#Her name is Sabina actually

[str4wb3rry-m0n4rch]

these are my silly vampire OCs i guess + a not really a vampire but more catboy but whatever :3

[calenhads]

bite the hand (1k, sabina/lachlan)

Sabina is sick with it, all the hatred in her heart. 

It simmers under her lungs, the ruddy glow of coals on a midnight fire, the trembling ashes of the Undying Hearth. It is quiet now; not sated, but no longer clamoring for her attention with all the fervor of a yipping dog at her heel. A small mercy granted only because she is too exhausted to feel anything at all beyond the time-worn cloth of her trousers under her hands. Sodden strands of hair stick to her forehead, teased by a cool breeze gentle as a lover’s kiss. Her face is flushed, she knows, because of the way Lachlan keeps stealing sidelong glances at her.

Though present, worry is not the only emotion to cross his night-dark eyes. She almost wants to scold him, scandalized. A spark lights among the ashes, glimmering and notably not exhausted. 

“Again,” she says instead, pushing herself to her full height. Not quite taller than him. Bile rises in her throat at the movement, and is swallowed back down. Sabina draws, rapier light in one hand and dagger lighter in the other. Lachlan’s face twists into an expression she does not recognize, and speaks in a voice that she does.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. When did you even sleep last, Sa-“

“Again, damn you.”

Sabina hurtles towards her dearest friend, her lover if the world was kinder, with no small amount of tremulous energy. Lachlan raises his sword to meet her in a parry effortless enough to set that little spark into a flame. 

She gasps against the heat of it, and is surprised that her breath does not turn to steam in the cool air. Something within her bares its teeth, snapping at any errant hands. Come to stroke or to strike, they are bitten all the same. Arms straining, Lachlan shoves her back and away a handful of stumbling steps. 

“Sab, come on,” he pleads with wide eyes. His offhand is help up, palm facing her, placating. She has never resented anything more in her life. 

“I’m not done,” she snarls, more beast than woman. 

She lunges again, mad with grief and fury and denial as Lachlan diverts her flashing blades with his own. What a picture she must make, teeth bared and eye-whites flashing, stern brows furrowed even as her body trembles. A rabid animal in desperate need of the knife.

“You are,” he disagrees with the pleasant air of someone speaking to a particularly petulant child. “You really are.”

He’s not even trying anymore, not really. With each ragged breath her blows become sloppier, her responses slower. Lachlan is hardly sweating, only a single bead rolling down his impeccable brow. She likes that brow, normally. When it’s not condescending at her with only the tiniest of wrinkles to betray his pity. It always seemed heroic to her. Now it makes her want to claw and bite and scream until it is ruined. Until they are both ruined in their entirety. 

Sabina wants to take him to the grave. She wants to take him to bed. Are they not one and the same, in the end? She is surely making one of each for herself to lay in at the end of all this. Lachlan is merely providing the shovel. 

And perhaps company.

Something in her expression must change, because Lachlan’s guard drops and his expression softens. His brows untwist from the knot they tangled themselves in out of sheer worry. A mistake.

Barely registering the dull thud of her weapons against the sea-damp dirt, Sabina lurches forward with arms outstretched, and Lachlan steps forward to meet her. To catch her, if she’s interested in being honest with herself.

She’s sure she meant to kiss him, or bite him, or hit him, or any manner of things that are not the embrace she falls into instead. His arms, strong and covered only by the thin cotton of his undershirt, are warm around her. Unbearably warm, warring with the flame licking at her heart. Perhaps it is not rage that pulls at her, but longing. Or perhaps she is merely exhausted beyond all hope of understanding.

Either way, the beast quietens as she is restrained, as her body finally goes limp. She buries her face into his neck, breathing damp against his skin. 

“You’re burning up,” he whispers into her hair as one firm hand rises to cup the nape of her neck. “I was serious about the sleep thing. You’ve been up how long now?”

Sabina makes incoherent noises against his throat just to feel him shiver. 

He hums a question in response, a paper-thin attempt to stay focused that she can see right through. Above, she is certain his eyes have grown darker still.

“Too long,” she says, more clearly this time. Twenty-six hours and fourty-three minutes, she does not say. Her real answer would invoke even more misplaced, eyebrow-knotting concern than she wants to deal with at the moment. Not that she hasn’t ever been awake longer… but Lachlan would not like that argument either. Felix certainly hadn’t, at the time.

It’s no easy task to withdraw from his arms, but Sabina manages after a steadying breath. He still smells of woodsmoke from the fire, of the plain soap that her not-so-royal coffers can hardly afford. Sabina has no intentions of finding out what she smells like.

Upright again, she pats him once, abruptly, on the left side of his chest with a — weak, tired, wan — beatific smile. 

“I suppose it’s time for me to retire,” she says with a yawn, stretching her heavy arms above her head as if it will quell her rising nausea. “Join me if you will.”

Lachlan laughs, shaking his head in what can only be disbelief. Not rejection, not yet. Sabina’s eyes dart towards his.

“As your nursemaid, maybe. You’ll pass out the second you get horizontal. Maybe wake up in a state of feverish delirium hours from now,” comes his answer, along with a broad hand on her shoulder. Softer, he murmurs, “Go to sleep. I’ll send in Felix to watch over you.”

Unbothered, Sabina nods and the world wavers at the edges as she does. The moment has passed, and done so long ago. She retrieves her abandoned weapons from the soil, and goes to bed.

[narratwoda]

[Drabbles about another WordGirl villain idea]

Name : Sabina Daniel

A/K/A : Timestopper

Age : 19

About her :

She can't actually stop time, HOWEVER, she can freeze people, objects, etc. (not like in an ice-powers sort of way, but like in a frozen-in-time kind of way you know?)

She is the Coach's niece, she got into a prestigious school in Fair City and used that as an excuse for her parents to send her there. But little did they know her true intentions of going to fair city was actually to become a supervillain.

She's staying with her uncle (the Coach). She's also familiar with the villain school villains.

Jaded, pessimistic, doesn't really show much enthusiasm.

Often stops talking mid-sentence, so almost everything she says ends up being unfinished and incomplete, this annoys WordGirl a LOT.

She wasn't born with powers, she only got them after she was hit in the head by an enchanted clock from the art museum.

[elegantshapeshifter]

Hey!! I want to know more about Traditional Witchcraft.

I have been reading Aradia and the Gospel of Witches and I want to know if there is a Northwestern European, British or Scottish idea of Aradia and her mother and father??

Thank you so much!! I can’t wait to convert to the Traditional Witch Path!

Aradia is Herodias, which is, according to Carlo Ginzburg, a Christianization of the Goddess Hera, but according to Sabina Magliocco, also a remains of Hecate, because she flights in the night.

She is a Deity which is not only Italian, but pan-European, in fact in the Canon Episcopi we read about women who dreamt/imagined to fly with both Diana and Herodias.

Herodias became Redodesa in Veneto, Araja/Arada/Sa Rejusta in Sardinia, Arada and Irodeasa in Romania, and so on.

The point is that probably she wasn't always the daughter of Diana, but assimilated/synchretized to her. In fact, Herodias is actually the name of the mother of Salomé, which in the Gospels killed John the Baptist. In the medieval folklore he blows from the mouth of the cut head and from that moment on Salomé is condamned to fly forever, especially in the night. In many folklore tales, both the mother and the daughter, Salomé and Herodias, are seen together, and Herodias of the Canon is actually Salomé called with her mother's name.

Probably, therefore, the legend that Leland writes and re-elaborates to create the Aradia (because the original legends are found both in Etruscan Roman Remains and in Legends of Florence, so we know that Aradia is just a re-elaboration of original folk legends from Florence and Tuscany-Romagna region) is influenced by this idea of Salomé seen with her mother Herodias. So Salomé (called Herodias for the medieval conflation and mispelled Aradia by the people) is the daughter of Diana like she is the daughter of Herodias in other legends (and in the original Gospel tale).

We also have the original legend about Diana seducing his brother, but here there is no daughter, and instead of going to the "Fathers and Mothers of the beginning", in the original tale she goes to other witches.

Moreover, in the original tale from Legends of Florence, the brother isn't called by name.

However, in many trials in Northern Italy, the Domina Nocturna (ex. Lady of the Game) is paired with the Devil. Moreover, many folk magicians in Italy prayed to the "Star Diana"... which is Lucifer. So Lucifer is both the Devil and Diana herself, and the Devil could be associated with Diana as his partner because the same happened to the Lady of the Game (and overseas with the Queen of Elphame).

We also know from The Strix by Della Mirandola that nearby the areas in which Leland found the folktales from which he will elaborates to make the Aradia, people still associated Diana with the Moon. So if Diana is the Moon, for symmetry Lucifer should be the Sun.

So this brother for symmetry could be seen as both the Devil and associated with the Sun, but also with stars for the Stella Diana which is Lucifer. In fact, in Aradia he is the God of the Sun, the Light and the Stars.

So Diana is associated with Aradia for the Salomé-Herodias pair and with Lucifer because of the Stella Diana, the pair with the Devil and the folk idea that the Sun is the brother of the Moon.

However, Lucifer is still a name for Apollo, even in Orphic Hymns (where it's Phosphoros), but I don't think it's been done willingly, it's a coincidence, or better a synchronicity.

For the British context, in Sir Orpheo, Dame Heurodis is kidnapped by the King of Fairies, and Heurodis is a variation of Herodias.

Also the Canon is quoted a lot in Britain while they talk about the idea of the Fairy Queen or Queen of Elphame.

So probably in Great Britain both Diana and Herodias are synchretized with the Queen of Elphame. The Queen, which is usually called Nicnevin (or Titania/Mab in Shakespeare) is the spouse of the King of Elphame, Oberon, who is sometimes demonized, and sometimes is also called Christsonday.

I hope having answered :)

[endofradio]

TRUE ECOLOGY — CHAPTER 1: HOLIDAY IN BAVARIA

PROLOGUE |

WARNINGS: n/a

NOTES: see what i did there with the chapter title? (teehee holiday in cambodia by dead kennedys reference) anyways the next chapters will be much more interesting i promise 💀

also as far as faceclaims go, stephen’s is hamish linklater, louise’s is elizabeth debicki, and sabina’s is talia ryder yippee! for visuals i might insert some gifs here and there since tumblr is Perfect for that.

SUMMARY: recent college graduate salem travels with her stepmother louise and father stephen from new hampshire to the bavarian alps in germany, their destination being a luxurious place by the name of resort alpschatten. upon entering the lobby, salem notices something strange — one of the guests starts vomiting. she also encounters the enigmatic owner of the resort, herr könig.

WORD COUNT: 2,187

TAGLIST: @lokidoki9 @trelaney @kolcheksluver @samcrpnters @13th-floor-in-moonstone @starryrevelations @fran-tau @spookyspecterino @blackwolfstabs @actually-adambarrett @creelmalfoylaufeyson69 (shoot me a message if you’d like to be added to my taglist!)

reblogs and comments are heavily appreciated! don’t be shy!

“How much longer is this car ride gonna be?”

Salem let out a sigh as she stared out the window of the car, watching as lines of trees passed by. That was all that she could see right now — trees. Trees, and mountains. At this point, it felt like they had been driving for days. They had taken a plane from New Hampshire to Germany, which had been 8 hours long. Then, there was the 4-hour car ride from Frankfurt to Bavaria. Those 4 hours were almost over, and it felt like it had taken six days just to get here.

Salem was exhausted.

Her stepmother, seated in the front passenger’s seat, turned around to reassure Salem with a smile. "We're almost there, I promise," she said, checking her watch. “Just… a half-hour more of driving, and then we should be there, alright?”

Even though Louise was like a "mother" to her, Salem was annoyed by something about her. Whenever she spoke, it seemed insincere, and her smile appeared overly polite. Salem longed for her real mother, but as far as she knew, she was deceased. Within a few weeks of her mother's disappearance, her father met a younger woman who was blonde, pretty, rich, and tall.

“Thanks, Mom.”

God, just calling her “mom” made Salem’s skin crawl. The word just didn’t feel right on her tongue.

The vacation destination was Resort Alpschatten, where Salem's father had been working for the past couple of years as an assistant to the owner, Herr König. He thought it would be nice for Louise to bring Salem along to visit for a while, considering she hadn't seen her father in so long.

In all honesty, Salem hadn't missed him. Their relationship had never been perfect, but since his marriage to Louise, things had become more strained between the two.

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Louise commented, turning around to look at Salem.

The car ride had certainly been awkward. Salem's father had picked up her and Louise from Frankfurt to drive them to Bavaria, and the whole time, Salem barely spoke a word to either of them. She had spent the majority of the car ride listening to music with her earbuds in and reading.

“I just… don’t have much to say. That’s all.” She quietly responded.

Louise slowly nodded. “That’s understandable, I mean… you’re probably tired.”

The Bavarian Alps were a stark contrast to Salem's hometown of Derry, New Hampshire. Derry was a fairly small and unremarkable town. Traveling all the way to Germany had been quite a shock but in a good way. The Alps were breathtaking, and Bavaria in general was stunning. It felt like a breath of fresh air, especially with it being spring.

The only problem was that Salem wasn't very fluent in German. In preparation for the trip, she had spent the past couple of months learning as much as she could. She understood some basic phrases, at least. Good enough, right?

Eventually, Salem noticed a large building up in the distance, assuming it to be Resort Alpschatten. If that was truly what it was, then Jesus Christ, it was beautiful. It was huge.

“Well, this is it!” Salem’s father confirmed with a smile. He turned around to look at Salem, his eager smile not fading. “So, what do you think?”

“It’s… big. Really nice place. Makes sense why you like it so much.”

I’d hate to get lost in there.

From how her father described it, Resort Alpschatten was an incredibly luxurious resort that provided all of the guests with five-star-worthy hospitality. The rooms and suites were impressive, the spa treatments were highly comfortable, and, surprisingly, the resort could even provide advanced medical treatments due to its previous history as a medical center. A resort with a hospital right on its grounds honestly seemed like a pretty smart idea. The whole place honestly sounded like heaven on earth.

A sudden German-accented voice then spoke up, unexpectedly startling everyone in the car.

“Ah, Stephen, my friend! I take it this is your family you’ve told me about, yes?”

Sure enough, a short-haired man was standing in front of the window, a polite smile on his face as he gently pushed down his round-framed sunglasses. Salem’s first impression of him was that he looked rather well-maintained, his outfit choice of a dark green jacket and a brown turtleneck proving a sense of fashionability. Honestly, the man looked like he could be a model.

“Herr König! Yes, you’d be correct. This is my wife, Louise, and my daughter, Salem.”

Louise, of course, gave König a polite wave and a smile. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Herr König. My husband has said plenty of great things about you.”

Stephen had said that König was a nice man, and so far, he seemed friendly enough. However, Salem still felt shy. Even at 24 years old, she still took the saying "Don't talk to strangers" to heart. She had always been the quiet one.

So, Salem just gave König a small and awkward wave. Something about his stare just made her feel more nervous. His eyes were quite a piercing shade of blue.

“Salem, aren’t you going to say hello?” Stephen asked with slight disapproval in his tone. “Come on, be polite. This is my boss.”

König didn’t seem to mind. “Ah, no worries.” He chuckled. “A person cannot be forced to talk. Perhaps she’ll feel much more comfortable when she’s… adjusted.”

Each word König spoke dripped with politeness; he sounded just as sophisticated as he appeared.

“You all must be very tired from such a long journey.” He then said, his smile never fading even slightly. “Come. I’ll lead you three inside. I’ll ensure your luggage is brought to your rooms.”

“So, you’re the quiet one, hm?”

Salem was unprepared to hear König speak to her, so when he did, she flinched just a little.

“Yeah, uh… I guess.” She answered, shrugging.

“Do you not like… talking to people?”

The way König spoke made it seem like he was interrogating Salem, which made her feel slightly nervous. It was as if he was trying to analyze her.

At his question, she simply just shrugged again. “I suppose it depends.”

“Depends?” König repeated, intrigued. “How so?”

“Well…” Salem turned to make sure Louise and Stephen weren’t paying attention before she spoke again. “I don’t like talking to certain people. Ask my parents. They’d know what I’m talking about.”

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THE GIF.

Of course, she was indirectly talking about them. König didn’t exactly seem to pick up on that. Maybe it was a good thing.

“Ah, so you’re picky, huh?” He asked, letting out a small chuckle of amusement.

“I guess.”

König opened the front door of the resort, stepping to the side to allow everyone through. Salem’s eyes immediately widened when she looked around the lobby. It looked so comfortable. Cozy furniture, potted plants, artwork on the walls… there was a bit of a vintage design to it, she thought. It reminded her of a hotel lobby from perhaps the 70s.

“Sabina’s the receptionist,” König explained. “She’ll give you your rooms.”

Louise and Stephen approached the reception desk first, leaving Salem in König’s presence again.

“Well, what do you think?” König asked. There was a sense of pride that he reflected as he surveyed the area. “Beautiful, isn’t it? The Alps provide the perfect scenery for a place such as this.”

Salem slowly nodded in agreement as she gawked at her surroundings. “Yeah… you’re right. It’s very pretty.”

“Has your father told you this all used to be a medical center?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“Hm. Well, it’s true.” König smiled. “I took over around… twelve years ago or so, and started rebuilding it into the extravagant resort you’re now standing in.”

Just as König finished speaking, Louise and Stephen had obtained their room key. He glanced at the pair for a moment before his gaze fell on Salem again, watching as she quietly approached Sabina.

Sabina appeared to be the only receptionist working there and looked quite young, too. Younger than Salem, even. She felt some sense of almost pity for her.

Before she could even pause to think over her words, the first thing that came out of Salem’s mouth was, “How old are you?”

“Eighteen,” Sabina answered. Her voice was nonchalant and monotone, her German accent subtle. “Why do you ask?”

Salem immediately felt embarrassed. “Isn’t that overwhelming, working in a place like this by yourself at your age?”

Sabina shrugged. “You get used to it.”

She brushed a lock of her long brown hair out of her face, blowing a bubble of pink bubblegum before it popped. “Well?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you here for a room?”

Before Salem could speak, there was suddenly the sound of retching. She quickly turned around, noticing a woman hunched over and vomiting while her very much concerned husband attempted to comfort her.

Sabina looked uncomfortable, slight concern flashing across her expression for a moment before it quickly faded. “Don’t… worry about that. It happens here sometimes. Think there’s been some kind of… sickness going around.”

Salem slowly nodded, awkwardly clearing her throat before she looked back at Sabina. She noticed that concerned look appear again, now with a hint of nervousness. She was staring in König’s direction as if she was wanting reassurance from him. He stepped closer to the reception desk, the polite smile that had previously been on his face returning rather quickly.

“Ah, yes. Not to worry. Illnesses come and go. Nothing out of the ordinary, I promise.”

Sabina appeared relieved at König’s response, looking back at Salem with a nonchalant expression once again. “So, what’s your name?”

“Salem Moriarty.”

Sabina took out a pen. “Well, we’ve got some, uh… private bungalows, rooms, suites… interested in any of those?”

“I’ll go with a suite.”

While Sabina was busy helping Salem, the same woman who had been vomiting earlier started retching again.

“Hey, hey… let’s get you out of here. You’re going to be okay.”

Salem noticed that Sabina was beginning to look nervous again, but she attempted to push it down.

“Ich werde nie Kinder bekommen. (I’m never having any children.)” Sabina muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Salem quietly asked.

Sabina quickly snapped her head back up. “Oh, nothing. You don’t speak German, do you?”

“Just enough to get me by, I guess.”

“Ah.”

Eventually, after a few more minutes, Sabina gave Salem the key to her suite.

“Suite 144. Enjoy your stay here.” She spoke, now smiling kindly. “If you like going outside, Herr König takes the guests out on a nature walk every Wednesday. If you need some time to decompress, we also offer high-quality spa treatments. I really recommend them.”

Salem took her room key and offered Sabina an awkward smile. Her sudden switch-up in demeanor was honestly somewhat strange. Every so often, she’d glance back up at König, who was still standing in the lobby.

“Stimmt etwas nicht, Sabina? (Is something the matter, Sabina?)” König quietly asked, stepping closer to the reception desk. The smile he had worn had faded, replaced by a significantly more serious expression.

Sabina watched as Salem turned around to leave, clearly wanting to let them talk in peace. She looked back up at König, sighing.

“Ich möchte nicht mehr nachts arbeiten. (I don’t want to work at night anymore.)”

König raised an eyebrow at Sabina’s words, not speaking.

“Es gefällt mir nicht. (I don’t like it.)” Sabina continued.

Sabina could tell by the look in König’s eyes that he wasn’t pleased with her words in the slightest. It took him a while until he would finally speak, and that was something about him that scared Sabina — when he wouldn’t instantly respond. He was an intimidating figure.

“Das kann ich nicht zulassen. (I can’t let you.)” König eventually answered, his tone cold. “Sie sind der Einzige, der hier arbeitet. (You’re the only one who works here.)”

“Warum ist das wichtig? (Why does that matter?)” Sabina asked, narrowing her eyes. “Nach zehn Uhr ist es leer. Niemand Neues kommt herein. (It’s empty after ten o’clock. Nobody new comes in.)”

König didn’t bother listening to Sabina’s complaints. “Müssen Sie immer mit mir streiten? (Do you always have to argue with me?)” He asked. “Tu einfach was ich sage. (Just do what I say.)”

Sabina gave the older man a reluctant look at first before sighing.

“Sie haben Glück, dass Sie überhaupt hier arbeiten. (You’re lucky to be working here at all.)” König continued. “Deine Eltern haben dir nie eine Chance gegeben, aber ich schon. (Your parents never gave you a chance, but I did.)”

“Fine.” Sabina finally muttered.

When she saw König turn to leave, she felt a sense of relief. In all honesty, she couldn’t help but worry for each new guest who chose to come here. There was something awfully sketchy about it, and she knew it. What exactly it was, Sabina was unsure, but she just couldn’t trust this place. She was especially worried about Salem.

She didn’t belong here.

[bradshawsbaby]

Si Vis Amari Ama

III. A Gladiator’s Oath

SERIES MASTERLIST

Pairings: Rooster (Roman Name: Gallus) x Female Reader (Roman Name: Sabina), featuring Hangman (Roman Name: Carnifex) x Phoenix

Summary: A girl whose freedom was stolen to pay her father’s debts. A gladiator enslaved for the entertainment of Rome. A love they never thought possible.

Author’s Note: We finally get to meet the rest of the gladiators! As previously mentioned, all of the TGM characters have been given Latinized names to fit with the time period of the story. Check out A Roman Guide to the Daggers (which is also pinned on the series masterlist) as a cheat sheet if you ever get confused!

Word Count: 8.2k

Warnings: Slavery in the ancient world, mentions of physical abuse, gladiatorial training/combat, discussion of minor injuries, brief language, tension/pining, alternating point of view.

“Gallus, duck!”

The echoes of harsh grunts and heavy breathing filled the air, the unrelenting thwacks of wood on wood reverberating across the open grounds of the training arena as bruised and battered men sparred with their practice swords.

You couldn’t help but glance up at the sound of his name, your eyes drifting past the other dueling gladiators until they landed on the familiar figure at the center of the main ring. He was in the middle of a heated bout with one of Dominus’ other prized champions, the two of them glaring at each other with an intensity that spoke of a rivalry that ran deeper than just friendly competition.

The advice Gallus had been given had evidently been sound, as the other man was swinging at him with his heavy shield, aiming straight for his head. You could feel your heart in your throat for a moment, but Gallus quickly parried with his sword and jumped backwards out of the reach of his opponent.

“He almost had you. You’ve got to be quicker than that,” the dark-haired man shouted, the one who was standing at the head of the training grounds, feet planted firmly on the ground and muscular arms folded tightly across his chest. He was older, probably around the same age as Titus, and from what you had gathered, he was in charge of training and conditioning the gladiators at the ludus.

Gallus only glared in response, his mouth turning down in irritation as he lunged at his fellow gladiator, the two of them engaging in the brutal power struggle once more.

At the sound of Phoenix clearing her throat beside you, you spun back around to the task before you, feeling warmth rise to your cheeks.

“Enjoying the show?” she teased, smirking knowingly as she wrung out the tunic in her hands with a forceful twist. “There are many in Rome who would envy you, you know. Getting to see all this, up close and personal. And for free, too,” she added with a laugh, blowing a loose strand of dark hair out of her eyes.

Your cheeks were positively burning now as you dropped your gaze to the basin in front of you and reached for another piece of dirty laundry to scrub clean. “Oh, no, I was just—well—I’ve never actually seen a gladiator fight before. I was just a little curious,” you admitted sheepishly, carefully running the bar of salt that was burning your palm over the filthy tunic you’d just lifted from the pile of dirty linens that you and Phoenix had collected earlier.

Phoenix’s hands stilled as she sat up straighter and looked at you with wide eyes, clearly shocked. You weren’t sure you had ever seen Phoenix surprised before in all these months you’d known her.

“Aren’t you Roman by birth?” she questioned, arching a dark brow curiously.

“Yes,” you murmured in response, feeling almost embarrassed of your heritage. Your people—if you could even still call them that—were the ones who had stolen your friend from her homeland and sold her into a life of slavery.

“And you’ve never seen a gladiator match before?” she demanded, as if she simply couldn’t believe something so outlandish could be true.

You sighed, brushing a bead of sweat off your forehead with the back of your hand. “Well I was only a child when I—my parents never took me—and neither did any of my masters. I’ve never even stepped foot inside the Colosseum,” you confessed, scrubbing at the laundry until you felt your fingertips would bleed.

“Hm,” Phoenix murmured thoughtfully, shaking her head before getting back to work herself.

“Have you? Ever been to the Colosseum, I mean?” you asked curiously. Though the two of you were around the same age, you felt that Phoenix had a sort of worldliness that you didn’t possess. You trusted her to explain things to you that you’d never experienced yourself, or didn’t understand.

She nodded, sitting back on her heels as she bent over her work. She draped the tunic she’d been wringing out over the edge of her basin as she pressed a fist into her lower back, deftly massaging the ache that throbbed there. “A few times. My last dominus would take his wife and daughters to the games sometimes, so I’d accompany them. And I’ve been there a couple times with Domina,” she added, doing her best to refrain from rolling her eyes at the mention of your mistress. “But we never stay long. She always complains of the heat.”

“I’ve only ever seen it from the outside. Are the games as grand as everyone makes them out to be?” you wondered, sitting back on your heels as well and taking a moment’s respite.

“They can be,” Phoenix nodded, tossing her long braid over her shoulder. “It depends on who’s hosting the games, and how much they’re willing to invest. Those who want to worm their way into Caesar’s good graces usually pay for at least a week’s worth of games, sometimes with exotic animals and chariot races. The crowds go wild. You’ve never seen a place so packed with people in all your life.”

You shuddered slightly, your skin crawling at the mere thought of it. Maybe you wouldn’t like the Colosseum so much after all.

Just as you were about to ask Phoenix to tell you more about the games, however, you heard a familiar voice from behind you.

“Hey, you two, back to work!”

Titus’ jovial face suddenly came into view, the old medicus circling around the two of you until he was planted in front of your wash basins, grinning down at you.

“All we do is work, old man. Our fingers might just fall off soon, and then where would that leave you?” Phoenix joked, lifting yet another wet garment to wring out.

“Hopelessly lost, that’s where,” Titus winked. “They’ve got you on laundry duty, eh? Tough break, my girls. I’ve never met men who stink so badly in my entire life,” he said, wrinkling his nose as he gazed across the training grounds at the pairs upon pairs of fighters.

“We’ve dealt with worse,” Phoenix said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders as she glanced over at you.

“Ah, I see,” Titus nodded, eyes twinkling as his focus shifted towards your face. “Is that right, Sabina?”

You looked up and met his kind eyes, those eyes that seemed to look within and know you in a way you didn’t understand. You smiled, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes. “It’s no trouble,” you answered him, picking up the bar of salt once more.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Titus responded, though there was no judgment or condemnation in his tone. He simply continued to look at you for a moment, a curious tilt to his head, before his smile returned in full force. “But I won’t pry, especially considering how kind you’ve been to help me around here.”

In the past couple weeks since you’d assisted Titus in caring for Gallus, you’d been tasked with more duties around the ludus. You had a feeling it had something to do with a private conversation the medicus had had with Dominus. In addition to your chores around the villa, you were now also responsible for tasks such as cleaning the gladiators’ cells while they were out training, delivering meals to the men, and tending to any injuries—and there were many of them. Occasionally, on days like today when the laundry wasn’t being sent out to the fuller, you and Phoenix were responsible for that as well.

Domina had not been happy when your master had first brought up your new assignment.

“I need her here in the house with me. That Greek slut assists Titus enough as it is. Take one of the other girls if he needs someone else. That fat cow from the kitchens. Oh, what’s her name? Flavia! He can have her,” Aurelia had pouted, tossing her dark blonde locks over her shoulder.

“He asked for Sabina, and Sabina is who he shall have,” Dominus countered evenly, taking a long sip of his wine. He didn’t even look up from his cup as he spoke to his wife.

You stood before your masters with your head lowered and your hands clasped in front of you, trembling slightly. You wished more than anything that they would just dismiss you.

“But I told you—”

“Enough, Aurelia!” Atticus suddenly barked, slamming his hand down on the low dining table.

You and your mistress both jumped.

“There are plenty of slaves in this household who can braid your hair and paint your face,” your master snapped, waving away the slave who approached to refill his cup. “But there are very few who Titus trusts with the care of my gladiators, and so if he says this girl is needed, then she is needed. And that is where she shall go.” Atticus stood suddenly and towered over his wife, who lifted her head to look up at him. “Do not forget who is the head of this household,” he ground out through gritted teeth before turning on his heel and stalking out of the room.

Aurelia sat silently on her dining couch for a moment, stunned into a rare state of speechlessness. Dominus rarely spoke to her so harshly, and he rarely refused to give in to her demands, so it was clear she was reeling.

But only for a moment.

When she turned her head to look at you, her dark eyes narrowed sharply. Rising gracefully, as was her way, she adjusted her stola, her bracelets clinking along her slender wrists.

“Look at me,” she demanded coldly, grabbing roughly at your chin until you obeyed and lifted your eyes.

“I don’t know what game you think you’re playing here, but I see right through you. Don’t think I don’t,” she whispered, her voice edged with something dangerous.

“Domina, I’m not—”

Her slap hit you like a clap of thunder, the sound of it bouncing around the room until it rang in your ears. You resisted the urge to step back and cup your face, knowing it would only make her angrier, although you couldn’t stop the tears that sprung to your eyes unbidden.

“I did not ask you to speak!” Aurelia snapped, adjusting her rings as though irritated you had disturbed them. “If my husband commands you to go work in the ludus, then there isn’t much I can do about that. But know this,” she muttered, stepping closer to you and grabbing your wrist so tightly that you almost cried out in pain. “If the day comes when you grow swollen with the bastard of a savage, I will throw you out of this household faster than you can cry for mercy. So I’d keep those legs closed if I were you.”

You did your best to swallow back your tears as you gazed up into the cold eyes of your domina, the pain in your wrist shooting up to your elbow as she twisted cruelly.

She smiled. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Domina,” you nodded meekly, nearly gasping in relief when she finally released you.

“Get out of my sight,” Aurelia dismissed you with a careless flick of her hand, tossing herself back onto her dining couch and calling out to the other slaves to fetch her something to eat.

“She’s a miserable bitch,” Phoenix muttered later, after you had told her what happened. The two of you were sitting alone at the end of the table in the corner of the kitchen, Phoenix carefully examining your bruised wrist.

“Phoenix,” you whispered frantically, gazing over both shoulders. “You shouldn’t say such a thing.”

Your friend waved her hand in the air, a look of defiance flashing across her face. “Oh, what worse can they do to me? And besides, she is.”

“I don’t understand why she’s so upset,” you sighed, tears pricking your eyes once more as you thought of her violent treatment earlier. “And what she said—I have no intention of—”

“Of course you don’t,” Phoenix said in a soothing voice, resting her hands over yours and squeezing gently. “Ignore her. She’s just projecting her own fears onto you.”

You cocked your head in confusion, looking at your friend. “What do you mean?”

Phoenix looked back at you, startled, and then started laughing. “Oh, my sweet friend,” she murmured, lifting your hand and kissing it in a sisterly fashion. “You truly are too good for this awful world. Are you telling me you’ve been in this household for nearly three months and you really don’t know?”

“Know what?” you blinked, beyond perplexed at this point.

Sighing softly, it was now Phoenix’s turn to glance over her shoulders. Satisfied that no one was around to eavesdrop, she leaned in closer. “Aurelia has quite the taste for those savages she supposedly loathes so much,” she whispered, lifting her eyebrows pointedly.

It took a moment for the pieces to connect in your mind, but then your eyes widened. “You mean Domina is—”

Phoenix nodded, covering your mouth with her hand. “She might consider them barbarians, but she certainly can’t get enough of them in her bed. I can only imagine how terrified she is that one of them is finally going to get her with child.”

You blanched at that, your jaw falling open in shock once Phoenix released you. “D-does Dominus know?”

“He’s not a stupid man,” Phoenix shrugged. “Everybody else knows, so why wouldn’t he? But he turns a blind eye. You know how he is. He pretty much lets her have whatever she wants,” she muttered. “Except,” she emphasized, “his Pugiones.”

Pugiones, you had come to learn, was the nickname Atticus used for his champion gladiators—of which Gallus was the foremost. You weren’t sure why, but it suddenly made you feel less sick to think that your mistress hadn’t gotten her claws into him.

“So she hasn’t—?”

Phoenix shook her head. “As far as I know, she only sleeps with the newer recruits, the ones Atticus doesn’t care as much about. He puts all his money and attention into his stars. They’re the only ones that are off limits.”

“How many gladiators does he own?” you asked, realizing you didn’t even know.

She thought about that for a minute. “It’s hard to keep track. We lose some, and then we get some more. But I think at last count, we were up to thirty.”

Your eyes widened at that. You hadn’t realized it was so many. Besides Gallus, you’d really only ever seen a couple others, and only from a distance.

“You’ll get to know them when you start helping me and Titus,” Phoenix said, as if she had read your mind. She hesitated a moment, then added, “Just don’t get too attached. There are many who don’t come back.”

It had only been two weeks, and your friend’s warning had already proven to be true. As you began assisting with the medical care of the men, you spent much of your time among the newer recruits, the men Dominus had only recently acquired, who lacked the skills and training necessary to fight without badly injuring themselves. When they left for their bouts in local arenas or the Colosseum, many of them did not return. But Dominus always refilled the ranks with more, determined to build an elite army of gladiators.

You didn’t see much of the Pugiones. As seasoned as they were, they didn’t injure themselves quite as often, and Titus and Phoenix usually managed any issues that they had. There had been a few instances where you’d felt their eyes on you, but you always kept your gaze averted and avoided them at all costs. You didn’t want any problems with Domina.

Today, however, as you watched them all fight, you realized that you didn’t know much about them at all. You didn’t even know most of their names. Phoenix had said it was often better that way, but it seemed that you should at least know the Pugiones. After all, they were the champions. They always returned.

After speaking to you and Phoenix for a few more moments, Titus turned and began walking around the perimeter of the training arena, watching a few of the men in particular with those careful eyes of his.

That’s when you turned to look at Phoenix, dropping the tunic you’d been scrubbing into the basin. “Would you mind telling me a little bit about them?” you asked, nodding your head in the direction of the stars of the ludus. “I feel like I should know something, especially if they’re the most popular gladiators in Rome,” you added, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

Phoenix smirked, standing up slowly and stretching her arms over her head. “Oh, alright. I’ve known those idiots for quite a while, so I suppose I can tell you a little bit about them,” she grinned, taking your hand and pulling you up beside her. “Come, let’s act like we’re going to hang some of these linens up to dry,” she said, handing you an armful of damp clothing.

As the two of you walked, you passed by one gladiator who was practicing sharp thrusts with a long, pointed sword. You’d learned that when it came to simple practice bouts, the men used wooden swords. Perhaps they had become too elite, and Atticus feared arming them in his own home.

“That’s Caius,” Phoenix whispered, glancing briefly in his direction. “He grew up in Egypt. He can’t even remember where he was actually born, but he’s been a slave most of his life. See the long shield he carries? He fights as a Secutor.”

You nodded to show your understanding, trying not to stare too long. He was handsome, now that you could see him up close, with a strong jaw and a focused gaze.

Next up was a tall, lean gladiator with skin like ebony whose size belied the gracefulness of his movements. His shield was similar in shape to Caius’, but slightly smaller.

“Pollux,” Phoenix whispered. “They often call him ‘The African.’ I know you wouldn’t think it to look at him, especially now, but he’s one of the funniest people I know. He’s a Murmillo. Similar to the Secutor, but you can see his shield is a little smaller.” She stopped a moment to adjust the pile of wet tunics in her arms. “Sometimes he gets paired to fight with Felix,” she explained, nodding her head in the direction of the gladiator practicing beside him.

Your eyes landed on the shorter man, with tan skin and a head full of riotous black curls.

“Why doesn’t he fight with a sword like the others?” you asked quietly, noting the trident and net that Felix held in his hands instead of a sword and shield.

“Felix is a Retiarius,” Phoenix told you, keeping her voice low as the two of you continued to walk. “He fights with the trident and net, as you can see, and very little armor. The Retiarius is popular in the arena, but he has to be skilled to survive. Felix is the best there is of his class.”

You and Phoenix stopped short when you came closer to the main ring, where Gallus and his light haired opponent were still battling one another.

“I believe you’re already acquainted with Gallus,” Phoenix murmured with a sideways glance, chuckling under her breath.

Embarrassed, you glanced down at your feet for a moment. Your attention was drawn back upwards, however, at the sound of the men’s loud grunts.

“And who is that?” you questioned quietly, looking intently at the man that Gallus had been pitted against. From what you could see, they were almost evenly matched in skill and ability.

Something flashed briefly in Phoenix’s eyes, but she quickly scoffed and shook her head. “They call him Carnifex. He lives for the attention the crowds shower on him,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “He’s smug and arrogant and hates the fact that the crowds love Gallus just a little bit more than they love him,” she went on. You noticed that she hadn’t taken her eyes off him, even as she complained about him. “He’s a Murmillo, like Pollux. From Gaul originally. They tried to execute him there, but even the hangman could not kill him. That’s how they gave him his name.”

“And their trainer?” You glanced over at the older dark-haired man, the one who was still watching Gallus and Carnifex with the eyes of a hawk.

“Magnus,” Phoenix stated. “He’s a Rudiarius. He used to be a gladiator—one of the best, in fact. So good that he finally earned his freedom. Now Atticus pays him to train his men and make them the best of the best. He does a good job of it, too.”

The two of you stood quietly for a moment, listening to Magnus bark out orders, which Gallus seemed particularly resistant to.

“Magnus fought in the Thracian style,” Phoenix explained, glancing over at you. “It’s the same style Gallus fights in now, so he’s particularly hard on him,” she said, her voice softening slightly as she looked over at her friend.

You glanced between Phoenix and Gallus for a moment, and couldn’t explain the sudden lump that formed in your throat. Unbidden, the memory returned of Gallus demanding to know where Phoenix was when you’d gone with Titus to patch him up.

“You and Gallus—I mean, it’s none of my business, of course, but the two of you seem very close,” you stammered, suddenly feeling a bit foolish. “Are you—?”

“Me and Gallus?” Phoenix asked, throwing her head back with a laugh. “No, no, no. Nothing like that. He’s like a brother to me, nothing more,” she assured you. “He and I have known each other a long time, that’s all. We’re comfortable with each other.” She turned to look at you. “We belonged to the same household before we got sold here, so we look out for each other, you know? The same way I look out for you now,” she smiled, slinging an arm around your shoulders.

You smiled in return, feeling an odd wash of relief.

“He and Carnifex really seem to be going for each other’s throats,” you murmured, your eyes widening as you watched the two of them lunge back and forth, their half naked bodies glistening with sweat in the midmorning sun.

Phoenix sighed, nodding. “Old rivalries don’t really die,” she said under her breath.

You blinked in confusion. “But they’re from the same ludus. Surely they don’t actually fight each other?”

“Not now,” Phoenix agreed, pursing her lips. “But Carnifex didn’t always belong to this ludus. When he and Gallus were first starting out, first making names for themselves, they used to get pitted against each other all the time. I think there’s a part of them that can’t really let that go, even now.”

The both of them seemed to be tiring out now, their breathing growing more labored as their swords and shields clashed. You realized, looking at them and all the many scars that littered their bodies, that these were men who had been pushed long past the point of human endurance. They’d been forced to fight and fight and fight for so long that they didn’t even know how to stop anymore.

Suddenly, however, with a move so swift your eyes nearly missed it, Carnifex knocked the shield from Gallus’ grasp and dropped him to the ground, the larger man grunting as he landed on his scarred shoulder.

“You’re getting slow in your old age, Gallus,” Carnifex smirked, standing above him triumphantly with a smug expression on his admittedly handsome face.

From his spot on the ground, Gallus glared up at him, his dark eyes stormy and filled with barely suppressed rage. Lightning quick, his leg shot out and swiped at Carnifex’s feet, knocking him onto his back.

“And you’re getting complacent in yours,” Gallus shot back coldly, the tip of his wooden sword planted into the sand, mere centimeters from Carnifex’s face, as he pressed his knee into his chest.

“Alright, that’s enough for today, you two,” Magnus called out, lifting his hands up into the air. “That’s enough.”

Gallus and Carnifex both rose from the ground with quiet groans, neither looking at the other as they separated.

Magnus slowly approached Gallus, looking up at the larger man as he began speaking. “Gallus, that was good work out there today, but you need to—”

You watched in surprise as, without even looking at his trainer, Gallus pushed past him with a frown and stomped off to the trough to get some water. Gaze slipping back in Magnus’ direction, expecting him to scold or punish Gallus for his insolence, you were even more surprised to instead see a flash of hurt cross his face before he turned away and began talking to the other gladiators.

“What was that?” you asked Phoenix, your curiosity piqued despite yourself.

“I have no idea,” Phoenix told you, lifting her shoulders as if in surrender. “Something happened there, but no one knows what. They used to get along just fine, and then one day it was as if Gallus couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as Magnus. But he won’t talk about it, and I won’t push.”

You nodded, accepting her response and leaving it at that. If even Phoenix didn’t know what the problem was between Gallus and his trainer, then it certainly wasn’t your business.

“Ladies,” Titus called out to the two of you, approaching quickly. “Finish hanging those things to dry, and then come meet me back here. I need you to tend the Pugiones today while I deal with the other men,” he sighed, rolling his eyes skyward. “Six broken fingers, three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and four teeth knocked out. These new recruits will be the death of me.”

Hurrying off, you and Phoenix made quick work of the laundry and then returned to the training grounds, where all the weapons and shields had already been carefully collected and stored away. Your dominus was nothing if not fastidious in the management of his ludus, and nothing was to be out of place.

The newer recruits, the ones that Titus said he would deal with, were gathered at the far corner of the grounds, some of them lying flat on their backs, while others sat clutching at various injuries. You could hear their moans of pain even from where you stood.

The Pugiones, however, were stoic and silent as they sat upon the low stone wall on the outer edge of the training arena, waiting for you and Phoenix to come tend to their wounds, which were decidedly much less pronounced than those of the younger men.

“None of them got hurt too badly today,” Titus explained, appearing over your shoulder and making you jump slightly. He wasn’t a small man, but he did manage to be stealthy when he needed to be. “Just your usual bumps and bruises. With two of you working, it shouldn’t take long to see to it,” he said, nodding his head once with certainty. He started to walk away, then turned back to look at you. “Oh, Sabina, I would appreciate it if you could check on Gallus’ injury, the one from a couple weeks ago. I removed his stitches just the other day, but he’s being a stubborn mule, as usual.”

The medicus didn’t even give you a chance to reply before he was off again, whistling a jaunty tune as he made his way over to the other gladiators.

“Is he sure he doesn’t need one of us to help him?” you murmured, biting down on your lower lip. You suddenly felt a strange knot developing in the pit of your stomach. “The newer men’s injuries seem so much worse. Surely only one of us needs to tend to the Pugiones.”

“Oh, would you like me to go help Titus and you stay here alone?” Phoenix asked, giggling at the horrified look on your face. “Don’t worry, I’m only teasing,” she smiled, bumping your shoulder with her own. “Titus likes to handle the new recruits on his own as much as possible. He knows how hard it can be when you come to care for someone, and then they don’t come back, so he tries to spare us that as much as possible,” she explained, her smile dimming slightly as she reached for the basket of medical supplies that Titus had left for you. “Come on, let’s go deal with this lot.”

As the two of you approached the men, who somehow seemed even larger and more handsome the closer you came, Carnifex looked up and smirked, releasing a low whistle.

“Well if it isn’t my favorite Grecian goddess, Phoenix,” he called out, a twinkle in his eyes, which you now noticed were a startling shade of green.

Phoenix smirked in return, stopping in front of the Gallic gladiator and dropping her basket at his feet. “Well if it isn’t my least favorite gladiator, Carnifex.”

Pollux, Felix, and Caius snickered at that, which earned Caius, since he was the one sitting beside Carnifex, a sharp elbow to the ribs.

“Ow,” Caius complained, rubbing at his side with a frown. “Come on, you set yourself up for that one.”

“You know Phoenix could probably drop you faster than all the rest of us, right?” Felix jumped in, laughing. You liked his laugh. It was open and easy and quickly made you forget that he was one of the fiercest fighters in the Colosseum.

“And she would, too!” Pollux added, chuckling. He glanced over at you as he said it and smiled. He had a nice smile.

It was funny. You’d been so terrified at the thought of living in a household with these men, but they were so—ordinary. They weren’t monstrous killers. They were just men.

Carnifex grumbled under his breath, his eyes quickly taking in Phoenix’s figure before he looked away.

“Aw, don’t be mad just because Gallus bested you today. He’s bested us all,” Caius grinned, earning him another shove in the ribcage.

Gallus, for his part, just sat quietly on his perch, gazing forward without looking at you or anyone else.

“I’ll have you all know that you’re making an absolutely horrible impression on our new friend here,” Phoenix scolded them, holding up a hand in your direction. “See, Sabina? I told you they were idiots, the whole lot of them.”

“Oh, so this is Sabina,” Pollux smirked knowingly, shooting a glance down the line at where Gallus sat, his spine stiff as he stared straight ahead.

“We’ve heard good things,” Felix nodded. “From Titus, of course,” he added quickly at Pollux’s subtle nudge. “And Phoenix.” He held out his hand towards you. “I’m Felix,” he introduced himself with a grin.

You found yourself smiling as well as you stepped forward and placed your hand in his, shaking it firmly.

“I’ve already told her who all of you are and all the stupid things you do, so don’t think you’ll be impressing her,” Phoenix grinned, reaching into the basket to pull out a vial of acid vinegar and some clean bandages.

“Aw, but you love us, Phoenix. Don’t pretend that you don’t,” Caius pretended to pout, winking playfully in your direction.

Phoenix merely harrumphed in response, ducking her chin to mask her smile.

“Alright, Carnifex, you’re first up,” she said, grabbing his hands and examining the knuckles. “Looks like Gallus really put you through your paces today.”

Carnifex bristled at that, his back straightening. “A cheap trick he pulled at the end. I would have had him otherwise.”

“You would have had him if you weren’t so cocky,” Phoenix shot back evenly, glaring at him.

You couldn’t help but notice the look that passed between them as they stared into each other’s eyes, some subtle challenge, some underlying current of tension. 

Maybe it wasn’t Phoenix’s relationship with Gallus you should have been asking about.

“So,” Pollux cleared his throat, cutting through the sudden strain in the air. “Sabina,” he called out to you as you began lifting Caius’ knuckles and examining the damage. “How long have you been a part of the esteemed household of Atticus Cornelius Juventus?” You didn’t fail to detect the note of sarcasm in his voice as he asked the question.

“Nearly three months now,” you replied, dabbing some acid vinegar onto the fresh cuts you saw littering Caius’ hands and forearms. “My last dominus passed away and his property was auctioned off, so I was sold here.”

“Three months? And this is the first we’re seeing of you?” Felix questioned in surprise, his dark eyebrows rising as he looked over at you.

“I work mainly in the villa, for Domina,” you explained. The tension returned to the air at the mention of Aurelia. “I had never been inside the ludus before, not until a couple weeks ago when Titus asked me to help him.” Care for Gallus, you left unsaid, but when you glanced in his direction, you found that his eyes were suddenly on you.

“Well lucky for us then,” Caius grinned down at you as you carefully wrapped his hands in white linen strips. “You really do have gentle hands.” At the sound of Gallus clearing his throat, he hastened to add, “Unlike Phoenix here. She manhandles us worse than Titus.”

“Mhm, and it’s what you deserve,” Phoenix smirked, finishing her work bandaging a cut on Carnifex’s arm. She pointedly avoided his gaze as she moved down the line to Felix.

“There you are,” you told Caius with a smile, glancing up at him when you were finished.

“Thank you, Sabina,” he smiled in return, flexing his hands carefully.

As you stepped back and started to move towards Pollux, Phoenix suddenly stopped you in your tracks. “Oh, I’ve got Pollux. He and Felix don’t have many injuries today. Why don’t you go check Gallus like Titus asked you to?”

You weren’t sure why it suddenly felt like everyone’s eyes were on you, but you had never wanted to run and hide more than you did in that moment. Knowing you couldn’t do that, however, you simply nodded and offered your friend a tight smile. “Okay,” you said softly.

Heart fluttering uncomfortably inside your chest, rather like the birds Dominus and Domina kept for decoration in the garden, you approached Gallus while staring down at your bare feet. Soon enough, however, the intensity of his gaze drew your eyes upward until they were meeting his dark ones. They were a dark brown, you realized, as the sun hit them. They were the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen.

“Hello,” you stuttered, your mind recalling the last time you had truly spoken to him, when he had apologized for his behavior the first time you’d met.

“Hello,” he murmured in response, his voice even deeper than you had remembered it. He sat completely still as you moved closer to him, his eyes never leaving your face even as you ducked your head to gingerly lift his hands and examine his knuckles.

Feeling uncomfortably warm under the heat of his stare, you found yourself entranced by the many scars that traced their way across the backs of his hands. Your thumb lightly brushed against his bruised knuckles, and you couldn’t tell if it was him or you who shivered in the midday heat.

Reaching for the vial with trembling hands, you carefully dabbed at his very minor injuries with the acid vinegar, admiring the way he didn’t even flinch at the sting. You were so focused on wrapping his hands with bandages that you didn’t notice the way he was now staring at your arm.

“What happened?” he asked quietly, reaching out to lightly brush his calloused fingertips against the yellowish bruise that was still marring your wrist.

Startled, you glanced down in embarrassment, your skin feeling hot where he had touched you. “Oh, nothing,” you answered quickly, mortified at the memory of where that mark had come from. “I’m just clumsy, that’s all.”

Gallus wasn’t buying your excuse, not for a second. “That isn’t a mark that comes by accident or chance,” he said, stilling your movements as he raised your wrist up with a surprisingly gentle hand and further examined the bruises—the ones that matched perfectly with the shape of your domina’s fingers. “That’s a mark left by a human hand.” There was something in his voice as he said it, something rough and angry, but you knew it wasn’t an anger directed at you.

“It’s nothing, Gallus,” you murmured sharply, his name slipping off your tongue as you pulled your arm from his grasp. You softened when you saw the way he stiffened. “Please,” you whispered, your voice cracking slightly over that one word. “Just leave it alone. I promise I’ll be more careful.”

“You’re not the one who needs to be careful,” he said in a low voice, his eyes narrowing. There was something dangerous in the way he said it, a veiled threat that wasn’t meant for you, but that made you shiver all the same. His eyes softened a fraction when he realized his words had unsettled you. “Forgive me. I’m a brute, as Titus never fails to remind me.” His fingers closed over yours for a moment as you finished bandaging his hand. “I just—I don’t wish to see you hurt.”

“Nor I, you,” you whispered, swallowing past the lump that had lodged itself in your throat once more. You cleared your throat, mindful of the fact that the others were sitting just a few feet away from you, though they seemed lost in their own conversation. “Speaking of Titus, he wished for me to check how your healing is coming along,” you told him, raising a hand towards his chest.

Gallus was silent for a moment, just looking at you, but then he slowly removed the straps attaching his armor to his body, giving you an unrestricted view of his naked chest.

Titus really was a master medicus, for the mark of his stitches was already fading fast, a clean line across Gallus’ chest that would hardly stick out amongst all the other scars marking his body.

Taking a breath, you stepped in between his legs and ran your fingers over the wound, freezing when you felt the way his body tensed under your touch. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” you asked in concern.

“No,” Gallus said stiffly, shaking his head. “It no longer pains me. I’m fine, really. You don’t need to check up on me.”

“Titus said you were being stubborn,” you told him with a small smile, glancing into his eyes as your hands stilled on his chest.

“Titus would know,” Gallus muttered, a tiny smile gracing his own features. “He’s one of the most stubborn men I know.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, and it pleased you to see Gallus’ smile grow wider. He had a lovely smile, made all the lovelier by the fact that he didn’t seem to smile often.

“So will you be around here more often then?” Gallus asked after a moment of silence, watching as you stepped back and began to pack up the remainder of the supplies. “With Phoenix and Titus, I mean.”

“Yes, I think I will,” you nodded. You weren’t sure what possessed you to say it, but you suddenly added, “So I suppose you’ll be seeing more of me.”

Gallus didn’t say anything in response to that, just continued to gaze at you with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Before you could embarrass yourself further, Magnus suddenly appeared in the middle of the training grounds, calling out to the men. “I’d like to speak to you all for a few moments,” he announced, noting that Titus seemed to be almost finished tending to the younger men.

The rest of the Pugiones rose, bidding you and Phoenix farewell, but Gallus remained where he was for a moment, his thoughtful expression turning to a frown.

“Gallus, Magnus is calling for all of you,” Phoenix told him, hefting the basket and resting it on her hip.

“He can wait for a minute,” Gallus snapped, in a tone that was evidently harsher than he intended, considering the apologetic glance he threw Phoenix’s way. Sighing, he slowly rose from the wall and glanced between the two of you. “Thank you, Sabina,” he murmured, lightly touching your arm before he turned and made his way over to where the rest of the gladiators were gathering.

“The two of you seemed cozy,” Phoenix whispered after he had walked away, nudging you with a playful wink as she helped you clean up the rest of the supplies.

“We were just talking,” you insisted, feeling heat rise to your cheeks as you avoided her gaze.

“Mhm,” Phoenix grinned, resting a hand on her hip. “But there are very few people who Gallus enjoys talking to,” she emphasized, nudging you again with a laugh.

You were saved from further interrogation by the unexpected arrival of Hrodebert, one of Atticus’ chief stewards in the household. You didn’t deal much with the stewards, but you’d come to know him quite well over the past few months because of his close friendship with Phoenix. A quiet and studious man who had been kidnapped from his homeland in Germania when he was a child, Hrodebert had developed an affinity for numbers and figures, which was why he was one of the most trusted members of Dominus’ household, so trusted, in fact, that Atticus had placed him in charge of the accounts related to the ludus.

He squinted in the sun as he approached you and Phoenix, and you felt a stab of sympathy for him. Over the years, Hrodebert had been expected to stay up all night, burning the midnight oil while poring over accounts and ledgers, and it had significantly impacted his eyesight. There were times, you knew, when Phoenix stayed up at night to help him in secret because of how badly his eyes ached.

“Hello, Hrodebert,” Phoenix greeted him, momentarily forgetting about your interaction with Gallus as she approached her old friend. “What brings you over to the ludus?”

“You and Sabina,” Hrodebert replied, his mouth twisting into an apologetic frown as he looked from Phoenix over to you. “Domina is demanding—ahem, asking—for your presence in the villa. According to her, you’ve spent enough time over here with—and I quote— these filthy savages.” He let out a long-suffering sigh. “And you’re to clean yourselves up before you enter her presence.” Grimacing, he added, “I’m sorry. Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“It’s not your fault, Hrodebert,” you told him kindly, resting a reassuring hand on his arm. “Thank you for coming to get us.”

Hrodebert smiled, nodding. “Of course. I figured it was better me than someone else.”

“You’re right,” Phoenix nodded as the three of you began walking back towards the villa. “Because another messenger I might just shoot.”

You and Hrodebert couldn’t help but laugh at Phoenix’s indignant tone.

As your two friends began walking ahead of you, chatting about some account that Hrodebert was trying to organize, you couldn’t help but glance back over your shoulder at where the gladiators were currently in the midst of some sort of debriefing with Magnus. And though you knew you shouldn’t be seeking him out, your eyes somehow landed immediately on the tall, broad-shouldered Briton who had quickly become the most challenging puzzle you’d ever encountered.

Your heart skipped several beats when you realized that his gaze was fixed on you as well. Nearly stumbling over your own two feet, you turned hastily and followed after the others.

He couldn’t explain the ache in his chest as he watched you walk away, being swallowed up by the impenetrable walls of the villa of Atticus Cornelius Juventus, but it persisted all the same.

You had consumed his thoughts these past few weeks, ever since that day when he’d opened his eyes to find you standing above him, your hands as gentle as a dove when you touched him.

It would only grow worse, this ache, now that you were working around the ludus more frequently. He didn’t know if he could stand it.

But he also couldn’t stand the thought of you staying away.

Watching you disappear inside the villa, he felt an unsettling fear snake its way up his spine and squeeze his heart—or what was left of his heart, anyway. Those bruises on your wrist. He couldn’t get the sight of them out of his mind’s eye. And he knew exactly who had put them there, even if you wouldn’t say. That miserable bitch. She took anything that was beautiful and good and crushed it for her own sick amusement.

The thought of her hurting you made him want to burn that villa to the ground.

He had to talk to Phoenix and Hrodebert, had to make sure that they protected you where he couldn’t.

Where he couldn’t? Had he deemed himself your protector now? How could he protect you when he couldn’t even protect himself?

But he would protect you. Of that, he was certain. He didn’t understand the feelings that you had awakened inside him—he didn’t want to understand them—but he knew that he would do what he had to do to keep you safe.

As he and the others began trudging their way back to their cells, exhausted after a long morning of training exercises, he was pulled out of his silent reverie by the conversation happening around him.

“She was sweet,” Felix was saying, running an exhausted hand through his dark curls. “And Phoenix likes her a lot, so clearly we can trust her.”

“Titus likes her, too, so that’s two strikes in her favor. If she can win over that grumpy old man, then there must be something special about her,” Pollux nodded in agreement, rolling his aching shoulders back.

Gallus realized they were talking about you.

“Pretty, too,” Caius added, waggling his eyebrows with a grin. “You think she has a thing for gladiators?”

“Stay away from her,” Gallus said sharply, causing all of their heads to turn in his direction.

Pollux and Felix exchanged a look, while Caius and Carnifex raised curious brows.

“Do you have a thing for the pretty new slave girl, Gallus?” Carnifex asked, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “And here we thought you were celibate, considering how you never seem to—”

“Just stay away from her,” Gallus said darkly, taking a tense step in Carnifex’s direction. “She’s here to help us, not to warm your beds.”

Carnifex smirked challengingly at Gallus, but the rest of them threw their hands up in surrender.

“We’re not going to bother her, Gallus. You have our word,” Felix promised, looking at him seriously.

Pollux and Caius quickly echoed his sentiments, and even Carnifex finally relented and nodded in agreement.

There were very few people on this earth that Gallus liked, and even fewer that he trusted, but his fellow Pugiones were among them. Even Carnifex, as much as he may have disliked him most of the time. If they gave their word that they wouldn’t bother you, then he knew it was as good as a blood oath.

“We need to look out for her, the same way we look out for Phoenix,” he told them, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the villa. “Don’t let anyone else bother her either, otherwise they’ll answer to me.”

The rest of them nodded, exchanging silent glances once more. They’d never seen Gallus, usually so aloof and cold, like this before.

“Alright, men, let’s get some rest before Magnus drags us out for some new form of torture,” Carnifex announced, stretching his arms over his head.

Letting out tired groans, they nodded and headed off to their own cells. As the champions of the ludus, they were each afforded their own space, which was more than could be said for the newer recruits.

As Gallus trudged into his cell, he pulled off his sandals and dropped down onto his bed, ignoring the fresh pitcher of wine that had been left on his table. His body ached and his joints popped as he rolled over, staring at the wall and trying to get the image of your face out of his mind.

It was no use. As he drifted off into a restless sleep, he could see nothing but the beauty of your smile, hear nothing but the melody of your laughter, feel nothing but the gentleness of your touch.

In all his years risking his life in the arena, fighting for the entertainment of those who had enslaved him, he had never felt as helpless as he did when he thought of how he could do so little to keep you safe.

You held him captive, and for the first time in his life, he found that he didn’t mind.

[f1-stuff]

kid fic 👀

Thank you for your patience, anon! Posted below is the 'prologue' of the fic. My google doc for this one is 13k words and counting, so look out for a part one on ao3 (hopefully) really soon! -> WIP game

It’s a Saturday in Melbourne when Carlos is called to the track early for a meeting with his manager and the team’s legal department.

He doesn’t think much of it - maybe it’s about some merchandising opportunity, or a special race suit for Spain. Or maybe he said some comment in an interview yesterday that he shouldn’t have, though he can’t think of what that would’ve been off the top of his head. And anyway, if that were the case, then his press officer would be there. He supposes he might be, actually.

Carlos takes his time, stopping for his usual espresso and saying good morning to any team personnel who’ve arrived as early as he has. He’s feeling optimistic - the car felt good in free practice yesterday, so he’s hopeful they can have a good weekend.

When he finally makes it to the conference room, the head of the legal department’s there, along with his cousin and manager, Caco. What makes Carlos stop in his tracks though is the television screen at the end of the room. It’s displaying a zoom call containing what can only be a room full of Ferrari legal aides and lawyers, all sitting and facing the camera with silent, somber expressions.

His eyes meet Caco’s, who’s already looking at him with an apprehensive arch to his brow, like he thinks Carlos knows the reason for this meeting. In other words, his cousin doesn’t know the reason for this meeting.

A tense, nervous energy permeates the room.

“Carlos. Take a seat,” the chief legal officer, Sabina, says, all business.

Carlos takes a seat beside Caco with trepidation, clearing his throat of sudden nerves. “What is this about?”

“Lucía Ibarra. Does this name sound familiar?”

His jerk reaction is to say ‘no.’ But he pauses, the name scratching something at the back of his memory. Lucy...

“Uh...maybe. Yes, I think so,” he amends. He knew a ‘Lucy,’ short for Lucía, years ago, and he knew her last name once upon a time, too. But it’s been a while. That, though...it sounds like it could be right. “What about her?”

“Do you know this woman?”

“I did- I mean...years ago-”

“Lucía Ibarra, twenty-six years old, living in France and working as a journalist for a small, local publication.”

France?

When he’d met her, she was living in Madrid with dreams of becoming a writer, studying toward a degree in university. She’d had a double-focus in French and journalism, so he supposes it makes sense if that’s where she’d ended up. 

Carlos feels a tickle of pride for her, but it’s buried underneath his bewilderment, as Sabina continues to list off details of a girl’s life that Carlos hasn’t seen or heard from in four or so years. A girl who Carlos had thought he would just continue to wonder about from time-to-time, who’d changed her number after...whatever they were together, so that even if Carlos had wanted to call he couldn’t.

“Carlos.”

“Yes. Sorry.”

“So you did in fact know this woman? That certainly complicates things, but no matter what, we have a plan in place.”

“A...plan-?”

“We’ve contacted your lawyer, who will join our call soon, I expect.”

Carlos meets eyes with Caco, who feels his gaze and returns it with equal dread.

“What...” He clears his throat. “What has happened to her?”

“There’s been an accident,” Sabina says, and his heart sinks. An accident? But it still doesn’t make any sense. What does this have to do with him? “We don’t have all the details. But we’re organizing a flight for you to France-”

“A flight? What- when?”

“Right after the race.”

“But- this is impossible,” Carlos insists, almost feeling like laughing, but sensing it’s the wrong time. He’s just so, completely lost by everything going on. “I cannot fly to France after the race. Japan is in two weeks.”

His race preparation will go to shit if he flies to Europe. The jetlag alone will fuck up his entire system and concentration. Not to mention the fact that he still has no fucking clue why he needs to go to France for a woman he kind of knew years ago, who he hasn’t spoken to since she told him to ‘figure out your shit’ in a hotel room in Barcelona.

He’s sorry to hear about her accident, of course. Does this mean she’s...dead? Shit. But he can’t drop everything to...attend a funeral, or whatever’s going on. And the team should know that. How do they even know about her?

“Carlos, this is non-negotiable. Now, we recognize the sensitivity of the situation, so we’ve decided you should stay for the race. But we don’t want you talking to any news outlets or making any statements.”

Statements about what, he wants to ask. But Sabina beats him to it.

“Lucía Ibarra had a child, Carlos - three years old. And apparently, she’s yours.”

[pencil-peach]

GWitch Onscreen Text: Episode 8

Part 9 in my ongoing attempt to transcribe all the written text in G Witch, cause I'm just that cool ! We're currently on Episode 8: "Their Choice."

<<Click here to return to episode 8!

Let us begin!

Not text, but in the opening scene, Lilique is told by Aliya that she'll "have trouble with men" in the near future during their divination session. This is foretelling how Renee will destroy her MS in the Grassley duel because she rejected John Van Simmon's lunch invitation.

TEXT: GUND-ARM Inc.

During Miorine's impromptu enlisting of Earth House to help run GUND-ARM, we see the spray painted sign that Miorine and Suletta made beforehand leaning outside the door. Given that they definitely didn't make the sign at Earth House, I like to imagine that they made the sign, and Miorine was like:

"This is the worst. Suletta, help me carry this sign to Earth House."

S: "W-why, Miorine-san?"

M: "They're going to be working at the company so I'll just have them make a better sign."

S: "Oh, did you ask them?"

M: "Not yet."

S: ????????????????????????????

TEXT DUEL BETTING ODDS TYPE OF BETTING: SINGLE RANK | ID. No | NAME | ODDS

| KP003 | SHADDIQ ZENELLI | 1.3

| LP041 | SULETTA MERCURY | 1.9

| KP002 | ELAN CERES | 2.7

| KP001 | GUEL JETURK | 3.4

| KP014 | SABINA FARDIN | 6.9

| LP029 | OLTA SHUBACCA | 7.6

| KP013 | LAUDA NEILL | 9.1

| LP022 | JONAS MOUWEN | 9.8

| MP028 | RAGNAR OOLES | 11.4

| LP013 | RENEE COSTA | 13.3

During this scene where Martin and Ojelo are talking, we get a look into the betting program he and Nuno are always using, and we get to see the top 10 ranked duelists at Asticassia at the time of this episode.

Of special note: Shaddiq is currently at rank 1, and due to the gray up arrow next to his rank, we can see this is a recent change in his rank. But considering that he doesn't duel very often, (at this point he currently has 7 wins and 0 losses) we can probably assume this is because Suletta has knocked both Guel and Elan from the top spots, leaving him alone at the top. His Odds are at 1.3

Suletta is currently at Rank 2, and we can also see by the gray arrow that this is a recent promotion. She probably rose up after defeating Elan. Her odds are 1.9.

Elan is Rank 3, and the red down arrow means he's recently been demoted, presumably after losing to Suletta. His odds are 2.7

Guel, surprisingly, is still rank 4 with a 3.4. Because he's the only pilot at the school to have won a double digit number of duels, his Win - Loss ratio is still presumably one of the best, even with 2 official losses.

Sabina is rank 5, with a 6.9. She's not only the second highest ranked pilot in Grassley House, but is the 4th best among all the other members of the main 3 houses. Even at that, her rank is 6.9, 3.5 points below Guel's. It really goes to show the gulf between the best pilots and the VERY best pilots at Asticassia.

Lauda is rank 7, with a 9.1. Still top 10, but he's eclipsed by Guel even at his lowest. It's nice to see proof pre-Schwarzette that Lauda can hold his own, and it gives more context to his statement that "[With a Gundam's power], he's a match for his brother." He's probably never beaten Guel in a duel, and with the difference in their results, he's probably never come close, either. On some level, he probably resents him for that.

Renee is rank 10, with odds of 13.3. We don't learn much about Renee, but we know now that she's the 3rd highest ranked pilot within Grassley, underneath Sabina and Shaddiq, but the gulf is large.

I don't think there's any way in hell to figure out how the odds are calculated, (I've tried.) but we know that the lower the odds, the higher your rank.

Because the names are color coded, we can actually see how many members of each house are in the top ten. Grassley - Shaddiq, Sabina, Renee (3/10) - 30% Peil - Elan (1/10) - 10% Jeturk - Guel, Lauda, Ragnar (3/10) - 30% Earth - Suletta (1/10) - 10% Unknown House - Olta, Jonas (2/10) - 20% (These two names are color coded the same, so I'll assume they're in the same house, as 'unhoused' students have the standard blue color coding : e.g Miorine)

Okay, we're ALMOST done here, but, because Ojelo often says the odds of a duel out loud during it, we can actually track the odds of Guel, Elan, and Suletta up to this point. (Ojelo always says the odds in terms of Person he's betting on's odds - Opponent's odds.)

Guel: Episode 3 Odds: 1 Episode 5 Odds: 1.4 Episode 8 Odds: 3.4 1 - 1.4 - 3.4

Elan: Episode 5 Odds: 1 Episode 6 Odds: 1 Episode 8 Odds: 2.7 1 - 1 - 2.7

Suletta: Episode 3 Odds: 8.6 Episode 6 Odds: 2.7 Episode 8 Odds: 1.9 8.6 - 2.7 - 1.9

HUAHH okay, let us continue

This is the Recording System that opens when Prospera sends her all of Aerial's past data. The screen is similar to the one that appears when Eri is speaking to Lfrith, but other than that there's not much info that can be gleaned here.

Not text, but I really how during the scene where Suletta asks Prospera why she lied to her, and Prospera continues to lie to her about why, Suletta's face is drawn in a way that's uncomfortable to look at once she falls for her manipulation.

This scene is also where Prospera tells her outright that Gundams are safe, and for nearly the entire rest of the series, Suletta repeats this, even when faced with direct evidence to the contrary because she wholeheartedly believes her mother would never lie to her for no reason.

Okay okay FINAL non text thing I PROMMY, but this scene implies that at some point, Suletta spoke with Shaddiq about the situation with her mom for at least a little bit at some point. I wish we got to see that.

TEXT: NEXT > THE ASTICASSIA SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY WE WILL SHORTLY ARRIVE...

I wonder why Shaddiq was on this flight anyway. Probably to talk to Sarius or something.

TEXT: Preparing disclosure documents for investors Application for Registration of Incorporation (Benerit Group Student Business Startup Program) Articles of Incorporation to Benerit Group Legal Certification Division Business Plan for Benerit Group Internal Entrepreneurship Committee Business Plan for Student Business Startup Program Documents for Benerit Group Grant Review Committee Broadcast License for PR Video Documents to Open Corporate Account Application for Special R & D Financial Transaction Business Application for MSP Certified Factory Application for Establishment of Sustainable Enterprise

This is the list of all the various things and registrations the company needs to take care of

Not text (sorry i lied) but I think it's interesting that the video Miorine watches of her father's speech is a secondhand recording and not an actual recording of the event.

Some closer looks at the editing software used to create the PR video. The name of the raw video file is GUND-ARMInc.PV01, and the placeholder text for the GUND-ARM Inc. Logo is GUND-ARMInc.PV02.

Also all of the silly visual effects like the hearts and musical notes make sense when you realize they had Suletta edit the actual video.

We can actually see Till's rough sketch of the GUND-ARM logo on his tablet screen, complete with construction lines. That's why they have to use a placeholder in the editing software, it's not complete yet.

When Miorine chooses the data files to cast to the screen, the 3 video files are named GUND CARDO NABO MS

The files are dated by year, so all of these files were recorded in A.S. 101.

Here is all of the editing (blessings) in the GUND-ARM PR Video 1. When Suletta walks into frame, the video is covered in a filter that makes hearts and stars appear on the screen. When the video cuts the first time, the filter changes to one that makes various musical notes appear on the screen. Then when it cuts again the filter is gone. 2. Suletta walks into frame, and then tries to correct her position, and then it cuts back to a shot of her in the original spot she was standing in. 3. Aerial is horribly keyed into the shot, and you can see bits of the green screen behind it. Tiko also walks in front of it and they didn't know how to edit him out. 4. When they begin the dance, each step cuts to a later time of day and Suletta looks noticeably more exhausted, which means they kept having to re-record it. 5. They kept having to edit Aerial's arms to make the dance moves work.

They move them around

And they stretch them.

I like that Prospera laughs at the video, because for her, it's probably like watching her daughters having fun and playing together.

The food for the party that Suletta and Miorine are bringing are from ASTICASSIA FOODS.

TEXT: ASTICASSIA SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY STUDENT REGULATIONS

STUDENT REGULATIONS >> SUPPLEMENTAL STUDENT BUSINESS STARTUP REGULATIONS ARTICLE 53 PARAGRAPH 3 SAFETY VERIFICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY USED IN STUDENT BUSINESSES. EDIT APPLY

The part of the school regulations that Sabina edits for Shaddiq.

HOYAAAHHH!!! MISSION COMPLETE! This one was a DOOZY...but i've actually been wanting to talk about the betting program for a WHILE and I'm glad I finally got to..! My final gift...errmmm

In a way, I guess they did, in the end, huh?

Click here to go to Episode 9. >>

Click here to go to the Masterpost.

[casinotrio1965]

Disney Descendants : Teenage Fabiana with her Hair Down and in a Pink dress

Note : (Actually this is Sabina the puppet girl from the live action remake but for the life of me I'm gonna pretend it's Fabiana even though that was not @redceedsblog's intent when she drew this originally . Mostly cuz i have too many Characters already and I already have a Character named Sabina in my Descendants au )

Art by @redceedsblog

[thomas-sanders-shipname-glossary]

The Plan so far

So, this blog was a very spontaneous idea I had yesterday (very late in the evening). So I took some time to think it through today, as well as get some more lists from other Fanders.

The plan now is to first create lists for the separate facets of the Thomas Sanders fandom, i.e. Sanders Sides, Shorts Characters, Cartoon Therapy and Roleslaying with Roman. (I'm sorry that this means I need to split up Remy and Emile for now, we'll get to crossovers later.)

For that to work, I need a comprehensive list of characters first. So this is my call for your help! I'll put a list of who I got so far after the cut and you can reply to this post or send me an ask about more characters I can/should include!

I'm really happy with the positive reactions I got for creating this blog, thank you for your support! 💗💙💖💙💜💛💚

Sanders Sides:

Patton

Roman

Logan

Virgil

Janus

Remus

Orange

Thomas

Nico

King

Dragon Witch (unsure if I should include her but if I do, this is where she'll be)

I know King is most commonly used as a sort of fusion of Roman and Remus but for the purposes of this list, I will see him as an entirely separate character and as such include ships between him and Roman and/or Remus.

Shorts Characters

Remy - Sleep

Teal/Teagan - Teacher

Dayd - Dad

Pryce - Prince

Andy - Anxiety

Dice/Anton/Cedric - The Critic

Linda - Thomas' Cowlick

Missy - Misleading Compliments

Nathan - Crimefighter Dude

Detective Sanders (from this series which I found through this post by @loganslowdown4!)

Percy/Magenta - Printer

Harley/Hart - Heart

Immy - Immune System

Brian - Brain

Dean - Denial

Sabina - Spam Bot

Ishmael - Ice Machine

Jasper - GPS

Scot - Scam Likely

Wieland - WIP

Phaelan - Phone

Fane - Fan

Steven - Electric Stapler

Ace - Action Hero that can't catch things

Rian - Rain

Mike - Microwave

Nessy - Illness

Apollo - Sun

Jericho - Moon

Taz / Tucker - Task

Bouce/Boucy - The Bouncing Ball

Anton - Antagonist

Pranks - Disney/Pokémon Pranks

Asher/Rudolph - Christmas

Jasper - Thanksgiving

Months

Jaana - January

Fabian - Feburary

Mara - March

April - April

May - May

Junie - June

Julia/Julian - July

Augusta/Augustus - August

Seth/Ember - September

Toby - October

Nove - November

Demetri/Odessa - December

Zodiacs

Ariel/Ari - Aries

Leona/Leonard/Leo - Leo

Candace/Candy - Cancer

Phillipa/Pip/Pippy - Pisces

Schuyler/Sky - Scorpio

Tara - Taurus

Sarah/Sally - Sagittarius

Caprice - Capricorn

Gemma - Gemini

Virginia/Ginny - Virgo

Liberty/Libby - Libra

Quinn - Aquarius

Cartoon Therapy (as far as I know, all the characters in this series are adults)

Emile Picani

Elliot

Mitchel (I don't actually know if that's how you spell his name)

Dot

Larry

Sloane

Corbin

Kai

Lauren

Sam

Roleslaying with Roman

Roman of Reston

Youngblood

Noise

??? (Mike)

Flow

Britney

Djembe

Bob Normie

Criss

Cross

Mother

Bard King

Ryker

There are many more characters in the series of course, but I do not know which it makes sense to include here, so please let me know! Also if there is another part of the fandom I forgot to include entirely.

[noahvoxwashere]

Pokémon OCs Mass Post [[EMRYS]]

Posting anywhere is extremely difficult for me; sharing kind of in general is very hard for me, but I want to try my hand at doing it more this year. New Years Resolution! Post more publicly!

For this post I will talk about my character Emrys! Pronounced [em-riss].

The bottom image was the first reference page I made for Emrys, the top one is the newer and FAR more detailed reference page!

Emrys; as a character; was just a rando I created for my playthrough of ORAS. I, me the artist, Noah; I actually don't like Hoenn as a region. It's what I can say with confidence is my least favourite generation both in terms of aesthetic and Pokémon. I will say, I have grown to love it over time! But, still not my fav ;w;

Emrys was late adapted into a friend of mines Pokémon Tabletop DnD campaign as a character and from there has gotten loads more development!

[Honestly, this Tumblr Post is JUST a reason for me to share all the art I haven't gotten the chance to share with my party yet for plot related reasons. I know none of them likely follow me on Tumblr, and if they do...Uh, OOPS!]

Emrys grew up in a small "community" in Hoenn of people that did not care for Pokémon, or the companionship of them. In fact, they hated Pokémon, saw them more as tools for work rather than friends. Emrys' mother, Sabina, is the founder; which puts Emrys in a sticky situation as someone who can understand Pokémon language, and openly communicate with the creatures. "A Show of Faith" is a piece I made to give explanation for Emrys' false canines. It's an indicator of who is a part of the cult-I mean community. The teeth are gemstones and other precious minerals taken from Sableye gangs.

Ever since being able to escape the cult through...less than kind circumstances, Emrys has had constant dreams about the Legends from the Hoenn region; Kyorge, Groundon, but more importantly, Rayquaza; the Legend that his mothers cult worshipped. Because of these dreams, Emrys has been dubbed the "prophet child", that he will bring a renewed view to the world through his deeds. Eventually. Unfortunately for the cult, and Emrys, he's spent the years away from the cult running from any and all contact that could come from a "shift in his destiny". Because of this, he doesn't stay in one place too long, and is constantly burning bridges with people to stay off the radar.

With Emrys; I used him as a character in the Pokémon world as an excuse to also redesign/re-imagine canon characters from the Pokémon world. Many of them I unfortunately haven't gotten around to getting out of the sketch phase; such as; Guzma, Piers, Lysandre, Sycamore, Elesa, and many MANY more. But one that I did end up getting done very early was Lisia, or Razia as I call her.

A VERY DRASTIC CHANGE, I KNOW I KNOW! I actually wanted reason to commit to doing hardcore research into Albinism. I think it's extremely beautiful; and I have a few characters across my stories with Albinism, so I wanted to do something more realistic to what Albinism would actually look like.

In my re-imagining of Lisia, Lisia is Raz's stage name; as she also escaped the cult with Emrys and another fellow, and soon discovered her lineage to Wallace; the former champion of the region and started living with him. Emrys later moved in with them as well for mental health reasons.

Razia is a pop singer, dancer, contest queen, body positive model, and a lover of all things Swablu. She was able to form a big crowd of fans due to her debut involving her answering lots of questions about her "hard life" within the cult she and her friends grew up in. She's also a plus sized woman, and a major advocate for all bodies, all skin tones, all disabilities; all the things! She's a very positive influence on Hoenn as a whole; even if her connections are mostly other musicians from other regions.

Razia's relationship with Emrys is tight. They're kind of best-friends with benefits. They love each other very deeply, on a very different level. [Also this piece was inspired by bases made by @//mellon_soup. They are unbelievably talented and their break downs help me a fuck ton with anatomy and style diversity.]

From this point on I'll just post all the art I want to and describe them as I see fit! That's the general jyst of Emrys, at least for now!

The first art I ever made of the rest of the DnD crew; before the redesigns I did with all the members. The gold toned character is Levi, the dark grey/later dark purple toned character is Mia, the garnet/pink-y toned character is Cooper, the beige/later sky blue character is Dottie, and the peach/orange toned character is Lailya.

This piece was also inspired by something my friend who plays Levi actually said in reference to Emrys joining the party.

An introduction to some of Emrys' team members. The Sableye is Tango [They/Them], and the off coloured Floette is Odette[She/Her]!

Coloured art inspired by a meme our friend who plays Lailya sent me and my friend who plays Levi regarding Emrys and Levi. Featuring Dottie in the top left corner; as well as the most prominent members of both Emrys and Levi's Pokémon teams; Deino the Zweilous and Cello the Delcatty.

Cello is Emrys' service Pokémon; therefore she doesn't partake in battles or contests; but she is a great singer, and kinda team mom by default.

And finally: The session I was introduced all the characters got turned into Pokémon! With the Pokémon Emrys turned into being Shiny Roselia. And here is some art to show that!

But, yeah! That's Emrys; at least for now! There are other things about him that I haven't worked out visually just yet, but will eventually!

Thanks for listening Tumblr. :]

~NoahwasHere

[tiredspacedragon]

For that ask game thing you reblogged:

31 and 32. Three favorite male names and 3 favorite female names. I like hearing people's opinions on this.

Oof, these are both hard but for opposite reasons. There are so many women's names I think are gorgeous, so it's hard to narrow it down to 3 I like the most. Meanwhile men's names are just really, aggressively bland 95% of the time. I can't think up enough for them! Here we go though!

31: a) Conor. I like Conner and Connor as well, but I favour the Irish spelling in particular. I'm fond of the sound of this one in general, but part of why I like it is because it was almost my name. It didn't make the final cut of course (no actual name of mine will be appearing on this list for privacy reasons, but I do quite like my actual name), but in some alternate universe out there, my name is Conor, and I think that's neat.

b) Ambrose. This one has a long, complicated history that I honestly don't particularly want to get into, but suffice to say it's the name of an OC I've been carrying around for more than a few years now :P

c) Cal, or any variation thereupon. So Callum, Calvin, etc. I'm not crazy about this one, but it's one that I keep coming back to as one I solidly like. I'm just a sucker for hard C's I guess.

32: a) Forsythia, shortened to Thia or Thea. I don't honestly know why I like this name so much. The Forsythia bush is a very pretty plant, but I have no special connection to it outside my fondness for the name. I just really like the sound. If at any point in my life I have a daughter, this is what I would like to name her. I would love a little Thea.

b) Kira. Yet another where I can't articulate exactly why I like, but this one has always stuck with me since I first heard it. It has a good balance of elegance and sharpness to it, I suppose. And yeah, another hard C/K name, big surprise.

c) Any variant of Sab, so Sabrina, Sabine, Sabina, Sabryn, etc. Something about these is just striking to me. Maybe it's that it almost sounds like they were derived from saber, which I'm fairly certain they were not, but the point stands. I feel like they stand out.

[calenhads]

the creature creeps inside [template]

[thefirstcourtesan]

it was JUST NOW that i realized you were the one who wrote a lot of my favorite acor fics from years ago !!! (went through your tag after i saw the last couple of asks you got about the book ahaha i hope you don't mind !!!) i love the fics and the meta you've done for portia and for moira, but i'd also love to hear more about your cassius and sabina MCs (if you did any playthroughs with them) and how they're different from your MCs that romanced antony and syphax

Awwww! Thank you! And never apologize for going through my tag, I have actually been loving the notification and the walk down memory lane.

I never ended up creating an MC for Sabina, I intended to but it just never happened, but my Cassius MC Brighid did end up as fleshed out as Portia and Moira and I did do a full play through with her.

Basically, Brighid is who I originally thought Portia would be (literally, I actually originally intended for Portia to be her Roman name and Brighid her Gaul name and ended up abandoning it and making Brighid a seperate MC). When I first started playing ACOR, I envisioned Portia as loving Cassius but wanting Antony and I saw her as bent on revenge at all cost but as I played the book and I started writing her, I realized that wasn’t her.

Portia, at her core, is a survivor. She was determined to not just survive Rome, but to thrive. If she had to become more Roman than Gaul, so be it. Not only that, but she would become the best Roman she could. She would show them all. And that is what made her so well suited for Antony. They were both survivors, both determined to prove the Roman elite wrong and they both wanted power. Portia became a woman who would adapt when she had to (like sparing Aquila to regain Antony’s favor) and who’s end goal wasn’t just to kill Caesar, but to claim Rome and rule it. I originally intended fo r her to love Cassius, but that just didn’t fit her. He was too idealistic for her, so in the end, I had her use him to help her kill Caesar.

Moira, my Syphax MC, is her exact opposite in every way. Moira’s whole focus has always been her family, revenge was a means to an end. Rome is her prison. She can’t lie as well as a courtesan should. She hates everything Antony stands for and lets him know. Moira wants Caesar dead, but mostly she wants her own freedom and she wants to leave Rome and everything attached to it behind. Moira was created to be the opposite of Portia.

Brighid, is more complicated. She is far more like Portia then Moira. As I said, she is the Portia that might have been. She shares many of the same qualities of Portia, the ability to lie and perform and adapt to Rome. But while Portia is a survivor at her core, Brighid is more complicated. Brighid has never forgotten Gaul, never let go of who she was and she has never forgiven Rome for what they did to her. So she wants Aquila to die and Caesar. She doesn’t care anything for Rome or the Republic, she just wants her own revenge.

But she does love Cassius. She loves his kindness and his ideals. She loves that he helps her see a new side of Rome and his people. She love that he makes her feel safe. However, as much as she loves Cassius, she is drawn to Antony like a moth to a flame. She does not like him, but she understands him and more than that she burns for him.

I chose the hate sex for Brighid and it was perfect.

She doesn’t love Antony. She doesn’t even particularly like him. But she desires him. Even as she is set on a life with Cassius, she needs that moment with Antony, one last tumble in his bed. She can tell herself it is the best way to distract him, but the truth is that she wanted it, wanted him.

But she still chooses Cassius. She loves Cassius and she is thrilled to get a life with him. A life that involves returning to Gaul, because she need that (which is also why Antony is a bad match for her, as he is the LI that will not accompany the MC to Gaul).

With Portia, I created an MC who had become Roman, who had chosen to adapt her surroundings. Brighid is who she might have been if revenge had been more important to her than survival and if she had never let go of Gaul. Brighid is not a woman that could have ever chosen Antony in the end, just like Portia would never have truly been content with Cassius. I see them both as very different from Moira, because Portia and Brighid were both willing to do whatever they had to for their goal, in a way Moira would not. Portia and Brighid are two sides of the same coin, while Moira was something else entirely.

Thank you so much for this ask @mrsstavizzi I love talking about my ACOR MCs, they have such a special spot in my heart.

[teamdilf]

Dealer's choice on blorbos. Hurt me 🥺

"Don't look at them, look at me."

The glittering chandeliers, the jewels, the impossibly high heels and the designer gowns are proof enough that Tullia will never fit in this world. She and Adrien normally avoid these stupid parties his parents throw at the estate, but Sabina was pulled into performing a poem and Adrien won’t let his little sister endure this alone.

He’s dressed in his military uniform (having discovered that he no longer fits the suit he wore to their bonding ceremony - he’s put on too much muscle over the last three years and he’s only the sexier for it), and she’s wearing a green dress that matches the emerald of her eyes.

Not designer, but off a clearance rack, because they’re saving for a house and can’t toss credits around on fabric.

The stares are pointed. Cruel. Adrien’s whore. If they call her by a name other than “whore”, it’s “Tullia Gabinus” because no middle class bitch could possibly have won his heart legitimately.

Usually it doesn’t bother her. She embraces the fact that she doesn’t fit in here much of the time. But tonight the room’s eyes are on her. Adrien’s whore.

She’ll never be good enough for these people.

"Don't look at them, look at me,” Adrien says, placing a hand on her back and guiding her to the living room that’s been cleared of its antique furniture, making it a de facto dance floor. In the corner is a three piece band - all dressed in formal suits.

She’s a drummer and can’t imagine drumming in such stuffy clothes.

Adrien takes her hand and sways his hips; his movements anything but in rhythm with the music, but that’s just Adrien, isn’t it? He’s a terrible dancer but does it anyway, because it’s just one more way to piss off the estate assholes he grew up with.

“You’re the most beautiful woman in the room. They’re just jealous of me,” Adrien says, so confidently she almost believes his sweet words. It’s so unlike him, to be so sweet. She prefers the spice; the sass they exchange. Bickering as an expression of love.

He leans closer, nuzzling her. “So, I know these events are tough for you because everyone is wearing shoes indoors. You’ve got opinions on that.”

“Correct ones, love.” Wearing shoes indoors is a great way to bring bacteria into your home.

“Now, I respect your feelings in our home, but thought I should inform you that I jumped into a puddle before going into the house. I dried my shoes on the front mat - I won’t create more work for their staff, but think of how much bacteria follows us!”

“Of course you did.”

Adrien grins at her and continues his attempts to dance while she actually dances, trying in vain to bring him into rhythm, but at this point he’s actively working against her efforts.

“Dear, we’re soldiers and there’s bacteria everywhere. I love you, but it’s the oddest thing to focus on when we’re regularly covered in blood and mud and spirits knows what else.”

“But not in our home,” she retorts, because they have been together for six years now and he’s never once come home drenched in blood and she hopes he never does.

“So, would you still fuck me if I walked into our home after this with my shoes on? I’ll still be wearing the suit and I know that gets you going…”

Beside them, an elderly man gives them a rebuke of his subvocals and Adrien looks over at him. “Shall we discuss what positions we’d prefer tonight?” he says loudly, grinning when the man rushes away, his cane tapping loudly on the wood floor.

She’ll never be good enough for these people, but she’s good enough for her love and that’s more than enough.

[p1x1x]

sbnk and ysmo who's good at rhythm games go

RHYTHM GAMING !!!!! ok sabina and nika are both pretty good with their hands bc. Piloting and Mechanic,ing but i don’t think. sabina has phones on her game. but if she did play them she would probably be confused at first but then be able to get to a high level quickly… whereas nika, deciding to take a break from mechanical gadget tinkering, turns to rhythm gaming to scratch that. “my hands still gotta do something” feeling and actually get pretty good :00 has several rhythm games on their phone to switch it up. i think they would branch out past the standard “notes falling down a lane” and enjoy the ones with more fun stuff like phigros, rotaeno, arcaea, cytus,,, hum there was a bullet hell mixed in one that i cant remember the name of. just starts trying out random ones bc Oh these are really fun

for ysmo mio do be having games on her phone. with her pianist bg i’d say she can actually be pretty good, but what gets her is tensing up and then losing that FC/AP jdhdhssggs. i think yushura would enjoy rhythm games as well! since im mostly talking in the realm of mobile rhythm games and its. touchscreen so physical pressure isnt really required yknow. i’d imagine that she would probably set the phone down on a table to play, maybe even lightly rest her hands on the table (i sometimes play like this and while my performance is a bit worse (skill issue jdhdd) its pretty easy to stay lax like this?). i dont think yushura would play as intensely as mio does also i realize im not really Answering The Question oops so i think:

nika > sabina (but like really if sabina were to play a lot i think she would have God Accuracy)

mio > yushura (yushura winning in the Not Hurting Hands Playing Rhythm Games department tho she knows her limits)