#( know the water's sweet but blood is thicker ; ryder & ruth )

[museswithinx]

"Then stop treating me like it," Ruth hissed back, eyes welling up somewhere between anger and being geniunely upset by fighting with Ryder.

Huffing out a bitter breath stinging the back of her throat, she wouldn't let him have this point. "I'm not saying the choices are the same, but being judged on your past choices should ring a few bells. I never said he hasn't ever treated women like play things. I just don't think he can't improve and learn to respect women." She knew Ryder would hate this, but Dad could see some sort of redemption there so she wanted Ryder to see it too. There was hope for him, and she wouldn't be made to feel wrong about that. It wasn't her first uphill battle against negative opinions. "I am sure. He's not stupid, but neither am I. I've seen things in him when we hang out that you haven't seen. There's more behind the facade." Part of her was suddenly angry Deniz had done it in front of everyone and a flicker of doubt trickled into her mind that he'd been playing, but when she had looked into his eyes just now, she had seen a wall come down and the world become smaller. There had been a moment, and that could not have been planned. "I don't think I'm alone in it, I really don't. But I know the risks, I see it. And if I'm wrong, then I'll admit it and accept the hurt that will come along with it. I believe in him, Ryder, and only his actions will prove if I was stupid to do so. Not anything you or anyone else says. He deserves a chance to do better. Don't come yelling, ask him himself if he meant it or not."

Where was Uncle Adrian with the aspirin when he needed it? Of all the people Ruth could attach herself to and she'd gone with Deniz. He just didn't see the same man there that she did.

Sounding out a bitter laugh, he shook his head. "Except I was judged more for our family name than any choices I made excluding my involvement with Michelle. I just don't see it, Ruth. He supposedly loved Aubrey, lost her, and then moved onto Berry playing the same games." Except at least they wasn't any established or believed commitment there. He exhales a long, frustrated sigh as he runs a hand through his hair. This was not what he wanted to hear from her even if he knew just by her defense of him. It just made the whole situation worse. "I don't want you getting hurt," he repeats for what felt like the 100th time, "I don't want you to end up in some toxic, fucked up game like I was." There was no changing her mind though because she had their mother's stubborn and determination. "If this is a game, if I find out he's using you like I still think he is..." He let her fill in the blanks of what he'd do to Deniz.

[museswithinx]

Ruth hated to fight or argue with her brother and a part of her wanted to roll her eyes that defending Deniz Mikaelson of all people was where she found herself coming against Ryder. "I am not naive, Ryder Ethan."

As much as she loved Berry and Aubrey, she would not be tossed in the same bucket as starry-eyed girls who purposely tried not to see his faults or would put up with being treated poorly. "It is the same, he wants to do better and no one is letting him," she countered, digging in deeper where he didn't have an argument. "It was, he played games and he has an ego the size of Montana. I'm not denying any of that. I know who he is. I know when he's full of bullshit and when he means something." Her voice lowered because the next part wasn't anyone's damn business, "and he meant it."

There was nothing more he hated than fighting with his sister but he couldn't stand by while Deniz fucking Mikaelson of all people zeroed in on her. "You're not naive, that's my point!" He huffed out, shooting another murderous glare over at Deniz.

As she countered with a point that hit way too close to home for his comfort, he stubbornly dug his feet in. "It's not comparable. I may not have made the best choices when it came to women but I never toyed with them like it was an Olympic sport." He hated this. Everything about it. He would have preferred she gotten involved with someone like her friend Shane or just literally anyone else but Satan's spawn. As she defended him though, he felt his anger spike because she thought that he actually meant it. That indicated some level of feelings on her part. "You sound so sure but I'm not convinced. He's not stupid, he knows how to play the victim and the game to win 'em over." He lowered his voice then so any eavesdroppers couldn't pick up on it. "He's already got you in too deep, Ruth. Do you not see that? You're gonna get hurt."

[museswithinx]

Holding her brother's sides, Ruth stood firm despite their height difference. He could drag her if he wanted to get any closer. "No," she growled back, fiercer than his. "Thank you for your concern, but I've got it handled."

Her eyes sparked to life with defiance. "We don't say always," she argued, "if past behavior always dictated future behavior, your date tonight wouldn't be Gina. I am aware of what he's like and what he's done in the past. It's not a game."

A gutteral growl sounded in him as the wolf in him begged to be set free. The only thing stopping him right now was the very person he was trying to protect. As she growled back at him, he looked at her stunned before narrowing his gaze. "It doesn't look like it."

Ryder momentarily wavered in his anger as she argued her point, bringing up his own mistakes. "It's not the same," he tries to argue with a frown. "It is a game to him. It was a game with Aubrey and now it's a game with Berry and he's got you in the middle of it. You're gonna get hurt and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let that happen."

[museswithinx]

Ruth spun around at Ryder's voice and rushed over to put herself between the two men. "Don't make a scene, please," she murmured. "If I hadn't wanted him to, you'd know."

{ bc siblingssss and I love Ryder's protectiveness }

This wasn't a game. Not his sister. "I'll kill you!" Ryder shouted at him, making a move toward the other man before his sister hurried over to put herself between them.

"Get out of the way, Ruth," he growled with his glare still fixated on Deniz as she pleaded with him not to make a scene. Scoffing at the next words, he finally looked at her. "You can't be serious," he said, "This is all just a game to him, Ruth. It always is. You have to know that."

[museswithinx]

Ryder, think Deniz should make things official with Ruth?

Blow up my inbox.

"No. I think he should go choke."

[museswithinx]

"You're right," she quipped, "I'm hilarious." Pressing her foot playfully into his side, she gave him a look back. He had walked right into that one and he had no one to blame but himself as she looked from him to her phone and back again. "Huh, that's exactly what Deniz said. And you thought you two had nothing in common."

"No one's asked you to be a social butterfly. You're the stoic, grumpy tree that your social butterfly has landed on. Isn't her smile worth it?" He grumbled, but he wouldn't go if he didn't love to see her happy. Shaking her head, she assured him, "it's not malicious like that. He practically dared me to do it. I warned him not to say I couldn't get in there, and he did. We just labeled all his stuff. It was glorious! I'm not sure he's seen it yet." Her smile faded a little as he admitted to always doing what everyone else wanted, feeling that familiar ache that he never felt like he fit in. "Build it and they will come. We're going to things other people have organized. Maybe we just have to pick a day and a field and invite the pack. They're getting better; they'll come play for you. Wanna try? A Ruth and Ryder Event of the Season?"

"You're definitely not," he grumbles, still unimpressed by her joke. As she gave him a look and playfully nudged him again with her foot, he internally kicked himself for agreeing with anything Deniz said. "We don't."

"Except every single time I'm dragged along to some loud, rowdy party or other." He retorts before she gets him with the last part of that. Gina's smile was worth everything. "If it wasn't, I wouldn't be torturing myself, would I?" Well, that was something at least. No one wanted a repeat of the last prank war that ended ugly. "You... labeled his stuff?" That had to be some inside joke or something because he didn't get it.

Things were a bit better with the pack but it still felt like they were outsiders. Ryder was at pretty much everything even when he didn't want to be there but would anyone even bother showing up to a Grant-centric event? He kinda doubted it. "Will they? I mean, it's not like the Grant's are pack favorites. People are still assholes, they're just quieter about it now." Sighing, he was less sure than his sister but maybe they'd be able to get enough of a team together to play. Not everyone was an asshole, just the majority. "I guess. I mean, it'd be cool if we could get a small team together and just play. I like coaching but I miss playing."

[museswithinx]

Despite the fact that Deniz did speak well of Ryder, it was not a mutual appreciation. Yet. All Dad had needed to do was properly talk to him for a bit before chilling out a bit on the whole thing, but Ryder was going to do what Ryder did.

"Blush-worthy, torrid sexts," she joked to an utter lack of amusement before answering, "I had Sid order Deniz a band shirt for the battle--he hates graphic tees, so he's being stubborn about it. It's hilarious. I bet you $10 he's in it tomorrow anyway." She wore a smile from their witty back and forth, but it faded slightly as she tilted her head at her brother's grumpy attitude. "I mean, attending alongside the girlfriend you love with all your heart who loves bands and loves her cousin even more. Yeah, got a t-shirt and everything, thought it'd be fun. Ulrik's always been cool, even helped me pull a prank recently so. It'll be exciting, everyone will be there. Might be a good chance to feel part of things again."

Ryder gave her one of his usual looks as she made a joke. "You're not funny," he retorts unamused. As she mentioned those stupid t-shirts, he made another face because Gina was very insistent he wear the one she had made for him tomorrow. "Yeah, good luck with that. They're tacky and juvenile." He said before scrunching his nose slightly when he realized he just agreed with Deniz.

"Everyone knows I'm not a social butterfly. I'm not big on the loud and the rowdy and I get dragged to plenty of that," he grumbles. But he couldn't stand when Gina pouted and gave those sad eyes so he was going anyway. He wanted her to be happy. "Do I even want to know what the prank is? Last time there were pranks, it ended up being a lot of unnecessary drama." He said before sighing. "It's not my kind of excitement, but yeah. I guess." Though he was less convinced. "Sometimes it just kind of feels like we're always supporting their accomplishments and interests. We never get together and like, play baseball or anything like that."

[museswithinx]

“I see your wheels spinning,” Ruth murmured, peaking over her phone as she sat on the couch with her brother. “Don’t frown, it’ll give you wrinkles.” Nudging him with her foot, she prompted, “you coming to Battle of the Bands? Starts tomorrow.”

{ bc Grant sibs are my favorite sibs }

Watching his sister smirk at her phone before typing something, Ryder just knew she was talking to him. Even if Ruth believed Deniz deserved a second chance and made a good point of how their father had been denied one for so long, he still didn't particularly like this new development. It must have showed because when she caught his expression, she couldn't resist a sisterly tease.

"I'm not frowning. Just wondering what has you typing a whole novel is all." He retorts with no shift in expression. He knew. As she nudged him with her foot though, he let out a sigh before answering. "If by coming you mean being forced to go against my will, then yeah. I'm coming. I take it you're going?"

[museswithinx]

Ryder, how cool would it be to see Ruth love her FBI dreams?

Blow up my inbox

"She's already sort of living them in her way, albeit unofficially. Ruth is a genius like Mom, she can hack pretty much anything and find someone with the most minimal of information to go off. She's also built that whole database on her own, which is brilliant and never ceases to come in handy. She's going to make one hell of an agent someday. Probably carry the whole team."

[museswithinx]

[MSG:] I just walked into the room at this party and someone shouted “dibs!” { Ruth for Ryder }

text message starters, part 1/?

( txt ; Ruth ) : Who said it? ( txt ; Ruth ) : Would just like a word with them.

[museswithinx]

Ryder, if Ruth hadn’t showed up, would you have killed and gone with Michelle?

Blow up my inbox.

“I don’t know. Probably. I've never really had much of a reason to stay with my current pack. With hers, I would have had a clean slate and somewhere to channel my ambitions. I would have been the second highest power and my voice would’ve actually mattered. 

In the end though, none of it would have been worth Ruth’s pain. Seeing her there that night, I was reminded of that and I knew I couldn’t go through with it. I can’t be that selfish with her.”

[museswithinx]

“Family is power. Love, loyalty. That’s power!” { Ruth for Ryder }

the originals : season 1 … sentence starters

follows this.

The time was here. After tonight, everything Ryder had fought so desperately for would be within his grasp. It was all but guaranteed by both Michelle and Monty. All those damn years of struggling and suffering under a reputation unearned would finally mean something. He’d never be nothing again.

As Michelle leads the way though, it isn’t excitement or the sweet taste of victory he feels. It’s dread. Because the price of power was his immortal soul. Ryder could already hear the would be victim shouting for help; the very sound unsettling him further as he knew what was to come. Drowning it out, he needed to remain focused on the task. There was no turning back now and Michelle had assured him that this was some scumbag that had it coming.

Standing a distance from the man as Michelle frees him, their gazes briefly meet as she slips his opponant a knife. This wouldn’t be a cut and dry murder as he thought. This would be much bloodier. To prove he was the alpha, it’d be a fight to the death with strengths equally matched. A kill or be killed.

With a wish of luck toward him, it was just Ryder and his stepping stone to power. The man was in a panic, shaking so violently he thought he might actually just drop dead of a heart attack. “I’m sorry,” he mutters to the other before leaping back as he started to advance. For a moment, they circled each other with Ryder looking for an opening to attack and avoid the blade. Before it can get very far though, she appears...

“Ruth!” He hollers, temporarily distracted by her appearance. “You shouldn’t be here.” But of course she was anyway. Ruth has always promised that where he went, she’d follow no matter what. It didn’t matter that he’d given her the out because she’d still follow him to the ends of the earth. 

As she gives her speech, Ryder feels his resolve start to crumble. If he went through with this, would he be able to live with himself knowing it had been Ruth’s ruin? That he’d have his position but she would be miserable. He already knew the answer to that. He’d just been too selfish and wrapped up in Michelle’s flattery to see it. 

“Sounds like we need one more body,” Michelle interrupts before disappearing with the promise of another victim.

His resolve had crumbled completely. He could live with his choices, but he couldn’t be the reason his sister’s light died out. Looking back to her with eyes watering, he knew what he had to do now. Even if it meant he’d lose it all. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs as he pulls her into his arms and kisses her hair. “I just didn’t want to be nothing anymore. I didn’t want to be powerless.”

“Family is power. Love, loyalty. That’s power!”

Ruth was right. Even in the worst of times, he’d always had his family to fall back on. For all people said of the Grant’s, they were one of the strongest units in the entire pack. Loyal to a t even despite all the crap they were dealt for the past crimes of their father. They deserved better. 

“Family is power.” He repeats as he pulls away and looks to the still scared guy to address him. “Get out of here. Run as fast as you can and don’t stop until you hit town. Go!” The man didn’t hesitate as he took the out and sped off the opposite direction to where Michelle had disappeared.

Turning back to Ruth, he takes her hand. “We need to get out of here before Michelle gets back.”