god_of_the_arena | Entries tagged with unlinked

Even though the dogs had each other to socialize with, and even though there were plenty of places for them to run around on the farm, Gannicus saw some value in bringing them into the city to play at the dog park. First, it exposed them to other dogs, reinforced good manners (as Krem said), and let Gannicus intervene in any bad habits before they could get worse. That, and it gave Gannicus a chance to socialize, if other owners were willing.

At the moment, there was snow on the ground. Aster, Bran and Foha were all wearing winter gear of some kind or another. Aster, in particular, was in a ridiculous sweater, as he was the only dog that would tolerate them and Gannicus and Aggie amused themselves by buying them. The two former fighting dogs were in more dignified blankets.

Aster bolted around the park, apparently intent on annoying every dog present at least once. He bowled over a rather hefty looking bulldog and then turned a dime to go back and try to greet his victim. Gannicus was already on his way over, just in case, the bulldog, rightly, was not amused.

Work started early.

Gannicus didn't have a problem with early mornings, but sometimes they had a problem with him. Especially if he'd been drinking the night before... and he was almost always drinking the night before. But this morning had not been awful, and their small farm was developing into something more substantial now that there was actual livestock. Tending the sheep before coming here somehow made him almost chipper.

Or at least, he didn't object so much when his boss had him work the front counter after a few hours of actual butchering. At least now the technology and customs were not so alien to him, and he could get along well with most customers. And he had a mug of coffee tucked behind the register that he revisited often as he restocked the display counter.

He glanced up when the bell over the door rang.

"Good morning."

Someone at the vet's office gave him the girl's number. He'd been told that she was one of the people that helped Bran and Foha when he brought them in, starved and bloodied. He hadn't had the chance to meet her when he picked the dogs up again.

Daine, she was called.

He ended up leaving a message on her phone, giving his name, the relation he had to the dogs in his care, and asked if she would be willing to visit their farm. He'd been told she was exceedingly good with animals, and whether Gannicus liked to admit it or not, he realized he might need just a bit of help. He was relieved to get a call back, and gave her the address.

Their homestead had come a long way from when they first bought it; the family had changed as well. There were still touches of Hild all over, even if she no longer lived with them, or in Darrow at all. He wanted to find some more permanent way to mark her presence... He would think of something.

He awaited the girl on the stone fence between the pastures and the road; there was another, sturdy wooden fence behind that, already lined with sheep wire. At his feet were three dogs: Foha and Bran, the fighting dogs Daine had likely met before, and Aster.

Gannicus pushed his hair back and worked it into a braid. He'd forgotten anything to tie it back with but he wasn't inclined to go back to the house just to find something. The braid would hold a while, and when it gave out he would braid it again. Maybe he would find a long lost piece of baling twine if he was lucky.

Aster and Bran were out and about with him; they had spent the day roaming the property and working on the barn. It was his day off; he knew to expect Krem home before Hild based on the notes left on the counter. Aster was sniffing at rodent holes but Bran was laying in a puddle of sun.

By now he'd patched all of the gaps in the wall of the barn; the sun was coming in through the open windows. They could be pulled closed and latched at will, but airing the building out still seemed a good idea, at least until the weather turned.

Most of his work today had been making sure the loft was sturdy, repairing gaps and structural issues up there so that they might store hay when they had livestock. Gannicus had never imagined a settled life like this for himself, not after the Romans took him. But this was what he might have had if not for that. Perhaps not a house as large or land like this, but a quiet home and a herd of to keep.

Aster rushed by him. Gannicus turned and he smiled when he saw Krem standing in the doorway of the barn.

Gannicus had dedicated most of his time outside of work to getting the property in better order. There were good fences, but some parts needed mending. The large barn had needed some repair to keep out drafts and to make it live-able and safe for whatever livestock they might decide to keep.

He also had plans for smaller out-buildings. Maybe a green house for Hild, perhaps a place for chickens if any of them felt up to keeping them. Gannicus was more interested in sheep: he knew them better, had spent most of his childhood tending a flock.

There had been a time when he had never been able to imagine a settled life for himself. He had been so certain the arena would take him, and when he survived that, the memories of his years there and of the people he lost haunted him. He had no family left where he came from, so he had stayed in Rome, working enough that he could keep himself in wine and company.

Everything was different now.

He had spent a good part of the morning working outside and when he came in he found a message on his phone. He stood in the kitchen for a long moment, reading it carefully. Thanks to Dorian he had the skill to work with at all, but comprehension had come slowly, and he practiced every day.

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There's only one way to become champion

Never fucking lose

Entries tagged with unlinked

dog park shenanigans

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