#oc: hobb mother

[katkalis-the-horror-fanartist]

More doodles of the life of a hobb mother and her boggart bf!

[dasmores237]

Not every mom is a women. Sometimes it’s your dad’s drummer who makes good food and gives good hugs.

SORRY FOR IT BEING LATE I COULDNT GET ON FUCKING TUMBLR RAHHHH

[missadangel]

The Heart of Rome (Marcus Acacius x OC)

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VI. The Battle

this is the longest chapter i ever wrote , it was pain in the ass, so please be nice, reblog and hit a like, if you enjoy thank you :)

lupus est homo homini

A man to a man is a wolf. 

T. Hobbes

Temple of Saturn…

Saturnalia was by far the most joyous Roman festival; the Roman poet Catullus famously described it as ‘the best of times’. The festivities were so exuberant that the Roman writer Pliny is said to have had a soundproof room built so that he could work during the raucous celebrations. During Saturnalia, business and commerce would come to a standstill. Schools and courts were closed and normal social practices were suspended. The feast was celebrated with sacrifices and a public banquet in the Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum.

People decorated their houses with garlands, even the exteriors of official buildings were decorated with greenery. People were dressed in different colours for this day, unlike their daily and official clothes. The streets of Rome were lively and colourful today.

You travelled to the temple with your half-brothers, Caracalla and his mother Julia Domna in the flamboyant carriage in front, and you and Geta - at his insistence - in the carriage behind them. Even though you felt that Geta was treating you more cordially now, you still couldn't be completely sure. But he was certainly different from Caracalla and his mother, they had a ruthless side that never changed, and you were sure that you could not trust them under any circumstances. 

Already the ostentatious temple was crowded with people, the Romans seemed to be enjoying the day of festivities.  They were shouting your names with great enthusiasm as you got out of the carriages and greeted them. One of them was handing you a bouquet of flowers when one of the guards blocked him. You told him to move away and thanked him as you took the flowers, he was so surprised and happy that he started dancing with joy. His mates joined him and chanted your name. Geta gave your arm a gentle but firm grip. 'You have to be a bit more careful. You never know what they'll do.'

'It's just a few flowers,' you replied. 'And why would they hurt me?'

He smiled, but his eyes showed his concern. 'You're so naive, sister. There's so much you have to learn. Let's get these ceremonies over with, I'm dying to get to the banquet.’

As you walked up the stairs of the temple, you noticed that he was still holding your arm. 

'Are you feeling better now?' you asked, trying to pull your arm back, but for some reason he wouldn't let go. It bothered you. 'Could I just ask you to let go of my arm, please?'

He paused and looked at you with his light brown eyes. He looked like he wanted to tell you something, but it was hard to know what emotion he was feeling. All of a sudden, he smiled. "I think the disgusting herbal concoction worked.'" He took his hand away and started up the stairs faster. You tried to keep up with him, but he was too fast, and Caracalla was waiting for him at the top of the steps. '"You're slow," he grumbled. Julia squinted at you and went inside. It seemed like you were going to have to get used to that look.

After the ceremony of sacrificing a young pig in front of the statue of the god Saturn, just between the tall white pillars inside the temple, Geta approached you as you prayed to the great statue then gestured you to outside and walked towards the stairs to leave, followed by Caracalla, who took his mother by the arm. You'd have to get used to walking side by side with them, but it still felt a bit strange. People were coming to the temple to sacrifice, just like you, and they were all turning to look at you and greet you. 

"I want to get to the palace for the banquet as soon as possible," Geta said, sounding a bit impatient.

"You must be hungry. You were busy this morning," he said quietly. 

You looked at him and said, "Yes, you're right, thanks again, by the way, much appreciated, highness."

"Oh, these stairs... Hold out your arm," he said in a commanding tone.

Geta was wearing a white and black toga with gold embroidery and it was very elaborate. He looked like he was struggling and didn't like you looking at him hesitantly. "Aren't you going to help me?"

You forced a smile and held out your arm for him to take. It was starting to feel a little strange that he wanted to touch you all the time, but you didn't object because you wanted to be on good terms as brother and sister.

You noticed an old woman approaching you just after descending the steps. One of the guards pushed her away and she fell to the ground. Geta ignored her, as did Caracalla and his mother. It bothered you so much that you let go of Geta's arm and walked over there.

You ignored the guard's warning and helped the woman off the floor. Her clothes were torn, dirty and old; she must have been a beggar. You felt sorry for her.

'What are you doing?' Geta was upset.

The woman bowed her head. 'My lady, thank you.'

You turned to Geta. 'Could I possibly borrow some coins?’

‘Get away from her, look at the way she's dressed, she's filthy.’ He was looking at her with a disgusted expression.

‘It's festival day and as emperor, shouldn't you embrace all your people?’

He opened his eyes wide. ‘Embrace? I can't even lay a hand on her!’ He balled his hands into fists and pulled them back as if trying to hide them.

‘I meant metaphorically,’ you rolled your eyes at him.

Geta took a moment to compose himself and gestured to one of his slaves, who came running over with a pouch full of coins. You took it from him and presented it to her.

'May the gods bless you, Lady Aurelia!' she said, falling at your feet. You graciously took her by the hand and lifted her up.

‘That is enough,' Geta said, grasping your arm and drawing you closer. As the woman prayed joyfully, the crowd began to murmur. 

“Long live Emperor Geta!” The crowd began to chant, "Long live Lady Aurelia!"

Geta was taken aback not by the fact that they were shouting his name, but rather by the proximity of the crowd. It was the first time he had ever felt so close to the people on the street.

'Please be sure to wash your hands thoroughly when you arrive at the palace,' he muttered.

You giggled and looked around as he greeted the people, but you did not see the general. He had said he was coming to the banquet anyway, so you got into the carriage with Geta, hoping to see him there, and you thought about him the whole way.

Domus Severiana…

As the sun began to set, casting the courtyard and kitchen of Domus Severiana in a golden glow, preparations were underway with great enthusiasm. The slaves were meticulously preparing a selection of exquisite dishes and beverages for the guests who were expected to take their place in the main courtyard. Julia was there to oversee the proceedings, offering guidance and encouragement to ensure everything was just right. Caracalla was already relaxing in one of the armchairs in the courtyard, enjoying an apple. When one of the slaves unfortunately stumbled and dropped the tray, he reacted with amusement, but then proceeded to issue a firm reprimand. While this was taking place in the main courtyard, you were in your room, discussing attire with Decima, when the door to your room suddenly opened. You were startled when Geta rushed in, as you wearing your long, thin tunic.

"Even if you're the emperor, it's always worth being polite, don't you think?"

He smiled. "Watch your tone. Who says I'm interested in your body anyway?" He looked away as a slave girl walked in. The girl was carrying a light turquoise silk cloth in her arms.

"You always wear the same style of dress, your hair the same way, you don't look like a princess. You should take some care of yourself. So this girl, what's her name, what's your name?”

“Nerissa, your highness-”

"Oh, whatever!" he interjected. "Make sure you dress her and do the princess's hair with care." He turned to you. "She's got amazing hands-on skills. You wouldn't believe what she can do. She's really talented," he said with a grin. 

She giggled. “Anything for my emperor.”

‘I'm assuming your whore friend isn't that talented,’ he said, narrowing his eyes, looking at Decima.

‘Please don't call her that,’ you snapped.

‘'Weren't you supposed to take her on my behalf? She's my slave, I can call her whatever I want,’ he said smugly.

It was true anyway as it was his name on the documents.

‘Still, courtesy is a virtue, brother.’‘

"Not for me,’ he said, grinning. ‘Get dressed now,’ he said, clapping his hands. “Join me in the main courtyard when you're done,” he said to his slave, then turned to you. “You too, sister."

You inhaled deeply when he left, you didn't like him barging into your room like that and talked badly about Decima.

He was acting like a naughty little child, as usual. 

'Please excuse him,' you said Decima.

She shook her head. 'Never mind, I'd rather put up with a lot of insults here than there as a whore. I'll always remember what you did for me.’

You gave her a hug. She felt like your real family; you valued her a great deal.

'He was right though, you need to get dressed,' Decima said, and with the help of the other girl they began to dress you. 

Meanwhile, you were thinking about Marcus. You were wondering if he'd arrived already. You hadn't seen him since morning and now you were getting impatient. Your answer to his marriage proposal is already set in your mind. But you were also worried about how Geta and Caracalla would react – it was hard to predict what they'd do.

'You were certainly born to be a princess, my lady,' she said, looking at you. 

Decima smiled. 'Indeed.'

You looked in the mirror and thought you looked pretty good in the turquoise gold embroidered dress and shawl, which matched the gold bracelets on your arms and the necklace around your neck. Geta was right – the girl had done your hair perfectly. One of the braids had gone over the top of your head like a crown and was pinned into the hair at the nape of your neck. 

'You're really talented. My brother was right.’

She gave a shy smile. 'I'm really pleased to be able to help prepare such a beautiful lady as you.'

You smiled back. 'Now, you can go to my brother. He seems to like you.'

Her cheeks flushed a little. It would be a good idea for you to get to know her better, since Geta seems to like her.

'Let me know if he's not feeling well, okay?' 'But you've got to keep it between us, can I trust you?'

'Of course, my lady.' She nodded.

Once she'd left the room, Decima came over to help you with your earrings. She still had bruises on her face.

'Have you been using the ointment I prepared for you?’

‘Yes, thank you, Ay-, my lady.’

‘Call me Aurelia when no one's around.’

‘I suppose, I'll have to get used to it.’

She combed the hair that was falling on your shoulder. 

'You stay in the room and rest for today.’ You said to her.

Although she was a bit reluctant at first, she agreed. It was already a very busy day, so no one would notice.

As you left your room and headed for the stairs, you found that the weight of the fabric made it a bit difficult to move your legs freely. You made your way down the stairs, grabbed hold of the gold-embroidered railing for support. As you strolled towards the main courtyard, your heart started to beat faster when you heard the sounds of masculine laughter coming from inside. Geta and Caracalla were sitting at the banqueting hall, enjoying the food and drink that was laid out in front of them. The members of the Senate, the patricians and their wives were already settled in their seats. Julia was sitting next to Caracalla, chatting with an older member of the Senate.

As soon as you entered the hall, you were the focus of everyone's attention, and the murmuring ceased. Even the slaves paused in their activities to observe you, but then they resumed their tasks. Geta stood up and approached you. "Look how gorgeous my sister is. Would you come and take your seat?" He gestured to the seat next to him. You smiled at him and did as he said, the murmuring had returned, now everyone was looking at you and chatting. But the only person you wanted to see, Marcus, was nowhere to be seen, and you looked around with a hint of disappointment. 

"My lady." Your cousin Gaius came over to you. "May I speak to you privately for a moment?" he held out his hand.

"Leave my sister alone and let her eat something, Gaius," Geta said, a little annoyed. He was still chewing the morsel in his mouth, and you pursed your lips to try to keep from laughing. Caracalla already laughed for you.

"That's alright, brother. I'll be right back," you said and stood up. Gaius seemed a little annoyed that you ignored his hand, but he regained his composure quickly. You were not particularly curious about what he was going to say, but it might be a good way to pass the time until the general arrived. As you walked slowly with Gaius from the main courtyard to the one close to the entrance, you realized he was becoming increasingly excited. 

"You look beautiful, Aurelia."

"Thank you," you replied, your gaze fixed on the entrance door. You wonder why he isn't here yet.

"I hope you don't mind me mentioning that I've kept your father's letter for years. I have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to open it for quite some time. Hoping desperately.”

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it seems that after your mother's passing, your relatives in Leptis Magna were interested in offering you their protection. However, your father, my uncle, felt it was best to take a different approach, sending you away I mean.”

You were unexpectedly touched by the mention of your mother and found yourself standing in front of the statue of your father. "He was hopeful that you would return and reclaim your birthright, and that your brothers would accept you. Given my familiarity with them and the Empress, I believe he gave me this assignment," he said, looking at the statue. "I am truly honored to have been assigned the task of protecting you. I hope you will allow me to be of service to you in the future."

“In the future?”

Gaius smiled. "I would be able to protect you more easily if you would allow me to marry you."

You were momentarily at a loss for words. As you considered how to decline his proposal without offending him, you observed a figure moving across the main courtyard towards the banquet. It appeared to be a man wearing a red shawl over his shoulders. It seemed likely to be him. However, when he soon disappeared between the columns, you couldn't help but frown. You felt a desire to pursue him.

"My lady, will you not answer?" Gaius was waiting hopefully.

"Sir Gaius, I am truly flattered, but I am afraid I am unlikely to accept your offer."

“May I ask why?" His voice betrayed no hint of curiosity. Again, it seemed as though he already had an idea of the answer. You were not interested in engaging in a similar manner.

"I'm obliged to tell you that my heart belongs to someone else. I'm sorry, sir.”

He seemed rather unsurprised, which might give rise to some suspicion.

"I'm just asking you to think a little more, take your time."

"No matter how much I think about it, I'm fairly certain my answer won't change."

Gaius seemed angry.

"I would like to return to my brothers now," you said, your voice calm and measured. 

"As you wish, but I am a very patient man," he said with a smile and accompanied you towards the banquet hall.

You returned to the courtyard, your eyes seeking out his presence. You were relieved to see him right in front of Geta and Caracalla, and your spirits were lifted. Acacius looked quite splendid, wearing a long red shawl over his white tunic embroidered with gold and a large circular brooch pinned to his collar. 

He appeared to be engaged in conversation with the emperors. He was holding a wine glass of a blue hue. When Geta and Caracalla turned their heads towards you, he looked back. When you met his eyes, you smiled. He observed you with great interest.

"My lady," he greeted you.

"General Acacius, welcome," you nodded.

The General's attention was drawn to Gaius as he approached from behind, narrowed his eyes. "Sister, you might be interested to hear what General Acacius said to us." Geta said to you in a slightly louder voice.

”What is it?" You looked at the general and realized he was smiling.

"He wants our permission to marry you, how kind of him!”

“He always is." Caracalla said, leaning back in his chair and grinning. His slaves sitting around him, watching curiously.

Your cheeks were flushed, and you looked at him to explain, but Gaius interjected.

'General Acacius had the opportunity to speak with you first, and it was with the same intention that I wished to speak to your Majesties.'

Geta raised his eyebrows and looked at Caracalla, who seemed to display a certain degree of animosity whenever he saw Gaius. Julia muttered something. Caracalla responded to his mother's words with a lighthearted laugh. 

"I have already given you my answer, Sir Gaius," you said, looking at Geta. You were hoping he would reject him.

Acacius placed a hand to his chin and smiled in a way that seemed to indicate he was trying to suppress his laughter.

"As I told you I'm a patient man, my lady."

"Cut it off! I've had enough of your love intrigues!" Caracalla cried out in frustration. Macrinus was supposed to bring a gladiator. Where is he?"

"This is like a fight, brother. Don't you think? Two gentlemen against each other over a princess. Impressive.” Geta grinned.

The atmosphere was palpably tense as Acacius and Gaius exchanged unpleasant glances.

"I am here, your highness," Macrinus declared, appearing behind you. He was flanked by the gladiator slave you had seen earlier at his villa.

He gave Gaius a quick glance, then came to stand beside Geta.

‘My lady, please have a seat,’ the General said, gesturing towards the chair.

You smiled at him and did as he suggested, and he stood beside you. One of the slaves handed you some wine. You would have liked to talk to Marcus, but there were too many people around. Besides, he seemed to be watching Macrinus' gladiator with some unease. Geta and Caracalla, on the contrary, looked excited.

"So this is your gladiator?" Geta asked. 

‘It is.’

‘Very well, let's see what he can do.’ Caracalla grinned. 

At Macrinus' signal, the gladiator made his way to the center, and the people around him shifted slightly to give him space. 

Both men saluted the emperors and promptly drew their swords and advanced towards the gladiator, but he was swift and agile, evading their attacks and seizing one of the men by the elbow. He then disarmed him and struck him forcefully in the face with the back of his elbow. As the man was momentarily disoriented, the gladiator swiftly retrieved the sword and advanced towards the other man. The sound of swords clashing echoed through the hall, and a sword fight commenced between the two. The other man approached from behind, but the gladiator was able to avoid both the sword blow and the man's attack. He then grabbed the man by the waist, threw him to the ground, and hit him repeatedly in the face. 

Your entire body was visibly tense, your hands firmly grasping the fabric of your dress. Caracalla sat up in his chair and watched intently, so something like this could only excite him.

When the man collapsed, bloodied and unconscious, the gladiator managed to overpower the other man with his sword and quick footwork. Unfortunately, this left them both without swords. The man was more physically fit and appeared to be more determined than the gladiator. He advanced towards him and grabbed him by the belt and then by the waist and threw him backwards with some force to the ground, which resulted in one of the tables full of food being knocked over. You felt yourself becoming increasingly tense as the food and drinks were scattered around, and you saw the general moving in front of you. Guests were murmuring and applauding, but they continued to watch with interest.

The gladiator was covered in blood, but he was smiling. He quickly wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand and waited for the man to make a move. When the man made a sudden advance, shouting, the gladiator responded by moving swiftly to strike at his leg. When the man faltered, the gladiator took the opportunity to strike him several times in the face with his chin, attempting to knock him to the ground. However, the man remained standing. At that moment, the gladiator took the sword from the ground and, in a swift and decisive move, drove it through the man's stomach. You were taken aback as blood spattered everywhere from the man's abdomen. Some of the people in the hall expressed their shock and dismay, while others were visibly excited.  Geta and Caracalla expressed their admiration for his performance, and their slaves joined in the applause. The gladiator respectfully placed his sword on the ground and bowed his head in deference to them. The air was filled with a distinctive, pungent odor of blood. You felt a queasy sensation in your stomach, not due to the smell of blood, but because the blood was still flowing from the cut in the abdomen of the man lying lifeless on the ground. While the majority of the people present were expressing their approval with cheers and whistles, you and the general were the only ones who did not join in. 

Geta stood up and gave a little clap. "That's fantastic!" "I love it!"

"I'm really looking forward to the new games," Caracalla said.

"Whenever you wish, Your Majesty," said Macrinus with a smile.

"Tomorrow!" Geta piped in excitedly.

"Your Majesty, shouldn't we wait until the festival is over?" Julia came over to him.

"No, it'd be too long. How about the last day of the Saturnalia?" "It would be a great way to end the festival," Caracalla said with a grin.

"My brother always has great ideas," he said, grinning at him.

You turned your head to look away as the guards pulled the bodies of the men out of the ground. Macrinus and Gaius went over to the gladiator and started talking to him about something. The general had noticed your nervousness.

"My lady, would you like to go for a walk?"

“Your face has gone white, sister.” Geta was looking at you with a grin. Caracalla laughed, “As a Medicus, shouldn't you be used to see blood?”

You stood up. “I need to get some air,” you said and looked at the general. “General Acacius, accompany me, please.”

He nodded and bowed to the emperors before following you.

There was still blood on the ground outside, so you decided to walk the other way. Soon the General came up to you.

“Are you alright?” there was concern in his voice.

“Yes,” you lied. “I'm not used to this and I don't think I want to get used to it.”

"Perhaps you would like to hold my hand?" he enquired, holding out his big hand towards you.

His eyes were warm, looking at them, you felt a sense of relief from the tension you had been feeling.

The only other people in the courtyard were the slaves, who were enjoying the day. The sounds of musical instruments soon filled the main courtyard, creating a festive atmosphere. When you held Acacius' hand, you felt your skin warm, touching his skin always gives you a reassuring warmth. "So you mentioned to my brothers that you wished to marry me," you said as you walked through the garden in the east courtyard. 

"That is correct," he said with a smile. “But, I would like to hear your answer before they say anything."

As you strolled past the garden fountain, the soothing sound of the flowing water was a welcome respite from the slightly more vibrant melody playing in the courtyard.

You moved to stand in front of Acacius, holding both hands and looking into his eyes.

"I would be honored to be your wife, General."

The brown of his eyes shone brightly, and as he took a step towards you, you involuntarily stepped back, for some reason his devastating gaze had that effect on you. He couldn't help but seem to like it, he raised his hands and cupped your face in his palms. Your cheeks blessed by his touch. 

"I should be the happiest man on this auspicious day," he said softly, brushing his lips against yours. Then he kissed you gently. 

Your lips were pleased to meet his lips again, and a heat spread through your body under his lips. Marcus lowered his arms and took hold of you around the waist, pulling you closer to him. You brought your arms up and wrapped them around his neck, and the kiss became more passionate. You both yearned for each other's bodies, whispering your desire through your lips. Marcus forced to stop himself when his hand reached your shoulder, his lips stilling under yours and turning into a smile, his moustache tickling your upper lip. Breathless, opened your eyes to met his eyes, his hands still on your waist, yours still on his thick neck.

"Perhaps we should save the rest for our wedding night, my lady." He said with a hint of mischief in his voice. He was gently running his fingers through your hair with one hand. "Patience is my best friend yet my worst enemy." He kissed a strand of your hair in the palm of his hand. You slid your hands to his broad shoulders.

"My enemy for sure," you said, frowning. He laughed merrily, caressed your nose with his nose, and kissed your forehead. "You always manage to cheer me up, my lady." The music from the main courtyard was getting louder. Marcus took a step back and held out his arm.

"Maybe we should head back to the banquet?"

You gave a slight nod and took his arm. The music evoked memories of your time in Egypt.

Vicius, your uncle, was mindful of the fact that festival days were not the ideal time for you to be out and about, but he was ultimately swayed by your persistent requests. Even if you were unable to fully observe the other girls dancing through your large black cloak, you still enjoyed being there. As you observed the girls dancing in the main courtyard, a young slave approached you at a brisk pace.

"General Acacius, the Emperors want to see you."

Marcus nodded and turned to you. "I'll see what they want. Would you like to come?”

Shaking your head. ”I'm not quite ready to go in there yet.”

"As you please, my lady.” He agreed.

You watched him as he took his leave of you, releasing your hand and entering the banquet hall. You were curious as to whether this was a decision about marriage, but you felt it would be best to wait until Macrinus and his gladiator had left. 

As you made your way towards the slave girls, who were dancing with evident joy, you came to realise how happy they were. Today was a day of freedom for them, as they were able to enjoy the same food and drinks. They were not expected to do much work today. Geta's slave, the one who dressed you, approached and respectfully inquired, "Lady Aurelia, would you like to join us?"

"Dancing? I've never danced before."

"It's really quite simple. Just allow yourself to become absorbed in the rhythm of the music.”

You noticed she was taking her time deciding whether to take your hand, so you smiled and grasped it. "Then go ahead and teach me."

She giggled, pulling you towards the others.

When you approached them the slaves stopped dancing and looked at you, a little unsure and curious.

"Why did you stop?" "Go on, I want to dance," you said with a encouraging smile.

They looked at each other, smiled back, and started dancing again. Another girl took your other hand, and you all formed a circle. Then they stood facing each other and guided you as you passed through each other. The girl who was Geta's slave was right—it was easy to dance when you let yourself go to the rhythm of the music. It felt great to experience something you'd wanted for so long but hadn't had the chance.  

"You're doing great, my lady." The girl replied with a smile.

"It's so much fun," you said with a smile.

When you switched places with the girl, dancing again, you suddenly noticed that people were gathering around you. 

"It looks like our sister is enjoying herself," Geta said, coming up behind you. You stopped and looked at him with embarrassment. Gaius and the others were standing next to him, smiling and observing you. But you found yourself glancing at the general standing behind them. He was smiling, but it seemed like he was lost in thought. The joy he had when he was with you was gone. Something bad is definitely going on, you thought.

"Our ideas of fun and yours are quite different," Caracalla muttered.

What was the fun in watching people cutting each other?

"Yes, I think it is," you replied.

"Then I'm afraid you're not going to like what I'm about to say," Geta said, coming up to you. 

Your eyebrows arched, seeking clarification on his meaning.

"As a family, we have been pondering the matter of two marriage proposals and have reached a decision." He gazed at Caracalla.

Caracalla laughed, which was a pretty clear sign that whatever he had to say wasn't going to be something you would like. 

"Two candidates, two rivals, one fight and the winner gets the girl. How does that sound?”

"It's a real battle.” Geta grinned.

You swallowed hard, your ears were betraying you. You couldn't make sense of what you were hearing.

“What is the meaning of this?"

Geta placed his hand gently on your shoulder. "Of course, our cousin Gaius is not a warrior. He is, after all, a politician, so it seems that Macrinus' gladiator will stand for him. General Acacius is a formidable opponent, as you may know.”

You felt your whole body go numb in shock. 

"That man's rage is more than enough to rival the General," Caracalla snapped.

"We'll see." Geta replied.

"There's got to be another way," you said, your voice trembling a little.

"The decision has been made. What are you worried about?" I'm sure it'll be a great game.

"Please, brother," you said, looking at Geta with pleading eyes, but he seemed determined. He made you walk a little away from them, with Caracalla accompanying you.

“Come now, sister, don't you trust the General's great fighting skills?”

The general's expression was solemn when you looked up at him from afar.

"If you choose Gaius, you might find yourself widowed pretty quickly. I'll take him out before he gets to Leptis Magna," Caracalla whispered, cruel smile appeared on his face.

Geta snickered. “Of course she won't choose that cunt,” he said, looking at you.

"If you are certain of my choice, why do you play this game? Does my decision not matter at all?"

Before Geta could reply, Caracalla spoke up. "You have accepted us as your family. Decisions like this are made between family. You should show some respect to us.”

"Besides, they should be worthy of you. You're not just any person. You're a Roman princess. Let them fight for you." Geta chuckled.

This made you even angrier. You wanted to slap them both. Everything was a game to them. But you hated that you had to risk losing Marcus because of their childish but dangerous games. You felt your chest hurt.

The festival was over for you, there was no more joy, no more fun. For the rest of the night all the laughter and music did nothing but torture you. Marcus was also silent and his face was expressionless as he looked at you from a distance.

The city was enjoying a well-deserved rest on the first night of the festival. It seemed that everyone and everything had decided to sleep, except you. Your mind was preoccupied with a particular thought. Marcus. The thought of losing him for such a silly pastime felt so wrong.  From your position on the bed, you gazed upwards at the moonlight that was gently filtering through the long window of the spacious room. The gold-embroidered part of the curtain caught your eye when it came into contact with the reflected light, as it shone gently in the moonlight. You decided to get out of bed, as you felt you couldn't sleep anyway. You thought it might be a good idea to get some fresh air. You exited the room and proceeded towards the balcony within. The view from the balcony at night was quite amazing. The Circus Maximus, the hippodrome where horse races were held during the day, appeared to be resting peacefully. The Tiber River, which flows into the sea between Palatine Hill and Aventine Hill, appeared to shine brightly in the night darkness, as though bathed in moonlight. Just beyond the river was a dirt road, the very same road you had traveled many times in a carriage towards the General's villa. 

You prayed to Jupiter, hoping that he might consider allowing you to live there as his wife when he won this fight and married you. Then your gaze shifted to the silhouette of the Colosseum, the imposing structure that had previously inspired a certain ambivalence in you. Now, it seemed to stand before you as an adversary. All the battles and games that were fought in it were not enough to take the warriors who died in all the battles and games. It also seemed to want to take away the most valuable person in your life.

You were startled as you heard footsteps approaching behind you.

"I wonder what could have disturbed our princess's sleep?”

Turning your head, you noticed Julia standing beside you, clad only in her long tunic, a style of dress you were not previously accustomed to seeing her in.

Without making eye contact, she approached and placed her arms on the balustrade. You felt a certain degree of nervousness each time you saw her, and the fact that you were alone with her at this late hour only served to heighten your unease. Her long black hair was waving with the light wind of the night. She was a beautiful woman, though her eyes and lips showed a few wrinkles. Cruel beauty.

"You must be thinking about him," she murmured before you could answer.

It was pretty clear to her, even without you telling her. She was a smart woman, so you were sure she realized it the first time she saw you and the General.

"Are they taking revenge on him?" you asked.

“Because he hid you in his villa? Perhaps, but for my sons, a game is a game. Now he's part of it. Things would have turned out differently had you chosen Gaius. But the General decided his own fate from the moment he asked their permission to marry you.”

You didn't answer, despite all the feelings growing within you. 

"Tiberis (Tiber River),' she murmured. You don't know how happy I was when I found out you had drowned in that river. All my worries were gone."

You remained unresponsive, a shiver ran down your spine, but it was not from the sudden wind.

“But one day you appeared, with your golden hair, the same cheeks that my husband couldn't get enough of kissing, and those innocent hazel eyes, just like the way you looked at me when you were a child, like a stupid, poor kitten. I don't know how I didn't notice the first time I saw you, I must have been so sure you were dead. I must be getting old, I suppose,” she said with a laugh. 

It was as if she was having a friendly chat, which made you more nervous. As your eyes roamed the dark silhouette of the Colosseum, you realised that your real enemy was right next to you.

“Are you sure you won't regret rejecting Gaius and not going to Leptis Magna with him?” She looked at you with a hint of mockery in her eyes, but her voice was almost pleading. 'If you're smart, that's what you should do.’

You closed your eyes tightly, took a deep breath and suppressed all the curses that rushed to your tongue. ‘You wish the General to lose? I thought you trusted him?’

‘There are many soldiers in the Legates with his potential, he's not irreplaceable.’

She approached you as you were trying to control your anger. "You are the one who made him a target. You are responsible for what has happened to him and what will happen to him. Remember that, Aurelia." You could hear the hint of a threat in her voice as she said your name.

Tears rolled down your cheeks as she walked back the way she came. You were already blaming yourself. Hearing the same words from her mouth, as if from your own conscience, increased your pain even more.

Marcus... You didn't even want to consider what you'd do if something happened to him. You thought about your uncle and how he handled it when his wife passed away. He was really dedicated to his work. He felt that his only purpose in life was to try to save more people. But you weren't like him. You were sure your body couldn't handle that kind of pain. You didn't feel as strong as he did. You shook your head and tried to push these thoughts out of your mind. 

You needed to be strong for him. But how could you possibly do that? How were you going to watch him out there fighting for his life when the very thought of it was enough to make your heart ache?  You'd never seen him fight before, but you'd heard so much about him that you had some hope. Still, your worries held your hopes captive and not releasing them. You let your thoughts torture you for a while longer, accompanied by the sound of crickets echoing in the silence of the night, and finally you walked to your room to try to sleep.

Temple of Mars…

The day of the fight.

The temple was relatively quiet when you arrived with Decima in the early hours of the morning. You had come here to sacrifice five pigs to Mars, the god of war. You bowed down in front of the great statue of Mars, which stood in all its majesty in the corner between the protruding tall columns inside, and joined your hands in prayer.

"My Lord, Mars, I beg you to bestow upon me the life of your son Marcus, the man I love, and grant him a victorious outcome today. Juno, the goddess of marriage, I implore you to remove all obstacles that stand in the way of me marrying the man I love. Venus, the goddess of love, I ask for your strength to fight for my love and to guide me to make it stronger. Fortuna, I ask that your fortune favour us today. Jupiter, the god of gods, I beseech you, my lord, to sharpen his sword, to give strength and power to his hands and arms, and to grant him victory. And bring him back to me safe and sound.”

You opened your eyes and saw your tears dripping on your hands, which you'd clasped together on your chest. Decima touched your shoulder and wiped your tears with her thumb.

'The gods will help him, don't you worry anymore.'

You nodded, feeling certain your prayer would be answered, now all that remained was to wait, and time was your worst enemy.

The last person you wanted to see was coming up the steps of the temple. Gaius noticed you and approached you, his smug smile infuriating you.

'My lady, I believe you've come to pray.'

'That's right, that's why I'm here, but I wonder if I might ask why you are here? I thought you weren't going to fight for yourself?" you asked sarcastically.

"I'm the one who has the advantage with the power of thought. Physical strength is of no consequence against it."

"Then perhaps you've come to the wrong temple. You should go to the temple of Mercury."

"My lady, I am in the right place because I have come here to ask Mars to grant General Acacius absolute defeat.”

You clenched your hands into fists, your whole body filled with rage.

‘Once he's out of the way, there'll be no more obstacles between us. It'll be easy to get rid of Caracalla and Geta. Their names will be forgotten. Think of the power you and I will have if we marry.’

After a long period of frustration, you finally lost your temper and slapped him in anger. Gaius wasn't upset. In fact, he seemed amused as he touched the spot where you had slapped him. The imperial guard who had been protecting you interposed himself between the two of you. 

‘I'll never marry you, sir, don't even dream of it.’

‘It was your father's wish, I was with him when he wrote the letter-’ This time his eyes were sharp as he looked at you.

‘I'm not my father!’ The people praying on the steps of the temple turned to you when they realised your loud voice.

‘And he's not here, I'm Aurelia, and I decide my own life. Don't you ever threaten me again. Or my brothers. Especially the man I love.’

The imperial guard stepped forward nervously noticing people approaching you.

‘Princess Aurelia!’ 

You turned your head when someone called out your name. They quickly gathered around you, looking at you with sincerity and admiration. Gaius seemed uncomfortable with them.

One woman approached you and said, "My lady, we've heard that the General Acacius will fight for you, so we pray for his safety and survival.”

They had come here with the same intention as you, which made you very happy.

'The General has saved this city many times, we're grateful to him,' someone said.

'We're still breathing thanks to him!' another shouted. You looked at Gaius with a smile, a smile he knew the meaning of ‘Suck it’.

‘I think you’re done here, Sir Gaius.’

The crowd regarded him with a certain degree of displeasure, and some of them advanced towards him. Gaius retreated, nearly losing his footing on the stairs in the process. As he made his way out of the area, the crowd turned their attention to you. 

“Thanks to your prayers, General Acacius will hopefully achieve a victory today at the Colosseum.”

The crowd responded with joyous shouts. They were now shouting his name. As you smiled at them and descended the stairs, you noticed a familiar face ahead. Octavius was standing by his horse and, upon recognising you, approached you with haste.

‘My lady, you summoned me. 

You asked for him before you came to the temple because you wanted to speak to him about something.

'Yes, thank you for coming by.'

'Of course, my lady,' he bowed his head respectfully.

You gave him a smile. 'It seems you were right all along.'

He looked at you, surprised. 'I beg your pardon, my lady?'

“You always called me a lady, and you were right. I was. You were always kind to me, Octavius. Even when you knew I was a slave, you were always respectful, and I'm grateful to you for that.”

“The pleasure's mine, my lady. But may I ask why you wanted to see me?’

'As a good friend of the general, I wanted to ask you to take me to him before the fight.’

Octavius’ expression changed. 'My lady, with all due respect, this is no place for women.’

You looked at him with absolute determination. 'Otherwise I wouldn't have asked you to accompany me, would I?'

The Colosseum…

Hours before the battle…

The Colosseum had lots of rooms and underground passages. This was where animals and gladiators were kept, waiting to meet their fate in the arena above. It wasn't a straightforward place to get into, especially not for a woman.

Octavius was pretty nervous about letting you into this underground tunnel. If you'd asked the royal guards to do it, it'd probably have got back to Geta or Caracalla, who'd have wanted to stop or prevent you. But you had to see him before he steps into the arena.

However, your plan was about to be thwarted. The guards at the entrance to the large iron gate were quite big and stopped you. 

'There's no room for women here, so you'd better go back.' 

Even if you wore a cloak, your clothes and hair showed your physical features. So you decided to remove it.

"I'm Princess Aurelia. Let me through, please. I'd like to speak with General Acacius."

The guards looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Did they think you were lying?

'Why would a princess come with only one soldier?' one of the guards asked.

'I'm the general's second-in-command, Octavius. Let us through, now.' Octavius ordered.

'My lady!''

You heard a familiar voice and looked in that direction. It was Macrinus.

His voice came from inside, and soon he appeared at the door.

'How dare you keep the Princess waiting at the gate? Let her through, now!'

The men immediately bowed their heads, apologised and opened the gate.

'My lady, I think you're here to see the General?' His smile made you feel uneasy, as it always did.

Octavius picked up a torch and followed you at a safe distance, each sound echoing off the narrow walls as he travelled through the stone tunnels. 

"I understand your wish to see him for the last time.”

You stopped suddenly, your footsteps echoed through the cave-like walls.

"Sir Macrinus, if I may continue with Sir Octavius for the rest of the way."

Macrinus smiled and said, 'As you wish, my lady. I'm done here anyway. I'll see you upstairs in the stands.' He walked towards the door. You continued on your way, not letting his confident demeanour unnerve you.

'Oh, by the way, don't be scared when you see the tiger ahead, he can smell fear,' he said before walking out the door.

You couldn't believe your ears. Did he mean it metaphorically? You looked at Octavius, who didn't look surprised.

‘It's in a cage, don't worry,’ he explained.

‘Tiger, a real tiger?’ You raised your eyebrow.

‘Yes. There are many animals here, stay close to me, my lady.’

A little later, you came to a roundabout where another iron gate was waiting for you. This time, you could hear lots of voices coming from the corridors. You could hear lots of men, swords being sharpen, doors opening and closing, and a roar. When you saw the corridor where the animals were kept, you had a bit of a shock. The tiger was there, a big one, much bigger than you'd imagined when you'd heard its name. And it was just as scary. You stood there, frozen in fear, locked in its green eyes, as if it was trying to find where the fear was hiding inside you. It was an amazingly beautiful and an extremely dangerous predator. A moment later, it let out a roar as if it had found the fear. Octavius grabbed you by the shoulders as you jumped back, trembling with fear.

'Are you alright, my lady?' Let's head back if you're not feeling well.

You couldn't help but laugh hysterically. 'It's beautiful.’ you swallowed hard.

Octavius confused.

You tried to pull yourself together quickly and concentrate on the reason you had come here, but the tiger was so beautiful that you couldn't take your eyes off him. Before long, one of the guards prodded the tiger's hind leg with a spear. The animal let out a roar in pain but then collapsed and rested its huge head on its front legs.

The guard bowed to you and said, 'It's a dangerous animal, my lady. You shouldn't get too close.'

You nodded at him, but it was hard to believe that such a beautiful and dangerous animal could be so close. You could stare at it for hours.

'My lady, this way,' Octavius said, pointing  the other corridor. There were gladiators and other warriors in this corridor. All waiting to fight resting in dungeons, conditions were unfavourable. As you passed through them, you bowed your head, feeling their curious eyes on you. 

You felt regret taking off your cloak, because you were wearing a elegant dress that left your arms and neck exposed, and revealing that you belonged to the imperial family. You had Geta to thank for that, after all, lately he loved to interfere with your attire. 

“A princess?”

“Look at this beauty.”

“I would gladly die for you, my beautiful lady.”

A few masculine whistles and laughs, murmurs, you could feel your cheeks turning red, your mouth got dry. Hearing a few dirty comments, Octavius kicked the iron bars of the cell where they were being held.

“Shut the hell up!”

You fellt relief to move from this corridor to another, quieter one, where you saw a familiar face. It was Cato, the General's squire.

"My lady, sir." He greeted you. 

Instead of iron bars, there was an iron door and an armoury. It was filled with swords, axes, bows and arrows, shields and many other implements of war. 

"Is the General inside?" Octavius asked.

"Yes, I just helped him put on his armour," he said and knocked on the door.

You were nervous and excited, and when the door opened, Octavius nodded then looked at you.

You walked through the door with quick steps, met his eyes. The eyes you had come all this way for.

His eyes showed surprise and then anger.

“I'll leave you two alone.” Octavius closed the door and left to avoid her harsh gaze.

“What are you doing here,” he came toward you, so attractive even in his anger.

“I needed to see you, before...” you swallowed, unable to finish the sentence.

“It's not appropriate for you to be here, how could you do that?”

The general seemed to be wearing his leather armbands. 

“Let me,” you murmured and approached him. 

He held out his arm for you and waited, all the while keeping his eyes on you.

Once you finished, put your hands on his broad shoulders. Under your hands you felt the material of the leather armor he had just put on. It was the same armor he wore when you first met, with gold detailing on the edges and a medusa on his chest. His expression softened at your touch. 

"You always act without thinking," he said with a hint of disapproval.

"I've heard that before," you replied with a smile.

He placed his hands on your waist and pulled you closer to him, his eyes tracing the outline of your lips. You could feel his gaze on them.

"You are my only weakness, your presence is the only thing that distracts me."

"Perhaps it would be best if I waited here for you? I don't want to watch anyway.”

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'd like you to sit there and watch me." He cupped your face between his hands, and you could feel your heart beating faster. "Because, my beautiful princess,, it's only you who gives me strength."

Marcus pressed his lips to yours and kissed you gently.

"I prayed in the temple for you to win," you whispered. "Marcus, you have to win. I can't bear to see anything happen to you."

"I will win, my lady. For you, for us." He kissed your forehead and embraced you.

You prayed the gods for the last time as you resting your head on his chest, your body in his arms. Suddenly the sound of drums startled you. Turned your head in the direction of the sound, accompanied by the sound of the crowd and whistles. Marcus pressed his lips to the top of your head and pulled himself back. 

“It's time, you'd better go now.”

You nodded. “I love you, Marcus.” your voice was shaking.

One of his heart-melting smiles appeared on his face.

“I love you more, my beautiful Aurelia.”

Ima Cavea… (tribune that reserved for the Emperor and senates)

“Sister, where were you? You were almost late.” Geta scolded you. You were pleased that Julia was sitting next to Caracalla, while you sat in one of the gold-embroidered seats belonging to the royal family next to Geta. The farther away from her the better it was for you. However, Gaius was sitting right next to you and smiling at you in a way that made you feel uneasy. You turned your head away from him and looked at Geta.

“What happened to your face?”

He rolled his eyes. “War makeup, if you hadn't gone to the temple earlier I would have given you this makeup too, tough luck sister.” he said pursing his lips.

“Good thing I preferred to go to the temple then,” you muttered. 

He laughed. Caracalla whispered something in his ear. Geta leaned toward you with a mischievous expression. “Would you like to give the opening speech?”

You gave him a stink-eye. He grinned with all his teeth at your expression. 

“Okay, I'll do it.”

He stood up and took a step forward, raising his arms in salute as the announcer announced his name to the crowd.

“People of Rome! We are gathered today for an epic closing to the last day of the festival. The day's champions of the auspicious ceremony, incredibly talented gladiators, will fight and stand for our beloved cousin Gaius Septimius Severus Aper!”

“He forgot to mention ‘consul ordinarius’ title of mine.” Gaius said, offended.

“No one cares,” you snapped.

Caracalla laughed hard, Geta joined him in, both looking at you like ‘good one’. You ignored them, not in the mood for jokes.

With the sound of drums and trumpets, the iron gates opened with roar and four gladiators entered the arena. You weren't an expert in fighting and you didn't have a lot of experience as a spectator, but you had a pretty good idea of what to expect. But why were there four gladiators? Caracalla stood up and came to Geta, applauding with excitement and joy. The gladiators stood in position in front of your tribune with their shields and spears and gave the salute.

“Ave Imperatores, morituri te salutant!” Hail Emperors, those who are about to die salute you!”

“In fact, you should salute both us and our sister today,” he beckoned you to him. You opened your eyes wide, not expecting surely. Julia let out a hissing sound, and the senators murmured behind you. As you stood up, the crowd started to cheer louder. You took Geta's hand, tentatively at first.

“Princess Aurelia!” Crowded shouted.

You whispered to Geta as the crowd chanted your name.

“Wasn't there supposed to be a one-on-one fight?”

“That would be boring, wouldn't it, my dear?”

"Clearly you haven't had the opportunity to observe the General in combat before, Caracalla said, leaning towards you behind Geta. “Hurry brother, call him to show up, lets get them started at once,” he whined to him, clapping his hands.

Geta nodded, “And the man who will fight against them is known and respected by all of you, The Glorius General Marcus Acacius, commander of the southern armies, General of the Six Legions and protector of Rooome!”

Geta's loud cry was pretty deafening.

The soldiers who opened the other door for their General greeted him and wished him good fortune. The crowd roared as Marcus, sword in hand shining under the sunlight, the sands of the arena turning to dust beneath his feet as he stepped in front of the gladiators. You experienced a range of emotions simultaneously, including excitement, tension, fear unease. 

Marcus turned towards you, put his sword on his shoulder, nodded. 

“Ave Imperatores, ave Filia Regis, morituri te salutant!” Hail Emperors, hail Princess, who are about to die salute you!”

Even though the word ‘about to die’ hurts, you smiled at him, and he bowed his head in response. 

“Begiiiin!” Geta shouted.

“Gods bear witneeeeess!” Caracalla joined him.

The crowd went wild with excitement, and the beat of the drums grew louder. Since the gladiators were discussing strategy and walking away from him Marcus turned to face the other way, looks very calm. It didn't seem fair that they had spears, swords at their waists and shields in their hands, but Marcus had only a sword. Had he specifically chosen it himself? It didn't make sense, and you were almost angry with Marcus for it. But you were about to be wrong. 

As one of the gladiators ran towards Marcus, he took a defensive stance, kicked the sand off the ground with the tip of his toe and darted towards him. In a swift and decisive move, he dodged his attack by spinning as if he was dancing and struck him hard with his sword from behind. Marcus quickly picked up the shield that had fallen from his hand and turned to the others, your eyes fixed on the sand where blood from the cut spread across the floor of the arena. You stared with your jaw dropped.

Geta and Caracalla looked at each other with laughter. They cursed and commented, their eyes fixed on the action. You observed Gaius, seated next to you, appearing somewhat disgruntled, which prompted a smile to emerge on your face. Yet you tensed again as the three remaining gladiators circling around Marcus. He glanced at each of them, ready for any attack. One of them roared and charged at him, pointing the tip of his spear at him, the long spear jabbed, but Marcus grabbed the tip of his shield, shoved it aside and charged at the gladiator, his great sword flashing. The gladiator swung his spear back, then thrust again. The metal screamed as the tip of the spear slipped from Marcus' shield, cutting the surface and leaving a long, shiny scratch. Another gladiator lunged with his spear, but Marcus turned quickly, allowing it to pierce the shield, but the gladiator could not get it back out and Marcus took advantage of it and swung his sword at him, cutting his exposed leg off. The man let out a cry of pain as blood began to flow from his wound, spreading across the sandy ground. Marcus made one last move and rushed after the other, cutting his neck and the gladiator's lifeless body sprawled on the sandy ground. Other gladiator grunted furiously. He made a ponderous charge to hack at the Marcus's head. He avoided him easily. The crowd roared, whistling and Geta gave a hysterical laugh and clapped. You were uncertain as to how much more nervous you could become. You felt your heart beating in your throat. The two remaining gladiators exchanged glances and signalled to one another. Marcus observed them with his keen gaze, considering the most strategic approach to the upcoming confrontation, taking the movement of their feet into account. One of them made a quick lunge for his stomach, but Marcus was thrown back and it was ineffective. Marcus cut him, but not where he wanted, he missed.

Then, dodging at the last moment as the gladiator lunged for his right breast, he lunged for the tip of the spear. Marcus was close enough to strike suddenly, his sword gleaming in a blur of steel. The crowd screamed as well. As the tip of the spear was useless, the Gladiator threw it away and drew his sword, but Marcus was much faster, grasping quickly the spear that the other gladiator he had just cut down had left on the ground and thrusting it deep into his groin. The gladiator groaned in pain and staggered backwards, struggling to stand and finally collapsing to his knees. The last remaining gladiator, the banquet-show gladiator, Macrinus' and Geta's favourite, lunged angrily at Marcus. Geta stood up excitedly, Caracalla leaned forward to see better, and you put your hands together and began to pray. He was the gladiator you feared the most. 

Metal met metal with an ear-splitting clang, sending the Marcus reeling. Gladiator followed, bellowing. They didn't use words anymore, just animalistic roaring.The gladiator was the first to move, throwing his spear at Marcus as he ran, missing. This time he drew his sword and lunged at him with a roar, throwing his shield at him as well, Marcus paused in the blink of an eye as the pain of the struck shield caused his elbow. But the sword was making several thrusts at him, and Marcus's retreat turned into a flight backwards, only inches in front of the great sword that cut through his chest, arms and wrist. You jumped to your feet, Marcus' cuts weren't very deep, but they were enough to make you cried out. 

Marcus heard you, but he had to pretend he didn't. He was determined to concentrate and get it over with. He ignored the pain of his cuts and looked at the gladiator, who was smiling triumphantly at him. 

Rejoice now while you can, Marcus thought.

He memorised the gladiator's footwork and swiftly planned his attack. The gladiator made the first move, his shiny sword grazing the surface of Marcus' shield with a deafening sound. Marcus seized the opportunity and brought his sword down on the gladiator's head. But it was a ruse. As the gladiator raised his sword to retaliate, Marcus slashed his muscular thigh and kicked him to the ground. The gladiator was dazed by the fall, and Marcus stepped on his hand with his foot, taking the sword from him and hurling it across the arena.The crowd cheered, and Geta gave a standing ovation and shouted with joy.

'What a battle!'

'It's over too soon,' Caracalla grumbled. You were starting to relax a little, but the blood dripping from Marcus's shoulder wasn't helping. When he glanced back at you, you smiled and hoped he saw it.

The crowd suddenly started shouting in unison. 

‘KIll! KIll! KIll!’

Marcus looked at Geta. With his arm outstretched, everyone eagerly awaits his decision. But you could already see it in his honey-coloured eyes. Geta turned his thumb down.

The crowd went wild again, cheering and screaming. Marcus looked down at the gladiator, who was barely breathing, lying on the ground. He raised his sword and the man closed his eyes. Marcus may have fought like a beast, but he was no bloodthirsty villain. He brought the sword down swiftly and it stabbed through the sand right next to the gladiator's head. The crowd fell silent. Murmurs replaced the shouts. Geta frowned. Caracalla leaned down from the balustrade in frustration. 

‘What the hell is he doing?’

‘Kill him!’ Geta shouted. 

You were so moved by Marcus's behavior that your eyes filled with tears. 

Soon the crowd was shouting the chant once used for the great General Maximus. 

‘Marcus the merciful!’

Marcus smiled at them and made a gesture of respect, honouring his former commander.

'That's just like him,' Geta commented.

Caracalla made a face. You were happy and proud of him, you couldn't be more in love with him.

Marcus walked towards to you while the crowd chanting his name and his new nickname. 

'My Emperors, I fought for you and I won, and I believe I have a right to claim what is rightfully mine.' His eyes shifted to you. It was hard not to throw yourself from where you stood into his strong arms.

Geta laughed, applauding him.

"Naturally, our champion will receive what he deserves." He gazed at you and said, "Let us begin preparations for the wedding of General Acacius and our sister Princess Aurelia at once."

You felt a slight blush come over your cheeks as the crowd expressed their enthusiasm by chanting and cheering your names. Caracalla sat back in his throne and appeared to be somewhat disgruntled. Gaius had already departed. Then the iron gates of the arena opened, and the General was surrounded by his soldiers, who embraced him joyfully, including Octavius. Geta was observing you as you smiled at Marcus with joy, and he was surprised to realise that for the first time in his life he was experiencing a sense of happiness for someone else. 

@myownwholewildworld @orcasoul @pedroslut4eva @immyowndefender @lailathepedritofan @screechingchildfury @shinymusicpanda @somedayheaven @ivoryandflame @negrita2345 @music-lover09 @javiismyhsbnd @idontcareihavenoidea @jisungandpedrolover @mmkkzz @ro-nahime-things

if anyone wants me to tag them please comment :) thank you all <3

[jackiequick]

🎶 Fast & Furious OC (+ a long story) 🏁

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Valentina “Val” Toretto

Full Name: Valentina Toretto

Nicknames: Val, Vally, Babygirl, Shorty, Baby Toretto, Quick, Ankle Biter

Age: 19 in The Fast & The Furious (2001), 26 in Fast & Furious (2009) , 28 in Fast Five (2011) , 31 in Fast & Furious 6 (2013) , 33 in Furious 7 (2015) , 37 in Fate of The Furious (2017) and etc.

Family: It’s a very huge one! But let’s focus on the biological ones and the in laws. Mother & Father dead but siblings are alive!

Big Brother —> Dom Toretto

Big Sister —> Mia Toretto

Brother in law —> Brian O’Conner

Sister in law —> Letty Ortiz

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Relationship status: Single for most of the time movies but ends up in a few relationships later on 😉

Best Friends/Family: Roman and Tej, Letty, Hector, Brian, Vince, Han, Leo, Santos, Gisele, Elena, Hobbs, Deckard and the list goes on! She mets a lot of the crew as the years go by.

Vehicle of choice: Honestly she’ll ride with anyone or anything, doesn’t matter the car as long as there’s space to move around. But she love a jet black motorcycle ride and adores a Honda coupe cars because it’s slick small style and storage space in the back (it was her very first car ever too!).

Job on the team: One of the drivers. If not, she stays behind to do a analysis of the case being done (teaming up with Mia to do a lot of it) but she is also a bit of a fighter. She’s got a strong punch to her and will lead a chase downtown if needed!

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Background information, facts and etc

In 2001, she met Brian O’Conner on the beachside due to sweet charming looks across from each other and a few days introduced herself to him properly. It was a start to a beautiful friendship, but Val would she had a crush on the darling blonde. Then she got the chance to introduce Brian to her sister, Mia and sparks flew! God, she teased her sister about it so much!

Dom wasn’t very happy about it, but invited Brian into the crew but Vince wasn’t having any of it which cause problems between Val and him. Claiming that Brian was a low leveled cop! Val wasn’t pleased with that idea but it later became true, as Brian revealed himself to Mia and Val that he in fact, is a cop. Things happened, causing the 3 of them to save their friends and family from being total waste in the highway and Brian and Dom fought then raced off to find revenge for a death of a friend. Finding plenty of respect for each other.

In 2009. Val, Dom and Letty went to the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 for a few jobs, find some peace and quiet, along adventures meeting more family members as well! However Letty died trying to clear Dom’s name with Brian and Val’s help, resulting in a return to the US. Along with a new heist and a return to old faces! Brian and Mia reunited, rekindling their romance, Dom met a new member of their team Giselle in Mexico 🇲🇽 , Val reunited with her sister and future brother in law and they tried to frame the criminal gang in the process. However Dom’s name wasn’t cleared yet but they decided to break him out and start a new lifestyle on the run, the best they can.

—

In 2011! 2 years on the road and running around until they landed in Brazil 🇧🇷 and still on the FBI most wanted list for prisoners of the USA 🇺🇸. They played low and trying not to draw too much attention to themselves while Dom headed out to do jobs, Mia, Val and Brian stayed protecting each other with Vince help (since he lived in Brazil with his wife and baby boy). Mia was noticed by Vince’s wife and her sister Val one night that she was off and a little sick, she was pregnant with Brian’s baby! After being chased down by Hobbs, Elena and their crew around the countryside and across rooftops, Mia revealed her pregnancy to the small group of 4 saying they have to stick together now especially with their families about to get bigger, Val couldn’t agreed more coming up with a plan as the boys agreed taking the plan one huge step further.

Dom, Brian, Val and Mia planned a huge heist to getaway with a safe full of money in one of Brazil’s bank houses and a team involved, calling everyone they knew. Dom called Han and Giselle, Val called Leo and Santos, Brian called up Tej and Roman while Mia found the perfect safe spot to meet up, eat, sleep and do business! Everyone met up after a few days and the plan was set in motion. Roman flirted with Val while Tej compliment the girl during the work, it was all fun and games, even Mia and Brian teased the trio. They whole group raced, almost got caught many times by Hobbs even earning his respect eventually, they all had plenty of fun, prepared and trained for the heist.

Taking turns for certain roles, joking around so fun, the job becomes like a crazy fun stunt. Val, Mia and Tej were behind the steel safe to replace with a special handprint to break into and switch off, and keeping track of the views and incoming threats during the city heist while everyone else stayed in positions driving alongside one another. They thought they wouldn’t make it out of there alive but they did! As they all were able to steal $100 million dollars in a bank vault to share on individual accounts.

—

Everyone went they’re own separate ways with their earnings from the $100 million dollar, using it for whatever they wanted. Valentina used hers to go traveling around the world, a long vacation for at least longer than two months. She stayed first in Brazil a little longer and went back to Dominican Republic. She went to Italy, Paris, Rome and of course flew to see her family. Seeing Elena and Dom who started a relationship a while back and saw her pregnant sister and Brian on the beachside.

However when she was in Italy on the beachside, sipping a cold freshly opened beer and eating a plate of fruits, she met someone. “Is there seat taken, miss?” Asked the man with a slight raspy voice and a gentle inviting grin. Valentina pulled down her sunglasses to get a better look at the tall man who stood next to her in white button down exposing his tone arms, dark sunglasses, wearing white shorts and no shoes as his feet dipped into the warmth of the sand. She smiled, “Not at all, take a seat.”

He nodded smiling and took a seat beside the woman on the long chair, “Thank you, darling.” Valentina pulled out another beer offering it to the man who took it with kindness and gratitude. She smiled softly, “It’s the least I can do.” “What are you doing here for?” “Hmm, vacation. I needed a break from it all and maybe need a meet few new faces. You?”

The man smiled taking in her natural tan and glow that radiated from her, a welcoming warmth from her as she saw dressed in a dark brown bikini top with brown shorts to match. A nice contact from his own closest of clothes he brought for travels. It took him a moment before he answered, “Work. I came for a job with a client who needed me to help him. Now I’m taking in the gorgeous view.” Valentina blushed looking down at her drink in hand and smiled, “Before you start, you got a name?” “Deckard Shaw, love.”

Valentina smiled holding out a hand to shake in which Deckard gladly took, bringing his lips up to her knuckles gently and said, “Who you got a name, love?” She smiled softly, “Valentina Toretto but everyone calls me, Val.” “Then you call me, Deck.” “Nice to meet you, Deck.” “Very nice to meet you, Val.”

The pair talked the whole afternoon though on the beach, sipping beers and martinis while snacking on fruits and nuts. Deckard even offer to buy her dinner, in which she obliged as they went to the hotel to change into suitable clothes for the restaurant near the beautiful beaches on Italy as they ate. Deckard smiled, “How long are you staying for?” Val shrugged, “For as long as i want.” “There has to be a timeframe there, love.” “A week, dear.” 

Deckard smiled, “That’s more like it. I’ll be leaving in a few days but I’ll glad love to take you around.” Valentina grinned, “I’ll love that, very much. When do we start?” “You’ll have to ask me that again the morning, after breakfast.” “Let’s enjoy tonight then.” The two shared a few glasses of champagne as they enjoyed the rest of their night together. Heading back to the hotel room to continue their lovely conversations and take in the lovely view of the place.

—

The morning was something else to say the least. Valentina woke up underneath the white covers in a empty bed as the morning daylight of the balcony shined though the curtains. She smiled softly and blushed with pinky cheeks looking around, “Morning, lovely..” Deckard stepped out of the bathroom shirtless having woken up less than a few minutes earlier as he leaned down to press against her lips, “Good morning, beautiful..how’d you sleep?”

Val giggled ignoring his questions, “Your a bad influence Deck. I barley do anything like this…” Deck chuckled leaning towards the headboard of the bed, “Neither do i..But it’s vacation, i enjoyed it and I didn’t hear you complain about it.” “I blame the music playing last night from the balcony.” “Yeah, sure you do. We can blame the music.”

The next few days were a blast to be having together, enjoying dinner, running for shelter after some fallen rain, swimming in water after sharing drinks on the beach, walking down the streets of Italy and sadly it all came to a close. Both went their separate ways, hoping to keep in touch for the next time they’re on vacation, however neither of them knew if and when they would see each other again…

—

In 2013, another issue flown to the surface as Hobbs announced a new heist to be taken place with the crews help. Along with Letty’s return, she’s alive and working for the other team. So plans were made and both crew came aggressively against the threat known as Owen Shaw and his teammates, Val and Mia were kidnapped however thankfully they were able to save them, bring Letty home and stop the criminal case of Shaw and his crew. Everyone went back home to their lives together as a family unit once again, going on leave for work and vacation time of course.

—

Then 2015 came around and everything turned upside down. Valentina was on a small break from working with Tej as his co-worker and friend at the garage, as she flew down to Mexico when she saw Deckard again. The two smiled softly and decided to join each other on a small vacation from it all, until Deckard was told about his brother being in the hospital, Valentina didn’t know much about his family and neither did he know much of hers. Valentina was also called in by own brother to help take care of things at home. The pair went to take care of their own family members. Dom and Val were helping Mia, Brian and their son Jack with moving boxes to the van, when a sudden package arrived at the front door, just as Dom went to open it a call came in saying he was coming for Dom and his family..the house was blown to pieces. It was Deckard Shaw, as he was after the family for revenge on his brother and also on the hunt for a job to do.

Val nor Brian didn’t know much or that it was Deckard until later on during a chase in the woods. Which lead to Roman being a huge scared for jumping out a plane and Val being stuck in the car into a plane with him. Tej joked, “What happened Roman I thought you were strong and afraid of anything? This was your stupid idea!” Roman barked back, “Shut up, Tej! Since when do y’all actually listen to me?! I’mma stay here with Val. Y’all go ahead.”

Val started to fight back both of her idiot friends and eventually taking the wheel, with Tej’s help who controlled a switch to the car, as they road onto the streets of the highway in the woods. As they were driving behind the crew, out of nowhere Deckard appeared locking eyes with Valentina before speeding off behind towards Dom’s car. To say she was confused and pissed was a understatement!

Shit went down afterwards as they had to save a few kidnapped family and friends, cracking the codes to a few systems to find Deckard and also help their new member recruited, Ramsey. Again, Valentina was stuck with Roman undercover! She loved the man to death but god damn she wanted to something punch him for being stupidly loud and such.

Deckard arrived in a elevator as he stanched her up with him yelling, “What the bloody hell are you doing here?!” Valentina yelled back, “I swear to god—Did you know about this?!” “That your brother hurt my brother?! Yes i found out a week ago, darling! I didn’t know you were involved in any of this..you knew about he was my brother?” “No! There wasn’t any connection between you guys and your last name are pretty common, I’m sorry i didn’t respond or know about that. You can’t blame me for this…”

He looked down holding his rather large gun in one hand and grabbed her hand gently with the other, pressing a little kiss to her knuckles. He sighed, “Promise me, you’ll stay safe…?” She sighed, “..yes, I will.” Valentina slapped Deckard across the face before walking out of the elevator to play her role with Roman.

It was fine until shit hit the fan again as Dom and Brian came out in a fire engine red sports car, Letty came flying in after fighting a Russian guard and Deckard came in shooting the place up. Roman grabbed her by the waist, picking Val up and ran off to safely as they screamed, “Y’all are the reason I’m always on vacation! You drive me rut sometimes!”

—

Hours later, Dom and the crew found Deckard and his so called friends in a old warehouse as another fight broke out one another one, it could’ve made someone’s head spin. Dom and Val even got into a huge rushed and heated argument about their own family’s safety and The Shaw Family future after being caught, that was slowly settled down once they found ground in California. No one was happy, however they had a job to do for keeping Ramsey safe.

It was settled team A was to keep Ramsey safe teamed up in cars, playing TAG, team B who was Brian was dislocating the connection between cars and internet for they can’t be tracked by any other means necessary, and team C was fighting against Deckard Shaw. Correction, Dom was fighting him! Midway through the search and play of TAG with Ramsey, Valentina switched cars with Roman and Tej, racing off to the building that held Brian working on the power grid. That was her good friend, brother-in-law and nephew’s daddy of course she was gonna get her ass to that building and help kick some ass with him! And they did just that, Val and Brian kicked ass while trying their hardest to quickly finishing the adjustment on the power grid for Tej and Ramsey.

They were on the rooftop connecting the wires and directing the connection toward there friends when out of the corner of her, Val saw it loud and clear. A block away, two cars rivaling against each other with pounding of the groundwork shaking behind them and the sounds of shouting was heard. The pair raced off towards the building and blocking out a chasing threats toward them. Brian turned his head to watch running as he started yelling in his walkie-talkie at the crew as the building there the cars where started to collapse on itself with the men in it.

Cars went flying! Val wasted no time as she appeared with Letty and Hobbs at the scene, Deckard and Dom battling it out until both were on the groundwork on the streets. Suddenly it was dust and rumble in the air, no one can see as more helicopters with explosive waves of shock…Dom was out cold and Deck was gone hiding in the back of the it all, seeing all the looks at their faces. Deckard sighed as from afar he saw Valentina’s upset glares. Brian tried CPR on Dom as Letty sobbing screamed to get off of him, Val started crying in Roman’s arms as Tej held Ramsey while Hobbs looked at the crime scene in sorrow, noticing Deckard but waited for a moment. Letty sobbed begging and hoping, mumbling something only of of the group hear until Dom finally woke up.

—

A few weeks or so past, everyone started getting situated back home, rebuilding the home everyone knew and loved to have a simple BBQ. Mr. Nobody who hired them originally settled on calling them when needed for missions, Hobbs placed Deckard behind bars threatening him strongly. The two were at each other’s neck, Valentina smirked watching it all, pissed off at what Deckard done and how far both men went to end up where they are today. Deckard looked down unable to face her until after a while on standing in his cell block, he screwed up and tried getting revenge for his family, knowing they both care deeply about family and would do anything for it. The pair talked with Hobbs standing by protectively before it was settled down to not see each other for a long time…

She returned home to see her family with grins and smiles, kissing her nephew and talking with Mia as Dom and Brian joked about god knows what. Before they all headed out to beachside for some sun with the rest of their family. They spent hours just enjoying themselves, until a moment of peace and love came as they looked around. Roman, Tej, Ramsey, Dom, Val and Letty all watched as Brian, Mia and their son, Jack played along the coast of the water in pure joy. It was beautiful, Dom told them he will be back and drove off, Brian noticed Dom drove off with a grin and raced off behind him to join his best friend, his brother, his family.

—

There is more story to be told of this crew and plenty to be written still with the road ahead full of possibilities. I might continue it, who knows? Do Fate of The Furious? 👀 Expand on characters and backgrounds who knows.

Did you like it? What did you think about it? Let’s discuss! Remember to like, comment and share! ✨

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @t-nd-rfoot @mandylove1000 @topgun-imagines @sherlkore @meirafireshield @levijeanqueen @hangmanbrainrot @drspencereidhotch @gcthvile @missstrawbs2001 @rooster-84 and the list goes on

[ivoryminitower]

Echoes of Home: 68 - Tsu'na ("storytellers")

Echoes of Home: FFXIV AU OC – WoLs on Earth

Husband has said he wants to see me fight in the cage, so I have set my next fight to be tomorrow.  Sunday is quiet enough at the diner for both of us to be gone.  Myra said there may be fewer people, so my part of the take may be less, but perhaps that means there will be less chance of bandits as well.

I thought Amazon simply sold everything, but Husband told me its specialty is books.  That it has many books that can be read on a computer, and that they sell something called a tablet to read them on, which is like a large phone and a small computer.  That the tablet can hold many books, which is good because Amazon has many books.

In Tulsa he showed me how to buy a prepaid Visa for buying things from Amazon.  I think I may buy many books, though Amazon also has some books for free.

But even with books on a tablet, I still like the library.  It is meant for books and for reading.  It is quiet, there are some soft chairs, there are many shelves of books, and there are people that are interested in books.  Being surrounded by books makes me think of them, makes me think of reading and thinking and learning.

"word for feeling you get from a place": "ambience, atmosphere"

There are more children here on a Saturday than a weekday.  They are a bit noisy when they are together waiting for a story, but they settle when the story begins.  Some still call me the Cat Lady when speaking with each other.  The ones who sometimes talk to me call me Miz Tsu'na.

The mothers still look a bit worried when the children talk to me.  Do they think I would hurt children?  Or is it the "tattoos and piercings" the woman at the diner talked about?  My earrings are not that different from those Mrs. Hobbes wears, though perhaps since my ears are longer the earrings are more visible.

The Emperor's New Earrings were part of the invisibility glamour set, but I did not think to use them.  Husband did; it was part of his every glamour plate.  I understand it, now, in Earth, having seen very few males with visible earrings, and those few were quite small.  But my invisible earrings are in my glamour dresser back in Eorzea.  We would need to find new ones here, as well as glamour prisms.

Amazon has clear prisms.  I am ordering some.  Perhaps we can make glamour prisms from them.  This is my first Amazon purchase.  It is very easy.

A little girl is standing at my table.

"Hello."

"Hi.  You're Miz Tsu'na?"

"Yes.  Who are you?"

"Katie."

"Hello, Katie.  Did you come for story time?"

"Yeah, but we missed it.  Mom's car didn't work."

"That is sad.  But there are many books here to read."

Katie nodded.  She looked at me.  I smiled.  I did not know what else to say to her.

"What's it like being a cat lady?"

Husband tells stories about me, about my cosmetic surgery, about my martial arts training, about my time as a military contractor.  I do not always remember all the details he uses.  There have not been many times that people have talked to me about being a cosplaying fangirl, perhaps because of the time I ran out of the diner, and when they do I have said I do not like to talk about it.

But Katie did not ask me about being a cosplaying fangirl.  She asked about me being a cat lady.

I could answer that.

"Cat people like me are called miqo'te.  They come from a far away place called Eorzea.  I did not grow up with them.  My parents died in a war.  I grew up with a hyur couple -- 'hyur' is what humans are called in Eorzea."

"Why aren't they called humans?"

"It is a different place, so they have different names for things."

"Mi-ko-ta?"

"Miqo'te.  Yes."

"Are there a lot of miqo'te in Eorzea?"

"Yes.  Some live in the forests of the Shroud, where they are hunters.  Some are in the deserts of Gyr Abania, where they are traders.  Some are on the islands of La Noscea, where they work on ships with the pirates."

"Aren't pirates bad?"

"These pirates were, but became good.  Now they only rob ships from the Garlean Empire, who started the war my parents died in."

Other children came near to listen.  A little boy asked, "Do cat people act like cats?"

"We are not cats.  We are people with long ears and tails.  Though some miqo'te like to say 'meow'.  I think they think it is funny."

"Do you say 'meow'?"

"I do not say 'meow'."

They asked more questions.  I told them more about Eorzea.  I told them about the massive roegadyn, the tiny lalafel, the rabbit-eared viera, the horned au ra and the haughty elezan.  I told them about the flying plant-people, the sylphs, and the tricks they like to play.  I told them about the goblins and their herbal facemasks.  I told them about the Ixali, the sad and angry bird-people who could not fly.

When Husband came to find me for dinner I was talking about the dragons of Dravania and their war with the people of Ishgard.  Some of the mothers approached him, looking concerned.  I took a moment to drink some water so that I could hear them talk.

"Oh yeah, sounds like she's talking about an online game we play.  Final Fantasy Fourteen."

"But she talks like she actually believes it!"

"Well, sure, she's roleplaying.  Best way to tell a story…makes it feel more real.  Ever been to a renfest?"

The women looked less worried as Husband wrapped them in a blanket of reassuring words.  I resumed speaking to the children, finishing what I was saying.  "My husband is here.  We are going to go to dinner now.  We can talk more when you see me again."

Husband came over and the children turned to him.  "Have you been to Eorzea?"

"Of course!  That's where I met Miz Tsu'na.  But she can tell you about Eorzea better than I can.  Though would you like to hear about a time I was in Africa?"

He pulled up a chair and told a story about a tiger he encountered in a place called Africa.  It was a little scary and had everyone, children and adults, listening silently.  Then it somehow turned into a silly ghost story and everyone laughed.

As we were heading out, Mrs. Hobbes spoke to Husband.  "So were you really in Africa?"

He smiled. "'In a Dim Room' by Edward Lord Dunsany."

Mrs.  Hobbes seemed delighted.  I am a woman who likes books, and I am married to a man who has read them.

It felt good talking about home, even if people thought I was telling stories.  Husband understood when I explained it over dinner.  "It actually creates context, fleshes out your character a bit.  Just be sure to be non-Eorzean with the parents."

"I am a roleplayer."

"Exactly.  And if they ask about the orphan thing, you can say something like, 'I'm dead to my parents, and they're dead to me.'"

"Which is partly true."

"But be careful about talking too much about fighting with the kids.  They didn't grow up with war."

"What about the primals?"

He needed to think about that.  "The whole enthrallment thing might be too much for them…the idea that people's minds can be gone just like that, making them permanent slaves.  Maybe you could say people were taken prisoner and you helped rescue them?"

I remembered people that had been enthralled by Ifrit being put to death in front of me because "there was no other way."  I remembered U'loonh's mother, driven mad from enthrallment, thinking a stone was her child.  I remembered the Serpent Reavers, former La Nosceans all, enthralled by Leviathan, whom I killed in so many battles.

"Rescued them.  Of course.  That is what I did."

"They're just kids.  Even in this world, FF14 is rated for teenagers and up."

"I will try not to scare the children."

"Cool.  And I'll try to keep the parents happy."

We are storytellers.  Some of the stories we tell are true.

[four-white-trees]

Star Wars OC yappin below

Just some basic facts about the cast bc I'm waiting on my laundry to dry

Joiner: He joined Gaius' crew several years ago. No one really knows where he came from. He's good with a blaster and even better with a lightsaber, and that's all Gaius cares about. It's no secret Joiner is Force sensitive and has some extensive Force abilities which he uses in service to Gaius. Where did he learn that? He's not telling, no matter how drunk he gets.

Hobbs: A native of a small Unknown Regions planet occupied by the First Order, he ran away to avoid conscription after the destruction of Starkiller Base caused the FO's need to replenish its numbers quickly. He's still quite young and had never traveled too far into space, although his mother had given him piloting lessons before she was conscripted. He joined Gaius' crew to better his piloting skills, but has found himself being the errand boy for the engineer instead...

Kit: A young cathar lady with half-decent medical knowledge which was exactly what Gaius needed after the ship's doctor's assistant was killed some weeks back. She seemed to fall into his lap exactly when he needed her, which did make him a little bit suspicious...but so far everything has seemed okay. She must be fine and exactly who she says she is.

Nessa: The ship's rather cold and put-upon doctor. The eclectic collection of scallywags and neerdowells that Gaius has made his crew up of often results in fights, accidental injury, and general trouble for the doctor, hence her need for an assistant. She's known Gaius the longest and was in fact his first hire. No one is sure what her species is but she looks human.

Gaius Argonar: Twi'lek captain of the Incitatus, Gaius is incredibly rich off selling weapons between warring factions. He doesnt trust easily, disseminating information as he sees fit. While Joiner is his next in command (and personal assassin...), he doesn't seem to be particularly fond of him.

[talesfrommedinastation]

Minor OCs of 'Far Past The Ring'

I finally get off my butt and post this!

Here's a little guide to some of the OCs that, while not big players, show up and have minute roles in Far Past the Ring:

Tro Chapelle- The spirited eldest child of the Drummer-Chapelle family. A high school freshmen and future materials scientist, Tro looks to the beautiful in the places she can. Encouraged by her parents, she creates art in all spaces, ranging from polish on nails to paint on armor to even making stuffed animals. Tro also does her best to be inclusive and kind strangers, especially girls her age. With that being said, she has a teen edge to her, especially if she feels undermined or threatened–such as when new members of her baby cousin’s family arrive on Medina Station.

Miriam Martin - the wife of both Timon Chapelle and Dr Tanke Drummer in their polycule, she is a gentle natured Earther who was raised on Ceres by her Christian missionary grandparents. Kicked out of her church due to her sexuality, Miriam immediately joined the Free Navy as a communications specialist, where she met her husband and wife. After they left the service, they settled down on Ceres, where they started their family. After the children got older, Miriam went back to work as a kindergarten teacher, first on Ceres and then on Medina Station. She loves children, having a nice home and is the calming feature in the otherwise wild Drummer-Chapelle family. She is the biological mother of only Tro, but all of the children address her as 'mama' or 'Mimi'.

Blid Chapelle - the oldest son of the Drummer-Chapelle family, Blid is almost 12, obsessed with guns, explosions, and being a soldier. He also loves to tease and make others laugh, though it annoys his sister, irritates his aunt, and upsets his little brother. He is fascinated and excited by both Clone Force 99 and the rest of the clones, especially Crosshair. 

Haber ‘Hobbs’ Chapelle - the youngest son of the Drummer-Chapelle family, Haber is 7, quiet, and good natured. He is especially attached to his baby cousin, Meg, as well as his rescued cats, Trash and Garbage. A nurturing and attentive boy, he loves fixing things and wants to be a physician, like his mother and grandfather. 

Omega ‘Meg’ Drummer - the beloved baby of the extended Drummer-Chapelle family, Meg is the biological daughter of Clone Force 99 member, Tech, and Dr. Sjael Drummer. A curious 2-and-a-half-year-old, Meg is adventurous and bright, loving to run around her family members, escape through air vents, and be read to. She is especially adored by her cousins Tro and Haber, who get very defensive if anything remotely dangerous gets near her. 

CT-9991, Druid - the stoic but kind-hearted leader of Islander squad of the 41st Elite Corps, Druid is a communications and encryption expert, having become fluent in Shrywook, Thykarann, and Xaczik, due to his station on Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars. He was very close to Commander Mayday, who worked with him in some of the rougher terrain on the planet. 

CT-9992, Metric - the medic of Islander squad of the 41st Elite Corps. Though trained as a soldier, Metric often served as the de-facto healer while serving in the wilds of Kashyyyk under Druid. He is a jovial, laid-back man who loved working with Wookiees.  

Inez Yao - a pretty and charming Martian nurse who works under Dr. Tanke Drummer in Medina Station. A former medic in the MCRN, she is friends with Bobbie Draper, and loves to party and dance.

Dr. Devi Thomas - a microbiologist from the South Asian Trade Zone on Earth who works on Medina Station. She is Sjael Drummer’s friend, and her daughter, Sita Thomas, is best friends with Meg Drummer as well. Devi was widowed in the Bombardment of Earth, where her husband, Neel, was killed in the attack on Taiwan. She has a mild crush on Prax Meng, and is somewhat envious of Sjael's relationship with him.

[rose-of-oz]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆… 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀 “𝐅𝐋𝐎” 𝐒Á𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐙

❝ If Flo was one thing, it was a damn good driver. Well, she was more things than that, of course - a daughter of dead parents, a dedicated MMA instructor, a skilled con artist - but if you’d asked her what her defining trait was, she would have answered with her driving skills. She’d been competing in illegal street races since she was only fifteen years old and in need of money to support herself and her overworked mother after her father’s death, and she was good at them. No matter what she was driving, no matter how good her opponents, Flo would always manage to come out on top, especially when no one expected her to.

It was this skill that had led her to become a part of Dom Toretto’s team of outlaws and speed junkies. After first meeting Brian O’Conner when she was still a part of the street racing ring refereed by Tej Parker, Flo had impressed the former fed and been called in to help when Brian and his friend needed help infiltrating a Mexican gang and getting revenge for Dom’s dead girlfriend (who had later been proven not to be dead, which was a whole trip for everybody involved).

Since then, Flo had been considered a valuable member of the Toretto family-slash-team, playing a part in every mission they’d done together since. She’d developed a fast friendship with Mia, relished in throwing jabs at Roman alongside Tej, and would have gladly done anything Dom asked of her. She wasn’t used to fully trusting anyone, but Flo would have followed this group of people anywhere without a second thought.

Except that right now, it seems very much like Dom has betrayed everyone and run off with some creepy blonde lady, and now the team is being forced to work with the same British asshole who killed one of their friends and nearly killed everyone else. (And who hasn’t stopped flirting with Flo since Hobbs broke him out of prison, and who isn’t that bad-looking, but that is so not the point.)

Still, Flo’s pretty sure that as long as she has her crazy found family and her driving skills, she can get through almost anything. Even facing down one of the smartest and scariest opponents they’ve ever faced. Even developing sort-of feelings for the same British asshole that the whole rest of the team hates.

Well, she did say she was only pretty sure. ❞

General Taglist: @hiddenqveendom, @auxiliarydetective, @foxesandmagic, @artemisocs, @reyofluke-ocs, @endless-oc-creations, @stanshollaand, @ginevrastilinski, @luucypevensie, @arrthurpendragon, @fakedatings, @impales, @claryxjackson, @dancingsunflowers-ocs, @ocappreciationtag. (Also tagging @xoteajays since they’re the only other one I know with an OC in this fandom.)

[griancraft]

can you share a bit about that oc?

HIII THANKS FOR ASKING!!! There is actually like. 4 of them.

I am so sorry this is so long, dear god it is so long. I also apologize for how disorganized this is omg

T is a character that is infected with a type of yeast that makes it possible to “escape death” via replacing cells at a faster rate. This doesn’t affect brain cells, only slowing down the rate at which the cells die. This leaves empty cells in the brain that don’t reallly have the capacity to learn new things permanently or remember anything. This only causes issues after a longgg time. Meaning someone infected with the yeast slowly looses their capacity to function. Destruction of any part of the brain that would kill a regular person also kills an infected person. Sort of like a zombie that slowly looses themselves over time.

T is the adoptive son of this other character who had been infected by that yeast for over 500 years. T is a quarter East Asian, with short black hair and dark brown eyes. He is gay and mayyyybe trans I forget.

T’s adoptive father is named Michel Hobbs, and he worked as a field scientist with the Canadian governments secret military that investigated monsters and aliens and shit. They were looking into tremors under a remote area in the Yukon when they find a massive dying creature. A leviathan. The leviathan thrashes around as it withers in pain and it knocks Michel off of a ledge and into a bubbling pit of water. By the time the team retrieves him it’s too late. Michel is “dead”. The team leave the cave and seal it off, deeming it too dangerous to explore further. They have to sit in the belly Fo a plane with their dead friend as they fly back to base.

A week later, after Michel has been buried for a few days, he digs his way up. He has maggots in his skin and can barely breathe. The government scoops him up and runs test, unable to find out why he’s alive. Deciding he is an asset, they put him right back where he came from.

Michel Hobbs is a light skinned half East Asian man raised by two mothers with his brother on Cape Breton island, Nova Scotia. He has a PhD in microbiology and is a massive advocate for conservation of large marine animals. He is ace/aro and gay.

The second really important character in this is his husband. William Winters is a black man who is a general in that super secret sci-fi Canadian military thing. He has a BA in history. He had a wife and 2 kids, but his wife divorced him and left him with the kids once Michel died and William is left dealing with a lot of complex feelings and. Pretty bad trauma after watching his best friend die. His ex wife isn’t framed as in the wrong per-say? She has her reasons and while they aren’t entirely moral they end up being on decent terms years later. William raises his kids and does his best for a long time. He finds out the Michel IS alive and after a lot of distress they end up together after another year and a half of working together. They end up getting married at 37/39 and live the rest of their days in happiness until William dies from cancer at 94. Michel is there for his children’s children’s children until he leaves for good, unable to watch more people he loves die.

Michel lives, and after a catastrophic event decimates the world about 50 years later, a federation of aliens step in to help.

See, worlds are kept alive by the presence of god like entities called “leviathan” there are two per world on a healthy planet and they reproduce to spread life to the universe. They are partially responsible for aliens and humans having significant similarities and being able to like. Have kids and stuff. They have been in the universe since before the Big Bang and are theorized to have been from a universe BEFORE the Big Bang. Their blood holds the key to all life.

Earth killed one of its leviathan via pollution and environmental degradation, so now the human home world is a massive city sitting upon barren rock. They farm in massive buildings and the world is rife with exploitation and poverty.

This is even after the aliens help, corruption runs in deep in the universe. Humans were on the cusp of inventing safe and light speed space travel and after help from the many alien species are able to traverse among the stars, seeking resources to collect and planets to explore.

Space travel is controlled heavily by the government, which leads to pirates and bounty hunters becoming a vital part of how lower class beings survive. The government turns a blind eye most of the time, it gives them less responsibility over the under privileged.

Before the world died, Michel had collected DNA from as many creatures as he could. Paranoia is part of the reason he is so successful honestly lol. He had used his now vast amount of wealth to purchase a dead planet to repopulate with the cloned species he created. Using alien technology and his knowledge gained from his job he is able to populate the world with a large majority of earths former fauna. It becomes a garden of eden, and he is the god that looks over it. 200 years pass.

T is the son of an upper class family, and after he gets killed and comes back while exploring pipes below the world the government just dumps him with Michel. T has never seen any animal that isn’t domesticated, so upon being picked up and taken to the new earth he is amazed.

Years pass, T grows into a teenager. Michel buys him an alien creature that is also functionally immortal, aware of how lonely the world can become. Michel is. Not the greatest father? He is very hands off. Therefore T becomes VERY overconfident and does not care when he gets hurt because he can “just heal”. Michel at that point is loosing his memory, and spends days looking over his old journals in a feverish attempt to remember his husband and family. He is not a good father, and not a good person to be around. The world is alive around him and the one leviathan left threatens Michel with a fate worse then death if he doesn’t maintain it. Michel does nothing more than work on maintaining the planet and re reading his journals. Stuck in a near endless cycle year after year.

T, not liking the lack of attention and paranoia of his fathers steals Michels old shuttlecraft and leaves to explore the universe. Stumbling into situations and getting himself out with luck, rapid healing, and guns. He eventually becomes a bounty hunter!

In this universe, humans are seen how we see pigeons. Cute yes, but dumb and generally incapable. This is blatantly wrong but leads to pretty bad treatment of humans. A war breaks out between two sides of the federation, one side believes that “lesser beings” like humans should not be afforded the same rights as others, and the other is like “no what the hell is wrong with you??”.

This war goes on for decades, and many alien settlements (including human ones as well) are razed to the ground and their inhabitants taken to work in factories or as prisoners. Obviously, many of the people in the “lesser beings don’t matter” planets do not believe this and either leave or fight on planet to stop the atrocities. This conflict is like. Pretty black and white lol.

T often has a lot of trouble beating the stereotype of being weak, and even more so when he is assigned by the mob boss he owes to work with an alien from a species that very much believes humans are lesser. This alien is named Sol. Sol fully believes in the stereotypes until T proves him wrong.

They become tentative friends at that point. They do the job, and upon discovering the mob boss paired the two together to kill T, they kill the mob boss. They continue to work together and use their unconventional team to play both sides of the war, freeing humans and other aliens as well as pretending one or the other is captured to get past enemy lines. They eventually end up being gay 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 wooooo. The alien species lives close to a thousand years, so they don’t have to worry about loosing each other any time soon.

In this universe, soulmates meet each other and die within the same time frame. Michel and William were soulmates, and due to Michel not dying William is reborn again and again and again. Never quite coming close to meeting Michel again. (t and sol are also soulmates, technically.)

Until the newest iteration of William’s city is destroyed by the military and his family killed in front of him. Prior to this, he was a math teacher in one of the schools in the city. He joins up with the military and becomes a pilot. In a firefight above the solar system Michel is in, his shuttle is shot down and he crash lands on the planet. He is the only one of his squadron to survive.

Upon opening his cockpit, he comes face to face with Michel.

Williams is identical to the Williams Michel once new, hundreds of years ago. And it’s frightening for Michel! So he feeds him and clothes him and lets him stay in Ts old cabin. He barely interacts with him, afraid of the ghost of a man he once loved.

William is enamoured by Michel, and follows him like a lost puppy much to Michel’s dismay. He uses skills he learned in the military to track him and stick close. Michel has to save him from predators multiple times and eventually has to get the man to stick with him. He still keeps him at an arms length, afraid of falling for him. Michel doesn’t want to like. Take advantage of the guy, Yknow?

William finds one of Michels old journals, and finds a picture of the im first iteration of him with Michel and their kids. He shows it to Michel and demands he explain. Michel explains to the best of his ability, it’s the most William has heard him talk since they met. William hugs Michel, and it’s the first time in many years he has been hugged.

They stay friends for awhile, and eventually are sort of in a QPR? It’s a strange situation, and neither of them really know what to do. They are just happy to be close. They are happy to not be alone and they are happy to have found some semblance of peace.

Anddddd that’s all I ever had in my little noggin!!!! It was so fun writing this out again, I missed this universe and these characters so much.

[heathenkweer]

Honestly I don't know why you're so popular, you can't write Luis to save your life and putting him with a woman proves that, the man is as gay as a two dollar bill, and a lame female character like Mary-Sue Catalina at that. Why do you put obviously gay characters like Loki or Luis with women? It's giving homophobic tbh

okay normally I would ignore this type of message like I normally do but admittedly you've caught me in a weakened mental state because of a CFS crash, so, here's the attention you wanted:

(I'm going to assume you're also the anon who said something about Wintersberg being "obvious" or whatever, too.)

My little fic and my little OCs aren't keeping anyone from shipping what they like or reading what they like. I've no clue why some people act like they do.

As for why I don't ship "obvious" popular fanon M/M couples like Serennedy or Wintersberg:

I no longer accept crumbs of barely there subtext from my media when it comes to queer relationships.

I'm tired of doing the work for the writers. I'm tired of forcing room for myself and other queer people in their canons. That's the whole reason I stopped writing MCU stuff -- I'm tired of always having to fix Loki's character, of giving more of a shit about him than any of his writers ever have. (Also, MCU Loki is canonically bisexual, so idk where you're getting that "obviously gay" thing from.)

Also, none of these ships are my catnip, as I've mentioned before. Give me Morpheus/Hobb from The Sandman and we'll talk then. Give me Aziraphale/Crowley. Or, on the other side, give me Usagi/Seiya from Sailor Moon, or Haruka/Michiru.

And lastly: I write female OCs because generally the media I get into doesn't have a lot of great female characters. In FFXV, if you're a woman and a love interest, you get killed to further the men's stories. Same if you're a mother character. Village is sliiiiightly better about this, surprisingly, but the way they completely shafted Mia pissed me off, and I wanted to really delve into what growing up in that village would be like and how that might twist a person like Aranka. And Cat -- I wanted someone who knew Luis before the whole Umbrella and Los Illuminados thing, and again, I wanted to give Valdelobos and the people who lived in it a bit more time to shine on their own.

ANYWAY. I'm content with how I write my characters. It's brought me a lot of good friends and tbh I appreciate that more than I would thousands of fans. (I also do not know where you got the idea that I'm popular from. I was middling-popular in the Logyn fandom, like... ten years ago now, and I'm but a mere drop in both the RE4 and Village fandoms.)

Other people write about these ships far better than I do, so I suggest you go find them and read their works instead of sending weird messages to strangers on the internet.

[ignitehqs]

TW PARENTAL DEATH AND DRUG MENTION.

Basics

Character Name: Madge Undersee

Character FC: Freya Mavor

Age and Birthday: 18,

Canon or OC: canon

Character Pronouns & Gender Identity: she/her & cis female

Sexual/Romantic Identity: BiBiBi baby.

Character District: District 12

Why did they decide to join the rebellion?: Bruh her district got kaboom it’s not like she had a choice

Character Biography

Character Life before the 75th Games:

Madge grew up the mayor’s daughter. Her mother, king before she was born, had fallen into illness, disagnosed with chronic headaches after her sister Maysilee Donner died in the second quarter quell. Her mother’s fits would get worse whenever the reaping got closer, causing her mother to shut herself up in a dark room for hours and hours. Her father and Madge went in as best they could. The mayor wasn’t really a position of power, more a puppet, and if they put one toe out of line, the capital’s wrath would come crashing down onto them.

Madge was quiet and solitary in school because of this, becoming Katniss Everdeen’s friend in school. Madge kept a lot of people at arms length, but Katniss had never been one of those people. They found a kinship in each other's presence, their silence, that they didn't quiet find in anyone else. Madge was able to stand up for herself, keep her head held high when someone disrespected her. Her family was considered wealthy, and therefore almost never had to worry about food. She wouldn't apologize for that, for having the means to keep themselves alive, nor would she let herself be seen down at the Hobb. Making trouble could get her father, who she loved very much, into trouble.

Her mother had a tradition the day of the reaping. Madge knew it well, going down the hallway to tap on her door. The door would slide open, and Aunt Maysilee’s gold mockingjay pin would be dropped into her waiting hand, She never said anything, her mother never said much to her at all, but Madge would close her fist around it tight, and head down to the town square. Her mother was deemed “too sick” to watch the reapings, something her father pulled heavy strings to get. The pin was for luck, Madge supposed. Madge also supposed she loved her mother very much too, despite everything.

When Prim’s name was called in the Reaping, Madge knew exactly what was going to happen. Katniss’ scream didn't make her flinch, not even as she and Prim switched places. Katniss would die for her sister, as Madge very well knew. But she couldn't do anything, because she certainly couldn't volunteer for a volunteer — and she knew full well out of the two of them, Katniss would survive.

However, she couldn't not give Katniss something. The pin — something told her she had to, that it was right. Tributes could bring one thing into the arena, and it was pretty, and, most of all, it was lucky. Katniss would come home, back to her family. When Madge got home, her mother was sitting at the table instead of in her room. She was staring at her, and Madge stared back…. and finally, Madge let out a wail for her very best friend - her only friend - while her mother got up to hug her. She never asked about the pin, never said a word about it, as if she knew what Madge had done.

Madge watched the games with a vigor that year, and was almost appalled over the love story Katniss’ arc took her in. More horrible was Rue and everything else… and at the end, with the berries… She remembered watching the color drain out of her father’s face.

And so, Katniss did come back. But things were wrong, so clearly very wrong. Things went to hell, the peacekeepers changed over to cruelty, Gale Hawthorne (who she didn't particularly like all that much) had been whipped in the town square, and Katniss and Peeta were going back into the arena for the 3rd quarter quell.

She brought the morphling for Gale because of Katniss. Whatever was going on between the love triangle — and Madge decidedly didn't want to know — Gale’s pain was going to be terrible, and therefore Katniss was going to suffer watching him. Of course, Madge didn't want Gale to suffer either, she wasn't heartless, even if she didn't like him all that much.

And when her friend was reaped again? She started ti hate the capital even more than she already did, Her passive hatred becoming a burning fury.

Character Life from the 75th Games to Present:

She should have died the night of the district 12 bombing. Madge had a nightmare, waking up in a cold sweat, before she decided to swipe more of her Mother’s morphling and give it to Mrs. Everdeen. Her mother and her had a falling out when Katniss and Peeta went back ti the games — she had been angry they just took them away, with her not being able to see them, to say goodbye for the second time. And her mother told her ti be _quiet_, to keep her voice down… How was she supposed to do that now?

So she slipped out with more morphling hidden up her sleeve, walking ti the victor’s village without even checking the television. She crossed the gate just as the panic started, and it was a blur from there. Fire and ash, explosions louder than anything she had heard before. When she realized her parents weren't in the group Gale Hawthorne had lead out, Madge tried to go back. She wanted to go back for Peeta’s family too - knowing how important they were to her friends, but someone grabbed her around the waist, and dragged her back with them.

She wasn't the mayor’s daughter in district 13. She was a cold, sullen girl who lost her parents who now earned the rank as “soldier”, just by being over the age of 14. She was required, along with everyone else her age that was able, to go through military training and adhere to the strict schedule. She’s decent at it, though strong isn't the word she would use nor particularly useful. However, she never really had any skills to speak up in District 12, other than common sense.

Madge is on autopilot, knowing that at some point, she’s either going to have become a real solider, and fight for and with Katniss or she was going to acclimate in another sector of District 13 — hopefully away from the mutters of District 13 using the fresh blood of 12 to start having children, since a plague made a bunch of them infertile.

Any other information we should know: She traumatized and sarcastic my dude

Mun Details

Name/Alias: love

Age: 25

Time Zone: EST

[demaparbatxgorillaz]

Sora.

[barbasbodaciousbeard]

Bring your Daughter to Court Day and Dad Friends

Summary: Rafael tries to multitask, miscommunicating the date he direly needs a sitter to Lucia, which means Catalina has to accompany him to court last minute. He manages to maintain his serious demeanor as well as he can, rewarding the well behaved little one with ice cream and a trip to the park. Suddenly, Rafael realizes he doesn’t have dad friends, and the opportunity arises to gain one. 

Pairings: Rafael Barba x OC

First Part - Second Part -Third Part - Fourth Part - Fifth Part - Sixth Part

A/N: This installation also partially based off of @teamsladsandgents​ ask a couple weeks ago that Down A Sitter was based on.

How had his mother forgotten she was supposed to babysit? Apparently, it was because Rafael Barba sent March 18 instead of 8, probably while he was making Catalina’s lunch and thinking that was the time for an email. Now, his mother was in Florida with Enrique, and he was without a sitter because Rebecca, Al, and Rodney were on the trip together. He could probably take her to Olivia’s, have Lucy watch her, but there wasn’t time to do that and make it to the courthouse. Lucia lived too far away. That left him with one option, and it was one he wasn’t sure he liked.

It was another defense case, a pillar of the community who killed his daughter’s abuser. It was all heat of the moment; the bastard had shown up on his step looking for Brendon’s daughter, the one he’d raped and left nearly dead. The other women? The ones he hadn’t dated? They hadn’t been lucky enough for the nearly. In minutes, he’d shot him, calling the police on himself. Olivia had convinced him to take it. And now it looked like he’d have company.

“Mija, how good can you be if papi brings you to work?” Her eyes lit up as she looked up at him.

“I can be so good, papi! I’ll help.”

“I’d just need you to be very, very quiet. That’ll be the best.”

“But I want to help.”

“You have to protect papi’s briefcase,” he fibbed, thankful selective defense work meant he just needed the file within it.

“I can,” she nodded seriously. He fastened her into her car seat, kissing her forehead and getting to the courthouse. He was grateful he could transition the necessities to a less full suitcase, leaving behind spare pens and pads of paper and only taking the file, a couple of pens, snacks, a bottle, the ipad, and her coloring book and box of crayons. Consolidating made him feel less messy. Most people at the courthouse didn’t know the dad side of him, and even as he relaxed, he hadn’t quite shaken the reputation he earned as a prosecutor. Now, he was clad in one of his dark three piece suits with a bright tie and suspenders, just like everyone was used to, the same briefcase in his hand. What they weren’t used to was the little girl with his eyes settled on his hip, clad in bright pink leggings and a white sweater with her arms wrapped tight around her father’s shoulders.

“Can I help you with something?” he asked, brow raised as he shifted Catalina to walk through the metal detector. Her blanket was clutched in her hand from the car still, and she held it from the floor, carefully walking through.

“Cute kid,” the guard asked. This was one who’d been here forever, and he seemed surprised. 

“Thank you.” He picked Catalina up again, briefcase by his side. He’d developed more muscle definition in his arms than he’d ever had since Rebecca went back to work. Catalina refused to walk, and he enjoyed fatherhood too much to make her. 

“If you’re good until we leave, we’ll get the biggest sundae you’ve ever had, mija,” he reminded her during an empty stretch of hallway. Catalina nodded seriously up at him, and he smiled more fondly than he intended, nodding to his client. He’d sent a text of warning, but the older man just gave him a grin.

“Taylor was a daddy’s girl too. Thank you, Mr. Barba. I know you could have tried to continue this.”

“I don’t want to draw this out for you anymore, I assure you. If it means unorthodox company, so be it. We may be waiting for a while.” 

He settled the coloring book on his briefcase, and Catalina sat on the bench beside it, using it like a makeshift desk. He entrusted Brandon to watch her while he stepped to the clerk.

“How long is the wait running for The People vs Aerie?” he asked, and he remembered why he didn’t like this one.

“Who’s the cutie?” she asked, popping her gum as she slowly looked at the docket.

“I asked a question,” he said impatiently. He didn’t want this day to be about his child. He wasn’t even sure he liked sharing her with work. The divide, save the friendships he’d made, was too deep. Fin, Amanda, Liv, and Carisi were one thing. Everyone else? He was fine without them. 

“Geeze, I’m just wondering if she’s your niece or somethin’. It’s hot seeing a man with a kid.”

“She’s my daughter. Her mother is out of town and there was miscommunication with the sitter.”

“I didn’t know you were married, counsellor.”

“Please just give me an estimate.”

“Couple hours. I’ll bump you as far up as I can.”

“Thank you.”

He turned to see Catalina chatting happily to Brandon, and he thought it might be a blessing she was here. Brandon hadn’t been handling things well. Sure, he was handling things better than Rafael had; he let his wife and daughter be there for him. But he was also treating himself as less worthy now, grappling with the reality that he’d ended a life even if he didn’t regret doing it. He’d confided in Rafael as they prepped that he worried he was never going to be good again. That’s when Rafael did something that confirmed the change in him: he was vulnerable with him. They talked about something not many people had in common. Ending a life changes you, and though they did it for different reasons, both felt they’d done what they needed. 

“She’s smart as hell,” Brandon chuckled, watching Catalina color. “And looks exactly like you.”

“I’m very fortunate. Her, not so much,” he joked, hand resting on her back as he sat back down so she was between the pair of them. 

“Cute co-counsel,” Carisi said, stopping by. 

“Mr. Sonny!” Catalina grinned, and Rafael almost grinned. Carisi, while Rafael would always give him hell, attended their church, was overall a good guy and attorney, and had become one of Catalina’s chosen few during playdates with Jessie and Billie Rollins. He’d even been babysitter one Saturday night to give Rebecca and Rafael a night off, so he was developing soft spot for the young ADA. 

“Cat!” he grinned, leaning down and hugging her. Catalina didn’t let go, and Sonny put his briefcase down to hold her for a minute. “What are you doing here?”

“Protecting papi’s briefcase!” Catalina spoke well for her age, but he was going to miss the staccato of her toddler chatter. Carisi and the abuelitas and the squad could all understand her easily. They all had enough experience with kids. There had always been a delay between her words and his replies at first. Words would break up or run together, and he’d have to process things. Now it didn’t matter how she strung the noises together; he got it as easily as Rebecca.

“Wow, big responsibilities, kiddo. I gotta go to court. I’ll see you soon, okay?” he grinned, ruffling Catalina’s hair before she climbed back to the bench and leaned against Rafael. He was proud that his daughter hurried to his side when she wanted protection from the strange place and people around them. It made him feel like he was doing something right. The clerk, as annoying as she was, did get them moved up, and Rafael carried Catalina in, setting her on the bench directly behind his seat. After a few moments, she got nervous, standing and leaning against the bannister as everyone got settled. Rafael quietly urged her to sit as everyone settled in, looking over the file before him. She didn’t, looking around at the busy courtroom, and he set his mouth in a line, picking her up and fighting the urge to smile as her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her head came to rest on his shoulder.

“Do you need a continuance, Mr. Barba?” the judge asked. He’d been in front of this judge before. Last time, it was as a prosecutor in the Martha Hobbs case. He supposed that was why there was a tone of amusement in his voice. There goes whatever reputation he had left, but it didn’t bother him like he expected. 

“Not at all,” he said breezily. Suddenly, he realized he’d perfected that parental stance. The one where fingers laced around the toddler on his hip, but he could still take back a hand to turn pages and write notes. He’d always thought it was some kind of magic when Liv did it with Noah. “Shall we move ahead with Mr. Aerie’s arraignment?”

“Of course. Nothing unusual here.” Rafael fought the urge to roll his eyes, cutting his eyes to the ADA for this case covering a laugh. He was just glad it wasn’t Carisi this time.

“He’s weird,” Catalina whispered, well aware of how to keep her voice quiet enough only her father could hear her. He squeezed her gently, the corner of his mouth tugging up. Soon enough, Brandon was being escorted to pay bail, and Catalina had commented on the whole affair. She’d done much better than he’d expected, so he knew he’d be taking her for ice cream. His biggest worry had been the courtroom with it’s crowded benches, but she’d settled in just fine on his hip. 

It was still strange to him the way he could be a source of comfort for her, and he felt the weight of responsibility in the best way. She trusted him implicitly, looked for him when she needed comfort. Sure, she’d leave his side for a friend, but she’d always want to come back and climb onto his lap. It struck him again how unimaginable his father’s behavior was. In fact, he’d thought about it a lot as he took care of Catalina, especially the past few days with Rebecca gone. His first instinct with her was never anger. Occasional frustration with a tantrum, but she was learning to understand the world and needed him to make some part of it safe and consistent, not scary and volatile.

“Bye Mr. Aerie,” she said softly as they parted ways, Brandon’s wife ecstatic to get him home. Taylor was still in the hospital, and they’d be spending the night by her side. This case made him wish he could keep Catalina with him forever, safe from the kind of people he’d seen in his tenure at SVU. She wrapped around his knees on the steps of the courthouse as he answered questions. Media moved on, and they didn’t want to examine him anymore. They just wanted the statement and to follow Brandon into the waiting car. He would’ve held his daughter close, but he didn’t want her face plastered on the news. Rafael didn’t leave the Aeries until the SUV’s door closed, Catalina’s hand held in his. Once they were gone, he scooped her up and started towards the ice cream parlor he knew was only a couple of blocks away.

“You were very good today, mija,” he smiled gently, kissing the top of her head. “I think we ought to go for a walk and get you some ice cream.”

“Really?” she asked, and her smile was wide enough he could not say no if he wanted.

“Really,” he nodded, laughing as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Gracias, papi!”

A long time ago, he would have tried to maintain the composure and seriousness from inside the courthouse until he was far from where anyone could see him this relaxed. Now he was adjusting his briefcase, as his daughter told him all about what she wanted on her ice cream. She wouldn’t take a nap that afternoon after the amount of sugar he was about to give her, but he had a feeling the grin he’d get, her face covered in melted chocolate and ice cream, would be worth it.

“Ms. Olivia!” Catalina’s voice made him follow her gaze, seeing Liv making her way to the courthouse. 

“So that’s how you got Brandon moved up the docket.”

“I added a one to the date when I texted mami to babysit while Becs is gone,” he said, mouth set in a line again. He didn’t like the fact this story was both unavoidable and going to be told forever.

“So Cat got to come to court?”

“Al and Rodney are with Becs. Mami is in Florida.”

“I was so good,” Catalina said proudly. “And Mr. Brandon got bailed.”

“Recognizance didn’t work?” she asked.

“He has the means to flee. But the bail is minimal. We’re going to get ice cream.”

“Because I was so good,” Catalina added, face serious as she nodded.

“You were, mija. Say bye to Oliva.” 

Soon, they were sitting at a table in the ice cream shop, and there was far more ice cream in front of Catalina than Rebecca would ever approve of. He’d originally said one scoop, any toppings, but then she asked with wide eyes if she could get three flavors. Normally, he’d try to say no, but not today. She’d been good at the courthouse, plus he was the one she inherited her sweet tooth from. They’d gotten four scoops and every topping she wanted with an agreement she’d share with papi. He’d almost teared up when she said I always share with papi. Almost. But now he was taking a picture of them together, trying to decide how much he hated that he took selfies now. But, he only took selfies like this, of him sitting in a low booth with Catalina beside him and the massive sundae between them. Surely, that didn’t count? He sent it to Rebecca anyway.

Guess who was an angel in court. We miss you, mami.

Certainly not the hot one. Proud of her. I miss you both terribly.

What time do you get home tonight?

Eleven. The boys are dropping me off. And I’m guessing that sugar means you’ll both be up.

I’ll be up either way. Te amo, hermosa. I hope the trip has been good to you.

I love you, handsome. It has been, but I miss my family.

“Should we video call mami when we get home?” he asked when sticky hands had been cleaned as they walked back to the car. He saw familiar faces passing them by, giving nods as they approached the courthouse they’d parked near. 

“Yeah!” she nodded eagerly, and Rafael could see the energy hitting her. 

“Or maybe we call her from the park? Then you can play! Run around and swing and slide.” He was humming each activity, pressing kisses to the top of her head. He hadn’t taken her to Central Park yet, and he’d been to the Billy Johnson Playground on the east side with Olivia and Noah when she’d needed a friend. It looked like an old part of the nature around it, making him think of the stories Catalina was so fond of. She liked gnomes and cottages in the woods lately, and the little park fit right in. Plus, the focus was more on what she could run on and climb, but still with the swing he could push her on when she got tired. When she did get tired, he could rest with her at the little gazebo and feel secluded and out of the city.

Maybe they needed a vacation.

“Yes!” she giggled, hugging his neck. He smiled, stopping at the car to order an Uber. To and from court was all the driving he intended to do. He traded his briefcase for the diaper bag, leaving his vest and blazer now that the day had warmed up and tucked one of the blankets Rebecca insisted was in case of emergency in the diaper bag. 

“We’re going to a really special park.”

“Why’s it special?”

“You know the pretty one the zoo is at?”

“Yeah?”

“Papi knows a cool playground there. It looks like gnomes live there.”

“That is cool,” she said, her excitement apparent. He loaded them into the car, ever grateful to not have to drive, and tipped generously when the driver was kind enough to drop them off away from the zoo. As soon as they were in the park, Catalina wanted down, her hand in his as they walked along the path.  When they got to the little gazebo, he stopped, and Catalina looked up at him quizzically.

“Want to call mami from here?” She lit up, pulling herself to stand on the bench he sat on. Rebecca was packing up, he knew, so he wasn’t surprised when she answered quickly, blowing her hair from her face. When she fully registered it was them, she grinned. 

“Mama!” 

“Catalina!”

“Becs!”

“Raf!”

Rebecca was relieved to see the day really must be going well. Catalina was giddy, blue from what Rebecca guessed was cotton candy ice cream staining the cuff of her sweater as she pushed her hair back. Rafael was smiling, the one that showed his teeth and crinkled his eyes. They still hadn’t been home, but the image of Rafael in the dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his tie and suspenders featuring the same shade of pink as their daughters pants was perfection. She wasn’t sure he realized how often he did it, but she didn’t want him to stop matching their daughter so she’d never tell. 

“You guys seem like you’re having fun! Maybe it’s good papi can’t type.” This time Rafael laughed because he was kind of thankful for his snafu. This weekend was only his third or fourth time out and about with Catalina for more than a trip to the park or run to the grocery store. This weekend, they’d gone to a museum and church on their own, and now they were having another daddy daughter day. He liked it. 

“Papi and I had...lunch....that wasn’t ice cream. And now we’re at a special playground!”

“The Billy Johnson Playground at Central Park. I’ll take pictures for you, mami.”

“You two will have fun. You’ll have to show it to me one day.”

“Secret park!” Catalina said seriously and his smile grew broader, arm around her middle. 

“Maybe we can show mami this part before?”

“Deal.” They said their goodbyes soon enough, Rebecca heading to the airport. He watched as Catalina walked just a couple of steps ahead, looking back over her shoulder to be sure he was there. Her eyes lit up when she saw the park, and Rafael was glad to see there were other kids her age there. They hadn’t quite found her a group of friends her own age; Fin’s grandson, Jaden, was one of only a couple, and Rafael didn’t know the other two well. He stayed close to her as she hurried to the climbing set, taking pictures and sending them on to Rebecca. Mostly, moms and nannies were there, and he felt slightly out of place. When he was in groups of parents, he always found himself wondering who knew. Shifting awkwardly, he nodded towards them and went back to watching his daughter with a fond smile.

She’d found two sisters, one her age and one who looked to be about five. The older girl was helping the younger two navigate the playset, leading them to slides and climbing nets easily. Each time Catalina looked unsteady on her feet, which was often given her age, he wanted to scoop her up, but apparently it was important to let her take a tumble or two. Rafael didn’t like that idea or the fact that they had to keep bandages in the diaper bag. Luckily, the time she did fall, landing on her rear with her legs out, the older of her new friends laughed and helped her up. 

“I’m guessing white sweater is yours?” a man asked, and he chuckled. 

“Yeah.”

“Her new friends are mine. Flower pants and leopard dress.”

“They made friends fast.”

“Is she into princesses and fairy tales?”

“Yeah. Especially gnomes right now?”

“Sarah is my eldest. She’s obsessed with Fairies.”

“Makes sense. Catalina like fairies too.”

“She and Megan look the same age?”

“Two and a half?”

“Right on,” he chuckled. “I’m Hank.”

“Rafael. I think we’re the only dads here today.”

“Yeah. It’s normally just me during the day when we’re here. I’m a writer, so I can stay home while my wife’s at work. You’re all dressed up though. I’m guessing this isn’t your normal day?”

“I’m an attorney, but I work from home.”

“How does that work?” 

“I work with the Innocence Project. Meetings with defendants are Mondays. I can do the paperwork and brief writing from home. Then court when needed. I take defense work on occasion, like today. Sitter fell through so Cat had to come. My girlfriend is a teacher, and she snuck off with her friends for a long weekend.”

“My wife’s a school librarian. We picked those educators, huh?”

“Apparently.” It felt so normal to be talking to him, and Rafael thought to himself maybe he could have a dad friend now. His friends from Harvard and the DA’s office and SVU had kids, but they’d always have been work colleagues first. There was no erasing what they’d seen together, the tension over cases, the Householder case. Hank seemed nice enough, and they had similar lives. At least they could team up on park trips since it turned out their usual stomping grounds overlapped. 

God, Hank looked like a writer though. He had on a thick flannel over a t-shirt, and tattoos peaked out of the rolled up sleeves. Slim fit jeans and black sneakers, the cool kind not the functional kind, just rounded it out. He was tall and lanky and younger than him, and Rafael suddenly felt he could be Catalina, Megan and Sarah’s grandfather. Hell, he technically could. Still, he was new to this, and he supposed most men in their fifties weren’t settling down with a partner for the first time and raising their first child. Besides, Hank was probably still a little older than Rebecca.

“Megan scraped her knee,” Sarah said, running over to the two men, followed by Catalina holding the hand of teary Megan. 

“Shit-”

“Dad, that’s a bad word.”

“Shoot,” Hank corrected. “I forgot the bag.”

“I’ve got bandages. Princess ones,” Rafael said, digging the box from the diaper bag. “There’s neosporin in there too.”

“Thanks.” 

Catalina climbed on Rafael’s lap, and he could tell by how she laid back against him that he had succeeded; she was tired out. Rafael didn’t want to go yet, able to hear Hank saying they’d head home once Megan was patched up. Was making friends as an adult always so much like asking for a girl’s number was when he was younger? He hadn’t been a dad for long, only a few months. Maybe having someone other than Rebecca he could call during tantrums and long days would be good?

“Hey, before everyone heads out, maybe we can all meet at the park again sometime? The girls seemed to really get along.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Hank said, digging out his phone and handing it to Rafael. “Put your number in. I haven’t made many dad friends who aren’t also writers or don’t have traditional office jobs. We’re both basically house husbands.”

“Yeah. And it’s hard.”

“Easier than it was two years ago though, right? Five’s even easier.”

“I actually only found out I was a dad in December. It’s a long story. But it’s easier now than in January.”

“We’ll delve into that at the park later this week?”

“Perfect. Do you take insurance?”

“As long as you’ve hit your deductible. Send me the pictures of the girls, okay?”

“Will do,” he nodded as they walked towards the sidewalk. He’d ordered an Uber to take he and Catalina back to his car. Soon enough, he was cooking her dinner, watching her dance around the kitchen to the soft jazz he was playing, and Rafael was grateful for the break from Disney. Not having Rebecca’s return each evening made him appreciate even more how much she’d had to do to keep their daughter happy and healthy and safe for the last two years. He needed the time he’d had to heal, but he often wished he could go back and be here to help sooner. It was his own fault. Instead of pressing the guilt down like he used to, he let himself acknowledge it, tucking it to the side instead as he settled a bowl of macaroni in front of Catalina. Once she was tucked in, he put his feet on the coffee table, working on his laptop and only pausing to send Hank the pictures he’d snapped of the girls playing. He heard Rebecca at the door at eleven, just like she’d estimated, and he hurried to meet her. 

“Heya, handsome,” she grinned, and Rafael could feel the stupid grin split his face.

“Welcome home, hermosa,” he beamed, pulling her in and kissing her deeply. 

“Missed me?” she teased as she smoothed his hair.

“Terribly,” he nodded. “I’ve been spoiled to see you every day.”

“It seems like you and Cat had a good time though?”

“Yeah. We went to the Children’s Museum Saturday. Then Sunday was mass and lazy movies. Today was hectic, but good.”

“Yeah? You two seemed happy at the park. And ice cream for lunch.”

“We had a lot of fun at the park. She made friends with two girls, Sarah and Megan. They have a playdate Thursday.”

“Oh yeah?” she chuckled. “You finally click with the playground moms?”

“Hank. He’s a writer, and his wife is a school librarian. His girls are two and five. He’s home with them most of the time.” Rebecca couldn’t help but grin at how he tried to pretend it was just convenient. 

“That’s cool. I bet it could be nice talking to non-police or court affiliated people, hm? Maybe you two could grab a beer sometime.”

“We’ll see. He’s surprisingly nice to talk to. Sarah and Megan have the same tantrums.”

[reyofluke-ocs]

Hannibal OCs

Marissa Hobbs-Graham

FC: Alexandra Daddario Forensic Scientist Fic: Dig Two Graves Love Interest: Mischa Starling-Lecter

Daughter of Will Graham and Abigail Hobbs. Inherited Will’s hypersensitive empathy. Dog lover, art hobbyist, prone to grudges, fiercely protective of her family.

Mischa Starling-Lecter

FC: Brenton Thwaites Psychologist Fic: Dig Two Graves Love Interest: Marissa Hobbs-Graham

Son of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. Takes more after his mother, but inherited Hannibal’s amazing cooking and psychology skills. Doesn’t believe in children automatically becoming like their parents. Lives under the pseudonym ‘John Alder’ to protect his parents.

[skvaderarts]

Devil May Cry OC Week Day 5

Hello and welcome to @dmc-oc-week Day 5: Weapons/Abilities| Jobs/Hobbes!

I feel like this will be a partial retread of things I’ve already said this week, but that’s fine either way. I like talking about Sirrus! So let’s go topic by topic and flesh things out! And as always, I’m trying to keep it as spoiler free as possible. Let me know if you need me to clarify anything of if you have questions or just simply have input. Thanks!

Weapons: Sirrus only has one physical weapon. His dark blade, Kilnsbane. Due to it’s construction consisting of about 2/1 Damascus Steel, 1/4 meteorite, and 1/4 other nebulous metals like tungsten, his blade contains naturally occurring carbon nanotube. Needless to say, it’s basically indestructible despite the fact that’s a damn swept hilt rapier with a thin blade. But, due to the blade’s incredible melting point (Approximately 3,400C due to the presence of tungsten, which is about double the heat of one of his hottest flame abilities, blue flame.) it’s the perfect match to his abilities.

Abilities: Sirrus has several nebulous powers that can’t be explained without spoiling what he is, but I can explain how they work and their uses. In addition to things like increased agility, speed, stamina, increased healing speed, and endurance, his most notable abilities are his flame ability that are technically not flame, and his dark powers.

1. His flame ability comes from an inborn gift to control light. Essentially he causes things to ignite by raising the heat index of the light around him. he’s basically creating localized flash burns. That’s also how he keeps himself from burning. He can cause an imbalance in the temperature around his body. His skin isn’t fire retardant.

2. His dark powers manifest in nebulous ways such as increased night sight and higher sensory abilities in dark environments. As such, he’s difficult to sneak up on, but he can sense things around him in a greater radius when in dark environments. But due to the duality of his abilities and nature, he also feels the pull of darkness, and as such, he uses his darker abilities sparingly. He fears losing control of them and overwhelming his own allies. He also has other abilities, but they will be revealed later. That’s spoilers territory. You’ll see...

Jobs: He has two main jobs, but while one is as a direct result of boredom (see #1 in this section) his other is more for personal reasons than anything else. He feels a sense of responsibility those less powerful than him due to the power and standing he possesses, so he does what he can to keep the world from folding in on it’s self. Here is a better breakdown:

1. As an adjudicator, he’s job is to go to regions and cities that are having supernatural activity, find the source, and solve the problem. He doesn’t strictly deal with just demonic activity. He sometimes deals with curses, tears in reality, and even serves as a mediator between powerful factions to avoid full on conflict. As such, he’s well read on legal maters that relate to his employers, and is able to read several languages including Adamic, Enochian , Latin, and even a little bit of Coptic, but that’s mostly just for the fun of it. His favorite among the languages is Gaelic, however. He considers it beautiful, and occasionally barrows a word or two from it in casual conversation. Makes you wonder how he became so fluent in it...

He also has a deep respect for the more disrespected religions in modern society, and doesn’t like seeing them portrayed in a negative, inaccurate light. Examples include Voodoo being considered entirely evil and Pagan’s and Wicca's being considered silly, evil, or hedonistic. He respects the tenacity of their cultures and the fact that they have survived so much oppression, though he does not practice any of them himself. But as far as he is concerned, believing is not intrinsically linked to respecting. He doesn’t have to understand to be tolerant and respectful of other cultures beliefs.

2. As an ally to the team. He came to town at the behest of his “superiors” and at the request of his father’s divorced second wife’s sister, magnolia. (His family tree is a mess. I have to post it sometime) to investigate the fact that in like 2o years there had been at least 8 known large scale demonic attacks. But upon arriving, he came to the conclusion that there was a need for him to stay and assist the team. His boss was just going to have to be irritated at the lack of desk work getting done. And after an extremely powerful Devil got involved, he was firm in his convictions. Being personally injured by that demon didn’t have anything to do with that. Nope. Sirrus is totally immune to petty grudges. Yup.

Hobbes: In his spare time, Sirrus likes to take in the arts. He participates in a few of them as well, ranging from sketching and drawing, to writing and even a light bit of photography when he has the time. One of his favorite pastimes is actually dancing, something that he doesn’t mention, but would totally be down to do at a moment’s notice. He comes from a somewhat transient background on his mother’s side (She’s from a Gypsy background, but left it to strike out on her own during her youth due to unfortunate and somewhat involuntary circumstances, but some of her culture remained and she passed it on to her son. This is part of his respect for marginalized and disrespected cultures) so  Maybe he could teach V sometime.

He loves nature, and spending time in it is always agreeable. He just hates bright sun. The migrains are NOT worth it.

Here are the other days if you need them!

DMCOCW Day 1

DMCOCW Day 2

DMCOCW Day 3

DMCOCW Day 4

[taglegend]

Tag Fact #3 -  I’ve come to realize I’ve always been a fan artist more than I thought. so here is a timeline of influences that shaped my childhood to now. from nostalgic times, to sad changes, to great loss, to strange rises to fame and phases, to stepping stones and finally a laughing place. all the things that make up your favorite fan artist Tag.

1. Rayman (bumped into this in the year of 1999) was actually the first fandom (with crossovers) I bumped into when I was 9. although the internet wasn’t available at the time it was still fun to dwell in home amusements. I remember the storylines and the OC’s I made but they’re kind of embarrassing and it’s probably a good thing there was no internet. I’ve done fanart and comic crossovers of Rayman with Calvin and Hobbs and Nights Into Dreams, spinoffs of Sonic the Hedgehog OC’s, Yoshi with Pikachu, and the Pokemon/Digimon craze with OC’s and other Nintendo comic shorts. but the drawings and comics are long gone and disappeared in the garage in a backpack due to suspecting my sister’s dad accidentally throwing them away. years later towards the year 2018 (now 28), we decided to move to North Carolina and it was my chance to find them again. unfortunately the backpack was gone just like I suspected (my main stuff), but for some reason I found my Pokemon/Digimon fanart, a good batch of Super Mario drawings (vaguely remember doing these), my sister’s drawings and some other neighborhood kids’ drawings in a dirty box. I was partially happy I found something at least but it was the backpack I wanted the most. sometimes I regret not looking for the backpack (’cause I was too busy being a kid) but it’s alright, noone needs to see that shit anyway, ha ha. anyways, I recall being a fan of Rayman from 1999 ‘til 2002.

2. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (bumped into this in the year of 2003) my second fandom I bumped into when I was 12 going on 13. at the time, my sister and I both liked the Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise based on the Battle remake and ended up making our own secret fanart club that consisted of only us two members. she liked Sonic (and that was her boyfriend, ha ha) and I liked Knuckles (and he was my boyfriend, ha ha) and we were crazy in love about Shadow’s backstory. we listened to the game’s soundtracks as we drew fanart and comics after school and man, those were good times. however, as we grew older towards the year of 2005, we ended up having separate rooms and I believe it played a part in disconnecting on the same interest. then one day, I asked her why she wasn’t into Sonic anymore and she replied, “Because I grew up.” I was sad after that and slowly observed that she was influenced by the emo culture and the new friends she’s made. I was the only member of our little club for a little longer...but eventually I moved on too. I still have some surviving fanart we did together but it doesn’t mean shit anymore since she turned out to be an abusive mother from the last I’ve heard of her. 

3. Gorillaz (bumped into this in the year of 2006). as the Sonic years were at its end, I first heard the song “Feel Good Inc” on Music Choice and seeing the first image of them as displayed on this post (except the fan-made background doesn’t count since I can’t find the original artwork). this was my third fandom and later had proper access to the internet to the website I still currently use called DeviantArt. at first I liked 2D but eventually fell for Murdoc and developed a spiritual connection towards the character as obviously seen in my old fanart and rare photos of my devotion shrines on Valentine’s Day and his birthday every year. for the longest time since being a permanent fan from 2006-2017 (11 1/2 years) I had no knowledge that it was a political propaganda band and other realizations I don’t want to talk about. I only followed them because it was a cartoon and not the bullshit behind the musical project. the world I’ve built and support for them for all those 11 1/2 years shattered the fuck out of me and I just wanted to be left alone to find myself again, somehow. activity stopped on all my profiles, the flow of fanart stopped since I now cringe from the fan service and felt I was used for my talent. I didn’t want to be reminded of it all so I took down all my Gorillaz fanart and archived them for old followers’ nostalgia but also in the hopes they’ll be forgotten in my timeline. I ceased to exist in the fandom for huge personal reasons but it’s best to not say why. I know for sure that the fandom wonders what happened but it’s none of their business. THE END.

4. Waluigi (although I knew he’s been around since 2000 during childhood, I took deep interest once I revisited the character again in the year of December 2013). as silly as this sounds, when I revisited him again, the character was so bizarre that I ended up staying up 3 nights and 3 days in a row just looking all over the internet on everything about him and the questionable “hush-hush” absence of a backstory. despite there being no backstory he slowly gained a cult following and in many ways it’s a good thing. however, since the early 2010′s tension has been building up between Nintendo and its fans about him starring in a main game but everyone hasn’t fully gotten it in their heads that it’s not gonna happen. as long as Nintendo is in control of that, the fandom will not win, I’m sorry to say. on the other hand, if it’s going to be this way, then that’s what fanart and comic projects are for. as for me, I am doing my very best to get my comic project “Waluigi Land” going. again, I apologize if it’s taking very long to get Chapter 2 going if you’ve been keeping track but aha moments need to develop before I start permanent drawing (since concepts, character design and storyline needed improvement badly). as of right now I am still a Waluigi fan and I will not quit on him.

5. Turbo from Wreck-It-Ralph (although it debuted in 2012, I watched the movie two years later into the year 2014). for some bizarro reason, I had an unhealthy obsession with this character to the point where I dressed up as him for Halloween 2014. only 2 fanarts of him and the Turbo Twins exist on my profiles, mainly because my mind was more focused on just ‘thinking about him’ or ‘being him’ rather than drawing physical drawings. luckily, this supposed alleged fandom didn’t last long a little after Halloween so I chalk it up as a very short phase. to this day I don’t know what has gotten over me about him. the only thing I can think of now is that I think it’s because the character had yellow eyes and teeth but I don’t know. now that I think of it, that little fucker was ugly as hell and I STILL don’t know what had gotten over me. one day, my brother mentioned what that was about, and I said to him, “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

6. Undertale (although it debuted in 2015, I later took interest in it in 2016). It was all about Sans and Papyrus. I couldn’t get enough of the skeleton bros. eventually Toriel and Mettaton EX became my favorites but it took a long time to draw more of all 4 of them because I had other important things to do in my life plus I was still waiting for the next Gorillaz album to revive my imaginative juices (or so I thought). I really want to have this as one of my frequent fandoms but I just don’t have time for it anymore. it’s still in the back of my head to want to draw them but at this point I still have other better interests to be in. and besides, I’m lazy just like Sans.

7. Cuphead (June 28th, 2017 was the official day I called quits on the British-based band Gorillaz due to the bullshit behind it. since that date I was lost, had no inspiration to look forward to and no cartoon guy to make me smile...but lo and behold of the same year, I took an interest in playing the game Cuphead and man...that shit was a frightening exaggerated metaphor for being on that one drug (forgot the name though) and having sex at the same time but man that was the best fun I’ve had in years. I mean, it’s like, enemies are just so happy to murder you and that scared the shit outta me. and the facial exaggeration?....I think I should stop, ha ha. anyways, the Moldenhauers saved my ass from spiraling down, they have no clue. anyways, eventually I became a permanent fan of their work so to ease the hurt and erase my past from the G-fandom I had to re-wire my brain into a different cartoon category that’s a rather more American, so anything Toon related like Roger Rabbit, Felix the Cat or another favorite that’s a western-based cartoon makes me feel better, especially my new man .......King Dice <3 <3<3<3. however, there was something about this new fandom category I still didn’t quite understand until the date March 14th, 2020. I finally understood what it was but I feel I shouldn’t bring it up. anyways, Cuphead and anything western or rubber hose is my last stop in inspiration for the remaining years of my life. many say never say never but I believe I’ve found my laughing place and that’s all that matters.