#The Prologue

[tightjeansjavi]

Et Auream - The Prologue

“The Boy”

Copyright © 2024 by tightjeansjavi. I do not give permission for my writing to be copied and reposted. I do not give permission for my writing to be fed to Ai bots or chat GPT.

A/N: well…🤭 it’s here! I decided to bite the bullet and post the prologue sooner because I am an impulsive Aries after all! This story has taken over my mind body and soul 🫠 just ask @sinsofsummers @penvisions @beardedjoel @corazondebeskar @punkshort & @kenobiwanx (just to name a few moots who have listened to me yap and yap and yap 🥹) it’s an understatement when I say just how I excited I am for this story. I currently have 17 chapters written, and we are only at the halfway point! There is so much more to come 😉

Summary: Marcus Acacius, from a young age was taught to be brave, gentle, just, and compassionate. His mother, Lucia, has kept her son’s true identity hidden from his callous father, Varus. On the eve of Marcus’s 10th birthday, an accident occurs, and when the truth is revealed, Marcus learns firsthand just how cruel the world he was born into could truly be.

word count : 1.6k

Warnings: enslavement, child enslavement, child abuse, domestic abuse, canon typical violence, death of a minor character, language, minors dni! +18

Timeline : Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus - ruled from April 13th 193AD - February 4th 211AD (historical) Succeeded by: Publius Septimius (Geta) born 191AD (birthdate is fictional) & Marcus Aurelius Antonius (Caracalla) born 193AD (birthdate is fictional)

Marcus was born May 17th 193AD (Taurus) 203AD - Marcus is 10 206AD - Marcus is 13 211AD - Marcus is 18 when he meets Geta 216AD - Marcus is 23

Geta was born June 9th 191AD (fictional birthdate, not historical) (Gemini) 203AD - Geta is 12 206AD - Geta is 15 211AD - Geta is 20 when he meets Marcus 216AD - Geta is 25

Caracalla was born October 27th 193AD (fictional birthdate, not historical) (Scorpio) 203AD - Caracalla is 10 206AD - Caracalla is 13 211AD - Caracalla is 18 when he meets Marcus 216AD - Caracalla is 23

Translations : Acacius (Roman, male) - one who is free from evil (innocence) also symbolizes strength, resilience & protection Varus (Roman, male) - bent, crooked Lucia (Roman, female) - light Medicus - physician, doctor Dominus - master

Under the rule of Emperor Septimius Severus May 17th, 193 AD

When Marcus Acacius was born into the world, he did not scream like most babes did. He cooed and babbled, his long lashes opened and revealed the deepest brown eyes, rich in color like the soil that nurtures life. His mother wept as he clung to her breast. She did not shed tears of joy, but tears of sorrow and dread as she had prayed to the gods for a daughter. Not because she wouldn’t have been grateful for a son, but because his father; her Dominus, wanted a daughter, as he already possessed many sons.

She concealed him from the midwives who gave the new mother her much needed privacy after birth. It would only be a matter of time before their Dominus would return home from his travels.

“Marcus.” She whispered, lips gentle and motherly against his soft, fragile forehead. “Marcus Justus Acacius.” She sniffled. “Do you know what your name means, my son? It symbolizes innocence, strength, protection, and resilience. An honorable name for a special boy.” She cradled him close to her chest. “Your father will not love you the way that I will, but you mustn’t let it hurt you, Marcus. You must always be brave, gentle, just, and compassionate.”

Marcus’s true identity was carefully hidden beneath clothing designed for girls, and his hair grew long and lustrous. His mother, Lucia kept him close to her side as she tended to the gardens and helped prepare all the Dominus’s meals. Varus was neither kind nor cold, but he appeared to be pleased with Lucia blessing him with what he believed to be his first daughter. So much so, that he intended to marry her the following year—right before Marcus’s tenth birthday.

Tragedy struck days before the planned wedding date. On the eve of Marcus’s tenth birthday, he suffered an injury falling off of his horse, but that was not the worst of it. While the medicus was examining the injuries Marcus sustained, the truth was discovered that Varus’s daughter was in fact a boy.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Varus booming voice could be heard just outside the cracked doorway of Marcus’s bedroom.

“Sir, I understand that this news is upsetting and the most shocking, but it is true. Your daughter is a fraud, and is in fact a boy.”

“Mother.” Marcus croaked from where he laid with tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. “I’m—I’m so sorry. I swear, I was being careful! I lost my stirrup and—”

Lucia squeezed her son’s trembling hand firmly and reassuringly. She leaned over, brushing his temple with a soft kiss. “Shh, my son. You have done nothing wrong, Marcus. Accidents happen, and it was only a matter of time before Varus would discover the truth. I am the one who is sorry, my beautiful boy.”

“This is an outrage! My to-be wife has been lying to me all these years?! This is a disgrace, and I will seek to have her severely punished for her crimes of treachery against me!”

“No, mother! You have nothing to be sorry for! You have done everything to protect me, and I am forever grateful. You have taught me to be brave, gentle, just, and compassionate. Remember? It is my fault for being so careless.” He uttered in frustration.

“No, my son. You are but a child. The fault cannot fall on your shoulders. 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.” She cradled his cheek in her hand, brushing away stray tears and rested her forehead against his. “In this life and the next, you will always be my son.”

The door slammed open to reveal a seething Varus and Marcus never feared for his life more until the man who was half responsible for bringing him into this world looked at him as if he was nothing—not a person with feelings and emotions just like him. No, Varus looked upon his unwanted son as if he were the filth beneath his shoes and the very bane of his existence.

“Varus, please. Let me explain. I beg you to show our son mercy. He is just a boy! A bright, innocent, beautiful, kind boy!” Lucia exclaimed from his bedside, pleading for Varus to be merciful. She stood up quickly from the bedside to try and block Varus from reaching Marcus.

Varus stalked into the room, fury stricken in his irises, and when Lucia dared to place herself in his way, he struck her across the cheek hard enough that she fell against the wall, smacking her head against the stone, falling unconscious from the impact.

Marcus let out a terrified scream, his eyes wide with fear. He yelled his mothers name when Varus reached for the covers and yanked them back from his trembling body.

“She demands I show you mercy, boy.” He said between gritted teeth, malice dripping in his cold tone. He clasped his hand against Marcus’s wounded right shoulder, squeezing it tightly with no remorse.

Marcus let out a pained sound from the back of his throat, clawing desperately at his father’s hand to release him. “Father, please!” He cried, “you’re hurting me!”

“You are no son of mine.” Varus seethed and dragged the young boy from his bed and far away from where his mother laid. Marcus was never given the chance to tell her one last time just how much he loved her, or to say goodbye.

Marcus screamed for his mother till his throat was rubbed raw and he no longer had a voice. The pain in his shoulder weakened him to a state of unconsciousness, and when he woke, he found himself stuffed into an iron cage along the back of a horse-drawn carriage with ten other boys all around his age. His wrists and ankles were shackled in iron, and a collar around his neck signified his ownership to a new Dominus.

Varus had sold Marcus to a slave trader that was well known for training young boys and men to be gladiators for the barbaric games that took place in the Colosseum. Lucia would never see her son again or know of his fate.

To this day, Marcus favors his left side as the injury he sustained to his dominate shoulder never properly healed, and sometimes it still causes him pain, especially after a brutal fight.

Because he was not born with violence in his veins and rage in his heart, Marcus refused to fight even after his new Dominus would beat him, he would not grasp a sword in his palm. This made him an easy target for the other boys to take their rage and frustrations out on. Runt, they would call him. Jabbering at him like squawking crows. Coward. Pathetic. Their insults would ricochet off his body as if he was wearing invisible armor. He remained quiet and reserved till one night he had been pushed to his limits.

“Do you think you’re better than the rest of us, Acacius? Is that why you choose to not fight?” One of the boys questioned him around the dying fire.

“No. I don’t think myself to be better than anyone.” Marcus quietly said under his breath and moved to stand up from where he was sitting, but a hand on his bad shoulder forced him back down.

“Then why don’t you fight, hm? The runt won’t even defend himself!” The boy cackled and his friends joined in.

“Please stop.” Marcus said through gritted teeth.

“I bet your whore of a mother was ashamed that her son turned out to be such a coward! That’s why she sold you off, right? She couldn’t bear to look you in the eyes any longer!” He laughed. “And who could blame her?”

“Don’t you dare speak of my mother as if you knew her!” Marcus roughly brushed the hand from his shoulder and stood up in a fury.

“Your mother was a whore and I bet she died as one too!”

Marcus couldn’t remember the events that transpired moments later. All he could recall was the sound of steel being unsheathed, and seeing red behind his eyes. He was thirteen years of age when he killed for the first time. He plunged his sword so deeply into the boy's gut that it appeared through the other side, dripping in crimson.

Under the new rule of Emperor Publius Septimius (Geta) & Marcus Aurelius Antonius (Caracalla) April, 211 AD

After five years of extensive, unforgiving, and grueling training to become a gladiator, Marcus was taken before the two young emperors who had only just recently succeeded their late father, emperor Septimius Severus, to be observed in training before the next anticipated fight in the Colosseum.

“This one appears promising.” Emperor Geta, twenty years of age, sat alongside his younger brother, Caracalla in his golden throne. “I intend to meet him officially.”

“He is weak. Do you not see the way he favors one side to the other? He is unbalanced, and his opponents will pick their teeth with his bones.” Caracalla said with a jabbing snicker. “He surely won’t survive through a single fight.”

“We shall see.”

When he was approached by the emperors after the training session had wrapped up, Marcus quickly bowed in their regal, commanding presence. He brought his sword to rest against the breastplate of his armor out of respect.

“What do they call you, gladiator?” Geta inquired with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Acacius, sir.”

“And what do you desire most in this life, Acacius?”

Marcus lowered his sword, the edge of the blade dug into the coarse sand below. His emotionless gaze, directed at the eldest emperor, was contrasted by emotionally charged words of a man whose only desire in life was to be free.

“To be a free man.”

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[felloweeper]

differences from book -> series: the prologue

i have no idea what the show will keep from the book, so be aware that there may be spoilers if you haven't read it already!

the first major difference that's very evident is that we never get to know older tim. the book's prologue begins in 1991 with hawk already working overseas, like how he tells tim he'll do on the show:

it's there that he is sent a letter from his past colleague (i'll talk more extensively about her in another post) telling him that tim has passed away.

this prologue sets the incredibly awful and heartbreaking tone for the rest of the book... so props for that, ig.

this obviously differs from the show as it's set in 1986 where hawk is just about to go overseas and his going away party is interrupted by marcus (i'll also talk about him later), who comes bearing the news that tim is getting really sick.

my thoughts on this: i'm so glad this was changed. i can not thank the writers enough. we only get a slight glimpse of older tim in the epilogue (which hits way harder, obviously, after reading their backstory). i... want to understand why mallon chose to kill tim off, but i really don't. there really was no need to do it? especially since it added nothing to the story itself, and i'm not just saying that because i love tim's character -- it. adds. nothing. however! i do see how important it is for the series to show this.

[violadesdragons]

We’ve gotta stop meeting like this

[fridayiminlcve]

READING THE SUN AND THE STAR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS FOR ME

[stacys-mom-has-got-it-goin-on]

"I am a child of a money hungry, prideful country. Grass is green and it's always sunny. Hands so bloody, tastes like honey. I'm finding it hard to leave."

[allstarsstorymode867]

All-Stars -Story Mode- REWRITTEN

I had decided its time to for this All-Starverse to get a redo. I had finished writing this down so let me know what you think. Enjoy!

-The Prologue-

Once upon a time, long, long, long before our beloved home was created.

There lived ancient beings that referred to themselves as the watchers and caretakers of the prime universe that was once whole and lovely, it had a name once, it was called “The Original.”

The ancient race that looked over the Original, Fijis, are the most mastered and powerful ones that today’s date can not tell from their excellence in the ways of magic and knowledge.

To make the Original to be a comfortable realm to live in, they extended the regions of the prime dimension big enough for life to thrive in other words and stars held aloft in the night skies as the moons and suns rule their night and day as whole.

But one Fiji was the most talented of her kind, Kimiko the Dancer. She would make worlds for other beings that are mere mortals compared to her kind so magnificent and great through her heart and soul. It won the hearts of her masters and fellow students alike for her wonders and magic.

She was granted as the next master to watch over the Original with her fellow colleagues, as she was content with her accomplishments and valor, she had failed to realize that her beloved friend had grown envious at a dangerous rate as she failed to recreate magic of her own time and time again.

Her friend’s jealousy grew more disastrous with each passing eon until one fateful day.

The fabric of the Original’s reality begins to collapse as darkness has begun to enter and corrupt its foundation; her friend, Matilda, has released the darkness from her heart as it forms and crystallizes everything it touches.

New races that were created were vile and corrupt:

Hallows, beings that had lost their hearts and minds after being crystalized.

Crystallines, originally as the whole as dark and corrupt beings made to trick their victims into giving up their souls.

And the most dangerous beings that were created by these crystallines that we now referred to as…

The Grieves.

Monsters that were once innocent beings but turned after they were too corrupted by the crystallines. Turned and transformed into beings to bid Matilda’s command.

With the Original falling apart into nothing, the desperate Kimiko tried to reason with her friend but couldn’t.

The bitterness and cruelty created by envy had finally gotten to her friend as she now fully crystallized and transformed into the most dark and twisted entity that will forever tore the Original astunder:

The Broken

The empress could only laugh as she took in the crying Fijis as they kept trying to rebuild but the darkness she created could only feed on everything as the Original was violently being broken up into near nothing.

Pieces of the Original had now been reduced into new, smaller universes that the Broken minion army entered and conquered one world after another in the era of sorrow and chaos.

As the last resort to save not only her kind but what was left of the Original: She had relied on one strange being that had been introduced.

Human warriors known as knights.

She powered these humans with the stones that are not meant to be used until this very moment.

The stones that are weapons that the race of Fijis will never use until this day.

The weapons of magically great power and hope:

The Crystal Stars!

X ⭗ ☆ △ ▣

Kimiko leading the group, battles are won with surprising results:

Half of the Crystalline population had been exposed to the stones’ power of light, purifying them and switching sides upon seeing the results of their kinds’ actions.

Splitting the Crystalline race into two:

Pure and Corrupted Crystallines.

With the even odds, they lay siege against the Broken’s tyranny as Kimiko’s five knights; all but one had been crystallized as the result of using the stones’ magic.

Against one fateful battle, lead by the one knight who calls himself Mage, convinced his brothers in arms to use all they got to defeat the empress in a final confrontation.

Thanks to them, they had trapped the Broken inside a crystal and had her banished permanently within the confines of the mountains up high.

The battle proved to be a price to pay.

One by one, the five warriors that gave their lives had been extinguished.

Four warriors’ bodies transformed into their respective gems and scattered into the void.

As for the fifth one, battle had taken a toll on him as he was transformed into stone.

Not much left of the Original was salvaged, but Kimiko and Fijis had decided to take the full responsibility of watching over the fragmented universes as she rebuilds what was still standing from the Original into her personal domain for the surviving races:

Furthers, Avians, Reptilians, Marines and Insectiras.The remains of the Original became our home known as The Cathedral for use as a sanctuary to thrive.

Kimiko was made the overseer of the watchers and a queen of the Cathedral as peace and harmony has reigned for many generations ever since.

“Crystal Stars…”

Icefir had finished reading the book as her green glowing eyes peered down at the page, teasing her curiosity. Through the gas mask she wore with the witch’s cap shadowing over her eyes.

“When did I hear about those artifacts before?” She questioned herself as she closed her book and laid back against the tree that is strangely growing inside what appears to be a church along with vegetation of plants that seems to be making the place their new home. Vines and branches sprouting out of the cracks and holes of the stone walls and flowers blooming on them.

Letting her imagination take her away into her own little world as she looked up at the ceiling as the bird called its sweet melody.

“I gotta find out more about the stones.” She finally spoke her mind out loud as she turned to her side and then grabbed a fabric and then put it around her neck as her bracelet’s gem glowed softly.

Cloak covered her shoulders as it was short enough to reach over the shoulders but barely past over them as her aqua cyan and black spandex jumpsuit shines in the light as she stood up and then walked away from her favorite cherry blossom tree as its leaves and flowers are oddly glowing their own light before a breeze picked up and the flower pedals were taken away in the wind.

[hillerska-official]

Oh btw I'm reading another star trek novel and chapter 1 just opens like this

[krossan]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐘 . 𝑃𝑅𝑂𝐿𝑂𝐺𝑈𝐸 . ...ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵉᵃᵏᵉʳ ᵐᵒᵐᵉⁿᵗ...

[kenchann]

as usual i love drawing the hw boys with my yuu o(*￣▽￣*)ブ yuus fit (i might change it lol etcetc)

[forgettable-au]

PROLOGUE

FORGETTABLE-AU (Page 1-9)

AND SO IT BEGINS!

[CONTINUE] [MASTERPOST]

[tightjeansjavi]

Et Auream - The Prologue: sneak peek

Warnings: child enslavement, child abuse, blood, death of a minor character, language, +18 minors dni!

Because he was not born with violence in his veins, and rage in his heart, Marcus Acacius refused to fight. And even after his new Dominus would beat him, and beat him, he refused to grasp a sword in his palm. This made him an easy target for the other boys to take their rage and frustrations out on. Runt, they would call him. Jabbering at him like squawking crows. Coward. Pathetic. Their insults would ricochet off his body as if he were wearing invisible armor. He remained quiet and reserved till one night he had been pushed to his limits.

“Do you think you’re better than the rest of us, Acacius? Is that why you choose to not fight?” One of the boys questioned him around the dying fire.

“No. I don’t think myself to be better than anyone.” Marcus quietly said under his breath and moved to stand up from where he was sitting, but a hand on his bad shoulder forced him back down.

“Then why don’t you fight, hm? The runt won’t even defend himself!” The boy cackled and his friends joined in.

“Please stop.” Marcus said through gritted teeth.

“I bet your whore of a mother was ashamed that her son turned out to be such a coward! That’s why she sold you off, right? She couldn’t bear to look you in the eyes any longer!” He laughed. “And who could blame her?”

“Don’t you dare speak of my mother as if you knew her!” Marcus roughly brushed the hand from his shoulder and stood up in a fury.

“Your mother was a whore and I bet she died as one too!” He jeered.

Marcus couldn’t remember the events that took place moments later. All he could recall was the sound of steel being unsheathed and seeing red behind his eyes. He was thirteen years of age when he killed for the first time. He plunged his sword so deeply into the boy's gut that it appeared through the other side, dripping in crimson.

[pillowspace]

(Unreality:) Hey, has anyone here ever played that co-op game In Stars and Prologue? I need some help. My partner recently got a bug in which they've been stuck on the third floor and neither of us know how to get rid of it. I also think this game wasn't really built well for co-op because the rest of the party seems to only be able to process one Siffrin at a time, even when it's really obvious there's two? Which? Is weird because it's a two player game, why didn't the developer bother to account for two Siffrins???

[moodlemcdoodle]

Dug up some isat art from back when it first came out!!! With a bonus bird boy from stp too lmao

[tawnysoup]

[yonch]

EVERYONE'S FAVORITE COSMIC JOKE