#othatorchia

pinterest musings that resonate / @othatorchia (reginn)

"mhm. tough luck, buddy."

"should've picked another rink, then, and not the one i own." kie's eyes glitter. "besides, you wanted to get on the ice. so maybe you should put your skates on and actually get to it before it melts."

pinterest musings that resonate / @othatorchia (leia)

i was born in an abundance of inherited sadness, leia says, and kie breathes in, holds it for four, exhales it for six. because it's something she recognizes in her blood, in her bones. in her entire being, really.

and the thing is, leia's not wrong. she has been born in an abundance of inherited sadness. tragedy upon tragedy has marred this family. death has touched it with it's spindly fingers.

and yet, here they are.

here leia is.

it's a testament not only to aunt rey and uncle thor - as parents, as people - but also to the kids themselves. leia, especially. oh, kie knows what it's like, too, to bear a name. to bear the expectations that come with it.

she blows a kiss towards leia and smiles when it's caught. she's been doing it since uncle thor and aunt's rey eldest was born: blowing a kiss and naming it affection.

"yes," kie says, "you were and so was i. and i know how hard it is; it's hard to carry, it's harder, still, to put it down. i wish it was easier to put down. i wish i could carry it for you, but i can't and vice versa. what i can do is sit with you whenever you want, if that's what you need."

     rey considers the question with a soft smile. where to begin? by the time she KNEW she was in love she was in the midst of it. it's difficult to pinpoint the exact feeling that made her so certain.

when she first met thor, he exuded a certain gentleness that had been missing from her life. thor was effortlessly kind and thoughtful. as she took the time to get to know him, her defensiveness gave way to his displays of CARE. he was helpful. he went out of his way for others without complaining. it was hardly how she expected a prince would behave, and it endeared her to him.

gradually, rey began to feel a sense of SAFETY in his presence. onboard the falcon, with thor, she slept deeply. there were no nightmares.

they traded stories about their lives. she shared her moments of great doubt and confusion with him, anticipating judgment only to receive sympathy instead. perhaps that was when she knew -- when she started to feel like she could tell him ANYTHING.

over the years, that feeling has only deepened. their love has grown, strengthening to something unbreakable. the exciting moments of discovery that marked their early relationship have been replaced with wonderful familiarity. rey loves and is loved every day. she never second-guesses it. she doesn't have to work to DESERVE it.

it simply is.

"it's very special," she says finally, passing a hand over leia's head, smoothing her hair down. "one day, when you're older, you'll meet someone you love, TOO. and then you'll know."

it warms her heart to think that leia might meet someone who is as good to her as thor has been to rey. nothing makes her quite as happy as knowing leia has an example of what a loving relationship should be -- that she knows EXACTLY how a partner should treat her.

"you know when you and your sister ask me to fly the ship very fast? and you start giggling and screaming. that's what it feels like. it's exciting and thrilling, but then... it also feels like when you come in from the rain and we towel you off and get you your soup. it's COZY. it feels like... my home is wherever your father is. it's magical and ordinary at the same time. think about all the things you love in the universe. it's a lot like that -- like having all your favorite things all the time."