I love the idea of Sarah and Ellie as same aged step-siblings but can I introduce you to the idea of the canon age gap being kept and Sarah, a grown professional woman, laughing at her father constantly for having to re-do the teenage years with another sarcastic teenage girl but this time this one isn't as well mannered or nice.

Sarah broke curfew out studying and smoking pot with her other AP classmates. Ellie breaks curfew because she broke into a building.

Sarah loves it.

“Sarah broke curfew out studying and smoking pot […] Ellie breaks curfew because she broke into a building.” THIS IS SENDING MEEEEEEEE

UM THANK U VERY MUCH ANON FOR THIS INTRODUCTION. I AM YES-ANDING THIS SO MF HARD

wanna take a sec to cred @liveandletcry23 and @maddiesbooknook for the sarah/ellie sibling idea!

what i love about this too is that joel would essentially have to deal with The Teenage Years not just twice, but three times—because from what we gather from the show/game, he spent the majority of his early life being responsible for tommy. and ik this is heavy in some respects but its also just so fucking funny imagining joel going through the wringer with tommy (who i imagine to be a bit of a reckless thrill-seeking type teenager), then raising sarah and being like “oh my god, bless her, look at this sweet little angel baby. i finally get to rest”

and then ELLIE comes in and figures out how to slide down the railing of their staircase before she’s even 5 years old, and he’s just like