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hutchhitched · 4 years

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Too Familiar (Part 10)

Happy Monday, Everlarkers! While I was hoping to get this chapter to you sooner than this, I’m really excited that it’s finally done. This is the last full chapter of Too Familiar, and a short epilogue will post next Monday, August 3 to wrap up the story. You can also read the story on AO3. For those of you reading it on tumblr, the rest of the story can be found here. I love hearing from you, so feel free to send me your thoughts.

Trigger warning: mature themes (including infidelity and minor character death).

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“Mama Kat, when’s Dad going to be home?” Elam asked as he tossed his keys on the counter. She grinned when he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Hunter’s Little League game should be over in an hour or so,” she answered as she cut a pear into thin slices. “Probably pretty soon after that. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Just wanted to talk to him about graduation,” he said as he buried his head in the fridge and then emerged with a sports drink.

Katniss swallowed hard and stilled her suddenly shaky hands. No matter how much she knew logically that time had passed, she couldn’t convince herself that Elam, the sweet boy she’d met so many years ago when her relationship with Peeta was rocky and unsure, was graduating from college in a few weeks.

“Anything I can help with?” she asked, her voice unsteady and wavering.

Her stepson shook his head, and she dropped her eyes to the counter. Madge wasn’t a common topic of conversation in the house. For everyone’s sake, they avoided mentioning her as much as possible. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean Peeta’s ex-wife was far from anyone’s mind. Elam’s graduation would be the first time they’d all be together since he’d graduated from high school, and Katniss squelched the anxiety that bubbled in the pit of her stomach.

“Just trying to figure everything out,” he mumbled before heading into the living room and plopping in front of the TV.

She almost asked him if he planned to stay for dinner, but she didn’t want to risk upsetting him. Elam rightly loved his mother, and Katniss had no desire to come in between them. She was content to be his dad’s wife, the mother to his half-siblings, and Mama Kat. Never his mother. Not the person who’d raised him from birth and had never remarried. The most Katniss could hope for was to stay in the shadows when the family gathered together and hope for the best. After all, each of them were adults, and there hadn’t been a blow up for such a long time. Madge seemed to have forgiven them as much as possible for their affair, and Peeta had long since apologized and groveled for his transgressions. More than anything, Katniss had worked really hard to be a good wife and build a solid foundation for their kids, including Elam. If nothing else, the three children enjoyed a home with a deeply loving, committed relationship at its center—no matter how terrible the beginning.

Dinner was almost ready when the door burst open and Hunter bolted down the hall and threw himself against her stomach. Jasmine followed behind, twirling her hair around her finger with a bored expression plastered across her face. Her daughter was the very picture of teenage angst and spending the evening with her dad and kid brother wasn’t on her “cool” list.

“Hi, sweetheart,” her husband said as he entered the room, his bulk taking up a considerable amount of space. Peeta kissed her cheek and tossed the groceries he’d picked up on the way home onto the counter. “Tiny, baby, can you help me put this away? Hunter, shower and change. Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Daaaaaaaaad…”

“Momma, dinner is soon?”

She grinned at Peeta addressing her as a mom. It still thrilled her that she’d given him two wonderful children—in spite of how much they sometimes drove her up the wall. “Very soon.”

Peeta pressed his side to hers as he emptied the grocery bags and handed the food to their daughter. The contact promised things to come after bedtime, and Katniss blushed slightly at the thought of them making love. They were intimate much less frequently than they had been earlier in their relationship, but she craved the physical connection that they’d been unable to deny when they were younger. Peeta didn’t last as long as he used to, and she wasn’t nearly as flexible as she’d been years before. Even so, they still managed to find release in each other’s arms as often as possible—even if that wasn’t nearly frequently enough.

“Elam’s here,” she muttered under her breath. “He wants to talk about graduation with you. Probably figuring out how to stagger us with Madge so nothing happens.”

“I’ll talk to him,” he promised. “After dinner. We don’t have many more opportunities to have all of us together anymore. It’ll be worse once he starts his job.”

Peeta did as he promised. They sat down together for dinner, and everyone (even Tiny) filled the others in on the highlights of the past week. As Katniss readied Hunter for bed, started the laundry, and set the alarm so she and Peeta wouldn’t be late for work the next day, Peeta talked to Elam in the living room, their voices low and rumbling for almost an hour. She was in the middle of preparing for bed when Peeta slipped into their bedroom and came up behind her.

“You’re still so gorgeous,” he said as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back against him. His lips roamed her neck, and she arched her back when he rubbed his groin against her ass. “I need you tonight, Kat. It’s been a week. My dick’s gonna fall off, and my balls are going to shrivel up and disappear.”

She snorted at his hyperbole. It had been several days since they’d had sex, but he was hardly going to die from it. She’d jacked him off one morning as he brushed his teeth, and she knew he masturbated in the shower almost every day.

“You poor baby,” she teased as she ground back against him and braced herself on their bureau. “How will you ever survive without getting laid?”

“Thankfully, I’ll never have to find out.”

“That’s so true,” she breathed and spread her legs.

He grunted as he penetrated her, thick and heavy as he pushed into her from behind. His hands cupped her breasts as he rocked his hips until he was buried deep inside her. When she shivered, his right hand dropped lower and stroked her nub until she whined in the back of her throat.

She knew they needed to be quiet. Their teenage daughter and pre-teen son didn’t need to hear their parents fucking so loudly they woke everyone on the block, but it was hard to keep her pleasure quiet when her husband impaled her on his dick so hard she was constantly balanced on her tiptoes and rubbed her clit so hard her arousal leaked out around his cock.

“God, I love you,” he growled against her temple. “I love you so much. So much…”

“Peeta,” she panted before she turned to begging. “Peeta, give it to me. Please.”

He came then, spurting warm and thick inside her, and she reveled in the way he broke against her. His muscles locked, and he lost lucidity as he babbled and panted and grunted. She wasn’t much better. Her knees buckled, and she stumbled when she tried to walk.

“You know, that was a lot easier when we were younger,” she teased. “Somehow, we got old.”

Peeta chuckled as he tugged a pair of boxers over his hips. “We’re not in our thirties anymore.”

“We’re not even in our forties,” she scoffed and frowned at the gray hairs that peppered her dark braid.

“Older and wiser, I guess.”

She grinned as he climbed into bed, and she cuddled up against him. “We’ve come a long way. It’s almost liked we figured out how to be in love or something.”

“Love wasn’t ever the problem, sweetheart. I’ve always loved you. Even when I was stupid and married to someone else and treated you terribly, I always loved you more than I’ve loved anything else. I’m so glad we stuck this out, Katniss,” he murmured sleepily. “I’m so lucky you loved me back.”

“How could I help it?” she yawned. When he didn’t answer, she closed her eyes and slept.

They woke the next morning sore and exhausted, and that continued each day as they prepared for Elam’s graduation. Nervous, Katniss reached out to Madge and offered her help in arranging the party. Surprisingly, her husband’s ex-wife asked her to come over to discuss the plans.

When she knocked on the door, Katniss shifted from foot to foot. The two women hadn’t seen each other for so long, Katniss wasn’t sure what to expect and internally berated herself for reaching out to the other woman voluntarily. Things had gone well enough between the two of them for so long, she hated to rock the boat, but she supposed her stepson’s college graduation was enough of an event warranting the two meet face to face.

“Katniss,” Madge said when she opened the door, “come in.”

Peeta’s ex-wife looked older since they’d seen each other last. Madge’s face was gaunt and hollow with sunken eyes and pale skin that was just on the wrong side of porcelain. Instead, her coloring edged toward sickly. As Katniss entered the house, she didn’t miss the almost imperceptible shaking of Madge’s hands.

“I have to say, I wasn’t sure you’d want my help,” Katniss said carefully as she moved through the entryway and perched on the side of the couch. “I’m glad we can agree that Elam’s happiness is worth any uncomfortableness of our own.”

Madge smiled wanly and motioned to the pitcher of iced tea on the coffee table. “Help yourself. I don’t have much energy today, so…”

“Are you okay?” Katniss asked quietly. “I know I haven’t seen you for a while, but you seem a little off.”

A flash of anger flitted across Madge’s face, and Katniss dropped her gaze to the tray of refreshments. The last thing she wanted to do was upset the other woman, but Madge did look much more peaked than Katniss had ever seen her.

“I’m…” Madge waved her left hand vaguely in the air, and Katniss sat back with a glass in her hand. “I’m feeling a little under the weather. Have been for a while, but I need to get through this graduation before I can worry about that. After all, Elam’s the apple of my eye—all our eyes, isn’t he? We’ll put on a brave face and pretend everything’s okay.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Sure,” Madge insisted, but her face betrayed her inner thoughts. “Sure, everything’s just delightful.”

“Madge, I know we’re not the best of friends or anything, but it’s obvious something’s going on. I’m happy to listen if you—”

“If I need to confide in someone? If I need to share my innermost thoughts and vulnerabilities with the woman who stole my husband almost twenty years ago? I mean, it’s been so long, why would it matter now? Surely, we can just let bygones be bygones, right?”

Katniss pursed her lips at the other woman’s sarcasm. It wasn’t pleasant, but she knew better than to rise to the bait. Madge had invited her over, after all, so there was a reason she wanted her here.

“I’m not expecting anything. Just offering to listen if you have something to say.”

“I don’t really need help with Elam’s party,” Madge admitted. “You’re welcome here, of course. Elam adores you—even if it makes me squirm a little.”

“Okay?”

“Katniss, I’m sick.”

“Do you want me to leave so you can go to bed?”

Madge shook her head. “Not that kind of sick.”

“Oh,” Katniss answered lamely, her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

“I have cancer. Ovarian. It’s stage four. The prognosis is…” Her voice trails off, and Katniss twists her hands as her insides mirror the action. “Well, it’s not good.”

Katniss cursed under her breath and blinked back sudden tears. There was certainly no love lost between them, but this was beyond anything she’d imagined. She’d expected Madge to be a part of her life as long as she lived.

“Have you—have you tired chemo? Radiation?” When Madge shook her head, Katniss added, “Drug trials? Anything?”

“The doctor says it’s too late. It’s metastasized— It’s— It’s too late.”

“We’ll get a second opinion,” Katniss insisted. “We’ll figure something out.”

“I’ve already done that.”

“Then a third,” Katniss argued, frantic with anxiety.

“Katniss, no,” Madge said softly. “I’ve made my peace with it. It’s why I invited you over.”

“What’s why you invited me over? I thought I was—” Her voice broke, and she stared at the other woman.

“I’m dying,” Madge insisted. “There’s no stopping this. It’s going to happen, and it’s terrible and shitty and awful, but it’s happening. Elam deserves to graduate without this overshadowing his accomplishment. I’ll tell him after. Once he’s gotten settled in his new job, I’ll break it to him, but right now isn’t the time.”

Katniss nodded, unable to speak. She pressed her hand to her mouth because she was positive she’d scream if she dropped it.

“As much as I hate to admit this, you’ve been a really good mom to Elam. A good wife to Peeta. Despite how it all started, I’m glad my boys are happy, and I know you’ll be strong for them when I go.”

Katniss choked back a sob and shook her head. “This is absurd. This can’t be happening.”

“It’s happening.”

“No! No, it’s not,” Katniss snapped. “You’re supposed to hate me. I slept with your husband while you were married. I blew him when you were pregnant. I had an affair with him when you were a new mother. You’re supposed to loathe me, not expect me to replace you when you—”

“When I die,” Madge whispered.

“You’re not dying!” Katniss screamed, all attempts at control lost. “You’re not fucking dying.”

Madge’s eyes welled with tears, and Katniss had to bite her cheek to stop herself from another outburst.

“I am. I don’t want to. I don’t want to miss Elam finding himself, getting married, becoming an adult, a father, everything I ever wanted for him, but I am going to miss it. And Katniss,” Madge paused and swallowed hard. “Katniss, you cannot tell Peeta. Not yet. I have to talk to him myself because he has to be ready when I tell my son. Our son. All of ours.”

“You can’t ask me to do that,” Katniss croaked. “You cannot expect me to lie to my husband. To Peeta. We’ve always been honest with each other.”

Madge shot her a withering look, and Katniss cringed in response. Honesty wasn’t exactly the foundation stone of her marriage, and the woman in front of her knew that better than anyone.

“You don’t have to lie for long. Not like in the past or anything. He’s graduating in a week.”

“That wasn’t called for.”

Madge sighed and raised a trembling hand to her forehead. “You’re right. You’re right. That wasn’t fair.”

Silence stretched between them for several seconds. Madge sat with her eyes closed, breathing quietly and pressing her lips together to keep from crying. Katniss stared at her feet, unable to process the coming loss for their family. Because that’s what Madge was as much as Katniss had tried to ignore it. She was part of Peeta’s family, and, therefore, part of hers. More importantly, she was Elam’s mother, and her sweet stepson was going to lose his mother in the months to come.

“I need to rest. Maybe it’s time for you to go.”

Katniss nodded quickly and rose clumsily. It felt like the walls were closing in, and she needed air. She had to figure out how to get through the next few days without lying to her husband, without him seeing right through her and figuring out something was wrong.

“Madge…” she rasped and looked at her former nemesis. “I—”

The two women locked gazes as their eyes blurred with tears. Katniss reached for Madge’s hand, and the other woman stretched up and grasped her fingers tightly before dropping her arm.

“Take care of my baby. Promise.”

“I promise,” she breathed and broke for the door. Halfway home she pulled over and bawled at the unfairness of it all. For Elam losing his mother. For the pain she and Peeta had caused Madge. For the guilt in their marriage. For the broken relationships and lost time and mistakes and everything wrong.

The rest of the week dragged. Katniss brushed off Peeta’s advances with promises that they’d reconnect “later” and “after Elam’s had his day” and a million other excuses that felt as wrong as Madge’s prognosis. Clearly frustrated, Peeta huffed and pouted, but she ignored him until he stopped.

“I haven’t been this celibate since Tiny was born,” he teased the night before Elam’s graduation, and she shook her head and snorted.

“I think you’ll probably pull through, Mellark. It’s been a while since I’ve had to tell you to keep it in your pants, too, but here we are.”

He chuckled as he put his arms around her and drew her to his chest. “Can you believe my son is graduating from college tomorrow?”

“No,” she mumbled, “I can’t.” It wasn’t lost on her that he’d said Elam was his, not theirs. Not the way Madge had included Katniss in her son’s life only a few days prior.

“You realize what him graduating means, right?” he asked as he nuzzled her neck.

“What’s that?”

“That it’s been twenty-two years since I first ate you out,” he whispered in her ear as his hand dipped between her legs.

“Peeta,” she warned as he nudged against her skin.

“Lie down for me, sweetheart. Please.”

“Peeta, no,” she whined, but it wasn’t any use.

“Katniss, yes,” he insisted as he walked them backward and situated her on the edge of their bed. He dropped to his knees in front of her and tugged down her sleep shorts before spreading her legs and kissing up the inside of her thighs. When his lips met her slick heat, she closed her eyes and drove everything from her mind but the feel of her husband’s mouth on her pussy.

“Oh, fuck,” she hissed as she twisted the sheets in her fists.

Peeta moved slowly, deliberately, methodically. His tongue swept into her slit and licked and nipped for what felt like hours. Swirls coupled with penetration and heated breaths chased desperate groans and haggard breaths from her body until she was begging. Her back arched off the bed when he wiggled his tongue inside her and then pulled away. He blew softly on her wet lips and then buried his face into her again. He repeated the process, over and over, until she writhed under him. When he curved two fingers inside her as he sucked on her clit, she bowed and snapped. She tugged his hair as she shoved his face closer to her and wrapped her legs around his head. His tongue flicked her repeatedly as she came and then came some more. Katniss rolled her head from side to side as he continued to work her with his fingers and mouth. It felt too good to do anything but bask in the endorphins.

As she floated, she heard the distinctive sound of skin slapping, and she realized Peeta was jerking off as he kissed along her slit. She moaned and ground against his face. His pace quickened while she twitched under him, and it was only a few more moments before he stood up and leaned over her.

“I’m gonna come,” he grunted, and she drew him over her. Her hand wrapped around his, and he shouted her name. Hot stripes covered her breasts and face seconds before he collapsed on top of her. She wiggled against him, smearing his ejaculate across their bodies. With a tortured grumble, he licked himself off her face before kissing her deeply. She sucked the taste of herself off his tongue until he pulled away and started laughing.

“God damn.” His breathing was ragged against her neck, and she grinned when his thumb flicked her nipple.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” she teased. “Even when I push you away, you figure out a way to weasel your way back into my good graces.”

“If by good graces you mean your pussy, then yes,” he answered with a broad smile. “I love you so much, Katniss. All these years later, and I still can’t get enough of you. Worth every hardship. Every dirty look. Every snide comment and brushoff. I’d choose you again every time,” he promised with a gentle kiss. “Every. Single. Time.”

Katniss bit her lips, but the tears came anyway. Overcome with emotion, she shook her head when he asked her what was wrong. Instead, she curled into his arms, sticky and sated, and fell asleep with her tears washing his chest.

She was still emotional the next morning when they woke and prepared for the graduation. She cried as Elam crossed the stage, and she teared up when she and Peeta gave Madge an awkward farewell. Peeta looked at her quizzically when his ex-wife squeezed her hand before they left.

“Okay, sweetheart,” he announced as they walked in the door, “Elam’s graduated, Tiny’s at work, and Hunter is at a sleepover. We’re alone in this house for the first time in ages. It’s time for you to spill it. What the hell is going on? You’ve been acting weird for a week.”

“I haven’t been acting weird.”

“Katniss, you haven’t said no to sex that many times since before Elam was born and we were still pretending we weren’t doing anything wrong just giving each other hand jobs and sucking each other off.”

It was exactly the wrong thing for him to say, and she sank onto the couch with a deep pain in her gut. She’d forgiven herself so long ago for their affair, but Madge’s illness brought forth all the old guilt and pain she’d repressed for the past two decades. Her marriage with Peeta had weathered a million obstacles—cheating, parental disapproval, a blended family, a workplace romance, raising kids, and self-loathing—but she’d never imagined she’d be back where she was the night Madge went into labor and all hell had broken loose. She’d been convinced then that Madge’s emergency C-section and brush with death had been her punishment for tempting Peeta during his marriage, but the cancer diagnosis… It didn’t make sense that Madge was the one with the death sentence when Katniss had been the one sucking the cock of a married man.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Katniss Everdeen Mellark,” he barked. “I know you better than you know yourself. Tell me.”

“It’s not my story to tell,” she insisted and moved to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. “You’ll have to wait until she tells you herself.”

He followed her and surveyed her with curious eyes. When she refused to speak, he sighed and ran a finger through his curls that still fell over his forehead, even if they were a little bit receded from where they’d been when they’d met. He looked tired and beaten down, and she longed to smooth out the wrinkles in his brow and the laugh lines around his eyes.

“It’s something with Madge.”

“Peeta, I really can’t say anything.”

“Fine,” he snapped. “Just forget it.”

“Peeta,” she started, but he cut her off before she could get any farther.

“I think I’m going to meet up with Finnick. I’ll see you later.”

She stood with her mouth hanging open as he stormed from the house. She heard the car start and drive away before she was willing to believe he’d left. It was another twenty minutes before she admitted defeat and changed into old sweats and a stretched out t-shirt.

Three glasses of wine later, she was halfway through a horror movie when the front door opened.

She expected Tiny or Peeta, but it was Elam, face pale and eyes red-rimmed as she stood in the hallway.

“Oh, honey,” she said softly and held out her arms to him.

“Mama Kat,” Elam gulped. “My mama’s sick.”

“Baby,” she whispered and wrapped him in her arms.

The minutes ticked by as her stepson wept in her arms. Tiny returned and quietly escaped to her room when she saw her older brother crying. Sometime after midnight, Peeta slipped through the door and wobbled toward them. When Katniss shook her head, he stumbled down the hall and left them alone. In the middle of the night, she shifted Elam onto the couch and covered him with a blanket. With a kiss on his forehead, she turned and headed down the hall to her bedroom.

She expected Peeta to be asleep, but she wasn’t prepared for his bare ass to greet her when she walked into the room. He was completely naked, passed out and snoring. A bottle of lube was on the nightstand, and a soiled towel was on the floor on his side of the bed. For all the moments she’d loved her husband, her stomach turned at the sight of him. On the very night his firstborn needed comfort, he’d gotten drunk and jacked off while his son bawled in her arms.

Just as suddenly, a wave of sympathy and guilt flooded through her. Peeta had no idea his life was about to change dramatically again. He had no clue his first wife was dying, and his oldest child was about to lose his mother. On top of that, she’d lied to him about what was wrong. When Peeta heard the news, he’d have to deal with the shock of Madge’s terminal illness and his wife’s…betrayal, or whatever it was she’d done by hiding the truth.

She woke late the next morning to gritty eyes and the smell of coffee. Peeta wasn’t in bed, so she grabbed her robe and stumbled to the kitchen as she twisted her hair into a messy braid. Her husband sat at the bar next to Elam, both with slumped shoulders and untouched cups of coffee in front of them.

“What am I going to do, Dad?” Elam asked, his voice ragged and weary.

Katniss held her breath, but Peeta offered advice she wished she’d thought of the night before when Elam and wept on her shoulder.

“You’re going to live your life,” he insisted. “Your mother and I both love you so much, and we’re so proud of you. Mama Kat and your brother and sister and I are all here for you. We’ll always be here for you, and we’ll be your family once your mom is gone. You’re a good man, Elam, and your mom is always going to be with you, no matter what happens. She’s raised you so well, son.”

His voice broke then, and Katniss moved into the room to lay her hand on her husband’s shoulder. He turned to her and pulled her close as tears clung to his lashes. Elam pushed his cup of coffee away and announced that he was going to spend the day with his mother.

“You knew,” Peeta accused as soon as the door closed behind Elam. Shoving himself away from her, he looked at her with fire in his eyes and spat, “You knew, and that’s why you kept shoving me away last week.”

“Peeta, I—”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“Madge made me promise not to. It was her news, not mine, and I didn’t want to break her trust. Not after everything I’d already done to her.”

“You mean, not after fucking her husband while she was at home with a newborn? Not when we were screwing each other when I was going to therapy with her? When you rode my face the night before Elam was born? I’m your husband, Katniss, and we’re not supposed to have any secrets from each other! Not after everything we’ve been through to be together.”

“I didn’t—”

“What do you mean?” a strangled voice asked from the hallway, and they both turned to find a stricken Elam gaping at them. Peeta rose quickly and took a step toward him.

“Son—”

“What do you mean?” Elam repeated. “You were— You told me things started after… Oh my God. Oh my God! You were cheating on Mom? You lied to me?”

Katniss held her breath. They were on a precipice, and their decision to withhold the truth from Elam suddenly seemed like a terrible idea. Madge had agreed only because she wanted to be spared the humiliation of knowing her son was aware of the affair, but now the walls crumbled around them.

“I can explain,” Peeta said, but Elam backed away from them, his face a mask of disgust and fury.

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want anything from you!” he yelled.

“Elam, stop!” Peeta cried, but it was too late. Elam was out the door, his tires squealing as he pealed out of the driveway and sped down the street.

Peeta stood outside for several minutes before returning to the house. Katniss watched as his shoulders fell and he plodded up the front steps and walked through the door. He was clearly shell-shocked, pale with red-rimmed eyes and a haunted look in his eyes. Katniss stood quietly, afraid to make a move until he indicated he was ready for her comfort, if that was something she was even able to provide. Peeta’s relationship with his oldest child had always been something only they understood.

“This can’t be happening,” he finally gasped and doubled over. “I’ve lost him.”

She rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his middle. Helping him to the couch, she steadied him as he collapsed into the cushions. Silent tears streaked down his face, and she clutched his hand, gripping it with a ferocity she hadn’t realized she could muster since she’d finally believed Peeta was really hers.

Except he wasn’t exactly. Yes, he was her husband, but he was also Elam’s father and Madge’s ex. He was her children’s dad and his parent’s child. He was a brother and a friend and an employee. He was hers as much as anyone she hadn’t birthed could be, but there were parts of him she’d never be able to understand, and this seemed to be one of them. As much as she loved Elam, he had never really been hers either, so how could she comprehend the loss Peeta felt as he watched his firstborn flee?

Things didn’t improve over the next few weeks. Calls to Elam went unanswered, and Madge’s condition worsened rapidly. Both Katniss and Peeta wanted to be there for her, but Madge insisted there was nothing they could do. She asked them to give her space to be with her son, who refused to be in the same room with his father.

“I promise I’ll make time for you to see me,” she promised, but the days passed with no invitation to visit.

“She’s going to die without letting us see her,” Peeta said one night, hopeless and broken. “I should have done this earlier. I should have worked harder to repair things with her instead of settling for an unspoken truce. And now…”

“Now, it’s about Madge and not us. She’s the one dying, and she gets to make the rules now. We get to make her last days as comfortable and stress free as possible,” Katniss suggested gently. “She knows we’re sorry for hurting her. We can’t do anything else now. It’s in the past, and she’s accepted that.”

Peeta lifted his stricken face to hers and whispered, “When she’s gone, I’ll lose every tie I have to my son. He’ll never forgive me once she’s dead. I don’t know that I’ll ever forgive myself either.”

Katniss swallowed the pain, too terrified to answer, too scared to admit her husband might be right. That Madge’s death would mean losing a part of their relationship that had defined them since the beginning. That Elam would walk away after his mother’s death and refuse to acknowledge them after learning of their betrayal.

“Madge will call for us, and Elam will come around. He’s hurting right now, and we need to let him know we’re here for him without pressuring him to respond. All we can do now is love him and trust that he’ll believe us when he needs that support.”

Unfortunately, Elam didn’t seem interested in accepting anything from any of them. As Madge grew weaker, he stopped responding to their children as well. As much as Katniss understood the anger her stepson must be harboring, it hurt her more than she could stand to see her children confused that their brother had disappeared from their lives.

Madge made arrangements for them to visit on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, and Peeta left work early both days to make the most of the time he’d been granted. Katniss joined him when Haymitch learned of their situation and allowed them leave for a family illness. Peeta sat at Madge’s bedside and held her hand. They kept up a steady stream of conversation, reminiscing about their high school and college days when they’d been young and in love, before Peeta had met Katniss and Madge realized her marriage was failing. They talked about their son and his accomplishments, and Peeta broke down when Madge admitted she’d urged their child to forgive his father.

Katniss watched sadly, heartbroken that they’d wasted so much time in anger and hurt. Madge was funny and smart, self-deprecating and kind, but most of all she forgave them graciously every time the subject of their affair surfaced.

“I don’t have time to hold a grudge anymore,” she said softly. “You love each other more than we ever could, Peeta. You deserve to be happy. Stop punishing yourself for something you wouldn’t change, and don’t give up on our son.”

It surprised Katniss that the visits with Madge became a solace to both her and Peeta as the other woman weakened. Elam never allowed himself to be seen, but it was comforting to know their son was safe and loved and an active part of Madge’s final days. Peeta offered to help with arrangements for memorial and burial, but Madge declined. She and Elam had made the arrangements, and she urged them to accept his wishes.

“But Madge,” Peeta begged, “I should help him with this. You both deserve to be supported through this.”

“But that’s not what Elam wants, and I want what makes him happy. He’s an adult now. You have to let him come to you when he’s ready.”

In the end, they agreed to Madge’s requests and allowed mother and son to spend as much time together making decisions and sharing memories as possible. The days ticked by, and Madge lingered, frail and fading, far longer than any of them expected. Still, it was too soon when the call inevitably came. They were at home, watching the late news after the kids’ bedtimes, when the phone rang. They exchanged looks before Peeta answered. He spoke softly into the phone for a few minutes before he hung up and turned to face her.

“She’s gone.”

“Elam?”

“No. That was the funeral director. Elam didn’t want to talk to us.”

“When is it?”

“The day after tomorrow. We’ve been asked not to attend.”

The words hung between them for several moments, both smarting from the sting.

“That’s not what Madge would have wanted,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“No,” he replied wryly, “but she’s gone, and now Elam gets to make the decision.”

“Peeta, honey.” She reached out to him, but he shook his head.

“I need to be alone for a while. I’m sorry.”

She waited until well past midnight, but he didn’t return. At work the next morning, he was quiet and withdrawn, and he barely said anything to her at home. He loved on their kids and tucked them into bed but barely kissed her goodnight. That continued until the day of the memorial service, and, although they didn’t attend, he sat vigil during the time others paid tribute to his ex-wife. The distance grew between them for weeks, until one day he turned to her and she said, “You came back.”

Slowly, and with many lost days, they grew back together. Their home life stabilized, and they raised their daughter and son to smile and dance and laugh. They celebrated milestones and loved each other unconditionally, but there was always an empty seat where Elam should have been.

Year after year after year passed without him.

#everlark #everlark fanfiction #too familiar #peeta mellark #katniss everdeen

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tkmedia · 3 years

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The key storyline to follow for every top 25 college football team

The 2021 college football season will have no shortage of storylines. All four of last year's College Football Playoff teams are replacing their starting quarterbacks, which gives hope to a new group of teams (like Iowa State, North Carolina, and Texas A&M) that they have a shot to find a way into the final four.Talks of expanding the Playoff will continue during this season. Speaking of "talks of expanding", Oklahoma's and Texas' defection from the Big 12 to the SEC has set college athletics ablaze with rumors of a massive realignment of some leagues and the folding of others. The NCAA is even signaling that their time as the complete umbrella of college sports is coming to an end. The name and image likeness rules get their first real test with the upcoming football season while transfer rules and the extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic season add extra intrigue to what should be an exciting ... and somewhat normal ... college football season.But that's the storylines of the sport as a whole. Each team enters the season with their own questions and concerns; dreams and goals. So here are the key storylines for every top 25 team.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Can Nick Saban win his 8th national championship? A lot of teams have the question of "how do you replace this guy" or depth problems or inexperience or whatever. Alabama has those issues too but we've moved past that. They've won championships with different kinds of quarterbacks. They've stocked the NFL with first-round picks and are the epitome of next man up. Heisman Trophy winners have come and gone. Alabama has all of those issues to deal with in 2021 but they're back as the title favorites yet again. You don't question how Nick Saban will manage as much as you just believe he will. The man has won seven national championships -- six of them at Alabama in the last twelve years. His legacy is cemented, as we are at the point of him just piling on the superlatives. The question really isn't "can Nick Saban win his 8th national championship" as much as "who is gonna stop him". Ken Ruinard / staff via Imagn Content Services, LLC Moving on from the Trevor Lawrence-Travis Etienne era.Clemson was 39-3 during the Trevor Lawrence era in Clemson, which included three ACC titles and a national championship. It also included two blowout losses in the College Football Playoff that have abruptly ended the Tigers' last two seasons. Lawrence is gone, as is the ACC's all-time leading rusher Travis Etienne. Clemson has two guys they feel are capable of keeping the ball rolling in D.J. Uiagalelei and Lyn-J Dixon, but it is a major reload to deal with as teams like Miami and North Carolina feel as if they have a shot at taking down the six-time conference champions. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports Will Spencer Rattler be the next Sooner Heisman winner? The biggest story around the Oklahoma program this year will likely be the school's move to the SEC in a few years, but on the field, it will be about quarterback Spencer Rattler. As a freshman in 2020, he threw for 3.031 yards, 28 TDs, and just 7 interceptions despite not having a normal offseason program. He followed Jalen Hurts (national champion), Kyler Murray (Heisman winner; No. 1 overall draft pick), and Baker Mayfield (Heisman winner; No. 1 overall draft pick). The four playoff teams from a year ago will be replacing their quarterbacks, giving Oklahoma a distinct advantage heading into the season. Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports Who is the quarterback?Like the other three schools who were in last year's College Football Playoff, Ohio State will be replacing their quarterback. The big difference in Columbus is that they aren't exactly sure who the new guy will be. Signs point to freshman C.J. Stroud as the favorite to start when the season begins, but fellow freshmen Kyle McCord and Jack Miller III will be chomping at the bit to step in. Stroud and Miller played sparingly during garbage time last season as backups to Justin Fields, but McCord is the higher-rated recruit who may eventually secure the job. Add to the mix Quinn Ewers, who in early August decided to skip his senior season of high school and enroll at Ohio State early. It is doubtful he could win the starting job, but he may end up being the best of the bunch. In any event, someone needs to take the reins if the Buckeyes are to get back to the national championship game. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Is it finally Georgia's time?Kirby Smart is 44-9 over his last four seasons in Athens, winning 28 of 33 SEC games, three bowl wins, and an SEC championship. They've finished either first or second in the East division every year and played for the 2017-2018 national championship with a freshman quarterback. The program is ready to enter that elite level that has eluded them for far too long. The offense is stacked with an experienced quarterback (JT Daniels), a talented running attack (led by Zamir White), and a group of skilled receivers ready to break out. The key will be a very young defensive secondary who will need to grow up quickly for the Dawgs title dreams to be realized. Gary Cosby Jr/The Tuscaloosa News via USA TODAY Sports Who is replacing Kellen Mond? Kellen Mond, who it seems as if was at Texas A&M for a decade, is now in the NFL and head coach Jimbo Fisher must find someone to replace him. The candidates are both really good and really diverse. Zach Calzada has the big arm who can stretch defenses and opens up the playbook. Haynes King is more athletic and spent last season as Mond's backup on the depth chart. King's speed and ability to move around may be more valuable as the Aggies are rebuilding their offensive line. The good news is that A&M's first five games allow them to learn on the fly before their big showdown with Alabama at Kyle Field in mid-October. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports Can the Cyclones cash in on the perfect storm?Everyone should be rooting for Iowa State. They are the little guy trying to punch their way up to the big time. They've got a Heisman candidate quarterback in Brock Purdy, who may be the best QB in program history. They've got another Heisman candidate in running back Breece Hall, who was a first-team All-American last year. The entire starting offensive line is back as well as much of the defense, led by linebacker Mike Rose. Don't forget that Iowa State won the Big 12 regular season by two games in 2020, before losing to Oklahoma in a thrilling Big 12 title game. Head coach Matt Campbell is on nearly every NFL GM's list to call when they have an opening. Add in the current turmoil in the Big 12 which will lead to an anti-Oklahoma and Texas sentiment and it creates a perfect storm for Iowa State to strike for a conference title and more in 2021. Purdy, Hall, much of the defense, and Campbell could all be gone after the season. Make this season count. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Is rebuilding an offense around two really good backs the right move?Notre Dame could be due for a bit of a drop-off in 2021. Most of the offense from last year turned over (nine starters gone), Wisconsin grad transfer Jack Coan takes over for Ian Book at quarterback, and are rebuilding their offensive line. So backs Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree will be the focal points of the offense as everyone else get comfortable in their roles. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees loves a solid running attack and will need to get that going in a hurry as the Irish have a difficult schedule to navigate. Notre Dame has four straight 10+ win seasons coming into the year, but with games on tap against Florida State, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, USC, and North Carolina, that streak could be in jeopardy if the offense struggles. Brad McClenny-USA TODAY NETWORK Fixing a defense that collapsed last year.Of the top nine schools on this list, only Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Georgia aren't breaking in new starting quarterbacks (the Gators will be replacing Kyle Trask with Emory Jones), but that's not where the questions lie. What's up with the defense? Florida was on the cusp of gaining a College Football Playoff berth when their defense just fell apart. A stunning home loss to a bad LSU team in the regular-season finale (37-34) began the puzzling trend. Then came a loss to Alabama in the SEC championship, which was competitive but saw Florida give out 52 points to the Tide. Finally comes a 55-20 spanking at the hands of Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl and fans are upset at high-priced defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. There is talent all over that defense but stunning breakdowns keep happening. Corner Kalir Elam, DL Zachary Carter, and rusher Brenton Cox Jr. are great pieces to build around with the hope that a second-year under Grantham's scheme will net better results. Sam Greene via Imagn Content Services, LLC Can the Bearcats do it again?In 2020, Cincinnati went 8-0 in the regular season, beat Tulsa in the AAC title game and pushed Georgia to the brink before losing in the closing seconds of the Peach Bowl. One of the best seasons in Bearcats football but one that felt unfulfilled. Fans felt that they were not only robbed of a spot in the College Football Playoff but disrespected after ranking just 8th in the final poll. So can the Bearcats pull it off again? After all, quarterback and AAC Offensive Player of the Year Desmond Ridder returns and is a darkhorse Heisman candidate in 2021. Also back is that punishing defense, who held 7 of 10 opponents to 20 points or less and only one opponent, UCF, to score more than 24 points. Head coach Luke Fickell has also beefed up the schedule with road trips to Indiana and Notre Dame, so an undefeated record against an admittedly soft AAC schedule this year will look better if they can beat the Hoosiers and Irish. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Will Oregon's defense carry them into the playoff?The Ducks' 2020 season was a bit rocky. Justin Herbert was tearing it up in the NFL and not in Eugene anymore, the season was initially canceled before being thrown back together at the last minute, and several high-profile players opted out of the season. Despite all of that, Oregon did win the Pac-12 championship (head nod to Washington) and looks to pull off a third straight title. This defense is stout. End Kayvon Thibodeaux may be the best defensive player in the country, linebacker Noah Sewell had a fantastic freshman season and the secondary is filled with playmakers. Sure, defensive coordinator, Andy Avalos is now the head coach at Boise State, but new DC Tim DeRuyter wants his troops to be aggressive creating turnovers. With yet another new quarterback this fall, the defense may need to carry the load -- especially in Week 2 when the Ducks waddle to Columbus to face Ohio State. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Can Sam Howell offset losing a lot of offensive power? Sam Howell is a Heisman candidate in what likely will be his final season before becoming one of the top picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. He's clutch has swagger and has all the tools to be a star. What he doesn't have are all those skill guys that had big seasons in 2021. Michael Carter and Javnonte Williams were the best running back duo in the nation last year and he won't have Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome to throw to anymore. Mack Brown has done an exceptional job recruiting in his second stint in Chapel Hill, and those guys stepping in must produce if the Tar Heels are going to take the next step towards a conference title. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Can Clay Helton save his job by getting USC back to where they belong? You know how you view Alabama right now? That's how we used to feel about USC in the 2000s. Now we view USC a bit like Alabama in the 2000s -- during the Dennis Franchione/Mike Shula era. Last year was a start in the right direction as the Trojans went 5-0 in league play before getting dumped by a 3-2 Oregon team in the Pac-12 title game. Needless to say, Clay Helton didn't cool off his hot seat very much as he enters 2021 as one of the top names on the pre-season chopping blocks. This Trojans team is good, as Kedon Slovis has a chance to be one of the best QBs in the country and this defense can be one of the best in the conference. If USC doesn't contend for a league title, another coaching change is likely. Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports What was the fluke: 2019 or 2020?LSU followed up one of the most magical and dominating seasons in college football history with one of the most puzzling and uneven years a defending champion has gone through. Yes, LSU filled the 2020 NFL Draft with a lot of talent that was going to be next to impossible to replace. Sure, Ed Orgeron's assistants used the success of their national championship in 2019 to move up the coaching ladder, and the replacements didn't fill their shoes very well. So Orgeron has hired two new coordinators to right the ship. On offense, Jake Peetz's job will be to figure out who their starting quarterback is: Senior Myles Brennan (who missed most of the season with an abdominal tear), Max Johnson, or TJ Finley ... sophomores who took over when Brennan went down. On defense, Daronte Jones is tasked with fixing the worst passing defense in the nation last year (and that was with Derek Stingley Jr. in the secondary). The Tigers have a lot of talent coming back, but can this coaching staff capture just a little bit of that '19 magic to calm down a notoriously fickle fan base? Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports Can Michael Penix Jr. Read the full article

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floweryfandomnerd · 7 years

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Travelling Buddies

This is a little ficlet I wrote based on this post by @inoki-mikan about Gieve teaching Elam how to smooth talk when they travel together. It’s dedicated to @thelazyfanartist because it’s her birthday today and she didn’t tell me so I finished this thing at record speed let me tell you.

Word count: 2262

Gieve slowed his horse with a sigh, there wasn’t the slightest chance he’d be getting past that rubble any time soon. Elam pulled to a stop beside him, they were well and truly separated from the rest of their party. It wasn’t that big of a deal - if they could find a detour they could easily meet back up.

If they hadn’t been lagging behind to begin with then they wouldn’t have been cut off by the sudden landslide. The ground had barely even shook but the loose rocks had still come tumbling down above their heads. Though, it was better by a mile just to have to find their way back to the Prince than have been trapped under it and crushed to death.

Gieve’s only real problem was, much as he loved Elam - and really he did - he hated the idea of being separated from Lady Farangis. In his absence who knows how many other men may try to win her affections?! He’d just have to return to her side as quickly as possible then. His eyes dart around the mountain, looking for a way to take their horses so they can catch up; it’s too dark to see far in the distance though. Clouds cover up what little sliver of light the moon might have provided them. He ties the horses to a tree so they can’t wander off, it’s not like they’ll be going anywhere tonight.

There’s a rustling amongst the sparse trees around him, he looks around trying to find the source of it. There’s no one there though - Elam, he’s gone! Gieve points his bow toward the noise, arrow aimed and ready to fly. When someone emerges he almost shoots them but changes the trajectory last second.

The arrow goes whizzing by Elam’s ear, he dodges to the left and narrowly avoids it. Elam’s eyes narrow angrily, somehow Gieve is just slightly intimidated by it - despite knowing he’d be the sure winner if they fought.

Elam emphasises the load of firewood and stones in his arms, “I went to get firewood and you decided that you would shoot me for it…?” He dumps them on the ground and picks up a solitary stone; Elam throws it full force at his head. It hits him with a quiet thud upon impact.

Gieve rubs at the sore red patch it leaves on his forehead. What an irritating little brat… He grits his teeth, he could endure a few days alone with him. At least he could pull his own weight though, they had firewood - and firewood meant warmth. What it didn’t necessarily mean was food however. Auditing the contents of his bag, he finds bread and cheese enough to make a meal for the both of them - and enough stolen gold to buy out half a kingdom if he wished to.

Behind him the fire sparks to life, crackling as the light wind blows its flames around. He divides the bread and cheese into halves, hands some to Elam then settles uncomfortably against a tree near the fire. The rocky ground doesn’t really provide them much luxury. Elam throws some more sticks onto the fire, staring fixedly as the flames lick at them and eat them up. It swells just a tiny bit. He pulls his cloak tight around him like a blanket and does his best to fall asleep.

Gieve stays awake a little too long, the hard earth and paranoia of possible - or possibly imaginary - enemies nearby does him no favours. He can sleep soundly when he’s in an inn full of beautiful maidens with a soft feather mattress beneath him and a silky quilt to cover him. Thinking about it, there’d been a small village some ways from the mountain they were on. He’d have to backtrack a bit but at least he’d have his inn. Distracted, he drifts off to sleep.

Both their spines ache when they wake up, Elam stretches his muscles as much as possible though it doesn’t do much to help. Finally in bright sunlight, they look for a path to find their way forward on the mountain. Their only option ends up being turning back and going around the mountain, one side holds nothing but a steep ledge too high to climb up, the other is a sheer drop of around 15 feet. The rubble in front is too unstable to try climbing over, one of the rocks teeters over the edge. Neither Gieve nor Elam wants to chance it on them.

Gieve is secretly satisfied - he gets to go to his inn after all.

They travel in near silence on nearly empty stomachs. It’s at least uneventful so they get to conserve some of their energy, if it weren’t for the jolting gallop of the horses they might have fallen asleep. They don’t get to the bottom of the mountain before nightfall; the sun is long set over the horizon before they manage to make it to the little village.

He knows there’ll be an inn there somewhere in the little village, but it suddenly strikes him that he doesn’t quite know exactly where. He dismounts from his horse and leads it around, slowly finding himself more and more lost.

“Gieve, do you actually know where we’re going?” Elam accusatorily asks him.

“Of course I do!” He snaps back annoyed, his face contorting with frustration. He’d been hoping for somewhere to knock back a drink and crash.

“Do you now?” Elam raises a challenging eyebrow, “Then point me in its direction will you, I’d like an actual bed to sleep in regardless of whether you’re going to wander around like a ghost haunting the halls of a castle.”

Even Gieve could be lost for words sometimes, he finds, but Gieve notices the single light from a window; this late at night it could only be an inn. He smugly nods in its direction, “It’s over there now let’s go.” He hopes there’ll be at least a few beauties around.

Warm light spills out the open door of the inn as they walk in. Tired and bedraggled, Gieve wishes for one of the cups of beer that he can hear bearded, fat-bellied men clinking behind him. They’re red in the face from the alcohol and somewhat rowdy but they all seem well-natured enough not to start any fights at the sight of newcomers. Gieve blows out a relieved breath he didn’t realise he was holding.

Elam strides up to the counter, weakly smiling at the bartender or innkeeper or whoever - he didn’t really care.

“One room with two beds please, and is it possible for you to put our horses up in your stables?” Elam requests as politely as possible but can’t quite keep the fatigue out of his voice.

The man looks on at him kindly “Sure if you can pay 10 gold coins for it.”

Elam whips around to stare expectantly at Gieve with his hand outstretched, Gieve is about to protest that that’s far too much but the glare set in stone upon Elam’s face is enough to shut him up. He pulls out one of his small canvas bags of coins and hands it over. However much Elam wants Elam can have - as long as he gets his bed he’s fine.

Once he hands over the payment the man immediately calls to someone serving alcohol around the inn.

“Silk! Go outside and put up their horses in the stable whilst I show them to their rooms.”

Silk slams down his tray of beers onto a table, earning him annoyed shouts from some of the more drunken drunkards when they almost spill. He ambles outside through a side door, petting the horses when they whinny at him. The bartender hands Elam a key and points up the stairs to his left, “Second door on the right is your room, as you can see the common room is still open if you want to stay down here for a while.”

Gieve nods and slides over some more money, “Two beers please.”

Elam scowls but sits at the table Gieve gestures towards. Gieve gently places the two beers on the table in front of him, cradling his own between his hands. Elam l;ooks at it apprehensively but eventually takes a sip at Gieve’s coaxing - it’s an odd kind of bitter with a somehow enticing taste. He takes another sip of the strong drink, thinking that had Narsus been there he might have stopped Gieve from pressuring him into alcohol. Irresponsible as he was he would never let someone Elam’s age drink.

He’s slightly tipsy when Gieve waves at some of the tavern’s women to come join them. For women in an inn late night they’re surprisingly beautiful. Gieve notes this to himself, he always seems to find beauties wherever he goes.

He places his hand on his heart and starts with one of his poetic lines, “Your hair is as black as night but I don’t ever recall night being so breathtaking!”

The lady he addresses it to giggle s next to him, quietly blushing at the compliment. It just spurs Gieve on.

“Yet it is nothing compared to the sapphire of your eyes, though I’ve never seen such a precious jewel among even the finest of sapphires!”

She giggles once again, “Your skin is as-”

“Why do you do that?” Elam slurs slightly, cutting him off.

Gieve glances at him strangely, “Do what?”

“Flirt with every women you meet. Is there even a limit to it?”

His comment annoys Gieve slightly, even moreso when the woman he was complimenting stomps off offended, at least she’s the only one to leave and not all of them do. Gieve’s brows furrow for a moment. “It’s not flirting, I’m just ensuring they know their beauty is appreciated in the most eloquent manner of speech possible.”

Elam lowers his head and mumbles into his drink, “Yeah, sure”

Gieve’s face twists into a slight frown, “Why don’t you give it a try if you’re so doubtful of my good intentions.”

Like Gieve ever had good intentions, Elam mulls it over for a moment, “Alright, whatever.” He stares Gieve straight in the face, “Are you sugar because you’re quite sickly sweet?”

Gieve sighs, “No! You have to say something better than that, that’s almost an insult! In fact, it IS an insult. Say something more like ‘Not even a rose can hold a candle to you, my flower’ - anything but that awful line! Try again!” Gieve stands up affronted.

Elam closes his eyes for a moment and takes another sip, “Is your name Earth? It must be because you mean the world to me.”

Gieve slaps a palm to his forehead in disappointment, it’s a slight improvement but not by much. How could he have spent so much time with him and be so terrible at this? “Again, not good enough, you won’t win anyone’s heart with that rubbish attempt! This is what a compliment is, ‘Never have I thought anything more wondrous than the beauty of a summer evening before I laid eyes upon you’”

It almost feels like a challenge to Elam, although he isn’t the competitive type. “It’s not like I really care,” he mutters, pausing for a moment then louder, “Even the sun doesn’t shine as brightly as your eyes, they radiate brightness even it cannot. I’ve never known a man not to love the sun and never shall I know a man not to love the beauty of your eyes.”

Gieve stops for a moment, the kid actually came up with a good line. He starts clapping, somehow proud of him. He’d found himself a little protege. Gieve is about to try and coach Elam a little more when he realises he’s fallen asleep. Just like that, snap your fingers and he’s already drifted off. Maybe he shouldn’t have gotten him drunk…

Gieve picks him up and swings Elam’s arms around his neck so he can carry them. He bids farewell to the women still sitting with them and carries him upstairs. Once he has him settled in one of the beds he heads back downstairs to finish off his night.

They leave first thing in the morning, both of them with pounding headaches and full stomachs courtesy of the inn. They’re horses run especially quickly, far more refreshed than the two of them. Avoiding anymore injury to their heads they keep quiet on the way back. Going round the mountain takes them longer than cutting straight through would have but eventually they find the camp that they were supposed to be riding to. They slip inside quietly, wanting a place to rest before they announce their arrival. It’d been a tiring few days and a nap was in order.

Elam ties up his horse and Gieve’s with the rest of the horses around and tries to find himself an empty tent. He darts inside one at random. He’s relieved to finally be able to sit down on something other than horse.

He’s also relieved to not have to spend anymore time with Gieve, “Allow me to tie your shoe… because I can’t have you fall for anyone else.” Elam mocks him. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Gieve but he admittedly thought the man’s behaviour was sometimes ridiculous.

“Elam?”

“D-d-d-denka?! When did you get here?!” Elam jumps back horrified, he hadn’t realised he wasn’t alone when he’d flirted with thin air…

Outside the commotion-filled tent, Gieve could already feel Farangis’ arrow in the back of his head.

This was so fun to write. It’s a shame Gieve died though

#arslan senki #the heroic legend of arslan #smooth talking elam #Flings this into the abyss and hides

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lignes2frappe · 4 years

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2010-2020 : CES RAPPEURS QUI NOUS ONT QUITTÉS TROP TÔT

Une liste malheureusement beaucoup trop longue...

Les années 10 ont-elles été les plus meurtrières du rap ? Rookies, franchise players, hall of famers… Pas mois d’une quinzaine de pointures nous ont quittés sans crier gare.

Rarement partis de causes naturelles, ils ont en grande majorité fait les frais de leur environnent où l’on trouve armes et drogues à profusion.

Pas dit que l’hémorragie s’arrête de sitôt donc.

Nate Dogg

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale est décédé le 15 mars 2011 à 41 ans.

L’une des voix les plus chaudes et les plus reconnaissables de l’histoire du rap.

Pourvoyeur de refrains depuis ses débuts dans les années 90 chez Death Row, s’il n’a jamais vraiment brillé en solo (encore que sa trilogie d’albums sortie circa 2000 est de bonne facture), difficile de trouver une discographie aussi achalandée en tubes que la sienne.

Nate Dogg ou l’homme qui a sauvé Def Jam Records de la faillite avec Regulate, qui a hérissé les poils des féministes avec l’hymne à la tournante Ain't No Fun, qui nous a fait croire que 50 Cent pouvait être doux comme un agneau avec 21 Questions, qui a dressé la liste ultime des filles les plus chaudes par région sur Area Codes, qui a remplacé dans les salles de sport la musique de Rocky III par Till I Collapse, Nate Dogg enfin à qui l’on doit le cri de ralliement de toute une génération avec son « Smoke weeeed every day » sur The Next Episode.

Sa série d’exploits a pris fin en 2008 quand, après avoir subi une première attaque cérébrale l’année d’avant, une seconde l'a laissé paralysé et sous assistance respiratoire. Trois ans plus tard il nous quittait suite aux complications engendrées par ces deux incidents.

Guru

Keith Edward Elam est décédé le 19 avril 2010 à 48 ans.

Avant que Guru ne s’appelle Guru (l’acronyme de Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal), il s’appelait MC Keithy E et rappait déjà dans un groupe appelé Gang Starr. Puis vint sa rencontre avec le Texan DJ Premier, qui le pousse à redémarrer l’aventure en duo. S’en suivent six albums de 1989 à 2003 qui incarnent on ne peut mieux l’esprit hip hop newyorkais de cette ère.

Guru c’est aussi les compilations Jazzmatazz qui mélangent de manière inédite rap et jazz (quatre volumes 1993 à 2007).

« Le concept m’est venu quand je voyais les mecs chercher des samples de jazz. Je trouvais ça cool, mais je voulais aller plus loin et créer un nouveau genre. »

Dans les années 2000, il se brouille avec Primo et lance avec le producteur DJ Solar le label 7 Grand Records.

Dépendant à l’alcool, il est diagnostiqué d’une forme de cancer en 2009. Un an plus tard, alors qu’il était plongé dans le coma, une crise cardiaque l’emporte.

Solar rend ensuite publique une lettre manuscrite où Guru affirme « ne rien avoir avec Premier depuis sept ans, et ne rien vouloir à voir avec lui une fois mort ». L’authenticité de cette lettre est cependant sujette à caution.

En 2019 un album posthume voit le jour, One of the Best Yet, après que Primo ait accepté de payer « la rançon » que Solar exigeait pour lui délivrer des enregistrements inédits de Guru.

Heavy D

Dwight Arrington Myers est décédé le 8 novembre 2011 à 44 ans.

Heavy D c’est bien sûr ce feat incroyable sur Jam de Michael Jackson en 1991 (« Jam, jam, here comes the man… »), mais c’est aussi le duo Alright avec sœur Janet deux ans plus tôt, de 1987 à 1994 cinq albums avec son groupe Heavy D and The Boyz, quatre album solos, le générique de la série télé In Living Colors, une dédicace de Biggie sur Juicy et un poste de vice-président d’Universal Music dans la seconde partie des années 90.

Heavy D c’est également l’homme qui a présenté le jeune Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs, 19 ans, à Andre Harell, le boss Uptown Records, pour qu’il l’engage comme stagiaire.

Bref, sans Heavy D, l’histoire du rap aurait très certainement été bien différente.

MCA

Adam Nathaniel Yauch est décédé le 4 mai 2012 à 47 ans.

Dans l’histoire du rap, les Beastie Boys ce n’est pas rien. Jamais vraiment admis par le milieu, mais toujours respecté, le trio pouvant se vanter d’une discographie impeccable – le platine Licensed to Ill en 1986, mais pas que, Paul’s Boutique (1989) et To the 5 Boroughs (2004) valent votre attention.

Bassiste de formation, Master of Ceremonies Adam a réuni les membres du groupe pour la toute première fois le jour de son dix-septième anniversaire. Converti au bouddhisme dans les années 90, il militait activement pour l’indépendance du Tibet.

Diagnostiqué en 2009 d’un cancer des glandes salivaires, sa disparition a provoqué un vif émoi. Le mogul Russell Simmons, le chanteur de Radiohead Tom Yorke, ou encore l’acteur Ben Stiller, lui ont tous rendu publiquement hommage.

Notez qu’en 2016, John Berry, membre de la première mouture des Beastie Boys nous a également quittés.

A$AP Yams

Steven Rodriguez est décédé le 18 janvier 2015 à 26 ans.

Tête pensante de l’A$AP Mob, sans lui Rocky et Ferg ne seraient très certainement pas là où ils en sont aujourd’hui.

Déjà parce qu’au tout début de la décennie il est celui qui a eu l’idée d'utiliser Tumblr comme une plateforme de lancement pour son collectif en promotionnant ses sons mais aussi toute l’imagerie qui l'entoure, et de l’autre parce que musicalement il est celui qui a poussé ses poulains à s’émanciper des carcans géographiques pour aller chiner du côté des vibes sudistes.

Accroc à la codéine et au Xanax malgré une cure en désintox’ en 2014, il a officiellement succombé d’une overdose après un mauvais mélange (la veille encore il twittait son amour pour le lean), quand bien même ses proches ont évoqué son apnée du sommeil comme cause principale du décès.

Chinx Drugz

Lionel Du Fon Pickens est décédé le 17 mai 2015 à 31 ans.

Coke boy et sidekick en chef de French Montana, après avoir enregistré une bonne douzaine de mixtapes en solo ou en collaboration depuis 2009, il tenait enfin avec Off The Rip le single lui permettent de passer un palier.

Malheureusement pour lui, juste avant sa sortie le destin en a voulu autrement. Rentrant chez lui au volant de sa Porsche après avoir donné un concert à Brooklyn, Chinx est victime d’un drive by shooting à une intersection du Queens Boulevard.

Touché plusieurs fois à la poitrine, il est prononcé mort avant même son arrivée au Jamaica Medical Center.

Si à ce jour plusieurs arrestations ont eu lieu, elles n’ont cependant donné lieu à aucune poursuite.

Sean Price

Sean Duval Price est décédé le 8 août 2015 à 43 ans.

Pour qui ne jure que par le « reel-heepop », impossible de faire l’impasse sur le Boot Camp Click, un collectif principalement originaire de Brownsville (New-York) composé de Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun (Tek/Steele), O.G.C. (Starang Wondah/Top Dog/Louieville Sluggah) et Heltah Skeltah, le duo que formait Rock avec Sean Price, surnommé alors Ruck.

Cousin de Memphis Bleek (le bras droit de Jay Z) et de l’acteur Michael K. Williams (Omar dans The Wire), à compter de 2005, il entame une prolifique carrière solo. Son écriture remplie de jeux de mots et de traits d’humour lui vaut de rallier les suffrages de la critique – Monkey Barz en 2005 et Jesus Price Supastar en 2007 valent que l’on y revienne.

Sean Price s’est éteint dans son sommeil sans que les causes de sa mort n’aient été divulguées.

Il laisse trois enfants derrière lui.

Bankroll Fresh

Trentavious Zamon White Sr. est décédé le 4 mars 2016 à 28 ans.

Considéré comme l’un des talents les plus prometteurs de la scène trap après son duo de mixtapes Life of a Hot Boy en 2014 et Life Of A Hot Boy 2: Real Trapper en 2015, Bankroll Fresh a ensuite eu la mauvaise idée de s’embrouiller avec l’un de ses amis d’enfance, No Plug.

Après une séance studio où les deux hommes en sont venus aux mains, quand ce dernier est revenu sur les lieux quelques heures plus tard pour récupérer son téléphone portable, il est tombé nez-à-nez avec Fresh et son crew.

Exhibant une carabine semi-automatique soviétique SKS, le rappeur a fait feu le premier déclenchant ainsi une fusillade des plus spectaculaires (une cinquantaine de douilles ont été récupérées sur la scène du crime).

Identifié comme l’auteur des coups de feu qui ont été fatals à son ami, No Plug n’a toutefois pas été inquiété par les autorités qui ont reconnu qu’il s’agissait là d’un cas de légitime défense.

Ou comme il l’a lui-même raconté par la suite en interview : « J’ai appelé mon avocat... le même que celui de Gucci Mane, je lui ai filé 10 000$ (...), j’ai ensuite raconté ce qui s’est passé à Madame Benton [la mère de Bankroll Fresh]. Fin de l’histoire. »

Phife Dawg

Malik Izaak Taylor est décédé le 22 mars 2016 à 45 ans.

Du haut de son mètre soixante, celui qui que l’on surnommait affectueusement ‘The Five-Foot Assassin’ appartenait à l’un des plus grands groupes de l’histoire du rap, A Tribe Called Quest, ainsi qu’à l’un des plus grands collectifs de l’histoire du rap, Native Tongues (De La Soul, Jungle Brothers…).

Étonnamment, Phife Dawg regrette sa contribution au premier album d’ATCQ, l’immense People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm : « Je déteste ma voix dessus. S’il y a une chose que j’aimerais refaire, ce serait ça ».

Bien que sa carrière solo se limite au Ventilation: Da LP en 2000, nombreux sont ces paires qui au fil du temps ont reconnu son influence, de Kanye West à Jill Scott, en passant par Common et les Roots.

En proie à un diabète chronique, après une première transplantation du rein, Phife Dwag était sur les listes d’attente pour une seconde opération.

Shawty Lo

Carlos Rico Walker est décédé le 21 septembre 2016 à 40 ans.

Connu principalement pour le tube de 2006 Laffy Taffy avec son groupe D4L, Shawty Lo avait ensuite changé son fusil d’épaule à l’orée des années 10 en scellant un partenariat avec 50 Cent.

Si malgré les annonces son album More Units ne s’est jamais matérialisé, cela ne l‘a pas empêché de carburer côté mixtapes avec pas moins de cinq projets étiquetés G-Unit South/G-Unit sortis entre 2011 et 2016.

Il a perdu la vie dans un accident de voiture, laissant derrière lui 11 enfants et 10 baby mamas différentes.

Prodigy

Albert Johnson est décédé le 20 juin 2017 à 42 ans.

Atteint depuis l’enfance de drépanocytose, une maladie génétique qui ralentit la circulation du sang et affaiblit le système immunitaire, la moitié des Mobb Deep se devait de régulièrement passer par la case hôpital pour soigner ses crises.

Et c’est lors de l’un de ses séjours qu’il s’est accidentellement étranglé... en mangeant un œuf.

Monument du rap newyorkais et emcee préféré du rap français dans les années 90, il peut se vanter d’avoir laissé son empreinte dans les livres d’histoire comme peu l’ont fait – et pas seulement pour le légendaire Shook Ones.

Lil Peep

Gustav Elijah Ahr est décédé le 15 novembre 2017 à 21 ans.

Drogué notoire, en fier représentant du rap emo, Lil Peep ne faisait guère mystère de ses penchants toxiques, lui qui par exemple admettait à propos de ses tatouages sur le visage être la plupart du temps « trop défoncé pour se souvenir pourquoi il les avait faits ».

Sauf qu’à trop tirer sur la corde (et à abuser du Xanax), son corps a fini par lâcher.

Après avoir posté une photo de lui sur Insta cacheton dans la bouche, il s’en est allé rejoindre quelques heures plus tard la longue lignée des stars pour qui cette anxiolytique été fatal – Elvis Presley, Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse...

Notez que suite à son décès, Post Malone n’a pas hésité à se faire tatouer son portrait sur le bras gauche en guise d’hommage, lui qui pourtant ne l’avait croisé que quelques fois de son vivant.

Fredo Santana

Derrick Antonio Coleman est décédé le 19 janvier 2018 à 27 ans.

Pilier de la scène drill chicagoane, il est avec son petit cousin de Chief Keef responsable de l’explosion de ce courant musical à la face du monde en 2012/2013 (ses toutes premières mixtapes It's a Scary Site et Fredo Kruger, son tout premier solo Trappin Ain't Dead...).

Consommateur régulier de lean et de Xanax, sa santé chancelante l’empêche cependant de vraiment confirmer ce spectaculaire début de carrière.

Hospitalisé à deux reprises en 2017 pour des crises à répétition, il est à cette occasion diagnostiqué comme épileptique... ce qui ne le dissuade aucunement de changer quoi que ce soit à son hygiène de vie.

Retrouvé sans vie dans son appartement de Los Angeles début 2018, après Blood Money en 2014 et Capo en 2015, il est le troisième membre du Glo Gang à partir dans ses jeunes années.

Craig Mack

Craig Jamieson Mack est décédé le 12 mars 2018 à 47 ans.

Avant Notorious B.I.G., il y a eu Craig Mack.

Tout premier artiste à décrocher un tube sur Bad Boy Record avec Flava In Ya Ear en 1994, il agrippa au passage un disque d’or avec son premier solo intitulé Project : Funk Da World.

En dépit de ce très beau coup d’essai, il quitta dans la foulée le label pour cause de différents avec Puff Daddy à qui il reprochait principalement de ne pas assez le mettre en avant.

Conséquence : après un second projet salué par la critique (Operation: Get Down en 1997), il plonge dans l’anonymat dans les années 2000 et finit par couper définitivement les ponts avec le rap.

Reconverti en prêcheur dans une église au début de la décennie, il reprend néanmoins le micro en 2012 le temps d’une mixtape, quand bien même il refuse de rejoindre le Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour en 2016.

Victime d’une crise cardiaque l’année dernière, il enregistrait un nouvel album sous la tutelle d’Erick Sermon.

XXXTentacion

Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy est décédé le 18 juin 2018 à 20 ans.

Personnage aussi charismatique que controversé (pour rappel il tabassait régulièrement sa copine enceinte), il s'est fait descendre à l’extérieur d’un concessionnaire motos en Floride par deux hommes armées qui on tenté de lui piquer sa caisse et sa sacoche Vuitton.

Loin de faire l’unanimité même une fois dans l’au-delà, X a certes fait sauter quelques records de streams, mais il a également ajouté plusieurs polémiques à son palmarès avec dans le désordre : son ancienne girlfriend qui réclamé qu'un test ADN soit effectué sur son cadavre afin de légitimer son fils, une plainte pour plagiat déposée au sujet de son single Look At Me!, ou encore la mise en demeure de sa mère sommée de régler ses frais d’hôpitaux à hauteur de 10 000 dollars.

Jimmy Wopo

Travon DaShawn Frank Smart est décédé le 18 juin 2018 à 21 ans.

Disparu le même jour qu’XXXTentacion, l’auteur du mini hit Elm Street a été retrouvé par des policiers de Pittsburgh alors qu’il gisait au volant d’une voiture le corps criblé de balles. Transporté en urgence à l’hôpital, celui qui par le passé avait déjà réchappé par deux fois à des tentatives de meurtres n’a cette fois-ci pas survécu à ses blessures.

Père de trois enfants, il avait pourtant déclaré quelque temps auparavant vouloir se ranger de ce genre d’histoires.

Mac Miller

Malcolm James McCormick est décédé le 7 septembre 2018 à 26 ans.

En lutte avec des tendances dépressives et pas mal d’addictions (alcool, oxydocone, cocaïne...), Mac a été retrouvé inanimé dans sa chambre par son assistant personnel qui a tenté tant bien que mal de lui faire un massage cardiaque avant que les secours arrivent.

Son décès a provoqué une vague d’émotion sans précédent sur les réseaux sociaux, et ce d’autant plus qu’il venait très certainement de sortir son meilleur projet un mois auparavant, Swimming.

Accusée par des fans un peu trop zélés de l’avoir laissé tomber, son ex Arianna Grande s’est elle fendue d’un message d'adieu particulièrement touchant.

Joies du karma, le dealer qui l’avait fourni à l’époque s’est récemment fait arrêter et risque aujourd’hui 20 ans de prison.

Nipsey Hussle

Ermias Joseph Asghedom est décédé le 31 mars 2019 à 33 ans.

Auteur d’un Victory Lap qui a mis tout le monde d’accord en 2018, en couple avec la délicieuse Lauren London, investisseur reconnu via notamment son magasin de vêtements Marathon Clothing... après dix ans de bons et loyaux services dans le game, Nipsey Hussle était enfin en passe de décrocher son ticket d’entrée au club poids lourds du rap US.

Fauché par une rafale de balles en plein Crenshaw suite à une embrouille de quartier, il est depuis devenu une légende.

Maigre lot de consolation.

Bad Azz

Jamarr Antonio Stamps est décédé le 11 novembre 2019 à 43 ans.

Bien connu des amateurs de West Coast, Bad Azz s’est fait connaître en 1996 avec son featuring sur le morceau Krazy de 2Pac. Un temps pressenti pour rejoindre Makaveli Records, il s’affilie ensuite à Snoop Dogg et signe sur son Doggystyle Records au début des années 2000.

C’est durant cette période qu’il enregistre son album le plus connu, Personal Business, dont sont extraits les singles How We Get Down et Wrong Idea, qui sort concomitamment sur Tha Last Meal de Snoop.

En 2009, il s’associe avec Bizzy Bone du groupe Bone Thugs-n-Harmony pour Thug Pound, un projet qui fait le lien entre L.A. et Cleveland.

Plus discret dans les années 10, Bad Azz refait l’actu en 2013 pour être venu aux mains avec Ray J (l’ex de Kim Kardashian, frère et Bandy, habitué des télé-réalités et cousin de Snoop).

Arrêté en novembre 2019 pour violence conjugale, il meurt quatre jours plus tard en cellule. Les causes de son décès n’ont à ce jour pas été révélées.

Juice WRLD

Jarad Anthony Higgins est décédé le 8 décembre 2019 à 21 ans.

Invité de dernière minute sur cette funeste liste, Juice WRLD serait selon différents rapports décédé suite à une ingestion de Percocet au beau milieu de l’aéroport de Chicago.

Dans les airs, le pilote de son jet privé aurait averti les autorités que le rappeur et son crew transportaient quantité d’armes et drogues avec eux. Averti de la chose, l’auteur de Lucid Dreams se serait empressé d’avaler un maximum de pilules avant d’atterrir afin de les dissimuler aux agents du FBI venus le cueillir.

Pris de convulsions une fois au sol, il se serait effondré la bouche pleine de sang avant d’être réanimé en urgence à coup de naloxone, un antidote utilisé dans les cas d'overdose aux opiacés.

Le répit a toutefois été de courte durée : son organisme a fini par le lâcher quelques heures plus tard tandis qu’il avait été transféré à l’hôpital.

Pop Smoke

Décédé le 19 février 2020 à 20 ans.

Suite au succès de son hit Welcome to the Party extrait de sa toute première mixtape Meet the Woo sortie en 2019, Bashar Barakah Jackson vivait sa meilleure vie : remix avec Nicki Minaj, virée en Bugatti en compagnie de Travis Scott, invitation à Paris de la part de Virgil Abloh...

Tout va cependant basculer quelques jours à peine après la sortie de Meet the Woo 2, sa seconde mixtape classée 7ème des charts.

Localisé Los Angeles, au retour d'une session shopping Pop Smoke a divulgué par mégarde son adresse lors d'un live Instagram. Plus tard dans la nuit, une demi-douzaine d'hommes armés et cagoulés font effraction dans sa villa.

Avertis par le voisinage, quand les policiers arrivent sur les lieux ils retrouvent le rappeur la poitrine criblée de balles. Il sera donné pour mort à son arrivée au centre médical Cedars-Sinai.

Le 9 juillet, le LAPD annonce l'arrestation de trois adultes (Corey W., 19 ans, Keandre R., 18 ans, et Jaquan M., 22 ans) et deux adolescents âgés respectivement de 15 et 17 ans.

Deux des adultes sont inculpés pour homicide et encourent la peine de mort, tandis que les deux ados sont accusés de complicité de meurtre et de cambriolage.

Leur procès est à venir.

Malik B

Décédé le 29 juillet 2020 à 47 ans.

Dans le genre légende, c'est peu dire que Malik Abdul Basit se pose là.

Membre fondateur des Roots, alias le plus grand groupe de rap ever, il participe pleinement aux trois premiers albums avant de quitter l'aventure en 1999, supposément pour des problèmes de toxicomanie.

N'ayant toutefois pas complètement coupé les ponts avec ses petits camarades, il revient leur prêter main forte au micro à l'occasion, que ce soit sur Game Theory en 2006 ou Rising Down en 2008 où il est crédité en tant que featuring.

Auteur en parallèle deux albums solo (Street Assault 2005 et Unpredictable en 2015), on lui doit également d'avoir rappé avec notre MC Solaar national sur la version UK de Prose Combat en 1994.

Profondément touchés par sa disparition, les membres des Roots ont exprimé leurs condoléances sur Twitter.

« Nous avons le regret de vous informer du décès de notre frère adoré, longtemps membre des Roots, Malik Abdul Basit. Souvenons-nous de lui pour sa dévotion à l'islam et pour l'inventivité de l'un des MC les plus talentueux de tous les temps ».

À ce jour la cause de son décès demeure inconnue.

Shabba-Doo

Décédé le 30 décembre 2000 à 65 ans.

Pionnier du break dance, Adolfo Gutierrez Quinones était membre du membre des Lockers un crew de danseurs qui a popularisé le locking, un style basé sur des mouvements de rotation des articulations (en particulier les poignets, le bassin et les pointes) qui s'accompagne d'expressions du visage assez marquées.

Il s'était fait remarquer dans le rôle d'Orlando 'Ozone' au générique des films Breakin' et Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, tous deux sortis en salles en 1984, notamment pour sa célèbre scène de battle rythmée par Ice T au micro.

Chorégraphe, on lui doit également les pas de danse du clip All Night Long, l'énorme carton de Lionel Richie (1983), ainsi que ceux de Who's That Girl? de Madonna (1987).

Son décès intervient à la surprise générale, lui qui quelques jours avant sa mort avait posté sur ses réseaux une photo de lui où il clamait avoir été contrôlé négatif au COVID-19.

MF DOOM

Décédé en octobre 2000 à 49 ans.

2020 aura donc été cruelle jusque dans ses derniers mètres.

Culte, énigmatique, décalé... le Britannique Daniel Dumile a bâti trente ans durant sa carrière en marge de la scène mainstream.

Roi de l'alias (MC Dan, Zev Love X, Viktor Vaughn, Geedorah, Metal Face…) et de la collaboration (de Madlib à Ghostface Killah, en passant par Danger Mouse, Czarface et tant d'autres), derrière son masque inspiré de celui Docteur Fatalis (l'ennemi de toujours des Quatre fantastiques) et de Maximus Meridius (Russel Crowe dans Gladiator) se cachait un monstre sacré du hip-hop, tant pour son talent de rimeur que son talent de producteur (voir les dix volets de sa série d'albums d'instrumentales Special Herbs).

C'est sa femme Jasmine qui a révélé sa disparition sur son compte Instagram deux mois après ses derniers posts.

« À Dumile, le meilleur mari, père, professeur, étudiant, partenaire d'affaires, amant et ami dont je pouvais rêver. Merci pour toutes les choses que tu m'as enseignées et données. Merci pour nos enfants et notre famille. Merci de m'avoir appris à pardonner et donner une seconde chance, à ne pas être si prompte à porter un jugement. Merci de m'avoir appris à ne pas avoir peur d'aimer et d'être la meilleure version de moi-même. Mon monde ne sera plus le même sans toi. Les mots ne peuvent exprimer ce que toi et notre fils Malachi (décédé en 2003 Ndlr) représentiez pour moi. Je vous aime tous les deux, je vous adorerais toujours. »

Publié le 18 décembre 20119 sur Booska-p.com, puis mis à jour.

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athletic-collection · 3 months

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Rocky Elam

#wrestling #missouri tigers #rocky elam

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murfreesboronews · 4 years

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Flooded roads in Rutherford County

Heavy rains caused flooding on several county roads.

Roads closed are:

Shoemaker Road.

East County Farm Road.

Stones River Road at the slab (concrete bridge).

Sulphur Springs Road at Buckeye Valley Road and Shacklett Road.

Elam Mill Road.

Kedron Church Road at Rocky Fork Road.

Mt. Vernon Road at state Route 99 (New Salem Highway).

Roads with high water are:

The 5200-block of Old Nashville Highway.

View On WordPress

#flood #weather

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chicoespecial2022 · 2 years

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Rocky Elam

#rocky elam #usa wrestling #mens wrestling

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hollowworldentertainment · 4 years

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On a Moonless Night

On a moonless night, deep down in the planet, hides those who kneel in darkness, the sound of blood drips from daggers echo through the cavern. The sound of dedication to a deity unseen in form, but witnessed by action. They kneel in the purest form of darkness they could find, praying to the stone walls that they may give birth to their chaotic deity. All four kneel in silence waiting, before them sitting centre to their small commune stood a symbol in dedication to their deity. A desperate attempt at its true image, unfortunately constructing the symbol in the dark lead to mistakes to the design. The men that knelt in their cave could feel their mistakes weighing down upon them, they knew this was not to be enough. One man took it upon himself to help the situation, by reciting.

“Our ruler from heaven, Hollow be thy name. your kingdoms come, your will is done, on Hollow as it is your vision. Give us this night our nightly strength so we might survive your blight, and help those who know your name survive their fights. Lead us not into the light, but to chaos so we might know your might.”

As he finished, his last words echoed round and round till they sat once again in silence, a cold chill rolled around their small room piercing through the clothes they wore. Once again, he started to recite, this time his fellow acolytes joined in. Their deep voices sounded the ancient prayer as a final attempt to bring their lord before them. The louder they chanted the greater the wind formed around their symbol, they finished the prayer shouting to overcome the noise from the swirling storm in front of them. As the final words left their mouths they dropped to the ground, bowing with their faces pressed against the cold rocky floor of the cave. None of them dared to look up from the stone, footsteps were heard as they awaited their fates.

“Lord Anodyne, please understand why we requested your divine presence. I am Amar Otic, a follower of darkness, and your blight. We asked your presence so that you may bestow your chaotic blessing upon us.”

Anodyne circles the cave, examining each of the four as he did.

“You bring me here to gain my blessing, but I see no deeds done that justify my blessing. I stare at your souls and they are near pristine, if you want my blessing you will have to try much harder than a flimsy symbol and an old prayer.”

Still with face pressed against stone another spoke up.

“Your lord, I am Pandem Elam, I am a follower of chaos and your might. What must we do to gain your blessing? We have bled for you by our own hand, we sought the truest darkness we could, we constructed your symbol best we could. What more must we do?”

Anodyne closed his eyes, raising his hands he pulled the blood from the floor of the cave to the symbol placed in centre. As each drop landed on the symbol it rectified its image, improving the craft of the symbol.

“With blood this symbol shall turn to a shrine worthy of my name, bring back those you deem worthy of a sacrifice. Once this symbol no longer grows as blood flows call me once again, then your journey shall truly begin.”

Anodyne faded as he finished his words, leaving the men cold, face pressed against the stone of the cave. None of them dare look up less Anodyne still stood before them, they did not wish to offend him as they feared his powers and his loose mind. Three hours passed before they slowly started to raise their head, staring back into the still darkness of the cave.

None of the four men could see one another, with silence they entered the cave, with silence they sat after Anodyne left, once again with silence the four left their cave to return to the surface of the world.

Although they returned to the surface during nightfall their vision was nearly as clear as day.

“Already a blessing from Anodyne, our vision is improved.”

“Silence Rous, this is merely an effect from being in darker night. The blessing we gain from Anodyne shall be far more than low light vision. But first he craves blood.”

“I am sorry Amar, let us seek out fresh blood to bind to Anodynes symbol.”

The four men marched out into the night, looking for someone to catch so they might gain Anodyne’s blessing.

“We are close to the Library, we could claim librarians.”

“Rous, again I ask you to close your mouth, they are protected by Gleam eyes, we are yet to gain the blessing of our god. Please think before you speak, besides Luxoria is closer, we shall find blood there.”

All four headed north towards the widespread region of Luxoria, Rous following with his head hung in shame. He marched much slower than the rest as they approached tall grasses of Luxoria, the grasses that stood above head height.

“Luxoria’s boundaries, draw your weapons. Once in the tall grass we are prey for the Scarecrows, we move as one and as one we shall arrive on the other side.”

The four men moved into the grasses, losing sight of the sky overhead, and each other. They moved swiftly and as silent as the shifting grasses would allow. Slowing they came to a stop, their ears turning outwards to the sounds of the winds tickling the tops of the grasses. They were about to start their march again when the sound of shifting grasses caught their ears.

Rous whispered as he crouched to the ground.

“They are scouting, drop now.”

They all lowered themselves to a crouch, staring up into the grasses as small streaks of blue light broke through the tips. The sounds of shifting grass stopped, all four acolyte’s eyes darted around to ensure the movement had stopped. A great shifting of the grasses sounded and all four men started running, where they once slid as best they could through the grass, they now found themselves steaming through flattening all the grasses before them.

“The grass is sparse, we are near the end men, let loose your energy less the scarecrows get you.”

All four leaped through the final strands and over the fencing that defined the borders. Turning they saw a single scarecrow, pumpkin headed with glowing blue eyes and tendrils of fabric reaching towards the acolyte’s.

“Carmine do you have any words for our would-be captor?”

Carmine stared at Pandem before grasping his sword and moving on.

“A vow of silence is idiocy, what do you get from it? What does Anodyne get from it?”

“Leave Carmine alone, we all worship in different ways. If he believes this to be a way of pleasing Anodyne then it is. Now pick up your sword, we have lives to claim.”

The men moved into the town that laid before them, still shrouded by night. Years of living with a man vowed for silence left them with the ability to talk without voice.

“This house, back, open, two inside.” Carmine signed to the other three.

All four moved around back and found an unlocked door, as the door opened they poured in spreading out over the home. Pandem, Amar, and Rous found a room where a mother and daughter were asleep in loving embrace. Carmine found the hollow tubing of a gun barrel, staring him in the face as he was squatted on the kitchen floor.

“I thought I locked that back door, I guess it was a good thing I got up to check, wasn’t it? Well not good for you.”

Carmine kept his composure, he stared his capture in the eye. Slowly he raised his hand with only three fingers raised, he then turned his eyes and head towards the other side of the house. Turning back he raised a finger to his lips, the man’s gun hand shook as his eyes lit up with rage. He cocked his pistol and was ready to fire when he heard a thud from the other side of the house, the man struck Carmine before running to the other side of the house. He burst into the room where his wife was sleeping, both his wife and his daughter woke up to see him standing with his gun drawn. The man turned to get Carmine but was met with a fist, concussing him and dropping him to the floor. His gun falling towards forwards and into Amar’s hands. Picking it up he aimed towards the man.

Without blinking he dropped the hammer, the wife started to scream and Amar let loose burning metal through her chest. While she gargled on her own blood the daughter sat quietly.

“Gather their blood, we will have a better chance if we tap it here. I will go see if Carmine is still alive.”

The girl sat quietly eating as she watched the men string up and drain her parents blood. Once finished Carmine outstretched his hand to the little girl, she smiled and received him. Carmine picked her up and held her in his arms, she slung her head over his shoulder.

“We will need to find her another orphanage, maybe across town. We can’t have her being recognised.”

Pandem yawned after speaking, spreading it to the little girl. Her yawn revealing a tongue less mouth.

“As many questions as that raises it does answer one, you are a good father Carmine, I will never question your vow again.”

The four men packed away blood packs into their bags, then they took the girl and headed out into the town. The sun still had hours left before it were to grace the ground with its presence. In the night four men walked the streets with the blood of two others, clutching a girl in their arms, ready to leave her with another family, another set of victims for their cause.

Pandem lead the charge as they found an orphanage they had not visited before.

“We can leave her here, we have to make it back to our shrine.”

Carmine sat his daughter down in front of him and warmed her hands in his.

“I go now, you did well. We find you soon, work hard, stay alive.”

“Work hard, stay alive”

She hugged her father then curled up on the front step of the orphanage while the men walked off into the night.

“You never did tell us her name.”

“She not chosen one, so she has none.”

“I understand you don’t speak because your daughter can’t, but would it matter if you spoke now, when she isn’t around?”

Carmine stopped in his tracks cracking his knuckles.

“Listen hard because this is the only time you hear my voice.”

The others looked shocked as Carmine spoke for the first time since they met.

“I don’t speak because she cannot, I do not do it to be polite. I do it so I know her pain, she can’t just talk while she is away from me. I don’t talk because if I am to know her I need to know her pain, now no more question or I will fuck you bloody.”

Rous grinned. “I have learnt more about you in this one night than I have in the four years I have been worshipping with you.”

They walked through the late hours of the night, back to the golden sea of grasses that laid between them and their shrine. The grasses shone as the glow of the sun lit them up, amongst the grasses they could see the scare crow that nearly caught them earlier that night.

Amar walked to the edge of the scarecrows boundaries, sparking it to move towards him. He waited till its head was clearly above the grasses. He drew the pistol he stole and unloaded the gun into the scarecrows head, stopping it in its tracks.

“Take the gem in its head, we can sell it later. But do not take this ease of access, we must still be cautious, there are many more in these fields.”

The men rushed the dead scarecrow, climbing it to snatch the crystal that half hung out of the pumpkin that housed it. Once looted they started their swift movement through the tall grasses, stepping quietly as the morning light illuminated everything. Breaching the far side of the grasses they ran back to their cave, full sprint they made their way back.

They climbed down into the darkness back to their shrine.

“Don’t pour any blood, I do not want us wasting it.”

“Why would it be wasting it Amar, this is what we were asked to do.”

“Anodyne is the deity of chaos and night, it may be dark down here but it is still day. We wait till night before we donate our sacrifices.”

Rous sighed and lay down on the cold stone.

“I am tired from being up all night, I am tired from running, I am hot from running. This cold ground is almost a relaxing release, I will happily sleep here the day.”

They were awoken by the feeling of running liquid across their bodies, as their eyes open they could see as clear as day, although there was no light source. Above their heads swirled the blood they bought, forming intricate patterns before reaching the centre of the cave where once their shabby shrine of stone and wood stood. Now, a shrine forged from steel, standing as tall as the cave itself.

As the men gazed upwards Anodyne raised from the ground, sitting himself upon the base of the shrine. Beside him stood the Conductor, tall and proud, his hat being high enough to catch the attention of the men.

“You return with blood, blood enough for two. Which two of you shall accept my blessing this night?”

Amar stepped towards Anodyne. “I thought about this on the trip back, give it to Rous and Pandem. Carmine and I can wait.”

Pandem and Rous stepped forward as Amar sat down next to Carmine, watching as the pools of blood seemed to circle around the two standing men.

“You have claimed lives for me, brought me their blood. I watched as you used such a genius deception to claim them. I was nearly impressed, for that I hope these blessings are good to you.”

The blood swirled faster and faster till it fully surrounded them, their screams sounded, and limbs moved through the blood, then silence. The blood parted and before them Rous was hunched over holding his head, while Pandem was nowhere to be seen. Instead where he once stood laid a blade, a dagger of fine design, a black blade with a golden handle.

“This is what happens when you wish a blessing from the deity of chaos.” Anodyne walked over and picked up the blade. “It seems as if this one has turned into a seemingly unbreakable dagger, while you, you have been given the gift of knowledge.”

Anodyne grasped Rous’s head in his hands, he stared deeply into his eyes.

“Yes, you have been given the knowledge of medicine. All medicines that are possible on Hollow at least. Unless you have more to offer I am to leave.”

Anodyne snapped his fingers and the darkness seemed to return to the cave, Amar rushed over to the blade before darkness fully returned. He ran his thumb over the handle, recoiling as he felt something soft. Staring his vision adjusted to the low light, in the handle was an eye as brown as Pandem’s had been.

“We prayed for chaos, we received chaos. I look forward to the blessings we may receive one day.”

Amar lead the others from the cave where they headed back towards their home, a stone home in the middle of the woods. A sanctuary from the night’s monsters.

“Rous are you fine?”

“Fine? I am better than fine, I am blessed. I can see every recipe of medicine there is, from the most advanced right down to the most rudimental. We have been blessed with a gift.”

“Do you think Pandem feels the same way?”

Carmine took the dagger from Amar to examine it, he ran his hand through the fine carved handle, carefully avoiding the eyes that sat either side.

Rous drew his sword looking around, Amar followed suit while Carmine held Pandem ready.

“I saw movement, stay strong brothers for our house is in sight.”

A small fast moving creature darted around them, scouting their form. Staying ever out of sight from the Acolytes till it struck at Carmine.

“Do not fear it is a Dartling, it’s pack must have been killed. We have nothing to fear this night, why don’t you test Pandem on it Carmine?”

Carmine smiled as he flung Pandem around, lowering his stance, tracing the Dartling. As it moved in Carmine moved with it, spinning he sliced the leg of the beast. It fell screaming to the ground in agony, as the dagger sunk into the soft skin the screaming stopped. Pulling it out however started different screams, the dagger resonated with a bone chilling scream as it grew slightly in size.

“Amar, Carmine. I believe there is more to Pandem than we know, let us get home we have a lot to discover.

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