#an ending within

[let-me-love-you-loki]

An Ending Within--Ch. 21

Chapter 21

           “I’m tired,” I mumbled as I stood up and stretched. It felt like I’d been sitting at that table for days. “I need to take a walk.”

           Sammy Guevara glanced up from the photograph he was signing. We’d been doing a meet-and-greet before Dynamite for the last two hours. It was still a little insane to me that people paid to have their picture with me and get an autograph.

           “Don’t take too long,” he said, glancing at his watch. “There’s only thirty minutes left.”

           For a moment, I wanted to kick him. But I’d been wearing my brace consistently since my match with Jon. Stupid Sammy wasn’t worth the extra pain and discomfort.

           “I’m only going to take a lap around the room, dipshit,” I said under my breath. Sammy smirked. I turned toward the people waiting in my line. “I just need to move around guys. Mox jacked up my knee. The loser. I’ll be back in five.”

           A few people grumbled, but I was already wobbling toward the other end of the room. The outside of my leg was numb. It had been messed up in one way or another for the last few weeks. Jon had been worried so much that I’d wanted to smack him. He worried more than Seth. And of course, neither of us had let on to my husband that my leg was acting up like this again.

           Taking my time, I looped around the room once. I stopped every ten steps or so and flexed my knee and wriggled my toes as much as I could. The numbness began to give way to pins and needles. My heart skipped a beat and then relaxed. A huge wave of relief washed over me. Still, I made a mental note to set up an appointment with Dr. Thurman. If I was going to go crazy in the ring, maybe it would be a good idea to get a bit of maintenance physical therapy. I just had to figure out how to tell Seth.

           “Okay,” I said as I plopped back down in my chair. A teenage girl stood at the front of the line. “I’m only talking to people who hate Jon Moxley.”

           The girl grinned and unrolled a neon green poster. Giant black block letters spelled out a message that made me cackle in a way that would make Seth proud.

           Jon Moxley fears Leighton Black.

***

           “How’s the leg?” Tony Khan asked as we passed in the hallway.

           I flexed my foot and bent my knee a few times. “On my way to see Doc.”

           “Good. If Doc clears you, I’ve got a match for you against Statlander. And we gotta build up your rematch against Jon.”

           Before I could reply, laughter echoed down the hallway. I didn’t need to feel the frenetic energy overwhelming the air to know it was Jon. What I didn’t expect was the crackle of electricity along my skin and the warm salt scent of the ocean. Turning to see Seth and Roman walking side-by-side with Jon sent me barreling backward in time to the early days of The Shield. Those early days when the Hounds gathered around me. My heart jumped up into my throat. Tears burned behind my eyelids.

           “What are you doing here?” I gasped.

           Roman’s deep rumble washed over me. “Surprise, itiiti.”

           Joy lanced through me so quickly that it knocked the breath from my body. I was running before I registered moving. Roman held out his arms and snatched me against his chest. I snaked my arms around his neck and hooked my heels behind his knees.

           “Once a Hound, always a Hound,” he murmured against my hair. “It’s time we came to support you.”

           I swallowed nervously. Time to bite the bullet. But at least I could honestly say it was pins and needles now. Normal coming and going of sensation like I’d had for years now.

           “I was just on my way to see Doc Sampson for the all clear.” Roman set me gently on my feet. “If he says go, I’ve got a match tonight.”

           Jon’s brow furrowed. “Against who?”

           A grin spread over my face. “Your girl Statlander.”

           Seth turned to look at Jon with a smirk. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your girl? You’ve already dropped Llane?”

           “Fuck you,” Jon said as he thumped Seth hard in the shoulder. He pushed his way past Roman and hooked his arm around my neck. He tucked me in close and gave me a fierce kiss on my head. “Dollface here is the only girl for me. Period.”

           I laughed and put my arm around his waist. “Don’t let Renee hear you say that.”

           Jon shrugged. “She already knows. When it comes to this business, you’re it for me, dollface. Names might change, but we’re Lunatic Llane for good.”

           A door opened at the end of the hallway. “Leighton? Let me get a look at you. Tony needs to know if you’re cleared so he can block the show.”

           Giving Jon one last squeeze, I skipped out of his hold and moved between Seth and Roman. My husband brushed his fingertips along my arm as I walked by. Something like peace and calm slipped along my spine.

***

           When I left Doc Sampson’s trainer’s room, I was more than a little surprised to see a cluster of people just down the hall. The Bucks and Adam Page leaned against the wall with Jon, Seth, and Roman across from them. Chris Jericho was tucked in there, too. Nick Jackson looked up as I got closer. He smiled, and a warm sensation rushed through my heart. My old family joining with the new one.

           “You sure you guys don’t want seats? If you aren’t comfortable with ringside then we can get you a box or something. Somewhere you won’t be seen. And definitely won’t be on camera.” Matt Jackson spoke earnestly to Seth and Roman. I could see what he was trying to do, but I knew without a doubt that it wouldn’t work.

           Seth shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “Thanks, Matt. I mean it. But we’re risking our careers enough just being here.”

           “Seriously?” Adam asked, his voice awash with incredulity.

           Jon grunted. “You have no idea what it’s like over there.”

           “Vince isn’t one for disloyalty. Hell, he swore he’d never speak to me again after I jumped ship to AEW. And he is petty,” Jericho added. “If he finds out that they’re here, he’ll bury them as punishment.”

           My heart jumped into my throat as those words slipped into my brain. “What? You both have to go. Right now,” I squeaked. “Leave. Now.”

           Roman pulled me into a hug. He tucked my head just beneath his chin. “Not a chance, itiiti.”

           “But Vince—”

           “Are you forgetting who you’re talking to?” Roman teased. I felt the chuckle rumble through his chest. His heart beat steadily beneath my ear. “My family helped keep that company alive more than once. Let him try to fire me. If he does, he’s going to have to deal with Sika, Dwayne, and Rakishi.”

           “Ro, you know how vindictive he is.” Worry bled into my body, seeping through into my voice. “If you two get in trouble because of me, I’ll murder both of you.”

           The hallway echoed with the sound of Seth’s laugh. “Don’t worry about us, baby. We’ll be fine. Promise.”

           “Both of you are insane,” I said, wiggling out of Roman’s hold to move closer to Seth. He leaned over to press a kiss against my forehead.

           “I promise. Plus, I have another excuse,” he said with a smile.

           “Tina!” came my favorite voice in the world. “Mamma! Mamma!”

           Sefina came barreling down the hallway with a huge grin on her face. She had a handful of what looked like Sour Patch Kids in one fist. Brandi Rhodes had her other hand and rushed along just behind my daughter.

           I squatted down and held out my arms to her. She yanked her hand from Brandi’s hold and dropped her snacks on the floor as she threw her arms around my neck. I held onto her tight and pressed one kiss after another over her cheeks and forehead.

           “Hi, sweetie!” My whole body felt bright and happy at the sight of my daughter there. She hadn’t seen me wrestle since I moved to AEW. “What are you doing here?”

           “Tama and uso brought me!” Her dark eyes were bright and there was a faint blush over her cheeks. “I want to watch you!”

           That burning behind my eyes came again as I tucked my daughter’s hair behind her ear and looked up at Seth. “Well, that’s good because mommy has a match tonight. Do you want to go meet her?”

           Sefina giggled and nodded. I hooked my arms around her and stood up. She held on tight as I walked through the gaggle of people and went off toward Kris Statlander’s locker room. I was sure my daughter would love her alien gimmick.

_________________________

Tag List

@cburdine

@easyobsession

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@echrai

@themumbler

@bigdunneenergy

@queenofthearchitect

@vebner37

@reigns-rollins-ambrose

@mother-forkers

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@maelleoute​

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@rollynchwhore​

@spaghetti-hoop​

[eastgaysian]

compiling a far from comprehensive list of palestinian fundraisers i'm aware of that are far from their goal (less than 25% raised) and/or stagnating. i will try to update this post at least every couple days - please check the op for updates.

if you can donate at least USD $15 (€14, CAD $20, kr160, £12) and dm me proof, i'll offer a colored sketch commission akin to these drawings (more details here). [EDIT: not accepting new donation comms at the moment until i've worked through my backlog; check back in a week or two!]

even if you're not able to donate that much or at all, please share, and follow the links to the fundraisers - there's much more important information for each one than i'm able to quickly compile into one list.

(created aug 2, updated aug 15)

Hazem Khalil (hazempalestine) - vouched for by bilal-salah0, who has been vetted - €6,015/50k (USD $6,556/$54.6k) raised to evacuate 7 family members

Mohammed Haboub (mohammedhaboubsblog) - shared by 90-ghost - kr85,347/300k (USD $8,108/$28.5k) raised to evacuate 4 family members, along with paying for rent and medical expenses - URGENT RENT + MEDICAL COSTS

Walid Al-Qatrawi (waled-family, waledps) - shared by 90-ghost, instagram - €2,164/€50k (USD $2,362/$54.6k) raised to evacuate a family of 5 with a child on the way - GOFUNDME HAD TO BE CLOSED, DONATIONS STAGNATING SEVERELY

Bilal Abed Rabou (bilalassadabedrabou) - verified by 90-ghost - €7,169/80k (USD $7,814/$87.3k) raised to evacuate a family of 3 + living and education expenses

Israa Alazaiza (isra-elazaiza, sarah-family) - verified #236 - CAD $5,480/48k (USD $3,946/$34,593) raised to evacuate 9 familly members - DONATIONS STAGNATING

Abdelmutei Al-Habil (abdelmutei) - verified by 90-ghost - €8,985/50k (USD $9,794/$54.6k) raised to evacuate 7 family members

Heba Al-Anqar (heba-baker) - shared by 90-ghost - €3,170/60k (USD $3,455/$65,499) raised to evacuate 7 family members + provide for living expenses - DONATIONS SLOWING DOWN

Salahaldin Hor (salahaldinhor) - shared by 90-ghost - €5,032/40k (USD $5,485/$43.6k) raised to evacuate 5 family members + medical and education expenses

Mohammed Atallah (mohammed-atallah) - shared by 90-ghost, organizer's instagram - €11,542/82k (USD $12,581/$89.5k) raised for a bone grafting procedure + rebuilding family home

Fatima Alanqar (fatma93-gaza) - shared by 90-ghost - €4,730/20k (USD $5,156/$21.8k) raised to support a family of 7

Mohammed Matar (matarmoh) - verified by el-shab-hussein - €1,119/€20,000 (USD $1,220/21.8k) raised to evacuate 5 family members, including a 6 month old baby daughter

Mohammed Iwais (mohdiwais) - shared by 90-ghost - kr156,227/500k (USD $14,842/$47.4k) raised to evacuate 10+ family members

Ahmed Abu Shammalah (ahmed8311) - verified by el-shab-hussein - €12,051/100k (USD $13,136/$109k) raised to evacuate 8 family members and provide living expenses - DONATIONS STAGNATING

Wafaa Resh (wafaaresh) - shared by 90-ghost, tiktok - €26,122/100k (USD $28,473/$109k) raised to support 15+ family members

Musab Abed (musababed) - shared by 90-ghost - £3,780/8k (USD $4,838/$8.7k) raised for living and education expenses

Fadi Zakkout (burningnightgiver) - shared by 90-ghost - CAD $10,310/50k (USD $7,423/$36k) raised to evacuate children who have been separated from their parents; their daughter Wafaa needs insulin

Malak Dader (malakabed) - verified by 90-ghost - €5,646/€25k (USD $6,154/$27.2k) raised to support a family of 6 with living and medical expenses + education

Shymaa Taiser (shymaafamily) - #141 - USD $10,878/$50k raised to reunite a father with his children in Gaza and provide for medical expenses

Yousef Hussein (adham-89) - shared by 90-ghost - USD $11,001/50k raised to evacuate 6 family members - DONATIONS STAGNATING

Sujoud Al-Sarsawi (sojid222) - #155 - CAD $10,587/45k (USD $7,623/$32.4k) raised for a single mother and her 3 children - DONATIONS STAGNATING SEVERELY

Siraj Abudayeh (siraj2024) - #219 - CAD $36,515/82k (USD $26,291/$59k) raised to rebuild a family home

[stil-lindigo]

when people reblog donation posts and say "donate what you can", I really feel like people aren't actually internalising it. not all of us can afford to donate $50, $100, more than that. but i know for a fact that there are thousands of us that can spare $2 or $5, and that all adds up.

it hurts so much to sit here and feel the limits of our own ability. we're not millionaires. we can't instantly fund these escape attempts. but these are bids for life, by people who never asked for the hellfire being rained upon them by sadistic colonialists, greedy for oil and land. they committed no crime other than being born in palestine. and of course it's unfair, to have to shoulder the weight of people's lives when we're all struggling to get by as it is. but our governments relentlessly fail us, they fail to scrape at the bottom of their cold dead hearts for their last dregs of humanity. it is so, so unfair, but it is up to the common man to save each other.

please. look at this spreadsheet. find a fund that resonates with you. and DONATE WHAT YOU CAN.

[therealdistortion]

I find it funny the way Jon blames himself for the apocalypse. Cause essentially what happened is that Jonah put a nuke in his lunch and he blames himself for it.

Like, imagine you got a sandwich for lunch. You’ve been looking forward to eating this sandwich for so long, you haven’t had one in weeks. Your friend got it for you from a restaurant and you are so so excited.

It looks amazing, it smells amazing, you are so excited. Then, you go to take a bite and there’s a fucking nuke in it. It explodes and kills everyone around you, except for you. Then you blame yourself.

You didn’t put that nuke in it. You didn’t know there was one there. You were just trying to eat lunch.

It was the guy from that restaurant, he put a nuke in your sandwich! And it wasn’t even like he put it in a random sandwich and you just happened to get it. No, he put it specifically in your sandwich so when you try to eat your lunch it will explode.

And you know that he put the nuke in your sandwich. Cause he wrote you a note explaining to you exactly why and how he did it. He told you it was so it would explode and kill everyone, and he told you that he put it specifically in your sandwich. And he hid the note so you would only see it after you started eating, at which point it was already too late.

And you still blame yourself. Even though you had no idea. How does that make sense?

Jon, it is not your fault there was a nuke in your sandwich

[frownyalfred]

thinking about a Damian who was raised his entire life hearing how much he looks like his Father, how he's the blood son, how he's better than any other child Bruce Wayne has taken in, starting to buy into it like a kid does, only to hit puberty and turn out looking like 80% Talia.

[silentsockfeet]

the fact that the vi vs jinx fight was foretold from the beginning. the fact that the opening credits ends with their fight immortalized in stone, so that every episode you watch is a reminder of the immutable truth of it. the fact that every moment is building to this, that the show will culminate in this. this was always going to happen, they told us this from the beginning, and nothing anyone could do will ever change that.

[starsonablackboard]

are you sure?

[zuzu-draws]

Long-Haired Obito Art Request for @lucynda ! Your ask was a bit too long for me to post so i'm answering it in this way ;D This version of Obito is like...one of the most vicious and brutal renditions of him ._.

[historicity-was-already-taken]

To any Palestinian folks who have sent me requests for aid: I’m so sorry—there are active scammers going around posing as folks in Gaza, and I don’t know how to figure out which ones are real and which ones are scams.

En lieu of those. I’d like to direct you all towards NGOs which I know are not scams

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

A procession of confessions.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[angelcake10023]

You remind me of who I used to be 💜🩵

Im fine I promise- hdjdhdksjskd

[roses-and-revolutions]

Two Can Keep a Secret If One Of Them Is Dead

Damian Wayne, the youngest son of Bruce Wayne realizes that he doesn't want to be fighting crime for the rest of his life, nor does he want any major part of his father's company. With the utmost support of his friends and family, he pursues an art degree at GIA, Gotham Institute of the Arts.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the adopted daughter of Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain, after completing her duties as Ladybug and passing the title to a suitable successor, pursues her dreams of becoming a fashion designer alongside her boyfriend Adrien Agreste. They decided that they needed to get away from Paris for a while so they went to Gotham Institute of the Arts.

Daniel 'just Danny' Fenton, recently adopted son of the Drs Fenton (what do mean I haven't been adopted in the 9 years you had me!!!), wasn't sure what to do with his life after his dreams of being an astronaut were crushed. But after getting stuck in a thermos with Ember for about a week he developed a new obsession with music. After fixing his grades and perfecting his portfolio, he was accepted into GIA's music course. He was worried about being alone in Gotham but with Tucker getting into GU and Jazz transferring there, Sam and Valerie just across the bay in Metropolis, everything looks like they're going to be fine.

A few weeks into the school year a video is going viral on Twitter. Damian Wayne and two other people who look similar to him are shouting in a cafe near the school. Well, only two of them are shouting the other one is chill as fuck. They're speaking in Arabic so not many people can understand them. The ones who do chalk it up to this: "Two of you are lying and the other one is supposed to be dead!"

Well, ain't that something?

[hellishqueer]

i'm ready

[iliothermia]

I won't be able to finish this drawing before the convention, which will take up my next 5 days.. But I want to talk a little about him.. I've been thinking about golems and Frankenstein, and the trans body, projection and misunderstanding, villainization and death.

The concepts of Frankenstein's monster and the golem have been swimming in my head for a while, and their lore intertwining.. The tragedy of existing being seen as a monster no matter how you try,.. And the Golem, a protector of his people and a servant whose only flaw always rang a bit close to home as an an autistic person-- being too literal in execution of his orders. He's tired and struggles with a yearning for death. His havdalah candles will be out.. The first flame of the week, a spark of starting over again-- The flame brings him fear. As much as he's kept himself together he doesn't know how much longer he can keep doing it, he fears failure- but the fear of what may happen if he's gone is even more terrifying. He's lived a long life, and over time the one who formed him has sculpted him to the golem's own wishes.. From nothing to the man he is- but even with that effort, to outsiders he's still a monster. His skin is different shades of clays from varying riverbeds as his people have travelled.. Golems are unformed, imperfect.. but even as outsides can be polished the insides can still be broken

[captain-astors]

The Crown Prince

[mayasaura]

Hey, anyone else think it's super duper suspicious that the Reverend Parents kicked off their abominable baby scheme pretty much simultaneously to Gideon Nav, key to the Tomb, landing on the Ninth? Gideon's more than a year but less than two years older than Harrow. So give it nine months gestation, a few months for prep and planning, and Gideon's arrival lands at exactly the place on the timeline you'd look for an inciting event to the creche massacre

And like, the Revs didn't seem shocked when they heard Harrow had opened the Tomb. They listened solemnly to Gideon spill the beans and then quietly shuffled themselves off the mortal coil, intending to take their pint sized single-serving generation with them. As far as we know they never pressured Harrow to continue the Ninth, either. They checked to make sure she was a powerful necromancer, and that was it. It's almost like they'd been waiting for this.

It's just a hell of a lot of coincidences piling up. Makes me wonder what they knew, who they'd been talking to. How much didn't they tell Harrow?