Ronin

Ronin drew in a deep breath. "I've started practicing earthbending on my own." He said, quiet. "I'm not great at technique, but I'm stubborn enough to get things to move. I just need--" he glanced over his shoulder at Sam. "Water. And then I've got all four." He bit his lip, wondering how Sam would respond.

Wide-eyed || Sam & Ronin

Sam folllowed Ronin wordlessly, he didn’t mind the quiet between them. He was just glad to see that Ronin was better, he’d been worried. He sat and watched the avatar, looking up when he finally spoke.

"…What kind of stupid? I mean, what did you do?" He bit his lip, watching him with apprehension.

"I went into the spirit world," He said carefully. "And I met with Koh the Face Stealer." He winced at his own words. It didn't get any easier saying it. It wasn't..his proudest moment, or his most intelligent one. But he had survived.

And he had straightened out a few things in his head.

Father and Son « Ronin and Tobias

Tobias could only withdraw. Physically, he stayed still, keeping contact with Ronin, but he couldn’t show an ounce of hesitation. “I wish I didn’t have to. You know that, Ronin.”

Silence spilled between them for a moment and finally Tobias lowered his head. “Perhaps Finch will find a way. Perhaps he can exorcise this affliction from you and destroy it another way…”

Affliction. It made him feel possessed. He shivered violently. The thought of being without -- without what made him, ...well, him, made him feel hollow. But in his moment of weakness, he felt himself nod and hold on tighter. "I just want to stay with you...." Ronin repeated, weakly. the lines of muscle across his back were tense and trembling with the rest of him.

Wide-eyed || Sam & Ronin

"I… didn’t mean to accuse you of it. Sorry, just… off day." He chuckled dryly. Sam felt a few shivers travel up his arm where Ronin touched it. He couldn’t help but nod. "Yeah, tea sounds perfect…"

Sam looked at Ronin with a smile, “You just seem… different. Better. Not that you weren’t good before, but you weren’t feeling well and… well you just seem a lot happier now. What happened?”

Ronin tugged him out of the hall before he thought to answer, into one of the studies where his mother sometimes took tea. He rummaged around to check that the supplies were there before starting the burner to warm the kettle of water with a flick of blue fire. "I did something sort of stupid." Ronin said, glancing back over his shoulder at Sam.

Wide-eyed || Sam & Ronin

Sam nodded slowly, “I mean, I’m glad you’re feeling better, don’t get me wrong, you just seemed… high or something.” He chuckled a little, his own mood improving thanks to Ronin. “But I’m glad I ran into you.”

"I don't take any drugs." Ronin frowned a little, but his smile returned a moment later. "Are you okay?" He asked suddenly, concerned, touching Sam's shoulder. He was...worried. Worried Sam might drink himself stupid, or numb like Tybalt did.

He hadn't seen Tybalt in a while, either.

Pushing the thought aside, he ran his fingers down Sam's arm gently. "Do you want to take some tea with me? You look like you could use it."

Wide-eyed || Sam & Ronin

Sam stopped in his tracks. He had to blink back, to make sure he was seeing right. “Ronin… are you… you okay?” He stepped a bit closer. Ronin looked healthier, but… out of it.

He put a hand on Ronin’s shoulder, looking him more closely in the eyes. “Are you on something?”

Ronin looked puzzled. "On something?" He laughed a little. His eyes were normal again. He didn't look nearly so tired -- none of the bruised, deep circles under his eyes. He touched Sam's hand, squeezing gently. "I'm alright. I'm fantastic. A little hungry, maybe. I was meditating and I kind of just...started to wander."

Chronological Order of Threads So Far

As the events have happened thus far.

1. Smile for the Camera, Sick off Screen [COMPLETE]

2. Call of The Wind [COMPLETE]

3. An Impromptu Lesson [COMPLETE]

4. Swift As A Coursing River

5. You’re In Trouble Now [COMPLETE]

6. Press Conference [COMPLETE]

7. Tell Me I’m a Wreck

8. A Little Rebellion [COMPLETE]

9. Honoooor

10. Morning After

11. Fuzzball

12. I Can Help [COMPLETE]

13. Check-Up [COMPLETE]

14. But I Still Love You

15. Crumbling

16. Breaking Point

17. Wouldn’t Hurt A Fly

18. A Mother’s Love

19. Father and Son

[UP TO THIS POINT RONIN WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SLOWLY BREAKING. I will still do threads that preceded his vision, but his vision is the turning point where he begins to bounce back.]

Drabble: Balance

20. Guide

21. Wide-Eyed

Wide-eyed || Sam & Ronin

Sam had to get away from the training area for a bit. Watching the fire tributes and the water tributes go at it like they did, so sure and strong, Sam could only hang his head and walk away. Leonine was still healing, so she trained in the gardens instead of the arena. He just couldn’t be around other tributes right now.

He walked down the hall, eyes on his feet as he went. Sam ignored the peacekeepers along the way, and they ignored him, as always. He heard another set of feet approaching and looked up, if only to make sure he didn’t hit the oncoming person. His lips turned up slightly when he saw who it was, “Ronin~”

Ronin seemed dazed. For a moment his eyes seemed to be glowing white -- but he blinked once, and his eyes were normal again. He had seemed to be wandering aimlessly, as if in a trance. He flashed a smile. He looked healthier -- more color in his cheeks since the last time he'd seen Sam.

"Sam," he said, as if confirming for himself that he was awake. "I've missed you..." Ronin still wasn't quite back. The spirits seemed so much brighter around him after his spiritual journey.

Father and Son « Ronin and Tobias

Tobias couldn’t say that he’d been expecting it, but he couldn’t say he was entirely surprised either. Ronin had always been more inclined to touching as a form of comfort, ever since he could remember. The president patted his head, stroking his hair gently. He was out of practice with comforting Ronin, but the movements came easily enough.

"It’ll be alright. I’m here with you every step of the way, remember? Even in the end, I’ll be with you."

Ronin buried his face a little deeper. Tears came freely now that his face was hidden -- and he hated himself for it. He tried not to whimper, fingers curling in the material of Tobias' shirt. "I don't' want you to-- to have to--" He couldn't say it. But he could see it in his mind, Tobias putting a gun to his head -- For the good of the people-- and a fresh spill of tears escaped down his cheeks.

"I just....I just want to stay with you..." Things had always been better so long as he was at Tobias' side.

Bent, not Broken « Finch and Ronin

icanfixtheproblem

Finch nodded, as though he were processing the information. He wanted to get Ronin back down into his lab, and he needed to figure out how to do that. ” The pain is gone, then? How about the bleeding?”

#icanfixtheproblem #bent not broken

Ronin's throat clicked as he swallowed. "Yes. The bleeding is gone." He said, a little irritated. "Do you need something?" He asked, suspicious, his brows furrowing a little as he sized Finch up, cocking his head to one side.

His visits to Finch's office were always...clouded. With anxiety, with fear. He barely remembered them and always woke up in his bed.

Father and Son « Ronin and Tobias

Tobias sighed, keeping his eyes on his own lap. “… You know that’s not what I ever wanted for you. It’s what must be done, there is no way around it, but I would give anything if there was another way, Ronin.”

He wasn’t entirely sure how to comfort Ronin now, but it was important that Ronin be calm now. He put his arm around Ronin’s shoulders, simply leaving it there. Perhaps the physical contact would help.

Ronin drew in a trembling breath. What was left of his resistance broke, and he wrapped his arms tightly around Tobias' waist, burying his face in his shoulder like he did when he was a child. His shoulders trembled. Ronin recalled many a time that he had crawled into his Father's lap when he was young, hidden in his shoulder and fallen asleep there.

He was too big for that now, but he needed it. He needed to feel safe.

Father and Son « Ronin and Tobias

Tobias watched Ronin, the way the features in his face contorted, the way his fingers dug into his scalp. He stood there for a few moments more before moving to his son’s side.

"Ronin…" He put a hand on the avatar’s knee, patting it lightly. "You aren’t disappointing me. You’ve been dealt an impossible hand in life. I can help only so much, and I wish there was some way to make you normal again, so you could live your life out without these pressures… Maybe one day Finch will find a way, but for now you can only keep trying.”

Ronin drew in a trembling breath. "I'll never be normal," He said weakly. "You just...you won't need me anymore, and then I'll...I'll be gone." He swallowed, trying to force himself to smile, but it was tight and without mirth. "At least you wouldn't have to worry about me causing problems anymore." He said, his voice so quiet it was nearly inaudible.

He couldn't lift his head to look at him, but his fingers in his hair were the only thing keeping him from throwing himself at his Father in a desperate plea for help, support. He needed him.

Father and Son « Ronin and Tobias

"You aren’t interrupting anything. The tributes will be just fine without you for now. In fact, they’ll be better off with you in high health once you recover." Tobias gave Ronin a small, strained smile.

"There will be plenty of time for sparring later. Rest now, I’ll call someone to have a look at you."

Ronin felt a stab of anxiety, a tightness that made it feel difficult to breathe for a moment. "Oh," Ronin said weakly, his face falling, brows furrowing as he sat on one of the chairs against the wall. He buried his face in his hands, fingers gripping his hair. His one time seeing Tobias for an extended period in weeks-- and he blew it.

"I-- I'll try not to disappoint you, sir." He said, weakly. He hated how badly he wanted to beg Tobias to stay by his side. He has better things to be doing than tending to your messes, Ronin.

Father and Son « Ronin and Tobias

He hesitated at the mention of Finch. He knew how much the man wanted to run tests on Ronin, but surely he wouldn’t do so without Tobias’ permission. He would have to get to the bottom of that on his own, but for now his concern was Ronin.

"You need rest. And a proper doctor. I don’t doubt Finch’s abilities, but perhaps we should bring in a specialist, just to be sure. I don’t want to take chances with your health, Ronin."