#it's just like Gallus all over again

[dysonbradleyreblogs]

I think I just lost 2 good friends

#not a reblog #personal #vent #we were all part of this group thingy and we were doing a project and #I was kinda ultimately useless because of my inexperience and I felt uncomfortable because we were supporting someone who harassed me #and like I sent a message saying I quit basically but #what if it was too whiny? #what if I was super manipulative without even realizing it? #it's just like Gallus all over again #I had these really cool friends and ended up pushing them away because some responsibility scared me #have I really not changed at all? #they haven't messaged me since and I don't think they ever will again #I just kinda wish they'd yell at me or something so I'd know that they don't want to talk to me anymore #but now they're just. gone #I know this is my own doing #I know I screwed up #I just don't know why I haven't changed a single bit since Gallus left me #you'd think someone significant leaving you because you were a manipulative asshole would #idk #like #stop you from being a manipulative asshole? #they're such cool people too I feel so awful that they had to put up with me #especially after they helped me through tough times like how could I treat them like that? #and for what? some butthurt feelings and a grudge? #I can't keep a friendship to save my life

[thana-topsy]

I’ve lost count of who all has tagged me in a WIP Wednesday post, so THANK YOU all my beautiful tesblr buddies. I was very busy yesterday, and today was hectic as well, so I’m rolling in late.

I’ll double whammy my wips and include some art and some writing. The brainrot continues, and I believe it to be terminal at this stage.

Urag with an undercut. Urag With An Undercut.

And here's a snippet from the fic I'm currently working on featuring these guys again some more:

---

“Thought I might find you up here.”

Enthir took another long drag from his cigarette, his eyes trained on the lights of Winterhold, winking like distant stars across the dark chasm that separated the city from the college. He exhaled, the wind snatching away the smoke as soon as it left his lips. “Were you looking for me?”

Urag leaned against the wall to his right, upwind. “It’d been a few days since I’d last seen you slinking around the grounds.”

“Business in town,” Enthir said by way of explanation. “Been staying at the Hearth.” 

He saw Urag study his profile out of the corner of his eye, but Enthir didn’t look at him. “There’s more to it than that.”

Fuck you, old man, Enthir thought. He sighed and put the rolly out on the stone wall before flicking the butt over the side, watching it fall down into the darkness. “Got a visit from an old… friend.” He tongued the inside of his cheek. “Troubling news.”

“It never ends, does it?” Urag said with a sigh.   

“Apparently not.” Enthir arched his back, stretching until his sternum popped. “I’ll tell you more. Inside, though. Not gonna freeze my nuts off over all this.”

Urag followed Enthir back to his cramped quarters in the Hall of Attainment. He wasted no time making himself at home in one of the chairs, toeing off his boots and propping his feet up on Enthir’s bed. Enthir paced around the room, organizing some of the bits and bobs he’d left lying around—shuffling papers into stacks, dropping loose jewelry into various boxes. 

“I’ve long known the Guild has been going through hard times,” he started to explain. “Thanks to the near-endless business of our colleagues, I don’t have to rely on them as much as I used to. The new Arch-Mage had me nervous for a while there, but I think we’ve reached an understanding.”

“Wickwing is no Savos,” Urag agreed. “But she’d make an enemy of herself if she tried to push you out of the college. She’s smart enough not to mess around with the established order of things, so long as it’s good for the school.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Enthir muttered. 

“Did you step away from the Guild when it started going downhill?”

Enthir paused, looking down at the book on the top of the stack in his hands: The Nightingales by Gallus Desidenius. “You know when I stepped away from the Guild. And why.”

Urag grunted, but said nothing else on the matter. “So why’s their business your business all of a sudden? Just wash your hands of them. You’re doing them a favor, the way I see it. A fence this far north?” He clicked his tongue in lieu of finishing his sentiment. 

“That’s where this friend comes in.” He shoved the books one by one onto the shelf over his desk. “Karliah.”

“Karliah.” Urag repeated the name, as if thumbing through the dusty catalogs in his mind for the association attached to it. “Ah, right. Gallus’s woman.”

A needle of pain in Enthir’s chest made him wince. “Yep.”

“Didn’t she–?”

“Nope.”

Urag grunted again. “Well, that certainly shakes things up.”

#wip wednesday #topsy draws #topsy writes #enthir #urag gro shub #enthir/urag #skyrim fanfic #skyrim #elder scrolls #tesblr

[bradshawsbaby]

Si Vis Amari Ama

V. Revelations

SERIES MASTERLIST

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

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

Author’s Note: And we’re back! Once again, I apologize for how long it’s taken me to update this series. This chapter went through a lot of revisions, but it opens the door for a lot of events that will happen later in the story. Hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 10.4k

Warnings: Slavery in the ancient world, angst, discussion of atrocities committed in the past, allusions to physical abuse, references to injuries and gladiatorial combat, mentions of death, slow burn romance, alternating point of view.

Baking had always been one of your favorite chores, from the time you were a little girl. It reminded you of your mother and the hours the two of you would spend in the kitchen together, laughing and singing songs. Mater had always smelled of the flour that constantly dusted her cheeks and fingers, paired with the smoky tang of ashes from the baking stone. It was a scent that was all her own, and one that you missed more than anything in this world.

You were reminded of her every time your nimble fingers worked to knead fresh dough or shape the loaves for baking, which was why you had been thrilled when you and Phoenix were assigned to kitchen duties this morning.

With the household being as large as it was, the kitchen was always a beehive of activity, particularly this early in the morning. And the queen bee of this hive was Alba, an older Germanic woman who had been serving the Cornelius family since the time your dominus was a boy. A stern woman with a face that hardly smiled and brooked no argument, she ran the kitchen with an efficiency that rivaled the government officials of Emperor Domitian and she had little time for laziness or foolery. On more than one occasion, you had seen her reduce several of the girls to tears for not working up to her exacting standards.

As of yet, you and Phoenix had managed to avoid displeasing her, so whenever you were assigned to work in the kitchen, the two of you were normally entrusted with tasks that left you in relative peace. Right now, that meant that the both of you were settled in the small courtyard behind the kitchen, manning the ovens used for baking the sourdough bread that sustained the majority of the household, from Dominus and Domina all the way down to the lowliest slave.

You and Phoenix had been working together for the past hour in companionable silence, Phoenix stoking the flames that burned beneath each testum, the earthenware pots used for baking, while you shaped the dough into flattened rounds and carefully placed them onto the baking stones. It was a tricky business, baking bread, especially bread that had to pass Alba’s strict inspection. If the dough wasn’t left to bake long enough, it would remain sticky and undercooked, but if you left it for too long unattended, it would char and taste like ash. You had to wait until that perfect moment when the edges started to curl up from the stone just slightly, the top of the loaf a golden brown. Then it was ready.

Humming softly underneath your breath, you pinched off another mound of dough and quickly molded it before carefully placing it on an open baking stone, cautious not to burn your fingers. Noticing that one of the other loaves you’d set down earlier was ready, you peeled it off gently and left it to cool with the others. Stretching your arms over your head, you felt your joints pop and you let out a small sigh of relief as you pressed a fist into your lower back.

One thing about baking bread was that it required you to spend a great deal of time hunched over the ovens, which could be brutal on your back.

“Almost done, I think,” you told Phoenix, who looked up at you with an almost startled expression when you spoke. Your friend had looked preoccupied all morning, her mind clearly somewhere else as you worked. “With the bread, I mean,” you clarified, indicating all the loaves you had already baked. It would be enough for now, at least until dinner that evening.

“Oh, yes,” Phoenix nodded, laughing softly, though the laughter didn’t touch her eyes. “I think it will meet with Alba’s approval,” she grinned, rising from her spot on the ground and rubbing her own sore back.

“I hope so,” you replied with a smile, beginning to gather up the ready loaves and arranging them into baskets to carry back inside.

“Hmm, an expert healer and a master baker,” Phoenix mused, a small smile tugging at her lips as she pretended to scrutinize the bread. “Is there anything you cannot do, my sweet friend?”

Embarrassed by her praise, you shook your head and waved her off. “Plenty,” you retorted, kneeling down once more to check on the remaining loaves. “My mother taught me how to bake when I was very small,” you explained, gently prodding at one browning loaf to assess its progress. “It was something we always enjoyed doing together. I don’t remember much about my childhood anymore, but I do remember that,” you confessed softly, feeling a knot of emotion unfurl inside your chest. “Sometimes, when I’m baking, I hum the songs she used to sing to me, and it’s almost like I can feel her wrapping her arms around me again, guiding my hands and showing me what to do.”

Phoenix knelt beside you, a look of deep compassion and understanding on her face as she wrapped an arm around your shoulders. Words weren’t needed, which was what you had always appreciated about her friendship. She could say so much without ever uttering a word.

“You’ve never talked much about your childhood,” she said slowly, after a few moments of quiet.

“No, I haven’t,” you conceded, watching as the bread slowly curled away from the baking stone and quickly snatching it up before it burned. “But neither have you,” you added, raising your brows in a pointed expression as you looked over at her.

“Point well taken,” Phoenix laughed, sweeping away the ash from the fires as you collected the rest of the bread. She sighed then, a heavy sound that came from deep within her chest. “I don’t think too often of home anymore,” she admitted, brushing her sooty fingers on her tunic without a care for how Domina would react. “It hurts too much.”

“I understand,” you murmured with a nod, knowing exactly how she felt. It was painful to dwell too long on what had been, considering how both your childhoods had been so violently cut short.

Phoenix glanced over her shoulder at you, her dark eyes still and thoughtful as she seemed to consider something for a moment. Then she walked over to you, sitting you down on the bench behind you and taking the spot next to you.

“Have I ever told you the name of the island where I was born?” she asked, the early morning sun glinting off her dark hair as she gazed at you expectantly.

You shook your head. You knew that Phoenix had been born in Greece, but nothing more. You had learned over the years not to press anyone you worked with about their past. In a world where everything had been taken from you, the story of who you were, of where you had come from and of the dreams you’d once held dear, was the one thing that was still yours, the one treasure you could keep locked away inside your heart where not even the cruelest master could reach it. It was an unspoken rule among the enslaved that you didn’t try to pry that gift out of anyone’s hands unless they chose to bestow it upon you.

Phoenix took a deep breath, twisting her hands in her lap. Reaching over, you covered her hands with your own and offered her a soothing smile.

“You don’t have to tell me,” you assured her, knowing better than anyone that it was never easy to talk about the past.

“No, I want to,” Phoenix insisted, squeezing your hand as she straightened her spine. “Sabina, you’re the closest friend I’ve ever had. You’re like the sister I always wanted. I want you to know where I’ve come from.”

Touched, you swallowed back your emotion and smiled encouragingly, waiting in patient silence to let her begin. You would give her all the time and space that she needed.

“I was born on the island of Melos,” Phoenix began, glancing up at the sun as if imagining the place of her birth. “It’s a small island in the Aegean, right near Crete. It’s so beautiful there. The water is so blue, like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” she breathed out, her dark eyes growing filmy with memory.

“It sounds wonderful,” you said softly, trying to conjure up an image of it in your mind. Rome was all you had ever known, and the Tiber River was certainly not the bluest water you had ever seen.

“My people were fishermen,” she went on, smiling sadly at the thought of her family. “My father had his own boat, and he was good at what he did. My family always lived comfortably, and we always had enough of everything we needed. I had four older brothers, and they were all learning the trade of our father.” She glanced downward for a moment, trying to compose herself. “My mother always wanted me at home, helping with the chores, but I wanted to be on the sea, with my father and my brothers. My father used to joke that perhaps I was really a sea nymph and not their daughter.”

You smiled at that, feeling a pang in your heart for the close relationship your friend had shared with her family, and for the losses she had inevitably faced.

“When I was around four or five years old,” Phoenix continued, “my father started to take me with him on his boat. I used to stand at the bow and spread my arms out wide and pretend that I was flying. Have you ever been on a boat, Sabina?”

You shook your head, biting down on your lower lip. “No,” you admitted, though she made it sound so wonderful. “No, I’ve never left Rome.”

“Maybe one day,” she smiled, taking your hand in hers and squeezing. “I loved being on my father’s boat. No matter what was going on, I always wanted to go with him. One time I was playing with my brothers and I fell and broke my arm, but even then, I still tried to follow him out to the sea,” she recalled, laughing at the memory. “He called me his little phoenix, because he said that no matter what happened, I always managed to rise back up again from the ashes.” Her lashes were wet as she turned to look at you. “When they brought me to this city and made me give them my name, I told them it was Phoenix. I swore to myself that no matter what happened, I was going to keep rising again, just like my father said.”

“Oh, Phoenix,” you gasped softly, hugging your friend tightly as her tears started to fall. You had never seen her so emotional before, so open and vulnerable. You wanted to do whatever you could to comfort her and shield her from the pains of this life.

“No one knows what my real name is,” Phoenix told you, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “What my parents and my brothers called me.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” you told her, not wanting her to feel that she had to divulge all her secrets.

“It’s Nyx,” she said without missing a beat. “My parents said that when I was born, my hair was as black as midnight, so they named me for the goddess of night.”

“That’s beautiful,” you smiled. It suited her. “But you’ll always be Phoenix to me, my brave friend who rises from the ashes,” you added, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders and hugging her.

She smiled at that, sniffling softly as she rested her head against yours. The two of you sat in silence for a few moments. You weren’t sure if there was any more of her story that Phoenix wanted to share, but you wouldn’t push either way. It was her story to tell, how and when she wanted to.

As if sensing your thoughts, Phoenix suddenly sat upright and looked at you again. “I was eight years old when the Romans ransacked our island. We already belonged to the empire. I’ll never understand why they couldn’t just leave us in peace,” she whispered hoarsely, swallowing back her tears.

Your heart sank like a stone, dreading what she would tell you next.

“They killed all the men,” Phoenix said, covering her mouth with her hand as she clearly struggled with the memory of that day. “The boys, too, if they were old enough. My father and my brothers—they put them all to the sword,” she sobbed, her shoulders trembling as you held onto her. “They burned my father’s boat, our homes, everything. The women and the children they loaded up onto their ships and they brought us here in chains, like we were nothing. Like our lives were worth nothing more than a sack of grain or an amphora of wine.” She took a shuddering breath, trying to calm herself down. “The last time I ever saw my mother was that day at the slave market. A merchant from Egypt bought her and they just dragged her away from me. We were both screaming and crying, but the traders didn’t care. They told me to shut up and get back in line. To this day, I don’t know what ever became of her. But I want to believe that she’s safe, that she’s okay.”

“I hope so, too,” you murmured, tears streaming down your cheeks as you held your friend’s hands tightly in your own. “Oh, Phoenix, I’m so sorry,” you told her, your body hot with shame that your own people had wreaked such havoc and destruction in the lives of so many.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Phoenix said firmly, wiping your tears away with one hand even as she wiped away her own. “Look at us, a couple of bawling messes.” She looked into your eyes, smiling through her pain. “It’s been so long since I’ve spoken about my family. It wasn’t easy, but I’m glad that I did. Thank you for listening to me.”

“You would do the same for me,” you told her sincerely, knowing without a doubt that it was true.

“In a heartbeat,” Phoenix nodded. “Whatever you want to tell me, I’m here for you and I’m all ears,” she promised.

“Another time,” you murmured softly, patting her arm. It had already been a heavy enough morning, and the both of you would be in trouble if you didn’t get this bread back to the kitchen soon.

“There you two are,” Hrodebert announced in relief, suddenly appearing in the entryway of the courtyard. “Alba’s grumbling about how long you’re taking out here, but I think I managed to smooth things over,” he said with a crooked grin. With him and the old cook both being from Germania and sharing the same mother tongue, Hrodebert had managed to secure one of the limited soft spots in Alba’s heart, which he was sometimes able to work to the advantage of others.

“Such a grump that old woman is,” Phoenix huffed, wiping one last time at her eyes before she rose from the bench and pulled you up with her. “We’re coming, we’re coming.”

As he stepped closer and got a better look at your faces, Hrodebert seemed to realize that something significant had passed between the two of you and he looked between you apologetically. “That’s actually not the only reason I was coming to find you.”

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Phoenix tried to hide a smile as she nudged his arm playfully. “What is it now?”

“Titus is on his way to perform the physical inspections of all the gladiators,” Hrodebert explained, glancing over at you and noting your confused expression. “It happens every six months or so. Dominus wants to ensure that his gladiators are in top fighting form at all times, so he makes sure that they have physical evaluations at least twice a year.”

“And let me guess, the old man wants us to assist him,” Phoenix interjected, her voice filled with an undeniable affection for the medicus.

Hrodebert couldn’t help but smile at that, nodding. “Precisely. But you know it takes a while, so he said he wants them fed before he starts the inspections so they don’t start their grumbling. I’ve already sent some other girls over to feed the newer recruits, but can you two deliver breakfast to the Pugiones?”

“Of course,” you nodded, trying to mask how eager you felt. Domina had been keeping you busy around the household these past couple days, so you hadn’t had much of an opportunity to get over to the ludus. It had been a few days now since you’d last seen Gallus and you were shocked by just how much you missed his brooding presence.

You were so caught up in your own thoughts that you nearly missed the silent exchange that passed between Hrodebert and Phoenix, some unspoken conversation that had Phoenix looking a bit flustered. You raised a curious brow as you glanced between them, but knew it was better not to say anything.

“Come, Sabina,” Phoenix muttered quickly, helping you snatch up the baskets of bread you’d prepared and leading you back into the kitchen.

Alba gave a grumpy grunt of approval when she saw the loaves you’d baked, eyeing both you and Phoenix irritably. At least you were saved from a more severe tongue-lashing thanks to Hrodebert’s intervention. “There,” she stated bluntly, pointing at a large pot of bean stew, which was what the men of the ludus typically ate most mornings before their training bouts. Beside it was a small stack of earthen bowls on a wooden tray. “And take this,” she added, shoving one basket of bread into your hands.

Knowing it was no use to argue with Alba or give her any sort of attitude, you and Phoenix simply nodded and were off as quickly as possible, Phoenix hefting the pot of stew while you carried the tray with the bowls and bread.

“A woman’s work is never done, huh?” Phoenix teased, winking at you as you both crossed the barrier between the villa and the ludus.

“Never,” you grinned, feeling a small thrill rush through you once you stepped foot on the training grounds. Even after only a few days away, it felt nice to be back again.

As much as Gallus may have occasionally enjoyed his fellow gladiators’ company—in reasonable doses—they were starting to drive him crazy this morning. They’d all been dragged out of bed even earlier than usual, put through their paces of independent exercises before being informed that Titus was arriving shortly to conduct his physical examinations of every man in the ludus.

It felt ridiculous at this point, that the Pugiones needed to go through a whole show of being examined. Everyone knew that they were the fittest fighters in Rome, so it seemed pointless that Atticus made them perform this charade every few months.

Scattered among the training compound in the already hot sun, all of the men seemed cranky and tired, muttering to themselves or picking fights with one another.

But no one was crankier than Gallus. He’d been on edge these past few days, his mood shifting like the undercurrent of a storm, his frustration building up inside him like that of the caged lions and tigers they kept chained up in the labyrinth beneath the Colosseum.

No one dared say anything, but from the sideways glances they shot him whenever Titus or Phoenix arrived at the ludus without you by their sides, he knew they could all tell what was eating at him.

Where were you?

It had been three days now since he had last seen you and he felt like he was going insane. Phoenix assured him that Aurelia was just keeping you busy in the villa, but he needed to be able to see for himself that you were okay. That bruise on your wrist hadn’t been the last mark he’d seen on you, and it made his blood boil to think that even now, that miserable bitch was causing you even an ounce of pain.

Flexing his fists and breathing deeply through his nostrils, Gallus gritted his teeth and tried to drown out the conversation that was going on around him, pacing around the perimeter of the compound irritably.

“I’m starving,” Felix groaned, lying flat on his back on the small patch of grass beside the training grounds where the Pugiones practiced. He clutched his stomach like a dying man, sighing dramatically.

“Says the one who stole two servings of dinner last night,” Pollux smirked, dumping a handful of grass onto his fellow gladiator’s face.

“Hey!” Felix sputtered, sitting up and wiping the blades of grass out of his face with a grin. “I didn’t steal anything! I can’t help it if Flavia from the kitchens thinks I’m cute,” he teased, waggling his eyebrows.

“She doesn’t think you’re cute, she thinks you’re puny,” Caius jumped in, laughing as he prodded Felix’s leg with a sandaled foot. “She’s trying to fatten you up so you don’t get slaughtered in your next contest.”

“Slaughtered?” Felix scoffed, feigning offense as he jumped to his feet. “I’d like to see any man try. You just so happen to be looking at the greatest retiarius in all of Rome,” he smirked, bouncing lightly on his feet as he took playful jabs at Caius.

Caius smirked in return, eyes twinkling in amusement. “Oh, I’m really scared, fisherman,” he joked, deftly blocking all of Felix’s pretend hits.

“You should be,” Phoenix called out, startling both men. “Fishermen are some of the bravest men I know.”

Everyone’s heads, including Gallus’, whipped in the direction of Phoenix’s voice.

Carnifex nearly tripped in his effort to rise from the low wall where he’d been lounging lazily, the long blade of dry grass that had been stuck between his teeth falling to the ground in his haste.

Gallus barely noticed because just as his line of focus zeroed in on Phoenix, he caught sight of you following right behind her and he felt his heart begin hammering inside his chest.

There you were. You were okay, at least from what he could tell at this distance. Aurelia hadn’t been able to keep you away this time. Mouth suddenly feeling dry, he managed to get his feet moving, bringing him closer to you with every step. And when he saw that your eyes were on him, a small smile gracing your lips, he moved all the faster, feeling inexplicably drawn to you in a way that he still couldn’t comprehend.

“Alright, Pugiones, fall in line,” Phoenix called out, setting down a large pot of what smelled like—unsurprisingly—bean stew. “You’re only going to get your breakfast if you’re all on your best behavior,” she smirked, resting a hand on her hip.

“No cutting! I’m first!” Felix exclaimed, running to stand in front of Phoenix with an eager grin on his face.

“See? Look how quick on his feet he is! You all could learn a thing or two,” Phoenix laughed, winking playfully at Felix.

Pollux and Caius rolled their eyes, but chuckled as they fell in line behind Felix, followed by Carnifex and Gallus in the rear.

Gallus couldn’t tear his eyes away from you as you began moving down the line of men, handing each of them a bowl with a smile and a kind word of greeting.

“Nice to see you again, Sabina,” Pollux told you, grinning as he accepted his bowl. “We’ve missed you around here these past few days.”

“I’ve missed you all, too,” you murmured, almost shyly, which made Gallus’ chest tighten with the overwhelming need to protect you and make sure that no harm ever befell you.

When you finally came to the end of the line and looked up at him, he was embarrassed by the way that his breath caught in his throat. What had you done to him?

“Hello, Gallus,” you greeted him, your voice sounding so small as you held out a bowl to him.

He stared at it for a moment, as if not comprehending why you were giving it to him. Coming to his senses, however, he shook his head and reached out to take it from you, a jolt of lightning shooting up his arm as your fingers brushed against his. “Hello, Sabina,” he murmured in response.

“How have you been?” you asked, averting your gaze and staring down at your bare feet. He didn’t fail to notice the way you twisted your fingers in the folds of your tunic, a nervous habit. He had grown so accustomed to examining his opponents in the arena over the years and taking their measure in an instant that there wasn’t a single move you made that escaped his attention.

“Fine.” he replied, hating how sharp and short his words sounded. He was so used to being a brute, but he didn’t want to be one with you. Trying to soften his tone slightly, he said, “I’ve been fine. How have you been?” His eyes quickly scanned your arms for any visible signs of Aurelia’s brutality. He noted one small bruise near your elbow, which made him grit his teeth and tighten his grip on the bowl you’d handed him, but otherwise you looked to be physically unharmed.

“I’ve been fine, too,” you replied, glancing up at him and piercing him with a small smile.

“Good. That’s good,” Gallus murmured, suddenly feeling at a loss for words, which made a growing sense of panic rise within him.

He was saved at that moment, however, when Phoenix called out to him, “Come on, Gallus. We haven’t got all morning.” She tapped her foot against the ground, feigning impatience as he sheepishly shuffled forward for his breakfast. “There you are,” she said, scooping a hearty helping of the bean stew into his bowl. “And take a round of bread, too. Sabina made it just this morning,” she added with a knowing grin.

He could feel his ears growing hot at his friend’s pointed comment, quickly snatching up a small loaf of bread and mumbling his thanks before turning to look for a place to sit down.

“Why don’t you ask Sabina to sit with you?” Phoenix asked in a low voice, grinning slyly. “Titus wants us to help with the physicals, so we’ll be here all morning,” she told him, merriment sparkling in those dark eyes of hers.

With that, she sauntered off to sit with the rest of the Pugiones, taking a spot in between Caius and Carnifex.

Clearing his throat, Gallus slowly approached you, noting the way you looked like a skittish deer as you clearly debated what you were supposed to do without Phoenix right by your side. He felt a sudden rush of gratitude for the friendship the two of you shared. He knew that Phoenix looked out for you, and it was good for her to have a friend in the household as well, one she could trust the way she clearly trusted you.

“Would you, um, like to sit down…with me?” Gallus asked awkwardly, mentally kicking himself. Could he sound any more like a giant oaf?

Your eyes widened a fraction as you looked up at him, but you nodded your head, following behind him as he found a comfortable spot for the two of you on the grass, just a few feet away from where the others were sitting. Felix was loudly rejoicing about how good the stew was.

Starving after an early morning of exercises, Gallus began to swallow down the stew quickly, though he flushed in embarrassment when he noticed the way you were politely averting your gaze, picking at the grass near your feet.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, lowering his bowl and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I really am a barbarian, aren’t I? I’m not used to eating my meals in front of a lady,” he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck as his face and chest burned red.

“Oh, no,” you insisted, shaking your head. “Please, enjoy your breakfast. Don’t take any pains on my account. I’m not a lady. I’m just a slave,” you said, lifting one shoulder in a meek shrug.

His heart broke for you in that moment because he could tell that you really believed what you said. There was no guile in your tone, no self-pity or victimhood. You had resigned yourself to this life, to the way most people saw you. You had accepted it.

But he wouldn’t.

“No,” he said firmly, waiting until he had your full attention before he went on. “You’re a lady, Sabina. Don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.”

You seemed embarrassed at that, lowering your head so that your hair shielded part of your face, hiding it from view. But he caught, for just the briefest moment, a tiny smile curving your lips and he felt more triumphant than all the times he’d been declared the victor in the arena.

“Thank you, Gallus,” you whispered, the sound of his name on your lips warming him from the inside out.

Not wanting to make you uncomfortable, he changed the subject, lifting up the small loaf of bread he’d taken with his stew. “Phoenix said you baked the bread this morning,” he noted, tearing off a piece and taking a bite. He didn’t think he’d ever tasted sourdough so good before in his life. “It’s delicious,” he complimented, his words ringing with sincerity.

“Thank you,” you murmured again, looking pleased. “My mother taught me how to make bread when I was a little girl,” you told him, brushing your hair behind your ear.

“I’m sure she would be very proud of what you’ve made today,” he told you truthfully, taking another bite.

“I hope so,” you said, chewing on your bottom lip. Your voice had gone much softer now. “She’s gone now.”

He felt the bread lodge in his throat, suddenly tasting like a stone. What had he been thinking, saying something so stupid as that? Feeling like an apology wouldn’t be adequate, he instead said, “Mine, too.”

His eyes met yours and he could see a flicker of empathy there, of understanding. “I’m sorry.” The words, so trite from anyone else, sounded like a cooling balm coming from your mouth.

“I’m sorry, too,” he murmured, feeling closer to you at that moment than he had with anybody else in a very long time.

Glancing down at the half-eaten food still resting in his lap, it suddenly dawned on him that you were sitting there empty-handed. “Are you hungry? Have you eaten enough today?” he asked, feeling once again like a giant oaf.

You waved away his concern with one hand, smiling slightly. “I had something this morning,” you assured him. Something about the way you said it, however, made him feel like you were evading the question.

“But are you hungry?” he repeated, indicating the large pot of stew that still rested on the grass behind him.

“I’m fine,” you insisted, shaking your head. He didn’t fail to notice the way your lower lip caught between your teeth. “That food is for the gladiators.”

Ah, so that was it. You’d been told you couldn’t eat the food that was prepared for the men of the ludus. Frowning, he tore off a huge hunk of the bread you yourself had made and handed it to you. “Eat,” he told you.

“Gallus, really, I don’t—”

“Eat,” he said again, his tone brooking no argument. He watched out of the corner of his eye as you sighed, but slowly began nibbling on the bread. You were trying to hide it, but he could sense that you were much hungrier than you had been letting on.

“If you’re ever hungry, you can take the food right off my plate,” he said suddenly, looking directly into your eyes as he spoke. “I mean it. They give me more than I can eat anyway.”

“I suppose they need their champion well fed,” you replied, rewarding him with a smile that could have rivaled the sun.

He smiled in return. It felt like a long time since he had last done that. “I suppose so,” he conceded. “But a lady deserves her fill, too.”

You giggled at his words, and he felt his chest puff up with pride. It felt like a private joke now that the two of you shared, something that only you and he would understand. He liked that. He liked that very much.

The two of you sat together in comfortable silence for a while, Gallus enjoying simply being in your presence. He finished his bean stew, while you took small bites of bread. Occasionally, snatches of conversation from the others would float over towards you, but Gallus was more than happy to stay lost in this little private world, just you and him.

“That’s healing quite nicely,” you said suddenly, pointing at the long scar now running across his chest—the injury that had first brought your worlds colliding together. The skin was still a bit raised and tender to the touch in certain spots, but it was healing over as well as could be expected, given the nature of it. “Titus really is a master medicus.”

“Just don’t let him hear you say that,” Gallus whispered conspiratorially, a hint of humor sparking to life in his dark eyes. “He already thinks he knows everything and loves to boss us around. I shudder to think what your praise would do to him.”

Your praise, he had come to realize, would be enough to bring a dying man back from the brink of the Underworld.

“He might end up as cocky as Carnifex,” you teased, the playfulness in your tone catching him off guard as much as your words did.

Stunned, Gallus let out a loud laugh, which caught the startled attention of the others for a moment. He so rarely laughed that it was a sound everyone, himself included, was unaccustomed to.

“Phoenix is starting to rub off on you, I see,” he chuckled, lowering his voice.

“Maybe a little bit,” you grinned, nodding your head.

The both of you glanced over to where the others were still sitting, engaged in some conversation that had them all particularly animated. Gallus couldn’t help but notice the way Carnifex had wedged himself closer to Phoenix’s side, their knees brushing together. And Phoenix was doing nothing to push him away. A small furrow developed between his brows as he frowned, but he was distracted from wondering further about what was happening between them when your voice suddenly brought him back to the present moment.

“What happened here?”

Turning his head, he was a bit startled to see that you had moved closer to him, just a handbreadth away from him now. He was trained to sense even the smallest movements around him. How had you managed to be so stealthy that he hadn’t even noticed you approaching? Your movements were so delicate and light, like the fluttering of a dove’s wings.

Torn away from his private musings, he realized that you were indicating a large bruise on his shoulder, the dark purple of his mottled skin slowly giving way to a yellowish-green.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he assured you, brushing it off. “I got hit with a shield the other day during a practice bout. Pollux is a fierce opponent,” he said, admiration coloring his voice as he spoke of his fellow Pugio.

“You respect them,” you said, your hands resting in your lap as you looked at him straight on. It was a statement, not a question. “Your fellow gladiators, I mean.”

“Of course,” Gallus nodded, setting his empty bowl down in the grass beside him. “Even my opponents. I know that none of us chose this life. We’re all just doing what we must to survive. I can’t begrudge a man doing all he can to cling to his life.”

He noticed the shudder that ran down your spine, didn’t fail to pick up on the way your chin dipped downward and you began picking at a loose thread on your tunic. “It must be hard,” you murmured, your voice so low he almost missed what you said. “Having to—having to take a man’s life just to keep your own.”

Swallowing, he nodded his head once, sharply. “It never gets any easier.”

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. Your hand reached out and came to rest over his, your delicate fingers pressing warmth into his large, scarred ones.

He suddenly found it very hard to breathe, or to form a coherent thought. But he managed to gruffly mutter, “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“But I’m sorry all the same,” you countered, piercing him once more with those large, innocent eyes of yours.

You would be the death of him.

The private little world the two of you had been occupying was all too soon invaded by the sound of Titus’ arrival, everyone scrambling to clean up the remains of their morning meal when they realized that Atticus had come with the medicus, evidently wanting to oversee the examinations himself.

He always did keep a careful eye on his investments, Gallus thought with disgust.

Phoenix quickly dusted herself off and grabbed you by the hand, the two of you keeping your heads down and your mouths shut, doing whatever Titus asked of you.

It was a long morning, the evaluations feeling even more thorough and intense than they usually were. Gallus’ frown grew deeper as he heard Atticus bark orders at Titus, forcing the old man to push the gladiators even harder, nearly to the breaking point for some of the newer recruits.

You and Phoenix were providing water to the men, and a soft word of encouragement when Atticus was out of hearing range. No matter where you were, Gallus’ eyes sought you out, following you around the compound like a hapless beggar, desperate for even a glimpse of you.

When he turned and caught sight of Atticus staring intently at him, however, he stiffened and hardened his expression, standing up straight and gazing ahead with a look of feigned disinterest.

Atticus knew better than just about anybody how to sniff out weaknesses and exploit them for his own gain. Gallus had seen him do it time and time again in the years since he’d been forced into his ludus. It had always been easy for him to make sure that Atticus never found any weakness in him, mainly because he cared so little whether he lived or died. There was nothing, he thought, that Atticus could take from him that hadn’t already been taken, nothing he could hold over his head.

Until now.

Atticus was a lot of things, but a fool wasn’t one of them. And if he had noticed the way Gallus had been watching you, then nothing would stop him from sussing out what you were coming to mean to him.

He couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t let that happen.

Gallus might not be able to protect you from Aurelia’s clutches in the villa, but he would protect you from Atticus’ schemes.

For the rest of that morning and into the afternoon, Gallus pointedly avoided meeting your gaze or looking in your general direction at all. Let Atticus believe him to be completely indifferent to you, just as he had been completely indifferent to all the other pretty slave girls that had been paraded in front of him throughout the years. It was the best way—the only way—to keep you safe.

But late at night, as he lay alone in his bed, his thoughts were consumed by you and only you. That longing, that ache, that had so often plagued him in the middle of the night—the one he thought he had long since rooted out of his heart—was back with a vengeance, screaming out to him in agony.

And when he did finally manage to fall into a fitful sleep, he dreamed of nothing but the feel of soft, delicate hands, their touch as gentle as the flutter of a dove’s wings.

As the days and weeks passed, he realized that the only time he knew peace was when he looked upon your face.

Only you quieted the desperation screaming inside him.

Only you.

The next few weeks passed in relative peace within the household of Atticus Cornelius Juventus. Dominus and Domina had been attending parties on the Palatine more frequently, often until the early hours of the morning, which meant that Domina in particular had less time for tormenting the household servants.

It also meant that you and Phoenix, as well as the others, had a bit more freedom to come and go as you pleased around the villa once all your chores were done. As the stewards of the household, Hrodebert and the other men who ran things were always conscious to make sure that everything was kept up to your master’s exacting standards, but they were also more than willing to turn the other way when those who had performed their duties sought a small break.

For you and Phoenix, it meant that you had the ability to spend more time with your friends in the ludus without worrying about the watchful eye and  jealous rage of Domina.

In the time since you had started working more regularly in and around the ludus, your friendship with the Pugiones had grown stronger and stronger. Where you had once been terrified to go near gladiators, now you found yourself counting the fiercest fighters in Rome among your closest friends and protectors. They were like the older brothers you had never had. Seeing the way that Phoenix interacted with them, and knowing now that she had lost her own brothers, you knew she felt the same.

You loved them all, but you would be lying if you said that each time you stepped foot onto the ludus’ grounds, your eyes didn’t immediately seek out one above all the others.

Gallus.

In the weeks since the two of you had sat together over his breakfast, your relationship with the famed gladiator had continued to grow in ways that set your heart aflutter. You’d been concerned that day of the physical examinations, when Gallus had refused to even look at you after you’d shared such a personal revelations with one another, but the next time you’d seen him, with none around but Titus and the others, he’d smiled at you once more and you felt yourself breathing easier again.

With Dominus and Domina being more frequently occupied outside the household, it gave you and Gallus more opportunities to speak with one another over the meals you served him or while you were tending to his injuries. You found that you were no longer afraid to share your thoughts with him, and you were pleased to discover that his smiles and laughter were becoming more frequent.

At night, when you came to deliver his evening meal to his cell, you even managed to sit with him for a little while, when Atticus and Aurelia were out of the house.

“Will you stay with me?” he asked one night, the first time he had ever done so. Normally, you just dropped off his meal with a smile and then hurried back to the villa with Phoenix. “Just for a little while,” he quickly amended, blushing. You could tell he didn’t want you to think he intended for you to spend the night with him, which made your own skin grow warm.

Since your master and mistress were out for the evening, you nodded and stepped inside, keeping him company as he ate.

“I figured I could still use some more practice, eating in front of a lady,” he told you with a small, lopsided grin that warmed your heart.

After that night, whenever Atticus and Aurelia were out for the evening, you sat with him in his cell, the two of you talking of nothing and everything as he ate his dinner, his table manners growing more civilized with each passing visit.

“I think you’ve finally mastered eating in front of a lady,” you joked one evening, your eyes crinkling as you smiled at him.

He smiled back, his dark eyes glowing like amber in the light of the candle beside him. “And you’ve finally mastered referring to yourself as a lady,” he teased in return, a warmth in his expression that turned your insides to mush.

“We’re both learning,” you murmured softly, surprised when he pushed part of his meal towards you. “What’s this?”

“Your dinner,” he told you, waving his hand over the food. “I told you, they feed me more than I can eat, and I don’t think they feed you nearly enough.”

You bit your lower lip, a pang of hunger in your belly confirming his words. You hesitated for only a moment before tearing off a piece of bread and dipping it into the barley and bean stew that Alba had prepared.

“Thank you,” you whispered, savoring what you could of your shared meal.

“You’re welcome,” Gallus said softly, a hint of some emotion in his voice that you couldn’t quite place.

The two of you easily fell into a routine in the evenings when you were free from the watch of your masters, sharing meals together and enjoying one another’s company for longer and longer stretches of time until you finally had to force yourself to leave, Phoenix always meeting you near the gate of the ludus.

“Where does Phoenix go, while you’re here with me?” Gallus asked curiously, knowing that the two of you always came together to deliver meals to the Pugiones.

“She visits with the others,” you explained, laughing as you told him about the coins your friend had managed to win from Pollux and Felix after a successful game of knucklebones.

Tonight, as you and Gallus enjoyed a vegetable broth that Alba had spent all day preparing, you took stock of the increased amount of food on the tray you’d delivered. In fact, you had noticed over the course of the past several days that the portions of all the gladiators’ meals had been steadily increasing.

“Is Alba afraid you’re all starving over here? She keeps putting more and more food on your plates,” you joked, taking a small bite of bread as you gazed across the small table at him.

Instead of laughing as you thought he might, Gallus’ expression sobered and he dropped his bread beside his bowl. “The summer festivals will be starting soon,” he said in a low voice, as if that would be explanation enough.

When you simply blinked in confusion, he added, “That means more rich Romans will be trying to win the people’s—and the Emperor’s—favor by sponsoring games.”

As his meaning sank in, you felt your stomach hollow out. Suddenly nauseous, you let your own piece of bread fall back down to the table as well.

Besides that first day that you’d met Gallus, when he’d been so horribly injured in a fight, you hadn’t seen him or any of the other Pugiones actually leave the compound for a bout in the Colosseum. Some of the newer men had gone—many of whom had not returned—but never the champions of the ludus. Phoenix had explained to you once that because they were so popular and sought after, Atticus had the luxury of being more choosy about which games he enrolled them in. The Pugiones had earned enough fame and status that they were considered a major draw in the arena—and Atticus used that to his advantage to charge a hefty price for their public appearances.

It had been a couple months now since any of them had fought publicly, but with the summer festivals coming up, that meant more elaborate games would be hosted in the Colosseum. And those who sought to curry the most favor would pay whatever money they had to to ensure the best.

Gallus and the others would be fighting again soon.

Seeing the understanding dawn on your face, Gallus winced slightly. “They always start to increase our rations when we have to prepare for the games. We train for longer hours, and we have to be at our best when we fight in the arena.” His voice was flat, unfeeling, as he explained it to you.

“So it will be soon then?” you questioned, hearing the emotion catch in your voice.

“We haven’t been informed of anything yet, but I would guess within the next month or so,” Gallus nodded, his shoulders drooping slightly as he lowered his head.

“You’ll be fine,” you said, more to reassure yourself than him. “You and the others, you’ll all be fine. You always come back,” you murmured, trying to fight the rising tide of anxiety within you. “You’ll come back.”

Gallus lifted his head and met your gaze over the flickering candlelight, something intense and inscrutable in his eyes. “I’ll come back,” he promised, nodding his head slowly.

The two of you sat and finished your meal in silence, both of you lost in your own thoughts and fears. When all the food was finally gone, you stood on trembling legs, knowing that Phoenix would probably be waiting for you and that you should be getting back to the villa.

Gallus stood as soon as you did, his large frame dwarfing you in the already tight confines of his cell. “Sabina,” he murmured, reaching out and lightly brushing his fingertips against your arm.

Unbidden tears started burning the backs of your eyes, but you looked up at him anyway, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

He did.

“Everything is going to be fine, I promise,” he told you, squeezing your arm gently. He let go a second later, as if afraid to touch you for too long.

You just nodded, knowing your voice would betray you if you spoke.

“Get back safely,” he whispered, a rugged tenderness in his voice as he walked you to the door. “And get some rest.” You could feel his fingers gently catching on the ends of your hair, which you’d worn loose tonight.

“Good night, Gallus,” you said softly, gazing up at him one last time.

“Good night, Sabina.”

And then you were gone, into the night.

You quickly approached the gate that led back to the villa, assuming Phoenix would already be there waiting for you. The apology you’d been conjuring up died on your lips, however, when you realized that she wasn’t there. Frowning in confusion, you glanced around, wondering if perhaps she was playing a trick on you, hiding behind some shrubbery. You knew for a fact that she never would have left the ludus without you.

For a moment, you grew worried, but then you let out a breath and a soft laugh, figuring that she had also lost track of the time and was probably still swindling Pollux and Felix out of some pocket change.

Doubling back, you approached the cells of the other Pugiones, assuming that Phoenix must still be inside with some of them. As you headed towards Pollux’s and Felix’s cells, however, you suddenly caught a snatch of light coming from Carnifex’s cell, where the door was the tiniest bit ajar. You thought nothing of it until you suddenly heard Phoenix’s voice coming from within. Letting out a sigh of relief, you stepped closer to the door, but froze when the conversation happening inside became clearer.

“How many times do I have to tell you that it’s dangerous?” Phoenix whispered, a worried edge in her tone.

Surprised, you glanced through the small crack in the door and were shocked to see your friend’s hands splayed across the blonde gladiator’s bare chest, while his hands were wrapped around her waist.

“And how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t care?” Carnifex countered, keeping his voice down only when Phoenix pressed a hand to his lips.

“You should care,” she hissed, groaning in frustration. “Hrodebert already figured it out. Do you really want someone else to find out and have to bear the burden of knowing?”

“I don’t care if it’s dangerous and I don’t care who knows,” Carnifex muttered stubbornly. “All I know is that I want you.” And with that, he swallowed up any further arguments Phoenix would have made with a kiss, his fingers buried in her dark hair as she melted against him.

You couldn’t help it. You gasped, your eyes widening as you clapped a hand over your mouth, stupefied.

Letting out horrified gasps of their own, Phoenix and Carnifex whirled around, catching sight of you at the door.

“I’m sorry!” you whispered, turning in a panic and fleeing back towards the villa.

“Sabina!” Phoenix called after you, the sound of her running footsteps catching up to you before you could reach the gate.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” you told her, fearing she would be angry with you. “I didn’t mean to—I shouldn’t have—”

“Sh, sh, sh,” Phoenix whispered, covering your mouth with both her hands until she could tell that you had calmed down somewhat. Slowly lowering her hands, she looked into your eyes, remorse and sadness evident there even under the dark cover of night. “It’s alright, Sabina. I’m the one who’s sorry,” she said softly. She glanced over both her shoulders before saying, “Come with me.”

Taking your hand, Phoenix pulled you through the gate, but instead of heading towards the house, she pulled you in the direction of the small bathhouse that Atticus and Aurelia had recently renovated on their property. Checking that it was empty of any of the other servants, she dragged you inside and lit a candle, settling you both down on a bench fit into an alcove in the wall.

“Phoenix, I’m so sorry,” you apologized again, mortified beyond belief. “I didn’t mean to spy on you. I just went to the gate and you weren’t there and I thought that maybe—”

Phoenix held up a hand to cut you off, silencing you with that single gesture. “Sabina, you don’t have to apologize. This is my fault. I lost track of time and I was being stupid. I—well, obviously you know what you saw,” she sighed, twisting her hands in her lap.

“H-how long? Have you and Carnifex—?” To say you were stunned would be an understatement. But as the shock slowly wore off, you were suddenly reminded of all the small signs you had noticed and failed to pay much attention to, the hidden looks and innocent touches, the way their eyes seemed to communicate without saying a word.

“It started before you even came to the household,” Phoenix confessed, running a hand through her dark hair.

Your eyes widened at that revelation. It had been going on the entire time you’d known her, and yet you’d never put the pieces together.

Realization struck you. 

“Is that where you go at night? The reason why you come back to our quarters so late sometimes?” you asked, thinking how much more sense it made now.

“Sometimes I really am helping Hrodebert with the accounts,” she replied, looking ashamed. “But…yes.”

You sat back and took a deep breath, letting that information wash over you. How had you not figured it out? Why had Phoenix not told you? You felt a small stab of hurt. You thought the two of you shared almost everything with each other.

“I would never tell,” you murmured, looking over at her crestfallen face. “If you had told me, Phoenix, I promise I would have kept your secret.”

“I know that,” Phoenix rushed to tell you, taking your hand in between hers and pressing an affectionate kiss to the back of it. “Oh, I know that. It wasn’t because I didn’t trust you that I didn’t tell you. It’s because I wanted to protect you. And everyone else. I didn’t want Hrodebert to know either. He just figured it out.”

You looked at her in confusion. “I don’t understand. Why would you not telling us protect us? Protect us from what?”

“From having to lie for us,” Phoenix whispered miserably. “If Atticus—or Aurelia—ever suspected, if they started asking questions—I don’t want any of you to have to make up lies to protect us.”

“Why would they even care? What concern is it to them?” you demanded, feeling a growing anger on behalf of your friend, that she had to sneak around and lie like this, just to feel safe.

Phoenix let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, my sweet Sabina. You really are too good and innocent for this world. Atticus and Aurelia prey on weakness. They seek it out and they exploit it. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. If they knew what’s been going on between me and Carnifex—if they found out—”

“Do you love him?” you asked, cocking your head to the side as you gazed into your friend’s eyes.

Phoenix froze at your question, avoiding your eyes as she leaned back and ran a tired hand down her face. “I—I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m such a fool,” she whispered, her voice filled with pain.

“But do you love him?” you pressed, thinking of the way you’d seen her clinging to him in his cell.

“I—I shouldn’t love him,” she whimpered brokenly, burying her face in her hands. “It’s better for the both of us if I don’t love him. And he shouldn’t love me either. But I just—we—we can’t stay away from each other.”

“Oh, Phoenix,” you murmured gently, wrapping your arms around her in a comforting embrace. You understood what she was saying. As hard as you tried, you didn’t think you could stay away from Gallus either, even if your relationship with him wasn’t quite the same as Phoenix’s with Carnifex.

“I’m scared,” Phoenix confessed in a small voice, holding tightly to you. “I’m scared of what will happen if anyone else finds out.”

“What would Atticus and Aurelia do?” you wondered, suddenly feeling terrified to know the answer.

“They’re so cruel, especially that witch Aurelia,” Phoenix whispered, not directly answering your question. “She can’t have the Pugiones, and she doesn’t want anyone else to have them either. Before you came—” She seemed to shudder with the memory of it.

“What?” you asked, biting down on your lower lip. “What happened?”

Phoenix took a deep breath, sitting up straight and turning to look at you head on. “Before you came, there was another gladiator in the Pugiones. His name was Rufus. He was one of the best. And he fell in love with one of the slave girls in the house, Niobe. They used to sneak around to see each other. But Aurelia figured out what was going on, that jealous bitch. All she had to do was say the word, and the very next day Atticus sold Niobe to a friend of his who was moving his family to Sicilia.”

You gasped in horror. How was it that Domina’s cruelty still didn’t fail to shock you?

“Rufus was heartbroken,” Phoenix went on, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. “He wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t sleep, wouldn’t talk to anybody.”

“What happened to him?” you asked quietly, a bad feeling growing in the pit of your stomach.

Phoenix let out a sigh, heavy-laden with sadness. “He told the others that he had nothing left to live for with Niobe gone. Nothing left to fight for. Atticus enrolled him in the Saturnalia games, and—and—Gallus told me later that he just gave up. He didn’t fight back. He didn’t want to win. They say he died in the arena that day, but I know that he died long before that. He died the day they took Niobe away from him.”

You lowered your head and closed your eyes, your heart moved with sadness for the ill-fated lovers.

“That’s why I’m afraid,” Phoenix whispered, resting her head on your shoulder. “That’s why I don’t want anyone else having to bear the burden of knowing what’s going on between me and Carnifex. I should end things with him. I know I should. It would be safer for both of us. But I—”

“You love him,” you told her. It was no longer a question.

“Oh, Sabina,” Phoenix cried, her face crumpling as she started to sob in earnest.

“Sh, sh, it will be alright,” you cooed softly, pressing your cheek against the top of her head and rocking her back and forth slowly. “Everything is going to be fine, I promise,” you assured her, echoing the same words Gallus had told you earlier.

The two of you stayed a while longer in the bathhouse until Phoenix had composed herself enough to return to the main house.

Crawling onto your sleeping mats in the slave quarters, you curled up side by side, Phoenix slipping her hand into yours and squeezing tightly until she finally fell asleep.

Sleep evaded you, however. Pulling your knees up to your chest, you silently reflected on all you had learned of that night—the upcoming summer games, Phoenix and Carnifex’s affair, the story of Rufus and Niobe.

In the midst of it all, Gallus’ face kept flashing in your mind, his dark eyes shining brightly like they did whenever they were illuminated by candlelight, his scars standing out sharply against his tanned skin.

The peaceful picture was suddenly replaced by a horrific scene as your mind conjured up images of him being cut down in the arena, slaughtered during the summer games as Atticus and Aurelia laughed.

He just gave up. He didn’t fight back. He didn’t want to win.

A cold chill ran down your spine and you squeezed your eyes shut tightly, trying to force away those savage thoughts.

Gallus had promised you that he would come back, that everything would be fine. It had to be. It just had to be.

But would it?

Much like doomed Rufus, you were no longer sure you would know how to go on in a world without Gallus.

Closing your eyes and covering your face with your hands, you prayed to every god you could think of that you would never have to find out.

#bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster x reader #x reader #x female reader #hannix #hangman x phoenix #top gun #top gun: maverick #miles teller #Ancient Rome AU #si vis amari ama ⚔️

[slen-tiid-vo]

NSFW headcanons for a few characters

Contains brynjolf, ulfric, rikke, karliah, serana, Astrid, miraak, and teldryn

Brynjolf

Whats the opposite of a power bottom? Fuck it, a Brynjolf is the opposite of a power bottom. This man takes the reins, but he's going wherever the fuck his partner points, you feel me? Brynjolf is the kind of guy who gets so into being on top/dominate, that he circles back around into this odd type of submission. Loses all control even if he, technically, is the one in control.

Boy's got a knack with his fingers and hands that would make Dibella damn proud of him.

Favors slow, sensual encounters. Brynjolf would rather have a deeply erotic, charged moment full of intimacy and sensuality, than actually have sex. The anticipation is addictive to him. He can do something rougher, and with enthusiasm, but those long, drawn out, torturously slow affairs rewrites his brain chemistry.

Ulfric

Has fucked one person, in his whole life, and has no intention of ever doing so again. It was a girl he fell in love with in the Legion, and they planned to marry after it was all over. Well. "Over" never came, and she sided with the Legion. He still thinks of her, and misses her.

When he was with her, his greatest asset was his voice; he was a sweet talker who didn't shut up, and she loved his deep voice and thick accent right in her ear. The voice is still an allure, but only if you can get him talking, now. Would be much more reserved in bed these days

Eats pussy but the beard is...an acquired taste

Rikke

Has done damage with those thighs in and out of the bedroom, first of all

Had the drive of a saber cat in heat when she was younger. Now, she just has the ferocity, and none of it translates in bed. If she has the time, and is that desperate, to hook up, wants it done quickly and efficiently. Its like a trip to the healer rather than something to enjoy

Has fantasies of clothed sex, or fucking in a wide open space where anyone could see if they walked in. Would never act on it

Has a thing for babblers

Miraak

This is an endurance test, and not just because of what he's packing. Dragonborn stamina is...well. Dragons do their thing one way, humans do theirs another. Dragon stamina is not in the same ballpark as human.

Honestly, not very good at sex. He never learned how to use his dick beyond what felt good for him. Never learned how to use his hands or mouth for a similar reason. He's open to learning, but...he might be pissy about the whole "You're not very good at this" thing. Sensitive in more ways than one.

Karliah

Used to routinely attend what was, essentially, a strip club with Gallus for date nights. They both enjoyed the pageantry, and the shamelessness of it did a lot for her, being a reserved person.

Still enjoys such shows, but hasn't attended one since.

Used to enjoy public sex, right under everyone's noses. Or above on the rooftops. Or under bridges. In a tree, once

Serana

Ace lesbian argue with the wall

Has a soft spot for orc ladies. Real big soft spot. She likes a big teddy bear lady who can turn into a grizzly if need be. And a nice pair of arms...woof

Occasionally 'window shops' dudes and has a tier list of which men from every local faction she finds attractive. Arnbjorn from the Dark Brotherhood is at the very bottom, thinks he smells so fucking bad. The top? Viarmo at the Bards' College. A classy gent.

Would kill someone if Mjoll the Lioness asked

Astrid

Carefully curated the femme fatale persona, but not that horny, actually. Arnbjorn doesn't have much drive, being too prickly of a bastard, and Astrid just finds it a chore half the time

When they do find themselves in the mood, they have to go find a fort or something in the woods. The Sanctuary echoes. There's no soundproofing. Nazir threatened to neuter Arnbjorn if it ever happened again.

Astrid doesn't give a shit but Arnbjorn does. And so, the Sanctuary can rest easy, knowing that it isn't them being kept up all night if the married couple run off together

Teldryn

So fucking picky with everything, but he's great for sizing up someone else's potential partners.

This fucker has so many requirements and hard no's. He's worse than Miraak. If their stone sign is warrior and their mother is from the ____ region and their dad is alive, hard no. That kind of thing. Has a lot of icks.

That being said, fucks like a rabbit. Hypocrite, or settling for less? You decide

Uses magic for sex and has gotten rather good with it. Has hurt himself experimenting, however

#skyrim #tes v #miraak #brynjolf #ulfric stormcloak #teldryn sero

[sydsaint]

Summary: The reader is Shawn's assistant for NXT having an out-of-control night. Luckily for her, Ilja is always around to lend a helping hand and charming word where he can.

You rush into the building clutching an overflowing briefcase of files in one hand and your bag in the other. Your security badge swings violently against your chest as you weave through backstage personnel in a desperate attempt to make it to Shawn's office before he notices your absence.

You reach Shawn's office huffing and puffing like an animal. You shoulder through the door and thankfully find the room empty. "Oh thank god, I made it." You let out a shakey sigh and hurry over to your desk.

You set your stuff down and take a second to compose yourself. While you're catching your breath, the doorknob turns signaling that someone is coming in. You quickly scramble to your feet ready to greet who is surely Shawn arriving for the night.

"Oh, Ilja." Your rigid posture relaxes when the current NXT champion steps through the door. "Good evening." You sink back down into your chair with another sigh.

"Good evening, YN, my dear." Ilja flashes a debonaire smile at you as he aproaches your desk. "I saw you rushing across the loading bay earlier." He explains. "So I assumed that you could use a little pick-me-up before our night begins." He reveals a cup of hot coffee from catering in his hand.

You eye the coffee with a grateful smile and gladly take it from Ilja's hands. "Oh, thank you so much, Ilja." You thank him. "This is just what I needed after all that running I just did." You muse.

Ilja chuckles at your joke and nods. "I was happy to help, YN." He assures you. "Now! I will let you get back to work. Please do take care, my dear. And perhaps we will see one another again tonight." He bows his head at you with charming smile before turning and exiting the room.

You watch Ilja shut the door behind him and feel blush creeping up your neck. You've been hit on plenty of times by some of the NXT superstarts since you took this job as Shawn's assistant. But none of them have the charm and poetic way with words that Dragonuv does.

A few minutes later Shawn finally arrives and greets you as he comes into the room. "Evening, YN." He nods as he passes your desk.

"Evening, boss." You nod back at him, pretending to be enthralled with the various paperwork at your desk.

"YN, remind me what we've got scheduled for tonight." Shawn asks you as he makes his way around his much larger desk at the back of the room.

You nod and dig around for tonights schedule. Once you've located the paper you're looking for you rise from your seat and walk over to Shawn's desk.

"We've got two more Dusty cup matches tonight. Both Semi-finals. Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade have a match scheduled. Chase University also have a tag match against Gallus. As well as a few backstage segments and promo's being filmed." You read everything on the list before handing it to Shawn. "Oh! And you have a conferene call with Hunter in 15 minutes." You add.

"Right, conference call." Shawn sighs and glosses over the paper. "I want you out at the producers table while I'm on the call." He informs you. "Just in case something happens that would otherwise warrant my attention."

You nod and walk back over to your desk to get some work done before Shawn's conference call. "No problem, boss."

You reply to a few emails and fill out a paper or two before it comes time for Shawns conference call. Shawn gets ready to take the call and you dismiss yourself out to the producers table backstage.

"Hey, guys." You greet everyone at the table once you've arrived backstage. "Shawn is busy taking an important call so he's left me in charge in case anything goes down while he's busy." You explain as you take a seat at the table.

The others nod and everyone gets back to work. You sit and watch the action in the ring for while before you grow thirsty and decide to grab a water from the table on the other side of the room.

You are retreiving said water when Ilja happens through the room after filming a short backstage promo for the show. "YN, darling!" He greets you with a wide smile and walks over.

"Ilja! Hello again." You smile right back at him. "How are you since we last talked? Everything go well with your backstage promo?" You ask him.

"It went fine." Ilja nods. "And I'm looking forward to facing Trick Williams in the ring here in a couple of weeks." He adds.

You nod in agreement and take a sip of your water. "I'm sure it'll be a great match to watch."

"How are you?" Ilja asks you after a moment. "Shawn isn't working you too hard is he?" He lightheartedly jokes.

"Not at all." You giggle. "The job can be hard at times, yeah. But I do love my work." You assure Ilja. "Plus, I have noticed a certain someone is always nearby to make my day better." You grin at him.

Ilja chuckles and nods. "It's my pleasure, YN. Anything I can do to ensure that stunning smile graces your lovely features, my dear."

You begin to blush again and bow your head in embarassment. "Ilja." You giggle to yourself when someone from the producers table begins beckoning you back to work. "Sorry, I should get back." You sheepishly dismiss yourself.

"Of course." Ilja nods and steps out of the way. "I'd never dream of keeping you from your work. Have a wonderful rest of your night, YN." He flashes you one last frustratingly charming smile.

"You too, Ilja." You nod and hurry back off to the producer's table blushing like a schoolgirl with a hopeless crush.

#wrestling #nxt #wwe fanfiction #wwe fanfic #wwe fic #ilja dragunov #ilja dragunov x reader #wrestling fandom #wrestling fanfiction #wrestling fanfic #wrestling fic #nxt fanfiction #syd's wrestling fics

[awkwardchaosposts]

Icarus and his fool

Sherlock x Golden retriver!male reader

TW: mentions of death(possible murder),strangulation and other things related to crime

*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°

"For the greatest tragedy of them all, Is never to feel the burning light." -Icarus

*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°

He wasn't sure how to feel about this newfound fame. Sherlock did have more clients and more options means more reason to ignore the boring ones.

But if he had to name one thing he hated about it...

"Mr. Holmes! Mr.Holmes!"

You shouted from the crowd of reporters. You had a particular talent of being so loud that you could break even Sherlock's focus. He wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or impressed.

Scratch that,he was definitely annoyed.

Icy blue eyes found yours in the crowd. The closest he came to engaging with paparazzi.

It was odd to see such a cold and intimidating stare to make your face light up like fireworks on the 4th of July.

But he grew bored after five seconds. He could already tell everything he needed to know about you so why waste his intellect on something so meaningless.

Unfortunately for Sherlock,you followed him around like some lost puppy.

"Mr. Sherlock? I work with London Time Magazine and I was thinking-"

"Yes I know" he dismissed before you could even finish,putting on some gloves as he analyzed the body.

You both knew that you shouldn't be here but Sherlock was never one to worry about the rules. If you wanted to risk trespassing a crime scene then that was your problem. Not his.

"Well what would you think about an interview?"

"No"

"Oh" his answer was straight to the point atleast

The victim was strangled but no marks of resistance.

Reason: Drugged? Victim was too disoriented to fight back

He sighed. "Stop that"

You raised an eyebrow yet smiled like some jolly idiot. Sherlock made a note to not look at your face too much as to avoid that smile. How he hated it. A simple mind you were.

"Stop what?"

"I can hear you thinking,if you can even call it that. It's distracting "

There it was again. That smile. "Sorry. It's just you're so..." arrogant? cruel? Acting like a Gallus domesticus? "cool"

Cool? That word made his mind spiral in confusion. Your excited fanboying wasn't something he expected to see.

Sherlock knew a lot of people found his mind to be extraordinary,including himself.

But very few would find him 'cool'

"The interview. I'll...think about it" he lied so easily.

Never in his life has he seen someone so excited. What a twat

The door closing signalled to him that you left. Honestly it was better that way. Now he could finally focus.

The victim has no signs of being intoxicated. They look perfectly put together. The bruise on her neck looks older than 8 hours,meaning..

Sherlock dug in her bag. Cellphone,wallet, driver's license...

"There you are"

'Red room' the key card must be to some sort of hotel.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

1:59...2:00 the clock read

Sherlock was having trouble sleeping.

"Oh Sherlock look at the mess you made"

Mrs. Hudson scolded him in her too sweet voice. "I'll clean tomorrow" he made the empty promise. 'London Time Magazine' the web page stared back at him. His surroundings was filtered into white noise as he sulked. Brooding was the word Sherlock liked to use

"Mrs. Hudson" he called just as she was halfway out the door. The woman turned slowly so as to not upset her troubled hip. "Yes dear? Would you like some tea?"

"What does it mean when someone calls you...cool?" he confided in the woman far over her 60's,knowing well that she wouldn't understand what she'd call 'youngster slang'

~*~*~*~*~*

When Sherlock's mother made him learn to play the violin she certainly didn't think that it would be the source of outlet for her son's frustrations.

The apartment was filled with cries from the violin. Begging him to play more gently no doubt.

But he didn't. He was so frustrated with himself.

Sherlock hated feeling and this strange airhead made him feel just that. Albeit it was just curiousity he still hated the thought of his mind being stimulated by something so simple. It made Sherlock worry that all Anderson's talking has finally made him just as feeble minded.

"No don't be ridiculous,Sherlock. No one can be as stupid as Anderson" he silently reassured himself.

'Plink'

A pause ensued. He went to inspect his violin only to find one of the strings broke under the pressure of his abuse.

"Mrs. Hudson? I'm going out for a bit"

"What for dear?"

"It seems I'm in need of a stronger violin"

*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°*°

#bbc sherlock #sherlock holmes #sherlock fandom #sherlock x reader #sherlock & co #male x male #male reader #male y/n #golden retriever #golden retriver boyfriend #golden retriver puppy #golden retriver reader #mlm #queer fanfiction #queer reader

[felassan]

its that time again! 🍵 

Thoughts/wonderings on Dragon Age: The Missing #4, under a cut due to spoilers for The Missing -

I'm probably becoming a lil unhealthily obsessed with this building. what do we think it is? the Archon's Palace is the highest building in Minrathous (tho I guess not, as it has sewers and this is floating). A Circle? it has a similar shape to the logo for the Circle of Magi. the meeting place for the Magisterium senate, lording over everyone below from high above? whatever it is it looks cool and it must be important to be featured on the map. I wanna go there (๑*ᗜ*)

I love Neve Gallus' design. it's fresh and cool, and she just looks so cute and neat okay. also full of detail - the snake pattern on the headpiece, shoulder 'scales' and scales elsewhere, collar & jacket like one of those hooded snakes, snake-'tailcapped' footwear (rather than steel toe-capped), the serpent belt and of course most of all the beautiful snake design of her prosthetic limb. 10/10 character/costume design

this page had me on my knees basically. my heart.

surely this panel is a new meme format hh? same goes for the one where Varric is saying "Then perhaps all this is linked" and Harding says "And we've led them here"

you walked into the wrong neighborhood bro

I also liked this pair of illustrations, they had a nice 'bookend' feel and reminded me a lot of Lord of the Rings.

Other thoughts:

Minrathous looks kinda cyberpunk and (despite what Harding says in the opening panels) feels quite clean in this comic

Is that the person tailing them lurking in the doorway that Harding is catching sight of here?

These holes in Varric's ear seem to be new. What happened? Injury from the leopard attack?

confused a bit by the perspective flip in this issue. In issue 1, Varric was more like 'stop', and Harding was more like 'talk to him'. it's flipped around a bit here.

Varric smiled when he thought about Neve and then lit up when he saw her. she calls him an "old friend". I wonder how they met and how long they've known each other. something to do with varric's spy network?

This panel felt a bit meta hh.

When Neve says "Your friend is quite intense" is she referring to Solas or Harding?

Then we come to the two main things we learn in this issue:

We learn that Solas has been in Minrathous causing trouble. He's been attacking Venatori locations in the city, stealing artifacts from them and freeing elven slaves in the process, which has greatly angered the Venatori. The Venatori now want revenge and a "bunch of rebellious elves" are "causing trouble throughout the city, presumably in the name of the one who freed them". I wonder if the artifacts weaken the Veil, are connected to the idol somehow, or are simply sources of great power that Solas either needs for himself/his plans or that he simply thinks should be taken away from the Venatori so that they don't cause harm using them? Tevinter Nights showed agents of Fen'Harel seeking artifacts and referenced rumors of elven artifacts that strengthen the Veil, like the ones from DA:I. freeing folks also makes sense, "I am not a monster" and it's something he has a history of doing

In this issue we also learn that Neve works with a group called the Shadow Dragons, who have been trying to help the former slaves. indeed they're trying to help anyone who is held as slaves in Minrathous. this is our first time hearing about this new group. they make it their business to help those in need and Neve makes it her business to help them. I'm a bit ¿ about their name, just due to how it sounds, but it's exciting to learn about a new group/faction. Each issue of this DA:D prequel comic has shone a spotlight on a faction - Grey Wardens, Antivan Crows, the Veil Jumpers and the Shadow Dragons. two new, two old. it's a nice balance. and it brings to mind the common fan theory/speculation about the PC of DA:D having a different faction background depending on the player's choice. at the very least it feels like a way of saying 'these four groups [or characters from them] will feature in a significant way/be 'players on the board' in DA:D".

thinking about the Shadow Dragons' name in an in-world context, like thinking about why they may have chosen their name: dragons are emblematic of Tevinter. dragon imagery is everywhere there, dragons are a symbol of power and Tevinter heraldry shows a dragon. the Tevinter Imperium is a 'dragon', or several (metaphorically) - Magisters, ruling over the classes below. the "shadow dragons" feel like "the other side" of Tevinter, the side in shadow, the underside, the 'anti-Tevinter'. I'd guess that they are the "Tevinter you forgot", i.e. the Viper's faction. (and if you look at Tevinter heraldry, there is also a snake 'in opposition' to the dragon.) before Missing #4 I wondered if “the Tevinter you forgot” "means they are a group of folks who have fallen through the cracks in Tevinter society or who are the downtrodden in Tevinter society. is it some sort of uprising or anti-Magisterium movement?" - here we learn they're trying to help people Tevinter 'forgot' like slaves and former slaves. I also commented "from the story it sounds like the dark-clad card dealer is the Viper. the magister in the story is afraid of him and tries to claim that the Viper is just a tale, implying that the Viper’s name has become known as a sort of shadowy, stealthy urban legend in Minrathous and that it has a sort of bogeyman effect on magisters." Shadow indeed. Neve later comments that the Shadow Dragons are trying to "help anyone held as slaves in Minrathous". I think it was in the Dorian short story in Tevinter Nights that there's a reference to how there's now an anti-slavery movement in Tevinter. Is that the Shadow Dragons? you can see possible echoes of "the Tevinter you forgot" in later comic dialogue "The Shadow Dragons have vowed to help us restore our dignity. To get back the lives that were stolen from us by the Venatori. To make sure we don't have to scrabble in the dirt for food and warm", imo.

I wonder if Dorian, Mae and the Lucerni know anything about the Shadow Dragons? maybe they've done some work together?

and while the Viper/Viper's faction/the Shadow Dragons themselves didn't appear in issue 4, issue 4 still highlighted them, continuing the pattern I speculated about, of the DA Day short stories (Evka/Antoine/Wardens, Teia/Viago/Crows, Strife/Irelin/Veil Jumpers and Viper's faction/Shadow Dragons), one from each of those short stories per issue.

Varric is still having a bad time. also he was born in 9:1, and so if DA:D is set in 9:52, he's now over 50. from these comics, he's feeling old and tired. I don't expect that he'll be a companion in DA:D. more like an advisor (off-field), a contact or quest-giver, or the person that recruits us.

"But why? What did he get out of it? Surely, he wanted something in return" was an interesting line. because like on one hand "I am not a monster", he has a history of freeing people who were enslaved and he's shown as valuing freedom and not enjoying needless suffering. setting people free definitely is the only decent thing. but he's also smart and does things with purpose, always playing 4-D chess, and has been outwitting Varric and Harding at every turn throughout these comic issues, always one step ahead. it seems like a 'it's both' situation. like two birds, one stone. he would free people and it's the right thing to do, and he also gains from it strategically. Varric lampshades this in the final page: and it's three stones, actually. Solas freed people, dealt with the Venatori on his tail and slowed Varric/Harding down long enough to escape all in one move.

Also, at first I wondered if the brown-haired elf was sort've projecting his own perceptions on Solas (with the "his kin" lines). but look here. the leader of these Venatori has a pouch round their neck. the others don't, it's prominently placed and it's consistent on this Venatori in every panel they're in here. and where have we seen that before? around the neck of the Venatori stalker that saved Varric from the leopard in Issue 3. I think we're supposed to conclude that the ringleader of the Venatori that attack the elves in this issue is the Venatori person that's been tailing Varric and Harding all throughout these comic issues. the Venatori ringleader seems to recognize Varric in a later panel, with the "You!". They fight and Varric starts demanding answers from the Venatori leader. but then, just as he's about to get answers, the brown-haired elf intervenes and kills them at that very moment. they won't hurt their people anymore, and conveniently also (more than one purpose to things again..), now Varric and Harding won't get any answers. and also this:

another - not two, but - three stones. when the brown-haired elf kills the Venatori ringleader, A) preventing them from further harming his people and B) preventing them from giving any answers to Varric and Harding, C) the killing blow also cuts that pouch from their neck. a very specific thing to depict. presumably in the chaos of the Venatori leader's death (you can't see the elf's hands in the very next panel) the brown-haired elf has grabbed the pouch, and part of his goal all along was to take it. I think we're supposed to conclude that the pouch contained the crucious stone and that the brown-haired elf works for Solas. so the "You're too late, I already have the crucious stone" letter from issue 3 was a Solas fakeout, the Venatori at that point in time did in fact have the stone (having beaten Solas to the vault, and as-shown by the Venatori who saved Varric from the leopard having the pouch around their neck), and the events of issue 4 were part of Solas' plan to steal it/steal it back from them (and going by Neve's earlier dialogue, it's not the first artifact he's stolen from them). so two things here: one, Solas' 'three stones' are actually-actually four (free the slaves, deal with the Venatori on his tail, delay Varric/Harding long enough to escape, and steal the crucious stone artifact from the Venatori [my head hurts]). and two, the brown-haired elf was working for Solas after all. he'll give the pouch (and the contents, the stone) to Solas, "he set us, his kin, free" wasn't projection considering that he does work for him, and him being there in the alleyway when he was, with the information that he had, was part of Solas' plan to escape and get the stone. otherwise, it's pretty convenient that one of the former slaves at the place Neve's aware of where former slaves have been eating scraps, at the time when she takes Varric/Harding there, just happened to have helpful info about the meeting that Varric/Harding needed and also happened to kill the Venatori leader and in the process cut the pouch from their neck. idk if it means all the elves here were working for Solas or just the brownhaired one or the brownhaired one & the blond one, but yea. definitely the brownhaired elf is I think.

Neve fighting was cool: staff-less magic and then as a mage using a dagger or shortsword.

party combo-kill! ice spell + finishing blow - a comic depiction of Shattering :)

Brown-haired elf missing his elven ear here.

A cool panel. Also, you can't see his other hand..

just really liked these two panels :) also, they missed their chance, they missed this chance, in this, a comic called The Missing... is that why it's called that?

[clenches fist] vowing to protect Neve and her good heart at all costs

and he stole the crucious stone artifact from the Venatori.

I am not sure that I agree with the premise of this article that BioWare retweeted, that The Missing is required reading before DA:D. I enjoyed issues 2 & 3 a lot! I was hoping for a bit more from the end of issue 4, perhaps a small Solas appearance like at the end of Dark Fortress or just a bit more insight into his plans or things in/the setup for DA:D. finishing on the Dread Wolf mural from the DA:D TGA 2020 trailer as a reminder was neat but the highlight reveal from these comics as a whole was definitely the new mural depicted in issue 3.

"He knows us too well, we need to find/use people he doesn't know" is the same conclusion that was reached at the end of Trespasser (and Harding was present for that conversation). I guess the meta irl reasons for The Missing are: A] since it'll be almost 10 years irl between games, to refresh folks about that conclusion and the fact that it will be a new PC and why it has to be 'someone he doesn't know', since most new players to the franchise at DA:D aren't going to buy years old DA:I and DLC and play til it the end of Trespasser B] fill some irl time C] do some marketing/advertizing and D] highlight these four groups/factions and introduce the two new ones (Veil Jumpers and Shadow Dragons) in advance of DA:D, and possibly highlight these specific characters (Strife, Teia, Evka etc) the same way (though I speculate those characters are more like DA:D 'contact' cameos rather than that they will be companions themselves). Certainly if I was Varric at the moment when Harding asks "So who are you thinking?" at the end here, after the events I had experienced and people & groups I had met in recent weeks, with those being fresh in my mind, I would be thinking about the Grey Wardens, the Antivan Crows, the Veil Jumpers and the Shadow Dragons, both as groups and terms of the mental list of people that I had recently met who Solas doesn't know. again it makes you think about the popular speculation that the DA:D PC will have the background of being from one of these groups. also, those 4 groups aren't ones which were referenced in Tevinter Nights as keeping an eye on Solas/as Solas having some info on them in turn (unlike some other groups like the Mortalitasi, the Executors, the Ben-Hassrath etc).

#dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #dragon age: the missing #dragon age: the missing spoilers #bioware #video games #solas #late bc ive been working on other posts #long post #longpost #tevinter nights #strife

[argisthebulwark]

I saw ur tag about soulmates/reincarnation and i dunno if this really fits but it made me think of the parallels between karliah/gallus and tld/bryn. both couples being in love. mercer killing one of them, the one that just so happened to be/become the guild master. every time i think about these parallels i go fucking insane.

Especially if I think about tld actually dying by mercers hand and how something something history repeats itself, something something mercer killed both guild masters and left the ones so in love with them (maybe even married to them) broken shells

anyways....... *goes feral*

YEAAAA dude!!!! god i know it's sad and the reunion would be beautiful and all that but sometimes i just think about tld not surviving mercer. karliah not being able to save them and returning to thieves guild. mercer repeating his own history by killing the one destined to lead the guild and leaving behind a heartbroken, angry thief.

putting all my angst under a cut for the sake of the dash. obv death mention

"I'll be certain to give Brynjolf your regards."

Snow Veil Sanctum had become Karliah's personal hell. Entering the place she'd lost Gallus all those years ago was difficult but having to witness it happening all over again was surely some divine punishment. She watched the poor girl crumble, Mercer's disgusting last words hanging in the air long after his exit. Her eyes burned with unshed tears when she heard Brynjolf's name.

Karliah would follow through on her promise. The next time she saw Mercer would be the last. She dragged the thief's body from the bowels of the ruin knowing the hand pressed to her wound wouldn't cut it - but she couldn't leave her there. She couldn't leave this poor girl alone where Brynjolf couldn't find her.

She wanted her reunion with Brynjolf to be a joyous one. Instead she held the shoulders that shook with each of his sobs and fought back her own tears. He'd been so small when she was exiled and had grown into such a fine man. Karliah's hatred for Mercer somehow deepened upon seeing history repeat itself in such a way.

When Brynjolf's tears subsided Karliah recognized the resentment that replaced his sadness. She understood all too well his thirst for violence, his need to find Mercer and make him pay for what he'd taken from them. Karliah hated that Brynjolf could understand her pain. She wanted to take it away from him, to save him from the years of bitterness and isolation she'd dealt with.

"I'm sorry." She didn't trust her own voice when Brynjolf's puffy eyes met hers. "I'm sorry he took them from us."

"Why does this keep happening?" He sounded empty and Karliah had no answer.

She knew if they didn't stop Mercer his cycle would never break. A new thief would join their guild, fall in love, figure out his scheme, and die by Mercer's hand. Karliah's heart ached at the thought of other souls feeling her pain, the devastating ache of missing the one she loved so dearly.

Delvin was right. Mercer had become a curse upon the Thieves Guild. He killed and cheated, doing anything to keep himself afloat. He'd slain two important members and would surely try again. Karliah knew they had to stop him, it had to be those he'd left heartbroken and alone.

"What do we do now?" Brynjolf sounded so small, nothing like the booming voice he'd used when demanding to see his wife.

"We kill Mercer." She answered easily, offering him a blade. "We bury our loved ones. And you become the next Guild Master."

"I don't think I can do it without her." His voice broke and Karliah felt her heart shatter, pain she'd buried long ago fresh and new once more.

"You have to."

#brynjolf #skyrim #angst #tesblr #asks #anon #writing

[dzamie-oc]

Voretober 31 - ...Trouble!

Length: 3100 words Vore type: F/M, unbirth Fandom: My Little Pony Other info: willing prey, griffon prey, pony pred, sex Summary: A followup to the previous one. Gallus and Smolder get caught for their prank, and the griffon gets a taste of his own medicine. The Student Six are all adults in this fic.

"Hey mister griffon, why's your belly like that?" asked a colt dressed as Spider-mare.

The little foal's mother, in a lab coat and Olive Octahoof goggles, tried to shush him, but Gallus leaned down to his height and said, with a smile, "y'see, I was out getting candy earlier, and I saw one of those "take only one" bowls… but there was no candy left in it!" He sat back on his haunches and shrugged, silently grateful that, for one reason or another, Trixie wasn't struggling at the moment. "So I took the bowl! Turns out it wasn't candy, but that didn't stop me."

The griffon grinned at Spider-colt's laughter and waved off the mare's apology, then closed the door. Starlight stood sat behind him, eyebrows raised. "You handled that well," she remarked.

"Lying to hatchlings is a handy skill in Griffonstone; guess it transfers." He dug his talons into the candy bowl and pulled out a chocolate.

"Those are for the younger students, y'know."

"I'm young at heart," Gallus replied, freeing it from the wrapper, "and besides, at least I'm in costume. I saw where three of those Mares Bars went."

"Yeah, well…" Starlight fumbled for a second. Right before the griffon could pop the snack in his beak, she pointed out, "I don't think Sandbar would much like getting melted chocolate all over him."

Gallus froze, then drew the uneaten candy back and held it out to her. "Fair enough." Starlight's magical aura wrapped around the treat and levitated it over to her, where she took a big bite.

Ocellus, still a blue griffon but now sporting a similar-sized bulge under the middle, stepped out from the adjoining room and walked over to them. "S-so," the fake Gallus said with a light blush, "now that we match, shall we head out?"

Gallus paused for a moment; he could've sworn his voice was higher than that. "Yeah, sure thing. Sorry for inviting ourselves in, headmare."

"No trouble at all! And it's better than you… eating Sandbar out where other creatures could've seen you." The griffon pair walked towards the door, and it swung open in Starlight's magic. "By the way, if you see Trixie, could you let her know she left her costume here? Unless she's going as herself… again."

A shiver ran up Gallus's spine, but he didn't even break his stride, simply promised to pass the message on and walked out with Ocellus. After they were far enough away he was sure not to be overheard, Gallus leaned over to his currently-feathered friend. "Hey, can we dip somewhere private? Trixie is quieter than I expected, and I wanna make sure she's okay… plus I think this enough of a prank."

Ocellus nodded, turning and leading Gallus to a darkened classroom. As Gallus followed, he flicked his gaze under the other "griffon"'s blue tail; as he had suspected, Ocellus lacked a pair of fuzzy balls to match his own, and instead sported a small cleft with a bit of pink visible if he looked close enough - which, with his sharp griffon eyes, he could. Ocellus pushed the door open, and Gallus was first inside, where he waited for the changeling to close the door before finding a big enough space away from desks to get the unicorn back out.

He focused, clenching his stomach muscles in just the right way, and steadily drove Trixie back up his throat. Inch by inch, her head poked out of his beak, followed by her shoulders. Trixie's cheek pressed against the tiled floor with a wet squish, but her eyes remained closed. A few more heaves, and a very soaked pony laid limply on the classroom floor. Gallus took a step back. "She's not… is she? I mean, Sandbar's been in there for entire nights without trouble, so-"

"Just asleep," came a higher-pitched version of his voice, "she's still putting out emotions."

"Y'know, 'cell, it's a little strange how normal your voice sounds after that," chipped in Smolder's scratchier voice, "but a cool strange, of course."

"Oh, good." He turned towards where Ocellus probably was - why was this darkness so hard to see in? "Uh, speaking of your voice… Ocellus, you know if you're not comfortable with my body, we can just find something else, right? Or just be two different devils?"

"I… know? Why are you- oh!" the griffoness's claws clacked against the floor a few times. "No, it's not that, it's just that Smolder didn't want to sit in my stomach, so… I didn't put her there."

Smolder walked over to him and put a soaked hand on his shoulder, dampening his feathers with liquid that definitely didn't smell like spit or stomach acid. "And her options were kinda limited if she kept your junk. So she didn't."

Gallus felt his feathers fluff up. "That's… a new one."

Ocellus giggled; they transformed and got their usual changeling voice back. "I'll be sure to remember that."

The griffon's cheeks burned, so he instead turned back to the dim outline of a sleeping unicorn. "So… do we wake her? Or let her think it's all a dream?"

"She's covered in griffon drool," Smolder pointed out, "I don't think "dream" is on the menu here."

"I think we should be honest to her about this whole thing," added Ocellus, "it's the right thing to do, and it'll probably go worse if she finds out on her own."

Suddenly, a quiet "eep" floated through the room, though Gallus only caught it from his catlike hearing. The voice, however, was unmistakable.

"Professor Fluttershy?" Gallus said, peering into the inky darkness.

What responded wasn't Fluttershy, but a much deeper, more gravelly voice. "Well, so much for that," grumbled Discord, "no, dear Fluttershy, that wasn't your fault. I simply couldn't sit still long enough. Oh, well. Lights!"

There was a snap, and the three students cried out in pain as overhead lights replaced the apparently magical darkness. Once the spots had mostly cleared from his eyes, Gallus looked up to see the spirit of chaos sitting behind an overturned desk, holding Fluttershy vertical by her barrel. The pegasus mare was blushing hard enough for her yellow coat to skip past orange and go straight to red. It took very little imagination to guess what, generally, was hidden behind that desk. Gallus suspected it took an awful lot of imagination to guess what, SPECIFICALLY, was hidden, nor was he particularly interested in finding out what Discord had between his legs at that moment. Trixie grumbled in her sleep, but somehow failed to wake up.

"Well, here I was willing to let bygones be bygones, but that was before you realized we were here." Discord sighed and rested his head on a paw; Gallus tried not to think about how he did so while still holding Fluttershy with both his eagle and lion paw. "So I guess, if I must, I'll have to punish you for…"

His red-and-yellow eyes flicked back and forth across the griffon, pony, changeling, and dragon several times. Strange mathematical symbols and letters appeared and vanished around his head before the draconequus shook them away. "Okay, I'm stumped. You two," he said, pointing at Ocellus and Smolder, "were clearly doing some weird sex thing, and… well, I must say I'm all for it, whatever it was. But… Gible, was it?"

"Gallus."

"Right, Gallade. What was it you were doing with my dear friend Trixie? We saved the world together once, you know."

Gallus scratched the back of his neck. "I… don't suppose you'd believe it was also some weird sex thing?"

Discord raised an eyebrow high enough that it flew off and stuck to the ceiling. "I should hope not. She is very clearly unconscious." Gallus felt that last word hit him hard enough that he had to check to make sure nothing had actually, physically hit him.

"Excellent point!" Gallus chirped, his voice cracking a bit. "So, no. I was just going to eat her for a moment and spit her out, but then Starlight showed up, and, uh, half an hour later, here we are."

Discord nodded. "Well, it is Nightmare Night. A good night for pranks."

Gallus smiled. "Yeah! Great! So, then, we'll just wake up Trixie and be on our wa-"

"But! As I always say, one bad prank deserves a good one!" He cracked his tail like a whip, and a bouncy ball rolled down his snout. It bounced once off the floor, then off of Gallus. "Boink!" Discord helpfully added, along with "bonk!" when it smacked Smolder and vanished.

Gallus looked down at himself, and saw that his scales, feathers, and fur had been replaced by smooth, shiny facets, like a griffon-shaped crystal pony. He was about to ask Discord what the big deal was, when he realized Smolder had not gotten the crystal treatment. Instead, she was staring directly at him.

And drooling.

With a squawk, Gallus leapt away from her first pounce. As he fled his hungry friend, he vaguely made out Discord asking Ocellus to return Trixie to the Lost And Found - or Starlight's room, whichever was faster. He made a lap around the room, diving and weaving away from the crazed dragoness with grace that surprised even himself. His ears picked up the sound of Fluttershy squeaking again, in time with Discord panting as the chase passed them, but he couldn't spend even a moment to worry about anything that wasn't his and Smolder's trajectories, and how to make them not line up.

A stroke of misfortune hit, then, when on one pass near the mismatched pair, he heard a snippet of conversation:

"Ah… can you do two different ones? Like, ah, dolphin and dragon?"

"Oh, Fluttershy, for you? I can do anything."

Gallus's brain made the mistake of trying to picture that, and his claw clipped a chair. He only stumbled - not falling - but it was enough for a very solid mass of scales, muscles, and hunger to slam into him. The pair skidded along the floor to a stop next to the wall. For a brief second, the only sounds in the room were the steady thwap of Discord against Fluttershy, the pegasus's moans, and his and Smolder's heavy panting. The dragon had him pinned on his back, straddling him, and there was a wild look in her eyes that Gallus was certain he wasn't fond of.

Smolder leaned over him, drooling over his face, and said, breathily, "I need you in me."

"…please tell me you just mean sex," Gallus guessed. And really, between the sheer terror that was Smolder chasing him, and the exhiliration of being pinned down by a hot girl, he - and the shaft exposed between his legs - kinda hoped she said it was.

"ALL of you," Smolder amended a wide, sharp-fanged grin. Gallus's hopes dropped like a stone.

So, in the face of chaos-fueled oblivion, Gallus shut his eyes, and… remembered that he was still bigger than Smolder. Not as much as when they had met, to be sure, but she was barely taller on two legs than he was on four. So with newfound resolve to live, Gallus opened his eyes again.

Above him, rather than a drooling maw, framed by hard and sharp fangs meant to crack open rocks and possibly bones, was instead a drooling slit, framed by tough yet oddly supple scales. Before he could utter his confusion, Smolder dropped her hips down on him, impaling herself on his beak. And then lifted and slammed them down again. Gallus's mouth was soon covered inside and out with Smolder's juices, but if there was any affection to her actual movements, they must be intended for something as tough as dragons. Still, if she was going to ride his face, he might as well enjoy it. So, he opened his beak as best he could against her inner walls and lapped at her sex. Sweet and spicy, a taste he hoped not to forget.

From above him, he heard her growl, and her scaly tail snaked under his head. "Grr, why won't you get IN?!" she shouted, trying to push his head deeper… without much luck because, as Gallus had reminded himself, she was still kinda small.

"Oh, I just KNEW I forgot something!" Discord sang out. He snapped his claws, and a small, observant part of Gallus's brain told him that meant he and Fluttershy had stopped or at least changed positions. A much bigger part of Gallus's brain told him to pay attention as, with a dominant grunt tinged with a moan, Smolder slipped the griffon's entire head between her legs.

Confused in the new, wet, and oppressively hot space, Gallus groped around with his forelegs until he found her legs. Still kinda small, so Discord hadn't shrunk him or grown her. Around him, he heard the dragoness purr, "ooh, good idea. Be a bro and pull down, wouldja?"

Curiosity won against his better instincts (many of them screaming about curiosity's effect on other felines), and Gallus tugged at her legs. The near-burning heat around his head crept down his neck and over his shoulders. The squishy walls surrounding his upper body squeezed in on him as Smolder's body shuddered. "Oh, scales, that feels nice. I was right, Gallus, I NEED this. I need MORE." Her voice came from all around him, followed by a grunt of effort. "Hey, sit up. It'll be so much faster, and fuller, and BETTER than just inching down…"

Once again, part of him said not to, but he thought of what he felt when he realized what Ocellus had done with the dragon, and, with some effort considering the entire dragoness sitting on - around - his head, managed to sit up. As soon as he did, he felt the muscles around him relax, and slick flesh slid past his head to slick down his feathers and fur all the way down to his hips. He didn't know how she was doing it, but he definitely didn't doubt that she could - and was going to - get all of him in.

Suddenly, he felt an unfamiliar set of claws wrap around his cock. Smolder fumbled with it, trying to brush down the spiky nubs, then tried to press it against Gallus's furry belly. Unfortunately, the griffon couldn't help but twitch at her touch, and it sprang free of her grip a few times… not that Gallus minded, since her handling his shaft more had nearly gotten him purring, as well. Eventually, however, she managed to line it up and slide it - and his hips and waist - inside. If Gallus had worried about getting back out before, the sensation of her pussy sliding against his shaft shut those thoughts out of his mind; after that accidental teasing, he was achingly close to bursting, and as Smolder rolled onto her back to stuff his legs and tail in, the griffon helped her out, kicking his legs as he passionately grinded his hips against her insides.

The heat of her insides crept over his paws, and with just a few inches of his tail left, Gallus came, shooting his sticky, white load all over himself and her inner walls. By the time he came down from his climax, she had completely tucked him away, with even his tail only brushing against more of the dragon's pussy.

-

Discord gently brushed Fluttershy's mane as he watched the griffon's blue tail-tuft slurp into his friend's scaly slit, leaving her looking only slightly gravid. He had intended for her to just swallow Gallus, but chaos magic was, even to Discord, unpredictable, and apparently she "wanted" him in a way more than hunger, even when he was crystal. He idly picked some hairs out from the brush as the haze cleared from Smolder's eyes, then went back to brushing as the dragoness stood up and faced him.

"So… what happens now?" she asked, poking at her belly with confusion all but written on her face (and Discord exercised extreme restraint by not making that literal).

Discord waved his paw. "Don't ask me, I'm terribly inexperienced with relationships. Maybe talk about feelings with him or something? That seems like a very pony thing to do, and this is Equestria, after all." Smolder glared at him, so he grinned and rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, the chaos magic part of things! Don't worry, it'll go away as soon as you let him out. Just push, or if that's hard, reach in and grab his tail or something."

Smolder folded her arms and muttered something Discord pretended not to hear. Then, louder, "so this doesn't end at midnight or something, bam, magic teleports him out and stuff?" Before the draconequus could respond, she added, "and wait, does this just affect him, or…?"

Discord smirked. Finally, somecreature other than Fluttershy who could appreciate the nuance to his tricks! "You're an adult dragon; you don't need easy ways out. And no, I just turned him crystal for a bit. The rest of that magic was on you!"

Smolder smirked back, and walked towards the door. "In that case, there's a certain bug I have plans for tonight." She stopped just before leaving to wave. "Happy Nightmare Night, Discord, Professor Fluttershy!" And then, it was just him and Fluttershy.

"…I'm a professor too, sometimes," he grumbled.

Fluttershy giggled and leaned into him. "And I'm sure you teach very well. Oh, but Discord?"

Discord's blood would have run cold if he had any at the time. He knew that tone. "Er, yes, my dear?"

"Once my, uh, post-climax bliss fades, we're having a nice talk about appropriate pranks on students."

"Um, all's well that ends well?"

"Discord…"

Discord gulped. Before the conversation could go any further, he reached off-screen and pulled the iris-out transition closed.

#my little pony #voretober #v/ore #v.ore #shipping #gallus #ocellus #smolder #discord #fluttershy #griffon #dragon #vorefic #dragon pred #griffon prey #hammerspace #nsft #willing prey #writing #writers on tumblr #text #halloween #nightmare night

[the-drunken-huntsman]

For the writing prompt list I wanna request Ghost with whatever OC you want ❤️

I ended up making this about Karliah instead of an OC, oops!

prompt list

~

Gallus Desidenius had warm hands. He had a sharp, focused look that softened when she entered his gaze. He had bones, rotting at the bottom of Snowveil Sanctum.

The shade before Karliah was attached to no such physical remains, hovering slightly above the ground of the inner sepulcher. It's face was covered, seemingly indefinitely by the Nightingale's mask. And its hand -oh, its hands- send shivers through her whole body as it reached to embrace her face. The icy winds of The Pale were like the boiling steam of a hot spring compared to the chill its touch sent straight to her bones.

But it moved with such a gentleness, touched her so slowly as of she were the one who could vanish at any moment. And it spoke with his voice, the voice she tried desperately to hang on to the memories of in her 25 years of solitude.

"Karliah?" he asked. No, it wasn't exactly as she remembered. There was a cold ringing to it, like running a piece of metal down an icicle. Everything about this shade was Gallus and yet not. He was right here, right in front of her, and also not even on this plane of existence.

"Gallus," was all she could manage. Her throat was dry, her eyes were wet. This is him, she had to tell herself, over and over again, you have to talk to him or you may never again. After a long moment, she made herself speak again, "I feared I'd never see you again, that you had become like the others"

"The skeleton key was returned just in time, you need fear not my love."

His hands had long since left her, but now the ringing in his voice sent the same chills through her. It's him. It can only be him, she reassured herself. Tell him you love him. You have to tell him you love him.

"What will you do now?" Tell him you love him.

"Nocturnal calls me to the Evergloam. My contract has been fulfilled." There was an excitement in his eerie voice that caused the tears in her eyes to fall. Don't go, please don't leave me again. I have to tell you I love you.

"Will I ever see you again?" her voice cracked and her mind screamed. Stay, haunt me. I don't care just don't leave me alone again. I love you.

The despair in her voice moved him in a way that she was finally sure it was him. He reached out to her again, but hesitated, perhaps he had sensed how his touch had affected her the first time. The excitement of entering their Lord's realm was lost when he answered her, "When your debt to Nocturnal has been paid, we'll truly embrace again."

"Farewell, Gallus," I love you, I love you, "Eyes open.... walk with the shadows." I love you, I love you, I love you....

He moved to the Ebonmere, but looked back once more, a tender resentfulness evident in his still ghastly ringing voice, "Goodbye, Karliah."

And he was gone.

#elder scrolls writing prompts #ask #request #karliah #gallus desidenius #thieves guild #my writing #no proofreading we die like men

[the-owl-tree]

OKAY!!! Our Town ponies let's goooo!!!!

I love the concept, I love the characters. If only we got to see them outside of the two part episodes, these ponies had so much potential, only to be completely abandoned except for Sugar Belle (I don't mind the Big Mac/Sugar Belle ship. But it's not my favorite, either. Besides, Sugar Belle should be in a polyamorous relationship with Double Diamond, Party Favor, and Night Glider) I kinda wish it was an arc, maybe not a season long, but just a couple of more episodes so the Our Town can be fleshed out a bit more.

A couple of months ago, I was thinking about this and wondering who would lead Our Town after Starlight disappeared. And I reached the conclusion of Double Diamond, he just seems the most likely to step up and kinda appeared to be the second-in-command of Starlight. (Again, I haven't watched this in a while so I could be wrong) so I started thinking of an au for funsies. I probably won't really do anything with this but I just wanna ramble.

So you remember Sandbar and Feather Bangs? One of the young 6 and the guy who fought Big Mac for Sugar Belle. I have a headcanon where those three are related in some way (definitely not because of their anime hair) so in this they're brothers, Double Diamond being the oldest, Feather Bangs being the middle child, and Sandbar being the youngest. And Sandbar's little sister is here ig but she's not important bc she's a literal infant. So the au is basically that Our Town was originally run by their parents, which could just be Sandbar's parents idk. But they die somehow and a couple days after Starlight arrives and eventually becomes the leader, some argue that it should be Double Diamond because he was technically next in line to lead Our Town but now he's second-in-command, plus Diamond didn't really know if he was ready to lead. (Surprise surprise he's the first one that fully trusts Starlight since she used the death of his parents as a way to manipulate him) then the main 6 come and the same thing happens and Starlight's secret is revealed.

Then after that Diamond becomes leader but he's sad. He feels extremely guilty for trusting Starlight and causing his friends and brothers so much pain, even though it's not his fault, and vows never to trust again. And then season 8 happens and Sandbar gains interest in the School of Friendship, much to Diamond's dismay. He's very uncomfortable with the idea of his little brother going on his own but he eventually agrees. But only too late does he realise Starlight fucking Glimmer is the counselor. He's not too pleased with the information.

That's basically all there is to the au, I can imagine Sandbar is surprised by how much Starlight changed and Diamond has a long talk with Starlight the next time they meet. (Notice how I hardly mention anyone else especially Feather Bangs, like a true middle child) also if Heartswarming Club was in this-which it's not because I hate the episode-once Diamond learns about how Twilight and RD literally threatened to keep them over winter break to a point where some break down crying and it turns out they knew Gallus was the one who set up the prank so they literally made these teenagers think that they won't see their families (I'm not kidding that's messed up) Diamond's gonna be pissed

Oooh very interesting!

#mlp chatter

[incorrectmlpstudentsixquotes]

(The gang find Silverstream staring wistfully out the window…)

Gallus: Hey, Silv! There you are, we’ve been looking all over.

Ocellus: Is everything okay? You kinda left the party in a hurry.

Silverstream: Yeah, guys, I’m fine. Just… got a bit of holiday blues, that’s all.

Sandbar: What’s wrong?

Smolder: Did somebody say some shit and you need me to smack em around?

Gallus: Why would that be your first assumption?

Smolder: Wishful thinking?

Silverstream: No, no, nothing like that. Honestly, guys, I’m having a great Hearth’s Warming and I had a great Days of Freedom, too!

Silverstream: It’s just… Sometimes, when I’m alone with my thoughts, certain things… come back.

Yona: Come back? What friend Silverstream mean?

Silverstream: Like, it’ll suddenly get a lot more front and center in my mind about… how recent all this really is. The happiness, the warmth, the… safety.

Gallus: … This is about the Storm King, isn’t it?

Silverstream: It really wasn’t that long ago when we couldn’t celebrate the Days of Freedom. The Storm King took that from us. And, sometimes, even though I know it’s over and I get to enjoy my life and my freedom with friends and family…

Silverstream: Sometimes, I’m back underwater wondering if I’m even going to see next year.

Gallus: …… Y’know, it sure would suck if I was back at Griffonstone, trying to fight off the cold in my empty little hovel.

Gallus: (wraps his claws around Silverstream’s) But I’m not.

Ocellus: It sure would suck if Changelings were still stealing love and were despised by everycreature else. But we’re not.

Smolder: Sure would suck if I just decided to torch this place and take all the presents and food for myself. But I’m not.

Sandbar: Sure would suck if I didn’t have any friends at all to spend the holidays with. But I’m not.

Yona: Sure would suck if Yona… Nope, sorry, Yona has nothing. Yona’s life pretty good before friends. Just better now.

Silverstream: (giggling) I appreciate the effort, Yona.

Students: (looking expectantly at Swift Foot)

Swift Foot: Do I even need to say it?

Gallus: Point is… We get it. Sometimes, it’s hard to just forget all the shitty things that have happened to you. Even when… No, especially when everycreature around you is acting all happy.

Gallus: But if you ever start feeling that way again, just come see any of us. We’ll pull you back to the present.

Silverstream: … Thank you. I… I love all of you, you guys know that right?

Ocellus: (hugging her) We love you too, Silv. And we’re not going anywhere.

Smolder: Well, technically, we’re going back to the party, but we’d love if you’d come back with us.

Silverstream: …Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.

#Submitted by: Admin #source: original #Silverstream #Gallus #Smolder #Ocellus #Sandbar #Yona #Swift Foot #student six #tw: trauma #mlp fim #mlp friendship is magic #my little pony #incorrect quotes

[thana-topsy]

How about 2, 6 and 9 for the spread love asks ?

2. Tell us why you love one of your OCs or an obscure canon character (link to any fics/art you have featuring them!)

OKAY I feel like I need to explain myself a bit, especially for people who don't have the attention span/desire/ability to read my fanfics. Because I know it looks like I just randomly hyperfixate on NPCs that are weird or obscure, but there's a method to the madness, and a lot going on behind the scenes that doesn't translate to Tumblr.

ENTHIR - What the Hell, Why Him? Why Now? What's the Appeal?

So, I answered an ask a couple months ago after mentioning offhand that Enthir's one of those characters that just kind of lives in the back of my brain, which kick-started me back into thinking about him again. And THEN I started taking the kiss prompts and someone suggested Enthir/Gallus and it was fuckiNG GAME OVER.

From there, I ended up expanding on the story I'd already posted of him and Urag ("Somewhat Damaged" - originally intended to be a smutty one-shot whose dubious and depressing nature developed a chronic case of Plot and Emotional Arc) and I just used it as an excuse to dig into his psyche. That first chapter ended on such a downer that I was like "What is UP with this guy?? I can't just leave them like this. I must do something." And so I have.

His appeal to me is this: A look into what self-destructive habits can actually look like and how it impacts the people who care about us. Also, I'm writing him as someone who is Not A Good Person, by typical standards. So my desire in the fic that I've been tirelessly working on for the past week is to get him over these hurdles of self-loathing and into a healthier relationship with himself, so that can translate into healthier relationships with the people around him. I'm not trying to make him a squeaky clean character, I'm not necessarily even writing a "redemption arc", but I just felt compelled to let this very messy person be messy and imperfect and also find people who love him despite it all.

And that is why I have suddenly become an Enthir Fanboy, thank you for coming to my TES Talk.

6. Ship or platonic relationship that you got into because of the fans

Hadvar/Ralof

I BLAME YOU TESBLR!! I BLAME YOU!

9. Your favourite fanon

Answered that one in this post!

#topsy's asks #spread the love asks

[dempseyregal]

Unexpected Surprise Part 1

A/N: This has been in my drafts for a while and I couldn't even finish it so enjoy the first part of this hot mess while I try to finish the other part

“Fabian, are you alright?” Marcel waved his hand in front of his face, but Fabian didn’t as much as blinked in response. “You’re leaving? But why Y/N? I though you loved it here!” His voice cracked with rage and hurt, but I couldn’t handle to tell him the truth.

I was pregnant, with Fabian’s baby, and couldn’t stay to wrestle until after the birth. I decided to go to Scotland and stay with my brothers’ wife until after the baby was born, I wanted to lay low. But all I told Imperium was that I quit because of personal problems within the family.

“Joe and Mark aren’t quitting?! Wolfgang is still creeping around, why don’t they quit too?!” “Because it doesn’t involve my brothers. Wolfgang isn’t even remotely related to me in anyway. My sister-in-law is expecting and there are complications with her health. I am leaving to take care of her.” I replied as I took my stuff and walked out of the dressing room while the three of them started debating and arguing with one another.

*8 and a half months later*

I was in the crowd at Takeover New York, flew in with Abigail to see the guys wrestle. They didn’t say who they were facing, just that my sister-in-law and I had to come watch them live. She was 5 months pregnant, and my little boy was fast asleep in my lap. It was the first time I stepped foot on WWE property since leaving.

Gallus made they way down to the ring and suddenly the lights went out and Imperium’s music hit. My heart dropped when I saw the three of them standing on the ramp, sadistic expressions on their faces. I looked at Fabian, his beard had grown, and his body had exploded to twice the size as when I saw him last. Marco started waking up in my arms and I panicked. “What if he sees him? He doesn’t know Marco’s his.” I whispered over to Abigail, and she looked over at my brothers, who also must have sensed my panic state as they went to work on distracting Imperium from walking around the ring.

The match was brutal to say the least.  Just when Wolfgang thought he had them pinned, Alexander Wolfe came from nowhere and caused a distraction, having Fabian pin him, winning the match for Imperium. I was frantically observing the ringside area for Joe and Mark when Abigail grabbed my arm. “He’s coming, let’s go!” She grabbed Marco’s bag but before I could follow pursuit, Fabian was at the barricade, grabbing onto my arm. “Y/N?! What are you doing here? I thought your sister in law had a baby alre-“He froze when he caught sight of Marco now fully awake, his big blue eyes staring back at Fabian with a toothless grin.

“I have to go.” I practically ran after Abigail to the backstage area, hoping and praying that their locker room was open so I could sneak in and hide there. TO my luck, it was and Abigail pushed me inside, closing the door behind her. I heard a commotion outside the door, German shouting and banging on the door. Joe and Mark burst through, pushing me into the bathroom. “Keep the lad in here until I tell you its safe to get out. These idiots want to see the baby.” I nodded and locked the door when he ran out, Abigail looking at Mark with wild eyes before he pursued our brother.

After a while, there came silence and a small knock from the door. “Y/N, come on out.” Mark’s voice sounded from the other side of the door. I opened it and saw the anger on his face. They were all seated in the locker room. All four members of Imperium and Wolfgang, Joe and Abigail were sitting around the table, Mark placing his huge hand on the small of my back.

Fabian jumped up but Wolfgang shot up to block his way. “Remember the deal Aichner. You get to see him but not too close.” I panicked once again and held Marco tighter to my chest. “You had a baby and didn’t tell us, Y/N? Why would you disappear like that?” Marcel spoke up while everyone just stared at the baby in my arms, smiling at all of them. “He looks just like you.” Walter pointed out to Fabian, who was focused on the giggling little human.

“He’s mine? Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve been there to help you during the pregnancy, I missed his birth! I missed the visits to the doctor!” I felt like bursting into tears. “I- I thought that you would want to take him away from me. I didn’t want you to know because I was scared.” I whispered and all eyes were on me in an instant. “Why would he do something like that Y/N?” Wolfe asked and Joe stood up, taking Marco from me and carefully putting him on the table in front of them to see.

I took a seat with them as Mark followed suit, sitting next to me, positioning himself in between me and his wife. “Our father tried to take us away from our mother when we were kids. So my mother tried to keep us a secret from the rest of the family afterwards scared that my father would come back for us.” Joe said as Fabian leaned froward, Marko grabbing his fingers and giggling as he pulled him close.

“I kept all of the ultra sounds and had videos made of my doctor’s appointments and the birth… SO when Y/N was ready, she could give them to you.” My sister-in-law spoke, Fabian looking over at her then at Marko. Marko had Fabian’s finger in his mouth, drool all over his hand. “Can I see it?” He asked and I obediently walked over to the little black case that I carried around with me. I handed it to him, and Marcel opened it, taking out the contents and handing them over to Fabian. Inside, photos of my scans, when Marko was born, Marko wearing an Italian supporter’s outfit that Mark bought him, a photo of Marko next to the Imperium flag I was gifted.

“I want the two of you to move in with me.” Fabian said while rocking Marko to sleep. I sucked in a breathe as I saw Joe tense up. “Its alright Joseph. He’s Marko dad, he has the right to have him around.” Wolfgang tried to calm him down while I held onto Joe’s hand. “You knew this was going to happen sooner or later Joe. We have to move.”

#Fabian Aichner #Fabian Aichner x reader #Fabian Aichner fanfic #Fabian Aichner imagine #giovanni vinci #imperium #wwe nxt uk

[quicksilverdrabbles]

Veda leaned against the railing of the patio, staring at the clear sky above her.

Mercer was finally dead. Over a month of hurting and hiding because of what he had done, and it was over, just like that.

And yet, she couldn't help but still feel angry. The "pet project" that Gallus had worked so hard for, and the master plan of Mercer Frey, it was all to desecrate a shrine of the Snow Elves, for what? Riches? A comfortable life? Didn't they know that that was one of the few things the Snow Elves had left of their legacy?

The eyes were safe now, tucked within the Hall of Secrets under the museum. No thief would ever seek to misuse them again, that was certain. She'd never been cut out for the masonry that Dwemer stonecutters were so well known for, but maybe Veda could try to carve a bust that resembled the now waterlogged statue. If only so they wouldn't be reduced to mere jewels, instead of what they had once been.

"I'm being ridiculous," she muttered to herself finally, smiling bitterly. "What would she think of me?"

An amulet dangled from her limp hand, threatening to fall and shatter on the stone below.

Flit beeped questioningly, floating around the Dwemer's head in a way only she understood.

"For all I know, the statue wasn't even all that important to her. She'd only ever heard tales from her parents. Maybe I shouldn't be so protective."

The small automaton hummed a series of buzzing notes, small lights flashing on the hull.

Veda's eyes remained trained on the stars, tracing out constellations and recalling stories that she never got to tell. "I wonder if she ever got to see them. It was snowing when we escaped."

"One day," the young Dwemer had said, "I'll take you to see the real stars! The projections from the Oculory have nothing on the real thing!"

The amulet slipped, now hanging from a finger.

"I wonder.. If she knew how much I really cared. How I wouldn't have sacrificed my family's love for anyone but her." Tears fell one at a time, like a crystalline aurora across the twilight sky. "And how horrible is that?"

Who was I to ask for her love, when my people did nothing but destroy her?

"How could I ever.. Be with anyone but you?"

Flit's worried chime brought her back to her senses, and Veda noticed the Amulet of Mara hanging from one of his antennae. It must have fallen when she wasn't looking.

"... Why didn't you let it go? I have no use for it. I've always been rubbish at Restoration magic."

Flit clicked and hummed rapidly, a frantic dialogue running through the Dwemer's head.

"Wear it? For what?"

For them.

And why should she? They were already happy together, in the midst of their blossoming relationship. Who was she to interfere?

They care about you.

She knew that much. It was easy to recall Kaidan's worried expression when she had finally awoken outside of Snow Veil Sanctum, and Caryalind's nervous fretting every so often after the event. As if they were afraid she could disappear at any moment.

She could. It was only a matter of time before the void reclaimed her, before her purpose was fulfilled.

What could she offer them that they couldn't already offer each other?

"There's no point," She murmured, lowering her head and averting her eyes from the stars. "I would only bring them pain, in the end."

The only person you are bringing pain is yourself.

What did he even know about pain? He was just a machine.

A machine that she made. For you.

"Shut up," she hissed quietly, rubbing at her eyes in frustration.

She wanted you to be happy, too.

Gods, she loved them, didn't she? They were both so ridiculously charming in their own ways, sharing their interests and concerns and caring so much for her, even when she felt she didn't deserve it.

"Vivi."

Veda choked on a sob, covering her mouth to muffle the noise.

Flit hummed sadly, floating in front of his owner and bumping his front plate against her head gently.

"I'm not too great at making automatons yet, but I've definitely been improving with you as my teacher! I've even made something of my own design! His name is Flit!"

She made me for you, the automaton spoke, because she loved you. And she wanted someone to be with you, if you were ever without her.

She wouldn't want you to stay alone for her sake.

...

"I really am ridiculous, aren't I, Lumi?" Veda laughed tearfully, wiping at her eyes once more.

Flit beeped hopefully, bouncing around as she finally straightened up and turned her gaze back to the stars.

"Forgive me for not being able to move on from you, my snow angel. I'm afraid it still won't be happening." She chuckled, envisioning the snow elf's pouty face amongst the waves of auroras. "I'll never stop hoping that you're out there, somewhere. But until then, I think it's high time I be a bit greedy."

The Amulet of Mara gleamed in the night's light, now safely tucked against Veda's chest as she turned back to the museum safehouse.

"I'll love them as I do you. And if that day ever comes, there's not a doubt in my mind that they'll love you just the same."

-----

Oh wow, me writing something other than dialogue chats for once lmao

I had some inspiration after finishing the Thieves Guild questline, and I ended up jotting quite a bit down for it. It's not necessarily the first full fic I've written, and it probably won't be the last for my girl, but I hope you enjoy it either way 💜 more chat posts coming soon!

If anyone saw me struggling to shorten the text wall with edits, no you didn't ✨️

#skyrim #tes #the elder scrolls #dragonborn #ldb oc #modded skyrim #kaidan skyrim #caryalind thallery #caryalind skyrim #i really had to go on laptop for this shit #Veda oc

[snowbird-down]

Prompt 3: Temper

Several warnings:

1) Major Endwalker spoilers

2) CW for body horror

3) For the sake of drama I’ve taken some creative liberties with a couple of NPCs. We can chalk it all up ICly to hallucinations if that’s more comfortable to you. Either way Laelia doesn’t remember most of this post-un-tempering so she’s not coming away from this with any meta knowledge.

E-enjoy?

All three of them couldn’t help but forget their lunch for the moment as the tentacle-heads passed. Well, no – it was disrespectful to call them that. Laelia mentally chided herself for slipping back into her old habits, offering a dutiful salute instead. The tenta—the Chosen didn’t give any indication of having noticed much of anything as they shambled on their way. They were above such things.

“Man. Why don’t they have to eat?” Gallus asked, pouting down at his Bowl of Brown. They weren’t sure what was in it, but such paltry things as flavor and texture didn’t really matter right now. “Imagine how much more work we could get done if we didn’t have to stop all the damn time.”

“Or sleep?” Marco smirked, twirling his spoon between his fingers. “The emperor sustains his Chosen on aether alone. If we work hard enough that could be us too, y’know.”

“We’ve been busting our balls.” Laelia frowned, stabbing at a dubious chunk of gristle with her spoon. “What did they do to get noticed by His Radiance?”

“Patience, dear sister.” Marco grinned. “He brought us back together, right? We’ll get what we deserve in time.”

Laelia had to smile to that. It was true. Marco had been missing since...since...she couldn’t quite remember. But she did recall her family had been devastated. It was only by Emperor Varis’ guidance that she was able to find her little brother again. Strangely enough she couldn’t remember where the rest of her family was now, but she was certain they’d understand. It’d be natural to assume that a loyal soldier like Laelia would have gone to help with the war effort. After all, they were at war with everyone.

She remembered Grandfather too, much as she was loathe to. The way he always looked at me so dismissively, with that infuriating frown. The disappointment that shone in his yellow eyes.

“You think it’s what?” he asked flatly.

“Reductive,” I replied. “I’ve seen every trope in this play a hundred times by now.”

Grandfather just rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t know drama if it backhanded you with an iron gauntlet and called your mother fat. Which she was, by the by.”

“You’d insult her?” I growled.

“Her, and that saddlebag of a face that you were so kind to inherit. Alas that only one of my sons had any taste.” And then he went back to watching.

I spent the rest of the night glaring at him rather than watching his trite little show. But sometimes, when he was distracted with the play, the other half of him would temporarily regain some measure of control over his own body. Solus would glance back at me with wide unfocused eyes, a confused and terrified old man who had no idea where he was, and I’d feel bile surge up in my throat.

Laelia grimaced as she swallowed the bile. No wait, that was stew. Those weren’t her memories. Hells, she’d never been to a stage play in her life, other than that one time Verina’s class did Romulus and Julia in high school. Verina had been cast as Julia. That’d been awkward to watch.

The whistle blew. They all hurriedly gulped down the rest of their slop, hugged each other, and went back to work. Marco and Gallus returned to work on the warmachina, and Laelia went back to guarding the trains. It was boring work if she was being honest, but she knew it was of tremendous import. More and more resources were being funneled into the palace, and with news of invaders beginning to creep over the borders it was now more important than ever that she help keep the supply lines safe. She had vague memories of those peoples, too – the poncy long-ears, the insufferable midgets, the hyur and the Angry Hyur. She remembered their cruel magics and their crude weapons.

She remembered the moment the sword punched into her belly. Popped through armor and flesh as though I were paper-thin. A shock of hot electric pain. That cold gleam in his eyes. I’d always known this day was coming but I still felt betrayed. I seethed immeasurably at the boy, but the worst part was that, even as my legs gave beneath me, I still felt love for him. Abominable monster that he was, he was still my son.

“What the fuck,” Laelia breathed, clutching her head. She had to focus, dammit. She’d never get promoted like this.

And so she worked, and she worked. She watched the trains and moved cargo and disciplined the more unruly captives being shipped off to His Radiance as tribute. And as the sun sank lower in the sky and the light began to fade through the windows outside, Laelia felt her pulse climb and her stomach churn. She hated night time. Night time meant she had to sleep. And every night it was always the same.

She tried to stave it off, tried to scrounge up coffee rations – but they were all since long gone, or else stolen by the traitors outside. So instead she tried to redouble her efforts, to keep working so that she didn’t have time to get tired, but that only seemed to accelerate it. At last her brother and Gallus returned and dragged her back to the barracks, remaining in good spirits the whole while.

“I know, I know.” Marco laughed. “We wanted to keep working too, but we’re of no use to His Radiance if we fall asleep on the job. Just a few quick hours and we can get back to it.”

That wasn’t the problem, though.

Laelia tried to stay awake in her cot, tried to lie in uncomfortable positions, tried to shed her blanket so she’d stay too cold. She tried everything. But she was dog-tired, and eventually sleep came for her anyway. And with it came that face. That manic, grinning, awful face. The hatchet in his hand. The way he sang such a carefree tune as he vigorously hacked into my right arm. It wasn’t anything so skilled as a medical cut; no, he butchered me like a slaughtered cow. When he’d gotten far enough through the bone, he tore the rest of the limb off and tossed it aside, where it landed with a wet slap on the granite floor.

He came for the other. Then my legs. Each one took an eternity to sever, forcing me to listen to the wet crunch of my own musculature. Afterwards he pulled out a knife and carved open my torso, dove in as if to seek buried treasure, and sawed free my heart and my liver. Those, too, he scooped out and added to the pile. And then – and only then, because he wished to keep me there to watch – when he was certain that I’d suffered his every cut and insult – he hacked off my head.

“Not to worry, Your Radiance,” he cooed into my ear. “You won’t have need of this. We’re about to grow you a couple of new ones.”

#ffxivwrite2020 #laelia jen belisar #garlemald #solus zos galvus #varis zos galvus #zenos yae galvus #fandaniel #anima