o2 | Dictation/Action

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie is silent for a moment, before sighing. ]

I give this place about twenty points just for not being too high on the bullshit meter.

And I get there's a price for making wishes, but still?

Here's the bullshit: I've got something to celebrate, and from what I've gathered in those "days of old" stories before the world ended? You get a cake when you've got something to party about. I already spent a wish on a pizza party, and since I'm basically trained to not trust anything, I won't let myself go any further.

So.

Baking. How does one accomplish it, and where the fuck does one start?

Comments

[dog_eat_dog]

Yeah, because back in Boston, you ever thought you'd one day live in paradise? It's the furthest thing from shithole possible.

[nohalfway]

[ She laughs. ]

It's so corny, but yeah. Never thought I'd make it into anything close to paradise since I had no fucking clue what it was in the first place.

[ And she looks up to Tess, smiling. ]

Here's another bit of corny: it's... Real cool to see you again.

[ Her gaze goes back to the cake mix. ]

You know, I got to thank you and all before shit hit the fan, but not personally. You were the nicer one when we started moving.

I'm sure Joel's real happy to have you around again.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Tess finds herself looking away for a second, if only to process. She'd never really imagined herself or what she did through Ellie's eyes, only Joel's –– Ellie was still cargo, then.

Then, with a somewhat braced look, she replies:]

You're welcome.

[A pause.]

Joel's... well. I should probably thank you for taking care of him now that I can't. He needs someone to keep him busy, to keep him going, and as far as I've heard, that's exactly what you did.

[nohalfway]

[ Waxing sentimentality is something that isn't practiced often where they're from. You take what you can get and move forward, but damn it if Ellie didn't learn to hold close whatever she can grasp. The smile fades when Tess returns the sentiment, not out of negativity but a flash of memory. Tess was Joel's partner for a long time up until Marlene got involved, until Ellie got involved. ]

[ She still can't help but feel like that's somehow her fault... ]

It wasn't just me.

[ She grabs the cupcake tin, reaching over for the wax cups and setting them into each slot. ]

I mean, I know the whole thing wasn't easy for him. He could've just dropped me after the whole fiasco and gone home. But he covered my ass for a whole year.

He's the only adult next to Marlene who didn't... You know. Give up on me.

[ Idly, she continues to stir the mix. ]

I know I'm a handful. I mean, shit, [ A laugh. ] I got moved from like three different military schools after getting into fights, stealing, tons of shit.

Even when he did try to give me up to someone else, he backed out. Tried for me. I really owe him for that.

[dog_eat_dog]

He's a good man.

[They may not be good people overall, but he's a good man to her, at least.]

There aren't many people I would have asked to do something that hard. I mean, I didn't know how long it would take for him to get you to the Fireflies, but he didn't want to take you outside the Quarantine Zone, let alone all the way out West, but...

[She shrugs.]

Kids. For someone who loves kids as much as he does, he wants nothing to do with them most of the time. It's almost better that you're a little shit, because nobody else would take the time to get him to open up.

[nohalfway]

He's a dad.

[ Ellie shrugs. Talking about Sarah is obviously a really difficult subject for him. She knows she must have died a long time ago, but Ellie can tell the wound will probably never heal for him. And she gets it. ]

I mean, that's my guess. There's really no talking about it with him. Joel mentioned Sarah a couple times after I found out about her. I'd think once you become a parent, that doesn't ever change.

Maybe. I don't know.

It's hard to tell how he sees you? He's been really... Different since.

Well... Stuff happened.

[ David. ]

[dog_eat_dog]

[She nurses her beer for a moment, eyes unfocusing as she falls into thought. She'd never asked Joel what he'd told Ellie –– she'd just always assumed he would fall silent about her the way he was silent about Sarah, about Tommy, about everyone else, saying something only when drunk or dreaming. Tess isn't hurt by it –– she knows Joel will still think of her, and she doesn't need to be some faceless part of his past to Ellie –– but it hadn't really troubled her before.]

No, that's how I've always thought about it, too. Once a dad, always a dad.

But yeah. [A dismissive wave.] I wouldn't expect him to have talked about me much. I guess it's been pretty weird for you to see him so... domestic.

[nohalfway]

[ There's a bitter laugh there, and it's a prelude to Ellie stopping her actions to take part in her drink again in turn to Tess. ]

He never wants to talk about anything. Probably because it's fucking tough to face.

I think that's why he never talked about you or Sarah. Too hard for him to deal with.

[ A heavy exhale follows her taking another drink. ]

And yeah, it's really fucking weird.

[ She makes pause to think about it, really taking in just how much Joel has changed in the last year. It took a huge turn in the winter, after he'd gotten hurt. After she'd been stuck on her own for days trying to keep him alive and keep them safe, which she ended up hanging by a thread in the end anyway. ]

Can't say I don't like it, though. I guess if I ever did have a dad, this is what it'd feel like--

[ And she shoots a look of embarrassment, nearly dropping her beer. ]

Oh fuck, don't tell him I said that, okay?

[dog_eat_dog]

[Tess nods.]

I won't.

[And then, after a thoughtful pause:]

Neither of us are really likely to talk about the past, especially at length, but the long story short of it is that he and I have known each other for about fifteen years. And in that time, I haven't learned much about Sarah, either.

[nohalfway]

Holy shit. Fifteen years?

[ That's a long time to know... Anyone, really. Especially in the world they come from. She muses a smirk. ]

Sooooo he the slick-moves kinda guy or what? I can't even imagine Joel being capable of that.

[dog_eat_dog]

[That gets an unexpected snort of laughter.]

You'd be surprised, then.

[nohalfway]

What? No way.

[ Ellie looks highly amused. ]

So, what, he's actually the romantic type or something? No fucking way, I don't believe you.

He's such a... Downer sometimes!

[dog_eat_dog]

Oh, he is. You'll never see it –– he's all gentlemanly about that PDA stuff around kids –– but you can trust me. He's romantic.

[nohalfway]

Pfffff.

[ She waves her hand dismissively. ]

Gross. Who does he think he is? Being... Not-douchey and likeable. Makes me sick.

[dog_eat_dog]

He's likable regardless of that stuff.

[nohalfway]

[ A laugh. ]

Yeah, he really is.

I know, I give him flack for shit but he's a really good guy.

[dog_eat_dog]

I certainly wouldn't trade him in.

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie makes a sound of acknowledgment, nodding happily. ]

Man, this batter's still lumpy. That's not good, right?

[dog_eat_dog]

So beat it harder. They've all got to be beat out.

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie does just that, whisking away at the batter and practically putting her whole body into it. ]

So... Did you cook a lot before the world got shitty?

[dog_eat_dog]

Sometimes. I was only nineteen when shit hit the fan, so most of the cooking I did was helping my parents in the kitchen.