Magpie's Nest

This post goes with my most recent fic, which is a Roman Empire sort-of tomgreg au set in Roman Britain.

One of the reasons I prefer to write fanfic is that I don't have to describe the characters' appearance too much. You already know what they look like. I don't want to describe my OC's at length either, and I've always cast them as some particular actor in my mind. So here is the cast list to aid you in picturing them if you read the story.

So here are the characters for the first chapter of Titus et Grex, in order of first appearance or mention.

Titus Vemnasius Gallus - primus pilus (highest ranking) centurion of Legio IX. It's basically Tom but geared up like this.

Septimus - Titus's optio (second-in-command) Basically Justin Kirk as Jeryd Mencken but, you know, in the armor.

Grex (he isn't called this until the end of the chapter)- He's an unusually tall young man with a mysterious past. Greg, of course

Atticus - chief medicus (doctor) at the Lindum Roman military camp, Andrew Scott

Hylas and Hercules/Taurus - enslaved assistants to the doctor Atticus Timothee Chalamet and David Stakston (Magne in Ragnarok)

Hippolytus - enslaved Briton who works in the camp stables - Green Knight era Barry Keoghan

Ganymede - enslaved servant to the legate (leader of the legion), inspired by this Fayum portrait and portrayed in my head by young Dev Patel.

Sica - nickname of Secunda, daughter of Lucius Aquilius Regulus. She is betrothed to Titus Vemnusius Gallus Shiv/Sarah Snook obviously (a sica is a curved dagger)

I've noticed that because of the framing device many people are interpreting everything we see in season 3 as being from Lestat's pov. And I absolutely do not think that is the intention.

There are three main modes.

One is during the parts where we're getting Lestat's voice over, that is him narrating on the records. It is self conscious and a performance, both for his audience and for himself. e.g. Lestat with Armand and Gabrielle in the box

Another is the flashbacks that are not part of the narration, especially the involuntary ones. These show more the truth of what happened but still from Lestat's POV. e.g. The pre car wreck traumatic version of Lestat's turning.

The third mode is just 3rd person omniscient. It may involve events that Lestat has no knowledge of. They are not shown through his lens at all. e.g. Louis with Regina, Daniel and Armand's conversation at the end of episode 4. Even many scenes that involve Lestat seem to be in this mode.