Post by charlirozzi on Nov 9, 2024 7:35:13 GMT -8
The Division mansion.
She met him outside The Division mansion, a simple and comfortable white mask covered 2/3 of her face, sitting flush against it and ensuring that no one aside from the people they chose would know who she was. She had dressed with flair, as always. A pair of skin tight white pants that hugged every curve and a cut away white top, long sleeves and cropped short just as skin tight as the pants. Long blonde hair in loose curls down her back and past her waist.
Coming here had made it official, the day before she had signed her loyalty to Julian via a contract for Crucible Academy. Now she was going to look around the place that was to become her second home - moving in wasn’t feasible of course, even with Callie here to help - the kind of goings on at a place like this wasn’t somewhere kids should be.
She was musing over this idea, the one that she was exchanging care for one set of kids to another. What she had to teach them was very different, but the base bones of it was more similar than anyone would consider. It was this thought she was stuck on when Julian approached from inside the mansion. He immediately drew both her attention and a smile.
”Hello handsome, fancy seeing you here.” Her tone was light, teasing and somehow still deep with intensity.
Julian couldn’t hold back a smirk as he walked over to her, taking in the way the mask and attire added an air of mystery and authority to her presence. He’d known her long enough to appreciate the balance she struck between confidence and allure, and seeing her here, committing fully to The Division, brought a different weight to the moment.
”Well, you know, I couldn’t miss the chance to welcome our newest Division member in style,” he replied, his voice equher light but with an edge of sincerity. ”It’s not every day someone with your talent and loyalty signs on.”
He stopped in front of her, taking her hand briefly, his gaze holding hers with an intensity that matched her own. ”I want you to know this isn’t just some formality. You’re not here to be another cog in the machine. You’re part of the foundation of what we’re building here, A. The future, molded by people who aren’t afraid to go further, push harder.”
He released her hand, gesturing towards the mansion behind him. ”Let me show you around, give you a sense of what you’re truly a part of now. It’s time the rest of the world sees you like I do.”
Her eyes followed him as he spoke, a smile playing on her lips that matched the sincerity in her eyes, excited but dark, she was intrigued to see what lay beyond those doors, but before she stepped through them she turned to Julian and placed a hand on his chest.
”I know.” It wasn’t a cocky statement, but it was a statement. Her hand patted his chest softly in a sign of affection, her fingers gently tracing the material of his shirt before she nodded, turning to face the doors.
She had never been a part of anything, even as a child she wasn’t a part of the things that happened. The life her blood was built on wasn’t even her own, but now after missteps and setbacks she knew she was in the right place, she could feel it. She could feel the soul in the foundations, not just the building but all of it.
”The face of wrestling is changing and more and more of these kids are understanding that you can’t just show up with a smile and a dream.” Stepping into the mansion and looking around, her eyes took everything in, details being noted by her sharp gaze. ”I’m excited to be a part of that, of building something that’s based on honesty and ruthlessness, encouraging what it truly takes and not some wheaties box bullshit.”
Julian’s gaze softened as he watched her take in the mansion, her words resonating with a sense of purpose he knew well. He nodded, a hint of pride in his expression.
”That’s exactly it, A. We’re not here to create poster kids, we’re here to build warriors. People who understand what it takes to thrive in this industry without the sugar-coated illusions they feed the masses.” He stepped beside her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder, a rare gesture of warmth amidst his usual cold demeanor.
”I know you’ll bring something powerful to this place. These kids… they’ll learn not just from a trainer, but from someone who’s been through it, someone who’s had to claw their way here. And that honesty, that ruthlessness? It’s exactly what we need to keep them sharp.”
His voice lowered, sincere and unwavering. ”Welcome to The Division, our family, A. This is as much yours as it is mine now. And together, we’re going to reshape what this industry thinks it knows.”
Her hand raised to hold his on her shoulder, leaning her head back against him for a moment before she nodded. There was something incredibly tangible to the future he wanted them to build together, the kind she had needed when she first came to the states. She had to learn everything the hard way, there was no one to protect her from that - where others might see what Julian did as cruel, she knew it was a kindness.
”They need to understand there’s no such thing as the brighter futures that get promised too often.” She turned to look up at him, her hand holding his, her own expression clear even through the mask. Violent intent with an edge of persistence, the only way she had known how to survive. ”Greatness hurts, to get there you have to be willingly to crawl through the fire and burn… other people, people like Chris…”
Her expression changed when she said his name, a slight twitch of her nose that curled her top lip into a sneer.
”See these kids suffering and does nothing. The same kind of people who pick the most naive of the bunch and turn them out for five minutes of glory. He’s a glorified pimp to this industry and anything we can do to stamp people like that out…” she leaned in closer to him, even through the mask the adoration she had for him was obvious. ”To teach those same kids to find strength in the suffering. It’s our duty to do.”
Julian’s gaze softened as he looked down at her, his hand squeezing hers gently as he absorbed her words. There was something in her conviction that resonated with him, a mirror of his own hardened path, of his belief in resilience forged through fire. She understood, truly, what he was trying to build, and that only deepened his admiration for her.
”Exactly,” he replied, his voice low, carrying the weight of his determination. ”People like Chris… they sell dreams without telling them the price. They give these kids a taste of something they’ll never have the guts to achieve themselves. We’re not here to coddle or protect! We’re here to prepare them to face the world as it is. To survive it.”
His other hand moved to the small of her back, drawing her in closer as he held her gaze. ”And you’re right, A, it is our duty. They need to know that greatness isn’t given! It’s taken. And the only way to truly stand at the top is to understand the price of getting there. That’s where you and I come in.”
He paused, his eyes searching hers, the admiration in them unmistakable. ”Together, we’re going to reshape this industry. No one will get in our way. And with you beside me…” He let his words trail off, his intensity communicating everything his words didn’t.
She leaned up and kissed him, it was a kiss that carried the weight of the promises they had made to one another. For years they had put others before their own happiness and it all had ended it ruin. The world had applied pressure to them that would break most people.
After all of that, to not only find one another again but to do it under the chance to give to others what had been denied them only made everything more solid. The mansion, The Division, the group of students who had been recruited to bend, break and rebuild, all of it was the beginning of this new journey.
”Okay.” She said, her hand resting on his chest as she nodded once, finally breaking that kiss with a resolute smile. ”Time to meet the kids.”
Julian met her gaze with an intensity that matched her own, his hand gently pressing over hers on his chest, grounding him in the shared resolve they had. This was their chance to do things their way, to build something stronger than either of them had ever known, something ruthless, honest, and theirs.
He nodded back, his own smile forming, as he let the weight of the moment settle between them. ”Let’s show them what real strength looks like,” he said, his tone carrying a subtle but fierce determination. Together, they would teach these students the realities of a world that didn’t bend for anyone, not unless you forced it to.
With one last look, Julian led the way, pushing open the doors and stepping into the mansion. The Division was ready, and now, with her by his side, he felt unstoppable.