Apples {A Divergent Series Fanfiction}

Chapter 3

"So, it's like a tradition for dauntless to get tattoos in initiation then?" Taura raised an eyebrow at the black ink on the back of his neck. The shirt line seemed to cut off the majority of the tattoo and she wondered whether the remaining fractions held any meaning or were just there for decoration.

"Yeah. I guess it's a way of belonging. I feel sorry for those that failed initiation, though. Must have been pretty embarrassing walking into factionless with a dauntless tattoo on your skin." Peter shuddered slightly. The halls they walked through began to get narrower and the smell of damp walls became stronger. Taura let her fingers trace a crack in the rocks as she followed closely behind Peter. She raised her fingers off the rock and lifted them to her face. Dry and pale skin was now wet and a muddy brown colour. Wet grass. It smelt like wet grass. A smell she hated for so many reasons. But a smell which filled her with nostalgia.

"Who was in your initiation group?" Taura asked calmly. Peter froze in his tracks and looked at the floor. "Sorry that wasn't right for me to ask."

"Tris and Christina." He turned to her. Something was in his eyes as he spoke. Guilt or sadness, she couldn't tell. However, both emotions link so easily together, maybe it was both. "Al, but he killed himself. Will, but he got shot. Edward," he paused and stared at her, his mouth agape. "Well, he got stabbed, Myra left with him. And my two friends, Molly and Drew. But..." he paused again. "They failed initiation." His voice cracked a little.

"Wow. Quite a bunch then." Taura chuckled a little, but even her laugh came out saddened.

"Hmm." Peter nodded slowly.

"How did he get shot." She asked curiously. Curiosity wasn't something she usually feels but this time it overwhelmed her.

"The attack on Abnegation." He simply stated, his face blank and placid. "A lot of dauntless were killed by accident."

"How can they be killed by accident?" Peter paused after her question, not sure how to explain what happened.

"That's not for you to worry about, at least not yet." He responded slowly, biting the inside of his cheek just as slowly. "Now let's get that tattoo." Hesitantly, he turned on his heel and continued walking. The halls became narrower the more they walk. At the end there was a dim light glowing through a glass panel door.

Peter pushed the door open with his left hand. The hinges emitted a loud creek as it slid across the cavern floor, hitting pebbles as it went. The parlour was small but large enough to incorporate a fully functioning parlour. Â All four walls were littered with various tattoo designs, hung up wonky on the walls. In the centre of the room were two stands and a recliner style chair, one occupied by a tall woman with long dark hair.

Taura explored the room, inspecting the tattoos as she went. A couple caught her eye, like the dauntless flames or a hawk. But neither felt right to her. Almost everyone had the dauntless flames somewhere on their skin, in plain sight or not and Taura didn't want to be almost everyone.

"How about we get my name tattooed on your ass." Peter remarked, nudging her in the stomach with his elbow.

"Hey! I only just met you, let's not start getting drunk tattoos this early." Taura joked, slapping him on the arm in return. "Oh, and by the way, if you do that to me when I'm asleep, I will tattoo an actual ass onto your forehead." Peter laughed hysterically at her warning.

"You know when I saw you beat up Eric, I thought I was getting myself in some deep shit by talking to you." Taura let out a small chuckle at his comment. "But your really fun to hang out with, Apples." Peter smiled warmly at her, admiring her emerald eyes. They reminded him of the grass that grew in the Amity fields. Bright and luscious.