Fandom Tale of Two Survivors { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

Nate stood firm to be that support for Alex to get up. “Oh, I think I can be that for you,” he answered with a grin to match Alex’s. He was happy to walk right with him if that was what he needed. Once he was standing, Nate grabbed his pack and handed it to him. “With one less can, I am sure it won’t even be a problem today.” Then he shoved his own on his back. He stepped towards the door and sighed. “I hope you know that I know how we got here but I have no idea where to go to get out and be back on track.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex snorted a laugh as he grabbed his pack and threw it on. “I remember where we came from and how we get back.” He said, leading the way towards the hotel room door. He had a good limp but nothing he couldn’t work with. He opened the door and looked at Nate. Alex held a hand out for Nate, ready to make their way down the hallway and towards the front lobby.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

Nate took Alex’s hand with an enthusiastic nod as they headed out into the hall and towards the lobby. “Okay, correction. I could get us to the lobby. Probably. I remember this. But once we get outside, I don’t know. Did we come from the left?” He spun briefly, but only partly since he still had Alex’s hand. I think that’s how directions work. “If we were on the right before it’s now our left because we turned. Wait, is that right?” He needed to stop. Alex could teach him directions when they weren’t in fear of their lives. Maybe later. And he needed to stop spinning before he made himself dizzy. So he walked like a normal person as they headed through the lobby and to the street.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex found Nate’s lack of a sense of direction amusing. Watching him trying to remember which way was which. “Nate. Get us to the lobby, then I’ll get us going the rest of the way.” Alex said with a laugh. Once they made it to the street, Alex turned them to the right. He was still very much unsure of the city. He had no idea who or what they’d run into here. He knew they had to make through the city, there was nowhere else that made sense for them to go. “I’m going to be honest here Nate. I’m still not a big fan of cities, so I’m not going to let go of your hand.” Alex admitted.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

Nate peered at his companion as they walked down the street. The city really did bother him, didn’t it? He gathered it had something to do with the big group in Seattle that was against his group. He wished that he could know what exactly these horrible people did to ruin Alex’s trust of all cities. Granted, Nate didn’t so much like them either. They were always fraught with infected and angry mobs of survivors. Of course, there wasn’t so much else that they could go. “Hey, I am right here with you.” He squeezed their clasped hands. “Whatever you need.” He confidently walked down the street, eyeing the buildings and scenery around them.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex looked at Nate with a grateful smile. He sent a small squeeze back. “Thank you.” He said. Alex was trying to work through his distrust of the city but patrols on the borders with the WLF in Seattle, the places that the soldiers would hide. And the fact that they showed no remorse. He’d heard of things that happened to Seraphites that were captured. He’d heard of what they called them. ‘Scars’ as if they were determined by their appearance. Alex looked around at the large buildings. He felt that nervous uneasy energy rising. He didn’t know if it was him or not. His head turned side to side looking for whatever could be causing him to be unsettled.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

Nate watched Alex watching the rest of the world. Was there something there or was it Alex’s paranoia? Being out in the open like this was only going to make things worse for him. Not to mention, they were coming up on a part of the street with a collapsed building. They were going to have to find a new routine soon anyway. Okay, so where could they go to get out of the immediate line of sight? Those buildings didn’t lead anywhere. Something was tall over that way. They could turn off on the next street. There was another building that was leaning on the tall one. Where could they go from there? “Want to take the scenic route? Get out of the streets?” He pointed towards the buildings down the other street. “Not sure how well your leg can handle it, but we can judge as we go.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex noticed the collapsed building in front of them. That made the street impassable. He didn’t like that. Not at all. He couldn’t navigate cities like he could forests. Alex didn’t trust this at all. He looked at Nate when he spoke. “I guess it’s the only way we can go. My leg will be fine.” Alex said, holding on tight to Nate’s hand. He didn’t trust the streets. If they turned off he’d have to remember which direction they turned from, and make sure to get back the right way. What would they find in this city? He had no idea.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

With a firm grip on his hand, Nate led them to the next street. “Don’t worry, I got this. I can navigate a city in shambles. You just keep climbing and moving until you can’t anymore, and then you do it anyway until you’re out.” He gave his hand another squeeze and laughed. “And I’ve got you. When you can’t run, you walk, and when you can’t do that, you find someone to carry you.” He raised both eyebrows with a big toothy grin. He pointed to himself with their joined hands. “That’s me.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex felt better that he had Nate who knew how to navigate these cities. It was like he’d been reading Alex’s mind and he was grateful for it. He nodded, following Nate down the next street with a small smile. “I’m glad I’ve got you to carry me if I need it” Alex said with a smile on his face. He was glad he had Nate. He needed him. In more ways than he knew. Alex looked at the street they were on. It was quiet and he still felt unnerved but there wasn’t much he could say. He was slow with his limp, and hoped that they weren’t going to be ambushed by more crazy hunters.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

He raised his empty arm and waved it around. “Oh yeah, look at these muscles. Muscles for days. Days.” He chuckled as he let it drop. “I am certain that I can carry you all of … oh five minutes?” He playfully and gently nudged their shoulders together. He swung their hands gently as he moved towards the falling buildings. In theory, he could see how they might get there. Move up some stories and hope there was nothing blocking them. It could work out well. Of course, it could be a horrible choice. Maybe. Regardless, they were running out of options, and they had to move forward somehow. This was as good as any. This was probably some sort of office building. That meant there would be plenty to use to help them get places they could not normally reach. Oh yeah, this was going to be great. They were definitely going to run into trouble. Great.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex laughed softly, trying not to be loud. "I can see that, all those muscles. They put mine to shame, shame for sure." Alex said. "Five minutes. That's very impressive" He added, smiling as Nate nudged their shoulders together and swung their hands gently. Alex turned his attention to the buildings in front of them. He swallowed a bit, unsure as to how well he'd make it through that with his leg. This was not going to be fun and he had a bad feeling something was in there, he just had no clue what or who. ​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

As they reached the front of this building, Nate was for sure regretting his choices. He turned his gaze anywhere else. Scanning the area. No he didn’t see any other feasible options. They could do this. They could do anything together. “Oh yes, shame.” As they came to the front, he moved around the crumbling front courtyard. It certainly had seen better days. Nature was taking it back with a force. There were a couple of ways that he saw into the building. The front door might have been blocked, but there were numerous windows. Some were broken and some were not. They could probably climb through. Maybe. He pointed towards one of them. “What do you think? Worth it?”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex looked up at the building they were standing in front of. He looked around, no other way to go but through. Alex wasn't so sure this was a good idea, but there really wasn't much of an option. He would need some extra help getting up but once he got up, he'd be fine. Alex took a deep breath and looked over at Nate. "It's the only way through, so it's going to have to be" He said, moving towards the window. Alex took his tunic and placed it on the sill of the window, shielding their legs from the glass. "Ready?" He asked, bringing his good leg up and over the sill, looking at Nate before swinging his bad leg over, stepping into the building, crouching instantly and listening. Quiet so far..​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

Nate watched carefully, hopping over as soon as Alex moved through the window. He fell beside him, also in a crouch. He listened for a moment. Nothing. Good. He pulled out the flashlight and clipped it to himself for when they lost light further in. The building was definitely an office building. They jumped into the lobby near the main receptionist desk. It looked like it was in a relatively good condition still. The chair was in shambles, but the desk was not so bad. He led them that way to check the top and the drawers in case there was anything of use. That and because he was avoiding how open the rest of the lobby was. The seating was still there. Some chairs looked fine but some were toppled. Some even seemed like something was growing on them. He was not looking forward to traveling through this particular building. He scanned quickly. They needed to find the stairs. One of the doors on that wall was likely the answer. But until then, drawers. He pulled open one. Nothing. Another. An old letter opener. That could be used for something probably.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex followed Nate, slowly and carefully. He kept his head on a swivel not really liking how this building was. Alex looked at Nate as he checked the desk drawers, but there wasn't much else around. He walked towards the doors on the far wall, pulling open the first one to find an empty room. The next one was locked, and the third one held the stairwell. "Nate" He said softly, calling his companion over. "The first one had nothing, the second door was locked and the third one is the stairs" Alex said softly. He didn't trust anything in here but Nate. If they ran into people or infected, there wasn't a lot of supplies to help them. Alex did still have those bullets in his pack from the apartment building in case they needed them.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

Nate looked up at his name. He moved to him, stepping to the doors. The locked one was tempting, but he did not want to take any additional risks. He bypassed the locked door and moved into the stairwell, taking Alex’s hand. “Not so bad, right?” He smiled hoping it looked like he was more confident than he was feeling. If he seemed like he trusted their chances, maybe Alex would also believe him. He needed Alex in this with him. “Just like climbing trees.” He moved up the stairs avoiding several broken and abandoned chairs in the corner. There was a door to the second floor and more stairs going up. “What do you think?”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex held onto Nate's hand, using it as a grounding support. He was so far out of his element and he hated it. A lot. "Y- Yeah, it's not that bad" Alex said, trying to believe it himself. He slowly moved up the stairs, his hand moving from Nate's to put his arm over his shoulder. It was a lot more difficult walking up stairs with his leg than he'd anticipated. When they made it to the second floor, Alex wasn't sure he could make more stairs just yet. "Second floor, let's try that" He said, hoping it was a good idea. He didn't want to say that his leg was definitely sore from making it up those stairs.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

Distraction. He needed to create a distraction for Alex. This was a lot to ask of him when this was not what her normally did. Nate opened the door to a hallway that circled around with numerous rooms that splintered off. There were several sitting areas, or what used to be so. He stepped out and listened. Nothing yet, but he saw what those walls looked like. Something had been here and was likely still somewhere in this building. How did he distract from that? “From where we were down in the streets,” he whispered moving to the left, “I couldn’t tell how high up we needed to get but somewhere we can either move out to a balcony or window that will lead us into the other neighboring building. Then maybe we can look out and see where we can go. It’s my version of scouting like your high trees. Just with the potential of more friends.”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex swallowed hard, looking at the hallway, and knowing exactly what was on those walls. He listened to Nate, hearing him but also listening to what could be around. He slowly moved with Nate to the left. "Okay.." Alex whispered. He was listening intently to the sounds, so far it was quiet. More friends great. That's what Alex wanted to hear for sure. He knew the chance of them finding infected here was high, it was a city after all, and those walls definitely meant that they'd at least been there. Alex was still looking around the building, all while following Nate closely.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

More friends could in theory be friendly people who were lost and needed a guide to help them along the way. It could also mean horribly infected individuals who wanted to eat his face. That was not exactly going to be comforting though. He chose not to say that. Instead, he kept them moving, walking past some of the sitting areas. They were fine. Well, if by fine he meant something clearly came through here at some point. Something pushed. Something crushed? Something… growing. Cool. He pulled Alex past that. And that. And that. More fun things. He popped his head into an office. There were plenty that he obtain useful things if they wanted to explore. Alex probably did not want to. So instead he popped his head in to look for windows, see if they led somewhere real, and then moved to the next room.
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex could see the growth, see where something had pushed things around. He could see all of it and he didn't like one bit of it. Alex kept himself close to Nate as they ventured through the building. Alex could see the potential for supplies, he could see that they could possibly scavenge all kinds of stuff from the different rooms. Did he want to move away from Nate's side? Nope. So, the supplies remained where they were. Alex heard something in a room across the hall. He had gotten less nervous as they moved, and walked towards it. It didn't sound like infected and a hunter would make more noise than that. "Nate.." He whispered, gesturing him to follow Alex. He walked up to the door, pushed it open and stepped inside. He looked around before he felt an arm wrap around his chest, pulling him against someone and a hand on his head. "Who are you.." A voice asked. Hunter's didn't talk, they fought first. Alex froze, confusion and fear filling his body.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

Nate followed, hearing something off about the room as well. He was not sure what they were going to find, but he was mildly afraid of looking. As Alex pushed the door opened, Nate gripped his knife just in case. He peered inside just as Alex was pulled away by someone. Nate’s entire body whipped around staring straight into the eyes of a someone who may have had his Alex in a less than pleasant grip but was talking. He made a decision in that moment. Split second decisions were the only way to go. He raised his hands, knife still in one but with several fingers off the handle. A show of trust without being too trusting. At least not yet. “Hey. We don’t mean you any harm. We didn’t even know you were here. can you loosen your grip on my friend?” He gestured with a nod so as not to look threatening. He did, however, already know how he could daze this person quickly to get Alex back. As long as the person’s reflex’s weren’t that fast. He’d see. “My name’s Nate. What’s yours?”
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[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; Montana

Alex was definitely not pleased to be in this situation, but the person eased their grip on him. He couldn't get free just yet, but he wasn't being held tight like he had been. "Name's Kaleb." Alex heard from behind him. He glanced behind him to catch blonde hair but that was all he could see. The man paused for a minute before he did drop his arm, letting Alex go. Alex went straight over to Nate's side as soon as he was let go.

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Spoiler: Kaleb Price

Kaleb let the dark brown haired man go, eyeing the other one who'd held his knife with fingers off the handle. "It's nice to meet you Nate, and uh who's your friend?" He asked, eyeing the one he'd just held to his chest.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; Montana

There were a couple of ways that this could go. One, it could go well, and they could find that this individual was a sympathetic and helpful person. He could let Alex go, and they could either exchange cordial pleasantries or they could go their own way. That was the best option. Two, this other individual could be particularly difficult, and Nate was going to have to be very careful how to retrieved his Alex back. With the hunter and the woman, he could come up from behind. That was not an option here. He knew what he could do, but getting there would be difficult. The moment that Alex was released, Nate put out his free hand, careful not to move his hand with the knife down or tighten the grip at all, and protectively put that free arm in front of Alex. He kept it low and only overlapping a little so as not to convey a feeling of distrust, but he did want to make it clear that Alex was under his protection. Muscles for days right?

“Thanks. I appreciate that. This is Alex. We’re just passing through.” He lowered the knife so it was at a normal hanging position. “Like you?” It was a complete guess, but he assumed that was how this was. Kaleb looked like the traveling sort as well. If he was alone, then maybe they could help each other out. That was the ideal. Otherwise, they went separate ways. No harm done. Perhaps this was still as good of an idea as it was when he first had it.

“Mm, Kaleb my love, did you find new friends?”

Spoiler: Carlos

portrayed by robbie daymond

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Nate’s head snapped to the side at the unexpected and worrisome sound of a whole new person. This one appeared at the doorway like he simply existed. He had not heard him arrive at all, and that was not the most alarming part. Despite all people looking similarly disheveled on this world, this one exuded an entirely different attitude. Unlike the many layers of handed down clothing Nate pilfered from abandoned homes, this man looked like he was practically put together. His finely groomed mustache and neat curls tucked behind his ears made him feel like one of those people from all the posters they saw around and not a real one. Necklaces, nice jacket with embroidery that still seemed new and not in the same worn condition as everything else they found, and just overall cleanliness rang from him. Nate was fascinated and wished that he could ask how exactly this kind of person could exist in the world.

“Oh, yes, you have.” He leaned against the doorframe, little half smile brightening his face. His words were sprinkled with just a hint of an accent that Nate did not recognize. “Were you going to share?”
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