#City State of the World Emperor

[oldschoolfrp]

Viridistan, the City State of the World Emperor (map approx 34x22", Judges Guild 1980, 1982 printing). The three books of this campaign setting include hundreds of brief entries describing shops, taverns, temples, and palace inhabitants, as well as the customs of the land and nearby monster lairs.

[shewolfofvilnius]

It's fascinating how even though you don't always hear about \ anyone other than Astarion, every origin companion in BG3 has an endgame/epilogue state that is either outright bad for them or at the very least "not as good as they deserve".

Obvious there have been books and 100,000 pages of fic and discourse written about Ascended Astarion. In the moments when he almost acts like his old self, even then it's merely humoring you with a whim.

Mother Superior DJ Shadowheart flat out admits to severe empathy for what Viconia went through, and has fully closed herself off from any sense of attachment or feeling other than Nocturne and Tav. Her continued need to find carve-outs and exceptions and loopholes parallels Viconia's own eventual disagreements with Shar. And as we know, Shar will eventually betray or abandon her if Shadowheart doesn't betray her first. It's the story of every devout Sharran we meet.

Gale, the God is a smug arrogant hubris-ridden asshole that's even mean to Tara in the epilogue. Nearly every single sentiment he expressed about why he wanted the Crown and to ascend is immediately inverted. Of course he's not going to interfere. He's a figure of aspiration. Once he received power himself he immediately forgot and forsook everyone and everything about why he wanted it in the first place. A romanced God Gale is SLIGHTLY more grounded but that's mostly just because you ground him. And if you ascend with him, that ends that.

Lae'zel's return to Vlaakith results in her ascension, which leads to her missing the party and being very dead. The things that Lae'zel claimed to value will never truly be as long as Vlaakith rules, and her not escaping and falling back into her people's death cult robs her of the ability to create a new Gith, a better Gith.

Karlach is dead, or almost as bad, a Mind Flayer. And while most of her initial personality remains, by six months in she's already grown emotionally distant and her personality is clearly and evidently being slowly overridden by the brains of the dying she consumes. She's forsaken the embrace of death for the guise of eternal continuation in her. And even surrounded by the ten people who should mean the most in the world to her, all she mostly thinks about is others' perceptions of her (ala the Emperor) and the fact that she's hungry. Mind Flayer Karlach even notes that she used to think becoming a Mind Flayer would be the worst thing ever, but now she likes it. Shades of the Emperor x1000 and a clear sign that the Karlach we know and love is rapidly becoming a memory.

and then there's Grand Duke Wyll. On the surface, it appears the happiest of the "bad" endings, but pay attention. Note how he discusses wheeling and dealing and making agreements with patriars. (How well has contracts and deals worked out for you in the past?) Oh, and in certain conditions including romance, Wyll will offer you the chance to become a Grand Duke as well - with the others being his father (Ravengard #3) and Florrick (Wyll/Ulder's longest lasting family friend). That's not a government of the people for the people. When the power is tied up by a husband, spouse, his father, and their most trusted advisor, that's the makings of a monarchy or oligarchy. Of the type of patriar power-claim to last for generations, something Wyll himself once mocked. Oh, and if you adopt a child, then you get into the worst part of it all: Wyll's been busy running a city, and oh hey, instead of y'all bringing YOUR FOUR MONTH OLD DAUGHTER with you, hey, she'll be cool being watched by the Ilmater temple for a night right? Sorry, Wyll, were you saying something a few months ago about distant parenting? Yikes.

[i-was-today-years-old-when]

i learned what is the most bizarre government in world history?

A bit strange that no one speaks of Italian city-states here.

I think they tried just every conceivable form of government. I will tell a bit about my dearest Florentine Republic.

In 13th century, Italian city-states witnessed an intense fight between pro-Emperor and pro-Pope factions. Most nobles were pro-Emperor. Florence was one of the places where they lost the battle, which led to the establishment of democracy.

Of course, this democracy was very different from what we call democracy today. Modern Western countries are representative democracies where people only vote in the elections and countries are governed by professional politicians. A medieval Italian would call such system aristocratic.

Of course, Florentine democracy was also exclusive. Wage labourers, people in debt and women were excluded. But all others could directly participate in government of their country: 5,000–8,000 people out of 25,000–50,000 adult citizens.

Political parties were forbidden (actually, the word party was invented as a slur, something that people do not remember now). Elections were seen as aristocratic mechanism because the rich and the educated would be capable to convince or bribe others to vote for them. So the main mechanism of democracy was casting lots.

Florence was subdivided into four quarters, sixteen neighborhoods and twenty-one corporations (seven major ones representing rich citizens and fourteen minor ones representing poor citizens): every citizen was a member of one of those. Initially, corporations had something to do with profession. Nobles renounced their nobility and joined corporations to be able to participate in the government. For instance, nobleman Dante Alighieri entered the corporation of Doctors and Apothecaries, and the ancestors of Niccolo Machiavelli registered in the corporation of Winemakers.

The main government body was Signoria. It consisted of eight Priors (two representing every quarter, six representing major corporations and two representing minor corporations) and one Gonfalonier of Justice, the chairman. They ruled the city during the period of two months only and then replaced by others. Signoria was the main legislative and executive authority. However, it could take major decisions only in common with other bodies such as Twelve Good Men (three persons from every quarter, mostly rich people) and Sixteen Gonfaloniers (one from every neighbourhood). These three bodies (Signoria, Twelve Good Men and Sixteen Gonfaloniers) were all chosen by lot: notes with their names were chosen from special leather bags preserved in the sacristy of the Santa Croce cathedral.

The laws were approved by the Council of the Commune (192 people, 48 from every quarter, majority rich) and the Council of the People (160 people, 10 from every neighbourhood, majority poor).

There was an enormous quantity of other governing bodies that regulated everything that needed to be regulated in the Republic, from quality checks of the bread to the licensing of the sex workers. In most cases, people served from three to six months. It meant that every full-fledged male citizen of the Florentine Republic could hope to be chosen for one of these positions.

The judicial and military power belonged to the podestà, a foreign citizen with good reputation, legal education and a military company or at least a group of armed servants. Florentines believed that a foreigner would be a more impartial judge in Florentine discussions. A podestà was invited to Florence for six months.

Finally, the Medici family managed to circumvent the system and become rulers of Florence but it took time. The system of checks and balances did work.

However, no one was able to circumvent the government system of Venetian Republic. Do you know why?

For more than five centuries (from 1268 to 1797) the procedure to elect the doge (chief of state) did not change.

Choose 30 members of the Great Council by lot.

These 30 people are reduced by lot to 9.

These 9 people choose 40 other people.

These 40 are reduced by lot to 12.

These 12 people choose 25 other people.

These 25 people are reduced by lot to 9.

These 9 people choose 45 other people.

These 45 people are reduced by lot to 11.

These 11 people choose 41 other people.

These 41 people elect the doge.

Funny that many Americans blame their electoral system for being complicated. You may think what you want about the Venetian system but it guaranteed what was probably the most stable government in the history of mankind.

By the way, despite the fact he was elected for life, the power of the chief of state in Venice was very much limited.

He could not appear in public without other officials present (security from populism). He could not meet foreign diplomats or open foreign dispatches without other officials present (security from collusion with foreign governments). He could not possess any property in a foreign land.

However, he had a nice place to live.

[just-a-ghost00]

I wish you were here...

A portrait of the person that wishes you were by their side. Images found on Pinterest.

Group 1 | Justice, Emperor, page of cups, 4 of wands, 2 of pentacles, ace of wands, The Fool

-> Possible confirmation signs : Aries, Pisces, Libra, number 4, April, rainbows, cats, mices/rats, doves, rams, castles

This person could be someone you are in a separation with at the moment. With the combination of Justice and the Emperor, I get the message of a figure of authority, which is reinforced by the sense of home provided by the 4 of wands. So, for some of you, this could be a father figure or a mentor of some kind. That may be true especially if you left your home city some time ago. The page of cups denotes an important emotional connection. This isn't just someone that you met randomly and chatted with. This is someone you have history with. A person that deeply cares for you and wants to protect you. Emperor combined with Justice and 4 of wands can also talk about a person you are linked with by a legal contract or at least in the eyes of the law, you and this person are a pair. So that could also be a husband/wife, your partner with whom you've been in a relationship for quite a while, or for some of you a boss or important business partner. You may be in a state of limbo with this person at the moment where nothing much is happening, you may be in contact but not as much as you used to. There may have been a fallout of some sort or you just are both very busy. This is someone that is very driven and passionate, a bit bossy and guarded around you. They may sometimes make you feel like they don't care about you or like they ignore you but this is the complete opposite. You matter a lot to this person. You are a source of comfort and peace for this person. You are the person they go to when they're in need of reassurance, when they have something they are proud of, when there's a good news they want to share or just when they want to relax. This is someone that is creative and ambitious, that gives a lot of importance to reputation and rules. They like things to be clear and their work to be done properly. They pay attention to details and put a lot of effort into their work because they are conscious of the consequences of their actions. This is someone that is youthful and joyous, that likes to have fun and tease people. Someone that enjoys travelling and trying new things regularly. Someone who's curious and knowledgeable. In terms of Zodiac signs, I get the energy of Aries, Libra, Pisces and maybe a bit of Virgo as well. This person can be pretty stubborn but they're also extremely loyal and caring. This is someone that views you as their home. You bring them peace and courage, which means a lot to them. I get the feeling of someone that feels so positively towards you that they would do anything to make you happy, to make you smile. I heard "I'm a fool for you" and "if anything happened to you I wouldn't be able to forgive myself". If this person is your parent, they're really protective of you, maybe a bit too much at times but in their defense, you mean the world to them and they are so proud of you.

Group 2 | 8 of pentacles, 8 of cups, King of cups, 2 of cups, 8 of swords, 7 of wands, 9 of cups

-> Possible confirmation signs : number 8, August, water signs especially Scorpio, mountains, goats, ladybugs, penguins, torches, BI Flame, BTS Butterfly, butterflies and moths

This person loves you so much, group 2. Their feelings are so pure I feel like it would be impossible to be mad at this person. This is someone that is extremely dedicated, kind, nurturing. Someone that gives their all in everything they do, especially if other people are involved. This person has a very soft and feminine energy. They could be a parent but they don't have to be specifically. They would make a very loving parent for sure. This is a person that either has romantic feelings for you or loves you unconditionally. They have the energy of both a best friend and a lover, but that may vary depending on your situation. That could be your mother for some of you but I am mainly picking up on romantic energy so that would be for some of you only. This is someone you may have met through work or studies. This person feels deeply connected to you and I would even go as far as to say they are devoted to you. They give you so much importance that sometimes they may forget about themselves. That's how much they love you. This person misses you dearly. They feel rejected by you to some extent. Or at least they fear that you will reject them. They feel like they have to fight for your attention. Again, there may be a disconnect here. You may be living at a distance from this person. There might be a misunderstanding of each other's feelings and intentions. This person believes that you are their wish come true. That you both belong together. I pick up on the energy of very spiritual people, that may belive in the concept of fate and soulmates. This person considers you as their one. They've chosen you as their one. Their heart is filled with nothing but love and admiration for you. They wish to be a reliable source of help and comfort for you. They may be working extremely hard to be able to be a person you would take interest in. They want to protect this connection at all costs. This is someone that has a lot of faith and a lot of dreams. They are extremely empathetic and soothing, they have a strong intuition and that may be the reason why they are so determined to care for you and be with you. In terms of zodiac signs, I'm picking up on Scorpio very strongly, water signs in general. Taurus could also be significant. I pick up on the energy of someone being in their bubble, spending time day dreaming and listening to music. Wandering in nature near bodies of water. Painting, especially using water colors. Writing poetry and making playlists that remind them of their person. I picture someone wearing flowy dresses or very soft fabrics. A person with a bit of a bohemian look or a soft chic appearance. Someone that looks a bit magical, like they came out of a fairytale.

Group 3 | The World, 10 of pentacles, Hanged man, 8 of pentacles, 10 of swords, 5 of wands, 2 of swords, Hierophant

->Possible confirmation signs : snakes, forests, graveyard, pine trees, spiders, mountains, BTS Dynamite, libraries, books, fixed signs especially Taurus, earth signs in general, number 10, October, infinity symbol

This person could be from a different culture than yours. You could live at a distance from one another. This is someone that is well traveled, educated, well established. A hard working person that values family, companionship and hard work. This is someone that has been through a lot in their life and has faced a lot of struggles because of their mind, their beliefs, their perception of life. I pick up on someone that has a very unique personality and that may be perceived as weird or stand off-ish by others. This is someone that is very independent and has a hard time asking for help. They're not used to relying on others. Life has been hard on them. They possibly have struggled with depression. I'm also picking up on the energy of someone that has dealt with racism, sexism or any other kind of discrimination. This is someone that is focused on their career and the legacy they will leave behind. Someone that has to fight many battles to be able to stand where they are now. This person is not afraid to stand for what they believe in. They say it as it is. They always speak their mind, no matter if people agree with them or not. They expect nothing more but respect and authenticity from the people they interact with. I get the feeling of someone that is wary of others because they've been hurt too many times before. Someone that is tired of fighting and having to fence for themselves, that wants to find peace of mind and be appreciated for who they are. Someone who's tired of having to work so hard to prove their worth. And I feel like this person wishes you were here because they don't have to be that tough and super independent person around you. This is someone that values the opinion you have of them and the opinion you have of life. They value your work ethic and your principles. This is a person that thinks the world of you and admires your perseverence. This person respects you a lot and is loyal to you. For this group I'm picking up on all kinds of connections. This can either be romantic or platonic, work related or not. But there's a lot of Earth energy coming from this group so education and work, social circles and family matter a lot. This person is wealthy. Not only because of their income but also because of their knowledge and connections. They are generous and open minded. They like to learn from others and be challenged. I get the feeling of someone spending a lot of time reading, going to the library and researching about other cultures. Someone cooking meals from various cultures, speaking many languages, exchanging with people from all over the world. They can be pretty active on social media.

[tightjeansjavi]

Et Auream - Act III : Even In The Darkest of Places

A/N: despite the state that our world is currently in, I’m really proud of this chapter and how it has turned out. This was another chapter that I had completed gutted and rewrote from July. As always, a huge thank you to @sinsofsummers for being my beta 💗

word count: 4.8k

Summary: Even in the darkest of places, hope remains.

Pairing | Marcus Acacius x f!oc

Warnings: canon typical violence, enslavement, power imbalance, domestic abuse, language, transactional sex (not between Marcus & oc) misogyny, derogatory language, +18 minors dni! Let me know if I missed anything

series masterlist

SENATOR CASSIUS’S VILLA

“Amalthea, I have never witnessed such an act of defiance!” Aurelia whispered excitedly. The kitchen maid had become one of her dear friends—perhaps even a mother figure to her. She cherished the moments away from Cassius where she could simply be. Amalthea was old and wise, and she served Cassius longer than any of the rest of his servants had. She had taken Aurelia under her wing in every sense.

“It has been many years since a gladiator so boldly defied an emperor,” Amalthea said in disbelief. She was seated at the meager prep table, a basket of freshly plucked peas from the field were waiting to be shucked for Cassius’s dinner later. “Come sit with me, child. Help shuck these peas and tell me more of this brave gladiator.”

Aurelia tore her gaze from the archway window where in the distance she could just make out the city of Rome, and the looming Colosseum. She could still hear Cassius’s voice droning in her ear about how rogues like Acacius should be terminated. With a sigh she walked to the empty seat next to the older woman and sat alongside her. She reached into the basket and pulled out a few pea pods.

“They called him Acacius the merciful, but I fear that he is not receiving the same mercy that he gave his opponent,” she said quietly, her voice laced with genuine concern.

Amalthea reached over the table and gently squeezed her forearm with a saddened smile. “Defiance against an emperor is often met by cruel punishment, Aurelia. Acacius the merciful may not live to see another day,” she said pensively.

Aurelia’s shoulders slumped forward at the thought of Acacius being wrongfully punished for his defiant actions. She knew that this was customary, but it didn��t make it any less morbid.

“I want to go to him,” she said suddenly, surprising not only herself, but Amalthea as well.

“Aurelia,” she warned. “That would be foolish of you, and not to mention extremely dangerous. Our Dominus wouldn’t stand for it either. You and I both know his disdain towards the gladiators all too well.”

“Amalthea, your concern will not go unnoticed, but our Dominus will be at the brothel for hours after dinner. He won’t return till the early morning hours, if at all.” She had wishful thinking in her mind that her abuser would miraculously never return again and she would never have to endure his cruelty for another day.

“Would your intrigue for this gladiator weaken if he had not acted in defiance?” Amalthea said teasingly, a playful lilt in her tone.

“Amalthea!” Aurelia gasped and giggled softly at her teasing. “My admiration for Acacius is not what you’re thinking it is, I swear!” she protested.

The older woman laughed and the corners of her eyes crinkled, showing her own buried youth appearing, even if just for a moment.

“Forgive me, child. I had to ask,” she said softly and reached for another peapod. “I know well enough that once your heart is set on something, there is no deterring you. The Ludus Magnus is no place for a woman, Aurelia.”

“Rome is no place for a woman, and yet, here we are,” Aurelia solemnly reminded her.

Amalthea huffed out a laugh and shook her head with a knowing grin, “I just want you to be careful, Aurelia, but if you’re truly that determined, take Luna from the stables. She will guide you.”

“I knew you would come around eventually,” she winked subtly at the older woman, and the two returned to their fits of giggling as the sun began to slowly make its descent from the heavens.

When dinner was prepared, Cassius requested for Aurelia to present him his meal in his private study and she knew what this entailed, but she had no choice but to obey.

Amalthea gave her a sympathetic look as she placed the tray that contained Cassius’s meal in her awaiting arms and Aurelia wordlessly turned on her heel and walked towards the direction of his private quarters.

Cassius was seated at his desk, hunched over and focused on the parchment laid out in front of him when he heard a soft knock on the other side of the door.

“You may enter,” He said.

Aurelia took a deep breath and quietly pushed the door open while keeping the tray steady in her arms.

“Good evening, Dominus,” she bowed her head slightly before approaching his desk and gently placed the tray down in front of him, careful to not disturb the papers laid out in front of him.

Cassius paid no attention to her and reached blindly for a piece of thigh meat from the perfectly roasted chicken and tore off a chunk with little care when the savory juice dribbled down his chin.

Aurelia assumed that she could take her cue to leave, but as soon as she turned to walk away, Cassius finally acknowledged her presence.

“I did not dismiss you, Aurelia,” he sighed through his nose. “Sit with me,” he commanded.

She steeled her expression, her fists clenched at her sides. She had foolishly hoped that tonight she would not have to endure his unwanted touch.

“Don’t be shy,” He said wryly, and with his freehand he tapped his knuckles along the desk impatiently.

Aurelia moved towards his side, expecting that he had wanted her to sit in his lap, but when he tilted his head to the side and his eyes flickered towards the floor, she slowly lowered herself to her knees.

He placed his hand against the crown of her head and threaded his fingers through the tresses of her mahogany hair and let out a content sigh from the back of his throat.

“That’s better.” He was pleased, but not as much as he would have liked to be. And when he sensed her discomfort, he tightened his grip around her skull, just enough to make her wince from the sensation. “Although, you could be doing more than just sitting there,” he said suggestively, not masking his true intent when he guided her head towards his lap. “It would please me even more if you were so kind as to tend to me with your affections.”

So much for wishful thinking.

—

When Cassius finally left for his evening excursions, Aurelia crept from her chambers and headed down to the stables. Amalthea was waiting for her, unexpectedly, and while she focused on tacking up Luna, Amalthea reminded her of the very real dangers to being out after dark. Aurelia appreciated her concern, but this did not deter or sway her mind to stay within the safety of the villa.

“I will be back before the sunrise, I promise. Cassius won’t even know that I was gone,” Aurelia reassured her as she gracefully swung her leg over the front of the saddle and gathered up the reins in her hands gently.

“I’ll pray to Fortuna for your safe return, and to Salus for the gladiator Acacius. Ride swift and silent and do not let anyone see you. Bona fortuna, Aurelia.”

“Et videbo vos ante solis ortum,” (and I will see you before the sunrise) Aurelia whispered and gently squeezed her heels against Luna’s sides to ease her into a trot down the gentle sloping hill. She used the moon as the only guiding light to where Acacius and the rest of the gladiator’s were imprisoned within the city.

A cloak over her head concealed her identity, and when she neared the Ludus Magnus, she slowed Luna to a walk before she carefully and quietly dismounted in a secluded area. She imagined that the structure would be well guarded, but after investigating the area, she discovered a side entrance that was well hidden by shrubbery.

The interior was dimly lit, with only a few torches providing limited light. As far as she could see, there were no guards keeping watch in the immediate vicinity.

She could hear the crackling of flames from the torches, and the scurrying of rats along the floor, and just as she was turning a corner to head down one of the many corridors, a hand reached through the darkness and clamped down around her mouth. She struggled in its grip as she was forced back against a hard chest.

“Well, well, well,” a darkened voice chuckled against the shell of her ear, holding her captive. “What do we have here?” The voice belonged to a male, one of the guards she had presumed. “A pretty little lamb that has wandered far from her flock? Perhaps the gods have finally answered my prayers!” he cackled gleefully.

Her voice was muffled against his hand as she continued to struggle in his grip. “Un-hand me!” she cried out, but it was useless.

“Absolutely not!” he laughed and with his freehand he blindly searched for the knot to her stola. Her eyes widened in fear, and she bit his hand that held her mouth captive as hard as she could. He let out a surprised yelp, and his hand instinctively loosened around her mouth just enough for her to wriggle out of his grip, but he recovered quickly and shoved her roughly against a nearby wall. “Stupid fucking bitch!” he spat and unsheathed his dagger. “You’ll pay for that,” he snarled and pressed the edge of the blade against her throat. “Been waiting for something pretty to stick my cock into. I’ll give you a real reason to scream, whore.”

“Wait!” she yelled in fear. “If you release me now, I will see to it that you are rewarded!”

He narrowed his eyes, brows pinched together and dragged the tip of his blade down the column of her throat, but he didn’t get very far, not with the iron collar on her neck blocking the path of his blade. There was even a tag dangling in the middle of it, and when he leaned in closer, he could make out the engraved lettering: Si repertus sum, Cassium me senatorem redde. Retribuetur vobis. (If I am found, return me to Senator Cassius. You will be rewarded)

The guard stowed his dagger back into its sheath. “I wonder how well rewarded I will be when I return you to your Dominus,” he mused with a grin.

“You will be rewarded less if you have come to harm me. My Dominus will not take it lightly if there is even a scratch upon me,” Aurelia said boldly.

“Senator Cassius will reward me for what I feel is owed,” he snapped and grabbed her roughly by her forearm.

“Before you return me to him, I have one request,” she winced from his tight grip on her arm. “Must you handle me so roughly? I will go without a fight, I assure you.”

“I don’t believe you’re in the position to be requesting anything of me,” he scoffed and started to drag her towards the exit, but she dug her heels into the ground in an attempt to slow him down.

“Please!” she cried. “It is one simple request,” she pleaded. “I can offer you more than just coin if you agree!”

He sneered at this and loosened his grip around her arm. He turned around and faced her fully. “Is that so?” his eyes trailed down her body, lingering at the gentle swell of her covered breasts, and the curve of her hips. He licked his lips in anticipation. “Perhaps I can be…persuaded.”

She fought the urge to turn her nose up in disgust at the way he was violating her with his eyes alone.“I will give you what you want, and I will not fight it. But in return, you will show me where the gladiator Acacius resides.”

“Acacius?” he questioned with a scoff. His frame towered over her and his eyes held nothing short of malice in them. “What’s a pretty thing like you want him for, hm?”

She refused to make direct eye contact with him and turned her head to the side. “It does not concern you.”

“Oh,” he laughed. “I think it does concern me and unless you want me to make it hurt, I suggest you start talking. Don’t be so naive to think that just because your Dominus would be angered to see his prized whore scuffed up, that I won’t be cruel.”

Aurelia had always found it morbidly fascinating to experience just how quickly men would resort to threatening violent measures if women did not immediately give them what they wanted. She had experienced this exact scenario many times with Cassius, and by now she was numb to the mistreatment and cruelty she endured almost daily. Her heart, nonetheless, would always sink to the pit of her stomach whenever situations like this would arise.

Were all men truly this cruel?

He studied her intently, and when she didn’t respond, he grabbed her chin between two fingers and forced her to look at him. “Do you want to fuck him, is that it?” he questioned her dryly, amusement dripping in his tone.

“I beg your—”

“Oh, don’t act like you’re pure all of sudden. Besides, it was a fair question.You think you’re the only whore that has skipped down here in hopes to lay with a gladiator?” he snorted. “You’ll be met with sheer disappointment m’afraid. I heard a rumor that all of the gladiators were gelded.”

She fought her immediate urge to glare at him and his wild accusations.“I do not wish to lay with him.”

“Sure, sure,” he waved her off dismissively. “That's what they all say.”

“Well, rest assured, that is not why I am here. I just found his act of defiance in the arena today…admirable,” She admitted truthfully.

“Admirable?” he released her chin only to grab her by the waist and yanked her roughly in his grip so her chest collided with his own. “Defying the emperor’s command is admirable? Hm. I’m sure that’s exactly the reason why he was punished for his merciful actions then.”

Her face fell at his words. Was she too late? Was Acacius beaten to death for his defiance? No, he couldn’t be. The guard was just toying with her vulnerability. Acacius was surely alive. He must be.

“Don’t look so sad, whore. Acacius is still breathing. I’ll gladly escort you to his cell, after you complete your end of the deal, of course,” he said with a twisted sneer.

A deal is a deal, after all.

____

Just down the corridor, in a compacted cell, Marcus Acacius laid in filth. His bed, the single form of comfort that he had, was stripped from him, and he was forced to sleep upon the cold, unforgiving floor. His ankles were bound in iron, shackled to the stone wall, and his back was bare. The lacerations on his marred skin had since begun to crust over with dried blood, but he was badly wounded and received no care. His dreams were restless, and images of his mother flashed behind his trembling eyelids.

Let me go home, please. I wish to feel her gentle embrace. To hear her voice. Gods, take me out of my misery, I beg you.

“In this life and the next, you will always be my son, but your time has not yet come, Marcus. There is much life you have left to live. Remember, you must continue to be brave, gentle, just and compassionate. No matter what life throws your way, promise me you will always remain true to your heart and the values I have instilled in you.”

“How can I be brave, gentle, just, and compassionate in a world that is so cold, and has only been cruel to me?”

“You have to believe in your heart that there is goodness left in this world. There is kindness you have yet to experience, my son. Do not close the door on the possibilities of happiness. There is evil, yes, but there is also light in this world, Marcus. There is hope and there is love that dwells even in the darkest of places.”

Her image began to fade from his conscience as his body began to stir and wake at the sound of approaching footsteps, and hushed voices.

“Wait! Please, don’t go! Mother, please!” he called for her in his dreams and his hand reached for her in the darkness, but he grasped nothing but cold, damp air between his calloused fingers.

“Why has no one tended to his wounds?” a soft, feminine voice filtered in through his semi-conscious state.

“The orders were not given,” the guard, who Acacius knew as Cato, said to her in a hushed tone.

“Well, I am giving them. If his wounds are not treated soon, they will fester and he will die of infection,” she whispered in urgency.

“What do I look like to you? A charity service?” Cato laughed, and the sound grated Marcus’s ears.

“Please, just fetch me a pail of water, and do so quickly.”

Cato let out a grumbled sigh and nodded before turning on his heel and walked back the direction they had come from with little urgency in his pace. He was unsure as to why he was so willing and compliant to obey her request, but did little to question it.

Acacius sensed her presence as she knelt on the floor outside of his cell. Who was she? Why had she come? What was her purpose? Questions ran wild in his head.

She was relieved when she could just barely make out the shaky rise and fall of his chest, and the wheeze of labored breaths escaping through his chapped, parted lips. The pale moonlight from a single window in the cell, casted an eerie glow upon his severed and torn back and the stench of death permeated her senses.

He will not die tonight, this is certain. I will save him. She was determined.

“Sir!” she whispered through the stagnant air, not wanting to raise her voice enough to startle him from his rest.

Acacius, however, did not stir from his light slumber, and even when she rattled the steel bars that kept him imprisoned from her, and her from him, between her fists, he laid there, unmoving except for the slight twitch of his hand that was still outstretched, as if he had been reaching for something in the never ending darkness that consumed him.

“Acacius, please! You must—”

His eyes snapped open at the sound of his name leaving her lips like a plea, and out of reflex he immediately reached for his sword, forgetting that it was no longer on his person. He was in a daze, feeling delirious from dehydration and the unbearable pain he felt in his pulsing shoulder and in his back from the deep, exposed gashes that marred his beautiful tanned skin.

He let out a grunt as he struggled to pull himself up into an upright position from where he laid on his side. Every muscle and tendon in his body screamed at him to rest, his brain sensed danger until he whipped his head around and his hardened, and disoriented stare landed upon her.

“I mean you no harm, sir. I swear it,” her words were rushed as she wanted to reassure him that he had nothing to fear, not from the likes of her. She didn’t even have the desire to harm a mere fly.

“How do you know my name?” he rasped through clenched teeth. His voice was even deeper than she imagined, with an edge of hardened grit, but she could sense a warmth residing in his tone; hidden but unmistakable.

She opened her mouth to speak and explain herself, but Cato had poor timing and arrived with a pitcher of water and a vial of olive oil.

She tore her gaze from Marcus’s and glanced upwards at Cato with a desperate look in her eyes. “Unlock his cell.”

“I will do no such thing.”

“How am I to tend to his wounds if I am not in there with him?” she retorted.

“Di boni sint,” (Gods be good) Cato muttered under his breath and reached inside of his tunic pulling out a set of bronze keys. Acacius warily watched him from where sat.

The iron bars swung open, making a creaking sound along the hinges, and Marcus scrambled towards the wall till his back was met with cold hardness. His eyes widened with fear, and for a moment he was just a boy again and enduring the cruelty from a father who never wanted him.

“Peace, Acacius,” she said softly and rose to her feet. Her features were illuminated by the torch clasped in Cato’s hand and Marcus felt that the gods themselves were playing a cruel trick upon his already mangled brain. Surely, he was dreaming, for he had never gazed upon a maiden as beautiful as her. Was she even real? Or was she just a sick figment of his imagination? He did not notice the iron collar fastened around her dainty neck, he saw the softness in her eyes, a genuine kindness and warmth in them that he had not experienced for many years. He was awestruck.

“Gods, am I truly being blessed by Venus in the flesh?” he gasped. His eyes widened further before drooping from exhaustion. His mouth was dry, lips cracked and bleeding.

Cato couldn’t help but snicker at his delusions, but he was silenced by a stern look from her and quietly backed off.

“Leave us,” she said firmly, without looking at Cato and he retreated from the open doorway.

“Sir, I’m afraid you are mistaken. I am not the goddess Venus. I’m just…a girl,” she said quietly.

His fear manifested when she crouched down in front of him, the sincerity in her eyes did not fade, and she cautiously outstretched her hand in his direction. “I am here to help you, Acacius.”

His posture stiffened at this. His apprehension was apparent and he glowered in her direction. “I am not requiring your help, girl,” he hissed.

“You are untrusting of me, and I understand why, but if I do not tend to your wounds, they will fester and you will die,” she said soberly.

“Do you think I am not aware?” he scoffed. “Let them fester. Let me die. Why should you care what becomes of me?” he snapped.

She did not flinch or cower from his tone and her hand hovered near his reach, but he still did not acknowledge it. “I cannot allow you to die, Acacius. It is against my morals and nature.”

“Then you must be a figment of my imagination,” he muttered and turned his head to the side to stare at the wall. “Morals don’t exist here, my lady. Only suffering and death. It is only a matter of time,” he said defeatedly.

“I am as real as they come, I assure you.”

He tore his gaze from the nearest wall and looked upon her once more. He eyed her hand suspiciously, and then trailed his gaze across her face and down to her neck. His stare paused at the mark of ownership, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

“You’re just a slave to the Empire…like me,” he whispered and his hand slowly rose from his side, brushing the brass tag attached to the collar. He expected her to flinch from his touch, but she did not.

He dropped his hand back to his side and sank further against the wall with a deflated sigh. He eyed the pail of water and vial of olive oil alongside her that would be used to cleanse his wounds, if he allowed it. “You have yet to answer my question, my lady. How do you know my name? How did you know where to find me? Who sent you?” he fired off questions that were buzzing in his brain.

“No one sent for me, Acacius. I came here on my own accord after watching you bravely fight in the arena today. That is where I learned of your name.”

“I wouldn’t say I was brave,” he said humbly. He eyed the collar around her neck once more, and despite his guarded demeanor, and his engrained nature to lash out like a wounded animal, his shred of empathy extends to her. “My lady, I mean no disrespect, but the Colosseum is no place for a selfless, kind soul such as yourself. You shouldn’t be exposed to such…brutality,” he trailed off.

“Acacius, I am no lady. I am just—a common whore. My Dominus takes great pleasure in watching you and other Gladiators fight to the death. I’d even say it’s his favorite event.”

“Who is your Dominus?” his question lingered heavily in the stagnant air.

“Senator Cassius.”

“He may have labeled you as a whore, but in my eyes…I see a lady,” he whispered without understanding just how greatly she appreciated that he saw what others did not.

“You are too kind, Acacius. Your words touch me.”

His grim, hardened demeanor quickly returns in the form of a deepened scowl on his face and he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He inhaled a lungful of air, his chest expanding and then deflates as he released the air through his flared nostrils. “You truly should not be here. This is no place for a lady, and if something were to happen to you, I could not protect you. These chains bind me till the morning,” he said quietly and yanked on the chains that bound his ankles to stone for good measure. “You should leave immediately. Leave me to rot here.”

“Acacius, I cannot stomach leaving you here and allowing your wounds to fester. Not when you have done nothing to deserve the punishment you endured. Bravery should not be met with the cruel lash of a whip,” she reached her hand near his shoulder, to brush her fingers against his tarnished skin, but he recoiled from her touch and pressed himself further against the wall. He felt the torn skin on his back wailing for reprieve, but he grits his teeth to mask the pain.

“Bravery?” he seethed through clenched teeth. His pupils seemed to darken under the shallow guise of the pale moonlight. “My acts of mercy upon my opponent made me appear weak. As if my heart wasn’t forged in steel! As if my compassion for humanity means more than the pride I feel when my blade pierces through the hearts of my enemies! I am a gladiator. I was raised as a ruthless fighter as soon as I could grasp a sword!” he exclaimed. The whites of his eyes showed a faux fierceness, but hidden in the depths of brown, there was fear.

“I have the blood of the innocent on my hands. Killing has been ingrained in my being since I was a small boy! My duty and honor lies with the empire, to the Emperors. It is all I have ever known, and all that I will ever know,” he gritted out, but his voice wavered, trembling with each syllable spoken as if he was trying to convince himself that being a gladiator under the Emperor's rule was truly all he’ll ever amount to in life. That he would never know softness, or genuine—real love from another unfortunate soul like his own.

She felt his pain, heard it seep in through his somber tone, and saw it in his anguished expression on his rugged, gold-kissed face. He may have been a bloodthirsty warrior in the Emperor's eyes, but in her own softened gaze, she saw a frightened boy that had been broken, ripped apart by cruel hands. “No,” she said sadly, “You’re just a boy.”

Aurelia and Acacius were two sides of the same coin; slaves to the Empire and forced into a life of endless servitude, bowing at the feet of those born into riches with their fancy silks and golden adornments. Their cruel whips in their dominant hands, and overflowing goblets of wine in the other.

A heavy charged silence simmered in their close proximity. He could hear her heart beating from where he sat and the sharp inhale of breath that she took.

“Please leave me here, my lady,” he said quietly, tone deflated of any emotion. He was giving up, she was certain of it.

“Please, Acacius,” she tried one more time to break through his guarded exterior. “Let me help you.”

His feelings were conflicted, it was written across his face, between the furrow of his brows, the subtle pout of his lips, and the swirl of brown and flecks of gold in his irises. He wanted to fight against the softness inside of him that begged to be released. The part of him that he had buried for so many years. He wanted to fight it tooth and nail, barred teeth and sharpened claws ready to strike at a moment's notice, but he remembered the words his mother had spoken to him.

“There is evil, yes, but there is also light in this world, Marcus.”

Could this unnamed stranger be the light that his mother spoke of? Could she be his purpose? His reason to fight to see another day?

“Marcus,” he whispered, “my name is Marcus.”

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[whencyclopedia]

Ancient Chinese Warfare

In ancient China warfare was a means for one region to gain ascendancy over another, for the state to expand and protect its frontiers, and for usurpers to replace an existing dynasty of rulers. With armies consisting of tens of thousands of soldiers in the first millennium BCE and then hundreds of thousands in the first millennium CE, warfare became more technologically advanced and ever more destructive. Chariots gave way to cavalry, bows to crossbows and, eventually, artillery stones to gunpowder bombs. The Chinese intelligentsia may have frowned upon warfare and those who engaged in it and there were notable periods of relative peace but, as in most other ancient societies, for ordinary people it was difficult to escape the insatiable demands of war: either fight or die, be conscripted or enslaved, win somebody else's possessions or lose all of one's own.

Attitudes to Warfare

The Chinese bronze age saw a great deal of military competition between city-rulers eager to grab the riches of their neighbours, and there is no doubt that success in this endeavour legitimised reigns and increased the welfare of the victors and their people. Those who did not fight had their possessions taken, their dwellings destroyed and were usually either enslaved or killed. Indeed, much of China's history thereafter involves wars between one state or another but it is also true that warfare was perhaps a little less glorified in ancient China than it was in other ancient societies.

The absence of a glorification of war in China was largely due to the Confucian philosophy and its accompanying literature which stressed the importance of other matters of civil life. Military treatises were written but, otherwise, stirring tales of derring-do in battle and martial themes, in general, are all rarer in Chinese mythology, literature and art than in contemporary western cultures, for example. Even such famous works as Sun-Tzu's The Art of War (5th century BCE) warned that, "No country has ever profited from protracted warfare” (Sawyer, 2007, 159). Generals and ambitious officers studied and memorised the literature on how to win at war but starting from the very top with the emperor, warfare was very often a policy of last resort. The Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) was notable for its expansion, as were some Tang Dynasty emperors (618-907 CE) but, in the main, a strategy of paying off neighbours with vast tributes of silver and silk, along with a parallel exportation of “civilising” culture was seen as the best way to defend imperial China's borders. Then, if war ultimately proved unavoidable, it was better to recruit foreign troops to get on with it.

Joining the intellectuals with their disapproval of warfare were also the bureaucrats who had no time for uncultured military men. No doubt, too, the vast majority of the Chinese peasantry were never that keen on war either for it was they who had to endure conscription, heavy taxes in kind to pay for costly campaigns, and have their farms invaded and plundered.

With the emperors, the landed gentry, intellectuals and farmers all well-aware of what they could lose in war, it was, then, somewhat disappointing for them all that China, in any case, had just as many conflicts as anywhere else in the world in certain periods. One cannot ignore the common presence of fortifications in the bronze age, such chaotic centuries as the Autumn and Spring Period (722-481 BCE) with its one hundred plus rival states, the Warring States Period (481-221 BCE) with its incredible 358 separate conflicts or the fall of the Han when war was once again incessant between rival Chinese states. Northern steppe tribes were also constantly prodding and poking at China's borders and emperors were not averse to the odd foreign folly such as attacking ancient Korea.

Continue reading...

[theroyalsandi]

STATE VISIT BY THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS OF JAPAN Tuesday 25th - Thursday 27th June 2024

Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan will pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom as guests of His Majesty The King from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th June 2024.

Their Majesties The King and Queen will host the State Visit at Buckingham Palace.

STATE VISIT PROGRAMME:

SATURDAY 22nd JUNE • The Emperor and Empress of Japan will arrive privately in the United Kingdom on the afternoon of Saturday 22nd June at Stansted Airport. • Their Majesties will be greeted by His Excellency Mr Hajime Hayashi, Ambassador of Japan. The Viscount Brookeborough KG, Lord-in-Waiting, will greet Their Majesties on behalf of The King.

SUNDAY 23rd JUNE AND MONDAY 24TH JUNE • Before the State Visit formally commences, the Emperor will conduct a private programme of engagements, including a visit to Japan House and the Thames Barrier.

TUESDAY 25th JUNE • His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will greet the Emperor and Empress of Japan, at their hotel, on behalf of The King on Tuesday morning. • His Royal Highness will travel with the Emperor and Empress to Horse Guards Parade, where Their Majesties will receive a Ceremonial Welcome. • The King and Queen will formally welcome the Emperor and Empress at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade. Presentations will be made, the Guard of Honour will give a Royal Salute and the Japanese National Anthem will be played. • The King and Queen will formally welcome the Emperor and Empress at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade. Presentations will be made, the Guard of Honour will give a Royal Salute and the Japanese National Anthem will be played. • The Emperor, accompanied by The King, will then inspect the Guard of Honour, formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards with the Band of the Welsh Guards. Afterwards, the Emperor and Empress will join The King and Queen, and The Prince of Wales, in a carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where they will be met by a second Guard of Honour formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. • Following a lunch at Buckingham Palace, given by The King, His Majesty will invite the Emperor and Empress to view a special exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to Japan. • In the afternoon, the Emperor and Empress will visit Westminster Abbey, where the Emperor will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. Their Majesties will take a tour of the Abbey, accompanied by the Dean of Westminster. • In the evening, The King, accompanied by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family, will give a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace for The Emperor and Empress of Japan. Speeches will be made by The King and the Emperor at the beginning of the banquet.

WEDNESDAY 26th JUNE • The Emperor will visit The Francis Crick Institute, the UK's flagship biomedical research centre. The Institute supports an innovative UK-Japan research partnership which covers a range of public health issues, including cancer, vaccines, and the role of genetics in infectious diseases. • That evening, The Emperor of Japan, joined by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, will attend a Banquet at the Guildhall given by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor and The Emperor will both make speeches at the end of the banquet.

THURSDAY 27th JUNE • The Emperor and Empress of Japan will formally bid farewell to The King and Queen at Buckingham Palace on the morning of the final day of the official State Visit programme. • The Emperor and Empress will travel to Young V&A, part of the V&A family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity around the world, where the museum's Japan: Myths to Manga exhibition is currently on display. • The Emperor will privately visit St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, to lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, in the King George VI Chapel. The Garter Banners of the current members of the Order of the Garter, including the banner belonging to • His Majesty's father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, are displayed in the Quire of St. George's Chapel. • Later that afternoon, His Majesty the Emperor will tour the historic Temperate House at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The Millennium Seed Bank, coordinated by Kew is the world's largest collection of over 2.4 billion wild plant seeds spanning 97 countries, preserving Japanese and international biodiversity. Bronze Bonsai sculptures by artist Marc Quinn are currently displayed in the Temperate House, surrounded by a display of Bonsai trees from Kew's collection.

FRIDAY 28th JUNE • On their final day in the UK, The Emperor and Empress of Japan will visit Oxford for a private programme of engagements including a visit to the colleges where Their Majesties studied. • At the conclusion of the visit, The Lord Chamberlain will bid farewell to the Emperor and Empress on behalf of The King, before they depart from RAF Brize Norton.

[blueiscoool]

Rome is Building an Eight-Story Underground Museum – But Treasures Keep Getting in the way

Rome, as it’s often said, wasn’t built in a day. And nowhere is that more evident than its state-of-the-art Metro Line C, an ambitious project meant to help relieve the Italian capital’s renowned traffic hellscape and celebrate its rich archeological history with a unique-in-the-world underground museum.

The €700 million line ($757.7 million) was originally envisioned for the Catholic Jubilee of 2000 as a vital link between Rome’s San Giovanni Cathedral and Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Basilica, making it easier for visiting pilgrims to collect indulgences by walking through the churches’ holy doors. Rome’s major basilicas open their holy doors only during Jubilee years, allowing Catholics from all over the world to make pilgrimages to the city to walk through them, symbolizing an openness to receive mercy and reconciliation.

But the 2000 dream never happened, thanks to a series of problems ranging from a corruption scandal in the city government and the sheer number of archeological objects – 40,000 in all, from petrified peach pits to pottery and vases and even the walls and mosaics of Emperor Hadrian’s 2,000-year-old military barracks – found with each shovel full of dirt during the initial preparations.

Now the hope is to have the line’s showcase Piazza Venezia stop, featuring an eight-story underground museum, ready in 10 years, according to engineer Andrea Sciotti, who is in charge of the metro museum complex. This will allow them to open around the Jubilee of 2033, which will mark 2,000 years since the death of Jesus Christ.

“It’s true, 10 years seems like a long time, but we aren’t just dealing with the engineering issues,” Sciotti said inside the construction site. “This station will be judged as the most beautiful in the world … we don’t have to rely on museum items being brought in, the museum station is in its original context in ancient Rome.”

Displayed where they were found:

During the initial phases of work carried out in the last five years, Sciotti said all of the artifacts were removed from the site for restoration. Each will be placed exactly where it was found inside the metro museum, which is being dug some 85 meters (280 feet) deep, encompassing eight stories below the modern city of Rome.

Over the millennia the modern city has been built over covered ruins. Only around 10% of ancient Rome has been excavated, with the rest still buried some nine meters (30 feet) below the current city, according to Rome’s tourist bureau. The city dates back to the stone age and construction work is notoriously hampered by the discovery of ruins that are too plentiful to even excavate and are often reburied to preserve them. Even simple infrastructure work, like sewage repairs, have to be attended by archeologists who have the power to stop the work if something is found.

There will be 27 escalators, six elevators and 66,000 square meters of archeological exhibit space. Ancient walls found during excavations will be placed “in situ” in the modern station and the ancient Via Flaminia that ran through the ancient city to the nearby Roman Forum and Colosseum.

The station’s three main entrances will connect the three museums around the square: the Vittoriano, the Palazzo Venezia and the outdoor ruins of the Roman Forum anchored by the Colosseum at the far end, which has its own metro station that will also feature museum and exhibit space.

Several of the archeological sites will have access points from inside the metro museum, meaning commuters and tourists alike can exit the station by rambling through historically significant ruins like Hadrian’s Auditorium, which was discovered when the initial archeological investigation into the project started and was meant to be the location of the station entrance. Since then, they moved the site and excavated the ruins, which are currently only visible looking down from street level.

‘Top down’ excavation system:

To secure the site as they dig, engineers are using a “top down” excavation system, which has never been used in Italy but was an integral part of the Jubilee line in London. Cross walls and diaphragms are being buried deep into the soil to form the perimeter of the underground complex, with the dirt taken out recycled and enhanced to be used in the building materials, Sciotti said.

The train tunnels themselves are not the issue since they will be more than 100 feet below ground.

The Venezia station museum stop is not the only treasure on the new line. In 2016, archeologists working on the site of the Porta Metronia (previously known as the Ambra Aradam) station found a 39-room complex that spanned more than 9,700 square feet that has been incorporated into the underground station, which will open by the end of 2024. In 2025, the new Colosseo-Fori station, complete with a four-level underground museum to showcase artifacts including 25 archaic wells unearthed when it was built, will also open after activation tests, meant to begin in October, are completed.

The entire 26-kilometer C-line will be Italy’s first fully automated driver-less subway system and will reduce road traffic by 400,000 vehicles a day, meaning CO2 emissions will be reduced by some 310,000 tonnes a year, according to the WeBuild group, which is the main contractor for the project.

The original plans from the 2000 Jubilee have been modified to eliminate several stations in the historical center that would have simply been too difficult to excavate.

By Barbie Nadeau.

[pachu09]

Isekai, Historical, Magical AU

Tobirama wanted to bash his head onto the nearest hard object his eye could spy. But! He didn't want to furthermore traumatized the child that was contently sitting in his arms.

He was so sure this didn't happened in the manga. The Emperor should have arrived after he successfully rescued Kagami!. So why did the bastard arrived way too early than the plot stated?!. Did he do something wrong?. So far nothing noteworthy happened when he transported in this world. Other than of course he had to learn how to use his Chakra. Which is pretty amazing in itself....

Tobirama cuts off his wandering thoughts and eyed suspiciously the Emperor and his entourage behind him. He better act like he's ignorant of the man's identity. Who knows what the Emperor would do to him if he revealed he knew who he is?.

" I don't really trust a man with a small army at his back not to kill me the moment I handed this child to you. "

The Emperor laugh loudly made Tobirama tensed in fear. " Fair enough, stranger.  Would you mind telling me what is your name so I could properly thank you for singlehandedly rescuing my nephew?. "

Tobirama pursed his lips. He decided to not tell his real name in case the Emperor tried to seek him out. " Call me Bito. " The Emperor face smoothing blankly made Tobirama warily eyed him. He carefully avoided the man's eyes when it seems his carefree attitude had suddenly vanished and then he turn to Kagami again.

" Little one. Your Uncle is here. Don't you want to go Home?. "

Kagami looked up to him with wide eyes. " But Bito!. You promised you'll go Home with me. "

Tobirama twitch. " I didn't promise anything little one. Go on. Your Uncle is waiting. Its rude to make him wait for you. "

Kagami suddenly clutches his neck and kisses his cheek affectionately had made Tobirama nearly drop the child.

" Okay Bito. But promise me you'll come visit me!. "

Tobirama deadpan and just went along in twining his pinky finger to that of the whining child. He then carefully handed a sleepy Kagami back to his Uncle who still had that emotionless look on his face.

He really need to skedaddle out of the Uchiha Kingdom if he doesn't want to end up beheaded like the original owner of this body. Nevermind in breaking his promise to Kagami but his life is on the line here!. Time is ticking and the sooner he's far away from this murderous Emperor the better it is.

Oh!. And he should probably find a noble Husband ( on paper only! He's straight as fuck thank you very much ). Just in case he needed a political backup. He heard the Water Clans like their spouses with Water Affinity. Surely, with how powerful he is he could easily snag a rich Noble there?.

" Thank you again, Bito–san " Tobirama ignored the strange intonation of the Emperor uttering his false name. " I hope we'll meet again soon. "

Tobirama felt chills running down his spine at that innocent remark.

" I don't think so. Since I'm just a passerby in this City. "

The Emperor's dark eyes pinning him on where he stood made Tobirama tensed up again. He's ready to teleport out of there in case the Emperor went nuts.

" Is that so?. And pray tell why you're visiting this...specific City?.

Tobirama scratches his cheek in embarrassment. " Ah. I was hoping I could find a suitable Husband but sadly I find none appealing. So I'm on my way to the next country. "

The Emperor blink and tilted his head at him. " That's strange. No sane City folk would dare to release you if you proposed to be their Spouse. "

Tobirama carefully back away. " Well thank the Gods they don't find me appealing. Goodbye good Sir and take good care of Kagami. That boy is quite a handful at times. " he quickly climb up on his horse and directed it to start walking. He never even look back at the small army behind his back. He's quite afraid to trigger the mad Emperor. He must make sure he can even journey out of the Fire country without any further incident.

Afterall, the original owner of the body he was occupying was unfairly beheaded by that insane Emperor and Tobirama who had read the manga several times had felt pity and sadness at the person who triggered Kagami’s slow descent to insanity. The manga Tobirama ( he's unnerved that he shared the man's name and even physical looks aside from the long hair, which he will surely chop off as soon as he had the chance ) had died because of a wrongful accusation.

Manga Tobirama had paid the false accusation with his reputation and life. And it started as a Catalyst for one Kagami to bear a hateful grudge to his whole Clan and most of all to his once beloved Uncle. The little child that he just met had grew up hating with every fiber of his being the people who made his Sensei suffer needlessly and in the end he managed to rebel against his Uncle but he also lost his own life in the process of trying to kill his own kin.

At the time when he read that particular scene he felt so sad at Kagami’s fate. The boy shouldn't have gone down the path of his hateful revenge. Because he knew one hundred percent that the Tobirama in the manga would have sacrifice his own life again and again just to make sure Kagami would live a happy life.

Tobirama sigh loudly, at least at this time he wouldn't be too close with Kagami and the boy will never go down his dark journey again. As long as he wasn't in the picture. It probably is for the best since he himself need to make sure he wouldn't die in this world.

He tap his horse on its side so that it could gallop faster. He suddenly felt unnerved when he activated his Sensing and it told him the Emperor and his entourage hasn't move from where he left them.

Tobirama decided he better not turn off his Sensing. He feared that there's a tail behind him. Unless he's finally near the Water Country then and only then will he turn it off even though the price of using such Chakra draining technique is tremendous. Ah, he'll makes sure he'll spend a week in Water Country recovering from overusing his Sensing.

With that clear plan, Tobirama gladly proceeds to rode his horse to the nearest small settlement.

~●~●~

A week later.

Tobirama stared at the expensive scroll the innkeeper had handed to him. He nearly drop the thing when he saw the Royal seal of the Uchiha. He decided he had to feign ignorance. Because he didn't really want to read whatever in it.

" I think this letter isn't really for me is it?. "

He donned his serious facial expression. The innkeeper stared confusedly at him.

" The Uchiha General outside the Inn told me to give it specifically to you. "

Tobirama instantly tensed up. The Uchiha General?. Why did he track him down? Shouldn't the Emperor had lost interest in him the moment he crossed over the Water Country?. What did he want from him?. Its not like he'll go back to the Fire Country in his own volition. He likes living and with his head intact. Thank you very much. He then glared at the damning scroll, sighed deeply and unrolled it.

He twitches on his place as he read the Emperor's message. The man is asking if he arrived unscathed to the Water Country. So far so good. Until the next paragraph made him want to scream in frustration.

Apparently, the Emperor is formally inviting him to be Kagami's personal Sensei. He shuddered in fear. No thanks. He better write up his reply quickly and give it to the General outside. His eyes then quickly scan the P.S beneath the Emperor's signature and stamped seal. He felt his Soul literally leaving his body as the message rang across inside his skull painfully.

P.S. If you try to deny my request. I will personally hunt you down and dragged you to my palace. There is no place in this world you can hide from me, Senju Tobirama.

Tobirama thinks it's time to implement his drastic plans. If the Emperor thinks he'll just roll over and do his biddings. He'll prove him wrong by making sure he won't ever catch him!.

~●~●~

A month later, Tobirama was unaware as he was carried back by the Emperor of the Fire Country back to his palace. He was left heavily unconscious as he tried to fight one on one the most powerful man in the Elemental Countries. He was also unaware as he was given a seal on the back of his neck. Stating that he was the Emperor's most prized treasure or that he was installed in the Empress Chambers.

Come morning, Tobirama will wake up to a joyous Kagami jumping on him and the Emperor's Brother personally telling him that the entire Fire Country court was in a political meltdown because the Emperor had gotten rid of his dozens of Concubines because of him.

[bookishfeylin]

I know you don't usually do these kinds of posts, but you're probably one of the most implicated in black history month people that I follow so I wanted to ask you, as I already value your opinions in Acotar, what do you think of the documentary where actual historians claim Cleopatra was a black woman? Lately, this has been a pretty active topic on my fyp on TikTok, and I wanted to know a black woman's perspective on this.

Thank you in advance, and if you usually don't answer these questions or don't want to answer this one, I'll totally understand, and there's no problem at all.

I didn’t know there was a new documentary out, but when I saw the name Cleopatra I automatically sighed because I knew what was coming. This is a subject a know a little 🤏🏾 about, actually, because I researched it a bit myself in my last year of high school (and stopped because of the uh. NASTINESS associated with this particular subject) and though it’s been a few years I remembered some main, basic things, and I wanted to check a few things first.

At best, in the most CHARITABLE interpretation as far as I in my limited knowledge can tell, it would be correct to say that’s it’s POSSIBLE that she MAY have been mixed Black because, though she was part of the GREEK Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt (Ptolemy being one of Alexander the Great’s generals who got the Egyptian portion of his empire after Alexander died), that’s on her fathers side; her mother’s exact ethnicity isn’t known. Not that this won’t stop the hoteps from running off and claiming her and all of ancient Egypt as Black though So some have ***speculated*** that her mother—and thus Cleopatra—may have potentially been part Egyptian (and that goes into the issue of deciding that the “Egyptian” in this instance had to have been Black rather than MENA but that’s again a whole other can of worms). BUT it’s more likely that her mother was Greek due to the uh, PRACTICE™️ of inbreeding and it not being common for the dynasty to marry Egyptians. So it’s more probable that she was fully Greek/Macedonian and not part Egyptian, much less part Black. (Also some historians speculate she may have had Persian blood? I guess? Again it’s a can of worms, not something i’m digging deep into because of the nastiness that you often stumble across) Unless there’s a new study confirming her mother’s identity or something that I missed, it’s simply incorrect to claim that Cleopatra was undeniably Black, because though it is ***possible*** she most likely ***wasn’t.***

But this topic really upsets me, because there are LEGITIMATE Black kingdoms and empires who were mighty and well developed and powerful like the Aksumite empire and kingdoms of Kongo and Loango and the Great Zimbabwe empire and the empires of Ghana and Mali and Songhay and the Ashanti kingdom and the WHOLE SWAHILI COAST THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE INDIAN OCEAN TRADE ROUTE and they had their own great rulers, their own kings and queens and emperors and empresses, their palaces and castles, their own cities and towns, their own complex civilizations and dynastic royal families that deserve the attention Cleopatra and ancient Egypt get. They were erased—and Egypt was not—by white people to prop themselves up as the only race capable of forming civilizations and advanced societies as a means of justifying colonization and imperialism to “civilize” the rest of the world and as a result many of those other empires have been erased from our education system here in the states and many people cling to ancient Egypt as proof that we’re not inferior and aren’t savages like white people claim due to believing that since Egypt’s in Africa it had to have been mostly Black when Egypt, and the Ptolemaic dynasty and Cleopatra in PARTICULAR, are literally the worst example that could’ve been chosen and were the only African kingdom spared erasure FOR A REASON.

Anyway, I don’t like it, it’s disingenuous and does US wrong because we need to give that energy to other African kingdoms that need and could use the fame Egypt + Cleopatra get, and we deserve a better education system to teach us this stuff. I hope this answers your question? And I don’t mind any kinds of asks 🥰

[yoificfinder]

Hello!!

I would just like to ask for Royalty au for viktuuri please and thank you! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

every calculation falls silent by @thehobbem [T, 29K]

With an engagement arranged behind his back, Emperor Victor only wishes to have one last day for himself as a free man.

But the last thing he will be is free, once he meets someone who seems to have the exact same plans, and perhaps motivations, for today.

In Fire, In Whispers by @voxofthevoid [M, 12K]

“What do you think he meant by friendly stabbing?” Viktor asks, deceptively casual as he winds a lock of his hair around his finger.

“Sparring, probably.”

“Ah,” Viktor sighs, his disappointment loud and theatrical. “And here I thought he meant the other kind.”

Yuuri feels himself heat to the roots of his hair.

“Not here,” he snaps, hands clenching at his sides.

Viktor’s eyes sharpen, the veneer of pleasantness finally leaving his face.

“My mistake,” he says, his smile thin and icy. “You seem tired, Prince Yuuri. Let me escort you to your bedchambers.”

~

In which Viktor and Yuuri are the princes of warring kingdoms but manage to fall in love anyway.

My Love, We Deserve the Softest Eternity series by @japansace [G to E, 88K]

"A baby," Yakov gripes. "Not even a thousand yet, and he thinks he's in love!"

My Name on Your Lips by @feels-like-fire [E, 108K]

Yuuri Katsuki has been betrothed to the High King's son, Victor, since he was just a child; furthermore, as an omega, he's forbidden from practicing magic in combat. For years, he's been able to put off the former because the Prince was traveling abroad, and gotten around the latter by practicing with his mentor in secret.

Now Victor Nikiforov has finally returned home, and Yuuri is being summoned to the capital for their wedding. He needs a plan to put off marriage long enough to find a way to break the betrothal, while keeping his practicing from being discovered.

If only the Prince didn't have other ideas.

(Or, the swords-and-sorcery arranged marriage AU. Updates weekly.)

On Your Every Word by @stammiviktor [M, 71K]

It starts, as most things do, with an extravagant banquet.

"Dance with me?"

He’s holding out his hand. It’s an offering, an invitation, and a dare all in one.

The onlookers part and a blinding smile graces the dancer’s lips.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

(A Royalty AU, with a twist)

The Phoenix Lives by velvetcadence [E, 5K]

Prince Yuuri has banished yokai from the world. Now home from his travels, he must navigate another adventure: his arranged marriage to Prince Viktor Nikiforov.

But Prince Viktor is hiding a secret, one that may upset the fragile state of their marriage.

Please Leave a Light On When You Go by adjit [T, 19K]

Everyone knows tales of princesses trapped in towers and guarded by evil dragons, but, actually…

Yuuri is here by choice, thank you very much, and Phichit is quite a nice dragon, all things considered. It’s just that the knights who keep trying to rescue him don’t seem to be getting the memo.

And then there’s Sir Nikiforov, just another knight like the rest, except that he’s not. Because after he realizes that Yuuri is not, in fact, in need of rescuing, he drops it. And stranger still, he decides to stay.

the promise i'll make series by lily_winterwood @omgkatsudonplease [M and E, 102K]

When Crown Prince Yuuri of Japan escapes his army of minders at his Saint Petersburg hotel, he thinks he’s found the opportunity to explore the city as a commoner. When investigative journalist Viktor Nikiforov discovers the Crown Prince of Japan on a park bench in Saint Petersburg, he thinks that he’s found his ticket to redemption at the magazine he writes for. But like the stories of those stranded during the White Nights after the bridges go up, neither of them had anticipated falling in love. (Roman Holiday AU)

Roses of May by @cuttlemefishwrites [E, 47K] *WIP

At age five, all children are assessed for talent and beauty in the City of Hasetsu and the other eight cities of the Empire. Every year, five are branded with the mark of a rose before being carded off to the Emperor’s palace where they are trained to become Roses, or sacrifices to be sent every May to the Ice Spirit that lives in the castle at the top of the mountain. Roses never return, except for Katsuki Yuuri, who shocks the Empire when he appears again two years after his departure with a silver crown on his head and a blond baby in his arms, demanding the Emperor step down or face the wrath of his husband, the Ice King. But, not everything is what it seems.

The Dragon Prince and the Winter Swan by @sophia-helix [E, 121K]

Yuuri Stark is a noble son of the north, returning to Winterfell in disgrace after the latest disappointment in his checkered tourney career. He hasn't given up his dream of becoming a knight, but maybe it's time to find himself a new path, settling down at home.

Prince Victor Targaryen is the greatest swordsman in Westeros, but he no longer finds joy in competition. Things are uneasy in King's Landing, where politics are shifting and dangerous, and he seizes the chance to escape north in search of the young man who came so close to beating him in a tourney last year — and was so beguiling at the banquet afterwards.

Together they begin a journey to the great tourney of Harrenhal, with intrigue, honor, friendship and love along the way...and inevitable political conflict ahead.

(A Game of Thrones fusion with 90% less grimdark)

Technically Arranged by @ajwolf84 [E, 78K] *WIP

Yuuri is a tech genius working in Silicon Valley, but he never would have gotten this far if not for the support of the Russian Royal family who offered him a full scholarship to the elite Rostelecom Academy and have been supporting his education ever since. Of course, this help didn’t come for free. He’s now considered a member of the Royal family, which isn’t so bad, other than the inordinate number of weddings he has to attend. There’s also the small stipulation that he is technically a candidate to become the Prince’s consort, but that’ll never happen…

The Tsesarevich Lives by mothedestiel [E, 50K]

An Anastasia AU. Victor is an orphan with no name, no family, and no memory of a time before he was ten years old. Could he really be the missing Nikiforov heir? An adventure across Europe with two conmen will lead him to the answer.

The Vastness of Space by @shysweetthing [E, 17K]

As chief communications officer on board the Interstellar Alliance Fleet’s Star Ship Victory, Yuuri doesn’t have to think about who he actually is on his home planet. He just has to listen to his captain, do his job, and…not fall in love with his best friend, the ship’s science officer, Victor Nikiforov.

Well. Two out of three’s not bad.

Then his mother calls with the worst possible news: She, the Empress of New Nihon, has arranged Yuuri’s marriage.

There’s only one thing Yuuri can do: Fake a boyfriend, and fake one fast. Who better/worse to play that role than the friend he wishes was more? What can go wrong? It’s not like Yuuri can fall more in love...

With Two Hands by whatsup_buttercup [E, 28K]

“Do you think he’ll let you get a picture with him?” Phichit’s voice comes through distorted by the long chain of communications systems and the great distance between them.

“I imagine some official photos might be taken,” Yuuri offers.

“You should try to work ‘I became a translator because of you!’ into conversation. You know, casually.”

Yuuri takes a large sip from his mug of tea, refusing to be baited. “We’ll see.”

Yuuri Enchanted by the__magpie / @wecalleverythinglove [T, 58K]

At birth, Yuuri Katsuki was given the gift of obedience, although he quickly learns as he grows up that it is a curse. He has to obey any command given to him, even if it puts him or others in danger. Too afraid to face the terrifying outside world, Yuuri stays in his home town of Hasetsu, until a chance encounter with Prince Victor urges him to venture outside of his safe bubble. Determined to break his curse, Yuuri begins on an adventure involving fairies, ogres, true love, and courage he never knew he had.

-----

Other people's rec:

Equivalent Exchange by writingfromtheshadows

The Nature of Things by Zombubble

Thanks for the rec, @tanouska, @kittygoeswoof90! 💙

[oldschoolfrp]

Viridistan, the City State of the World Emperor -- Jennell Jaquays cover for Judges Guild's 1980 campaign setting with 3 books and 3 large maps of the city and surrounding countryside, west of the City State of the Invincible Overlord, in the larger setting of the Wilderlands of High Fantasy, often called the "City State Campaign" (1982 fourth printing; designed by Creighton Hippenhammer and Bob Bledsaw)

[megsdoodletag]

@cardinalcanis YES HELLO THANK U strap in, ur getting both of them (they are a Pair, Not Sold Separately, Etc.)

Their names are Mercurius and Medea, and they're based on famous mothers! and i am putting this under a readmore for your own protection sorry in advance

We'll start with Medea since he's a straightforward adaptation of Euripides Emps probably should have seen coming. For those unfamiliar with one of my favorite plays, Medea is the wife of Jason of Argonaut fame, and they have two children. After Medea does a bunch of stuff for him (like helping him with that pesky golden fleece business) Jason leaves her to marry a princess, stating that the boys will have a better life if they come with him to be named his heirs, that Medea's wedding vows don't count as she is a foreigner, and also by the way she's being chased out of the city. Medea is so insulted, disrespected, and left without recourse she, even with the entire ensemble cast of the play attempting to talk her out of it, murders Jason's new princess and then also her own sons. She kills the boys with her own hands and then refuses to let Jason see the bodies, stating that, seeing as how Jason is so preoccupied with heirs and having a legacy, this was the only way she could hurt him in kind. It's an act she knows is terrible and she herself wrestles with her love for the children as she makes her decision, but the fact that, as a woman, she has no way of truly harming Jason's reputation in the way he's harmed her drives her to it. What makes Medea interesting to me, personally, is that, while unquestionably condemned by every mortal present on stage including herself, the boys' murder is framed as justified by the gods, because she gets to ride off in a golden chariot at the end of the play. Olympian gods play eye-for-an-eye rules and Medea has dealt herself in.

anyway. I'm sure you understand where this is going. Medea the primarch is one of the boys who does Not appreciate getting dragged into this Imperium of Man mess, but he is not one who hates his sons. He asks for certain concessions, largely regarding the rearing of his legion and cultural practices on compliance worlds, which are initially granted. The legion is perhaps literally the Emperor's Finest. They are efficient combatants but pride themselves largely on politics. Medea leaves marines on worlds he conquers, and they integrate into the populous as vaunted heroes and benevolent guardians, solidifying the compliance into permanency. Many of the higher-ranking marines are known by name by serfs and citizens, appearing as individuals in pop cultural creations and imperial propaganda alike, and many of those left on world have families and extensive communal networks. Medea's legion quickly receives new recruits to fill the absences after every compliance. His is a stable geneseed, and his rate of compliance never falters. Eventually, his is unquestionably the largest legion, rivaling even the eventual height of the Ultramarines, though it never appears this way because most of the vets are scattered, happily guarding their new home planets. Except to one who is paying attention to all the numbers. The Emperor orders Medea's legion to rendezvous with him. The entire legion. Any stationed marines are to take leave of their posts and return to Medea's command, just...for the time being. Ostensibly this is for a moment of recognition, a ceremony of honor to commemorate their incredible service. So incredible a service, it involves, in part, the Emperor joining them to personally direct the next leg of their crusade.

Realizing the emperor intends to command over him, use his precision tool as a sledgehammer, and otherwise does not intend to uphold the concessions initially granted to the legion in the process, Medea is left backed into a corner. Feeling as though something terrible will happen if he does not comply, he summons his scattered marines, and the massive fleet makes the trek to the rendezvous planet. The Emperor boards the flagship and finds the entire legion carefully, methodically executed, any geneseed and trainee of any level destroyed, and Medea alone, having single-handedly dismantled the pride of the Imperium over the course of the trip. Even if they spun it as an incident of primarch-gone-crazy, the total loss of what are essentially the early Imperium's posterboys is a bad look for Emps. Worse, he hesitates to destroy Medea and the primarch gets away, slipping into the warp. It's an embarrassment, and one best forgotten. Many of Medea's planets have to be re-conquered, as even with their minds wiped they fracture from the Imperium without the guidance of their beloved marines; not even the nicest legions seems to be able to fit themselves into the gaps Medea's veterans have left behind, to say nothing of those that draw unlucky and are met with unforgiving new overlords.

So. Mercurius is based on Hermione, from The Winter's Tale not [redacted], who's name is taken from Hermes/Mercury. Hermione is a queen whose jealous husband accuses her of infidelity, causing the death of her eldest son, the abandonment of her new (supposedly bastard) daughter, and her own death by broken heart. Despite all the drama, The Winter's Tale is, technically speaking, a comedy, (it's the one with the 'Exit. Pursued by bear' stage direction), and at the end of the story it's revealed that Hermione is not dead, but has been living in seclusion nearby, which she exits when the remorseful king has found and accepted his rejected daughter as his own.

Mercurius is a jovial fellow who likes to give gifts and make jokes. He grew up on a planet that had. well. absolutely nothing wrong with it actually. It's fine. He lived in a city called New^2 York and had access to the internet and regular therapy sessions. His mom sends him birthday cakes every year. Every conversation with his brothers feels like the 'that's rough buddy' exchange, but he's got a dual degree in liberal arts and psych so he generally makes it out ok. His geneseed isn't UNstable, but there's certainly something weird about it. Nobody can quite figure out what it is though, so they leave it alone; it certainly isn't smarts. His marines aren't exactly the sharpest crayons in the box. Instead, they mostly find work as communicators and messengers, running between legions.

Mercurius and Medea were close confidants, paired in an attempt to facilitate better standards in Mercurius' marines via proximity with Medea's perfect darlings, and when Medea's thing goes down, Mercurius has a hard time of it. He slept through his alarm that day and walks into the confrontation between E and Medea like

and is distracting enough that Medea gets out. He is accused of having known about Medea's intentions beforehand, though he insists if he had known he would have stopped his brother (true). Still seething, the emperor doesn't believe him and orders him stripped of his title. Mercurius' legions are separated and disseminated among the others, largely the Ultramarines, while his own presence is redacted from the records and memories of all in the imperium. Mercurius is sent out with a small remainder of his faction in a kind of deathwatch penance and, according to records destroyed as soon as Emps memorized their contents, he died during a warp-related incident, before the heresy.

My Totally 100% Ultramarine Successor Chapter They're Totally Blueberries I Promise, the Imperial Lares, have a high concentration of Merc's geneseed in circulation (they are not aware of this). They're terribly lucky, have mostly spent their time as a chapter chilling in a suspiciously quiet part of Ultima sector, and are generally just kind of. well. my friend started calling them The Emperor's Silliest for a reason. That's a whole nother discussion though please ask me about the Lares.

anyway that is the very long serious narrative version. Real talk, mercurius and medea are the comedy/tragedy twins. like in a narrative, genre-defining sense.

Medea, as Tragedy, basically cursed the imperium in its entirety but also mostly his dad, and is probably some kind of chaos god in his own right at this point. probably absolutely responsible for whatever kind of luck the lamenters have going on.

Mercurius is the fridged mom, the Comedy that's only allowed to shine because the Tragedy goes Too Far. he’s still not a great fighter, but he is good at saying what a down-on-his-luck space marine needs to hear. He appears as a blackshield deathwatch marine and is a sort of saint figure; things just end up ok if he’s around, in a kind of indirect way. Your reinforcements will make it on time. The cultist trips on a rock trying to shoot you. The guardsmen you’re camping with share their seasoned meat. things that are too small to be properly documented. nobody really knows where a lone blackshield marine goes when their missions are over. Nobody asks.

further notes:

-A lot of people think Medea is using warp equivalent jedi mind tricks to do the compliances the way he does. while he is most certainly a wytch, his strange ability to waltz into a place and declare imperial law without getting shot to hell is actually largely due to a quirk of his geneseed that involves the production of specific human-affecting pheremones. Whatever the opposite of transhuman dread is, that's what Medea's legion has. This is a part of why he leaves a few on every planet, and why those planets fall back into chaos so quickly after they leave

-Medea's legion was so good at peaceful compliance the marines had a culture of being proud of de-escalation, often boasted about limited combative deployments, and it was considered a status symbol to keep 'virgin' weapons - bolters that had never been fired, swords that had never seen blood, etc. They can definitely fight, don't misunderstand, they just pride themselves on not having to.

-Medea's thing going down the way it does provides the overarching plot for Juno's story; her returned uncles (largely Horus and Konrad) are now free of the spell that forces their minds not to think about their lost brothers and they immediately start digging. From their perspective, something just Went Wrong out there and Merc and Medea were never heard from again and dad immediately came home and handed off the reigns so he could retire. hello.

-like merc, medea is never directly responsible for any misfortune suffered by his proximity, it's mostly an aoe on such a narrative scale it usually can't be traced back directly to him, but he's also tucked a lot deeper into the warp than merc is and way more fucked up about things so. he probably could be directly responsible for things. if he wanted to be.

-medea and merc's situation is part of why horus is made warmaster (as opposed to emps continuing to handle things himself as a commander). He figured at least having the appearance of giving the boys autonomy would be better received.

-the psykic backlash from medea's sons' murder is responsible for an amount of warp entities, many of which go on to attach themselves to word bearers (it's very important to me that medea is not the cause of the heresy, because imperialistically inclined nation imploding badly under it's own weight is perfectly satisfying as is, but he's certainly not Not involved. the wb would have found other daemons to pact with but there is something about a selection of them being basically they're cousins. not that any of them are aware of this of course)

-merc is fully blind due to an accident during the scattering (the amount of ‘never saw it coming’ jokes is. not few.)

-merc is the one who taught tarik the bear joke.

-merc's faceclaim is Jared Padaleki but SPECIFICALLY season 1 sam winchester. bc that's exactly the vibe i want from him. ur estranged brother shows up and tells you u have to drop everything and jump in his junker of a car to go fight demons and ghosts and shit with shotguns full of salt and he's like we have to do this. we have to go live out of motels and stab people in alleys. to save the world. and ur like. dude i'm trying to get a 4 year degree. from like. college. like in real life. ????

-merc looks kind of intimidating in blackshield armor bc. well. it’s deathwatch blackshield armor. and he’s small for a primarch but that’s not saying a lot. and then he takes the helmet off and it’s like oh! friendly :))

-i think originally merc's deathwatch mission was to find and kill medea himself, but he decided he wasn't really feeling it tripped through a warp portal and got a little distracted. He wasn't lying, he would have tried to talk medea out of killing his own kids, but he isn't exactly a loyalist either. I think now he'd like to go find his brother and bring him back around, but again, he's not particularly competent and he keeps ending up involved in Various B-Plot Shenanigans so. that might take a bit.

-if they had ever fought, medea would not have killed mercurius. Like he wouldn’t have tried i mean. I’m not sure you can kill merc at all tbh, my man’s basically a loony toon, but i digress. medea held no ill will towards anyone except emps when he did his murder spree, and he definitely has no interest in trying to kill merc.

-following that: medea left all of the mortals (techpriests, serfs, guardsmen, etc.) alone when he killed his legion. His personal remembrancer actually followed him into the warp when he escaped, which is how there's unfinished art and shit of the event floating around on abandoned ghost ships for juno and pals to discover later

-are the Lares lucky because they're merc's, or because medea's grimdark shroud avoids them out of courtesy to his brother? who knows.

-ahriman is going to finally get into the good part of the black library and he's going to find merc reading calvin and hobbes strips with his feet on the coffee table and he's going to be so upset about it. (cegorach does get a kick out of the two of them, medea for giving emps what he deserved (he might have been involved with helping medea disappear after the incident, now that i think about it) and merc for just kind of existing as he is. merc thinks cegorach is a little mean, but because merc's kindness doesn't come from a place of pride, he generally isn't the target of whatever cegorach is pulling)

-recognizing either entity will drive the viewer insane because the spell (which is not a memory wipe per say, it's more like a blocker that won't let you linger on it, even if you are directly presented with knowledge of them) will try to erase the knowledge as fast as it appears. this is why neither of them have made a true reappearance. other than the fact that medea is sulking harder than anyone has sulked before, and merc is in Genre Containment for Plot Reasons.

-juno would not go insane if she saw either of them bc the spell malcador cast did not account for xenos primarch hybrids, so she’s fine, actually.

if u made it down this far ty!! hope u enjoy my guys, feel free to ask more about them. or juno's verse in general. I Just Think They're Neat etc. also if anything contradicts canon directly somewhere. it's my canon now it's literally fine. james workshop said so himself.

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … December 25

Sol Invictus ("the Unconquered Sun") or, more fully, Deus Sol Invictus ("the Unconquered Sun God") was the late Roman state sun god. The cult was created by the emperor Aurelian in 274 and continued until the abolition of paganism under Theodosius I. The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the birthday of the unconquered sun."

The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the patron god of Emperor Aurelian (270-274); and Mithras. Oh, and a Jewish upstart named Jesus.

December 25th was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma. It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 B.C.E., December 25th was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21st or 22nd.)

The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Solar symbolism was popular with early Christian writers as Jesus was considered to be the "sun of righteousness."

The date for Christmas may also bear a relation to the sun worship. According to the scholiast on the Syriac bishop Jacob Bar-Salibi, writing in the twelfth century:

"It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnized on that day." (cited in "Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries", Ramsay MacMullen).

The Death of Epaminondas

418 B.C. – Epaminondas, Greek warrior and general, born (d: 362 B.C.). Considered to have been one of the great military geniuses of the ancient world, he is included here, on Christmas Day, not because of his victories in battle, but because he was revered for his moral character. He was revered, too, since he had risen from an impoverished family because of his goodness, strength and character.

Epaminondas was well educated; his musical teachers were among the best in their disciplines, as was his dance instructor. Most notably, his philosophy instructor Lysis of Tarentum (who had come to live with Polymnis in his exile) was one of the last major Pythagorean philosophers. Epaminondas was devoted to Lysis and was noted for his excellence in philosophical studies.

Not merely an academic, Epaminondas was noted for his physical prowess, and in his youth he devoted much time to strengthening and preparing himself for combat. In 385 B.C., in a skirmish near the city of Mantinea, Epaminondas, at great risk to his own life, saved the life of his future partner Pelopidas, an act thought to have cemented the life-long friendship between the two.

He was, like most Greek warriors, homosexual - but with a difference. He never married and did not produce an heir. His delight in boys was complete in itself for him. His two favorite boys, Asopichus and Leuctra, both fell in battle, as did Epaminondas. Both, by his order, are buried in his tomb.

1642 – Sir Isaac Newton (d.1726/27) was an English mathematician, astronomer, theologian and physicist (described in his own day as a "natural philosopher") who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time and a key figure in the scientific revolution. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica ("Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy"), first published in 1687, laid the foundations of classical mechanics. Newton also made pathbreaking contributions to optics, and he shares credit with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing the infinitesimal calculus.

Isaac Newton was born (according to the Julian calendar, in use in England at the time) on Christmas Day, 25 December 1642 (NS 4 January 1643) "an hour or two after midnight", at Woolsthorpe Manor in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, a hamlet in the county of Lincolnshire.

From the age of about twelve until he was seventeen, Newton was educated at The King's School, Grantham, which taught Latin and Greek and probably imparted a significant foundation of mathematics. He was removed from school, and by October 1659, he was to be found at Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, where his mother, widowed for a second time, attempted to make a farmer of him. Newton hated farming. Henry Stokes, master at the King's School, persuaded his mother to send him back to school so that he might complete his education. Motivated partly by a desire for revenge against a schoolyard bully, he became the top-ranked student, distinguishing himself mainly by building sundials and models of windmills.

Newton's Principia formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that dominated scientists' view of the physical universe for the next three centuries. By deriving Kepler's laws of planetary motion from his mathematical description of gravity, and using the same principles to account for the trajectories of comets, the tides, the precession of the equinoxes, and other phenomena, Newton removed the last doubts about the validity of the heliocentric model of the Solar System and demonstrated that the motion of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies could be accounted for by the same principles. Newton's theoretical prediction that the Earth is shaped as an oblate spheroid was later vindicated by the geodetic measurements of others, thus convincing most Continental European scientists of the superiority of Newtonian mechanics over the earlier system of Descartes.

Newton also built the first practical reflecting telescope and developed a sophisticated theory of colour based on the observation that a prism decomposes white light into the colours of the visible spectrum. Newton's work on light was collected in his highly influential book Opticks, first published in 1704. He also formulated an empirical law of cooling, made the first theoretical calculation of the speed of sound, and introduced the notion of a Newtonian fluid.

Newton was a fellow of Trinity College and the second Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. He was a devout but unorthodox Christian, who privately rejected the doctrine of the Trinity and who, unusually for a member of the Cambridge faculty of the day, refused to take holy orders in the Church of England.

Beyond his work on the mathematical sciences, Newton dedicated much of his time to the study of alchemy and biblical chronology, but most of his work in those areas remained unpublished until long after his death. Politically and personally tied to the Whig party, Newton served two brief terms as Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge, in 1689–90 and 1701–02. He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705 and he spent the last three decades of his life in London, serving as Warden (1696–1700) and Master (1700–1727) of the Royal Mint, as well as president of the Royal Society (1703–1727).Although it was claimed that he was once engaged, Newton never married. The French writer and philosopher Voltaire, who was in London at the time of Newton's funeral, said that he

"was never sensible to any passion, was not subject to the common frailties of mankind, nor had any commerce with women—a circumstance which was assured me by the physician and surgeon who attended him in his last moments".

The widespread belief that he died a virgin has been commented on by writers such as mathematician Charles Hutton, economist John Maynard Keynes, and physicist Carl Sagan.

Newton did have a close friendship with the Swiss mathematician Nicolas Fatio de Duillier, whom he met in London around 1689. Their intense relationship came to an abrupt and unexplained end in 1693, and at the same time Newton suffered a nervous breakdown. Some of their correspondence has survived.

In September of that year, Newton had a breakdown which included sending wild accusatory letters to his friends Samuel Pepys and John Locke. His note to the latter included the charge that Locke "endeavoured to embroil me with woemen". Items like these have led some historians to speculate that Newton was homosexual.

"Artist and Model" - John Minton

1917 – John Minton (d.1957) was a painter of landscapes, town scenes, and figure subjects in oil and watercolor, as well as an acclaimed illustrator. Minton's homosexuality was an important influence on his work. One of his main themes was the young male figure in emotionally charged settings.

Like many middle class gay men of his generation, Minton was drawn to men who fulfilled a manly ideal, and this attraction manifested itself in much of his work, where he portrayed his handsome working class lovers and other ideals of masculinity such as Guardsmen and matadors.

Two Bullfighters

Minton's early work focused on the urban landscape he discovered during nocturnal jaunts around London, where he also discovered an active sexual underground. Visits to Spain in 1949 and Jamaica in 1950 offered Minton a fresh repertoire of subjects and enriched his palette of colors.

Although Minton was dedicated to painting, his reputation developed as a result of his skill as an illustrator for a wide range of books, as well as for magazines such as The Listener and The Radio Times.

Between 1950 and 1952 Minton lived openly with his lover Ricky Stride, a bodybuilding ex-sailor, often his model. Theirs was a volatile relationship and ended as a result of almost constant fighting, which often resulted in violence on Stride's part.

On January 12, 1950, The Listener published a letter Minton wrote in response to a review of a new biography of Oscar Wilde which discussed Wilde's sexuality and relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas in a denigrating fashion. Outraged, Minton pointed out the enormous contribution made to society by homosexuals and highlighted the fact that "the same vicious law which imprisoned Wilde still operates" and pleaded for a "saner and more comprehensive attitude towards the homosexual in society."

Minton's character revealed some great contradictions—his wild gaiety and love of wit and banter disguised and competed with an inner melancholy that verged on depression. Towards the end of his life, Minton began to express an obsession with death, and he was particularly moved by the death of film star and symbol of disaffected youth James Dean.

Minton's output was considerable. Between 1945 and 1956 he had seven solo exhibitions at the Lefevre Gallery, notwithstanding his work as tutor to the painting school of the Royal College of Art in 1949, a post that he held until the year before his death. Minton's appearance in this period is shown in a 1952 portrait by Lucian Freud, as well as in self-portraits. In the 1940s Minton, Freud and fellow artist Adrian Ryan had been in a love triangle.

Minton's last painting, which remained unfinished, was initially based upon a car crash that he had witnessed in Spain; but it also, he told his friend Ruskin Spear, represented "James Dean and all that." As a result the painting was posthumously titled Composition: The Death of James Dean in September 1955.

On January 20, 1957 John Minton committed suicide by taking an overdose of Tuinal.

1950 – Time magazine ran its first article on homosexuality. It said that homosexuals should not work in government jobs because they are a security risk.

1950 – Yehuda Poliker is an Israeli singer, songwriter, musician, and painter. Poliker first became known in the 1980s as the lead vocalist for the band Benzene. In 1985, after the band was dismantled, he began a varied solo career that included motifs from rock, pop and traditional Greek music. He is openly gay.

Yehuda Poliker (birth name: Leonidas Polikaris) was born in Kiryat Haim, a suburb of Haifa, Israel. His parents were Greek Jews and Holocaust survivors who were deported to Auschwitz from Thessaloniki.

In 1981, Poliker began his career-long collaboration with writer and producer Yaakov Gilad. Poliker's band, Benzene, released two albums: 24 Sha'ot (24 Hours) and Mishmeret Layla (Night Watch), which included hit singles such as "Hofshi Ze Legamrei Levad" ("Free Is Totally Alone"), "Geshem" ("Rain") and "Yom Shishi" (Friday). After Benzene broke up, Poliker began a solo career. In 1985, he released his first solo album, Einaim Shely (These Eyes of Mine). All of the tracks on the album were well-known Greek songs literally translated into Hebrew. In 1986, Poliker released his second solo album, Kholem Behakitz (Daydreamer). His third album, Efer VeAvak (Dust and Ashes), released in 1988, dealt mostly with the children of Holocaust survivors. It sold more than 70,000 copies, and in 2005, was rated by Ynet as number one of the top 100 best albums ever recorded in Israel.

Poliker's father, Jacko, told the story of his escape from Auschwitz in the 1988 film Because of That War (Hebrew: B'Glal Hamilhamah Hahi), which featured music by his son. The film included interviews with Yehuda Poliker and Yaakov Gilad, whose parents, Polish Jews, also survived Auschwitz.

1978 – Dylan Vox is an American actor and producer who has worked in television, film and theatre.

Vox was born in Marietta, Georgia, and was adopted one month after birth by Donna Blount. At an early age, he began riding horses and showed Western Pleasure placing in both regional and national competitions. After high school graduation, Vox received bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Journalism from the Georgia Southern University before moving to Denver, Colorado and training with Olympic Ice Dancer Carol Fox where he had some success on the national level with his partner Erin Bales. Vox retired from skating, and attended and graduated from law school.

Vox starred in the Los Angeles premiere of Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical and the world premiere of the hip-hopera "City Kid" earning a LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award nomination and a NAACP theatre award nomination.. He also was an original cast member of Hunky Dory, an original musical interpretation of the 1971 David Bowie album.

Vox appeared as himself on the reality television series Fight for Fame, Open Call, and the Spike detective series Murder. Vox has appeared in the here! cable station's gothic horror series Dante's Cove as Colin and as a series regular in here!'s vampire series The Lair also playing a character named Colin (although they are different characters).

Under the name Brad Benton, Vox performed in many hard and soft gay pornographic films, including Big Timber, Blades, BuckleRoos, Desperate Husbands, Devil Inside, and Longhorns. and was nominated for over 12 GayVN Awards and 15 Grabby Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor at the GayVN Awards in 2004 and 2005 and nine Grabby awards over all.

Vox has written for a number of LGBT-themed websites and writes a blog entitled "21st - Century Vox." He currently serves as the Sports Editor and as a featured columnist for GayWired.com.

1982 – Two married US Army men are found, fully clothed, in bed together and are accused of sex. They say they only fell on the bed while drunk, but accept honorable discharges rather than fight the charges and possibly receive dishonorable discharges.

[zobae]

hmm something something metero city = black whale. While meteor city created the phantom troup, the black whale will destory it something something....

a state by itself though not officially recognised (have a government, judicial, legistlative system, as well as military...)

'citizens' are isolated from the outside world,

'citizens' are also being taken advantage of by a larger outside force that they have no control over with the Kakin emperor and the Mafia (nasubi explicity states that the 200,000* people on board are sacrifices for the succession war)

Both times the troupe is formed/reunited to hunt down a killer that has unjustly taken their own (Sarasa's killer, hisoka)

Chrollo sets out on a journey that isolates himself from his friends, shouldering the bulk of the burden and responsiblity. His friends express worry for him that he refuses to acknowledge. *this video is really interesting and expounds on the 'ship of state' idea

This is speculation now as the arc isn't finished but we've seen the Phantom Troupe, since boarding the black whale, become embroiled in a much larger conflict that they seem very lacksadaisical about. They are unaware or even indifferent to the impact they are having abroad the ship and seem disinterested in finding out the larger context of the situation. I believe this is going to end up with them being, ultimately, played for fools (or tools...) in the larger conflict to do some other parties dirty work.

This is going to parallel with the 'other side' of the Kurta Massacre which I think will be that they were being used by some other outside force to peform the massacre (potential Tserriednich or Pariston connection...) Similarly, they are unaware of the larger consequences or politics at play and did the massacre without much thought. Hence, why Uvogin didn't remember much about the Kurta Massacre without prompting despite the note left behind indicating a more personal vendeta or agenda related to the killings.

I DO NOT SAY THIS TO ABSOLVE THE PHANTOM TROUPE OF THE MASSACRE. Regardless of the context behind the massacre, I do not think this will absolve them of all guilt or responsibility for the actions carried out.

a) that's boring writing that actually makes the Phantom Troupe less interesting

b) doesn't fit with Kurapika's character arc as it makes the choice between revenge and self-destruction and choosing to live irrelevant

c) works better with the ongoing theme within hxh that entrenched societal forces make individual/groups take certain actions, even detrimental to their own, regardless of how powerful that group/ individual may be (netero dying to kill the chimera ants, the v5 becoming the v6 to stop Kakin, Kurapika having to join the mafia). Your individuality will not save you from being subsumed by SOCIETY. (hmmm something something Gon becoming a hunter which Mito couldn't prevent and killua running away from home, trying to escape his family's expectations...)

The Phantom Troupe ain't making it alive of the ship, regardless of the actual members who may survive. It's all over Phantom Bros...

[whencyclopedia]

Third Crusade

The Third Crusade (1189-1192 CE) was launched to retake Jerusalem after its fall to the Muslim leader Saladin in 1187 CE. The Crusade was led by three European monarchs, hence its other name of 'the Kings' Crusade'. The three leaders were: Frederick I Barbarossa, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor (r. 1152-1190 CE), Philip II of France (r. 1180-1223 CE) and Richard I 'the Lionhearted' of England (r. 1189-1199 CE). Despite this pedigree, the campaign was a failure, the Holy City never even being attacked. Along the way, there were some victories, notably the capture of Acre and the battle of Arsuf. Fizzling out with a whimper, the Crusade collapsed because, by the time they arrived at their objective, the western leaders found themselves without sufficient men or resources to resist the still intact armies of Saladin. Although a compromise was negotiated with access for pilgrims to Jerusalem permitted and a Christian foothold maintained in the Middle East, another attempt to take the Holy City would shortly be made the original objective of the Fourth Crusade of 1202-1204 CE.

The Fall of Jerusalem

The Second Crusade (1147-1149 CE) had effectively ended with the complete failure to take Damascus in Syria in 1148 CE. The various Muslim states in the Middle East then realised that the once-feared western knights could be defeated and the precarious existence of the Crusader-held territories, the Latin East, was starkly highlighted. All that was needed now was a unification of Muslim forces and this was provided by one of the greatest of all medieval rulers, Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria (r. 1174-1193 CE).

Saladin, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt, took control of Damascus in 1174 CE and Aleppo in 1183 CE. Saladin then shocked the world by defeating the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and its Latin allies at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 CE. Thus, Saladin was able to take control of such cities as Acre, Tiberias, Caesarea, Nazareth, Jaffa and even, the holiest of holies itself, Jerusalem. Remarkably lenient with his Christian captives compared to the butchery of the First Crusade (1095-1102 CE), after the recapture of Jerusalem almost a century earlier, Saladin accepted ransoms from those Latin Christians who could afford to buy their freedom and enslaved the rest. Eastern Christians were permitted to remain in Jerusalem as a protected minority group. The Latin East had all but collapsed, only Tyre remained in Christian hands, under the command of Conrad of Montferrat, but it would prove a useful foothold for the coming fightback.

Pope Gregory VIII only reigned for a few months in 1187 CE but, in October of that year, he made a lasting impact on history by calling for yet another crusade to win back Jerusalem and such lost holy relics as the True Cross. Nothing less than a repeat of the remarkable feat of the First Crusade would do. No fewer than three monarchs took up the Pope's challenge: the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I Barbarossa, king of Germany, Philip II of France and Richard I of England. With these being the three most powerful men in western Europe, the campaign promised much.

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