#stolen horse and rig

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"GEORGE BIRD GOT FIVE YEARS TERM," Hamilton Spectator. November 11, 1913. Page 12. --- Stole Teamster's Outfit and Skipped to Detroit ---- Radcliffe Drew Three Years on Trio of Charges ---- Five years in Kingston penitentiary was the sentence handed out by Judge Snider, who presided at the weekly session of the criminal court this morning, to George Bird, [pictured, top] who pleaded guilty to stealing a team of horses, along with a dump wagon and several other articles, from J. J. Price. Bird drove the outfit to Port Perry, where he disposed of it for $110 and then he left for Detroit, where he made the money go like down before the wind. The horses have been recovered, but it will be a month before, they will be of much use, as it will take that long for them to get over the rough usage they received at the hands of Bird.

DECLINED TO ELECT Kago Ratkovick was charged with perjury in a police court case on October 22. He declined to elect and was remanded.

SENTENCE SUSPENDED Arthur Kavanaugh was charged with stealing $18 from the till in the Waldorf hotel on November 6, and with stealing $5 from a Chinese restaurant on North James street on the same date. He pleaded guilty to both charges. His counsel, C. W. Bell, explained that Kavanaugh was under the influence of liquor on the night of the trouble, and that his character was beyond reproach outside of a few escapades he had while under the influence of liquor. Some of his neighbors spoke of his previous good character, and he was allowed to go on suspended sentence.

GOT THREE YEARS John Radcliffe [pictured, bottom] and Arthar Mike, charged with stealing from the store of Louis Blumenthal, pleaded guilty. Radcliffe was also charged with breaking into the store of Haines and Ross, and with stealing $14.50 from D. E. Christlaw, of Hamilton. He pleaded guilty to both charges. Radcliffe was sentenced to three years in Kingston penitentiary. Mike was allowed to go. He is but sixteen years of age and comes from Hagersville.

TWO MONTHS FOR TIM Timothy Plooard, charged with stealing tickets and a conductor's punch from the G.T.R., pleaded guilty. He was given two months in jail, owing to his previous bad record.

[Bird was 22, from Madoc, Ontario, a farmer by trade, and went in for theft. He was convict #F-685 at Kingston Penitentiary and did end up working on the prison farm, eventually. He was never reported and was released on parole June 1915. He eventually enlisted in the Canadian military. Radcliffe was 19, born in Belfast, a cook, and he had served a previous term in the Central prison in Toronto. He was convict #F-686 and worked in the prison kitchen. He was reported once, in June 1915, and was deported in early 1916.]

[snarky-sims-creations]

Just Be Aware

Hello, Simmers. It's come to my attention today that a well-known pose creator, Simsulani, has been stealing poses from other creators for a very long time and flying under the radar due to her ability to disguise the poses well. Just to do my due diligence, I took a peek at some of her poses to make sure I didn't recognise any of my own poses as being stolen by her. Unfortunately, I very quickly came across poses that were just too similar to my own to be a coincidence. The most obvious example of theft was her "#381 Pose Pack | Life on the ranch" pack released in August of 2023. It's a slightly edited version of my "My First Pony" pack, originally released with deco horses in March of 2021 and later re-released with horse rigs in July of 2023. I am not interested in launching any kind of attack on Simsulani and I don't want to see any of my followers using this post as ammunition to bully or harass her. I have seen some of the things being said online about her and frankly, I think the destruction of her reputation that has already happened is sufficient punishment. While I am saddened and disappointed that my hard work has been stolen, I am going to continue doing what I love just like I've always done and choose not to support Simsulani's work any longer. Any energy given to "punishing" her is just energy that could have been used to create. I would rather use my energy to create. My suggestion to my followers and supporters would be to do the same. Focus on what you love, not what you hate. Thank you, - Snarky

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

i have a proposition to make to the fire emblem fandom in regards to ai bullshit: we makalov the face of the anti-ai movement depending on how different systems are set up, be it for those who write, those who draw, etc, there are likely ways to rig the system to overload the systems with specific things which is why i suggest we use makalov for this those who have played the tellius duology know he isnt exactly the greatest guy, and also know that mod goldmary seems to be the exception not the rule when it comes to how people view him as a character, so when people try to cheat by using stolen work feed to an ai to create some garbage about fire emblem? they can never escape that piece of shit no matter how hard they try, they'd be lucky if they even see marth no idea if it still applies but i know tumblr had it set up where each specific blog and side blog needed to go into settings to disable ai feeding, if that is still the case then it should be easy to just create a side blog just for the purposes of fucking with the systems when it comes to art just go nuts, don't have any specific things aside from putting so much makalov dna into the system that it thinks fire emblem lords have pink hair instead of blue, maybe purposefully fuck up the hands and other limbs and whatnot so they can never fully fix that issue meanwhile for writing, oh boy i got ideas, smut writers this is your time to shine! make the most nasty vile shit imaginable(while still being legal ofc just gross) and always include makalov in it, heck maybe mess the system up by ruining the lore on purpose and putting him in games he's not supposed to be in, want to have an ai write a fanfiction about awakening? too bad you lazy sack of shit you'll never escape this pink haired horse man no matter what timeline you try seeing as the purpose of these writings is to mess up any bot trying to create fanfiction this also means those who are horrible when it comes to writing can also join in! purposefully misspell and misuse words, throw proper grammar out of the window, and act like this is just how human language naturally works! also those who are good at writing can also purposefully not write good, though as a writer myself i know that is easier said then done at this point, it isn't meant to be posted to your main accounts but rather an extra expendable account just made for the purposes of ruining ai for fire emblem, or if we're lucky ai in general! tl;dr: it would be really fucking funny if this wretched bastard of a man named makalov became known for being the anti-ai symbol of the fandom

Terrible idea. There's already hundreds of thousands of fe images and fanfics in their database, a few pieces of makalov art and fics will not change much. Also making stuff specifically to ruin ai is just not a smart idea. Make something bc you enjoy it instead.

I know you mean well, but please do proper research before you suggest something like this :(

If you really wanna troll with makalov, then join the makasweep for cyl9 and vote for makalov!

[yasminthespiritfaninnit]

Hello everyone! I have something to say. I have seen some arguments that I didn’t like at all. But, I still respect everyone who made it.

So, Imma say my perspective.

Tommy didn’t deserve Exile or to be exiled at all.

Dream didn’t deserve to be tortured in prison or to be imprisoned without a fair trial.

I will detail what I mean the best that I can.

First, let’s start with Dream and the prison.

Dream was imprisoned, after Punz led the entire server to him, before he could kill Tubbo in front of Tommy.

Am I saying that he shouldn’t have been arrested? Hell no. His list of war crimes and atrocities against humanity at this point was and still is a mile long.

But the group failed to give Dream a fair trial to defend himself.

Instead, Tommy (after killing Dream twice as revenge for the two deaths that Dream committed against him. Note on that one, I completely understand Tommy’s rage. But killing Dream was not right, nor did it help anyone.) had Sam, (the warden) to imprison Dream after he claimed that he could revive Wilbur.

Neither Tommy or Sam or anyone here had the authority to imprison Dream. Especially not without a fair trial. But they did it anyways and that’s not right. Dream was unlawfully imprisoned against his will.

Now, the torture. Imma say it bluntly. It was 100% not Dream’s fault.

Quackity, who had no authority to do this, wanted the revive book.

Dream said no as he had the right to say that.

So, grossly abusing his rights as a visitor, Quackity started to torture Dream.

So, yeah.

And now, we get to Exile and Tommy.

Exile was an overreaction and rigged from the start. Plain and simple.

Was Tommy completely in the right for the conflict? No. (In order of least to most fucked up in my opinion.) He grief-ed and robbed George’s house, compared Tubbo to Schlatt, tried to frame Niki, and tried to use Dream’s dead horse against him.

But also, Exile was both a unfair punishment and one that was pushed so heavily.

Dream, (the main ring-leader for getting rid of Tommy from L’Manburg) provoked Tommy to make him look worse, pushed Tubbo into a corner about the topic, and tried to frame Tommy of many more griefing incidents (with the help of a unwitting Puffy.). He was pulling the strings when the real victim, George, didn’t even give two shits. Tommy’s damages were easily fixed and everything stolen was easily recovered.

Should Tommy be punished for griefing George? Yes. But he should have been put on probation and made to fix the damages (and recover the stolen property) to George’s house, not put through a rigged series of events that got him banned from his own home.

(And I have an extra argument for this part. Canon is canon. Just because nothing came of something doesn’t mean that it is not important. Tommy’s framing of Niki was immediately shut down. But he still tried instead of fessing up. Dream’s framing of Tommy didn’t seem to do much. But he still did that, showing that he was trying his hardest to get Tommy out of L’Manburg no matter what.)

And now, the exile itself.

It was 100% not Tommy’s fault. Nothing during exile was his fault and nothing was exaggerated by the fans.

Dream really did make Tommy throw his stuff down the hole to destroy it.

Dream really did beat Tommy with an axe if he mustered the tiniest rebellion.

Dream really did changed up his rules and the rules of Exile on a whim.

(For example, Tommy was only banned from L’Manburg. But when they got there, Dream told him that he couldn’t go *anywhere* that was established.)

Dream really did make sure that Tommy was dependent on him for everything.

And Dream really did all of this to control Tommy, to make him a protégé. (Cc!Dream confirmed this over Twitter.)

When people say that Exile was abuse, we didn’t exaggerate it. In fact, I think we didn’t do the horrors justice. Exile was torture as much as the prison was for Dream and Vice versa.

If anyone wants to discuss, please reblog this with your opinions or comment on this blog.

[cbk1000]

People smugly replying to 'Vote Harris!' posts with, "Can you give me a reason to vote for Harris aside from, 'She’s not Trump'?" are fascinating to me. Firstly, are your goddamn fingers broken? She has a website with all her stances on a variety of issues clearly spelled out, including specific legislation she has been involved with or intends to be involved with if elected. You can put in the bare minimum effort and read it yourself and then we can discuss policy if you want.

But secondly, and most importantly, this is like if you were given two options for dinner: one meal consists of food you don't like, and the other is an actual literal pile of horse shit with worms in it, and you're demanding that I give you a list of reasons why you should eat the food you don't like instead of being force fed the worm-infested horse shit or eating it yourself.

This isn't an election where you have to carefully weigh the pros and cons of both candidates and pick whoever is closest to your values. Mr. Whale Psychiatrist lost in 2020 and tried to illegally hold onto power, including whipping up his army of mouth-breathers to storm the Capitol to try and stop the certification of the election. Some of them brought a little jury-rigged gallows and chanted that they wanted to hang his VP. He stole classified information and had to have his home raided by the FBI because he refused to give it back. He is on tape showing someone not authorized to view classified information some of those stolen documents, and he admits in the tape that he shouldn't be showing it to them. His policy is mass deportation and a concept of a healthcare plan. When a reporter asked him at the beginning of the pandemic what he would say, as the leader of the nation, to Americans who were scared and uncertain, he instead ranted about how unfair and mean the media is to him. He said he would be dictator 'for a day' when Sean Hannity specifically tried to get him to say he WOULDN'T be a dictator and liberals are just being hysterical ninnies. He openly admires other authoritarians.

Even if I didn't like a single one of Harris' policies, I would vote for her, because she's not Trump. One or the other of them will be president. Anyone who isn't worse than a guy who tried to remain in office after losing an election, who sat on his hands while his followers chanted about hanging his VP, who stole classified information and stored it in his bathroom, who said the amount of 'widespread fraud' (that he made up) in the election 'allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution' gets my vote.

'Can you tell me why you're voting for Harris aside from the fact that she's not Trump' is not a gotcha'. How about YOU tell ME why you asked such a fucking stupid question in the first place.

[justinewt]

Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum - THOSE ABOUT TO DIE REWRITE Chapter Seven

[THOSE ABOUT TO DIE MASTERLIST]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Summary: Things went sideways quickly. One race and one win later, the Gold faction was already no more, cutting the grass under Tenax and Scorpus' feet and a demon from Tenax's past resurfaced, casting a glooming shadow over his and Aldea's life. It soon became obvious that assaulting and blackmailing the tavern owner was only the beginning when a child died at Ursus' hand.

Words: 5.5k

Warnings: title means "if you want peace, prepare for war" // Those about to die spoilers (episode 4 "Fool's bet" & episode 5 "Betrayal"), angst, fluff, mention of child murder

“How does it look?” Andria excitedly turned around, up on the ladder, after putting up the banners of the gold faction in their stables.

“Gold!” Elia exclaimed, applauding as the others cheered and chattered. After yesterday’s win, decorating the stables with curtains and banners in the color of gold, with one of its rigs – the one Aldea had understood that Tenax had stolen from the Whites – was the cherry on top of the cake. Aldea smiled greatly, watching her little brother, before glancing over at Tenax, standing right next to her. He was staring at the banner, practically in awe and certainly very proud of his accomplishment of finally getting his very own faction. Scorpus walked up behind him, and they exchanged grins, grabbing each other’s shoulders, but the happiness was short lived when a bunch of legionaries burst into the stables, their commander ordering to take down the curtains. The horses whinned anxiously as they ripped them off the walls. They were taking everyone by surprise.

“By order of Emperor Titus Caesar Vespasianus, permission to run in Cirucs Maximus is hereby withdrawn from the Gold Faction.” He then called his men, and they marched out of there as quickly as they came in. Aldea looked over her shoulder when she heard Elia’s voice behind her, he held Fonsoa back and the latter looked quite riled up, glaring at the soldiers as they left and while Tenax was able to contain himself and keep his disappointment within, Scorpus was a bundle of nerves, unable to calm down. He had given up on the Blues for this faction, and now there was none anymore. Aldea stood there, kind of in the middle, watching them.

“Calm down? I quit the Blue. I told Marsus and Antonia to go fuck themselves.”

“Better than than you fuck her.” Tenax shrugged. It was clearly not the time for sarcastic jokes; Scorpus was not in the mood for them.

“No! No, don’t make jokes. I am the one being fucked by you.” He put his hands on his hips, walking back and forth slowly, turning his back to Tenax and then facing him. “Atargatis, why did I listen to this Roman fool? Scorpus is the best driver in Rome, best ever. Highest paid in history. And I threw it all away for this ‘golden shitshow’?”

“Scorpus, settle yourself.” Tenax grabbed his shoulders, shaking him slightly. “Your greatness goes unquestioned. I can fix this.”

Leto’s voice rose at the stables’ entrance, and it was but another blow at their projects, “I believe those are my chariots.” The lead owner of the Whites leaned forward and scratched the golden paint off the surface of the rig, revealing the white pain hidden underneath, proving it was in fact his rigs. “Ah, white! Take them out immediately.”

“Wait! No, no!” Elia lunged forward and Gavros stopped him and Fonsoa from going after the stablehands taking the rigs away. One was distressed at what was happening while the other was just angry still, glaring at Leto. Aldea approached her younger brother, placing her hand on his back as Gavros tried to get the two to calm down.

“You’re nothing more than… common thieves.” He looked askance at them.

“I paid for those.” Tenax said.

“So did I.” He turned on his heels and left, the sound of his footsteps retreating.

Tenax tilted his head to the side, shooting up his eyebrows, “Well, I didn’t actually pay for them. But I was thinking about it.”

“I’m done.” Scorpus declared, pressing his lips tightly. “No more Gold faction for Scorpus. I’m out! Out!” He spat as he walked out, trampling the hay on the ground with each step, infuriated. The Gold faction had existed for just a day, and it was already gone but Aldea knew Tenax wouldn’t let this inconvenience put him down – he would fix this. Domitian was in on it, he had a share of the faction, so it was also in his interest to get them back on the tracks of the Circus Maximus. Aldea looked at her brothers beside her as Fonsoa kicked some hay, frowning and Elia picked up the banner at their feet. Andria just sat on a step of the ladder, defeated. She scowled, bringing her hand to her lower back to ease the discomfort she was feeling along with the subtle, rhythmic jerking that started in her stomach.

“Aldea, are you okay?” He asked softly, looking at her worriedly.

“I’m fine. I’m fine, really.” Tenax had his head thrown backwards, he straightened his neck and instantly turned towards them to check on her. For a moment, his focus was no longer on what just happened to his gold faction and his entire attention was now on his wife. Andria had stood up from the ladder, and the look on Fonsoa’s face went from blatant anger to genuine concern for his sister. Aldea took her hand off her back and her face relaxed.

“Go home. Rest.” She was about to shake her head and argue with Tenax but Fonsoa and Elia chimed in, repeating they would walk her home, telling Andria to stay with Gavros at the stables. The three of them left, heading for the suburra. For the next 20 minutes until they reached her home, Elia kept on asking her how she was feeling but everything was fine now, and she laughed, always giving him the same answer. Claudia opened the door, and she went straight to her room, trying to do as told and rest but she kept shifting in the bed, rolling from one side to the other, barely sleeping that afternoon. The next day was pretty much the same, she didn’t really do anything, which she disliked but Tenax had business around town and couldn’t have someone walk her to the Circus to meet with her brother, so she paced around their apartment until Tenax came home for dinner and then they went to sleep. He didn’t have to leave that night and after a pretty boring day, Aldea was happy to be able to get some private and intimate time with the man she loved. He had been quite busy the past nights and days.

Then, there was the celebratory games for Titus’ ascension to the throne but she didn’t really care about it so she worked around the tavern a bit. Because of her pregnancy, Tenax wanted her to rest more but she would go crazy if she had to stay home and do nothing everyday. She needed to go out a little, which basically just meant spending time being useful at his betting tavern, and also be around her brothers. Now that she had them back, she couldn’t miss a single opportunity to see them. She was behind the counter, with Aura and Cala, counting and putting away their earnings after the day ended and they closed the tavern. Cala slammed a box shut and walked over to Tenax, placing the small chest on the table. It was full of gold jewelry people had used to place bets that day.

“You’re not as heartless as you pretend.” Aldea couldn’t help but sketch a soft smile at Cala’s comment. She had told him something like that sometime after their first encounter and she was glad someone else could see through him and was able to tell the way he publicly portrayed himself was false. He was not the insensitive and stony-hearted man he pretended to be, but maybe the fact she got to live with the two of them and see the way he looked at her and cared for her made it quite obvious to her what type of man he actually was deep down. Of course, he denied Cala’s claim and she brought up the way the children looked up to him, just as Aldea first noted years ago. And he gave her the same answer.

“That’s because they’re children. They look up to anyone who’ll give them a few scraps of food and an occasional coin— I did.”

Aldea approached, her hands brought together at her waist in this effortlessly put together and graceful manner she had about her, “I told you the same things, years ago. I’m glad someone else noticed it.” The two women exchanged knowing smiles, glancing at Tenax as he looked away. Aldea’s smile grew amused, and she pinched her lips so as not to laugh. A woman approach, speaking in another language, to which Cala immediatedly responded. Aldea and Tenax watched her, quite impressed with her and followed her with their eyes as she walked after the young woman.

Tenax leaned against the table, crossing his arms, “How many languages do you speak?”

“Not enough.” She stopped in her tracks, looking over at him her shoulder.

“You use them to great effect.”

“Really?”

“You disarm people… get them to do what you want.”

“That’s how you see it?”

He uncrossed his arms, turning to the side to close the box full of jewelery, “Good day.”

She walked back to him, “Which you owe to me.”

“To some degree.”

“And to that degree you will pay me and my daughter more.” Aldea smirked. She liked Cala. She admired her in a sense. Cala was a strong and driven woman, not scared to speak her mind, which Aldea rarely did, at least not in public but she was still quite soft spoken even in private. Cala didn’t seem to care that her requests might considered too much or be denied or lead to arguments. She lent an ear to their conversation while going back to putting things away and cleaning the counter.

“Will I?”

“Mm-mm. Aura’s salary up by half, and mine tripled.”

Tenax chuckled, “You overreach.”

“Fine. We’ll leave your rat-infested insula and find work at another betting tavern.” He stepped behind the counter and stopped, sucking his lips in, leaning back and walked away, beckoning her with his fingers to follow him so they could negotiate in private without the few people still present hearing them.

“You’ll do well in Rome.” He then said as she walked away.

“I am not here for that.”

“It will take a lot more money to buy Jula’s freedom. And Kwame, a gladiator, probably impossible.”

“I will find a way.” She seemed so unshakable to Aldea, like a reed, she could bend to the strongest winds without ever breaking, something the Spaniard didn't believe herself able to do. After Cala had left, Aldea’s brothers came to the tavern to see her before going home and ended up walking her home while Tenax went towards the latrines. She went to get ready for bed and paced in front of the window, peeking out the window. She didn’t know what was taking him so long and was growing worried. She walked back and forth for almost an hour. It was the middle of the night already when she heard the stairs of the insula creak under someone’s feet. She pushed the bedroom’s doors open and approached the door with light steps, she got her ear up close, trying to see if she could hear anything on the other side, wondering if it was Tenax or someone else.

She heard the noises stop right in front of the door and jumped back when he knocked on the door, bringing her hand to her chest, startled. Looking around, she picked up Claudia’s butcher knife in the kitchen and with a deep breath, unlocked the door and opened, holding the blade in the air but she let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Tenax but he was shirtless for some reason, which made his whole absence stranger. She didn’t think it over too much, relieved to see him in one piece and quickly ditched the knife, closed the door behind him and rushed to him, finally taking a closer look at him. Only then did she notice the water dripping from his hair, some bruising on his chest and cuts on one side of his face as if he had gotten into a fight with someone.

“Where the hell have you been?” She spoke in hushed tones but with no less urgency, touching his face and body, looking at his injuries. When Claudia, Cala and Aura joined them, wondering what was going on, he sharply told them to leave them, turning his head to the side to hide the wound on his face, and they did as he was clearly not in a good mood, though Aldea called Claudia back, asking her to boil some water and vinegar with wine. They then softly shut the doors behind them once in the bedroom and she stood there, staring at him in confusion. She wanted an answer from him. “Why are you injured?” He exhaled, still not facing her so she walked up to him and grabbed his chin, making him turn towards her. “Tenax? What happened? Who did this to you?”

“You remember what I told you… about my past?”

“Of course.” Her hand slid down along his neck and rested on his shoulder.

“I set fire to my master’s house and ran away. I left Ursus behind. I thought he was dead— I left him fr dead.”

“Is he not— dead? Is he the one who did this to you?” The look he gave her gave her the answer which sparked a deep sense of fear within her. If this Ursus was back from his past, and he beat him up like this, he wanted revenge and thinking that someone could try to kill or harm Tenax terrified her, even more than if she was the one being targeted, which could happen. She was his one obvious weakness. If anyone tried to hurt him and physically assaulting him directly didn’t satisfy them, the most effective way to take a blow at him was to harm her. And she was pregnant. She bore Tenax’s heir. And though that one piece of information was kept hidden from the public, he would kill two birds with one stone.  With the way he kept staring at her with fear and concern in his eyes, he clearly had the same thought. The irony of it – she was more worried for him, and he was more worried for her. “I’ll clean up your wound.”

“Aldea.” He grabbed her wrist as she stepped away to get something to clean the cut on his face. She had to go back to the kitchen to get the mixture she asked Claudia to make. She turned her head back to him. “It is going to get dangerous.  I will not let him hurt you, but you need to be careful. I want you with me, or your brothers, at all times and please, do not go out on your own.”

“Of course, Tenax.” He let go off her and she exited the room, coming back less than a minute later with the mixture Claudia prepared for her, in a large bowl, and a clean cloth, along with some honey. She got him to sit on the bed and set all her things on the nightstand before sitting beside him and soaking the cloth in the bowl, gently pressing it onto his wound. It seemed to be a rather deep wound over her eyebrow. He frowned slightly and gritted his teeth but kept silent. She chuckled quietly, “I haven’t had to clean a wound in years. Elia was always running around, always finding new ways of getting hurt. He even broke his leg once. Fonsoa held him while Andria set his leg, and I really thought Elia was going to break my hand with how hard he squeezed it.” After cleaning it, she took some honey with the tip of her finger and applied it, cupping his cheek with her hand.

“They would kill me if anything happened to you.” Maybe Fonsoa would, he could be quite hot-blooded, and Elia, he would definitely lash out at him, but Andria would never hurt a fly, no matter what might happen.

“Nothing is going to happen to me – to us.” She exhaled, bringing his hand to her stomach as they leaned into each other, presing their forehead together, sighing through their noses, their breaths caressing their skin. But he wasn’t exactly reassured that night, so much so that his nightmare came back full force and woke him up abruptly as morning came. He suddenly sat up as he reached for the knife by his side, flaring up his nostrils and panting. It had happened before, quite a lot actually, but it seemed to have kind of stopped the past year or couple of years and now, this encounter with Ursus had awoken the demons he tried to keep buried – the past he tried to keep buried. Aldea opened her eyes as she felt him move beside her and she sat up, caressing the burn scars on his back, her other hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him and help him calm down. His heavy breathing slowed down. She gently caressed his face, brushing over his beard which he kept cut short. He exhaled heavily, putting down the blade and wincing at he slightly touched the wound on his face. She ached seeing him this distressed. She hadn’t seen him like this in quite some time, and she didn’t miss it. They eventually got up and dressed themselves while Cala spoke loudly from the kitchen, telling Tenax she would open up the tavern and that they needed more slates for the tavern. Because he didn’t respond to anything she was saying, she wondered if he even heard her.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes.” He rose his voice, giving a sharp answer as he put on his tunic. Aldea got out of bed after him, getting ready as well. They heard her unbolting the front door and the wood creaking as Cala pulled the door open, followed by a silence but neither of them went to look what was going on. Once they were dressed, Aldea noticed Tenax touching his wound again.

“By the Gods, stop touching it.” She sighed through her nose and grabbed the bowl she used the night prior, still on the nightstand, covered by a cloth. She pushed his hand away from his face and he followed her with his eyes, staring at her face as she focused on patting the wound with the cloth, holding it in a ball in her hand after soaking one side in the mixture. She then patted it with the dry side and was applying some honey over it when Cala pushed the doors open and gasped at the sight of the injury. She hadn’t seen it when he came home at night. She took a step towards them, but he turned his face and sighed, raising his hand towards Cala to make her understand not to approach. Aldea gave her a nod, so she knew it was under control and the Numidian woman understood. The steps she then took in their direction were for a very different reason as she then held out her arm to Tenax, holding her small scroll in between her fingers. Aldea went to the dresser on the opposite side of the room to finish getting ready, grabbing her cloak from inside the drawer.

“This was left at the door.”

“Read it to me.” He said, adjusting one of the wide leather bracelets he wore at his wrists.

“It might be personal, I—”

“Just—” He gritted his teeth, about to speak harshly, getting aggravated but stopped himself and calmed the tone of his voice. Aldea looked at them from the corner of her eyes. She obviously knew that her husband was illiterate, but Cala didn’t. “Do it.”

“Don’t be ashamed.” She glanced at him, looking him up and down but not in jugement. “My people had no written language for a thousand years. Our past is silent.”

He didn’t look at her, throwing his cloak over his shoulder, “I’m not ashamed. Just read it.” She unrolled the scroll, looking down at it to read it but she began doing so in her head and he inhaled nervously, annoyed, “Out loud!” but then softened his voice. “To me.”

“All of your winnings, at the end of each race day, put in the corner room, second floor of your insula at Cispian Hill.” She inhaled, her eyes going from the words on the piece of paper to Tenax, whose face was growing ever angry at the message. “It’s the price of my silence…” He snatched the paper from her hands, and walked with heavy steps through the apartment, going to throw the paper in the fire in the kitchen. The flames cackled as it burned. Cala was puzzled, she didn’t understand what this was all about, but of course, Aldea wasn’t particularly phased, adjusting the coins of her necklace, as she knew the situation. She followed the woman out of the bedroom as they went after Tenax.

“No one learns of this.” He warned, before looking at the women around him, except Aldea. She already understood the gravity of the situation. No one else knew of his past. As he walked over to the door, he pointed at Cala, addressing her, and then showed his wife with his finger, “Get her to her brothers, no alleys, take the main streets.”

He left. On her way way out, Aldea told Claudia to take Tenax’s clothes to the fullonicas, to get them washed but for some reason, Cala chimed in and told Aura to go do it while Claudia stayed home so she could lock the bolt behind them. While they walked to the Circus Maximus, Cala asked about why Tenax was acting up like this and if she knew who sent him this threat, but Aldea wasn’t willing to answer, staring ahead of her, her hand joined at her waist as usual.

“It’s not my place to tell you about his business. Maybe he will tell you, and I believe he will eventually, but if he never does, why would I?” She tried not to sound patronizing or cold because she liked Cala and she didn’t want her to think she was full of herself but the look the woman gave her let her know she wasn’t taking it personally at all, which reassured her. A couple minutes of silence later, Cala put her hand on Aldea’s arm and they stopped in their tracks. Aldea was confused.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I said I wouldn’t it’s his business, I can’t—”

“I wanted to ask you something, about you, Aldea.”

“We should get going.” She tried to escape the conversation, starting to feel uncomfortable. A bunch of scenarios of how this talk could go down went through her head and she didn’t like any of them, especially if it were about her shoulder, which she might have seen back home when she entered the bedroom before she could get her cloak on.

“You seem extremely close with your brothers.”

“I am.” They resumed walking because Aldea refused to stay still.

“Especially the youngest, he seems to be particularly attached to you. You mother him.”

“Fonsoa and I raised him after our mother died giving birth to him. He’s my little brother— he’s like my son.”

“Were you happy, back in Hispania?”

“Yes, of course.” She frowned slightly.

“Then why did you come to Rome without them?” Aldea felt as though her heart skipped a beat and she gulped, swallowing harshly, looking away. She didn’t know what to say to avoid having this conversation, so she stayed silent for quite some time, feeling Cala’s gaze upon her the whole time, but eventually, she spoke up.

“I loved Baetica. I thought I would spend my entire life there.” She shook her head, thoughfully. “I never intended to come to Rome.”

Her voice softened, “Can I ask why you came to Rome then?”

Aldea sighed heavily, “I often went to Portus Magnus with my brothers, we sold goods to make some money. I fell in love with this Roman sailor. One night, I took my horse and sneaked out to go meet him at the harbour. We fell asleep on the deck and the next morning— the merchant who owned the boat found me. He refused to turn the boat around and I was— I was taken to Rome to be sold as a slave.”

“You were a slave?”

“Yes, but I was quickly made a freedwoman.”

“You must have found a good master.”

“Indeed.” For some reason, she kept quiet the fact that this generous master was in fact Tenax – her husband and companion of two years. But Cala was no fool, she probably figured it out during the conversation. Still, Aldea felt that she still had things to ask her and yet she refrained from asking and they finished their walk to the circus. Now that they were there, they parted ways, Aldea went to find her brothers at the stables while Cala went the other way, heading for the tavern. Aldea would have wanted to go see the children at the tavern, but she understood why Tenax was so adamant on knowing her well surrounded – if she were with her three brothers, no one would dare approach her. Later that morning, there was a race and people loudly cheered for Xenon, not Scorpus, while the latter had recently signed with the Whites after the Gold faction had been forbidden from racing. She attended the race with her brothers. The crowd was going wild for Xenon. Scorpus lost, and the crowd cheered for the new lead driver of the Blue faction.

They then went on to share a lunch at the tavern right after the race. Cala was there, at the desk. Elia kept on candidly telling his sister about the horses and she listened patiently, with a soft smile on her face. Andria watched them, both amusedly and tenderly, and chuckled when Fonsoa nudged his brother, teasingly urging him to stop bothering their sister and they laughed. This nice moment they were having together was soon ruined when she saw a child running across the place, panting. He went to Cala and the latter crossed Aldea’s gaze. Her mind immediately went to Tenax’s blackmailer, Ursus. Something must have happened. She jerked to her feet, telling her brothers to go back to the stables. She jogged after Cala and Aura. They ran to a storage room, a little further, on the other side of the tavern. When they got there, Aldea could see all the children gathered in silence in the room. She slowed down and stopped, looking down as she felt a pair of small hands grab hers. One of the children was standing in her way, clearly upset and distressed.

“What’s going on?” She leaned forward, whispering, unsure if she actually wanted to know. The air felt heavy. Aldea instantly straightened up, raising her head, when she heard Cala gasp and whimper, muffling her scream with her fist. She gave a concerned frown, looking into the room at Tenax, breathing fitfully, staring at something in front of him. Cala came back into view, carrying Nica in her arms. The little one was crying. Aldea felt her heart miss a bit and her stomach dropped. She felt sick knowing one of the children had been killed by Ursus and put there on display to taunt all of them but especially Tenax. She brought a hand to her belly, blinking slowly, with a shaky breath. Felix, Nica’s older brother, had been murdered.

She closed her eyes and turned around when they took down the young boy’s body and went to wrap it in cloth. The funeral took place as the sun was setting on the eastern part of the Esquiline hill, outside th city walls, as all funerals happened in the city of Rome. An owl hooted in the distance and the children sobbed quietly. Aldea stood by Tenax, glancing at him from the corner of his eyes as he stared at the small body wrapped in linen being lowered into the grave. He was completely still, his eyes shining, and his cheeks wet from the tears falling. When he turned his head, she followed his gaze. Aura locked eyes with him and looked away and his eyes went to Aldea. The hurt and crippling guilt in his eyes made her heart ache and she softly put her hands around his arm.

“I sent him there.” His lower lip quivered. “I should’ve known.” He touched Aldea’s hand holding his arms and walked away, followed by Noro and Dacia as they left the funeral and headed home in a heavy silence. Aldea sat on the bed and followed the men with her eyes as they put all his money into large bags. Cala arrived in the apartment, walking into the bedroom as they were picking the sacks from the floor and carrying them outside.

“Are you sure about this?”

“He killed a child.” He slowed down, briefly coming to a halt as he walked by her. What had happened was a very grave and serious matter to him. He loved these children. By killing one of them, Ursus had crossed a line, but Tenax wasn’t about to risk the other orphans’ lives by testing him. Ursus had proven his cruelty and dangerosity already.

Less than half an hour later, he was back. No one really spoke during dinner, and they parted ways, all going to their respective bedrooms. The silence in which they had shared their meal continued into the night as Aldea followed Tenax into the apartment. He opened the cabinet in which there was his altar at which they had prayed before. She had done this a few times after finding out she was pregnant, praying to Goddesses such as Bona Dea, the Goddesses to which the vestal virgins of rome were dedicated to, or even the goddess of breastfeeding, Rumina, the wet nurse of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus but she mainly prayed to Juno Lucina, the Goddess who protected pregnant women and helped to ensure marital harmony in the home, though it seemed she had been helping with that without her needing to pray that often. Next to the idol of Juno, was a small, almost dried up bouquet of wildflowers. She thought she should replace it soon or the goddess might get offended. She would go get new flowers the next day to avoid her wrath.

“When was the last time you prayed?” She gently ran her hand down his back, brushing over his skin with the tip of her fingers. He lit up the candles one by one and she watched his face as the dim orange light of the flames illuminated his face. He sighed quietly.

“You more diligent at this than I am. Butr you know me, I’m a gambling man. I’ve tried this before; it might work again.” He glanced at her, sliding his finger along her temple and putting a strand of her hair behind her ear. They were already basically whispering but his voice kept on softening. “I need to take the habit to thank the Gods more.”

“Thank them for what?” She asked, though she knew what the answer was – her, and their unborn baby. He looked at her tenderly, as if she were the most precious thing he had ever seen in his life. He caressed her face and then put his hand on her stomach.

“I never thought I would be blessed with a wife such as you, much less a child of my own.” She covered his hand with hers, staring back at him with a soft but sad smile. She knew he feared what could happen to them after what had just happened to Felix.

“We will be okay, Tenax. Nothing is going to happen to us.” She turned towards him, grabbing his hand and lifting up to her face, kissing the back of his hand.

“I cannot lose you too.”

“You won’t lose me, or him.” For some reason, she felt like they would have a son, so it felt natural to speak of the unborn child in the masculine form. Their little Amarus. The name she had thought of if they were having a boy, from the verb amare, to love.

Tenax’s lips parted slightly, shaking his head subtly, “I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes. You do.” She emphasized each word, taking a step closer to him, their chests heaving against each other’s, and she cupped his cheek in her hand. Their faces leaned forward, the tip of their noses touching as they kissed tenderly. She exhaled, “Stop torturing yourself. I love you, Tenax.”

“I put you in danger.”

She sighed, her hand falling on his shoulder, “Stop it.”

“You would be safer with your brothers.”

“Enough.” Her tone, though quiet, grew harsher for a second. “I am your wife, and I will stand by your side no matter what happens, as I have always done.”

This was a promise. A promise she had made the day she agreed to marry him, and a promise she had made herself when she first fell in love with him.

[To be continued…]  

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Published (09/05/2024) by Andrea

[landwriter]

ASK GAME just like love sequel tidbits pleaseeeee :)

I am BUZZIN about the Just Like Love followup interest!! Thank you for indulging me <3 so many people asked about so here's the tag for the rest!

Tidbits:

Immediately following the events of Just Like Love, Hob wakes up to an hotel room that reeks of day-old murder. He’s unsurprised to see the Corinthian gone, and laughs when he sees the scarf left behind. He feels a little giddy until he notices the Corinthian took his lighter, which was very nice and old and stolen from somebody else. Then he’s just fucked off.

When he gets back to his flat (with a Bic lighter he was supremely irritated to purchase) he listens to the Corinthian's voicemail, inviting him stateside with absolutely no identifying information, and hears it for the insane foreplay it is. Still unmoored, and not even certain he's getting another 100 years considering his benefactor never showed, Hob doesn't have to think about it.

Hob makes two calls: one to a journalist friend to water his plants while he's gone and also keep asking around at the White Horse, to try and see if Hob's super-secret very-old-school-no-I-don't-even-have-his-phone-number 'source' shows up again. He'd already been covertly checking all week. Some things can't be helped. Then, he phones a very different contact, and the hunt is on. Slick semi-legal detective work occurs. A noir soundtrack plays in the distance.

Hob does find the Corinthian in America, and watches him for a little bit, because he can be profoundly creepy too. This is how he ends up overdressed for a gay club, following a twink to the bathroom and trying to urgently warn him away from the Corinthian, who is dangerous, and shouldn't be trusted. The twink assumes this is some kinky roleplay between a very sexy 80s, tanktop-and-denim-in-his-element Corinthian, and his questionable choice of partner, who is dressed like an undercover fed and doing a clearly fake English accent. He goes to the Corinthian and tells him he should've just said if he wanted a threesome.

Hob and the Corinthian proceed have a fight in the bathroom, but despite their 0 for 1 record for bathroom conflict resolution, successfully end up fucking instead.

There IS a county fair trip, although the Corinthian certainly does not interrogate why he is bent on giving Hob new experiences and sating his appetites and curiosity, and what that might have to do with him being denied the same from Dream. He just wants to. And of course it's not a date. You can tell because they joke about it not being one. They flirt by being both a little too good at rigged carnival games. Hob adores his tour of Americana, and in turn gleefully serves as the Corinthian's unoffical tour guide to humanity and all the splendid pleasures and nightmares it has to offer.

A Spiderman-Pointing Scene ensues when Dream, unwilling to wait for Hob's return, finds Hob in the Waking through his dreams (which, if he'd stopped to pay attention to, might have given him fair warning) and finds him with the Corinthian. Hob says, Christ, no wonder neither of you would tell me your names. This is played for comedy. Then, like a tugged thread unspooling an entire weaving, it all goes to shit.

[mute-call]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎?

BOLD  what  your  muse  can  do.     Italicize  for  something  they  can  do  to  some  extent. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​Repost!!  Do  not  reblog!!

stolen from: @immortalitythroughdeath !! tagging: @aftonsinferno / @florietiae / @faztastiic / @sisterfound / @spring-lxcked / @prefrcntal / @nanobawn / @fazerblaster / @laidtowaste / and you!!

bake  a  cake  from  scratch  /  ride  a  horse  /  drive  a  submarine  /  speak  a  second  language  /  dance  /  catch  a  fish  /  play  an  instrument  /  throw  a  punch  /  build  a  deck  /  ice  skate  /  unclog  a  drain  /  program  a  computer  /  change  a  flat  tire  /  fire  a  gun  /  sew  /  juggle  /  play  poker  /  paint  /  fly  a  kite  /  sculpt  /  write  poetry  /  change  a  diaper  /  sing  /  shoot  a  bow  and  arrow  /  ride  a  bike  /  swim  /  sail  a  boat  /  do  a  backflip  /  play  chess  /  give  cpr  /  pitch  a  tent  /  flirt  /  stitch  a  wound  /  read  palms  /  use  chopsticks  /  write  in  cursive  /  calligraphy  /  use  an  electric  drill  /  braid  hair  /  make  a  campfire  / make  a  mixed  drink  /  do  sudoku  puzzles  /  wrap  a  gift  /  give  a  good  massage  /  jump  start  a  car  /  roll  their  tongue  /  do  magic  tricks  /  do  yoga  /  tie  a  tie  /  skip  a  rock  /  shuffle  a  deck  of  cards  /  read  morse  code  /  pick  a  lock  /  fly  a  plane  /  train  animals  /  fix  a  car  /  apologize  /  write  a  business  letter  /  write  in  a  second  language  /  say  the  alphabet  backwards  /  read  music  /  cook  complex  meals  /  change  oil  /  paint  nails  /  draw  /  socialize  /  march  /  take  apart  a  gun  /  drive  a  rig  /  operate  a  tank  /  climb  a  tree  /  rock  climb  /  tie  a  cherry  stem  /  basic  first  aid  /  draw  blood  /  put  out  a  fire

[immolatiism]

repost, do not reblog.

bold what your muse can do. italicize for something they can do to some extent

bake a cake from scratch / ride a horse / drive a submarine / speak a second language / dance / catch a fish / play an instrument / throw a punch / build a deck / ice skate / unclog a drain / program a computer / change a flat tire / fire a gun / sew / juggle / play poker / paint / fly a kite / sculpt / write poetry / change a diaper / sing / shoot a bow and arrow / ride a bike / swim / sail a boat / do a backflip / play chess / give cpr / pitch a tent / flirt / stitch a wound / read palms / use chopsticks / write in cursive / calligraphy / use an electric drill / braid hair / make a campfire / make a mixed drink / do sudoku puzzles / wrap a gift / give a good massage / jump start a car / roll their tongue / do magic tricks / do yoga / tie a tie / skip a rock / shuffle a deck of cards / read morse code / pick a lock / fly a plane / train animals / fix a car / apologize / write a business letter / write in a second language / say the alphabet backwards / read music / cook complex meals / change oil / paint nails / draw / socialize / march / take apart a gun / drive a rig / operate a tank / climb a tree / rock climb / tie a cherry stem with tongue / basic first aid / draw blood / put out a fire

tagged: stolen from @thuganomxcs tagging: @goresugars (Lye), @thawingiceprincess, @divineslcyer, @theunknownmasks (Kurama), and anyone else who feels like it!

[z0mburger]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎?

BOLD  what  your  muse  can  do.     Italicize  for  something  they  can  do  to  some  extent. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​Repost!!  Do  not  reblog!!

STOLEN!! steal it!

bake  a  cake  from  scratch  /  ride  a  horse  /  drive  a  submarine  /  speak  a  second  language  /  dance  /  catch  a  fish  /  play  an  instrument  / throw  a  punch  /  build  a  deck  /  ice  skate  /  unclog  a  drain  / program  a  computer  /  change  a  flat  tire  /  fire  a  gun  /  sew  /  juggle  /  play  poker  /  paint /  fly  a  kite  /  sculpt  /  write  poetry  /  change  a  diaper  / sing  / shoot  a  bow  and  arrow  /  ride  a  bike  /  swim  /  sail  a  boat  /  do  a  backflip  /  play  chess  /  give  cpr  /  pitch  a  tent  / flirt  /  stitch  a  wound  /  read  palms  /  use  chopsticks  /  write  in  cursive  /  calligraphy  /  use  an  electric  drill  /  braid  hair  /  make  a  campfire

make  a  mixed  drink  / do  sudoku  puzzles  /  wrap  a  gift  /  give  a  good  massage  /  jump  start  a  car  /  roll  their  tongue  /  do  magic  tricks  /  do  yoga  /  tie  a  tie  /  skip  a  rock  /  shuffle  a  deck  of  cards  /  read  morse  code  /  pick  a  lock /  fly  a  plane  /  train  animals  /  fix  a  car /  apologize  /  write  a  business  letter  /  write  in  a  second  language  /  say  the  alphabet  backwards  /  read  music  /  cook  complex  meals  /  change  oil /  paint  nails  /  draw  /  socialize /  march  /  take  apart  a  gun  /  drive  a  rig  /  operate  a  tank  /  climb  a  tree /  rock  climb /  tie  a  cherry  stem  /  basic  first  aid  /  draw  blood /  put  out  a  fire

[immortalitythroughdeath]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎?

BOLD  what  your  muse  can  do.     Italicize  for  something  they  can  do  to  some  extent. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​​​​​ㅤ ​​​Repost!!  Do  not  reblog!!

stolen from: @behindslaughter tagging: Just steal it :>

bake  a  cake  from  scratch  /  ride  a  horse  /  drive  a  submarine  /  speak  a  second  language  /  dance  /  catch  a  fish  /  play  an  instrument  /  throw  a  punch  /  build  a  deck  /  ice  skate  /  unclog  a  drain  /  program  a  computer  /  change  a  flat  tire  /  fire  a  gun  /  sew  /  juggle  /  play  poker  /  paint  /  fly  a  kite  /  sculpt  /  write  poetry  /  change  a  diaper  /  sing  /  shoot  a  bow  and  arrow  /  ride  a  bike  /  swim  /  sail  a  boat  /  do  a  backflip  /  play  chess  /  give  cpr  /  pitch  a  tent  /  flirt  /  stitch  a  wound  /  read  palms  /  use  chopsticks  /  write  in  cursive  /  calligraphy  /  use  an  electric  drill  /  braid  hair  /  make  a  campfire  / 

make  a  mixed  drink  /  do  sudoku  puzzles  /  wrap  a  gift  /  give  a  good  massage  /  jump  start  a  car  /  roll  their  tongue  /  do  magic  tricks  /  do  yoga  /  tie  a  tie  /  skip  a  rock  /  shuffle  a  deck  of  cards  /  read  morse  code  /  pick  a  lock  /  fly  a  plane  /  train  animals  /  fix  a  car  /  apologize  /  write  a  business  letter  /  write  in  a  second  language  /  say  the  alphabet  backwards  /  read  music  /  cook  complex  meals  /  change  oil  /  paint  nails  /  draw  /  socialize  /  march  /  take  apart  a  gun  /  drive  a  rig  /  operate  a  tank  /  climb  a  tree  /  rock  climb  /  tie  a  cherry  stem  /  basic  first  aid  /  draw  blood  /  put  out  a  fire

[vxctorx]

WHAT CAN YOUR MUSE DO ?

BOLD what your muse can do. Italicize for something they can do to some extent. Repost!! Do not reblog!!

Victor Trevor

bake a cake from scratch / ride a horse / drive a submarine / speak a second language (a bit of Greek, Gaelic and Hindi) / dance / catch a fish / play an instrument (the piano) / throw a punch / build a deck / ice skate / unclog a drain / program a computer / change a flat tire / fire a gun / sew / juggle / play poker / paint / fly a kite / sculpt / write poetry / change a diaper / sing / shoot a bow and arrow / ride a bike / swim / sail a boat / do a backflip / play chess / give cpr / pitch a tent / flirt / stitch a wound / read palms / use chopsticks / write in cursive calligraphy / use an electric drill / braid hair (he has a sister) / make a campfire / make a mixed drink / do sudoku puzzles / wrap a gift / give a good massage / jump start a car / roll their tongue / do magic tricks / do yoga / tie a tie / skip a rock / shuffle a deck of cards / read morse code / pick a lock / fly a plane / train animals / fix a car / apologize / write a business letter / write in a second language / say the alphabet backwards / read music / cook complex meals / change oil / paint nails / draw / socialize / march / take apart a gun / drive a rig / operate a tank / climb a tree / rock climb / tie a cherry stem / basic first aid / draw blood / put out a fire

Stolen from @ronmanmob Tagging: @richardxoliverxmayhew, @abetterwor1d and @smallergcd!

[silverjetsystm]

WHAT CAN YOUR MUSE DO ?

BOLD what your muse can do. Italicize for something they can do to some extent. Repost!! Do not reblog!!

bake a cake from scratch / ride a horse / drive a submarine / speak a second language / dance / catch a fish / play an instrument / throw a punch / build a deck / ice skate [and ski] / unclog a drain / program a computer / change a flat tire / fire a gun / sew / juggle / play poker / paint / fly a kite / sculpt / write poetry / change a diaper [obvs in ATOM&S but likely nowhere else] / sing / shoot a bow and arrow / ride a bike / swim / sail a boat / do a backflip / play chess / give cpr / pitch a tent / flirt / stitch a wound / read palms / use chopsticks / write in cursive calligraphy / use an electric drill / braid hair / make a campfire / make a mixed drink / do sudoku puzzles / wrap a gift / give a good massage / jump start a car / roll their tongue / do magic tricks / do yoga / tie a tie / skip a rock / shuffle a deck of cards / read morse code / pick a lock / fly a plane [Frenchie would debate if this should be bolded] / train animals / fix a car / apologize / write a business letter / write in a second language / say the alphabet backwards / read music / cook complex meals / change oil / paint nails / draw / socialize / march / take apart a gun / drive a rig / operate a tank / climb a tree / rock climb / tie a cherry stem / basic first aid / draw blood / put out a fire

stolen from @brooklynislandgirl

[ronmanmob]

WHAT CAN YOUR MUSE DO ?

BOLD what your muse can do. Italicize for something they can do to some extent. Repost!! Do not reblog!!

Ron Kray

bake a cake from scratch / ride a horse / drive a submarine / speak a second language (li'le bits of lots) / dance / catch a fish / play an instrument / throw a punch / build a deck / ice skate / unclog a drain / program a computer / change a flat tire / fire a gun / sew / juggle / play poker / paint / fly a kite / sculpt / write poetry / change a diaper / sing / shoot a bow and arrow / ride a bike / swim / sail a boat / do a backflip / play chess / give cpr / pitch a tent / flirt / stitch a wound / read palms / use chopsticks / write in cursive calligraphy (if he's copying it, yes) / use an electric drill / braid hair / make a campfire / make a mixed drink / do sudoku puzzles / wrap a gift / give a good massage / jump start a car / roll their tongue / do ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ ᴛʀɪᴄᴋꜱ! / do yoga / tie a tie / skip a rock / shuffle a deck of cards / read morse code / pick a lock / fly a plane / train animals / fix a car / apologize / write a business letter / write in a second language / say the alphabet backwards / read music / cook complex meals / change oil / paint nails / draw / socialize / march / take apart a gun / drive a rig / operate a tank / climb a tree / rock climb / tie a cherry stem / basic first aid / draw blood / put out a fire

Stolen from @brooklynislandgirl Left out for anyone else to play with

[kudosmyhero]

Daredevil (vol. 1) #103: …Then Came Ramrod!

Read Date: March 27, 2023 Cover Date: September 1973 ● Writer: Steve Gerber ● Penciler: Don Heck ● Inker: Sal Trapani ● Colorist: George Roussos ● Letterer: Artie Simek ● Editor: Roy Thomas ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● yay, Spidey is in this issue! ● ah, we’re post Gwen’s death. I’ve not caught up to that part yet in reading The Amazing Spider-Man, but I know it’s coming… ● ok, this is a fun panel of Peter:

● Tasha’s not very good with money if she used the last of her inheritance for a mansion to house 3 people ● whoooo dafuq is this guy and why is he barging through the library walls? maybe he followed Spidey? ● guess not. he’s after the papers from Rolling Stone ● Ramrod origin story, here we go! ● so some bald aliens made him a cyborg? ok. I’m here for it. ● Spider-Man asking him if he always talks to himself that way. you’re one to talk, Spidey! just a few pages ago, Ivan caught Peter talking to himself ● Spidey’s action poses are done well by Don Heck. in his own series, sometimes it’s just a bunch of wide horse stances in mid air ● so is Ramrod dead? I like how none of the three lifted a finger to help him ● 👏👏👏

Synopsis: Peter Parker has traveled to San Francisco on assignment for the Daily Bugle to interview Black Widow and Daredevil. The wall-crawler arrives just as Daredevil and Black Widow have returned to their mansion with evidence implicating the most powerful crime boss, given to Daredevil by the writers of Rolling Stone Magazine for safe keeping until the exposé is published. Spider-Man changes into his civilian guise of Peter Parker and introduces himself to Ivan Petrovitch before continuing on and knocking on the door.

Invited in by the Black Widow, Peter Parker begins his interview with Daredevil. However, before it can even begin the mansion is attacked by a new super-powered steel-skinned villain named Ramrod. Ramrod has been sent to collect the damning evidence that Daredevil has on his employer. Smashing through the house and taking Daredevil, Widow, and Parker off guard, he succeeds in collecting the evidence and making an escape.

As Daredevil and Black Widow chase after Ramrod, Peter Parker slips away to change into Spider-Man to lend a helping hand. As the three heroes go searching for Ramrod, the villain himself looks about the city and gloats about his superiority over everyone. He recalls how he used to be a tough as nails oil rig boss who pushed his workers as hard as possible until one day some loosened oil drums toppled on him crushing all his bones. He would be kidnapped by a mysterious employer who would rebuild him into a new body with steel plated skin and the ability to fire energy beams from his hands. Told that he was injected with a deadly chemical in order to insure his compliance, Ramrod would agree to do his employers bidding.

Ramrod's recollection is interrupted by Spider-Man who snatches away the stolen evidence and makes a break for it. Before Ramrod can get his hands on Spider-Man, he is saved by Daredevil and Black Widow who tell the wall-crawler to make a break for it while they hold back the crook. However, Ramrod has other ideas and initiates an ability to fly after Spider-Man. Daredevil and Black Widow renew their fight however Ramrod gets a hold of Black Widow and makes good an escape when he drops her off a building forcing Daredevil to come to her rescue.

When Ramrod finally catches up with Spider-Man the two duke it out up the side of a building. However, during the fight, Daredevil and Black Widow arrive and land blows that send Ramrod tumbling to the ground below. The impact of the fall knocks the crook out and makes him easy for authorities to take into custody. After the battle, Spider-Man hands the evidence back over to Daredevil and swings away before they can thank him.

Shortly there after they are found by Peter Parker who finally gets the interview with the two heroes that he had travelled out to get.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_1_103)

Fan Art: Spider-Man and Daredevil by RyanLord

Accompanying Podcast: ● Josh and Jamie Do Daredevil - episode 16

[heredis-sanguinis]

Muse abilities

Stolen from: @piltover-sharpshooter and @witchcraftandburialdirt

Bold what your muse can do. Italicize for something they can do to some extent.

bake a cake from scratch / ride a horse / drive a submarine / speak a second language / dance / catch a fish / play an instrument / throw a punch / build a deck / ice skate / unclog a drain / program a computer / change a flat tire / fire a gun / sew / juggle / play poker / paint / fly a kite / sculpt / write poetry / change a diaper / sing / shoot a bow and arrow / ride a bike / swim / sail a boat / do a backflip / play chess / give cpr / pitch a tent / flirt / stitch a wound / read palms / use chopsticks / write in cursive calligraphy / use an electric drill / braid hair / make a campfire / make a mixed drink / do sudoku puzzles / wrap a gift / give a good massage / jump start a car / roll their tongue / do magic tricks / do yoga / tie a tie / skip a rock / shuffle a deck of cards / read morse code / pick a lock / fly a plane / train animals / fix a car / apologize / write a business letter / write in a second language / say the alphabet backwards / read music / cook complex meals / change oil / paint nails / draw / socialize / march / take apart a gun / drive a rig / operate a tank / climb a tree / rock climb / tie a cherry stem / basic first aid / draw blood / put out a fire