Just Ride // [Ares/Duchess] {Blitz}

at the end of the world
you'll still be lost

Ares Elder —

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Rarely, Ares was so intently focused on his training that he didn't have a second thought for the current state of the social pecking order. He was far removed from the ranks of gossips and queen bees as they came, associating the terms with the more frivolous, popularity-oriented girls of the district. However, he was always obsessed with the balance of power among the careers in his age bracket. It wasn't gossip to hear about who'd recently broken his wrist in training, who'd jumped a guy on his way home in retribution for a cheap shot taken in training. Ares dealt with a much more macho strain of popularity contests.

That, of course, necessitated knowing exactly who the blonde that approached him was. Although she was a bit older than he — and would soon enough be ineligible for the reaping — the reputation of Duchess Grant certainly preceded her. "Duchess," he acknowledged, nodding his head in response to her small grin. Ares, skilled at reading people as he was, couldn't help but notice how contrived her formality had seemed, but he did nothing beyond noting this. "So we are." He could not suppress a twitch of a snarl that formed as a result of her question. Most people, of course, would recognize "You feeling up to it?" as a polite introduction; registering as a challenge in Ares's mind, however, the question unlocked a small amount of hostility.

There was nothing to do but shake it off, although the subtle attack at his skill brought out his Career's confidence. "Always am. What weapon today?"


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