#not capping at3 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

silverfierro · 7 years

Text

Two // Self Para

TW: Stabbing, Blood, Death

The boy’s ability to register the cold had long since been rendered useless. Only the lack of anything in his fingertips informed him of the damage exponentially being dealt to him as he remained without true shelter. His state of healing, or odds of infection rather, too had been frozen. The numerous wounds decorating his body neither festered nor returned to their former glory. He should have been thankful for what he did have. His allies, a half-full stomach, a weapon, and his life. But it was hardly enough knowing that any one of those things could be snatched from him without a moment’s notice.

Drawing nearer to the auroras in the sky warmed his skin, or at least he believed so. Alvin tried his best not to venture too far from Ophelia or the temporary safe haven her and Branch had constructed for themselves, though it was troubling when he knew being a sitting duck hadn’t served him well in the days before. There was a newly instilled net of security tucked into his pant pocket, a newly equipped item. It boosted his strength, gifted him defense points, and was the one thing between him and whomever dared to challenge him. Though it wouldn’t be the sneaky girl from Five or the savage girl from Four, he would be ready the next time someone tried to steal his life from him.

Standing still on the thinning snow-coated ground alerted him to the footsteps of another easily. He spun around, feet apart and his chest already signaling for him to take it slower. Though it hadn’t been directly behind him as anticipated, a green and human-ish figure stared at him from an angle. As it drew closer with medium speed, its features began to come into focus. Its eyes, large. Body, entirely covered in fur. Teeth yellow and hands repeatedly grabbing the air as if in search for something. Alvin stayed put. Charging at an unknown enemy would be unwise. Sometimes even the least likely looking opponents proved to be deadly when engaged.

Long before he knew it or was properly ready for its arrival, the now visibly swamp green monster stood but a few feet from Alvin. It faked lunges towards him, grinning with devilish intent in its eyes. It appeared not to want to fight unless it had an opponent who was equally as willing. Like it did most of the time, comparing his situation to a game made his posture and composure loosen. In a title released before he was born, he recalled a field enemy that wouldn’t fight his character unless he fought first. In fact, he could waltz right past them without the battle theme music starting at all. He was certain the same situation wouldn’t present itself today. Not when the distance between he and the creature was still decreasing.

Alvin jumped off the ground with vigor, aiming the force of his weight at the mutt’s center. He landed successfully, though to little effect. It kicked at his back, bouncing backwards. The snow on his hips was refreshing momentarily until it gritted against his skin roughly. He would not scream for help. One, because he assumed others would be fighting mutts similar to his own. And two, because he needed to prove he was capable on his own.

He ripped the ice pick from his pocket and wildly began thrusting it through the air, aim be damned. Cliff from Four popped into his head, the advice about how to handle to various weapons they had messed around with during training. All he could remember was his incapacity to wield a sword. The ice pick was a greatly shrunken version of the dragon-slayer, greatly appropriate for someone of his stature. The disgusting and tangly texture meeting his fist allowed him to know he was making contact. Up his nostrils flew a most foul odor, one that stank like garbage having sat hundreds of summer days in the sun. Alvin gagged audibly, the still undigested snacks making a second appearance in his throat, albeit backwards.

Despite his many attempts, the humanoid creature was still standing and crazily pinching the air all around the boy’s arms. Alvin took his chance and shoved the sharp end of his tool into the monster’s middle. It gasped horrifically, opposite to the boy’s expression of pure elation. What looked to be blood of the same color as the mutt’s fur began to spew out onto the snow and the bow of Alvin’s sweater. With whatever fight remained, the mutt snatched the weapon from the boy’s off-guard hands. It tossed it back and forth tauntingly, its mission finally realized by theft. Alvin again attempted to sweep the creature off its feet using all of his seventy-four pounds, charging forward with his head. This time, however, the green monstrosity dodged and, in the moment between Alvin’s realization and his ability to react, smashed the pick into the left side of his throat.

The blood loss was instantaneous. It poured out like water from a faucet left on by mistake, mixing with the green already drying on his outfit. Face planting on the ground, Alvin met eyes with the mutt before it beat him to the call of death. Relief flooded his chest to replace the escaping blood as he embraced safety. Safety from further suffering, anyways.

Unable to move much more than his his neck, he turned back towards where he had idly walked from. Somehow he caught a glimpse of a large red something before the unmistakable flow of his district partner’s hair let him know she was still alive. Continuing to build on his odd sense of comfort as he lay dying, he closed his right eye to shield it from the snow descending onto him. A puddle of his own liquids had transformed rapidly into a pool, then an ocean. It bothered him as much as it always had, though he was unable to protest. He didn’t want to die. Who the heck did? He craved now more than ever the deaths of his many favorite characters who returned to their screens as if they hadn’t just jumped directly into lava.

“Oh,” he breathed, weakly grabbing for the token in his pocket. He yanked it out, holding it tightly in his fist. The mustached man and his red cap greeted him the same way it had when Dexter handed it over a number of birthdays before. Where it would end up now that he wouldn’t be around to treasure it bothered him immensely. Even if it was returned to his family, none of them knew what to do with it. None of them knew that he washed it daily, let it stay safe and cool inside their refrigerator every night, or that he took it out with him each time he left the house. That way Dexter was always with them, at least a little bit.

“One,” he began, “Breathe.” Though his chest and rib cage pained him more than they had ever, he inhaled and exhaled in his set pattern. Five seconds in, six seconds out. His preteen body relaxed, slumping further into the snow that gathered around him. “Refocus.” He would die and Ophelia would live. Tears manifested at the idea he would be unable to protect her, though he had failed to do so thus far. Branch would protect her. It freaking sucked, but he would. Better than he ever could. “Face your fears,” he continued, voice more feeble than it had ever been. The third step of his mantra was already complete. He had charged not only once, but twice, at a revolting monster standing a full foot taller than he. There was hardly anything scarier aside from the germs flowing from the snow he was melting with his body heat. “And act,” he finished. “Thanks mom and dad, girls. For everything. I’ll...miss you.” Words would always fail him in expressing how he truly felt, but he was content. His last mantra, the one taught to him and never judged by any of the Twains, was finished and so was he. There was nothing he could do to let them know any better how much he had appreciated them and how they accepted him.

He was unsure if he imagined the floating sensation or if his still-alive body was being prematurely moved towards the tree of other dead tributes, but it wasn’t at all what he was focused on. As the fleeting sense of life fled his body, he coughed an unsteady and nervous laugh as he remembered how many tributes were still alive. Any other day of his life he would have fervently fought against it for his own sake, but it was almost too tragic not to find humorous. Life, undoubtedly, certainly had it out for Alvin Twain.

8th place. How even?

BOOM

White emptiness sprawled out before him, a substance he mistakingly believed to be snow before he realized his eyes weren’t blurry. A figure approached in from it, one at the same height as him when he remembered it to be taller. His body healed and no longer in pain, a smile to rival all those that came before it spread across his face. Alvin ran forward and embraced the figure. His tears stained the shirt featuring a pair of red and green brothers.

“I missed you too, Al,” Dexter Twain laughed, holding out a red controller. “You have to check out this game!” A massive screen appeared before them, prompting both to enter their names. The boys from Three were back again. Player 1: DEX, Player 2: AT3.

#self para #goodbye Alvin #i have to laugh and be sappy or I'll cry #my poor boy #miss you already #Alvin

5 notes · View notes

welovenissan · 5 years

Photo

Special edition Nissan Navaras look taut and terrific

CRAWLING through rocky bushland and onto a winding sandy track the world opened. Tethering into the distance was an endless ocean featuring a kaleidoscope of blues off the picturesque coast.

Embracing the remote location it's little wonder Nissan Navara owners are embarking on similar adventures.

Research shows virtually all those piloting a Navara explore its off-roading ability - most often for weekends away or holidays.

Dual-cab drivers are the antipodes of SUV owners. Most high-riding wagons rarely see gravel, let alone dirt, despite their original design intentions.

Utes remain one of the nation's favourite modes of transport, with the Toyota HiLux maintaining its position as the leading seller while the Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton are also at the upper echelon of the charts.

Which is why Nissan has bolstered its dual-cab with the kit most sought-after as it hunts those shopping in the plush ute market.

Two new limited edition models have been added to the Navara line-up with up to $10,000 worth of kit for no extra cost.

VALUE

Leading the dual-prong attack is the Black Edition that is based on the 4x4 ST variant, but gains a heap of kit to honour the naming hue, including 18-inch alloys with all-terrain tyres, sports bar, flared wheel arches, nudge bar, soft tonneau cover and tubliner, bonnet protector, mirror caps, special decals and a LED light bar.

Black Editions are available in five colours, including white, silver, black, grey and red. Silverline has a similar palette, minus grey.

Nothing changes mechanically, while the five-star safety rating is retained with seven airbags and rear view camera.

Complimentary equipment on both are electronic rear differential lock, LED headlights and daytime running lamps, Bluetooth audio and phone integration (unfortunately no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto) and cruise control. The ST Black Edition gets the upgraded seven-inch colour touchscreen with satnav as opposed to a five-inch display and a leather accented steering wheel on the Silverline.

The extra equipment could be a sign of things to come, and Nissan product manager Chris Schultz said the marque was able to achieve the deal through buying power - but admitted he wanted more than the 900 units of each variant.

"It's all the things we see in our after-sales area that people buy," he said.

"There is more dress-up involved in after-sales now which I think that's the transition from people buying and driving V8 utes into this type of vehicle.

"Previously it was all just performance-based or towing capability, and there is still that aspect, but people want them to look tough and cool as well.

"Everyone is toughening them up and changing the look."

The fledgling realm has seen a rapid influx of entries.

HSV has unleashed its Colorado Sportscat, while Ford has the off-road focused Ranger Raptor, Holden kitted out its Colorado and called it the Z71 Xtreme, while Toyota has its Rugged X and Rogue models.

Where Nissan has set itself apart is pricing. While the equipment isn't as hardcore as the aforementioned rivals, the Navara price tag hasn't shifted whereas the competition is skyward of $60,000-$70,000 plus on-roads.

DRIVING

Nissan maintains the same 2.3-litre twin turbo diesel which delivers outputs of 140kW/450Nm.

The key performance upgrade on Black Editions is the General Grabber AT3 rubber for going off-road. Those tackling soft sand driving regularly would probably be better suited to a more road-bias tyre, but for the mixture of bitumen, gravel, rock-hopping, challenging muddy terrain we survived in WA they proved faultless.

Before the D23 Navara was relaunched in 2015 it was known as the nation's most powerful tradie with a V6 turbo diesel, but it has since blazed a new trail with its biturbo four-cylinder.

Ford has since adopted a 2.0-litre derivative for its dune-jumping Ranger Raptor and the shift to lower capacity turbos its likely to continue.

With 3500kg braked towing capacity the Navara has proven itself to be a solid and adaptable unit.

The extra kit on the special editions provide limited, if any, additional on or off-road prowess but is motivated by a growing market.

"If you look at SUVs and all the different segments, these are the guys that are spending the most on after-sales and differentiating their vehicles," Schultz said.

Utes are also drawing buyers from wide-ranging vehicle segments. Improved road dynamics and more creature comforts mean modern dual cabs become handy family vehicles - just with bloody big boots.

"There is no outflow from LCV (light commercial vehicles). People like the practicality and how they use them rather than going into an SUV," Schultz said.

"It's surprising. Most of the other segments in Australia have some outflow but this one has no outflow...or its so minuscule it doesn't show up on the data."

VERDICT

The special editions are a no-brainer. Extra kit for no price penalty sets a new standard for the Navara, and while there are no mechanical changes the improvements are exactly what the market is chasing.

If you want to get behind the steering wheel of a Nissan Navara and feel its glory for yourself - simply visit a Group 1 Nissan dealership.

Article source: https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/special-edition-nissan-navaras-look-taut-and-terri/3536212/

0 notes