#i'm always so tempted to spill the beans on everything

[cagcd]

     He was always the active type of person,   never an idle moment in his life as he always seemed to find something to keep him occupied.   It was a habit born by necessity,   all this extra energy needing to be spent somewhere doing something useful,   never the kind to be easily bored but quick to feel as such if there was nothing to do.   Admittedly,   that abundance of energy had led to plenty of decisions he now regrets so deeply,   all those parties and drinking in an early career had done him more bad than there ever was any good.   It was a way to numb that deep emptiness at the core of his being,   even if momentarily.   Thankfully,   with time he had learned to forgo these needless habits and focused more and what mattered most,   he focused on family,   career and the better pursuit that came with his affiliation with the special forces,   which he loved,   despite the uptight atmosphere of soldiers,   his daughter and the latest addition to the team now known as the combat kids had lightened the atmosphere ten folds,   being the one in charge of their training and missions he certainly let them get away with things most wouldn't,   [   he had a soft spot for them,   there's no helping it.   ]

  It was honest work,   the kind he would pour his heart into unlike the earlier days of jumping from one project to another.   However,   it was difficult sometimes,   balancing out between shooting,   production,   training and missions had worn him out on some days,   today was one of them,   as he found himself nearly spilling his coffee,   and spending a good deal of his morning in the kitchen just staring at the mug,   still untouched with him struggling to keep his eyes open.   He hardly had a break from the last mission then flew right back in for a studio shoot,   none that he couldn't handle but the urge to drop everything and sleep for a full month was far too tempting.

     "You have bags, and I'm not talking about the Gucci kind." / xoxo ur beloved daughter cassie telling it like it is

     Damn,   he didn't even hear her come in,   now she was on the opposite end of the counter having a full breakfast,   he really needs to take a nap.   Johnny groaned,   appreciative of her sense of humor but didn't have the energy for praise.   He could really use something stronger at the moment but he doesn't even entertain the idea,   it was instances like these where feels glad for quitting drinking,   yet that weakness was a beast he seems to fight against when least expected.   But when weakness comes,   there's always his little Cassie there to keep him grounded,   ever so protective   &.   fierce as he was when it came to the other's well being.

        ❛❛   Of course they're not Gucci,   they're Cage,   get the brand right.   ❜❜        he shot back nonetheless,   assuring and lightening the mood with his response.   She had every right to worry,   he probably looked awful.        ❛❛   I'm fine,   princess,   I just need to get through today's shoot and it's a coma-induced nap for me,   you better not include me in anything this weekend                or for the next month for that matter,   I'm not budging.   ❜❜        an exaggeration at best,   though he felt it so deeply as he allowed himself to give in for a moment and bury his head between his arms,   a pause.        ❛❛   You think if I straight up chew on coffee beans it'll wake me up ?   ❜❜

@starspurn // princess i love you but don't slander the family name

[respectablesentiment]

For left with rust, what I think is going to happen, is Dina doesn’t really expect Ellie to come back as she was before Joel died but didn’t expect her to come back broken. Dina wasn’t there when Ellie tortures Nora or kills Mel and I think that having Dina there for comfort and solitude really help ground Ellie. Withou Dina I really think Ellie would have spiraled into something worse, having your uncle and best friend there can stop only so much. I can see Ellie talking to Jesse about some problems but Dina saw Ellie at her most vulnerable in Seattle and I don’t think it’s something Ellie could broach Tommy or Jesse about. In the end, I think Ellie is just, shattered and dealing with the aftermath of realizing she’s become some kind of monster and Dina trying to understand and change Ellie’s mind. She wasn’t there, and thus can’t understand the severity of Ellie’s trauma at her own hand.

This was so so interesting to read, I actually called the gf to talk to her about it. Honestly I feel tempted to copy and paste the first chapter and go in this direction in another fic. (I’ll try not to cause I’m aware I have 3 WIPs)

I can see where your head went though and if there wasn’t another large variable that I changed, it would have likely gone very similar to that. 

It’s very interesting to consider the changing events though, I’ve run them through my head so much. Like you said without Dina there after Ellie tortures Nora or kills Mel, things would be different. She wouldn’t share with Jesse in the same way. But at the same time, would she have the chance too? 

I rambled too much so my musings about canon divergence for the fic are below the cut

If Ellie goes to Seattle with Tommy, and Jesse is meant to stay and support Dina in Jackson, then: 

Would Ellie arrive to Seattle earlier with Tommy leading the way? (he arrived earlier despite leaving on the same morning) 

Would she have used the same entrance? Would she still be there for 3 days? Does she leave after the aquarium? Does she even go there? 

How would she react to Tommy torturing those two men for the gate code? Would she agree with Tommy’s methods or would they silently tear her up inside? 

Would the explosion with Shimmer still happen, and if so, would she be saved/saved in the same way by Tommy? 

Would Ellie have access to the same intel without Dina on the radio? (firstly Dina fixes the radio, secondly she’s able to listen to it and keep track of movements on a map) Would she know to go to the hospital? 

Would Tommy and Ellie separate in Seattle?

Would Jesse still come to Seattle?  

Would Tommy want to pull back if Dina wasn’t involved? Would he still agree with the decision to leave? If he isn’t pushing for it, and Ellie isn’t, what would prompt them to leave if they haven’t found Abby.

I have so many thoughts and I’ve written way too much. I’ve answered these questions through my outline but I don’t wanna say too much and spoil anything major. These questions are all rhetorical, but I just find it super interesting to think about. 

Dina is an integral part of the story. If I remove her from the equation, Ellie ends up in a different place at the wrong time, or potentially different place at the right time. 

Dina is not just the emotional support but often the wayfinder, the voice of reason, a source of intel and a reason why Ellie needs to be safe so she can go back to her at the theatre. 

ANYWAY I’ve written far far too much, this is the type of ask that I write a lot for and then delete all of it and publish a short reply but fuck it. I’m really amped up again about this story, I fucking love thinking about canon divergence logic. Hopefully you’ve found this excessive rambling interesting! Thank you for the ask :)