#is this an Oklahoma specific thing???

[the-teddy-bear-butch]

Curious about something…

[neunhofferart]

Not sure if there's anything official- based only on a vaguely similar shape and location and seemingly supported by the map pictures released by Dreamworks TV recently, would Yaz's island be Frank Island in Yellowstone National Park? Only for JWE2 building reference purposes 😁

It's possible it was used for some visual inspiration, but I think the EXACT location in Wyoming was probably meant to be a little vague, as a fictional location.

[anewbrainjughead]

they should make an Oklahoma! 2019 that lasts forever and ever and is in my living room

[supercantaloupe]

why are so many people in like yt comments only there to complain about modernized/nontraditional/nonhistorical stagings and costumings of operas. “rossini wouldn’t have wanted il barbiere di siviglia to look that plain and ugly” “der freischutz doesnt work if it’s not set specifically in early 19th century germany” “ohh don giovanni shouldn’t be wearing a modern 3 piece suit” why not. there’s a hundred productions a year. as long as the director is Doing Something Interesting with the opera i don’t really care if it’s “period accurate” or not. if you can’t engage in the story without some pretty period costumes to focus on that’s a you problem

[stardustedknuckles]

There's an ac unit in our room and it's a lot so she's very, very happy inside my blanket making biscuits. It's a good morning and it's the first time it's felt like a truly good morning in a long time.

[ravenlaguz]

listen listen listen. i was talking about it on twitter and now im going to talk about it again here

love triangles where two people are after the same person? get the fuck outta here thats BORING. thats not a triangle thats an angle. the best love triangles are where theres two people pursuing the same person but they have their own weird fucking chemistry between them. its not love necessarily. its not always affectionate. it can be violently raw lust. maybe they come to feel some fondness towards each other in a way only they can. but it has to be WEIRD

[favefandomimagines]

Countertops (t.o)

Summary: a small fight doesn’t stop Tyler from caring about you

Request: @cinderellasmissingshoes Hi lovely, can I please request a Tyler Owens fic where he and reader are upset with each other, and they've each gone into different parts of the house to cool off. But then Tyler sees her climbing onto the counter for something, which he hates her doing because of how unsafe it is. And even though he's still upset, he still loves her and worries for her safety, so he helps her off before grabbing what she wanted?? I apologize if this is too specific, I know some writers like super specific requests and some don't, you can change this however you like! Can you please tag @glenscowboyhat as well please? They helped me come up with this idea. Thank you very much, have a nice rest of your day!

AN: a little short but fluffy and cute! And sometimes we just need a little fluffy and cute

You don’t even remember what started the argument or what it was about. The last thing you remember about the argument was that Tyler had gotten home later than intended, he didn’t answer any of your calls or texts when he was out chasing, and then the next thing you knew, you had dispersed to opposite sides of the house.

You remembered yelling at him about how you never see him for more than a few hours at a time. How you hadn’t spent enough quality time together recently and you just wanted to go on a date or do something fun.

He scoffed and said chasing paid the bills. Then you rebutted saying your job at the National Weather Service paid the bills, hitting his ego where it hurt.

It had been three hours. Three hours since the two of you have spoken and he had disappeared into the den of your shared home. It was agitating you, but you weren’t about to apologize for something that wasn’t your fault. You had too much pride for that and Tyler did too.

You were sitting at the kitchen island, scrolling through Pinterest recipes to make for dinner. You could hear the TV in the other room playing some stupid rerun of an Oklahoma Sooners game from last season.

You rolled your eyes and picked one to make. As you were cooking, you realized you were out of olive oil. You knew you kept an extra bottle in the cupboard, the cupboard that was way out of your reach.

With a groan, you moved the tea towel that was on the counter out of the way, took off your slippers, and hopped up on the countertop.

Tyler was ready to have an actual conversation with you. He was still upset, but he was more upset that he let some stupid argument get the best of him. Technically, you were right. Your job pays the bills, his job is the extra income. He just wanted to be on speaking terms with you again.

He walked into the kitchen where he knew you were and saw you kneeling on the countertop. “Woah, woah, what are you doing?” He questioned, rushing to you. Tyler wrapped his arm around your waist and one under your legs as he helped you down off the counter.

“I needed the olive oil.” You answered as he set you down on the ground. “You could have asked for help.” Tyler said. “We weren’t exactly talking. Plus, how do you think I got things off of top shelves before we moved in together?” You rebutted.

“You know I hate you doing that. It’s extremely unsafe.” He said. “And so is going inside a tornado but I don’t lecture you, now do I?” You sassed.

Tyler sighed, took your hand and pulled you towards him as he sat at the counter barstool. “Y/N, I’m sorry about the fight.” He said. “I’m sorry too. I think I was just more sad than angry that we hadn’t spent quality time together and I said things I didn’t mean.” You replied.

“No, no you were right. Tornado Wranglers is just our spending money. Your job pays for the house. I will work on making sure we spend more time together.” Tyler replied.

“How about we find a compromise? You love chasing and you love the channel, I know better than anyone how quickly storms develop. We spend every night together, but if a storm develops that’s worth chasing, you can go do what you do best.” You said.

“I love chasing but I love you more. But, I agree with your compromise.” Tyler said, wrapping his arms around your waist. “Though I still think you should come out there with me. Have a real scientist go out in the storm.” He added.

You let out a laugh, wrapping your arms around his neck. “It’s going to take a lot more convincing to get me in that saddle, cowboy.” You joked. “Well, it turns out I’m pretty persuasive.” He commented. “Oh are you? Care to elaborate?” You questioned. “Sorry, sweetheart, you have dinner on the stove.” Tyler replied.

“Now that’s just mean.” You teased. “Come on, I’ll help you with dinner.” Tyler said, standing up.

That night, all night, Tyler’s phone was on do not disturb. He didn’t reply to a single call or text from Boone or the rest of the team. Even when dark clouds rolled in and rain started pouring.

[vicsnook]

Out of Oklahoma | Tyler Owens x Reader

word count: 3326

warnings: Tornadoes, Loss, Implied smut

notes: Hey y’all 🤠 I am back with some more content! When I tell y’all I was sat at that theater. Even my boyfriend was thirsting over Glen (specifically in the rain scene, iykyk). Anyways, hope y’all enjoy this one and please don’t forget to like and reblog 🫶🏼.

I crawl out of the hotel bed at 5, hitting the snooze button on the way to the bathroom. My reflection looks back at me less than thrilled for what’s to come today.

Apparently the world hates me because there is no coffee to brew when I check the kitchenette, so now my day’s gone from bad to worse. I check my phone and sure enough I have a million messages from my dumba-sweet brother Boone about how he can’t wait for me to meet his friends.

I'm not ready for that. But nevertheless I carry on and make my way to the airport to board a flight to take me home, to Oklahoma. It’s fine, I think to myself. It’s all going to be okay. But I know it’s a lie. Still I get on the plane and pretend I’m going somewhere tropical instead of the one place I swore I wouldn’t return to.

The wheels touch down roughly on the strip, startling me awake. Here goes nothing. The airport is packed but thankfully all I have is my carry on which holds what little I left to California with six months ago. So much for making a life for myself.

The old Ram is parked just outside the doors and I know I can’t put this off any longer. After what happened last year, I want to turn around and get the hell out of dodge but I can’t avoid him forever. Not when my family needs me, well what’s left of it. “Well, well, well, look at what the cat drug in.”

I sigh and look up, locking eyes with the one person I didn’t want to see ever again. Tyler Owens. My ex-fiancée.

“Tyler. Nice to see you didn’t get blown away by a Tornado,” I force out with the fakest smile I can muster. God knows I’d love to wipe that stupid smirk off his face, amongst other things, I shake my head dismissing the stupid thought.

“Y/N, good to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. That all your luggage?” he asks, grabbing my carry on from me and placing it in the bed of the truck before I can even answer. “Yep,” I mumble, getting into the truck.

“So, where’s Boone?” I ask, trying to ease the tension.

Tyler glances over at me and I feel my stomach do a stupid flip. Stop it!

“He’s at your Nana’s house dealing with some of the insurance people. I’m really sorry about what happened, Y/N.” he says. “We tried to warn them.”

“I know,” I say. “It’s not your fault, Tyler. You didn’t know it would turn and hit them directly.” I start to reach for his arm to comfort him but pull it back, the gesture feeling inappropriate after all that happened between us.

He nods and continues to drive on. Him and Boone blame themselves but I know there’s nothing they could’ve done. I just wish they’d see it that way.

-

The ruins of the home we grew up in come into view and my heart shatters all over again. The anger bubbling in my stomach as I see all the tornado took from us. Why!? Why us!? I want to scream at the sky as I walk up to my brother who I can tell is barely holding it together.

“Hey Boonie,” I whisper, hugging his back. His breathing shakes as he turns and pulls me into a hug, nearly suffocating me. “I tried sissy, I really did but they’re gone.” he says, “I was too late.”

I hold him as he finally breaks down and I try whispering reassurances in his ear but I know he’s not listening. My eyes make contact with Tyler’s as he heads towards the rubble and begins to sort things out.

“It’s not your fault, Boonie.” I say, holding his face so he looks at me. “There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

He nods quietly, pulling me in for another hug as the guilt consumes me for having left him behind. I should’ve never gone to California.

-

I follow Tyler to the entrance of the dingy motel on the edge of town, still holding on to Boone’s hand. “Thank you for coming, Y/N.” Boone says, handing me the key to my room. “Always,” I respond. Squeezing his hand one last time as he turns to go to his room.

“Where’s the rest of your crew? I haven’t seen them.” I ask Tyler as we head up the stairs since our rooms are on the second floor. “They’re helping some people downtown that got hit too. They asked me to give you their condolences.” He answers, stopping in front of my door.

“Um, thanks and thank you for all you’ve been doing for Boone. I hate that I couldn’t get here sooner.” I say. “California wasn’t all I thought it’d be.”

“Tried to tell ya.”

“I know. I'm sorry, Tyler.”

He moves a step forward and drops his mouth beside my ear, the distance between us almost non-existent. “Nothing to be sorry about, darling.” He drawls, pulling back, then turning around and walking into his room, leaving me in the hallway.

This man will be the death of me.

-

The weeks go by slowly as we deal with the insurance but somewhere along the way we finally get Nana’s ashes back. Boone and I take them out to the river, spreading them at the one place she loved most.

“So how are things between Kate and Tyler?” I ask Boone as we head back to the motel from the pizza parlor.

My stomach clenches, waiting for his answer.

He looks at me and grins. “Why you want to know Sissy? Any interest in getting back in that saddle?”

“Ew! No! I was just curious, Boone.” I say, glaring at him while he laughs.

“They never really were anything serious. She ran off to New York City the second she got her research. Oklahoma held too many painful memories for her or something.”

I nod. Pulling into the motel parking lot that we now call home. That is until the money from the insurance comes through and we can get to rebuilding Nana’s place.

“There’s the man of the hour.” Says Boone pointing at Tyler who’s getting out of his truck. The white shirt clinging to his chiseled chest because of the rain.

He really does look good in a cowboy hat. I think, quickly shaking my head trying to erase the thought. “Close your mouth Sissy, you’re gonna get drool all over yourself.” Boone teases and I playfully smack him, tearing my eyes off Tyler.

“You know Sissy, I don’t get it.”

“Get what?” I ask, turning off the ignition.

“How y’all girls run away from that man. I mean I ain’t blind and I may be biased because he’s my best friend but his personality doesn’t suck either.” I sigh, knowing he’s not wrong.

“It’s complicated.” I finally say, and get out of the car. Heading for my room before Boone can add anything else.

-

“Where are we going?” I ask again for the millionth time. Letting Tyler and Boone blindfold me was starting to seem like a mistake the longer we were in the truck.

It also didn’t help that Tyler was playing the cd I burned for him back in high school.

“Almost there, Sissy.” Boone assures me, as the truck left the paved road and headed down a dirt road. Please Lord don’t let this be another one of Boone’s pranks.

Tyler helps me out the truck and leads me down a rocky path. My nerves increasing by the second and wondering where my brother had ran off to.

“Tada!” yells Boone, the bandana falling off my eyes as Tyler pulls off the knot.

“I know it ain't much Sissy but I couldn’t let you keep living in that Motel much longer.” Boone says, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the tiny home that now sits behind where Nana’s new house will be. “So, you hate it?”

“No! Thank you so much!” I yell, pulling him into a hug. “You really didn’t have to do this Boonie.” Tears stream down my face as my brother squeezes me. Thank you God for such a good brother.

“I can’t take all the credit, it was Tyler’s idea after all.” Boone whispers to me. I nod, pulling away and wiping the tears off my cheeks.

Lord knows if things were different I’d be running to Tyler and giving him a big ol’ kiss right now. But they aren’t. I remind myself so I settled for just saying “Thank you, Ty.”

“Not a problem.” He says, turning to follow my brother to my now little home.

-

“Please work, come on!” I yell at the shower. My little home was nothing but perfect, well except for the water which always seemed to go out at the most inconvenient times.

I try calling Boone but I’m greeted by his voicemail which only leaves one other person to call. Sighing I pull up his contact and dial. Ignoring the contact picture that I never bothered to change.

“Hello?”

“Hey, um sorry to bother but I can’t reach Boone and my water went out again while I was washing my hair,” I say, already regretting calling him.

“I’ll be there in a minute.” He replies, hanging up before I can say anything else. I pull on a bathrobe and tidy up before he gets here. I wince when I see my hair in the mirror, suds still in it but oh well. Tyler’s seen me how the lord made me so I doubt a little bit of suds will make me ugly.

I’m pulled out of my thoughts by his knocking and I think as I open the door that maybe I should’ve thrown some clothes on. “Hey,” I say, stepping aside as he makes his way to the water heater closet to check there first.

The minutes pass and the silence is eating me alive. The temptation to say that I was wrong for ending things the way I did consumes me. So much so that I don’t realize he’s talking to me until he comes to stand in front of me.

“Earth to Y/N? It’s fixed. You shouldn’t have any more issues.”

“Thanks Ty. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.” I reply, his eyes meeting mine.

“Live your life without fear of me dying everyday because of what I do,” he says, it's clear to me then that the wound is still very much open.

He starts to head for the door but I’m quick to get up and grab his arm, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Ty, I’m sorry. I was wrong, okay? All I did was trade tornadoes for earthquakes. Happiness for misery. I was wrong and I shouldn’t have left the way I did.” I say, my eyes searching for his.

“You left me, Y/N. You packed your bags and left without saying a word, leaving all of us behind. So, no, sorry doesn’t cut it here. I’m sorry about your Nana but you made your mistakes. Live with them.” He replies, the anger in his eyes sending chills down my spine. I swallow the lump in my throat long enough for him to walk out and slam the door on his way out. What the fuck did I do and how can I even fix it?

-

** 6 months later **

Nana’s house is finished. It looks similar to the one the tornado tore from the ground but me and Boone know it couldn’t be more different.

We bring in what we could salvage slowly and try to make it look as closely as possible to the original one. Lastly, placing a picture of Nana, Boone, and I, that Lily recovered from the wreckage on the mantel.

“Close enough,” Boone whispers, sitting on the couches that Dani and Dexter got us.

“Yeah, I just wish she was still here.” I reply, sitting across from him. “You going chasing again today?”

“Yeah, but I promise we’re being safe sissy. We don’t do that driving into tornadoes and shooting off fireworks anymore after Nana,” He answers, sadness filling his features.

“Just be safe,” I mutter, taking a seat next to him and letting him pull me into a hug. “Always.”

“For what it’s worth, he’s not really mad at you. He’s mad at himself for not realizing sooner how far gone you were until it was too late.”

A sigh escapes me as he gets up, giving me a faint smile before walking out the door. Off to chase the very thing that took the last bit of family we had.

-

The rain came in buckets. All day it’d been so pretty but as soon as I stepped outside the grocery store, I saw how much the sky had changed. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as lightning struck.

Rushing to my car, I threw the groceries in the back seat but before I could throw the car in reverse I heard it.

The tornado sirens.

I threw open the car door and started sprinting back into the grocery store but a cry for help stopped me before I could make it in. Lord please protect them. I prayed quickly.

Debris was already flying all around me when I turned to look for the source of the pleas and then I spotted her. A girl who looked no more than 15 was on the ground in the parking lot, her leg in a cast and her crutches nowhere to be seen. “Please help me!”

I ran towards her. My body going into overdrive as the wind threatened to push me over too. “Please don’t let me die,” she begged as I threw her arm around me and hurried back for the door.

The wind picked up even more and the rain turned into hail as I trekked through the lot trying to make it back inside. The short distance seemed infinite.

I felt it before I could even turn. It was there. The loud roar filled my ears as I pulled the girl in front of me and with the last of my strength I had, I pushed her to where the door was.

Then my feet left the ground as the tornado sucked me in and I felt the world go black.

-

“Bo-one?” I rasp, my throat on fire and my entire body feeling like it’d been run over. The events leading up to this moment slowly coming back to me as I struggle to open my eyes.

“Hey, he’s just outside talking to the doctor, let me get him,” replies Tyler softly. My eyes adjust to the harsh hospital lights as he steps out the door and taps Boone on the shoulder.

My head pounds as I take in my surroundings. Scratches cover up both my arms. If I looked into a mirror right now I’d probably collapse.

“Sissy! Thank God you’re okay!” Hollers Boone as he comes to my bedside, careful not to hurt me when pulling me to him. “I thought I lost you.”

His tears wetting my hospital gown as I hug him back as best I could. “I’m okay, Boonie.” I whisper in his ear as he sobs.

“Is the girl okay?” I ask, worry filling me up at the thought that she didn’t make it.

“Yes, she made it inside just in time, Sissy. You saved her life.” Boone says, taking my head in his hands and pressing our foreheads together like we did when we were kids.

I close my eyes, nodding and thanking God that we were all okay.

“I need to go sign some paperwork but if you’re feeling up to it, we can take you home today. You got lucky,” Boone tells me while getting up from my hospital bed.

“I’d love nothing more than my bed.” I reply, shooting him a smile as he steps out.

I turn to Tyler who’s been quietly standing in the corner this whole time and I notice his swollen eyes. My heart squeezing at the thought of having worried him and Boone.

“Hey,” I mutter, and his eyes finally meet mine.

“Guess Boone isn’t the only tornado chaser in the family huh,” he jokes, still standing in the corner.

“Guess not,” I reply, chuckling but my throat is so dry that it turns into a cough and he’s rushing to my bedside with a glass of water in hand.

“Thank you,” I manage to say as I chug the water. Instant relief filling my throat. “So, can you fill me in on what happened after I got sucked into the tornado?”

“Uh, well witness accounts are that you pushed the girl inside and then got sucked in. Me and Boone had been chasing the tornado and pulled into the lot as it dissipated.” He stops, taking a seat on the bed and grabbing my hand. “The people in the supermarket started pouring out and screaming that you got sucked in, of course at the time we didn’t know it’d been you. Nevertheless we all started searching and found you passed out on top of a tarp in the baseball field.”

“Oh wow, that’s quite the distance. Saved myself some gas for sure,” I joke, but he doesn’t laugh. “Y/N, you could’ve died. You got out with scratches and a story but you could’ve died,” he says, a somber look on his face.

“Hey, I’m okay. I didn’t die. Nana protected me,” I tell him, tipping his face so his eyes meet mine. “I got a second chance to start over and,” but he cuts me off.

“I love you,” he says, then his lips crash into mine. The kiss knocks the air out of my lungs but as he pulls away, I recover and pull him back to my lips.

When he finally draws back, his eyes are teary but there is no sadness in them anymore. “I’m sorry for walking out on you, if you had died, I don’t know how I could live with myself, knowing how I left things,” he says, his words piercing my heart.

“Hey,” I say softly, “I’m here and I’m okay. I know there’s a lot we need to talk about but I can promise you this, I’m not leaving Oklahoma. Ever.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” I whisper, leaning in to meet his lips.

But before we can finish our moment with a kiss Boone is bursting through the door.

-

** One month later **

“Ty! Dinner’s ready!” I holler, and I hear the sound of the shower turning off. Making my way to the living room I stop and pick up my Nana’s picture, thank you for saving me. I think to myself and put it back down.

“Ty! Come on!” I yell, quietly sneaking up the stairs to our room. Glad that Boone’s off with Lily at the fair.

“Coming!” I hear him yell from the bathroom. The towel is wrapped around his waist and drops of water make their way down his abs. Man, I’d sure love to be that towel. I think to myself as I watch from the door crack but am greeted with a smirk when I make my way up to his face.

“Hey darlin’, coming to see the view?” he asks cheekily, turning to me. Busted.

“Well you’re the one who says “if you feel it, chase it,” and I sure am feeling a lot of things right now,” I reply, letting my eyes trail down his chest.

“Oh, yeah?” he replies, coming closer. “Well you better start running.”

I giggle and turn to run but don’t even make it out the room before he’s tackling me to the bed. Dinner is gonna be real cold when we’re done here.

[ofstoriesandstardust]

can't take the home out of oklahoma - i. (k.c.)

a/n: eeee! a fever dream later, i've finally cobbled together the first part of my top gun: maverick and twisters crossover fic! it's going to be lengthy so we are in for quite the ride! it's way heavier on twisters, so any non-top gun fans should have no problem reading this. future parts will deal with darker content that's only referenced right now, so that'll all be tagged and marked accordingly. for now, it's just my standard cup of angst. reblog and comments are always appreciated!!

summary: After a twisted stroke of luck, you leave behind your whole life in San Diego, California and find yourself in Oklahoma with Tyler Owens and his Tornado Wranglers.

warnings: swearing, weather inaccuracies, flashbacks, reference to past trauma, alcohol

word count: 5.7k

Your finger rubs gently over the crinkled piece of paper Jake had torn off for you, the phone number and the name Tyler Owens written in the neat penmanship the blonde prided himself on. 

If you ever find yourself down South and need something, Jake had said, a bit out of breath as he’d run out of the house after you. If you need anything, call that number. They’ll help you. 

The cursor blinks back up at you on the call pad, your cracked screen making a mockery of you. The chaos of the San Diego airport whirls around you, pressing in on you the longer you sit here. 

You take a deep breath and press call. 

-

His phone starts vibrating on the table and he frowns, eyebrows furrowing as the team, crowded around the table in the RV, goes quiet. 

He answers, despite it being an unknown number. “Tyler Owens.”

“Hi. Uh,” A shaky breath comes from the other end of the receiver before introducing themselves to him. “Uh, Jake Seresin gave me your number. Told me to call if I needed anything.” 

His gut drops at the name, a clench in his heart. “What can I do for ya?” 

“Look, I’ve- I’ve had a rough week and I’m, I’m sort of finding my life upside down. And uh, I guess I’m just grasping at straws here. Jake said, he said you could help me.”

“That so? Well, I’m afraid you’re gonna have to be more specific. How can I help you? What can I do for you?”

“A- a purpose, maybe? I need a purpose, something to do. Um, I’m in San Diego right now but I need to get out of here.”

Tyler frowns, eyes flicking around at his team. They’re all curious as to what’s unfolding, and he scrubs at his forehead, knowing they’ll be upset with him for pulling the trigger on this without talking it through with them first.

But damn it, this girl sounded scared and Jake had sent her to him. Had told her he’d help her, and he would see to it that he did. 

He wasn’t going to leave her behind. 

“Tell you what, get yourself on a plane to Oklahoma. I’ll come get you. You can come work with me and my team.”

“You- your team?” Though she sounds hesitant, she almost sounds relieved at having some sort of direction now. 

“Storm chasers. Ish. We’re doing some field research out here in Tornado Alley, but I’ve got a team, the Tornado Wranglers. And honestly, we need another set of hands out of here managing the backend of things.”

The word managing was the wrong choice as it immediately sends his team into protest. Boone stands up abruptly, Javi and Kate whispering protests to him, as Lilly starts making a face. He waves a hand, wanting them to be quiet. 

The last thing he needed was for this girl to hear, to hang up, to not follow through. 

“Okay.” You say, and he thinks he hears you stand up. “Okay, I’ll find the soonest flight out. Um, what kind of things do you need help with? My background- it’s not in science.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m sure we could find something around here you can help with. Research grant editing or something.”

“I’ve actually got experience with that.” You say with a choked laugh, and Tyler can feel the relief bleed through the phone. He smiles a bit, pressure easing as he does. 

“Then we’ll make sure we put you to work.” There’s a beat as he hears the intercom in the airport go off in the background. “Listen, text me when your flights supposed to land. I’ll make sure I’m there to get you. We’re out in the field right now, so it may be a bit of trek out here, but I’ll make sure you get here.” 

You confirm and he hangs up and his team starts yelling before the phone is even back on the table. 

“We don’t need another team member man-“

“A manager? What kind of business do you take this for?” 

“Are you serious? Kate and I, we’ve got the grant stuff covered-“ 

“This really tells us how you feel about us, Owens.” 

He glances at Kate, who’s looking at him with a guarded expression he hasn’t seen since he first met her. She doesn’t excuse herself, simply pushing her way out, climbing around the back of Javi and Boone. 

-

It would be hard to miss Tyler, the way he’s signing an autograph, cowboy hat atop his head as he leans against the truck branded with the Tornado Wranglers logo.

You stop dead, a cold feeling washing over you at the eerie reminder of the person you’d just left behind. 

This Tyler Owens might be Jake Seresin’s doppelgänger, and based on what you’d seen during the flight you were beginning to suspect the only difference between them is the way they chased the adrenaline high. 

During the flight, you’d bought in-flight WiFi for the first time in your life, just to learn who these people were, who you’d be spending time with. Trying to understand what you’d gotten yourself into. 

Tyler perks up at the sight of you, a smile growing on his face. He holds out his hand and you take it, noting the genuine smile. You shake his hand, swallowing around the burning desire to ask the question. 

“Welcome to good ol’ Oklahoma.” He welcomes. “You ready to hit the road? The team is a bit of a ways out.” 

You nod as Tyler grabs your small duffel bag, throwing it in the back of the truck before you can even ask. 

You climb in the front, taking note of all the gadgets the truck is equipped with. “What’s all this?” You ask, as he turns the key, pulling away from the curb. “Storm chasing stuff?”

“You could say that. The trucks decked out with all kinds of stuff.”

The radio is soft in the background as Tyler talks to you about the team, about what you’ll be doing. 

As Tyler talks, as you talk, as you both think of things for you to do, you begin to lose interest in the conversation as the Oklahoma skyline begins to paint itself into a deep orange. 

“Can we stop?” You ask, voice full of wonder as you peer out windshield, watching the sky transform itself. 

You feel Tyler look over at you, before turning on his blinker despite the lack of cars around. The truck rolls to a stop as you dig around, pulling the disposable camera you’d bought from the bottom of your backpack. Tyler hasn’t even parked before you’re slipping out of the truck, walking around the front to take a picture of the sunset. 

“I haven’t seen a sunset like this since I was a kid.” You breathe, the camera clicking as you do. 

“I hear California has pretty good sunsets.” Tyler says, sticking his hands in his pockets as he stands next to you. 

You shrug.  “They do, but if you’re in the inner city, a lot of times the good ones are hard to catch. They’re easier to see at the beach but the marine layer blocks a lot of the good ones.” You say, turning to Tyler. “At least in my opinion. We can get back on the road now.” 

He nods, eyes steadily watching you as you turn on your heel, climbing back in the truck. Tyler’s a few beats behind you, still standing in the same spot as you buckle your seatbelt. 

The rest of the drive is quiet, the flow of quiet country music coming through the radio as the Oklahoma skies turns from dusk to night. 

By the time you roll up to camp, it’s clear that Tyler’s team has gone to bed, save for one. 

An older man perks up at the sight of you, climbing to his feet from his chair. “Ah, Tyler. Was just about to call and see where you were. This our new teammate?” 

Tyler nods, introducing you to this man. You step forward taking his outstretched hand. 

“Dexter.” He says, a smile on his face. “You must’ve had a long day. We’ve got some leftovers, can I get you anything? We’ve also got our extra tent set up, it’s where you’ll be sleeping.”

You glance at Tyler, although you’re not sure for what. Reassurance maybe. “I’d love some food. And a water maybe? I don’t have a water bottle with me anymore.”

It’s almost a natural instinct to wince at the thought of the loss of your emotional support water bottle that was probably laying in some crevice in the wreckage in Texas. 

Dexter sets to work as Tyler settles himself in front of the fire, a beer in hand. “We’re meant to head to town tomorrow anyways. We’ll stop, get you stuff to help out with the team. Maybe some new camping gear and whatever.” He takes a sip of his beer, cringing as he does. “Just realizing you’ll probably have to sleep on the dirt; I don’t think we’ve got any extra protectors after we visited the last wreckage. We should probably get more stuff tomorrow anyway.” 

“It’s no worries.” You say with a wave of your hand. “I was a Girl Scout for like, eight years, so it’s not a big deal. Won’t phase me.”

A head pops out from a tent nearby. Tyler perks up at the sight of him, as the man sticks his hands in the pockets of the zip-up he’s wearing. “You want a jacket?”

You glance down, realizing you’re shivering. “Uh, yeah, that’d be nice.” 

He gives you a cautious smile before looking to Tyler. “Hey Ty, man, I’ve got an extra pullover in the back of the van, can you grab it?” 

Tyler nods as the man reaches a hand out. “I’m Javi.” 

You shake it, introducing yourself.

“You from around here? You don’t sound it.” 

You shake your head. “San Diego, actually.”

Tyler comes back the same time Dexter comes back with your food and Dexter waits patiently as you scramble, pulling the soft material over your head. 

It smells strongly of rain in a way you can’t explain. In a way, the smell brings you a sliver of comfort. 

You take the food from Dexter as you do, thanking him. 

“Dexter, this is incredible.” You say around the bite. 

“It’s an old family recipe from down in the bayou. I’ve tweaked it so we can make it out here on the road, but it’s a crowd pleaser when I do.”

“You from New Orleans?” You ask and he nods. “My boyf- my ex boyfriend now I guess-“ You say, taking another bite in hopes to hide the awkward way you swallow around those words. “He’s from out there too.” 

Dexter sighs. “I miss that place, I do. But it wasn’t easy to stay after Katrina. I lost my whole family.” 

Your heart pangs, at his words, and it aches, at the thought of the person you’d left behind. 

“I’m very sorry to hear that.” You say softly. 

Javi clears his throat. “You need anything else?” You shake your head and he stands up again. “I really oughta get to sleep, but we’ll chat more tomorrow, yeah?” 

You nod and Javi gives you another cautious smile. In your heart, you want to believe there’s maybe a little hope hidden in it too. 

Dexter also bids you and Tyler goodnight, and the two of you sit there, the crackling fire filling the silence as you eat. 

“Thank you Tyler.” You say softly, staring at the burning embers after you’ve finished eating. 

You know you should explain to him how it all happened, how you got here, but Tyler doesn’t ask and you can’t forget the vision in your head of Steven’s cold eyes, unseeing. 

“You’re giving me a second chance here, and I really do appreciate it.” You settle on instead. 

He nods. “Whatever I can do to help.” 

You excuse yourself, bidding the man goodnight, only to find yourself tossing and turning on the hard ground. 

You thought sleep would come to you easier, with how emotional the last week has been, but everytime you close your eyes and a breeze rolls through, it all comes flooding back, the haze of freezing rain, of a rusty storm grate, a heavy body, and so much blood-

The sound of a door shutting (from the RV if you had to guess,) causes you to open your eyes, sitting up on the makeshift bed. 

“I don’t want her here Tyler.” A female voice says, and you frown. 

There’s a beat. 

“Too bad Sapulpa, she’s staying.” Tyler responds. 

“Stay here and do what?” The girl asks incredulously. “We don’t need her help. And I didn’t know you’re suddenly in the business of helping out random strangers who call you in the middle of the day-“

“This is our whole business, Kate.” He says firmly. “We help people. Strangers. That’s what we’re here to do, remember?”

“And how are you helping her?” 

Tyler’s quiet for a minute again. “We’re giving her a second chance.”

“A second chance? Are you serious?” The girl, Kate, huffs. 

“It wasn’t that long ago it was you who needed a second chance. We gave that to you, remember?”

Another zipper being yanked cuts off Kate’s response. 

“Yo!” It’s Javi. “Can y’all argue about this tomorrow?” 

You don’t hear the sound of Kate’s footsteps but you hear the slam of the RV door loud and clear. 

Tyler goes through the motions, getting the camp cleaned up, before putting the fire out. And then you hear him slip into the RV and for the first time in days, in the quiet of the Oklahoma night, it feels like you can breathe. 

-

You awake with a gasp, clawing at the blankets as if it was Jake’s flannel, holding on for dear life through the storm. 

You swallow back the bile threatening to spill over and blindly climb from the nest of blankets, pulling the zipper down, and stumbling into the sun. 

You swallow as someone’s head turns. It’s a girl, sat at the table the crew has set up outside. You pull yourself from the tent, unable to shake your nerves as you take in the soft baby pink hues above her in the sky. 

You introduce yourself softly and she gives you a tight smile in between bites of yogurt. “Kate.”

Your heart clenches, realizing this must be the girl you’d heard last night. 

It’s an awkward silence the two of you sit in, the baby pink fading from the sky as Tyler pulls himself from the RV. When she sees Tyler, she quietly excuses herself and brushes past him, floating back into the RV.

“You oughta get that screen fixed.” Tyler comments, sitting down next to you. 

“Haven’t had time.” You say with a shrug as you glance at the screen on your phone. It was more shattered than it was cracked, a hazard really, but what could you do? 

“I’ll take you to a place in town today that’ll replace it for cheap.” Tyler says around a bite. “Can I get you anything to eat?” 

Tyler’s team appears over the next hour, and he introduces them as they do. Dexter appears from the RV first and then Dani and Lilly from the back of the van. Boone gets dragged out from the van by Lilly twenty minutes later, and Boone pulls Javi from his tent because “if I have to be awake so do you Miami.” 

Kate doesn’t leave the RV for the rest of the morning. 

-

“They don’t like me.” You say quietly, drumming your fingers on the car door as Tyler drives to the motel that evening. 

“They barely know you-“

“Cut the shit Tyler, I heard Kate last night.” You say sharply, sending him a cold glare. “They don’t want me here.” You roll out your shoulders, looking back out the window. “If you want me to go back, it’s okay.” 

“And send you back to god knows what?” 

“I’d be fine.”

“Kid, you sounded so damn terrified on that phone — I’m not inclined to turn around and give you back to that fear.”

You swallow around a sigh, feeling Tyler watch you as he drives. 

“Give me a week. Give me a week to make it work. And if you still feel like you need to go back, hell, I’ll pay for your flight.” 

You look at Tyler, noting the serious look in his eyes. 

“Okay. One week.”

-

The next week feels simultaneously long and short in the worst ways. 

Short, in that it feels like your time is running out. 

Long, in that there are no storms to chase, dissipating before the team ever has a chance. 

Long, in that you sit around most days, doing your own research on grants and sponsors and the backgrounds of potential investors and articles on social media growth. 

Long, in that you don’t really talk to any of them, except for the one time you look over at Javi’s computer, just to tell him that his sentence didn’t make any sense. 

Long in that, Kate refuses to be anywhere near you and Boone ignores you and Lilly shuts you out of conversation and Javi sort of looks at you like you’re some sort of alien placed down next to them. 

It’s only on the sixth day, when you’re collecting everything you’ve worked on all week to give to Tyler in the morning before he takes you back, that something happens. 

The storm is too far away for them to chase it, to get any research done, but Tyler and Lilly agree that the team should head in, to be there to help out and hand out food in the aftermath. 

Because, apparently, that’s what this team is known for. 

You feel awkward here, watching the team spring into action. You feel out of place, not knowing what you were supposed to say or do as these people dug through the rubble of their lives. 

You were supposed to help people. Tyler had said you could help people here. 

The team is distracted just enough, that it’s you who catches it, not them. 

The sounds of a cry, somebody softly shushing them. You round a corner, heart breaking at the sight. 

There, a small little boy, maybe around the age of 8, is holding who seems to be his little sister as she cries. 

The poor girl can’t be any older than 3 or 4.

“I want Mom.” She blubbers out and the boy shushes her. 

“I know, sissy, we just gotta-“ The boy looks around helplessly. 

“Hey.” You call out, stepping around the rubble. “Hey, do you need help?” 

The boy nods. “Mom said not to move but-“

You hold your hands out. “Stay where you are, okay? I’ll come get you and your sister alright?” 

The boy nods, clinging to his sister’s hand.  You make your way through the rubble, kicking things out of the way to make a path back before finally reaching the two kids. You kneel down best as you can, leveling yourself to them as you introduce yourself. 

“I’m here to help. Can you tell me your name?” 

“I’m Jack.” The boy says. “This is Bella. She’s bleeding and I can’t find my Mom-“

“Hey, hey.” You soothe. “We’ll get you guys some help and get you out of here, okay? We’ll find your Mom.” You look at Bella. “Bella? Are you okay if I carry you? I’m going to help you find someone to patch that cut up, okay?” Bella nods and Jack lets her go as you scoop her up. You hold out your hand for Jack as the two of you navigate your way out.

As you weave your way through people, you ask Jack soft questions about himself, where he goes to school, if he likes dinosaurs or trucks, distracting him as he talks to you. Once you get the two kids to the EMTs, you duck around the side, in search of someone from your team. 

“Kate.” You call, as she’s sifting through rubble, calling for a dog. She glances over at you. “Hey, I’ve got two little kids here who can’t find their Mom. I’m gonna stay with them but can you let the team know? Just in case anyone sees her.” 

The face Kate makes is difficult to read as she nods. You sigh, making your way back around the truck. 

Bella’s all patched up and Jack is studying the logo on your shirt, lighting up when he recognizes it. 

“Mom lets me watch their YouTube channel sometimes!” 

You scoop Bella back up in your arms, holding a hand out for Jack to jump down as you do. 

“Oh well then I’m guessing you don’t want to come see the tornado-proof truck?” 

-

It’s late in the day when Bella and Jack’s Mom comes running down the street, hysterical. Tyler and Kate aren’t far behind her. 

Her arm is in a sling and there’s a few bumps and bruises on her, but otherwise she’s fine. Both of the kids light up at the sight of their Mom, and she’s tearful, thanking you over and over for helping them, for watching over her babies.

You wave her off, citing babysitting as just another thing you’re used to, a big family and all that. 

It’s as they’re walking away, Dexter asking if you want any food, Jack shouts out. 

They turn back, Bella running back to you with the stuffed animal she’d been holding in hand. You kneel down as she holds it out for you to take, heart aching as you look at the stuffed pig. 

Bella had seen it atop your stuff when you’d taken them in the RV and had been holding it ever since. 

It was one of the few things you had of your life left behind but you know when it’s time to let something go. 

“You keep it okay?” You say softly. “You take care of yourself little Bella?” She wraps her arms around your neck, the stuffie clutched between her little fingers. You return the hug, exhaling as you do. Bella lets you go, returning to her Mom and her brother and you stand back up, wiping at your eyes with the back of your hand. 

“Do you want some food? You’ve been with those kids all day.” Dani says softly, holding the box. 

“How’d you find Mom?” You ask quietly, crossing your arms. 

Tyler sighs. “Was sitting with her the whole afternoon when Kate came down the street, hearing her talk about her missing kids. Kate connected the dots.”

Your arms wrap around yourself tighter. “Kate, I told you I was with those kids. I told you to tell the team in case anybody found Mom.” 

Kate opens her mouth but no words come out as Lilly’s eyes slide between the two of you. 

“Here.” Lilly says gently as she holds the box out, taking it from Dani. “You should eat. Been a long day.”

“I’m not hungry.” You say. “I’m gonna get in the truck, let me know when we’re leaving.” 

-

You sling your backpack over your shoulder, the truck door shutting behind you as you walk up the motel steps. 

The backpack, downsized from your duffel bag as Tyler had gone through the Oklahoma necessities with you, which was hardly anything you owned, feels heavy as you do. 

“Hey.” Kate’s voice calls out. “That was a really nice thing you did for that little girl.” 

Tears sting at your eyes as you push the key into the lock, pressing against the door with your body weight to get the door to unstick. 

You think Tyler says something as you shut the door but under the hot water of the shower rushing down you, you can’t hear anything else.

-

You clear your throat, announcing your presence as you do. Tyler and Kate pause in their conversation as they look over to you. 

You set the folder down in front of Tyler, Javi’s pullover in front of Kate. 

“Just wanted to give these to you. Tyler, do you want me to just wait in the truck?” 

Tyler peeks at the folder as Kate asks “Wait for what?”

“What is all of this?” Tyler asks, flipping through the pages. 

“Research on potential investors and their backgrounds. Just so you guys don’t get into another StormPar situation. There’s some stuff about grants, donors in there. Other stuff I tracked down about how you could grow your social media, ideas I had. There might be a couple of pages about laws on people donating, not sure. It’s everything I’ve done this week. Y’all don’t have to use it but I just thought it might be helpful as lead points.” 

“This is- this is really great stuff.” Tyler remarks. “It’s gonna be a real loss to not have your brain on our team.” 

“Wait - are you leaving?” Kate asks, eyes flying between you and Tyler. 

“I’ll meet you at the truck.” You say, turning to leave. You think you hear Kate repeat the question to Tyler, but you shut the door to the RV before you can hear their conversation further. Across the parking lot, Javi calls out, but you wave him off as you climb into the passenger seat of Tyler’s truck. 

Your heart feels heavy as you look at your own Javy’s contact. 

It would be so easy to pick up the phone, to tell him you made a mistake, to beg him to let you come home. 

He would too, and he would pick you up from the airport, and he’d wash the Oklahoma from your skin, and he’d hold you through the loss. 

But then you remember Jake’s defeated look as the two of you had assessed the damage, the way he’d asked you to lie. 

You remember the blood-

A startled gasp leaves you as someone knocks on the window. 

It’s Kate. 

You roll down the window.

“You’re leaving?” 

You eye her, unsure why she appears to be almost nervous, fingernails digging into the soft flesh of her arms. 

“Yeah?” 

“Why?” 

You shrug, surveying the team in the parking lot. “It just didn’t work out. I didn’t fit here.” 

“But-“ She worries her bottom lip. “Where will you go?” 

“I’ll figure it out.” You say simply.

You’d have to because you knew the alternative would be devastating to everyone you’d ever known. 

She sighs, eyes flickering to Tyler, who’s moving closer. “Well, we’re headed to my Mom’s tonight. You should stay one more night. You’ve never even had real Oklahoma barbecue.”

A dry laugh escapes you without your permission. “Kate, what are you playing at here?”

She seems shocked, not expecting your question. “What do you mean?” 

You roll your eyes, huffing. “Kate, c’mon, you told Tyler you didn’t want me here.” 

Her face drops as her arms fall by her sides. “You heard that?” She says quietly. 

“Yeah.”

She licks her lips. “Look, I ain’t good with new people. I’m- It’s a me thing.” She looks down, scuffing her boot on the ground. “It’s my problem and I misjudged you. I’m sorry. Give me another night to show you how it could be.” 

“Why the hell would I stay to see how it could be when I know at this moment I’m not wanted here?” 

“I do.” She says softly. “Want you here. I was wrong and I’m sorry.” 

You let out breath through your nose, meeting Tyler’s eyes through the windshield. 

You think of Dexter’s food, Javi’s pullover, Dani and Lilly’s gentle insistence you feed yourself last night. 

You think of the Louisiana area code sitting open on your phone right now. 

“One night, Kate.”

-

“I sure am sorry you’ll have to sleep on the floor. I just wasn’t expecting an extra person from the crew but we can make sure you have somewhere to sleep tomorrow night-“ 

You cut her off, holding your hands out for the dishes from dinner. “That’s very kind of you Ms. Cooper, but I’m just fine sleeping on the floor.” 

“Please, I keep telling you to just call me Cathy and, well, you could stay in Kate’s bed?” Cathy offers as you take the plates from her. 

“Think you’d find my throat slit tomorrow.” You mutter and Tyler barks out a laugh. 

“You deserved that one Kate.” 

Cathy turns to her daughter, a look on her face. “What did you do?”

Kate pulls a face, holding her hands out. “What- Nothing, Mom!” 

Cathy hums, eyebrows furrowing but you cut them off. “The floor is just fine, Ms. Cooper. Um, do you mind pointing me in the direction of the bathroom so I could change?”

-

“Do Tyler and Kate have a thing?” You ask, taking a sip of the hot chocolate Lilly had made as Javi chuckles next to you. 

You’re watching the group fight over Uno, you and Javi sat in front of a puzzle. 

“They did at one point. When they first met, but they burned out pretty fast. Figured out they were better off as friends.” You hum and Javi’s grin grows. “Why, you thinking you want to start something up with Owens?” 

You blanch and shake your head. “No, I think I’ve more than had my fill on macho thrill seekers for this lifetime.”

Javi lets out a laugh, a real one, for the first time all week. You smile, thinking of how Tyler would fit in with those pilots like he’d always belonged there. 

You were all set on those types.

Kate though…

If Kate hadn’t been so cold to you, Kate would’ve been the type of girl you could see yourself falling for. 

Witty, bright, a soft smile always worn on her face. She’s at ease here and it makes your heart hurt to see. You want to someday be as at ease as she looks, wedged in between Boone and Dexter, the brightest smile you’ve seen from her on her face. 

“So how the hell does a city girl like you find herself in Oklahoma?”

You slide a puzzle piece into place. “I don’t, I don’t really want to talk about it, if that’s okay.” 

Javi sighs, quiet for a minute. “Look, I’m sorry we were so off-putting when you first got here. We’re a tight knit group and we’ve been through a lot together. And-“

“Javi.” You cut him off with a tight smile. “You don’t have to explain. I get it, okay? You guys aren't the first group to not want me around and you won’t be the last, alright?”

He heaves a breath, an unreadable look on his face. “Just- if anyone might understand the things you’re running from, it would be us.”

“Who says I’m running?”

Javi raises an eyebrow and you sigh, setting the pieces you’re sorting through down. 

“Look, I’m not running. I’m just- I’m just trying to leave something behind.” 

Javi studies you for a few minutes as you set back to work on the puzzle. 

“Shame you and Kate can’t get along. You two are more alike than you think.”

-

You awake with a start, fingers clenching in unfamiliar fabric. 

“Are you okay?” Someone asks softly and you blink, Kate coming into focus. 

Right, you had- you had slept next to her last night after she’d worn you down. You couldn’t deny how nice it had sounded to sleep in a real bed. 

“Fine.” You breathe, willing yourself to forget the shouts of a friend left behind.

She frowns as she pulls her pants on. “I’m, uh, sorry for waking you up. Gotta help Mom with the cows.” 

You wave a hand, pulling yourself to sit up in the bed. “Want a hand?” 

“Mom would kill me if I let a guest help. Why don’t you get some more sleep, okay?”

You lay back down as she quietly ducks out of the room, but you know sleep won’t come. 

You’re restless so you pull yourself from the bed, padding down the staircase and sitting in one of the chairs on the porch. Tyler appears a minute later, an extra coffee mug in hand. You take it from him with a quiet thank you before the two of you start to watch Kate. 

“So California, are we gonna talk about it?” Tyler asks. 

You sigh as Tyler kicks his feet out. “Well, you’re gonna ask me questions I don’t want to answer and I’m gonna ask you ones you don’t want to answer, so unless you want to start copping to some things…”

Tyler shakes his head. “Won’t talk about it then, California.”

You eye him. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t call me that. Sort of hard to leave that life behind when you keep calling me that.”

“You gonna stay?” Tyler asks, looking over at you. 

You shrug, finger running over the rim of the mug. “I don’t know that I should.”

“I know it’s been a rough start with them.” Tyler sighs, shoulders hiked up. “But they’re good people.” 

“I don’t doubt that.” 

“You’re good people too.”

“Doesn’t make me a good fit here.”

Tyler sighs. “It’s my fault, I should’ve approached it a different way. But if you leave, we’d really be missing out. You’ve got those fancy degrees and you’re smart and you’re one fucking selfless girl. We could use someone like you around.” 

Kate and her Mom appear, Kate’s bright smile appearing as she pulls herself onto the railing of the porch. 

“You guys hungry? I’m gonna go get started on breakfast.” 

“Starved.”

“Wanna come see the barn?” Kate asks you as her Mom opens the screen door. 

“Now hang on, California ain’t said if she’s staying. No reason to show her the barn if she’s gonna be leaving.” 

You sigh, look down at the mug you can feel going cold. You rub your thumb over the Oklahoma written into the side as you think of Kate’s smile, of Tyler’s kindness, of Dexter’s food, of Javi’s pullover that had somehow ended back up in your bag after giving it back to Tyler and Kate yesterday. 

You blink, looking back up at them. “Okay. Yeah, okay, I’ll stay."

ii.

[percheduphere]

Hi, I’m @loki-us and if you ever need inspiration, I’ve always been curious to see someone do an analysis of this scene from 2x2, because I believe it’s the only time that Sylki is mentioned/referenced in season 2 and I can never tell how Mobius is feeling here — his words sound a bit bitter/jealous but it also might be showing that he’s accepted Loki’s interest in someone else and just wants him to be happy like Mobius did when he came to let Loki out of the time cell in 1x4 ?? I keep thinking about this scene and would be interested to hear your thoughts if you ever run out of ideas. Love all of your analyses, thanks!

Mm ... I love doing analysis dealing with specific scenes! Thank you for the ask @loki-us!

Before we get into this specific scene, it's important to highlight that at the beginning of this episode (S2E2), Loki assumes that a film premiere in London 1977 "isn't Sylvie's style" because it isn't apocalyptic or chaotic enough. Yet the audience knows that Sylvie is now living a quiet life in the midwest, working at McDonald's. This signals to the audience that Loki, despite being the same as Sylvie, doesn't understand what she really wants.

When Loki, Mobius, and Brad enter the McDonald's, Sylvie's automatic reaction upon seeing them is understandably fear.

From Sylvie's point-of-view, it's likely a couple years have passed (based on her hair length) between the time she kicked Loki through the time door and the time she established herself in Broxton, Oklahoma 1982. She no doubt did not expect Loki to find her.

A confrontation with her ex is bad enough, but Loki also has with him one of the highest ranked agents at the TVA, Mobius. Next to Mobius, she sees a man in a TVA jumpsuit and collar. All of this must signal to Sylvie that she is about to be apprehended.

Mobius, who is high on emotional intelligence, seems to recognize what this might look like.

Mobius therefore puts on a friendly smile. He then slides his hands into his pockets and assumes a slack posture to show he is no threat. He avoids using his trademark "dominant pose" of placing his hands on his hips, which may come across as authoritative and intimidating in this context.

Mobius's micro-emotions and attention in the gif below are subtle but interesting. Though his body language remains relaxed, his smile from earlier fades to a neutral expression, and his gaze darts between Brad, Sylvie, and Loki. He is likely assessing a few things at once: how likely Brad might flee, how Loki is feeling, how Sylvie is feeling, and if the confrontation between Loki and Sylvie poses any risks.

Once Loki arrives at the counter and it's established no physical harm is forthcoming, Mobius adjourns for lunch with Brad.

While Loki and Sylvie are outside, it is Brad, not Mobius, who questions the nature of Loki and Sylvie's relationship.

Unlike S1E4, Mobius's response is mild, reluctantly supportive, and frustrated.

The scene is meant to be played for humor, which it certainly accomplishes. However, the way Owen delivers the line, "They say opposites attract. No" sounds jealous. Through this line, the audience can infer from subtext that Mobius sees himself as Loki's opposite, and therefore it is Mobius who should be the most likely candidate for mutual attraction. He is annoyed to be reminded that isn't the case.

The micro-emotions Owen performs after this line are a treat to observe as well: Mobius shakes his head, comfort drinks, pauses, and stares. Whatever is happening between Loki and Sylvie outside is of blatant interest to him, and like Brad he jumps to the conclusion that the pair are still romantically involved. But because Mobius cares about Loki's happiness, he chooses not to interfere. Unfortunately, he can't stop looking on in envy either.

Envy creates resentment over time. Having Brad as a companion-observer briefly provides Mobius with someone who is safe to vent to. With Brad, he allows himself to be a little bit of an asshole, and may be internally throwing himself a small pity party while he can.

As of this is episode, I think it is fair to believe that Loki still has some feelings for Sylvie, but those feelings are not mutual. By the end of this episode, once Sylvie leaves and refuses to help, Loki's romantic feelings for her appear to fade.

Unbeknownst to Mobius, they quietly blossom in his favor.

[jazforthesoul]

ive been on a rtvs kick recently and watching clips of baaulp specifically is so interesting. the phrase "what if there was an anime girl named oklahoma city bombing and she smoked weed but everyone treated it like it was crack" is said and that's not even the weirdest thing. how does a brain create something like that ?

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly recap | October 16th-29th 2023 (Part Two)

And here is everything that wouldn't fit in the last rec 😅

Complete

I hate accidents (except when we went from friends to this) by heartbeatdiaz/ @loserdiaz (Accidental Marriage | 4K | Teen): "Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married."

but who could stay? by hammersmiths/ @henswilsons (Post S5E11, Canon Divergent | 8K | Teen): or, afraid of Eddie leaving, Buck proposes to Taylor. She says no. 

this could be your happy hunting ground by hammersmiths/ @henswilsons (Post S5E10 | 13K | Teen): or, Eddie leaves the 118. Everyone adjusts. Especially Buck.

i'd spend a lifetime giving you my heart by hammersmiths/ @henswilsons (Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting | 10K | Teen): or, there’s an earthquake. Buck and Eddie meet trapped together.

raw denial by honestlydarkprincess/ @honestlydarkprincess (PWP, Getting Together, BDSM | 4K | Explicit): Or, the one where Buck wears a shirt with a specific meaning and Eddie kind of spirals about it.

take control (mind, body, and soul) by honestlydarkprincess/ @honestlydarkprincess (Vampire Eddie, Established Buddie, PWP | 2K | Explicit): Or, the one where human Buck wants his vampire boyfriend to compel him during sex. They get nasty with it.

Coming On Ever So Strong / Coming Off Ever So Soft by callmenewbie/ @callmenewbie (Getting Together, PWP | 14K | Explicit): They get drunk, Eddie makes a move and then there is the next morning.

Hot and Heavy by 42hrb/ @exhuastedpigeon (Post-Season 6 | 9K | Explicit): Five times Eddie had casual sex with someone who wasn't Buck and the time they finally got their shit together.

if you go down in the woods today by oklahoma/ @forthewolves (Getting Together, Hurt Buck | 6K | Teen): “Oh, oh. I can’t believe this. I can’t believe you.” Buck grips Bobby’s hands as he goes down to the ground, looking up at Eddie with hot fire in his big blue eyes. “You’re gonna owe me so many blowjobs when I wake up. D’you hear me, Eddie Diaz? You owe me so bad.”

I thought I saw you caught in the high branches by trysetmeonfire/ @try-set-me-on-fire (Magical Realism | 3K | Teen): Buck dreams of an invisible boy. (Part 1 of All I Am, All That I Am)

🔥where all of the people dancing and clapping would greet me with such warmth by trysetmeonfire/ @try-set-me-on-fire (Season 6, Magical Realism | 15K | Mature): In the fall, Buck begins to disappear. (Part 2 of All I Am, All That I Am)

my palm upon your collarbone by trysetmeonfire/ @try-set-me-on-fire (Coma Buck | 1K | Teen): Eddie waits. (Part 3 of All I Am, All That I Am)

falling apart (feeling lucky) by elless (Getting Together | 1K | General): Or, the aftermath of their first time.

the next best thing by wikiangela/ @wikiangela (PWP, Getting Together | 9K | Explicit): Or, Buck accidentally sends a nude and a spicy text to Eddie - things escalate from there.

Appetency by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Getting Together | 4K | General): When Buck learns Eddie has suddenly developed a sweet tooth, he falls down a bit of a research spiral about the cause behind unusual sugar cravings, and tries to help Eddie with this perceived problem. Eddie’s ‘problem’ isn’t exactly what Buck has in mind.

interlude. by diazchristopher/ @captain-hen (S5E16: May Day | 1,7K | General): or, a look at the conversation buck and eddie had in the hospital after the dispatch fire.

how long (till we call this love?) by diazchristopher/ @captain-hen (Post-Season 6 | 18K | Teen): post-finale. it takes a lot of twists and turns and arguments and misunderstandings, but buck and eddie eventually find their way to each other.

'cause you were never mine by diazchristopher/ @captain-hen (Post S5E14 | 1K | Teen): or, the instructor at the equestrian center thinks buck is chris' other dad, and he has feelings about it.

the feeling you can know so much (without knowing anything at all) by diazchristopher/ @captain-hen (Post S5E09 | 2K Teen): “You don’t have to cancel your plans with Taylor, you know,” he says quietly. “Chris will understand.” Buck shakes his head. “Some things are more important.” “More important than spending the holiday with the woman you love?” Eddie blurts out without thinking.

🔥 Nothing Left But Youby Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars ("Blip" AU | 27K | Teen | Warning: MCD): In May of 2021, 25% of Earth's population suddenly disappears. Including Eddie. In May of 2026, they all come back. Eddie finds himself suddenly in the middle of a world he doesn't recognize, where the people he loves most have changed significantly.

and if someone asked me if I love you (I'd lie) by forgetmyname/ @kingmieczyslaw (Crack | 10K | Explicit): Eddie has a concussion. Suddenly he can't lie. It would be fine if he wasn't trying his best to not confess his undying love for Buck.

The dominoes cascaded in a line by forgetmyname/ @kingmieczyslaw (Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting | 4K | Teen): 8pack: I’m not looking for sex, but I really need a flathead screwdriver. I just moved here and I need to put my place together. So, I know it’s kind of random, but can I borrow one by any chance? I don’t really know my neighbors and you’re the closest person to me on Grindr. - Adriana Diaz downloads Grindr for Eddie. He needs a screwdriver. It's a whole thing.

🔥 All My Shattered Oaths by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Vampires AU | 107K | Explicit): Eddie wants to stay away from his family’s legacy and give his son a normal life. Buck’s desperate to find a way to get over the love he lost. Fate has other plans for both of them.

All Your Ordinary Kisses by giselleslash/ @gigi-gigi (Getting Together | 5K | General): Buck mentions to the team how much he misses kissing when he’s not in a relationship. Eddie makes a really stupid suggestion.

WIP

🔥 for all the haunts and homes of menby euadnes/ @kananjarus (Canon Divergent, Post-Apocalyptic, Station Eleven Crossover | WIP | 11/? | 96K | Mature | Warning: Violence): The year by the old calendar is 2025. Home is gone. Home is a failed rescue mission and an echo of a memory. Home is a lost boy living in a wooden house by the sea. But first, there was a promise. Christopher, when it's safe, I'll take you back to your father. Buck had all but given up on keeping it after the world had died and everyone in it. But just as some oaths refuse to be forgotten, so the same can be said about the endurance of love.

Re-Read

Backwards Tango by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Post-Season 5, PWP, Getting Together | 11K | Explicit): When Buck lets himself be dragged out to a bar to "stop moping," he expected to babysit, nurse a beer, and silently bemoan falling for his best friend. The last thing he expected was for that best friend to be at the bar as well and... ...wait, is Eddie stripping!?

[outsidersheadcanons]

i’m literally chomping at the bit to hear anything you have to say abt stevepop-

but also specifically if you have any thoughts on them cuddling bc awee

YES :D I LOVE STEVEPOP‼️

To start their dating life isn't that different from their platonic one (except now there's. kissing and stuff lol). But they still horse around like they always did. (One reason I love this ship is bc I'm such a sucker for best friends who are in love 😭)

I think in a modern sense Steve and Sodapop would be considered bisexual (they both still like girls very much. Don't take these guys to the beach man 💀) but they aren't too into labels and wouldn't identify as such. (They're gay in like.. a cowboy way if that makes sense)

Darry was really surprised when Soda told him that he was with Steve. It was the last thing he could've expected 😭 but he was more confused and concerned for their safety than anything (One time they saw a movie together and got home a little late, Darry nearly killed Soda bc he was so worried)

It took a little while but Darry got used to it (Not bc he was against it or anything, but seeing two guys cuddle with each other was... different.) He kept the same rules Soda had to follow when he had girls over for Steve (keeping bedroom doors OPEN, being honest, and respecting curfew)

Ponyboy. is the BIGGEST hater of the relationship. Not bc he's a bigot but bc it's Steve Randle 💀 Whenever Soda calls Steve to say goodnight he always makes sure to gag and retch in the background 😭

Because it's the 60s (and it's Oklahoma too. And let's not pretend homophobia just. ceased to exist in 2015. Even in a modern AU they would still be discriminated against) Steve and Soda can't really be affectionate in public and it KILLS Soda. He really misses being able to hold someone's hand in public ☹️

Steve isn't a huge cuddler (but after being w/ Soda that changed fast. He was actually shocked when he found out how good it felt to just be. held ☹️)

I feel like everything that happened. was just a lot for both Steve and Soda (I feel like we forget abt Steve sometimes, and how traumatized he was. Esp in the book. The gang is the only family he has and two members died in the span of a week ☹️). They both felt like they were the only people who could really understand what they were feeling (and with Soda he REALLY didn't want to give someone he didn't know his heart.)

[pumpkinsy0]

In a world where pony and curly would have been able to freely date and be romantic public, can we get hcs for them going on dates?? I feel like Pony would try and orchestrate book-like romantic dates and curly would end up embarrassing them both 😭

i dont think ive acc made hcs for this before omg strap in

•first off ik their hungry asses would love diner dates, they dont even talk that much they just stuff their face and theyre so real for that

•curly would USE that jukebox, its like he’s hogging it, he specifically picks songs pony likes, even if he only mentioned it like ONCE and then never again

•if someone tries speaking up about it being annoying, curly just scares them off, when hes in the diner its HIS diner brah, get w the times🙄🙄

•roller skating was already a pretty popular thing around that time, much to their fun i could see pony dragging curly along, much ti the dismay of everyone else i can see THEM going

•ponys at least normal, he tries skating around, meanwhile curlys going at the speed of a literal bullet, hes pushed some poor people over

•left pony standing there having to apologize for him, curlys treating ts like its roller derby

•them record store browsing,,,honestly this wasnt even a date, pony was just looking around and curly saw him through the window and joined him

•really pony didnt even wanna buy anything but curly said tim gave him so money and said he could get him something, so pony was VERY analytical about what he wanted to but since this is like a once in a year sweet treat for him

•curly accidentally broke one of the records but the clerk aint see so for all they know, they just found it like that

•but now when pony plays that record when hes alone, he thinks of curly, like the equivalent of a friend showing u this song and now when u listen to it, u think of em

•surfing culture was actually on the rise in the 60s (not rlly in oklahoma but yknow, it was a growing thing) so on a beach date, curlys THAT guy saying that looks gay as hell (despite the fact that he’s literally on a date rn but shhhh)

•pony would HATE swimming at the beach, he hates the water sm, so he’s just building a sand castle or somethin, curly got him to at least get his feet in it, but nothing too crazy

•they spend most of the time w ponys sand castle, pony just wanted to make one and curly was obsessed w making it cooler than that stupid ass 5 year olds sand castle

•curly either buried pony in the sand or was throwing wet sandballs at ponys back, but at some point he missed and hit this other white guy and had to pretend it wasnt him who threw that, pony and him moved away just in case

•pony was picking up seashells and curly found some ones he thought was cool n just gave it to pony

[effeminateboyninja]

WAGER

3.2k | Toge Inumaki x gn!reader

S Y N O P S I S : You and Toge have been dancing around what everyone else already knows to be true, when finally a bet between friends brings it all to the forefront.

C O N T E N T : friends to lovers, fluff, brief mention of alcohol

A / N : loosely inspired by a song from OKLAHOMA! of all things. anyway it’s my first fic in a long time i hope u enjoy ! mwah!!

You rush down the sidewalk past buildings that flew by in a blur, feet tapping against the stone in a rapid procession that matched that of your thoughts.

Rarely, if ever, was there notable gossip within your group of friends. Sorcerers all, the daily tribulations of your shared profession usually stole the attention that might be reserved for petty speculation enjoyed by more typical individuals of your age group. Rarer still, were you the subject of such gossip. That novelty, and the eager sense to immediately share the news is what propelled you now at such a frantic pace towards the courtyard where a familiar figure was waiting. Toge — the white shock of his platinum hair coming into view first as you round the corner to approach him where he sat. Dutifully obeying your instructions to meet you there, texted to him just a few minutes earlier.

His eyes light up as soon as you come into view, widening when it’s clear that your rapid advance doesn’t seem to be slowing. You reach the bench where he’s sitting and barely manage to skid to a stop, the momentum of your actions toppling you down beside him with an exasperated sigh.

“Kelp.” He chuckles, amused by your dramatic arrival.

You give him a quick obligatory, “Hey, Tog,” as your hand reaches out in a well-practiced motion for the zipper on his collar, pulling it down below his chin so you could see his mouth and the marks on either side of it.

“You wouldn’t believe what I just heard!” the exclamation comes just as soon as the afterthought of a greeting leaves your mouth.

He looks back inquisitively and you continue without missing a beat. “So I overheard Yuji and Nobara talking...”

His eyes crinkle as he smiles and he types something on his phone: “You were eavesdropping…”

“Okay fine, I was eavesdropping!” You relent, “But that’s not the point! The point is — they have a bet… About us!”

You pause dramatically, waiting for an appropriately scandalized response and when none comes you continue, only slightly deterred. “More specifically, the bet is about whether or not we’ll start dating. Us.” You huff, “Can you believe that?”

He doesn’t miss a beat, his tone level and his expression unphased. “Salmon.”

“Right?! That’s what I said. Like why would-“ His response finally registers in your mind and you do a double-take. “Wait, what do you mean?!”

He pulls up the notes app on his phone again and his thumbs dance across the screen before turning it so you can read the message he’s typed.

“well I mean maybe if you didn’t flirt with me so much… 🤷‍♂️”

You scoff and raise your eyebrows skeptically. “Oh, I’m the one who flirts? Please. That’s all you.”

He furrows his brow slightly and tilts his head to the side.

“Oh don’t play dumb with me. You practically act like my boyfriend.”

“Bonito flakes.” He protests, a faint smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

The truth is Yuji and Nobara’s bet is not unfounded — not in the slightest. The two of you have been playing this game for far too long for your younger friends’ nearly nonexistent patience. But Toge loves it. He revels in the fact that your friendship with him teeters on the edge on something more and cherishes every little slip up that shows it.

“Whatever, liar.” You smile and shake your head. “We need to set some ground rules.”

He raises his eyebrows curiously.

“Ground rules, you know? A list of things you need to stop doing so people will stop thinking we’re a couple.”

He smirks, the cursed symbol on his cheek twitching upwards.

“I’m serious!” You reach and arm out to give him a playful shove, but he dodges it expertly. His smirk only grows, earning him an eye roll.

“First of all,” you start, ignoring his smug expression, “you’re way too good with my parents. You’ve got to stop impressing them so much or my mom will never stop calling you her future son-in-law.”

He scoffs, hastily typing up his rebuttal.

“are you actually complaining that your parents like me rn?? my bad, let me just make them hate me 💀”

You groan, “You know what I mean! You brought my mom flowers that one time, like c’mon.”

He smiles, remembering the occasion last year. It was your mother’s birthday and he knew that you’d be spending the day with her, which meant he wouldn’t be able to. He needed an excuse to at least see you for a few minutes — and so the white-haired sorcerer dropped by a flower shop and made his way down the familiar route to your house with a small arrangement of carnations and daisies. She’d loved them of course, and insisted he join the two of you for lunch. Mission accomplished.

He sighs dramatically, but relents “fine, no flowers for your mom… she’ll be devastated tho”

His add-on at the end makes you chuckle. “I’m sure she’ll survive.” You assure him.

“anything else?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” you respond to his newest note and sit up a bit straighter, putting on a playful air of haughtiness. “Don’t laugh so much at my jokes. I know I’m devastatingly funny, so that might be a challenge, but it gives people the wrong idea I think.”

His thumbs are tapping his phone screen before you can even finish your last sentence. “Who laughs at your jokes? 🤔”

The quip earns him another shove. One that lands this time because he’s too busy laughing at your shocked and offended expression to dodge it. Toge’s laugh is a soft, bubbling sound that in spite of your last statement, you could listen to a million times and it would never be enough.

He catches his breath and straightens up a bit then points to himself, an ever present ghost of a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “My turn” he mouths.

That’s only fair, you think. So you nod, encouraging him to elaborate. He crosses his arms into an “X” in front of his chest — no more — then he points to your eyes with his index and middle finger, then points to himself.

You stare at him puzzled for a moment. “I’m not allowed to look at you?” You ask incredulously.

He shakes his head and rolls his eyes, mouthing. “Not like that.”

“Like what?” You laugh.

“Like this,” his lips move silently once more and he reaches out his hand, cupping your cheek to hold your gaze, his lavender eyes locked with yours, sparkling mischievously like he’s got a secret he’s about to share with only you. There’s a beat of silence. And you have to work to resist the urge to lean in and kiss him. He just looks so pretty. Had his lips always looked so soft? So perfectly paired for your own…?

“Alright fine,” you exhale, shaking yourself from your reverie and grasping for an excuse to turn away from his touch. When his hand falls away from your face and you can breathe normally again, you speak once more. “The notes then. You’ll have to stop collecting them.”

You’re referring to the scraps of paper the two of you use to communicate when his riceball ingredients aren’t enough and he’s too lazy to pull out his phone. The ones he refuses to throw out, opting instead to fold them into his pocket and place them neatly into a shoebox under his bed later for safekeeping. They might just be random bits of paper, small snippets of past conversations with no context, but he doesn’t need any. He can recognize if you were happy, excited, sad or angry when you wrote each one by just the subtle changes in your handwriting. Keeping those notes is important to him; each one of them a memory that he has of you, and has no intention of kicking the habit any time soon.

This is one rule he won’t entertain. He shakes his head defiantly and furrows his brows. “Bonito flakes.”

There’s a sense of relief at his refusal as you let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding in. This habit of his was one that had always made you feel important to him in a way that separated you from all his other friends, and it reassured the tamed and quiet part of you that hoped this familiar game would someday come to an end in your favour to see he didn’t want to relinquish it.

“Alright, I suppose you can keep the notes,” you say, and he beams, relieved by the knowledge that you enjoy his more sentimental tendencies.

Relieved too, that you clearly didn’t understand his one and only ground rule, because there you are again looking at him with that magnetic gaze that makes his heart melt.

You’re so focused on him that you don’t notice the phone he’s holding up for you at first, and he has to wave it slightly to get your attention.

“is it really so bad though?”

“What do you mean?”

“is it so bad that people think we’d make a good couple?”

No.

Your inner voice answers before you even have time to process that he’s asking you this — Toge, who’s occasional flirting you entertained, sure, but who you had convinced yourself long ago was off limits. Only allowing yourself a little self-indulgence once in a blue moon, wondering about what it might be like to take the plunge and turn your friendship to something more. A subtle touch every now and then, lasting just a bit too long. A moment of absentminded closeness, eyes flitting to lips before embarrassment comes blundering back in, followed by a blush and flustered change of subject. Those things were more than enough for what you had long ago accepted as just a silly and wholly unserious crush on your closest friend. It wouldn’t be right to risk all the trust and comfort the two of you had built as friends for just a chance at knowing what it would be like to call him yours. But here he was asking — what would be so wrong if you did?

Or was he? The doubt creeps in to cloud the excitement just as quickly as you’d let yourself believe he might return your feelings, and you begin convincing yourself that it’s just too good to be true.

Toge can see the gears in your head turning, the adorable and familiar way your features twist in concentration when you’re thinking really hard about something. He imagines reaching out his thumb to brush away the lines that have formed between your eyebrows as you furrow them at him, trailing it down to trace your lips and bring it back to touch his own — an inadvertent kiss.

But he doesn’t. Now, he needs to know your answer.

Your response finally comes as a tentative murmur, purposefully vague and noncommittal in an effort to suss out whether he’s being genuine or just teasing. “I guess not…”

His face falls just slightly. “you guess?”

“Well, I mean, I don’t know..” You huff, shifting uncomfortably in your seat. “What do you think?”

“i don’t mind at all.”

Your eyes race over the words a few times, just to be sure, then flick up to his face searching for any break in his level expression to indicate he was kidding around. But there’s nothing. Not even an echo of the smirk he wore earlier. An answer eludes you and you can only purse your lips and stare at him, desperately trying to figure out how you’re supposed to respond.

That’s when the young sorcerer rolls his eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh, his patience finally being worn thin. The game had been fun he thinks, but your obliviousness was getting downright painful at this point. If he has to spell it out for you then so be it.

He looks you in the eyes, his expression as serious as it’s ever been on his most important mission and takes hold of your hands in his. They give a gentle squeeze, urging you to pay attention. Then, he points his index finger to himself, makes a heart with his hands, and points to you. Repeats twice more for good measure, and looks at you with a gaze he hopes says I’ve loved you since I met you, you are so, SO precious to me.

There, he thinks, there’s no explaining it away this time; there’s little room for interpretation in those movements.

Your face morphs with the motions of tentative understanding, a curious disbelief present in your expression. You could imagine his voice, the sound of it dutifully committed to memory despite its infrequency — saying the words along with each movement: I. love. you. I love you. I love you.

“Don’t mess with me Toge,” the last vestiges of your hesitation voice themselves, stern despite the giddy excitement that sent your stomach fluttering, “flirting is one thing but this is entirely different, it’s cruel.”

My god, the cursed speech user thinks to himself. You’re certainly not making this easy on him, a fact he supposes is only fair considering how long he’s let this go on. He shakes his head, a baffled smile playing across his lips. Well, that only leaves one option.

“I love you.”

This time, the sound of his voice is not imagined. He doesn’t imbue any cursed energy into the words but the air around you two still seems to tingle with a latent electricity in their wake. You shoot him a shocked look, eyes wide as saucers as your mouth opens to chastise him. But Toge is quick — and somewhat impatient after all this time — leaning in before your accusation can be fully voiced to cut it short with a long overdue kiss. Your admonitions are forgotten completely the moment his lips meet yours, mind consumed with the feeling of it, with him.

It’s a soft thing, your lips moving gently together for only a few precious seconds that still manage to send your head spinning. When you retreat slightly, forehead resting on his own, he grins wildly before pulling you back in for another, deeper embrace that brings his hands to either side of your face and presses yours eagerly against his chest.

Minds rushing with the thrill of it all you both stay there for the better portion of the evening, making up for the lost time. Lips on swollen lips, hands in tangled hair, just kissing, kissing, kissing…

***

A few days later, you and Toge are at Yuji and Megumi’s apartment to gather with all your friends for the first time since the two of you made it official.

The group chat went absolutely wild when Toge announced your status as a couple by casually sending a picture he’d taken of your arms wrapped around him and face buried in his neck — and after a barrage of excited texts, decided that you all needed to get together to celebrate.

“Finally!” Yuji exclaims loudly as soon as you walk through the door, wrapping both you and Toge into a tight bear hug that lifts your feet off the ground. “I knew it! I totally called it. Did I not call it?”

“Hardly impressive on your part,” his roommate chimed in from behind him where he stood with his hands in his pockets. “We all knew it was going to happen eventually.”

Fushiguro nudged around his loud, enthusiastic friend to greet the two of you with handshakes and quick ‘good to see you’s before retreating to the kitchen to get drinks for his guests.

“I called it.” Yuji insisted. Then, “come!” He waved you both towards where everyone was gathered and joined them. Maki and Nobara were wedged on the couch, sharing the one remaining cushion not occupied by Panda’s hulking form. And Yuta, smiling proudly at the two of you like he especially had known the inevitability of this pairing, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of them.

You and Toge exchange greetings with the others, join Yuta on the floor, and fall into easy conversation with the group who had only grown closer in the years since graduation. Toge’s arm wraps around you instinctively, pulling you close to him. He’s so caught up in the boastful satisfaction of the action he hardly notices when Fushiguro returns passing out drinks. You take his drink for him along with your own, offer an apologetic smile for your raven-haired friend that is met with an understanding smirk and shake of his spiky head.

Hours pass, drinks are downed and conversation gets louder and more interspersed with raucous laughter.

“So which one of you started that bet anyway?” You ask eventually, playful and curious. “And which ones of you bet against us, huh?” You cross your arms over your chest and look at the group, narrowing your eyes in faux suspicion as you examine them. It’s this action that stops you from noticing the way your boyfriend straightens, sharing a look with his best friend across the coffee table. One that contains the guilty awareness of a schoolboy about to be caught in his mischief. Yuta stifles a laugh.

The rest of them exchange confused looks, then looks of understanding, before joining Yuta in suppressed amusement.

“You haven’t told them yet?” Maki directs her incredulous question at Toge, and scattered snickers and gasps follow from the rest of them. You watch him intently for his response. Which, is at moment, only a sheepish grin and deep blush of his cheeks.

Just like the night that he kissed you for first time and told you he loved you, this time slightly dulled by the drink, the gears in your mind start to turn and you start putting it all together. Then it clicks.

“Oh my- I’m so dumb.” You chastise yourself for the delayed understanding and Nobara bursts out laughing. Grabbing her stomach and falling back dramatically against her girlfriend who only halfheartedly rolls her eyes before joining in with a chuckle of her own. Of course Toge had been the one to start the bet. Which was in truth less a wager on whether or not the two of you would get together, but how quickly. Of course he knew Yuji and Nobara wouldn’t be able to keep quiet about it, eventually making it known to you.

You turned on him then with a knowing smirk and leaned towards him, “Were you planning on telling me, hmm?”

He shrugged, blushing more furiously now as your face neared his.

“Well,” you say, now just inches away from him, “I’m glad you did it either way.” You close the last of the small distance and catch his lips in a kiss. He kisses you back, and the way it sets his heart racing is enough to distract him from the teasing hooting of your friends who are most definitely not going to let him live down either this display of public affection, or his part in the bet that started all this. Which is just as well to him. He’d been playing the long game after all, and the outcome was exactly as rewarding as he’d hoped.

[dallasgallant]

Time period post: Teenage culture

Now “youth culture” has been a thing since the early 20th century but it really began to take off and see “teenage” as its own thing in the 1950s. Both as a new group to advertise to but also as a distinct time in life. Now while it was still a relatively new demographic the 1960s is when things really began to kick off and sort of the height of the age, rebellion, catering and so on and you can sort of tell a lot of it was throwing at the wall and seeing what sticks. Shows, music, products etc.

This is just a quick post on a bunch of topics related to that, but for further looking into

- “Age of teen angst”

- “Teen car culture”

- 1960s hangouts

- dissolving censorship/more freedom of the time

Teenage rebellion! Distancing from parents, wanting to have fun and danger and change tradition. (Especially with the way the world was changing at the time with social justice and technological advancement) Clothes started to be less conservative, hair got bigger and longer, kids got more openly touchy and expressive etc.

Cars have always been a part of rebellious youth culture since their invention, they represent both a literal freedom in being able to travel and sexual freedom (unchaperoned, away and private - another aspect to reach a peak in the 50s and 60s with drive ins and look out/make out points)

Subcultures were also huge, not to be mixed with today’s “aesthetics” a subculture isn’t a short form thing based souly on appearance. Its looks, beliefs/attitudes, often music taste etc. where you were in the world and social class has a lot to do with it. (For examples Greasers being working class, city/some suburban, like rockabilly etc)

Regionality-

Speaking of place! The world in the 60s was not even close to as interconnected as we are today, sure you may get a little more of the world news on tv but it wasn’t this melding we have. Culture of counties, regions, states etc were much more distinct (same goes for accents) and while more things were shared across the world things weren’t universal.

Being from Tulsa Oklahoma you’re going to be more concerned with Tulsa Oklahoma and what’s done there than say New York. You’re not going to know everything or care about everything. There was more local and community focus. And perhaps a much more optimistic view of the future in SOME regards, huge time for technology, space travel, social change etc.

Where you are also affects availability, you’re not exactly going to have the hot new fashion in small city Oklahoma. Especially not just ordering it off Amazon- people traveled, waited for things to come, order from magazines etc.

Food-

Fast food is not brand new but is still relatively, they’re not nearly as common as they are now days. Most of the time when going on a road trip, people would still pack food rather than have the expectation of stopping at a drive thru all the time. However it was coming more common.

Some of the wacky gross foods of the post ww2 period were still “in” and the same goes for some Great Depression recipes. You could also find a lot of stuff in a can or processed, precooked etc. they were convient and exciting at the time… I’d bet the boys like a lot of stuff we’d consider “gross” tv dinners were also a big hit.

Dating-

This differs across class lines but there was still a lot of older rituals that were still followed in the 60s depending on who you were, these sort of holdovers from “courting.” Stuff like promise rings would be much more of a Soc thing than for greasers— though I think giving jackets or other items that aren’t a specific thing like a promise ring are general.

Dating was becoming its own thing for a few decades and didn’t have to result in marriage. Relationships were simultaneously slow with steps and milestones (1st base, 2nd base etc. lol- aren’t “official” but sort of a real thing) but quick as it’s also a thing to marry pretty damn fast and young… shotgun or otherwise.

There was a more “loose” idea on dating and relationships while some more traditional elements also remained, again it depends on who you are, where you are, class, race etc.