#'fore he enters the ring

[webkinzasalbums]

When the Pawn... (1999) & red velvet fawn

[hamiltonandpercyjackson]

i’m her i fear

[fionaapplerocks]

WHEN THE PAWN hits the conflicts he thinks like a king What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight And he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring There's no body to batter when your mind is your might So when you go solo, you hold your own hand And remember that depth is the greatest of heights And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land And if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right by Fiona Apple is 25 years old today

[japanesecds]

Fiona Apple - When The Pawn Hits The Conflicts He Thinks Like A King What He Knows Throws The Blows When He Goes To The Fight And He'll Win The Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters The Ring There's No Body To Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand And Remember That Death Is The Greatest Of Heights And If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where To Land And If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right

Released: 02 Feb 2000 Japan

[itsmebytch001]

Uncle Jeff:

Jeff wanted to have the type of relationship Aaron had with Miles but with you, he tried to bond with but since he hadn't seen Aaron, or you since the say you were born all the way through to six he was a bit late on it, when he did eventually meet you once Rio had forced a reconnection between both half's of the family you were unwilling, to say the least to talk to him.

You barley spoke to Miles, or Rio not because you disliked them but because you didn't know them, Miles tried to make friendly with you, trying to play with you and you enjoyed his company but still weren't full excepting of him, or his mom as family, Rio had tried to teach you some Spanish phrases and would always once she came over try and quiz you..

You heard the door ring and rushed over to the door, having to go on your tip toes to unlock it, and once it creaked open both Miles and Rio stood in the hall, Miles went to hug you only to be met with tense and you lightly pushing him away, you still weren't full understanding of him being a 'cousin' and Rio being your 'Aunt' in your mind she was just Aaron's friend, and her son.

Rio: "Hola Chica, ¿cómo estás?" She waited for a response looking down at you.

...

Y/n: *Bats eyelashes blank stare*

Miles poked you in the shoulder, and whispered...

Miles: "She asked you how you are"

Y/n: "I'm okay..?"

While Aaron welcomed them both in the house Rio lightly scoulded Miles for telling you instead of you figuring it out yourself, Aaron checked down the hall for Jeff and was slightly saddened to see Jeff wasn't there, still not talking to him, not even for the sake of their children, but he was still to petty to reach out first.

Miles would always play doll's with you, and tried to get you into basketball, witch you seemed to think was interchangeable with doge ball, so once he passed to you picked it up and launched it at his face so hard he cried, he thought you had done it on purpose so as revenge mircowaved one of your Bratz dolls.

Aaron: "WHY is there a melted doll in my microwave?!"

Miles and Y/n point at each other immedialtly.

Miles: "It was her, she's crazy"

Y/n: "NO it was him, he's a bully"

Miles: "Shut up, big ass forehead"

Y/n: "At least I have a fore head, your eyebrows and hair line are the same!"

Aaron: "Enough! I don't care witch one of ya'll did this, your both gonna clean this mess up!"

And so you and Miles begrudgingly cleaned out the inside of the mircowave together, occesnailly shoving each other or making childish faces.

And finally, after a year of pushing Jeff to make contact with Aaron you finally met Uncle Jeff, or what you would call him, Just Jeff...

You entered the living room to see Rio, Miles and another man, lanky like your Dad but broader with thick glasses standing awkwardly in the room like a decorative plant.

Aaron: "Baby, this is your Uncle Jeff"

Y/n: "Okay?" You timidly shuffle behind your Dad's legs and peer over to over look the brick on a man.

Jeff: "Hey Y/n..." He so clearly is deeply uncomfortable.

Aaron: "You wanna say hi baby?"

Y/n: "no..."

And of course you didn't mean that rudely, but you had never met this man before you didn't care if he was your Uncle, he was a stranger, and Aaron had always drilled into you 'never trust a stranger, don't talk to strangers and especially never talk to men'

Aaron: "Come on Y/n just wave"

But instead being put on the spot you simply froze in place behind your Dad starring at Jeff.

Rio: "Okay well, how out You and Miles go and play in your room? M'kay?" She's trying to save the situation....

And once you and Miles shuffled into your room, Aaron turned to his brother.

Aaron: "well that went better than I thought..."

Of course you saw him a few times after that, and you were beginning to to become envious of the relationship your Dad had with Miles and Jeff was willing to try and give you something similair, but more desecplined than Aaron...

He would take you bowling, taught you how to roll the ball proper and told you that if you put your hand in the shiner it would take your hand off, but once you tested him on that you came back with both hands and one very clean and shiny, he also would try and ply what would happen between you and Diana out of you, but you'd be dammed if you ratted her out to a cop.

But just to put an extra line of precaution of safety he would always take Friday and Saturday afternoon shifts in Diana's area, driving again and again past her building just looking for a reason to come pick you up, and would always have someone patrolling on Sundays.

And once Aaron passed he was now the one keeping you in check, especially when you skipped out on school, he was always the one getting calls from school saying 'Y/n Davis hasn't been in today, do you know where she may be?' and he would go out on patrol looking for you in all the places you may be and usually found you and would drag your ass back to school in the back of his cruiser, and he was always the one picking you up from Diana's after she would get too much for you and pull out the couch for you to sleep on, he was the one keeping up with your grades and making sure you didn't too far behind, always being present at parent teacher meetings with Rio, and he was always the one calling you out for blatantly throwing away oppertuinties just so you could wallow in your own sadness, forcing you to actually attend interviews, sending you texts like...

Uncle Jeff: you do your homework? Uncle Jeff: What your grades looking like? Uncle Jeff: U better be keeping up with Spanish before your Auntie figures out youve been slipping Uncle Jeff: ive aggrenged a meeting with school for the 11th okay?

And through he knew he could never fit Aarons shoes, he de dammed if he just let you slip through the cracks...

Send me reqeuts!

[sylviaplathshair]

When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight And he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring There's no body to batter when your mind is your might So when you go solo, you hold your own hand And remember that depth is the greatest of heights And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land And if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right

- Fiona Apple

[lesbianboyfriend]

none of these words are in when the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king what he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight and he’ll win the whole thing ‘fore he enters the ring there’s no body to batter when your mind is your might so when you go solo you hold your own hand and remember that depth is the greatest of heights and if you know where you stand then you know where to land and if you fall it wont matter ‘cause you’ll know that you’re right

[devilsainz]

When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right

[whumpbug]

whumperless whump event day 12: it's going down (i'm yelling timber) @whumperless-whump-event

building collapse / trapped under rubble / “i can't move my legs.”

see this post for character information!

caretaker: Cassidy

whumpee: Gene

THIS FIC IS NOT CANON! I REPEAT, THIS FIC IS NOT CANON! i just wanted to try my hand at something very whumpy and angsty but for all intents and purposes, this is simply a dream cassidy had or something like that. GENE IS ALIVE AND WELL.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

There was a fire in the schoolhouse. And it was spreading.

At the rate it was going, it'd reach just about all the buildings on the west side of town. One of those buildings happened to be the town jail.

Gene gritted his teeth and let his gaze flicker to the cell. Of course, there just had to be a certain outlaw locked up at the most inconvinient time.

Good ‘ol Silver.

As soon as Gene heard the crackling and screaming coming from outside, he knew he had to make a decision quick. If he left Silver in the cell, he would surely burn to death. 

On the other hand, releasing him could prove more dangerous if he decided to use the chaos as a distraction for his gang to come in and pick the place clean.

In the end, it was an easy decision.

Gene tossed his key ring to Silver, who blinked at him owlishly.

“You’re.. settin’ me free?”

“Yes. Now don’t just sit there lookin’ stupid, run,” Gene growled, stripping of his coat.

"Well, whatta 'bout you?" Cassidy's voice was small.

"Get outta here 'fore I change my mind."

He had more urgent matters to attend to.

He dashed over to the schoolhouse, where a frenzy of crying children crowded around their teacher, Miss Lowry. She looked positively panicked, looking around erratically. Her eyes finally landed on Gene and she all but collapsed at his feet in relief.

“Oh thank goodness you’re here! It’s Annie, she’s still trapped up there in the building! She was in the hall when it started-- oh lord mister, please help her!” She cried, clutching at Gene’s vest.

Gene steeled his resolve and nodded. "I'll get her, miss. Don't you worry."

He didn't look back as he headed straight for the flames.

The first thing he noticed when he entered the rickety doorway was how hard it was to breathe. He felt the familiar sense that his lungs were seizing up, but he could deal with it later. He had to focus.

“Annie! Where're you!” He shouted out, erupting into coughs.

“Hello?! I’m r-right here, mister!” A small voice responded, coughing through sobs.

Gene hacked even harder as he followed the voice. He ducked under charred wood and pushed school desks out of the way before eventually meeting the face of a terrified little girl, surrounded by burning rubble.

She let out a blubbering cry and launched herself forward into Gene’s arms. 

Gene let out a soft oof before hoisting her up over his shoulder. "S'all gonna be alright, sweetheart. I'm gonna get you out."

Once Gene actually finds a way out.

He held Annie close as he scanned for an escape route. The smoke was stinging his eyes, and his breaths were quickly becoming slow wheezes. One look at Annie and he saw she was dealing with the same thing. Her coughs were becoming louder-- more desperate. He needed to be fast if he wanted to save this girl.

Finally, he saw a sliver of hope. There were two beams resting against eachother, creating a pocket free of debris. It looked stable too, so long as it wasn't jostled too much. The only trouble was that it was entirely too small for Gene himself to fit through.

Oh well. I’ll figure something out.

He made a beeline for the exit, cradling the back of Annie’s head. His eyes were watering now. The air scorched his throat on the way down, and he looked down for a brief moment to see he was absolutely covered in soot.

As he finally reached the beams, he set Annie down very gently.

His voice was gravelling when he spoke.

“Alright darlin’, you have to head through this hole very carefully, okay? Don't touch the sides. I ain’t gonna be able to follow, but I’ll be right behind you. You hafta be brave, okay?” 

Annie’s eyes widened in pure panic.

“N-No! You have to come with me, mister! I’m too scared! Please!” She cried, clinging to Gene’s leg.

There was a sudden snap, and Gene saw a beam in the distance go down. Christ. They didn't have time for this.

“Alright! Alright. I’ll go with you. Promise. Just start walking, alright?” He reassured quickly, leaning away to cough.

She whimpered and nodded, holding Gene’s hands behind her as she inched her way through the beams.

Gene crouched, following her the farthest he could without disturbing the way the beams were balanced together.

She was about a foot from being out, when there was another sickening crack-- this time right above them.

“Shit!” Gene barked, and before he had time to think, he was shoving Annie as far forward as he could right as the beams gave way.

Right on top of him. 

All he felt was white-hot pain before everything went black.

••••

Cassidy watched from behind a tree as the bucket brigade finally started making a damn dent in the flames.

It had been nearly 7 minutes since Gene went in after that little girl, and there was no sign of either of them.

Cassidy was just about ready to head into the building himself. He was expendable. Deptuty Eugene Delaney was not. He rolled up his sleeves and took a step forward before--

He saw a soot-covered figure fall onto the grass, sobbing as hard as she could. That must be Annie, then.

So where the hell was the deputy. 

Cassidy took another experimental step forward, straining to look for any sign of a taller figure emerging.

All he was met with was the sickening sound of wood splitting, and a choked out scream as the building collapsed.

His legs were moving before he had time to think.

The bucket brigade, seeing the situation at hand, focused their efforts where the deputy presumably was. The worst of the flames had been snuffed out by some miracle, but the rubble was still creaking and falling all around. No one dared to get too close.

No one but Cassidy.

He crashed to his knees in front of where Annie escaped, ripping apart the rubble piece by piece, searching for any sign of life.

“Goddamn you, Delaney, always trying to be a goddamn hero,” He muttered, tearing away another plank of wood. The terror in his voice came out before he had a chance to surpress it.

His heart stopped when he heard a soft groan coming from below.

He wasted no time carefully, slowly lifting up a large scrap to reveal a soot-covered cotton vest, and just above it, a tuft of dirty blonde hair.

Cassidy felt his breath hitch as he lifted all the rubble he could hold in one go and.. Christ, it wasn’t good.

Gene was lying face down on the dirt, gasping for air. The entire left side of his face was blood-soaked, and more blood poured from his nose, seeping into his teeth. His lower half was obstructed by heavier rubble that Cassidy couldn’t lift on his own, and he wasn’t sure he liked what that meant for Gene. 

Still, he crouched towards the deputy, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder blade.

“Delaney? Delaney, you with me?” He questioned, voice tight with worry.

Gene made a pathetic attempt to nod, before erupting into a wheezing coughing fit again. 

“S-Still.. alive,” He rasped, gasping for air that would not come.

Cassidy urged his voice to be something gentle, despite his racing heart. “Alright cowboy, you gotta help me by wigglin’ out when I get this damn wood off’ya.”

Cassidy stood and got behind Gene, fingers hooking underneath part of the beam. Finally, some of the bystanders gained some sense and a few men stepped forward to help Cassidy lift.

They finally cleared out the crumbling beam, leaving Gene’s lower half lying limp against the dirt.

Gene blanched, sputtering out a cough as he tried to push himself up with his arms.

“C-Can’t.. can’t feel my legs..” He choked out, voice thick with panic. He clawed at the dirt in front of him. “Silver..”

Cassidy felt his heart sink.

“Sure you can. Don’t be stupid, Delaney, sure you can.” He knelt beside Gene. “It’s just the shock. Nothin’ more.”

Gene shut his eyes tight and shook his head. Tears were spilling freely now. It was the first time Cassidy had ever seen the other man cry.

“N-No.. s’like they’re not even there.” He wheezed, lowering his face to hide it from the onlookers’ staring.

Cassidy felt something akin to sorrow bubble up inside of him. He turned frustratedly to the group of bystanders. 

“Would someone please go get a doctor? Any time today?” He shouted, shooing off the crowd.

He turned back to Gene and ran a shaking hand through the singed hair on the back of his neck.

“You’re gonna be alright. We’ll fix this. I swear it.”

All Gene could do was sob.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

[sovietunion]

Well anyway when the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king what he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight and he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring there's no body to batter when your mind is your might so when you go solo you hold your own hand and remember that depth is the greatest of heights and if you know where you stand then you know where to land and if you fall it won't matter cuz you'll know that you're right.

[symphorophilic]

When The Pawn Hits The Conflicts He Thinks Like A King What He Knows Throws The Blows When He Goes To The Fight And He'll Win The Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters The Ring There's No Body To Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold You

[wildflowerwildfiree]

When the Pawn Hits the Conflict He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes To The Fight And He'll Win The Whole Thing ‘Fore He Enters The Ring There's No Body To Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand And Remember That Depth Is The Greatest Of Heights And If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where To Land And If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right.

[catfacethewise]

When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king

What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight

And he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring

There's no body to batter when your mind is your might

So when you go solo, you hold your own hand

And remember that depth is the greatest of heights

And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land

And if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right

-Me, Right now

My name is David

Dad, I want some ice cream

David, that is my name

David, I want another, David

Where is my ball?

I'm running out on the road

There is a car

And it is going to hit me *screams*

My name is the fucking Mimic, oh yeah

My name is the fucking Mimic, oh yeah

[fieriframes]

[When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king. What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight. And he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring. There's no body to batter when your mind is your might. So when you go solo, you hold your own hand. And remember that depth is the greatest of heights. And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land. And if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right.]

[pinkmoonmp3]

booty shorts that say when the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king, what he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight and he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring, there's no body to batter when your mind is your might, so when you go solo, you hold your own hand and remember that depth is the greatest of heights and if you know where you stand, then you know where to land and if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right

[myoldfriendmitski]

Fiona Apple released “When the Pawn…” 25 years ago today!

When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He’ll Win the Whole Thing ‘Fore He Enters the Ring There’s No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won’t Matter, Cuz You’ll Know That You’re Right.