#could use some mox energy today
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Set the World Alight: Chapter 12 - also on AO3
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It was going to happen eventually. Somebody was going to be cruel. But Matt's almost astonished at how many more people are kind. And violent. She didn't expect to be so giddy about the violence.
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Warning: there is overt, explicit transphobia in this chapter by a side character. The transphobia is dealt with the way it should be: with fists and zero mercy. Please be cautious with yourself <3
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Tuesday, March 11th
Matt
Matt slogs out of bed to make it to school, miserable and tied and so exhausted she doesn’t even know how to process it. Hours of trying to fix the broken sink, only for her dad to decide to call the plumber in the morning, have stolen her sanity.
“Why,” Nick mumbles, chugging his large iced coffee when Matt comes downstairs, “are we forced to exist as high school students?”
“Because the world hates us,” Matt mumbles. Her eyes are half shut as she sips her coffee. “Now stop talking before I remember we have a game this afternoon. I don’t think I’ll survive until then.”
They drive to school in near silence, a quiet Spotify playlist singing Ingrid Michaelson songs, and they shoot each other drowsy waves as they go to class. Matt was barely able to pick a normal outfit this morning, so focused on staying awake, that she pulled on dress she and Willow had picked up at Target over the weekend. At the very least, she’s comfortable.
Matt yawns her way through all of her classes, glad she’s pretty much at the point of coasting.
“You look dead,” Britt says. “What’s wrong with you?”
“The water pipe in our garage burst last night,” Matt mumbles. “Nick and Dad and I were up until, like, one in the morning fixing it.”
“Can’t you hire somebody to do that?”
Matt laughs. “Not when your dad is Matthew Jackson. He had all the materials and tools and whatever and insisted we help him. My mom was in charge of towels. And then he still couldn’t fix it.” She yawns again. “Oh, god, I’m gonna suck today.”
“You won’t,” Britt says. “Because, if you do, Athena will kill you.”
“Thanks for the support,” Matt mumbles, and she drains her energy drink.
~
Nick
Nick yawns as he starts the warm up, dropping his bags next to the bench as he gets dizzy.
“What are you doing?” Mox calls to hm. “We’ve got, like, an hour before the game starts.”
“If I sit down, I’ll fall asleep,” Nick says. “Last night we were all up really late at home.”
Mox frowns. “Yeah, Matt cut the goodnight call off because of – I think she said something with the sink?” Nick nods and yawns again.
“Water pipe busted.”
Mox winces. “That blows.”
Nick and Mox practice passing and shooting hoops as the other players walk in, and, finally, the other team. They’re from the town over, so Nick sort of knows them. Which is unfortunate, because some of them are real dicks.
“Heads up,” Nick mutters to Mox.
Mox glances over and rolls his eyes. “Oh, great. Them.”
The cheer team comes in next, dressed up for the game. Mox gets immediately distracted.
“I’ll – talk to you during the game,” Mox says, sending Nick a quick, concerned look. “I don’t trust these guys.”
Nick watches at Mox jogs his way over to Matt, pulling her in close and whispering something in her ear. And then he sees the people he was worried about on the other team.
The previous year, one of the guys on the team from Granville whispered some pretty horrible things about some of the players. Racist things, homophobic things. Small town white America horrible kind of things.
Nick has a sudden wash of realization of what might happen when they lock their eyes on Matt.
“Hey,” Nick says, yanking Cole’s arm, “keep an eye out for that kid with the weird bleach blonde hair.”
Cole follows his gaze. “Oh, shit. I remember that guy.” His gaze goes hard. “Want me to kill him if he does anything?”
“You?”
Cole shrugs. “I mean, me and Kyle could take him out, yeah?”
“We’ll just see who gets there first,” Nick says, tone dark. “I’m too tired for this. If he pulls anything…” Nick trails off, letting the threat hang in the air. He can’t shake this feeling of wrong.
“Don’t worry,” Cole says, clapping him on the shoulder. “If they pull anything, we’ve all got each other’s backs.”
Nick tries to smile. But it won’t come.
~
Matt
“Mox,” Matt says, beaming up at him. “Hi. What’s up?” There’s some sort of tension behind his eyes, something tight that worries her. “Everything okay?”
Mox frowns. He doesn’t nod. He doesn’t shake his head. “Hopefully,” he mutters. “Just. If anybody says anything to you, tell me. Okay?”
“Oh, right,” Matt says, sighing. “This team.” She looks over Mox’s shoulder. “They’re the ones who were being awful about Willow last time, right?”
“Among other things,” Mox says. She can see something behind his eyes. “Just…don’t go anywhere alone, baby. Alright?”
Matt nods. She’s never seen Mox like this before. Never seen him any type of anxious. It’s almost scary.
Adam, giant backpack over his shoulder, makes his way to the bleachers. She watches his expression shift as he checks his phone, and he slides down to the bottom of the bleachers. He doesn’t pull out any books. He doesn’t even have his phone out. He’s sitting, arms folded across his chest.
She’s not used to feeling a room fool of worry, is the thing. She’s been wary at the grocery store, at the mall, at the movies. But she’s never felt an imminent threat before.
“It’s going to be okay.” She exhales, practicing some of the grounding techniques her therapist has taught her over the years. “It’s going to be okay.” Matt’s on her way to the other cheerleaders, though, when it happens.
“Oh, shit!” The tone is mocking, attention-grabbing.
Matt glances over at the person shouting, confused. She twists the ends of one of her French braids in her fingers. It’s not exactly that she knew this was going to happen. It’s not even that she knows that tone of voice is directed at her.
But you can’t fight a gut feeling.
“I told you, Alex,” says the guy who spoke. Matt can’t help but notice the poorly executed trendy haircut on bleached blonde hair. “This is the team with the tranny on it.”
Her entire body goes cold.
Matt moves to step up to him, but four things happen at once:
Adam half flies across the court toward the guy who spoke.
Jamie’s a whirl of French braids and rage zooming past Matt from the cheer bench
Nick’s jumped off of the bench behind Matt
And four, Mox, moving faster than Matt’s seen anybody move, pulls his fist back and slams it into the kid’s face.
Matt is not into this. She is not into the way Mox shakes out his hand, like it’s nothing, like he’s done this before.
“Talk louder,” Mox snarls, looming over the kid, laid out on the ground. “I fuckin’ dare you.”
Adam skids to a stop next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Then Nick, then Jamie.
It’s pretty much mayhem, the next couple of moments. Matt steps in to trip a guy, sending him to the floor. Somebody throws a punch at Mox and hits him in the nose, but Mox laughs and headbutts him so hard he falls to the floor.
The adults, stupefied for the first moment, rush in soon after. Matt’s a little smug at the way the guy she tripped is half crying on the ground, holding his face. Adam’s flattened a guy with one move with his forearm, and Mox has taken on two of them at once and gotten a bloody nose for the effort. Matt has to force herself not to climb him like a tree. Jamie has the bleach blonde kid in a headlock while Nick stares him down, hand twisted in his hair, and Matt’s never felt so safe in her life.
“Break it up,” Coach Gunn says.
Coach Rayne comes up to Matt and checks her face, her arms. “Are you alright, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine,” Matt says, even though she’s shaking a little bit. “I’m fine.”
Coach Gunn is peeling Jamie and Nick off of the bleach blonde guy, and Matt stares him down. He blinks first.
“That’s what I thought,” she says in her prissiest voice as she tosses her braid over her shoulder.
The other coach comes over. “Jesus Christ, Marcus, this is strike three.” He nods at Gunn and grabs his player by the shoulder, spinning him around. “Get your ass on the bench. You’re removed from the team.” He looks over at the other three. “And y’all are on this ice.”
Matt follows his gaze to the three on the ground, looking miserable. The other players come over. Matt doesn’t want to be that person, but he thinks he spots a few of them smiling at him, including a boy with what may just be a rainbow necklace.
“Thank you,” says one of the other team. “We’ve been wanting to do that to those four for, like, years.”
Mox lets out a great laugh, one Matt wants to hold in her pocket for the rest of her life. “You insult my girlfriend, you go through me.” He stares everybody in the room down . “Warning to everybody, I guess.” Mox turns and walks toward Matt, pulling her in and kissing her so hard she forgets her own name. When he pulls back his smile is soft and gentle. The one he saves just for her. “You hear me? Nobody messes with my girl.” He presses a kiss to her forehead. “I love you, Matty.”
Matt’s heart is beating so fast she can’t catch her breath, is so into this guy she gets to call hers she can’t think. “Okay,” she manages to say. For some reason, she feels like she’s going to cry. It could be because of the slur she had to hear, it could be because of the violence she witnessed. But she thinks it’s because of the confession of dedication she just heard from Mox, and she’s pretty sure she knows it now.
“Yeah?” Mox asks, smile reaching his eyes.
Matt nods and leans in again. Mox starts kissing every ounce of sanity out of Matt, and she’s happy to let it happen, despite the blood, despite the violence. Nick clears his throat, and Matt pulls away.
“Um,” says Coach Gunn, frowning. “Now, I think I’m legally required to, like, yell at you about that. Or take you out of the game, since you technically threw the first punch. Though it was definitely deserved.” His eyes follow the kid being taken out by his coach. “And to get you checked out by a doctor or something.”
“Oh, no,” says the referee, “no, this game isn’t happening. You just had an all-out fight on the court. I’m calling this one a forfeit on both sides.”
“Forfeit?!” says the kid who yelled about Matt, twisting around in his coach’s grip. “They started it!”
“They did not,” says the ref firmly. “You used a transphobic slur. What did you think was going to happen?”
The kid opens and closes his moth a few times, clearly baffled at the consequences of his actions, and Matt allows himself to feel a little smug about it.
“I’m fine, Coach,” Mox says, dabbing at his nose. “Shit, I’m really leaking like a faucet, aren’t I?”
“Kind of,” Matt agrees as they make their way backstage to the trainer’s. She looks down at her uniform, the white stained nearly pink. “I have blood, like. Everywhere.”
Mox grins. “Makes you look badass, though. Kind of warrior princess, you know?”
Matt leans in and kisses Mox again. She touches Mox’s face, wiping some of the blood where it’s slowed to a trickle out of his nose. She doesn’t care that it’s staining her cheer uniform, that it’s ruined her makeup, that there’s blood in her hair. “I like that idea.”
They make it to the trainer’s room.
“Mox, you’ve always bled like a stuck pig,” Doc Sampson says, a little laugh behind it. He dabs at Mox’s nose. “Matty, you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s not my blood.”
Doc Sampson raises an eyebrow. “You fought?”
“No, it’s mine,” Mox says. “But after, I had to kiss my girl. They were being jackasses. Had to show them who was the lucky one here.”
Matt watches Doc’s face carefully, prepared for shock or horror or disgust, with the way the day is going. But, instead, Doc just smiles.
“My little girl is trans, too,” he says. “She’s in third grade. Maybe…Maybe the two of you could get ice cream? Talk?”
Matt nods. “Yeah. I. I think that would be cool.”
Doc nods and tends to Mox.
“Do you know where the other guy is?” Matt asks. Mox keeps a hand on hers, fingers intertwined. She squeezes it. “Are they bringing him in here?”
“Absolutely not,” Doc says, shaking his head. “They have their own trainer. They can work in the backup room.”
Matt smiles. “Thanks, Doc.”
Doc nods. “We protect ours, right? Nobody messes with the kids, mine or my athletes.”
Doc and Matt are quiet while Mox chatters on about stories when he’d broken bones in the past, Matt’s fingers still entwined with Mox’s. It feels casual now, safe, like Matt doesn’t have to watch her back or turn around every five seconds to make sure no one is on their way to hurt her.
“Alright,” Doc says, “I’ll grab you some more gauze from the back before you leave, just in case your nose starts bleeding again. Don’t bump it!”
“I’m not gonna bump it,” Mox says, rolling his eyes. “Matt, please don’t bump my nose.”
“I’ll do my best,” Matt promises.
They’re left alone, finally, after everything. Matt hops off the bench and starts pacing the small distance she can manage while still holding Mox’s hand. She doesn’t realize how hard she’s gripping his hand until she sees him wince for the first time.
“I’m sorry,” she says, her voice shaky.
“Don’t worry about it, baby,” Mox says, voice soft and gentle. “Are you okay?”
Matt nods. She’s not going to cry, she doesn’t think. She doesn’t feel the urge. “I’m okay,” she says.
“I’m so sorry you had to hear it.” Mox reaches out with grabby hands, and Matt steps into his space, burying her face into his chest. “That guy’s an ass and the worst person in this building, by far. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Matt mumbles into Mox’s chest.
Mox sighs, tightening his hands around her, burying his now clean face into her neck. “I should – I should have hit him before he started talking. You shouldn’t have had to hear him say that – that word.” Mox exhales again, then leans back. He smiles down at Matt, adjusting her hair where it poofed out of her braids.
Matt doesn’t even think before she says what’s next. She just knows she has to say it. “I love you.”
Mox’s eyes widen. “Really?”
Matt nods, unsure that she meant to say it now, but sure. No matter what, she’s sure. “I do.”
“I love you, too,” Mox says, smiling. “But you already knew that.” And what can Matt do but lean in and kiss him again?
~
Nick
Nick is a little unsteady, trying to get his breathing under control. He’s never been in a fight before. He’s always known it was a possibility, that kind of hatred, toward his friends and Matt for being who they are, but he didn’t expect it so blatant. He didn’t expect it to come to his sister first.
“Are you okay?” Adam asks. He rests a hesitant hand on Nick’s shoulder. “You’re kind of shaking.”
Nick’s quiet for a moment. He watches the other coach go off on the boys that had backed the transphobe, half dragging them away from the court and out the door toward what he hopes is the extra trainer’s room. It’s a comfort that the coach is showing them no sympathy, but it doesn’t feel like enough. “Matt shouldn’t have had to hear that.” He looks up into Adam’s clear, bright eyes. “We shouldn’t have had to do that.” Suddenly, he feels tears well up in his eyes. “Why did that have to happen?”
Like it’s automatic, like it’s happened a million times and it’s what’s expected of him, Adam pulls Nick in. He gathers Nick in his arms, holds him to his strong chest, and they stand there, just breathing. Nick cries. He cries and shakes and mourns the day he should have had, and Adam holds him silently. He doesn’t even think about how there were probably people there waiting, people there watching. People who can now see how effected he is by all this. And he doesn’t care.
Adam is making calm shushing noises, stroking his hair.
Nick pulls back a little, looking up at him. “Are you using your scared animal voice with me?” he asks.
Adam flushes pink. “Um. Okay, yes, but I thought it would help, and it did! You’re not crying anymore.” He reaches out and, with a callused thumb, gently brushes the tear away from Nick’s cheek. “Hey. You good?”
“I’m good,” Nick says, only half aware of the way he still has his arms wrapped around Adam’s waist. Like this is how they always stand. “Thanks for joining ranks with us to kick that guy’s butt.”
Adam smiles. “Of course. Thanks for texting me heads up beforehand. I was ready.” He reaches up and tucks Nick’s ponytail back over his shoulder. “Nobody messes with my best friends, right?”
The two of them help the other girls on the cheer team clean up their bags and everything. It’s slow work, though, everyone recuperating from the stressful events.
“I would have killed him,” Jamie says as she takes off her basketball sneakers and throws them in her bag so hard they bounce. “You hear me? I would have killed them if they’d let me.”
“We know, babe,” Britt murmurs, rubbing Jamie’s back. “It’s okay.”
They talk, a little. But it’s clear they’re all killing time, waiting for Mox and Matt to come back.
“You guys can go,” Nick says, doing his best to mimic a smile. “I mean, you don’t have to. But I’ll take care of her. And Mox, too.”
“And me,” Adam says. “I’ve got them, too. Don’t forget about me.”
“No one would forget about you, Cowboy,” Cole says, clapping Adam on the back. “Good work.”
The crowd dissipates quickly, an unseasonably warm March afternoon now open to all of them, and Adam bumps the back of Nick’s hand when they’re alone.
“You good?” he asks quietly.
“Yeah,” Nick says, “I mean – I guess, yeah.” He fidgets again, bumping Adam’s hand. “I just want to make sure Matt’s okay, is all.”
“I’m not asking if Matt’s okay, Nicky,” Adam says. He steps in front of Nick, tilting Nick’s chin up to meet his eyes. Nick’s heart races. “I’m asking if you’re okay.”
“I –” Nick exhales again and can’t stop himself from falling into Adam’s chest again, hugging him close. A few moments pass while Adam rubs his back, and then Nick pulls back. He’s close to Adam’s face, and if he leaned in. If he admitted what he really wanted –
Somebody clears their throat, and Nick and Adam jump away from each other.
“Adam.”
Nick turns to see Mox and Matt. Mox looks focused, determined. Matt just looks confused.
“Yeah?” he asks hesitantly. Nick hates the way Adam tenses, like he’s getting ready to be fought. “What’s up?”
Mox looks to Matt, who, still confused, just shrugs. Mox walks up to Adam and Nick doesn’t even have a chance to step in.
Mox throws his arms around Adam’s shoulders, hugging him close. “Thank you, man.”
Adam throws a bewildered look over Mox’s shoulder to Nick. Nick can’t do anything but shrug, befuddled beyond belief. “For what?”
“Coming to back me up,” Mox says, stepping backward. “Um, earlier. You didn’t leave us high and dry.”
Adam nods, slowly, like he’s not quite sure what’s going on. “Of – of course I’d step in. Nobody messes with Matty, right?”
Nick looks over to see Matt beaming. She seems to be seeing something in the moment Nick just can’t yet.
“I’m sorry I punched you back in middle school,” Mox says. “I mean, I know it was a while ago, but I never apologized, which is shitty. I, uh, I think you’re a pretty good dude. I get it if you don’t want anything to do with me, but I just wanted you to know, like.” He shrugs. “You’re a good person, and I appreciate that.”
Adam looks bewildered. “I – okay. I mean, yeah. We don’t really have an issue now, right?”
Mox shakes his head. “Not unless you think we do, that is.”
Adam smiles. “Cool, I. I’m glad we’re good.”
“Can we get lunch or something?” Matt says, sneaking up beside Mox and slipping her hand into his. “If we don’t have a game, we can get food or something.” She blinks. “We could always go to – ”
“No Sonic,” the three boys say all at once.
Matt stares at them, blinking. “How did you all know I was gonna say Sonic?”
“Because they have cherry limeades and popcorn chicken, and those are your favorite things together,” Mox says, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “And then you complain, every time, that they didn’t give you enough extra cherries.”
“I don’t –”
“You definitely do,” Adam says. “Every time we have an option to get food, you always say Sonic and then you always complain about the cherries.”
Matt turns to Nick.
“Don’t look at me for help,” he says. “They’re right.”
“You three suck,” Matt says, pouting.
“Let’s Taco Bell or something,” Mox says. “I want a crunch wrap.”
Matt and Mox are in front as they get to parking lot, their hands swinging between them. Nick looks over at Adam quickly, fast enough he doesn’t think Adam can see it. And begins to wonder how long he can fight this off.
Adam’s quiet, too, and Nick wants to ask, wants to say something, wants to bring it up. But he’s too scared.
#MoxMatt#MoxMatt high school AU#wtf i like wrestling now???#in which sara writes#This chapter gave me hell because I didn't want it to happen but it kind of needed to? Which sucks. But.#If there's anything I need to fix or tag for please let me know!
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Anteric - Chapter Three (f.o)
summary: secrets have more worth than you gave them credit for.
warnings; swearing, BLOOD MENTION, FIGHTING, MENTION OF MURDER, GUN USE.
wc; 10k
NOTES; I give reader a last name to fit the world.
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“There are two things that you will learn today.” It turns out that Laurel can be loud when she wants to be. Her voice projects across the room with little to no effort, “The first is how to shoot a gun.” she presses one into your palm and keeps walking, “The second is how to win a fight.”
The gun isn’t as heavy as it looks. You turn it over in your hand, thumb running over the sleek metal. When you look up, you can see that Finnick is mesmerised by it. You can’t decide whether or not that’s a good thing. At least neither of you are afraid of it, but you don’t think that you should be idolizing it. Then again, you probably shouldn’t underestimate it, either.
You suppose that you and Finnick will fit in just fine here. As long as Finnick doesn’t get too caught up in his dream, and you don’t keep overthinking it. It’s just a gun.
“Initiation is divided into three stages! Like Caspian told you last night, we will measure and rank you depending on your performance in each stage. The stages are not all weighed equally in determining your final rank. So, it is possible to be at the bottom and wind up at the top. Don’t be fooled, it will not be an easy task to do.
“In Dauntless, we believe that preparation eliminates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear. So, each stage of initiation will prepare you in a different way. Your first stage will be physical, your next will be emotional, and the third and final stage, will be mental.” Laurel stops pacing for a moment, turning to look at you all.
Finnick leans over, “How far do you think you can push your streak?”
“Hitting the target dead-on first try is like expecting a cold gust of wind in hell when it’s summer.”
Finnick snorts.
“I’ll show you how it’s done. And then you will practice until lunch.” Laurel says, turning toward the side of the room with the targets. They’re just squares of plywood with red circles on it. She spreads her legs slightly, holds up the gun away from her face, concentrates, and doesn’t hesitate when she fires. She gets the middle of the circle in the blink of an eye.
If she could do this, you wonder if everyone else inside of the faction can, too. This initiation process has been around for years. It just evolves the more that time goes on because of technology. So, every adult that you have come across so far, should technically know how to shoot. You don’t know whether to be afraid or not.
Finnick rubs his ear with an open palm after the sound of Laurel’s gun. It’s loud, you can feel it in your chest. You’re sure that it’ll only get worse, now that you’re all left to give it a try by yourselves.
“Do you think that you’ll be able to hit the bullseye?” you ask, barely glancing at Finnick.
You copy the way that Laurel had stood. You spread your legs apart a little, hold the gun away from your face, and point it straight at the target. As far as you can see, it should be lined up perfectly. But that’s not taking everything into consideration. You’ve never fired a gun before, and you’ve never seen it happen until now, when Laurel had used hers.
This is new to you. The chances of you actually being able to do this is one in a thousand. Unless you’re some sort of prodigy, which you highly doubt. Just because you’ve qualified for three factions, doesn’t mean you need to go inflating your own ego. You’re just the same as everyone here. Maybe a little better, personality-wise.
“You go first.” Finnick says, catching the attention of Thyme. She lowers her gun to watch too.
“Why me?” you whine, closing one eye to see if you can line it up better. No matter what happens, this is going to miss. It’s just a matter of whether or not you come close.
It’s worth a try.
You breathe in your nose a little when you pull the trigger, already flinching even before the recoil hits. The bang is loud enough to pop your ears, you end up with a wince on your face, arms sore. When you look back at the wood, you expect to see the bullet far away from the middle. In fact, maybe somewhere not near the target at all.
But the hole is on the second red circle, to the right.
A shot of energy goes through you, making you bounce on your toes excitedly.
“At this rate, you’re not going to have anything to worry about.” Finnick says, “I might have to keep my eye on you.”
“Yeah?” you ask, “Let’s see you give it a go.”
He gives you a boyish smile, Thyme backs off slightly. Finnick seems to have the form down, he holds the gun up and away from his face. The smile eventually fades from his face as he begins to focus. By the time he pulls the trigger, he’s gritting his teeth.
You try not to flinch this time. When you look at his aim, it’s better than yours. More than halfway to the circle that surrounds the center. You light up, elbowing him with a smile, “Hey! You’re better than me.”
It goes on like this for the rest of the morning. Round after round, you shoot bullet after bullet. All of them slowly inch towards the middle, but it takes a lot longer than you’d expect it to. By Finnick’s second round, he hit the middle three times in a row before finally falling off the streak.
You relax for a moment, rolling your shoulders. You know how you stood the first time you did it, and you think back to how Laurel had stood. She was relaxed, right at home. She can afford to be, though. She’s done this for years, she was taught how to shoot guns a while ago. You’re just learning.
You need to take it slower.
You roll your wrists next, letting them ache when you get to a certain point. Finnick fires again, hitting the board. Two inches off the middle. Thyme fires and she’s still on the outer circle. Finnick fires again, he hits the middle. This will be you. You crack your neck.
“Okay.” you breathe, holding the gun up again. You spread your legs, relax your shoulders, and bend your arms a little. You place your finger over the trigger, and take in a small breath.
When you pull, the bullet hits the right side of the circle.
You adjust to fit what you need. Just a couple of centimeters to the left, you pull the trigger again. It’s too far over, you shift one more time. This is it, the last bullet before you have to call it a day today. You don’t know if you’ll ever get a second chance at this.
You pull the trigger hard, prepared for the recoil.
The bullet sits directly in the middle.
A breath of relief leaves you. You’re not a total failure after all.
Laurel makes you all stand in a line, handing over your guns while she counts them. There must have been times in the past where initiates tried to hoard guns, you can’t see why she’d need to do it otherwise. When the number comes out to eight, you’re allowed to head over to the dining hall.
Finnick is giddy, of course, that he’s caught on to shooting so well. You decide that you’d much rather listen than actively participate in the conversation. You think that it would be easier to swallow if it weren’t for the fact that Thyme is literally asking him for advice, as if he has any to give. It was his first time shooting, does she think you guys do these types of things for fun?
Gun use in Abnegation is frowned upon. Not only is it a weapon, which resorts to violence. It’s also used as self defense, therefore it’s self-indulgent. If Reed could see you now, he’d be all sorts of pissed. He’d say something along the lines of, “Mom and dad raised you better than this.”
If they were still here, you’re sure that would have been a good enough excuse to stay in Abnegation. You think that Mox wouldn’t have left either. But it’s hard to stick to a place with so much negative energy. The more the years come on, the more Reed seems to sink into this hole of hatred.
The dining hall is less crowded this afternoon, it’s easy pickings for where you want to sit. You pick the middle of a table, and then stare at the food that’s offered for you, debating whether or not you’re hungry. Finnick sits beside you, and seems to do the exact same thing.
“I was kidding yesterday.” he mutters, you think he’s referring to the chicken comment.
“This is all your fault.” you say, giving him a smile.
You grab a small portion of food at a table, not wanting to overdo it. Finnick does the same, and you’re glad to finally see that the gun conversation has ceased. He turns toward you to talk, leaving Thyme out to a certain extent. You can’t say that you feel bad for her. She’s been talking to him all morning, it’s only right that it’s your turn.
“What do you think’s next?” he asks, eating a forkful of carrots.
“Well, Laurel did say that we’d be learning how to win a fight.” you push the food around on your plate. None of it looks appetizing anymore, “I don’t think you really need to learn that, do you?”
In Abnegation, you never watched Finnick lose a fight. This boy has got more power than any of the Erudite and Dauntless kids that he fought. Sometimes, all it took was one punch and the other teenager would go down like a sack of flour. It’s pretty impressive when you’re not the one fighting him. You can’t imagine what it’s like being on the other end, though.
“Probably not, but it never hurts to learn it properly.” Finnick smiles, “And it’ll give you a chance to perfect your form.”
You give him a look. It was one time.
Last night, Caspian wasn’t kidding about where you’d be staying. However, he could’ve at least gave you a little more information about what it would be like so that you didn’t have to figure it out for yourself. He said that there’s ten beds inside of the room, which is correct, but technically they’re bunk beds.
Also, there’s absolutely no privacy anywhere. Not in the main room, where all the beds sit just mere feet from each other. And not in the bathroom, there’s absolutely no stalls. But don’t worry, there’s mirrors in there!
None of this would bother you, if it weren’t for the fact that you’re all sleeping in the same room together. Finnick chose the bottom bunk, you went ahead and picked the top. To his direct right is Thyme, who’s also sleeping on the bottom. And everyone else is scattered in their own corners, too.
Oh, which reminds you, you’ve finally got names to put to every face. The Erudite girl that died yesterday, her name is Elodia. She was apparently best friends with the other Erudite girl, Trink. The two Candor initiates that Trink has been inseparable from is Eytelle, the girl, and Allio, the boy. As for the other two Candor initiates, there’s Ossie, another girl, and Amos, another boy. So, there’s three boys and five girls.
Anyway, since you’re all staying in the same room, you were able to hear the exact moment when Thyme bursted out crying. And that’s not the part that really gets to you. You can kinda sympathize with them for being upset over the fact that they might have chosen the worst faction to go for, even if their aptitude test thought that they’d be prepared for it.
No, the part you hated the most last night was the fact that the crying went on for over ten minutes. And right when Thyme had begun to settle down, getting quieter, someone else started crying. It wasn’t Finnick, but you have a feeling it was one of the other girls. Maybe Trink, because she lost her friend. Or possibly Ossie, because she doesn’t exactly look the type to be in Dauntless in the first place.
Then again, all of them can be full of surprises, you don’t know. What you do know, is that if it happens again tonight, you might just smother everyone with a pillow and decide to be the sole surviving transfer initiate from your Choosing Ceremony. It’ll eliminate the worry of not being able to pass the stages, and you’ll actually get a good night of sleep.
You might spare Finnick.
When Laurel decides that you’re all done eating, she brings you to a new room. This one is large, with a wooden floor that’s cracked and has a large white circle painted in the middle. On the far left wall is a chalkboard, with all of your names written in alphabetical order. From top to bottom, it goes: Allio, yourself, Eytelle, Trink, Amos, Elodia, Finnick and then Thyme.
On another side of the room hangs black punching bags. Laurel has you line up behind them, she takes her time going to the middle so you all can see her, “Like I said this morning, you’ll be learning how to fight. The reason for this is to prepare you to act; to get you used to responding to threats and challenges. Which are instincts you’ll need, if you intend to live in Dauntless.
“We will go over techniques today, and tomorrow you will start to fight each other.” The talking between initiates stops, taking in what she said. All you can think about is every time you watched Finnick give a Dauntless teenager a black eye. You wonder how many of them chose to stay in Dauntless, “I’m glad I finally got your attention. If I were you, I’d pay attention today. Those of you who aren’t quick learners will wish you were. Like this morning, I’ll show you how it’s done, and then you’ll practice until six.”
Every punch she shows you, has a name. She’ll demonstrate it in the air first, and then she’ll punch a bag. Following are kicks, which she seems to have more power for. Every time she lands a hit on the punching bag, it’ll spin and rock, you think you can even see dust streaming down from the ceiling.
When it’s your turn to give it a try, you keep it in rotation. You’ll go through all the punches first, and then the kicks. You start over a couple of times, wanting to get your form and position down first. It’ll be the most important part of tomorrow. There’s eight of you, no one will be excluded from the fighting. And if you’re unsure of where you told your hands or where to place your feet, you’re going to be screwed.
The hitting gets harder once you think you can afford to try new combinations. A kick with a punch, maybe the other way around if it feels too uncomfortable. The longer you have at the punching bag, the more you realize just how fun it is. At first, it was unnatural, you’ve only thrown a couple of punches before. But now it seems like second-nature.
“Very good, (Y/n).” Laurel says, passing behind you, “Lower your fists from your face a little, and it’ll be perfect.”
You follow what she says. She’s right, this was the only thing that you were missing. When you throw punches from now on, it’s much easier. By the time six rolls around, your skin is sore and you can’t help but to rub your shins. They’re definitely going to be bruised somewhat. At least it’s not impossible to deal with.
“Laurel says we can go anywhere.” Finnick says, bumping his arm into yours on purpose, “Anywhere.”
“Is it possible to eat dinner first?” you ask, massaging your hands, “You can drag me around after that.”
“Hungry?”
“Mostly hoping that dinner is better than what they served us for lunch.” you give him a smile.
He grins back.
Dinner is much better. Soup, beef, carrots, potatoes, onions. You take your time eating, watching as Finnick has serving after serving. He’s lucky that there’s no limit as to how much you can eat. But he should probably show some more self-restraint, considering whatever he wants to do after this, might cause him to get sick. You eat two bowls before you call it good, while Finnick is just finishing up his seventh.
“Full yet?” you muse.
“I was mostly trying to figure out what I want to do.” Finnick sets his bowl on top of yours, collecting your spoon so that it can sit with his, “And I figured it out.”
“What is it?” Thyme asks, she’s leaning in slightly on the other side of the table.
There’s a mischievous grin that crosses over his face, “Piercings.”
“Oh,” Thyme falls back.
You snort, sliding out of the table, “What’re you going to get pierced?”
“My nose, probably.” Finnick joins you, “And then we can all go shopping.”
This morning, Laurel had provided everyone with clothing. Mostly practical stuff, like jeans, shirts, underwear, jackets, shoes, whatever. It’s all in black, naturally. But the only fitting clothing on you right now is the underwear. As for the shirts, jeans and shoes, they’re a bit bigger than you’d like them to be. It could also be another reason why it’s throwing off your groove.
Of course, this isn’t just a you problem, it’s an everyone problem. Finnick is wearing a shirt that’s a little too tight-fitting than he likes. If he pulls on the fabric, it snaps right back into place. Thyme’s jeans needed a shoelace to keep them up high enough. As for all the other initiates, they ended up in their own problems. You think that Eytelle, the tall Candor girl, is wearing clown shoes.
“Sure.” you agree.
The three of you leave the dining hall to go out to the Pit, which is currently crammed with, what looks like, the entire Dauntless population. You let Finnick lead the way up the narrow paths, and straight to a tattoo-piercing parlor. Every month, Dauntless gives everyone a certain amount of points they can use a month that works like cash.
Finnick talks to a guy at the counter with multiple piercings in his ears, and ones that make his earlobe stretch out far enough that you can see through the earring. Finnick points out a spot on his nose, the guy will say something back, until they seem to come to an agreement. Finnick turns to look at you and Thyme.
“Coming in?” he wiggles his eyebrows, “I know Thyme won’t get a tattoo or piercing, but what about you?”
You give him a face, “I’ll think about it next time.”
“Chicken.” Finnick sings, backing into the parlor.
You purse your lips, watching as his face slowly gets more smug, “Fine, give me one good reason.”
“Because you still walk and talk like a Stiff.” Finnick says.
His eyebrows are raised, he knows that he’s won it. Stiff is a term, normally derogatory, used towards Abnegation faction members because of how stuck-up you are--or, were. There’s a lot of restrictions in Abnegation. Piercings, tattoos and brightly colored hair is self-indulgent. Talking loudly, laughing, or even playing games is distracting. Hell, even relationships are frowned upon, not supposed to be public because they’re nuisances.
Finnick is wrong on some parts. You don’t talk like you’re in Abnegation, otherwise your voice would be hushed whispers and you wouldn’t laugh like the rest of these people. You didn’t complain about the guns, or defending yourself. You didn’t cry last night because you were afraid. You even pushed through things that you’re normally afraid of to fit right in.
The other parts are much more difficult. You think of yourself as a chameleon. Before all of this, before you had switched factions, you also seemed to fit in just fine as an Abnegation member. You said so yourself. But now you’re in Dauntless, you’re fitting in too. You wonder what it would have been like in Erudite, how easy it would have been for you to blend in there too.
The obvious reason for this is the Divergence.
And Laurel told you not to stand out. It’s dangerous. You don’t want to know what she meant by that exactly. All you have to do now, is make sure that it doesn’t happen again. You’ll have to do better at making yourself hidden.
You give Finnick a smile, heading towards the parlor.
“Hey--wait!” Thyme grabs your arm, stopping you from going, “I thought me and you could go shopping while we wait for him.”
“You know you can get your ears pierced, right?” you ask her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her with you, “One baby step at a time.”
Inside of the parlor, you’re matched with a different guy. You settle on a nose stud, thanks to his suggestion. You’re mostly worried about what might happen to it starting tomorrow. With a ring, like Finnick’s getting, there’s more of a chance of it getting ripped out. The stud will still sparkle in light, and it won’t be as irritating. Thyme goes ahead and gets both of her ears pierced on the lobe.
Walking out, Finnick’s nose is still bleeding. Thyme looks happy with her silver flowers, and you resist the urge to itch the new wound on your face. Thyme brings you and Finnick to a store that she’d been eyeing for a while. Honestly, you can’t tell the difference between any of it. One black clothing store to another. It’s all just as bland as the grey Abnegation clothing.
You find high-waisted skinny jeans, throwing them over your arm. You pick out a shirt that looks like it’s your size, and disappear into a changing room to make sure it fits. All clothing back home is baggy, in Dauntless it’s supposed to stick to your skin. Before, size didn’t matter when it came to clothes, only that it didn’t get in the way of your volunteer work.
Surprisingly, you picked out the right size the first time around. The jeans feel comfy on your hips, the sleeves of the shirt are fairly loose and don’t cut off circulation in your arms. You pay for it with your points, and then go right back to hunting for tennis shoes.
Finnick finds his clothes soon after, joining you on a bench while you go through shoe boxes. Thyme goes in and out of the dressing room, not being able to find a pair of jeans that fit. It’s comical, watching her pace the aisles. Eventually she gives up and has to ask for help.
You stand from the bench, kicking the shoes around, bending and walking in them. They fit well, and there’s space at the top so that your toes aren’t crammed. You pay for the shoes too, Finnick buys everything that he’s wearing. The two of you dump your clothes in separate black bags, you suggested wearing them to bed so that you won’t have to genuinely live in these clothes.
As soon as Thyme is done, the three of you head back to the room.
“Who do you think we’ll be paired up with tomorrow?” Thyme asks, looking over to you two.
Finnick shrugs, and then gives you a glance.
“I have no clue, don’t look at me like that.”
“Except you’re really good at taking guesses.” Finnick says, “So guess.”
He’s wrong, you think. You’re not good at guessing, you’re good at narrowing down the possibilities and choosing the ones that seem most likely. And you keep doing it until you’re down to one solution. Which is definitely not an Abnegation response to problems, it’s an Erudite one. Finnick has unintentionally picked up on it.
You give out a sigh anyway, “Well, I think Laurel likes us enough, so she’ll start off easy and try to match us with people that are like us.” you look at him, “Good enough?”
“Good enough.” Finnick smiles.
--
When you got up this morning, the first order of business that Laurel had you doing was practicing shooting guns again. For several hours straight, you got to watch Finnick get better and better at hitting the middle. At first, you weren’t entirely bothered, but the irritation started to fester when Thyme kept praising him. You were too happy for it to be over, even after your aim improved considerably.
Now, you all stand together inside of the punching bag room from yesterday.Laurel stands in front of the chalkboard, smoothly writing on it. The only sound that fills the room is the sound of the chalk hitting the board as she writes your names down next to each other. She wasn’t lying when she said that the real initiation would start today.
Last night you said Laurel might like you enough to pair you with someone that would be easy to beat. You’re not as confident anymore. Caspian stands off to the side of the room, watching Laurel. You might have been happy to see a familiar face in Dauntless two days ago, but you haven’t forgotten the things that Caspian said to you when you were a kid. It’s impossible to, all he did was add to your growing hatred.
As far as you can tell at the moment, Caspian is almost the same guy he was before he switched to Dauntless. Before, he was mean, thought he was funny, and convinced himself that he was the shit. He has his moments where he can genuinely be likeable, but it’s always some sort of honeymoon faze. He can ruin it as fast as you can snap your fingers. And he’s good at hiding that mean side of his personality, but it can show out in little bits and pieces. Like sunshine peeking through clouds.
“Lucky for all of you, no one has to sit out.” Laurel says, she’s finishing up.
Finnick spins the nose ring with his thumb, you shove your hands into your pockets to keep from digging your nails into your palm, Thyme rocks back and forth on her feet.
“Which means hardly any days off.” Laurel places the chalk onto the metal stand, and then moves out of the way.
You suck in air through your teeth, eyes going over the list. It’s short, only four rows.
Allio and Ossie.
Thyme and Amos.
Eytelle and Finnick.
You and Trink.
“Oh great, you’re paired with an asshole.” Finnick says, referencing the nickname you two gave Erudite’s on the train here, yesterday. “You’ll get to kick her ass before I do.”
Caspian definitely organized this, Laurel might have had some say in it. You can see the strategy here. Allio and Ossie are similar in height, but different in personality, weight and muscle. Thyme and Amos are both pretty short and scrawny, Eytelle is taller than Finnick, but they’re the only ones close in height. The only reason why you think you’re paired with Trink is because of height.
You look at Caspian, he’s already staring at you. His face is straight for a moment, before his lip twitches into a smirk.
No, you change your mind. Height was a coincidence with her. There’s more behind this, more secretive, and you think it has layers. The first is obvious, this is a gift from Caspian. You told him about his family back home, offering up the information without a single question or prompt from him. You even made it sound like they were part of your family.
The second layer is more subtle. Caspian might not have been great with Abnegation ideals, much like Finnick, but you all have a soft spot for the place you called home for years. Caspian doesn’t like that Erudite is talking shit about Abnegation, but he can’t say anything about it. There’s no question that you don’t like what’s happening either. And since he can’t punch the smug Erudite look off of Trink’s face, you have to.
More or less, you’ll get to defend Abnegation’s honor by kicking Trink’s ass.
This time, Caspian’s wrath isn’t being focused on you. Trink isn’t even going to know what hit her. Well, she will. You’ll be the one hitting her.
You look over at Trink, not being able to hide the smile on your face, “At least you get to pick on someone your own size. Enjoy the challenge while you can.”
Finnick lets out a laugh.
Ossie and Allio meet each other in the center of the white circle. They raise their fists up, and shuffle in a circle like you were taught to. When Allio realizes that Ossie isn’t going to make the first move, he jerks forward to punch her. It was a ruse, Ossie moves out of the way and slams her elbow into the back of his neck.
Okay, maybe Ossie isn’t as weak as you thought she would be. You, Finnick and Thyme watch the way she moves, how easy she’s able to dodge his attacks. Allio is clumsy on his feet, Ossie can dance circles around him, and she practically does, with how quick she moves. However, the moment that Allio gets one good hit on her, she’s down.
She lays on her back, hand spread over her cheek as she grimaces. Her face is turning red, you can’t imagine the tooth pain she’s having at the moment. You all look at Laurel and Caspian to see that they’re unmoving from the board.
“Shouldn’t they call it?” Finnick leans over, whispering.
You tilt your head, “I think we just unlocked a new rule.”
You’re right, Caspian shifts on his feet and lets out an annoyed sigh through his nose, “The fight isn’t over until one of you can’t move!”
“Or you can give up and suffer the consequences.” Judging by the tone of Laurel’s voice, it isn’t much of an option.
This is worse than it was before. You thought that enough punches to Trink’s face would knock her down, and the fight would be over. But if you’re going to be beating each other to near death…
Allio turns back on Ossie, a smile growing on his face. She sees his expression and gets to her feet. Her face is already swelling, you can imagine that there’s going to be a pretty bad bruise on her face tomorrow. She raises her fists again, and goes right back to what she was doing before. Except, she’s clearly trying to piss Allio off. She’ll look like she’s going all in, and then she'll pull back in time for Allio to make a fool of himself.
Her antics get her in trouble, though, because all it takes is one bad move, and Allio grabs a hold of her throat, stopping her in her tracks. She grabs his wrist with one hand, raising her foot to kick him in the stomach with the other. Allio barely flinches, lifts her, and then slams her into the wood ground.
A crack fills the air.
Allio’s heavy breathing is the only thing that you can hear.
When Ossie doesn’t immediately get up, or even turn over, Laurel starts forward. Caspian’s arms are crossed, he watches as she kneels next to Ossie. Her fingers barely touch the floor, and she’s immediately recoiling. Laurel stares down at her hand, and you can see in the light, that it’s shiny.
“He cracked her head open.” you say.
Laurel seems to come to that conclusion too, because she wraps her arm around Ossie’s back, and then under her legs. Laurel rocks back and forth, raising from her shins, to her knees, to her feet. Caspian gives one nod to Laurel before she walks out. Then, she turns towards the chalkboard.
He circles Allio’s name in white.
“Thyme and Amos!” Caspian shouts.
“What about the blood?” Amos asks, moving forward. Thyme is still stuck to the other side of Finnick.
Caspian makes a sound, and it isn’t one of discontent. More that he’s realizing that the blood will end up being a problem. So, he pulls the towel off of the chalkboard stand, and throws it at Amos. Amos barely catches it, stares down at the black towel, and then drops it on the pool of blood. It isn’t much, Ossie had only been laying there for a few seconds. When he’s sure that it’s dried up enough, Amos kicks the towel across the room to get it out of the way.
“I can’t do this.” Thyme says, her voice is quiet.
“You have to.” Finnick gives her a push, “The two of you are practically the same, just use what you learned yesterday.”
It’s easy for Finnick to say that, he’s excited to get put up against Eytelle. You can tell by the way he shifts on his feet, plus the smile hasn’t left his face since he learned that he’d be going up against her. Finnick loves a challenge.
Thyme hangs her head slightly, but joins Amos in the circle. For a moment, they stare at each other, unsure if either of them want to commit to this. Then, Thyme raises her fists, tilts her head, and starts shuffling. Amos follows her, slowly drawing closer.
You bite the nail on your thumb, “So what’s your strategy going to be?”
“Probably going to knock her out as fast as possible. I think it’ll land me directly on top.” Finnick gives you a grin.
“We’re still aiming for a streak?”
“I think we blew it during the gun training.” Finnick laughs, you join in.
Thyme jerks forward, bringing her leg up to slam into Amos’ side.
“What’s your strategy?”
You tilt your head, “Probably going to draw it out as long as possible. It’s my only chance to kick the shit out of an Erudite so I figure that I’ll make the most out of it.”
“I’m sure Caspian and Laurel will be thrilled.”
Amos reaches to grab Thyme’s hair, but she slams her fist straight into his nose. He stumbles back, hands flying to contain the blood that’s beginning to gush out. Amos’ eyes widen, landing on Thyme. She raises her fists, you can see the ghost of a smile..
After this, he continuously backs away from Thyme. She doesn’t look like she’s bothered by this, she just keeps getting closer. And the moment he’s within arms reach, is the moment he messed up. She jumps at him, grabbing his shirt, which hangs off his body loosely. You bet that he didn’t bother to go out and get a new shirt or clothes last night. Hopefully this will teach him a lesson. That he’s easily grabbable when the clothes don’t fit.
She yanks Amos forward, spins him around and sweeps a foot out from beneath him. Amos hits the ground almost as hard as Ossie did, but he’s still conscious. Thyme raises her foot, kicking Amos in the ribs. He groans, one arm flying to protect the spot, while the other goes to catch her new kick.
She changes her mind last second, dropping to her knees and raising her fist so quickly that it’s a blur. Amos raises his arms to protect his face, so she settles for a dead-on hit to his chest. You let out a groan, feeling the ache in your own chest. Amos wheezes, Thyme punches him in the face. Over and over.
The sounds coming from Amos are less than pleasant.
“That’s going to be you.” Finnick says.
“Yeah?” you ask, but don’t say anything else.
You don’t even want to know if he means that you’re going to be Thyme, or if you’re going to be Amos. Although, you’re not really sure that it matters. Either you’ll lose yourself to the fight, or you’re going to get the shit kicked out of you.
Thyme falls back on her heels, rubbing her bloody knuckles. She lifts the end of her shirt, all eyes fall on Caspian to see what he has to say. He stares at Amos for a little, Thyme pushes herself to her feet.
“Get him out of the ring.” Caspian finally says, circling Thyme’s name.
Allio and Thyme work together, getting Amos upright. He doesn’t stay on his feet for long, as soon as he’s out of the circle, he’s sitting on the floor. He’s sniffing, which might be from him crying, or it might be him trying to get his nose to stop bleeding. You’re not sure if it really matters which one it is.
“Eytelle and Finnick.” Caspian motions.
There’s no blood to clean up this time. You give Finnick a firm pat on the back, “Kick some ass.”
Thyme stands next to you, her fingers massaging the skin over her knuckles. If she thinks it hurts now, it’s only going to feel worse tomorrow. Not to mention, if you’re going to be doing this multiple times for evaluation, all of your knuckles are going to be split and sore. You can’t imagine the amount of injuries you’ll experience during initiation
You’re going for none, but it’s not all that realistic.
Finnick cracks his knuckles, the smile on his face disappears, “You know, I’ve never fought a Candor before. They always whine like bitches.” he raises his fists, “So tell me, are you going to cry?”
Eytelle isn’t amused, she raises her fists, “I’m taller than you.”
“You think height matters?” Finnick’s face darkens, “It’s a matter of experience.”
And he has too much for a former Abnegation member.
Finnick bounces on his toes, watching the way Eytelle moves. She’s clearly eager, moving forward. But the moment he goes to match her, she seems to back down. She’s wary. You guess that she’s taking Finnick’s word for it all, which isn’t a bad idea. You think that you’d rather take the word of the other person just to be safe. Then again, it could make you be overly cautious in the end.
There’s only so much dancing that Finnick can take. He stops letting Eytelle take the initiative and starts moving at her like a shark. Because of the smooth way he moves, you can’t tell what he’s going to do next. He could punch her, or kick her, or jump at her. He doesn’t twitch. This is the side of Finnick that you’re always so amazed at.
All of his moves are calculated. He’ll move right, and appear on the left. He slams his fist into the shoulder she favors more. She winces, rolling the shoulder to get feeling back in it. When she holds up her hands, it’s awkward now. Finnick strikes again, this time going for her upper arm, which falls completely limp.
It’ll be hard to punch him if she can’t feel the arm at all.
Eytelle goes to punch with her left hand anyway. Finnick catches her wrist, twisting her arm at a painful angle. Finnick pulls her closer, and slams his fist right across her jaw. Her head jerks backward, a gurgle sound leaving her throat. Finnick does it again, much harder this time. It’s enough to make her knees buckle.
He lets go of her, letting her hit the floor. Eytelle doesn’t move.
Finnick wipes his hands off on his jeans, and then fixes his hair. You’d say that this fight lasted less than five minutes. Faster than Ossie and Allio, and faster than Thyme and Amos. When it’s your turn, you’re going to make sure it’s painful.
Caspian goes ahead and circles Finnick’s name.
A couple of seconds later, Eytelle groans, which means that no one will have to drag her out of the ring, but Allio and Trink go to help her anyway. Eytelle vaguely complains about being dizzy, so she sits on the floor too, hand placed over her jaw.
The door on the far side of the room opens to reveal Laurel. She comes in without Ossie, so you figure that she’s either with some sort of doctor. Normally, hospitals are far away, but it’s Dauntless. They have to have someone closeby, especially with the cave that they live in.
She stands in her spot by the chalkboard.
“(Y/n) and Trink.”
Finnick grabs your arm, turning you away from the circle to speak, “You probably remember, but keep an eye on the way she moves. She’s also Erudite, so she’s got a hundred strategies or whatever.”
He straightens up, “Alright, good luck, wreak havoc.”
You snort. On the way to the circle, you crack everything that you can think of. Fingers, neck, knuckles. You stretch your muscles next, shoulders, wrist, knees and ankles. You’ve only fought someone else once. Once.
“Scared?” Trink asks, she lets a lock of her blonde hair fall black into place.
You bend your knees back and forth, raising your fists, “Don’t need to be. I know a couple of things myself.”
You give her a smirk.
Trink raises her fists, “You’re bluffing.”
“We’ll see.”
In Abnegation, Finnick was always the one to get physical with people he didn’t like at the school. Most of the time, he wouldn’t immediately turn to fighting. But if the situation kept getting worse, and the person didn’t notice all the warning signs that were coming from him, he’d resort to it easily. Corner them in the hallway, and tell them that if they want to run their mouth, then they can reap what they sow. People were always stupid enough to see what he meant.
You said that the rules of fighting were simple, and the first one was to always make sure that there were no witnesses. Except, Finnick would always bring you. You would be his alibi if he needed it, and the excuse would automatically be a factionless man needing help, that’s why you were late getting home. You only used the excuse once.
So, you’ll have to say that you’ve seen Finnick fight many times. You’ve watched the way he throws punches, the way he holds himself with confidence. How he’ll never give away his moves before he does them. It’s like they’re all thought out beforehand. He doesn’t want to drag a fight on, there’s only so much time the excuse can cover. In watching him, you’ve learned a lot.
Eventually, an opportunity of your own sprouted, and it happened right after your father died, which was only a couple of months after your mother had passed. Mox had just switched to Amity, so that was buzzing around. And an Erudite girl caught whiff of the problems that were being kicked up in your house. You don’t know how she found out any of it, but whoever told her was a fucking asshole.
The girl started with talking shit about Abnegation, about how the faction raised your brother to be weak, and that’s why he couldn’t say. You weren’t bothered by this, you had already grown used to not speaking about Mox. You wouldn’t break your streak just because some girl thought it would be fun to start talking shit. Even Finnick didn’t think that it was worth worrying over. The two of you thought she would stop.
But then her focus shifted to your father.
In Abnegation, you are supposed to serve the people around you. In the eyes of the faction, your father died a death that was noble. It was not through war, but in a moment of kindness, of a helping hand. Your father had stopped to help one of the factionless, and in turn, they killed him.
They never found the killer.
The Erudite girl was right in thinking that it would get a quick reaction out of you, because it did. Finnick was the one who told the girl where to meet you. All you did was go out there and wait, with Finnick leaned up against some tree in the shade.
Before she arrived, you had no intention of actually fighting her. You were going to tell her to knock it the fuck off before she did something she would regret. Then she showed up with this smug ass look on her face, and all reason washed away from your body at once.
Unlike Finnick, you only needed to fight once.
You left the girl bloody and swollen, laying in the middle of the grass, barely able to keep her eyes open. For a moment, you stood over her body, staring down at her, wondering if anything really needed to be said. But your actions spoke for themself, that she had picked a fight she couldn’t win. You left her there, walked home with Finnick, and the next day at school, you didn’t see her.
In all honesty, you never had trouble with anyone after that, either.
There’s a big difference between now and then, though. Then, you were pissed and you had a great reason to be. Now, you’re fighting just because someone is telling you.
No, you have a good reason now, too. You don’t want to be factionless. Trink is one of the many obstacles standing in your way to becoming a member of Dauntless. You think that’s a good enough reason.
You bounce from side to side, feeling the burn in your calves. Finnick said that Trink would have a thousand strategies thought up because she’s Erudite. But you’re part Erudite too, you could have qualified if you wanted to. So, in order to win this, you need to think like she does, even more so than usual.
You told her you know a few things yourself, she’s going to assume that you learned from Finnick, or the two of you often work together when it comes to fights. Which is wrong. Finnick likes his fights to be clean cuts, the faster he knocks out his opponent, the faster he can do something else. It’s also a display of dominance, one hit and his victim falls. The person is never stupid enough to come back twice.
Finnick let Eytelle start the fight. So, you will be the one to start this.
You move forward, letting the smile go. You need to focus.
Trink shuffles, her left hand is raised higher than the right. She’s left handed, which means you shouldn’t focus on her right. It also looks like she was suffering the same problem that you were before Laurel corrected you. Her hands are too high.
You keep moving closer, trying to keep your eyes on her face as much as you can. All you have to do is throw a punch at her left hand. It’ll smack her in the face, and then you can really get the show started.
Trink’s right leg twitches.
You jump back in time for it to barely miss you. Change of plans. You grab a hold of her leg, push it up, and swing down low enough to catch her other foot. She loses her balance, hands slapping onto the wood. She doesn’t say down long enough for you to kick her, right back onto her feet.
Her hands are back into place.
You launch at her, punching her hands. Her head knocks back briefly, you squeeze your fists tighter. She goes to retaliate, you block, and then swing your fist straight into her jaw. You’ve got to go harder than this. This isn’t bringing her down. She stumbles back, hands already going back to where they were before.
Trink moves quickly, you’re not able to catch her hands in time. One second, she’s slow, the next there’s an explosion across your nose. Pain prickles across your entire face, making your face feel like it’s a hundred degrees. And then there’s a gushing feeling.
You want to call a time-out as you back up, fingers finding your nose. You plead that it’s not broken, because you won’t be able to handle a crooked nose. It’ll throw you off beat. You’re lucky, because you find that it’s tender, your piercing is still in-tact, and the liquid rushing from your nose is obviously blood. It’s not enough to make you worry, only slightly distracting. You think that the piercing wound is contributing to the problem.
You wipe under your nose, and fling the blood towards the floor, lifting your hands up again. She’ll have to try harder than this to upset you.
There’s a couple of spots that you’re sure would get back at her. Her ribs, her nose, her teeth, her jaw, her eyes. You know that anything to her ear or the side of her head will immediately be enough for her to pause. You just need a way to get there. An opening.
Trink moves towards you now, and you let her. You’re not afraid of her punching you again. You want her to try. You keep where you are, only shuffling in the circle. One step closer, and then another. She could swing if she really wanted to. She must be going for something else. You’re not sure what, but does it really matter?
She barely brings her hand down. You dodge the attack, and then your hand hits her cheek bone. And then her jaw. She pushes you off of her, you bring your knee into her side, sweep her feet, and let her fall. You bring your foot back, hitting her stomach, and then her ribs. She’s not on her back just yet, not open enough for you to be on top of her.
Fine.
You swing your foot up towards her face, she’s not able to catch it in time.
Her head flies back, shoulders hitting the wooden floor.
The Erudite girl you fought a while back was in much worse condition than this.
The fight isn’t over. Trink brings herself to her elbows, eyes on your face, squinting. Her vision must be blurry. Unfortunately for her, it’s about to get so much worse. She’s still kicking, which means that you need to be too.
You slam your foot into her side, and then sit on top of her hips. You bring your fist up, watching the blood from your nose land onto her chin. Payback. First is her nose, bleeding. Next is straight to her mouth. After is her cheek, settling for a black eye. She goes to punch up once, aiming for your throat. You grab her arm and twist.
“Give up.” you tell her, twisting harder, “Give up!”
Her face is twisted in pain, mouth open as she pants. When you force it harder, she lets out a scream.
Half her body is twisted one way, her cheek pressed against the wooden floor. The other arm is pinned behind her, she wouldn’t be able to get it, even if she tried. You’ve got the upper hand.
You curl your hand into a fist, eyes landing on her temple, “Well, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.”
Your fist hits the side of her head hard enough for your knuckles to feel like they’ve broken. The tension falls from Trink’s body, you let go of her arm. When you get to your feet, your immediate focus is your nose and the blood coming from it. You squeeze the bridge, tilting your head back slightly.
One look at Caspian, and he’s giving you a nod of approval. He circles your name.
You head toward Finnick and Thyme. In order from most to least damaged, you’re most, Thyme is in the middle, Finnick is least. There’s not a single scratch on him.
Before you can say anything, Finnick’s directing your chin up so that he can examine your face. You watch his eyebrows draw in, “Doesn’t look like it’s broken.”
“It hurts to move, obviously.” you say, “I think the piercing isn’t helping.”
“Probably not.” Finnick lets you free, “It could be worse, the stud could’ve ripped your nose open.”
You give him a smile.
“You were really good.” Thyme says, she’s still playing with her hands.
“Yeah, congrats!” Finnick grins, “Tapped into your raw power, huh?”
“That, and I’ve got a problem with Erudite’s.”
When you turn around to look, Trink is just barely turning over, a hiss leaving her lips. She presses her open hand to the side of her head and closes her eyes. Now her friends go to collect her. With Allio slinging one of Trink’s arms over his shoulder. Trink can hardly keep upright, leaning into him heavily.
Amos is finally on his feet, his nose no longer bleeding. Eytelle is still nursing her jaw, and you catch the glare that she’s giving Finnick. You crack up, elbow Finnick, and then jerk your head in their direction. Finnick looks too, and you can hear a snort come from him.
“Something tells me that they’re mad.”
“Yeah? What gave that away?”
“I don’t know, maybe the bruises forming on their faces?” Finnick suggests.
Caspian claps his hands, “The rest of the day is yours! See you bright and early for fighting tomorrow morning!”
You grab a hold of Finnick’s sleeve for a second, “I’m going to talk to Caspian. I’ll catch up.”
“We’ll wait for you outside of the door.” he wiggles his eyebrows, “No promises that I won’t eavesdrop.”
You roll your eyes, pushing him.
You watch as everyone slowly leaves the room, except for Laurel and Caspian, who still stand at the chalkboard. When the door shuts, concealing the last person, you finally speak, partially ignoring Laurel.
“You couldn’t have made it more obvious, you know.”
Caspian stares at you for a moment, “The proper response would be ‘thank you’.”
“I don’t need your help.” you snap, “And I don’t want it, either. I can take care of myself. I’m just letting you know that your hatred for Erudite’s is a clear sign that you’re still attached to Abnegation.”
He doesn’t say anything, and you don’t need him to.
You turn and leave the training room, the door sweeping shut behind you. Like promised, Finnick and Thyme are waiting for you in the hallway. They’re talking about who they might be paired up with tomorrow. You can start your guessing now, but you’d rather worry about it tomorrow.
“How was it?” Finnick asks.
You give him a shrug, not really in the mood. You already knew that Caspian giving Trink to you was a gift, but you didn’t think that he’d demand a thanks. What an asshole. It’s been five years and he still hasn’t changed. You need to keep him at a distance.
Finnick doesn’t nag you, but judging by the look he gives you, he won’t be letting this go. You can expect him to ask about it later, which you actually prefer. At least then you’ll be cooled down enough. Plus, you’re not too entirely sure you want Thyme entering your business just yet. It’s been two and a half days.
You wonder how Reed and Alyssum are coping.
Actually, you don’t think you have to wonder.
Alyssum has noticed the difference, she’s three, which means she’s old enough to comprehend the fact that you’re not there. In fact, she might have even asked Reed where you’ve gone, no doubt earning some sort of stern glare from him, trying to silence her. The problem is, she’s still little, she doesn’t understand it to that extent.
You’re sure that no one has mentioned you, in courtesy of Reed. Abnegation is all for not inconveniencing others, and bringing up an event that’s usually frowned upon is like reminding the person of the stain on their family’s reputation. It’s two-timing now, too. First it was Mox, and now you.
Naida might be talking about it with Reed. As far as you can remember, before your parents died, he wasn’t a naturally curious person. This is why he’s a good fit for Abnegation, he’ll take the orders he’s given, and just do it without question. Volunteer work, a government job if he was elected, whatever Abnegation might want him to do. However, this doesn’t mean that he hasn’t turned to Naida to ask her questions. To see if she saw it coming at all.
She’s a mother of five, she’s raised two kids so far that have switched factions. She must have picked up on the mannerisms somehow. Calandra, her oldest, went to Erudite. Normally that would mean she was showing signs of high intelligence, especially in high school. She might not have been able to bring books home to continue her studies in the comfort of her own bedroom, but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t be in the honor classes in high school.
You think you vaguely remember that being the case for her. Honestly, you weren’t really paying attention to her because she’s not your direct family. Of course, you would sometimes see her during holidays or dinners with her entire family before and after your parents were still alive. You really only began paying attention after she left, she was the first person you knew from everyday life that transferred. The second person was Caspian, who obviously ended up in Dauntless.
At this point, you think that Naida might have seen something in your interactions, but chose not to say anything because you probably confused her. You aren’t all Abnegation, you aren’t all Dauntless, and you definitely aren’t all Erudite. You showed traits from all three, two of which, her own children had shown signs of too.
Now that you’re thinking about that, you think that might be a problem, considering that if being Divergent is supposed to be dangerous, you were giving her mixed signals for years. And you might not have known the terminology for what you are exactly, but that doesn’t mean that all the adults in your life don’t. Reed and Naida, and Amon probably do. Amon more than anybody because he’s involved in the Abnegation government.
You think that this is the extent of Reed’s curiosity, though. He might be wondering if he could have spotted the signs earlier, and if Naida tells him anything--if he even asked--then he’ll try to do better with Alyssum. Since Reed is one of the Abnegation members that fully believe in Abnegation’s faction supremacy.
As for missing you, there might be another spot in his heart that’s empty. You think that if Reed had known that both of your parents would die, he wouldn’t have stayed in Abnegation to be responsible for the teenagers and kids that would eventually leave him. The thing is, he’s not the only person that this happens to. Parents in Abnegation have this happen to them all the time, especially when they only have one kid. It’s not really preventable.
Your mother’s death was unfortunate, modern medicine couldn’t save her. Your father’s death was accidental, as he was just helping someone like he used to do all the time on his walk home from work.
Reed could be regretting all the times he was too harsh on you. You think that you inherited the overthinking from him. He always sits in silence, so any questions must make him hesitant, but his actions can’t show that. And since you’ve always been forced into silence, not allowed to ask questions, you’ve been left to make up scenarios of what possible outcomes could be.
In this case, Reed might be eligible for Erudite. He has been taught not to ask questions, which would make him more prone to curiosity. Then again, he fits in too well into Abnegation to be just Erudite alone…
Does divergence run in the family?
--
ANTERIC IS A SPIN-OFF DIVERGENT AU //MASTERLIST//
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Hazbinstagram: The Case of the Missing Blitzo
A Hazbinstagram ™ story
An ongoing story from the great creators and artists of "Hazbinstagram!"
For as long as he could remember since July, Blitzo had found a new horse to be his loving friend. He loved her so much, that he gave her different names everyday. During his everyday life at I.M.P. Blitzo had claimed that his horse had helped him make decisions. His associates thought the horse was part of his imagination. Stolas wanted to meet his horse as well, to see what she looked like.
But one day, Blitzo mysteriously disappears after posing in a picture full of static. Many speculate that he had been kidnapped.
But who? Could it be the demon who photo-bombed his last photo? His horse? A rival company?
Or perhaps a familiar radio loving demon with sinister plans of his own...
Alastor has a shadowy horse creature with a skeletal body, sharp teeth and black wings. The eyes glow teal and the mane and tail are thick and black. The creature may have captured Blitzo and gone back to its master. (Art and idea by Radio Hazbin!)
Fun Fact: Alastor was also the name of one of Hades' horses when he rose from the ground to capture Persephone.
Blitzo was seen smiling as he took a selfie in static. Red and black shapes were behind him, appearing to be a distorted form of reality.
Blitzo spoke and texted with static lacing his words: “Hanging with my horse, Enamel Pin. She said it was ok for me to take a picture with her. O3O.”
Cherri Bomb responded: “What the hell type of horse does this to a camera?”
Other comments soon appeared on Instagram, or rather, Voxtagram as the TV Overlord owned all technological platforms.
“No horse does that, but I know a deer who does.”
“Who else is red, got antlers on his head and doesn’t like being on camera?”
“I don’t think that’s a horse, I think that’s a certain deer overlord.”
“Alastor, is that you?”
“I think Blitzo’s horse friend might be a certain radio demon.”
“Oh deer.”
“I wonder if the horse and Alastor are related. He also has the effect on pictures.”
“Are we speculating that Blitzo is riding Alastor…a new ship is coming!”
“Please save Blitzo from that thing.”
Stolas was concerned, and began to type. “Hm…Blitzo, I’m a bit concerned about your horse friend. I haven’t read anything on horses distorting cameras. Can we talk?”
Blitzo replied in an arrogant tone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. My horse can do whatever she wants. She’s just cool like that.”
Stolas responded: “Alright, if you say so. I may do some more research on this. But I am glad she’s so kind to you, Blitzy.”
Blitzo added: “She’s very nice and eats the cockroaches at my place.”
Later, Blitzo posted a child-like colored drawing of himself holding an iced coffee in his hand. Below the drawing was a colored tan horse with a black mane with her head lowered, surrounded by gray. The picture read: ”How I met my horsie. One day, I was just walking to get coffee again. She was all alone. I asked her if she wanted coffee. She said “You bet I do.” As we sat at the table, everyone ran away screaming for some reason.”
Blitzo posted: “The comic of my horsie and me meeting for the first time.”
Moxxie responded with: “Will all due respect sir, your “horsie” looks nothing like that.”
A commenter asked, “Does he look like a deer?”
Moxxie was flabbergasted at the comments. “Why do you guys keep saying that thing looks like a deer? That thing looks nothing close to those. You humans are weirdly obsessed with deers.”
Another commenter warned: “It might be the Radio Demon. Please warn your boss, Moxxie.”
The grumpy imp wasn’t having it. Moxxie posted: “What are you all talking about?! That “horsie” looks nothing similar to the Radio Demon. Your strange obsessions over the Radio Demon worries me, humans.”
(That’s the fandom for you, Moxxie!!!)
Another commenter yelled: “Moxxie, what the hell does the horse look like?!”
Moxxie replied: “I’d rather not talk about it.”
Blitzo stepped in. “It was because my horse was amazing and beautiful. Moxxie is just being a puss.”
Moxxie grumbled and typed: “I disagree, sir. Just keep that thing away from me.”
Blitzo was offended: “She has a name, Mox!”
Moxxie: “Sir, I can’t keep up with all the nonsensical names you keep giving it! What even is it right now?!”
Blitzo: “Her name is Sandal! She is just very fond of getting her names.”
Stolas added: “This is sweet. I’d really love to meet your horse friend someday.”
Moxxie had a bad gut feeling inside him. It was the same feeling he had when his boss had brought one of the Furby imp creatures home. They were known to inhibit an old organ that was now in Alastor’s possession “Your Highness, I really don’t think this is a good idea.”
Bitzo then took a selfie of himself with iced coffee in his hand. Behind him, an imp wearing a gray mask was seen standing with a knife over another imp on the ground. Blitzo posted: “Just got coffee and I was taking a selfie when this guy photobombed my picture. Not cool. My horse (renamed to Glove) is down the street. Waiting for her right now.”
Stolas agreeed: “Some people are so inconsiderate.”
Someone asked: “How does the coffee taste?” Blitzo replied with “Gooood.”
Somebody else asked: “Why does this look like Moxxie killing Millie?”
Moxxie fumed as he responded: “What the fuck is wrong with you humans?! Why would I ever hurt Millie? You humans are disgusting.”
Several hours pass by. A concerned and confused Stolas held his white rotary phone with little wings on it in his hand. He posted: “Blitzo didn’t answer for our scheduled call. I suppose I’ll try again tomorrow.”
The next day passed. Stolas stared forlornly at his rotary phone. He posted: “Tried calling Blitzo again. His receptionist said he hasn’t been in today but she’d have him call me back (I don’t think she will). Via is mad at me. This is a terrible day…”
Someone asked, “Why is Via angry?”
Stolas responded: “Via is angry with me because I wouldn’t let her go to a concert without supervision.”
Moxxie later posted a picture of himself in his room by closed blinds. He had a sad, far-away look on his face, a contrast to his usually grumpy demeanor. He posted: “I enjoyed how peaceful it has been as of late. But this is just awfully quiet…Not that I care, but has anyone seen the smooth brain noise maker that is my boss?”
Stolas texted Moxxie: “He hasn’t been there at all?!”
Moxxie said: “No, Your Highness. I haven’t seen him around since he went out to get coffee.”
Stolas: “Have you contacted his daughter?”
Moxxie: “Well, yes, but she keeps ignoring me.”
Stolas texted Moxxie, Millie and Loona: “Has Blitzo been home? Is he alright?”
Loona: “He’s not on his couch, so no. I don’t know man, maybe he found horses outside, ran after them and got lost…”
Angel Dust came in to the conversation as well. “Man, mystery shows are hitting real now.”
Loona posted a picture of an empty couch with a pink pillow on it. She said: “He’s not home yet, I thought he’d be back by now.”
Stolas: “We’ll find him.”
Loona: “He’d better have a good fucking excuse.”
Moxxie: “For once, I agree with you, Loona.”
Stolas later held up a flier of Blitzo flipping the bird. On the top, the flier read, “Have you seen me? Goes by Blitzo, the “o” is silent.”
Stolas: “Had these made. Will be giving them to Moxxie, so Blitzo’s associates can put them up around the city. If anyone knows anything, please call I.M.P.”
Cherri Bomb offered words of encouragement. “I’m sure that little guy is around somewhere, Your Majesty. He’ll show up eventually!”
Moxxie to Stolas: “We will do everything we can to find that idiot, Your Highness.”
Stolas to Moxxie: “Moxxie, I wish I could help you, aside from making these posters.”
Moxxie to Stolas: “Much appreciated for the posters, Your Highness.”
Angel Dust: “Aye, keep looking feathas. Hell ain’t too big a place ta miss the guy with horns that big.”
More theories were posted:
“Maybe he was taken by his horse or furby.”
“Loona, I don’t think Blitzo has an excuse, I think he was kidnapped.”
“It’s either the horse or the dude stabbing in the background.”
“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. His horse is taking care of him.”
Meanwhile, in a dark hideout…
Blitzo’s yellow eyes were wide as saucers as he sat terrified on what appeared to be a green floor with missing tiles. A head of an imp rested in the background. He seemed to have been kidnapped by a gang of imps, perhaps jealous of I.M.P. and looking for money.
Blitzo: “Ok those guys finally left me alone so I could turn on my phone. You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to keep my phone. (RIP my third burner phone). Anyways, everything is fine. I wanted to get on this Voxtagram (Vox controls all technology and media websites). Because if I tried texting everyone, it’d take too long and calling would alert the dumbass kidnapper. Can someone come pick me up before they try to kill me?”
Stolas bellowed at the top of his lungs: “Blitzy! Where are you?!”
Blitzo responded: “I don’t know. Smells bad, though. I’ll get out, just ask my horse to come get me, please.”
Moxxie was terrified too: “Sir, where in the living Hell are you?! Are you hurt?!”
Blitzo instead yelled and typed in all caps: “Send horse!”
Angel Dust typed the emoji for wide eyes.
The next picture showed a blurred Stolas rushing forward. Stolas could do nothing but type in gibberish in all caps.
Blitzo: “I don’t know where I am, Stolas! Just send my horsie!”
Stola began to panic. “I don’t know how to send for your horse! That is why you needed to introduce us!”
Crash!
One of the walls concealing Blitzo in darkness burst open, sending bricks and dust everywhere. Blitzo squinted as a circle of light shone into the space. A figure stepped through the hole on all fours, tall and majestic. Blitzo took one look at the savior creature and raced toward it, happy tears falling from his face. The energy radiating from the horse was beyond anything found in Hell…or anywhere else for that matter.
It was a tall shadowy horse with a skeletal black body, reminiscent of a thestral or a nightmare horse from legends. The hooves were pointed and curved, shaped like miniature weapons. The horse’s mane and tail flowed long and black, outlined in a red aura. The horse’s neck was long and thin as was the head. Its eyes glowed teal and white, giving off an ethereal feel. And although there was static surrounding the horse, it didn’t have the malevolence associated with Alastor and his minions.
Did this creature decide to shapeshift around Blitzo to watch over him?
The horse spoke to Blitzo telepathically, her voice that of a human female laced with static. At the same time, the voice commanded divine respect.
“I am SpindleHorse. You are safe now, Blitzo. Let us be off.”
SpindleHorse had indeed, broken the (fourth) wall.
Without hesitation, Blitzo climbed up on the horse’s bony back and with graceful gallops, the horse vanished into the shadows. Blitzo grinned like a little kid as the horse speed down the streets, enjoying the bumpy ride.
Blitzo ecstatically typed his next post: “Rescue! I told you all my horse would come get me! Spindle broke the wall down! She said I could post the picture. She’s giving me a ride home. I can’t wait to see everyone!”
Loona, Millie, Moxxie and Stolas cried with joy and relief. For although Blitzo could be a childish annoying asshole, he was still a dear member of their family.
Loona posted first: “Thank Satan you’re alright! Cuz I…”
Loona paused, trying to defuse her inner feelings…
“…because we’re out of food! I need you to go grocery shopping, that’s the only reason I’m relieved. The only reason.”
Underneath the meth, drinks and her short temper, the hellhound secretary was relieved her adopted father was safe. Life was simply too lonely without the group of imps around.
Millie beamed. She, of course, was very happy that her boss was safe and sound. Stolas as well, was overjoyed that his lover was unhurt. Even Moxxie, who constantly chided Blitzo’s mannerisms, had a soft spot for his boss.
Stolas was overjoyed. “Oh thank goodness! I’m coming over, immediately!”
Moxxie said: “I still don’t want to get close to her but…thank you, Spindle.”
Stolas rushed over as Blitzo dismounted the horse in front of the palace. The imp was soon locked in a feathery embrace. Stolas let out some hoots and draped his feathery wings over him.
“Blitzy, you’re alright! Oh I was worried sick. Missed you so, so much!”
“Arugh, heh, heh, okay, Stolas, I missed you too…” He was struggling for breath. “You can…fuck…let go now.”
Stolas did before opening his beak in a smile. “Did you say you want to fuck?”
“No, not now!” Blitzo exclaimed, brushing wrinkles off his dark blue navy suit. “I gotta rest then get back to work.”
“I completely understand. I’ll take you home right away!”
Stolas traced a glowing yellow symbol in front of him and a flaming portal appeared, leading back to the I.M.P. office. Blitzo stepped through it before turning around.
“Thank you…Stolas. For sending me my horse and all.”
“Of course,” Stolas replied. “I hope I can meet her sometime. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me. And I mean anything.”
“Will do.”
Stolas closed the portal and posted a picture of him and Blitzo hugging.
Stolas exclaimed in all caps, “Blitzo is safe and sound! Thank you, Spindle!”
Moxxie typed a message to his boss: “Sir, please be more careful. The next time you go out to get coffee, take your horse with you. I will put a slight increase to the horse budget for the time being. Please rest up for today.”
Blitzo found himself in the middle of a group hug, surrounded by Loona, Moxxie and Millie. Millie squealed happily as she hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re okay, sir!” she said. “Mox and I were very worried.”
“You guys do know that I was only gone for like a day, right?” Blitzo asked, rolling his eyes. Tears fell from his eyes despite himself.
“Still…that doesn’t exclude the fact that…we may have missed you a bit,” Moxxie replied. Loona uncharacteristically enough gave Blitzo a small kiss on his forehead with her tongue. For a moment, Loona was smiling and wagging her tail like a happy puppy reunited with her owner. Then, all too soon, she separated herself from him, her tough demeanor returning. “Yeah, you’re fine, good. Now I really need some fucking food and drinks right now.”
Millie was the last one to let go of Blitzo. “If you need anything or want something done, we’ll be happy to get to it. Need anything? Iced coffee? A horse song? Two new human heads?”
Blitzo had to chuckle. “Thanks Millie, but I’m fine. Let’s get to work everyone.”
Thus, the ordinary day at I.M.P. continued on.
Blitzo then posted a picture of a fork in a cup of ramen noodles with an egg in it.
Blitzo said, “Everyone was bugging me today. It was kind of nice. Everything finally calmed down, so I had some 3 AM noodles.”
Stolas added: “Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything!”
Moxxie chided: “Cup of noodles isn’t healthy for you, sir. Next time, if you want to consume some 3 AM noodles, I will make some just for you.”
Blitzo sighed. “I don’t need to be babied, Mox. Don’t worry about me. For real, I like noodles in a cup, though.”
Moxxie decided to let him enjoy his noodles.
Moxxie then had an idea. He did something that he would normally never do. Millie had said it was a great idea and that Blitzo would love it. Moxxie placed a gift on Blitzo’s desk the next day. It was a bag of horse shaped pasta noodles colored yellow, green and pink. On it was a note: “Feel better soon! P.S. please stop consuming junk food in the middle of the night.” From Moxxie and Millie.
Moxxie posted: “About to deliver this homemade pasta to my boss. Millie and I made this so my boss wouldn’t consume extremely unhealthy things in the middle of the night. Recipe on VoxTube. Horse shaped pasta mold is a Satan send.”
Blitzo responded: “Oh I love this, but I still wanna eat ramen at 3 AM.”
Moxxie replied: “What you had was obviously a cup of noodles and that is extremely bad for your body. Do you have any idea what they put in those? For crying out loud, please refrain from eating such cheap and unhealthy things.”
The next post showed Blitzo under a blanket getting ready for bed. His head was just in front of his pink pillow on the couch. A plushie of Spirit the horse lay next to him.
Blitzo posted: “Gonna stay in bed today. Got to lay low since everyone wants to talk to me. You guys knew I’d be fine.”
Stolas mentioned, “We were just worried. I’ll give you some space for a while. Rest all you can. Pet your horse. I’ll talk to you at a later date.”
Blitzo smiled and picked up a little brown horse figure beside him. “I also found my little horsie that looks like my horse! I wonder where she’s been…”
The next day, Blitzo posted a selfie of him in the woods on Earth. Two raccoons were fighting over food from behind him.
Blitzo: “Went to my job today and took this picture in the living world!”
Someone asked, “Yo, are those two raccoons fighting back there?”
Blitzo replied: “It’s not about them. This is all about me!”
Later that night, back in his room, Blitzo was woken up by a soothing voice.
“Blitz…”
Blitzo bolted up from the couch and stood upon shaking legs.
“Spindle!”
It was Spindle the horse. The air around her briefly warped and morphed into little shapes. Bits of other worlds faded in and out, even showing a slice of Earth before fizzling out.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yes,” she responded. “I woke you up to say my goodbye.”
Blitzo was stunned. “Y-you’re leaving?”
“My work here is done,” she said. “I did my part to keep you safe. Now I must ensure that others are safe as well. I have other worlds to attend to as well: Heaven, Earth, Zoophobia…”
“Wait, zoo what?”
“Nothing of concern.” Her voice mixed with an eerie sounding neigh of dismissal. Her red aura illuminated the darkness. “Thank you for the iced coffee, by the way, it was tasty.”
Blitzo couldn’t stop the tears falling from his eyes. This regal marvelous creature had saved his life and bonded with him for many months. She was like the friend he had never had…perhaps almost like a motherly figure.
The horse nuzzled close to him, their foreheads touching. Blitzo’s hand cupped under her long chin while a black tendril tenderly touched his shoulder.
“We will meet again, soon. Whether in this life or the next. Farewell for now.”
“Goodbye, Spindle. Thank you for everything.”
Spindle stepped back, turned around and disappeared through a hole of white light. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was dark once more.
The other characters briefly got to see Spindle as well. As she trot noiselessly against the asphalt, everyone stared to look, almost transfixed. Even the Radio Demon stopped what he was doing and stood respectfully. There was admiration for SpindleHorse’s immense power in his red eyes. Niffty jumped for joy next to Charlie whose eyes were shining with happiness.
“Please come back again!” she called out. “The Happy Hotel welcomes all.”
In a rare moment, Husk and Vaggie had genuine smiles on their faces, as if staring at the horse long enough would make their problems go away.
“Thank you, Spindle!” called Angel Dust with several waves of his many hands. “You saved that imp’s life.”
“Much appreciated,” Cherri Bomb added. “Catch ya later!” The characters waved one by one.
SpindleHorse neighed and reared up on two hooves as static filled the air. The horse vanished through another white portal in static before all was quiet and normal once more.
Blitzo posted a picture of him and his horse saying goodbye. “My horse woke me up in the middle of the night saying she had to go because she repaid me by saving me. I got her coffee, and she saved me, so we’re even. One last picture together before she has to go. She says the name is Spindle, so it stays.”
Stolas knew that the goodbye was bittersweet for Blitzo. He tried to comfort his friend. “I’m so sorry Blitzo…Perhaps someday, she’ll return and visit. You were always good to her.”
Stolas sent a picture of himself posing seductively with his grey fluffy chest exposed. Another showed Stolas displaying his butt and dark gray tail features in front of the camera. “Maybe these will cheer you up!”
“Stolas, stop sending me nudes when I’m thinking about my horse!” Blitzo responded in sudden annoyance.
Stolas chuckled a bit. “Sorry, I thought they would get your mind off things!”
Even Loona was feeling the melancholy in the air. It was like everyone was suddenly feeling an unexplained connection to the elusive equine. “She will be missed…”
“Just like the end of Spirit,” said a commentator, recalling when Spirit had reunited with his mother and galloped freely in the vast meadow.
“You get me,” Blitzo responded, pleased to have someone else share their love of the classic film.
Moxxie, too, couldn’t escape the strange feeling. “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am going to miss her. I do wish she has a good horse life.”
“Thank you, SpindleHorse!” Millie added. “We love you and we miss you!”
Blitzo then posted, almost to himself: “You only know what you have when it goes.”
Stolas then posted his drawing of Blitzo smiling at the tall skeletal horse.
Stolas said, “Wanted to make something Blitzo may like while he’s recovering. I’ll just drop it off later. Maybe have it framed if he’d like…” He added, “I’m proud of this one.”
But Blitzo, ever the stubborn one, bluntly said, “My horse doesn’t look like that.”
“Oh…”
Stolas was taken aback, hurt. There was no reason for him to be rude like that, even if the drawing wasn’t the same as the real horse. Stolas decided to give the imp some space.
Then he thought about his daughter. Maybe Octavia might not be mad at him like she was before. Sure, she wanted to go to Lilith’s Resist rock concert playing at Loo-Loo World for a while, but overprotective Stolas wasn’t going to allow it. There she was, a typical diva teenager who didn’t want her goofy dad to follow her everywhere.
“Just another day in Hell,” thought Stolas with a sigh.
Meanwhile in a parallel universe...
Alastor eventually captures Blitzo and conjures his next plan:
-Interrogate Blitzo about I.M.P.
-Have Blitzo led the way to I.M.P.
-Retrieve the book to gain access to the human world
-Offer Blitzo an opportunity to achieve musical theater dreams.
- Persuade Blitzo and other imps to make deals (songs almost always work!)
-If deal works, their souls will be mine
-Profit off I.M.P. and take over the company, thus claim Imp City as territory
-Enter human world and cause more chaos
-More souls = larger army and greater influence
-(Visit New Orleans and mom’s grave again.)
-Eventually take over both worlds for endless entertainment
-Figure out what this pandemic is in living world
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Fanfiction Trope FMK: Adam Hangman Page, Joey Janela and Jon Moxley. ;P
hahaha, I got this same three batch of men from our darling von last night, and try as I might, I can’t swap the answers around (although I still don’t think moxley and I would go from enemies to lovers, or even start off as enemies to begin with, but also, I don’t think I’d be enemies with hangman or joey so he just kind of gets… put there lmao poor mox). but!!! I was so inspired by the stuff you wrote for your answer, I decided to write a one-shot for one of mine!! and it has my two favorite things: hangman adam page and horses.
That’s Our Deal
Ship: Hangman Adam Page x Glitter Sidesplitter (FOC)
Rating: General (there may be some foul language but there’s nothing super troubling I don’t think?)
Length: 2,886 words
“Howlong have you two been friends now?”
“Idon’t know. Year and a half? Twoyears?”
“Andyou haven’t made a move on him once?”
“No! Remember? I made the mistake of being a little extra flirty one time whenwe went out to ride Honey and Bandit and I swear he all but ignored me. Ithink that was the only time Adam has ever been remotely rude to me and it wasmortifying. So, no. I will not risk us losing our friendshipbecause I can’t keep it in my pants. I’m perfectly capable of just beinghis friend.”
“Uh-huh,”her tag team partner, Neon (ring name, of course – Nihilistic Neon), peeredover her phone at her with an expression that said she wasn’t buying it. Beneath that look, Glitter (also a ring name – Glitter Sidesplitter) squirmed.
“Neon,he doesn’t even like me like that. That’s why he didn’t respond when Itried to cross the line and see if he’d take the bait. We’refriends. We’re good friends. Hell, I’d say we’re best friends,even. I can call him or text him any time of night just to talk and he’s there. It never feels awkward or forced when we’re together. We spend almostevery afternoon together out at the ranch. I don’t think I could handlelosing him if I finally fessed up and told him how I felt. He’s becomesuch an important part of my life.”
Neonhad set her phone down and was watching her. She shook her head slowlyback and forth and sighed.
“You’vegot it bad, girlfriend.”
Glittergroaned, pressing her hands against her face and sinking down deep into thecouch.
“WhenI came and asked you for advice on how to bury my feelings you weren’t supposedto expose them and make me realize I’m fucking in love with him. It’snever going to happen, Neon. I’m not the kind of girl Adam’s lookingfor. We’re friends. Sometimes life isn’t fair. Sometimes youdon’t get the storybook ending. The prince doesn’t get to theprincess. That whole thing.”
“Wow…”Neon’s shapely, sharp black brow lifted, and her green eyes steadied onGlitter, slouched in anguish. “You do remember I’m supposed to be thedoom and gloom one in our little dynamic, right?”
“Shutup.” Glitter muttered and smiled, shaking her head.
“Glitz,”Neon sighed, setting her phone down and leaning forward on the couch acrossfrom the one Glitter was sitting on. “Do you remember a couple monthsback when you had your singles match on Dark?”
“Yeah?” Glitter frowned.
“Well,I was in the back, watching the match on the monitors, right?”
“Yeah…” Glitter didn’t understand where Neon was going with this. They alwayssupported one another if ever they were in a match the other wasn’t wrestlingin.
“Adamwas there too. Watching you. Remember? He was right therewhen you came backstage, celebrating you and telling you about all the waysyou’ve improved since you started with the company, how you were selling it tothe crowd…”
“Neon…that doesn’t mean anything. He was just being a good friend. Iasked him to help me train a bit after we first became friends, remember? He was just… congratulating me for all that hard work paying off.”
“Aye,”a frustrated breath disturbed them both, and Neon and Glitter glanced to seetheir friend, Mariana had entered the room at some point during theconversation. She waved the water bottle she was holding at Glitter andlooked at Neon. “¡Ellanunca va a escuchar!”
“Hey!–” Glitter started, having enough grasp on Spanish to know Mariana had saidsomething about her not listening. Before she could stick up for herself,Mariana shushed her.
“Youcan tell her about how Adam gets distracted every time she enters a room. You can tell her about how Adam starts smiling that dumb smile we all make funof when she’s talking. You can tell herabout how it’s so fucking clear to the rest of us that they’re madly in lovewith each other, but clearly she knows everything and therefore is not going tolisten.”
Marianaflopped herself down on the couch beside Neon and lifted her boots, plantingthe heels on the little table in front of them. She gave Glitter a pointed look.
“Okay,”Glitter shook her head, “if any of that were the least bit true, I’d havenoticed by now.”
Flickersand flashes of memories came speeding at her, like the way Adam grinned themoment they crossed paths with a smile that lit up his face and made herstomach do somersaults. But he smiled ateveryone, didn’t he? He was a genuine,kindhearted soul. She remembered the fewtimes they stood near one another in a room, Adam sometimes gently touched her,let his fingers brush her arm or her hand or even, once, her thigh. But it could just be natural reflex, sheargued. If he was trying to touch herintimately, she’d know. Everyone wasjust reading too much into something and Glitter wasn’t interested in ruiningthe friendship she and Adam had. Let therumors keep flying. She’d learn to buryher feelings her own damn self. Somehelp her friends were!
Herphone buzzed in her pocket and, giving it a quick read, she leaped for thechance to escape this lunacy like she was drowning and had been thrown a lifepreserver.
“Well,this has not been insightful at all. Youguys are all fucking crazy.” She flashedher characteristic ‘mad grin’ she was known for in-character. “It’s time for me to go take care of Honey.”
“Havefun with Adam!” Neon called teasingly ather back just as the door swung closed.
* * ** * *
Glitterglanced askance at Adam, who sat astride his bay frame overo gelding, Bandit, notfor the first time that afternoon since they’d met up at the stables. He was in his head, which left her plenty oftime to study his profile, handsome as a devil, and wonder if what Neon andMariana had said was true. Did Adamreally light up when she entered a room? Was it because they were such good friends – she’d dare to say bestfriends – or was it because he felt something romantic for her too? The only person who had the answers was Adam,but the only way to know them was to ask. If she asked flat-out if he had feelings for her and he said no, thefabric of their friendship would change.
Sure,they were both grown adults and could laugh off the misunderstanding… but she’dalways be left aching, and he’d always know she cared for him in a way he didnot care for her.
As ifhe felt her eyes on him, Adam turned and frowned when he caught her watchinghim. He always had those soft, almostsad, worried eyes, but when his brows dipped a little more the emotion seemedto increase by about a tenfold. Sometimes it made her want to say nothing, just wrap him in her arms andpull him in close and hold him until he was smiling again. Right now, however, she felt like she’d beencaught red-handed and blushed, glancing away quick.
“Everythingalright, Glitz?”
Glitteradjusted her seat in the saddle, the leather creaking gently with Honey’s gentlypaced walk.
“Yeah,I’m alright. You?” She forced herself to look at him and triedfor a casual, inquisitive look.
“Yeah…I’m alright.” He was still frowning ather skeptically. He hadn’t bought it.
Adamreadjusted his seat and cheated his torso toward her. His palm rested on the saddle horn and hisother hands loosely held Bandit’s reins. Today was just a pleasure ride, letting the horses stretch their legs alittle bit without working them hard in the arena, so they were currently beinggiven their head. Neither Adam norGlitter needed to pay much mind. Honeyand Bandit had been ridden miles throughout the farmland and forest surroundingthe ranch she and Adam boarded them at and were therefore familiar with theterrain. They were more than happy tobehave, walking side-by-side through the orchard and flicking their ears tolisten to the human’s conversation as Adam and Glitter talked.
“Areyou sure you’re alright? You’ve beenacting kind of funny ever since you got here. Glitz,” he paused, tipping his cowboy hat back a little so the afternoonlight hit his face and those blue eyes showed an ache that immediately made herheart seize. “Hey,” his country drawlwas soft, “you know you can tell me everything, right?”
“Ofcourse, Adam. You know I’d never hideanything from you.” Guilt twisted herbelly and made her feel sick. She’d toldhim so many of her deepest, darkest secrets over their hours and hours of conversation,never once hiding a single detail.
“Wellalright,” he said with a fair amount of skepticism drenched across his tone. “Just remember you can tell me anything. That’s our deal, ain’t it?”
“Yeah,”Glitter said, and forced the smile on her face. “That’s our deal.”
Glitterfaced forward in the saddle and gathered Honey’s reins.
“Raceya to the creek?” She asked, giving hima glance and then, before he could say yes or no, she squeezed with her knees,adding gentle pressure to Honey’s sides and cracked the reins against her thick,muscled neck. “Yah!” She shouted and Honey responded to her energy,gathering her legs under her and lurching forward.
“Hey!” Adam yelled at her back. Glitters laugh was stolen on the wind, herhat nearly flying off her head if not for the string that held it around herneck. Her black hair tumbled and tuggedback, and she leaned forward, squinting against the air blown past herface.
Honey’sstride ate up the ground in a blur, but the pounding of hooves close behinddidn’t take long. Stretching out herneck, Honey threw more of her energy into the run, picking up her hooves and lurchingas far as her stride would take her. Glitter hollered and cheered her on, feeling the mare’s energy like astorm. Honey was a young mare andsmaller than Adam’s paint horse gelding, Bandit.
Thehuffs and puffs of Bandit’s breathing soon became louder than the poundinghooves, and Adam pulled him up alongside her, their horses’ nose-to-nose asthey ran. Glitter and Adam looked at oneanother and he smiled that wild, happy smile he sometimes got when they didthings like this, free and away from the pressures becoming a weekly televisedwrestler gave them. Just the pair ofthem, horse nerds at heart, out riding in the wide-open countryside.
Thetilled farmlands fell away to hills that dipped into valleys just before theline of ponderosa pine trees and firs. The horses began to pull up their gait, careful of the uneven andunpredictable terrain. Glitter knew thecreek was coming up as soon as they crossed a few lengths of forest and leanedforward, encouraging Honey with a hopeful shout. Adam held the reins in one hand and snappedthem on Bandit’s neck, hollering, one hand holding his hat firm on his blondcurls that whipped back in the wind.
Comeon! Come on! Come on! Glitter encouraged Honey, her little can-do ranch mare.
She’dfallen in love with her the second she saw an advertisement for her, the prettylittle palomino quarter horse with one sock on her back-left leg. She’d asked Adam to go with her when shelooked at her, because she hadn’t ever owned her own horse, always just tooklessons on horses that weren’t hers. Adam had been so excited and so thrilled she’d asked him to be therewhen she looked Honey over. He’d beenserious and ready to grill the owner on every question and really check herover to make sure she was perfectly sound and didn’t seem prone to anyweaknesses that’d be a problem later.
Butthen he’d saw the way Glitter looked at her when he saw her and he’d smiled,elbowed her and said, “Why don’t you go say hi to her?”
Nowtheir horses were racing neck and neck…
Honeypulled her nose ahead right at the end, surging forward as if she’d seized anew burst of energy as the winding, babbling waters of the creek came into herline of sight. Glitter laughed andleaned back in the saddle, pulling gently on the reins and guiding Honey toslow her gait to a walk. She turned inher saddle to stick her tongue out at Adam once he’d pulled Bandit up.
“Loser!”
Adamgrinned and shook his head, whistling low under his breath as he arched a browat Honey.
“Yougot yourself one hell of a mare there, Glitz.”
“Iknow!” Glitter said and turned backaround, patting Honey’s warm, damp neck lovingly. “If I wasn’t so busy in wrestling, I’dseriously consider putting her in working cow horse competitions.”
“She’dwin every blue ribbon there is to win, and every trophy too.”
Theypulled the horses up at the creek and dropped their reins before sliding out ofthe saddle, letting them drink and rest after their unplanned burst ofenergetic fun. As Honey drank, Glitter gentlyran her fingers through her mane and patted her neck while murmuring littleterms of endearment. She didn’t noticeAdam watching her from over Bandit’s back, an adoring smile hung loose over hismouth.
Adamwas already leaning against a tree that grew close to the creek’s edge, thick,muscular arms crossed over that equally built chest. He’d readjusted his hat and fixed his curlsfrom where the wind had whipped them a little wild. The brim was pushed back, and Glitter couldsee his handsome face beneath the dappled shade and sun. Butterflies fluttered in a frenzy in herstomach and she breathed a low breath, desperate to steady herself and keepfrom revealing anything.
“Hey,what did you want for your prize?”
“My prize?” Glitter questioned, stepping away from Honeyand walking up the bank to where he was lounging upright against the treetrunk.
“Yeah,for you and Honey winning the race. Youcan ask me for anything, and I have to give it to you.”
Wasshe imagining things or had Adam’s eyes dropped to her lips for a second therewhen he asked her that? Why was herheart suddenly racing a thousand beats per second? Why did it feel like she was walking on atilt-a-whirl instead of the steady ground?
“Oh…I…” She blinked. Shit, she was staring at his lips. Her tongue swept the break between hers andshe forced her eyes up to his. He waswatching her intently and it made her stomach feel like it was doing those highsoaring moonsaults off the ring post that he did. “I didn’t think there was going to be aprize. I was just happy holding it overyour head that I was the winner.” She saidweakly, trying for a casual, nonplussed shrug that probably didn’t come off ascollected and cool as she hoped it would.
“That’stoo bad,” Adam said, and he looked at her, that strange, piercing look he’d wornfor a moment gone and, in its place, something hopeful and nervous. His eyes dropped. Glitter’s gaze followed and noticed he waswringing his hands. He sniffed hard andforced his eyes back up while hers lifted with them. “I was hoping you might ask me for a kiss.”
Hadshe heard him correctly?
Whileshe stood in front of him, stunned to absolute silence, Adam drew on some sortof courage she was impressed (and a little turned-on) to see he had inhim. He moved toward her and reachedout, hands gently grasping her arms and pulling her close until they stood toe-to-toe. She tilted her head up at him, hair tumblingdown her back and hat fallen too. One ofhis hands slipped and wrapped around her back, encouraging her to press againsthim. The other gently caught her chinbetween his fingers, turned her head a little and bent to catch his lipsperfectly, softly, sweetly against her own.
Ittook her all but one second to catch up to the reality that was Adam leaningover her, kissing her deeply. Shepressed back desperately into him, years of ache and waiting trapped insideher. It unleashed like a storm, and hertongue slipped into his mouth, and her fingers flew to his plaid button-upshirt and curled tight into the fabric before yanking him close. He groaned against her tongue as the lengthof her body was pushed against his.
Theybroke apart only when their lungs were starved and stood, inches apart, warmbreaths shared.
“Iwish you would have done that like a year and a half ago,” she whispered onceshe finally felt like she could catch her breath.
Theymoved just back enough that their eyes could meet. He smiled.
“Metoo, Glitz.” He leaned forward and theirforeheads gently pressed together. “Metoo.”
#snarkandsarcasmwrites#hangman page#hangman adam page#adam page#aew#wrestling fanfic#fanfic#fanfiction#wrestling fanfiction#ashjkjssfkldfsklsdf im so soft for hangman + horses#this is SUCH a horse girl's fic lmao#god i love it#and since i LIVE in an angst slowburn relationship i know how that shit FEELS#of course i know it deeper than these guys#ANYWAYS#oh another fun face glitter sidesplitter was an old mcr killjoy rp oc of mine lmao
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Magic and Moonlight: Chapter 26
Chapter 26 is finally here. It’s short this time around since there is a lot of ground to be covered in 27. Tagging: @queenofthearchitect @biforbecky2belts @balorsbitxh @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk @mox-made-me-do-it @sassyspacedust @afauss2009 @calwitch @never-sawft-princess If you wish to be tagged, leave a line in my inbox. Enjoy!
I was back from my suspension, and I was anxious about being back on the road now. I was alone without Colby around. Thankfully he was now out of his brace so I was relieved that he’d be more mobile to help take care of Tyler while I was away.
But today I needed to go talk to Roman and Dean to get them in my corner for this fight against Morrigan. It was time to finally bring the fight to this crusty old hag. And if I stood any chance of ending her and protecting those I care about most, I needed all the allies I could get.
When I arrived to Dean and Roman’s locker room, I took a deep breath before I walked in. Once Dean saw me, he growled and began to turn. He didn’t even care that his clothes were torn to shreds. As Dean started to charge at me, I turned myself into a raven and flew up above him. When Dean stopped his charge, I dove down and pecked him in his face. He tried to bite me, but I swooped away and came back to tear into his back and sides with my talons and beak. Once I had dealt enough damage to him, Dean became human again and Roman managed to catch me before I could dive on him again.
“Enough,” Roman roared at the two of us as he put me down on a chair so I could turn back, “I’m tired of the two of you fighting each other. Thea never betrayed us, you idiot. She was in the Authority to get to Morrigan. She also joined to stay close to Colby to watch each other’s back. Now get over yourself, Dean.”
“Alright fine,” Dean groaned as his wounds healed, “Sorry Thea.”
“Thank you Dean,” I replied, “Now Morrigan is coming after me. She’s attacked me twice now during my suspension. And she did so by impersonating other people.”
“Who did she pretend to be,” Roman asked.
“During her first attack she was Colby’s mom,” I informed him, “And then the second time she was Colby. During her second attack, she got her hands on Tyler. He was fine, but she scared him. I think he knew right away that she wasn’t his father since she was still impersonating Colby when she had him.”
“Smart kid,” Dean smirked, “I’ll have to get him a present for that.”
“Dean,” Roman scolded him.
“What,” Dean shrugged and I just shook my head.
I was in my locker room, busy lacing up my boots for my match tonight when I heard the door to my locker room open. I looked up to see a hooded figure, not much larger than me, enter my locker and cast magic on the door. I prepared some of my magic to retaliate if the figure planned to attack.
“I do not wish to hurt you, mo pháiste,” the figure removed their hood to reveal a strikingly beautiful woman that looked similar to Morrigan.
“Rowena,” I gasped in shock, “I thought you were dead. I mean your mother killed you thousands of years ago.”
“Oh she did kill me, Thea,” she replied, “But like her, I was able to defy death and return to life. However, I didn’t use other witches to leech their power in order to get here.”
“Are you here to help me end her,” I asked her.
“I am,” she replied, “But I’m also back because I know you’ve talked to my beloved Demon King. I want to reunite with him and you could help me.”
With both of the guys and Rowena on my side, it was time to set the stage to fight Morrigan. I have had enough of her tormenting me and those I care about. She had existed long enough and it was time for her to be no more.
“Alright so I think I got the spell right,” I was practicing magic with Rowena while Dean and Roman watched along with Becky, Charlotte, Sasha, and Paige. Finn had opted to travel to Davenport every chance he had to work with Colby to get him prepared for what would be coming up when I finally confront Morrigan. He would be with Colby, Tyler, and my mother to make sure Morrigan didn’t cast any spells that would possible tie their lives to hers.
“Very good, Thea,” Rowena praised me, “Now this spell will block her soul from being able to latch onto any future witches. The next spell we’ll work on is the one to stop her from trying to resurrect herself like I did.”
We continued for a couple hours longer. I had finally gotten through enough of the spells to weaken Morrigan I was confident that I could end her easily when the time came. As I was practicing the spells that would fix Colby and lift his curse, I felt weak and started to sway. That was when Becky swooped in to catch me before I fell.
“Alright easy Thea,” Becky spoke as she wove a couple of her rejuvenating spells to get me some energy back.
“I think that was enough for today,” Rowena added as she helped Becky with her spells, “We can call it a day.”
I was hanging out backstage with Rowena. She had disguised herself as a random face backstage, working on my hair as I was waiting for my match. That was when I saw Morrigan approaching us.
“Thea,” she sneered at me, “I thought I told you not to pick a fight with me.”
“I tend not to listen to mothers that kill their own daughters,” I replied with a smirk, “If you want to end me I have a proposition for you. How about you impersonate my favorite wrestler, Trish Stratus, and we can duke it out in the ring. The one that eats the pin, dies. You game?”
“You have a deal,” she smirked, “But like I promised before, if I fall, I will take someone you care about with me.”
“And you forget I have control over death still,” I bragged, “So don’t underestimate me.”
I had to go see Stephanie and Hunter today. They were the gatekeepers for matches at Wrestlemania and they were the only ones that could make my fight with Morrigan possible. Sure I’m no longer at a truce with them, but I have to play nice and play ball with the enemy to get what I want.
“Thea,” Stephanie greeted me as I entered the Helmsley office, “I was not expecting you coming into our office today.”
“What do you want from us,” Hunter asked, cutting to the chase.
“I need a special match at Wrestlemania,” I answered, “Morrigan found me and has attacked me several times and has threatened my son. I want her in the ring at Wrestlemania. She has agreed to impersonate Trish Stratus for the match so we don’t need Bayley to glamor the entire WWE Universe to pull this off. We’ll even cut promos and if Trish comes back to the company, I’ll brief on the outcomes of the ‘feud’ and match so she can play along with everything.”
“Alright,” Hunter nodded, “We’ll allow the match to move forward. But just know, Colby is going to be watching from the press box. He will be banned from ring side since he isn’t cleared for in-ring action. You will be standing alone. Can you handle that?”
“You beat your ass I am,” I replied with a smirk, “I’m training for the fight of my life right now. And I can’t afford to lose. I refuse to lose.”
I was in the gym with Dean, Roman, Becky, and Rowena. Since I needed someone to watch my back in the magic department. I knew for a fact that Morrigan would blast through Dean, Roman, and Becky like they were paper banners at a high school football game.
“I can’t believe Colby got you hooked on CrossFit,” Dean shook his head as you worked through your WOD, “And still keep to your old routine as well. You’re going to train yourself to death before you’re 35.”
“I need to build my endurance if I want to make it through this gauntlet of a match I’m about to have with Morrigan,” I replied as I went up to the gymnast rings to work on my next movement for my workout, “I’ll be casting magic and throwing haymakers at this stupid bitch. I need some to be in peak form if I’m going to pull this off.”
#seth rollins x oc#seth rollins fic#seth rollins fanfic#seth rollins fanfiction#wwe fic#wwe fanfic#wwe fanfiction#werewolf!seth rollins#witch!oc#supernatural/occult!au#magic and moonlight
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Friday was actually a good day. I stopped 🛑 to talk to people and many stopped to say hi 👋🏾 to me. The most memorable was Frank. He’s a communications professor. They are all guilty of it, they are like so close. I don’t feel like I want to flinch. I am getting a shower 🚿 here. Don’t get me wrong. I like the guy. You just are less than a foot from me. I should lay down 🛏. But I have to be back to finishing this up. Gym life 🏃🏼♀️ 💪🏾. I have to bring that magic ✨ back. The classes has been controlled? Am I in full hold of my capacity or simply, I have not my fit Americano ☕️. I made an exercise template today. It reminds me of the stuff we have to fill out in nursing 👩🏼⚕️ school 🏫 . I also printed 🖨 out my new STATs 📊📈📉. I should feel horrible no. I gained. But my ratios are changing and for the better. I was feeling my legs 🦵🏾 today in Surrender 🧘🏼♀️. It was thicker not harder. I probably lost during the renovation 🚧 and recovery from injury ⛑. I shouldn’t run on. But practice was different today. I also felt the pinch on my low back more towards the right.
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Picking up where we left off. I am wearing my glasses 👓 and my legs 🦵🏾 look 👀 shapely. Of course with my contacts there is so many target 🎯 areas to work with. I am concerned 😟 about my legs and arms. I have tons of fat in my trunk. Hmmmm.... it indicates heart ♥️ health. Well, I am doing cardio. I’ll deal with the beast later. Right now, I love 💗 the changes. I enjoy 😊 being too physical. I gauge myself. Like I had to take it easy and take what I could get from the treadmill 🏃🏼♀️. I just ate a huge lunch 🍴. I don’t want a tummy ache 😖 and puke 🤮 my lunch 🥗. I heard purging yesterday in the bathroom 😢. Ok. Benefit of a doubt. Perhaps it’s anxiety 😬. It can be overwhelming on the floor and the mood combusting. I smiled 😃 at the guy from operations being included in Lane’s Fight class 🥊. I told him the first ever I used the word that I am being sexist. I called it as it was. I said girls should learn self-defense. Why does Vie say that? So you can walk away from an attempted rape as if you didn’t ruffle any feathers but the assailant. Lane does not know that. Other girls will react and take it differently and definitely not steely. He said boys too. As you can tell I really considered what he said and admitted that I seem to say that ladies are naturally weak. If you want to argue with me, men are really built and they have the hormones that dictate their strength. But have you guys seen Viking women. I thought 💭 about Lagarthe with my hair yesterday. You should see them fight ⚔️ 🛡 . Caution: this clip 🎞 is bloody and violent.
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I let Jamesicle 🐈 in. He’s not ebullient today. He’s always in your business sociable. I see him plenty of times as all cats do from a far stare at you. I woke up early today. I went to bed 🛏 a little after 1200p. I tried sleeping 💤 to wake at 500a. When Dad walked in from work and I was stuffing my mouth 👄 with polvoron and hopia (busted) he asked if I was working out 💪🏾, I said probably afternoon. I have been aware that I am losing precious time not putting in study 📖 time. Don’t get me wrong. I am never not studying 😏. I love ❤️ my new pet name. Wee wee. But I must put my real work in. Today, I have the opportunity to do that. It took me like a week to institute the changes ➰. I tell you it’s not easy. There is always resistance. After, it’s keeping it going.
I had no issues Friday working out after lunch 🥙. I did 60 minutes MetCon. However, I believe there is established norms on not exercising after eating 🍽. They said it causes appendicitis. Knowing some medical 🏥 conditions, I believe that is from bacteria 🦠 and inflammation that causes a could be fatal bursting of the sac. It’s not because you fed and moved. Things people say to explain things so that they can understand and have some answer even if it’s not exactly zeroing in. Gawd, my fit Americano ☕️ is done ✅. My Mom got me strawberry 🍓 flavored protein powder. I add chocolate 🍫 to the drink. I should really switch up to pumpkin 🎃 latte.
They keep on playing 🎶 oldies on KTU New York. I am not complaining but I want to hear some “Truth hurts 🎤...” by Lizzio
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I listened 👂🏾 to Lady Gaga a lot when I worked as a nurse aide. I was doing it on the weekends 📅. They keep giving me jobs. But my Mom absolutely didn’t want me doing anything but books 📚 first year at Notre Dame. I think 💭 during summers I had some room to negotiate. I love 💗 being in school 🏫 and I always sign up vacay that’s why it’s no surprise that I finished the psych degree within a year. I keep on. During the long drive to some hinterland near Akron which is two hours driving to and fro to do three hours work which is actually $24 and I am paying for gas ⛽️, I listen to CDs 💿 of artists with new songs. She was always on. There was another pop singer 👩🏻🎤 that I can remember going east. I tried looking 🔎 for the name of the singer. I can’t find her. It has something to do with falling in love 😍 with best friend. Found it.
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Ugh 😑, pizza 🍕 on order for dinner 🥘 . As messy and busy and packed as it was without a second to breath, it was a good life for me. I shouldn’t be complaining right?
I noticed how my left fingers point and middle has these superficial cuts. I wonder where I got them from. I have no clue. My best guess is on the machine handles?
I think 🤔 my best conversation Friday was with Mark Consuelo. My sister said she has met him. But I wanted to show him that she is my sister. He had a client. He approached shaking his bottle after I was done ✅ 60. My first thought 💭 was he is ready to feed the baby 👶🏻. Then, we talked about height etc. He said he’s going to bring Mox. I’ll be excited 😆 to meet him. I think 🤔 he’s going to look German. But I was surprised 😯 at how tall he was. Next to him not so. But from a far you can see the height. He doesn’t look 👀 massive. They all don’t but these trainers 👟 are strong. I saw Ian with the circle bar that carries loads yesterday. I didn’t know the weights on them. Then Lane was carrying the punching bag. I should be fainting right. I was surprised 😮 at how powerful I do kicks. I have more energy than I realize.
The place had a lot of youth hanging out. Way to start the weekend 🗓 right. They were socializing. I had stuff I was working on. I saw Susan too, an interesting friend. I engaged her in conversation💬 about her faith. I always had it in me to knowing what I don’t. I am fascinated by their religion in the first place. It’s a little mystical to me. Others won’t pay attention. I guess I was bred with a certain caliber to appreciate what I don’t know 🤷🏼♀️. Perhaps, it’s also a curious trait. I think 🤔 I was working aisle by aisle this day on the equipment section. I had to hustle it up after I looked 👀 at my watch ⌚️ and I had little time left. I was hitting both upper and lower bod. The legs 🦵🏾 were popular that day. I was able to get my turn.
Also, if you are curious about Metabolic Conditioning, I took a picture of their education workshop. There is always something to learn about the body. I should have taken a photo of it too. There’s one Saturday about body mechanics. There’s only 6 spots and I think 💭 I am going to let others benefit. Where’s Joce? She’s like my go to person when I have a question. Laura is my veteran trainer and she’s usually busy. It’s a learning experience no.
I didn’t have time to sauna 🧖🏼♀️ ☹️. I am just happy 😃 I have a pack of Skintimate. My gawd, I found out Sunday that the pack of 6 shaver was $18 at CVS. I told my Mom they were selling it at BJs 16 for $19. Of course, it sold out 🏷. Wait, I am hearing Geri Halliwell.
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A Strange Tale: 3
(part two here)
Bock Gage walked through the Horned Gate. Made of metal and bone woven from old ruins, echoes of the Niand Empire: it was a short tunnel barely big enough for two people to pass through together. Almost no one knew what it was from, but it was the privilege of history to fade into obscurity. She moved carefully, feeling its ancient energies crawl over her. Few could pass the gate, and almost no guards were posted unless it was a punishment duty. Not everyone who passed through the gates were destroyed, but it was enough to make others choose any other gate when they could.
Almost all of the low countries jealously guarded their borders, and those with exits to the worlds above were more paranoid than most. It made the Horned Gates useful, though never safe. Bock rubbed her left arm, feeling metal flow under flesh. She had no idea if the nature of her arm is what let her pass the gate, but each time left her arm stiff for hours. She flexed fingers and moved bones that only looked like bone and began walking. There were supplies that could only be found above. Some plants. Herbs. Useful things her family sold for a variety of means and ends. Survival being most of them, in the end. The Underkingdom itself stretched halfway through the lower kingdoms, but the cost in war and lives to maintain it staggered even Bock’s imagination. Everything she could gather would stop them from losing more of the family to the border wars.
Her worry was enough that she almost didn’t notice them. Two people coming down the path. Not direct, but making their way to the Gate. Not of the kingdom, if she had to guess. Her left arm was a weapon, but not after passing this way through a Horned Gate. She moved as deep into shadow as she dared, her cloak about her as she hugged stone. And she let her eyes out. Six of them. Small, metallic, her vision swirling for a moment before it solidified into a barrage of visions from each eye. Holding it hurt, but she sent four of them out and about the strangers.
There was a flash of electric energy and two eyes vanishes before she could react. She drew the other two back. Two people. A girl with two heads. And another, who held up strange fingers. Electricity arced from the other as the girl pointed, and Bock whimpered as the other two eyes were gone.
The last two returned, entering her sockets. She’d been able to scan nothing, and from their movements they knew she was by the gate. The small eyes both expanded to the size of normal ones, but the pain was enough that she had to fight the urge to pass out. Her eyes looked normal. Normal was good, and they would heal. Her left arm remained stiff and the two hurried down, wary but clearly aware of her.
The girl did have two heads, eyes sharp and focused on her. The other had skin like a fish, with tentacle-fingers and small eyes that did not notice much. Electricity danced about alien fingers, not quite fading as they approached Bock.
“You were the one spying on us?” the girl asked, and her voice was strange. Each mouth spoke one of the words, the intonations on different scales.
“Few use this Gate. Fewer still see my eyes.”
“I see things others don’t.” The words were flat, without challenge.
“She burns with energy. Like the eyes,” the other one said, voice soft and bubbly.
Bock stared. Most days she did not believe in the fates. Today was not one as the girl studied her, eyes narrowed.
“Your left arm is damaged, even if it doesn’t seem that way. Your eyes aren’t tracking us properly.” And the girl stepped back. “We mean you no harm.”
“We are seeking a path through the lower kingdoms. Our map suggested this as the direct route,” her companion added.
Bock let out a breath. “You do not wish to come this way. The Horned Gate is dangerous – all Horned Gates are, but this one allows fewer through it than most. And the Underkingdom does go far, but you would be dragged into wars, conscripted to battles if not outright killed as spies.”
“I don’t know what gates would make of us,” the girl said. “I can see – energies in the gate. Messages. Information? But I have no idea what it means.”
Bock blinked. “You see that?”
The girl took another step back, both heads facing her. Her companion moved up beside her, tensing. “I mean no harm. I can sense the energies. I did not think anyone could see such things and survive. I am... not like others.”
Bock relaxed as she seldom did even at home, and her left arm took on the colour of gleaming old metals, untouched by time of wear. “My arm is alive. I lost my arm when young. My grandfather – found something, attached it. It grew into an arm. It is still growing. My eyes are not human, they can – move outside. Watch from a distance, or did until you destroyed four of them. I do not know if I would recover all six if they were lost.”
“It is part of a god?” The one who had destroyed her eyes sounded awed.
“Nothing like that. It is part of the Niand Empire.” Neither reacted. “It existed long ago, across many worlds. I do not know if it began here, or ended here. This was a – a healing device, but also a weapon. I think it had other uses, but isn’t able to be them any longer. So it keeps me alive, and slowly changes me. My family do not talk about it. I do not grow old quickly, but the Underkingdom is – not the sort of place where people notice that. Too many are lost in wars, vanish or return. There are others like me, but none the same I think. I have told this story to no one outside the family. I would know yours in turn.”
The girl glanced back with her left head at her friend. She, who saw deeper, looked. Her friend studied me, then nodded ones. She spoke then, one head watching me, the other on her friend. “I am Sevras Loone. My friend is Nomen Railmore. We are from Mox, though not typical for our lands at all. We encountered a god, and we made a deal. We are seeking Kish, where we hope to undo the gift and return to being who we were.”
Bock Gage shivered. What was part of her made her doubt gods, but to doubt what the gods did was not the same as knowing they did not exist. A Power by any other name was still a Power. “I cannot make the Gate safe.”
Sevras nodded and gestured to Nomen. “You first; I imagine I should be safer?”
Nomen smiled at that, small and wry. “And if not, I destroy it?”
“It is better to cook than to be cooked.” Both heads spoke at once, in an older female tone.
Nomen snorted. “Unfair.” And then walked forward, hands loose and free.
The Horned Gate pulsed. Light glimmered through it. “Wand Knight overruled by Sword King. Authority accepted. Proceed.”
“I have never heard a Gate speak,” Bock whispered.
The girl stepped forward. Passed through it the same spoken result. Bock followed. Again, the Gate felt like a pressing down of knowledge. But no voice spoke to her and no energy flared. “Do you use swords?”
They both each shook one head. “We were trained in smaller blades, as most are in Mox. But nothing like swords.”
“I will take you to another like me. I only know the one personally, but they may be able to offer aid. We will need to be quiet and careful. Do you have any form of mesh?”
“No,” Nomen said for the both of them.
“Cloaks, then. If any ask, you are envoys. We will not say from where. This close to the Horned Gate, no one should wonder too deeply.”
They shared a look, then nodded. “We will follow,” Severas said, “and thank you.”
“Thanks are not offered in the Underkingdom. Not until they are earned.” And without another word, Bock led them both down into the dark.
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NJPW G1 Climax 29 Thoughts
G1 Climax 29 Thoughts
-Couldn't watch all of the G1, hard to find time, but binge watched a bunch for the podcast today. Here are some thoughts!
Day 9:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Sanada
-What a match! Loved how this built up to where the big moments & nearfalls felt huge! I bought the small package & dragon suplex nearfalls as they were going to be the finish, but secretly I knew Sanada was going to pull this out. Nope, he doesn't! Totally blown away, 2 High Fly Flows seal the win for Tanahashi! Really good match! 3.75 stars!
Kazuchika Okada vs Kenta
-OMG!! THIS RULED! So hard fought! SO STIFF! Kenta's kicks & palm strikes were BRUTAL in this match! That moment when Okada had enough of Kenta's shit midway.. DANG! But Kenta kept blasting Okada with hard shots. The catching air dropkick on the outside and then the one inside by Kenta, wow! But when Okada hit his own dropkick and then hit his OWN catching air dropkick... WOWZA! The final stretch of back & forth leading to the finish, I bought so many things as the finish! So good! Top notch match, definitely go out of your way to watch this! 4 stars!
ZSJ vs Evil
-WOW!! This was GOOD! ZSJ SOLD! I am all into this new development of ZSJ actually selling stuff! Between his selling, the fast pace & mix of Evil's hard hitting style vs ZSJ's catch wrestling, submissions and kicks.. Heck of a match! Evil picks up quite a win here, which surprised me. I thought it was building to ZSJ getting the win. Good stuff! 3 stars!
Day 10:
Jay White vs Shingo Takagi
-HOLY MOLY! Are you kidding me? That was SO FRIGGIN' GOOD! Jay White has developed into a helluva heel. Watching him sneak, snake & cheat his way through a match is a lot of fun. And that smirk he puts on, letting his opponent & crowd know he's getting away with it.. Sooooo hateable! So great! Shingo had so much fire, fury & bombs though! It took everything between Gedo & White to make it past Shingo who was put over huge here despite losing the match. So good, such good language & drama! Helluva match! Definitely watch this one! 4 stars!
Jon Moxley vs Tetsuya Naito
-OMG! That was SOO MUCH FUN! Naito's stalling antics at the start of the match, playing mind games and making Moxley wait well.. kinda' backfired. Moxley just EXPLODED with offense, wild start as they brawled all over the arena. This was an interesting match in that Naito came up against someone who was even more unorthodox than himself. He spit on Mox, Mox spits back. Mox bites him, he bites Mox back, Mox bites him again! They kept up a good pace, action packed back & forth match though that supercanrana spot was a bit botched and a bit scary. Moxley survived El Destino and hit two Deathriders, the last one SPIKING NAITO RIGHT ON HIS HEAD!!! WOWZA! Moxley gets to 10 points! Really good match, super fun! 3.5 stars!
Juice Robinson vs Tomohiro Ishii
-HOLY MOLY RAVIOLI! OMG! What a WAR! This was HARD HITTING! Two guys just STIFFING THE LIFE out of each other, no selling total BOMBS in displays of FIGHTING SPIRIT, and coming down to the one who could outlast the most bombs and deliver a deathknell to the other! Oh man. I JUMPED OUT OF MY CHAIR SO MANY TIMES DURING THIS!! These two guys just DESTROYED each other, SOOO MARKING OUT! Again, THIS WAS A WAR AND I MARK OUT MANIA LOVED IT! WATCH THIS WATCH THIS! 4 stars!
Day 11:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Evil
-Good match! Evil went after the legs and Tanahashi did a great job selling his age and damage, making it seem like his time was gone and Evil had his number. But Tanahashi kept working through it all and not letting Evil build an insurmountable amount of damage on him until the old man chipped away at the younger stronger foe and pulled off the win. Good story, good match. 3 stars!
Will Ospreay vs ZSJ
-OH MY GAWD!! That was MARK OUT MANIA FANTASTIC!! The chain wrestling, submissions, back and forth counters at lightning pace.. SOOOOO KICK ASS!! I am digging this new selling stuff ZSJ in the G1! Ospreay is of course currently amazing and this clash of Ospreay's offense vs ZSJ's catch wrestling offense was just phenomenal! I really loved this match! I recommend watching this match for sure! 4 stars!
Day 12:
Hiroki Goto vs Tomohiro Ishii
-OMG!! Another STIFF WAR! Goto & Ishii WRECKED each other in this battle! Just stiff shots left & right, back & forth! It really was two men just stiffing each other until one of them was left standing. No complex story or psychology, just BEAT EACH OTHER TO A PULP! Great stuff! 3.5 stars!
Shingo Takagi vs Jeff Cobb
-WOWZA! What a match! Stiff lariats, AMAZING suplexes, amazing displays of power, both guys surviving bombs back and forth.. Great action packed hard fought match. There is just too much awesome in this G1 tournament! Heck of a match IMO, 3.5 stars!
Day 13:
Kazuchika Okada vs Sanada
-OMG HOLY MOLY RAVIOLI OMEGA SUPREME BREAKDANCING MARK OUT MANIA!!!! GREAT MATCH!! Okada so arrogant and cocky early on. Sanada seeming possibly out of his depth after having lost the New Japan Cup final to Okada and then losing his IWGP Title challenge months later and now cocky Okada dominating him in the early goings. But Sanada kept at it. He kept fighting. Sanada survived Okada's bombs and kept going to Skullend. But Okada bounced back from that, hit Rainmakers, seemed like he'd pick up the win after all, all his early arrogance justified. But no, Sanada survived again and SKULLEND!! Nearly 2-3 minutes of Skullend sapping Okada's energy & fighting spirit, building an insurmountable advantage. But then Sanada let go of the Skullend with a minute left, moonsault.. KNEES UP! Okada seemingly on the verge of pulling it off after all once again but.. TKO BY SANADA! MOONSAULT TO OKADA'S BACK! MOONSAULT TO OKADA'S FRONT! SANADA FINALLY DEFEATS OKADA WITH LESS THAN 30 SECONDS LEFT IN THE MATCH!! HOLY FUCKING SHIT! I was JUMPING UP AND SCREAMING AT THE TV AND LOSING MY SHIT! OMG THIS RULED! I don't think it was as good as their New Japan Cup Final but it was REALLY great still! I'm in MARK OUT MANIA amigos! YOU GOTTA' WATCH THIS! 4.25 stars!
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kota Ibushi
-Oh Man! That was a good match! It started off with Tanahashi kind of doing his thing going after the knee and then Ibushi hit that hurricanrana when Tana was gonna go for the High Fly Flow out of the ring and from there it was Ibushi having a counter for all of Tanahashi's signature offense! Hiroshi slaps at Ibushi, trying to old man vet put him in his place but then it turns into a STRIKE FEST, Ibushi fighting back and from there Ibushi is just picking his moments and putting Tanahashi away bomb by bomb. Ibushi's Nakamura tribute knee strike and then the close range knee strike and IBUSHI DEFEATS TANAHASHI!!! Good match! 3.5 stars!
Day 14:
Tetsuya Naito vs Shingo Takagi
-MIND BLOWN SUPER DUPER ELECTRIC GUITAR COMET SHATTERING MARK OUT MANIA! WOW! WOW WOW WOW!! What a match! The back & forth action, the hard shots from Shingo, the disrespect by Naito, Shingo hitting him even harder and harder as the match went on! So much action, so many advantage shifts, so dramatic in the last 7-10 minutes! It really looked like it could go either way. And SOOOO many moments I was yelling at the TV, jumping out of my seat, sure something was over and it kept going and it was AMAZING! Another star making match for Shingo out of a string of them he's put together this summer in NJPW! Naito picks up the win in just an EPIC hard fought match! INCREDIBLE! I am TOTALLY MARKING OUT!!!!! HOLY MOLY!!!! 4.25 stars!
Day 15:
Kazuchika Okada vs Evil
-WOW! What a hard hitting back & forth match that had me on the edge of my seat yelling at the TV in the final 7 minutes! Evil seemed to have Okada figured out in so many parts of this match, I legit thought maybe Evil was going to pull this off but no.. Okada has a level that no one else can go to! Okada finds a way to get the win after surviving some MAJOR abuse from Evil! Helluva match! 3.5 stars!
Day 16:
Shingo Takagi vs Tomohiro Ishii
-NO FREAKING WAY MIND BLOWN AWAY INTO SPACE AND OUT OF ORBIT AND BEYOND SUPER SONIC MARK OUT TO INFINITE AND BEYOND MANIA!!! THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY MIND BLOWING FREAKING AMAZING!!! HOLY MOLY! The Ishii formula, ie 2 guys beat the FUCK out of each other until one dies, but taken to an ABSURD MIND BLOWING NEW LEVEL!!! Ishii & Shingo TORE THE HOUSE DOWN with this match! So STIFF! So back & forth! So AMAZING! So dramatic! I'M JUST TOTALLY 100 PERCENT BLOWN AWAY RIGHT NOW!!! No words other than WATCH THIS MATCH RIGHT NOW!! DEFINITE MUST SEE! 4.5 STARS!!!
Day 17:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Will Ospreay
-OMG!! This was a good match! Very action packed, kind of formulaic but it worked really well. Much like vs Ibushi, Tanahashi tries to do his regular thing but once again he faces a younger opponent who has counters ready. But where Ibushi felt like he had finally surpassed Tanahashi and was confidently moving past one of his idols, Ospreay is in a more desperate situation here and he can't let up in the finishing stretch cos he knows that he hasn't surpassed the old man yet and so if he's gonna win it he can't allow the old man to get his stuff in cos then he'll be curtains. Ospreay gets a HUGE win over Tanahashi in a good match. Good stuff! 3.25 stars!
Kazuchika Okada vs Kota Ibushi
-WOWZA HOLY MOLY! What a match! Hard hitting, back and forth, outstanding sequences and dramatic counters & nerfalls! Ibushi wasn't as confident here as he was when he surpassed Tanahashi but he did have an air about him that he was at least on equal terms vs Okada and in the end it was surviving the Rainmakers so he could hit the knees and put away Okada. It took 2 of them but he did it! Helluva match! 4 stars!
Day 18:
Jon Moxley vs Juice Robinson
-Fun match! I liked how Moxley kept introducing weapons & plunder into the match and everytime Juice resisted temptation and didn't use them. In the end Moxley let his wild side get carried away and it distracted him from putting Juice away and in the end he paid for it and Juice picked up the win and revenge for their US Title match earlier in the summer. Fun stuff! 3 stars!
Tetsuo Naito vs Jay White
-Good match! The Switchblade was not as heelish here as he was in other matches, so it was more of a straight forward action packed match. They did have some good action, especially the 2nd half of the match. Naito seemed so confident & assured of his victory but the sequence of 20 million counters back & forth led to White getting the upper hand and wiping Naito out with a wave of offense that no one could withstand! The Switchblade wins and will meet Ibushi in the finals! Good match! 3.25 stars!
Finals:
Kota Ibushi vs Jay White
-EPIC HOLY MOLY WOWZA POWZA COSMIC EXPLOSION MARK OUT MANIA! GREAT MATCH! EPIC GREAT MATCH! These two had an epic G1 final! The Switchblade went after Ibushi's ankle repeatedly throughout the match, it was his in to gaining advantage repeatedly. Ibushi struggled through it and Bullet Club antics but kept dropping bombs on the Switchblade who could only survive so many times before his luck was all out. I like this new thing where Ibushi goes to a new level when you slap him. Slap Ibushi and invite your doom, apparently. Only nitpick I had about this match was Ibushi's at times spotty selling of his ankle. There had to be a way to do more things one legged instead of just dropping the selling at times to hit his moves like usual. But in the end, after epic back & forth struggle with both men surviving devastating bombs, Ibushi finally wins the G1 Climax! Great match, definitely watch this match! 4.25 stars!
Overall:
WOW! There isn't anything like New Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 in today's pro wrestling. There are lots of tournaments, lots of good ones at that, but none that will give you this many high end matches. Excellent G1! I watched 20 matches in one day, won't attempt that again hopefully!
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Set the World Alight: Chapter 15 - also on AO3
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Matt finally gets the house to herself and invites Mox over. Meanwhile, Nick and Adam go on a college tour.
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Note about the chapter [including rather major chapter spoilers]: Two teenagers over 18 who love each other deeply have a YA fade-to-black sex scene. In case anybody's like. Weird about that.
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Sunday, March 16th
Matt
She wakes up to her phone ringing, and mindlessly fumbles for it. “Hello?” she mumbles into the phone.
“Wake up,” Nick says. “Dad got donuts.”
Matt sits up so fast her head spins. “Donuts? I’ll be right down.”
She pulls on a pair of slippers and one of Mox’s hoodies from his dad’s garage and half tumbles down the stairs into the kitchen.
“Donuts?” she says by way of greeting.
“Oh, hey there, Matty girl,” her mom says. Matt takes her in – she looks nice, almost fancy.
“Why are you already dressed?” She peeks around the corner to see her dad face first in a closet. She giggles a little. “Are you two going somewhere?”
“Museum district is having a special,” she smiles, “and your dad has that pass, so we’re going to go watch movies in the Omnitheater all day.”
“Have fun,” Matt says. She tries to smile like a normal person, but she’s just gotten the best idea. “Nick, you want to do anything today?”
He shakes his head, shoving a donut in his mouth. “College tour with Adam,” he mumbles through the mouthful. “Torrance is having a weekend welcome thing and Mrs. Page asked me if I wanted to tag along.”
Matt does everything she can not to explode. “Oh, okay,” she says. “You guys all have fun! I’m hanging out here today.”
Her mom eyes her for a moment, and Matt does everything she can not to give away what her idea is. If she plays this right, she gets the entire house to herself. All morning, all afternoon.
With Mox.
“Well,” says her mom with a knowing smile, “don’t do anything too reckless. And, if you do, use a condom.”
Nick chokes on his donut and has to be smacked on the back for two straight minutes to get himself back together.
~
Nick
“Hi, Mrs. Page,” Nick says, sliding into the back seat next to Adam. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“I invited you,” Adam says, pouting.
“Please,” Mrs. Page laughs. “You know Nick is my favorite of all your friends. I’m just glad he was willing to wake up so early on a Sunday!”
Nick yawns before he can answer. “We were up early for Matt’s cheer competition yesterday, so it’s kind of happening without my control at this point.”
“Well,” Mrs. Page says, pulling out of Nick and Matt’s driveway, “we can keep the volume to a minimum so the two of you can take a nap on the way there and back, hmm?” She smiles at them through the rear view mirror. “Just like when you two were little.”
Nick glances over to Adam and shares a smile. “Only now someone won’t cry because we can’t stop to pet the cows.”
“They were adorable cows and they deserved kisses,” Adam says, pouting even harder. But there’s a sparkle in his eyes that makes Nick’s heart skip a beat. Or three. Nick bumps Adam’s knee with his, lingering just a tiny bit too long.
“All cows are adorable,” Nick says. “Plus, you were, like, twelve.”
“Thirteen,” Mrs. Page corrects.
“Thanks for that, Mom,” Adam grumbles.
Mrs. Page puts on some audiobook, and Nick decides it’s not a big deal if his and Adam’s hand bump as they fall asleep.
~
Matt
Hey you want to come over today? she texts to Mox, nearly vibrating with excitement. It’s been five minutes since everybody left but she couldn’t wait any longer. She bounces on her toes with anticipation.
always but I got to work until 2ish
Matt deflates a little, because she’d been hoping Mox could come over immediately, but she’s still excited. Yay! Text when you’re on your way.
of course <3
<3
Matt cranks up her music and takes her time showering. The night before all she could make herself do was wash out the hair gel before she stumbled into bed. But today, she’s got a little more energy. And she has an plan.
She sings poorly to her favorite playlists, and nobody knocks on the door to ask her to stop or use the bathroom. She takes care to make sure her hair looks pretty but manageable, and she picks an outfit she thinks is cute, but not like she’s trying too hard.
She cleans her bedroom and bathroom so they look right. And then she double checks that her top bedside table drawer has what she needs in it.
“Good,” she says, fighting her smile.
It’s only eleven when everything’s done, and then she’s sitting on her bed, bored.
When her phone rings, she answers so quickly it’s a little excessive. “Hi, Mox.”
“Hi,” he says. “How’re you?”
“I’m good.” Matt sits down on her bed. “How about you?”
“Not too bad,” Mox says. Matt tries to keep herself from running around the room spinning and decides, instead, to roll over on the bed. “So, what are you doing today?”
Matt kicks her feet up, looking out the dormer window. “Oh, nothing,” she says. “Just hanging out with my boyfriend.”
“He sounds like a big fuckin’ idiot,” Mox says. Matt thinks she can hear the smile in his voice. She wants to wrap herself in it like a blanket. “Real tool of a guy, if he’s not there already.”
Matt glances around her room. It’s neat and tidy. Nothing out that shouldn’t be. Cozy blanket. Clean sheets. She’s jittery with eager anticipation. “He’s welcome to come over whenever he wants, but he’s at work,” she says, trying to keep it light. “And don’t call him an idiot. I happen to love him.”
“Oh?” Mox says. “Yeah? What would you do if he was already in your driveway?”
Matt’s excitement spikes through her entire body. “You said not until after two!” She glances out the window and, sure enough, there is Mox’s mom’s car pulling into the parking space usually meant for her Dad. They have the whole house to themselves, and Mox might not even know it yet.
She flies down the stairs, checking to make sure her outfit is right like she wants it, before pulling open the door. She runs into Mox’s arms, and he spins her.
“I thought you had to help your dad at the shop!” she says as Mox sets her down.
He shrugs. “Told him it was my girlfriend’s birthday, and he let me leave early.” He leans down and kisses her forehead. “So I got to come see you sooner.”
Matt thinks she may vibrate out of her skin and into the stratosphere if she doesn’t say anything. “Come upstairs,” she says, grabbing Mox’s hand.
He goes with her easy, not letting her hand go the entire way. When they reach her room, Matt flops down on the bed and grins up at Mox. “Come on, sit!”
He blushes a little as he settles down slowly next to her, and she might jump him right here if he keeps being so sweet. “You seem excited,” he says, resting his hand on hers.
She nods. “I am.” She leans over to take the piece of paper her father had brought in with the mail the night before off her bedside table. “I got into State.”
Mox’s eyes widen, and he smiles so huge she feels like she’s bathing in sunshine. “I knew it!” he says, jumping to his feet. “Oh, baby, good job! I knew you’d do it!” He reaches out and pulls her by the arms to hug her. “And I’m not going to be that asshole who tries to push you to go to the same school I’m going to, because that would be awful.” He pauses. “But, holy shit, that would be so fuckin’ cool.”
Matt giggles as she hugs Mox back, then pulls away so she can see his face. “They gave me an awesome scholarship for my cheer work and my grades, and when I went for that tour last month one of the admissions counselors told me he’d seen my work and was impressed, so.” She shrugs. “I felt like I had it in the bag. But I wasn’t sure.”
“Everybody should be impressed with you.” He leans down and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re amazing.”
Matt grins up at Mox. “Thanks. You are, too.” Matt swallows, trying to get up the courage. “And, um. I was thinking. Since it’s my birthday weekend and all.” She takes deep breath. “I, um. I was thinking. Well, I bought a new bra, and new underpants, and I was thinking maybe you could see them.” She pauses.
“Sure!” Mox says. “I mean, I’m not, like, very good at fashion or anything, but I’ll hype you up and everything.”
Matt sighs. “No, I – I want you to take my clothes off, not critique them.” Mox tilts his head to the side. Matt thinks if she looked hard enough she could see his ears perk up. “Specifically, if you wanted to, I was thinking we could have sex.”
He nods slowly, more controlled than Matt has ever seen Mox. It’s almost endearing, with the way he’s trying to act like he’s being normal. She can read him pretty well, though. “You sure?” he asks. His fingertips are stroking the skin on her arms, and she’s pretty sure she’s about to combust. “I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
“Pressured?” Matt giggles. “Mox, I asked you.”
“I know!” he says. “But, like, I know what the issue was with Cody, and I don’t want you worried I’m expecting something from you.”
“I’m not,” she says. She slides her hand to his belt, then stops, waiting for Mox to respond. He looks at her softly. And then she can’t stop talking. “I want to, Mox. I love you. I – I love you so much, and I want…” She trails off and looks up at him. “Mox, I want you.”
Mox makes an unexpected, weird little sound in the back of his throat. “Yes,” he almost whispers. “Yes, Matt, I want to. I – okay, but, like, what? And how?” He exhales. “Never mind. You make all the decisions. I’m just here for your enjoyment.”
“You’re so weird,” she says, and she leans over to kiss him. She pulls him backward onto the bed. She falls down, flat on her back, and the thrill of Mox’s weight on top of her makes her lightheaded.
Mox’s shirt is gone, and then hers, and then she can feel Mox’s heartbeat against her chest.
“I want to check again,” Mox says, breathing heavily. “You – we’re going to have sex. And you want to. Like, you really want to.”
“Yes.” Matt tries to say it like a promise. She reaches up and cups Mox’s cheek. “I really, really want to. Because I love you.”
“I love you, too, Matty,” Mox says, kissing her forehead again. “So fuckin’ much.”
~
Curled up in Mox’s arms, Matt thinks she’s going to reset her timeline and make this her first time. Jamie once told her that, for girls, it should only count if you come. And that makes today her first time if she adds Cody’s stupid definition.
“You awake?” Mox whispers. His fingertips through her hair make her feel warm and cozy.
Matt nods, rolling over. “Not sleepy,” she mumbles. “Just enjoying it.”
“I get that,” Mox says. “Holding on to the moment.” He sighs, and Matt can feel his chest move. He pulls the blankets up around the two of them. “And you, of course.”
“And me?” Matt asks, shifting to be able to see Mox’s face.
“Holding onto you,” he says with a smile. He pulls her in tighter. “That’s called a zeugma.”
“Ooh, you’ve been listening to my weird English class rants,” Matt giggles. “How romantic of you.”
“I think what we did earlier was more romantic, but whatever.” He kisses Matt’s forehead again, and Matt presses her face into his chest.
“Okay, very true,” she mumbles against his skin. “So, I have a question.”
“Go for it.”
She shuffles again so she can look Mox in the eye. “We might be going to different schools next year.”
Mox nods. “That might happen, I guess.” He’s quiet. It’s all Matt can do not to poke and prod for more answers. “Are you worried?”
“No,” Matt says, and she thinks it’s the truth. “I figured we should probably talk it out, right?”
Mox nods and adjusts. “Well,” he says slowly, “I think, no matter what, we try, right? Everyone says long distance is a joke, but we can’t know until we’re the ones giving it a go.” He reaches out and, with the softest touch Matt’s ever known, tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “Plus, I think we’re different than everyone else.”
All Matt can do is nod and get lost in Mox’s blue eyes. “So it’s settled then,” she finally says, “if we end up at different schools, we try long distance. And, um,” she breaks eye contact, gaze lingering at the necklace dangling from Mox’s neck. “If we end up at the same school?”
“Then we stay together,” Mox says automatically. “Um. That is, if that’s what you want.”
Matt nods, a little too hard. “I do. Want that, I mean.” She smiles at him. “I don’t want to break up.”
“Me either.”
Matt leans in and kisses Mox, and they lose the afternoon.
~
Nick
“Oh, sweet!” Adam says, darting over to the Ag barn. Nick exchanges a look with Mrs. Page, who smiles down at him. “Look at this space!”
“He really loves cows,” Nick says, a little incredulous. “Has he always been this way?”
“You tell me, Nick,” Mrs. Page says. That smile hasn’t gone away, but it’s turned a little more knowing. “You’ve known him almost as long as I have.”
Nick feels like blushing at that. He doesn’t know why. “When he was a baby, though?”
“Oh, definitely,” Mrs. Page says. “We were never able to have cows or horses – not quite enough room on our farm, of course – so, naturally, he became obsessed with cows.” Her eyes land on where Adam is talking beyond animatedly with the person who brought out the cow, petting the cow reverently. “Always felt bad we couldn’t give him the one animal he loves the most, but…”
“Well, it motivates him to find every cow and yell cow,” Nick says. Adam beams as the cow licks his face. “See? Look how happy he is.”
Mrs. Page nods. “He’s always been such a farm boy.” She turns to Nick. “You may have to get used to that.”
Nick can’t match her gaze, feeling his blush grow. “Maybe,” he admits quietly. “I could, though. Get used to it.”
Mrs. Page steps next to him, an arm around his shoulder. “We are so lucky to have you and your sister in our lives,” she says. “No matter what that looks like.”
Nick feels too seen, but he also feels safe.
“Nicky!” Adam yells. “Come over here – this cow’s name is Matilda! Like actually Matilda! We gotta get a picture for Matt!”
Nick laughs as he runs over to Adam, Mrs. Page close behind them. She takes the photo, and, if Nick’s a little closer than usual as he usually stands, that’s between him and Adam.
#moxmatt high school au#wtf i like wrestling now???#in which sara writes#Hello they're stupidly cute and Nick is just stupid#It's my fic and even I'm getting annoyed at how hesitant he's being#MoxMatt#hangnick
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Analysis And Price Projection Of The Uranium Market BY VOLKMAR HABLE
Dr. Volkmar Hable writes: I travel a lot for the purpose of identifying new investment opportunities. In that process earlier this year I was offered by the governments of two countries Uranium exploration concessions of outstanding quality and location, and was told that no one would be interested in Uranium in these days. This caught my attention and we started to investigate. And sure enough, as a matter of fact, in these days it seems to be extremely easy to pick up Uranium concessions anywhere between Greenland and South-Africa.
The exceptional price decay in Uranium in the past 10 years seems to offer a reasonable explanation. Many Uranium deposits require a minimum price of 45 to 50 USD per pound in order to only operate at breakeven. The current and past price levels simply don’t accommodate the development or exploration of Uranium rich areas. Low prices are usually caused by low demand. And here is the Uranium “conundrum”, supported by detailed figures (Source: courtesy of the World Nuclear Council). As readers can easily see, by checking the bottom lines of the respective tables, there has been consistently a significant gap between production and a much higher demand. In 2013 production from world Uranium mines supplied about 85% of the requirements of power utilities. This gap so far has been bridged by supply of military Uranium and Plutonium resources, I’ll come to that in a minute.
All mineral commodity markets tend to be cyclical, for example, prices rise and fall substantially over the years. In the Uranium market, however, high prices in the late 1970s gave way to depressed prices in the whole of the period of the 1980s and 1990s, with spot prices below the cost of production for all but the lowest cost mines. In 1996 Uranium spot prices recovered to price levels where many mines could produce above breakeven, but a decline followed again and prices only started to recover strongly from 2003 onward. However, readers should keep in mind that the quoted spot prices apply only to trading and always have represented less than 18% of the entire supply. Most trade is via 5-15 year term contracts with producers selling directly to utility companies.
The reasons for fluctuation in mineral prices relate to demand and perceptions of scarcity. The price cannot indefinitely stay below the cost of production (see below), nor will it remain at very high levels for longer than it takes for new producers to enter the market and anxiety about supply to subside.
CIVIL NUCLEAR ENERGY PRODUCTION AND REQUIRED URANIUM
PRODUCTION OF URANIUM
DEMAND
About 445 reactors worldwide with combined capacity of over 376 GWe, require some 78,000 tonnes of Uranium oxide concentrate containing 66,000 tonnes of Uranium from mines (or the equivalent from stockpiles or secondary sources) each year.
This includes initial Uranium for new reactors coming online (thus the difference to the table above, which does not include this additional demand for new reactors).
The demand is growing steadily, and at the same time the reactors are being run more productively, with higher capacity factors.
Each GWe of increased new capacity will require about 155 tU/yr of extra mine production routinely, and about 300-450 tU for the first fuel load on start up of the new reactor.
The nuclear fuel consumption is measured in MW days per tonne U, and many utilities are increasing the initial enrichment of their fuel (eg from 3.3 towards 5.0% U235) and then burning it longer or harder to leave only 0.5% U-235 in it (instead of twice this).
Due to the cost structure of nuclear power generation, with high capital and low fuel costs, and the long planning periods, the demand for Uranium fuel is much more predictable than with any other mineral commodity. Once reactors are built, it is very cost-effective to keep them running at high capacity and for utilities to make any adjustments to load trends. Demand forecasts for Uranium therefore depend for the overwhelming part on installed and operable capacity, regardless of economic fluctuations. And it is this point exactly that would make Uranium mining an attractive stable long-term business proposition.
Looking 20 years ahead, the market is expected to grow significantly. The WNA 2013 Global Nuclear Fuel Market Report reference scenario (post Fukushima accident) shows a 49% increase in Uranium demand until 2024 , assuming a 36% increase in reactor capacity.
Electricity demand by 2030 is expected (by the OECD's International Energy Agency, 2008) to double from that of 2004, and it is hard to see how in a world concerned with limiting carbon emissions, and very much limited fossil fuel supplies, this additional demand can be supplied other than by nuclear power generation.
SUPPLY
In 2012 mines supplied some 58,344 tU, about 84% of utilities' annual requirements. The balance has been covered by secondary sources including military supplied and stockpiled Uranium held by utilities. Stockpiles of Uranium at the end of 2013 they were estimated to be at 90,000 tU in Europe and USA, and a bit less in East-Asia. Basically we are looking at stockpiles of a 1.5 to 2 years of annual consumption at current burn rates, which is not too bad.
The perception of imminent scarcity drove the pot price to over USD 130 in 2007 but since then has return back to above the 30 USD level, which is well below the breakeven cost of many mines.
However, the long-term contracts are a different story, and there the prices are well above the spot price. Most long-term contracts and the prices in new contracts have, in the past, reflected a premium of at least 15 to 20 USD above the spot market, and in some cases even higher.
This divergence clearly is unsustainable and most certainly point to higher prices going forward, even without the prospect of an increase in electricity consumption.
The main growth in Uranium demand takes place today in India, Russia and China, and their vertically-integrated sovereign nuclear industries have sought equity in Uranium mines abroad, bypassing the market to a large degree 8which explains the low spot price despite high demand).
Strategic investment in Uranium production is a priority for these sovereign industries.
An important source of nuclear fuel is ex-military weapons-grade plutonium, as MOX fuel. Commitments by the USA and Russia to convert nuclear weapons into fuel for electricity production is known as the Megatons to Megawatts program.
Weapons-grade Uranium and plutonium surplus to military requirements in the USA and Russia is being made available for use as civil fuel. Weapons-grade Uranium is highly enriched, to over 90% U235 (the fissile isotope). Weapons-grade plutonium has over 93% Pu-239 and can be used, like reactor-grade plutonium, in fuel for electricity production. Highly-enriched Uranium from weapons stockpiles has been displacing some 8850 tonnes of U3O8 production from mines each year, and met about 13% to 19% of world reactor requirements through to 2013. It is unclear at this point how much longer the military is willing or able to supply fissile material to cover the short-falls of mine production. There was talk already in 2012 that in 2013 Russia would stop all sales for concerns about keeping enough for its army.
The demand side finishes the bullish picture for Uranium. The main catalyst is the move to green energy. Nuclear power plants have no carbon emissions. The growth of nuclear power is just beginning, but planned production is expected to greatly increase the demand for Uranium.
Westinghouse Electric signed a deal to build four nuclear reactors in eastern China. The price tag on the deal is $8 billion. This is just one tiny piece of the puzzle. China plans to spend approximately $50 billion to build 30 nuclear reactors by 2020. This will increase its nuclear energy production by 40 gigawatts. That’s basically enough power to supply all of Spain with electricity. The growth in the nuclear market has resulted in a very large increase in the demand for Uranium
The production of these mines takes time and money. Even if everything goes well, we are talking about at least six years until a mine becomes operational from initial exploration, and it’s for this reason that there is a long period of time during which demand exceeds supply. This shortage will always show up in price, and that’s exactly what we have and will continue to see.
PRICE PROJECTTION FOR URANIUM TILL 2024
Based on the above figures I expect a widening gap between supply and demand, which may be covered in part by increased efficiencies of new nuclear reactor plants, which will be exacerbated by the decrease in military supplies to the civilian market, and a s result should cause rising prices in both long-term contracts and spot prices. I expect prices to continue their sideways pattern for some more time. But as the transfer of military supplies to civil use is being reduced and more reactors are coming online we have reason to assume prices beyond the 100 USD mark in the next 5-7 years or so.
About the author:
Dr. Volkmar Hable is a geologist and physicist by training, he holds a Ph.D. in geosciences and a B.Sc. in Agriculture and Agronomics among other, and is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and German. He was CEO CEN-European operations of Fortune 500 company Adecco, manager of a Swiss hedge fund for 7 years and has spent a year in the Diplomatic Corps. He currently is a member of the in British-Columbia accredited Consular Corps, a director and fund advisor of Samarium Investment Corporation and CEO of Samarium Borealis Corporation.
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Magic and Moonlight: Chapter 28
So I finally have 28 finished. I got super distracted over the weekend. Tagging: @queenofthearchitect @biforbecky2belts @writtingrose @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk @mox-made-me-do-it @sassyspacedust @afauss2009 @calwitch @sammyfireheartashryver and @never-sawft-princess If you wish to be tagged, my inbox is always open. Enjoy!
It’s been a week since we buried my mom, and I haven’t left the house since. Hell, I’ve hardly left my bed. Colby has been accommodating, taking care of Tyler and taking him out to Black and Brave whenever he had to go to his school. I felt so guilty for being so out of everything, but with my mom gone after finally having her in my life again I had a right to be upset and depressed.
I had opted not to return to road life after the funeral, and Vince and the rest of his family was more than willing to give me the time I needed to grieve for my mom. Colby was working hard to encourage me to return to the ring when he was at Extreme Rules. This would give me time to process everything that had happened and try to get my life back to normal and adjust to not having my mom around.
“Thea,” I heard Colby call out quietly as he poked his head in, announcing he was back with Tyler from his school, “Babe? How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Are you hungry?”
“I’m a little hungry,” I rolled over to look at him, I could see the sadness in his eyes at seeing me in such a depressed state, “Where’s Tyler?”
“My mom offered to have him spend the night with her,” he replied as he entered the room and sat at my side and stroked my hair, “She wanted to give us a night off so I can focus on you and how you’re feeling. So it’ll just be us tonight. Do you want to maybe watch a few movies and I can order us something?”
“That would be nice,” I grabbed hold of his hand, and laced my fingers with his, “I’m sorry you have to worry so much about me. I don’t want to be a burden to you.”
“You are not a burden in the slightest,” Colby bent down and kissed me, “As your mate and boyfriend, and as part of the imprint, I am hardwired at this point to be whatever you need me to be. If I’m needed to be supportive and there for you to curl up into, I’m your man. So get used to having me close by for the next couple weeks because I’m not leaving you alone for a second.”
I ended up falling asleep in Colby’s arms. I was just so exhausted from how down and out I’ve been feeling since I lost my mom. I decided to just stay in my own dream for a change, just to conserve what little energy I had. What I hadn’t expected was to have a visitor. I was in my living room, just lounging on the couch with a blanket in my dream when the front door opened and the last person I could expect walked into the house.
“Thea,” my mom called out as she came in.
“Mama,” I asked, confused on how she was here.
“There’s my sweet girl,” she replied as she came to hug me tightly, “I’m here sweetheart. I am always here when you need me most.”
“But why are you here,” I asked, “I mean you died to save me from my magic killing me to bring back Colby. You should’ve moved on by now.”
“I am in a better place,” she sat me down on the couch again and took a seat next to me, “But I’m always able to come visit you in your dreams.”
“So since you’re here,” I looked down at our now joined hands, “I’m sure you’ve seen how depressed I’ve been.”
“I have and that’s why I’m here,” she brought our hands up to her face and kissed my knuckles, “That’s why I’m here. I want to tell you that I will always live on in your heart. That I’m not entirely gone from your life. I want you to move on from this, but on your own time and on your own time. I know it hurts still for you, but I just want to let you know that I am at peace and I feel no pain. I’m happy and I am so proud of you. Keep making me proud sweetheart.”
I was back in the gym with Colby. I had to make sure I didn’t have any ring rust when I return the Raw after Extreme Rules. Colby suggested that we spar today since he was cleared to do some ring work, and he felt I would be a great partner for him to work with to make sure he was ready and at 100%.
“Babe,” I was dripping in sweat and my muscles felt like they were on fire and I was struggling to catch my breath, “I am completely spent here. I can hardly breathe. I think we’re both ready for the ring.”
“Okay I concede,” Colby laughed as he hugged me, “Let’s go shower and pick up Tyler from my mom. I’m sure our little man is missing us a ton.”
Colby and I were busy in our room, packing up for heading out to Extreme Rules. We had Tyler sitting on the floor with a few of his toys. One of his favorites was a big foam baseball Colby got Tyler for his first birthday. Tyler adored it because he would roll it and Colby would roll it back to him. I’m the moment Tyler can throw it, Colby will start teaching him how to play catch.
Tyler rolled the ball to Colby, but Colby didn’t pay attention and it caused Tyler to huff at him. But Colby continued to ignore him. So Tyler hefted himself up onto his own two feet. I looked over at Tyler and I covered my mouth in shock and surprise at seeing Tyler standing up on his own. I was also trying to contain my laughter since Tyler had his daddy’s grumpy face plastered on his chubby little face.
Tyler lifted his right foot and took a step. I was in tears at seeing him take his first step. Tyler looked down at his foot and got a determined gleam in his eye to repeat the action with his left foot. Tyler looked down at his left foot like he had with his right foot, and then looked at his father that was still ignoring him and his ball. He started to take more steps, making his way over to Colby as he was deep in thought staring at his bag making sure he had everything he needed inside of it.
Tyler finally made his way over to Colby. I had my phone out at this point, recording the whole trek Tyler took to cross the room. I had to get this moment on video and save it forever so we could watch it over and over again. Tyler grabbed his father’s pant leg and gave it a good yank as he babbled angrily at his dad to pay attention to him.
“Tyler,” Colby looked down to see Tyler standing and yanking on his pant leg with an angry look on his little face, “How did you get over here little man?”
“He walked,” I answered for Tyler as Colby picked Tyler up, “He got so mad at you and trudged his way across the room towards you. You didn’t roll his ball back to him.”
“I didn’t even feel it hit me,” Colby had finally noticed the ball at his ankle, “Sorry buddy. I didn’t mean to ignore you. Do you forgive me, little man? I promise to play with you once I have everything packed up, okay.”
With that, Tyler was a smiling and happy little boy again. Colby set him back down and Tyler picked up his ball and walked back to his pile of toys to continue playing while we got back to work on packing again.
Colby and I were at the Prudential Center for Extreme Rules. Colby was hiding out on the bus parked behind the arena, having snuck in with the hood of his hoodie pulled up over a black hat and I was right behind him with one of his other black hoodies with the hood up to obscure my face as I dipped in behind him.
“Alright so I’m not making my appearance until after the main event,” Colby took a seat once he had his new gear set out on the couch of the bus’s front lounge, “I’ll be hitting Roman with a sneak attack before scampering off back behind the curtain again. I’ll make a proper address of my return tomorrow.”
“I like it,” I smiled as I went into my gear and I pulled the arm band I had made. It had the same logo of Colby’s in-ring initials but I wouldn’t add it to my attire until later on down the road when Colby would turn face against Stephanie and Hunter, “We yet again find ourselves on opposite sides. But only for a few months this time thankfully. But I’m glad I got this made ahead of time though. I think it was about time my ring gear got synced up with yours.”
“I agree,” Colby grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap, “It’ll be good to have my girlfriend match her gear to me. It’ll be a way for us to closer than ever and be in each other’s corner even when we’re not physically in each other’s corner.”
“Because we both know how picky Vince is about people being each other’s managers,” I added, “If it doesn’t fit with his vision for the show, it doesn’t happen.”
“I also have a little surprise for you after I make my return appearance tonight,” Colby kissed my neck, just under my earlobe, “I think you’ll like it. I know I already do.”
I was watching Colby running out from gorilla. I was so happy for him. Hell I think everyone was happy to see him back in the ring again. They all knew how much he loved this business. I knew from my experience with him being on the sidelines and having to watch me continue to compete killed him, because he wasn’t there in the ring with me. But now that he was coming back, and being a full wolf this time, he was going to get back to the top of the mountain in record time.
Once Colby bowed to the crowd on the stage, he came running back and had a huge smile on his face. I ran up to him and jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly, so happy he was finally back and I would be back tomorrow. After the last two years we’ve had, we were ready to have things go our way for once.
“You were great out there babe,” I kissed him hard as he held me tightly, “I’m so proud of you. Go take your victory lap. I’ll be here when you finish.”
Colby went around and talked with everyone that was rooting for him to return healthy and ready to take the ring by storm. Once he was done, he came back to me and he took hold of my hands.
“So I’ve been threatening this for a while so I know you knew this was coming eventually,” Colby bent down on one knee and Becky came over with a ring box that I’m sure he slipped to her before he had to go out tonight, “Theadora Rose Bartlett, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately, “Thousand times yes. I’ll marry you, ya big goofball.”
Colby lit up with a smile that would put the sun in second place. He took the ring, a beautiful white gold ring with a bright india cut sapphire in a setting surrounded by small diamonds on my left ring finger and rose to his feet. He lifted me into his arms and slammed his lips hard against mine. Everyone was clapping and cheering, celebrating this momentous milestone for us.
#seth rollins x oc#seth rollins fic#seth rollins fanfic#seth rollins fanfiction#wwe fic#wwe fanfic#wwe fanfiction#werewolf!seth rollins#witch!oc#supernatural/occult!au#magic and moonlight
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