anything's possible

Wells Jaha. Previously Erudite. Now where I belong. Or at least where Clarke belongs. Wellarke Divergent 1x1

[dauntlesswells]

DAUNTLESS TOUR → WELLARKE

[dauntlesswells]

dauntlessgriffin:

[Clarke had been stiff and calculating from the moment that they had stepped into their new faction. Something told her that things would not get any easier around here. She had made sure to be guarded and tried her hardest not to draw any unwanted attention to herself, even if it meant avoiding her newest friend in Dauntless, Finn. Sticking to Wells at least ensured that she could keep tabs on him for as long as their new tour guide would allow.]

“Who cares? As long as we don’t end up down there, it’s not important.”

[She shot back, not meaning to sound snippy but she was so stressed that it may have come off that way. Stepping to the side so that she was farther away from the drop, she let her hand clasp itself in Wells’ for comfort.]

“Don’t you dare fall down there, ever.”

[It was the first smile that had cracked Wells's face since they'd jumped down into Dauntless, only this one wasn't the rush of adrenaline of free-falling through the building. This one was the type of smile that came only when he was around Clarke, for even though she was stressed and worried, she still cared so fiercely -- and this time, that care was directed at him.]

"I won't fall if you won't."

[Wells tried to make her promise, though he knew that they couldn't be each other's keepers for long. As much as he wanted to look after his best friend, to put her first on this crazy new adventure, Wells could almost sense that a time was coming when every man had to fight for themselves... and he only hoped that he would be able to keep up when that time came.

Idly, Wells heard Four explaining that the Chasm was there to show them the fine line between bravery and idiocy, and though he hadn't heard Wells's question to Clarke, he answered it anyway, mentioning that many people jumped, as if they had something to prove. 

And then they were moving again, and Wells reluctantly let Clarke's hand drop, not wanting to draw any unwanted questions from the other new initiates. They marched as one toward the Dining Hall, where a man named Eric stopped to introduce himself, all but growling at their tour guide. Christina and Tris seemed to hang back, but Wells didn't want to find himself in the middle of drama so soon, and he nodded his head towards an empty table, looking at Finn and Clarke.]

"Should we go sit over there?"

[dauntlesswells]

DAUNTLESS TOUR → WELLARKE

[If Wells had thought joining a new faction and assimilating was going to be easy, he’d been sorely mistaken. As soon as everyone had gotten to the bottom of the hole, they’d been sent in separate directions: the Dauntless born going one way, and the faction-transfers being led on a separate tour. It was like they were already being singled out, being eyed as possible weak links, but Wells stayed firmly by Clarke’s side as they toured this underground pit, determined that the pair from Erudite would not be left on the streets when all was said and done.

There were a few others in their group -- Beatrice Prior, the boy Finn that they’d met earlier, a Candor named Christina. But their old groups didn’t matter now; they were being led through their new underground home, and Wells arched an eyebrow when he realized that as they’d gone through the dining hall and other establishments, getting their bearings, he hadn’t seen a single old person. Live fast, die young... The Dauntless way continued to unsettle him, but each flash of Clarke’s blonde hair, blue eyes, and small smile reminded him why he was here, and that he’d done the wrong thing.]

“And this is the chasm, your last stop before lunch.”

[Wells came to an abrupt stop as Four pointed out a huge drop into the oblivion there. Before he could stop himself, he turned to whisper in Clarke’s ear.]

“How many people do you think have died down there?”

@dauntlessgriffin

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlessgriffin]

[When Wells made a passing comment about how fast she had managed to get down the hole, she spared him a glance before turning back to the front to gauge who would come down next. Unsurprisingly, another kid Clarke couldn’t recognize came plopping down into the netting and followed the exact same procedures that everyone following Clarke did. Her lips turned upwards a little.]

“I went down right after you did.”

[She flashed him a little smile, trying to get across how grateful she was for his presence again. He didn’t have to do any of the things that he ended up doing just to follow Clarke and her whims, and she appreciated more than anything that Wells cared enough to try with her. If she was being honest, she already regretted leaving their home for this but admitting it out loud would just make the realization hard-hitting and real to the point where it would really sink into her head as a mistake. If that happened, she’d give up. That couldn’t happen.]

“Don’t speak too soon. I think there’s worse to come, Wells.”

[She winced, not wanting to discourage him. Letting him know the truth was better than leading her best friend - who had sacrificed everything for her- into a false sense of security. Shrugging once he asked her a question, she wasn’t really sure if she could answer his question in a reassuring way. Instead, Clarke offered him a tiny smile and brushed her elbow against his as the last of the Dauntless kids their age made their way into the room.]

[dauntlesswells]

[If Wells noticed the way that Clarke didn’t answer his question, he certainly didn’t call her on it. The excitement of everyone jumping seven stories down seemed to be wearing off as the last of their group toppled down, and Wells was on the brink of opening his mouth to ask how they got back up when a voice, loud and clear above all the chatter, cut him off, telling them to split into Divergent-born and faction transfers.

Not sure he liked the sound of that, Wells grabbed Clarke by the elbow -- the very same one she’d used to give him a comforting nudge just seconds before -- to make sure he didn’t lose her again in the throng of people. There were more transfers than he’d expected, most notably the Prior girl, but they were still outnumbered, and Wells hoped that this split didn’t indicate they would be kept at a disadvantage.]

“Your tour begins now.”

[Relief coursed through him, and Wells craned his neck to the side to smile at Clarke. A tour didn’t sound so bad, and it immediately assuaged his fears about them being treated differently because of where they came from.]

“Looks like they’re giving us a break now, anyway.” 

[Still, as they shuffled down into something called ‘the Pit’ and smelled food wafting from the kitchens, Clarke’s earlier words still hung with him, practically ringing in his ears. So far, all they’d really done was come to their new home. That was the easy party; surely, there was worse to come...]

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlessgriffin]

[Clarke eyed the pit warily, staying silent as Wells talked through his next moves. Working out the angle that she was going to fall from was a lot easier in theory, especially when she didn’t know what was at the bottom of the pit. Dauntless wasn’t about being smart, though. There was a very slim chance that this hole was a trap or a trick for any of the recruits, especially since leading all of the new kids into certain death wouldn’t be great for their image.]

“Mhm.”

[She hummed absentmindedly, to acknowledge what he was saying if for anything. Clarke could feel around seven people -roughly- standing behind her and was deliberating her next move when she snapped her head over to Wells. Did he just say what she thought she said? She could barely stifle a gasp, stepping forward against her own judgment as soon as Wells stepped forward and plummeted into the hole below the roof. Despite what he told her, she followed almost immediately, leaping forward and squeezing her eyes shut as she felt her arms flail around her, spluttering as her face landed into a netted material, immediately surging upwards and struggling to get herself off of the bouncy material until she felt her feet hit the ground. 

Looking around in confusion, she made eye-contact with a guy with a dark jacket and repeated her name for him when he asked for it. Upon being introduced, Clarke felt herself flush a little at the attention she was receiving. She wasn’t unfamiliar to other people watching her, but she wasn’t the biggest fan of being observed by strangers. Thankfully, it lasted all of a few moments when he introduced her and the next member of her Faction jumped down.]

“What do you make of it?”

[Clarke murmured to Wells once she made her way back to his side, eyeing the person who seemed to be in charge of them, noticing a curly-haired woman in similar attire standing off to the side talking in hushed voices to the guy she saw the girl she had gotten acquainted with at the ceremony with. Okay. Them paired with the two men watching them all from the opposite side of the room, made…. 5 instructors that she had seen so far. Six if she counted the man on the train, as well. The faction seemed relatively in-order if that was anything to go by.]

[dauntlesswells]

[Wells still felt adrenaline coursing through his veins after the jump, and his newfound energy only multiplied when Clarke appeared beside him once more. Wells should probably be paying more attention to all the other people there with them, the people that were their new faction mates, but it was hard to tear his eyes off of Clarke. For as long as he could remember, it was always like she was the only person around the second she walked into the room, anyway.]

“You sure got down here fast.”

[Wells should have known that Clarke wouldn’t be far behind. He would have followed her to the ends of the earth, and he wasn’t completely sure that she would do the same, but he did know that she didn’t like for anyone to leave her behind. Looking around, evaluating the people he could see, and trying to analyze them, Wells realized that he’d never completely leave behind his Erudite instincts, but hopefully he and Clarke would be able to learn the new ways of Dauntless fast.]

“Definitely don’t waste any time. They like to jump head first into things, and I like to think about them, so that’ll take some getting used to... but it hasn’t been that bad so far, right? Aside from the whole train thing.”

[Wells shuddered a little bit, thinking of how close he’d been to slipping off the train and being dead under it’s thundering wheels. But that was behind him now, and the next time he’d be better. The next time he’d know He wasn’t worried about himself, though. At least, not as much as he was worried about Clarke. While they waited for the rest of their training class to assemble, he whispered to her so the others couldn’t hear.]

“Still think we made the right choice?”

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlessgriffin]

[For a few moments, she focused on the aching sensation in her muscles as she stood up but it soon faded when she caught a glimpse of the boy with whom she became fast friends approaching her. When Finn helped her up and flashed her a confident grin, she grinned up at him only to feel her pat her arm, his hand lingering in her personal space for a little too long, Clarke felt herself get… flattered, in a way. She hadn’t really had the time or the head space to think about boys or girls in that way before. She probably didn’t have time for it now, but there was something about him that was charming in a way. 

She was ripped out of the moment by Wells’ voice breaking her from her haze, spinning around to stare at him in relief that he had made it again before realizing that he had asked her a question. Turning to Finn for assistance, Clarke felt as clueless as she probably looked. He seemed to know how things worked around here, so it wasn’t too much of a logistical leap to assume that he could know what came next. She could barely get anything out before they leaped down and crowded around a hole in the platform they were on that led into what looked to be certain death to Clarke.]

“Crap.”

[She was breathless as she caught up to Wells, moving to stand in the front of the group as the guy leading them had an extremely awkward moment with the other Prior girl. One of the trainers raised a challenging brow at her as she glanced around the room, trying to gauge what everyone’s mindset on this was. Before she could register what was going on, the girl had jumped into the hole. Everyone seemed excited at the prospect of leaping into a death trap, though, so Clarke assumed she just had to grin and bear it this time.]

[dauntlesswells]

[Heights weren’t something they’d come face to face with much back in Erudite; instead, they lived in a series of orderly homes and office buildings, with little room for this king of outside exploration. Wells had always been proud of how civilized and well off comparatively their faction had been, but now it left him feeling hopelessly behind. Still, he reached out for Clarke’s arm, pulling her closer to the front so he could try to peek down the hole. It was black and dark as far as he could see, but there were no horrified screams and no sounds of someone going splat at the bottom, so he figured it must be okay.]

“We should try to go soon, so people don’t get backed up. I wouldn’t want one of those big guys over there jumping and landing on top of you -- that’ll probably hurt than whatever you hit when you do get to the bottom.” 

[Being able to use logic, to rationalize what they were about to do, helped Wells to not feel so scared of it. At least he could still use his sharp mind for something, even if it seemed like by and large thinking wasn’t something that had much place in their new faction. He didn’t love the idea of hopping off a cliff completely blind, and he was sure by how tense Clarke seemed beside him, she didn’t want to do it, either, but after a handful more people had gone, they were at the front of the group, and Wells turned to offer her reassurance.]

“If you don’t hear me scream or go splat, you should be good to follow.”

[Wells hoped his voice came off as joking, or reassuring, but he was sure that instead it sounded fearful. In time, he hoped he’d learn to get better at putting on a brave face. For right now, though, he called that he’d go next, and he stood with his toes just hanging over the edge, casting one last glance back at Clarke in case something went wrong and this was the last time he ever saw her, and then with a whoosh of air, he was falling, falling, faster and farther than he’d expected, and he almost opened his mouth to scream, until suddenly, his body crashed into something springy, and he bounced a few feet back up into the air before scrambling to get his balance and climbing off the trampoline.]

“It’s safe!”

[Wells shouted up the hole towards Clarke, but she couldn’t hear him. Beside him, the few that had already jumped chuckled, shaking their heads and muttering something about the new guy, but Wells didn’t care. His full focus was on the trampoline, staring and waiting for Clarke to fall, too.]

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlessgriffin]

[If the rest of training was anything like this, Clarke knew she would be in some serious trouble. Glancing over at the grinning boy next to her, however, she felt a little better about the whole situation. Finn was grinning from ear-to-ear and seemed to be marveling at the interior of the train. Clarke noted in a matter of seconds that the people who were standing in their car seemed to be on-edge. Something else was coming and she wasn’t going to let this catch her by surprise. Deciding to take initiative but not wanting to lose her only comrade on the train other than Wells, she grabbed Finn by his arm and tugged him up with her. She dropped his limb awkwardly before taking a step forward.

As soon as she heard a familiar voice whining about the amount of near-death experiences he had faced since joining their new faction, Clarke bound forward and wrapped her arms around Wells’ neck, pulling him in for a hug with little regard for his companion. Their reunion was short-lived though, as before she could do so much as get a word out, the boy that she had seen that girl from earlier hug stepped into their car and looked over them as if bored.]

“Get ready.”

[His gruff voice was apparently a cue for people to start clumping around the open exits, the train slowing down slightly as it approached a rooftop.]

“No.”

[Clarke murmured as she detached herself from Wells and stared on as people charged towards the roof in horror. They couldn’t seriously be doing this. How was something like this an accurate demonstration of bravery? It wasn’t anywhere near synonymous with stupid, and she– she was overthinking this. With a withering look spared in Wells’ direction, Clarke held her breath and backed up a few steps. As soon as she leaped out of the train, she felt her heart start pounding like it would never stop. Cold air made contact with her face as she felt her arm colliding with the rough ground of the roof.

Looking around as soon as she had gotten up, she brushed the gravel off of her jacket and glanced around, hoping to catch sight of Wells before she moved on with the rest of the group again- being separated from her best friend caused her to have an anxiety that she hadn’t anticipated having to go through. She wasn’t sure what she had imagined Dauntless would be like, but she didn’t think she’d have to do it completely alone.]

[dauntlesswells]

[Wells almost chuckled at Clarke’s reaction to...whoever the guy that seemed to think he was the big man around here was. After jumping on the train, and then navigating the fast-moving train cars just to get to her, leaping off onto solid ground again could hardly be as bad. Still, he managed to get pushed to the back of the crowd of people jumping, and it almost made him forget his resolve...until he thought of the way Clarke had thrown her arms around him in relief that he’d made it on the train. 

He could get used to her doing that every time they had a near death experience, but even if she didn’t... Wells knew that he could never let her down. It was why he was here in the first place.

Wells didn’t push his way to the front, per se, but the thought of Clarke’s face did have him making more of an effort to get to the front of the crowd, and though he’d always been raised to be a thinker, he just shut his brain off and leapt. It seemed so far that Dauntless was more about doing than thinking, and sure enough, with a twinge of pain shooting up his leg from landing on it the wrong way. He limped for a couple of steps, but quickly forgot any pain as he saw Clarke and sped up to reach her and Finn again.]

“One of these days, I’ll keep up with you.”

[Wells grinned, but the thought that he wasn’t keeping up with Clarke scared him a little bit. He’d always been top of his class, and the two friends had been equals. But just like Clarke had been ahead of him in the decision to join Dauntless, she’d so far been ahead of him in everything but climbing the bridge, too.]

“Where do you think we go now?” 

[Wells posed the question to her too soon; the same guy who had instructed them all to jump off the train was back again, this time pointing for them to climb off the platform and down towards the ground. He had to admit, it was a little trickier to go down, when he had to keep looking at the ground far below him, than it had been to climb up without thinking about the heights he’d reached, but with painstaking care, Wells got to the bottom -- they all did, even though he swore he saw someone drop the last few feet and land on their ass.]

“Welcome to Dauntless.”

[Someone shouted out to the group, as they all seemed to be collecting around a hole in the ground. Before they could even ask who wanted to jump first, though, Tris Prior, the girl from Abnegation that had sent shockwaves through the Choosing Ceremony earlier, was standing at the forefront of the crowd, and leaping into the hole. He heard cries of ‘not bad, Stiff!’ as she fell, but most people looked the way Wells felt: a little bit frightened of what the hell kind of people just jumped into holes like it was a normal occurrence. Again, Wells looked towards Clarke, feeling better every time he could see in her eyes that she was on the same page as he was.]

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlessgriffin]

[Clarke furrowed her brows as Wells just… went for it. She wasn’t sure why it surprised her so much that he was taking initiative but she felt a little competitiveness well up inside of her. She wasn’t going to back down from this, especially considering the fact that she was the one who got them into this situation in the first place- she’d be damned if they ended up Factionless. As Finn disappeared from her line of vision, she locked eyes with another blonde girl who looked just as frightened as their fate as Clarke felt. 

Sucking it up, Clarke charged towards the wall, latching onto it with both of her hands. Anxiety flashed through her, her heart beating so fast that she couldn’t hear anything around her. Once she got to the top, she paused for a moment, looking around for Wells, relaxing a little when she caught a glimpse of Finn’s grinning face. Great. This was already awful and it hadn’t even started yet.

 As the train approached them and immediately zoomed forward, Clarke locked eyes with Wells and began to speak when she felt a clammy hand grasp at hers, tugging her forward as everyone started running. Finn let it go once they had both jumped onto one of the train’s ledges, Clarke glancing backwards frantically to try to spot Wells and make sure he was still with them as her new companion punched a button with his hand to force one of the train doors open. When she scrambled away from the door and found herself squished next to Finn on the ground, she felt him grab at her hand again. It was a little forward but she couldn’t complain when all she was concerned about was whether Wells had made it onto the train. She couldn’t lose him already. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if he ended up homeless because of her.]

“Hey. I can hear you from over here. What’s on your mind, Princess?”

[Finn’s voice interrupted her thoughts but she could only shake her head, her heart rate finally calming down after that last adrenaline rush. She wasn’t built for this kind of strain, but she’d learn to get used to it if she wanted to survive. When she realized that he was still looking at her expectantly, she swallowed the anxious lump in her throat and shrugged, scanning the crowd of kids for a familiar face before turning back to him and offering Finn a weak smile.]

“I just… didn’t see Wells get on the train, that’s all.”

[dauntlesswells]

[Wells never got an answer to his question; instead, the train continued to thunder towards them, and his words were drowned out by the clacking of the wheels against the tracks. He’d had an easy enough time with the climb -- surprising himself with the way adrenaline had taken over as he’d propelled himself upwards -- but watching people start to run towards the train, frantic to jump on, fear gripped him, and his feet felt like lead, rooted to the spot he was standing. All it took was a split-second of hesitation and he’d lost Clarke in the crowd again, but he didn’t know how to move forward. 

With climbing the tracks, there was always the possibility of surviving a fall. But if he jumped on the train and he fell, he’d get run over, crushed and smushed and mutilated before he even had the chance to try and prove he was worthy of Dauntless. One train car went by, then another, and before he had time to work up his nerve, the last of the cars was coming, and Glass was grabbing him, yanking him forward and insisting that he had to get on now or else. Finally, he was kicked into action, and Wells sprinted, jumping like he’d never done before and nearly slipping back out. He might have not even made it into the train if it hadn’t been for Glass and another boy he hadn’t seen yet, reaching forward and pulling him up until he was securely in.

Wells felt like a coward as he pressed his back against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest to keep himself from shaking. That had been terrifying, and he wasn’t even in his new home yet. Was all of Dauntless training going to be like that? He might have to give Clarke hell for getting them into this... if he could find Clarke. She must have gotten onto an earlier car, though. He would have noticed someone falling, and there hadn’t been the familiar sight of her still on the platform when he’d finally jumped. As the train clacked forwards, Wells looked toward and open door between cars, and felt sick just thinking about making any other sort of jump on this moving vehicle. Instead, he buckled down for the ride, and it wasn’t until the much easier jump out of the train that he found her again, on a platform on the outskirts of town, in the area he could only assume was where the Dauntless resided.]

“Mark the number of times I’ve almost died since joining Dauntless one.”

[Wells’s voice was humorless as he found Clarke again, still with Finn but on a different platform this time. He was still rattled, but at least he was still here, still with her, despite the train ordeal being about all he wanted to handle for one day. Unfortunately, as people looked around, confused about what to do next, Wells had a feeling that their day was only just beginning.]

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlessgriffin]

[If Clarke noticed the way that something flickered in Finn’s eyes at the mention of knowing what to expect, she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she listened on as Finn rattled off information about the faction that she honestly never would have known without his contributions to their conversation. As she glanced over at Wells to gauge what he thought of the man they had just befriended, she internally high-fived herself for the way that events were playing out. Maybe things were finally going right with them for a change.]

“My uh… friend deferred to Dauntless a year ago. They told me what to expect when it comes to training. If you make it off the train, I could school you guys on it. Just as long as you promise to stick with me once we get there.”

[The wink thrown her way threw Clarke for a minute before she nodded, smiling good-naturedly as she realized that in a matter of seconds, they had secured an alliance that would -hopefully- prove to be useful with time. They passed a number of people before the people in front of them broke into a sprint. Locking eyes with the two boys beside her, she braced herself to run but not without throwing a panicked, questioning look into Wells’ general direction.]

“GO, PRINCESS!”

[When she turned to retort to Finn’s shouted order at her, she found her brows creasing both with amusement and skepticism at how he raced ahead of the group, obviously trying to lead them across the city. Clarke shrugged and began dashing forward, making sure that Wells was following before they got to the tracks. Her eyes widened as the she spotted the girl she spotted before -the one with the braids- hugging the man from earlier before leaping onto one of the columns, climbing up it aggressively as several other members of her- their faction followed. She stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropped as she watched on as several kids bound forward and shimmied up onto the tracks.] 

[dauntlesswells]

[Normally Wells didn’t let people speak for him, but Clarke was different. Wells trusted her with his life; it wasn’t about faction or about blood, it was about her being his best friend, the one person whose judgment he’d always defer to and who he would always follow, even into danger. Listening to Finn talk, and watching the other members of Dauntless start to scale the train tracks, Wells realized that danger was definitely imminent, but as Clarke cast a glance back at him to make sure he was following her, he tried to grin and bare it.

Wells leapt upwards, grabbing one of the crossbars and clutching at it awkwardly. He’d kept in shape in Erudite, sure, but he’d never done exercises like this before. His hands gripped at one bar, then lurched upwards to grab another, and the further he got from the ground, the less Wells focused on the danger and the more he started to feel exhilarated from trying something he’d never dreamed of doing before. He glanced around for a glimpse of blonde, feeling satisfied when he saw Clarke just a little bit behind him with Finn, and called out to her, almost laughing from the feel of the wind on his face as he lunged for the next rung up.]

“Think you can keep up?”

[Wells didn’t look back again until they’d reached the top, whirling around for Clarke. Instead, he found the blonde girl he’d seen earlier again, and she sidled over towards him, commending him for impressive climbing as a newbie. He stuck his hand out to her, and she raised her eyebrows at the polite gesture, but then introduced herself as Glass while he waited for Clarke to walk over to him. They didn’t have much time to wait, though -- in the near distance, he could hear the sound of a train whistle blowing, and the track they were standing beside started to rattle. Climbing had been easy enough, but Wells didn’t know what to expect as the train chugged towards them, showing no signs of slowing down. He glanced towards Finn and Clarke, his cautious side coming back up to the surface.]

“It’s going to slow down, right?”

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlesswells]

dauntlessgriffin:

[Clarke nodded absentmindedly as Wells spoke, not really catching what he said in her attempt to gauge the people around her and which ones would be useful to them. If they wanted to stay in Dauntless, they would have to be smart about it. Catching the eye of that boy she saw earlier while they were sitting, Clarke reached toward him. He definitely seemed friendly enough for them to befriend, but held his own better than most of the Dauntless-born members of the faction. He was wearing black and white. Candor. Having one on their side would definitely help them avoid any unnecessary attention. He had an air about him that seemed confident, so in a matter of seconds, Clarke made her mind up. She tugged on his sleeve and lurched forward as if she had fallen, glancing up at the boy with wide eyes. Immediately she launched into a string of apologies, a smug feeling stirring within her as he helped steady her.] 

“You should probably watch your step until we get off the train. I’m no expert or anything, but I hear it’s gonna be a bumpy ride for all of us. My name’s Finn.”

[Stapling a relieved smile onto her face, Clarke tugged on Wells’ hand, pulling him forward and then letting it drop as she extended it out to Finn. She heard a few people huff as they walked around the trio, annoyed that they had stopped in the middle of a crowd. Clarke started speaking quickly, trying to make it seem like she was nervous for what was coming next. Finn looked like the type of person who wanted to play the part of the hero, so she probably wouldn’t even have to pretend to be helpless for him to get attached to them.]

“I’m Clarke. And this is my best friend, Wells. Please tell me you’re as nervous as we are about getting evaluated.”

[With that, she started walking in an attempt to keep Finn engaged in conversation with them while moving forward. This was good. Shooting Wells a look, she tilted her head to the side quickly in an attempt to get him to throw his two cents in.]

[Wells watched Clarke’s every move, and as soon as he saw the look in her eye, he knew that her stumbling had been no accident. She was already trying to make them allies -- trying to ensure that they survived -- and he wondered why he hadn’t been clever enough to start thinking of that the second he’d sat down, too. But then he supposed Clarke had been grappling with this choice for longer than he had. Wells had been convinced that she’d change her mind and choose Erudite, and when she hadn’t, he’d quickly adjusted accordingly.] 

“It’s nice to meet you, Finn.”

[Wells chimed into the conversation, even though Clarke seemed to have everything under control. He was ever the polite diplomat, having been raised by his father to act pleasant and try to make allies or at least win favor everywhere he went. However, Finn’s interest in him seemed minimal; his focus was fully on Clarke as he answered her question, commenting that there was probably nothing to worry about once they knew what they were doing.]

“Do you know what to expect, then? I’ve never really asked a Dauntless born what things are like for them.”

[Wells hated sucking up his pride and admitting that he didn’t have a lot of knowledge about something, but this guy was new to Dauntless, too. Maybe he could relate to the lack of familiarity just as much as they could, even if on the outside Finn and Clarke both seemed a lot more comfortable than Wells felt. Nearby, he caught a glimpse of the blonde girl who had been sitting next to him earlier, and got distracted by the way she smiled at him, even as Clarke and Finn continued to walk and talk beside him.]

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlesswells]

dauntlessgriffin:

[Clarke forced herself to think even more about their immediate future as the kids in their new faction started getting restless, stiffening a little when he admitted to her that he almost made the ‘wrong’ choice. She knew exactly what he meant. She couldn’t find it in herself to crack a joke or let loose, at least not for the next few days until she was sure that they were secure as members of the Dauntless faction. For now though, the only thing that plagued her mind was worry. They had to get through this. Clarke found herself speaking without really meaning to, her mind wandering elsewhere as she shifted.]

“Who’s to say what’s wrong or right? My mom? Your dad? It’s all subjective.”

[She had, for the most part, chosen to ignore how long Wells took to make the decision to come with her. In all truthfulness, she didn’t think that he would actually follow her to Dauntless. But people have a way of surprising you.]

“Easier said than done. I- Wells.”

[As Clarke stood, she tried to get her best friend’s attention as the girl with the braids started moving in front of her, immediately moving to hug one of the faction’s… guards? Mentors? She wasn’t sure who he was, but they looked related enough to pass for siblings or cousins so she didn’t think much of it. Staying at Wells’ side, she leaned in and started speaking to him urgently.]

“We can’t afford to get separated. We won’t make it a day without each other. Not until we’ve made reliable enough allies to be able to trust them not to push us over the train. We have to be careful and we have to do this together.” 

[Wells stopped in his tracks at that statement. Clarke was right -- no one got to dictate what was the right or wrong choice for him, or at least no one should get to. Yet he’d let Clarke choose their fate, without even realizing that he was letting her do it. He tried to envision Erudite without her, though, and that wasn’t the type of life he wanted to lead at all.]

“The wrong choice would have been staying anywhere without you.”

[Her voice sounded urgent -- commanding -- and Wells couldn’t help but think that if they had stayed behind, and Erudite had succeeded with their plans, Clarke could have been a great leader someday. Better than any of the ones the faction currently had to offer, that was for sure. But maybe now that they were choosing a different path, it would never even have to come down to that.]

“Nothing’s separating us, don’t worry. We can do this. We’re fast learners, we’re strong and healthy... what’s going to stop us?” 

[But as Wells looked around at the other people, especially the ones who were already dressed in black and looked hardened by years of experience, Wells definitely had his doubts... especially since his aptitude test hadn’t even placed him here, he’d chosen it by sheer willpower. And sheer willpower was what would have to get them through now, too.]

“Right now, we probably start by following the group... Let’s get somewhere in the middle, so that we’re not at the front making mistakes, but we’re not the last, so we don’t seem like we’re afraid.”

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlessgriffin]

[Clarke stiffened a bit as Wells agreed with her and stated that faction came before blood. All she could think of was her father- her father who had disappeared without a trace overnight after making a revelation about something going on in Erudite. Something that her mother had lied to her about. Her mother had chosen her faction over blood, and in a twisted sense, Clarke was following in her footsteps. Objectively, staying in Erudite probably would have helped her and Wells discover what exactly was going on with the factions that their parents were keeping under-wraps, but the only thing Clarke wanted to do was get away from them.

They would finally have their own identities. They would carve new images for themselves that weren’t reliant on Jaha or Abby. They were their own people now. A dozen thoughts raced through Clarke’s head as she appraised the other kids in their faction, offering a boy with shaggy dark hair a smile when she caught him looking at her curiously. The girl next to her, however, was practically bouncing in her seat. It was like she’d never been outside her whole life, the way she was grinning at her surroundings.

Clarke’s attention shifted as soon as her friend pointed out the other Prior kid walking up to the front of the room, her eyebrows shooting upwards as soon as the kid chose to defer to Erudite. A resolved yet anxious look was clear on his face, and a little part of Clarke felt for him. She understood what that felt like.]

“Let’s hope they made the right call.”

[Clarke murmured under her breath, glancing at Wells with a calculating look on her face as she tried to figure out how they were going to make it in Dauntless. People like Clarke and Wells were thinkers, not delinquents. They would have to learn how to become fighters if they wanted to avoid becoming factionless. This was most likely going to be the hardest thing they had to do.]

“I sure as hell hope we did.”

[dauntlesswells]

[All their lives, Wells and Clarke had been able to make each other feel better based on facts -- on things they were intelligent enough to know. But they couldn’t do that in this situation; Wells couldn’t tell her that everything was going to be okay, because all he really knew about Dauntless was that they were known for being strong and brave, and that they came and went by jumping on and off of trains and disappearing to the outskirts of town.

Oh God... the trains. Wells’s eyes widened as he wondered if they’d be expected to just jump straight on, or if they’d get some kind of training first before diving right in. Did they expect new Dauntless initiates to adapt to life right off the bat? It went against all logic that there wouldn’t be some kind of easing in period, but he really didn’t know what to expect.]

“I almost made the wrong choice.”

[Wells admitted it in a whisper, but he was sure that Clarke had seen the way he’d hesitated, and only followed her at the last possible second. It had been a mere minutes ago, but it was already starting to feel like it had been a different lifetime.]

“But we’re in this together. We’ll figure it out -- we always do.”

[If there was anyone Wells was going to let see his doubts, it would have been Clarke, but he noticed eyes on them...or at least, eyes on her. Wells wondered who the shaggy haired boy who was looking their way was, but he was going to spend the rest of his life in Dauntless (he had to believe that, since the alternative was unacceptable), which meant he’d have plenty of time to figure it out. At the front of the room, the ceremony seemed to be wrapping up, and then there was the scuffle of people as they all started to rise from their chairs. Wells stood with them on instinct, making sure not to lose Clarke in the shuffle and nodding towards Erudite, where Abby and Kane and his dad were all still sitting, watching them in the crowd.]

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[dauntlessgriffin]

[Clarke tried not to let her smugness show when Wells followed her lead after a flurry of other kids had gone up to the center of the room, choosing their fates for themselves in front of a room of spectators. The brunette next to her was clad in black, making Clarke feel just a little self-conscious about her blue garb but flashed her an excited smile despite the fact that she hadn’t been born into Dauntless. She didn’t know why she expected it to be any different. As Wells made a beeline for her after what seemed to have been a last minute decision, Clarke heard the kids from their former faction whispering about them, scandalized that they would have given up their lives in Erudite to live as regular people in Dauntless. Additionally, Clarke couldn’t help but notice the heated discussion that Abby, Kane and Jaha seemed to be having about the issue once Clarke looked for them where she had last seen the adults seated. 

[dauntlesswells]

Once Wells started speaking to her and had settled into his seat, drawing a curious look from her neighbor briefly before the girl focused back on the names being called, Clarke shot him an ambivalent look. Handling situations like these calmly was the key to getting through them and thriving.]

“It doesn’t matter. We don’t live by their rules anymore.”

[It was pretty hard not to notice the glare that Murphy shot their way once he was called up to the bowls and -unsurprisingly- chose to stay in Erudite, but the attention seemed to have been taken off of Clarke and Wells when a girl from Abnegation chose to join Dauntless, as well. Clarke’s eyes widened a fraction of a bit when she realized that she recognized her. Nudging Wells’ side, she leaned over to him and nodded at her as she took a seat in the first row, obviously shaken as an enthusiastic boy shot out of his seat and shook her shoulders with an excited yell. Clarke applauded politely, realizing that they were probably in for a rougher ride than they had had anticipated.]

“That’s a Prior. She’s a council member’s daughter at Abnegation.”

“Right... faction before blood.”

[Wells muttered the mantra that they’d been taught their whole lives. The words were familiar, but he’d never thought growing up that they were words that were going to apply to him. It was odd to think that his father was nothing to him anymore. The man who had raised him was someone who he’d only see in passing, and Wells might never even have a real conversation with him again. It was both terrifying and liberating, and he nodded absentmindedly, feeling a firmer conviction to adhere to those words the more he thought about what this meant for him.

He wasn’t Wells Jaha, Miniature Version of Theolonious anymore. He was Wells Jaha, Dauntless, and he could be whoever he wanted to be now.

And he wasn’t the only one. His full focus had been on Clarke, and on glancing around at the other new Dauntless, trying to get an idea of who the people were that he’d chosen to spend the rest of his life with. But Wells’s head snapped to the front when Clarke pointed out Beatrice Prior, and his eyebrows raised in surprise.]

“That’s not a switch you see very often.”

[Wells had heard about Abnegation life, and it was even harder to imagine than life in Dauntless. He liked helping people, but he’d grown so used to seeing his own reflection, and taking care of himself first before others. Wells was jolted out of his thoughts as the other Prior went up to choose, though, and he was very glad his sister had taken a seat away from where Wells was, because he let out an audible gasp when he chose Erudite instead.

There was so much he wanted to say to Clarke, so many questions he had -- like did Caleb Prior know what was happening under the surface at Erudite? Was that why he had switched? But this was hardly the time or the place, so instead he settled for something innocuous in the crowd -- not that there was anything about the triumphant looks that Abby and Kane and his dad were all wearing.]

“I guess blood really doesn’t define people after all.”

[dauntlessgriffin]

Choosing Ceremony → Wellarke

[The day of the Choosing Ceremony was a brutal one for Clarke. To be fair, the day hadn’t really started off great for Clarke in the first place, since she woke up to a blow-out fight with her mother as to where her future would go. Abby’s insistence that Clarke continue sucking up to Jeanine Matthews as one of her assistants at the Erudite compound was getting on Clarke’s last nerve - she had spent her entire life being controlled by her mother, and after what had happened to her father, Abby had no right to be making these demands of her.

Clarke was snapped out of her fuming state as she stalked up to the metal bowls in the center of the room. Even though her aptitude test told her what she already knew - that she belonged in Erudite - she couldn’t help but feel resentment cloud her judgment as she picked up the newly cleaned knife off of the long table in front of her. Glancing down at it moodily, she turned and glanced back at her faction, gauging her mother, Thelonious Jaha and Marcus Kane’s expressions as they observed the event from their seats directly to the left of Jeanine. She locked eyes with Wells once before turning back to the knife that she held in her hand. With a shaky breath, she made eye contact with Eaton, the supposed leader of the Abnegation faction.

Her mother had always told her about how much of a failure the man was- about how Abnegation’s claim to leadership would be shaky at best after the ‘deal’ with Dauntless came through. Once the thought entered her head, it refused to leave. She recalled a conversation she and Wells had a mere week ago, about leaving Erudite for good and never coming back. She held her breath as she placed the blade into her palm and held it down long enough for a thin stripe of blood to appear where she had placed it. Clarke squeezed her eyes closed as she angled her hand away from the bowl of water and tightened it over the hot coals, opening them and breathing out a sigh of relief as she heard a voice announce the word “Dauntless” followed by excited applause.

She felt like the life had been sucked out of her as she turned around stiffly, refusing to lock eyes with anyone in her faction as she made her way over to where the other Dauntless kids were sitting, finding a seat for herself in the third row, where a distracted-looking brunette cleared the space next to her for Clarke to sit. All Clarke could do now was wait with bated breath for Wells’ own name to be called, so she could watch him either follow her to Dauntless or leave her life for what would probably be forever by choosing Erudite.]

[dauntlesswells]

[Wells felt like he had been up all night, tossing and turning, thinking about the decision that lay ahead of him. He’d tested Erudite, which had come as no surprise. He was every bit his father’s son, for better or for worse, and Theolonious Jaha was one of Erudite’s highest ranking officials, trusted by even Jeanine Matthews. Growing up, he’d always envisioned following in his father’s footsteps and making sure that their faction stayed great.

Only it seemed lately, Erudite wasn’t the fine faction he’d always imagined it to be. He wished he’d never told Clarke about the conversation he’d overheard, the one that had changed everything for them. Better yet, he wished he’d never heard it in the first place. Knowing that Erudite didn’t believe Abnegation should be in charge anymore, that there was some sort of shake up on the horizon, had unsettled him, but it had fired Clarke up and made her angry in a way he hadn’t expected.

Suggesting they join Dauntless had been Clarke’s idea, but Wells had hoped that a week would give her time to calm down and rethink things. They could fix Erudite from the inside, they could maintain its former glory. Clarke would see that, surely she would. They would stay in Erudite together, they had to... Yet as Clarke went up to the front of the room, Wells still gripped the handles of his chair tightly, worry that she’d follow through and choose Dauntless keeping him on the edge of the seat.

The blonde hardly even seemed to hesitate as she cut open her hand and let a drop of blood fall onto the hot coals. And just like that, as Clarke walked over to join the faction clad in all black, Wells knew that his whole life had changed. He could let Clarke go, lose the one person that had mattered most to him for as long as he could remember, or he could follow her into a life he’d never expected -- and more than that, one he’d never wanted.

Wells didn’t think of himself as bold or reckless, yet those were words he’d associated with Dauntless. There was a risk in following Clarke, and as Wells heard his own name and walked to the front of the tense room, he imagined what would happen if he joined her in Dauntless only to fail training and end up with the factionless. Was he willing to do that for Clarke?

Wells raised the knife to his hand, drawing in a jagged breath as he sliced into the flesh of his palm. He shot a glance towards Clarke as he hovered over the Erudite bowl, and for the first time in his life, he didn’t know how to read the expression she was making. Or perhaps he did know how to read it, and just had never seen that level of disappointment directed towards him. As the blood started to trickle down his hand, Wells jerked his hand away, and when the droplet finally fell, it his the coals of the Dauntless bowl with a sizzle.

Time froze. His father’s glare felt like it could have cut a hole right through him, and there was shock on the faces of many of the other Erudites. Even the Dauntless crowd, who he was making his way towards in slow motion, seemed surprised by his decision, but he didn’t care about what they said. He only had eyes for Clarke as he slid into an open seat behind her, next to a curly-headed blonde girl who had been born Dauntless. 

Wells knew that even with the distance between them, his father was still glaring daggers at him for going against the plan they’d always had. But his father wasn’t his problem anymore -- and may never be again. Wells had made a split second decision that still had him reeling in surprise, but no matter what happened next, at least he and Clarke would be together. Leaning forward, he whispered into her ear.] “Who do you think’s madder right now, your mom or my dad?”

[lena-luthor]

no matter what comes

no matter what goes down

i’ll be on your side