Post by Ellie on Jul 14, 2013 18:31:39 GMT
Name: Ellie
Alias: "the Cure", "Humanity's last hope," "little brat", blah-de-blah; frankly, Ellie just wants to be called Ellie, and the only exception she's allowed is Joel's "baby girl" nickname
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Sexual Orientation: Never had time to figure out--not much to be attracted to when the world's gone to hell, unless you've a thing for fungus
Faction: Survivors
Role: Handy with knives / Sharpshooter
Location: Jackson County
Physical Description: Fitted with an ego fat enough to fill the canyons, the girl’s size stands in stark contrast with her personality. Sure, 5’3 ain’t the shortest height out there by any means. But when you’re packed with character and things to say (and your best friend unhelpfully towers over 6 ft), there’s a bit of a disconnect from lore and reality when meeting this “little brat.” Underestimating Ellie’s begging for trouble, and her lean physique works to her advantage more often than not. After years of surviving in the heart of post-pandemic society, her skin’s progressively tanned, resulting in less of a sprinkle and more of a shower of freckles across her face and shoulders. Think of calling her dotty though and you’re in for a world of hurt—she won’t think twice about ripping you a new one. Constantly greasy with sweat, Ellie’s reddish brown hair is almost always tied up in a tail since she can’t be bothered to try and appear ‘presentable’ to anyone or anything outside her own needs. Hey man, when you're living in a world that's regularly trying to gut you, appearances aren't exactly topping your list of concerns. Green eyes always wide with curiosity, the girl's attention can snap from one thing to the next, and it's more than a little amusing to watch the flurry of excitement light up her irises. However, while many catch the whirling emotions apparent on her face, most have their attention drawn to her right eyebrow. Digging in through the brown line is an ugly, white scar, reaching from the side of her forehead to just above her eye socket.
Aside from those tidbits, Ellie's a fairly normal looking young woman. Growing up far faster than Joel would like, there's not too much to set her apart from the average teenager pawing through Jackson. Except, of course, the massive red scab taking up a sizeable part of her lower right arm. Oh, did we forget to mention? Although Ellie's run in with infected has long since healed, it's hard to miss the old wound when exposed. Keeping this in mind, the girl's set on wearing long sleeves at all times, even in the hottest of summer. Better to avoid confrontation entirely than try to deal with resounding questions of "what the fuck happened to you?" That and, well, dealing with someone trying to kill you since society's more comfortable with slaughter than accepting infected abnormalities. Other than that essential wear, Ellie will put on whatever fits. Even in Jackson, cloth's a precious resource, and one's gotta deal with whatever's available. She's not too picky either, seeing how she's come from the rattiest of clothes to a slightly less battered attire. Currently, she's managed to scavenge some holey black jeans and red flannel, and her sneakers have luckily yet to fall apart. Who knows how long that will last though.
Personality: If there's one thing you'll notice about this girl, it's that she swears enough to strike several dozen soccer moms down of heart attacks (at least, that's what Joel tells her--Ellie doesn't really grasp the concept of ye olden overprotective mothers). Growing up in a post-pandemic environment will do that to you. Furthermore, if you piss her off, she'll let you know. And real fast too. Equipped with a filter woven of toothpicks, there's little that stops at her mouth's gate and far more that straight out explodes. Her vulgarity gets her into trouble at times, but in a world where societal ethics are in decay, there's no one to really tell her no. Besides, the girl's always one for a battle of wits, using humor to combat the often morose atmosphere around her. Impulsive and rash, her enthusiasm for the world's wonders has hardly dimmed since she first stepped outside Boston's borders. However, after encountering the darker half of human nature, Ellie's picked up a considerable degree of skepticism. Joel's wariness has certainly made an impression, after all. Still, although she's grown to accept that there's a lot to fear, new creatures and the past's curiosities will never fail to spark her interest. So much so that she's a bit 'grabby' when it comes to lil bobbles and nicknacks. If it's just lying there, chances are it'll be slipped into her pocket the next time your back's turned. Any comic that's not nailed down will be shoved down her backpack without the bat of an eyelash.
Regardless, Ellie's intelligence is never one to undermine. Her 'bullshit detector' is rarely wrong, and she picks up on subtle emotions with ease, especially when it comes to those she cares about. Quick on her feet, she's proficient at surviving in the devastated universe she inhabits. And at times, she wonders if she's too good. Guilt's gnawed at her heart since her best friend, Riley, succumbed to infection, while Ellie's immunity protected her. Their promise broken to 'lose their minds together', Ellie takes great lengths to ensure that the same won't happen to Joel, her current lifeline and anchor. Her greatest fear lies in ending up alone, and the deaths of Riley, Tess, Henry, and Sam have compounded to form a phobia of sorts. Survivor's guilt still chains itself around her heart, and the girl accepted Joel's lie about the Fireflies five years ago simply because she doesn't want to lose herself in yet more remorse.
Alignment: Good/Neutral
Likes: Comics, music, puns, pugs, giraffes, reading, hanging with Joel, guitar, outdoors, animals in general, video games, whistling
Dislikes: Scorpions, cliffhangers, loneliness, deep water, learning how to play the guitar (practice sucks man), clickers
Strengths: Intelligent, witty (at least in her own mind), perceptive, resourceful, quick on her feet, immune to cordyceps
Weaknesses: Can't swim well (but she's able to stay afloat nowadays--progress!), temperamental, impulsive, rash, not physically strong, burdened by survivor's guilt, stubborn as all hell
History and Background:
There's little to say about Ellie's early life since she herself cares little to remember it. Born March of 2019, her mother Anna died of hemorrhaging in childbirth. Although she remains an absent figure in Ellie's life, the girl's clung to Anna's bloodstained letter for years, urging her forward as she seeks to make her proud. Marlene, queen of the Fireflies and her mother's closest friend, promised to look out for her. With her own life so hectic as the leader of a persecuted resistance, however, the woman was unable to personally rear her, and sent the child to a 'military boarding school'--an orphanage, in other words. Her rambunctious nature and knack for trouble were by no means welcome amongst the staff, but Ellie managed to befriend one of the soldiers regardless. Saving her ass and covering for her, the two developed a relative bond, particularly after he mowed down a thug Ellie had run into on yet another of her 'stunts'. Consequently, the incident resulted in the distinctive scar across her right brow. Eventually, the time came for the group to be shipped to another half of the Boston quarantine zone, and the man made his intentions clear as he pulled Ellie aside and revealed he would no longer be able to protect her. The risk involved was too large to endanger his family for, and his own relations must come first. Upset, Ellie felt that she had (yet again) been abandoned for a cause deemed more important than her.
Enter Riley Abel. Street smart and never without a witty comeback, the two struck a strong friendship as they managed to work around the school's rigid rules. Passing on her thieving skills and knowledge of the alleys, Riley strung Ellie along and the pair squeezed all their free time into escaping the military's confinement--even going as far to venture into dangerous areas. Ironically, their route to freedom resulted in their route to extermination. On yet another of their lil adventures, the two sought to explore the mall and its knacks and gadgets. The building had of course been shut off from the public eye, but where's the fun in breaking into boring, average places? Unbeknownst to them, infected lurked throughout the halls, and it was only a matter of time before a runner spotted them. It bolted, and in their surprise, managed to bite their exposed flesh before Ellie could smash a fallen brick into its face. Stunned, the two stared at the oozing wounds, realizing that their sanity was about to be cut short by the infection's madness. After a few minutes of silence, Riley suggested they wait it out--be all "poetic" and lose their minds together. Ellie agreed, and the pair spent their presumable last hours cracking jokes, using comedic relief to combat the boiling fear threatening to overwhelm them. However, as time went on, Riley became further agitated and erratic--while Ellie did not. Much to her confusion, the girl maintained full control of her faculties as Riley's infection progressed. By the next morning, the fifteen year old had become a twitching, blithering mess. Ellie tried to push as much distance from her friend as possible, understanding that something had to be wrong; everyone turned within two days, and often far sooner than that. The resulting noise brought a strangled cry to Riley's lips, and ran at her friend in a frenzied fit. Panicked, Ellie instinctively raised her switchblade.. and consequently slashed her best friend's throat. The newborn infected fell to the floor in a squirming heap, blood flowing freely from the gaping hole. Silence. Minutes passed before a shaky Ellie could bring herself to her feet, and not before vomiting up whatever food was left buried in her gut. Figuring she had to get the hell outta dodge, the fourteen year old ran to the only constant in her life that could possibly help her: Marlene.
It wasn't easy getting help. As soon as she laid eyes on the injury, Marlene raised her gun and nearly shot a hole through the girl's forehead. But as she explained how the infection hadn't taken hold, despite so long having passed without any symptoms, the wariness faded into curiosity, then hope. The two devised a plan over three weeks to take Ellie from Boston all the way to Salt Lake City in Utah in order for Firefly scientists to use her immunity to reverse-engineer a cure. Although the hole left by Riley's death could never be filled, Marlene in a show of sympathy gave Ellie the pendant they'd made for the dead fifteen year old as Riley for ages had sought to become a Firefly herself. Ellie's kept it on her person at all times since then, holding it dear whenever she's in need of her friend's strength. Events soon went awry however when a military raid resulted in a severely injured Marlene, and subsequently Ellie got dumped with the next best thing: two shady smugglers in it for a stack of guns. Initially reluctant, the girl forced herself to keep up with yet more strangers. By the day's end though, after Tess and Joel decidedly stuck with her despite finding out her little 'problem', Ellie warmed up considerably. Of course, whenever she gets attached to someone, shit hits the fan, and Tess sacrificed herself shortly afterwards. Left with a bitter, unhappy man, their relationship started off rocky as Ellie and Joel struggled to deal with each other's differences. With time, the uneasiness faded into trust, and the two fell into a steady rhythm of survival.
Hardships frequent and pain abundant, their journey led them across a number of other survivors simply trying to make their way in the world: Bill, Tommy, Maria, Henry, Sam, and others. Ellie especially became close with Sam as he was one of the few close to her age, making his death and Henry's suicide all the worse. She still holds onto the robot figurine she'd meant for him to have in spite of his brother's 'rule', guilty over the indirect unhappiness she'd caused in their last conversation. 'Why didn't I say something different?' often comes to mind when Sam crosses her thoughts, further cursing that she should've left the toy on his grave. However, no encounter came close to the cold fear sparked by David and his cannibalistic cronies. He came the closest to killing her, and the incident left a bruise on her spirit that never quite healed. While still optimistic about life and its ventures, Ellie learned caution the harsh way, and the intensity of what went on in the restaurant still haunts her nightmares.
Her journey with Joel seemingly came to a halt as they reached Salt Lake City, and the most vivid memory Ellie has of that place is the giraffes roaming the area, free and enjoying a nature free from mankind's influence. So fucking cool, indeed. After that though--after that it's all a huge blank. As if someone's hand scooped those few days from her life, Ellie's been left with an inky black understanding of whatever went on at the Fireflies. Joel told her that there was nothing she could do--that there were dozens of immune individuals like her--and that the science had failed miserably. Ellie knows now and knew then that he was lying through his teeth, though. Waking up in a clinical gown was one sure indicator, but she flat out understood Joel too well to figure he was truthful. At the same time, Ellie didn't mind. There was disappointment there, sure. But as they looked over Jackson, Joel 'swearing' his story held water, the suffocating guilt that had haunted her since Riley's death seemed to deflate. It exists to this day, but Ellie's breathing has been easier since Joel took the burden off her shoulders.
Fast forward five years later. Ellie's lived with Joel at Tommy's hydro-plant ever since, working to keep the place running and trying to live a 'normal' life. There's still clickers to deal with, as with the average hunters, but it's the closest thing Ellie's had to a constant upbringing since... well, ever. Joel taught her to swim (or at least dog paddle--Ellie's not too fond of jumping in deep water regardless of her new found 'skill') and how to play the guitar, and has in general been the only father she's ever known. Her best friend and main confident, they've acted as a team for so long that they've forgotten how not to. It's strange what the future brings, really. At one time, Ellie's sense of time was fixated wholly on the present and surviving; at the dam, she's learned to embrace days and weeks and even months ahead of schedule. It's odd to think about, but life moves on.
Arsenal:
Handy with her trusty switchblade, Ellie keeps it on her at all times, regardless of time, place, or situation. Never know when you might need to nail a trespassing clicker or hunter, y'know? Always available in her pocket, the girl works to keep the rest of her supplies light. With Joel to have her back, she'll keep a 9 mm pistol by her side, but the only time she'll bring in the big guns is when her best friend's away for whatever reason. Not too often as they're rather inseparable, but in a community where you have to haul your weight, times do call for individual action. As such, Ellie's comfortable with a bow and arrow, and won't hesitate to put one through your eyes if one presents a threat. The rifle's not a bad option in of itself either, and both combined result in a highly capable, highly dangerous young woman.
Equipment: Having dragged the thing across the country, Ellie's backpack presents itself as a reliable bearer of supplies. Although books are usually too heavy to keep around, she hangs on to a few of the lighter copies (mostly of the joke and comic variety), much to her shoulders' chagrin when it comes to carrying. Ah well, better to keep the mind active than be bored shitless. Ellie keeps several other trinkets as well, mostly those that involve some sort of personal sentiment. Her mother's bloodstained letter; Riley's dog tag; Sam's robot, and her long since broken Sony Walkman. In terms of actual 'useful' things, Ellie stores whatever ammo she can find in the bag's pockets. Any snacks she can snag also find their way there, but most times they're wolfed down long before any 'saving' can occur.
Roleplay Example: There’s a certain art to curb –stomping infected, and like all endeavors, there’s hefty risk. Under normal circumstances (if one can call smashing nature’s rejects with scissor studded pipes as such), chances are bad enough. Under these questionable conditions, it’s nigh suicidal. Ammo’s low, supplies nonexistent, and the floor's squeakier than a mouse dangling from a cat's outreached claw. And yet, with all this apparent, the girl's mind is running on quite the different frequency than one would expect, much less than what's running through her team's thoughts.
God-fucking-dammit! Who the hell put this shit of a mission together now of all times? See, usually Ellie had no problem with these scavenger hunts. Her patience wore thin when cooped up too long at the dam, and fraying nerves were no welcome package whenever Joel went out on his 'one-on-one' goose chases with Tommy ('brother bonding' or whatever Maria liked to bullshit it as). But dragging her out on this crap just when she'd got her hands on Paralysis, the final comic that had taken tooth and nail to find? What rotten fucking luck. Jason's little gem had cost her more resources than she'd care to admit, and that desperation for the stupid thing had quadrupled after that cliffhanger in Singularity.. Yowch. C'mon Ellie, get with the program. Focus! You'll find out what mess Daniela got herself into after Captain Ryan's crap later. Make sure you don't lose your jugular to these fuckers first.
Annnnd now she was talking to herself. Fantastic. Biting her tongue, Ellie's eyes darted from one end of the room to the next. Martin was pressed against the cabinet on the right, silently acknowledging her with a small nod. The stash was a few desks down in this abandoned office--or at least had been until clickers took up residence. Their little group had unwisely expected an easy gig, only to realize that the area was crawling with fungal clad janitors of a long since demolished business. One of them, jaw mangled as the spongy flesh tore apart, slinked around their haven of supplies. Erratically twitching, it would stumble every now and then, only to screech and regain what little posture it possessed. Slink, twitch, stumble, screech. The plan clicked into place.
Pawing a worn bottle, Ellie quietly jabbed her finger toward Martin, the clicker, a far corner, then back again to the supplies. Strange ass way to explain the relatively simple idea of A: throw bottle, B: run like hell at the supplies and hope you don't end up as clicker chow, but the man thankfully seemed to understand. Gripping the glass object, Ellie waited for the clicker's stumble.. then flung the bottle with a loud crack at the hall door. Flailing wildly, the creature snarled and raced towards the noise. Time to leg it. Martin was already on his feet, and Ellie sprang to her's as the clicker scrambled into the hallway. He slammed the door as she grabbed whatever wasn't tied down, and with the beat of the startled clicks behind them, they hurried as fast as they could out the bloody building without much care to what got left behind. If there was anything else in there--let the fucking clickers deal with it.
[no idea about Martin lol, just a random person I conjured up since I wanted Ellie n' Joel to be apart for this moment]
Extras: Sorry for the mess ;-;
Player Name: Jay
Age: 18 (though I’ve been told I look like I’m 15.. still wonder if that should be complimentary or insulting)
Roleplay Experience: Hrn, prolly since I was like.. 10? On Neopets lol. I’ve had a considerable break from the stuff, round maybe two years or so, but I’ve prolly been outta commission long enough.
How you found out our forum: Faith, trust, and a dab of pixie dust. That and tumblr. :3