Tess and Maria are the type that are continually playing a game of chess. Literally. There's a board in Maria's office that they both take turns making moves on anytime one passes it.

LITERALLY GASPED AUDIBLY AT THIS LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEE

reminds me a lot of the main couple from “the glory” if anyone’s watched that show, which like. they are SO mariatess coded. AND BRO A THE GLORY X TLOU MARIATESS AU??? im imagining them as like a longtime spy-duo doing espionage against their enemies to get revenge on people responsible for hurting/targetting their sons (who are JUST FINE, thank u, and literally besties living it up in a private undisclosed safe location) back when they were babies. it turns into a years-long undercover mission against an organization called the fireflies, in which they enlist the help of mercenaries tommy and joel miller

OR like a western-type vibe, something like the brilliance @hypnotisedfireflies is cooking up with The Legend of Charro??? cowgirl murder-wives maria and tess on the run from their lost loves, deputy and sheriff miller?????

OR

in jackson, maria and tess not only have the shared chessboard in maria’s office, but ALSO shared journals that they keep in their respective homes. they’re both constantly at eachother’s places to nap between work, but are both so busy that they rarely end up in the same place to talk at the same time throughout the week. so they leave each other notes in these shared journals to check in and gossip. they both journaled a lot in college and keep their own individual ones too, so it feels like a really familiar source of comfort for them both 🫶🏾

everything’s in them from “today is SHIT” to “left half a joint for u in ur undie drawer, godspeed” “FUCKING THANK YOU THERESA” to “if josie speaks one word at this fucking council meeting, im gonna fucking walk out. one fucking word” to “joels been having nightmares this week. can you go out for a hike with him and try to get him to talk?” “yeah, sure, of course” to “seth’s extra pissy today, im gonna fucking deck him” “okay bet, do it where i can watch” to “if tommy sings ‘im gonna be’ one more fucking time IM gonna walk him 500 miles off a fucking cliff. control ur husband” to “ellie started her period btw, she doesn’t wanna talk about it but keep an eye out” to “hey need a fucking break. wanna hide in the basement tomorrow night for a toke” “me too. fuck yeah i do”

one day joel and tommy find it, read one page, and immediately put that shit the fuck down. they do not wish to die by the hands of their wives

imagining tess and maria to have super cool specialty weapons of choice. like maybe tess has scary good aim so she’s phenomenal at projectiles, from darts to crossbows to throwing knives. maria has a blackbelt in taekwondo and especially loved bōjutsu, so she’s crazy good with that style of comback. one year she finds a trident in the back of an old pawnshop, and she managed to strap in to her back and take it back to jackson with her. she practices with it every thursday afternoon in her backyard finnick odair style and some of the kids of jackson always gather on her back porch to watch

I think Tess and Maria would have a hard time getting along when it comes to certain topics. Like what's best for Ellie.

Tess might be a bit repulsed by the whole memorial board for Kevin and Sarah since she never brings her own child up, and Maria might find her far too lax in what she'll let Ellie get up to.

It'd be a while to find common ground that isn't mocking the Miller boys.

i lovingly and respectfully disagree!! i personally think tess and maria are incredibly similar and would think/act tbe same in terms of prioritizing ellie and her safety. of course there would be that initial period of mistrust and maybe even dislike because maria is overprotective and a lil bit overstepping in her efforts to look out for ellie and tommy, and meanwhile joel/tess together would likely be a very closed off and on edge regarding what maria thinks of them because she has power over their access to jackson’s resources and ellie

i think once trust is built (which i know a lot of people imagine to be slow but i really think would i least feel somwhay quick because, let’s be real—personalitu wise, joel and tess would both be great friends with maria. she is practical and takes no shit and can handle someone like tommy; the main thing that puts them at odds with eachother are their circumstances and lack of being open familiar with each other’s pasts. in jackson their circumstances are different, and in my experience, you can get to know the truth of someone’s past enough to change your perspective on them or deepen your respect within a matter of a few conversations. joel and sam knew eachother only for a short time but undoubtedly developed a bond as parents within however many days, and they were strangers. i think both joel and tess (who i already imagine would be trying to make peace with maria at least for practical reasons) would warm to maria quickly once she sees how much they care for ellie, which would be obvious from the start. i think @hypnotisedfireflies work “the ensemble” maria pt. 1 chapter explores this dynamic so beautifully, it’s one of my favorite depictions of maria and tess

i also think tess would actually be the more strict parent between her and joel, just as maria is the strict one between her and tommy. as tough as the killer boys like to say they are, they’re both a suck for puppy eyes and are far more likely to fall for ellie’s teenager tricks. i think they’d have a lot of fun getting together for coffee once a week and bonding over the beautiful chaos of having the millers in their lives