hey staff instead of.. oh idk... maybe taking down palestinian voices and removing trans women's posts how about you focus on fixing your massive porn bot problem you idiot fucking fascist fucks.
When Ellie was designing her tattoo, she considered putting a butterfly in it. As a way to honor Sarah, the older sister she never got to meet but still loves. Wants a way to remember her, to keep her with her even though she's gone. She didn't, went with the moth instead. Told Joel it was symbolic of looking for the light, looking for the good, in every situation. Doesn't tell him about the butterfly at all. Definitely doesn't tell him that she didn't do the butterfly because she was scared of his reaction. Was unsure of whether he would want her honoring Sarah. After all, Ellie isn't family. Not my daughter and all that. She didn't think she could stand to hear him say it again. Because they haven't said what they are to each other and it's fine. What they have works and labels are fucking stupid anyway.
But one night, after a particularly horrible nightmare that she can't remember the details of when she wakes up, can only remember that she couldn't find Joel and she was alone in the inky darkness, she tells him. Wakes screaming and he comes to her, holds her close to his chest until she remembers who she is, where she is. He traces the leaves of her tattoo, on nights like this. She thinks it's a way for him to remind himself that she's here and alive and safe. That he couldn't save Sarah but he did save her.
And so she tells him, about the butterfly. About the memorial to a sister she never got to meet. A girl with a killer smile who was taken from the world too soon. About being scared Joel would be upset, because Sarah isn't anything to Ellie. Not really, but she still wants to honor her, wants to be one of the people that remember her. Joel gets all teary-eyed and she thinks she fucked up. Is just about to backtrack, to tell him she was kidding when he pulls her into his side, kisses her head.
Says I think that's a great idea, Kiddo.
And so they get matching tattoos. Monarch butterflies because they were Sarah's favorite. Joel gets his right over his heart. So he can hold Sarah close to his chest, like he did when she was a baby. Ellie gets hers on her left shoulder blade. Because she likes the idea of Sarah watching her back. Puts it on her left shoulder blade and not her right so she can keep Sarah near her heart too.
They go at different times to get them, because patrol rotations and whatnot. Ellie goes first, shows Joel the second he walks through the door. He gives it a nod and a looks real good Kiddo. When Joel gets home from getting his, she badgers him into showing her as soon as he walks in the door. She's shocked by what she sees when he moves his flannel out of the way. There's a monarch butterfly over his heart, Sarah written in loopy font underneath it. But there's a moth there too. The same moth Ellie has on her arm, Ellie's name written in blocky letters underneath it.
The shock must show on her face because Joel shrugs and says couldn't have one of my girls without the other, could I?
And Ellie will deny it to the day she dies, but she cries just a little, when she hugs him. Because she's one of his girls.
People who are like “Omg gen z theatre kids only know *proceeds to list every single musical that came out after 1999*” are the most annoying assholes like hey maybe we just don’t like shit from the 1960’s or we have specific tastes have you ever considered that