Joel thought he would never hear her laugh like this again, light and melodic and laced with a childlike innocence he knows she lost long ago, but it's spring and the snow has melted and she is giggling.
She is playing with a puppy, watching it overestimate its own speed and tumble to the ground, holding it with the same gentleness he feels in his own hands when he touches her, basking in the pure expression of joy only animals are capable of. They're free of untainted memories, the air smells like roses and lilac, his fingertips have been numbed by his guitar strings, and Ellie turns to look at him with a smile, a memory that has carried him through winter.
The sun has yet to grow hot but it is already turning her hair into shimmering copper, her ends barely reaching past her shoulders, and when she remains unbothered by the breeze blowing through it, strands tickling the back of her neck, he knows he will get to watch it grow again, watch her grow.
After not being a father for twenty years, the thought of experiencing another childhood, no matter how broken, no matter how short, fills him with equal parts of fear and devotion. Her spark is still there, the twinkle in her eye when she asks can we keep her, the brightness illuminating her face when he says yes and doesn't bother to hide his smile. There are crocuses in the grass, bright specks of color among the morning dew, and Ellie's skin when she presses her cheek into his palm is softer than their petals.
Joel remembers the giraffe, the dog and her in the snow after his world had stopped, her laughter anchoring him back down, her tiny hands that should have never had to aim a gun softly holding their horses face so she can press a kiss to his nose.
All he can do is stretch out his arms and offer her a space to grow, the promise of an embrace whenever she needs it, a constant I love you he cannot quite say, not yet, but only the innocence preserved in the trusting eyes of an animal, the carefree joy of a toddler in her arms, can help her find her childhood again.
There is too much violence in the world, too many memories haunting them to ever escape the pain, but Ellie presses herself against his side, warm, alive, happy, and she is laughing again.
It's enough.
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Have you seen the new little mermaid? It was actually so much better than I thought it would be (I liked it better than the original and I LOVE the original!!) and the Eric beach scene was 👌🦋👌🦋👌🦋👌. He was truly a beautiful damsel in distress the whole movie
OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! im already getting whumperflies reading your message ahhhhhhhh. im going to watch it this coming weekend because last weekend i was working 😭. i’ve already bought my ticket and warned my friends that if they change their mind/plan last minute i will not care and WILL go to the theater alone lmao.
prince eric being a damsel in distress is just what we needed and jonah hauer-king is so damn handsome *kicking my feet up* can’t wait can’t wait can’t wait
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[K-pop] The divorce of the century: the rise and fall of Yunjae, K-pop’s most (in)famous ship (PART 1)
byu/jerry907 inHobbyDrama
so technically this is a post about kpop shipping drama, but if you've ever wondered about fandom, fanservice, and why kpop fans are Like That, boy is this ever the post for you! OP did a really good job researching and laying everything out while writing this. it makes a for a great read about how a lot of modern day kpop fandom and fanservice came about. it was also a great reminder of how absolutely insane fanservice used to be and what a weird time the early 2000s were when we were navigating what the fan/celebrity relationship in a time where being online was becoming mainstream.
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