#IT BEGINSSSSSSSSSS

[esquie]

WE GOT A NEXUS PAGE BABY IT BEGINSSSSSSSSSS

[ijustthinkevilunoisneat]

Countdown to Mystery Wrestling beginssssssssss!

[sharpspi]

that’s where you go to feel alive

With Forsyth (@sirforsyth). Gauntlets +1.

The sun sets as the houses light up with a thousand candles. Most of those dim shortly after. That's the life of of an average townie: sunrise till sundown, for once the latter occurs there is little to find outside but trouble and danger. And with the plague going around.. Needless to say, most folks barricade their doors and lock windows before retiring for the night. For those more brave, however, there is plenty to discover, looking for the firelight and the scent of iron on the wind.

As soon as the sun sets and the evening patrol ends, the underbelly - one seemingly eradicated many a time - springs to life. Even for such a holy place, there are always many who would like to make coin or indulge in the thrill of violence, and where there is demand there will always be supply, no matter how much the officials try to quash it. Twenty feet underground, loosely but cleverly guarded, there it was, the Mach Fight Club, frequented by townspeople, students and knights alike. Professors were rarer guests, Python reckoned. At least, before he showed up at the monastery's doors.

It was a wild place. Far more full of life than even the academy itself, though there were a lot fewer people. Bets were made left and right, the ring and its surroundings were always filled with noise and shouts mingling with screams, laughter and drunken talk seemed overwhelming. Seeing the number of fighters was also odd, especially knowing how many of them would done their uniforms and go to classes the following day. And just how high of a risk they were at visiting here.How much risk he was at. 

At least he has the cover of keeping an eye on the kids, eager to battle without knowing their opponent. However, also knowing why he came here. he doubted that was going to work. Oh well, better run fast or hide before you're discovered.

Bared top with few protective elements: the head, the plexum, the hips. Everything goes underground, hits below belt and dirty tricks, and it was encouraged. Do anything without killing or gravely injuring the other. No weapons allowed either. Saints help your soul if the guards see you bring it into the ring. They're stronger than they seem.

"And now, we welcome our new guest, Viper! Get your bets in now!"

Hearing the announcer, Python gathered his courage and stepped out into the light, for everyone to witness.

[twicearoundthesun]

Spies AU, tw blood, previously

[Now]

Jihyo frowned, standing at the door to their small infirmary.

“Oh, please stop pouting. I’m fine.”

Nayeon was leaning on the counter, standing only in her bra and sweatpants as Sana worked to clean up the wound on her side. She winced as Sana dabbed at it with disinfectant.

“Nayeon, you were shot.”

“I was grazed. It barely broke skin.”

“Three inches to the left and you would have been bleeding out. We don’t even know who he was aiming at. If he’d had a clearer shot, Tzuyu could have died, too.”

“But the bullet wasn’t three inches to the left, and she’s still very much alive. It’s fine.”

“I shouldn’t have let her leave the complex. There’s a target on her head. I should have known. I endangered all three of you.”

“Shoulda this, woulda that. We’re okay. So the kid’s got a busted ankle and a concussion. She’s also got a roof over her head and she’s alive. If anything, this will convince her to stay so we can look after her.” Nayeon said. Sana pressed a piece of gauze to her cut and taped it in place.

“Or it will convince her that we have no clue how to keep her safe-”

“Ji.” Sana whispered, washing her hands in the small sink. She walked over to her, holding Jihyo’s cheeks in her cool hands. “This stuff happens. What matters is everyone came home safe. You can’t blame yourself like this. This is all a team effort.”

Jihyo only sighed, letting herself relax in the feeling of Sana’s thumbs sweeping over her cheeks. Sana leaned in and gave her a small kiss.

“Get a rooooom.” Nayeon grumbled loudly. “I get shot and I have to watch your PDA? Who did I piss off?”

“Oh shut up.”

Sana only giggled and turned to face her. “You’re good to go. Don’t stretch too much for a few days, don’t want it reopening. No sparring for a couple days, either.”

“Momo will be so upset.” Nayeon pouted. “We practice every morning.”

“Send Chaeyoung to do it instead. Or entertain her otherwise.”

Jihyo wrinkled her nose.

“You got it, doc.” Nayeon laughed as she pulled on her shirt. As she walked by, she squeezed Jihyo’s shoulder. “We’re all alright. Just another day.”

“Just another day.” Jihyo sighed.

She waited by the door as Sana cleaned up the rest of the countertop, discarding the used gauze and capping the healing salve she’d used on Nayeon. Once everything was back in its place, she turned to Jihyo with a small smile.

“How are you feeling?”

“A little like an idiot, but that’s all.”

Sana pouted and came closer, snaking her arms around Jihyo’s waist.

“Tzuyu chose to go home despite you making the risks very clear to her. Nayeon’s right, this will only prove your point further. She needs to stay with us for her own protection.”

Jihyo nodded with a small sigh. “Yeah, okay.” She chewed on her lip. “I just hope she isn’t too shaken up.”

“I spoke with her a little while I wrapped her ankle. She’s shaken up, but she knows she’s safe here. I think she’s starting to trust us a little, or Dahyun, at least. She asked for her when she woke up. She seemed a little nervous that it was Mina taking care of her, who she’s only met in the interrogation room, and me, a random stranger.”

“The friendliest random stranger we have.”

Sana only gave her a little smile at that. “Well, she visibly relaxed when Dahyun was there. That’s good, at least.”

Jihyo nodded. “And how’s Dahyun?” She tried to say casually.

Sana gave her a knowing look. “Well, you could ask her that.”

“She’s mad at me.”

“Her leg is aching. Knee is swollen from all the running last night. She’s not my biggest fan right now, either.” When Jihyo gave her a confused look, she continued. “I may have pressed the issue with Chaeyoung. Told her if she wants to get back into the field she should pick up training again.”

Jihyo frowned. There was no reason to rush her back into the field, and certainly not in the state she was in. She wasn’t mentally or physically ready for it, at this point, and there’d be a lot of training necessary to get her back to where she was a year ago. Where it hadn’t even been good enough.

“Hey.” Sana snapped her back to reality. “She said no, anyway. But she could. She was great in the field. Before…”

“Before she wasn’t so great. Yeah.” Jihyo winced at how short her own tone was. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know you’re protective.”

Jihyo could only sigh. “We just shouldn’t push her.”

“You’re right. But we shouldn’t let her live in fear of an old injury making her weak.”

“Shouldn’t we?” Jihyo frowned. “They took advantage of that weakness, they knew she’d be the slowest to move when they caught us by surprise. It was deliberate. They were able to sweep her feet right out from under her and attack, and if Momo hadn’t gotten there in time-”

“Momo did get there in time.”

“She nearly didn’t get there in time. We can’t always rely on Momo getting there in time.”

“It’s gotten me pretty far.”

“Sana.” Jihyo whined. She didn’t want to talk about this. She didn’t want to fight about this. “Dahyun spent fifteen days in the hospital. I can’t watch her go through that again. If she isn’t ready to go out in the field, she isn’t ready.”

“It isn’t your fault.”

“Two times in her life now she’s been badly injured because I wasn’t there to protect her.”

“There is nothing you could have done for either of them, you can’t keep blaming yourself-”

“Sana.” She said, very seriously. “She’s all I have left. My baby sister. I won’t let it happen again.”

Sana stared for a second. “I’ll drop it. But you need to work on that guilt. You can’t take the blame for everything that goes wrong anywhere. I thought we were getting better with that?” She brushed Jihyo’s hair back, away from her face. Jihyo found herself leaning in to her gentle touch.

“Just been a long twenty-four hours.”

Sana pouted and pulled her close. “I know, Baby. Why don’t we put on pajamas and watch a few episodes of that drama you love?”

Jihyo could only nod, losing herself in Sana’s soft hug for a little while.

[ethereal-swiftness]

I guarantee T is loving dropping all of these hints whilst we are all dropping dead; bet she's sitting in her chair by the window CACKLING at us and cannot wait to send us to our graves when the era finally BEGINSSSSSsssss 🐍