ƀɍȺvɇ

      ❝      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.       ❞

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     —————     .     ❜ 

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. ❜

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.    ❜ 

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?  ❜

❛  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.  ❜

       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?  ❜

        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.    ❜