The Price of Immortality

Why, bless you, pup, what a kind thought! Dear Brother Erick’s practically grown by now - where does the time go? - but no matter how big he gets, I suppose he’ll always be that same little lost lamb to me.

It’s a bit like how your papa will sometimes forget that you’re not a baby anymore, even though you’re obviously a perfectly capable young lady!

My word, it seems so many of my brothers and sisters have left home by now, out into the big world, and I do miss them, of course, but I also know that all the little wayward lambs I love — Erick and Luke and Daniel, and all the rest — why, they’ll just come right on home one day, when the time is right.

I have faith. 

Hehe, why'd ya call everyone lambs mister? Are you like a Shepherd? You sound like my Sunday school teacher kinda.

I am very capable yep! II'm six and a half! I can tie my own shoelaces and stuff now and I know how to take the bus, but I guess you're right about the baby part? Papa always calls me his 'Babydoll'. 

What weapon does your muse prefer?

A drabble in which my muse fight with/against yours (specify)

My muse gives a speech before a battle.

A drabble in which my muse dies on the battlefield.

Is your muse a skilled warrior?

A drabble about the first time the muse killed someone.

A drabble about a beloved one lost in a fight.

Is the muse merciful or cuel?

Who taught my muse how to fight?

Is my muse honourable?

A drabble in which my muse is forced to fight against a loved one.

A drabble in which my muse is forced to fight together with someone they hate.

The muse is on the battlefield and they have to take a terrible decision.

My muse is captured. How do they react?

My muse walks between the corpses after a tremendous battle. A drabble about their feelings.

A song I associate with my muse while fighting.

*Drops the gun he’s attempting to clumsily reload like a live grenade by accident as the clattering echoes hollowly through the empty firing range. He has his eyes closed tight at the racket, hands clamped on the ear mufflers he’s wearing before he shakily removes them with a small grin*

God, you scared me Nev! Salam, my friend *Pulls the man close so they can bump foreheads for a bit in greeting before he kneels down and picks up pieces of the weapon*

Not hard to do when you’re focusin’ as hard as you were. *can’t resist a grin as they share a head bump in greeting. He settles with his hands in his pockets as he watches Sami pick up the pieces*

*one eyebrow raises* From the looks of it, you need all the practice you can get. Can’t let every li’l sound shock you when you’re holdin’ that thing.

How it is Claudio manages to this in less than ten seconds is beyond me. I’m trying, Adrian, I swear. It’s just….

*He unwraps the wrist tape which goes over his hand to reveal the ugly-looking healing slide bite cutting into the flesh between his forefinger and thumb*

A little harder than I expected, that’s all. Still a little clumsy with the recoil. Between this little troublemaker and Tyson, I’m not sure who I would rather deal with, but at least this one has the upside of not being able to talk back, yes?

*Affording himself a small laugh, he gestured with a hint of embarrassment at the target ahead, several rounds punching holes in the sides and bottom——anywhere else but the head and chest*

Sami: But….Breezy my man. I’ve popped up in here since, uh, forever. See, I sort of work here? Look I know they pass me off as a sober Sheamus on a good day, but I promise you I really was here all along. Or at the dessert section of catering. Give or take.

Cesaro: My dear boy, since when did anyone ever guilt trip you into something that didn’t concern your complacency in collecting the season’s latest fashions?

Bayley giggles as she hugs Roman back. She’d missed Roman messing up her hair and Sami fixing her up.

"Charlotte and I’ve been doing pretty good. Creative’s still not sure what they want to do with the title, but they should be figuring it out pretty soon."

Bayley wiggles out of Roman’s arms to almost tackle the smaller ginger man. Roman’s hugs may be the best (not that she’d tell anyone else) but she did want to hug Sami too.

"I want to get on the main roster, but everyone says there isn’t a place for me yet. But I just gotta wait it out! I’m going to be there soon"

Her look of pure determination is enough to make a rock laugh, and she quickly relaxes before switching topics.

"How’s AJ and Paige doing? I haven’t gotten to talk to them in a while."

Tyler, meanwhile, lays on the floor for a moment trying to figure out what had just happened. He pushes himself up, shooting a completely ignored dirty look in Bayley’s direction. He mutters to himself about ungrateful hair ornaments, before looking to Cesaro. Cesaro was reasonably tolerable, even though he was pretty sure Cesaro just found him funny.

"You can even invite those wacky, inflatable tube buddies who’ve been welcoming you down the ramp all this while! I betcha they’re gonna say yes. Honestly though, Lottie’s a gem but it’s high time they had a new champion you know?" 

"Better tryin’a win that championship first before y’make your way to the big stage, babydoll. Everyone is right…and probably have it in your best interest. The new batch there only managed to get this far scrappin’ and clawin’, wouldn’t believe how many times we had ta talk about it to Adam and Paige. She ain’t gonna tell you of course, but there were a good few times she thought about comin’ back here before AJ returned. They’re doin’ a’ight now I think—-got themselves to bounce off one another." Roman spoke up a little more seriously this time, the deep baritone carrying a rare gravitas. He had been one of those lucky enough to make the jump early on and were spared the scrutiny of Dunn who upon discovery that Hunter’s projects were changing the landscape of the company and were lauded as the Youth Movement, had gone out of his way to make the lives of those who came in later a living hell.  Of course the senior batch—-himself, Seth, Dean and Cesaro took none of the man’s gaff and said man was too fearful of the Wyatts to even consider approaching them. Adam Rose, Paige and Bo however had suffered the effects.  The young Anoa’i wasn’t so sure he was willing to allow the same thing  to happen to Bayley without sending Dunn through a row of toilet stall walls first. 

"You’re safe here. You’ll get your chance to taste the spotlight sooner than later, but enjoy things down at Developmental while you can yeah?” 

And he was being completely sincere about the advice as well—-headlining Wrestlemania was certainly a dream of many a superstar, but he couldn’t deny there were days, hard days where he missed the familial simplicity and acceptance of the NXT hallways.

"Of course we considered you." Cesaro raised an eyebrow as he extended a hand in offer to Tyler to help the man up. 

"Hunter is not denying you are capable certainly, and there is a certain Agent Peacock allure about having you on the field. As things stand my friend, you merely do not fit the criteria he is looking at currently though that can change to suit a mission. Of course…there are times I still question his reasons for selecting potential cadets….” 

His gaze settled on Sami for a moment, a mixture of affection and exasperation crossing his weathered features. 

Trudging blind through daylight, rank with imagined smoke, leaving fingerprints of unseen gore, bent under the invisible bodies piled on his back…

Ah, but perhaps one day the scales will fall… the transformative power of a light to follow in such a darkness is mighty indeed.

So apparently I am grounded for the next three weeks and also my best friend’s browsing history has him perusing child harnesses on EBay.

He has no children.