My veins are filled with stories of survival.
Michelle K., What Keeps Me Up At Night #147. (via michellekpoems)
14K notes
·
View notes
❝ purity through hate. dignity through rage. ❞
0 notes
shemystery.
❝ WELL, IT WASN’T REALLY MY INTENTION TO SNEAK UP ON YOU, but you do have good eyes. like a wolf’s, quite impressive. you weren’t present during the campfire and they’re serving some hot chocolate. so, i thought that it would be a shame that you miss a cup for tonight. here ❞ she hands him a cup of lukewarm cocoa / once hot and full, now tepid and half- empty. i tell you, she did her very best not to tumble and fumble, but her actions backfired her intentions. ❝ take this. so, tell me. why aren’t you with your cohort, garrett ? ❞ SHE KEPT HER DISTANCE, a thought that she maybe disturbing his solitude. however, the isolation she felt makes her yearn for warmth. she felt selfish for thinking such - greedy, acquisitive, self-centered. ❝ I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND ME, giving you some company. ❞
❛ the legion trained us well. ❜ see the promise of austere youth, raised between the canines of lupa, taught to join the pack and revel in the power and glory of rome. and yet, even after all his years under the purple banner HIS DESIRE FOR ISOLATION REMAINS ADAMANT. he has made an irony of himself. apprehension precedes him. it shows in the extended hand, ready should the cup fall from her fingers. it does not, and he receives it with gratitude. ❛ thank you. you're very considerate. ah — they were talking nonsense. i did not come here to listen to their gossip. ❜ he did not come to the greek camp to rot and suffer estrangement either, but he does not tell her that. instead, he beckons her closer to the log he is occupying, shared cup in his hand. ❛ i don't mind, but i'm no fun. ❜
3 notes
·
View notes
builtbest.
lithe digits paled due to tight clutch of spear as she twirls around only to meet with face of a boy ; a demigod —— petals split apart to release a tranquil exhale. ❛ you scared the hell outta me ! ❜ she conceded, heavy throbbing still echoes in her ears. ❛ i'm aware . . . ❜ vigilant irises spare a mere glance down. ❛ luckily, my fists work just as perfectly ————— . ❜
❛ it wasn't my intention. ❜ he gives her a flicker of a gaze ; a boy with a tongue-tied reluctance. masked with bashfulness. a boy who knows not fear in battle but in associating with the unfamiliar. uttered words are filled with chagrin. ❛ you would allow your weapon to split into two in the middle of the battlefield . . . because your fists are as good as your spear —— ? ❜
2 notes
·
View notes
like this for a starter !
12 notes
·
View notes
0 notes
THEY’RE GONNA MAKE ME THEIR QUEEN.
9 notes
·
View notes
new rome remains detached from him, like a part of the house he never goes to. the promise of safety / longevity. survive the endless ocean of peril after being broken again and again by the relentless waves and a new world will be given to you. there you will age and prosper, free from the dangers that tormented the entirety of your life at last. it remains an idea in his head —— utopian ; a dream he does not desire. his hands dig deep in his pockets, his feet toying / nudging pebbles they come across. he does not meet the gaze of anyone they pass by, stranger or not. alive or dead. maybe coming to new rome with the centurion was a bad idea. should've stayed in the barracks. ❛ veni, vidi, volo in domum redire. ❜
@riotcut
1 note
·
View note
attentive eyes catch sight of the fractured wood in the hands of a girl —— blonde. hazel-eyed. wrist enamored with wings, her orange shirt a contrast to his purple. maybe she knows of the lightning-shaped crack on her pilum. maybe she doesn't. he swallows his own hesitation. ❛ .. your spear will not last. ❜
@builtbest
2 notes
·
View notes
garrett in a nutshell.
- never really socializes unless it's about the war games, weaponry, strategies, etc
- the battlefield is his comfort zone. he is very active / expressive in the field of mars.
- in the first cohort, he is among those who have participated the most in all the war games.
- is among the first cohort's strategists during sieges
- currently holds the best record in gladiator fighting
- quite popular
- is attracted to strength. has a longtime admiration for reyna.
- refuses to think about college / life in new rome after he graduates from camp jupiter
- dislikes unnecessary violence
- knows almost all the legionnaires by face / name / abilities (know thy enemy) but has never talked to most of them
- has shown immense potential to be centurion / praetor in his early years in cj but due to his dislike in politics, legionnaires started to dislike him due to him "not grabbing the opportunity / denying power"
- his reputation suffered due to this ^.
- is chummy with first cohort centurion kenneth vareck
- poor reputation + social awkwardness + introversion + looks very intimidating + visible strength / skill leading to more intimidation = garrett lusco
- has never asked anyone out
- looks like he could kill you but he won't because he is actually a cinnamon roll
1 note
·
View note
several meters away he could already sense the approach. his senses are trained in the darkness — vigilant after years of war games in the night, searching for mines / surprises hidden in the field of mars. instinct coupled with experience. here comes the unease, bloodcurdling like a MENACE in the void. a silhouette. here come the footsteps. a head turned in his direction, a gleam of her eyes, her hair under the moonlight, blonde — braided. garrett calls her out, ❛ rose ———— i see you. what do you want? ❜
@shemystery
3 notes
·
View notes
❛ you beating me? ❜ he, a child of the empire, battle-wrought and steel-boned, who THRIVED in the wolf house where others limped and wailed. he who fought more than he ever talked, he cannot envision a reality. it is too far-fetched ; even comical to a degree ( but he does not show amusement ). war is written in his bones but he is far from cruel. ❛ we were raised differently. it's not impossible. just ——— highly unlikely. but you can try. ❜
@didright
0 notes
like this for a starter !
12 notes
·
View notes
queenrisen.
EXHILARATION robs her lungs of breath — and within the same moment, returns it. she feels the thrill of battle in the straightening of his spine, a challenge in the subtle flourish of his words. it is a cordial provocation she entertains with genuine thought, the kind that tingles her skin with anticipation. reyna longs for the telltale metal clang between dueling swords. the smell of sweat and determination saturating the air. the sight of fire-lit eyes and smirking mouths, of victorious hearts and aching limbs. she longs for battle without the threat of expiry, though admittedly it contributes a different kind of RUSH. with a click of the wrist far more delicate than her stature, the spear is spun & lowered & stabbed into the ground between them. war-weary fingers liberate themselves from worn gloves, then reaching up to brush tendrils of hair plastered across glistening forehead. ❛ one of these days, then. ❜ she concurs. a corner of her lips twitches upward as she cants her head; lo and behold — a praetor’s oath behind clandestine words and muted smiles. the sound of octavian’s name wipes all semblance of the ghost grin that was, however; mouth purses into a fine line as she reaches forward to take the request. ❛ i suppose such sounds logical enough — you are rather valuable to your cohort, yes? who might you be opposing in this fight? ❜
words shared before were out of cordiality, a curt exchange between a legionnaire & a praetor. now conversation forms in the moment but not WITHOUT difficulty. sooner or later words will leave him as will air. he was not born for talking, not for prolonged conversations, not in the company of others. but the thought of a promised battle ( and the lowered spearhead ) frees him of apprehension. in the laborious task in running the camp, a praetor's schedule is not to be trifled with but he trusts in her declaration, as he respects her authority. eagerness shows in the form of a smile on tight lips. soon. octavian might have suggested idea of moving the schedule to secure his REASSURING presence in the siege but the son of mars dwells on the SIGNIFICANCE of a battle. no glory lies in fighting a war if one does not give his all. nor does he want to sacrifice one for the other. but with the succession of her agreement ( !! ) a grin manages to push through his facade. he did not expect the dates to be FLEXIBLE yet to complain after being granted a wish would be an insult to her decision. ❛ most would say. i'm with him on the suggestion but against the crazy notion that the FIRST can’t win without me. we all contribute to the win ------ i just don't want to inconvenience them with my absence because of my individual activities. ------- ah, thank you. instead of thursday, my fight will be on wednesday next week. ❜ he hands her the proposed schedule. ❛ i’m up against a legacy of mercury from the THIRD COHORT. they say he's one of their best fighters but we’ll see. ❜
6 notes
·
View notes
coderebel.
there is no response to his bizarre rage, nor an indifferent stare. what he sees over a glance to garrett is swelling pride but stilled determination — & that bout of self-integrity is all he needs to fall silent ; to forget the words to chide or berate the other man, but instead recognise the serenity that came with his company, one that he had come to appreciate. had it been any other stupid trainee lurking close to him, he would have something scornfully unfavorable to their face. at least, if not sooner, his anger melts with time.
as time consumes itself, he thinks himself to have forgotten he had encouraged garrett to present himself on time without a threat behind it. upon hearing his inquiry, kenneth startles back to reality & scowls incredulously. perhaps he had suggested the reunion too early — the rest of the cohort, behind those doors, hadn’t completed their task yet. in order to stall, kenneth cuffs the back of the other boy’s head gently before allowing himself a brief once over at his stature.
❛ different matters. right. so — oh, by the way. ❜ he cuts off swiftly, before abruptly swerving the direction of the conversation. ❛ your lady crush dropped by. said she noticed you for like, 10 seconds. ❜
the weight of the centurion's words makes the air thick with shock. his CLANDESTINE admiration, thrown so casual and careless, what if OTHERS hear ? senate members, legionnaires, lares ; each more susceptible to gossip than the last --- what if she hears ? a fist tries to conceal his startled cough. regret makes its way through the cracks of the shattered facade, negating the unease enforced by the the presence of the senate. kenneth is the backbone of the FIRST COHORT, a reliable comrade, one of those he treasures the most. towel slaps, elbow nudges, humored hits, many which garrett had learned to welcome in silent acceptance. but was he wrong for entrusting a part of him he holds so dear ? he hopes not ( he also hopes what he said had at least a fraction of truth -- kenneth being a son of apollo and all ). but kenneth is kenneth. he might be vexing every so often but after years of rallying the cohort under his banner, garrett knows he ultimately means no ill. he shifts his weight from one foot to the other ( with furrowed brows & grounded jaw & a hardened glare ) before he turns to the other. ❛ as she notices every other legionnaire. ten seconds is more than enough. ❜ && he asks again, ❛ ------ why are we here ? ❜
8 notes
·
View notes