Waters of Memory

Pure energy flowed through every inch of Patricia’s being, a mixture of anxiety and excitement coursing through her. As she turned her hand over to continue tightly wrapping it, she clenched her fist to steady herself, focusing intensely on the pattern of the cloth as she continued. A series of big moments were about to unfold, and she could genuinely die if anything went wrong, but all she could manage to worry about in the moment was Teagan’s safety in this chaotic space. There was only a split second after the sound of interlocking velcro quietly rang out that her gaze flicked upwards, locking onto Teagan.

“My love… last chance to get to safety. Are you sure you want to be here for this?” Patricia spoke softly, without fear or sorrow in her voice. Rather, she was posing a genuine question, trusting Teagan to make her own decision, and knowing that she knew the possible consequences. For the time being, she harbored no regrets. “Of course, if you are staying… a good-luck kiss would be very, very appreciated.” Just like that, her genuine self shone through her persona, a small grin on her lips while her eyes remained on her partner’s.

Nerves weren’t something foreign to fae. The distance between Teagan and Dark Score, even then, sent a bundle of anxiety prickling down her fingertips. But just like any other emotion, it could be turned into a tool. Like, motivation. Of which sent the nix forward, connecting her lips urgently to Patricia’s. She had trust that both of them would be okay, but it wouldn’t do any good to ignore the worry that rattled her mind. “No place I’d rather be, cariad. I’m not leaving you to those vultures.” Shaking her head, Teagan grabbed the remote that she was instructed to hold onto. Such a creation spat in the face of something as natural as a werewolf’s shift. Looking at it alone made anger swell in her hands in the form of claws. She shook for a moment, taking a deep breath and looking at Patricia to help keep her composure.

Her partner’s soft eyes beckoned her own to become the same. Flow as gracefully as Fate, as the water Teagan swam in every day. She could do that. For her partner, she’d do anything, and thus she gripped the remote closely to her and smiled reassuringly at Patricia. “Use this if I see you needing to be released, yes? I won’t let anything happen to you.” She chuckled, “At least not outside of the fight. I know you two have to go at it. Just…be as safe as you can, all right?” Pocketing the remote, Teagan cupped Patricia’s cheeks and pulled her into a final kiss, mustering as much love as she could in the gesture.

“Well, don’t use it unless I really need to shift. It should naturally keep me from transforming, but if I’m going to get killed out there, it’s either them or me, so let the beast free.” Patricia’s small smile grew at her partner's warm words and honey-like voice, feeling her anxiety begin to ebb from her mind, leaving only the excitement of finally doing some good for a change. “Don’t you worry, fy nhrysor. I’ll be walking out of there without a scratch on me, just you watch-” She was cut off by a sudden loving embrace, her hands moving to rest on Teagan’s hips while the two shared a passionate kiss, forgetting the dank setting that surrounded the tender moment.

After the kiss was reluctantly broken off, there was a cold silence that enveloped the locker room, broken by Patricia’s movement to suddenly stand and walk over to her locker, sending a text so quickly to her friend Emilio that her phone was ready to be put away by the time her free hand had opened the locker door. “You’re on in 15. Godspeed. I’ll try not to win too fast. ;)” Patricia’s gaze focused firmly on an object within the locker, her persona coming right back as soon as she laid eyes on the obscured object within, a smirk crossing her darkly-painted lips. “You better go get a good seat, hot stuff. I’d hate for you to miss the action~”

Teagan loved the way Patricia took in her native tongue, virtually replacing any need she had for French. It was a lackluster replacement, a mediocre bandaid for the mother-shaped hole in her heart that putrefied over the years. Thanks to her loved ones though, Teagan was finally able to mend such a crater, filling it with pools of harmonious, bright hues of blue. “Aye. Got it. I’ll choose you every time.” She rested her head against Patricia’s back, memorizing the beat of her heart while she conducted her business. The smile on her face was a reluctant one, the anxiety bubbling over with a tumultuous fervor that only fear could create. Circumstances be damned, fear couldn’t win. Teagan shook her head, refocusing on her partner and affirming her belief in her abilities.

Time and time again, Patricia had more than proven her skill and strength. The least Teagan could do, she thought, was have faith and relax with that acceptance. Doing so, the nix ruffled Patricia’s hair, giggling at the mess she made out of the forest of locks. “Love when you call me that. Love you. I’ll be cheering you on from the stands. Up close so I can see everything perfectly!” Saying her last goodbyes and expressions of luck, Teagan took her leave and traversed through the booming crowd.

It was loud and unsettling to hear such a ruckus. One that continued to build with no end in sight. Teagan knew it would only grow once Patricia made her debut, and by then, she’d be part of the noise herself. She had two jobs to do that night, but both centered around supporting the fearsome fighter that sent the crowd alight with excitement and the lights flashing with anticipation. But all Teagan could see was her love, her very reason for existence. And so, she joined, adding her own boom toward the arena as her hand gripped the remote. It was all coming together.

“I love you too, I’ll be keeping an eye out.” A bittersweet feeling echoed through Patricia as Teagan’s head slowly left her back, a feeling that faded once the sound of footsteps faded, leaving her completely alone. She reached into her locker and slowly pulled a black leather jacket from a hanger. A thumb gently brushed along the dust covered engraving on the back, depicting a wolf skull baring its fangs. “Welcome back, old friend. Let’s cause some hell.” Patricia couldn’t help but grin as she slid the jacket on, wiping most of the dust off of the shoulders. It felt a bit tighter now, but the familiarity served to be a great motivator.

Minutes later, Patricia stepped out at her designated exit and began to approach the ring, a blinding light quickly sliding across the room to surround her, followed by the deafening roar of the crowd. She took her time along her approach, flexing and making some obscene gestures towards her unseen audience. When the spotlight left her and she was finally contained by the blood-stained ropes of the ring, her eyes glanced across the outside of the room, locking onto Teagan. Patricia turned her head slightly and blew a kiss to her, wearing the dark smirk of her very heavily curated persona, easily masking any internal conflicts or concerns. When the announcer began to speak, the crowd fell silent, as if waves of authority and energy were coming from the speakers in each corner of the room. Even Patricia seemed briefly surprised by the words spoken.

“Beaten but not broken, she’s a fan favorite of many, our local hotshot, it’s The Pulverizer! Here for a… rematch, it seems? Everybody, welcome back our champion of late, it’s…”

Patricia’s head turned slowly to face the person crawling into the ring across from her, a deeply malicious smirk carving itself into her lips at the sight of the familiar face. “..Shredder. Thought I’d heard the last of your silly nickname.” The opponent across from her shared a similarly devious expression as soon as their eyes met. Some of the crowd found themselves falling silent at the excessively hostile and dangerous energy, before roaring back to life as the announcer above brought a less negative energy to the situation with a countdown. “3… 2… 1… Fight!”

The announcer’s voice was nothing in comparison to Teagan’s booming heart. Each beat grew louder in her ears, and it was the only thing she could hear until the audience came to life once again. She stood up along with the people around her and gave a portion of her energy to the one she called her one true love. Let the reverberations become so powerful that everything shook and an earthquake of her faith engulfed the room. Teagan knew Patricia would have turned to her with a smile if she could have, just as she had before, but instead, she surged forward with her arm cocked back.

The punch landed with an inaudible crunch, the crowd too loud to allow for anything else to be heard. The Shredder returned with an attack just as powerful, landing in the same fashion. When Patricia slightly recoiled, he took that as an opening, striking again. Patricia weaved effortlessly, uppercutting The Shredder and sending him backwards into the ropes. Teagan cheered and jumped, in complete awe at the way Patricia danced around the ring. In her own right, she moved the most eloquently, with a precision that the nix had never seen before.

Each hook, weave, and jab left Teagan holding her breath. Made her heart clench unimaginably tight in a way that made her believe in Patricia even more. Because for all that she had experienced in twenty-eight years, she had lived twenty of them ensuring she never loved much more than her family. And there she was, screaming the loudest in the room, with the knowledge that sometimes you have to love a little to live large. By all measures, Teagan knew that her and Patricia had created something otherworldly, something bigger than the cosmos. So even when Shredder landed a punch to Patricia’s jaw, Teagan cheered even louder.

A sharp hit to her jaw replaced the sound of the crowd with the growing sound of ringing. Patricia could feel the wolf within struggle to escape, fighting against the methodic shocks as they pulsed from the metallic device clamped firmly against her skin. It was enough to keep her from shifting as the fight continued, but it wasn’t enough to quell her thoughts as they bubbled just beneath the surface. Only one thing was helping her keep those thoughts at bay, the one voice that managed to reach out from the ringing and the roaring to reassure her, the voice of her love.

Stumbling back from the powerful hit, Patricia stumbled back, grunting and grumbling as she wiped the blood from her lip, smudging her black lipstick messily across her cheek in the process. Only a short pause was possible before she immediately surged back towards her opponent, arcing in a single fluid motion toward her rival. She drove her fist deep into his face, as if aiming to punch straight through. The resulting sound rang out over the crowd’s shouts, letting everybody know that the fight was finally going to get messy.

Blood spattered against the off-white mat of the ring below the two combatants, followed by the thud of skin hitting the ground as their body was sent scattering. Patricia took a few steps back as she watched the balam across from her begin to shift into their panther form, looking to Teagan for a brief moment once again to make sure she was ready, giving a small nod. This time, there was no room for error. She couldn’t risk what would happen if she were to choke again, she had too much to lose now, so she entrusted her beast to somebody she trusted utterly and completely. “Try not to get yourself killed, I’ll feel bad. You should quit before they have to send you home in a water bottle.”

Teagan could see the cage rattle behind Patricia’s eyes, the beast thrashing against the bars with every punch. Despite her visage being a blur during the match, the nix knew her partner well enough to decipher each expression. She was so sure Patricia could handle the Balam in her current state, but it wasn’t just about physical capability. Time and time again, Patricia had proven herself more than strong enough. No, the match was about redemption and proving herself. As a protector, as a fighter, as a wolf. Not to the crowd, but to every doubt Patricia had. She was going to save so many people that night, including herself, and Teagan had the job of supporting her. Without hesitation, the nix promised her heart, body, and soul silently for Patricia and her cause, and the time was creeping up to stand with her.

Patricia’s nod—the signal—cued everything, revealing she was ready. The moment had arrived and Teagan fumbled through her pocket for the remote, retrieving it and holding it toward the ring. Pressing down on the button firmly, she felt the buzzing of the signal, her eyes transfixed on the ongoing fight. She didn’t quite catch whatever Patricia said, but knowing her partner, it had to be a silly quip. Teagan’s suspicions were confirmed by the guttural sounds and snapping teeth. A laugh escaped her, unable to help herself as the nerves amplified everything as Patricia’s body began to shift, as if in response. The avalanche of emotion didn’t waver, even then. How could it when pressing the button was only the beginning of the chaos?

The restraint hidden deep within Patricia’s eyes vanished and her gaze darkened at the push of a button, freeing the tidal wave of rage and ferocity that had been trapped since the full moon. The beast was freed, and the ravenous crowd was overjoyed by the arrival of a new combatant. She doubled over, the sound of snapping bones and tearing flesh almost loud enough to be heard over the audience, but not quite. What could be heard over the crowd, however, was the roar of the beast left behind in Patricia’s place. Her opponent had made an attempt to do as much damage as possible during her transformation, but the damages done weren’t much more than flesh wounds against her thick, dark brown pelt.

Patricia lashed out with all she had against her opponent, swinging a heavy fist against the small balam, sending them against the edge of the cage and denting the sturdy metal bars with the sheer force she possessed. Only a brief second was allowed to pass before the wolf bound towards her prey, the lights of the stage glinting against her claws. In the period of time between leaving the ground and landing upon the wounded balam, it was as if all had fallen silent in preparation for what was to come. The initial thud of Patricia’s landing was followed by the sound of splattering blood and the pounding of colossal fists, over and over again. Those violent, gruesome sounds continued even after the beast had been sated and given way to allow for the return of her more conscious self. It was but a shell that was left there, instinctually beating upon the mess that had been left behind, her tattered jacket falling from her back, into the growing puddle of blood.

Patricia’s performance was nothing short of glorious and beautiful. Each connecting fist and spatter of blood further motivated the upward curl of Teagan’s smile. How could it not when Patricia’s unfiltered potential was on display? Seeing the beast in all her glory was rare, and she relished each detail, memorizing every feature. She knew how devastating that power was, how impossible it was to control that bloodlust, but Teagan couldn’t help but be mystified by everything her partner was doing that night. Not only was she putting on the best damn performance, she was doing the impossible right beneath everyone’s feet. Teagan was proud, and she roared with the crowd just as the show was coming to a close with death strewn all over the stained mat.

Teagan rose quickly from her seat, watching as Patricia reverted back to her human form while still lashing out. She tensed a hand through her hair and threw the remote aside to rush to the ropes and get Patricia’s attention. Killing was fine, it was a part of the job, but overkill wasn’t something either of them particularly enjoyed.

“Pat—” Something latched onto Teagan’s arm, and she yanked herself away with the force of her sprint. Thinking it to just be an overzealous fan, she continued to run. “Patricia! St—” It happened again. Only this time, the grip didn’t release so easily. Teagan looked at her wrist, finding a stranger’s hand wrapped around it tightly. “Let go!” She pulled, but the man didn’t budge. Her heart practically skipped a beat then, realizing she recognized him as one of the workers at The Ring. He’d given her the remote. Did he want it back? Teagan pointed to it in her seat, trying harder to rip her arm free, but she was met with a wall behind her that pushed her harshly toward the employee. She attempted to latch her claws into him, to yell Patricia’s name out despite it being a futile effort. The loud and drunken crowd surrounding her would’ve drowned her out completely if she had been given the chance to exclaim. Instead, a shock surged through her body, and a hand covered her mouth. Then, everything went black.

By the time Patricia had snapped out of it and turned to look back at Teagan, she was gone. She could’ve sworn that she heard her, but her memories were so hazy that she was forced to assume that it was nothing more than a trick played by her own mind. Teagan and the remote were nowhere to be found, no matter how hard she looked into the crowd for her. Maybe she’d gone to meet her in the locker room? Yeah, that was probably it, at least, that’s what Patricia convinced herself of. She heard nothing as she stepped off of the ring, blocking out the sound of the roaring behind her, the voice of the announcer overhead, even the sound of her own footsteps toward the locker room.

With a slow creak, the locker room door opened to reveal that it was just as empty as it had been when Patricia had first left. No Teagan, no other fighters, nothing. With an empty expression, she washed herself off in the dirty shower, looking at the floor while the water turned pink from the blood being removed from her scarred skin. It reminded her of how Dark Score rinsed her clean the first time she’d been permitted within its gentle waters, of the sound of Teagan’s breath that night as they kissed, of the feeling she felt every second of being in the presence of her partner. Instead of that feeling, Patricia only felt wrong, like something had happened, or maybe she’d done something wrong.

Patricia felt her anxiety climb rapidly as she got dressed and grabbed her phone from her locker, checking it quickly, hoping Teagan had texted that she had to leave, that some emergency had come up. No such text was found. The only notification on her phone was a text saying that the prisoners had been freed and Emilio hadn’t been caught, but she didn’t send a reply. She’d gone too far, Teagan probably hated her after what she did to her opponent in the ring. The worries that plagued her mind continued to spiral, a dull, piercing ringing filling her ears in place of the silence while her eyes noticed that the screen seemed to blur as she looked at it. Patricia noticed that her cheeks were wet too, and before she knew it, her face was contorted into a sob that caused her to crumple. An avalanche of emotions slammed down onto her as all of her fears were proven to be true by her lover’s absence, not letting up before the night was over.