#ray’s dad would have done the same

[lurkingshan]

A lot of analysis of Ray and Sand moments leaves out the huge, foundational, overarching point that informs their story: Ray is rich and powerful, and Sand is poor and powerless. I’ve been noticing this for weeks and I find it so bizarre. And it’s not like the show has been subtle about it—Ray literally calls Sand a whore and treats him like an object that is his to pick up and put down as he pleases.

Why do people ignore it? Is it because the power dynamics of it all makes folks feel icky? Because it makes it hard to keep seeing their interactions as romantic? Because fam, that is exactly the point.

#this week it’s sand had to rescue ray from the cops because acab #but y’all sand is the only one of the two of them who was at risk with for abuse from the cops #these rich kids are FINE #look how easily top made that situation go away #ray’s dad would have done the same #only friends the series #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[princessbrunette]

rafe had been trying to pick a fight with bunny!reader all day due to his bad mood. however, due to her being a little ray of pink glittery sunshine — it just wasn’t happening.

first, the problem was the pink glittery dildo in your dresser that he found whilst snooping due to boredom, waiting for you to be done in the shower. he argues with himself whilst you sit at your vanity, giggling and happily doing your makeup.

“you tellin’ me you need that shit? ‘cus… ‘cus if that’s the case, don’t come begging for dick every thirty minutes when clearly you could be fixing your own problems.” he rants, huffing as you carefully brush mascara through your eyelashes.

“its not the same! pluuuus, i haven’t used that thing in ages. dont even know where you found it, daddy.” you’re clearly amused and it’s making things worse, locking eyes with your boyfriend through the mirror as he stands with his hands on his hips.

“think i’m stupid, right? if you weren’t still using this thing you would have thrown it in the trash.”

you spin on your stool, giving him a convincing pout. “i only use it when you go away on business trips with your dad, ‘cos i just miss you so much.”

he blinks, clearly not out of juice.

“you need to learn a little patience and self discipline, alright — you’ll appreciate this dick more without the fuckin’ silicone version.” he drawls and you giggle again at his word choice before bringing your manicured fingers to your lips to stop yourself.

“m’attached to it rafey. i like it. its pink and glittery and i’m not throwing it away.” you stand your ground, and his jaw ticks, looking around once more at the toy laying on your bed.

“cant do all the shit i do n’you know it… right? you call me when that toy fuckin’ chokes you out how you like it or spits in your damn asshole and shoves its thumb in there. yeah?” he mouths off before leaving the room, caring less and less about the argument as time goes on. now you really couldn’t fight him — he was playing dirty, and that made you horny.

his fighting spirit is given a new lease of life downstairs in the kitchen, when you accidentally blurt out the wrong name whilst speaking to him.

you’re giggling uncontrollably once more, grabbing at his shirt in the kitchen attempting to pull you closer as he holds his hands up, pretending to be totally disgusted.

“nah, who the fuck is that — huh? nate?”

“gosh, rafey — he’s from gossip girl! i was just thinkin’ about the show and your names sound similar! was an accident!” the fact you don’t sound sorry in the slightest is grinding his gears, not hugging you back when you manage to wrap your arms around him. “daddy hug me back.” you pout, and he peels you back with his hands on your shoulders.

“on thin fuckin’ ice today… alright?” he raises his eyebrows. you smile and nod, earrings jangling like there wasn’t a thought in your head.

it’s on the way to the country club that he’s really had enough, insisting on playing your music in the car, constantly winding down the volume to ask questions that didn’t need to be asked. your delicate hand reaches out for the volume toggle once more and he smacks it away.

“if you’re going to ask me if i’d still love you as a worm, or whatever bullshit you’ve conjured up — i suggest staying quiet, yeah? already told you that you’re pushing it today.”

he doesn’t have to look at you to know your smile is spreading.

“that wasn’t my question, but would you?”

the car pulls over to the side of the road with a swiftness, and he turns his body in his seat. you look unbothered as ever.

“why’d we stop?”

“you’re uh, you’re goin’ in the trunk. okay?” he rasps slowly, nodding his head like it would hypnotise you into agreeing. somehow, it worked — because your grin remains.

“okay!”

he marches over to your side and yanks you out before walking you round the back and opening the trunk. “i’m serious. get in.”

you do with no complaints — and by the time he is back in the drivers seat, he believes he’s taken it too far. however there’s no banging around, no crying, no screaming for him to let you out — so he drives away. the silence is rewarding, but he doesn’t feel great about it.

when he pulls up to the country club, he’s quick to walk around the backside of his truck and open up the trunk, relieved to see you happy as a clam — and lifts you out from under your arms. “that was fun! it was like you were a kidnapper, but also my boyfriend.” your eyes have a twinkle to them as he marches you towards his group of friends, gawking with questioning gazes.

“yeah you like that shit? ‘that turn you on?” he bites back sarcastically, but you nod anyway.

#to combat all the soft!rafe today here’s some extra mean rafe #rafe cameron prompt #bunny!reader

[stevesbipanic]

For my lovely Cass @henderdads because I owe you a happy, birthday fic 🎂

Steve had a weird relationship with his birthday.

When he was little his birthday was a big event. His mum would wake him up with a big pile of pancakes that he'd get to eat in bed and wouldn't need to worry about getting syrup on the sheets. Then his parents would load him up in the car and they'd go to Indianapolis where they would have lunch in the big park and then his dad would take him to the biggest toystore he'd ever seen and little Steve would pick anything he wanted. He would always fall asleep in the car ride home and his parents would carry him upstairs and tuck him into bed.

Once he started school his parents would throw a big pool party for him and his classmates with cake and presents, one year he even had a bouncy castle. Tommy would get to sleep over and they would get to stay up watching movies and eating popcorn.

Steve could remember the year it all changed.

When he was twelve his parents had to leave for work at the last minute, some emergency Steve didn't really understand. They apologised that they'd miss Steve's birthday but they'd make up for it when they came back and left him money so he and his friends could get pizza or go to the movies while they were gone. It was ok, it felt weird not getting birthday pancakes, he just made himself some cereal and hung out with Tommy and Carol. When they came back they still went to Indy but it felt different, felt forced.

The next year they missed it again, they still left money but there was no Indy makeup trip on their return.

The following year they didn't even realise they missed it until they came back, they gave him some money for pizza, they were leaving again.

By the time he was sixteen he didn't expect anything. He made himself pancakes now, still ate them up in bed, he was a lot better at cooking now. He hung out with Tommy, took Nancy on a date. It was fine, it was just another day but with pancakes.

Robin brought back the magic of birthdays.

When she discovered what his birthday was she insisted she get to plan his day. Steve had no plans so he agreed easily with his best friend.

The night before his birthday she slept over, they crashed on the couch together under a pile of blankets, the TV still on. Steve woke up the next day to noise in the kitchen. He saw Robin making pancakes and almost cried.

"Hey birthday boy! Sit, sit, these are almost done, my mum always makes me pancakes on my birthday so I thought you'd like the same."

"Y-yeah thanks, Robin."

They ate their pancakes as Robin told him about her plans for the day, she had convinced Jon and Nance to carpool the kids to the quarry and they were going to have a picnic down there with the whole little family.

It was a perfect day.

Steve spent his twentieth birthday in a hospital room. Eddie had been here for weeks, Max just down the hall, Steve barely left, only to help volunteers and get a change of clothes. At least Eddie was awake, Steve loved talking to him, learning everything about him. He didn't even realise his birthday had arrived until Robin arriving with a little Tupperware of pancakes.

"Didn't think I'd miss the big day did you? You're old now dingus the big 2-0."

Steve cracked a smile, his eyes stung a bit with tears seeing the pancakes.

"Thanks, Robbie."

"Stevie, you didn't tell me it was your birthday, shouldn't you be doing something fun."

Steve smiled at Eddie softly, "I'm exactly where I want to be, Eds."

The three of the shared the pancakes and swapped stories of birthdays past.

Steve could never pick a favourite birthday but the morning of his 21st came pretty close. He woke up just as the sun started filtering through the curtains of his tiny apartment. Their soft rays gently stirring him. He opened his eyes to see the space beside him empty, he was confused briefly before the bedroom door opened.

Eddie cracked a soft smile as he gazed at his boyfriend.

"Good morning, sweetheart, special delivery for the birthday boy."

That morning they shared a big stack of pancakes in their bed and didn't worry about getting syrup on the sheets. Pretty close to a perfect birthday.

#happy birthday cass #love uuuu #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #stobin #robin buckley #enjoy some sweet fluff #fluff with a sprinkle of angst #ficlet

[mugentakeda]

scoring a job at the tea shop was too easy. but now that he’s staring at bowl of jasmine flowers next to the black blend, it might have been a dumb idea. it’s not busy enough to numb his stupid brain.

the owner, mr. dugu, a short middle aged man with greasy long hair, was all too happy to hire him. we could use a looker like you, it’ll bring all the women in!

lu ten thinks back to zhao and jiro in dismay. he highly doubts his love life will ever heal itself back to normalcy. azula would agree with that.

it’s probably for the best that zhao doesn’t know where i am, he muses, but jiro would probably try and send me money.

now that he thinks about it, mr. dugu kind of reminds him of jiro. just a few decades older, and in green. a slick and stout guy that thinks he’s all that and a bag of fireflakes. so slick, you wouldn’t see the earnest, hard working gentleman hidden beneath at first.

but his dad is in there too. with the crows feet, receding hairline, deep tea scent, big hands. laughter in his eyes, at just about anything.

in the tea shop, however, his dad is everywhere he looks. his dad is the smells, the old tea cup rings stained in the tables, every sun ray shining through the windows, the cheap peeling wallpaper with painted leaves floating in the wind.

is it betrayal, what he’s done? or is he just dying on the hill of what his gut tells him is right?

he’s forcing his heart and his gut to become one, so he can physically stand loving his father, but not liking his father, simultaneously. letting them both exist together, at the same time. it’s not life ruining or earth shattering. it just… is.

lu ten misses the parts of his dad that he enjoyed, with great guilt. the roughhousing, the morning meditation, a warm hand brushing through his feathery hair, carrying him to bed after a long day at the beach, dropping his bags and letting lu ten barrel into his arms at full force after weeks being gone, bickering over the do’s and don’ts of tea. things got spotty and more spaced out once he turned double digits, because at that point lu ten was old enough to go longer without seeing his father. he was a busy guy and lu ten had been okay with that. he’s never been someone that needed constant attention, anyway.

but those parts were only enough to satisfy the young lu ten who didn’t care what his dad was outside of being his dad. then his aunt was married into the family, and lu ten started caring about a whole lot of things.

his aunt and his cousins give him purpose. what would he be, without them? they shape his interests, his entire worldview, his habits, his sense of self. the areas of politics and legislation that he dipped his toes in as a prince were even influenced by them. he tells right from wrong by wondering, if it was your aunt and your cousins, would you be okay with it?

what ursa went through after having azula haunted his dreams. the afterbirth stench, her hyperventilating, hoarse wails. the fire sages and azulon and ozai all muttering to each other, just to add to the chaos. he’d gripped little zuko to his chest in the dark corridor across from her chambers like a vice, biting his lip in terror and cheeks flushing as hot tears rolled down his face. it was the worst thing he’d ever heard in his life, and nobody seemed to care.

then he finds out that his mother went through the same thing with him over morning tea with his grandfather. casually, like he was being informed of the weather.

she believed she had the right to name you toshiro, despite not showing any enthusiasm over you at any other time of day, azulon had grunted. i don’t know why he ever bothered with that commoner wretch. you’d still have a mother today if he hadn’t picked some halfwit dancer with a smart mouth, you know. i even went through the trouble of setting up a whole line of good, wellborn women right before him, and he didn’t entertain a single one! but i suppose it doesn’t matter now, seeing the fine young man you’ve become regardless. i was afraid you’d inherit her crassness, if you’ll forgive me.

so she got sick of the shit and disappeared. to this day, he barely knows what to do with that information.

he hates ozai for doing the same shit to his aunt that his own father did to his mom. forced, unwanted marriage. the pain and misery of childbirth. postpartum. making heirs. he fucking hates that word. heirs.

toshiro. it’s a good name.

he’d leave his dad if he were his mother, too. he did leave his dad.

mr. dugu asked after hiring him if he was a soldier, going by his posture. he’s no earthbender, and the scars are from trial and error lightning bolts. but there are nonbenders in the earth army, and lu ten can put his mouth where the money is when given a staff. so he says yes.

that must be why i like you so much, mr. dugu had sighed. my own boy is a little older than you and lives in ba sing se with his old lady, as a teacher in a little kid’s school. he’s a bender, so he enlisted to help fight- but that stubborn old prince bastard is persistent. you know the ash and blood is filthying their water? his old lady is pregnant, and she has no clean water to drink. it’s unbelievable! but that ashmaker doesn’t realize how steadfast the good people of the earth kingdom are. the spirits will deliver them, and he’ll tuck his tail between his legs and run for the hills.

filthy water also means sick livestock. and sick livestock means sick people when the livestock is eaten. sick people means sick mothers and children, and sick doctors that can’t help sick pregnant mothers give birth. and then ba sing se is cut off from incoming supplies due to his father’s army, so they’re probably rationing the medicine. so sick pregnant mothers giving birth without proper medicine, without proper doctors because they’re also all sick. that leads to dying mothers, dying newborns, or mothers and newborns dying together.

lu ten just isn’t sure his father realizes little stuff like that. or maybe he does, and just doesn’t care. and that thought makes him so angry, he doesn’t even know what to do with himself.

his father had acted like all that was happening in the impenetrable city was something funny in his letters. along with a couple of thinly veiled pleads for lu ten to quit being stubborn and join him already.

narrow, ignorant self-interest does not impress him. its ugly coming from his own father. its even uglier on a man that’s supposed to lead their fucking country one day. lu ten will not be the same. the people he loves most in this world cannot afford for him to be the same.

you have a savvy for diplomacy, zhao had snapped at him. your father could use something like that. what’s keeping you here? don’t you see benefits waiting to be reaped from this? your cousins will still be here when your father succeeds! get over yourself!

“diplomacy,” lu ten sneers out loud. then sighs loudly in frustration when he knocks the cup over with a jerky hand.

one minute ba sing se is being taken by his dad so it can become one with the fire nation. the next minute he’s burning it to the ground. if it’s the fire nation, why in the all fuck is he ruining it? is that not counter-productive? is that not hypocrisy? what diplomacy is there to be had when there’s nothing left of the city?

but then, people on the homeland get arrested for some real petty shit. the colonial towns get paid dust. his dad killed the last dragon, despite a good portion of lu tens childhood folktales composing of dragons. despite agni herself being depicted as a dragon. a million things that he never questioned before that make no sense to him now that he has the freedom and time to truly ponder.

the spirits are not to be trifled with or questioned, my son. the spirits can even judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

lu ten isn’t a man who claims to know the spirits ways, nor does he question them. he wasn’t there when they laid foundation to the earth. he doesn’t know who determined its measurements. but he does know that agni wouldn’t deliver a message so stupid and pointless.

he just questions his father, and the authenticity of his pointless quest to flatten a city being spirit-sent.

what do you wanna bet he used the wrong kind of flower for his tea and was just tripping balls?

the more he thinks about it the less grace his train of thought is willing to spare.

he’s so mad that he can’t like his dad. he’s so mad that he exists at the cost of his mother’s everything. he’s so mad that everything his proud, beautiful country stands on and believes in has the strength of a single grain of rice. he can’t bare the thought of just continuing to ignore it to maintain his sanity- he’s never been so glad to be an adult with a brain and not a kid in his own little world- but realizing things is so painful. its only ever painful. he wants to curl up in a ball and rot away. the guilt and anger is mind numbing.

do you think of me with as much frustration as i think of you, dad? do you sit and ruin your own day trying to understand what goes on in my head, or is it just me?

the fumes from the boiling teapot steam his face as he bends over it slowly, trying to curb the acid crawling up his throat like a demon emerging from hell. static curls up and down his arms and brings his hair straight up, the heat bleeding from the tips of his fingers and his palms into the counter is teetering on the edge of unbearable-

“cousin?” a little voice startles him out of his thoughts.

he pauses, and turns his head.

zuko’s standing there in front of mr. dugu, who’s grinning at him cheekily.

zuko is wearing a green apron that drags on the floor. the anger building in his chest melts like chocolate over a fire. the counter is already cooling beneath his steel grip.

“…li,” he greets, weak humor in his voice. “what’s shaking?”

the kid flushes. “i got bored and walked here from mom’s work. and mr. dugu said no loitering in his store. so i’m….. hired.”

“are you a seasonal employee?” lu ten snorts.

“i don’t even know what that means,” zuko replies curtly. he doesn’t realize his sass definitely matches azula’s. “i can bring the tea to the customers.”

“well,” lu ten sighs, “i believe i’ve scalded the hell out of this jasmine by accident. give me a few minutes and i’ll happily provide you with something drinkable.”

“…do better!” his baby cousin orders awkwardly. and so he does, because lu ten is only ever the loyal servant to his baby cousins.

zuko brings the tea to the customers. every time lu ten hears his lispy little voice thank them for their patronage in monotone, he can’t help the way his lips quirk in amusement.

“the girls in the front kept baby-talking me,” his little cousin grumps later that day. “i had to run away before they got the chance to pinch my face.”

mr. dugu laughs, and pats zuko’s little shoulder heartily. lu ten’s heart aches. he can think he hates ignorance until the sheep-cows come home, but there’s nothing crueler than seeing his father in this man’s mannerisms, who’s son could be dead or alive at this very moment, due to his father in question.

“just be glad your sister wasn’t here to see it,” he replies, lest he choke himself up with his own angsting.

zuko huffs and slides off the chair he’d been sitting crosslegged on. “mr. dugu, could i take some cakes from the back to my sister? she’s a sweet tooth.”

“it’ll be coming out of your paycheck,” the man replies teasingly.

zuko frowns like a cranky owlcat. “i don’t know what that word means either.” and with that, he stomps to the back.

“that one’s a trip alright,” mr. dugu laughs. “and you say the younger one is even worse?”

“sure is,” lu ten sighs happily. “they both are the worst. i’m wrapped around their greedy little fingers. they don’t let me hold the house keys, but they’ll let me buy them candy.”

“it’ll be like that forever,” mr. dugu says sagely. “my only son is now a grown man with a wife of his own, and soon, he’ll make me a grandfather. but at the end of the day, he’s always gonna be my precious boy. my baby. and no matter what, i want him to always know he can come back home to me. despite everything. no matter what.”

the man deflates suddenly. “if anything, i might just beg him to come back home to me, once ba sing se chases that scumbag away. i have enough room to house the three of them. my boy lives and breathes to be a teacher in the city, but this old heart can’t take not knowing….”

he trails off, and pushes over a rock with his foot glumly. “they say he has children, too. the fire nation prince attacking the city, i mean.”

lu ten’s blood turns to ice in an instant.

“i doubt one such as he would feel anything if he lost them. if a man can kill another man’s child, i believe he’d might as well kill his very own. and this father would protect every child in this village as his own. you, and your little monster cousins. you know?”

agni is a big blurry dot in his vision, and he swallows hard. “yeah. yeah, i do. this one thanks you for it.”

he holds zuko’s little hand tighter than usual as they go to pick ursa and azula up from the florist.

#this took me ALL DAY to finish. ALL DAY #and idk if its even good or not but we move. #i hope you guys can forgive me sneaking a jiro mention in. i love my ocs #IROHS POV COMING UP NEXT WHOS READY TO RUMBLEEEE #runaway fire fam au #alicias writing stuff

[luvangelbreak]

Deprived | Five

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 matthew sturniolo x layla venita (female!oc) summary: everyone knows the story of the bad boy and the good girl but what happens when the school's most popular boy, Matthew Sturniolo, and the girl who notoriously is never there, Layla Venita, cross paths. warnings: swearing, smoking (cigarettes), mentions of drugs (weed) word count: 3.3k a/n: the italics are a flashback to allie and layla in their gym class btw! love you guys <3

pov: layla

I decided to stay home from school for the rest of the week, I just didn't have the energy to endure the looks people would give me. The whispering during my last two subjects after Matt and I came back at lunch was already too much and it was worse in gym when Allie stuck to her word and paired up with me.

She seemed nice, much nicer than Mia was to me. She talked my ear off the whole lesson but I didn't mind because then I didn't have to talk.

"Don't worry about Mia, by the way. She can be really bitchy at times but she just doesn't like change. I promise she is usually a lot nicer," Allie rambled as we walked around the gym as a warm-up, "It was kinda funny though. No one ever really stands up to her when she gets bitchy because everyone's scared that her dad will arrest them."

Oh, I've met her dad.

"Matt also stood up for you after you left. I trust Matt's opinion on people, he's kinda my scapegoat when it comes to talking to people. I told him to start talking to you like three weeks ago so I could ask you to hang out. I just get nervous talking to people I don't know sometimes."

You don't seem nervous now, motor mouth.

"Sorry if I'm rambling a lot. I'm just really glad you decided to pair up with me because I've been paired with Mia for like the past 2 years. It's nice to have a new friend. It's not like I don't like my friends but Mia is my only girl friend and the guys are such guys sometimes it drives me mad. You get your nails done?"

I shook my head no before she continued, "We should go get our nails done sometime. My shout of course, I'm not gonna force you to get your nails done as well as make you pay."

She was a ray of sunshine and I was sure people were confused as someone as sweet as her was talking to someone like me who looked like they had a constant rain cloud over their head. I found myself amused by her rambling and I decided that it wouldn't be the worst thing to talk to her every now and then.

I spent the rest of my week smoking weed when my father wasn't home and drawing on the last few pages of my sketchbook. The time passed quickly considering I slept for most of the days. Suddenly it was Friday afternoon and I heard a knock at my front door.

I paused my music, frowning when I looked at the clock to see it was 3:30. It was far too early for my dad to be home so I grabbed the metal bat that was lying on the bottom of my underwear drawer, sneaking towards the door silently. Another round of light knocks were placed on the door and I crept up to it before looking through the peephole.

My tense shoulders slumped as I looked at two people with the same face and their familiar brown hair. I unlocked the deadbolt on the door as well as the regular lock before I swung the door open.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, leaning my left hand on the handle of the bat now that the other end was placed on the floor.

"Hi to you too," Chris mumbled as he looked side to side, clearly tense to be in South End as Matt smiled at me.

"I figured you would forget about the game. Decided to come earlier in case you were ready which..." he looked down at my outfit which was my small sleep shorts and an old ratty t-shirt, "I don't think you are?"

"You didn't say it was this Friday!" I frowned and Chris looked down at the bat I was leaning on before shaking his head.

"Good thing I came early then," Matt smirked at me and I chewed at my lip. I tapped the bat on the ground as I thought making Chris look at me again.

"Calm down. I'm not gonna use it on you," I deadpanned to Chris and he just shrugged, looking back out at the street. I felt a nervousness in my chest because they were at my house but I knew if they stayed on the porch or in their car, someone would try something. So I reluctantly said, "Come in."

"We can wait in the ca-"

I cut off Matt quickly, "Get inside now." They looked at each other in surprise before shuffling past me and I closed the door behind them before saying, "Do you have anything valuable in your car? Phone, wallet, laptop?"

They both shook their heads and I locked both of the locks on the door before I spun around to face them again.

"Why?" Chris asked and I tilted my head, giving him an unimpressed look.

"I'll just say you're lucky you drive a fucking soccer mom car or it would be broken into within 15 minutes," I answered blandly and they seemed somewhat shocked but didn't talk, "Come on."

I walked down the hall towards my room, slipping inside and they followed shortly behind me.

"We could've waited on the couch," Matt said as I closed the door of my bedroom and raised my eyebrows.

"If my dad came home and you were sitting on the couch, say goodbye to hockey for the rest of your life," I replied dryly and he pursed his lips, "If he comes home, you will just have to go out my window and jump the fence around the side of the house."

"You don't know when he's coming home?" Chris asked as he leaned against the wall beside my mattress and I shook my head. I was suddenly very conscious that I had the two most loved boys in our school standing in my dirty bedroom. I looked around my room, realising that I looked like I lived in a trap house with my mattress on the floor, empty beer bottles in the corner of my room with cigarettes stuck in them and clothes all over the floor.

"Sorry about the mess. No one ever comes over," I mumbled as I moved a couple clothes off of my mattress, "Sit wherever. Just don't look over here because I'm gonna get changed."

I travelled to the corner of my room where my chest of drawers sat and I saw them both turn to face away from me quickly. After placing the bat beside the drawers, I pulled out black baggy jeans, took off my shorts quickly and slid them on. I then took off my old T-shirt and slid on a baby blue hoodie. I didn't bother putting on a shirt since it would be cold at the game and I wouldn't have to take my hoodie off at any point.

"I'm dressed," I let them know as I grabbed my boots off of the floor, sitting down next to my dresser so I could slide them on easily. I looked up to see both of them sitting on my mattress, looking around my room. Their expressions were unreadable as they looked around my room.

"I like your posters," Chris spoke up and I looked to the wall above my mattress where my Bob Marley, Frank Ocean and Kurt Cobain posters were hung.

"Thanks," I answered, a half-hearted smile being sent his way which he reciprocated, "When do we have to leave by?"

"Four," Matt answered and I nodded, checking the time to see it was 3:40. I hopped off of the floor, walked over to my desk and sat down on the old desk chair.

I scribbled some eyeliner on my eyes before smudging it with my finger and then putting mascara on. I grabbed my lip balm, placing it on my lips before I ran a hand through my curly hair. I grabbed the white beanie that was thrown onto the floor, sliding it onto my head. I jumped up from the seat, grabbed my leather jacket that was hanging over the back of the chair and slid it on.

"Do I need to bring anything?" I asked, having no clue what else to bring to a hockey game.

"Just your team spirit," Chris cheered sarcastically and I tilted my head with an amused look on my face.

"I'm not a cheerleader for a reason," I answered and he shrugged, a small smile on his lips.

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't cheer when we win," he retorted and I nodded in agreement.

"I'm good as long as I'm not expected to start screaming 'Go Bats go!' like an idiot," I did a small jump when I said the slogan that I heard all the cheerleaders say proudly and Matt laughed in response as Chris shook his head with a smile.

"You wanna get food on the way?" Matt asked and I shook my head in response.

"I'm good, I just ate," I explained and he nodded, quickly checking his phone.

"We should probably go," he said, turning his phone to me to see that it was 3:55. I couldn't believe another 15 minutes had passed so quickly but I nodded. Making sure I had my phone, cigarettes, lighter and keys in my pocket, I swung the bedroom door open as Matt and Chris followed behind me. I unlocked the front door swinging it open and motioning for Chris and Matt to go outside.

They walked past me and walked to their car as I turned around to lock the door with my keys. After triple-checking the door, I wandered down the driveway to the minivan. I noticed that Matt was always the one to drive and Chris was seated in the passenger seat, phone already plugged into the aux.

I slid the back door open, jumping inside before I closed the door behind me. As I buckled myself in, Matt started the car and Chris played a song by Lil Skies.

"We good?" Matt asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror and I nodded before he spun around to look at me, "I didn't even have to remind you about your seatbelt, so proud."

"Start driving before I change my mind and go back to the comfort of my bed," I smiled slightly and he beamed back at me before he spun around and we took off down the street.

Within 5 minutes, we were in the parking lot and Chris was wriggling his body along to the beat of the next Lil Skies song. I could take a wild guess as to who his favourite artist is.

Matt turned the music down, earning a glare from Chris but he turned around to look at me ignoring his brother for a moment, "You waiting in the car or coming in?"

"I'm gonna have a smoke first then I'll come in," I explained and he nodded before turning off the car.

"You head in. I'll be there in a sec," Matt told Chris who was clicking away on his phone. With a nod, he jumped out of the car and walked around to the back of the car.

"You want me to take your shit inside?" Chris called from the trunk as I turned around to see Chris lugging his huge duffle bag full of hockey shit.

"Nah I got it," Matt called back to him and Chris raised his eyebrows as he leaned into the trunk again.

"Don't start fuckin in the car or I swear to god," he deadpanned before slamming the trunk closed and I saw him start walking towards the building.

"Sorry about him," Matt mumbled apologetically and I shrugged as I turned to face him.

"It's fine. Wouldn't expect anything less," I told him with an amused smirk making him shake his head, a smile creeping onto his lips, "Are you gonna go inside?"

"I'll wait for you to finish and then I'll show you where to sit inside," he explained and I nodded before hopping out of the car. I closed the door behind me before leaning against the car, pulling out a cigarette and placing it between my lips before lighting it. I heard Matt's door open and close before he rounded the car to get to the trunk.

As I began smoking my cigarette, a car pulled into the space next to Matt's and a few moments passed before Nate and Allie appeared out of the car.

"Hey! Matt told me you were coming," Allie beamed at me and I observed her outfit, feeling strange to see her out of her usual cheer or gym attire. Instead, she had blue jeans, a black puffer jacket with a blue beanie on and black and white vans.

"He failed to mention the game was this Friday," I told her and she rolled her eyes as Nate waved at me. I sent him a wave back with the hand that held my cigarette before I took another puff.

"Is Nick coming?" Nate asked and Matt appeared beside me, duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Nah. He said something about doing homework tonight. Chris is already inside," Matt explained with a shrug as Nate rounded the back of his car and popped the trunk open, grabbing a duffle bag of his own hockey gear.

"You coming in?" Allie asked me and I held the cigarette up.

"When I finish this," I told her, a smile tugging at my lips at her beaming personality.

"See you guys in there!" Nate called as he started walking towards the building with Allie following behind him.

"Is Miss Cheer herself coming?" I asked Matt once Allie and Nate were out of earshot and he shrugged, moving to stand in front of me as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder.

"No clue. She usually shows up late if she comes though," he told me honestly and I nodded, noticing my cigarette almost being done. I quickly finished it before dropping it onto the ground and squishing it underneath my foot. I went to push away from the car but Matt stopped me by saying, "Hold up."

"What?" I asked, confusion written on my face. He held his hand up before he dropped his duffle bag to the ground and squatted down to rummage through one of the smaller pockets.

He pulled out a small pot of black face paint and a brush before standing back up, "Move your hair."

"What are you doing?" I squinted at him as he opened the pot of black face paint and he smiled at me.

"Just trust me," he shrugged and I squinted my eyes at him for a moment before I tucked my hair behind my ears. I tilted my head back as I peered up at him and he dipped the brush into the pot before he started painting my right cheek.

"If you're drawing a dick on my face I'll kill you with my bare hands, Matthew," I mumbled, trying not to move my mouth much as his tongue poked out between his lips in concentration.

"If I was gonna do that..." he trailed off before leaning back with a smile, "I'd use a sharpie."

"What did you do?" I asked and he just shrugged as he closed the pot again, sliding it back into his bag before swinging it over his shoulder again. I slipped my phone out of my pocket, opening the front camera to see he had painted the number 81 on my cheek, "What does this mean?"

"You'll see," he shrugged with a smirk and I frowned as he started to walk backwards before he tilted his head towards the building, "Come on. I gotta warm up."

I pushed away from the car, trailing behind him as we walked towards the entrance. He swung the door open, standing behind it as he let me walk in first. We walked through the front area, some of his teammates being gathered around to grab snacks or energy drinks.

"Matty B!" one of the guys called who I recognised as Daniel and he jogged over to us as Matt paused, dapping him up quickly, "Who's this?"

"Layla, Daniel. Daniel, Layla," Matt introduced us and I just nodded at Daniel, not surprised that he didn't know my name.

"No Mia?" he asked Matt and Matt just shrugged in response.

"She's being weird. I don't know dude," Matt answered before he looked towards the rest of their team, "You guys gotta hurry up. We have 45 to warm up."

"Sir, yes, sir," Daniel sent Matt a salute before he started walking backwards and looked at me, "Nice to meet you, princess."

I sent him another nod before Matt started walking towards the doors of the rink, "Ignore Dan. He'll try to fuck anything with legs."

"Don't worry, Captain. I don't do goalies," I smirked and he chuckled in response, holding the door open to the rink for me to enter first again. I walked in, the cold air hitting my cheeks making me shiver.

"Layla!" I heard Allie's chirpy voice call out from the bleachers and I looked to my left to see her sitting front and centre, I sent her a small wave as I started to walk over to her with Matt following behind me.

"I gotta go get ready but are you good to sit with Allie?" Matt asked me and I turned my head to look at him now that he was on my right and I nodded.

"Yeah. Go make sure your hair is nice before you play," I joked as he rolled his eyes, pushing my shoulder slightly before spinning around to walk backwards while I paused at the steps that led up to where Allie was seated, "Break a leg, pretty boy."

"Thanks, pretty girl," he smirked at me and I bit my lip to hide my smile as he spun back around and walked into the locker room at the end of the rink. I shook my head to get rid of my smile as I walked up a few steps before sitting down next to Allie.

She smirked at me and I gave her a confused expression, "What?"

"Nothing," she hummed, her smirk turning into a smile as she looked out onto the ice. She pulled a packet of Sour Patch Kids out from her small handbag that I hadn't even noticed before she pulled open the packet, "You want one?"

"Sure," I shrugged, picking out a couple before throwing them into my mouth and her actions followed mine.

"So you and Matt..." she trailed off and I looked back at her as she smiled at me.

"Me and Matt?" I questioned, waiting for her to continue.

"You guys are cute," she shrugged, a genuine joy spread across her face and I let my mouth fall open.

"Uh... I don't even know if we're friends let alone anything else," I told her honestly and she rolled her eyes playfully before she hummed.

"Matt doesn't talk to just anyone. If he's asking you to come to his games clearly he wants you around," she told me as if it were obvious and I shrugged as I chewed on my lip. A few players from the other team skated onto the ice with their full gear, doing laps around the ice lazily.

"I don't think Chris and Nick like me though. His brothers' opinions probably mean a lot to him," I answered, looking at the players skating in circles. A couple players from Matt's team slid onto the ice as they started doing the same as the opposition.

"Chris is just focused on other shit. Nick tends to stick to himself a lot so just give them both time," she tried to reassure me and I looked back to her before she continued, "Besides, I like you so they're not getting rid of you that easily while I'm around."

"What about Mia?" I asked, genuinely curious as to how heavily Mia's opinion influenced her friends.

Allie sighed as she looked out at the rink, "Mia will figure it out. I don't know why she's being so weird about it. I think it's because she's protective over us."

"Matt's the one that came to me. I don't know why she was acting like I'm tryna break up your entire friend group," I mumbled as I looked out onto the ice to see a couple more players.

Only then did I realise that number 81 with a small C on the chest of his blue and white jersey was skating around the rink and it was none other than Matthew Sturniolo.

#matt sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #matthew bernard sturniolo #matt sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo #the sturniolo triplets #sturniolo imagine #sturniolo edit #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo smut #christopher sturniolo #chris sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #nick sturniolo #christopher owen sturniolo

[firstkanaphans]

Oh the lengths I'd go to see the bts of the apartment fight scene 😭😭😭😭😭 that must've been so tough on FirstKhao but JFC???!?!?!??? THEIR TALENT???????? I'm still in shock, I'll need the whole week to recover

Judging by the five (5!) asks I have in my inbox, y’all really want to talk about the apartment scene 😂 So let’s do it!

First, just a little background on me. I work with addicts on a daily basis and although it’s not alcohol addiction I’m dealing with, the psychology of it is the same. I’ve seen a few people be critical of Ray choosing to change for someone other than himself, but—and I cannot stress this enough—if someone wants to change at all, I don’t really give a fuck what their reason is. Do you know how hard it is to make people want to change?

In my experience, most people want to change for someone else because most people with an addiction have already been so beaten down by the addiction itself that they no longer think they’re worth saving. Someone genuinely wanting to change for themself comes later. At the beginning, people are usually motivated by their family. 

The danger of this, of course, is that if you lose your reason to change, you also lose your motivation to change, and this is what we see happen between Sand and Ray in the apartment scene.

Ray spends the majority of this episode very blasé about rehab. He still doesn’t think he has a problem and is essentially just going through the motions to please Sand. He’s throwing away his wine bottles, but not in a way that’s permanent. He doesn’t pour them out. He doesn’t even get rid of all of them and he’s sipping on a glass of whiskey as he does it. He’s doing it for show. So when he learns that Sand isn’t just asking him to go to rehab out of the goodness of his heart—that he’s getting paid to do it—Ray finally has what he has wanted all along: an excuse not to go.

I think something people don’t talk about enough when it comes to addiction is how comforting the addiction is to the person who’s addicted. It’s their security blanket. It’s the thing that helps them get through the day. Often, it’s the only thing that makes them want to be alive even as it’s slowly killing them. Any normal person is going to be resistant to that change. So Ray gives Sand what he thinks is an impossible ultimatum: You tell your father who you are (something you have spent the past twenty-two years not doing) and I will go to rehab. 

Only Sand cares about him so much that he actually does it.

I truly believe that even in the absence of Ray’s father paying Sand, their blow-up in the apartment would have happened anyway. Ray would have found something to sever ties with Sand over because without Sand, he has no obligation to go to rehab. Addicts will do anything—and hurt anyone—to keep the source of their addiction close. And I also think that there’s still a part of Ray that wants to save Sand from himself. He said it to Mew early on: “You deserve a nice guy.” Ray thinks Sand deserves someone better.

Khaotung acted his ass off this whole episode, but what I really loved was the nuance First brought to Sand’s character. He lets Ray yell because he knows he’s done wrong, but he also understands that they aren’t just yelling about the money. He knows Ray doesn’t actually believe what he’s saying. Sand has always refused any money Ray gave him. He’s been nothing but caring. Nothing but kind. He knows that Ray’s trying to push him away and he has no choice but to let him. No choice but to continue letting Ray hurt himself.

And then, after the fight, we see Ray drinking again, no longer even trying to pretend, and my favorite part of the entire episode is the fact that what makes Ray finally choose to get help is the knowledge that he has hurt Sand. The realization of how much pain he has caused him. The acknowledgement that this relationship is the most important thing to him and he’s willing to do absolutely anything he can to save it.

My dad got sober for me and my sister. My best friend got sober for her unborn child. That is the kind of love we're working with here. The kind of love that makes you want to be a better person.

#only friends the series #asks #but yes the bts are going to be crazy #they'll probably have me sobbing again #how much do you want to bet first was just sitting there the whole time like “don't cry don't cry don't cry” 😂

[lovelytsunoda]

INDYCAR DRIVERS AS ROMANCE BOOK TROPES

summary: I give romance tropes to my favourite funky indycar men. if y’all actually want to see me do any of these, please tell me in the comments 🫣

dedicated to my bestie @magnummagnussen who helped ghostwrite and give her ideas on a few of the tropes! (sorry for not including sting ray bestie, I have his trope to callum!)

pato o ward

reverse grumpy sunshine!!! pato is a bright ball of sunshine and in an ideal romance book he would pair with a girl who is a little grumpy (just a little bit) and cynical about falling in love and then dear sweet patricio would sweep in and show her just how magical being in love can be and show her that soulmates are real and life doesn’t have to be doom and gloom all the time

josef newgarden

single dad x nanny trope! I can see this playing out as recently widowed josef (probably not the right word) struggling to balance being the only caregiver for his son next to his racing career. cue y/n, the nanny he hires to watch after his son while he’s away and competing. he’s scared to fall in love again because he’s still grieving what he once had, but his son grows attached to y/n and how could josef not fall in love with someone his son loves so much?

kyle kirkwood

second chance romance! he lost her once, and now that she’s back in his life he won’t give her up!! the way I see this one playing out is that maybe they were together before kyle made it to the big leagues, back when nobody in america knew his name. but while she was deciding which ivy league scholarship to choose, Kyle is thinking about his career. she gives him an ultimatum, and he picks racing. so she goes to her big fancy school and forgets about him. but when a family tragedy brings her back to florida and she comes face to face with kyle, who is now a grand prix winner, hes desperate to keep her from being the one who got away.

colton herta

accidental pregnancy!! their relationship was falling apart, the distance and the pressures of colton’s career. eating them alive. words were said that couldn’t be taken back. so they called it quits, he moved to nashville and she tried to keep her head down and finish school. until she missed her period. her world seems to be ending with those two little lines, but she still cares about him. she can’t just keep coltons child a secret from him, this disaster is as much his fault as it is hers. so she goes to indiana the weekend before the 500 and she tells him. tensions are running high between them both, but they’re trying to do right by each other and the baby, and the experience reminds them that maybe they were meant to be together all along.

marcus armstrong

brothers best friend!!! y/n ilott knows that marcus is off limits. since she was fifteen she’s thought all her brothers friends were gross anyways. marcus was always by far the most annoying. fast forward a few years and they’re racing together in the same series again and suddenly marcus armstrong isn’t a gross as she remembers. and has his voice always been that sexy?? but callum can NEVER know.

david malukas

wrong number! let’s face it this man is too lazy to make contacts for half of the names in his phone. he was so sure that was sting rays number. why wouldn’t it be, the man from idaho had typed it in himself. turns out, it wasn’t sting ray at all, but some random college student who lived over a thousand miles away. he starts to text her when she gets bored, eventually progressing to face time calls, and begins to get flustered once he has a face to put with the personality. ends with him flying out to meet in her in person.

christian lundgaard

fake dating! he shouldn’t have done it. every bone in his body told him not to do it but the panicked look on her face was enough to make christian agree to pretend to be her boyfriend to scare off her cheating ex boyfriend, who was making her seriously uncomfortable. it was just supposed to be for the weekend, until the guy started leaving her alone. but a lot can happen on one race weekend and suddenly it doesn’t seem so fake anymore.

callum ilott

childhood friends to lovers! they were always just supposed to be friends, but if that’s the case, why does callum hate her new boyfriend now that the relationship is getting serious? why does y/n still feel like something is missing? cue a drunken night out leading to the hottest sex callum has ever had and lingering questions on both sides about what they really truly want out of life and love.

TAGS:

@clemswrld @httpiastri @libraryofloveletters @sidcrosbyspuck @scuderiasundays @scuderiamh @lorarri

#indycar #indycar headcanons #indycar x reader #pato o ward #josef newgarden #kyle kirkwood #colton herta #marcus armstrong #callum illot #christian lundgaard #david malukas

[zorosbeau33]

Make him melt~ MHA/BNHA Fatgum Headcanon

Pairing: Fatgum x gender neutral headcanon Anime: Boku no hero academia/My hero academia WC: 588 Tw: Brief mention of mental health Masterlist~

He is such a sucker for when your stomach growls because something he’s eating smells amazing~ 

He would give the entire tray/platter/table to you but after so long of dating he realizes that you cannot physically eat as much as him and so he stops pushing

Will blush, he just thinks it's so cute “You don’t even need to ask, just take as much as you want!” You get all the food thief privileges.

Will actually swoon if you get embarrassed about your stomach growling or try to deny that you want some

Has a list of your favorites on his phone he keeps adding to, on which snacks made your eyes light up

Does not actually want you to supply food for him

He feels guilty, it's expensive and he eats so much it's impossible sometimes for pro chefs to keep up he would feel he is burdening you

Does like if you make him things for special occasions or because it was something you made for you and wanted to share for him THAT makes his eyes tear up in fact

If you insist on cooking full time for him just expect him to hover and have sad puppy eyes 

He loves when you both get a hankering for the same snack and try to learn to make it together. The gift of that quality time, even if its sparse due to his job, is the happiest times of his life

You coming around his job to “help” 

He is big bro and dad to so many sidekicks and heroes, so seeing you come around and be a ray of light to people he cares about just…god he falls in love all over again

You comforting a sidekick who is having a rough day mentally, he just wants to wrap you both up in a blanket

He has slipped up and called you their mom/dad before “Okay boys enough your mom/dad needs a rest-” he wanted to die of embarrassment that day

Coming back from a mission to you making hot chocolate for everyone, or lemonade depending on the season made him bounce over and crush you in a hug. He wanted to propose on the spot 

His clothes

You wearing one of his spare (massive) hoodies and curling up to listen to a briefing? Oh thank god for Kirishima because he was such a love sick puppy he couldn’t look away from you

Leaving little love notes or doodles in his pockets to find when he's on patrol? He has kept every single one. Aside from the rare few that got destroyed due to his job getting to crazy 

Kissing his forehead

He's probably already sitting when this happens, but be careful he may jump to his feet the first few times

He turns the color of Kirishima’s hair, heart racing in his chest

You may as well have proposed, because all he can hear after is wedding bells

If you tell him “Good boy” before doing it its a straight k.o

He is trembling heart eyed mess, he will scoop you up for a much needed hug and crush you into his chest until his heartbeat calms back down

Your sneeze

Yes he is embarrassed about it, but when you sneeze no matter how loud, or quiet, or sickly-he just becomes a puddle

It's so endearing to him. You deserve the warmest hug or longest kiss after. After he’s done giggling and teasing you for being adorable that is.

#anime headcanons #bnha headcanons #mha headcanons #fatgum x reader #fatgum headcanons #my hero academia headcanons #my hero academia #bnha taishiro #taishiro x reader #fatgum x reader headcanon #anime writings

[pigtailedgirl]

love, even when it hurts, doesn't mean ends

Look, if this moment of supreme angst lives rent free in my brain, it can in yours now too.

This is my COTW moment. The my ship, has been absent for this run of the series, but she was never gone. That look of devastation! That Ray choose to run in front of the bullet this time. Again. That Sarah Mclachlan’s Full of Grace plays over the hospital scene and the lyrics “I know I can love you much better than this” hits in full sound with the exact beat Fraser looks at Ray, and then he tells ghost Dad, ya you went on a revenge hunt to kill the man who killed my mom, your wife, I understand, “I would have done the same”. And then leaves to go get this same guy, you know, who just shot Ray. Yeah he’s still talking to himself alright. I CANT HANDLE THIS.

I don’t care that canon went the way it did really because I take this. This moment says everything I needed in my soul to sit here 30 years since start later still going that, that was love okay. And just because it was their last scene together, that hospital one, or just cause Fraser walked out that door and into partnership with Ray K and back to Canada… They still have and had me with the unclosed question and my own answer of the subtext of why. The age old full-circle of Fraser. “I know I can love you much better than this”.

Proof, separation never means ending for my F/V love.

#due south #f/v #fraser/vecchio #frayv #fraser x vecchio #ds30below #shipping #im an angst girl i admit #but yeah to me you cant have this shit in your finale #this scene #still being die for you love #and fraser be like NO #and say ship be done #i love them so much #happy and sad times they had many #im convinced they loved each other too #i have watched this so many times its unfit

[son1c]

the value of the here and now

falling stars fic masterpost

Shadow’s hands were red and blistering from his fight with the Android. The heat of its metallic flesh had turned the white cloth of his gloves into a staunch black, and the scorched fabric was unravelling where his fingers met his palms. There was no fixing them--he'd just have to get new ones once they landed at Club Rouge.

So, Shadow peeled off the ruined gloves as he and the rest of Team Dark made their way back through the lower deck of the manta ray ship.

He was thankful for the hissing pipes surrounding them, because they covered up his own hisses of discomfort as he picked the stray strings off his paw pads.

Then, in a move that would surely sadden Captain Planet, Shadow dropped what was left of his gloves on the floor. But he couldn't bring himself to care about the fact he was littering. If anything, disrespecting an Eggman battleship with his trash brought him a sense of satisfaction.

Sonic glanced back at Shadow over his shoulder.

Tight-faced, Shadow kept his hands balled into fists during the rest of the walk back to the maintenance tunnel. He followed behind everyone else, and so he was the last to arrive at the foot of the ladder that led up to the hatch. His hands ached when he unclenched them.

It was going to be a long climb to the top.

“Hey, Omega,” Sonic said as Shadow reached for the ladder. “Mind if we hitch a ride?”

Shadow paused, his fingers brushing against the first rung of the ladder.

"REQUEST DENIED. IF YOUR FLIMSY FLESH LEGS ARE TIRED, THE INSUFFERABLE WASP MODEL CAN BE YOUR 'RIDE.'"

The buzzy bomber in Sonic's quills hummed in agreement. It started to beat its wings, but stopped when Sonic reached up and placed his hand on its head, a silent request. Then, with a click of his tongue, Sonic said, "I get it. Your rockets ain't tough enough to pull the extra weight. That right?"

Rouge raised an eyebrow. She looked over at Shadow, but he was staring intensely at Sonic.

Omega took a lumbering step toward Sonic. He hunched over the blue hedgehog, his shiny red eyes drilling into him like laser beams in the dark. “YOUR TINY BODY IS LIKE A FEATHER," Omega said. "MY EFFICIENCY WOULD BE UNAFFECTED BY YOUR ADDITIONAL WEIGHT.”

Sonic didn't match Omega's stare. Instead, he closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, sounding real casual when he said, "Sure, dude. But that's just me. I bet if you tried it with everyone, it'd be a different story!"

"CEASE, BLUE HEDGEHOG.“

Omega snatched Sonic up like the hedgehog was nothing more than a hot pocket. He dropped him onto one of his broad metal shoulders with about as much care as a 4-year-old who had just been shown their dad's prized Gundam for the first time. But Sonic didn't mind--in fact, he practically had to bite his cheek to keep from grinning.

Shadow was next, and the dark hedgehog could only grimace when his burned hands smacked down on the robot’s shoulder. But at least the metal was cool to the touch.

Rouge was last, but she had chosen to float up to Omega's other shoulder without the robot's help.

Then, Omega ignited his thrusters, and the darkness surrounding them immediately fled to the recesses of the lower deck. Bright orange and yellow light filled the maintenance tunnel while Sonic and Rouge gripped Omega's handlebars.

Shadow would've done the same if there was a third handlebar. Unfortunately, there wasn't, and he was too proud to grab onto Sonic's arm, so he had to rely on sheer force of will to stay onboard as the robot rose through the tunnel and up to the hatch.

Once there, Omega blasted the hatch open with his fists, and tore it off its hinges. The entire thing went flying, and slammed into the wall with a bang so loud, it startled all of the badniks in the cabin. Even Buggy jumped a little, and it was behind a closed door in the cockpit.

Rouge dusted herself off. "Ah ha! A fabulous display," she said. "Even if it was a little… extravagant."

Omega twisted his head around so he could look at Sonic. "AWAITING CONFIRMATION: YOUR DOUBTS ARE NOW ERADICATED?"

Sonic hopped down from Omega's shoulder. "You sure proved me wrong," Sonic said. Then, he smiled apologetically. "You're tough stuff, Omega! Sorry for sayin' otherwise."

Omega examined Sonic. While the hedgehog rubbed the back of his neck, the robot had to ignore every scanner telling him that he was looking at an enemy badnik. "APOLOGY ACCEPTED," Omega finally said. "NEVER QUESTION MY STRENGTH AGAIN."

Five minutes later, Rouge had resumed her storytelling session with Omega, and Sonic and Shadow were back in the cockpit. The desert below them had started to give way to a scattered assortment of buildings, but it was still a far cry from the densely packed Night Babylon. As the manta ray battleship passed by overhead, a few people on the ground looked up, but all they could see was a shadow racing across the clouds.

There was nothing Shadow could use on the ship to dress his weeping hands. He’d have to wait until they reached Club Rouge to clean and dry them, and he planned on keeping them clenched until then, because the pressure made them hurt less.

So sloppy, that fight! So careless, the way he’d ignored the orange glow of the Android’s stripes! The furnace-like heat that had burned him should’ve come as no surprise.

While Shadow stewed in his thoughts, his expression darkened. He recalled the claw marks now marring his cheek. Just like his hands, they would heal. But for the time being, he was forced to carry them around, and they stung.

But what hurt the most was Shadow’s ego.

The dark hedgehog returned to his spot on the dashboard. If there was such a place, he would go to a corner of the ship that was completely isolated. But the only place like that was the lower deck, and he didn’t want to be subjected to his poor night vision playing tricks on him. As it was, the face of the Android already haunted the corner of his eye.

Sonic pulled Buggy into a one armed hug. "Great job, bud! I told you I've never met a ladybug who couldn't fly!"

The motobug beeped. Its antennas twirled at Sonic’s praise.

"So what if you're the only ladybug I've met? You can fly, can't ya?"

The motobug beeped again. This time, it scratched the front of its face with its claw in a bashful imitation of Sonic’s nose rub.

“Uh huh. Well, don’t let it get to your head, hot shot.” Sonic gave the motobug one last squeeze before letting go.

After he straightened, Sonic leaned against the side of the pilot’s chair. At first he looked out the window, but it wasn’t long before his eyes drifted over to Shadow, and then fell down to the hedgehog’s clenched hands. A pang of guilt twisted in his stomach.

"You really showed that fake who's boss, Stripes," Sonic said. "Heh. Yeah, I bet Mr. Ivo's boiling mad about it! He was all full of himself when he showed it off, like there was no way it could lose. But it couldn't live up to the real deal!"

Shadow pursed his lips. "Can it really be considered a fake?" Shadow asked. His claws dug into his palms, and the pain made his heart beat faster. "The face it wears has no identity. Maybe the shallow imitation here is…"

Sonic's eyes flickered. Anyone watching (Shadow wasn't in a state to notice) would've said there was a deep sadness swimming among them at that moment, but it was gone by the time he'd pushed himself away from the pilot's chair. A second later and he was holding Shadow's shoulders, his gaze searing into him like a pair of green suns. Intense, but not unkind.

Sonic said, "You're not some half-rate fake. You beat that thing, for starters. And I'm sorry you had to do that, by the way. If I hadn't been in such a rush to split town, I would've mopped the floor with it myself!"

Sonic leaned forward, hoping his words would sink into Shadow's thick skull. "You wanna know why you deserve your face? You wanna know who you are? Well, I've seen it. You're stubborn, you're strong, and you've got enough grit to sand any discount robo-duplicate into scrap metal!

"So don't let Egghead get in your head, alright? Cuz that's what he's countin' on. Don't let him have it."

There was nothing else for Shadow in that moment. There was no wind rushing by the outside of the ship, no beeping from the control panel, no motobug chittering curiously a few feet away. Sonic's eyes were shining like twin stars. And Shadow was reminded again of his dream, and the visage of the golden hedgehog, overflowing with power.

He felt some of that power now. That confidence. It radiated off of Sonic in waves, and Shadow desperately wanted to reach out and grasp it, to take some of it for himself. But the uncertainty that was plaguing him wouldn't be shaken off so easily. After all, it had been with him since the beginning, and its talons were wedged deep in Shadow's heart.

"Flattery won't get you far, hedgehog," Shadow said. However, his hands were ever-so-slightly relaxed. "Your words can't distract me from the truth. The value of my past far outweighs whatever the present has to offer."

Shadow raised a hand, intending to push Sonic's off him. But he paused when his knuckles brushed against Sonic's wrist. He remembered their conversation at the Starfall Festival, which felt like yesterday and a million years ago at the same time.

"But…"

Shadow's hand dropped back down to his lap.

"Your support is… appreciated." he said softly.

Sonic squeezed Shadow's shoulders. "It beats havin' to crawl outta the woods yourself, right?"

Shadow couldn't imagine it. Waking up in the crater alone. Confused, with no clues as to who he was or what had happened to him. With Sonic there, he'd immediately been given a goal. A purpose. To help him. If he hadn't been there, Shadow could've gotten scooped up by the G.U.N. soldier, or trapped by the cowboy ghost, or taken by Doctor Eggman. And without Sonic, the Doctor could've easily gotten into his head.

"I suppose it does," Shadow concluded.

His reward was a smile.

And then Sonic went back to the pilot's chair, and squeezed in next to Buggy. Shadow watched him take the controls back from the little robot, but whatever he was saying to the motobug didn't reach Shadow's ears. They were still swimming from Sonic's words.

He thought about the teammates he'd acquired. The connections he'd made.

Would it be right to allow himself to exist in the present?

Shadow recalled the ghostly space station. The place he felt such a strong connection to. The feelings, though buried and shrouded in mystery, still so clear. And the longing to understand why he wanted to call that place he couldn't remember "home."

And then the obligation returned. He couldn't turn his back on the graveyard of his past.

Shadow rubbed one of his inhibitor rings with his thumb. He looked over at the pilot's chair and saw Sonic and the motobug were squished together, playfully wrestling over who got to press the next button on the dash. Through the door, he could hear Rouge's voice raise as she got to the climax of her story, and Omega's metal joints creak as he leaned forward, completely enraptured by the carnage she was describing.

Shadow allowed himself to experience it.

#falling stars au #shadow's in his feelings again :/c #lotta stuff in this part i really enjoy :)

[destinygoldenstar]

I Rewrite The Climax Of Hands Of Time By Just Changing ONE Plot Point.

You know how Kai had been playing detective for the entire season and realized that his parents were traitors to the Elemental Resistance, and therefore pretty twisted people?

And then in canon it was revealed they were good all along?

Well, here's the change: Kai was RIGHT.

Ray and Maya ARE alive, but they are NOT good people, and they work for the Time Twins at their own will.

Why would they do that?

The Time Twin's ideals of "control time control everything" wore on them because their desire was to remain in their present fame as Elemental Masters. And the twins, especially Krux, were good friends of theirs. However, it broke them to be fighting against friends, and they felt like their past relationships were broken because of it. It pained them to make the blades.

Then not only did they fade from relevance due to fatigue from making the blades, fatigue that would plague their bodies for the rest of their lives, but they also had children. Which dented their ideal time.

Yes, Kai was not intended to be born. But once he was, Maya had the sympathy to have another kid so they could live on in their ideals. This is why she turns around in Seabound.

Then it was revealed to them that Krux was alive and in disguise, and he told them he knew how to get their Elemental Master fame back, and undo what the creation of the time blades did for them. So they made the bold decision to cling to the past and go with Krux.

They believed that as long as the time machine worked, no harm would be done to Kai and Nya, as they would be able to go back in time and be parents later.

Again, they're supposed to be bad people for this.

They're traitors. They work for Krux to make this time machine.

Kai learns this the same way he did in the original, but we also have more baby Kai and Nya flashbacks where we see not just the good memories of his parents, but also the trauma he endured as an abandoned child. How exactly he coped with losing them suddenly. How he put himself in an adult position in the house. His growing hostility towards the rest of the town (their shop is far off from the town after all). Him putting himself to work. His sacrifices for his sister, like his place in school or food. And importantly, how Nya wouldn't allow Kai to destroy himself like that, and she gained her own independence and responsibilities against his wishes, to save him. (He did say in Season one that he spent his whole life trying to protect her and he was just now realizing she never needed it)

Ray and Maya abandoning their kids left a ton of past trauma that they cling to. They're both clinging to the past. Nya is clinging to her past identity as Samurai X and her bond is with P.I.X.A.L and she learns to accept her present role and let it go. Kai is ALL ABOUT honor and the legacy he THOUGHT of his parents. As a blacksmith. As a Master of Fire. As a savior to Ninjago. He's all about doing what they did, and doing it better.

So when he learns that they're actually BAD role models, him asking if they're destined to turn evil, actually makes sense.

Then in what he deems justice, Kai decides to be dishonest with his sister, and ATTEMPT to assassinate his dad (he fails). He's clinging to the past. (Obviously Nya stops him from assassinating his family, because that’s wrong and that’s a horrible thing to do.)

And this clinginess to the past is what makes Kai and Nya get caught by the Time Twins.

In this scene, Ray and Maya PRETEND to be the sympathetic kidnapped parent that did everything to see his kids again. (He's not lying when he said he did it to see his kids again, but it's not in the way they think. Technically)

Their story about how they were kidnapped in the original is a LIE.

They use the opportunity to 'take in' Kai and Nya, and they pretend to be on their side in finding the Reversal Blade (The Time Twins aren't with them, at least by Kai and Nya's knowledge)

NYA is the one who is against this, as she does not believe anything. Because she's the kid with no memories of her family, and she's the independent one, and she's already learned the moral I'm going for with Samurai X.

They get the time blade, they're ready to defeat the Time Twins and get Wu back...

And then Ray and Maya betray them. Krux and Acronix were tracking them the whole time, and they arrive to claim the blade. This is where the kids learn the TRUTH.

And Ray and Maya frame it as though this is a GOOD THING for their family, and the kids are the ones in the wrong. If they can make this time machine, not only would they be glorious like they were in the past, but they could be proper parents to their children and raise them as the perfect Elemental Masters they were meant to be.

Yeah, become good parents by abandoning your kids. It's supposed to be MESSED UP.

Kai and Nya refuse this ideologies, because they're traitors, and they get ditched. Ray even claims to Kai that he is a failure of a Master of Fire, and when they time travel, THAT Kai will be so much better.

This leads to another point I need to make with all of this that is true about the original too:

Kai was very neglectful of the other ninja ever since his fight with Krux in the museum. He had been so fixated on the past and finding out the mystery of his parents that even the other ninja got annoyed by it. He didn't talk to them, he didn't listen to them, he didn't even care about his role as a ninja.

This is where, as the siblings are ditched and trying to get back, Kai APOLOGIZES for this, realizing he was wrong in this behavior, he was a bad brother, and he caused this disaster.

And Nya not only forgives him, but reminds him that the reason she never looked up to their parents was because she HAD a parent to raise her, and that was Kai. Had it not been for each other, they would have never gotten here, let alone survived long enough for Wu to come find them.

So Ray and Maya are bad parents. So what? That's the past. It doesn't matter now. What matters is what they want to do to stop them from destroying their REAL family.

So they follow the Time Twins back, Ray and Maya are with them, and that final fight proceeds. The kids not only participate but get a chance to confront their parents again.

Ray plays the 'you don't want to hurt your family' card.

And Kai claims. "You're right. I have a family. They're the ninja."

Doesn't matter who his birth father is, right NOW, his family is the ninja. That's who raised him. Not Ray.

It HURTS Ray that his kid thinks like that, and is SARCASTICALLY THANKING HIM for ditching a five year old child and his little sister in a forge.

When Krux and Acronix betray their original plan and decide to go far into the future, Ray and Maya feel betrayed as that's not what they wanted, but they get knocked out by the twins when in the machine.

Blah blah, Kai Nya and Wu get caught in the time vortex, and this is their final fight against the twins.

KAI is the one who gets the final blow on Krux. The man who influenced his parents, and destroyed the happy childhood he and Nya could've had, and was also a traitor to a resistance he stood for proudly.

Krux asks why he'd ruin his chances at a happier past.

Kai claims that his past does not matter anymore. His focus is on who he is RIGHT NOW. And RIGHT NOW, he is the Master of Fire, an older brother, and a loyal savior to the Elemental Resistance, and he's fighting for the future of everyone he loves. Something a self absorbed power hungry maniac like Krux would NEVER understand.

He gets the last blow on Krux, and Krux falls out of the machine, lost in time. (We COULD see what happens to him. Maybe that's a Randall Monsters Inc situation.)

The time machine is breaking down, and they're nearing the present, so they have to go back and jump off the machine now.

And out of sympathy, they take their unconscious parents with them and save their lives. Despite everything, it would be clinging to the past to act like they're too far gone.

So they're all ready to jump off, and at the last minute to avenge his fallen brother, ACRONIX GRABS WU AND PULLS HIM BACK IN THE MACHINE.

Kai and Nya try to save Wu, but they lose their grip, and can only watch as Wu gets lost in time with Acronix.

The ninja get back to the present and reunite with the team. Wu is lost in time. They don't have the Reversal Time Blade in this version, because future seasons never use it, so there's no harm in cutting that.

As for Ray and Maya, they regain consciousness when they're back in the present. And the ninja arrest them.

So for the Oni Trilogy, they are in jail. That's why we don't hear from them.

This is actually going to take us to Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitsu.

I'm going to say that during them running around looking for something to do, Kai get an offer to pay bail for Ray and Maya, who were serving their time up till that point, and they want to try to be better parents.

Kai does not take it. He is not emotionally prepared to let them back in his life.

It's part of a narrative that Kai is content with his role as the Fire Ninja and his ninja family, and does not want that to change. But not only are Jay and Nya married now, but crime had stopped, and the ninja are transcending into adulthood, getting some jobs, and starting a new chapter of their lives. Kai and Zane are the ones who can't move on. Zane because of his programming, now that there's no one to protect, and Kai because his life as a ninja is the ONLY life he has, and thus he isn't anything without it.

This would make Kai losing his powers and feeling useless and deciding to not go on the mission make more sense.

(I mean it's still a bad plotline, but it's... less bad?? Idk, that's a whole other rewrite story)

Instead of this random kid coming to Kai, it's another message from his parents. He visits them in jail, because Ray is a Master of Fire, he would know how to get it back.

We could even have Ray explain something about Fire Elementals. That their fire functions though the state of their souls. And as long as the soul is strong, their fire being drained can be undone. (At least, I think it would be a better more lore-related explanation than 'You just gotta believe', which is a massive plot hole on how Elementals work. This too is probably a plot hole, but I try)

And Ray is the one who snaps at Kai, and claims that a Master of Fire who can't fight without their powers is not a Master, they're just pathetic and dumb and they really are useless.

It hurts Kai, they get into an argument because they're hot headed like that, and Ray at one point asks what he needs to do to help Kai be better. Kai says he doesn't NEED to be better, he WAS the best version of himself, and Aspheera took it from him...

Why can't his own father see that clearly enough to WANT HIM?

Ray claims that he DOES want a son. When they agreed to get the Reversal Blade, it was the most alive he ever felt through the years of him working for Krux. Despite Kai being accidental, when he was born, Ray knew that there was a spark in his kid that was precious and warmed his heart. He thought maybe his kid could be better than him... and he already was.

Ray doesn't know much about the other ninja and what they mean to Kai, but if they're the people Kai needs to be around, then Ray can't stop him. After all, Ray doesn't deserve it.

This doesn't allow Kai to forgive his dad, as Kai still leaves Ray in jail, but it touches Kai and it's progress.

Then at the very end of this season, probably one of the last scenes of the season, Kai decides to bail his parents out and reunite with them at the blacksmith shop, and for the first time in years, they can hug it out. Despite everything.

You can have like, one line of dialogue in Prime Empire (doesn't matter when), where Kai tells someone (doesn't matter who) about what happened to his parents. It was awkward, and people in the village weren't open to forgiving them... but they did manage to have a good hiatus in between seasons and work things out. Forgive and forget.

This goes to Seabound, where Kai has been able to forgive his parents, and Nya, who's been absent of interaction in Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitsu, has not. At this point, Maya and Ray are as overbearing as they are in the original, because they want to be good parents. They want to be better. They want to put in that effort.

Nya is not open to that, because again, what happened, she didn't get a chance to forgive them or talk to them, and she's the independent one.

So yeah, Ray and Maya have a redemption arc in this alternate reality. They're garbage parents, started out as such, but decided they wanted to be better when they were snapped into reality what their kids are capable of.

ALSO, if anybody wants to steal this for a fanfic or something, go ahead, take it, just let me know it exists, I would be open to reading that.

#ninjago #ninjago hands of time #ninjago secrets of the forbidden spinjitzu #ninjago seabound #ninjago kai #kai jiang #kai smith #jiang kai smith #ninjago nya #nya smith #nya jiang #jiang nya smith #ninjago ray #ninjago maya #ninjago krux

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Sunflower, Book 1, Chapter 19

Tom Hiddleston x OFC Series rated: E Chapter warnings: Flashback- I'm still blueballing you on the smut, it's just getting worse this week. The flashback is sexy but hardly crossing to rated M AN: Special gift for a reader having a bad day- Bonus chapter. This will be the last of the bonus chapters though since running two series at the same time is a bit demanding (and a self made hell). We get to learn a bit about Sally's dad! Also, Mia's baking is wholly based on my attempt to make the same for my sister on a time crunch. My centers didn't set though! I love step dad Tom. Masterlist Kofi

~~~~~<3

Mia felt silly banishing Tom to bedtime duty as she quickly whipped egg yolks and sugar. She was rushing and knew that was a recipe for disaster but she didn’t want to give herself a second to chicken out. 

She hadn’t know what to expect having Tom back and so she hadn’t planned a fancy dinner or a night out. He was scheduled to be in late so it didn’t seem like it would have mattered anyway, she would have had to have been quick to get Sally back home and to sleep.

Tom showing up significantly earlier was a huge weight off her shoulders logistically. She wasn’t very good at being a wife yet, she didn’t even know how to be a girlfriend very well but she wanted to show him her gratitude.

Ray, Sally’s father, had been her last real relationship and the only things he cared about were booze, gambling or sex. If she wanted to thank him, it had to be with one of those three things if not all three.

Tom was like no man she had ever known though and she didn’t know how to show him her gratitude. The best she could come up with was to make the fanciest thing she could think of.

Would it stack up to the vase of flowers on the counter in front of her? She sure as hell hoped so. Doubt ate at her as she mixed the whipped sugar and egg yolks into the hot cream. 

This was a terrible idea. 

It was by far, the worst idea she had had since agreeing to stay married. 

She saw that body- there was no way in hell he ate things like this. He probably would rather a bowl of fruit or something. On the other hand, she had seen the foods he had ordered when they had gone out to eat. 

Again and again she went back and forth on the quality of the idea as Tom crossed the hall from the bathroom with Sally on his back. Giggles filled the apartment and god did it sound good. 

As Mia was filling the two small dishes with the mixture, Tom was leaning against the wall by Sally’s bedroom door. “Having fun?” Mia called to him. 

“Oddly enough, yes.” His chuckle made her smile. She couldn’t help it, it was just such a unique sound. 

~~~~~<3

Mia listened to Tom’s voice reading story after story while she willed the mixt o bake faster. She had managed to get the custards out of the oven before he had finished reading the tenth story. Maybe it was the twelfth?

Who knows anymore? That little girl had Tom wrapped around her finger. Hopefully it would last. This game they were playing, this gamble on forever with a stranger could have shattering results on that little girl. 

Fuck, they were being so selfish trying. 

Cooling the dishes was the most high stakes gambling she had done in at least a year. Okay, maybe staying married was up there too. If she cooled the water bath too quickly, they would shatter. But she needed them cooled to finish setting. 

She didn’t have an extra so she was fucked if one shattered. It felt like she had melted her fingertips off handling the little containers but she got them cooled. The centers had a little more jiggle that she would have liked but she could only hope they would finish setting in the freezer while they finished cooling. 

Mia plopped them in the freezer as Tom starting Fox in Socks. She would have to tell him to limit Sally’s stories eventually so that kid would get to sleep at a decent time but for now she couldn’t bring herself to. Sally hadn’t had a father figure in her life in years and she couldn’t stop her from indulging in it at the moment. 

Plus, she needed all the extra time she could to finish this stupid ass dessert.

~~~~~<3

Mia didn’t have many fancy kitchen trinkets or tools but the one thing she was rather proud of was her kitchen torch. It wasn’t the big fancy ones that burned propane like on the cooking shows but it was good enough. 

Mia toasted the spoonful of sugar she put on each custard as she listened to Tom say goodnight for the fourth time. Maybe it was the sixth time? 

He was so good with Sally. Someday, some woman was going to make him into a really good father. 

It occurred to her that she could be that woman. If things worked out between them during this year, she could be the woman that made him a father. In a way though, hadn’t she already made him a father over night? The thought was so shocking to her that she nearly burned her finger when she forgot to turn the custard. 

Finally, after over an hour bedtime routine that Mia would have accomplished in fifteen minutes, Tom closed Sally’s bedroom door behind him. 

“You escaped the clutches of the small child, congratulations!” Mia cheered.

“It was a long, well fought battle but with dedication, I did come out victorious.” Tom made his way toward her, “What are you making now?” 

“It’s nothing.” Mia said, setting the torch down and looking intently down at the quickly hardening sugar topped custard. “Is she asleep?”

“Out like a light. She’s a lovely little girl.” 

Mia laughed, “Give it a few weeks and you’ll probably be running for the hills.” 

Tom protested and Mia conceded that Sally was indeed a good kid. She was the kind of kid that made people think they could have kids as she sent him to go sit down anywhere but where she was working. 

While she watched melted sugar solidify, she also watched Tom as he lounged on the couch. His long legs stretched from one end to the other and he had a book in his hand. She couldn’t see what he was reading but she knew it was something she probably wouldn’t read. 

She could see the top of the book, his long feet poking over the arm of the couch and the top of his head and little else. It was a view she liked though she couldn’t explain why. He looked like he belonged there, lounging on the admittedly too small couch. 

She should have just sucked it up and got a better couch form somewhere that didn’t require her own assembly.

It was almost nine at night. This time a week ago she was just starting to get really drunk. Over the last two weeks, she had tried hard to remember what had happened but all she could come up with was the bar in the resort she worked out and sitting next to a handsome man who purchased her a drink. And then another. 

It seemed pretty safe to assume that man was Tom, though. It had been a wild two weeks. She had fought, argued, gave in and everything in between. This had been two weeks that had changed her life in so many ways already and it was thanks to that man reading on her couch (their couch) alone. 

Tapping a spoon against the disk of sugar atop the custards, she found them solid.  Crème brûlée was the only really impressive thing Mia thought she could make. It was also something she had an almost total ban on ordering at a restaurant on principle alone. It was offensively easy to make but disturbingly bad for you.

The ceramic ramekins clanked onto the small dining table. Mia stared down at them for a moment and gathered every ounce of courage she could. Tom had again and again shown a good faith effort to build a relationship with her and she had not made it easy.

This last week she had fought him on almost every effort than got upset when he got busy and distant. She needed to make an effort too. He deserved her making an effort. 

If she wanted this to have any chance of becoming something real, something more, then she needed to invest in it too. 

“Okay.” Mia took one last deep breath. “You can look.”

Tom sat up quickly, tossing the book he had been reading on the couch and swinging his legs to the ground. He was up and eagerly making his way to the table as if he had really just been itching for the word. 

“What have you been up to?” Tom was clearly excited. 

Mia picked up one of the ramekins and held it out to Tom. “Happy two week anniversary.” After a pause, she started to panic. “I don’t know if you like these. Or if you can eat them. Or, whatever. I don’t know. It’s fine if you don’t-”

“You made creme brûlée for us?” Tom was shocked. “Out of what?” 

“It’s not healthy, that’s all you need to know.” 

Tom laughed that laugh that was oh so unique to him. “But you just had the stuff to make creme brûlée? Just sitting around casually?” 

“Do you like-”

“Of course.” Tom took a seat at the table and tapped the spoon against the glass like disk of solid sugar. 

“I wasn’t sure if you could have something like that.” Stop talking. She hated how words left her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. Awkward word vomit fueled by every insecurity she had ever had. 

“What do you mean?” Tom cracked the sugar top with a solid whack of his spoon.

“I just-”

Tom scooped a spoonful of custard up, being sure to grab some of the shattered sugar before glancing up at her. He watched her intently as he ate the first bite. Vanilla exploded in his mouth, carried on a current of rich custard. Delicate sugar shards gave the custard texture and carried their own caramel taste along with a touch of bitterness.The center of the custard was just slightly warm still but mercifully, Mia saw that it was set.

“Something you watched or read got into your head. I can always eat dessert, even if I can’t. I would rather put in more work than not eat a sweet. And this is delicious darling. Happy two week anniversary.” 

~~~~~<3 ~~~~~<3

Tom flipped her so that she was on her back and he hovered above her. Gripping the fabric of the dress, he carelessly yanked at it as he stood up, pulling it harshly down her body. 

The dress caught on her hips though. Tom hadn’t ripped it far enough down for it to slip past her waist. Tom didn’t know if the dress was designed to go on from above or if the maze of fastenings simply extended far below where he had torn but he didn’t care. 

Leaning down, he placed soft kisses between her breasts and down her stomach as he grabbed fistfuls of the dress again. With a great effort, he ripped the dress further down. As soon as he had the slack to do so, he pulled the dress down her body and threw it on the ground behind him. 

Her panties were plain, simple and not what one would expect to find under a wedding dress. They hadn’t stopped long enough to worry about shopping for such things. 

Standing over her, he started to work his buttons free after yanking his tie down until it was hanging loose, nearly undone. She was sprawled out before him, naked breasts on full display for his hungry eyes. 

He enjoyed the view. There were little scars and marks on her body showing a life well lived. She had marks where her body and grown quickly at one point. Her belly curved and swelled ever so slightly, soft and inviting to the touch. 

Growing impatient, she leaned up and eagerly assisted with the buttons on his shirt. The way her breasts moved with her body was mesmerizing, distracting to him. His fingers yearned to touch them instead of the buttons of his shirt. He all but ripped the shirt off as soon as it was sagging around his body, eager to feel her flesh against his.

~~~~~~<3

Tag List: @winterisakiller, @alexakeyloveloki, @jennyggggrrr @dangertoozmanykids101, @tilltheendwilliwrite @tinchentitri @wizardcherryblossom @buttercupcookies-blog @violethaze @kats72 @soulpiercing @evedia

#tom hiddleston x ofc #tom hiddleston x oc #tom hiddleston x original character #Tom hiddleston x original female character #tom hiddleston x reader

[raytorosaurus]

hi Raytorosaurus, in the beginning of your post you said Ray has done interviews, podcasts, and blogged in recent years, can you please link me to those things? I would be extremely and eternally grateful <3

yes ofc!! this one by tom bryant (author of not the life it seems) is my favourite! and not just because ray talks about how much he loves being a stay at home dad doing chores while his wife gets her master's degree. it's just sweet, and goes a little more in depth into remember the laughter's concept than some of these other interviews.

this one isn't remember the laughter related, but tom bryant also did this interview with him the year before, after he released for the lost and brave dedicated to leelah alcorn (cw non-graphic discussion of suicide). it's really fucking sweet. ray talks a lot about his family and about fatherhood and about how he wants to raise his kids to be as kind and socially conscious as possible in pretty much all of the interviews i've linked here, but i really fucking love this thing he says in this one in particular:

"If ever my son was having a rough time I would just hope that he would trust me and allow me to be there for him. It’s common for parents and older people to look at youth in a negative way and to not respect the young as people. My wife always says that a lot of parents treat their kids like property – the whole, ‘this is my house, these are my rules and you must abide by my law’. You have to put yourself on the same level as your kid, you have to relate to them as a person. I hope that there’s more understanding about the differences between people in the future that my son grows up in.”

at the risk of sounding like a broken record, this one is also really fucking sweet. again he talks about the values he wants to impart on his kids, and how his son is featured in the lucky ones playing his child's percussion set :'''')

this one is a bit longer and just rly cute lol like just fun vibes

there's a couple of shorter ones here and here that are also worth a read. there's also this review that i like - it's not 100% positive but the writer does make a point of saying he's shocked the album didn't get much attention despite ray having been in mcr. yeah me too dude :(

this is a podcast he appeared on - he did at least one or two others but i think sadly they've been lost to time :(((((( but god this one is so sweet he's just sooooo. so <3. ray also says the band broke up a few weeks after his son was born in september 2012 which is interesting lol.

sadly a bunch of his blog stuff has been lost to time because the wayback machine has done a spotty job of archiving it but you can try to explore around the archived pages a bit. if you click around to different dates or subpages you can see some of his photography (tho sadly a lot of it hasn't been saved :((( ) and a few blog posts. you might even come across his shitty vent poetry lol <3333

and then i love this interview sooooo much too like this writer really gets it. ray talks about how he got obsessed with this free climber after watching a mountaineering documentary which inspired the great beyond, so the great beyond actually features a fucking chalk bag as a percussion instrument because he's insane and i love him. it also has the line "enthusiasm leaking from him like a punctured capri-sun" LOL. and then it wraps up with this statement that i really love:

Mixed, engineered and almost entirely performed by Toro, ‘Remember The Laughter’ is very much this man’s pride and joy. Every nuance of the record is explained with intricate detail and the subject matter held within comes straight from his heart. Whether you like it or not remains to be seen, as its influences are often drawn from well outside the My Chemical Romance sphere. Whether you listen to it or not, though, really comes down to this: do you want to hear some honest music?

because honestly that's the one common thread through all of mcr's discography and every single one of their solo projects. they are all 100% earnest. they all access that honesty in different ways and ray's definitely not a super accomplished lyricist so some of the lines on rtl verge on corny or schmaltzy sometimes but they never, ever sound fake or inauthentic. he wrote the album imagining he was speaking the lyrics to his son to instill a sense of hope in him about the world so he'd grow up with the belief that he was capable of making it a better place and he fucking means every word of it bro. he's ray toro :( i like him :((((

#reread a bunch of these while i was putting this together and now i'm down so fucking bad for him this happens every time #like why are you the most lovable man in the universe huh #anyway sorry this took me a while to get to life is crazy huh #answered #ray toro #rtl #interview #ref

[my-on-and-off-writingstuff]

Dreams | Daemon x reader

Request: just read "To Keep the Memory alive '' and omg so good and well written!!! could i have a 3 where visenya sees/"spends time" with her mother in a dream( and reader says o how much he loves her and how much he loves her father too and he says he's proud of her and he's sorry he had to leave them but he doesn't regret giving birth to Vis) and when she wakes up she goes crying to Daemon and tell him, please?

Summary: Part 3 of my gone series. Visenya the daughter of the reader and Daemons comes to terms with her mother's passing.

Part 1, part 2

Visenyas point of view

“Visenya, my love.” At the sound of my name, I open my eyes and see my mother’s room in front of me. But unlike the dark room hidden away in my father’s castle, this one is bright, with sun rays streaming into the room through open shutters. The color on the wall was lively and looked freshly painted. The room looked clean, lived in, and the feeling of comfort settled down, hugging her like a warm hug.

“Visenya.” this time the voice sounded closer like it was coming from behind me. I slowly turn around and come eye to eye with a woman. Her dress looks made of gold. Her hair is done in the same way mine is done and her eyes bear a resemblance to the picture next to my bed. An almost silent whisper leaves my mouth when I realize who the person in front of me is. “Mom.” The woman nods and opens her arm for me. Without thinking I throw myself in her arms. Burying my head in her dress as her scent envelops me. The faint smell that still clung in her room was tenfold while I stood in her arms and a single tear slides down my cheek.

My mother slowly pushes me off her. “You look beautiful my girl.” She slowly turns me around with a proud look on her face. A look only mothers can have. Another tear slides down my face and I try to quickly wipe it away before she sees it. “Do not weep my love.” She softly presses a kiss on my forehead and caresses my cheek. “But it is my fault you died; dad is all alone because of me.” “Shh baby I gave my life for you, you are the product of the love between your father and me, both your father and I would do anything to keep you alive and happy and if I had to die in order to give you a chance of survival then so be it.” I take a deep breath and look down. My mother’s finger softly pushes my face up. She softly pushes a lock of hair behind my ear. “I love you so much, you and your father were my special place and I do not regret giving my life for you, and it was never your fault, you hear me?” I nod at her words as a feeling of calmness comes over me.

For so long I felt like it was all my fault. My father had never been able to lift that feeling away. As he was suffering from the loss of his wife as much as I was suffering without my mother. The whispers in the castle never ceased they always talked about my father losing his love because of a child. A child that did not die with his wife but instead flourished and became an almost copy of his deceased wife just with a pair of haunting eyes. She had heard the whispers but had never been able to shake them. Until now. Until the comforting words of her mother reassured her it had never been her fault and she had done it out of love.

“Remember Visenya I love you and your father a lot and I will always be with you, in here.” She softly taps my head. “And in here.” This time she taps my heart. I feel the tears start streaming, knowing that it was time to let her go. “You are not letting me go, love, I will always be with you, tell your dad I love him.” She kisses my forehead and I close my eyes. Enjoying and cherishing the love and comfort I feel.

This time when I open my eyes, the room is dark my cheeks are wet, and I quickly dry them on my blanket. For a minute I go over what I have seen. Contemplating if it was all a dream, but it looked too real to vivid to be a dream. So, I throw the blankets back and quickly wrap myself in a blanket before hurrying out of the room.

___

“Dad, dad wake up.” I shake him roughly as Daemon slowly opens his eyes.  “Visenya, what are you doing here?” He softly caresses my cheeks and swipes away my tears. “Why are you crying? Are you hurt?” He is sitting upright and pulls me into his arms after having checked me over to see if I was hurt. “I am fine, but dad I have spoken to mom.”

His eyes glaze and for a minute Daemon looks like he is somewhere far away. “I saw her, in a dream or a vision or whatever it was but she was real. I could touch her, and she hugged me, and she told me she loved me, and you and that it was not my fault she died.” It is one big spew of words and dad clearly lost the plot halfway through. As he shushes her and softly strokes her cheek. “What did you see your mother?” he asks almost in disbelief. I nod feverishly. “Yes, she was in my dream, vision. She told me she loved me and it was not my fault that she died.”

“Love it was not your fault, it was fate, and a good-for-nothing maester who killed her.” Daemon just hugs me closers as he wraps the blanket around me. “I know that now, but it is different when she reassured me.” he kisses the side of my head. “She told me she loved you very much.” His eyes glisten with unshed tears.  “She told you that huh?” I nod and bury my head in the crook of his neck. “Well, it does sound like your mum alright.” He laughs a little in disbelief and strokes my hair. “It sounds like you have a little more Targaryen magic in you.” I look up at him. “What do you mean?” Daemon smiles and looks down at me.

“Your eyes were always special, with one eye looking similar to mine and the other to your mothers, it looks like you also have earned the Targaryen magic in terms of visions, but only time will tell.”

#daemon #daemon targaryen oneshot #daemon targaryen imagine #daemon x reader #house of the dragon #daemon targaryen x reader #daemon targaryen x y/n #daemon x oc #daemon x daughter #daemon targaryen fanfiction #daemon targaryen #house of the dragon fancficton #hotd #got

[ranchthoughts]

moments of ephemerality/permanence/YOLO/photography/voyeurism/control/hypocrisy etc. etc. in Only Friends ep. 6

first, where we've been so far

Permanence vs. ephemerality

in romantic relationships: Mew asking Top to meet his parents at the end of the year IF they are still together, Top insisting they would be still together and multiple times over the episode talking about being with Mew for the long haul/forever

in platonic relationships: Mew telling Ray they will be friends forever, Ray confronting everyone at the bar with uncomfortable truths while telling Mew he will always support him, Sand telling Top they will never be friends vs. Top asking Sand why he can't just let bygones be bygones

And a more general comment: while there was a ton of fallout from last episode, particularly from the fight in Sand and Nick's apartment, there was also a lot of... moving past it? At least on the surface. Sand didn't contact Ray for a while but when they were back together again at the pool table Sand told Ray there was nothing to be mad about, Ray can have feelings for whoever he wants. Sand also seemed happy for Nick spending time with Boston, despite Boston breaking up their nice evening the other day. Ray and Boston are on thin ice but were still attending meetings with the professor and Mew's birthday in the same room - this did quickly go south over the course of the episode, but before that they didn't seem to have told anyone else about their blow up. Things continued to simmer and spilled over in a big way this episode, but it made me wonder, like Chueam not telling April about her short films, how often fights and betrayals have happened in the past and how often they've been pushed down and smoothed over and ignored in this friend group. @lurkingshan noted a similar thought in the comments on her post here; that we are seeing the relationships between the characters shift very quickly from episode to episode and that is another example of ephemerality.

Another big win for the ephemerality squad came through this episode: the reveal that that if Boston doesn't graduate, he will go live in New York with his mother. Boston's dad frames it as "if he doesn't graduate" but Boston talking to Nick afterwards makes it sound like a done deal - Boston doesn't plan on graduating, or if he does, he's going to New York anyways. Boston doesn't need to try, he's immune to consequences: fail school and he gets to go to New York; antagonize his friends irreparably and he will be in New York and never have to see them again. There's no need to build permanent, lasting connections with people (romantic or platonic) if he is planning on jumping ship, so no need to treat people around him with care or respect or be accountable for his actions. We've been talking about proximity based friendships lately and here's another example; to Boston, his time here, and his relationships with these people, have an expiration date. (I wonder if Mew, Ray, and Chueam know?)

Two more thoughts:

Sand's mom says he shouldn't be worrying about her but instead living his "wild teenaged life" (encouraging ephemerality, connecting ephemerality with youth), but also cautions him that one day his "we have fun sometimes" relationship with Ray might one day not be fun anymore (encouraging permanence and lasting relationships? or telling him to walk if he isn't having fun, i.e. encouraging ephemerality?).

Mew tells Ray that if he keeps this lifestyle up he will be dead before he hits 30 - the theme of death, the fleetingness of life, and consequences! This hits harder knowing what we do about Ray's past (and Ray's past with Mew), and given the jacket that Ray is wearing which reads "Is your life worth something?" on the back. This is the question Ray struggles with, and it impacts his relationships with others too (Sand desperately offering Ray love and Ray, unable to believe someone would genuinely care for him, lashing out).

Changing and not changing

Last episode there was a lot about changing: Nick going to the gym and switching up his wardrobe, Ray experiencing a day in Sand's life, Mew having sex, Top and Mew exchanging "I love you", Boston talking about settling down, Mew deciding to get Lasik. This episode, we had more changes and a lot of characters commenting on whether or not change is possible:

Mew says: change takes time and words are not enough, that it is hard to stop loving someone so easily

Top says: people can change, he has changed for Mew (giving up his playboy ways and drugs) and he can continue to change for Mew [though who knows if he has actually given up drugs, and he did sleep with Boston while Mew and him were together], but Ray can't change (he will always be in love with Mew and trying to get with him)

Sand says: some people - like Top - can't change ("once a prick, always a prick"), Nick has changed (his wardrobe and his interests, as he gets more into extreme sports)

Ray: Ray wants Mew to be happy and find someone good, even if it doesn't involve him, showing a change in his thoughts and feelings about Mew (Mew still matters a lot to him, but he's working on letting him go). People can change - though it might not be easy

Can these characters change? That remains to be seen. A lot of the changes we've seen so far have been questionable (did Top give up drugs for Mew? does Boston have any longing to settle down?) or it's still too early in the series to tell if they will stick (Nick's new wardrobe, Ray getting over Mew, etc.).

This idea of whether or not people can change relates to the theme of labels we've explored previously (1, 2). People get labeled by others and it can be very hard to shake those appellations or the expectations attached to them. We see that in this episode, like when Ray approaches Mew in the bathroom and Mew assumes he's there to get high and begins lecturing him about safety, or when the friend group is talking to their professor and Chueam says "Even Boston is helping a lot. Surprised?". These labels can limit and affect our own self-perceptions too (the best example being Ray, who has firmly internalized the idea of being a "burden").

To use an example for the types of questions I am mulling over: Is Top changing for Mew (did he actually give up drugs, etc.)? Is Top sincere about wanting to change for Mew (is he enjoying the monogamous life), is this something he is enjoying? Is it possible for Top to change sincerely in some ways ("for Mew") and not in others (e.g., how differently Top behaves with Mew vs. with Sand and others)? Is Sand right that "once a prick, always a prick"? Is Boston right that Top will always be a playboy? What does it say about Sand and Boston that they assume Top can't change; is Sand and Boston (and others) assuming Top can't change preventing him from changing (sincerely)? Has Top internalized the labels other people assign him (playboy, top-tier, prick) to the extent that he cannot be anything else, that these will always be a part of him?

@neuroticbookworm wrote here that "the self-identities of the youth is fleeting and ephemeral," and notes these characters are fighting and comparing themselves to one another without knowing who they or their friends are, and the hypocrisy and insecurity in that. A lot of the change and absence of change we see in these characters comes from a place of comparison: Nick wants to change to be more like Top (switching up his wardrobe, going to the gym, etc.), Boston refuses to change who he is because he needs to prove his way/ideology is Right and Better than Mew's (though he does express interest in settling down... after Mew and Top start getting cozy [though again, does he mean it?]), Mew has sex with Top as he fears losing him to his playboy past/other people who will have sex with him, etc.

And along with comparison, and the insecurity and hypocrisy in that, comes the idea of control: if we can control how other people are seen (through the enforcement of labels), we can control how we are seen and make ourselves look superior (setting ourselves up in opposition to the labels we give other people), and we can make sure our superiority remains unquestioned (by enforcing other people's labels so hard they can't escape, even in their own heads). Of course, control itself has been fleeting and ephemeral in this show - the characters are grasping at straws to maintain some sort of control/superiority over their friends and the situation.

Ownership

Speaking of control, I wanted to throw a couple of ideas into the ring.

At the pool party in episode 3, Top asks Mew to leave, Mew says he wants to stay and help Ray, Ray responds sharply and tells Top "He doesn't want to go. Don't make him". Top, sensitive to challenges from others (and especially from Ray), immediately ups the ante and is more snarky than he usually is in front of Mew, reminding Ray of who Mew's one and only boyfriend is, then drags Mew off.

Here, Sand is antagonizing Top and Top snaps, saying "I get anyone I want. What about you? Who do you get?"* We saw Top speaking like this at the very beginning of the series - like Boston, he takes pride he who he can "get" and keep.

*again, comparisons. And insinuating Top is better because he can get (and keep) a boyfriend, unlike Sand.

At Mew's birthday party in the bar, after Yo jokingly asked her boyfriend if she can date Mew for the day. Top plays it his response off as charming and loving protectiveness, and others agree, but interesting to consider given the types of comments Top makes (when Mew isn't around).

All the above reminds me of the multiple times this series Top has casually tried to sway Mew's opinions, specifically against Ray.

In episode 5, he insinuates that Ray doesn't work hard on this project, that Mew deserves better, that Mew should change the project to being at Top's hotel. In episode 6, Mew brings up Ray and Top says "Why are you still friends with him? He's never going to stop liking you." Top frames these as simple observations, just friendly suggestions because he cares about Mew (his smiles, his carefully casual tone, "What? *laughs* Am I wrong?", "Honestly...," "You're such a good friend and boyfriend. No one can get over you easily"), not something that Mew necessarily has to do or take to heart but Top can't help but notice... But we know Top knows Ray doesn't like him and that Ray has feelings for Mew, and given Top's expression when he found Ray at Mew's house in episode 4, when he learned Ray was Mew's first kiss, when Ray challenged him at the pool party, when Ray spoke encouragingly to Mew while lambasting everyone else at the bar... Top doesn't like Ray either. These casual, friendly observations and suggestions feel a lot more pointed. Ray is a challenge to Top, and Top wants him gone - preferably without alarming or alerting Mew to his true intentions.

A few people have noted the interesting split between Top-with-Mew and Top-with-others, how he becomes cockier, snarkier, meaner, and more possessive (see: Top with Nick, Top with Sand), and I'm looking forward to keeping my eye on it, especially now as Mew has thrown back the covers and Top is on the defensive.

If I can throw another observation into the ring... Ray speaking about Mew: "I want you to be happy. Whatever you decide to do, whoever you choose, I hope it all turns out great". I think this also speaks to Ray and his own lack of self-worth, but it's an interesting comparison to make between Top and Mew and Ray and Mew, who seem to have a closer and more genuine friendship that the others in the group (despite Mew's careless comments and lecturing about Ray's drinking and habits, and the love and expectations Ray has pinned on Mew after he saved him in the bathtub). Also! Very interesting to note given what @twig-tea points out in this post: that when Mew is sleeping Ray kisses him on the lips and Top kisses him on the forehead. I have no conclusions, only observations...

Boundaries and hypocrisy

Nick tells Gap: "Not replying means I don't want to see you. How dare you walk in and greet me," when in episode 4 we had Boston accosting Top in an elevator after the latter ignored his messages. @bengiyo pointed out another hypocritical parallel - Boston continues "I don't want to be friends with someone who sneakily recorded me"... having of course sneakily recorded his friends Ray and Mew. Again, Boston has firm boundaries about himself (don't contact me if I am ignoring your messages, don't take intimate photos of me) that he does not follow/steps past for other people (harassing Top in the elevator, taking intimate photos of Nick and Mew and Ray).

Recording and voyeurism

The one sex tape to rule them all continues to get passed around the friend group, finally reaching the subjects themselves. I expect more fallout to come (Boston's dad still has his campaign and Boston still doesn't know where the recording came from), but what we got was delicious. I wondered if the car recording would be questioned or disbelieved by anyone, given it's only audio and no visuals, but apparently everyone can recognize Boston and Top by their moans! There's something to be said about trust too, how Ray immediately trusts the recording Sand plays for him, Mew immediately trusts the recording Ray plays for him...

Top did some recording of his own, this time with a paper and pen (after seeing him take notes last episode on his and Mew's work date). He presented Mew with a collection of drawings he's done of him, capturing moments from their relationship in a permanent pen and paper form. I wonder also - with drawing, is there even more of an ability to construct the narrative... photography captures what is there, while drawing you can adjust what you'd like. This fits in the recurring theme of voyeurism too - Top drawing Mew when he's sleeping or otherwise not aware.

I remember on Tumblr ages ago someone talking about Sand and Ray and audio (records), Boston and Nick and visual (photos), and speculating that Top and Mew might have something to do with writing/drawing (I can't remember who said it, but I know @distant-screaming has been playing with this concept too). Here we go!

tagging the ephemerality squad: @chickenstrangers, @clara-maybe-ontheroad, @distant-screaming, @lurkingshan, @neuroticbookworm, @rocketturtle4, @slayerkitty , @twig-tea , @waitmyturtles , @wen-kexing-apologist

#ofts #ofts meta #only friends the series #ephemerality squad #ranch thoughts #a little all over the place this week but here! have some thoughts

[mandomaterial]

Forgotten pt.2

Pairing: Tonowari x Metkayina!Reader

Wordcount: 1.4k

Warnings: angst, mourning, horrible news, i love that Ronal is our sister yay, crying, no fluff, ANGST

Notes: i love writing angst but i don’t know if im any good at it- pls tell me how u like it and leave some ideas for what should happen next :P pics not mine, credit to the owner!

Masterlist /// Previous /// Next

Tonowari knew that he had to get his children back to the village, but at the same time he didn’t want to prove that you were gone; leaving without you. His heart was heavy with grief, and his mind was consumed with thoughts of you. He had failed to protect you, and the guilt was crushing him from the inside out...

As he rode on the tsurak, with his children in front of him, Tonowari could feel their small bodies trembling with fear and confusion. Tonowari couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth. He wanted to shield them from the harsh reality of their situation for as long as he could. He didn’t want them to feel the pain that he felt; he didn’t want them to suffer.

But the children could sense that something was wrong. Ao'nung was yelling “Mother! We need to find Mom!” angry because he didn’t understand why they were leaving you behind. Tonowaris youngest was already crying, alligator tears rolling off her cheeks and sobs leaving her throat, “…mama,… where’s mama…” she turned to look at her sibling and father “I want to see mama! Mama needs-“ she was cut off by her father enveloping the two of them in a tight hug. They could feel the grief and suffering rolling off him in waves.

“I’m sorry… I-I couldn’t… oeru txoa livu…” he whimpered into the hug “..they took her… they t-took sa'nok..” Tonowari couldn’t bring himself to look his children in the eyes, he had failed them; it was his fault. He could feel Tsireya sobbing and even Ao'nung started shedding tears. They couldn’t speak a word, being too shocked about their mother's disappearance.

Ao'nung wrapped an arm around his sister “We’re going to find her. She’s going to come b-back. If n-not… no. It’s impossible. She h-has to come back.” he said with a shaky voice, hoping to comfort his family. “D-dad, is this t-tue?” “Yes, syulang. She will return.. s-somehow… ” he added to his son's little speech.

It was already late at night, the dark sky speckled with stars, and soon enough Tonowari felt Tsireya slump against him, fast asleep. He couldn’t blame her, so much had happened that day, so many horrible things. But alas the sky people retreated and peace was soon to come back to the reef. Peace that has been waited on for a long time. Everyone would be at peace again; his clan; the Tulkun; everyone but him. He would never forgive himself for what he has done. Never.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Tonowari, Ao'nung, and Tsireya were the last to come back to the village, a crowd already gathered to welcome them back. As they disembarked the tsurak, the villagers erupted into cheers and applause, grateful for their safe return. But for the three of them, the joyous atmosphere only deepened their sorrow. The loss of their mother weighed heavily on them and their hearts were heavy with grief and pain.

As they made their way through the throng of well-wishers, Tsireya clung to Tonowari's side and Ao'nung walked behind him, their faces etched with confusion and sadness. They didn't understand how it was possible that their mother had been taken away, or why their father couldn't protect her. Tonowari himself was consumed by guilt and regret, wondering if he could have done more to save her.

Despite the outpouring of support and encouragement from the villagers, Tonowari and his children remained silent. No one knew what had happened. No one realized that someone was missing. In the heat of the battle, no one realized that their beloved Tsahìk had been taken.

The person they could always seek help from. The gentlest soul of them all. The person that never saw the bad in anything. The ray of sunshine that filled their lives with happiness every day. She of all people had been taken from the tribe.

Tonowari knew what he had to do right now. He had to share his troubles with one person first, before telling the rest of his people. Ronal, your older sister.

He walked to her Marui pod but before entering he murmured “Go to our pod. I’ll join you after this.” And gave his children a little push in the right direction. Stepping closer to the closed-off opening, taking a deep breath and balling his fists, “Ronal? Are you there? We have to discuss something. Right. Now.” he declared.

Rustling came from inside and the flap opened up instantly, revealing a tired Ronal. “Are you certain this can't wait until tomorrow, tsmukan?” He didn’t answer, entering the pod silently. By doing this Ronal understood that this was indeed very serious. “What happened.” Still silence. He couldn’t face her. “What happened?! Tell me!” Ronal cried. She prayed to Eywa that nothing happened to you. She rushed over and grabbed his arm firmly, turning him to face her, seeing the pain etched on his face she asked “…where is my sister.” with an unwavering tone. Her voice cut through the air like a knife.

This time Tonowari answered her. “She was taken” he whispered, looking straight at your sister. At first, Ronal didn’t seem to be registering what he was saying. She stared at him blankly, as if trying to make sense of his words. She didn’t want to believe it. Then, all at once, the realization hit her. Her eyes widened in shock, and she let out a strangled cry.

"No!" she sobbed, her body shaking with the force of her grief. "No, it can't be true!" She raised her hands and started slamming them against Tonowari's chest. “No! You are lying!” She sunk to the ground, dragging Tonowari with her. He tried hugging her but she struggled against him “No!” she screeched, tears rolling off her cheeks.

Tonowari held her tightly as she wept, feeling helpless in the face of her anguish. He knew that there was nothing he could say to ease her pain, but he stayed with her, offering what comfort he could.

Together, they cried for the loss of a sister, a wife, a mother, and the light of their life. Time seemed to be frozen in place as they mourned. After some time there were no more tears to cry though. It must have been in the middle of the night, everything was silent. It was Tonowari who spoke the first word “Tomorrow, we must tell the people. You must take her place as Tsahìk in this time.”

Ronal lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, shaking her head, her face contorted in a mixture of sorrow and anguish. “I can’t. I won't take her place” she whimpered. “You must. The people need us now” he spoke in return.

After a few more moments of silence, they parted from each other, standing up. Ronal gave him a single nod but stayed silent otherwise. Tonowari took this as his sign to leave. “Rest well, tsmuke,” he muttered

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The way back to his pod wasn’t long. He walked silently, thinking about what he should do simultaneously hoping that his children were asleep already, not wanting to face them again. The flap was still open, showing that his children had waited for him.

Stepping inside he looked around and saw his daughter sound asleep already. Tonowari continued looking for his son as well when he heard, “…what’s going to happen now, dad? Will she come back?” the voice came from the darkest corner of his home, his son sitting and leaning against the wall with his head resting on his knees, arms crossed over them.

“Ao'nung…” he dragged his feet closer, sitting down next to him, hiking up one knee and resting his arm on it. “I don’t know. I truly don’t know.” He looked over seeing his son tearing up. “But she will come back, r-right?” Tonowari didn’t know what to say so he just let his heart do the talking “We will reunite. We must pray to Eywa that it is in this life and not our next. But we have to continue living. Everything must be balanced in life, so we can not just stop living. I will send out word to the other tribes to search for her as well. I pray that Eywa help us.” He pulled his son closer, leaning Ao'nungs head on his chest.

“May Eywa help us”

#tonowari #tonowari x you #tonowari x reader #tonowari x y/n #tonowari angst #tonowari fic #avatar fic #avatar tsireya #avatar #avatar ao'nung #avatar 2 #avatar: the way of water #avatar tonowari #avatar ronal #angst #fanfiction #x reader #atwow #atwow fanfiction #atwow angst #atwow slowburn #atwow x you