The art is fantastic! These two in particular have captured my imagination for their body language, emotional expression, and situation. I can’t stop staring at them.
And the animated version of the second image … WOW!
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The Slaves of Atticus Lucius Tiburcus
- Thread starter Wragg
- Start date
And the animated version of the second image … WOW!
ducon007
Consul
Great art! Thank you for sharing!
Diana, from her own cross, watched Dilla with the sympathy that only the crucified know.
Emil was calling her name from his cross. “Dilla! DILLA!”
I wandered over. “She’s busy right now. She’ll be able to chat shortly.”
“Piss off, motherfucker! Look… what you’ve…. done to her!”
“She’s your sister.” It was a statement, not a question.
He looked at me with agonised hatred.
“Tiburcus wanted you crucified. So she hit him with a brick or something. Thought she was saving your life.”
Still he just glared at me.
“And now look. Instead of just you, all three of you are hanging naked on crosses.”
I stepped aside to allow a gob of his spit to pass harmlessly past.
I shrugged, and turned back to see how Dilla was doing. Badly, it seemed. Writhing, screaming, trying to make some sense of this terrifying new world she was in.
“A spade.” Diana spoke.
“A spade? Yes, that would do it.” I looked at Emil. “So, who gave her a fucking spade?”
I watched as hatred turned to despair in his eyes.
“His roses… died. Blackfly. So I… get nailed… to a… cross?”
I sighed. That was Tiburcus all over. And there were others like him. Crucifixion for the slightest misdemeanour. “I see. Well, at least now you’re up there for homicide, not herbicide.”
Dilla gave up struggling, and came to the correct conclusion that the best policy is to hang on outstretched arms and keep as still as possible. I looked at her. Now was not the time to tell her that her own body would force her to move again very soon.
She saw me looking at her.
“The day… after… tomorrow.”
“Probably.” I said.
“Shit.”
Emil was calling her name from his cross. “Dilla! DILLA!”
I wandered over. “She’s busy right now. She’ll be able to chat shortly.”
“Piss off, motherfucker! Look… what you’ve…. done to her!”
“She’s your sister.” It was a statement, not a question.
He looked at me with agonised hatred.
“Tiburcus wanted you crucified. So she hit him with a brick or something. Thought she was saving your life.”
Still he just glared at me.
“And now look. Instead of just you, all three of you are hanging naked on crosses.”
I stepped aside to allow a gob of his spit to pass harmlessly past.
I shrugged, and turned back to see how Dilla was doing. Badly, it seemed. Writhing, screaming, trying to make some sense of this terrifying new world she was in.
“A spade.” Diana spoke.
“A spade? Yes, that would do it.” I looked at Emil. “So, who gave her a fucking spade?”
I watched as hatred turned to despair in his eyes.
“His roses… died. Blackfly. So I… get nailed… to a… cross?”
I sighed. That was Tiburcus all over. And there were others like him. Crucifixion for the slightest misdemeanour. “I see. Well, at least now you’re up there for homicide, not herbicide.”
Dilla gave up struggling, and came to the correct conclusion that the best policy is to hang on outstretched arms and keep as still as possible. I looked at her. Now was not the time to tell her that her own body would force her to move again very soon.
She saw me looking at her.
“The day… after… tomorrow.”
“Probably.” I said.
“Shit.”
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I CAN MANAGE THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, I THINK. WHAT YEAR IS THAT EXACTLY? AND IT'S THREE FOR PICK-UP?
I love your Dilla figure. Really beautiful work on the facial expressions. Does the AI engine do that, or do you do it and the AI fills it in?
Dilla is based on Alice, who looks suitably sorry for herself in the Makar set, but you do then have to egg it up a bit in the prompt or she will look a bit too serene.
You'll see that I had more trouble making Diana look less like she was enjoying the view.
Well, the AI doesn't quite understand crucifixion as a concept, perhaps. Maybe all it sees is a nudist girl enjoying the open air on a sunny day.
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
It's always fine, some play on words on the working floor, to relieve the stress of the job!
“I told… you, Dilla.” said Diana.
“What?”
“That… Aulus… is a… shit.”
“Yeah…. Still… I tried.”
Diana tried to smile. It was more of a twisted grimace. “Yeah… but…. I’d rather… have you for company… as I die… than him.”
Dilla panted as she digested this, and Diana panted as she recovered from it. I watched their breasts rising and falling with a degree of satisfaction. Part of that satisfaction was that it was indeed Dilla up there on that cross, because I knew very well that if I had actually strangled her, it would have been me up there struggling with the nails, attempting small talk with Diana. I couldn’t believe how nearly I’d come to being bewitched into doing that.
Then Gnaeus was beside me, and also the guy with the beard.
“Aulus,” said Gnaeus. “This is Robertus. My cousin.”
I bowed my head, deferentially. Glad to meet you, sir.”
Gnaeus looked at Diana as she began to fight for breath, pushing herself up the cross on her terribly wounded heels, and howling as she did so.
“You did a fine job on her, Aulus.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I heard that she – that they both – tried to tempt you in different ways into helping them avoid the cross. But there they both hang, guilty of murder or conspiracy to murder.”
“Er, yes, sir.” Now did not seem to be the time to admit how close I’d come with Dilla.
“They need signs on their crosses, tituli so that passers-by know what they’ve done.”
“Very good, sir. I’ll get onto that immediately.” I’d need to get back to the workshop to do that. I turned to go.
“Just a minute, Aulus.”
“Sir?”
He gave me a set of keys, and Robertus handed me a piece of rolled up parchment.
“Sir?”
“Drop the ‘sir’. You are a free man, Aulus.”
I looked at them in shock.
“I wanted to crucify Aedilia as my last crucifixion, my friend. Now, if you’ll accept it, I’d like to hand the business over to you. Robertus here is a lawyer, he can assist you, and he used to help me in my very early days, before I could afford slaves, so he knows a lot of the technicalities, too. But you won’t need him for that, you have shown yourself to be more than capable. I’m going off to live out my days by the sea. I shall leave immediately.”
“I… don’t know what to say. Thank you, s.. I mean, Gnaeus.”
“You’re welcome. I’m taking Lukas with me, you know.”
“Fair enough. Though I shall miss you both.”
“Robertus will give you cash for more slaves. Get yourself a female slave.” He winked.
I smiled, and looked back at the slaves of Atticus Lucius Tiburcus. “Did Atticus Tiburcus tell you why he wanted Aemillius crucified?” I asked.
“No… he was strangely silent when I saw him. Something to do with a spade round the back of his head. I assumed he’d been pestering Diana.”
“Emil – Aemillius – let blackfly kill some roses.”
“He should have been more careful. Preparations are available to discourage blackfly.”
“Maybe. But I just wanted to thank you for being… better than Tiburcus.”
He roared with laughter. “ Aulus, I hope someone manages something better than that as my epitaph! But seriously, I take your meaning. I’ve told you this before, but take it from me – you treat your slaves well and they will learn to properly respect you and will treat you well. Don’t get me wrong – if they betray your trust, then use the cross. If you’d run off with Diana or strangled Dilla you’d be up there now, you know!”
“Yes…. But I’d have hated to let you down, Gnaeus. I wish you a long and happy retirement.”
“Thank you.” He shook my hand. “Good bye, and good luck, Aulus.”
I’d lived with the threat of crucifixion for years. Every single time we’d crucified someone I’d thought, ‘that could be me.’ Hell, I’ve done worse things while serving Aulus than letting a few blossoms wilt.
I went back and stood before the crosses of the slaves of Atticus Lucius Tiburcus. I watched as they fought for the pitiful remnants of their lives.
Like them, I’d stood naked in a slave market allowing someone to look at my teeth and feel my muscles. Like them, someone had handed the slave trader a few coins and had taken me off to a future entirely outside my own control. Now I was free and they were dying, for no better reason than that Tiburcus had bought them and Gnaeus had bought me.
Should I carry on with the crucifixion business that Gnaeus had set up? Or go back to my father’s farm? Yes, my father had begun to teach me some skills, but really the crucifixion business was what I knew best. It had taught me skills, like how to nail someone to a cross without being bitten.
But what else could I do? I was a freed slave, not Caesar. I couldn’t change the system. It might involve nailing people to crosses whose only crime was tripping over the cat and breaking some pottery, but Gnaeus had gifted me a thriving business which had earned him enough to lay down his tools and head off to the coast while he could still enjoy it.
I sighed, watched them for a few moments longer, and went off to paint some tituli.
“What?”
“That… Aulus… is a… shit.”
“Yeah…. Still… I tried.”
Diana tried to smile. It was more of a twisted grimace. “Yeah… but…. I’d rather… have you for company… as I die… than him.”
Dilla panted as she digested this, and Diana panted as she recovered from it. I watched their breasts rising and falling with a degree of satisfaction. Part of that satisfaction was that it was indeed Dilla up there on that cross, because I knew very well that if I had actually strangled her, it would have been me up there struggling with the nails, attempting small talk with Diana. I couldn’t believe how nearly I’d come to being bewitched into doing that.
Then Gnaeus was beside me, and also the guy with the beard.
“Aulus,” said Gnaeus. “This is Robertus. My cousin.”
I bowed my head, deferentially. Glad to meet you, sir.”
Gnaeus looked at Diana as she began to fight for breath, pushing herself up the cross on her terribly wounded heels, and howling as she did so.
“You did a fine job on her, Aulus.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I heard that she – that they both – tried to tempt you in different ways into helping them avoid the cross. But there they both hang, guilty of murder or conspiracy to murder.”
“Er, yes, sir.” Now did not seem to be the time to admit how close I’d come with Dilla.
“They need signs on their crosses, tituli so that passers-by know what they’ve done.”
“Very good, sir. I’ll get onto that immediately.” I’d need to get back to the workshop to do that. I turned to go.
“Just a minute, Aulus.”
“Sir?”
He gave me a set of keys, and Robertus handed me a piece of rolled up parchment.
“Sir?”
“Drop the ‘sir’. You are a free man, Aulus.”
I looked at them in shock.
“I wanted to crucify Aedilia as my last crucifixion, my friend. Now, if you’ll accept it, I’d like to hand the business over to you. Robertus here is a lawyer, he can assist you, and he used to help me in my very early days, before I could afford slaves, so he knows a lot of the technicalities, too. But you won’t need him for that, you have shown yourself to be more than capable. I’m going off to live out my days by the sea. I shall leave immediately.”
“I… don’t know what to say. Thank you, s.. I mean, Gnaeus.”
“You’re welcome. I’m taking Lukas with me, you know.”
“Fair enough. Though I shall miss you both.”
“Robertus will give you cash for more slaves. Get yourself a female slave.” He winked.
I smiled, and looked back at the slaves of Atticus Lucius Tiburcus. “Did Atticus Tiburcus tell you why he wanted Aemillius crucified?” I asked.
“No… he was strangely silent when I saw him. Something to do with a spade round the back of his head. I assumed he’d been pestering Diana.”
“Emil – Aemillius – let blackfly kill some roses.”
“He should have been more careful. Preparations are available to discourage blackfly.”
“Maybe. But I just wanted to thank you for being… better than Tiburcus.”
He roared with laughter. “ Aulus, I hope someone manages something better than that as my epitaph! But seriously, I take your meaning. I’ve told you this before, but take it from me – you treat your slaves well and they will learn to properly respect you and will treat you well. Don’t get me wrong – if they betray your trust, then use the cross. If you’d run off with Diana or strangled Dilla you’d be up there now, you know!”
“Yes…. But I’d have hated to let you down, Gnaeus. I wish you a long and happy retirement.”
“Thank you.” He shook my hand. “Good bye, and good luck, Aulus.”
I’d lived with the threat of crucifixion for years. Every single time we’d crucified someone I’d thought, ‘that could be me.’ Hell, I’ve done worse things while serving Aulus than letting a few blossoms wilt.
I went back and stood before the crosses of the slaves of Atticus Lucius Tiburcus. I watched as they fought for the pitiful remnants of their lives.
Like them, I’d stood naked in a slave market allowing someone to look at my teeth and feel my muscles. Like them, someone had handed the slave trader a few coins and had taken me off to a future entirely outside my own control. Now I was free and they were dying, for no better reason than that Tiburcus had bought them and Gnaeus had bought me.
Should I carry on with the crucifixion business that Gnaeus had set up? Or go back to my father’s farm? Yes, my father had begun to teach me some skills, but really the crucifixion business was what I knew best. It had taught me skills, like how to nail someone to a cross without being bitten.
But what else could I do? I was a freed slave, not Caesar. I couldn’t change the system. It might involve nailing people to crosses whose only crime was tripping over the cat and breaking some pottery, but Gnaeus had gifted me a thriving business which had earned him enough to lay down his tools and head off to the coast while he could still enjoy it.
I sighed, watched them for a few moments longer, and went off to paint some tituli.
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
And Gnaeus hands over his business just after losing one of his best customers (Tibercus).
But I wish Aulus good luck with his firm!
View attachment 1569645
View attachment 1569646
And Gnaeus hands over his business just after losing one of his best customers (Tibercus).
But I wish Aulus good luck with his firm!
Nobody, not even Aulus, would harm that kitten.
Far better to crucify the slave
SirMGBZ
Governor
Exactly! What kind of monster would harm a kitten?
So if the choice is between allowing a kitten to come to some harm, or putting a slave to death in an extremely brutal fashion, there really is no choice. After all, everyone loves kittens!
Since there is no 'TBC' Tree assumes the story has concluded. And what an amazing story it has been. Told from odd points of view and well illustrated!!!
I got back to them maybe an hour after I’d left them. Lukas had barely been able to contain his excitement at the promise of a new life by the sea. I guess he was effectively going to be Gnaeus’ sex slave, but that didn’t seem to trouble him one bit. So I wished him well, told him I hoped he might come back and see us, and to remember that he’d always have friends here. We’d never been that close, but nevertheless I liked and respected him, and now, of course, he was no threat to me at all. I had one of Gnaeus’ old tunics on, and proud I was to wear it.
I left them to their packing. I made the signs, grabbed a ladder and some tools, and headed back. A handful of spectators were still there, thanks mainly to Dilla and Diana. A single soldier had been posted to discourage rescue attempts. Diana saw me first.
“Aulus… is back,” she announced.
“Motherfucker,” said Emil.
“You’ve… got a… red frock…on!” observed Dilla.
Somehow I didn’t think they’d rejoice at my good news. I fobbed her off with “The wind’s got up. Bit cold for just a loincloth.”
“I know. I’m…in the… fucking… nude!”
“To hell with… the wind.” Diana gasped out. “He’s.. a … free man. Right there…. In front … of us. He got… his dream. We got… our… nightmare.”
“Congratu… fucking… lations, Aulus!” Dilla had not been ‘fobbed off.’
I went around behind her and leaned my ladder against her cross. She did indeed have goosebumps, but probably worse problems than that. Hammer in belt, nail between teeth, and sign in one hand, up I went.
“What’s happening?”
“Nnnn nnn, nnnnn,” I replied. Nailinteethese.
“Are you going… to get… me down?”
I placed the sign in position, and removed the nail from between my teeth.
“No, Dilla, I’m not. You knew you’d be crucified the moment you killed Tiburcus.”
I tapped the nail in fairly gently, careful not to drop the hammer onto her.
“AAAH STOP! Owwww! So….what are… you doing?”
“I’m putting up a sign, so people will know what you’ve done.”
“What’s…it say?”
“AEDILIA HOMICIDA.” I told her. “Murderess.”
I left them to their packing. I made the signs, grabbed a ladder and some tools, and headed back. A handful of spectators were still there, thanks mainly to Dilla and Diana. A single soldier had been posted to discourage rescue attempts. Diana saw me first.
“Aulus… is back,” she announced.
“Motherfucker,” said Emil.
“You’ve… got a… red frock…on!” observed Dilla.
Somehow I didn’t think they’d rejoice at my good news. I fobbed her off with “The wind’s got up. Bit cold for just a loincloth.”
“I know. I’m…in the… fucking… nude!”
“To hell with… the wind.” Diana gasped out. “He’s.. a … free man. Right there…. In front … of us. He got… his dream. We got… our… nightmare.”
“Congratu… fucking… lations, Aulus!” Dilla had not been ‘fobbed off.’
I went around behind her and leaned my ladder against her cross. She did indeed have goosebumps, but probably worse problems than that. Hammer in belt, nail between teeth, and sign in one hand, up I went.
“What’s happening?”
“Nnnn nnn, nnnnn,” I replied. Nailinteethese.
“Are you going… to get… me down?”
I placed the sign in position, and removed the nail from between my teeth.
“No, Dilla, I’m not. You knew you’d be crucified the moment you killed Tiburcus.”
I tapped the nail in fairly gently, careful not to drop the hammer onto her.
“AAAH STOP! Owwww! So….what are… you doing?”
“I’m putting up a sign, so people will know what you’ve done.”
“What’s…it say?”
“AEDILIA HOMICIDA.” I told her. “Murderess.”
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
malins
Stumbling Seeker
That's a detail I like,
when sometimes crucifiers avoid such trivial additional discomforts for the victims,
a kind of mock concern,
... it's not as if the hammer would do very much to her if it dropped from a few inches above her head.
But the idea is, it's the job of the cross to hurt her, and the job of the executioner to get her up there,
and after that if he wants he can be very considerate and respectful,
the cross is still going to do its work very well!
that also!
Cella
Spectator
Yes, a great moment. Far more dramatic doing this with the spectators observing than nailing the titulus to the cross before she's raised up. Also, what guy wouldn't take some time to play with her tits. In fact, leave the ladder up and for a small fee allow anyone who wants to climb up and fondle for themselves. In modern times it'd be a great opportunity for a souvenir picture.
Cella's been reading ahead...