#i don't usually engage with stuff like this

[thealogie]

Jesus, Tennant's every pro-trans move just really lands in a big way. Why does he rankle tories and terfs so much? It feels like a serious case of least amount of work - max amount of gain. I thought you were exaggerating a little and fandom spaces do make this stuff seem louder usually, but it's far from the first time though this one is the biggest prob, and it really does generate such noise and engagement, I don't understand why lol. He's also being far bolder about it than I'd have thought he'd be. Thrilling times lol

It’s two things: (1) he’s one of THE most recognizable people in the UK, like top 5 most famous people so they KNOW they can get a lot of engagement by mentioning his name and pretending to have beef with him and (2) some of them genuinely loved him and grew up with him and are genuinely in their feelings that their fave white guy doesn’t support their insane agenda (or at least they don’t want to know that most of their fave celebs aren’t right wing nut jobs)

[thelampisaflashlight]

A Lack of Engagement Pt. 4: To Have and to Hold

[Previous Entry: Here.] Below the cut.

Rain is sleeping on the couch.

More accurately, he's laying on it, very much awake and contemplating his life and the decisions that have lead him to this point.

But, physically, mentally, emotionally... He's sleeping on the couch.

Swiss taunts him about it.

Asks him how he managed to get in trouble with Dew this time.

Truth is, Rain put himself out here.

He'd given Dew the bed, knowing even if he could sleep anywhere, HE was the one that deserved to be ousted from their bedroom, even if it had been Rain's to begin with.

Dew's allowed to be upset.

Just as much as Rain's allowed to... do this.

Avoid the situation.

Avoid Dew.

Swiss tries to get him to open up about what happened during their date after getting his fill of tormenting him, but Rain rolls onto his side, facing the back of the cushions instead.

"That bad, huh?" Swiss remarks, sitting down by Rain's feet, "Dew not like your surprise?"

"...I'm just..." Rain sighs, looking over his shoulder at his friend, "I don't know why Dew... Swiss, why does Dew like me?"

"What?"

Rain sits up.

"What about me-" he pokes himself in the chest, "-made Dew fall for someone like me?"

"I... You expect me to know something like that?" Swiss asks, looking terribly confused, then sits back, thinking, "You two must have had a pretty serious fight if you're wondering about stuff like that..."

"...He doesn't want to talk to me." Rain confesses, drawing his knees up to his chest, "I said something hurtful and... Honestly, I don't think I can walk it back, even though I feel like... I don't know."

His mouth wobbles a bit.

"I dunno, I don't want to lose my best friend..." he sniffs, and Swiss pulls him into a hug.

"Aw, buddy, I'm sure Dew will forgive you, but just in case, what did you say so I can know if I need to be stopping Dew from hitting you or helping him?"

Rain stiffens.

"Uh..."

Swiss slides his arm up slightly, around his neck.

"Awfully quiet there, Raincloud."

"Uhhhhh..." Rain laughs nervously, "...I plead the fifth?"

Swiss pulls him into a headlock.

"Sorry, man, I know that's code for 'I fucked up and I know it', so I have to do it."

"Do wha-HAH!" Rain squirms trying to escape Swiss' hold as he gives him a noogie, "HEY!"

After a minute or so, Swiss releases him, and Rain holds his head in his hands, groaning.

"Go talk to your husband already." he says, patting the water ghoul on the shoulder, "Exiling yourself to the couch is just gonna cause more problems. C'mon, up, up!"

Swiss pulls him to his feet, brushing him off.

"Now march off to that bedroom, get into bed, and tell your husband you're sorry for being a major ass!"

"I'm going, I'm going-" Rain grumbles, wandering off down the hallway, pausing to look back at Swiss, who salutes him, then does an inverted cross on his chest and then a prayer gesture, "-You stop that!"

"Not on your life!"

Rain rolls his eyes and continues down the hallway.

Worst case scenario, he enters the bedroom and Dew kills him on the spot, best case scenario, he's asleep... lukewarm scenario, he's awake and not so murderous that he won't let Rain climb into bed.

Reaching his bedroom door, Rain pops it open just a crack to see if he can locate Dew, but finds the room dark, save for the glow of the power cable on his laptop, which he usually nudges a book in front of at night to keep it from shining in his face when he sleeps.

In the dull glow, he can make out the vaguest silhouette of something people shaped on the bed; Dew is tucked into the farthest corner of the mattress, his body curled around something, either fast asleep or close to it.

Stepping inside, Rain shuts the door behind him and makes his way over to the bed.

He lingers there, watching Dew shift in his sleep, he's wrapped around Rain's pillow, holding it close.

Rain feels guilty.

Without turning on the lights, Rain rummages through his dresser for his pajamas, and slides into the on suite to get changed, before climbing into the bed beside him.

He starts off on the very edge, not wanting to disturb his sleep, but at some point, after laying there for what feels like an eternity, Rain rolls over closer to where Dew is, and reaches out, tugging at his midsection and pulling him into the curve of his body.

Dew makes a little noise of discontent, but settles shortly thereafter.

Pressed against him like this, Rain feels... strangely soothed.

He breathes out and allows his eyes to drift shut, chin resting on top of Dew's head.

"'m sorry..." he mumbles.

"...I'm sorry, too."

Rain blinks.

"...You're awake?"

"Couldn't sleep... felt lonely."

Rain frowns.

"I'm... Dew, I'm sorry I said what I said earlier." he admits, "This is all just... a lot. Not you, but, going from friends to this... It all feels like it's going a bit too fast, like I don't have time to process what's happened, or how I feel about it all... and I know it's my fault."

"Kind of, yeah." Dew replies with a yawn.

"Yeah? Aren't you supposed to comfort me and say it's not my fault and that you forgive me?" Rain jokes, but when Dew begins to move in his hold, he thinks he's messed up again, "I-"

Dew rotates so that he's facing Rain, coming practically nose to nose with him due to how close they are.

"I can forgive you for getting us into this mess, but I'm not gonna say it's not your fault. Both of us tested the rumor, and you may have heard about it first, but I went along with it. Fuckin'... it takes two to tango." Dew says, "And, yeah, I'm upset about what you said, but, I dunno... laying here, thinking about things on my own, I'd rather have my heartbroken then lose my friend... even if it's my friend who's breaking my heart."

"You... really like me that much?" Rain asks, and Dew headbutts him slightly, "Ow..."

"I do, have for a long time now... Sorry if that's weird."

"It's not weird... I have..." Rain pinches his eyes shut, "I have feelings for you, but I know they're not the same. It's... Fuck, this is awkward."

"You don't have to force yourself to tell me..."

"No, it's... Dew, you make me feel..." he clears his throat, "...Physically speaking..."

"You don't feel attracted to me?" Dew offers, and Rain panics.

"No! No, I think you're fucking hot as Hell!" he shouts, and they can both hear the chorus of annoyed hisses through their door.

"Quiet down!" someone groans, "We don't wanna hear it!"

"Satanas, you two need to get a room in your fucking room..." someone else mutters, muffled by the walls around them.

"...So, you ARE attracted to me, just not... emotionally then?" Dew concludes, "...Okay."

"Okay?"

"I mean... I like you, and I'm pretty sure if we fucked right now it'd really mess me up, because feelings and shit, but... uh... good to know." he says, clicking his tongue, "...You would fuck me though, right?"

"In a heartbeat."

"...That's too slow."

.

.

.

Rain lies awake, a surprisingly chill Dewdrop snuggled into his chest, tail lazily slapping against the blankets now and then.

As long as it's stuff like this, being with Dew... it's manageable.

He can do this.

They already did this before they wound up in this situation, so it's not a big deal.

Except is absolutely is.

If Dew didn't have feelings for him, would they have gone further than this by now?

Was it a mercy that Dew loved him enough to keep them from ruining their friendship?

That Rain has the common sense and decency to realize faking it just to get into Dew's would be wrong, and that even the idea of trying something like that -no matter how much he wants to explore their bodies together- disgusts him beyond all belief?

Rain huffs.

He'd never do that to Dew.

Especially if Rain knows he needs it to mean something.

That if it's HIM, Dew wouldn't be able to get over the hurt of being used like that.

He's more worried about losing his friend than getting his dick wet quite frankly.

But...

Rain bites his lip.

...Someone really needs to tell his junk this is not happening.

Lying here pressed against Dew's body is making it hard to keep his body from reacting, the stimulation is... it's not a lot, but, come to think of it, Rain hadn't gotten laid in a while now, and that dry spell is really making asses of pillows, if that makes any sense at all.

He could seek out someone to sleep with, but, he's also not sure what their -the versions of themselves in this world or whatever it is- boundaries are in terms of cavorting outside of their relationship.

He's not sure if it would raise any red flags to his packmates if he approached one of them for sex, or if their bond was more like that of Cirrus and Cumulus, who explicitly stated the openness of their relationship -save for being emotionally exclusive- before beginning to date.

The uncertainty is enough to keep him cozy in their bed, but another part of him, a small, odd little facet of himself he didn't know existed, wants nothing else but to be with Dew, even if it's cuddling just like this.

Weird.

[mysticalmallard]

Hopscotch Headache

Description: Gemma invites everyone around for dinner to celebrate a 24year old Jax getting engaged to Wendy, Katherine would be about 10. Katherine is bored grown ups are boring.

Warnings: mentions of blood, injury, swearing and general SOA Warnings

Word Count: 4,782

Taglist: @arkytiorlecter @aimkatsz @ravennaortiz @darqchilddaydreamz

Just comment or message me if you want to be added to my SOA taglist or if you want to be removed 😊

MainMasterlist || Rules & Requests

Gemma is cooking as usual, the smell of one of her home cooked meals filling the house. Meanwhile, Jax, Clay, Opie, Chibs and Tig are talking in the living room, but Tig is feeling slightly restless.

With a huff, he looks around at the others who are so focused on their conversation. His gaze moves towards the hall and spots a bored looking Katherine sitting on a chair swinging her legs.

A small smirk forms on his face when he sees her. He then excuses himself for a bit, walking over to where she is sitting. When he gets to her, he sits beside her with a quiet sigh.

"Bored, princess?"

Katherine nods looking down "Mommy says dinner won't be done for ages, and you guys are just talking about boring bike stuff" she groans throwing her head back.

Tig chuckles at her dramatics which remind him of her mother. He looks over at the other guys talking about "bike stuff" and then back at her, not knowing how to entertain a bored ten year old.

"Well, what do you want to talk about, darling?"

"Anything but boring bike stuff"

He can't help but chuckle again at her sassy reply, finding her expression quite adorable, especially when she rolls her eyes. He leans back in the chair, crossing his arms.

"Oh really? And what's so boring about talking about motorcycles, hm?"

He pretends to look offended, faking a hurt expression and scoffing. He quickly changes back to his usual smirk when he notices her pout.

"How on Earth do you think motorcycles are boring anyway? Have you SEEN my Harley?" Tig jokingly asks.

He smiles as she giggles at his little performance. He has definitely mastered the art of making people laugh, which is a bonus during moments like these. He watches as her tiny fingers grip the edge of the seat, her legs once again swinging slightly.

"Well, we can't have the MC princess being bored," he says, slapping his knee.

"What do you wanna do hmm?" He adds poking her side gently.

She lets out another laugh and squirms away from his finger poking her side. She hums in thought for a moment, trying to think of something to do. Her eyes then light up when she thinks of an idea.

"Can you play a game with me, please?" she asks sweetly, giving him a pleading look with her big brown eyes that she no doubt got from her mother.

He can't help but melt a bit when he sees her looking up at him with those big, innocent and hopeful eyes. Who could say no to a face like that? He hums, pretending to think it over.

"I don't know...is it gonna be a fun game?" he asks, resting his chin in his hand and tilting his head, eyeing her curiously.

Katherine nods excitedly, practically jumping up and down on her chair. She puts her hands together and gives him an even more pleading look. It makes her look all the more innocent and adorable, but he knows better than that.

"Please? It won't be that long, I promise," she begs, pouting a bit.

He couldn't resist her anymore. With a heavy sigh, he pretends to be annoyed but can't hold back the smile that's spreading across his face.

"Fine, princess..." he says, rolling his eyes jokingly.

"What game do you want to play, hm?"

"HOPSCOTCH!!! I drew one this morning in the garden all by myself but Jaxie wouldn't play with me said it was boring....but you will right?"

Tig has to try hard not to laugh at this. Of course she wanted to play hopscotch, of all the things she could have picked. He nods and grins.

"Of course, doll. We can play hopscotch."

She squeals happily, clapping her hands together and jumping up off her chair. She grabs his hand in her small ones and all but drags him through the house towards the back door.

"C'mon, c'mon! Let's go, let's go!"

The others look on amused as Tig is dragged through the living room by the much smaller Katherine holding back some chuckles. Jax watches the scene with a raised eyebrow but Tig shoots him a look that just says "Don't even think about it." He continues to allow her to drag him outside while he can still hear the laughs from the other guys behind them.

They make their way outside to the garden, where Tig looks down and notices a makeshift hopscotch grid drawn on the concrete in colorful chalk surrounded by doodles of flowers and smiley faces. He looks back at her, raising an eyebrow.

"You made this by yourself, doll?" he asks as they approach the hopscotch grid

Katherine nods, looking proud of herself, as she should. For a ten-year old to make that all by herself is pretty impressive.

"Yep! I made it all by myself!" She grins, letting go of his hand, and steps up to start playing. She looks back at him expectantly.

"C'mon! you can go first!" She hands him a pebble at closer inspection the pebble had a small drawing of a pink daisy on it.He couldn't help but smirk as he took the pebble from her with a small chuckle. She is quite the creative kid.

Taking his place behind the starting line, he holds the pebble in between two of his fingers and throws it, his pebble lands on the number 8.

"Watch and learn, princess."

He says jokingly as he skips down the hopscotch, trying his best to keep his face straight and not start laughing while he does it.

Katherine giggles at him as he makes his way through the hopscotch successfully. She covers her mouth trying to keep her laughs in, thinking that Tig looks silly doing it. When he reaches the end, she claps her hands together and smiles up at him happily.

"That was great!" she exclaims. "Now it's my turn!"

Tig bows and motions to the hopscotch with a smirk. "Be my guest" he says with a chuckle. He stands back and watches as she steps up to her mark, her tongue sticking out cutely in concentration.

Her pebble lands on 10 "Ha! ten is bigger than 8 I can beat you!"

Tig gasps in mock surprise, holding his hand dramatically over his heart.

"Oh, no, how will I ever survive this? Being beat by a ten year old, the sheer humiliation of it all!" he says dramatically, grinning widely, but secretly wanting her to win.

Katherine giggles and hops through the rest of the hopscotch, managing to win the game. "Haha! I beat you!"

She sticks her tongue out triumphantly, doing a little dance and a proud smile on her face.

Tig places a hand on his hip and sighs dramatically, pretending to pout again.

"Well, would ya look at that. Beat by a little girl!" He looks over at her, his pout turning into a smirk. "Good job, princess, but don't get too ahead of yourself Im calling for a rematch."

She crosses her arms with a cocky grin on her face, still feeling pretty proud of herself.

"Well go on then, I want to see you try to beat me!" she says with confidence.

He chuckles at her confidence, shaking his head in amusement. He steps up to the starting line once again, taking another pebble from her hand and holding it.

"Alright, doll. You're on." He says with a smirk before tossing the pebble onto the hopscotch, landing on number 8 once more.

He begins to hop through the rows, keeping a straight face to try and not look too ridiculous. He makes it to the end and looks over at her, crossing his arms and grinning.

"Still think ya can beat me, princess? he teases.

Katherine grins at the challenge, determined to come out on top. She takes a deep breath and steps up to her mark once again, her focus completely on the game. She throws her pebble with confidence and watches as it lands on number 9 this time.

"I will win again!" she declares, feeling a mix of determination and competitiveness. she starts hopping and skipping but when she goes to hop over nine she misjudged her landing and her right foot ends up on the pebble causing her foot to slide forward, she falls backwards hitting her head on the hard concrete.

Tig's playful demeanor immediately turns to concern when he notices her misstep, causing her to fall, he lunges forward to catch her but he was to slow. He rushes over and kneels down beside her, his heart racing with worry.

"Katherine! Are you okay, doll?" he asks urgently, carefully lifting her head and inspecting it for any injuries or bumps.

Katherine winces a little bit, rubbing her head gently with her hand."Ouch..my head hurts..."

She pouts, tears welling up in her eyes as she looks up at him, her initial determination now replaced by a mixture of pain and disappointment.

"It's okay your okay I'm just gonna look at your head alright" He touches the back of her head feeling something wet on his hand.

"shit, shit, shit Gemmas gonna kill me for this" He whispers under his breath when he looks at the blood on his hand.

"What's wrong tiggy?" Katherine asks not liking what she was hearing.

"Nothing! nothing is wrong, princess, everything is okay" he says trying to calm her "does your head hurt at all sweetie, do you feel dizzy or like you are going to be sick? It very important that you tell me if you do okay?" Tig says in a soft but serious voice looking her straight in the eyes.

Her eyes widen at his panicked state, her confusion turning to worry.

"My head hurts a little...but I dont feel sick or anything."

She moves to stand up, but he gently holds her shoulders down, his eyes searching her face for any signs of discomfort or impairment.

His grip on her shoulders tightens as he scans her face, relieved that she doesn't appear too dizzy or uncomfortable. He sighs heavily, his anxiety slightly easing.

"Okay, doll, I need you to stay still for a moment, alright."

He glances at her head, noticing a rather large shallow cut, causing his heart to sink a bit, knowing it's gonna cause some problems as she almost definitely needs stitches.

She nods and obeys, staying still as he has asked. She can see that he's still quite worried, and it makes her uneasy.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is it bad?" she asks quietly, looking up at him with concern etched on her face.

Tigs main focus right now was to keep her calm and not let her see the blood. He takes a deep breath, trying to keep his own worry under control.

"No, no, it's nothing to worry about. Just having another look, that's all."

He tries to sound reassuring, but there's a hint of tension in his voice. He gently reaches to touch her head, trying to assess the extent of the injury.

Katherine winces a little bit as his fingers gently touch the cut area, causing a slight sting.

"Ow..." she says softly, her eyes starting to tear up a bit.

"I want Jaxie" she whimpers

Tigs heart sinks even further, his expression growing even more worried as he sees her starting to cry. He had hoped to keep her calm, but it was becoming clear that she needed her brother's comfort at that moment.

"Easy, doll, easy..." he says softly, trying to soothe her while still checking the cut on her head trying to figure out what to do now.

"Okay I'm going to pick you up and take you inside, but I want you to keep your head as still as you can, okay?"

Katherine nods her head gently, agreeing to his request to keep her head still.

"Okay..." she replies quietly, her voice slightly shaky. She trusts Tig, knowing he's here to help her and take care of her, so she doesn't resist as he picks her up carefully her head on his shoulder and ome arm under her, the other cradling the back of her head to hold it steady.

He holds her close, his arms wrapped securely around her as he carries her back inside the house. He tries to keep his steps as smooth as possible to avoid jarring her head more than necessary.

His expression is serious as he carries her back into the living room, the others still continuing their conversation without noticing the situation. But as soon as they see the blood on his hand, everything changes.

Their eyes widen in alarm, and they immediately stop their discussion, their attention focused solely on Tig and the injured Katherine in his arms.

Tigs eyes are wide he shakes his head looking at Clay. "I'm so sorry man, we were just playing then she slipped on a rock or something I think shes fine but her head has a cut".

Clay's expression immediately turns into concern as he sees the injured Katherine. He steps closer, his eyes scanning her head for the wound.

"What the hell happened, Tig?" he asks, his voice carrying a mix of worry and disbelief.

Tig looks down at Clay, guilt evident on his face. He knew he should have been paying closer attention, but it all happened so quickly. Now he's feeling the full weight of responsibility for the situation.

"I'm sorry, Clay. I was watching her, but she slipped on a rock and hit her head before I could react." he says, his voice filled with regret.

Clay sighs and runs a hand over his face, the situation weighing heavily on him. He turns to Tig, his expression stern but not angry. "I want you to explain fully what happened, Tig. I need to know how this happened under your watch."

Tig nods, swallowing hard as he takes a deep breath to gather his thoughts.

"We were playing hopscotch, and she was doing great. I was watching her closely, but she landed a little awkwardly and her foot slipped on a rock, causing her to fall backwards and hit her head on the concrete.

He looks down at Katherine, guilt still etched on his face.

"I tried to catch her, but it all happened so fast."

"Alright, Chibs, how's she looking?" Clay turns to Chibbs hoping it's nothing too serious. Chibbs carefully examines the wound on Katherine’s head, his expression serious. He gently probes around the area, checking for any signs of further damage or swelling.

"She's got a pretty decent cut, it's fairly deep. It needs stitches for sure."Chibbs says, his tone matter-of-fact.

She flinched at one of his touches. "Sorry love you are doing so well" Chibs trys to sooth her as he directs Tig to turn around so he can see her face.

"there ye are I'm going to need you to follow my finger with your eyes do not move your head alright can ye do tha for me hun?"

Katherine nods as best as she can without causing any further pain. She follows Chibs' finger with her eyes, doing her best to keep her head still as instructed. Her eyes water a bit, but she remains focused and cooperative.

Chibs nods, appreciating her cooperation.

"Good girl." He continues to assess her pupils, looking for any signs of dilation or any other potential issues in her vision.

Clay stands nearby, his eyes flickering between Tig, Katherine, and Chibs, his worry evident.

Jax is standing behind chibs's shoulder watching too. Chibs continues to examine Katherine, checking her pupils one last time before finally speaking up.

"Her eyes seem fine, pupils are reacting normally. Nothing to worry about in that regard," he says, relief evident in his voice.

"Jaxie I want Mommy, Where's Mommy?" Katherine whines her head hurting and not liking all the attention she is getting*

Everyone froze at the mention of Gemma, they forgot about Gemma. Jax exchanged a worried look with the other men, knowing that dealing with an upset Gemma was going to be a difficult task.

Tig looked down at Katherine, feeling the weight of the situation even more heavily on his shoulders.

Clay glanced at Tig, a mixture of worry and irritation in his eyes. He knew that Gemma was likely going to be furious with them for not keeping a closer eye on Katherine.

"We could go around the side of the house pop to the nearest ER and come back she doesn't need to know" Tig thinks out loud.

"Oh yeah and when she comes back with stitches in her head what are we gonna say huh? Idiot" Jax says slapping Tig upside his head.

Tig looks at Jax, his expression growing more frustrated. "You got a better idea, genius? She's gonna find out either way, and I'd rather avoid having her rip my balls off my body for not watching her better."

Clay steps in, his voice low and stern.

"Enough. This isn't helping."

He turns to Tig and Jax, his expression serious. "We're not hiding anything from Gemma. This is our daughter, and she's going to find out if we like it or not. Besides, she needs stitches, and we can't just patch her up ourselves."

Tig sighs, knowing that Clay is right. Gemma will find out regardless, and trying to hide it will only make the situation worse.

"Fine. But let's at least get the stitches done before we tell her. Maybe she'll be less pissed if it's already taken care of."

"Guys, dinner is almost ready if you wanna help set the table and....what going on" Gemma walks into the room pausing when she sees them all crowded around something

They all freeze not sure on what to do or say

"Mommy?" Kathrine calls out

Everyone who isn't Tig takes a big step back, not wanting to be in her way when she sees the blood, Tig looks like he's seen a ghost.

Clay takes a deep breath, knowing this is not going to be an easy situation to handle. He slowly starts to explain the situation, his voice carrying a hint of hesitation.

"Gem, there's been a little accident..."

As the words leave his mouth, Gemma's eyes immediately dart to Katherine, taking in her injured state. Her expression shifts from confusion to worry and then to anger as she steps closer.

"What the hell happened?" she demands, her voice sharp and authoritative, her gaze fixating on Tig.

Tig swallows hard, feeling the full weight of Gemma's anger fall on him. He knows he's the one responsible for what happened and steels himself for the inevitable barrage of fury, taking a deep breath before replying.

"We were playing hopscotch outside, and she fell. Hit her head on the concrete. I was watching her, but it all happened so fast, Gem. I'm so sorry."

"Mommy, my head hurts" Katherine pipes up her lip quivering.

Gemma's expression softens slightly as she looks at her injured daughter, her anger momentarily eclipsed by concern. She gently steps forward, carefully running her fingers over her daughter's head, assessing the injury.

"Shh, baby, it's okay. Mommy's here."

She shoots a glare in Tig's direction, her anger returning.

"Ill deal with you later"

She turns to her husband "bring my car round the front we need to get her to the ER" Clay nods and quickly heads outside to get Gemma's car ready without argument. The others stand quietly, sensing the tension in the room, knowing better than to interfere.

Tig stands off to the side, guilt weighing heavily on him as he watches Gemma take charge. He knows that he's in for a world of hurt once she turns her attention back to him.

Katherine reaches out her arms wanting comfort from her mom. Gemma picks her up off of Tig carefully, a mixture of anger and worry etched on her face as she holds her daughter closely.

"It's alright, sweetheart. We're gonna go somewhere where they will make you feel better, okay?"

She places a gentle kiss on her daughter's head before turning her gaze back to Tig, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and blame. But she says nothing and takes Katherine to the car

The others decide dinner can wait and get on there bikes to follow Clay driving Gemmas car, taking the lead the rest giving her a escort of sorts, they want to show their support and be there for Katherine.

Clay drives while Gemma sits in the backseat, cradling Katherine carefully to make sure she's comfortable. The others follow closely on their bikes, creating a tight-knit group around the car as they make their way to the ER.

In the backseat, Katherine rests her head on her mother's shoulder, still a bit shaken and in pain. Gemma holds her hand tightly, offering her comfort and reassurance, while also throwing occasional glares towards the window where Tig is visible, he wanted to stay close to Katherine he felt responsible.

"Please, don't be mad at Tiggy Mommy he helped me, no one wanted to play with me but he did, it was my fault I fell, but he made sure I was okay and took me inside" Katherine says looking pleadingly at her mom. Gemma listens to her daughter's words, her expression softening slightly.

Katherine has always been kind and selfless, and it's clear that he was trying to do the right thing in her eyes. But Gemma's anger is still there, lingering like a storm ready to blow over.

"I know he was trying to help, baby. But he should have been watching you more closely."

"But he was watching...it was an accident"

"Okay baby...I'm not mad I'm just upset you got hurt is all"

"so....you aren't gonna yell at him?"

Gemma sighs, a mixture of frustration and understanding in her eyes. She pauses for a moment before replying, her voice softer than before. "No, baby, I won't yell at him. But he needs to understand that what happened was a result of his lack of supervision."

She casts a sidelong glance at Tig through the window, her expression still stern and disapproving but lacking the intense anger from before.

time skip

all the men are in the ER waiting room while Gemma is with Katherine while she is getting stitches, Clay was with them but got asked to wait outside after threatening the nurse who gave her a needle "more aggressive than necessary" because Katherine winced.

Tig is nervous his leg bouncing Clay, sitting next to him, notices Tig's nervousness and gives him a disapproving look.

"Calm down, man. You're not the one in there gettin' stitched up."

Tig looks over at Clay, his eyes filled with guilt.

"I know, I just... I feel terrible. She was having fun, and then she got hurt, and it's my fault we should have played a different game like snakes and ladders or some shit then she wouldn't have got hurt."

Jax shakes his head, his voice firm but empathetic. "I get it, man, but you can't change what happened. Beating yourself up about it won't help her, or you. Just learn from it and make sure this doesn't happen again."

Chibs chimes in, his tone serious yet understanding. "Jax is right. Dwelling on the what-ifs won't fix anything. She's gonna be alright, and that's what matters. Focus on being more careful next time lad."

Tig nods, taking in their words of advice. He knows they're right, but it doesn't ease the guilt that's eating away at him. He runs a hand through his hair, his mind still replaying the incident over and over again thinking about what he should have done differently.

The men continue to sit in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts.

Katherine comes running in from one of the doors "Jaxie, look! look! they gave me stickers"

Jax' face lights up at the sound of his sister's voice, his gaze shifting to her as she approaches with a handful of colorful stickers jumping into his lap.

"Hey, that's awesome, Kitty. Let's see what you got there."

Gemma walks through the doors next paperwork in hand. "They gave her 4 stitches we need to come back to get them taken out but other than that she's fine" she says to all of them in a motherly tone.

The tension in the air eases a bit as the good news is shared. Clay lets out a sigh of relief, glad that his little girl is alright.

"That's good to hear. She's a tough kid."

He say looking over at Katherine.

Tig's expression mirrors everyone's relief, but he still looks slightly guilty. He stands wanting to apologise again but Gemma raises her hand to stop him from talking. She slowly walks upto him a stern look on her face. Everyone stares in anticipation waiting to see what she does.

(apart from Katherine who is still admiring her new stickers)

Tig braces himself ready to be yelled at or hit but nothing happens for awhile until he feels her arms wrap around his neck in a hug.

"Thankyou Tiggy for being there for her and making sure she was okay....i dont know what i would have done if no one was around when she got hurt"

She pulls back noticing the shocked look on his and everyone's faces

"what? She's a kid they get hurt but they bounce back no child grows up without some sort of cut or bump along the way its just what they do"

Everyone stares in surprise, speechless at Gemma's display of gratitude and understanding. Tig, in particular, looks stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief. He had expected anger, or at least some form of punishment, but this...

Opie breaks the surprised silence, his voice filled with astonishment. "I think we all thought you were gonna rip his balls off"

"Language!!" Gemma says automatically she has been trying to get the club to be more considerate of their words around Katherine. Opie chuckles nervously, quickly apologizing to Gemma.

Jax shoots a cheeky smile at Tig, still trying to process what just happened.

"Damn, Tig, seems like you got a free pass this time."

Chibs grins, joining in on the playful banter towards Tig.

"Yeah, mate. I guess all it takes to get away with something is our little Kat."

"Yeah, I i'll keep her around more often"

*Gemma swats at tig after his comment laughing*

"Tiggy look I got some Winnie the pooh ones and this ones called Tigger that's like your name....you should have it ...Oh I know let's stick it on your bike ...that would make it less boring" she says trying to drag him but he's not budging

"My bike?"

Tig looks pleadingly at his fellow brothers, silently begging for help, but they all just nod their heads and chuckle, clearly enjoying his discomfort. Even Clay can't help but smirk.

Jax leans back in his chair, a smug expression on his face.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Why not personalize your bike a bit, Tiggy?"

"Yeah!, and Jaxie you can have the Eeyore one, Chibs can have the Roo one, I got lots enough for everyone....and don't worry Daddy when we get home you have have this big Pooh bear one for your bike" she leans forward whispering "he's the most important one"

*their grins drop and they all look to Gemma for help she shrugs her sholder and turn to Katherine

"That's a wonderful idea sweetheart, don't you guys agree? How thoughtful she is that she'd give her special doctor's stickers to you all" she emphasises the word doctor to guilt them a lttle.

The men exchange glances, unable to argue with Gemma's logic. They know they can't say no to her offering them such a genuine and sweet gesture.

Jax sighs in fake resignation.

"Oh man, I guess I have to take the Eeyore sticker. But don't expect me to act all depressed like him, alright?"

Chibs grins, playing along.

"Aye, I'll gladly take the Roo sticker. It's a bit more exciting than Eeyore anyway."

"Yay! Come on ill help you all stick them on in a good spot, come on Tiggy you first then Jaxie"

Tig sighs in defeat, realizing there's no way out of this. He lets Katherine lead him towards the bikes, the others following behind, each man sporting a resigned expression, yet secretly enjoying the girl's enthusiasm.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Tig mutters, trying to feign indifference.

•○•○•○•

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT MY OC KATHERINE MORROW AND HER TIME WOTH THE CLUB

[thebahwrites]

It is Known™️ I don’t do fandom discourse and you won’t catch me engaging with it on main no siree! But in light of recent things, I’d just like to remind people to just... be kind. Please, be kind. It doesn’t cost much, to be nice, to be kind. Or if you don’t feel like being so, just don’t be mean. Grant yourself some grace and distance from things that aren’t what you like. It’s okay if something isn’t for you, it really is! But you don’t have to be mean or nasty or rude about it, not about other people’s creations nor to the creators themselves. Please, just be kind. 💖

[liquidstar]

How is tumblr going to ban porn and then show me ads where two triceratops are straight up having sex

[tenrose]

I hate living in this world.

[fuckin-sick-bih]

i don't usually write the style of sick fics of like... stomach aches/emeto area, but like... my brain cannot stop thinking about the fact that Mobius M. Mobius probably only knows how to make horrifying 60's 70's foods that he wants to cook for Loki. and Loki at first is says "absolutely not" only to find Mobius later picking at a piece of it by himself. so Loki sits down and has a slice of... whatever monstrosity it is with him and it's not terrible. but it definitely doesn't like Loki. cue guilt from Mobius about "poisoning" a god and a little panic about not knowing how to take care of him in this sense because he's studied Loki! he knows Loki! but this? this is new! so Loki just requests to be held for a while, touch starved trickster he is.

[maliro-t]

some game design thinky thoughts.

[annieisyourfavourite]

I posted this painting I was really proud of on instagram and it only has 2 likes 😭😭

[just-aro]

suicide bait mention

/gen what inspires people to send suicide bait? like... i can't at all imagine a circumstance in which sending it would feel good or cathartic, personally?

i know i've gotten a fair amount of suicide bait asks over the years on tumblr, especially on @aro-culture-is and here, but tbh like. bro i am just gonna report and block. enjoy getting your account blocked? ig?

idk i just don't understand the purpose. it hurt a little before therapy, but now i'm just like "huh, sounds like a you problem." do they like... actually think it's gonna make a difference?

[eclaire-went-bam]

every time someone asks me how good a movie i've seen is, i absolutely need them to start telling me what their standards & guilty pleasures with movies are bcs IDK WHAT U CONSIDER GOOD !!!!!!!!!

[wereh0gz]

Y'know I think I'm starting to truly understand the kids who just didn't do anything in class during middle and high school. As someone who used to be a gifted kid and never really got it. Fucking hell

[thedreadvampy]

sorry I'm on one now. Narnia is one of my Big Rant triggers.

but like. I would be lying if I said I didn't love Narnia

(everything except the Horse and His Boy, which a) even as a tiny kid made me uncomfortable with how fucking racist it is (literally there is ONE. ONE. character of colour who isn't evil, selfish, greedy and violent. even when you're 5 and white and don't really understand racism it's like. sorry there are just no nice people in this whole country? and every Narnian is lovely?) and b) is just fucking DULL partly bc of the 2 dimensional racist caricatures populating the world)

but I can't pretend for a second that it isn't specifically built around a Christian theology that's explicitly racist, hierarchical, supremacist, colonialist and The Bits I Like Least Of Anglicanism

and my FAVOURITE books in the series (except the Silver Chair which tbh is WAY less theological and way more mythology-nerd) are the first and last, which are by far the most explicitly Christian. even more so than TLTWATW.

and I can just about stand by the Magician's Nephew bc it's mostly just a mix of Christian creation myth and CS Lewis's sci fi interests in the esoteric and multiverses and it honestly feels fine. but my all time favourite most iconic Narnia book is The Last Battle and I just. cannot. justify it for a second from a political or philosophical standpoint.

it's got it all bc it's the book where Lewis is like ok hold up let me lay out explicitly what my theology is. and what he thinks it's important to say is:

Almost all Muslims are bad and evil

They worship Satan by doing Bad Evil Deeds to please him

There are a couple of Good Muslims who do good deeds. they need to be brought to the light, understand that the voice calling them to do good deeds is the Christian god, and they too can achieve the kingdom of heaven

Some people will use Christianity as a mask for exploitation and mistreatment. They are bad and their faith is false (ok fine)

...and they're doing that because they're CONSPIRING WITH THE EVIL MUSLIMS TO OPPRESS GOOD CHRISTIANS

...and THAT'S THE ONLY REASON ANYONE WOULD TELL YOU THAT GOD AND ALLAH ARE DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THE SAME GOD. because they're either conning you or because they've been misled and can't really think for themselves.

DID I MENTION. THAT MUSLIMS ARE EVIL AND TRYING TO BRING DOWN CHRISTIANS.

and other than the GOD AREN'T MUSLIMS JUST THE WORST of it all, he also goes back over to more fully explain several points he's made throughout the series, such as:

white Christian public school kids are the god ordained leaders of the world and attempts to think otherwise are heretical

god places people where they need to be to serve his purpose

free will is largely an illusion - your only choice is faith or chaos, and as a godly person your actions are preordained

the problem is though. he's kind of a really good character writer? and in The Last Battle he pulls out most of his best classics (hi Reepicheep! hi Frank! hi Jill!) and gives us a whole wealth of really fun new characters (Tirian and Jewel, Emeth, Puzzle, Shift, Griffle and Ginger are all just SO FUN) and it's such a solid adventure. for me it's hands down the most FUN Narnia to read and an effective and affecting end to the series.

but like. god its unjustifiably fucked philosophy is baked into every single character and event. it's so hard to ignore. it's my favourite book in the series. it's the book that makes me angriest. it's everything right with Narnia and everything wrong with Narnia. I like it cause it asks me to engage critically with Lewis' philosophy and I hate it cause it requires me to engage critically with Lewis' philosophy.

in conclusion, Narnia is a land of contrasts. also occasionally brownface.

[chenpire]

my post series recommendation is that if you've never listened to the orchestral version of hero by faouzia while thinking about Wilhelm and Simon's utter trainwreck of a romance, you should. I think you should.

[the-pigeon]

saying this because dash has been Doing Things and i've had to unfollow a few people but i do Not support, like, or endorse anything about ccdream or this mess of united smp that is clearly an unorganised, distasteful, and basically cash grab ass project he's made. so please unfollow me if you disagree with that . and kindly block me so i don't have to deal with it .. <3

[vamptastic]

while i am also put off by the insistence to at all times use the most inflammatory, insulting, and condescending language towards anybody who disagrees with their fringe beliefs, the primary reason i just cannot engage with T/ERF bullshit even for the sake of trying to break down why they believe the things they do is the utter and complete lack of unbiased sources. seriously, every single time its like, transwomenareevil.com and every article is talking about a crime some random trans woman committed using the most libelous language possible. they legitimately read like a list of crimes read out before a mob before someone is shot in the head. no statistics, not even unbiased analysis of anecdotal examples, the vast majority of scientific articles they do attempt to cite, usually regarding medical transition, are meta analysis that do not actually support their claims if you, yknow, fucking read them (as always its 'more data needed'). it's all based on kneejerk disgust reactions or fear stemming from personal trauma. not the kind of thing im inclined to humor as a basis for how i want to conduct my life or what laws i want passed. and the entire time they're all convinced they're the only real feminists and the rest of us are idiots who have never heard of systematic oppression before.