#nora x tammie 02.

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Nora lets out an incredulous laugh, brow raised. “Really? What would Jimmy have stolen anyway? Tires?” She snorts and shakes her head. “Hopefully he stays clueless. I’d rather not have to keep fixing Eli’s face up. He’s a terrible complainer,” she jokes affectionately about her twin brother. Of course, she’d fix him up as much as required, but she’d rather he not get hurt in the first place. Snickering, Nora grins at Tammie, doing a little two-step jig, “I dunno, they got some Irish in them, right? Maybe a little tap is in their blood,” she giggles, hiccup following as she peers around for the younger Cross. “You think? For what it’s worth, I think Ryan’s grown up too.” At least since Faith was born he’d been around more consistently and while Nora was never his biggest fan, she can see that he loves her sister and niece.

“You never know…maybe just be honest with him? Like this is awkward but I’d like to get to know you better….what do you wanna do?” She shrugs, taking a sip of her beer, “it can’t hurt and the worst that can happen is he thinks you’re weird for asking but you are weird so that’s nothing new.” Nora teases good-naturedly, thinking that while it is weird Ryan has a grown son, Center Hill families have never been cookie-cutter. She thinks it’s what makes them love harder, and draw together more loyalty. It’s not easy being family sometimes but it’s worth it. “Oh, yeah. Though I don’t think either of them are that generous. Even for the sake of a bromance. I bet on JJ, though. Just a little. But only because the last time I didn’t, he acted like I had mortally wounded him.”

Tammie laughed with a clueless but wide shrug. "He says Jimmy was trynin' to rob the place, and he had a wrench in his hand and didn't even realize 'til he already knocked him down." she cackled because the more she said it, the more it sounded like the most Elijah thing. "I don't think SHEIN Sid Vicious has a clue, we had to dump him in the back of my truck. Just left him by the trailer park around a bunch of empty beers. Guess he figures he had a rough day." she snickered but if it meant Elijah wouldn't get pulled into any more nonsense, she'd do it again. "Can you imagine how stupid it'd look? Hunter and Ryan dancing?" Tammie laughed louder, looking to the ring with a scrunch of her nose. "That's an ick, Nora." she cemented quickly with another chuckle. "Elliot kinda grew up a lil before the rest of 'em. Never thought I'd say he was sensible but here we are." she added, Ryan never elaborated much about his family but he had told her some things. Enough for a picture.

Tammie listened about Nora, swigging her beer and nodding. "Yeah, I can try. That's a good idea, but it does sound kinda...girly. Maybe I'll just take him to Levi's or Doc's or something but then it feels like I'm tryin' to do the stuff Ryan does?" she made a face, blinking quickly with the confusion. She offered her little sister a comforting grin, appreciating the compliment and stroking a strand of Nora's hair behind her ear. "Aw, thanks Nor. I can't see anyone on the streets, you'd do the same I know." They all would, the Jones didn't take the word family lightly even now as the name was growing out in different directions. She chuckled about their older brother and shrugged with a playful smirk. "They get along a lot better these days 'cause of the boys being the same age as Nash. Maybe they rig it themselves because they got a little bromance going on and don't wanna ruin it?" she teased at JJ's expense.

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"The best," Nora replies with a joking smile, not really one to brag, though she is fully aware that she's quite adept at her job. "Maybe that's why he was so good at it before. Or that's what I've heard." Because Nora didn't really come to these things until a few years ago, when Wolf was already in prison. "Like...sometimes caring too much distracts you. But having a good time seems easier? If you call this a good time," she laughs lightly, taking a sip of her beer. What she doesn't say is that she hates knowing she'll watch Taner take hits and not be able to do anything about it. Nora draws her brows together at Tammie's words and glances back towards Ryan and Beau still talking, or so she thinks it's them. She can't really tell as she stands on her tip-toes to get a better look. "Are things less weird with what's his name now? Or still weird as heck?" Nora asks, meaning Ryan's surprise kid. She'd felt awful for Tammie when they found out a few weeks ago...it just seemed like the worst possible timing. "You made the right choice. JJ's whining is probably worse than Faith's," she teases at the expense of their older brother.

"Well, at least you're good at it?" Tammie shrugged with a smile and then a chuckle escaped at the image of little Nora trying to push through a crowd of burly men with a little first aid bag. 'Scuse me! Move!' she could hear her say. She nodded about Wolf and watched towards the ring, the older Cross already lapping up the attention. "I think he's just...a showman? I don't think he takes it all too serious. Least that's what Ryan seems to think." she rambled slightly before taking a sip of beer and glancing back to her sister. Tammie rolled her eyes quickly but laughed and waved her free hand. "I didn't even wanna stick around to figure out where that was going. That's their own damn problem." she scoffed, biting back the guilt quickly. "Yeah, I didn't even wanna come but Cricket said she didn't mind and well, JJ would hold it against me for the rest of our lives so, guess I had to suck it up."

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Nora shifts from one foot to the other as she watches people pour in. Taner's probably already here, preparing for his match, and she can't text him because Tammie's right beside her. "Or playing nurse tonight." Though, she plans to head to Taner's after, but her sister doesn't need to know that. "Yeah...he's got, you know, everyone here for the first time since he got out," or so she's heard, "it's probably in his favor anyway." She chews the inside of her cheek, taking a sip of her drink. "Are you okay?" Nora then asks, shifting the topic from the fights and legally insane to her sister. "I saw you know..." All that with Ryan and Beau. Her heart hurts for her sister who seems caught between a rock and a hard place consistently when it comes to the two men. "Faith's with Cricket and Elif tonight, right?" She'd have to be if Ryan was there.

"Whaaat? You wouldn't be in that ring fighting?" Tammie teased with fake surprise, chuckling at her sister. As much as the older Jones could scrap, Tammie didn't believe she could fight properly. She was better at the dirty sort of bar fighting or a swift kick to a guy's nuts. She nodded about Wolf with a shrug, moving her head either side as she thought. "Yeah he's the nicest one out of 'em all too, be kinda a shame for him to lose." she said but she didn't mean it as an attack on Taner. Through her own mistakes, Tammie was trying her hardest to shield Nora and once those barricades came up there was not much that could bring them down again. She watched Nora closely though, a hint of anxiety on behalf of her sister. Please don't love him, little Nora. They're all no good, trust me. "Well, Rigo is legally insane and I'm pretty sure Ivan walked around with a broken nose for three weeks because he said the sting felt good. So, it'll either be a blood bath or the best show we had."

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Nora laughs, incredulous at the suggestion, “that sounds like a terrible idea,” she says as she grabs the beer with a nod of thanks. “Besides, I’m technically off the clock and would prefer to keep it that way if possible.” Though they both know if anyone needs any help, she’ll be the first to jump in. Especially when she knows who’s going to be in the ring. Tammie’s question feels too close to home so she takes a sip of her beer, scoffing a little. “He’s forty years old and still looks like a tank, Tammie,” she laughs, “I doubt he was just doing book club in prison.” She glances towards the ring where the next match will start soon and pretends like her heart isn’t pounding wildly in her chest at the thought of Taner fighting Wolf. “I think it’d be great if Wolf’s first fight back was a win. I don’t see his kids but,” she nods to the trio of women standing on the opposite side of the ring, “I’m sure they’d be more than happy,” she wiggles her brow, better at praising Wolf than putting down Taner. “Who do you think will win between Rigo and Ivan?”

@ofwrxth tammie / nora - fight night

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"Think they'd ever let there be a free for all one of these days?" Tammie asked the open ended question as she squeezed back towards the ring and passed over a beer to Nora. "You know, just cut those ropes down and let everyone brawl? It'd be kinda fun." she shrugged, as her imagination ran slightly free. "Hm, maybe not. Someone would take it too far." Being protective over her little sister came in many forms, not just wanting to punch people who looked at her wrong. And Tammie wasn't stupid. Seeing Taner's name on that list made her ponder for a little while. Just because he stopped sniffing around her sister like a crazed dog didn't mean Nora suddenly would hate him. "They say Wolf always puts on a show though so we might be in for a treat but last time he fought he wasn't forty years old so. We'll see. Who you hoping for?"

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"Yeah! What was that about? I feel like Eli left some details out," she laughs slightly only because he was okay in the end. If he hadn't been, Nora wouldn't find the situation as amusing. "Jimmy doesn't remember what happened, does he?" She sure as shit hopes not, eyes already scanning the crowd for the familiar wanna-be rock star's head. "Well, if it helps him win, maybe they should try it? Though I don't think I can picture Ryan or Hunter dancing and I thought Elliot doesn't do this stuff?" She's only been affiliated with the Reapers for a few years now through her family but since then she's not seen the youngest Cross around much but has never really asked. Every family has their business.

"Oh yeah," Nora frowns, "that would be hard? Can you just tell him that? Like hey, this is weird for both of us but I'm around if you wanna talk and just get to know each other? Or is that more of a girl thing? He's around twenty you said?" She gives Tammie's hand a small squeeze, "you're a good person, Tams, and a lot of people would find it hard, especially with a baby. Don't overthinking it." Which is probably easier to say since she's not in the situation but she means the words regardless. Nora giggles at Tammie's words, glancing towards wherever the first pair of fighters were getting ready. "I feel like that's some Rocky level shit – ko'd at the same time. Almost worth it if they rigged it like that, but you know JJ would never. At least not if it's Hunter." A Center Hill competition for the ages it seems, with neither winning over multiple Fight Nights.

"Literally, no one does cleaner stitches. Couldn't even tell Eli got whacked in the head by Jimmy. He tell you all about that?" Tammie chuckled, sipping her beer with a grin. She hummed about Wolf, trying to remember if she had ever been to one of his fights before he was carted off to jail and was promptly reminded of one of the first 'dates' with Ryan to watch his brother. "Oh actually, yeah. He is good. He kinda dances 'round the ring, and none of the other Cross boys let up about it." she laughed slightly, eyes scanning her sister quickly. Was it just being a big ol' barn full of reapers that was a little unsettling or was it Taner being in the ring next? Although, she didn't have a doubt in her mind that Nora wouldn't have listened to all of their warnings about him. "Oh, Mason? He's alright, it's getting a little easier I just feel kinda..." she waved her hand at the lack of her words. "I'm not his mom, right? So it's kinda like...how do I let him know I wanna know him without seeming like I wanna be his mom? It's weird. And then I don't wanna seem like I don't care so yeah, weird." she shrugged, mainly wanting to give Ryan and his son space to figure it out. At least it meant less arguments because of a full house. "Watch both of 'em knock each other out at the same time, I'm not surprised that wasn't an option to bet on because we'd be leaving with a whole lotta money."