only had each other for a while, for a long time actually, 'till she found Brian. Sometimes you just have to let things take their course and try not to interfere. Joel will find someone. He's got a lot of good things going for him, and there are a lot of single women in this place. He just has to warm up to the idea, I guess. And find someone that doesn't make you want to scream."

"That's the most important thing," Ellie agreed with a chuckle. She elbowed Charlie in the side playfully. "Thanks."

"Anytime. Hey, speak of the devil!"

Charlie stood straight and waved into the distance at Joel's approaching figure, trying not to listen to Ellie's nagging in the back of her head, insisting that she was the one for Joel versus some flower-wearing Freya. Charlie felt her face heat up in the slightest bit before turning back to Ellie for cover, slapping her playfully on the arm. "Why don't you tell Joel what you said about Freya? I bet he'll get a kick out of it."

"Pfft. I've already told him a hundred times," Ellie groaned as she leaned back against the rail, arms folded across her chest. Joel approached the duo and his teen companion offered him a teasing smirk. "But he just says 'it ain't the time fer romance anyway, Ellie. Now git on over ta bed, we got werk in the mornin'." Ellie purposefully poured heavy on a completely fake Texan accent. Charlie snorted and giggled behind her hands.​

[/fieldbox]

 

[Ellery]

[fieldbox="Joel Miller; The Savior, green, solid"]

JOEL MILLER
"I struggled for a long time with survivin', and no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."
​

"See, it's that Charlie girl I was talkin' about." Tommy pointed at the blonde giggling with Ellie, her gun propped up next to her. She was a lot shorter than Joel, but she had an aura of confidence that attracted him to her. "Ain't she cute?"

"You're already cheatin' on Maria with Charlie?" Joel raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms questionably.

"I'm talkin' about you, dumbass."

The dark haired, middle aged man shook his head, sighing. "Look, I don't want," He paused, trying to look for the right word, "a partner at the moment. And, that girl seems too young to go for guys like me. What I need right now is just Ellie's wellbeing."

"But, we're already doing that!" Tommy exclaimed, spreading out his arms before letting them drop to his sides. "As long as she's here, she's safe. You just need to worry about yourself."

"I'm fine the way-"

Tommy halted in his steps and clasped Joel's shoulder, tired of his brother insisting that he was okay with being alone. "No, you're not. You need someone to share that weight on your shoulders and to give you a chance to relax now and then. Havin' Maria in my life has changed me so much for the better. Knowing that there's someone always there for you makes survivin' so much easier. Trust me on this, big brother. Just try it."

"Alright, alright." Joel said finally, putting his hands up in a fake surrender. "I'll give it a shot, although I haven't asked out a girl properly in years, so I might be a li'l rusty."

"That's my boy!" The younger of the two slapped the older one on the back in a congratulatory manner despite not even asking the girl out yet.

"Don't say that, baby brother."

They continued to walk towards the dam when they got close enough to the two girls to be able to talk to them. "Haha, very funny. Shouldn't you be at home, young lady?" He pointedly stared at Ellie before looking over at Charlie, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why don't you come over, too? Your shift should be over soon." He could feel Tommy staring at him with utter glee in his eyes, but ignored it and focused on their conversation.

​

[/fieldbox]

​

 

[moffnat]

[fieldbox=Charlie Morris; The Sniper, #00ccff, solid, 0, helvetica]

CHARLIE MORRIS
"We should never forget the way things used to be."
​

Charlie was about to open her mouth to reply, when the words Joel had said finally registered in her mind. She stood there, entirely confused and unsure of herself as Joel watched her, no doubt in anticipation of her response. Ellie's mouth fell open in a little happy gasp. Charlie wished they were alone, so she could reach over and stomp on the girl's foot for hiding her true intentions all this time.

"Are you--I mean, sure. Yeah." Charlie couldn't help but smile. In the corner of her eye, Charlie picked up on Ellie and Tommy whispering deviously to each other, no doubt having been the collective heads of "Operation: Get Joel a Wife." Not that Charlie mattered, of course. To be considered at all was a great flattery, though she hadn't actually entertained the idea that Joel would ever go for it. He was guarded man if she'd ever seen one. Ellie had just finished fussing over Freya not ten minutes ago, and Charlie had assumed that floral print and anti-Ellie was simply Joel's taste whenever he was ready to make a move.

But maybe I was wrong.

"My shift ends at four," Charlie said with a giddy grin. "I can bring over some of the cookies I made last night. Ellie's been dying to try them. What time is it now?" She took a few steps forward, close enough to check Joel's watch, only the second-hand was frozen in time and she frowned. "Oh. Your watch, it doesn't work."

The atmosphere seemed to change. Tommy and Ellie's conversation halted and both of them tensed ever so slightly, but still noticeably. Charlie was an expert at reading people. She glanced from the two of them to the watch again, noticing that it wasn't new, perhaps not meant for the purpose of telling time at all.

And then it clicked in her head.

"It--uhm. Sorry." She curled her hair behind her ear and stepped back again. "I've, uh, I've actually got a watch of my own, so it's fine." She fumbled with her pocketwatch, suddenly nervous. Joel was a hard man, surrounded by years of harshness and defensive tendencies. She didn't want to expose him or make him feel uncomfortable. The watch clearly had sentimental value. "See? Three-thirty. Half an hour. I can be over then, sure thing. With cookies for Ellie."

Talking too much was a nervous habit of hers.​

[/fieldbox]

 

[Ellery]

[fieldbox="Joel Miller; The Savior, green, solid"]

JOEL MILLER
"I struggled for a long time with survivin', and no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."
​

"Are you - I mean, sure. Yeah."

Joel had to admit that she was beautiful with her stunning blue eyes, but also very awkward and young. She had paused for a bit before giving a response which worried him a bit. Maybe he was too quick to invite her over already before getting to know her, but he didn't know how else to befriend her other than asking her out. He still felt very tense about the whole relationship thing, knowing how badly his last one went, but wanted to at least make some friends while he was at it.

He found it humorous, however, at how the blonde stammered when his broken watch was brought up. Understandable, but humorous. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. "Alright, see you then. Come on, Ellie. " The hazel-eyed man didn't bother to explain the watch much as it was something he didn't want to dwell on anymore, but rather cherish for the bittersweet memories it brought. He turned around and left, Tommy staying back and giving him a wink before heading into the dam's infrastructure to make sure everything was working properly. Joel simply rolled his eyes at him and glanced at Ellie, who looked as gleeful as his brother.

"Was this the plan you were comin' up with this past week?" He gave her a questioning look, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "And with Tommy, too? Unbelievable. What other things do you have up your sleeve?" He smirked, thinking about the last plan she had with that flower girl. She was too preppy for Joel, switching from one subject to another in a second. However, he had some hope for this new girl as she seemed much more mature than her age.
​

[/fieldbox]

​

[fieldbox="Avaline Kim; The Survivor, pink, dashed"]

AVALINE KIM
"I was supposed to die that day, but here I am, making every shitty moment count."​

"Fuck!"

Kicking a nearby knocked down electrical pole, Avaline placed her hands on her hips, looking at the walls of a guarded city with electricity from a mile away. If she could get in somehow, she could possibly obtain supplies for her dad who was back in the thick forest they had to venture through, laying under a willow tree. They had to go through a nearby group who was in disarray after their leader was killed a few years back. She had forgotten their name, but she didn't need to as they reminded her with a shower of bullets and arrows upon them, screaming at them about how it was the "Fireflies" territory. They got her dad after the first hail of shots when one of them sneaked up behind them in a lobby of a nearby rundown hospital that they claimed was their property.

But when she got the first chance to get in after seeing a couple of the guards too busy holding out conversations or focusing on the horizon with their binoculars, Ava snuck into one of the crappier parts of the city where the fence was malleable enough to bend and go underneath. Hooded in a ragged, mahogany robe she had stolen a while back, the bronze-haired girl kept her head down in order to keep her identity hidden.

"Man, where is that Tommy boy of ours? Can't find a damn thing in this place." Towering men with shoulders broader than usual, she could see that the men were weary from repairing things in a row of miniature stores, yet slightly smiling as they tried to find 'Tommy'. They seemed pretty carefree for people surviving in an Infected world, yet they were still on guard. It was strange seeing kids her age and younger frolic around, laughing without a care in the world.

Ava envied it all.

Though, she had no right to. Besides, if she were more responsible, she could've done something that day. Hell, she could've even changed her ignorant attitude afterwards. But, every time she tried, any little hope in her would die out easily and she just wanted to blend into nature rather than blend in with the kids. The half Korean never understood why she felt the way she did, but it was too late when she realized it had become a problem that she could not ignore anymore.

"Two apples, please." Ava said to the food vendor in front of her who looked like they were going to drop dead any second due to how tired they looked. The tired teenager nodded slowly, looking over the hooded girl curiously, and mumbled out something she didn't catch the first time around.

Crap, do I have to pay for these? "Can you repeat that?"

"I said have a nice day." The girl handed Ava the apples and resumed watching people pass by, not bothering to attract them. Sighing in relief, the girl strolled towards the fence she came from. As she thought about her father, bad memories started to stream through her cluttered head.

Smash.

"Get me more beer, you good-for-nothing shit!"

Bang.

"Go load up the gun and leave it next to me, cleaned and polished."

Slap.

"Your mother and sister would've still been here if it weren't for you."

Subconsciously, the girl blinked and shook her head to focus on trying to save her father. As much as she hated him for being such a hypocrite, he was the only person she had right now. Without him, she would be left alone, and she wasn't ready for that. Not yet.

Someone, however, noticed her strange attire and behavior as she maneuvered through the crowd. Swiftly, she ducked and squeezed in between the crowd watching the sunset in the middle of the plaza and discreetly left underneath a different part of the fence circling the city. It was harder to bend, but not impossible.

Trouble was not over, though. As soon as she exited the city, she still felt a pair of eyes watching her from afar. Instead of walking towards the direction of her father, the redhead took a long way around, ending up with whoever was watching her to be taking a complete circle.

She decided to remain in one spot for a while, hiding in an enclosure of oak trees. Her eyes were trained on her surroundings outside of the little hiding spot when she heard the crunching of leaves nearing her. Climbing up one of the largest trees of the group, Ava trained her sniper rifle on the noise.
​

[/fieldbox]

​

 

[moffnat]

[fieldbox=Ellie Williams; The Cure, green, solid, 0, courier new]

ELLIE WILLIAMS
"Don't tell me that I would be safer with someone else, because the truth is I would just be more scared."
​

"Oh come on." Ellie groaned at Joel's question in a way that stated how playful she was being. She nudged him in the side with her elbow. "You need to let loose a little, Joel! Have some fun! I'll even stay over at AJ's tonight to give you and Miss Morris some privacy." She winked, bursting into laughter at the awkward look on Joel's face. He was always so weird when it came to talking about matters of the heart. Ellie settled into pace by his side and tried to lighten the mood, and the load from his shoulders. "I'm just fucking with you. But I am gonna stay at AJ's, so you know, you have the place to yourself."

Ellie awkwardly tugged at her sleeve as she looked up to him, wanting to make her intentions clear. It was always strange like this, these father/daughter moments that happened so often between the two of them. Joel and Ellie shared enough love between them to introduce as family without anyone asking questions, but it still felt awkward at times. Not the uncomfortable sort of awkward. The good kind, only...different. Ellie could never find the words to explain it. Not knowing what else to say, she slapped Joel playfully on the arm. "Well, I still got wall duty. Go get 'er, old man."

---

The sun was on the descent by the time Charlie left to get ready to visit Joel, and Ellie was left on wall duty in-between shifts. She sat casually with her rifle strapped around her shoulder, popping pieces of popcorn in her mouth and humming a tune that had been stuck in her head awhile. She was about to check the time on her watch when she noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye, near an oak tree that Ellie considered to be one of her favorite spots. She paused, picking up her rifle and peeking into the scope to see who or what was there.

What she saw was a girl not much older than her, perched up in a tree, looking hungry and very upset.

"Holy shit," Ellie muttered under her breath. She lowered the gun and looked around, making sure there was no one in sight as she juggled with what to do. The girl looks harmless. Maybe I should make sure she's alright. Ellie descended the wall and jogged cautiously up to the tree in question, through brush and grass and forestry until she came to the trunk of the tree where the stranger was hiding.

"Uh," Ellie stuttered. "Hey. You okay up there?"​

[/fieldbox]

​

[fieldbox=Charlie Morris; The Sniper, #00ccff, solid, 0, helvetica]

CHARLIE MORRIS
"We should never forget the way things used to be."
​

"So let me get this straight," her mother asked, clipping her nails and eyeing her daughter from the couch. "He just up an' asked you to come over there? Just like that?"

"Just like that," Charlie replied. She put a barrette in her hair to keep it up in the way she wanted it, satisfied at last with how she looked. "I mean, he's a nice guy...really attractive. Strong and all that. But I don't know. It feels weird almost, and not because of the age thing, just because...ugh." Charlie gripped the edge of the sink and sighed. "So many people out there are dying, all over the world. And here I am. Getting to go on a date, or whatever the hell this is, as if this stupid disease never happened."

Lillian sighed, stopping what she was doing to look upon her upset daughter. Charlie was always someone who thought of others before she thought of herself. "Honey, you can't think of it that way. Just be grateful for the blessings we've had. This place is paradise for a world like ours. Take advantage of it. If you let yourself live in fear, you'll never live."

"Yeah. That's true." Charlie pushed herself up, fluffing her hair in the mirror a moment longer and flipped the bathroom lights off as she exited. "Okay. I'm leaving."

"Alright. Say hi to Joel for me, kay?"

"Kay. Love you."

"Love you too."

Charlie picked up the small box of cookies she'd promised and left her family's small home, trying to smile. In truth, she was nervous as all hell. She'd never dated before, never been the light in someone's eye unless she was considered a prize for some asshole on the road to take advantage of for a good time. Charlie had been lucky never to fall victim to that horrendous behavior, but she had never been pursued with honesty and she wasn't sure how it felt. All I have to do is trust him, Charlie thought, and she did. Tommy's brother wouldn't force himself on me. There are still good guys that exist in the world.

Though, if Joel were to ask her willingly, the situation would be entirely different. Stop, don't think about that!

When Charlie came to Joel and Ellie's door, she knocked, standing there in the twilight air with a giddy grin on her face. No matter how nervous she was. Charlie was still excited, and that initial happiness couldn't be doused. She waited patiently for Joel to open the door and fought the temptation to eat one of the cookies she'd brought for the teen who'd set her up in the first place.​

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