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

[EquineGurl23]

Tale of Two Survivors

A former Firefly and a runaway Seraphite. As opposite as can be but locked together in a bid for survival. What could they possibly find as they travel the country? Throw in the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) and The Seraphite community they end up running into in Seattle and it's anyone's guess if these two will ever find a place to belong.

A 1x1 The Last of Us Rp with icedthemoon​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Spoiler: Alex

The sun was high in the sky as the breeze blew through the vines stretching over the buildings. Alex was moving cautiously, his steps quiet and even paced. He'd been running for about a month or so, leaving everything he'd known behind him. His clothes were torn and he needed to find something more suitable than the Seraphite outfit he'd escaped in. Alex was grateful that he'd only come across a few hoards on his way east. The man was supposed to be a warrior, but he never felt like one. He was supposed to believe and feel their prophets love, but when he'd brought up loving a man rather than a woman, his mother threatened to have him killed on the spot. The Seraphites were old fashioned, it was man and woman and that was that.

He glanced around, his hand always ready to reach for his bow. He kept it in good shape, replacing strings as needed and watching the condition of the wood. He'd learned how to care for it during his training to be a warrior, and they'd taught him how to use it well. He could make arrows as well, another valuable skill that he'd learned before he fled. Alex could only imagine what would happen if he had tried to go back. The very thought had him shiver in place. Shaking his head, he knew he'd rather die by infected than go back there. The small abandoned town he'd wandered in seemed to still have plenty of supplies he noticed. Stepping inside an old gas station, he filled his pack with untouched canned foods as well as any items that could come in handy if he hurt himself.

The man was so busy scavenging, he nearly missed the sound of footsteps. His blood ran cold and he crouched down behind the counter. His hands immediately drew his bow, an arrow ready to be nocked. His eyes searched the area, watching out for any sign of life or infected. Slowly, he ventured out from behind the counter. Still in his crouch, he peeked outside the door, looking left and right trying to scope out what he'd heard. It hadn't sounded like the shambling of infected which meant it could be a person. Standing up, Alex stepped into the street, bow still at the ready as he walked forward, intent on finding the source of the footsteps. "Hello?" He called out softly, trying to avoid alerting any nearby infected.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Spoiler: Nate

portrayed by james brenan davies

When you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light.

The first time someone said that to him, he was not very old. Actually, when Nathaniel Matthews thought about it, he could not remember how old he was. Perhaps it was so early in his childhood that there was nothing before that. When he was a just a kid, he and some of the other children would joke that the second you were born, someone whispered it to you so that it would be ingrained in you forever.

And it was. It would never leave. Not even if everyone working to save the world was murdered or the organization was dissolved and absorbed by other factions and militias. Never.

A couple of months back, when Nate was not alone but instead traveled with two of his best friends, he learned about the Washington Liberation Front. Set up in Seattle, these guys were supposed to be the new Fireflies, or at least that was what that guy told them before he nearly killed them all. None of them were sure if they could believe him, especially after he attacked them, but now that Nate was all on his own- now that Ben and Max were… dead- he had no where else to go.

He swallowed hard as he walked down an abandoned street. According to the map he found a couple of days back, he was pretty sure he was going the right way, but honestly, he had not ever been this far west. Even when he traveled with his mom, they never crossed these borders. He was purely going off of businesses having their addresses still in tact.

He was searching the front of one building, some sort of store he believed, when his whole body ran rigid from the sound of a voice. Instinctively, he crouched and flung himself at the wall, though that admittedly was not much cover. Wait, voice? He blinked a few times before turning quickly in circles. Voice as in from a person? Because that was a word.

“Um, hello?” He answered back, frantically searching for any signs of a person and not infected. “Are you an alive person?” Perhaps not the most eloquent of questions, but in his panic, that was as good as it was going to get. ​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex had crept out into the street, his gaze sweeping as he looked around. "I hear you, I'm not infected." He said, following the voice until he found the person. He was currently turning circles in the street. Alex still had his bow up, but it wasn't drawn back. He studied the man in front of him, his eyes taking him in. Alex kept his bow at the ready, just in case he had to defend himself.

"Who are you?" He asked. He couldn't tell much about this man from the distance, but he preferred to have space. It was harder to use his bow in close combat situations. He had his knife on him, but he was never very good at hand to hand or close combat in training. "Where are you headed?" He asked, taking one step closer. Alex kept his gaze on the man, waiting to see him turn around. Alex took two uncertain steps forward, his eyes taking in the person in front of him as well as any potential traps or infected that could show up. Being in the open made Alex nervous and he didn't shoot as straight when he was nervous.

He wasn't sure how many of his questions this man would answer, but he was curious as to who he was and why he was alone. The people he'd met passing through were usually in groups. It made more sense to group up, the more eyes watching for infected the better. Alex had preferred to stay by himself then joining any of them. His experience in the Seraphites had soured him on working with others.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

The tension in Nate’s body fell almost immediately at the response. Thank all that there was to thank for another person. Without another thought, he spun around, eyes searching for the visual confirmation of what he desperately hoped was true. The voice left little doubt, but seeing this man, or at least the distant vision of one, was enough. He straightened, almost entirely dropping the safety of his guard before remembering that the infected were everywhere, and he could not allow the excitement of finding another person to be the reason that the things that wanted to kill him got the drop on him.

Not like with Ben and Max.

Nate slowly made his way closer to the new person, eyes darting from side to side in search for any sign of other visitors whether that be others that this person was with or infected. Probably infected.

“Nate,” he answered, his voice a little louder than he intended. He scowled to himself and forced it quieter as he moved. “Also not infected. I’m trying to find my people, so I’m heading… west? I think? Or maybe north now?” He groaned as he realized that, yes, he was in fact a little lost now. Ben was so much better at following these maps than he was. As he got closer, still not close enough to see real details of this other person other than the bow he wielded, he decided it was only fair to share. “What about you? Where are you headed?” ​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex noticed the man coming closer and froze for a moment. The man didn't seem like a threat, in fact he seemed rather lost. Alex holstered his bow as he walked closer to the man, his eyes still looking around. He didn't hear anything but when the man introduced himself, he winced at the volume of his voice. His eyes rolled as he listened. Eventually the pair had closed the distance between them. "Name's Alex." He said, extending the same courtesy of giving his name.

"I'm just moving, I don't have destination in mind" Alex said, noticing now that the man had short cut brown hair and wore glasses. "Is there anyone else with you? You seem a bit lost" He commented, looking at the man. His gaze looked at the man before him, as he crossed his arms over his tattered clothes. He needed to assess the entire situation and so he had to pay attention.

"Do you have a map or anything to guide you?" He asked Nate. He could read a map enough that he could probably point him in the right direction. His ex best friend was much better at map reading but he'd tried to help Alex learn too. He trained his gaze as he looked around not thinking about much past survival at the moment. "We should get out of the open" Alex said. Knowing that they were in danger the longer they stayed in the open. All it took was one runner and they'd have to fight their way out.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

You know what no one ever told him when he was young and impressionable? No one ever told him what to do if he was lost in the light. Genuinely, unequivocally lost. There was no additional light to look for when the light was already there, and there was sure no way that he was going to look for the dark. That led me to places like the nest that was just too big for them to handle. Of course, they did handle it. They handled it pretty well all things considered. None of them died.

Then.

Nate nodded, performing the same check once more as he began to move away from the open of the streets and into the next abandoned building. From what he could tell, this might have been some sort of convenience store, though it was in such disrepair that even his many travels could not tell him what this used to be. He swiftly hopped over the rubble that might have been a table or shelf and stepped behind a taller shelf. This would give him cover if he needed it, but it would also allow them a barrier for their voices.

“Yeah,” he replied, pulling the map from where he kept it folded and easily accessible. “Can’t read it to save my life, though.” He gestured to Seattle. “This is where I’m trying to get, and honestly I don’t know where I am now. I thought I was going this way, but maybe not?”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex made his way over to the convenience store himself, carefully moving over rubble and other things in his way. He had been taught how to be quick and quiet ever since he could walk. Alex looked around as he moved, keeping his eyes trained on the surroundings. He looked over at the other man, he knew the basics, but he'd try his best.

When Nate unfolded the map, Alex looked at it, turning it one way and then the other. "So we're here in North Dakota, so we have to go the direction I had just come from" He paused, looking at where Nate had pointed. That looked familiar, but the map's letters had been blurred. He didn't know enough about maps or town names to put two and two together that he was headed to Seattle. He was about to say something else when he heard something. "Do you hear that?" He asked, listening closer.

There was the sound again, a low groan and shuffling footsteps. Oh no, infected. "Nate, we've got company" Alex said, moving closer to the window. He pulled his bow out, peeking out from behind a wall to see three runners, two clickers and oh hell, a bloater. He could handle the clickers and the runners, but the bloater was going to be an issue. "Nate, we got six infected, including a bloater" Alex hissed, looking at the other man.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

The first thing that came to him was the relief that yes, he was going the correct direction. That was a much bigger relief than he could afford to show, because the second thing was going to be the irritation at the fact that he was not as far along in his travels as he originally assumed but instead was now the realization that they were not alone. Because he did hear something, though his senses were so scattered right now that he knew his mind was trailing behind. If they were hearing more things, then that could only mean infected. People did not shuffle.

He stuffed the map quickly back into his pack as he took in the information Alex gathered. A bloater? That was not good. The last bloater he encountered, he had three other people with him, and they barely took that thing down. There were only two of them now, and he had no idea what Alex was capable of doing. Nate gave Alex the first real inquisitive look since they met. Bow meant archer, and he seemed used to it, so Nate was going to assume that he was good at using it. His clothes looked like they were beat to hell, so he either was a seasoned traveler or a seasoned fighter, both of which could be useful in this situation. Knowledge of the infected was also a good sign even if that only meant that he was aware enough to understand the stages. Anyone who was smart took that training to heart no matter where you came from.

He pulled out his hunting knife but prepared to pull out the pickaxe he had yet to really use since he found it. Okay, he could do this. They just had to be smart about it. He moved up towards Alex to survey the area. He too counted six including that big, ugly thing. He could really use a Molotov right about now.

“They have us cornered,” he groaned quietly as he searched the area quickly. “How confident are you in that bow? Because if you can take out those runners, I can probably sneak up and grab those clickers. I don’t know about that big guy though.” He shrugged. “Eh, it’s probably fine.” He narrowed his eyes, and before Alex could answer, he was crouched and running through the storefront with a final whispered, “Yeah, we can do this,” before he was following a clicker off to the right in the hopes that he could find a way to jump out and grab this first clicker.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex took about a second to listen to Nate's plan. Hopefully it worked, but he didn't have time to say anything before Nate left. Alex nocked the first arrow, crouching and moving just close enough to draw it back and let it go. He watched the arrow land silently in the runners head. Grinning, he nocked another arrow, drawing it again. Second runner down, this was where he was most comfortable. Shooting from a distance. Alex had to move position for the last runner. His fingers kept on the arrow he had nocked as he crouched and moved closer. He hoped Nate was doing okay.

Alex drew close to the third one, drawing back his arrow and sending the arrow right into it. Unfortunately for him, it attracted the bloaters attention and his eyes widened. Oh hell. The former Seraphite warrior tried taking a step away, moving to the side before ducking into the storefront beside him. He could hear the roars of the bloater coming closer. Come on, Come on. He was searching for anything he could used to make anything. Nothing here, not even enough for a damn Molotov. Alex looked around, his eyes landing on the bodies of fallen FEDRA soldiers. He darted over, searching them for anything. A pistol, well it should help.

He flipped onto his back, aiming the pistol and emptying the clip into the bloater as it drew closer. It barely did anything to stop the giant infected. "No, no, no!" He scrambled backwards trying to avoid getting hit with the spores the bloater was tossing. He vaulted an old desk and looked over to see another fallen soldier, but this one had a nail bomb. Perfect! He snagged it and threw it, hearing the explosion as it hit the bloater, debris and rubble rained down on Alex's head as the bloater was dropped to its knees. He felt the pockets of the fallen man and smirked, grabbing more material to create a second nail bomb and tossed it, this one took the bloater down. Alex slowly stood up, walking to the front of the store, looking for Nate.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate crouched down low, watching as this nearest clicker moved. This one was pretty slow, so getting to it would not be too much of a problem if Alex was good at that bow and could get those runners. The first one dropped, and Nate grinned. That was a beautiful shot. Okay, good. The other runners were over there, so if Nate timed this right, it was going to go perfectly. He crawled through a broken window, careful not to disturb the glass, and dropped down as silently as possible. He waited, holding his breath as the clicker turned to face away from him. Bingo. With knife in hand, he closed the steps too slowly for his own liking to pop up and reach his arm up and grab the nasty thing on the right enough to pull it down so that he could jab the knife into what was left of its skull. As it squirmed and clucked, Nate held his breath again, moving the writhing body to the ground. One down. One more to go.

He sprinted to the other side of the street and behind an abandoned car, searching for where the other clicker might have gone. Shoot, out of sight. He inched forward little by little. Listened. He could hear the sounds of the bloater shuffling somewhere further down. He hoped Alex was doing well. Where was he? Risking it, Nate pulled himself up to peer over the car. The third runner fell in that moment. That man really was good at this. That honestly was impressive. He met a lot of people with good aim with a gun but no one who could shoot an arrow like that. Very impressive.

He began his search again for the last clicker. Damn thing must not have been moving, because he could not hear it. He sprinted into the old gas station, wondering if it wandered back this way. Nothing. Where was it? He quickly moved back to the street, hesitating behind the wall that served as his only barrier. He was starting to get nervous when he heard the first of the bombs go off. Alex? Just as he was wondering, the clicker screeched. Oh, good job, Alex. The clicker went scurrying out into the open. Nate swiftly ran out into the street, steering clear of that thing’s echolocation, and slid behind a wall just in time for it to turn and look for him. Not today, buddy. He waited one, two, three seconds before whipping through a doorway and grabbing hold of the creature. It skittered as he bounced over its back, now facing the wrong direction. Nate wrenched it down and rammed his knife into its brain just as the second explosion went off. He let the thing fall in front of him, breathing heavily a good moment before jogging towards the sounds of warfare. Ah, a dead bloater. Huh. This man was something else, wasn’t he? “Did you just take that thing down yourself? And three runners? Who are you?” He almost laughed at the question he asked breathlessly.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex was finally able to catch his breath as he made it out to the street. He really thought that he wasn't going to survive that. Alex looked over to see Nate heading towards him. He rubbed the back of his neck as he heard the man. "Uh, it really didn't give me much choice. I was just fortunate enough to find stuff for nail bombs" Alex said. "The runners were easy, this guy not so much" He added, looking at the bloater on the ground. He still had no idea how he'd managed to kill it either. Guess that would be the life or death adrenaline rush.

"I came from somewhere that makes sure you can defend yourself" He said, not comfortable discussing his past. "Great work on the clickers, but we should move, the bombs worked to kill the bloater but it will probably draw in others" He hadn't thought of attracting more infected until now, and he held his bow close. "With your map skills, you'll probably get lost again, I could uh, join you and get you to your people" Alex offered.

He didn't want to rely on anyone, but if he had to choose, Nate seemed to be a better option than some of the others he's been around. He shifted his feet nervously as he waited for an answer. "We should walk and talk, just in case" Alex said, turning towards the direction they were to go in, taking a few steps forward before looking back.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

“Ah, so a funny guy,” Nate mused as he stepped over the body of a runner. He paused to bend down and pull out an arrow from the perfect headshot. He sidled in next to his new partner and offered it to him. “I believe this is yours. You’re probably gonna need it.”

He walked along the edge of the road, something he learned to do when he was young. The closer you were to buildings meant the closer you were to cover if you needed to find it quickly. With how vigilant FEDRA used to be, there was no reason not to always be safe. Those guys made life a whole lot harder than it had to be. Nate doubted he would ever understand why they were so aggressive. Didn’t they understand that everyone wanted the same thing? To survive? Clearly this guy got it. It was better to survive together, even if you didn’t know the person you were with. Even when that person had strange scars on his face. Even when that person emitted strange in general. Everyone was strange in this world. That’s what his mom used to tell him. The world went dark, and everyone got weird, so there is no more weird.

With his free hand, he pulled out his map again. “I appreciate you sticking around. That was so much easier with a team. Used to have a team, you know? Kinda don’t anymore. Which you probably figured out.” He sighed as he attempted to remember where Alex previously said they were. It was somewhere farther east than he thought. Somewhere in this area… Ah, yes, North Dakota. Yeah, that was further away than he was thinking. There must have been a town somewhere he passed through recently that had the same name as one further west. He groaned at the realization that he could have ended up in an entirely wrong area, potentially setting him back weeks or even months with his luck.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex looked over at Nate, gratefully accepting the arrow from him. "Thank you" He said with a small smile. He noticed him walking on the edge of the road and tilted his head. Though, he figured it would make sense. Easier to get to cover, he knew that story all too well with the WLF always trying to come after the Seraphites back when he was still there. He caught up so that he was walking beside Nate.

He thought about how weird he must look to the man, torn robe like clothing, scars on his face from their flawed belief system and probably considered dangerous with a bow. He took a moment to look beside him. The man didn't look like a fighter, probably wasn't supposed to be. He'd learned quickly not to judge a book by its cover, having had that done to him more times than he cared to count, especially from the WLF.

Alex looked over at him when he spoke. "Yeah, no problem. I found its easier with a team, but I don't trust easily so you're lucky" Alex said with a low laugh. "Besides, someone should make sure you don't end up walking around the entirety of North Dakota." He added, looking over at him. He was curious about the man he now found himself traveling with, but he didn't want to pry. If he offered information then Alex would listen, but he won't force the man. "It'll be probably a good month to get us to your people" He added, having made the journey from there. Why he was going back that way at all was confusing him, and going back with someone he'd just met?​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate sighed heavily, allowing his shoulders relax from that horrendously tense moment they just had. He hated the way he felt after a conflict like that. If at all possible, he was far more likely to sneak around infected than engage with them. He hated fighting. No, he hated fighting people. At least when he was fighting the infected, they were no longer people. They were more mushroom than man, and that made it easier. When he was fighting FEDRA, that was a different story. It felt wrong.

“A whole month, huh? And you just happened to be here to get me back on track when you don’t trust too easy?” He chuckled at the thought. “Guess I’m ridin’ the gravy train with biscuit wheels.” Now that he had the time, he folded the map back up and placed it into his backpack alongside the various supplies he collected during his travels. “You got nowhere else to go? Or are you just in it to help out a poor soul like me?” He asked this with raised eyebrows that would speak volumes to his sarcasm and jokes to those around him. Of course, having not ever met someone like Alex, that was potentially not enough for him. He really should consider the best way to interact with someone who had not been with him for the majority of his life.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex sighed, he’d be in for a long month if this is what he had to work with. His eyes looked over the man beside him. What was he even doing? Trusting someone this fast? He rolled his eyes at the man, but a smile tugged at his lips. “We just happen to be in the same section of town” Alex said. Most people would call that fate or destiny, Alex called it circumstantial.

He didn’t have words for the man, listening to him. He could sense the sarcasm but he never quite figured out the point of it. “I can’t let someone just wander around” Alex muttered, which was true, if he could save one person before they get infected, he’d try. “That and no, I have nowhere else to go. I left my family and never looked back” That was the most he’d say about where he came from. “And yes a whole month so we should probably at least be cordial” Alex was very much the one that hid in his shell. But he also fought hard, especially when he was in the Seraphite training program.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate could not help but be amused by Alex’s demeanor. He reminded him of some of the more serious guys back with the Fireflies. The ones that meant all business. They had never been Nate’s favorites, but that could have been because he was friends with people who took like a whole lot less negatively. Those serious guys were soldiers. Nate was not a soldier. He never thought he would have to be back when things were better. He thought that he would learn ways to help people get better. From patching them up to nursing them back to full strength, he was ready to help. That was all he ever wanted. To help.

People like Alex were the kinds of people that eventually needed Nate’s help. They were the kinds of people who tended to run off to who knows where to fight some probably unnecessary battle with people who were also fighting unnecessary battles. Of course, he could be wrong. He had not known Alex very long, but it was possible. It was also possible that he was not like the soldiers he used to know. He certainly did not look like one.

“Good thing I am nothing if not cordial,” Nate said with a wide smile. He prided himself on being a relatively competent people person. This was, of course, also the reason that he struggled so much now that he was alone. He needed people around him. He was better with others. And he would most certainly continue to be lost if Alex did not choose to stay with him. “Perhaps we should have more appropriate introductions? Ours was alarmingly cut off by some uninvited guests.” He stuck out a hand as they walked. “The name’s Nate. I mean, okay, you already knew that. Nathaniel as it happens though literally no one calls me that. My mama was not the most creative. Named me after some dead guy from the old world.” He shrugged. “Come from a people called the Fireflies. You heard of ‘em?”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex cast a glance towards Nate, looking at the extended hand. He twisted himself and offered his own hand. "My full name is Alexander, but no one calls me that anymore." He said. Alex could tell that Nate was one of those that did all they could to help people. His sense of humor was a big indicator, most warriors didn't have humor with everything they see. Alex had yet to actually need help with something, usually he was able to figure out how to do it. Not that there was anything wrong with healers and medics, they had their place just like warriors and fighters.

He listened to Nate before shaking his head. "I can't say that I have. My family kept away from the rest of the world." He said, turning his head to the side to look at him. "Is that some kind of military group or something?" He asked as they walked, they'd made it out of the town and were on a beat up road heading through the forest. Out here reminded him of home and he felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He missed his sister and brother, but they were content to follow along with whatever the Elders said or did.

Alex was never a follower, he preferred to do his own thing. That attitude was why he never did well in group assignments. He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and smiled to himself. Yes, he missed nature and if he had it his way, he'd live somewhere where he could go find nature close by. Of course, if he had it his way, the world would've never been plunged into such depths. The world would've gone around like normal and that led him to wonder what he'd be like if the world had never gone crazy.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

He thought about that. “Um, yeah, I guess?” he answered unsure. “I mean, we have soldiers- had. We had soldiers.” He paused, realizing that the slip up was probably not important to Alex but was overwhelmingly important to him. It made it all that much more real. It may have happened years ago, but that did not mean he was okay with it. Had he properly mourned? Could you in a world full of constant death and fear for not only your own safety but everyone else’s too?

“But they weren’t like the FEDRA. Those guys are just people who want to kill, I swear.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and pursed his lips at the thought. He had no good opinions of FEDRA or anyone like that. Yeah, the Fireflies might have been called terrorists, but they were trying to save the world. FEDRA just shoved people under their thumbs and called it good.

Now more inward than before, his voice not so excited, he continued. “But they don’t exist anymore. The Fireflies I mean. I dunno what happened to them really. Got disbanded or whatever because all the big guys in charge were murdered. So,” he breathed deeply, “I guess I’m lookin’ for anyone who might still be out there. Still believes in saving the world, you know?” It was a long shot. Not a lot of people thought that the world could be saved.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex heard the slip up and looked over at Nate. That must've been hard, to know people and then they were gone. He had never witnessed the deah of someone close to him but then again, he hadn't ever left the island until he'd run away. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I can't even imagine" Alex said. Every word he spoke was the truth. How could he even begin to imagine what this man beside him had gone through.

He had been raised among a group of religious fanatics, kept on an island and trained only on patrols when they'd go to the mainland. He'd engaged in a skirmish or two with the WLF in his time, but these usually ended well for them, not really getting casualties. He had heard of FEDRA through his parents because they remembered when the world first went down and he'd been told that FEDRA was just as bad as the WLF were now. "I never met FEDRA officers but I heard they were really bad from my parents" Alex said, looking over at Nate.

He heard the voice change and sighed low. "That's horrible. It's crazy how much people rely on the higher ups to keep things together" Alex said. It made him wonder if the elders were killed, how long would his group survive? Everyone in there listened to the 't' when it came to the word of the Elders. "I don't know if the world can be saved at this point, would it not be easier to find a place to settle down at and defend then try and fix it?" He asked, looking at Nate.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate sucked in his lower lip, capturing it and tongue and the air between. He tried to smile. Don’t be that guy who brings down the mood, because your past sucks. It’s not the bad, right? Never that bad. Someone has it worse. There’s always someone doing worse than you. “I didn’t really go through anything.” He tried to sound more enthusiastic than he felt. It was true though. He was not the one murdered. He was not part of the groups that were actively torn apart. He was not there when it all broke down for the worst.

That was the problem. He wasn’t there. Where was he? What did he do to stop it?

“But, um, yeah, I get what you mean. I don’t know where you come from, but,” he gave Alex a bit of a shy glance with a little smile as an apology if this offended him. “But you look like you might have been through hell, so I get that maybe you don’t think the world can be saved.” He looked away, gazing towards the empty and dead streets they headed down. “I just think that maybe we had a chance once. I wish we could still do it. I don’t know. Maybe it would be easier. But it wouldn’t be right, would it?” He looked back at Alex, searching for answers he knew he could not find. “If there’s a chance, shouldn’t we take it? Fight for it? That’s why I have to find my people. They thought there was a chance, and if we can find someone who knows how to find that spark again, I want to help.”

He laughed suddenly. “And now I’m rambling like a crazy person to someone I literally just met. Yep, that’s great.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

He heard the man and looked over at him. "I feel like that's not entirely true but I know better than to force someone to talk" Alex said, looking away. He snorted a laugh as he listened to Nate talk about saving the world, and where he'd come from. Yeah, one could call being brainwashed by a religious group hell if you thought about it hard enough. He looked at the ground as he walked for a moment, dropping into silence. He didn't have enough fight to save the whole world. He just wanted a place to belong, where he could be who he was supposed to be.

"If you met my group, then yeah, you could say I've been through hell. Shamed for being myself so I left" He said, the bitterness creeping into his voice. Kicked out because he would rather love a man. "Why would I save a world that just seems determined to keep breaking?" He brought up, his arms crossed over his chest as he moved. "That worked out so well for them last time didn't it?" He asked, his tone more snippy than he'd intended it to be. "Sometimes things can't be fixed, saved or helped" Alex added. Sure, he was only 19 but he was as bitter against the world. He didn't know the world outside of the Seraphites and so to him, it was all the same. The world against him, so why would he save the world?

Alex rolled his eyes at the last comment. "You aren't anymore crazy that I am" He said softly, looking at the forest around the road.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate was taken aback by the sincerity and almost painful way that Alex spoke. He felt almost like the world had done something against him specifically, and to be honest, Nate was sure that it had. The curiosity spread through him like a wildfire, reaching out grasping at his fingers as they lifted to hover between them. The burning question that lay between new acquaintances. This was probably too intimate a question for early on in their acquaintanceship, but if they were destined to be together for a month, it seemed logical to ask the question now rather than let it hang in the middle. He would answer it if someone asked the same of him. Probably.

“Is that how you got-“ to finish, he gently gestured towards himself, towards his own face. Part of him wanted to be direct. Is that how you got those scars? The question really was did they hurt you for being you? Because, for Nate, whoever Alex was did not matter. Whether that shame came from a sexuality, a gender, or whatever else, that should not be a reason to hurt someone. And though they just met, he was saddened by the idea of others causing his new companion’s suffering. He might have felt that way about many people, though.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex sighed, his gaze aimed down at his feet. How much of his past did he really want to reveal? He knew his appearance was marred by the scars, but he didn't know if he wanted to talk about it. The last thing he wanted was to chase away his new companion. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as tried to figure out just what he wanted to say. He paused for a moment before swallowing. If they were going to be headed in that direction, and traveling together for a month, Nate had a right to know just what he could be in for.

"Is that how I got my scars? Yes. I belonged to a religious cult that lived on an island just outside of a large city. They believed that these scars were to be made on our faces as stated by our prophet as an acknowledgement of man kind's imperfections." He said. "I left there because I didn't agree with the prophet's words and I was not allowed to love who I wanted." Alex continued. He also remembered how long it had taken him to get his hair back after they'd shaved it on him as it was custom for men.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

“Oh.” That was all he could think to say given the circumstances. He should not have pried. This was a delicate subject, obviously, and he was asking a lot of someone who was practically a stranger. Would he have shared something so deep so quickly? Yes? Maybe? He was not sure. In theory, yes. He loved to ask questions, and he loved to answer them. He would have any conversation with Max and Ben. But he also knew them since they were all young and growing together. When was the last time he really got to know someone new?

Nate’s eyes shied away, gaze falling to the rubble of an old world that he could never understand. “I shouldn’t have asked. I- um. I’m sorry.” He readjusted his hands in his pockets, shoving them further down and crumpling into his shoulders a little. “But,” he began again, pulling himself out just a little, “I am glad you told me. Thanks. They don’t sound like the kind of people I would enjoy being around.” He shrugged, trying to play himself off as cooler than he felt. “I’m glad you’re with me instead. You and that amazing aim you have.” And just like that, he was better. Well, not really, but if he decided that he was, maybe he would be. Maybe as they kept walking, he could forget how the world sometimes felt like it was crushing them all. He could forget that there was no more hope for this dying rock. He could pretend like he still had purpose. And that purpose was to find the Fireflies.
​