The Impartial Re-Telling of a Fictionalized Hypothetical – Chapter One
The shaking vibrations of the tattoo gun in her hand was one of the only things that could calm her down. The slight quiver that would slowly work its way up her arm as she inked her customers was like a warm blanket that loosened up the muscles in her throat making her almost comfortable enough to speak.
But Hopper hadn't been that comfortable in nearly ten years, not since childhood. Being Dauntless and being Dauntless-born meant that she couldn't be seen as weak, so when her parents died when she was ten she did the only thing she knew how to do: she stopped talking. Hopper knew that if she were to open her mouth and tell anyone how she really felt all of her weaknesses would come spilling out of her.
If anyone ever knew how weak Hopper was they wouldn't want her, not in Dauntless, not in any other faction. So she stopped talking, locked her feelings away. Six years later the choosing ceremony happened, Hopper's results had said Erudite but she knew herself better than any machine, so she stuck with what she knew, Dauntless, the place where she had always been accepted and the place where people already knew and so they didn't ask questions.
Four years from that day here she sat, in Tori's, the best parlor in all of Dauntless, sticking people with her gun day in and day out. For Hopper though, it never got old, everyone came with their different stories, and for the most part they were good stories, best of all was walking down the Dauntless halls and into The Pitt, where she knew that no matter what direction she looked in she would see someone with her art on their body, it filled her with a warmth similar to that of the vibrations of her gun, nowhere near as strong as the gun, but still it helped her to feel like she had made the right choice.
Hopper finished up the tat she had started just three hours before, making sure she got all the details right on the traditional style swallows her customer had requested to be placed on her collarbones. The clamor of Dauntless life could usually be heard inside the parlor but today was the choosing ceremony so the halls were oddly quite, for once Hopper could hear herself think, that unnerved her.
Hopper escorted her customer out of the shop before turning back inside and making her way to Tori's office in the back.
Over the years Tori and Hopper had come to understand one another so well that they rarely needed words, or at least Tori rarely needed words. No matter how much Hopper may need words she would never actually utter them and Tori had no issue with that.
"Max expressed an interest in seeing you on the roof to welcome the new initiates." Tori greets Hopper when she enters the office.
Hopper rolls her eyes before huffing her dislike at Max and his scheming.
"Leadership would be good for you Hopper, more money, more work, you and I both know you're bored as shit sitting around in the shop all day."
Hopper fixes Tori with a glare, not liking how the older woman is pushing to get her out of the shop all the time.
"You'd still work here too, of course," Tori throws in sheepishly, "Hopper, just go okay, for me, please. See what he has to say, you can always turn him down, and knowing you, you probably will."
Hopper leaves after that making the steady climb up to the roof entrance of Dauntless, when she gets there she is surprised to see the train off in the distance barreling towards the compound, the choosing ceremony must have finished early this year.
"Glad to see you decided to join us Hopper," Max, the unofficial head of the Dauntless faction greets her, behind him is his second in command, Eric.
Hopper nods before moving over to sit on the edge of the wall.
"Did Tori talk to you?" Max asks, moving to stand in front of her, Max blocks out the sun, and that is the only reason she is thankful for his presence.
Hopper nods her head before turning to Eric before motioning to the tattoo on his neck she had done just a month ago.
Eric subconsciously rubs a hand across what she considers to be her masterpiece, an intricate design of squares and triangles that begins underneath his jaw and flows down the skin of his neck, the geometric piece fades out deliberately just above his collarbone, Hopper has plans for Eric, plans for the blank canvas of flesh that stands before her, and that's what she likes about Eric, he gives her free reign of his body when it comes to tattoos and piercings, and she's the only one he allows to work on himself.
"It's healed nicely, don't you think?" Eric tilts his head back and allows Hopper to move in closer, her small, calloused hands float over his skin faintly, if he were less of a man he may relish in the way her hands feel on his body, but he isn't, and so instead he shoves that human part of himself deep down inside and waits for her nod of approval.
Hopper pokes at a faint scar on the underside of his jaw, he nicked himself shaving, he had hopped the scar would fade away and not ruin his ink but he was wrong, she'll fix it tonight, after dinner. If Hopper is one thing it is meticulous, she's notorious for dragging past clients back into her booth, weeks, months, even years after a tattoo and filling in holes.
"After dinner," Is all Eric says before pushing her hands away from the skin of his neck, again if he were a lesser man.
Hopper stands back on her feet and awaits the new initiates who are now jumping off the train. She moves to take a step forward but Max pulls her back with a heavy hand on her shoulder, "I'd like for you to accompany Four with training this year. How would you feel about that?"
Hopper shrugs, Max takes that as a yes and releases her, moving forward to introduce himself to his new pupils.
Hopper ignores the rest of the introduction ceremony, awaiting her turn to jump down into the net.
The jump down into Dauntless was something that scared Hopper four years ago, but now she welcomes the turning in her stomach, the rush of things beyond her own control, chaos is something she revels in.
"Lauren will be training those of you who have returned to us," Max continues once the last of the jumpers have climbed out of the net, "Those of you who are here for the first time will be training with Four and Hopper."
Four's head shoots up at that and immediately his eyes seek out Hoppers, he had not been informed of this change in plans until just now.
Hopper steps forward and joins him, her short, thin frame, dwarfed by his tall and stocky one. The two, who come from separate factions, and separate parents, stands next to each other could easily pass for siblings. They both share the same unruly brown locks, and dark brown eyes, naturally tan skin is not often found within the walls of Dauntless.
"Follow us," Four bellows from Hoppers side, turning on his heel and trudging down the hall towards The Pitt.
Hopper can feel his eyes on her but she keeps moving forward, not wanting to look his way and see what it is he thinks of the situation she has found herself in.
Four introduces the children to their new sleeping quarters and informs them of the starting time of training tomorrow, before pulling Hopper down to a dark corner in The Pitt.
"Why does Max want you helping me with training?"
Hopper gives him a knowing look.
"He's still on you about leadership?"
She nods.
"Give it some times, eventually he'll move on. Eric was my saving grace, maybe he'll find someone in this initiation class he likes more."
They look into each other's eyes before breaking out in easy laughter, Four's a deep chuckle, Hopper's a silent mirth that fills her face and lights up her eyes.
"I told you during your initiation that if you wanted to stay out of the public eye you would have to hold back, you're the one that was first in your class, so technically this is all your fault. But, if you had held back then you wouldn't be Dauntless." Four shrugs his shoulders and the two of them move forwards the Mess Hall.
After they grab their food Four and Hopper split up, Four towards his friends, and Hopper back out into The Pitt and then up the stairs that lead to the quickest route to Tori's shop.
Hopper unlocks the front door and flips the switch next to the door illuminating the room. Hopper eats quickly and waits, usually some poor, depressed soul will make their way in during meal time, wanting quick ink in honor of someone or something that happened during the day.
Hopper only has to wait five minutes longer for someone to come in, the chime of bells above the door alerts her. The woman who enters is one of the elders of Dauntless, probably on her way out soon.
"Hello Dear, I think you know why I'm here." The smile on the woman's face is so sincere Hopper can't help but to smile back. This woman has to be in her sixties, a fossil amongst the people of Dauntless.
Hopper brings her around to her booth and seats her, the woman unbuttons the top two buttons of her blouse while Hopper preps her instruments.
Over the years the Dauntless Elders have adopted a new tradition, a tradition of proclaiming their love for their faction before falling to their death in The Chasm. Hopper paints the woman's chest in Dauntless fire. The flames start over her left breast and work their way up her chest licking at her collar bone before stretching up towards the woman's shoulder.
When tears start to fall Hopper says nothing, even if she wanted to she wouldn't know what to say, instead she finishes her job and helps the woman up out of her chair.
The older woman wraps a leathery arm around Hoppers bicep and pulls her towards the door, "I would like you to escort me, if that's okay with you?" The waterworks have slowed now, Hopper places her hand on top of the older woman's before pulling her in the direction of The Chasm.
"I was a transfer you know, from Amity." The woman lets out a hearty laugh and wipes her eyes dry, "Those were the days, things were so much more simple back then, the politics, the war with the factionless, none of that was an issue then, but then again we didn't have factionless until about 15 years ago, when that Jeanine woman first came into power. Those Erudite, I'll tell ya." The woman shakes her leathery first in the air before releasing a cackle.
"No good comes from those people anymore, they're just a bunch of power hungry fools. Hopper, I'm gonna tell you the secret to living the good life: just let it be. Only make waves when you have to, fight when you have to, when it's the right thing to do. I know us Dauntless look like a precarious bunch from the outside, and things are changing, we've been hurtin' more than we've been helpin', but you just keep your nose down and do what's right. Stand up when you have to, and when you have to make sure you let everyone know what you're doing. You're a silent one, I know that, your type always have the loudest voices thou."
The entire population has gathered around the Chasm, they crowd the floor of The Pitt and the levels above. The air is stiff and hot but no one says a thing, the old woman clings to Hopper for a moment before releasing the girl and taking her final steps towards the chasm. She removes her blouse quickly, throwing it into the chasm, she turns revealing to all that will look the devotion she has for her faction, for her family.
And then she falls, arms stretched wide down into the Chasm. She doesn't scream out, the only sound heard when she leaves this world is the splash of her body hitting the water seconds later.
Funerals in Dauntless don't always start the same way, but they do end the same, the entirety of Dauntless stands silently for a minute, morning the loss of an elder, and then in a flurry of movement they all rush to the middle of The Pitt, there they will find alcohol waiting to be consumed, and celebrate the life they lost today.
Hopper turns away from the celebration, not one to take part in this part of Dauntless life.
So, I just found this piece while snooping through old files on my computer, I can honestly say I barely remember writing it, nor do I remember it being this good. I'm thinking I might just leave it a one-shot but if enough people harass me I could totally pick it up for a couple more chapters. But please do tell me what you think! Also if this story were to carry on is would be Eric/OC, I know it's hard to tell right now, but like I said, give me love and I'll carry on with more chapters. Peace and Love.