the gauntlet discussion

The fire crackled with a satisfying pop. Reagan rubbed her hands together and interlocked her fingers, leaning forward slightly so her elbows where braced on her legs as she just stared into the fire. It was so peaceful, the cracking and popping of the twigs and branches in the heat and pressure that the fire provided. It was unpredictable, but always dangerous. Just like she preferred it. You never knew what things would happen, but it was good to know that as long as you kept the heat on, things would eventually crack under pressure. Reagan just hoped that wouldn’t be the case for her. She was tougher than that. She was the fire.

A cracking of a branch behind her caught her attention, and she jerked around, ready to pounce up and attack whoever thought sneaking up on her was a good idea. “Oh, it’s just you,” She said, her body immediately relaxing when she saw the all too familiar form of Wolfrick approaching. “I thought you were some idiot.” Who thought singling her out at night would make her an easy target. She finished the thought in her head. Those idiots had learned better.

But nope, it was just him. Knowing she was completely safe, Reagen lowered herself back onto her seat and leaned her head on Wolfy’s shoulder when he took the seat beside her. One of the many benefits of having an older, taller brother: automatic head rest.

Wolfrick knew he probably should have made a little more noise when he saw Reagan leap to her feet, more than ready to attack him. He'd held up his hands immediately in a gesture of surrender a grin on his face as he walked closer to her. "Nope. Not some idiot, just your idiot brother," He grinned at her as he headed around the little fire, taking a seat on the ground next to her, his elbows propped on his knees as he leaned forward. "How did I have a feeling you'd be lurking out here," Reagan had always been drawn to fire. It's why it had been so easy to guess what her element was, even as a kid she would always be watching their mom's candles and the little fires dance. No matter how many times Wolfrick told her not to put it out with her fingertips. She always did.

He didn't mind her head on his shoulder, used to it, really, used to being alone with her the two of them staring off and talking.

"I heard Wilder talking about what I think is going to be comp two....she was talking with one of the other 'professors'," And damn didn't Wolf use that term lightly. As if they taught anyone anything except how to get their asses kicked less. "about how the students were in for a hell of a time." Sure, she'd never mentioned a competition explicitly, but the level of sadistic glee in her voice....she could only be talking about another challenge from hell. If it had been merely about the Gauntlet he doubts she would have sounded so excited. Of course, Reagan could probably hear the worry in his tone.

Worry about her. What if she got hurt? He'd never forgive himself.

What could she say? Reagen had always loved fire. It was unpredictable in where it would go or how long it would burn, but was always hot, always looking for a place to be. Kinda like her. Plus, it was a good way to stay warm and cook food, so there was that. Unlike Wolfrick, who’s element was water. Which made sense. He was always the more level headed of the two of them. Calm, steady, serene, unless he was ticked off, then he could be a tsunami of wrath down on whoever his victim was. Reagan had seen it. It was real. Luckily, those instances were usually for only extreme cases, when he was scared or under attack, or worried about her.

Like now, for instance. “Hm, sounds interesting.” She said, her tone lighter than Wolfy probably wanted to hear from her. Yay, competitions. Have everyone try to fight to the top and then judge them on it. It was an interesting way to have them interact here at the Academy. Sure, they were all going to fight it out when they actually competed for the prize of being a Guardian, but all of this set-up for in-fighting seemed more manipulative than beneficial. But whatever, she didn’t make the rules, she just played by them.

“As long as it doesn’t involve drowning in a pool.” That hadn’t been fun for the first competition, and Reagen had decided that it would be a long time before she ever found herself back in that part of the Academy. Oh, She thought, her eyes darting up to her brother’s face. That’s probably why he looked so worried. “I’m sure we’ll be fine, whatever it is.” She said reassuringly. “We’ve survived worse.”

And people wondered why Wolfrick was so protective of his baby sister and then she'd go and comment about how she almost drowned in the freaking wave pool. "I'm sure it won't involve the pool again. If it does....I'll just swim for you," Wolf had always loved the water, he had never felt like he was in danger in it. Contrary, he felt like he was safe there. Which was the complete opposite to how Reagan felt in the water, hell he'd barely even ever convinced her to learn how to swim. She'd always fought him so hard on that when they were kids, and trying to convince her to take a bath when she had been younger? The amount of cookie bribes he'd had to get through just to keep her from smelling homeless.

He was a saint.

It was true though, they had survived worse, but he still found himself frowning, brows pulling together in knitted worry. "Yeah....but just be careful. A lot of people here are not nice. Especially the guys." He'd already heard of countless fights breaking out across the school. The anxiety of every fight he heard possibly involving Ree getting hurt? Well that had definitely been a source of anxiety and tension for him. So he was determined to....find a way to handle that tension. Somehow. He would figure it out he was sure. Probably.

“Aw, thanks Wolfy,” Reagen said, wrapping her arms around the arm she was leaning on and squeezing it. She had no doubt he’d swim across the ocean in her place in a heartbeat. Just like she’d walk through a burning building to make ends meet if she had to. Not that she ever had. “But somehow I don’t think they’d approve of that.” She said, releasing his arm and sitting up straight on the bench they were sitting on, her hands braced against the wooden edge. How many times had he tried to coax her into the water with bribes of sweets, only to have her touch the water and then run away screaming. Even bathing felt like drowning. You were just supposed to stand and let water rain down on you, or sit in a tub of water, where you could easily be submerged and accidentally inhale water and suffocate on water in your lungs? Yeah, no water for her. But it was for him, so he could enjoy his time in the water as much as he wanted. He did what he had to so they could survive

He was and always would be, her hero.

But there was still the problem of the competitions. “You worried I won’t be able to hold my own?” She asked teasingly, bumping his shoulder with her own. “You taught me everything I know, I think I can avoid getting into a fight.” Especially with these idiot boys. Half of them were out trying to prove themselves because they were so dirt poor they couldn’t afford decent clothes, the other half were too rich for their own good, walking around with their noses up in the air trying to hold onto some antique version of family honor. And don’t even get her started on the female competitors.

But that wasn’t what Rick was worried about, since his tense posture didn't relax any. “I’ll be careful, promise.” She said, more sincerely. “But you have to be careful too. Most of these girls are out to distract and destroy the guys with their feminine charms.” Sex. They were out to manipulate boys with sex. However, since Wolfrick would be horrified if he heard that word come out of her mouth, she went with the euphemism.

"Who cares what the academy approves of," Really Wolfrick didn't care, because honestly when it all came down to it Reagan was his first priority. If she wasn't safe after all of this, then there was no point to even competing and coming to Ainsley in the first place. He grinned though as she bumped his shoulder, "Of course I know you can hold your own, doesn't mean I want you to have to do it." After all just because you could survive being stabbed in the stomach with a knife didn't mean that you should go pressing your luck and trying to see if you really could do it. Right? that was his logic about it all anyway. "Besides, I know that you're probably already itching to give a good punch to more than a few of the guys here."

Probably all of them if they were being honest- and probably a lot of the girls too. Wolfrick had even found himself irritated by most of the people here- which was a pretty hard task to do. But they all just seemed so out of it. Two types really, the super competitive ones....and then there was the other type that he couldn't figure out. The ones who didn't seem to know what they were doing here, or why they were even competing. Those were the ones that bothered Wolfrick the most. Because what were the untrustworthy ones in his mind since they couldn't even admit why they were at the school.

"feminine charms? I didn't think you'd think that I was so susceptible to a few flirtatious comments." He nudged her shoulder back then, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Because please, did she really have no faith in his ability to resist a couple of pretty faces?

A good suck to the gut. Or groin, that was what most of the guys here needed. Seriously, Reagan was surprised that most of the guys she had met so far were even able to see where they were going, they had their noses turned up so high. This whole “girls don’t deserve to be here, we’re so much better than you” attitude. Oh, how Reagan wanted to give it to them. But that would be presumptuous of her. Maybe they’d loose all on their own, without any of her help. If not, well, she’d having fun stepping over their bodies to get to the finish line. “Just a couple.” Reagan said with an innocent smile. They’d deserve it.

“I..no, that’s not what I meant.” Reagan said, feigning annoyance with a roll of her eyes. It was, but it wasn’t. The girls here were either out for blood, or couldn’t add two and two, and Reagan didn’t know what to make of either of them. Sure, she was here for blood too, but her bloodlust came from surviving on the streets for 18 years and from the chip on her shoulder of not being wanted. Some of these other girls were slimy, which made them dangerous. They were either here to find a wealthy future husband, and would worm their way into anyone’s pants for that goal. Which made Wolfrick a target.

“I only meant that if you’re watching my back, I’ve got yours.” She said. She knew that Wolfy would probably punch any guy that so much as looked at her while they were here, just like she would interrogate and destroy any girl who tried anything sneaky on him. Because as protective and caring as her brother was, he could be a little oblivious to things that were happening right in front of him.