Line #28 Fanfic/BlindMansBluff


1	->"Hey, guys... I know yer scared, nobody wants no one tuh die... but c'mon. If we calm down'n'think 'bout it, we'll come up with somethin'. We always do."
2
3	-->-- '''Ellis'''
4
5
6	''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/11546595?view_full_work=true Blind Man's Bluff]]'' is a ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' [[HoYay Nick/Ellis]] fanfic by ladyredms that takes place in a presumably alternate universe where the group doesn't meet up on the roof of the evacuation center. Rather than a campaign-by-campaign story, this story spins a different twist to the survivors' adventures, giving the universe a more realistic take while exploring their adventures during the [[ZombieApocalypse zombie apocalypse]] in search of salvation.
7
8	But mainly, the story focuses on the characters, following each of their interactions with each other and each of them [[CharacterDevelopment developing as people]] as well as learning to trust each other.
9
10	The story underwent a rewrite, with its most recent update on October 2020.
11	----
12	!!''FanFic/BlindMansBluff'' provides examples of:
13
14	%%* AdmiringTheAbomination: Ellis, frequently.
15	%%* AloneWithThePsycho: Poor, poor Ellis...
16	%%* AmazonChaser: It seems like [[BloodKnight Jerry]] goes for women like this.
17	%%* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler: Chris's]] ultimate fate.
18	%%* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Nick provides most of these.
19	%%* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: [[OfficialCouple Nick and Ellis]].
20	%%** Coach and Nick have their moments, too.
21	%%*** Nick and Rochelle also have their moments.
22	%%*** Basically, Nick has these moments with everybody.
23	* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: All of the Angels.]] These guys are treating the damn [[ZombieApocalypse zombie apocalypse]] as a roaring good time, and they even use knives instead of guns in order to get as close to their carnage as possible. And based on their philosophy, they're [[TheSocialDarwinist pretty firm believers in Social Darwinism.]]
24	** Special mention must be given to [[spoiler: Brenda and Jerry. Especially Jerry, who seemed to delight in torturing Ellis.]]
25	%%* BadassInANiceSuit: Nick, naturally.
26	%%* BadassSpaniard: Chris. Please add context before un-commenting.
27	%%* BandOfBrothers: The Survivors are this.
28	* BerserkButton: If you hurt a single one of the survivors, you can count that [[TrueCompanions the rest of them]] will rain hellfire on you.
29	** And if you're especially suicidal, then you'd harm [[MoralityPet Ellis]] in front of Nick. It doesn't matter if he's unarmed, [[spoiler: he will try to annihilate you and all of your friends [[UnstoppableRage with his bare hands]]. Unfortunately for him, [[AxCrazy Brenda]] had a katana, so all he achieved through that was a katana through the shoulder.]]
30	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Besides [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Nick]], all of the Survivors are very friendly. But if you [[BerserkButton hurt one of their own]], then they'll show you why they managed to survive so well in the [[ZombieApocalypse Zombie Apocalypse.]]
31	%%* BewareTheSillyOnes: Ellis, in the case of [[spoiler: the Angels.]] Although he often gets overlooked due to his goofy demeanor, he can conjure up game-breaking plans out of damn near nothing.
32	%%* BigDamnHeroes: All of the survivors at one point or another. And, in a rather surprising turn of events, [[spoiler: Chris]] does one too.
33	%%* BigEater: Coach.
34	%%* TheBigGuy: [[TheLeader Coach]] and [[BloodKnight Jerry]] to their respective teams.
35	%%* BloodKnight: All of the [[AxCrazy Angels]] are this.
36	* BreakTheCutie: To date, Rochelle had to witness [[spoiler: Chris getting his armed ripped off by a Witch when he saved her and Coach's lives. And then she had to hear his cries of agony as his arm was cauterized.]] And Ellis had his optimism in humanity challenged many times, starting with the ruthless female robber to [[spoiler: getting almost tortured then slaughtered by Jerry. Then he had to watch Jerry die.]]
37	* BunnyEarsLawyer: All of the Survivors. Although they all have their quirks, there's a very [[ActionSurvivor good]] reason that they're all still alive during the [[ZombieApocalypse Zombie Apocalypse.]]
38	%%* CantSpitItOut: Nick in terms of Ellis.
39	%%* CarFu: Used extensively to battle zombies.
40	%%* CarpetOfVirility: Nick has a Type 1. Besides, Ellis seems to be very fond of Nick's chest hair.
41	%%* CasualDangerDialogue: They're all pretty upbeat considering what's going on around them.
42	%%* ChainsawGood: At least Ellis thinks so.
43	* CharacterDevelopment: All of the characters get loads of this. Rochelle slowly gains acceptance of the situation, Coach learns to share his worries with others, Ellis wisens up after one too many [[BreakTheCutie Break The Cutie]] moments, and Nick smoothly undergoes the transition from [[JerkAss a self-obsessed asshole]] to [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold a self-obsessed asshole who cares about his group]].
44	* ChekhovsGun: Sugar and [[spoiler: the bullet that Nick slipped into Jerry's gun.]]
45	* CloudCuckooLander: Ellis. His cheery countenance and happy ramblings tend to either amuse, confuse, or irritate his teammates. How he manages to recount Keith stories at the drop of a hat during the [[ZombieApocalypse zombie apocalypse]] is a miracle in and of itself.
46	* ColdBloodedTorture: [[spoiler: Jerry]] tries to inflict this on [[spoiler: Ellis.]]
47	* CoolBigSis: Rochelle serves as this to Ellis.
48	* CrazyEnoughToWork: All of Ellis's plans. All of them. But special mentions include [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu exploding a Tank with a gas station]] during one of the most badass [[ChaseFight car chases]] in history, [[ImprobableWeaponUser setting zombies on fire using fire and fast food grease,]] and, for the kicker, [[spoiler: summoning Witches using nothing but bags of sugar to bring down Brenda.]]
49	%%* TheCynic: Nick
50	* DeadpanSnarker: Everyone has their moments, but standout examples have to be Nick and Rochelle.
51	%%* DarkAndTroubledPast: Poor Nick.
52	%%* DefrostingIceKing: Nick, big time.
53	%%* DespairEventHorizon: Nick almost crosses this when he thinks that [[spoiler: Ellis dies.]]
54	%%* TheDitz: Carmine is this.
55	* DoorStopper: This fic is ''357'' chapters long and is still continuing.
56	* DudeNotFunny: Nick tends to get this reaction InUniverse. Especially in the earlier chapters, with [[JerkAss Nick's]] behavior towards Ellis. This seems to have mostly disappeared mostly due to his [[CharacterDevelopment Character Development.]] However, this still pops up from time to time, like when Nick jokes about [[spoiler: Chris's severed arm.]] Coach was not amused.
57	* EliteMook: The Tanks serve as this big time. Each time they appear in the story, you can expect all hell to break loose. Especially when [[spoiler: one Tank manages to chuck a slab of concrete right at them, some of the fragments striking Coach in the back of the head, causing them to lose their car and [[FromBadtoWorse leaving him incapacitated]].]]
58	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: [[spoiler: Brenda]] goes almost hysterical with rage when she believes that [[spoiler: the Survivors brought Chris to his doom.]]
59	* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: Even Brenda]] is absolutely horrified at what [[spoiler: the military]] has done.
60	** [[spoiler: Chris]] is horrified when [[spoiler: Brenda gloats about Ellis being mercilessly murdered by Jerry.]] It's partially what prompts his [[spoiler: [[HeelFaceTurn Heel Face Turn]].]]
61	* EveryoneCallsHimBarKeep: Everyone calls Sam Coach. Except [[VitriolicBestBuds Nick.]]
62	* EvilGloating: [[spoiler: Brenda]] delivers a rather nasty one to the survivors about how [[spoiler: Jerry was probably viciously torturing Ellis. And how she would kill them after Jerry delivered Ellis's corpse to them in pieces.]]
63	* EyeScream: Almost happens to Nick, courtesy of a particularly grabby zombie.
64	%%* FireForgedFriends: The Survivors are this.
65	* GeniusDitz: Although quirky, Ellis is damn good at making plans.
66	%%* GoldDigger: Nick's wife Angelica was this.
67	* GoodIsNotNice: Nick. He'll frequently spout off things that are unpleasant to hear, although they are necessary.
68	* GoodParents: Ellis and Rochelle's parent(s). Coach is quickly [[PapaWolf becoming one]] as well.
69	* HandsomeLech: Nick. Although his amorous exploits don't only extend to women.
70	* HeroicBSOD: Coach suffers a minor one after seeing a Charger, which makes him remember [[spoiler: about how a lot of the football team he was coaching turned into them and pounded the rest of their teammates to death.]] Nick snaps him out of it, though.
71	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Chris]] does a rather surprising one though, in the [[spoiler: [[BigDamnHeroes coolest way possible.]]]]
72	%%* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Coach]] tries to pull one off.
73	* HeroicWillPower: All of the survivors have this. Even after receiving injuries that should leave them in a crippled pile of pain, they push through it in order to help the [[TrueCompanions others.]]
74	%%* HiddenDepths: All of the Survivors. But especially Nick.
75	%%* HeterosexualLifePartners: Ellis and Keith.
76	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: This happens to [[spoiler: Jerry.]] After he tries to [[spoiler: shoot Ellis]], instead, [[spoiler: his gun blows up in his face due to the [[ChekhovsGun bullet]] that Nick slipped into his gun.]]
77	* HopeSpot: [[spoiler: [[HeelFaceTurn Chris refuses to shoot them.]] So Brenda decides to do so instead.]]
78	%%* HumbleHero: Both Ellis and Coach.
79	* ICouldaBeenAContender: Coach could've had a career in football if it hadn't been for his knee injury.
80	%%* ImAHumanitarian: Amusingly enough, Rochelle misconstrued Keith to be this from one of Ellis's stories.
81	%%* IndyPloy: Nick manages to pull one off successfully on a robber.
82	%%* InTouchWithHisFeminineSide: Ellis, according to Rochelle.
83	%%* IronButtMonkey: Keith in Ellis's stories. To almost impossible degrees.
84	* IronicName: The Angels. Who are anything [[AxCrazy but.]] [[LampShadeHanging Lampshaded]] in-universe.
85	* ISurrenderSuckers: A thief tries to pull this on the Survivors. [[OutGambitted It doesn't]] [[OhCrap work.]]
86	%%* JerkAssHasAPoint: Nick, frequently.
87	%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Nick, Nick, Nick.
88	%%* KatanasAreJustBetter: According to Brenda.
89	* Keet: Ellis is always the most cheerful and chatty of the survivors.
90	* KickTheDog: You can tell if a situation is bad when one of the survivors does this to Ellis. They always regret this later on, though. Although it's especially cruel when [[spoiler: Brenda and Jerry]] do this.
91	** Nick's wife [[GoldDigger Angelica]] does this. She divorces him even after he's hysterical with fear for her and beaten so severely he ends up in the hospital. Why? Because he ran out of money [[UngratefulBastard buying her things]].
92	* KissingCousins: Nick says this about Ellis due to his [[DeepSouth place of birth.]] Ellis and Rochelle aren't amused.
93	%%* TheLancer: Nick serves as this to [[TheLeader Coach]].
94	%%* TheLeader: Coach.
95	* LeftForDead: Just like its namesake. However, it seems that it's taken a much darker tone. It's heavily implied that the [[spoiler: military abandoned all the surviving humans, and did something so horrible that it left even [[TheSociopath Brenda]] shaken.]]
96	%%* TheLoad: Carmine. Fully acknowledged in-universe as well.
97	%%* LovableRogue: Nick.
98	* MacGyvering: Ellis, with the most unlikely of things. This includes [[ImprobableWeaponUser sugar and fast food grease.]]
99	%%* ManChild: Ellis.
100	* MercyKill: A thoroughly pragmatic one by Nick. He shoots three zombies that were dissolving in Spitter acid to get the rest of his horrified group moving. And, debatably, when he shoots a chained-up zombie.
101	* MexicanStandOff: One goes on between Ellis and [[spoiler: Brenda.]]
102	* MoralityPet: Ellis and Rochelle tend to serve as this to the entire group. Ellis is Nick's biggest morality pet, though.
103	%%* MoreDeadlyThanTheMale: Brenda.
104	%%* MotorMouth: Ellis, Ellis, Ellis.
105	%%* NiceGirl: [[CoolBigSis Rochelle.]]
106	%%* NiceGuy: Both Ellis and Coach.
107	* NotSoAboveItAll: Although she's usually cool, suave, and collected, [[spoiler: Brenda]] almost loses it entirely after [[spoiler: the Survivors say they're calling the military.]]
108	%%* OppositesAttract: In the case of Nick and Ellis.
109	%%* OddFriendship: The Survivors all have this with each other.
110	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: If any of the characters display this, the situation has gone bad. Of particular note, Ellis actually ''goes quiet'' around [[spoiler: Jerry]].
111	* PapaWolf: Coach to Rochelle most definitely. But he's definitely becoming this to Ellis too.
112	* ParentalSubstitute: Coach to both Ellis and Rochelle.
113	** Also, one of Nick's [[spoiler: teachers]], who he claims he regarded as a father.
114	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: There's heavy suggestions that Jerry is this.
115	%%* PrettyBoy: Ellis, according to Brenda and Jerry.
116	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Nick is extremely close to exacting one of these on [[spoiler: the Angels after Brenda says that Jerry will kill Ellis.]]
117	%%* RomanticFalseLead: It's pretty obvious that [[TheDitz Carmine]] is one.
118	%%* SassyBlackWoman: Rochelle, although this is a case of Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad since her personality is much more developed than just that.
119	%%* ShipperOnDeck: Rochelle serves as this to Nick/Ellis.
120	%%* ShipTease: A whole bunch of it with Rochelle and Chris.
121	%%* ShootTheFuelTank: Twice. Both instigated by Ellis.
122	%%* SmugSnake: The female robber, [[JerkAss Jerry]], and [[AxCrazy Brenda.]]
123	%%* TheSociopath: A pretty good case could be argued that [[spoiler: the Angels are this, excluding [[TokenGoodTeammate Chris]].]]
124	%%* TeamDad: Coach. Ellis and Rochelle certainly view him as a [[ParentalSubstitute father figure.]]
125	%%* TeamMom: Despite acting as a surrogate daughter to Coach, Rochelle certainly fills this role for the team. Nick even [[LampShadeHanging lampshades]] this at one point.
126	%%* TheSmartGuy: Ellis.
127	%%* TranquilFury: Nick has a rather terrifying one when a robber smacks Ellis across the face with a gun.
128	* TrueCompanions: All of the survivors become this to each other. It's more or less summed up the best in this passage:
129	-->In silence, pressed close, there was an instant of examination. They took stock - let it sink in that they were all together again, alive. Hurt, but safe. Scared - but safe. Something had long since settled between them, an unspoken but very real tie. Something familial, forged out of a bond as strong as blood.
130	%%* UnderestimatingBadAssery: The [[spoiler: Angels]] severely underestimate Ellis.
131	%%* UndyingLoyalty: All of the [[TrueCompanions Survivors]] have this for each other.
132	* UngratefulBastard: The female thief. After being let go, she still tries to [[ISurrenderSuckers stab them in the back.]]
133	%%* UnstoppableRage: Go ahead. [[SchmuckBait Try hurting Ellis in front of Nick.]] We'll see how long you last.
134	%%** Actually, try hurting any of the Survivors and you'll receive this from the rest.
135	%%* ValleyGirl: Carmine.
136	%%* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Brenda]] is rapidly spiraling downwards.
137	%%* ViolenceIsDisturbing: Happens quite frequently.
138	* VitriolicBestBuds: Although the "friends" portion can be debated, [[TheLeader Coach]] and [[TheLancer Nick]] nonetheless respect each other. Usually with a whole lot of snark.
139	%%* WeaponizedCar: What Ellis tries to do in the beginning.
140	* WhatTheHellHero: Nick delivers an absolutely BRUTAL one to Coach after [[spoiler: he accidentally sets a horde on them.]] Needless to say, it hits home.
141	%%* WideEyedIdealist: Ellis embodies this trope.
142	%%* WorthyOpponent: As of late, [[spoiler: Brenda]] seems to view Ellis as this.
143	* YaoiFangirl: Rochelle serves as this. She knows about Ellis and Nick's relationship, and she's definitely supportive of it.

Context Fanfic / BlindMansBluff