#what if a mercenary accidentally falls in love with one of the gladiators. maybe someone they've asked for as part of their reward

[secretwhumplair]

Gladiator whump but the gladiators aren't owned, they're compelled by their circumstances to particpate in dangerous arena fights for a pittance, or even just for a chance at prize money. Gladiators who, out of despair, will climb over each other to be chosen by the ringmasters for more fights where they might be injured or killed.

Loose, uneasy alliances are formed in the underbelly of the arena to watch each other's back while waiting for their fight, because no one's above sabotaging their rivals.

Deaths in the arena are rare--a simple honour systems means a killer can't expect to survive themself when bested--but always a looming possibility, whether by accident or malice. Sometimes the ringmaster will hire a mercenary without the same qualms to spice things up.

For some of them this violent world is all they have, with no one but themself to piece themself back together after a fight. Others struggle to balance it with caring for a family member, or their other two jobs.

Some gladiators become popular enough with the audience they get to fight multiple times in a day. The downside, of course, being that they get to fight multiple times in a day.

Evenly matched fights are the worst--drawn out and brutal, when neither opponent can easily end it. They're also the most fun and exciting to watch, so they're as common as the ringmasters can make them.

The ringmasters are wholly indifferent to the fate of any given gladiator. After all, there's more where this one came from.

[voidsentprinces]

Job Quests

Gladiator: A woman leading a guild after her two companions had a falling out resulting in the death of her father. Years later turns out the guy everyone thought did it was innocent and the other dude was jealous and power hungry so she grows to learn the truth and becomes better for it.

Paladin: A dude who is inspired to become a Paladin but keeps getting gaslighted by the asshole who inspired him.

Marauder: Smash a bunch of rocks and then take down an over grown moose to avenge a boy's dead parents.

Warrior: The best way to harness your short temper is to use it in defense of those you love and care for.

Dark Knight: Aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you want to go apeshit? Well, maybe go apeshit when you have something to defend and don't forget, you cannot save everyone but you can do your damndest for those you have left.

Gunbreaker: Start off doing mercenary work and then if you're lucky, you have to fight Sephiroth more or less.

Pugilist: An old dude and has youthful protege definitely committing fraud but his old pupil and rival show up. So you gotta beat the elderly to save the guild.

Monk: The last heir to the Ala Mhigan throne who keeps having to deal with the sins of his sire.

Lancer: Start training as a lancer but get into a pissing contest with a dude who faces Gridania's racist beha--and he fell off a cliff. Let us never speak of this ever again.

Dragooon: Estinien is a dumbass. The Dragons are good actually. This one just needs to remember who she is!

Rogue: Someone set us up the bomb

Ninja: Proto-Fandaniel fucks with Doman Shinobi and you just have to go along with it. After that, its just Naruto filler episodes.

Samurai: Become an honorable samurai and then put down the most unhonorable of samurai including your mentor.

Reaper: Your trainer is a grizzled Garlean Matron leading a ragtag band of mercenaries. But when a trauma of her storied past re-emerges, literally, you hunt that sucker down and give her her justice.

Conjurer: Look at this little shit trying to forget her past by being the best there is. The kids got heart though much to the chagrin to the ten thouse year old kid who leads your guild.

White Mage: You're here to be a family councillor.

Arcanist: Meet this cat girl, she has some trauma from this pirate. Dance for her mentor for the fun of it then punch out the pirate.

Scholar: You're here to be a couples councillor.

Astrologian: Its miracle astrology last this long with how much of a shit show Sharlayan and Ishgard are. Luckily the only competent woman doing Astrology is here to help, reluctantly.

Sage: How many backstabs and plot twists can we stuff into 10 levels?

Archer: Start training as a archer but get into a pissing contest with a dude who forces Gridania's racist behavior onto a cat girl making her almost join some poachers--and he said he was sowwwwwwyyyyy. Let us never speak of this ever again.

Bard: Learn from a storied bard and help him work through his guilt. Then ship two men as you travel across the realm.

Machinist: Everything from classism to arranged marriage can be solved with guns.

Dancer: Death and stress of death are imminent, dance like there's no tomorrow.

Thaumaturge: Begin training as a mage but then become a baby sitter. But oh no the baby is possessed by a powerful voidsent! Kill the voidsent and save a family of like...Nonupletes.

Black Mage: Give a powerful Black Mage the death he feels he deserves by gaining to much power but accidentally sacrificing his friends in the process. Then beat up a Black Mage fan club and watch romance blossom between a cleric who won't stop calling a woman a heretic and the aforemention woman possessed by the greatest black mage who ever live. Then I dunno...stop a meteor shower or some shit.

Summoner: Here's Y'shtola's sister. Gain the power of the gods and anime on your side. In the process beat up a man best described as "IM A GENIUS! OH NO!", a group of Ascians, and I kind of forget what happens after that.

Red Mage: The hottest man in the world teaches you how to red mage. In the process you'll adopt an amnesiacstic woman, beat the hot man's old class mate and then kill a Voidsent Royal. All while the man becomes increasingly sexier with every cutscene.

Blue Mage: What if we turned a con job into a humanitarian effort?