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fragile lines ; self para

Adriana loses her shit.

note: quite a few triggers but no serious gore, blood, or injury. just a lot of emotional dark panicky stuff for you lovelies. mwah~

#self para;#chara dev;#fireandglory:writing #children of war;#brotp: alexandria;#tw: panic attack #sort of #tw: death mention #tw: depression #meh #idek #ANGST #tw: torture mention #p: fragile lines;

both of us ; adri + reyna

Adriana catches Reyna taking a short break from her birthday party and sneaks up to hand over a few gifts. Her intention is to make the drop and leave, but after a glass of wine, she’s coaxed into remaining. Unfortunately, the afterparty they’d intended to enjoy becomes another heated debate, spurred by alcohol... and perhaps something deeper. Note: Obviously, this took place the night of Reyna’s party. Enjoy!

Damn, was right. Reyna looked great in her new jacket and Adriana couldn’t help but feel a little glimmer of success brighten her mood. There had always been the chance that she wouldn’t have liked it or it wouldn’t have fit, yet she’d somehow managed to find a perfect present for her friend -- if she did say so herself. “It suits you.” Her eyes scanned Reyna’s form, trying not to linger as the praetor began to tease. A shrug and a smirk coincided with her response. “Or maybe this time I just got lucky. Besides, with you involved, there’s always a little extra motivation. It really wouldn’t be in my favor to disappoint.” She downed a slightly longer sip of her wine as thoughts of their previously related conversation popped into her head. More and more she felt as though maybe her assumption hadn’t been wrong, though she was still wary to approach the subject again. Whatever this was, she didn’t want to ruin it. Better to let things progress naturally and see if what was between them was even worth pursuing. “Certainly sounds like they were having fun, but what about you? I have a pretty good theory that having to sneak away from your own party suggests maybe you were missing out on something. Thoughts? If there was something you really wanted to do, I could always help you ditch your guests -- not that you should, because that’s totally not a very hostess thing to do, but… you could if you want. It is your birthday.” The daughter of Mars grinned, a second, slightly more amusing idea coming to mind. “Alternatively, you could force me to stay, but even if it is your special day, I can’t be making any promises. I’d probably try to escape to save you from the awkwardness that would come of a ‘killer’ crashing your party. I didn’t come here to ruin the vibe, after all. You should be enjoying yourself,” she bumped the other’s shoulder gently with her fist, the grin turning to a mildly faded smile, “not sneaking around with dangerous women.”

“It’s not my first time here,” Adriana quipped just as Reyna stepped inside, waiting for the opportune moment to make her dash for the stairs. Reyna’s distraction worked perfectly. While she held her company’s attention, Adriana was able to sneak inside, up the stairs, and down the hall to where she knew the praetor’s room was located. It wasn’t her first time to the house and was doubtful to be her last. Once there and concealed behind closed doors, she tossed the jacket in its box onto the bed and headed out to the balcony, leaning on the rail with the bottle of wine in hand. Even from this distance, she was able to hear the guests beginning to depart, the front door periodically opening and closing, rising chatter as more of them stepped out of the house and onto the streets. While alone, she was able to stop and think about that-- how she’d never experienced such a thing firsthand. She never had friends over for parties, never had to see them off at the end of a fun night. It had only ever been her and her very few closest friends, finding ways to make the night pass by more often than finding ways to enjoy it. The daughter of Mars had never seen too much of a point in celebrating her birthday. She rarely had as a child, and honestly, it didn’t bring back the best of memories. But others didn’t see it that way. AJ had been particularly annoying about doing something for it each year, even if that just meant a few drinks and a night full of recollections. Seeing as she hadn’t brought up any wine glasses with her, Adriana took no shame in stealing a swig from the bottle as she heard her friend’s approaching steps from out in the hall. Reyna was in quite a frenzy from she could hear, rummaging for a new top and likely rushed to tend to more properly to the stain in her current one. Sighing, Adriana made a slow approach to the edge of the balcony doors, leaning against the frame with a shake of her head as the other marched into the bathroom. She raised her voice slightly to made sure it got past the door. “Indeed it was-- and I’d hope it’d be worth it the same to you. After all, I wouldn’t be hanging around if I didn’t at least guess you wanted me to stay here too. I do recall you saying you were glad I’d come, but if that’s changed in the last few minutes, I could still slip away. My purpose here is not to be an inconvenience.”

#chatzy;#fireandglory:writing #brotp: warrior queens;#c: reyna;#chara dev;#p: both of us;#and oops was that a jori vid i attached #yep yes it was sorry not sorry #no shame here

What is your characters weapon of choice? Why?

Adriana’s primary weapon of choice is her longsword, Servatrix. Passed down from mother to daughter for innumerable generations, this Caninii family heirloom was designed to be thinner and lighter than your average Italian longsword, perfect for the ladies of the house. The blade is Imperial Gold with an infusion of silver, offering protection against monstrous threats and enemy demigods alike. If you look closely, you’ll see the outline of a common family symbol, a greyhound, etched into the base of the blade – you can find the same image tattooed behind Adriana’s left ear.

However, the longsword is not Adriana’s weapon of choice simply because of its history in her family. Adriana’s preferred fighting style is all about speed and agility. While she’s perfectly capable of fighting head to head, when given the choice, she always leans toward her speed, executing quick jabs and swift side swipes rather than direct swings. The Italian longsword, in general, was designed with fencing styles in mind, optimized for jabbing as well as full-on swings. It is typically a two-handed weapon, though Adriana is known to frequently bear it single-handed as well in an effort to maximize her options for offensive maneuvers.

One of her brightest but lesser known talents is her ability to dual wield. Because dual wielding is not usually practical for most battle and monster hunting scenarios, she likes to save this skill for special occasions. In common practice or when venturing out into the mortal world, she will resort to a pair of dual blades. In other instances, her style of dual wielding varies – longsword and spatha, longsword and gladius, longsword and dagger, gladius and dagger, etc. The number one advantage of dual wielding is speed. Adriana can increase the agility and frequency of her attacks when she has a blade in each hand, but this does leave her significantly open defensively. If she is using this tactic, her strategy will avoid extended confrontation and instead utilize a simple attack then retreat style (similar to the swiftness of a snake bite).

Being a daughter of Mars comes with the fabulous power of telumkinesis, which allows one to defend against enemy weapons by cursing them, as well as giving one a natural mastery across the general sphere of weaponry. As such, Adriana is proficient with quite a variety of weapons. Her additional favorites, however, would include the dagger, knife, throwing knives, and an electric whip that she had personally crafted by her friend Ryan Caldwell. It’s also thanks to Ryan’s brilliant craftsmanship that her trusty longsword, Servatrix, is now enchanted with the ability to take on an earring form when not in use. This trick has made it much easier for her to conceal her primary weapon when out in the mortal world or simply when she doesn’t want to be lugging a blade around at her hip.

And let’s not forget – baseball bats and scissors can be fun, too!

#queries;#anon;#headcanon;#chara dev;#c: ryan;#bless this anon

If your character were to go to Hogwarts, what house would they have been sorted into and why?

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Adriana would have been sorted into Slytherin, but not necessarily because of her past transgressions. To explain, let’s talk traits!

Above all, Adriana is prone to self-preservation. It’s not so much that she’s selfish as that the manner in which she was raised prompted her to develop an instinct for personal defense. At a young age, she was tormented mentally, emotionally, and physically by her grandfather, heavily restricted in having contact with her mother and brother, and sequestered from most of the world outside the family villa’s walls. With few friends and no proper familial relations to rely on, she was left to find ways of fending for herself, thus embodying one of Slytherin’s most infamous traits.

She is also cunning, clever, resourceful, and determined. Adriana is the kind of person who’s not afraid to bypass the rules and utilize a fair deal of deception to get what she wants or needs. Although these particular qualities can certainly be twisted for nefarious purposes, they can also be used in a less malicious context such as in the case of the Thanksgiving Ball kidnapping when rather than simply sending out the legionnaires of her cohort to search for the abducted campers, she came up with her own tactic of using her trained pack of war hounds to try and track down the kidnappers (sadly, they were very good at covering their tracks). Her determination stems from her self-preservation as a strict mindset of securing her own safety and the safety of her companions. Once she sets her mind to something, she is stubborn to change it and will see it all the way through; however, under extreme circumstances, her determination has been known to falter to her fatal flaw – fear.

And finally, fraternity and leadership qualities. Because of her lack of proper family and companionship as a child, Adriana has never been particularly open to forming strong relationships. She was raised to believe that such bonds could only weigh a person down and had convinced herself that her nature was far too unpredictable and her affiliated circumstances far too dangerous to risk an infliction of pain on anyone else. She knows that no one is perfect and that from time to time, she slips up; however, to those miraculous few capable of breaking through her walls, she is loyal to a fault. If she could merely overcome the fear that loves to cripple her, she really would make a brilliant leader. Glimpses of her leadership skill shined through especially during her time as Centurion of the Fourth Cohort. Despite her harsh commands and strict regulation of her legionnaires, she was known to be an example of strength, power, and determination. She also showcased ambition on the Field of Mars, always driving her soldiers to be the best– a mindset carried over from her days as a legionnaire in the First Cohort. She believed in her cohort, and in ways, regarded them as a family. To those who were especially attentive, there were even moments when her kindness was known to show through. She would have done anything to protect those in her charge, and now, as a Co-Commander of the Order of Remus, she has found that responsibility exponentially multiplied. At times it is a struggle for her because she is not quite as familiar with the whole of the Legion and New Rome as she was with her individual cohort, but she is building an understanding that her new position is not quite so different from her old – it’s just been placed on a much grander scale.

Now, could you also say that her darker side and criminal deeds also line up with the general perception of Slytherin as the Wizarding World’s “bad guys”? Yes, but Adriana is not inherently evil, nor is she necessarily a wholeheartedly bad person. Her few years of bloodshed and cruelty were triggered by a fierce fraternity to the only home she knew– New Rome and Camp Jupiter –and the little family she’d found in AJ, Sophia, and Nate which were very suddenly damaged by the onslaught of the Argo II. In her eyes, loss begot loss. There was a natural balance that had been disturbed by the Greek attack (however unintentional) and she would have a hand in restoring it (call it a Nemesis/Invidia vengeance thing, if you will). Nowadays, she can recognize that her past actions were too extreme, but at the time, she was far too emotionally invested in her vengeful determination to see so. Had circumstances been different where Sophia and Nate did not die and her best friend/pseudo-brother did not lose the current love of his life, Adriana might never have even considered pursuing such a heated revenge against the Greeks.

“Slytherin has produced its share of Dark witches and wizards, but unlike the other houses, members are not afraid to admit it as one of the Slytherin traits is ambition and greatness. Its students are often feared by the other houses, but most Slytherins are actually very kind (unless you happen to get on their bad side for some reason).” // “But we’re not bad people. We’re like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood.”

#queries;#anon;#cave canem;#headcanon;#chara dev;

distance (reprise) ; self para

After the wedding reception, Storm and Adriana have another serious discussion that leads to a mutual decision to put everything on hold. They part ways, and yet, this mutual decision that should have been the easiest for her to deal with begins to eat away at her composure. As it turns out, broken promises really can strike back with a vengeance. tw: depression (?)

#p: distance ii;#self para;#chara dev;#♥ : stana;#tw: depression

house of wolves ; self para

The war against the Dominus may have ended, but New Rome is still under threat. Adriana finally challenges some of her deepest fears, coming face to face with her past to complete her current mission -- judging the loyalties and investigating the power of those involved with the Cult of Romulus. In doing so, she forges a deal that could destroy the love she has finally found and potentially upset the trust of her closest friends. tw: death mention

disclaimer: I don’t actually speak Italian but Adri does, so apologies if my use of Google Translate is grammatically incorrect. I know it’s a bitch like that.

#self para;#p: house of wolves;#cult;#chara dev;#tw: death mention;

the trials (part ii) ; self para

Hey, guys! Here is the long-awaited Trials part two. This excerpt follows the first two stages or “doors” of the Trials. The first stage is written out in full detail as I intended it to be the longest portion of the event. The second is much less glamorous and more of a summary, but you can expect part three to be a better, shorter, and sweeter balance on length. I apologize for any typos, missing words, etc. In eagerness to get this out to you, I wasn’t able to do a full review of my writing. But, once again, enjoy! Note: when Adri mentions “Camp Jupiter’s wolves,” she is not referring to the lycanthropes but to the wolf mascot of the Fourth Cohort, as indicated by the PJO/HOO canon database.

”Let the Trials begin!” At the moment Natasha completed her speech, the five contestants darted from their starting places and into the maze before them. It was like someone had flipped a switch on all of them at once. The burst of speed and adrenaline was simultaneous. Despite that fact that the Trials weren’t necessarily a race, each felt compelled to run as if their life depended on it; however, while the others kept sprinting toward inevitable danger, Andreas and Adriana seemed to have the same idea—they paused. Although rushing headlong into danger was thrilling, it wasn’t exactly wise or sensible when the keys to their victory had to be earned. Like every training exercise and sparring match, the centurion would start by developing a best guess as to what she was facing. She halted within several yards of the opening, looking backwards to watch as it sealed and silence fell. Odd, it was—like a magic barrier had been wrapped around the maze to prevent any sort of communication between the candidates and the crowd, which made sense. Any outside guidance would likely be considered cheating. It would be one way to disqualify unworthy candidates, but masking the exterior sound evened the odds and made individual performance a necessity. Inside the course, they were well and truly alone. Smooth stone walls stood at Adriana’s back and sides. They were three times her height, at least, impossible to climb without some sort of ledge to grasp. For now, there was no way of glimpsing a potential path to the doors. She would have to discover a route on her own. But, before she went recklessly charging down the corridor, the daughter of Mars reached for her quiver, snatching her bow and an arrow. She loaded the arrow to the weapon and drew the bowstring, releasing the projectile into the uncharted space before her. Seconds passed. Her arms temporarily relaxed and lowered, her bow hanging loosely in a single hand. The shot had been a test. If there were any easily triggered dangers, Adriana wanted to know of them prior to her advance. Her patience was met with a low whistling sound. From somewhere directly in front of her, a spear came tearing through the air. She dodged to her left, causing the mysterious weapon to crash into the sealed entrance. The wooden shaft snapped by the force of impact. If she’d been running in the spear’s path when it was released, the call would have been much closer and assuredly harmful. Thank the gods her career as a centurion had taught her that what looked harmless rarely was. She had to expect the unexpected. It was the only way for people like them—demigods, demi-titans, legacies—to survive out in the world. So, the Trials were laden with booby traps. Adriana was glad she’d checked. Though it wasn’t her weapon of choice, she kept her bow at hand. Chances were she’d need it going forward. She crept along lightly, her senses tuned to detect any abnormalities in the walls that might signal a trap. After reaching the end of the first corridor, she was assured the spear-firing setup had retired its use, so she increased her pace. Proceeding at a slight jog wasn’t as reckless as sprinting, but it wasn’t without its troubles, either. Turn after turn, corridor after corridor were loaded with all manner of tricks and obstacles. To the competitor, it felt like hours had passed, when really only minutes had gone by. It didn’t matter whether she went left or right or tried to map the layout of the maze in her head; it was constantly changing (or so she thought). She’d already suffered cuts, burns, and bruises from a few close calls too many. Projectile weapons, spewing fire, compacting walls, pitfalls—you name it, the Trials had it. Luckily, she had yet to encounter any monsters or any of the other contestants, but she knew that luxury wouldn’t last. One of them would have to fall behind, and even if it wasn’t in this stage, she was bound to confront one of her opponents eventually. Okay. Another right. Another left. Walking, walking, aaaand… a dead end. Not the first she’d encountered and surely not the last. With a sigh, the warrior spun on her heels, prepared to stroll back the opposite way, when she froze. The opening of the dead-ended stretch she had entered had become a solid wall. She was trapped and she could sense it, the oncoming threat. It was like the calm before a storm or the tightness of reality just before gravity induced a fall. Her reflexes kicked in automatically. An arrow was nocked and drawn taut on her bow before she could blink. Surrounded by bare stone walls, she didn’t know what was coming, but it certainly didn’t feel as simple a trap as the others. Similar to the trap with the spear, this new trap activated from the front, aimed to batter the candidate stuck in its stone cage. A volley of arrows, some combination of mechanics and magic, fired at Adriana from the surface she faced. Instinctively, she dropped down and rolled to the wall at her right. She’d taken a scratch or two in her evasive maneuver, marked with a fresh red line on her cheek and arms. Pressed flat against the side of the chamber, the arrows couldn’t reach her, but their barrage did not cease. Rather than crashing into the back wall like they should have, the projectiles passed through the surface like water and continued to stream from the origin of their attack. It was a ploy designed to corner anyone who wandered into its grasp. Without proper training, its victim would have been torn to shreds. Fortunately, Adriana was very well trained. She’d managed to avoid any serious injuries, however trapped she was against the relentless onslaught of what she typically perceived to be a weaker weapon. Setting aside the immediate concern of becoming swiss cheese, the centurion decided to fire an arrow of her own. She shot for the wall that appeared to be functioning as some sort of magic portal, hopeful that the magic would apply to objects beyond those of the trap itself. Alas, only the enchanted weapons seemed capable of passing through. Merda. How was she going to get herself out of this mess? There was no way of climbing the walls or digging under them. She saw no levers or switches that might shut off the bombardment. At this rate, she was gonna be stuck there all goddamn day! Miraculously, the small peak in her frustration coincided with her lucky break. Quite suddenly, the offensive ruse glitched. The centurion surmised it had temporarily run out of magic power because, for that brief time, everything felt still. As if coaxing her forward, a short opening in the back of the chamber emerged from sliding stone. Not knowing when the barrage would start up again, Adriana took her chance. She dashed toward the low exit and lunged through it, escaping into a foreign corridor. Of course, when she’d finally reached a space she had anticipated was momentarily safe and was met with yet another fucking arrow that she narrowly dodged on reflex, the daughter of Mars snapped a cord. She sprung at her offender, her gaze and judgment clouded by crimson as she tackled the other to the ground, straddling their abdomen and threatening to suffocate them under the applied pressure of her bow. A strangled sound of protest chirped from the victim’s throat, followed by a flurry of apologies and introductions. The poor thing was clearly frightened rather than fighting. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!! Adriana! It’s me! It’s M-Monica! I swear, I thought you w-were a monster or something!! I was coming a-around the corner and I j-just saw movement a-and I—” Gradually, the familiar voice eased the centurion’s force and cleared her senses until she stopped seeing red and stared down at the legionnaire in surprise. “Monica?” Though no longer entirely threatening the girl, Adriana held her position, just in case she was playing innocent for an advantage. Honestly, she doubted it. Monica Dijon was a soldier in the Fourth Cohort, Adriana’s cohort. She was a reputably skilled archer, but she didn’t possess many other outstanding traits and had yet to best her centurion in combat. How and why she’d entered the Trials, the daughter of Mars could only wonder. “Relax. You’re fine. I’m not going to hurt you. For now, anyway.” At last, she removed herself from the archer and stood, offering a hand to help her up. A quick once-over of the girl, who looked quite frenzied and beaten up, prompted her to ask, “What happened to you? You look awful.” “Gee, thanks.” Monica rolled her eyes but gratefully accepted Adriana’s help in standing. She continued with a sigh, “Oh, booby traps, weird magic, a couple of monsters—the expected. Just… a little more intense than I’d like.” Her subtle smirk regarded her centurion’s appearance. “You don’t look all that different. The Trials suit you.” It was Adriana’s turn to smirk. “I’ll take that as a compliment. I’d likely be dead or gravely injured if they didn’t. So, any luck proving yourself ‘worthy’ yet?” “Sadly, no. I’ve been more pathetic than worthy of late, to be honest. When I signed up for the Trials, I wasn’t expecting…” “—this?” Adriana nodded. “Yeah, I get it. I don’t know what I was really anticipating either, but a stage like this was not like anything I had in mind. Looks like we’re both a little lost, then.” Thinking upon her words, Adriana elected to suggest some cooperation. If neither of them had earned a key, there was surely no harm in them teaming up for a short while, was there? It wasn’t like they had to fight one another, after all. Together, they’d probably have a better chance at finding the doors or, at least, some answers. She glanced to their left, eyeing another unexplored path. “Why don’t we team up, watch one another’s backs? If we work together, we should find the doors faster. Besides, we’re both respectable warriors of the Fourth Cohort. I say we show these other candidates what Camp Jupiter’s wolves are made of.” Once the suggestion was voiced, both girls were grinning. Monica nodded in agreement, flipping her bow in hand. “I like the way you think. Lead on, Centurion.” Adriana and Monica were no doubt an efficient team. They had the advantage of being familiar with each other’s fighting styles, so watching each other’s backs was easy. Better, the majority of the traps they encountered as they pushed through the maze were duplicates of others they had already encountered and conquered. They seemed to be making good time, but with no clues to tell if they’d neared the doors, neither could be sure. They could just as well have been wandering around aimlessly for the past several minutes. Only the spectators would know. As they were striding through yet another corridor, the daughter of Mars halted and turned on her companion, sighing, “Monica, I hate to say this, but I don’t think we’re getting anywhere this way. We should have found something by now. Maybe we should split up again, cover more ground.” Monica frowned, unfortunately concurring, “You might be right. If we keep up like this, I bet we’re just going to be wandering new paths for an eternity. Whatever magic they used to build this place seems to be working against us.” “I’m afraid that’s true,” Adriana grimaced. “It’s supposed to test our limits. I don’t imagine it’s in favor of cooperation. We should—” “—wait!” Monica interjected, forcing a silence between them. Adriana quirked an eyebrow at her when nothing out of the ordinary occurred. “Wait for what?” “I thought I heard something, just… just give it a second. I want to be su—” And that’s when they heard it—a distant but much too near cacophony of squawking and screeching. Looking out above them, they saw a flock of hard-to-make-out somethings closing in on their position. Fast. Adriana had a sick sensation that she knew exactly what they were. In an environment of narrow stone channels, they would be easy prey for any flying predator, but these in particular were a lot more troublesome than most. “Harpies,” she growled, cursing under her breath. Without any further hesitation, she pressed a hand to Monica’s back and pushed her forward, ordering the girl to move. “Monica, run. Now!” The two girls took off at full speed, sprinting back the way they had come. Their backtracking brought them closer to the harpies, but tearing through new areas of the course was too dangerous. They would be charging into undiscovered traps. Retracing their steps, they knew what to watch out for. However, running wouldn’t matter if the flying terrors caught up to them, which was inevitable, really. The ground was riddled in turns and tricks while the sky was left untouched. It quickly became apparent that fleeing wasn’t going to work. If they wanted to survive, they’d have to fight. “Monica, listen to me,” Adriana glanced briefly at the legionnaire beside her, her tone ringing with the same authority it had the last time they’d been at war. “We can’t outrun them. Eventually, they will reach us and we will have to fight.” The centurion’s side prickled with phantom pain. She’d fought harpies before and she knew just how nasty they could get. She had the scars to prove it. “I want you to find a hidden spot. You’re the better archer of the two of us. I’ll distract them and lure them close enough to your position so you can start taking them out. After that, it’s every girl for herself. We’re outnumbered. There’s at least a dozen of them. Battling from the ground, we don’t have much of a chance, but we can damn well try.” “Okay, I can do that,” the daughter of Janus replied, “but where am I supposed to hide? It’s not like there’s that much variety in the structure of this place.” “I know.” Adriana sighed. “But you just have to. Sneak around a corner maybe? Try to be inconspicuous? If we can take a few of them out by surprise, it may give us an edge, however small. We’ll need it.” Monica shook her head doubtfully but didn’t deny her superior’s point. “Alright, I’ll try.” She offered a slight, fleeting smile. “You’re not half bad, Adriana. Ya know that?” The daughter of Mars smirked in reply, “Neither are you, Monica. If we make it out of this, remind me to take a few archery pointers from you. Gods know, I could use ‘em.” “Yeah, you could.” Monica jested, bearing a grin as they charged on down another stone strait. The area was recognizable with the exception of the new opening that broke the wall on their left. With no time to stop, Adriana planned to ignore it, conscious that it likely possessed more traps, but Monica paid no mind to the potential threat and charged abruptly through the space, exclaiming with a glimmer of curious hope, “Wait—this way!” Adriana spun on her heels, staring down the mystery corridor in confusion. Monica had no reason to bolt into unfamiliar territory unless— “Monica! Stop!!” —unless, it was a trap. Sure enough, there was a perfect albeit unusually convenient ledge sticking out from one side of the channel that the archer could shoot from. In her gut, Adriana sensed it was not put there to aid them. Monica did pause, but too late. As Adriana lurched through the opening, the trap sparked to life, snaring the archer in an electrified net. Her scream jarred the centurion in ways that she could not explain, nor that she would ever want to recall. She stood there for a moment, staring at Monica while the Trials executed their torture. A part of her considered leaving the agonized girl as prey for the harpies. It was cruel and awful, but she was no longer in any condition to fight, so what other purpose could she serve? A distraction for the monsters would give Adriana an edge in this competition—however, she wasn’t that heartless. Practical as her darker theory was, she would have to save it for an enemy. She wouldn’t even deserve a key if she claimed her success by sacrificing a friend. After recovering from her brief pause of moral strife, reached out to yank the net off of her companion. It zapped her fingers, reminding her that there was a current running through it, she cursed, and then she resolved the situation by snatching her whip and using the weapon with its nicely shock-resistant grip to drag the snare away from its victim. Kneeling down, she checked for a pulse, as Monica had drifted from consciousness, and finding one, she sighed in relief. In normal circumstances, she would have carried her to safety, but the harpies were closing in, perhaps seconds away. She stashed Monica under the ledge she’d been aiming for, sending up a silent prayer that the harpies would chase turn their attention to her once she was on the run again. This was where things got tricky. Without one of the Legion’s best archer’s as backup, Adriana would be facing over a dozen harpies on her own. She’d never be able to fend them off by hand alone; she needed a strategy. Or maybe, what she needed was a trap of her own. The maze was filled with them. If she could use her knowledge of the Trials’ dangers against her enemies, she might even be able to eliminate them. It was a stretch, but her only hope. Returning to the previous corridor, the warrior waited with a loaded bow, her amber gaze trained on the horizon for the first sight of feathered flesh. When she saw it, she made her shot, sending one of the creatures, as a corpse, to the ground. Stunned and infuriated, the flock instantly locked their attention on the fierce-eyed soldier. “Come and get some, bird brains,” she grinned wickedly and turned around, darting a third time over the paths she and Monica had crossed earlier. The harpies hounded her with slashing talons and a frenzy of awful squawking. She shot a few more down with her bow, but most of the damage her pursuers sustained was caused by the traps she activated along the way. Some were impaled by spears, others burned, more tangled in nets of all sorts; however, the booby traps weren’t making nearly the dent she anticipated they would. At this rate, she’d have to step up her game to avoid suffering the wrath of the ravenous flock. She thought then of how nice it would have been to have Storm or Rockie at her side. Their powers could have blasted or blown her opponents out of the sky without hardly lifting a finger. Storm had so much faith in her skill, yet she hardly had an ability capable of wiping out a dozen or so harpies. She reflected on their first meeting, when they’d spoken to one another about their powers. She had insisted that his godly abilities heavily outweighed her own, and yet he’d admitted in response: “I get the feeling though that cursing someone’s weapon might be quite helpful when you have an arrow hurtling towards your face.” He wasn’t wrong; it was a comforting advantage to possess, but—Di immortales! Arrows!! Storm was right. Her power was helpful, possibly even life saving. With renewed vigor, Adriana sprinted through the web of corridors and corners, blazing her way toward the trap that had nearly incapacitated her earlier. Her plan was mad, but there was no one to judge. She figured, if she could use her cursing ability to shield just herself from the arrows in the magically powered death trap, the surrounding projectiles would take out the harpies as they closed in on her. Hopefully the freaks were clouded by rage or merely dumb enough to fall for it. When the entryway came into view, she slowed, allowing her followers to catch up. It didn’t take long. In seconds, they were practically on her. She riskily slipped underneath a few slashes to somersault into the center of the trap. As her gut tensed to warn of the impending magical barrage of arrows, she held her ground, locking eyes with the harpies to coax their anger. The closer they came to tearing her to shreds, the more likely her plan was to work. Sure enough, they launched at her, blinded by anger and the deception that they’d finally trapped their prey. As she was about to become the victim of a vicious shredding, Adriana crouched down and blocked her face with her forearms. Her bracers, chest plate, and greaves were her only additional defense if her trick went south. The centurion’s dedicated focus paid off. She placed her trust in her power, commanding a curse that turned every weapon on a path to harm her to useless paper, but anything else in the arrows’ wake was swiftly buffeted by wave upon wave of pointed projectiles. The few monsters that escaped complete annihilation had flown away in fear. The rest lay dead, fading to dust around her. She held her position until the trap deactivated; however, this time, it didn’t stop as a result of low magic power. It just… stopped. Suspicious, she moved her arms aside and peeked around the area. The chamber had closed her off to all but one exit through which a door could be seen. At her feet was a small golden key, glowing a bit with some sort of residual magic. She should have been entirely amazed, but she honestly wasn’t. The Trials so far had been hellish enough to drain the joy out of moving forward. The most it provided was a vague sense of relief. She knew, as soon as she passed through the door, things would only get harder. Despite the risks, Adriana did what she was expected to do—she picked up the key, got to her feet, and kept going. She slipped the key into the door’s lock, pausing before she turned it. “No going back, right?” A halfhearted smirk tweaked the corner of her lips as the door clicked, opening for her. One down, three to go.

The second stage of the Trials was, astonishingly, no where near as eventful or challenging as the first—at least, for Adriana. The course was still organized like a maze, but it was constructed of large hedges with thick branches and the occasional brush of grappling vines, enchanted to constrict and seize any candidates that passed by. The traps were no less numerous but most of them dealt with medium-sized monsters rather than magic or weapons. In fact, slaying monsters happened to be one of the daughter of Mars’ most proficient skills. She had won her second key after defeating a rather massive scorpion beast, about the size of a small elephant, while the two were restricted within a ring of magically induced fire. She came out with a few scrapes and bruises, but no serious injuries. Damian Titus had a similar method of success and Karen Fisher had snaked her way through the maze virtually unseen. Her ability to blend in with her surroundings, much like a chameleon would, was cleverly effective. All she’d had much to worry about was the vines. Andreas Kite had the same struggle with the nature of the labyrinth as Karen, however, one of his encounters with the conscious plants had brought about his failure. The son of Vulcan was strong, but the greenery put him out of his element. Unlike the first stage, there were no mechanic traps for him to detect. He had to rely on instinct to fight his way through. Sadly, his greatest instinct was tethered to the use of his strength. When a patch of nasty constricting vines got a hold of him, he tried to tear his way out, unaware that struggling only increased the plants’ impact. By the time his fellow contestants earned their keys and moved onto the third stage, he was still rather tied up. The next stage would definitely be interesting as it narrowed down the final two contenders in the Trials. In the stands, bets were becoming intense. Spectators were torn between the ruthless children of war and the sly daughter of Arcus. Each of them had shown impressive potential for victory thus far. Realistically, any of the three could be the last man—or woman—standing. Conflict would soon be inevitable.

#self para;#chara dev;#p: trials;#order;

the trials (part i) ; self para

Below this read more is the first piece of a three part self para I will be posting for Adriana in regards to her Trials for the Order of Remus. As it is a para relevant to the Fire and Glory plot as a whole, I highly recommend you find a chance to read it. Special thanks to Micah, Smam, Britt and anyone else who has aided in the writing of this piece. Note: the final section of part one was written by Micah from Natasha's POV and edited by myself. Enjoy!

The morning of the Trials seemed no different than any other. Fiery sunlight shone through the windows of the barracks, signaling the sunrise. It was still early, hours before she would take up her sword, but Adriana awoke regardless. This could very likely be her last morning as a centurion and she’d be damned if she let it escape her. With the sort of finesse that one did not typically associate with a warrior, she slipped herself from her partner’s arms and out of bed, leaving the son of Zeus sleeping soundly where he lay. Watching the gentle ups and downs of his breathing, she couldn’t help but reflect over the past few months. So much had changed in so little time. No longer was she the solitary soldier who carried out her duties like clockwork; she was a soldier with allies and friends and loved ones—people she would die for. More importantly, her companions had helped her to realize her independence. She could pick her own battles, her own morals, and her own loyalties. There would always be a risk with her grandfather around; however, if she let things lie, she would become the heartless war dog he wanted her to be. No more. The Order would be a new beginning. She would become who she wanted to be, not who she was told to become. Nothing would stand in the way of the Warrior Queen and her freedom. While rounding the bed to enter the bathroom, Adriana brushed a few fingers through Storm’s hair, pressing a breath of a kiss to his forehead. Alas, he was unconscious and would not respond to her gesture; but, perhaps, it was better her gratefulness not be fully realized. There was no doubt she was madly in love with her slumbering boyfriend. If he wanted her to run away with him or help him take over the world, she’d say yes in a heartbeat. And that was exactly what worried her. New Rome was in danger. She was needed here. Until Dominus was brought to justice, she would have to stay to defend the things she loved most and to fight for her own future. She’d have to avoid, for the moment, rushing into any further romantic commitments, whatever those might be. After a brief shower to clear her thoughts and kindle her energy, the centurion began her daily preparations. She started by fixing her hair in a braid. The arrangement was loose enough to drape over her shoulder, yet stable enough to remain mostly intact during combat. Next came her usual attire: underwear, sports bra, well-worn black jeans, modified Camp Jupiter top, combat boots—and then, she changed up her routine. At that point, she’d typically throw on her longsword and leather jacket and be on her way, but the Trials demanded a little extra preparation. She clipped her greaves on over her boots, laced up bracers on her forearms, buckled a holster for her throwing knives and whip to her right thigh, and pulled out her rarely worn upper body armor. The corset-style chest plate had never been the easiest piece to strap on. She could tie the front together just fine; it was tightening the sides well enough that was a slight challenge. Her muffled curses and the struggled noises of leather and metal must have been a notch or two louder than she expected because she had somehow missed the indicative sounds of her boyfriend rising from bed and his sudden voice so close nearly caused her to jump. “Good morning, Warrior Queen,” Storm grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning in to steal a greeting kiss. Adriana gladly reciprocated. “Morning, Thunder Prince.” She smiled and spun around, momentarily ceasing the battle against her armor to look him over. He was still in just his boxers, which she didn’t necessarily mind, but the serious nature of the day ahead prompted her to suggest, “Wanna get dressed and help me with this armor? I’d rather save my frustration for what lies ahead, if you know what I mean. Frustration fuels anger, anger fuels serious ass-kicking and whatnot.” She shrugged, smirking. “And I’d also like to get in some warm-up before the big event.” Storm chuckled and kissed her once more, “Of course. My beautiful Angel of Death should look her best when she’s out kicking arse.” With a grin, a wink, and a quick slap on her ass, he strolled off to get dressed. Adriana wasn’t even surprised by his actions at that point, rolling her eyes, her smirk hardly faded as he readied himself. The next several minutes included a fair bit of fumbling and fiddling with her armor. The daughter of Mars would attempt to give an instruction and perform the same detail at the same time. It led to a great deal of confusion. “Okay, so you’ve got to pull this strap like this, and then it loops through here and you buckle it back—“ “Like this?” “Yea—no, no, no! Too tight! Di immortales!” “Sorry! Sorry—! Shit. Uh… is that better?” “Much. You’re forgiven. Now help me with this side—” Once they finished with the troublesome chest piece, Adriana fastened the last of her equipment in place: a holster with her dagger and spatha on her back, her quiver with bow resting between the blades, and her trusty longsword belted at her hip. She glanced at herself in the mirror with a sigh. The last time she’d been this done up, Camp Jupiter was at war. “Look, Storm… Whatever happens out there—“ she began, only to be interrupted and silenced by his words. “I will be so fucking proud of you.” She turned around and stared upwards, her amber eyes blinking at him in surprise but also thankful admiration. Her lips moved to speak again, stopped by yet another kiss and an arm around her waist. Gods, it drove her crazy how easily he could shut her up. “Adriana, I love you,” he smiled, “no matter what happens. Whether you succeed or fail changes nothing. You won’t be able to get rid of me over some dumbass trials. I’m betting on you, Warrior Queen. Always.” Storm pressed his lips to her forehead and brushed a stray strand of auburn hair from her eyes, to which she returned his smile and laced their fingers together. “Okay. Guess I better not fuck up then. I wouldn’t want you to lose anything important.” “That’s my girl,” he grinned, walking his lady to the door. “Come on. Let’s get you some breakfast.”

Food and a few practice drills had only taken the edge off of the centurion’s nerves. Despite her confidence, she was plagued by persisting doubts. Should she have waited longer? Was she truly ready for this? Why hadn’t AJ told her personally of his pulling out? Could there be something at work she didn’t understand? A hand on her shoulder slightly affirmed her, eliciting a sigh. “I know, I know—it’s just nerves. As soon as I get in there, I’ll be fine. You’ll see.” Why she was comforting her boyfriend when she was the one who needed reassurance, she had no idea. He’d clearly picked up on the way her fingers strummed against the pommel of her longsword when she was nervous. She pecked his cheek, flashing a small smile. The Field of Mars loomed before them, its flat ground now occupied by a series of stands and a massive maze-like structure. It never ceased to amaze her, the swiftness with which Romans could build. The stage for these Trials would certainly be one to remember. There were four main sections, each constructed of different material: stone, vegetation, wood, and metal. She expected it would test her physical and fighting capabilities. Monsters were to be expected, as well as obstacles; though, what kind, she couldn’t guess. At the front, there were five openings—one for each candidate. In the end, only one would emerge. Eagles flew over the Field, surveying the maze, while the children of Arcus and Trivia appeared to be setting up an Iris-style rainbow viewing screen in the sky. Adriana had known the Trials were a big deal, but never had she imagined they would be this elaborate. Practically everyone in camp had contributed to the setup in some way. The competitors were truly the least knowledgeable about their impending event. Already, the stands were filling with campers. Adriana was neither the first nor the last of the candidates to arrive. Three had already taken their place by one of the openings, sharpening weapons, stretching, and testing some last-minute tricks. So far, there was only one of them she’d label a serious threat: the first to arrive, a son of Bellona, Damian Titus. He was Roman-born and a member of the First Cohort with a few years on Adriana. She had sparred with him often enough when she was younger to know he was lethal. If they encountered one another during the Trials, she wouldn’t be able to hold back. Damian had never been the merciful type (and his new double sided guan dao was not a weapon she looked forward to meeting). Stepping forward, the daughter of Mars prepared to join her opponents when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. “Adri! Wait up!” To her pleasant surprise, Charlie Newton was running in her direction, followed at a variety of paces by the members of her cohort. She glanced over at Storm, pleading silently for him to wait, which he did, as she hurried to meet up with her best friend. She halted just short of him, bewildered. “Charlie? What are you doing down here? Shouldn’t you be seated by now? All the good spots will be taken!” “Psh—I’m not worried about seats. There’ll be plenty.” Charlie grinned, glancing back at the rest of the Fourth. “Besides, your cohort wasn’t gonna let their centurion run off without saying goodbye.” “And wishing her g-good luck,” added Tyler Cahill, stepping up to his heavily armed centurion. He had a smile on his face that she couldn’t resist reflecting as he asked for her wrist. Intrigued, she offered him her arm and watched as he snapped a new bracelet on under her left bracer. There was a symbol on the tight black band that she didn’t recognize, but he soon cleared up, “This is a symbol o-of protection. I know you probably don’t n-need it because you’re going to kick butt, b-but I thought you should have it j-just in case.” And then he hugged her—something she didn’t expect yet embraced regardless. She grinned and hugged Tyler back quickly, chuckling as they separated. “Thanks, Tyler. Help Charlie take care of everyone for me, will ya? I’ll expect the barracks to be in perfect order when I come to visit.” “I-I’ll do my best.” The son of Hermes smiled once more, fixing his freshly tousled hair with a light dusting of laughter. “Take care of yourself, Adriana.” “I will,” Adriana promised, flashing him a final smile as she moved on to chat briefly with the other legionnaires of her cohort. She gave a few parting tips to Jaime Elliot and Ara Chang, told Jacqueline that she was alright (for a child of Venus), wished Mena Evans the best with her boys and offered her aid in case the daughter of Nike ever needed it, and shook Will Solace’s hand, thanking him for all the hard work he’d put in since he’d arrived at Camp Jupiter. Lastly, there was Charlie. The first thing she did was turn to him and fling her arms around his shoulders, ensnaring him in one of the tightest hugs of his life. They were both scared. Charlie was worried about governing the cohort without Adriana. Adriana was afraid that they were splitting up their partnership again, even if she was still going to be around. They had been sources of comfort and security for one another since the inception of their friendship. Loosening their bond in any way wasn’t easy. The embrace felt hours long, yet all too short as it broke apart. Adriana looked up at him, smiling with a distant tinge of sadness. “Watch our cohort, okay? You know they like to get into trouble. If I make it through this, I’ll check in when I can, but…” “Yeah, I-I know…” Charlie glanced down at his feet, a tad sad and anxious and bashful, as she was. “I-I have something for you, too.” With a small smile, he crouched down and hovered his hand over the ground until a white flower with a coral tint on the petals bloomed below his palm. He picked it out and stood up once more, proffering the familiar flora to his friend. She bit back a gasp, staring at the flower that nearly overwhelmed her with its mix of fair and foul memories. “Clarkia amoena,” she identified by a half-whisper. “Godetia,” he nodded, twirling the flower gently. She shifted her gaze between the son of Ceres and the plant he held a few times, nostalgia flooding her tone when she spoke again. “They used to grow in my grandfather’s garden.” She took it from him, examining the beautiful token a little closer. Charlie knew they were her favorite. Whenever he came to visit her as a child, the white and coral blossoms seemed so much more alive and beautiful, and after he’d left to join the Legion, they’d all but died out. She hadn’t looked for them since then, but here and now, she was happy to have a piece of their memories to hold onto. A moment of silence passed. Then, Charlie carefully retrieved the flower from her hands and tucked it into her braid, weaving the stem a bit so it would stay in place. “It suits you,” he smiled gingerly, folding a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The funny thing about Charlie’s choice of flower was that it suited Adriana in more aspect than one. Not only did it contrast well with her dark hair, but it also had a meaning which they both knew but did not speak of. The Godetia was also called the “farewell to spring.” It was fitting for a goodbye such as this—one that was sad in some ways, yet charmed by the opportunity of new and brighter beginnings. Months ago, Charlie had promised his support of Adriana moving on from the Fourth Cohort, but she hadn’t fully accepted that support until now. He would always be on her side, even if they weren’t necessarily fighting back-to-back. Best friends were meant to last forever, after all. Adriana fought off a blush and punched him playfully in the shoulder. “Of course it does.” She paused. “Don’t miss me too much, loser. I’ll still be around, ya know.” “R-Right,” he grinned, pulling her into one last hug. “I’m always gonna be there for you, Adri. So, don’t be a stranger.” She grinned and hugged him in return, planting a swift kiss on his cheek. “Keep an eye on your leather jacket,” she winked. “The next time you can’t find it, I bet you’ll find me around the corner.” Adriana didn’t stick around to register Charlie’s reaction. While she’d been busy meeting with her cohort, the last of the candidates had arrived. It was time for the Trials to begin. There was just one thing she had left to do. Hurrying over to her boyfriend, the centurion grinned and pulled him into a kiss. She would have stayed there for an age—alas, she had a victory to claim. Storm had gladly reciprocated, sparing no ounce of passion for the few second kiss they shared. As it came to an end, he grinned and brushed his thumb along her cheek, gazing at her with all the pride he’d assured her earlier that he possessed. “Good luck, Warrior Queen. Go kick some fucking arse.” He smirked and pressed his lips to her forehead. “I love you.” “Love you too, Thunder Prince.” She smiled, pecking his lips again before she ran off. “Now go get a seat before you miss the show.”

Natasha stepped out onto the small platform that had been erected for her. Today was the day. Dressed in black leather armor, she had pulled her hair back into a tight bun, her knives strapped to her belt and her baseball bat hanging lazily in her hand. “Candidates,” she said, her voice ringing out loud and clear around the stadium for the Trials. “You have been selected because you're the best of the best. You are fighters loyal to Rome, yet a few of you think these Trials are a waste of time.” She shot one or two of the candidates a piercing glare before continuing with her short, spontaneous speech. She had considered writing one but quickly dismissed the idea. This was no formal occasion. “Today, you will be tested. You will be pushed to the limit. You will face your greatest fears and your mettle will be measured. Do not get me wrong or mistake me for one second--only one of you will be victorious.” The demi-titan smiled and set her shoulders back. “The Order of Remus is a new creation and I have the pleasure of being its first Commander. Do not think that means we allow weakness. In the previous three Trials, as you are all well aware, we selected none of the candidates.” She looked at the contestants before her. Her personal favourites were Adriana Caninii; daughter of Mars and legacy of Nemesis, Centurion of the Fourth Cohort, closely followed by Damian Titus; son of Bellona, Legionnaire of the First Cohort. They were her strongest contestants. However, the last three were not to be underestimated. Andreas Kite; son of Vulcan and Legionnaire of the First Cohort stood taller and more muscular than most in the Legion. Monica Dijon of the Fourth Cohort, daughter of Janus, was the best archer Natasha had seen in many years, possibly a good enough marksman to rival Blink or Dorian Rhoads. Finally, there was Karen Fisher; a daughter of Arcus with bright blue hair and a mischievous smile. She was a member of the Fifth Cohort and Natasha could not understand why. “The objective,” she continued in the same authoritative tone, “is to collect a key and move on to the next stage. To gain a key, you must prove yourself worthy. How you achieve that is up to you; however, in each stage, there is one key less than there are competitors, so be warned. The last man or woman standing shall be considered the victor. Good luck. Let the Trials begin!” She concluded before walking from the stage to a flurry of applause and taking her seat next to Reyna and the other members of Camp Jupiter’s leadership.