Previously: Blackbird fly away...#1 - feat. Levi TsingineBlackbird fly away...#2 - feat. Levi Tsingine
HOLY SHIT.
Do you know how absolutely hilariously awesome it is to finally get accepted to a big name company and then see you’re scheduled for the non-televised pre-show against someone who isn’t three-times my size? At least if I make a complete embarrassment of myself it’ll only show up on Youtube from cell phone footage instead of stunning 4k high-def.
Also hey, Dystopia roster and fans!
I’m Maggie McIntyre, also known as the Banshee.
Generally kinda new to the industry, but like my opponent--it’s in my blood. My dad is Ed Johnson, generally known as the loudest mouth in the business, my uncle GRIMM, though I don’t know if you guys know of him? He had a great in the late 90s, but will die before he retires--his own words, not mine. Grimm’s generally an asshole, but him and Dad were at least nice enough to get me the hell out of Albany and take me on the road with them when my mom died. Anyway, long story short--my uncle trained me as much as he could before the Big Bad Wolf huffed and puffed and I moved into his RV.
So that brings me here!
Facing Jonna Austin--who’s got a distinguished pedigree and is really goddamn pretty.
I already know you’re no slouch in the ring, lady. You wiped the mat with the Prophet guy and you’ve got a helluva resume too. I haven’t done too bad in the indies lately--but now I get to test my mettle against someone like you. Experienced, badass, and well, really really pretty.
We’ll see if all this training has actually paid off. Bring your best. We’ll see if your triumphant return to Dystopia last week wasn’t just dumb luck.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The top of the RV was a good place to sit and watch the sunset.
She had that long mane of sable hair pulled into two french braids and while coated in sweat and breathing heavy, Maggie liked nothing more than climbing up here with a bottle of Jameson and watched that giant ball of fire set behind the horizon. This afternoon had been hours and hours of work to get ready--running and weights, mostly. Endurance. She wanted to be able to last as long as possible. The air was still muggy, her companion finishing his shower inside the RV. She hoped he would come out soon and light a fire, it had only been a couple of months now out on the road with him--but it was the best thing to ever happen to her.
Getting a spot on the Dystopia roster wouldn’t have happened if not for him and how much he’d worked with her to get her ready.
There was something like freedom in riding with Levi instead of just following her dad and uncle around because there was no other place for her to go.
He brought things out in her, things that didn’t have names yet--things that didn’t really need names.
She could hear him shutting off the water, coming outside with just a towel wrapped around him. It was always nice to air dry, even when the air still felt like warm soup. Maggie didn’t know how he found these secluded spots to park the RV--well off the beaten path so she could see the sunset and the rise of the moon. He came around to the back, leaning against the ladder to watch the sky with her. The bottle was brought to her lips to take one more mouthful before she passed it down to the awaiting hand of Levi Tsingine. He had that first match in the Shogun tournament soon and she wanted to be there front row to watch him eviscerate his opponent.
He took a long pull from the bottle before he tapped her knee, easily reaching her on the roof of the RV. Maggie looked down her hand opening to his before something dropped into her palm. A bracelet this time, tiny bones that had been dried and bleached, looped together with sinew and leather cordage.
Another pull from the bottle before he spoke.
“Whatcha think, Blackbird?” There was a happy squeal before she jumped down from the RV roof and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Levi always made her things out of what had once been part of dinner, something scavenged from a trip through the woods, or just something they’d crossed paths with under the open sky with the blood moon over them back in early July.
The skull from that blood moon blackbird hung around her neck on a long cord, carved with things that he knew meant something to her--even if she didn’t know it yet.
“You know I love it when you make me stuff.” She wrapped a hand around the back of his neck to pull him down far enough for a peck to his cheek and a little nip to his bottom lip.
“My turn to shower though. Can we do a fire tonight? I filled the wood box when we stopped to gas up last. I know we’re goin’ to the venue tomorrow, but just one more fire for good luck before your first match in the tournament?”The sun was almost entirely dipped behind the horizon, the last vestiges of red staining the sky before the stars would finally shine.
“Ayup.” The rez accent was something Maggie really liked. He moved to follow her back inside the RV, unashamedly enjoying the view as she stripped down. Levi pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms, heading back outside.
“Go shower, I’ll get it started.” A fire meant dinner, marshmallows afterward for her, and stories--she loved his stories and going to bed smelling like wood smoke. The fire was freedom and peace and contentment, the coals they woke up to boiled the water for coffee.
The dawn would bring things unknown and she awaited it eagerly.
Levi Tsingine used with permission from Corey.