#Julio power imagine

[dionysus-complex]

“At one level, Lucan’s poem is about the battle of Pharsalus, the decisive conflict of 48 BCE fought on the Emathian fields of Thessaly in northern Greece and pitting forces led by Julius Caesar against those led by his kinsman Pompey Magnus; it recounts events that prefigure Pharsalus, the battle itself, and the aftermath; it also portrays the dominant personalities of the time — Caesar, Pompey, and Cato. This battle, according to the more traditional view, ushers in the last chapter in the long, ugly chronicle of Roman civil war which stretches back nearly a century. Although it was decisive, the battle of Pharsalus was by no means the end of this struggle, for the war raged on until 31 BCE, when Octavian (later the emperor Augustus) won out. Equally, although Pharsalus is the first major engagement after Caesar crossed the Rubicon, it was but one battle of many fought by Roman factions in the last century of the Republic. For Lucan, however, more than any previous or subsequent episode in the civil war, Pharsalus was the death scene of the Roman Republic.

At another level, the poem is about Lucan’s Rome, how Roman folly and disaster led to the establishment of the Julio-Claudian dynasty; it is about the price paid to purchase Nero.

At its deepest level, the poem is a meditation on liberty in the state and free will in the individual. Lucan wrestled with questions of courage and patriotic ideals, even tyrannicide. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the poem is how it seems to reveal the poet’s own swings of mood, his ups and downs during the last years of his life, the period of his involvement in the Pisonian conspiracy.

The poem, then, is not so much an account of historical events as it is a study of politics and psychology, of disastrous patterns of behavior and the compulsion to repeat them, the compulsion of Rome to destroy itself. In Lucan’s poem, Pharsalus stands for all such acts of political self-destruction; it is the pure “type,” the gladiatorial match between Liberty and a Caesar. Pharsalus is to Lucan a doomsday; that day, almost a century before his birth, changed Lucan’s world for the worse. As the surrealistic vision of the battlefield at the end of Book Seven clearly shows, Pharsalus was for Lucan the event that brought the forces of death and destruction to power at Rome.

It is because the battle of Pharsalus holds such sway in Lucan’s imagination that Bellum Civile seems a less satisfactory choice for the title of the poem than Pharsalia. Lucan’s poem is not only about the civil war between Caesar and the Senate: it is about bella plus quam civilia (1.1), “wars worse than civil”; it is about the day Romans brought the Roman Republic to an end, the day the world turned its sword against its own vitals.”

(from the introduction to Jane Wilson Joyce’s translation of the Pharsalia, xvii-xviii)

[taduki]

Hey, Taduki, I recently started reading your Arcana headcanons. They’re great! I have a headcanon request if you’re interested. M6 with an MC who has a habit of turning into cats and other animals, eventually leading to heightened senses in their human form too.

Now I see why arcana asks pages are so stressed out 😭 I’m worried about disappointin’ y’all. It’s ok tho this looks fun. REALLY sorry it took so long… I’m writing this with specific powers in mind, comparing them to the powers Atreus has from the God of War series.

M6 w/ an MC Who Can Transform into Animals and Use Their Abilities

Asra

If you ask him about your relearning of abilities when you came back, he’ll have an entire book of the shenanigans you got up to: picking a fight with the stove salamander, “Which one’s the real Faust?”, “MC, don’t eat that !!”, the list just goes on, and for the sake of old memories, you like reliving some of those moments or maybe tying up loose ends you may have caused. (No wonder why the stove salamander was always so moody around you and your cold eggs).

It was honestly stressful, so you can imagine their relief and confidence in your abilities now. He had little to no worries about leaving you at the shop alone once you got used to them. This, of course, led to the events in the story.

This turns out to be a two sided coin though because they watched you learn and grow your instincts and it only made them want you more. You’re so gifted and special, they are so fascinated with you. Just imagine your adventures with them!

On your adventures, they ask for your help way-finding, gathering, and other useful activities, but sometimes they just like to humor you by asking of you the impossible. “MC, could you take a sniff at the stars? See where we are?”, and that smug grin plastered on his face makes you want to prove them wrong so badly, so you make it up based on the actual knowledge of your location to find your way ahead, and every. single. time. they just tease you, “That’s my lover, alright.”

You had little relations with Aisha and Salim at first, so they didn’t know of your abilities, like AT ALL. So, what does the mysterious and powerful Asra The Magician do? They propose you prank them, of course, and whatever you two did became an inside job for years to come. Aisha and Salim are interested in your powers. They’re powerful magicians too, yes, but you transform with such ease. So easily that you’ve retained the instincts of the animals you can turn into. It’s safe to say they’re reassured of you as a partner for dear Asra.

Julian

You have many opportunities to spook him while he’s working.

What’s that thing behind the ink pot? Oh, it’s you! You’re a mouse. Oh, now you’re a bird. Aww what cute little creature are you going to become now? — AHH A TIGER!!

Of course, he admires your capability to retain some of the animalistic abilities while you’re in human form. He may or may not be secretly super interested in your capabilities, but knows not to pry. He’s just proud of your independent magic.

You make the funny habit of being a part of his costumes/disguises. Now “Julio” has a pet squirrel !!

Secretly loves when you sneak your way to him unexpectedly. He loves surprises if they’re you. Follow him while he’s on an errand and when he comes home, mention something casually about it and he’ll turn around, so certain and wide-eyed like, “YOU were that cat!”, when you were actually the falcon flying overhead.

On the very rare occasion that he is called upon to aid an injured animal, he’ll mention it, but won’t expect you to help. Whether you’re actually knowledgeable about the anatomy of the animal or not, you find ways to help like cleaning or standing guard for their comfort. You might also find you can empathize with them. Tell Julian where not to touch, how he can better handle them, etc.

At the end of the day, he is forever grateful for you. He’ll give you all of his love as a reward…

Portia

Dealing with Pepi constantly interrupting her work was a real pain in her day, so if you’re willing to offer, she’ll be so relieved.

That’s not the bulk of it obviously, Portia loves new things and you’re all new things in one !!

At first, she treats it like a game. “A duck!! Ooh, what about one of those fancy birds in the garden?”, so if you decide to indulge her, she’ll be going about her business on palace grounds and suddenly get an MC wolf jumpscare from the bushes. Every day, she eyes the animals suspiciously, wondering if they’re you.

If you can interact with the animals, you could help her take care of them if you’d like. “Could you pollinate the flowers for me? Pleaseeeee?”

Oh, the delightful jokes of making her hair into a bird’s nest…

If you can get her away from her work, it’ll be easy to have fun. Go for a little shopping trip in town!! It’s a mission to find specific things for good prices, and you succeed every time. Her heart bursts with her love for you when you pick up little things that remind you of her.

Palace gossip is so funny now because she’ll hear one thing, and you’ll hear another thing somewhere else entirely, so you two just end up theorizing in the afternoons. Afternoon tea is now full of even more giggles and incredulous gasps. At this point, you’re pretty sure you’ve collected every backstory in Vesuvia.

Nadia

She’s just happy she can find more ways to provide for you. There is plenty of space in the gardens if you want to roam free or sniff flowers or just take a nice nap in the sun. If you really so wish, she’ll be happy to personally set up a room for your needs.

You surprise her everyday it seems like. Every time she thinks she’s seen it all, you defy her expectations, and it delights her (and potentially startles Chandra).

Speaking of Chandra, depending on what form you’ve taken on, you might want to give her space. She’s fully aware that’s you who just looks like an animal, but she’s very headstrong and instinctual. Even if Nadia has talked to her, she’s still a bit stubborn about it and will only interact with you if you’re in human form.

Of course, there are some exceptions to Chandra’s rule. She’ll be a little more comfortable and friendly if you’re in owl form. She may preen you. Other times, she will step in to protect you if you’re in danger.

When Nadia is in Business Mode, she’ll ask for your input on issues about animals in Vesuvia if you’re comfortable about it. She wants to find ethical solutions for every party in Vesuvia, which includes animals. How can she help the Flooded District while taking care of the fish and other underwater creatures? She honestly might not have even considered this in her plans if she didn’t meet someone with your abilities.

She does not hesitate to ask for your help outside of the palace. She is very confident in your abilities and admires you for them. You have earned high respect from various visiting parties, including the animals.

Muriel

Maybe Muriel doesn’t like humans that much, but he still loves you even if you’re another human he has to trust and talk to and — … Where did this cat come from?

Blinks a few times before letting the crazy catch up to him. “MC…?”

He doesn’t know how to feel about it at first, but then he remembers he literally lives in the forest with all the animals ever. This leads to both relief and worry. Relief because he finds it easier to get settled with you now that he can apply some of his knowledge to take care of you, but worries about letting you roam around in certain forms because how will he be able to protect you?

Inanna literally knows it’s you but still gets startled when you switch in front of her. Some forms make her worried about shoving or stepping on you, but the other ones she’s perfectly fine with. The best way to play with her is switching to a form around the same size as her that can run and/or jump fast. Some days, you just spent hanging out with her, exploring the forest together, and by the time you two come back to Muriel, he’s just happy to have you two back.

Sometimes he gets a little wistfully jealous of the animals that spend so much time with you. He didn’t imagine he could, but it’s more of like, “It’s too quiet. I miss them…”, and, “I want to spend time with them too…” He tries not to let it get to him, but if it’s really bothering at some point, he’ll tell you outright, “I want to be with you”, and proceed to become a bumbling mess of “I mean, AROUND you” and whatnots.

If you incline to spend more time with him, he’ll be so grateful, yet guilty that you’re having to hold back because of him. With enough time and patience, you two would work something out where some days you come home before dinner time and spent the rest of the day with him and leave after he feeds the chickens. Go ahead and pretend you’re one of the chickens!! Show him this can be fun too!

He so badly wants you to be happy. He loves you so.

Lucio

You have GOT to tell or demonstrate this to Lucio as soon as possible or he will try to hunt you for game. If he does try to hunt you and you transform back, he’ll be all over you with the following statements:

“Oh GOD, I’m so sorry MC! Are you okay?!” “That was really cool by the way.”

Once he’s past the awkward part, he has so many questions. How far can you jump? How high can you climb? CAN YOU FLY??? Can you become imaginary creatures?

Whether you can or can’t accomplish these feats, he also has many ideas. You two are journeymen now, and you live day to day off the spoils of your hunts and adventures. He thinks, with your abilities, you two could become much more efficient, and you ask him what he plans to do with the rewards, and he gets all flustered like he doesn’t want to take you on a nice, luxurious date.

When you explain you can use some of your abilities in your present human form, he is silently relieved he won’t have to keep checking if the animals he’s hunting are you. He’s moreso impressed, though. Whenever you tell him something like “it smells like rain”, he asks what it smells like for no particular reason. He just finds it fun to ask about and likes imagining what you’re sensing.

New friend for Mercedes and Melchior !! They’re very perceptive, and have no problems differentiating you from other animals, so when Lucio loses you in a field of bunnies, he can count on them to help out, but occasionally he’ll insist on being able to find you just so he can impress you. It never works in his favor though, and he gets a nasty bunny bite… “I didn’t even know they could bite!!”

[filthforfriends]

Bonus Chapter

Alpha!Damiano Omegaverse

Word count: 9.6k

Read the actual fic on my Masterlist!

You’d missed the first bus after school and were now running almost half an hour late. It’s not that Damiano would leave the amphitheater without you, but you texted him last minute. So last minute that he wouldn’t even get the message until after practice. Your heart only sank further when the parking lot came into view and you saw how few cars were left. He was probably hungry and bored out of his mind so you jog the rest of the way.

His car isn’t in the lot. That can’t be right, so you go the double check up close. 

Where are you?

Damiano attended these practices like clock-work. You mosey towards the field in case someone can tell you if Dami went home early and why. Star quickly walks past you, giving a tight-lipped smile and a small wave, indicating that he very much wasn’t feeling social. From inside the structure, a familiar voice you can’t place calls you over.

“Y/n, Dam is over here!” You feel sick while breaking into a run, but when you round the corner, the only people on the field are Julio and Nikolai. They’re bent over cackling at your concern, hands propped just above their knees. Immediately you see red.

“Weren’t you banned from the team?” You try to look down on them from a distance, even though they’re both taller than you.

“I’m not banned from the amphitheater. I just can’t use it when Romero has it booked for practice.” Julio spits back in venomous tones, meanwhile Nikolai is texting someone amidst snide chuckles. It’s then that you remember Damiano has his hearing with the collegiate board right now. He’s on the other side of town.

“Whatever.” You turn to leave, taking out your own phone to ask Clio for a ride.

“Oh and she gives up so easy!” Nikolai is goading you like you’re some young alpha, hell bent on proving herself. Omegas aren’t fighters. In fact, you can’t fight, and this knowledge plants a seed of fear in the pit of your stomach. Surely they didn’t plan to harm you and risk real consequences. You clutch your phone in your right hand and walk towards the exit.

“Not so invincible now, huh?”

“This is what happens when bitchy omegas don’t have their bitch-boy alphas to protect them.”

“Call me mediocre again. I fucking dare you.” The sound of Nikolia’s voice raises the hair on the back of your neck and you know you need to get out of here. When you speed up your pace, they follow, footsteps growing ever nearer as they jeer. 

“He hasn’t bred you yet, so there's still some hope of finding an alpha to put you in your place.” 

“I would give anything to see that,” yells Julio. The faster you walk, the quicker they follow, so you try to slow your pace and manage your racing heart. If you can just get to the parking lot you’ll be in plain view of houses and the skate park. Finding bystanders was a tactic embedded into your psych before primary school. You got to the cement hall that ran under the building and noticed someone coming towards you. 

In the shadows, you think you’re in luck; a bystander found you. His heavy work books click each step and then his face comes into view. It's the alpha that Damiano had to fend off three months ago. Turns out he went to Okoro Academy and hung around Romero after school, waiting for a vulnerable omega to victimize. 

“Hey, you made it!” calls Nikolai. His joy is a mockery of your fear, and you’re struggling to think straight. 

“Imagine my surprise when I found out my cousin Phoenix had been victimized by the same runt of the litter.” He grins when he says victim, enjoying the power trip and the irony. There’s no way to physically get out of this so you’re going to have to talk your way out. Fist fighting all three would be easier than making yourself demure and submissive. What do you want is too forceful, so you try to soften the sentiment.

“I don’t understand what you want me to do.” Phoenix breaks into maniacal laughter and the other two follow after a brief side eye. If they’re unsure about his actions that either means this front isn’t nearly as united as it looks or that you should be very scared.  

“I want corporal punishment so we can control upetty omegas that need to be fucking humbled and taught how to serve”

“And I don’t want mutants like Damiano to dirty the gene pool. He should be sterilized and kept away from the population.”

“How fucking dare you!?”

“Ah, there she is!” Julio says in a sing-song voice. He lunges at you, but it's a fake out, only a couple steps before he falls back, laughing cruelly. You’d tried to back up too fast and end up falling. Only one elbow was bleeding, but Julio’s eyes kept darting towards it. The contents of your book bag are strewn three feet down the hall. You crouch down while trying to clean it up, papers crumpled and haphazardly shoved inside. 

You’re so focused on looking at the ground that you don’t see Nikolai until his cleats come into view. Immediately, you straighten up like your spine is a titanium rod, eyes wide in fear at his proximity. Nikolai lunges at you too, so close you can see the storm in his irises. This time you fall hard, tripping over your bag and getting the wind knocked out of you when you land flat. At that point, all attempts at regulating go out the window while you struggle for a decent breath.

“Woah! Is she okay?” Julio is nervous and you stare at him with every ounce of panic and rage so this moment will haunt him, whatever happens to you. His eyes dart from one person to the next, but he never sustains a gaze.

“She’ll be fine. Maybe she should call her savior for help.” Nikolai cocks his head to the side and tries to put on a scowl. You still have your phone clenched in a fist and begin to type. But you stop yourself upon realizing that this was a trap. They know that Damiano will go scorched earth if your safety is on the line. Phoenix, Julio, and Nickolai probably think they can take him. Maybe they can and Damiano will destroy his body. Or, more likely he’ll destroy them. Either way Damiano will be excommunicated from society for his Alpha Dysregulation. Incriminating him was the whole point of this display of strength.

Forcing a deep breath, you bring your phone back to your side and stare at them willfully. Julio is the closest to breaking. He’s blanched and picking at his cuticles, clearly wishing he’s never volunteered to do this.

“I am not bait,” you spit, trying to back away. Their plan had failed and you were banking on them recognizing defeat. 

“Bitch,” Nikolai murmurs, spitting on your shoes and bowing his head. 

“See, I told you this wouldn’t work,” Phoenix finally speaks. His voice is monotone in a way that makes your skin crawl. It means that his friendliness three months ago was completely a mask. People who can mimic emotion so easily often lack empathy. It's all a performance for personal gain.

 You try to walk away but Pheonix blocks your path, stepping in front no matter where you divert. 

A quick glance over your shoulder shows that Julio and Nickolai are also unsure. When they notice you’re looking, both young alphas try to harden their expressions. Option one is getting past them and taking the next exit halfway down the field. Option two is avoiding Phoenix and bolting 15 feet. You decide on the second one and don’t even make it a full step before being shoved to the ground. You land on your fingers, rather than your left hand. Something pops, but not like a knuckle. At first, intense shooting pain moves all the way up your arm and then fiery throbbing pain settles in your hand. 

You’re shocked into silence, as is everyone else. When your body does register the injury, it’s trying to shut down to protect itself. To hide, to curl up, to become smaller, to become less noticeable, to limit points of vulnerability, to be silent, to survive. However, you can’t trust that Phoenix will leave you be. In fact, this act of wounding seems to stimulate him like nothing else has.   

Help

While the text goes through, you’re trying to share your location.

“Atta’ girl!” He shouts gleefully, thrilled his prey is finally doing something amusing. Phoenix rips your phone from your hands and throws it against the cement. It breaks into three pieces, battery skidding until it hits the wall.

“NO!” you scream, trying to scramble away and find a place to conceal yourself. The sound echoes within the tunnel, deafening.

“What the fuck, dude!” Julio screams in horror. Nikolai is disturbed, but he handles it slightly better.

“This wasn’t the plan! We were supposed to scare her, without touching her. Not break her phone!” A force pulls you backward and you realize it's Phoenix's hand on your hood.

“And you’re scared aren’t you?” he snarls. It must have been a combination of the yelling, the chase, the adrenaline, the control, and the sadism, because Phoenix has gone full alpha. His charcoal eyes are souless, the place where his pupil lay a swirling black hole. The tendons on his face and neck quiver like they’re about to tear through his skin. You’re running before you can see his teeth, and this time he lets you go. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” You’ve disappeared from view quickly, hiding in the bushes below the field until your assailants leave. At this point, all there is to do is ride out the overwhelming instinct to cower.

“Oh, come on,” Phoenix rolls his eyes. 

“No, you’re not supposed to do that type of shit,” insists Julio. Purposely sending omegas into flight or fawn was a major social taboo. It forces both an acute stress response and dissociation which occasionally causes tragedies. Omegas accidently darting in front of cars or hours of unnavigable panic reaching the point of mental crisis. The instict to hunker down until the episode passed left sick people without medical care and little children with traumatized parents. Originally, alphas tormented omegas endlessly because they couldn’t fight back before expectations were set up to protect their well-being.

“We should hide her stuff so they can’t trace it back to us.” Nikolai recognizes the new leader and reassembles y/n’s backpack. 

“And when she tells Damiano?”

“He’ll flip out. Mission accomplished,” Phoenix shrugs his shoulders, casually. “It’s our word against his, so you know what’ll happen if someone breaks ranks.” He glowers at Julio to make the threat clear.

  “Yeah? And in the mean time he could fucking kill me!”

“So, what? You’re afraid of him now? Phoenix taunts. Nikolai has fallen silent, holding the backpack like it's a bomb.

“Oh my – we did this because he’s dangerous! As someone who had their nose broken by Dam in a single punch, I can attest to that! He shouldn’t be in the general population, thats the fucking point.”

“What he shouldn’t be is so full of himself,” mutters Nikolai. He walks off to find a place to hide the bag with his head hung. 

“And that is the fucking point. Alphas like him are what's wrong with society. They don’t obey the natural order.

“You’re out of your fucking mind.” Julio picks up his duffel and walks away.

“We reminded an omega of her place! You should be proud of that!” Phoenix yells after him.

***

“We’re just thrilled to have you officially back on the team, drive safe!” The chair of the collegiate board walked the David’s out to the parking lot with a restrained, professional smile. They’d known which way the board was leaning as soon as the hearing started. Still, the end result was a huge relief. 

“Do you want to just pick up y/n on the way home?” Isabella was wearing a rare, full fledged smile.

“Yeah, I’ll call her!”

Y/n: Where are you?

[Missed call from Star]

Star: Saw y/n walk into the amphitheater so I think she forgot about the hearing. 

Y/n: Help

[Missed call from Star]

[Missed call from Athena]

Star: Call me as soon as you get this.

Star: Had a bad feeling and doubled back, but she was gone. Saw Julio get in his car. Nikolai’s car was still in the lot. Would they do something?

[Missed call from Star]

Star: I waited and saw another alpha leave. It might have just been her and them. Don’t panic.

Star: Stay calm, don’t panic.

Emmaline: Do you want help looking?

“Damiano? Honey? What’s he doing?” Matteo tried to get a good look in the mirror at his son whose breathing had doubled in pace and was shivering while sweating.

“I think he’s having a panic attack. Dami, what's going on?” Isabella turned around and took his clammy hands in her own. “Could be the adrenaline from the meeting?”

“I’m pulling over.” Matteo idled in a turn out.

“Amphitheater.”

“Honey, practice is over. You didn’t miss practice, you were excused. It's okay, let's go home.”  

“Amphitheater!”

“Do not scream at me, Damiano,” Matteo replies patiently. Dami slams his phone onto the center console. Isabella reads the notifications out loud and they’re headed to the field by the time she says ‘help.”

“She might be home already,” Isabella offers. Dami calls Clio, but he knows it isn’t true before she picks up.

“I thought she was with you.”

“So she’s not home?” Footsteps pound up the stairs two at a time. He recognizes the creak of y/n’s door.

“She’s not here,” Clio pants.

“Check –”

“I know I’m checking!” In the closet, under the bed, Clio looked in all the places y/n associated with calm or would hide as a child. If she’d been put in a state of terror, y/n would hide instinctively in order to survive. Until an omega calms down enough to think rationally, they’re an animal whose mechanisms of self defense are limited to the path of least resistance and making themselves invisible. The claustrophobia of being unable to fight back created some drastic evolutionary responses to avoid being targeted. 

Post societal collapse, omegas would likely survive to reproductive age at double the rate of alphas. However, in a first world country, it was an arcane instinct that could be manipulated to terrorize omegas. And that's what you were: absolutely terrified and alone. You needed Damiano more than you ever and every cell in his body was screaming with the unfulfilled urge to protect.

  “I don’t think she’s in the house, but let me just make sure…Dad? Thalia? Has y/n come home from school yet?” There’s a long pause and Clio is back on the line, panic in her voice.

“She’s not here. Do you know where she is, Dami? It still gets dark and cold earlier this time of year.” That's another thing you might be: hypothermic. 

“I know where to start, but you should stay there in case she comes home. So someone will understand what’s happening.”

“And what happened?” There's anger in her voice, probably suspecting y/n was only in this position because of Damiano. She was right.  

“I think she got cornered by three alphas.”

“Fuck, I’ll call my mom.” 

Before the car was even stopped, Damiano jumped out. He ran onto the field screaming your name then fell completely silent. He listened for a whimper, jogged around the perimeter trying to pick up your scent. In doing so, he saw a peak of green fabric, whose hue he recognized as your backpack. It was over the fence, hidden in an abandoned tire. Damiano scaled the fence quicker than he thought possible, taking a picture of the scene before digging through all the papers. Most had your name written in blue pen at the top.

Someone else had put them back in, crumpled and out of order. Why take everything out? If they touched this, had they touched you? He can’t suppress the pressure in his chest anymore and breaks out in loud sobs. At first they’re tearless, desperate noises, and then his face is flooded with saline and snot. Matteo makes his way over and hands Dami a tissue through the fence. 

“Wha – why, why would she leave it here? May – be be – because she’s around here. Y/n? Y/n?” For a minute, Matteo lets his son have hope. When his wife comes over they speak in hushed voices. Dami looks back at their preoccupied expressions, and wants to scream at them to search as well. Through that veiled pity, he realizes they’re not looking for y/n because they don’t think she’s here. 

“What? What is it?” he demands, wiping his nose on his sleeve like a toddler. 

“We don’t think y/n left it here, but we’ve already alerted the collegiate board and given them names.”

“Then how…” Someone hid it. Dami sinks to his knees, not wanting to think it, much less say it. In the background his mother talks about contacting parents and coaches.

“Do you think that they, that um,” a shaky hand covers Damiano’s mouth to muffle a scream. “They only care about hiding the evidence because they don’t think we’re gonna find her?” His voice loses all masculinity and courage, ending in a high pitched whimper.

“No,” Isabella states firmly. Matteo isn’t positive about that answer, but he agrees with his wife unequivocally. 

“Three high schoolers, right? Maybe they just didn’t know what to do with it,” he offers.

“Maybe they’re sadistic little shits that wanted to make the search even tougher for you.” Matteo and Dami are shocked at an ever-composed Isabella’s crass language. Yes she was an alpha, but Isabella limited the world’s perception of her as such. 

“They could have planted it there to send you in the wrong direction or terrify you. It could be as harmless as taking her backpack because they knew it’d annoy y/n. Maybe they threw it over the fence as a laugh and the little shits went on their merry way. So get back over this fence, show me her route home, and everything will be fine by dinner. Okay?” Isabella didn’t leave any room for argument.

“Her phone isn’t in there,” Damiano announced when his feet hit the turf.

“Then it's probably with her,” Matteo concluded. Feeling like an absolute dumb ass, Dami calls y/n right away. She doesn’t pick up the first or second or sixth time. Damiano sees why as he steps off the field. Somehow the whole family had missed the phone smashed against the cement. Dami drops to his hands and knees crawling around trying to gather the pieces, because maybe it wasn't yours. Sure it was the right model and color, but millions had been manufactured. 

Then Damiano finds the backing and wails with anguish. Thalia had insisted y/n decorate her phone with some volcanology stickers. The biggest one was faded where his omega rubbed her thumb in a circle absentmindedly. For a second Dami can’t take any more of this purgatory. I need her safe. I need her safe. I need her safe, I need her safe, I need her safe. IneedhersafeIneedhersafeIneedhersafeIneedher.

***

You hide in a wooded area a block from the amphitheater. No one would suspect, because you’d only visited once on a field trip. Phoenix might be watching, unsatisfied and yearning to inflict some real sadism. So you stay hidden until it feels safe, completely still, like a fawn. Movement can trigger predators. 

The problem is night falls before it feels safe. The woods are dark so you stumble for 50 yards, moving towards the street lights. Tripping on a log and face planting doesn’t even trigger a pain response. When you get to the treeline, you search for your assailants. There’s got to be a safe place with better lighting, but you’ll have to stay awake all night, so you can disappear into the shadows if they hunt you down. That is, unless you can get on the other side of a locked door. Then you’ll be safe. 

The darkness only worsens the fear. You can feel yourself being followed, but not see the steps that stalk you, always on your heels. Each time you whip around, Julio, Nikolai, or Pheonix manage to hide. It's an hour's walk home and this is too exposed. You’ll ever make it, might as well be waving bait in front of the predators. 

The first bus that passes, you get on. Everyone’s staring so you sit in the back. After the last stop, the bus driver tries calling out to you, but the sound blends into the idling engine. He has to physically tap on your shoulder, which makes you scream in surprise. He seems almost as jarred as you feel, scampering off the bus.

“Are you hurt? Miss? Is there someone I should call?” You run until you’re breathless, bending over and clutching your chest. Phoenix probably couldn’t keep your trail, but your body was shaking in a way you recognized as shivering. This didn’t look like home or safety.  Nothing here evoked memories. All you could do was walk until the world became familiar.

The sliver of moon cast long, distorted shadows, making mundane objects look sinister. A cat darts across the street. That makes you jump out of your skin and cower behind a bush. How long have you been walking? It could be 20 minutes, or an hour and a half. Working up the courage to continue might take even longer. Each time you scan for predators, their absence is never comforting enough to make your way back to the sidewalk. Eventually, you clench your teeth and do so anyway.

***

Y/n’s house has become missing person’s ground zero. Even Sandro helped search. Or rather, he kept watch while Damiano grabbed Julio by the lapels of his jacket and dragged him up a wall. The terrified alpha spilled all the details immediately, but it was more useless information. Sandro assured his little brother that this wasn’t a big deal and things like this mostly turned out alright. Damiano shoves him to the ground and the snarling accidently instills in Kevin the power behind that shiny exterior. He is much more self aware when he speaks to Damiano, reiterating that he’s confident everything will be fine. 

“She’s a fighter.”

“That's what I’m worried about. Alphas pick on omegas that challenge their power.”

“But she’s a brave girl.” One more platitude and Damiano was going to throttle Kevin.

“And that's what I’m worried about! Submission is the only way out!” Dami storms outside and paces in the backyard. It seems like the entire family is living in denial as a coping mechanism. Yes, y/n is probably fine, but the fact that he hadn’t an ounce of certainty sparked rage at all these people who could eat, sleep, read, and communicate without y/n, unharmed, in their arms. Dami could barely think, was still in disbelief that almost four hours later you hadn’t turned up. 

He heads back inside, keeping his shit together because he has to, and for no other reason. Before the squeaky door could announce his entrance, Dami overhears Thalia rattling off facts from her serial killer podcasts that make his heart stop beating.

“Statistically, the further you are from the time of abduction, the less likely you are to find the victim.”

“Bad timing Thalia.”

“But I’m not talking about missing omega statistics. Interesting enough, they do follow the same trend, but not with nearly as steep a curve. Other people aren’t what's most deadly, it’s mostly accidental and natural. Getting hit by a car or bus, accidentally injuring oneself and bleeding out, ravines, drowning.” Damiano shuts the door, pulls off his sweater, crouches down in the middle of the lawn, and screams bloody murder into the fabric until his throat hurts. Then he cries, imagining all the ways you could die, in pain and alone. 

It's a reminder that one of you has to go first. He might have to live decades, knowing you no longer exist in the world. That could be true right now, maybe you were already gone` and security would find your body by morning. Maybe you're about to fall off the edge of the earth and he can’t stop it because he doesn’t know where you are. Could fate be cruel enough to only give him four months? How many times had he said ‘I love you?’” 

“Well, there has to be something we haven’t thought of,” sighs Olivia, as he walks back into the living room.

“Friends, family, routine or preferred places,” Clio lists off. “They all know to call right away. What about that other little shit? Nikolai?”

“His parents reported he came home earlier this evening. His story matches, swears he didn’t put his hands on her. However there will be repercussions.” Isabella speaks in a calm, clinical tone, but her voice sounds strained. Anyone who looks at Damiano can see he wants revenge, not repercussions. Its torture, being unable to act on this properly, because he just got his life back. No, that’s what he wanted: torture.

“It's unfair,” he says through clenched teeth. 

“Yes, it is,” levels Matteo, putting a hand on his son’s back.

“Maybe this is an over reaction and she’s at a friend’s house! Hasn’t realized she lost her phone? I know I was that careless at 15.”

“Darling, that’s not what –”

“I found her backpack,” snapped Damiano.

“Listen, I fully believe that you think you saw her backpack, but –”

“Excuse me, what are you imply –”

“The papers had her name on them, you imbecile!” The entire room falls silent and Dami has to focus on not turning into a snarling alpha. “Excuse me,” he says tightly, stomping upstairs with his hands balled into fists. In the background, voices continue.

“Are you questioning my son’s honesty or connection to reality?” Dami pauses after turning the corner, surprised to hear his mother speak so sharply. “Because I can assure you, I saw the same thing. In fact, he has a picture on his phone if –”

“No, no, my apologies, Isabella. That won’t be necessary.” Olivia cringes, wanting to contradict her husband, but shying away from it.

“Obviously Damiano’s perspective is distorted because he’s y/n’s alpha, but I’m starting to be concerned, too. I know we’ll find her by morning, but she might have hypothermia by then and –” Dami walks into your room and closes the door behind him. If Clio is the voice of reason, we really are lost. For a second, he’s the calmest he’s been all day. That very quickly turns into devastation.

“Come home. Come back to me. Tell me where you are. Find someone with a phone. Fucking anything,” Dami babbles into your pillow. It smells like you, but it’s not enough to quell his asphyxiating anxiety. Only the real thing can do that. He’s never believed in God, or fate, or energy of the universe, but right now he’d plead his case to any higher power that would listen. They were all at a loss. You’d moved three hours north when you were nine, so all those childhood spots were on the coast. There were a few routine hangouts, then people’s houses.

It felt silly to call up everyone in y/n’s life and ask them to report your appearance. As if any decent person wouldn’t call the parents of a dissociated 15 year old who showed up at their house unannounced in the middle of the night. It all felt futile and Damiano couldn’t tell if being in your bedroom made him more or less miserable. This thought jogged a memory of your voice. I want to like – I don’t know, walk to your house, climb in your window, or something crazy.

There was no way. Damiano checked the security cameras at the front and back of his house. They hadn’t filmed anything, but if you did literally go in through the window…It was possible the motion sensor wouldn’t pick it up. Possible was more than he’d had for the last two hours. Damiano is half way down the stairs, ready to announce his great idea, when it hits him that having seven people watching may make you feel worse.

“Hey, I’m sorry about earlier. I think I just need to go home and get some sleep.” Everyone reassured that no mistakes had been made and it was all very understandable. How impressive of an alpha to have so much self reflection. Of course, Isabella would use the geotracker in Dami’s phone to make sure he wasn’t going to commit homicide. Thankfully, it couldn’t tell her how fast he drove.

“Y/n?” He took a deep breath in, while taking off his boots. Dami had started hallucinating your scent before the one hour mark, but this was definitely real. Strangely enough, it didn’t lead straight to his room.

“Y/n? Baby, where are you?” He follows it to the back door and around the perimeter of the kitchen. The David’s didn’t leave windows open habitually, but every single one was locked. They’d never bothered to lock the skylight above the reading nook after having it installed because who the hell is going to repel down from the roof? It’d been locked. There was blood and a muddy footprint on the counter. No one else who’d do that but a paranoid omega.

He breaks into a jog, then slows down before the door, expecting to be locked as well. It’s not. You hadn’t locked him out. Damiano bursts into the bedroom and drops down with his chest to the carpet. You’re here in this room, or at least you were, but there's nothing under the bed. He would have bet money you’d be here. Nothing behind the desk and the whole closet always smelled like you because he’d never washed the sheets from the first time. He always sat in here when he touched himself, but couldn’t touch you. The stains told a story that he never tired of reliving.

The reality was that with the unlocked door and empty hiding spot you probably weren’t here anymore. But if he’d gotten here faster…Damiano still had to do his due diligence which meant locating the flash light that was likely under all this mess. Trying to conjure emotional stamina, he takes a deep breath that gets caught in his throat.

“Are you okay?” The voice is barely audible, but he recognizes it. 

***

“Y/n? Y/n! Where the fuck are you? Love? Oh my fucking god,” his voice breaks. Dami drops to the ground, feeling around for an arm or a leg. You climb out from under the pile of laundry and pull him into the shadows, behind the closet door. Dami blindly reaches out for you, vision not adapted to darkness.

“Who’s with you? Phoenix?” He could have deceived Damiano into thinking he had information and tricked his way into the house to get at you.

“What? I’m alone. Baby, come here,” he reaches out, anxious to finally hold you after this excruciating day. “C’mere, y/n. Just…just come to me,” he pleads. Damiano doesn’t want to freak you out further by forcefully hauling you out of your hiding spot. However, not doing so is torture. The sound of his voice tugs deep in your chest, but nothing can compete with this fear response. 

“Lock the bedroom door.” It was irrational, but the only way you’d feel safe. “And turn off the ceiling light.” You peek around the corner to see if the curtains went all the way to the ground. Slats of light from under the fabric would alert any passerby that someone was inhabiting this room.

“Y/n, you’re safe now.” It was a comforting sentiment, but there was no safety with Phoenix hunting you down to finish the job. Receding away from the corner brought you within inches of Dami’s face. As soon as you make eye contact, he extends a cautious hand.

“Phoenix, he’s – I think he’s dangerous,” you hiss. Even though you saw it coming, Dami’s hand on your waist startles you.

“Shh, shh. You’re okay. You’re okay,” he whispers. The sound of his voice evokes so many memories of gentle, loving touch that they blend together. Damiano reaches his hand around your back and to the other side, so his arm is wrapped around your middle. Your first instinct is to pull away to make sure he’ll allow it, but a much stronger urge to move towards this force of anti-chaos prevails. 

“I’m dangerous,” he emphasizes, forcing your brain to recalibrate. Damiano was so doting that his increased capability for destruction slipped your mind. Phoenix was just a regular alpha, without the motivation of a mate. Hearing your breathing change, Dami extended his other hand very slowly. He loosely wrapped his thumb and pointer finger around your wrist, and pulled towards him.

“You’re my omega so I become a weapon of lethal force to anyone that threatens you. In my presence, you are always safe.” The words take a second to process, but when they do you finally feel something again. That prospect is intimidating enough that you’re reaching for Damiano, just as he hoped you would. He pulls you into his lap and hugs you too tight. Instead of squeezing and releasing, he keeps you that close, until you have to ask for air. 

“Sorry, sorry.” There are tears on his face and when he roughly wipes them away they’re replaced two-fold. “Fuck, come here,” his voice breaks. This time you try to return the hug, even as your arms feel weak. Dami splays his hands out and rubs up and down, covering as much surface area as possible. His face is pressed into your neck, hair caught between in desperation. Heaving breaths try to replenish your smell like a diver has to replenish the oxygen in their bloodstream.

“Please scent me,” he whimpers, sniffling. You go through the movements, but getting back in tune with your body isn’t instantaneous.

“Are you shivering? Your cheeks are cold.” The back of his hand presses against both sides of your face. You offer up your uninjured hand, which, admittedly you can’t feel. The concern in his expression is so adorable that you kiss Damiano without thinking. It’s just a peck and he’s too startled to kiss back. You’ve obviously interrupted his train of thought because Dami opens his mouth to speak, but the words come a second later.

“We need to call your parents and tell them.” In retrieving his phone, Dami shifts his weight and you wrap your legs over his hips. Closer feels safer.

“Hey, I found her…Yeah, in my closet, actually. Mostly, but she’s really cold. Do I take her to a hospital?” You shake your head vigorously and try to snatch his phone. “No hospital apparently!” he exclaims, dodging your attempts. “Um, I mean her lips aren’t blue at all, but she’s shivering…Yeah, okay. Okay. Mhm, bye.” As soon as he lets down his guard, you grab Dami’s phone and slide it across the room. 

“I guess, we should get up anyways,” he scoffs. To sit on the bed, is the implication. Or maybe in the dining room. Both would leave you so exposed that anyone could come in before you had the chance to hide. Damiano gets up to retrieve his phone and pull back the covers. However, when you crawl off his lap, you go back into the darkness and refuge of the closet. Instantly the shivering worsens. Your hand throbs, too, but you can’t feel why. 

Instead of arguing. Dami climbs into the closet after you. He reaches up to pull a gigantic sweater off a hanger and removes his top. Just him being shirtless, you can feel heat radiating from his body.

“C’mere,” he coaxes. Damiano pulls the sweater on, but holds out the hem, inviting your under. There isn’t a moment's hesitation before you sit between his legs and duck underneath. Your face is pressed to his bare skin and just absorbing that one sensation takes you a second. All his warmth is trapped by the sweater, which is a bit musty but Dami’s body odor is heavenly. All the anxiety had him sweating through his deodorant. Damiano grabs the extra comforter from the bottom of the closet and throws it over your legs. He pulls it chest height and wraps his arms around you. In return, you experiment with scenting again, brushing against his chest.

“Whatcha doing?” he endears, looking down through the stretched out neckline. You take a deep breath for the first time in…

“How long?”

“A little over four hours.” 

“Shit,” you wince.

“Not your fault.” The anger radiates from him just like the heat. “Julio said he and Nikolai didn’t touch you, is that true?”

“Technically, yes.” Having to go back to that mental state is not only unpleasant, but jarring. “Can we talk about this later?” you whine, hiding your face against his skin. Guilt settles in the pit of his stomach.

“Some of it, yes. Some of it I need to know now. I’m sorry love.” You nod your head and Dami continues.

“Who was there besides Nikolai and Julio? Phoenix? Bystanders?

 “No bystanders. I tried to escape so other people would see, but Pheonix got in the way.” The word escape momentarily makes Dami lose his cool and he’s glad you’re not looking at his face.

“So you went into the amphitheater and all three were waiting?” You shake your head. “Okay…” Dami takes a deep breath and applies more pressure with his hand while rubbing your back.

“I think Nikolai texted Phoenix because they’re cousins. He’s the alpha that attacked me three months ago.” 

“Right,” he replies tightly. Keep it together, or she’ll absorb your anger. You can punch something later. 

“They wanted revenge.” On me. This is my fault and they took it out on her. I’m going to slit those fuckers neck to navel and flay them like a fish. I’m gonna take everything they –

“Dami?”

“Yes my love?” 

“I can feel you thinking about murder.”

“Sorry,” he winced, refocusing. He had to ask the hard question, the one he didn’t want an answer to.

“So did Phoenix,” deep breath, “do something to you?”

“Pushed me to the ground, broke my phone, and he, um,” your voice gets small then disappears at the memory. 

“He scared you?”

“All of them.”

“All of them tried to scare you.” 

“But he…” you’re both holding your breath. “Went into headspace. Then I ran.” Dami holds you too tight again and kisses your head. You may not know how dangerous the situation was, but he did. Retelling it was visibly distressing, so he tried to think of something to calm the anxiety. 

“Want to watch the security camera footage from tonight? It only covers about 60% of the house, but you can check the main entrances.” This sounds like a splendid idea. Dami pulls up the app on his phone and hands it to you. The idea that Phoenix and possibly Julio and Nikolai have been following you for four hours becomes less and less likely in your head. However, you’d been so damn sure and it felt unquestionably real.

“I – I feel like I’m…going insane. I can’t tell if I was actually being stalked.”

“The paranoia is normal. I’ve heard coming out of it can be a real mind fuck.” You nod, handing Damiano’s phone back to him. There was nothing on the footage except a bunny in the backyard. It’s embarrassing, the way you’d reacted, even though you couldn’t help it. 

“And everyone was freaking?”

“I was the only one freaking out.” He kisses your head again and again, drawing a heart on your scalp with his lips. Dami keeps running into dead leaves and twigs that he carefully picks out. Internally, you feel like an inflatable toy that's lost 25% of its air. 

“I called your dad an imbecile.” When you don’t laugh in response to this, Dami knows how sleepy you are. The shivering has stopped and your face has color again. Your lips part as little puffs of air hit his chest. The knowledge of how differently today could have ended up makes him nauseous. Instead of wrapped in his arms, you could be in a hospital bed with a cast, or bruised ribs, or internal bleeding. Whatever boundaries Phoenix might have set for himself would be second to his desire for violence.

Omegas have alphas because they can’t defend themselves. The only time you’d asked for his help, he’d had his phone off. Dami vows never to do that again, no matter how unprofessional it was for a call to interrupt a meeting. You needed him, so he should have been there. The volatile part of Dami fantasizes about how much he could fuck up those three alphas, given the excuse that they’d attacked his omega. How many bones could he break and still be met with understanding from the public?

The rumble of a barely audible purr wrenches Dami from his fantasies of vengeance. Your arm twitches against his chest as you fall asleep. The first thing he was gonna do when you were settled was text all his close alpha friends what had happened. Even if they didn’t have a personal stake in your life, they had their own omegas to protect, values to uphold. There were ways to make it impossible for your attackers to ever victimize someone again, both judicial and with brute force. He was fine with either.

Your soft purring continues distracting Dami everytime his thoughts take too dark a turn. The sound evokes the warmest sensation he’s ever felt in his life.

“Such a smart girl, knew you’d be safe in my den.” You nod against Damiano and yawn, nuzzling his chest. Running, walking, and hiding in a state of hypervigilance for four hours was exhausting, especially with your body attempting to compensate for how cold it was. The adrenaline spike from the attack had also taxed your endocrine system, as well.

Dami had completely forgotten that both sets of parents would be coming over until the sound of the door made you startle and cower. He whispered assurances, reminders that you knew these people, and that they were safe. Isabella and Matteo were first down the hall, since they already knew where you’d be. Olivia and Kevin followed, and it was momentarily hilarious to watch all four scan the room.

“Well that is a great hiding spot,” Isabella exclaimed. She murmurs something to Matteo who nods and slips out of the doorway.

“You said y/n was here,” Kevin states, a bit gruff. Isabella gestures to Damiano with a nearly indiscernible smile, who lifts the corner of the comforter with his foot to reveal two sets of legs.  

“Well what's she doing in your clothes?” your father interrogates, like cuddling is inherently something perverse. “Y/n?” he calls, as if you’re not within hearing range. His voice is so loud that you cringe. You can feel Damiano take a deep breath and hope he’ll call your father an imbecile again.

“She’s sleepy.” He kisses your head twice as punctuation. “And getting warm.” You look up at Dami with a pained expression, knowing you’ll have to part.

“It's a rather inventive way of sharing body heat that they’ve come up with.” Isabella is trying to model behavior for Kevin like he’s five. Floorboards creak as Matteo comes back into the room with a thermometer. He hands it to Dami, who passes it down to you.

“This is ridiculous,” Matteo whispers, to Olivia, who gives him a scorching stare.

“You have a more effective way of warming her up?” Damiano challenges. The thermometer beeps, and you pass it back up.

“96.7 so it’s a miracle she isn’t shivering. Normal is 98.6.” He resumes rubbing your back. 

“People lose a lot of heat from their scalp,” Olivia adds, surprisingly helpful. Dami tucks your head under his chin.

“One of the alphas pushed her to the cement. What can we do right now?”

“Is she okay?” exclaims Isabella.

“I don’t know yet,” Damiano answers honestly. For the first time, Kevin seems to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

“If he’s 18, we can have him arrested tonight,” states Isabella.

“Really?” you whisper. Damiano nods, and switches to pressing his cheek to your hair.

“He’s a 12th year at Okoro named Phoenix. Not on their soccer team. Blond, about six feet. I don’t know his last name, but I’ll recognize his face. He’s bothered her before.” Isabella nods while dialing, pacing to the other side of the room.

“What the hell do you mean ‘he’s bothered her before?’” blurts your dad.

“I took care of it and I will again.” Damiano’s tone is surprisingly measured, like he’s stating objective facts. Your alpha’s ability to convey power without raising his voice was infinitely more impactful. You can’t see faces through the knit, but the tension is still palatable.

“I think we need to assess y/n’s health properly, to see if she’s okay. We can’t do that while she’s in your clothes.”

“We know she isn’t okay. She was hypothermic 10 minutes ago,” Damiano snaps.

“Which is why we need to assess what else is wrong.”

“So she can be hypothermic again? That sounds productive.”

“I do not appreciate the tone you’ve been taking with me, young man.”

“Kevin!”

“What Damiano is trying to say is that a health issue is already being addressed and we can only do these things one at a time. To switch back and forth before we’ve finished addressing one health issue would ruin all progress and be detrimental to y/n’s health rather than beneficial.”

“Let’s listen to what Matteo’s saying,” implores Olivia.

“I’m her father!”

“And I’m her alpha.” Dami can’t prevent a bit of canine dialect from sneaking in. His voice has a growl to it that is definitely sub-human. The room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. You could hear the hypothetical idea of a pin drop. It was so quiet that if a pin had ever dropped in this room, at any point in history, you’d be able to hear that sound echo through time.

Rather than rest on Damiano’s torso, you wrap both arms around him. The sensation of your injured hand brushing against the wall makes your eyes water in pain. This whole conversation had you stress sweating and now that sweat was drying against your skin. You start shaking again, teeth chattering.

“And now we’ve stressed her out, terrific.” Damiano wraps you in a tight embrace and rocks back and forth. The trembling doesn’t stop and the lack of control of your body makes you panic. He can see it in your eyes when he checks in and whispers apologies. Kevin is trying to assert dominance through some sort of macho stare-down which makes Damiano roll his eyes. The utter disregard for the gesture is apparently unacceptable.

“Y/n! Out. Now.” The yelling was so horrible that you just obeyed.

“This is so stupid,” say’s Dami, shaking his head. It sucks. It really, really sucks. Without Damiano and without the dissociation, you can feel how cold you are, how much your feet and hips hurt from walking in bad shoes. Your elbows are sore. It feels like there's half a dozen needles poking you under your clothes. And your hand hurts like a mother fucker.

“So co-co-co-cold.” You look behind yourself for that wonderful heat source and Dami is already waiting to welcome you into his arms. He pulls the blanket up while glaring at your father.

“So glad we did this,” he bites, as Isabella comes over.

“Okay…” She absorbs the scene with uncertainty on her face, also unsure why you’d been extracted from the most effective way of raising your body temperature. “Let's put her in warm, dry clothes.” Kevin huffs in agreement, and all of them leave. Hanging in the doorway, Damiano can see his expectant expression, that the alpha would leave his omega unguarded. Like he would trust anyone else to care for you right now. It was absurd.

Kevin gestures to Olivia to go into the bedroom. At first she’s happy to help, but then sees the battle of wills between Dami and her husband.

“You’ll be alright in here?” she asks Dami.

“Yes, thank you,” he answers cordially. 

Olivia nods once, closing the door as she hisses, “I’d like to talk to you” at her husband. The Davids have graciously given them the hallway to discuss, and are making tea in the kitchen.

“What in the hell?” she whisper yells, aflame in anger.

“I know! That kid doesn’t have an ounce of respect. I say we take her home right now and deal with this ourselves.”

“Do you know why we’re here, in this house?”

“Cause y/n’s here,” he replies dumbly.

“And why is that?” she snaps. Kevin had never seen his wife with so little patience.

“Because she walked here?”

“Because when she was scared for her life and needed somewhere that felt safe, somewhere she knew she’d be cared for, she. Didn’t. Come. Home.”

“Yeah, she wanted an excuse to go hang out with her boyfriend,” he dismisses. Olivia grabs him by the chin and forces Kevin to look at her.

“An acute stress response is not a social call. If they were mated that’d be one thing, but they're not. Her brain was operating on instinct and her subconscious believed that these people would be more likely to give her the help she needs than her own parents.”

“So we’ll have them spend more time at our house.”

“Kevin she was right!” Olivia doesn’t mean to shout and immediately lowers her voice. “Who did all the reporting to the collegiate board today? Who got the thermometer? Who contacted the security force? All to protect our daughter, not their son. Think about that.”  Kevin does, in fact, have a very rare moment of self-reflection.

  “I guess even focusing on Thalia with the speech therapy and the programs and all the psychologists was…a lot. It was overwhelming. Then Clio became – she was overwhelming and I didn’t have much more in me. Y/n has always been so tough that I didn’t worry.”

“Kevin, hear me when I say, I don’t give a good god damn whether you like that boy or not. If they stay together, he is gonna get a certification from trade school while y/n is in her 12th year and he is gonna take her anywhere in the world she wants. If we don’t like it, there are two wonderful people willing to fill our shoes and our daughter doesn’t ever have to deal with us again. If you want to have more than another two summers with y/n, then so help me jesus christ, you will make friends with these people. Because I am going to have a relationship with her and this family with or without you.”

***

“Ugh, I just wanna cuddle and go to sleep,” you whine. 

“I know, baby.”

“But my hand hurts so fucking bad.” You scoot into the light and all the swelling and bruising makes your stomach flip. You squeeze your eyes shut and turn your head away.

“Dami, Dami, scent me.” You reach out with your good hand, opening your eyes just a crack in the opposite direction of the injury. Instantly he’s there nuzzling and holding you close, humming. The stress in your voice was palatable, but he doesn’t see the reason for a couple seconds.

“Oh my god.”

“When he pushed me I landed wrong. Distract me.” You say all in the same breath. Injuries on other people bothered you only slightly, but injuries on yourself made you feel severely ill, like combining the flu with vertigo.

“We have to –”

“I don’t care, I don’t care, distract me!” He rocks you back and forth, singing in your ear, scenting so heavily your brain went elsewhere for a couple precious seconds. You take a couple deep breaths in this refuge, and Damiano breathes with you.

“I’m sorry for yelling.” You open your eyes completely, still facing away. “Is it broken?”

“Yes.”

“Can we go to the hospital tomorrow?”

“The bones are already healing. They could heal the wrong way and you’d have to rebreak –”

“Okay, heard!”

“Can I tell them now?” he whispers, still rocking. You shake your head.

“I want to change my clothes first, if we have to go to the hospital.”

“Baby, you can’t change your shirt, but…Wait, were you in the woods?” A full two inches of the hem of your jeans is soaked and muddy.

“Help me change my pants please.” He nods, and you’re strategizing how to get off the ground, when Damiano wraps both arms around your ribcage and brings you upright with him. Habitually, you embrace him back and moving your fingers makes you hiss in pain, then double over. Your eyes squeeze shut while reciting every swear word you know. Upon opening your eyes, the broken hand is in your periphery.

“Is that fixable?”

“Absolutely.” He sounds so damn sure that you take a deep breath. “I’ve seen a lot of bad breaks, you’re gonna be fine. Do you want your leggings or my black sweats with the paint stain?”

“Uh, both.”

“Good idea.” Damiano had accidentally given you your own drawer, or rather half of one. You pointed it out and both laughed about passing this relationship milestone without realizing. When Matteo did the laundry he’d set your little pile of clothes to the left of Damiano’s on top of the dresser. It all happened so organically.

Your wet jeans were heavy and stuck to your skin. Undoing the fly one handed while sitting down was possible, but then you realized you were getting Dami’s bed dirty. 

“Ah, shit,” you stood up and looked behind you at the forest green blanket with little embroidered flowers. The fabric was too dark to judge.

“Your underwear wet too?” he asked, pulling down your pants for you.

“Why, you got something planned?” Damiano huffed a laugh and hung his head. You’re trying to keep things light, even as you continue to shiver. Knelt down, Dami pulled off your socks too and put on a pair of his wool ones. Getting two pairs of pants on involved a little laughter and almost falling over, despite a one-handed grip on Damiano’s shoulder. When he finished pulling up the waistband of the sweatpants, you put your good hand on his cheek and waited. After a couple seconds, Dami’s focus returned to your face and you kissed him.

There’d be no chance for this at the hospital, so you take full advantage of this little, private moment. Dami is unsure at first, then very confident, falling into the familiarity of your body. You take the hand on his face and drag it down his neck, chest, into his back pocket. The new grip allows you to eliminate the space between, pulling Damiano’s hips closer to yours. He moans, gets a bit feral, then forces himself to freeze and pull away. 

Damiano busies himself changing his own clothes, but he has a tell. He blinks much slower when trying not to get aroused at an inappropriate time. Dami is doing it right now and diverting his gaze away from you, trying to distract himself. A knock on the door makes Damiano clear his throat harshly and fiddle with a hanger, back turned.

“Yep. All good. Come in,” he voice breaks at the end like he’s 14 and you snicker.

“Oh you couldn’t find a clean top?” Isabella’s question is rhetorical. She actually means why didn’t you change into a warmer shirt? You extend your hand out and someone gasps, which isn’t very reassuring. You’re trembling from the cold, still.

“My first instinct would be to ice that, but – actually let's take your temperature again.” Isabella looks up for the thermometer Matteo is already handing her. While Olivia is clutching her sternum in horror, the David’s are entirely unfazed. Having two athletic alpha sons seems to have rendered them comparatively unshakeable. 

“I know Y/n and Damiano are going to be attached at the hip till she’s feeling better.” Isabella says it amicably, but also as a statement of fact. “I’d be happy to take them to get that wrist x-rayed right now and I assume y/n will feel safest sleeping here because it's Dami’s room.” It's charitable wording, to make it about feelings, which are so much easier to trivialize than instincts. Olivia and Matteo hold eye contact, one omegan parent to the other and there's an understanding.

“I'll take them to the hospital and drop them back when we’re done. Does that work? Can I get you anything on the way back?” offers Olivia. After the Davids and your mother agree on a plan, you breathe a sigh of relief and tune it out. It doesn’t matter. Your father’s preferences don’t outweigh the other three, no matter his entitlement or the size of his ego. A minor draft from the vent or windows makes you shiver violently, teeth chatter. It reminds Dami to take your temperature, and he doesn’t like what that reveals.

“96.1 of course she's losing body heat. Warm up the car.”

Notes: So this was a sub-plot I was gonna explore, but Guardian Angel is already to overwhelmingly long. As a result, I've decided to stick with all the other plot points so I can hopefully get this thing finished in under 20 chapters since I've been working on it over well over a year. (What the fuck) Thank you for reading and encouragement .

Taglist: @bieberhoodforever @blackberryblossom @butkutee @cuzimitaliano @elvirabelle  @iamtashaquinn@icarodamiano @ilwiwbysmv @immrbrightsideeee @little-moonbeam-666 @maneslut @mortyandem  @the-chaotic-cow @wasteddoubts @weareoddlydrawn @whore4damia  @azertyhug @biancathecool@bohemianrainbow @daisy0gf @dustyinkpages @katyldamusic@obiw4n @persona1read1ng  @gr8rainbowpunk @hiraetheral @l0standn0tf0und@que--sera--sera @stardustingold@teenyweenynightghost   @softmullet @solacestyles @thegeminisgirl @slavicgoddess13 @bright-shiningstar@lizzylynch1 @hauntedpostperson@harryssshouseee @lonnybunnys

[aurumacadicus]

Well, it's time to pick our club's book for May! If you're interested in book club, shoot me a message for an invite. All summaries are underneath the cut! Happy reading!

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by night, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city’s most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoon-worthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez

In these wildly imaginative, devilishly daring tales of the macabre, internationally bestselling author Mariana Enriquez brings contemporary Argentina to vibrant life as a place where shocking inequality, violence, and corruption are the law of the land, while the military dictatorship and legions of desaparecidos loom large in the collective memory. In these stories, reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and Julio Cortázar, three young friends distract themselves with drugs and pain in the midst of a government-enforced blackout; a girl with nothing to lose steps into an abandoned house and never comes back out; to protest a viral form of domestic violence, a group of women set themselves on fire.

But alongside the black magic and disturbing disappearances, these stories are fueled by compassion for the frightened and the lost, ultimately bringing these characters—mothers and daughters, husbands and wives—int a surprisingly familiar reality. Written in hypnotic prose that gives grace to the grotesque, Things We Lost in the Fire is a powerful exploration of what happens when our darkest desires are left to roam unchecked, and signals the arrival of an astonishing and necessary voice in contemporary fiction.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all.

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old trans, autistic Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker Wife.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness—a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness—and shipped away to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanitorium. When the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its guts to the world—so long as the school doesn’t break him first.

Featuring an autistic trans protagonist in a historical setting, Andrew Joseph White’s much-anticipated sophomore novel does not back down from exposing the violence of the patriarchy and the harm inflicted on trans youth who are forced into conformity.

Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian

A magical realist coming-of-age story, Gold Diggers skewers the model minority myth to tell a hilarious and moving story about immigrant identity, community, and the underside of ambition.

A floundering second-generation teenager growing up in the Bush-era Atlanta suburbs, Neil Narayan is funny and smart but struggles to bear the weight of expectations of his family and their Asian American enclave. He tries to want their version of success, but mostly, Neil just wants his neighbor across the cul-de-sac, Anita Dayal.

When he discovers that Anita is the beneficiary of an ancient, alchemical potion made from stolen gold—a “lemonade” that harnesses the ambition of the gold’s original owner—Neil sees his chance to get ahead. But events spiral into a tragedy that rips their community their community apart. Years later in the Bay Area, Neil still bristles against his community’s expectations—and finds he might need one more hit of that lemonade, no matter the cost.

Sanjena Sathian’s astonishing debut offers a fine-grained, profoundly intelligent, and bitingly funny investigation into what’s required to make it in America.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

One cruel night, Meggie’s father reads aloud from a brook called INKHEART—and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. This is INKHEART—a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud.

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins

The widowed Lady Katherine Bascomb has little use for the rules of society—instead, she engages in such “vulgar” activities as managing The London Gazette and writing about crimes against women. But when her latest article leads to a suspicious arrest, the attractive detective in charge of the case is incensed that she’s interfered with his investigation. Only before Kate can make amends, she stumbles, quite literally, upon another murder entirely.

Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham is appalled that Kate is entangled in one of his cases—again. Yet when he asks her to kindly keep away, Kate offers a bargain: She’ll refrain from writing about the case—if he allows her to study his methods. Before long, Eversham can’t deny his attraction to both her beauty and brains. But with a killer lurking in the shadows, will they learn to trust their instincts, each other, and the undeniable passion that is blossoming between them before it’s too late?

[koffee-lila-bailey]

Pt 2 of my list

Fantasia Barrino

Enchanting 🕊

Ski Bailey

Iman Shumpert

Polo G

King Von 🕊

B Smyth 🕊

Leon Robinson

Vanity 🕊

Jimi Hendrix 🕊

Bob Marley 🕊

Ziggy Marley

Stephen Marley

Taimak

Omar Epps

Robert Townsend

Ralph Macchio

Booboo Stewart

China Anne McClain

Julio Foolio 🕊

Destanni Henderson

Chris Tucker

Characters I'll write for

Kunta Kinte (Roots)

Rembrandt (The Warriors)

Swan (The Warriors)

Snow (The Warriors)

Rob 🕊 (The Chi)

Unique (Power)

Fontaine (They Cloned Tyrone)

Laura (The Last Dragon)

Leroy Green Jr (The Last Dragon)

Tommy Shepherd (Above The Rim)

JT (The Five Heartbeats)

Duck (The Five Heartbeats)

Micheal (The Lost Boys)

Star (The Lost Boys)

Marko (The Lost Boys)

Dwayne (The Lost Boys)

Paul (The Lost Boys)

Johnny Cade (The Outsiders)

Sodapop Curtis (The Outsiders)

Daniel (The Karate Kid series)

Jacob Black (The Twilight Saga)

Seth Clearwater (The Twilight Saga)

Embry (The Twilight Saga)

Quil (The Twilight Saga)

Jay (Desendants)

Uma (Desendants)

Malik (Higher Learning)

Quincy/Q (Juice)

Raheem (Juice)

Roland Bishop (Juice)

If y'all see some of the same names from before, I'm sorry. I'll only be writing things such as smut and fluff other than headcannons, imagines and preferences

[haveyoureadthishorrorbookpoll]

Have you read...

In these wildly imaginative, devilishly daring tales of the macabre, internationally bestselling author Mariana Enriquez brings contemporary Argentina to vibrant life as a place where shocking inequality, violence, and corruption are the law of the land, while military dictatorship and legions of desaparecidos loom large in the collective memory. In these stories, reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and Julio Cortázar, three young friends distract themselves with drugs and pain in the midst a government-enforced blackout; a girl with nothing to lose steps into an abandoned house and never comes back out; to protest a viral form of domestic violence, a group of women set themselves on fire. But alongside the black magic and disturbing disappearances, these stories are fueled by compassion for the frightened and the lost, ultimately bringing these characters—mothers and daughters, husbands and wives—into a surprisingly familiar reality. Written in hypnotic prose that gives grace to the grotesque, Things We Lost in the Fire is a powerful exploration of what happens when our darkest desires are left to roam unchecked, and signals the arrival of an astonishing and necessary voice in contemporary fiction.

submit a horror book!

[put-me-out-of-my-destiny]

Thinking about the "Kyrie gains demonic minions" AU again (all info in my pinned post).

I'd always imagined that at some point, this plot would put Kyrie in conflict with Nero. But I've realized that this would have to happen very gradually, that Nero would take a little too long to admit that Kyrie is in the wrong.

In my opinion (and based on things that DMC creatives have said), Nero basically treats Kyrie as his moral compass, he believes that without her he would end up like Vergil. I think he does have his own morals, but he doesn't listen to them as much as he does to Kyrie - which wasn't a problem until those two things no longer overlapped.

I think the first to really call Kyrie out is Nico. To Nero, this might feel like Nico being disloyal, like she doesn't love Kyrie enough. Really, Nico loves Kyrie more than Nero knows, but she's a firm believer in tough love, in telling people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

I think it's Nero she'd be more pissed at. Kyrie believes that she's justified, but Nero knows on some level that what she's doing is wrong. He just isn't willing to stand against her because he isn't sure who he is without her.

As for what Kyrie is actually doing? I'm not completely certain yet.

Perhaps it begins as taking revenge against the zealots that believe Nero to be responsible for the Savior incident. I can imagine that, knowing how dangerous it would be to pick a fight with Nero, they've made Kyrie's life a living hell, harassing her, calling her seriously nasty things, all under the justification that she's corrupted or possessed by Nero in some way.

And like she always does, Kyrie would simply turn the other cheek and put up with it. She probably wouldn't even tell Nero or Nico, knowing that they would retaliate. But Kyrie can only take so much bullshit. I think one of these incidents would be when her illness finally becomes too severe to ignore.

I think it's possible that this harassment would extend to Kyle, Carlo, and Julio? The zealots themselves wouldn't harass children, but if their own children repeat the things their parents say at school, there's bound to be conflict. Perhaps they confide in Kyrie before Nero, and she tells them exactly what she was always told, to turn the other cheek and respond to cruelty with kindness.

The thing that would really set Kyrie off is insinuating that her parents would be ashamed of what's become of her. They were killed by a failed candidate of the ascension ceremony, a truth that Credo actively hid from Kyrie.

These zealots, who still believe that Sanctus and all of the Order's knights were heroes, who believe every bad thing that ever happened in Fortuna is somehow Nero's fault, would certainly blame him for the deaths of Kyrie's parents, and likely Credo as well.

So once Kyrie gains her minions, and confronts the feelings they represent, she makes their lives hell in turn, perhaps running them out of Fortuna. I don't think Nero would initially have any problem with this, now knowing what these people were saying to his Kyrie. This would have to progress into something else in order to really become a conflict.

Maybe Kyrie decides that shutting up the zealots isn't enough, and decides to ensure that no one can hurt her and her family again by seizing power, taking over Fortuna. For all that Nero's afraid of turning out like Vergil, the person he trusts most is going down that same path. Maybe Kyrie's revenge becomes more petty, until she's taking her anger out on people who'd hardly wronged her at all.

Also, while I'm not sure how or why Kyrie would do such a thing, it would be interesting if she had revived some of Agnus's experiments, just because Nico would be even more pissed at Nero for standing by Kyrie. He would have killed Nico had she intended to do something like this, but Kyrie gets a free pass?

[prophetic-hijinks]

What were both Bruno and Elena's thoughts on adopting before they met Ramiro, especially considering they had their twins at the time?

I'm guessing that Elena was the main instigator in adoption. Obviously she was open to adoption back when she was married to Carlos, but even with biological children with Bruno, I still think she's passionate about adoption considering she grew up in the orphanage and was never adopted out herself.

Even Bruno knows what it's like to grow up without a papa and knows the hole it left in his and his sisters hearts over not knowing Pedro. I imagine being the youngest and the only boy, it was especially hard for him. Therefore I'm sure he can empathise with Ramiro's situation as well.

I'm guessing it was love at first sight for Ramiro that really made them want to adopt him.

Elena was very much keen on adopting when she was younger and having a lot of kids, but having two babies at the same time, and three babies in the house total was tough (Dolores and Mariano’s l, Gabriel).

Then her own kids turned five, and there were now three newly super powered kids in the house. Elena and Bruno cooled on needing to add another kid to the chaos, there were plenty of children to dote on. Especially with her older sobrinos dating or getting close to marrying age. Plus, Dolores having another on the way, Elena was content with life.

But then when volunteering at the city orphanage where she grew up after age 12, she overheard a sweet boy listing out the virtues of each child to a pair of prospective parents.

“Julio can do his multiplication tables to eight already and he’s only 6”

“Cecilia is the sweetest toddler, never heard her throw a tantrum. Not even once”

“Mariana, she hasn’t been beaten in a foot race yet!”

Elena fell in love with the sweet boy right then and there. Older children are not as likely to get adopted, and a blind child would need special help to adapt to a world not very accommodating to him. Elena knew the Encanto and Casita could be that accommodating space, and she had the monetary means to get him special education. So she spoke to Bruno right away. To her this was a sign. Bruno appreciated his spirit, and the sass he brought to the family dynamic. They loved him right away.

[ask-artsy-oncie]

Do you have some behind the scenes or development info about Jules? Since you talked about designing Yy 😊

Sorry for answering this one so late anon! I've been very sporadically online the past couple of days. I know you sent this today but like still.

I just wanted to make sure I answered this proper cos I like talking about behind the scenes stuff a lot ;w;

Hmmm. So Julio. Let's see...

Well, originally their name was going to be José, since that's the first half of my name. It was definitely something I teetered back and forth on because I know José Carioca is not only already a Disney character but literally in Ducktales 2017. I mean... we have two Disney Afternoon characters named Louie.... but still. Ultimately I decided on Julio. I actually have a cousin named Julio, though we don't live in the same country and haven't seen each other since we were kids. It was more because I was born in July hahaha.

Ah, yes! "Starleta"! I actually came up with the character's surname before changing my pseudonym! Because I loved it so so so much and it really vibes with me so well I decided to have it for myself, too :) what's interesting about that is that my older pseudonym, Artsy LaVerne, is also based on an OC - it's the deoncelerized version of my askblog onceler (since LaVerne means "born in spring" and it was fanon that the Onceler's birthday was on Earth Day!) Starleta just felt appropriately magical and fictional! And it's a play on my own last name!

I figured their nickname would be "Jules" - I imagine that in their "original" Talespin incarnation it'd be their whole name because DT17 did a lot to Latin-ize characters and I kinda wanted to play into that, like literally (retroactively) Latin-ize a character I made up lol, just so it felt a little more immersive. But I also wanted this DT17 version of them to have a nickname, preferably one syllable, that Kit could call them, because Kit is the kind of guy who would lean towards giving people/calling people by their nicknames rather than their full names.

They were originally going to go by he/him pronouns! This was because I was feeling massively dysphoric when I was designing them and very much wanted to feel like a man. What made me change my mind is the massive amount of euphoria I felt seeing an androgynous they/them character already on Disney - Raine Whispers :) and I knew then that I wanted to change Jules's pronouns.

Their two most important magical elements are their broom and their tarot deck - their broom, because I've yearned to have the power of flight for literally as long as I can remember, and their tarot deck because I actually read tarot IRL and practice witchcraft! I imagine that in the cartoon world where magic is literally real, tarot works more like the Alethiometer in the Golden Compass movie, where if you know how to read it, the answer appears to you as clear as day, with little to infer or guess at - that's why they always get a little piece of information they don't know the context to, like their deck is almost being snide with them by giving them a riddle rather than a straight answer. It obviously wouldn't be that way in a real tarot deck.

Their broom is also their comfort item, and inferred to be kind of alive in its own right for a reason! I wanted an analog to my dog, who is very much someone who keeps me calm, who essentially functions as my emotional support net, who understands me and is as inseparable as we can be (she is not a registered service animal so I cannot take her everywhere). Jules very much emotionally depends on their broom, and feels better when they're actively holding it or can at least see it. I they made it themself, much like how I raised Cali from a puppy, literally just old enough to be removed from her mother, there's a lot of care and love involved. I've pondered, but I honestly don't think they'd be able to handle if it ever got broken.

I decided, in order to help myself develop them, to try also developing an "original" Talespin incarnation of them that could potentially be rebooted. I imagined them like a side character in one of the comics (one, because those inconsequential side characters were the kinds of characters I used to fixate on, so it felt fitting, and two, because it would also be easier to keep them androgynous without ever having to confront their gender - they wouldn't have enough of a presence for it to matter lol) kinda like the daughter of Baloo's old boss, or the homeless folk who raised Kit - major players in the specific issues they appeared in, but essentially nonexistent outside of that particular comic. I almost even wrote and drew the hypothetical Talespin-style comic that I imagined them coming from, until I realized I was too exhausted to do all that hahahahahaha.

I believe the plot was about H4H being hired to deliver magically significant jewels (under the guise of it being "jewelry") from the island that Jules and their family live on - who in this 'verse are all witches, no real "not believing in magic" issues present, though they're not very open about it because magic can be dangerous in the wrong hands, of course, which is why they claim the cargo they're sending out is just jewelry. But H4H gets ambushed by Karnage and his crew as they're leaving, motivated by the precious jewels, causing them to be trapped on the island. The adults are all tied up by the pirates, but the kids get away (Jules is an only child in this 'verse, or maybe perhaps only has much older siblings, they're meant to be the youngest of their family, and a late bloomer in developing their magic). As Jules cannot use magic yet, they lament that they, Kit, and Molly, are powerless to save their families, but Kit comes up with an idea to trick Karnage rather than overpower him. Jules confronts Karnage "alone", proclaiming themself to be a powerful witch who will make him pay for imprisoning their family. Karnage amusedly dares them to prove it, to which Jules pretends to cast spells on him while Kit and Molly, unseen by the pirates, play tricks as though to make it seem like spells are actually being cast (hooking a fishing line to one of the pirates and lifting them to make it look like Jules is levitating them, discreetely setting one of the pirates' hats on fire to make it look like a fireball had been thrown, releasing a basket of snakes to make it look like they were magically manifested) and it scares the pirates off, the kids having saved the day :)

Hahahahahaha I know it's very simple and rather dumb, but I felt like it was rather on par with the way Talespin comics are written (and that's no shade, I do love them, but they're often very simple like that.) Maybe someday I'll be able to draw it! Maybe. There was also absolutely (and adamantly!) no romance between Talespin!Jules and Kit, because I just don't feel comfortable shipping a self-insert with a child character, even though the insert character would also be a kid. Just feels wrong. Talespin!Kit is my blorbo, it's DT17!Kit who is my husband, ha. Talespin!Jules and Kit are strictly platonic.

That's all I can think of, for now. Sorry I don't have any pictures for this one like I do for Ty. I'm typing this on my phone and don't have the energy to pull up my computer to find early sketches - I did all their visual development digitally. But honestly most of what I've posted of them is all there is, even their Talespin version is in my introductory post for them. Hope you liked this, thanks for the distraction ;w;

[nwbeerguide]

Press Release

NEW YORK ... Today, DIAGEO unveils its Spirited Xchange Special Releases Scotch Whisky Collection celebrating the journey of Scotch, countries and cultures around the world.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9221151-diageo-spirited-xchange-special-releases-scotch-whisky-collection/

The Special Releases collection is an annual collection of eight rare and collectible Single Malts carefully selected by Master Blender Dr. Stuart Morrison, to celebrate each distillery's unique characteristics and DIAGEO's robust portfolio united together in quality Scotch making.

The incredible collection of unexplored flavors fuses together unique casks showcasing different crafts and finishes that honor local cultures, delighting Scotch whisky enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.

"This year, we're proudly revealing our new series of distillery-first expressions: Spirited Xchange Special Releases 2023. For me, Spirited Xchange is about identifying and celebrating the ideas, flavors, and tastes that surround us each day and inspire our curiosity to create. This collection has given us the opportunity to roam freely through our vast portfolio and experiment with old and new cask types, including various wine and local spirits casks to create eight one-of-a-kind expressions that we've never imagined before." Master Blender, Dr. Stuart Morrison

Spirited Xchange comes to life through intricate and alluring pack designs, illustrated by eight artists across the globe - each one dedicated to the beloved distilleries and the spirits in the collection, creating a powerful storytelling moment.

The artworks are visual tasting notes, placing the expression at the centre of the experience and exploring the flavors that emerge from the local spirit casks:

Lagavulin 'The Ink of Legends', finished in a masterful combination of Don Julio Añejo tequila casks, honors the ancient art of tattooing while Lagavulin's renowned smokiness, rich with bright herbs and juicy plums, is complimented by a lasting finish. SRP: $170

Mortlach 'The Katana's Edge', finished in ex-Kanosuke Japanese whisky and ex-Pinot Noir casks, is illustrated with a golden gleam that represents the flash of umami that cuts through the ripe, fruity sweetness of this stunning expression. SRP: $280

Inspired by Scotch's global journey of discovery, this year's collection also explores a variety of ages and spirits characters, delivering new depth of complexity and capturing the essence of cultural exchange through unique layers of flavor:

The Singleton 'The Silken Gown', finished in rich Chardonnay de Bourgogne French Oak casks, brims with warm toffee and rippling layers of buttery golden fruit, characterized by textures of a luminous and enchanting silk gown. SRP: $135

Talisker 'The Wild Explorador', finished in a combination of White, Tawny and Ruby Port Casks, celebrates the sea with currents of spice and waves of dark fruit, finished with a splash of sea salt, embodied by an iconic Portuguese vessel. SRP: $135

Roseisle distillery is proud to join the Special Releases collection for the first time with its first public release: 'The Origami Kite', etched with sweet vanilla notes and a touch of molasses. SRP: $150

Glenkinchie 'The Floral Treasure' 27 Year Old expression is one of its most mature bottlings to date, carrying lush floral aromas and sweet flavours resembling a Spring morning. SRP: $400

Oban 'The Soul of Calypso' epitomizes the essence of the vivid energy of Caribbean culture with vibrant flavors of tropical fruit mango and sugar cane emerging from the Caribbean pot still rum casks. SRP: $140

Clynelish 'The Jazz Crescendo' is a dulcet symphony of vanilla spice and smooth caramel notes, flowing from its exclusive maturation in ex-bourbon American Oak casks. SRP: $200

The 2023 Special Releases collection became available in limited quantities from select spirits retailers in the U.S. and on Malts.com starting 1st October 2023.

DIAGEO encourages those who are 21+ to drink responsibly. More information on the 2023 Special Releases Collection can be found at https://www.malts.com/en-row/products/collections/special-releases-2023.

...

nstagram @LagavulinWhisky @ObanWhisky @Talisker @SingletonUS @Mortlach_Whisky @Clynelish.Distillery @Glenkinchie.Distillery @Diageorareandexceptional

Facebook @Lagavulin @Oban @Talisker @TheSingletonUS @Clynelish

We kindly ask that you adhere to FTC/TTB Guidelines so if you choose to share on social, please use DIAGEO, New York, NY. Enjoy Responsibly. Do not forward to anyone under 21.

#SpiritedXchange #SpecialReleases2023

About DIAGEO DIAGEO is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness. DIAGEO is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, their people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow our Twitter and Instagram for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.

SOURCE DIAGEO

[world-literatures]

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez

I am not a huge short story reader, but I absolutely adored this collection. It explores the reality of modern Argentina, often with a horror twist. At times it's very macabre, which I found to be the highlight. I found most of these stories pretty engrossing, and I do intend to read The Dangers of Smoking in Bed at some point in the future as well.

genres: short story, horror

translator: Megan McDowell

rating: didn't rate (short story collection)

goodreads synopsis:

In these wildly imaginative, devilishly daring tales of the macabre, internationally bestselling author Mariana Enriquez brings contemporary Argentina to vibrant life as a place where shocking inequality, violence, and corruption are the law of the land, while military dictatorship and legions of desaparecidos loom large in the collective memory. In these stories, reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and Julio Cortázar, three young friends distract themselves with drugs and pain in the midst a government-enforced blackout; a girl with nothing to lose steps into an abandoned house and never comes back out; to protest a viral form of domestic violence, a group of women set themselves on fire.

But alongside the black magic and disturbing disappearances, these stories are fueled by compassion for the frightened and the lost, ultimately bringing these characters—mothers and daughters, husbands and wives—into a surprisingly familiar reality. Written in hypnotic prose that gives grace to the grotesque, Things We Lost in the Fire is a powerful exploration of what happens when our darkest desires are left to roam unchecked, and signals the arrival of an astonishing and necessary voice in contemporary fiction.

[honeyleesblog]

July 6 ZODIAC

https://aboutzodiacsigns.com/zodiac-sign/july-6-zodiac/Horoscope and character for those brought into the world on July 6 They won't need thoughts or ventures to carry out throughout everyday life and they will have extraordinary accomplishments. Entertaining, broadly gifted - fruitful in any space. It should be added that they are simply individuals with high and unadulterated standards, with a respectable and frequently graceful demeanor. They like everything unpretentious and imaginative, and they wonder about the excellence of nature. They are obfuscated areas of strength for by, and their exotic life is exceptionally serious. Their strange awareness makes it simple for them to frame fellowships. They see well the spirit of their companions and help them with their encounters. They have an incredible love for participation with others. Their conspicuous abilities make them phenomenal stargazers or scholars. They likewise show an ability for applied expressions, particularly goldsmithing. They are extremely joined to family customs and keep up serious areas of strength for with associations with their family members. His family by and large appreciates general regard. Rise frequently looks for them in their childhood, and they once in a while acquire a strategic place of power. Assuming their introduction to the world is more modest and beyond a family that appreciates regard and thriving, they wed an individual of a lot higher social position or who appreciates distinction and acknowledgment. Regardless, they can procure a decent life position. As a rule, they wed very early, frequently to a the fine individual expressions.

July 6 ZODIAC

 Assuming your birthday is July 6, your zodiac sign is Malignant growth July 6 - character and character character: firm, mindful, intense, discourteous, self centered, insane calling: veterinarian, secretary, financial expert tones: red, olive, earthy colored stone: jasper creature: reindeer plant: Boston ivy fortunate numbers: 1,17,18,40,44,58 very fortunate number: 11 Occasions and Observances - July 6 Peru: Instructor's Day. July 6 is the Day of the Sneaked Kiss, which is commended in the Unified Realm and is a different festival albeit like that of the Global Day of the Kiss, on April 13. Paraguay: Minguero Day, in the city of Minga Guazდº (Alto Paranდ¡) in tribute to the date of birth of the pioneer behind the city; Father Guido Coronel. Comoros: Freedom Day. World Zoonoses Day. Malawi: Freedom Day, and Republic Day. July 6 Superstar Birthday. Who was conceived that very day as you? 1905: Juan O'Gorman, Mexican painter and planner (d. 1982). 1906: Charlo, Argentine entertainer and vocalist (f. 1990). 1907: Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter. 1908: Miguel Schweitzer, Chilean law specialist and legislator (f. 1997). 1912: Heinrich Harrer, Austrian mountain dweller. 1914: Josდ© Garcდ­a Nieto, Spanish author. 1916: Morgan Flashes, American researcher. 1917: Heribert Barrera, Spanish legislator (d. 2011). 1918: Francisco Moncion, establishing individual from the New York City Artful dance (f. 1995) 1919: Ernst Haefliger, Swiss tenor. 1919: Oswaldo Guayasamდ­n, Ecuadorian painter (d. 1999). 1921: Pepa Noia, Argentine extremist, pioneer behind Moms of Square de Mayo (d. 2015). 1921: Nancy Reagan, American first woman. (f. 2016). 1922: Miguel დ?ngel Garcდ­a Guinea, Spanish paleologist. 1923: Wojciech Jaruzelski, Clean president. 1924 - Louis Bellson, American jazz and rock drummer. 1924: Joan Bernet Toledano, Spanish sketch artist (d. 2009). 1925: Bill Haley, American artist (d. 1981). 1927: Janet Leigh, American entertainer (d. 2004). 1927: Nilo Soruco, Bolivian artist (f. 2004). 1930: Herbert Erhardt, German footballer (d. 2010). 1931: Della Reese, American entertainer and artist. 1933: Antonio Dდ­az-Miguel, Spanish ball player and mentor. 1935: Julio Mahდ¡rbiz, Argentine TV moderator (d. 2013). 1935: Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) Tibetan strict and government official. 1937: Vladimir დ?shkenazi, Icelandic guide of Russian beginning. 1938: Takuma Nakahira, Japanese photographic artist. 1940: Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakh President. 1945: Burt Ward, American entertainer. 1946: George W. Hedge, legislator and American president. 1946: Gerardo Romano, Argentine film, theater and TV entertainer. 1946: Peter Artist, Australian savant. 1946: Sylvester Stallone, American entertainer. 1946: Toquinho, Brazilian artist. 1947: Nდ©stor Chდ¡vez, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1969). 1948: Arnaldo Baptista, Brazilian artist and arranger, of the band operating system Mutantes. 1950: Juan Carlos Mendizდ¡bal, Argentine TV moderator and moderator (d. 2012). 1951: Geoffrey Rush, Australian entertainer. 1952: Hilary Shelf, English essayist. 1954: Francisco Reyes, Chilean entertainer. 1958: Arnaldo Otegi, Spanish lawmaker of patriot belief system. 1961: Juan Palomino, Argentine entertainer. 1963: Fabiდ¡n Ramდ­rez, Colombian guerrilla. 1964: Bernardo Bonezzi, Spanish writer (d. 2012). 1964: Javier Velasco Yeregui, Spanish minister and scholar (f. 2009). 1967: Heather Nova, English artist lyricist. 1970: Inspectah Deck, American rapper, of the band Wu-Tang Group. 1974: Zდ© Roberto, Brazilian soccer player. 1974: Estდ­baliz Espinosa, Spanish essayist. 1975: 50 Penny, American rapper. 1975: Sebastiდ¡n Rulli, Argentine entertainer. 1976: Rory Delap, lance hurler and Irish footballer. 1977: Maksim Mirni, Belarusian tennis player. 1978: Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry, American entertainers. 1978: Joseba Albizu, Spanish cyclist. 1979: Nic Cester, Australian artist and guitarist, of the band Fly. 1980: Pau Gasol, Spanish ball player. 1980: Leandro Rivera, Spanish entertainer. 1981: Romდ¡n Shirდ³kov, Russian footballer. 1982: Malena Pichot, Argentine entertainer, humorist and screenwriter. 1983: Gregory Smith, Canadian entertainer. 1984: Lauren Harris, English vocalist. 1984: D. Woods, American vocalist, of the band Danity Kane. 1987: Kate Nash, English vocalist. 1990: Gastდ³n Vietto, Argentine entertainer and vocalist. 1992: Manny Machado, American baseball player of Dominican beginning. 1992: Rigoberto Mendoza, Dominican b-ball player. 1992: Daniel Villalva, Argentine soccer player. 1994: Camilla and Rebecca Rosso, English entertainers.

[kheycastillo]

When I first glanced at the portrait, I couldn't help but think, "Oh, Napakapogi naman nito, sino toh?, He looks handsome." Hanging gracefully on the wall, it was a masterpiece by the well-known Filipino artist, Fernando Amorsolo. The subject of the painting was none other than Don Julio de la Orden, a distinguished gentleman whose charm seemed to radiate from the canvas.

I found myself instantly captivated by Don Julio's charm and undeniable attractiveness. His handsome features and charming smile seemed to go beyond the limits of the portrait as if he was about to come out and sweep me off my feet at any moment. The artist had captured not only Don Julio's physical appearance but also his essence,  an appealing blend of charm and mystery.

I stood in front of the painting having thoughts in mind. I wondered what life was like at the time this portrait was made. I wondered who this Don Julio de la Orden was and what stories he held. The painting seemed to tell a story of wealth, power, and charm.

The longer I stared, the more convinced I was of Don Julio's irresistible appeal.  It was as if his charm transcended time and space, captivating my imagination. In my mind, I imagined him walking out of the frame, ready to sweep me off my feet with his undeniable charisma.

This painting was a remarkable testament to the fascinating nature of art.  It evoked emotions and ignited my imagination,  allowing me to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, both in the art we admire and the people we encounter. Don Julio de la Orden had become a symbol of the extraordinary, reminding me to embrace the enchanting moments that life presents.

It wasn't simply a painting—it was an experience. The museum had given me the gift of encountering the art of Fernando Amorsolo, which reminded me of the continuing power of artistic expression. I couldn't help but smile as I walked away, being grateful for the beauty of art.

[fumbling-fanfics]

So I got another one for Julio lol so his girl is at a yoga class and they are meeting up for a late lunch and he comes to the yoga studio a little early and sees her in a few poses (hint hint wink wink) lol and he starts feeling some type a way and she has no idea what’s going through his mind when she walks up to him afterwards lol

"Is it still good for me to duck out now?" Julio asked, sticking his head around the Truth office door. Ghost was sat in his office desk, going over the books. Tommy was lounging on the sofa on his phone.

"Yeah, sure. Everything good?“ Ghost asked looking up at Julio. Julio stepped into the office. When he opened his mouth to speak Tommy interrupted.

"He's gotta get to yoga" Tommy laughed. Julio rolled his eyes and looked to Ghost who looked surprised.

"I don't have yoga. I'm going to meet y/n, we're gonna get together. We haven't hooked up for a minute. She's at yoga now, so I'm gonna go meet her there, take her to eat" Ghost nodded, then looked sideways at a chuckling Tommy.

"Well say hi to y/n for me, and don't worry about coming in tomorrow, if we need you we'll call"

"Thanks" Julio smiled. Ghost was always so understanding.

"I don't wanna see you until you can do the splits " Tommy shouted from the sofa as Julio left. Julio flipped him off as the office door closed.

***

Julio had dealt with a lot of scary people, people he wouldn't bat an eyelid at. However, walking into a yoga studio was an entirely different ball game. He immediately felt out of place.

The woman at the desk eyed him up, giving him a fake smile. "Can I help you?“ she closed her magazine and sat up.

Just as he was about to try and explain why he was in a yoga studio you appeared.

"Hey Erin, can I grab another towel" Erin got up and grabbed a towel for the pigeon holes behind her.

"Hey baby" you tiptoed across the cold floor to kiss Julio. It was at arm's length as you were covered in sweat. Erin hander you a towel, looking between you and Julio.

"He's just gonna wait for me while I'm in class" she nodded.

"Would you like a wheatgrass smoothie?" Erin held up her glass so Julio could see what she was referring.

"Err, I'm good thanks" you chuckled, grabbing his hand and pulling him through the studio.

"I don't get how people drink that green shit" Julio made a face like he was going to be sick.

"It's not too bad, just sit here. I'm right in there so you can see. I have another 45 minutes, so get comfy" you kissed him quickly again and rejoined the class.

***

The studio rooms were floor to ceiling glass with blinds that could be lowered. To let enough light into the class the instructors often left the blinds up.

Julio sat on the cushioned seats that were directly outside of the yoga studio. He shrugged off his jacket and watched.

"Whose that?“ the instructor asked as you jumped back onto your mat and into the pose.

"That's Julio, my boyfriend" you grinned. He grinned back at you.

"So on the next Side Angle Pose guys I want you to all wave at Julio" The instructor laughed. "I'll join you in the flow"

Everyone stood at the top of their mats to start the flow, and on the side angle pose everyone waved at Julio.

There was quiet laughter as Julio hesitantly waved back. "He's actually gonna kill me later" you laughed.

***

Julio was aware of what yoga was - something that rich white people did. He knew the Haitian's did too - after Drifty told him he should probably start meditation and try to centre himself in yoga - whatever that meant.

But watching you he had a newfound interest. Your spot in the class was by the glass in the second row, giving him an unrestricted view of you. It was cute seeing you so serious.

He was surprised to see how you made it all so easy, rarely faulting, even when you had to balance on one leg.

He watched you straighten and in a fluid motion pull off your top as you went into another pose, leaving you in leggings and a sports bra.

He'd seen you a lot less, but was enjoying how good your tits looked. Especially when you leant forward, giving him a nice view of your boobs in your sports bra - like they were being given to him on a plate.

He watched, impressed, as the class turned away from him, back to the glass. And while he could no longer see your front, it now meant he had a great view of ass as you went through the different poses, especially when you beat over.

Then when the whole class raised a leg in the air Julio cocked his head to one side with a raised eyebrow - he wasn't aware you could do the splits.

When everyone lay down and the instructor walked between everyone Julio was upset the class was over, he wanted to watch more.

He watched everyone get up and some started talking. Most rolled up their mats and put them at the end of the studio in the wooden pigeon holes and then left the class chatting amongst themselves. He watched you laugh and chat with the instructor and another girl. After a moment you threw waved to him again.

"So is waving at me part of the moves" Julio asked as you came out of the class, using one towel to wipe yourself.

"Only when there is a cute guy watching" he made to grab you but you stepped back.

"I'm so sweaty" you frowned

"I don't mind" he grinned.

"Trust me you would, even my underwear is soaked" you whispered.

"I like the sound of that. Wanna skip lunch"

"I'm actually starving. I was going so hard in there thinking about all the food I'm going to eat" you pout. Julio wanted to say something in response to your statement but didn't.

"Let me shower real quick and then we can go" you disappeared into the changing rooms, desperate to get out of your sweat drenched clothes.

***

When you came out of the changing room another class had started and Julio was hypnotised by it.

"Do you do that?" he asked nodding at the class, as he stood to put on his coat. It was suspension yoga.

"Yeah, I usually do that class now, but I'd rather see my boyfriend" You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him into a proper kiss. His hands found your ass, giving it a nice squeeze.

"Can you not wear the yoga pants" he whispered, as he leant back, hands still on your ass.

"They're wet" you grimaced at the thought of having to wear your leggings in their current state.

"How about I buy you a pair now, and you can change" you laughed hard, who knew Julio liked yoga pants so much. "Look they sell some here" He points to the rack in the reception area as you both walked through.

"I have a million pairs at home. Plus do you want me to wear yoga pants for everyone to see, or just you?" you could see Julio thinking it over.

"You're right" he grinned. "Just me" you gave him a satisfied grin and walked out of the studio.

***

The spot you were going to eat wasn't far from the studio so you walked. Julio kept his arm around you during the walk - occasionally letting his hand wander, as well as burying his face into the side of your next.

"Maybe we should get food to go" you laughed as you pushed Julio through the door of the restaurant. He was still trying to get you home.

"Just let me eat and then I'm all yours"

"We can do whatever you want" you smiled.

"Can we try some yoga" Julio wiggles eyebrows at you. "Maybe naked yoga" Julio whispered into your ear as the waiter approached you both.

**********************************************

@est1887 hope you like this 🤗

Tags: @ellixthea @lovelymari4 @chaneajoyyy

@honeychicana @beaminglife @amelatonin @themyscxiras @crushed-pink-petals @lady-olive-oil @jojolu @endless00paradise @cajunpeach @melinda-january @profoundlynerdywolf @deathonyourtongue @designerwriterchic @itsbqueenthings @alicesfracturedmirror @joebob15274 @write-fromthe-start @islanddgal @tarashari-tfp @dc41896

[tepkunset]

The New Mutants Film is an Offensive Trash Fire

It’s done! Check out my video on the so-called New Mutants film adaptation. (Even if you’ve never read the any of the New Mutants comics, I explain everything you need to know about the characters!)

English subs included.

(Full script below)

I am an astronomically huge fan of the New Mutants comics, especially the classic and current volumes. In particular, Dani Moonstar is my favourite Marvel hero of all time; as a woman-aligned Indigenous person, she means the world to me. So to say I’m disappointed in the so-called New Mutants film adaptation of 2020 would be an understatement. I’m not disappointed; I am disgusted by just how offensive this film is, both in general and specifically in regards to calling itself a New Mutants film. At this point, I’m pretty sure the pent-up rage I have directed at this film can only be exhausted by talking about it. So, here we are.

The film features five of the core nine New Mutants from the classic comics. Well, at least in name. There’s Dani Moonstar, Roberto da Costa, Sam Guthrie, Illyana Rasputin, and Rahne Sinclair. Members of the team not included are Xi’an Coy Manh, Amara Aquilla, Doug Ramsey, and Warlock. Julio Richter and Tabitha Smith join the team late in the series as well, but are not typically regarded as core members. Xi’an is notably the only one of the Original Five missing from the film, instead replaced with Illyana, despite even being the team’s first leader. Imagine making an Original Five X-Men film with Wolverine instead of Cyclops… But right now, let’s compare the five characters in the comics to their film counterparts.

Dani Moonstar, AKA Mirage, is a Cheyenne girl from Colorado. Originally her power-set was limited to manifesting illusions of the deepest fears of a person, though as the Classic New Mutant series unfolds this evolves to include any illusion she can think of. In Classic X-Force, her powers evolve further and she learns to conjure psychic arrows that paralyze their targets in fear; a skill she still frequently uses in modern comics. Oh, and she also becomes a Valkyrie who can sense death. Because of her struggle managing her illusions when her powers first developed, Dani spent her time in isolation, with only her grandfather as company after her parents mysteriously disappeared. (Spoiler alert: They were eaten by a demon bear.) Then her grandfather is murdered, too, leading Dani to reluctantly go to Xavier’s school. Dani can come off as abrasive and rebellious, because she is very iron-willed and has a strong sense of her own morality. From the very moment she joins the team, she is not afraid to challenge even Professor Xavier. These traits are part of what make her a great team leader, which is the role she plays for the majority of the Classic New Mutants run. But for all her outward confidence, deep inside, she struggles with a desire for people to like her.

Dani develops a particularly strong relationship with Rahne in the comics; they call themselves soulmates and share a telepathic bond when Rahne is in her wolf form. However, in modern comics they drift apart, and it’s only very recently that they’re starting to get close again. In the film, they overtly become a couple.

Dani barely has any agency in the film. She’s like your typical soft-spoken new girl in a CW high school drama, where things happen to her, but it’s never really about her. I can’t really identify a personality for her, because she has none. I feel it’s also worth pointing out that, when paired with the racist casting of Henry Zaga as Roberto—which we’ll get to in a minute—it’s highly suspect that they also decided to cast a light-skinned Native actress to play a dark-skinned Native character. What makes it more suspect is that their other choice was True O’Brien, who is not Native. Josh Boone openly confirmed to having a casting call open to non-Natives for Dani in the same interview where he defended the racist casting for Roberto. I refuse to pat them on the back for Dani’s casting when there was so much bullshit behind the scenes, and when paired with flat out racist casting elsewhere in the film.

Roberto da Costa, AKA Sunspot and often called ‘Berto or Bobby, is an Afro-Brazilian boy who is established in New Mutants #2 to be the youngest of the group, at just thirteen years old. He has solar-powered super strength, and when using his powers, his body turns into complete shadow. Mutant abilities often appear for the first time in stressful situations, and in Bobby’s case, his powers manifested in the middle of a soccer game, when assaulted by racist players on the other team. If this isn’t traumatic enough, he then lost his girlfriend when she jumped in front of a bullet for him. Juliana’s death has haunted Roberto ever since. Because nothing can be easy for ‘Berto, to top everything off, this kid has major daddy issues. Rightfully so, given his father decided to join the Hellfire Club; arguably the X-Men’s second-most famous enemies, only behind the Brotherhood. And boy, do they ever want Roberto to join them. (Spoiler alert: They eventually get what they want.) Roberto acts like he’s the coolest kid on the block in public, while in private struggles deeply with, well, everything I just said. He can be a bit of a hot head, who like Dani is not afraid to challenge authority, especially if it’s in the name of sticking up for his friends. Roberto is extremely loyal to those he cherishes. He is also a huge Magnum PI fan, and yes, that is a defining trait of his personality.

Just like Dani and Rahne’s strong relationship, Roberto and Sam become extremely close, too. Unlike Dani and Rahne, they stay a great team. In modern comics, Roberto and Sam both join the Avengers for a time together, with ‘Berto becoming the leader of one of the branch-off teams, even. Quite an accomplishment for a kid who Xavier once wrote an entire report on the likeliness of becoming a supervillain.

In the comics, Roberto’s father is Black and his mother is white, and he himself has dark skin like his father. He makes his way through the world with a number of labels; Black, Latino, Mutant, and it gets complicated for him sometimes. In the film, the so-called Roberto da Costa is played by a Brazilian actor, yes, but he is not Afro-Brazilian. Director Josh Boone defended his choice of casting Zaga to play a Black character, saying, “I didn’t care so much about the racism I’ve heard about in Brazil, about light-skinned versus dark-skinned. To me, it was I wanted to represent Brazil in a positive way and I wanted to find somebody who seems like he could look like a guy who’s had the silver spoon in his mouth, who has like a really rich dad and [Henry] just exemplified all these things.” No amount of Brazilian identity that Zaga has within him can make up for the fact that he is not Afro-Brazilian like Roberto. No amount of Zaga “looking rich”, whatever that means, can make up for the fact that he is not Afro-Brazilian like Roberto. No amount of denial that racism exists in Brazil can make up for the fact that Zaga is not Afro-Brazilian like Roberto. Roberto is of African descent. Zaga is not. It is the complete and total erasure of a crucial part of the character’s story, and who he represents. It’s racist casting. The racism is enough to end the discussion, but oh, the butchering of this character doesn’t even end there… Roberto in the film is an asshole. The one character he isn’t a jerk towards is Sam, so at least they got a small sliver of their comic bond in there. But it’s a pathetically small sliver. What really gets me though, is they completely changed his powers! They switched his powers with Amara’s in the comics! What the fuck? They did this just so that they could say he was responsible for killing his girlfriend, because he got too hot and burned her. Oh my god. //Sighs

Sam Guthrie, AKA Cannonball, is the eldest child in a huge family, born and raised in Kentucky. When his father died from black lung, sixteen-year-old Sam dropped out of school for the coal mines himself to support his mother and siblings. On his first shift though, the mine collapsed, and Sam’s powers manifested. He has the ability to basically turn himself into a human rocket, which includes being “nigh invulnerable when blastin’”, as he is sure to not let anyone forget. Sam pretty easily slips into a big brother-ish role, probably because he’s used to having a group of younger siblings hanging around him. Sam cares about being seen as respectful and responsible more than any of the others, though does not always succeed. He also tries to maintain a cheerful and hopeful attitude. While Sam is a little too insecure and unsure of himself to be much of a leader at first, by the time of Classic X-Force, he really steps into his own and becomes a pretty solid one.

While Sam’s background is mostly accurate to the comics in his film, the difference being that in the film he is the reason for the mine’s collapse and his father’s death, personality wise, he is very angsty. At one point he cries in front of a mirror and then uses his powers to knock himself out. Rahne observes that Sam uses his powers to hurt himself a lot. Not sure how, when he’s supposed to be nigh invulnerable when blastin’. He spends the film beat to shit because of this.

Illyana Rasputin, AKA Magik, is the younger sister of X-Men member Colossus, born in Russia but was sucked into the other dimension Limbo as a child. While only seconds past on earth, seven years went by in Limbo, where she was raised by the demonic sorcerer Belasco as his apprentice. At age fourteen, she rebelled against Belasco and became the new ruler of Limbo. Returning to earth as a teenager, she joins the New Mutants. Illyana has the power to teleport herself and others through time and space, though she must always pass through Limbo to do so. She is also a master sorcerer, and wields her iconic soulsword. Illyana has a tendency to self-isolate and spiral into a session of self-hate, believing herself to be inherently evil because of her traumatic time in Limbo. She is slow to trust others and let them into her inner thoughts, feeling like she needs to tackle everything alone, but over time comes to greatly appreciate the support of her friends. When she’s not in a depressive state, she has a mischievous and playful spirit.

While in the comics, Dani is the first member of the New Mutants that Illyana comes to truly trust, in the film, Illyana is a racist bitch for some reason. She’s also portrayed as being this aloof nutcase that talks to a puppet version of Kitty’s dragon in the comics, Lockheed. Instead of being taken by Belasco, she was taken by a group only referred to as the Smiling Men. Who are the Smiling Men, you are probably wondering? Who the fuck knows! It’s never explained! Limbo is a place she created herself, though the details of that are also never explained.

Finally, there’s Rahne Sinclair, AKA Wolfsbane, who was raised by the horribly abusive Reverend Craig in Scotland. The Reverend instilled in her a belief that any abnormality was sinful. Fast-forward to Rahne developing the mutant power to turn into a wolf, or a hybrid state between human and wolf, and the Reverend led the town in a deadly chase after her with guns and torches, branding her as a witch. Rahne was shot, but saved and patched up by Moira McTaggart from X-Men fame. Rahne comes to see Moira as a mother-figure she never had. Rahne is a sweet and innocent girl who tries to think the best of everyone except herself. Rahne believes that her mutant powers are a curse from the devil, and that she is being punished for wickedness inside her. For a long time, this is her most defining trait. It takes years of character development for her to come out of this line of thinking, but eventually she does. Unfortunately, some writers, like Peter David, forget this character development, and in modern comics decide to write Rahne as a religious zealot whose only purpose is to cause homophobic drama at the expense of Rictor and Shatterstar. Yes, that’s right. Rahne is a homophobe who thought Shatterstar was stealing Rictor’s soul by turning him gay.

Rahne is a homophobe, but the film decided to put her in a Sapphic relationship with Dani. While at the same time, completely excluding the canonical lesbian character, Xi’an. (Who, might I add, also has a lot of romantic chemistry with Dani in the comics. Because Dani is so obviously very gay too, and that’s the hill I will die on.) But I digress.

Rahne’s film counterpart is easily the closest to her comic self of the bunch, both backstory wise and personality wise. But that’s not saying much.

There is one other character featured in the film, but she’s not a character from the New Mutants comics. She is an X-Man, Cecilia Reyes. I’m not overly familiar with Cecilia like I am the other characters here, but I know damn well enough that she’s not a villain. I do not know why on earth Josh Boone decided to make her such, when he could have used plenty of other characters in her place. Or hell, just made up a new one. Cecilia is also a Black woman, which Alice Braga is not. So, yeah, more racist casting. I’m starting to suspect Boone has something against darker skin…

But, back to the New Mutants. In case you didn’t pick up on the thread linking all them together, these are some seriously traumatized teens. It doesn’t end there. Xi’an lost her parents in the Vietnamese war and was raped by pirates when trying to flee to the US. Amara was almost killed in a sacrificial ritual by Selene, only saved when her powers manifested. Warlock fled to earth because his father wants to kill him. Julio was kidnapped and tortured by an anti-mutant militia known as The Right. Tabitha grew up in an abusive household until she ran away from home, living on the streets for some time. Trauma is basically the requirement to be a New Mutant. Doug is the only member who doesn’t have anything dark going on… up until he fucking dies. This is what separates the New Mutant comics from other young superhero teams. They’ve never been afraid to get serious, tackling things like abuse, suicide, rape, drugs, child death… So I can’t say I’m surprised that the so-called New Mutants film also attempts to do something a bit darker. Tone-wise, it would have been fitting if it was at all competent. Unfortunately, it starts and ends with the tone, because everything else about the story is just awful.

The film opens with a racist fake “Native American proverb”, giving you a taste of what’s to come. Then we’re thrown into a chaotic scene where Dani’s reservation is destroyed and everyone is killed, while she alone escapes. The scene transitions to Dani waking up handcuffed to a hospital bed, which she drags around the room while looking around in what is I’m pretty sure supposed to be comical but actually quite disturbing imagery.

We’re introduced to Dr. Reyes, who confirms to Dani that she is the sole survivor of her community and that Dani is a mutant. She then explains that there are other kids in the facility they’re in, built for troubled young mutants. Dani wants to leave, but Reyes says she will not allow it until she assesses Dani is not a danger.

We meet the other new mutants in group therapy. Dani’s first introduction to the group is Roberto laughing at her name, then saying she’s probably addicted to drugs and sex.

So, just to be clear, we’re ten minutes in and we’ve got a fake Native quote, the mass destruction of an entire Native community, the kidnapping of a young Native girl forced into containment in a school-like facility, making fun of said Native girl’s surname, and assumption that said Native girl has addiction struggles and sexualizing her. Gotcha.

Reyes asks Illyana to show Dani around the school, and Illyana reluctantly agrees, but makes it clear she hates Dani for no apparent reason, other than that she’s racist I suppose. Dani decides to make a break for it, but finds out the hard way that there’s a force-field surrounding the facility. Illyana laughs and teleports away.

Apparently Rahne can teleport now too, because she goes from watching Dani climb the clock tower from the ground with the intention of committing suicide, to magically appearing behind her. Rahne talks Dani out of it, and they spend the rest of the day together gossiping about the others.

Dani has nightmares about the destruction of her community. This triggers her powers, and Sam is sucked into an illusion that he’s back in the mines he worked in.

Dani finally stands up for herself when Illyana hurls racist insults again. Illyana jokes that Dani’s father sexually abused her, so Dani steals Illyana’s puppet and the two get in a fight. Reyes shows up just before Illyana attacks Dani with her soulsword, then puts both of them in solitary confinement. Yes, both of them, for some reason.

We get a brief flashback to Illyana as a child, insinuating that she herself was sexually abused by a group she calls the Smiling Men. Again, we know absolutely nothing about these fuckers.

Meanwhile, Dani’s powers activate through the night again, this time giving herself a nightmare of a demonic bear.

Reyes takes blood samples and reminds Dani that she’s dangerous, and that’s why she’s being locked up, until they can figure out how to control her powers.

Rahne enters the empty confession booth of the chapel and starts listing out her so-called sins, when an illusion takes over where she hears the voice of Reverend Craig calling her a witch.

The group of new mutants sneak up to the attic, where they start playing with a lie detector test. They ask Roberto how many girls he’s been with, and he gets caught lying. Sam takes a turn and talks about his father dying. Dani tells a story about a demon bear her father told her when she was little. Illyana reveals she killed 18 men. This is supposed to be a character development scene, I think?

In the next group session, Sam asks why he can’t go home, and spirals into talking about his nightmares. He ends up storming out.

That night, Illyana says she spiked the tea Reyes was drinking—no, we don’t know how she accomplished this—so the new mutants have a party through the house. Sam reveals to Roberto that he killed his father and crew in the mines. Rahne and Dani sneak outside to lay down and watch the rain’s effect on the barrier. They share a kiss. Roberto and Illyana also share a kiss in the pool, but then Roberto starts steaming up. He explains that he accidentally burned his girlfriend to death. It turns out that this Illyana was just an illusion, and she morphs into his dead girlfriend. This triggers Roberto’s powers to activate. Which again, I will remind you, are actually Amara’s powers. Sunspot has super-strength, not fire. What are you doing, Boone? Reyes puts him out by pushing him into the pool, which I will remind you he was just in before and had no effect at all, and then puts Illyana back in solitary confinement for spiking her drink.

The next day, Reyes begins medical experimentation on Dani, triggering Dani to have visions of young mutants being trained as soldiers. She has a breakdown and her powers surface again, creating illusions for Illyana and Rahne. This time the illusions take hard form, and Rahne is branded with another witch mark on her neck by the summoned Reverend. Illyana figures out its Dani doing all this and attacks her, dragging her to Limbo. Dani uses her powers to scare Illyana into letting her go, and Reyes knocks Illyana out with a sedative.

Dani brings the puppet Lockheed back to Illyana. They bond a little bit, teaching the audience that if you’re nice to racists, they will magically get better!

Reyes gets a notification from her superior with instructions to collect further DNA samples from Dani, and then kill her. It’s revealed that she’s working for the Essex Corporation, a nod to Mister Sinister that will never be fulfilled. At the same time, Dani tells Rahne that she suspects there are ulterior motives behind the facility.

Despite this, she allows Reyes to take her to an underground lab for some reason, where Reyes compares Dani to a feral dog that needs to be put down. While this is happening, Illyana and Sam are chased by another illusion of Illyana’s Smiling Men. Rahne uses her super wolf hearing to find Dani’s location. She attacks Reyes and saves Dani from the brink of death.

Illyana teleports away, and Sam uses his own powers to plow through the men. He meets up with Roberto who is furiously trying to get outside. They reunite with Illyana, who teleports back to them wielding her sword. The whole group meet up in Reyes’ office, while she herself tries to flee. The new mutants decide to kill Reyes as the only way of escape.

Rahne uses her powers to track Reyes down, and the group confront her about Essex Corp. Reyes uses her force-field powers on all of them, and says she will let them go if they surrender Dani, because Dani needs to die. But then the outer barrier is breached somehow by Dani’s demon bear that eats Reyes in what is easily the funniest scene in the film.

The demon bear continues its attack, but Dani won’t wake up. Illyana orders the others to take Dani away while she attacks, because we’re supposed to see her as a #girlboss now. Also, Lockheed is a real dragon, suddenly. No explanation is given for that, either, folks!

Rahne tries to wake Dani up while the others fight off the demon bear, and it finally works after Dani dreams of her father encouraging her. She confronts the demon bear and manages to soothe it out of existence.

The film ends with the new mutants leaving the facility, and a second voice over of the racist fake Native proverb again. Jesus fucking Christ.

So, yeah. A messy plot with pacing issues, bland characters, unanswered questions, and racism. This is what the film turned the New Mutants into. Not that there isn’t racism in the classic comics too, mind you. It’s in there, but the comics have the excuse of being dated, whereas this film does not. This film should know better. Josh Boone should know better.

So, what’s an alternative? Call me crazy, but why not simply adapt from the original graphic novel? No, I’m not crazy, because The Old Guard proved you can please comic fans and new fans alike by doing just that. The original New Mutants graphic novel is a prime target for adaptation, because it’s a perfect set up in terms of establishing the characters and tone in an easy to follow story. Which is what you want from a starting point to a potential new series. The filmmakers would only have to make moderate changes, like adding in Xi’an’s backstory since she was established prior to the graphic novel, for example.

In terms of what we have, there is no comic book story equivalent to whatever the fuck this film was trying to go for. No, I refuse to call it the demon bear arc just because the demon bear is present, any more than to call X-Men Origins: Wolverine a proper telling of Wolverine’s origin story simply because Weapon X is involved. Not that I’d want the demon bear arc adapted anyway. That racism present in the comics I mentioned? Yeah, prime example. But this is just Josh Boone’s fanfiction. And I’d be fine with that, really, if it wasn’t done so fucking poorly.

I hate this film to its fucking core, and Boone can meet me in the pit.

Anyways, read the comics. They’re so much better.

[wackem]

OH BOY! Now you’re REALLY Going to make me shoot off!

feel free to ignore this completely, but I’m sorry, you’ve opened my can of worms

Also, TW for the following: Mentions of, Genocide, Slavery, War, Ancient Political Marriages, Politics in general, death, and other such subjects. More under the cut.

strap in folks... it's a long one....

So! Let us start with, Setting Our Time Scale.

I am imagining this AU as taking place sometime during the mid 60s, to 90s AD. (0060-0090 CE). Perhaps during the Rule of Emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian, or as we call it, the Flavian Dynasty. The Flavians were, generally seen as very effective and good Emperors, especially after the termoil of 68 and 69, or the Year of Four Emperors. This would probably be when your Main Characters were born.

The Flavians came to power after the end of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, the indirect decedents of Julius Ceaser and Claudius. (note! This is a MODERN term for the family. at the time, they would have called themselves the gens Julia, or in English the Julian Family). the Julio-Claudians came to an end with the death of Emperor Nero, who is best well known for having “fiddled while Rome burned” (even though the fiddle and its entire family of musical instruments wouldn’t be invented for hundreds of years and Nero was actually a REALLY popular emperor, but I’m getting off topic. that’s a rant for another day).

His Death was then followed by the Emperors Galba (8 June 68 – 15 January 69), Otho (15 January – 16 April 69) and Vitellius (19 April – 20 December 69) before Finally, Titus Flavius Vespasianus was declared Imperator of Rome. starting the Flavian Dynasty.

of personal note. It was under Emperor Vespasian’s reign, that the First Roman-Jewish War took place. and it was by the hands of enslaved Jews, that the Colosseum, and other major infrastructure projects were built.

Now then! we have gotten some major context out of the way! Our time is set as 80 AD. onto the Characters!

Peach. 

Peach, I could imagine as coming from her tribe’s Nobles. My personal idea of it, is as her being from the Iceni tribe. The same one Queen Boudica was from.

I could imagine that, Peach, unfortunately, was born into slavery. it was an unfortunate fact that, Slavery was Alive and kicking at the time of the Roman Empire, and would continue for millenia more. But, besides that.

Peach is born into slavery, I’d imagine, on a farm, perhaps in Central Gaul, near where the city of Clermont-Ferrand sits today. However, her family hails from the far north, having been minor nobles origionally, and having lost their land, when they sided with Queen Boudica.

Her father works as a scribe for their master. A Wealthy Wine merchant in Gaul, with ties to Gladiator schools.

Sometimes, he tells her tales of his time as a soldier in the army of the Great Queen of the Iceni, her tribe, her people. How he fought in a war to Drive out the Romans, the Invaders from their lands. And, despite his old age, when their master and overseers are asleep, she will beg her father to teach her how to use a spear, Sword, and a Bow.

Then, the unthinkable happens. Their overseer sees them training together. and reports it. It is illegal for most slaves to have weapons you see. and even the wooden replicas of them that her father carved her with a chunk of flint and some wood, could be deadly in the right hands. Hands like her father’s.

And, in the end.... they are property after all. Their master is, a man with a cruel sense of irony, and so, as “punishment”, at least as he sees it, he sells her to a local Gladiator School, to be trained as a Gladiatrix.

For the first few years, she is, battered, abused, and broken down. made subservient. It may have been nearly a Century since Spartacus‘ Rebellion in Southern Italy, but the wounds of it are still fresh in the minds of the Roman Elite. Their first job, was to break down the will, of a Gladiator, and make them, subservient.

then, came strength training, weapons training, and more. it took years to train a gladiator, and one such as her? well, that would draw quite the crowd. Gladiatrix were rare, and brought a certain, attention, to whoever owned them.

Then, finally, her first bout. She is a scrawny little thing, only 17 years old. 1 in 5 Gladiators die within their first match. She refuses to be that one. She is pitted against a Monster of a man. Supposedly all the way from Africa (the province). he is slow, and Peach can use this against him. He tries to net her, but she manages to dodge, armed only with a short stabbing sword, against a beast of a man armed with a deadly looking axe, she ducks and weaves around him, before finally...

it’s an amazing show, she manages to pin the man, her sword to his throat, he is at the mercy of the Audience, and especially, the attending Nobles....

That would be the first time she had ever killed someone. She tried her best to make it quick.

she does her best to make it the last...

She continues like this, winning upset victory after upset victory, year after year. She is now in her mid 20s, Old, Very Old, for a Gladiator. Beating Gods knows how many foes, and becoming something, of a local celebrity.

Eventually, Her “big break” comes. What we now call the town of Arles, has a great amphitheater, that can seat over 20,000 people! and in attendance, is a noble woman and her entourage, all the way from Italy.

And, I think that’s a good place to pause on peach, and move to our next Main Character...

Grey the Goth

Grey was born to a tribe of Germans, sitting on the western bank of the Rhine River. They were Foederatii of Rome, a form of, Tributary Ally. He would grow to be many things. A farmer, like his father. A Scholar, like his father, and a Soldier, like his Father.

He is not, actually a Goth, but rather, a Batavian, born in a small village, in what is now Northern Belgium. His father was the Chief of the Village. But, Grey was not his first son, and thus, Grey would not inherit his father’s title. Grey, did not mind this. He was a humble, jovial soul. given to drink, and laugh, and joke. He was a favorite of his father.

But, he also held a lust within him. A lust for Fame, Glory, and Adventure. And where else to find that, than in Rome?

He joined the first group of Germans, headed for a Roman Fort, hoping for Adventure, and maybe... even citizenship when he left the army. He fought in many battles, and, despite what, we may think of as a young age, of 30, he retires from the Army. But... the Romans, as they often do, do not hold up their end of the bargain. They do not grant him his land they promised him, and his fellow Germans with. So... he walks the streets of a City in Southern Italy, selling his services as a sellsword, and body guard. When, eventually, he is hired on as the, personal, body guard, to the daughter of a local noble. A pretty woman, named after a sweet fruit from Serica.

The job pays well, and, eventually, he and the Woman, get to know one an other. And become fast friends, and... eventually more...

They want to elope, and marry, but... officially, she already is. Married to a man nearly twice her age, who does not care for her, and neither her him. They both, agree on this, and live separate lives. it is a marriage of politics and convenience. the man is a Military Man, and can get her father and her family, quite a lot of money thru the Military.

So, she and Grey settle down, living their life together. When, they decide to take a trip together, far north, to Gaul. Officially, they are going due to her husband being moved there by order of the Emperor, to guard the border with Germania.

While they are there... they find something... someone, of great interest... A Gladiatrix, with fiery red hair, and no kills, but the longest string of victories Grey has seen in his life. It is bound to be an amazing show.

and now, our Noble woman...

Plum, the Daughter of Merchants.

Plum is the daughter of a wealthy merchant from the south of italy. They specialized in, mostly grain, and dyes coming in from Egypt and the Levant. and became, Fabulously wealthy from it.

Plum is, of the three, the youngest. being, by the time she meets Peach for the first time, at that fateful Gladiator Match... only 23, compared to Grey's 30, and Peach's 25.

Her family, is also not originally Italian, which brought, a rather unfortunate amount of stigma to them. Rather, instead, they were Phoeniecian, or as the Romans called them, Punic. (which is why the Roman-Carthaginian Wars are called the Punic Wars!)

Plum's family settled in Italy over 100 years ago, settling in as merchants and traders importing spices and grain from Egypt and the Levant.

Eventually, Plum would be born into this family, as the 5th daughter of her Father. Due to already having 4 other daughters, Plum's marriage prospects were, to put it mildly, slim. Eventually, however, her father arranged a marriage where, while neither loved eachother, they did at least respect eachother. Both parties understood their duties to their families, and went along with their wishes... much to Plum's chagrin, however.

Eventually though, she would find someone she truly, really loved being with. Her Germanic Body Guard, Grey. Who her father had hired for her when she had moved away from her home town of Pompeii. Moving north into Italy proper, and nearer to the Gaulic Border. There, she would settle alongside Grey, and eventually... she would hear of, something very interesting.

a Gladiatrix, already very rare. This one though? She had never lost a bout, and had only slain one man... much to the chagrin of many audiences, and her masters.

So, Plum decided she would see who this woman was. and hoped to find out just how strong she was...

And that!

is that. I hope you enjoyed reading! Thank you for doing so!

this took me all night, I am going to go get breakfast, and maybe a nap. I just spent 5 hours looking at g-d knows how many Wikipedia articles, Britannica Articles, and Research papers....

Been on a Romaboo kick for a while. And have been thinking nonstop basically about Roman!Peach, Plum and, Grey.

Peach as a Briton from, maybe a Belgae tribe in what is now Hampshire/Sussex. Captured in battle after the Revolt under Boudicca, before going on to be the Gladiator.

Plum has Pheonecian vibes. Either Carthaginian or from Acre. Definitely came from lots and Lots of wealth. Maybe even a Pre-Punic War Carthaginian family?

Grey is definitely from a Germanic Tribe. Maybe one on the Rhine. Maybe even a Dreaded Goth or Vandal? Coming to Rome as a Mercenary before being hired by Plum?

Sorry if this is too much lol. I am a Massive rome nerd, and your post of Roman Gang brought back my Hyper Focus on the subject lol.

Oh no, I love it when people Nerd out. I have no clue what this means but I love that you got into it! Honestly adore that AU, lots of unsuaul characteristics to play with there, and long haired grey is peak. plus the outfits.

Alwasy going to encourage folks to go off about hyperfocus topics!