I KNOW YOU, YOUNG MAN. BY THE STATE OF YOUR HANDS, YOU ARE A SIX STING PICKER JUST AS I AM. pittsburg quarantine zone. local smuggler. grieving father. guitar & coffee enthusiast. endured survivor.
character arc the lone wolf. the protector. the strategist.
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he used to live with his daughter in the outskirts of town, working as a mechanic in his own repair shop.
the day FEDRA evacuated the town, the duo was separatedā frankie was caught up in a riot organized by the citizens who rebelled against the government & his daughter was taken away while he wasnāt looking. they were never to see each other again or would they
as a former member of a radical survivalist group, he is extremely familiar with the theory of the survival of the fittest. he has done anything and everything to get byā including theft & murder; he has become an edured survivor at its best.
despite everything, he still manages to keep his love for music alive. he has found a guitar in one of his many travels across the country & makes the most of his free time to practice. heās also very fond of animals & he would most definitely kill for a cup of coffee, quite literally.
JOEL MILLER ( video game/series ) / HAN SOLO ( star wars ) / RICK GRIMES ( the walking dead ) / DEREK MORGAN ( criminal minds ) / ARTHUR MORGAN ( rdr2 ) / GERALT OF RIVIA ( the witcher )
shit. theo didnāt think anyone knew of his little adventures heād take underground, especially not frankie. he usually heads below to try to find little trinkets or things left behind, or using it as an escape out of the qz; although that was the dangerous route but he didnāt mind it. āuh, yeah about that.ā letting out a fake cough to ease the tension, he continued. āi use the tunnels to get out sometimes. whatās the big deal?ā
frankie had grown observant only towards two kinds of people : the ones he considered dangerous & the ones he seemed to try to protect; he wasn't exactly sure where theo stood. he was a trustworthy gunsmith, if not the one frankie trusted the most at the qz, but he sure still had his reasons to be suspicious about him. ā thereās Ā no Ā big Ā deal. Ā i do the same shit. ā he shakes his head absentmindedly. ā what Ā iām Ā worried Ā about Ā is Ā someone Ā followinā Ā you, Ā exposing the routes nā everything i have stored down there. ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā though she knows it may not beĀ theĀ appropriateĀ orĀ expectedĀ response ,Ā Ā loveĀ can'tĀ keepĀ herselfĀ fromĀ gigglingĀ whenĀ frankieĀ holdsĀ aĀ fingerĀ upĀ atĀ her ,Ā likeĀ someĀ lecturingĀ fatherĀ figure .Ā sheĀ wondersĀ ifĀ thisĀ isĀ whatĀ havingĀ aĀ dadĀ feltĀ like .Ā itĀ doesn'tĀ seemĀ tooĀ badĀ atĀ all .Ā ā andĀ Ā youĀ knowĀ thatĀ betweenĀ yourĀ healthĀ andĀ Ā whatĀ youĀ like ,Ā i'llĀ alwaysĀ prioritizeĀ yourĀ well - being .Ā itāsĀ myĀ dutyĀ asĀ nurseĀ andĀ asĀ someoneĀ whoĀ caresĀ aboutĀ you ! āĀ aĀ firmĀ nodĀ reaffirmsĀ herĀ words ,Ā thoughĀ loveĀ quicklyĀ findsĀ herselfĀ blushingĀ asĀ the Ā older Ā man Ā calls Ā her Ā out .Ā frankie Ā knew Ā herĀ too Ā well ,Ā but Ā she Ā didnāt Ā really Ā mind ;Ā it Ā was Ā nice Ā to Ā feel Ā like Ā someoneās Ā watching Ā over Ā you .Ā ā sounds Ā like Ā a Ā challenge Ā on Ā both Ā sides ā¦ Ā how Ā about Ā we Ā both Ā agree Ā to Ā not Ā discuss Ā this Ā stuff Ā ever Ā again ! ā holding Ā back Ā a Ā laugh , Ā love Ā holds Ā her Ā pinky Ā up Ā as Ā a Ā promise , Ā knowing Ā she Ā would Ā never Ā stop .Ā Ā at Ā least Ā they Ā could Ā be Ā worriers Ā together .
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā a Ā heavy Ā sigh Ā escapes Ā her , Ā slipping Ā the Ā ration Ā cards Ā inside Ā the Ā pocketsĀ of Ā her Ā coat .Ā the Ā old ,Ā massive Ā coat Ā that Ā looked Ā like Ā itĀ wouldĀ swallow Ā her Ā whole .Ā āĀ iĀ Ā appreciateĀ it , Ā i Ā do .Ā thanksĀ frankie . āĀ Ā lips Ā curl Ā into Ā a Ā tiny Ā smile , Ā because Ā she Ā knows Ā better Ā than Ā to Ā argue . Ā she Ā also Ā knows Ā frankie Ā looks Ā after Ā himself ,Ā too .Ā Ā heās Ā not Ā as Ā foolish Ā as Ā her .Ā relief Ā becomes Ā crystal Ā clear Ā in Ā her Ā expression Ā when Ā he Ā calms Ā her Ā nerves ,Ā unknowinglyĀ Ā so .Ā ā good ,Ā good ā¦Ā itās just- āĀ Ā a pause .Ā how Ā was Ā she Ā supposedĀ toĀ convey Ā her Ā worries Ā aboutĀ theo ,Ā or Ā worse ,Ā Ā her Ā feelings ?Ā even Ā love Ā herself Ā wasnāt Ā sure Ā of Ā what Ā to Ā feel .Ā Ā ā you Ā know Ā theo ?Ā he Ā uh ,Ā he Ā went Ā down Ā there Ā the Ā other Ā day ,Ā brought Ā me Ā a Ā gift Ā and Ā all . Ā this , āĀ reaching Ā into Ā the Ā neckline Ā of Ā her Ā shirt , Ā she Ā pulls Ā out Ā the Ā owl Ā locket Ā he Ā got Ā her .Ā ā itās Ā beautiful ,Ā right ?Ā iĀ love Ā it ,Ā just ā¦ āĀ a Ā pause ,Ā lips Ā pressing Ā together Ā for Ā a Ā moment Ā before Ā she Ā raises Ā her Ā gaze Ā towards Ā frankie Ā again .Ā ā what Ā if Ā something Ā bad Ā happens Ā to Ā him ?Ā i Ā canāt Ā lose Ā moreĀ people ,Ā frankie .Ā Ā i canāt . ā
theĀ charismaĀ ofĀ loveĀ mightĀ justĀ beĀ whatĀ frankie had been missing since outbreak day. he knew that it had been her doing that somewhere deep within what he familiarized himself with & what he would call a stone cold heart, bloomed the same charisma with which a father would treat his own daughter. ā damn right i do. that's what makes you a great nurse. ā is what comes as the response he actually says out loud after he attempts not to feel his chest tighten at her remark. 'someone who cares about you' is enough to make a grown man cry. ā you're backin' down already, mhm? ā he raises an eyebrow but lifts his own pinky to wrap it around hers, smiling. ā 'tis a deal then. ā Ā
after understanding settles between them, heĀ is quick at pickingĀ upĀ theĀ tone Ā inĀ herĀ voice,Ā oneĀ heĀ hadĀ rarelyĀ heardĀ inĀ aĀ while.Ā emotionsĀ lacedĀ withĀ theĀ truth;Ā romanceĀ bloomingĀ fromĀ herĀ words. he himself had rarely spoken like that recently. ā theo, ā heĀ repeats,Ā makingĀ aĀ noteĀ toĀ himself.Ā heĀ canĀ dealĀ withĀ himĀ later if necessary. ā iāmĀ sureĀ heāllĀ beĀ alright, ā hisĀ browsĀ furrowĀ inĀ thought.Ā ifĀ annajuĀ someoneĀ heĀ caredĀ forĀ asĀ dearlyĀ wasĀ toĀ beĀ inĀ theoāsĀ placeāĀ no,Ā quiet down now.Ā you don'tĀ needĀ toĀ thinkĀ aboutĀ that. his gaze then drops to the small locket & his expression turns sympathetic. he's shared the same worry before. ā we always run the risk of losing someone, love, ā the hard truth he cannot shield her from. he swallows. ā but some people are pretty stubborn at surviving. i'm sure everyone in your life is as strong... n' stubborn as you. ā
She remains unphased by his words, sharp as they may be. She didnāt take anyoneās antics seriously but her own and she knew Frankie by now. All she offers is a roll of her eyes as she attempts to fix him up, temporarily. She couldnāt, and wouldnāt, hide her disappointment at her exclusion from his activities. āBig baby,ā she quips to him at his protests, pressing just a tiny bit harder for his complaints. Her hands freeze for a moment at his next words and she looks him dead in the eye with an unamused expression. āYou know that I know, that you know better,ā she tells him quickly, and plainly. āMy place is around the corner, luckily for you,ā she doesnāt wait for him to say anything before sheās leading him, allowing him to lean on her should he have to. This wasnāt something she offered to just anybody. Had it not been Frankie, injured and sneaking around, she may have just watched their struggle before taking her leave. Keeping herself hidden was one of her best survival strategies. But she cared about Frankie, working alongside him in the cord alley brought her a sense of protection. Not only that, but she knew he wasnāt going to bullshit her, not with anything. That was worthy of a little respect.
stubborness is a normal involvement in the majority of a smugglerās job, even if frankie would always deny it. whenever a plan crossed his mind, he always stuck to itā wether it involved summer or not, which mostly created the perfect opportunity for a potential dispute like this one to take place. if his eyes could shoot daggers at that moment, he would be looking away from summer so he wouldnāt hurt her, but lucky for both of them, his glare does nothing but make him look childish. ā fuckā ā he canāt finish cursing for the pressure on his wound makes him wince again, his hands falling back to his sides as he shuts his eyes. ā i know. ā grumbling under his breath, he then nods. ā lucky meā ām sorry, summer. but iā thank you. ā vulnerability seeps through his words as he leans against her for leverageā more often than not, summer had been his anchor & for that, frankie couldnāt consider himself luckier. throughout the years, he had grown to care for just a minimal amount of people; summer knox at the top of his list. he follows her closely, barely making it to the entrance of her place without stumbling.
glancing back and forth between his hand on her thigh and his face, she couldn't decide which one to focus on more. "wellā maybe more than one thing." she chuckled with a light blush flushing her cheeks. there wasn't anyone in the qz that could make her feel so carefree, so confident. as she sat in an old t shirt, she still felt beautiful; because she didn't have to feel otherwise. she didn't have to dress herself up for him, they weren't like that. sierra couldn't help but feel a hitch in her breath as she felt him so close to her, as if she could just jump him right then and there. a brief pause came over her as she stared into his eyes, feeling the tension flood between them. grabbing the cigarette from her lips, she placed her other hand on the back of his neck, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "what can i say? i know what i want."
comfort is rarely found in people & yet sierra had offered frankie a shelter in the midst of the chaos. he respected her for that, trusted her enough to see him without the facade he'd put up for everyone else; he didn't need any of that, not the intimidation nor the coldness he was known for displaying while killing surviving. he'd let her see him at peace. his gaze seems to pour the tension that is left in the air down into her own eyes, one hand reaching over to cradle her face when she is leaning in towards himā gentle as ever, like they were dancing. everything always felt natural with her. he finds himself smiling at her response, face angled to nestle itself in her neck as he feels her fingers graze at the back of his own. ā and whatās that? ā words are teasingly mouthed against her jaw, his lips trailing kisses behind her ear. ā let me hear you say it. c'mon. ā
ā iāve got a weapon for every situation. hunting, profession, cold blooded murder, hot blooded murder... ā Victor stated, leaning against the counter.
ā do you have 'just for fun' guns too or is that outta your jurisdiction? ā frankie leans against the other side of the counter, a grin triggering the corner of his lips. ā iām not here for guns, i just wanted to ask if youāre still in for later today. ā a vague explanation, but he knows he doesnāt need to elaborate on their routine. ā i found a new way out, down through the subway. ā
Technically Mickey should be at home. He knew that it was almost curfew, but this one time, he might need to break it. Heād thought that Elsa would stay indoors if he left the window open just a crack. Apparently his best girl had other ideas. It took him longer than it should to have realize she was gone. Now he was using some of his allotted batteries to try and find her. She better now be chasing bats again.
āThe cargo?ā Mick tilted his head to the side, having no idea what it was that Frankie was talking about. How in the world did he manage to get cargo. They were in the qz, not by some port. It never made sense to Mick why ships had cargo, and cars had shipments. Realizing that the other man was still waiting for whatever it was that Mickey wanted, the man shook his head. He didnāt take from other people. That simply wasnāt right. āHave you seen Elsa? I went to give her a can of chicken, but she wasnāt around. The sound of the can opener usually has her running.ā
working past curfew was a routine for frankie, unlike mostly everyone else who got the decent hours of sleepā or at least tried to. waking nightmares were the most common & it would be the first time he'd hear that someone had been up because they were chasing after someone or something.
ā yeah. cargoā supplies? goods? all that stuff. ā he elaborates, glancing down at his backpack that laid not so far from him. how did it get there ? he must've tossed it over the fence before the raiders got to him. right. the raiders. he is still holding his side, blood sipping through his shirt... & not through his jacket just yet. so the stab wasn't as deep as his fear had made him think. ā elsa? whoā who's elsa? listen, kidā you shouldn't be out here at this hour. ā
each day she was thankful for the ability to work in the bar. being behind the bar got her the front row opportunity to meet the entire cast of people in the qz. some days were crazier than others, some people caused more roughhousing than others, and some never said a word. it was fascinating to her. frankie was just the tip of the ice berg.
she was in the midst of cleaning off the her section of the bar when she heard a familiar voice occupying his favorite seat. "is it frankie story time? thank god, yes." she smiled brightly, moving to pour a glass of frankie's usual beverage, putting it in front of him. "wait an abandoned mall?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. "and board games? are you kidding, absolutely! do they have sorry? or monoloppy? or OH, candy land? please tell me they had candy land, frankie."
even if socializing wasn't a priority in frankie's rules for his daily game of survival, he seemed to make an exception every now & then. he'd say he was doing it to get acquainted with the people he shared the same air with, but deep down, he knew he was doing it for himself.
ā frankie story time? that's new. i like it. thanks, ā he briefly lifts his glass towards her with a grateful nod & a smile. Ā ā an abandoned mall. sounds fucking crazy just sayin' it, doesn't it? said it was four stories tall and all. ā he takes a short sip, running his fingers across the counter. ā oh, they sure do. candy land? that the one with that weird looking 'king candy'? i'll ask for it. i was always more of a monopoly type of guy. ā he cracks a smile. ā what other game do you know? ā
ā the subway. ā frankie doesnāt let theo stay in doubt much long, keeping both his gaze & attention on him from his spot by the door. he hadn't tell anyone about the newly found piece of information; he hadn't even notified love that he was paying a visit to the man she had name dropped the other day nor for what reason exactly. ā what's a gunsmith doing down there? you know what the tunnels are used for? stashing. what were you doing? ā
toni often spent her time surveying the qz. she knew the locations well, but it was the people. she couldnāt in good conscious lay her head in a place and not know the people around her. not in a chummy way, in a āi need to know what iām dealing withā sort of way. before she knew it, she happened upon one of those people in question. this one looked like theyād been through hell.
āfrankie, you look like shit.ā she commented, exhaling softly. it was then that she noticed the blood, beginning to approach him, slowly and cautiously. āiām not gonna tell you, your secrets safe with me. as long as you have the good stuffā she joked, trying to lighten the mood. āweāre gonna talk about us splitting the cargo, but first, letās make sure youāre not dying.ā
being observant was a requirement for survival. even within the qz where people were supposed to be safe, frankie knew it'd kill anyone not to look out & memorize at least some of the faces or behaviors he'd deal on a daily basis. he was no profiler, but his gut told him toni was trustworthy enoughā even if that hunch meant he had to blindly trust a firefly.
ā i feel like shit. ā he grumbles, allowing his eyes to close briefly once he knows itās toni & not a fedra guard or another raider that he is dealing with. he really didn't have the energy for either anymore. ā ha. good. y'think i don't got the good stuff? whoāā he rests his back flatly against the fence with a grunt. ā who do you think i am? ā joking back with just a breath, he feels around his coat's pockets in search of a bandage. ā do you have somethingā anything to stop the bleeding? ā
Blood, and cuts and the sound of pain. Goldie would never get used to it, and she did her best to avoid confronting it at all costs, but that was impossible in qz.Ā It made her uncomfortable, watching other people suffer. Sheād never been good at reassuring others, or at least not adults anyway. It was so much easier with children, a soft touch, a song and a smile was all it took. She certainly wasnāt about to do that now.Ā āGood Lord, youāre so dramatic. What do you think Iām going to do - report you, and never get anything from the outside world? You know I need my supply of silk scarfs.ā
On second look he was more badly damaged than sheād immediately though. It wasnāt just scratches, but deep gashes - knife wounds.Ā āAre youā¦ likeā¦ ok?ā She said pointing vaguely at where ever the blood was coming from.
while pain was an old friend of frankie's, he could agree bloody business was never a nice thing to either experience nor witness, but committing to a job like the one he had stayed loyal to for all these years required for him to grow used to the smell of his own blood.
upon hearing her response, he wants to chuckle but all he can manage is a estranged grunt. ā silk.. scarfs?Ā youāre... that fashionĀ lady. ā he manages to say through the haze of pain that clouds his mind & vision too. he's not the one to memorize every order he gets, but smuggling delicate cargo like that & the picky costumer behind its request were both memorable. Ā ā i'm notā okay, no, ā he moves to sit down on the ground, back against the fence. Ā ā you wouldn't happen to, uhā to be carrying one of those scarfs, would ya? ā
Summer kept herself hidden as she watched him, observing whether or not the other figure was a threat before she recognized Frankie. She detached herself from the shadows quietly and upon seeing his injury, ripped the bottom of her shirt to create a cloth. āDonāt offer people your shit like that,ā she scolds him and forces her hand to his wound, pressing firmly. āAre you fucking crazy? Going out there like that on your own? This is what happens when you donāt listen to me,ā she continues, not missing a beat as she does. She counted him lucky that it was only her creeping through the dark of the night.
regret bites at the back of frankie's mind when he sees the dark silhouette approach him from the nearest window. perhaps he should have taken his own precautions on his way back into the qz. as soon as he sees summer, though, none of that regret seems to fade away.
ā the fuck am i supposed to do then when iām like this nāāā he has no time to complain for she is already pressing down on his wound the moment he is pausing to take some air, making his hands grip onto her arm & his knees buckle. ā shit, summerāā hissing through gritted teeth, it takes a moment for him to press a hand over her own. ā it was supposed to be a short one. i wasn't gonna take long butāā teeth sink down on his bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood if he wasn't careful. ā those bastards. ā
the rules of survival weren't an easy topic to teach, not for someone like frankie who had to review the lesson over & over again with the fourteen year old he had pulled away from a fight all those years ago, the same girl he had promised to train & protect from that day forward. he wanted to believe he had done a good job at teaching her the essentials : how to wait for him to come back first after a job, how to improve her aim, how to move without getting noticedā all she needed to become better than him at everything. if he were to die today, he knows he'd die a proud father mentor.
ā jo? joāā it is the strength & liability of a father that subdues his pain momentarily, offering him a brief moment of peace. he is forcing a smile onto his lips as he stumbles towards her, doing his best to steady his breathing. in, out. in, out. he has to walk out of this one in the name of the last time he couldn't stand up for someone of his own blood. he can't leave his second chance to perish within that same fate. ā josephine. ā he calls out when he sees hazel eyes sinking in despair; it wasn't easy to tell a young soul to abandon the comfort of innocence & demand it to grow up. it wasn't fair. yet frankie knew she was stronger than that. ā just... doā do you have a rag? ā his breath is shallow now, coming out in short pants as he shakes his head. ā no. don't call her. 'm fineā how far, ā another stumble forward & his thoughts seem to go blurry. ā how far are we from... wait, where are we? the north wall? ā
Searching through her cupboard, Alex sighed at the portions she had left. She grabs the empty coffee bag and huffed, tossing it out. If Alex didnāt start her day with coffee, sheād be in a bitter mood all day.Ā
Thatās when she heard a knock. Walking over to the door, she opens it and instantly beamed at the sight of Frankie and the two bags of coffee.Ā āFrankie you are a life saver.ā She said happily and steps out of the way.Ā āCome in. Make yourself comfortable while i make the coffees. Where did you find them?ā
being greeted like a savior into her home makes frankie rolls his eyes in a playful manner; he's known for appreciating the gesture anyway. ā i'm just good at knowing how much of caffeine addicts we are. ā a chuckle & he sets the bags by the counter, leaning back against it.
ā iāmĀ notĀ supposedĀ toĀ tellĀ you,Ā youĀ know? ā he sticks his hands in his pockets with a defeated smile. ā we got lucky n' came across an unexplored starbucks. you know how long's it been since we're the first ones to find one? years. ā
