#cassiies world

[tuff-things-like-dawnking]

This is one of tfe best things my wife has said to me in a very very very long time ... Thank you cassii king for this text today ♥

you make the world make sense you give me the drive to keep living because what the fuck to I want to be in this world all alone you give my heart a place to belong I can see my future my past my everything in your eyes I can see what want to be and I learned who I really am because of you Dawn now you tell me who's more important

[cassiies-world]

Intermittent Fasting

What is intermittent fasting? Well it is an eating pattern that cycles between fasting and eating. Fasting as become such a popular health tread in that past couple years. There have been studies that shows the benefits of intermittent fasting.

There is not list of what kind of food you should eat when you are fasting but just when you choice to eat your food. For me I do intermittent fasting and it has helped a lot with me losing weight and keeping off the weight. I do my intermittent fasting between 6 or 7 pm at night till the next day until 1 or 2 pm in the afternoon and between 1 or 2 pm and 6 or 7 pm I will have my 2 meals between those times. I will have my first meal at around 1 or 2 and my last meal before 6 or 7 at night.

There is not one way of doing intermediate fasting, so fitting it into your schedule and when you like to start your fasting is pretty much up to you.

There is the 16/8 method, is where you would fast for 14 to 15 hours a day and you daily eating window is 8 to 10 hours. You can fit to 2, 3 or more meals. For anyone who loves to eat breakfast in the morning, this might be a bit hard to do. During the hours you are fasting you can have water, coffee, and any other zero calorie drinks to help with the feelings of hunger. Also when doing this method it will only work if you aren't eating a lot of junk food or an excessive amount of calories.

Another method is the 5:2 diet. This is where you eat a certain amount of calories on certain days. So you would eat normally 5 days a week and then restricting you calorie intake to 500 - 600 calories a week. It has been recommended that women eat 500 calories during the 2 days that involve fasting and Men 600 calories. You can divided the calories into two meals 250 for women for each meal, 300 for men for each meal.

The method “The Warrior Diet”, is where you would eat smalls amounts of raw fruit and vegetables during the day and eat one huge meal at night. So basically fasting all day and eating a big meal within a four hour eating window.

There are other methods also, bottom line is that intermittent fasting is a weight loss tool used by many people that works for them to lose weight. IT IS NOT recommended for people who have had a history of eating disorders or is currently battling an eating disorder. I would recommend before starting intermittent fasting is to consult with your doctor to make sure you are able to do this kind of fasting. And if you are going to decide to try out intermittent fasting note that eating only junk food is not going to help with you weight loss. Eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and leans meats are more ideal.

- Cassiie’s World

Add me on my other social media pages!

Instagram: @cassiiesworld Facebook: @cassiiesworld Online Store:   https://cassiiesworld.square.site/

[sforzesco]

BRUTUS, CASSIUS, HOMOEROTICISM [sort of. at least 50%] AND ROMANTIC LANGUAGE [debatable] in several [hopefully coherent] parts, by T. M. Basil after drinking several cups of coffee in a row

some amount of time ago @r-osehips​​ gave me an opening to talk about this, and at long last, I’ve finally assembled my thoughts on the topic in a way that hopefully makes sense. [~3,000 words]

I'll preface this with saying that I have no skill for translation, but all of this is typed out, so feel free to it through a translator.

Also, I’m going to say that if you enjoy the Brutus-Cassius dynamic, I’m imploring you to read @copperbadge​‘s The City War, it’s the best $2.99 you will ever spend

We'll start off with the most obvious historical example I have before diving into more interpretive discussion and later reception:

Dio 47.20 writes that: Then, despairing of the republic and at the same time fearing him, [Cassius and Brutus] departed. The Athenians gave them a splendid reception; for, though they were honored by nearly everybody else for what they had done, the inhabitants of this city voted them bronze images by the side of those of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, thus intimating that Brutus and Cassius had emulated their example.

Harmodius and Aristogeiton were celebrated as "the Liberators," and "the Tyrannicides," and they were also lovers.

The History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides: Indeed, the daring action of Aristogiton and Harmodius was undertaken in consequence of a love affair, which I shall relate at some length, to show that the Athenians are not more accurate than the rest of the world in their accounts of their own tyrants and of the facts of their own history. Pisistratus dying at an advanced age in possession of the tyranny, was succeeded by his eldest son, Hippias, and not Hipparchus, as is vulgarly believed. Harmodius was then in the flower of youthful beauty, and Aristogiton, a citizen in the middle rank of life, was his lover and possessed him. Solicited without success by Hipparchus, son of Pisistratus, Harmodius told Aristogiton, and the enraged lover, afraid that the powerful Hipparchus might take Harmodius by force, immediately formed a design, such as his condition in life permitted, for overthrowing the tyranny.

Sticking to history, Florus' account [Flor. Epit. 2.17.7.14] of the death of Brutus and Cassius has been translated like this [and this will briefly get into later commentary on them]: Brutus, having lost his second self by the death of Cassius, in order that he might not fail in carrying out every detail of their compact (for it had been agreed that neither of them should survive the battle), presented his side to one of his companions that he might plunge his sword into it.

The latin: Brutus cum in Cassio etiam suum animum perdidisset, ne quid ex constituti fide resignaret, (ita enim non superesse bello convenerat) ipse quoque uni comitum suorum confodiendum praebuit latus.

And then, much later, in what's actually a commentary on Dante's Inferno 34.67, Florus is recalled once more, but with an extremely interesting alteration [Benvenuto da Imola (1375-80), Inferno 34.64-67]: Brutus autem, cum perdidisset animum ex morte Cassii, fugiens, omni spe perdita, precibus obtinuit ut a Stratone socio suo interficeretur

[On the subject of the Inferno, there's something about pairs in hell, and Brutus and Cassius are (wait for it) a pair in hell!]

The way that Brutus and Cassius' are tied together in death is of an interesting note, simply because they died within the same month, but some accounts have them dying within days of each other, or even within the same moment

Orosius: Reduced to desperation, Brutus and Cassius both resolved to commit suicide before the battle came to an end. Cassius offered his head to the executioners whom they had summoned, while Brutus offered his side.

and there's something about the overlapping of their deaths in direct contradiction of the actual timeline that echoes back to warrior pairs dying together. You know. Nisus and Euryalus, and not to quote Fagles, but 'how fortunate, both at once!'

To take a short detour, if you enjoy wounds, death, angst potential, and parallels, there is an account where Brutus and Cassius kill each other in the aftermath of Philippi, and Nicodemus of Damascus writes that the hand wound Plutarch writes of in his Brutus biography was actually inflicted by Cassius [accidentally]: A moment before Cassius had struck him obliquely across the face. Decimus Brutus struck him through the thigh. Cassius Longinus was eager to give another stroke, but he missed and struck Marcus Brutus on the hand.

Which ties into my next topic! Cassius and Brutus as two halves of a thematic whole! Brutus and Cassius repeatedly get compared to complimentary roles, namely: the politician [Brutus] and the warrior [Cassius]. [If you're willing to engage with a little creative exploration, consider a comparative to courtly romance dynamics, knights and the one's they're sworn to, dedication to ideals, etc etc]

To steal a quote from Brutus, assassin par idéal [Anne Bernet], just to set the tone: Cassius, de son côté, admire l'idéalisme de Brutus, sa vertu, mais s'exaspère de le croire incapable d'agir. Ils exercent l'un sur l'autre une attraction dont on ne sait si elle est bonne ou mauvaise. Cassius a besoin de l'approbation de Brutus, et Brutus a besoin d'être poussé en avant par plus entreprenant que lui. L'association est plus harmonieuse qu'il n'y paraît.

Velleius Paterculus: Cassius was as much the better general as Brutus was the better man. Of the two, one would rather have Brutus as a friend, but would stand more in fear of Cassius as an enemy. The one had more vigour, the other more virtue.c As it was better for the state to have Caesar rather than Antony as emperor, so, had Brutus and Cassius been the conquerors, it would have been better for is to be ruled by Brutus rather than by Cassius.

If at the start of the year he had thought he could live under a clement master, now at its end Cassius' wishes for a free res publica were coming to the surface. Wheter he was the one to approach Brutus or the other way around is impossible to know; we should probably assume that the idea had crossed each man's mind before one of them gave expression to it. But in either case, Brutus may never have dreamed of actually killing Caesar without Cassius' cooperation- and, presumably, vice versa.

-Brutus: the Noble Conspirator, Kathryn Tempest

While we're still talking about them being two halves of a whole, there's something of a tradition to make them into one person. To borrow Si Sheppard's words: The name of Cassius has been inseparably paired with that of Brutus for more than 2,000 years.

And if that strikes your interest, Chaucer's 'Brutus Cassius' by H Theodore Silverstein, and also Fission-Fusion Cognition in Shakespearean Drama, The Case for Julius Caear, Miranda Anderson are the papers to read! On the specific topic of Brutus and Cassius and the ordering of their names, E.Rawson’s essay, Cassius and Brutus: The Memory of the Liberators is the way to go.

Now to get into THEATRE

We aren't starting with Shakespeare, we're doing Voltaire's La Mort de César

I'm going to start with my favorite line in French:

Cassius' first line to Brutus is this: Je t'embrasse, Brutus, pour la dernière fois.

The extremely fun thing about je t'embrasse is, despite every translation going in for 'I hug you' or in the case of that 19th century translation which omitted Cassius' direction to Brutus entirely, that it can also be translated to 'I kiss you, Brutus, for the last time.'

And now we'll get into the rest of it! I'll use the english translation for the rest of this for ease of reading.

Caesar has a line very early on, in reply to Antony bitching about Brutus, saying that Brutus has a 'seductive charm' that makes Caesar overlook Brutus' faults. For context, Caesar is Brutus' biological father in this play. Cassius is introduced despairing of the state of things, declaring that there's nothing left to do except die, and Brutus is the one who proposes conspiracy, and it's here we kind of see that seductive charm come into play because Cassius immediately adopts conspiracy of assassination as his entire desire.

Later, after Brutus finds out that Caesar is his father, and now enters a kind of existential despair he never really gets out of, Cassius presents Brutus' tie with himself to be one of more meaning over Caesar's biological tie to Brutus.

[Cassius]

Friend of Cassius, what more do you want?

These titles are sacred: all others outrage them.

Brutus reaffirms this positioning of relationship importance later with

[Brutus]

Yes, I am uniting my blood with yours forever.

With Voltaire taken care of, let's do Shakespeare!

First, let's do the Tent Scene, because everything else about Shakespeare is going to get split into a few parts.

Tents in Shakespeare are places where emotions can come to light, where displays of acting [compare Brutus with his 'But bear it as our Roman actors do,' vs Cassius and 'What you have said, and show yourselves true Romans.'] can be put aside and suppressed emotion and vulnerability brought into the light.

'Brutus and Cassius have been at loggerheads for some time; they now meet and will either sort out their differences, most of which derive from misunderstanding, or severely cripple their military effort against Octavius and Antony. Brutus knows that if they desire a serious conversation, they must withdraw from the soldiers surrounding them. Brutus says: "in my tent, Cassius, enlarge your griefs." The tent provides them a safe place for intense and often heated exchanges.' [Shakespeare's Intents in Tents, David M. Bergeron]

Now let's talk about HOMOEROTICISM IN SHAKESPEARE AND THE RENAISSANCE!

The text to be reading for this is "Romans, countrymen, and lovers": Performing Politics, Sovereign Amity and Masculinity in Julius Caesar, by Amy Scott, since it covers basically everything you could want regarding what's going on between Brutus and Cassius in this play.

"Within this first conversation, we also see immediate expression of the sovereign amity shared between these men. As Cassius first approaches Brutus, he complains that the quality of their friendship has been strained of late, and he does so in homoerotic terms: “I have not from your eyes that gentleness / And show of love as I was wont to have. / You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand / Over your friend that loves you” (1.2.33-36). Cassius is clearly testing Brutus’s disposition towards Caesar’s rise, and he is not disappointed by Brutus’s response. Brutus, like Cassius, professes the intensity of the male/male bond, numbering Cassius among his “good friends,” and apologizing that he has neglected “the shows of love to other men” (1.2.43,47). Cassius, when holding himself up as a mirror to Brutus, speaks again of his love for Brutus. Although this declaration may be called into question by his objective— namely to incite Brutus to conspiracy—the abundance of protestations of both love and sincerity throughout the play belie this possibility." [Amy Scott]

While I'm still here, this is basically the Seduction scene, although it should be noted that Cassius doesn't begin laying the ground work for conspiracy until Brutus first brings up his own misgivings, and now that I've said that: This Entire Video, Please, I'm Begging You To Watch It, I Haven't Know Peace Since I First Saw It [RSC 2017′s act 1 scene 2 alternatives, guys, it’s the seduction of Cassius this time]

On the topic of Cassius and seduction: Oxymoronic Ethos: The Rhetoric of Honor and Its Performance in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Xinyao Xiao, and also Has Cassius Been Misinterpreted? David Klein.

To Revisit the Tent Scene, Amy Scott compares it to a lovers quarrel, and it's not out of place. Within the framework of Renaissance Friendship Dynamics [where Friendship/Sovereign Amity frequently overlapped with the Homoerotic and Sexual], when balance gives way to excess, namely an excess of love, it turns the entire relationship sour.

"Before Cassius and Brutus have their confrontation, however, Brutus says to Lucillius echoing the language of Renaissance friendship discourses:

When love begins to sicken and decay

It useth an enforced ceremony.

There are no tricks in plain and simple faith;

But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,

Make gallant show and promise of their mettle.

(4.2.20-24)

When Brutus and Cassius do finally bicker, Cassius complains, “Brutus hath rived my heart” (4.3.85), “You love me not” (89), and “A friendly eye could never see such faults” (90). Brutus, echoing Plutarch, answers, “A flatterer’s would not, though they do appear/ As huge as high Olympus” (91-92)—recalling also Caesar’s “Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus” (3.1.74) just before Casca delivers the first blow. As a true friend aught, Brutus has used harsh, corrective speech, and he emphasizes the sovereign amity they share by embracing Cassius and offering his heart as well as the hand Cassius has requested. Cassius later proclaims, “I cannot drink too much of Brutus’ love” (4.3.162)." [Amy Scott]

So this, specifically, gives way to a comparison to [I am so sorry for this] the Poliziano-Lorenzo de' Medici-Clarice Dilemma, or Let's Talk About Bedroom Rivalries

"A close, careful reading of the letters exchanged between Lorenzo, Poliziano, and Clarice in this period, alongside poems composed by Lorenzo and Poliziano, provides an alternative reading of these events. My work will demonstrate that this was not an ideological dispute, but a rivalry between the sacred, licit bond of marriage and the illicit—but not uncommon—eroticized bond between two male friends." [Love and Marriage: Emotion and Sexuality in the Early Medici Family, Karen Burch]

Earlier in Shakespeare's play, Brutus and Porcia have a confrontation in which Porcia engages in a very interesting sort of gender play with Brutus [Brutus as well]. Porcia adopts the dynamic of male friendship with Brutus to try and get him to confide in her, and when that fails, then leverages their marriage and her own virtue against him.

"Given that masculinity in the Renaissance is often arguably constructed against anxieties about women’s chastity and the control of women’s sexuality, the defamation of Portia’s chastity necessarily equals the compromise of Brutus’s masculinity. Portia next re-scripts herself as not merely a woman, but most significantly as “[a] woman that Lord Brutus took to wife” (2.1.293) and “[a] woman well reputed, Cato’s daughter” (2.1.295). She asks Brutus, “Think you I am no stronger than my sex / Being so fathered and so husbanded?” (2.1.296-297). By aligning herself to the honor of her father and her husband, Portia not only points to the economy of exchange in which she is a commodity, but she also attempts to usurp some of their masculine honor for herself." [Amy Scott]

For additional reading on Porcia and the Performance of the Masculine Gender: Portia's Wound, Calphurnia's Dream: Reading Character in "Julius Caesar", Cynthia Marshall

I'm getting to my point, I promise.

Cassius and Porcia are identical relationship mirrors to Brutus in this play. They are Brutus' intimate relationships within the narrative, and Brutus begins this play out of reach for both of them, and they are the ones that must reach out to him. Cassius has to ask for confirmation of their closeness, Porcia must do the same, and then Cassius is forced to confrontation with Brutus a second time.

The core of the Poliziano-Lorenzo-Clarice Dilemma is that Poliziano's relationship with Lorenzo highlighted something in Clarice's relationship with her own husband. His association with Poliziano and the place of status Lorenzo gives to Poliziano presents a social shame for Clarice, which then later drives a wedge between Poliziano and Lorenzo which results in a truly explosive climax.

"The conflict between Clarice and Poliziano offers an example of this emotional inequality; when Clarice felt humiliated by her husband’s apparent favoritism towards Poliziano, she reacted with righteous fury." [Karen Burch]

"The beloved has the power to wound or heal the lover as they please. They can hold the lover “in pianti e in sospiri” or conquer him in warfare." [Karen Burch]

[RSC’s 2017 JC production]

So if we engage with a little creative cross application here, Cassius is not only the ideal relationship [again, within the dialogue of Renaissance friendship politics: men are the ideal companions for men, and it is misogynistic, but we'll also note that Shakespeare's Brutus leans into this misogyny by attributing Cassius' emotional faults to his mother] for Brutus, but also Cassius the Other Lover in this situation. The person laying the groundwork for the conspiracy is Cassius, and the conspiracy is what's keep Brutus from Porcia's bed.

"The bed was the locus of the camera and had, in addition to the connotations of authority, a distinctly sexual symbolism. It acted as a euphemism for both conjugal relations and for adultery, and Clarice may have seen Poliziano and Lorenzo’s interactions in this light. Friends often shared beds in this period, and the erotic potential of these arrangements was not lost on contemporaries. Rocke mentions at least two instances in which bed sharing among a group of friends ended in sex. Poliziano himself recounts how a man sharing galley quarters with youths began fondling (“manomettendo”) his bunkmate before being humorously rebuffed. Often, Florentines framed queer relationships in terms of sleeping together or sharing beds. Understanding families might even accommodate their sons’ lovers, providing them with their own bed to share." [Karen Burch]

[The comparison is not a 1:1, but more of a play on the way that people engaged in conspiracy have been referred to as bedfellows, and as Cassius is a central figure of the conspiracy tempting Brutus over to it and subsequently keeping Brutus out of his bed with Porcia, etc etc]

"As much as Portia herself seems to interrogate the assumptions of femininity and the supremacy of homosociality over heterosexuality, the play does not, finally, endorse her position. Although Portia does sway Brutus, she must refigure herself in terms familiar to masculinity and sovereign amity in order to do so." [Amy Scott]

With this, Cassius is no longer the ideal mirror for Brutus, but instead he’s been repositioned the other who must once again seek out some kind of reconciliation with Brutus because his own position with Brutus is no longer clear. Like in the beginning of the play, distance between them has been assumed, but this time to the point of confrontation. Love and affection has turned sour, and it’s only through confrontation that resolution can be found and balance can be struck once more.

I'm going to throw in here that I personally like to imagine that they all got along pretty well historically, but again. This is a creative thought exercise that we're doing for Fun and Drama. It's about the theatrics.

Citations [not including the historical sources]

Voltaire's La Mort de César Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Brutus: the Noble Conspirator, Kathryn Tempest Brutus, assassin par idéal, Anne Bernet Shakespeare's Intents in Tents, David M. Bergeron "Romans, countrymen, and lovers": Performing Politics, Sovereign Amity and Masculinity in Julius Caesar, by Amy Scott Oxymoronic Ethos: The Rhetoric of Honor and Its Performance in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Xinyao Xiao Has Cassius Been Misinterpreted? David Klein Chaucer's 'Brutus Cassius,' H Theodore Silverstein Fission-Fusion Cognition in Shakespearean Drama, The Case for Julius Caear, Miranda Anderson Portia's Wound, Calphurnia's Dream: Reading Character in "Julius Caesar", Cynthia Marshall Cassius and Brutus: the Memories of the Liberators, E. Rawson

An additional reading list if you, like me, enjoy reading up more about homoerotic relationships and friendship discourse in the renaissance!

Between Friends: Discourses of Power and Desire in the Machiavelli-Vettori Letters of 1513–1515, John M Najemy, Homosexuality and the Signs of Male Friendship in Elizabethan England, Alan Bray, Love and Marriage: Emotion and Sexuality in the Early Medici Family, Karen Burch, "Socratic Love" as a Disguise for Same Sex Love in the Italian Renaissance, Giovanni Dall'Orto

[godsheadangel]

LORDHAVEMERCY💓ONTHISANGELKING👑

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

SURELY I AM TRULY GRATEFUL💫FOR ALL OF MY MESMERIZING HEAVENLY💫GIFTS🎁

👉KNOWN AS HEAD, ELITE AND SPECIAL👈REAL HEAVENLY💫ANGEL😇QUEENS👑

WHO DO SO SPARK MY SOULS FIRE🔥

TO DO SO EVERYTHING I POSSIBLY CAN TO ENSURE THAT BEFORE OUR PRECIOUS AND POWERFUL LITTLE BABYANGELS😇COME FOURTH ALL LIVING💫IN YOUR CREATED WORLD🌍UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CURRENT TIMES AND YOUR WRATH UPON ALL LIVING AT THE TIME OF YOUR PROMISED BIGSIGN💫

FOR AFTER IT COMES THE MAKING OF OUR SUPERBABYANGELS👑

WHO SHALL HELP SAVE THE WORLD🌍FROM CERTAIN DOOM AND DISASTER

YET, ALL SHALL BE WELL FOR SURELY WE HAVE STRONG FAITH💫IN THEE, OH GOD💫

FOR YOU HAVE GIVEN UNTO THE WORLD🌍 THE BEAUTIFUL AND STRONG SPIRITED💫 ONE'S MY ANGELQUEENMAMI'S FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE💫NO NEED TO BUMP INTO THEM FOR WE ARE SECURELY [TIED] BY THY HOLY💫MIGHTY HAND FOR ALL ETERNITY!!!

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

GODSAYS💫SURELY THEY ARE DEAD THESE VERY EVIL DEMONS IN [FLESH] DEMANDING THAT MY HEAD ANGEL KING👑BROTHER STAND UP AGAINST ME AND MY CHOSEN CHOICES OF HIS ANGELQUEENS!!! BASICALLY, YOU SAY TO THE WORLD🌎LISTEN 👁GODS💫CHOICES OF BLESSED WOMEN ARE [A JOKE!!!] SO, STAND UP AND PROVE YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU AND GOD ARE A HORRIBLE JOKE!!! I DON'T BELIEVE!!! TRUST I AM HE, THY GOD💫DO HEAR YOU EVIL👹DEMONS!!!

🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜💀💀💀🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛GODSAYS💫I AM HE, THY LIVING 👁GOD💫WHETHER IT BE DEADLY CANCER, DEATH BY AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT, LEUKEMIA, AIDS, MAJOR HEART ATTACK, ELECTROCUTION OR A DEADLY FALL TRUST MY BROTHER THE HEAD ANGEL KING👑OF DEATH💀

DOES NOT CARE FOR YOU REAL DEMONS👹NOR DO I THY LIVING 👁GOD💫WHOM YOU REAL DEMONS👹HAVE WENT AGAINST!!! TRUST, 10,000 SHALL SURELY [DIE] FOR YOU REAL DEMONS👹CAN NOT STOP FOR IT IS WHO YOU BE!!! JUST LIKE WE ARE WHO WE ARE ANGELIC😇POWERFUL SPIRITS💫WHO SHALL RID THE ENTIRE EARTH🌎OF YOU!!! ~GODCREATOROFALLMANKIND!!!

👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

TUESDAY OCTOBER 8TH 2019 0922HRS PST

SEE 4 NEW THATANGELICLOOK💫ANGELS

SEE GODSHEADANGEL1.POSTHAVEN.COM

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

BRITTANYA👑 [BRITTANYA187] ▶12PM PST

GISELLELYNETTE👑 ▶11AM PST

OGIRL_ACE👑

DANIELLEYAYALAA👑

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞👉WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9TH 0400HRS👈💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

👑HEAD ANGEL QUEEN DOLLY CASTRO👑

👑HEAD ANGEL QUEEN TAMMY TORRES👑

👑HEAD ANGEL QUEEN AYLEN ALVAREZ👑

[MESMERIZING ELITEANGELQUEENWIVES]

AYISHA DIAZ👑

CASSIIE MELINDA👑

DANNIE RIEL👑

SAMMYY02K👑

TANIA TORRES👑

JULIA BOORSTIN👑

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞👉👉THURSDAY OCTOBER 10TH 20[19]👈👈 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

JHENE AIKO👑

KAVITHA NAIR👑

NARMIN👑 [MISSNARMIN] ADDED

PENELOPE👑 [ASIAN_ PENELOPE]

THERESA CAPUTO👑

BROOKE👑 [BROOKE_LYN] ADDED

HANNAH👑 [DJHANNAHB] ADDED

DIANA👑 [DIANAATWATERS] ADDED

TAYA👑 [THEDOCTORBAE]

BAILEY👑 [MSBAILEYE👑]

KINDLY MYERS👑 ADDED

CAROLINEZALOG👑 ADDED

ANGELIE👑 [ANGELIE_DOLLY] ADDED

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞👉👉👉FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH 20[19]👈👈👈💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

KRISTINA PINK👑

IGGY AZALEA👑

DEMI LOVATO👑

ANGELICA MARIE👑 [BADDANGELOFIG2]

CORALIE👑 [CORALIE_TAHITI]

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞👉👉SUNDAY OCTOBER 13TH 20[19]👈👈 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

👑HEAD ANGEL QUEEN OPRAH WINFREY👑

[MESMERIZING ELITEANGELQUEENWIVES]

CALLIE THORNE👑✔

SUE HERERA👑✔

KATE ROGERS👑✔

👉KACEY MONTOYA👑 [ADDED]

👉COURTNEY FRIEL [ADDED]

LU PARKER👑✔

ERIN ANDREWS👑✔

DANA CAMPBELL👑✔

👉⬆ [MY APOLOGIES UP SINCE 330AM⬆] 👈👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣

NICKI MINAJ👑 ADDED

RIHANNA👑 ADDED

JOY REID👑 ADDED

HARRIS FAULKNER👑 ADDED

LESLIE SYKES👑 ADDED

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD👑 ADDED

PAT HARVEY👑 ADDED

👉👉[7] MORE SHOWN AT 2PM TODAY👈👈

ABIGAIL RATCHFORD👑 ADDED

TIFFANY TOTH👑 ADDED

MOLLY QERIM👑 ADDED

LILLI👑 [LILLILUXE] ADDED

JENNA SHEA👑 ADDED

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

👉👉 SUNDAY OCTOBER 13TH 20[19] 👈👈

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

👉MYA MARIE👑 [MYAHSKYE]

👉KENDRA👑 [KISSEDBYKEN]

👉KRISTEN👑 [KRISTENLIVE]

👉LEEPRETTY👑 MONDAY MORNING✔👈

👉AIMEE👑[AIMEEXCHANTAL] DONE✔👈

👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣

CYNTHIA👑 [CYNTHIAAMARTELL] ADDED

CECI👑 [CECI_MONIQUE] ADDED

LUPE👑 [MSLUPERAMOS] ADDED

KRISTAL👑 [KRISTALSOLISBEAUTY] 2015

CECI👑 [XOMISSCECI] ADDED

RICKELL👑[RICKELLSELENA] ADDED

👉MARISOL GONZALEZ👑 [ADDED]

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

👑HEADANGELQUEEN MELISSA LEE👑

YUNA ITO👑 ADDED EARLY ⬆TUES⬆✔

👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣

LI BINGBING👑 ADDED

GONG LI👑 ADDED

SHARON TAY👑 ADDED

MJ LEE👑 ADDED

SUSAN LI👑 ADDED

LIBERTE CHAN👑 ADDED

KIMBERLY CHENG👑 ADDED

EMILY CHANG👑 ADDED

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞👉👉 TUESDAY OCTOBER 15TH 20[19] 👈👈💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

HADLEY GAMBLE👑

KAREN TSO👑

LOUISA BOJESEN👑 [TONIGHT AT 9PM✔]

KHLOE KARDASHIAN👑

KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN👑

KENDALL JENNER👑

KYLIE JENNER👑 [TODAY AT 1PM✔]

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜👉WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16TH 20[19]👈

[MESMERIZING💗ELITEANGELQUEENS]

SCARLET FU👑 DONE AT 215PM

BETTY LIU👑 DONE AT 145PM

SUSAN HIRASUNA👑 DONE AT 1PM

SUZIE KUH👑 1030AM

AMBER LEE👑 10AM

KIMI EVANS👑 930AM

HASLINDA AMIN👑 9AM

SHERY AHN👑

JENNIFER KIM👑

GINGER CHAN👑

SOUMADA KHAN👑

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

💜ADDED MEANS] THEIR NAMES WERE SO 👉ADDED TO BE [PICTURED] WEARING THATANGELICLOOK💫 BUT ALL HAVE BEEN REVEALED!!! SOME AS MANY AS 4YRS AGO!!! THEY ARE NOT NEW PICKED ANGELQUEENS💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

🙏WHEN THE HOLY💫SPIRIT💫OF 👁GOD💫 HIMSELF💫MOVES ME TRUST I DO WHAT HE SAYS!!! UNFORTUNATELY, ON MONDAY THE 14TH I WILL POST THE LAST [4] [ANGELQUEEN💓[THATANGELICLOOK💫] [PICTURES OF PROOF] WHICH CAME WITH TRUE HEAVENLY💫COLORED💫VISIONS THAT WHERE GIVEN UNTO ME BY GOD💫

EACH OF MY 535+ BEAUTIFUL QUEENS💜 DO TRULY SO HAVE HEAVENLY💫COLORED VISIONS💫I HAVE SEEN IN MY ANGEL KING MIND! BUT IT IS TOO TIME CONSUMING TO POST THEM ALL WHICH MYANGELWIVES DO KNOW AND I DEEPLY APPRECIATE💛THEIR [PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING] BUT DO TRUST THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY💞MEAN TOO ME!!!THANK YOU 👁GOD💫FOR THIS WONDERFUL JOURNEY

FOR WITH YOUR HOLY💫WISDOM YOU HAVE [SO TRULY CHOSEN CENTURIES AGO] AND 👉RECENTLY THE VERY BEST OUT OF MANY [BILLIONS OF WOMEN YOU DID SO CREATE!]

FOR IT IS MAINLY ONLY YOU WHO CHOOSE FOR NO ONE ON EARTH🌎IS WORTHY!!!

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

PLEASE EXCUSE THE MISSPELLED WORDS ON MANY OF THE [THATANGELICLOOK] POSTS AS YOU KNOW I USUALLY GET 4HRS SLEEP BUT LATELY ITS ONLY BEEN 3 AND RECEIVING HEAVENLY VISIONS IS VERY DRAINING PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY GOD💫DON'T PLAY ABOUT DETAILS!!!!!

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛

👉THE DARKSTARS 💥💥 BROWNSTARS👈

👉ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING 50 QUEENS👑⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

THE FLICKERING OF THE LIGHT OFF/ON WITH THE RINGING ECHOES IN ONES EAR ONLY MEANS ONE THING TO GIFTED ONES OF THE SPIRIT WORLD🌍DEATH💀IS NEAR!

👉DON'T FORGET TO REFRESH THIS POST 🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜💀💀💀🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛

👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁👁

FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH 20[19] 0600HRS PST

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

GODSAYS💫AGAIN I SPEAK IT TRUTH!!! NO DEAL SHOULD EVER BE MADE BETWEEN CHINA🇨🇳AND THE U.S.🇺🇸

AT THIS TIME⏳OF MANKIND'S HISTORY✔

👹 [DO NOT SIGN A DEAL WITH SATAN'S] 👹👉REAL HEAD DEMON DEMONTRUMP👹👈

AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION🇺🇸IS WHEN THE HOLY💫SPIRIT💫SHALL MOVE FOR VERY PROSPEROUS TIMES FOR BOTH COUNTRIES

PRESIDENT XI JINPING🇨🇳DOES SPEAK IN HOLY💫SPIRIT💫FOR A REASON!!!

YET, I AM HE, THY 👁GOD💫LEAVE THE FINAL DECISION UP TO HIM! YET, THERE IS A PLENTY FOR GOING AGAINST US!

👁👁👁👁GOD IS WATCHING👁👁👁👁👁

👉🌏[THE REAL END DAYS ARE HERE]🌎👈

🤜OBEDIENCE TO 👁GOD💫IS CRUCIAL🤛

👉AS HE DECIDES JUDGMENT FOR YOUR👈 👁 [SOULS💫ETERNAL RESTING PLACE]👁

🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜💀💀💀🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥GODSAYS💫10,000 SHALL SURELY DIE!!!!!

👉THE CURRENT DEATH💀 COUNT IS 37👈

🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜🤜💀💀💀🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛🤛

👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣 THE ONLY WOMEN I CARE ABOUT ARE THE ONE'S OUR 👁GOD💫HAS GIVEN UNTO ME FOR THEY ARE REAL ANGELS😇FOR WE ARE JOINED BY THE HOLY💫HEAVENLY SPIRIT!!!IT'S ONLY THEIR EMOTIONS THAT MATTER!!! FOR WE ARE [TIED] FOR ALL OF ETERNITY!!! IF ANY ARE ADDED ITS ONLY GODS CHOICE

DAMN DEMONS TRYING TO PROVOKE GOD!

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

GODSAYS💫WHEN THE [DEMON EXAMPLE] IS MADE ON THE STREETS OF [VAN NUYS] THEIR FAMILY NAME I AM HE, SHALL. MAKE KNOWN [WORLDWIDE] AS I SHALL PUT A MIGHTY POWERFUL CURSE ON ALL OF THEM!!! LIKE PHARAOH THEY'LL ALL LEARN THE HARD WAY OF MY WRATH OF DEATH💀

TRUST THE MONEY AIN'T WORTH IT TRUST

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

WHICH RACE IN HUMANITY HAS THE MOST EVIL DEMONS👹TO STAND AGAINST GOD?

SURELY THERE ARE 2👹 LEADING THE PACK SURELY THE JOURNEY IS NOT LONG NOW! WHICH RACE IN HUMANITY WILL BE THE 1 CONSIDERED THE [WORST OF THE WORST] TRULY WE SHALL SEE👁AS EVERYONE LOOKS FROM AROUND THE ENTIRE GLOBE

💀I AM TI, THY HOLY💫ELDER OF PARTS OF HEAVEN💫UNKNOWN ONE OF 24 👁GODS💫☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝

[arlome]

Medicus Idoneus - Chapter One (Crossing the Rubicon)

So,  this is what happens when @tasanna and I reminisce about the most wonderful show HBO ever produced (honestly, fight me on this!) right after watching Poldark. She said I should totally write this, and I said ��challange accepted’ and so here it is, the first chapter (of two) of my Rome!AU. It is abusively long. The second chapter will be written and posted once I remember how to work my brain again.

The names are, obviously, different, because no one can pull off a Dwight Enys in ancient Rome. Demelza gets to keep her name, because she - unlike the rest of the poor sods involved - is not Roman.

Hope you enjoy this one...

@dismiss-your-fearsx , @ainagren , @nokalover , @tiffanyachings , @kallielef , here’s to Dwight Enys in a leather mini skirt :D

1.

The wooden cart sways and shakes, jolting the motion-sick surgeon from side to side. He has no time to be ill, there are two patients in the cart with him; one lies motionless on his back, his midriff bandaged; the other sits on a bench, his dressed head lolling to the left in uneasy sleep.

Outside, the cart hits water, the wheels hindered by the rushing liquid, and the surgeon holds his breath. They're making little progress now, but at least the great wooden cage isn't jerking them around anymore; the surgeon can hear hooves – splashes of water – then a strong rap on the wall of the cart. He springs from his seat, leans over the seated patient and moves the curtain away from the tiny window. The familiar face of Military Tribune Romulus Polydorus stares at him, restless and grave.

"It's done, Ennius," he says and reigns in his horse with difficulty; the poor beast abhors water and thrashes wildly, "this is it."

"Polydorus, what river is this?" the surgeon, a young, fair-haired man from Herculaneum by the name of Diodotus Ennius, shouts in alarm above the din; straining to be heard, "What river is this?"

Ennius' dark-haired friend shakes his head, his helmet gleaming in the treacherous sun. His lips are pursed and his nostrils flare. There's tension in the air, and the Tribune is on edge.

"You know what river," he answers with finality, and Ennius feels the need to sink down and rest his head on the sitting patient's shoulder.

"The Rubicon," he breathes and clutches at the wooden window panel, "we've crossed the Rubicon!"

Polydorus nods solemnly, and Ennius feels the ground shake beneath his feet.

"We have, my friend," says the dark-haired man quietly, leaning closer to the window, "we are all enemies of the Republic now."

 2.

Romulus Polydorus and Diodotus Ennius met during their teenage years in the Academy in Mediolanum. Being both away from home, and of friendly nature and noble disposition, they struck an immediate friendship, to the great envy of their fellow classmates. The two boys had one particular similarity that made them kindred spirits, despite their difference in rank; both were the dreaded black sheep in their families. Polydorus, gifted, brilliant and born into an ancient Senatorial family, was reckless and wild despite all his good qualities. Fondness for drink and women led him into shady taverns and needless fights; making his poor, ailing uncle lose sleep and hair over the life-choices his nephew made. There was no more talk about a political career in the Senate, and when the headstrong boy declared that he'd give the Military life a go, his uncle breathed a sigh of relief and sent him on his merry way; taking great care to unite his own son, Festus Polycorpus, with Polydorus' intended; the fair and noble Eusebia of the Cassii. Ennius, though unlike his friend in temper and vice, was very much identical in being an utter disappointment. Being born into an ancient, well respected Equestrian family, and having merits coveted by all men, Ennius was expected to make a name for himself. A career as an orator, a General in the army – perhaps even a Consul; these were professions worthy of a man of his calibre. But, one day, upon his return from the Academy, Ennius declared that he was to become a surgeon and, taking the money put aside for the advancement of his public career, left for Athens to become a Hippocratic Physician.

***

It took some years, but the boys met again; this time on the blood-soaked planes of Gaul. The 13th had lost its seasoned surgeon to Black Flux, and Caesar was looking for a suitable replacement. Polydorus wrote to his freshly minted medical friend, and the latter came as fast as he could, ready to impress. Keen and full of new ideas, Ennius stood before the Consul and tried to, simultaneously, impress and stay conscious on his feet. Caesar didn't speak and Mark Anthony, perched on the Consul's table with his arms folded over his creaking leather armour, spent the entire interview smirking at Ennius, but- somehow- the young, completely green surgeon got the job. When Ennius left the tent, a pale Polydorus met him outside, looking as if he had seen death. He tried to laugh his anxiety off, making fun of his friend instead, telling the young surgeon that he only got accepted because no one else was foolish enough to come to Gaul and take care of butchered soldiers; but Ennius could see the sudden fear in Polydorus' eyes, as if he only then began to understand that he had walked his friend into a trap.

It didn't take long for the young surgeon to prove his worth.

A bloody battle, countless patients, not many medical helpers, and – worst of all – a beloved first patient; Polydorus was brought inside the medical tent on a stretcher, the left side of his handsome face torn. Ennius cursed the Gods, then begged them for guidance, then picked up a needle, praying that the thread will not cause infection, and got to work.

20 hours and countless casualties later he got out of the sick-tent and washed his bloody hands in cold water. Mark Anthony sauntered past him, eating an apple; his armour drenched in his enemies' blood. He took one look at the young man and smirked.

"Well, Surgeon," he said, and his smile was bereft of its mocking tint for once, "you will do."

 3.

"Stop gawking," Polydorus orders him amusedly, as they make their way through the Forum towards the Caelian Hill, where his Villa stands, "and close your mouth or you'll catch flies."

"I can't help it," Ennius replies defensively, looking at his friend with ill-humour, "I've never been to Rome before!"

Polydorus turns to regard the surgeon with wide eyes.

"You've studied medicine in Athens! Surely the Greeks outsmart us at architecture as well!"  

Ennius looks away, his eyes landing on the great Temple of Concord shining white in the fading light of the winter sun.

"No," he breathes quietly, squinting against the blinding glow, "There's nothing in this world like Rome."

The Tribune doesn't answer, but the surgeon can feel the ache in his friend's heart. There was nothing in this world as great as Rome, and they have betrayed her.

 4.

He sips Tuscan wine in Polydorus' courtyard when a slave shuffles in and bends to whisper something in his master's ear. His friend frowns at the words, glances up at him, and nods towards the slave, who bows his head and shuffles out.

"Your services are needed at Atia's Villa, my friend," Polydorus says, still frowning, "It's across the Forum, on the Palatine Hill. Idas will take you there."

Ennius places his glass on the floor, now frowning himself.

"Atia's Villa…wait; Atia of the Julii? Caesar's kin?" he asks, now startled, "But, he's there tonight, isn't he? There's a banquet in his name…do-do you think he needs my services?"

Polydorus springs to his feet and starts pacing to and fro.

"Seems only logical," he says, cradling his chin in his palm, "Atia must have her own medical man, but Caesar is used to you by now."

Trying hard not to think of the effect that Caesar's health will have on Roman Politics, Ennius springs to his feet and rushes to the room he occupies in his friend's Villa during this forced stay in Rome. He grabs his bag and meets Polydorus in the doorway.

"I must go," he pants, already slightly out of breath in his haste to leave, "where is your slave; I do not know my way."

Polydorus shakes his head and fastens his cloak over his toga.

"Idas is fat and lazy," he explains at the startled expression on the surgeon's face, "if Caesar's health is indeed in jeopardy, it is best that I take you."

They reach the lavish Villa quickly, and are both somewhat out of breath; they're admitted through the servants' entrance, into the kitchen, where Polydorus stays, immediately engaging the cook in pleasant talk. Ennius is led through a series of inner rooms, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. The sounds of laughter and merrymaking reach his ears through the elaborately painted walls, muted by Roman concrete. The slave girl before him stops by the entrance to a little room and bows to him, pushing the doors open.

Inside, on a large bed, sits the loveliest woman he's ever seen.

She can be no older than 17; her golden curls falling softly across her shoulder, her lips red and plump as the apples that used to grow in his mother's garden back at home. She wears a lovely seafoam green dress that compliments her eyes and her figure and accentuates her little, round breasts, and Ennius' heartrate threatens to send him to an early grave.

"I am a surgeon, Madam," he says, his voice surprisingly steady, "how may I be of service?"

"Oh, thank the Gods!" she exclaims, "my darling little Horace has had three fits, and now he can barely breathe!"

She moves a little and Ennius can finally see that she's shielding a little white Melitan dog with her divine body. A strong sense of indignation begins to fester in his innards.

"You dog?" he asks in dismay, and she frowns haughtily.

"Yes, my dog! I demand the best care for my darling pet, and my great uncle on my mother's side swears by you."

The surgeon frowns, not understanding how the girl's great-uncle became a part of the equation. He draws himself to his full height, shifting his satchel over his shoulder.

"Your great-uncle must be mistaken, Madam," he says quietly, trying to keep his temper in check, "I am a physician, not an animal doctor; you must look for a farrier."

The girl frowns in livid anger, no doubt unused to not getting her way.

"He will be sorry to hear that," she spits, and Ennius notices that her hands are shaking, "he spoke quite highly of you, Gods know why! Perhaps you are not as knowledgeable as he thinks you are; we shall ask for a real physician."

"I was just about to suggest that," he says and turns away, not even bothering to take proper leave of her.

"Wait!" she cries, staying him with the urgency in her voice. He turns back to her, mortified to notice that her eyes are moist, "have you never had a dog of your own?"

"Yes," he answers before he can check himself. Her chest is rising swiftly in agitation, and her eyes are bright and anxious.

"Would you let him die on the point of formality?" she pleads with him, and Ennius finds himself taking a step into the room and sitting down beside her on the bed, reaching out for the panting dog.

She feeds him too much, and spoils him rotten; this much is clear. He admonishes her greatly, and she's properly chastised, smiling up at him coyly, as if fully aware of her power over men. He finds himself telling her of his aunt's dog who used to howl whenever she was torturing the lyre, and the exquisite golden girl laughs, the colour rising his her pale cheeks.

He rises to go, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, and turns to take his leave, properly this time. The girl smiles, and her smile is genuine.

"What is your name?"

 5.

"Carola of the Pinarii," smiles Polydorus when Ennius grills him for answers once they are back at the quiet, secluded Tribune's Villa, "is the bane of her uncle's existence and the desire of every man in Rome, my friend."

"Her uncle? She told me her great uncle on her mother's side swears by me," the surgeon says, reclining on a sofa and sighing tiredly, "I have never met the old fart in my life…"

Polydorus nearly chokes on a grape, and Ennius jumps to slap him on the back to help him clear the airway.

"Carola's mother was Arcadia of the Julii," Polydorus coughs, and Ennius pales.

"Oh no…" he mutters, sinking on the bed next to his now laughing friend.

"Oh yes," crows Polydorus, slapping the shocked surgeon on the back, "but I was talking about the man who raised her- her father's brother- Rufus Pinarius Pollux. He is one of the most influential people in Rome, and a bit of an oddity, really."  

Ennius turns to regard his friend with interest.

"How so?" he asks, intrigued despite the aversion to gossip that is set deep within his character.

"Well, for one thing, he is yet to marry off his 18-year-old niece to an influential suitor of his choosing. Instead, he lets her do as she pleases," Polydorus smiles and shakes his head, "the result, I assure you, is quite engaging. She is one of the wittiest women of my acquaintance, and her tongue sometimes seems sharper than my sword!"

Ennius frowns and looks away; for some reason, Polydorus' familiarity with the lady seems to rub him the wrong way.

"All I encountered tonight was a spoiled little brat who's used to getting her way," he says grudgingly, unable to look his friend in the eye.

There's a moment of silence and then Polydorus groans; startled, Ennius turns to his friend, only to find him looking back at him with pity in his hazel eyes.

"Gods, old man; you're besotted with the girl," he acknowledges sympathetically; the surgeon shakes his head vehemently and springs to his feet.

"Nothing of the sort, I assure you," he insists fervently, his hands balled up into fists, "I could never fall in love with such a frivolous, entitled creature. How can you even insinuate that?"

Thoroughly unconvinced at this dramatic display of indifference, or – rather- of disdain, Polydorus arches an eyebrow and shrugs.

"As you say, my friend," he tries to placate the fuming surgeon, "now sit back down, I have some news to disclose."

Reluctant, and somewhat resentful, Ennius returns to his seat beside his friend, who seems to have suddenly lost some of his famous bravado. The Tribune's shoulders appear to slump slightly forward, and the cavity of his chest angles backwards in somewhat akin to defeat.

"What is it?" the surgeon asks; the anger from before entirely forgotten.

Polydorus looks up at him with a wistful expression, his scar suddenly an angry red against a pallid face.

"I saw Eusebia yesterday," he says quietly and takes a deep breath, "She's with child; may Juno keep her."

Ennius echoes the blessing and sentiment; childbirth is a precarious business. He regards his friend from the corner of his eye, trying to gauge the other man's disposition - to understand to what level he may inquire after the Tribune's feelings over the entire matter - when Polydorus turns to him sharply.

"I'm worried that she might…Ennius, my friend; when her time comes – can you not assist?"

The surgeon sucks air through his teeth and frowns.

"Trust me, old man," he places his hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezes sympathetically, "You do not wish me there. Childbirth is attended by midwives; physicians are called in only if it gets bad. You do not want me there, Polydorus."

The haunted look in the other man's eyes is devastating.

"What can be done, then?"

"You could offer a sacrifice to Juno at her Temple," Ennius suggests with some confidence; this is something he is used to – the counselling, and consoling, of family members and friends, "an offering to Diana would not go amiss as well."

"But I am not the husband," Polydorus stutters, confusion and uncertainty written all over his handsome face, "will my offerings be regarded as proper?"

Ennius shrugs and looks at the ceiling; the golden light from the oil lamp dangling above his head brings unbidden images of wheat-coloured curls into his mind.

"You are a family member, are you not?" he offers, shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts, "Polycorpus is your cousin. It will do."

The silence stretches around them as each man is lost in his own thoughts. The hour is late, and the wine is near gone; Polydorus clears his throat, and Ennius turns to regard him. No doubt he will advise them both to turn in for what is left of the night.

"I think I must marry," the dark-haired man says instead, staring into the distance, "this pining; it's not good for me. I must put Eusebia behind me."

The surgeon is surprised; Polydorus never showed any inclination to enter into family life – but the Tribune's mood is starting to shift back towards the cheerful, and Ennius doesn't want to upset this steady sailing.

"Oh, must you?" he asks, teasing, "and do you have a candidate in mind?"

The Tribune stretches languidly and reclines back in his seat, his arms crossed behind his head. Polydorus smiles wolfishly; a glint of naughtiness flares in his eyes, making Ennius think of a plotting cat or a mischievous child.

"I might."

 6.

He's rushing through the Forum, leather satchel hanging from his shoulder and sandals thudding on the lined cobbles when he hears his name and title being called. He turns around, squinting in the sun and trying to locate the person who called for him when he spots a pale face peeking out of a lavishly decorated litter, a few meters to his right. He takes a few steps closer and stops, his heart picking up pace for no good reason.

Carola of the Pinarii smirks at him from behind honey-topaz curtains; she's dressed in a pink dress today, her high waist adorned with a golden belt that nearly matches the colour of her cascading curls. A rosy ribbon bears the strenuous job of holding her hair together, and her lovely cobalt eyes are painted with kohl.

"Well, well, Surgeon," she greets him with her sarcastic little smile, "where are you rushing off to on this fine day?"

"Madam," he acknowledges her presence before him and inclines his head slightly in her direction, "I am on my way to the Aventine docks; I've been called to attend on some recently purchased slaves who appear to have contracted the typhoid fever."

The girl frowns and scrunches up her perfect nose; she really is quite lovely, and Ennius has to fight off the physical urge to sigh.

"Nasty disease," she says quietly, looking away. Then, suddenly, she glances up, and her eyes run over his face in interest, "are you not afraid of contracting it yourself? Why not let another physician treat the slaves? You are an Eques, are you not?"

Ennius frowns and shifts from one foot to the other, beginning to feel very pressed for time.

"I fail to see how my social class is relevant in this particular case," he says briskly, feeling slightly ill at ease at the sudden interest in his life.

"Oh, but you're proud," Carola whispers huskily, her eyes shining with devious curiosity, "and the class you were born to has every relevance, Surgeon; I asked around after your family. You are of noble birth; it'd be a shame to lose you to an illness. Why not let a plebeian physician treat the wretches instead?"

At first he thinks he's delirious – for, surely, no one as lovely as this can be so cynical and cruel; but then she smiles that sarcastic little smile of hers, and he understands that there is nothing wrong with his mind, or his ears (there may be something fundamentally wrong with his heart, but he'd rather not think about that particular mess at the moment).

"Because, Madam; I have sworn an oath to assist all those who are in need; be they the grandest of senators or the lowest of slaves," Ennius says tightly, "now, if you'd excuse me; some seriously ill human beings require my attention."

He turns to leave, shaken and distraught, and mostly angry with himself for allowing this slip of a girl to affect him so, when her hastily uttered 'wait!' stops him in his tracks. He turns his head to the right, to watch her from the corner of his eye.

"I have a tingling in my throat, Surgeon," she supplies, rising slightly from her reclining position in the litter, and pressing three fingers to the gracious column of her neck, "do you think it could be something serious?"

Ennius turns to her fully, unsure whether this sudden plight is a new sort of mockery or just a way to assure his attention. The look in her eyes puzzles him greatly – she looks almost…hopeful – and suddenly he feels the need to put as much distance between himself and this nymph.

"I very much doubt it, Madam," he manages to say, and even allows a little smile to come to his lips, "you seem in the peak of health to me. Good day to you."

He inclines his head to her and turns and finally walks away. He heads for the docks, but the ailing slaves are far from his mind now; as far from him, figuratively, as the woman in the litter is. They're worlds apart, her and him, and he is best to remember it; they would never suit, not even as mere lovers. Best to put her out of his mind; best to forget he ever came to doctor her dog; best-

He dreams of her that night.

 7.

"I've decided to free one of my slaves," Polydorus says at breakfast the next day. Ennius takes a bite of cheese and raises his eyebrows at this disclosure.

"That's very noble of you, my friend," he says slowly and picks up his water, "may I inquire as to the reason of your doing so?"

"Certainly," the Tribune says, dusting off his hands over his plate and rising from the table, "I plan on marrying her."

Ennius nearly drops the glass cup on the floor in utter shock. He likes to think that he is used to his friend's unexpected actions by now, but this sudden admission takes him fully by surprise.

"Can- can you even do that?" he stutters, his eyes large in astonishment. Polydorus was always a wild card and a scorner of social conventions, but this little bit is radical - even for him.  

The Tribune, obviously enjoying the reaction his confession caused in his dearest friend, smiles cheekily and winks.

"Can I do what?" he asks innocently, "free her, or wed her?"

Ennius springs to his feet in annoyance and places his cup carefully on the table. Trust Polydorus to derive pleasure from vexing him so!

"Don't play coy," he says with some exasperation in his voice, "you know what I mean. You're from a Senatorial family; Senators cannot marry freed women."

Polydorus shrugs and picks up an olive from an earthen bowl standing on the table.

"Yes, but I am not a Senator; in fact, my side of the family is considered as the side of the bad apples," he smiles and pops the olive into his mouth; chewing and spitting the pit into his palm, "Uncle is the Senator – as will soon be Polycorpus – but I? I may do as I please."

"Take me with you when you go to deliver the happy news to your family," Ennius says dryly, "your Uncle will require my assistance after he suffers the heart stroke that is sure to arrive with the announcement."

Polydorus rolls his eyes good-naturedly at the surgeon and picks up another olive.

"Are you not interested in my bride-to-be's identity?" he asks quietly and bites down on the olive; his smugness finally giving way to calm edginess.

"You know I am," Ennius says grudgingly and picks up the wine decanter. He needs something stronger than water for this conversation.

"It's Demelza," his friend discloses softly and picks up a fig from another bowl, turning it in his fingers.

"Demelza…" Ennius says, furrowing his brow, "the pretty red-haired girl; the Celt from Albion?"

Polydorus looks up at him, and there is some uncertainty in his eyes. Ennius begins to think that the Tribune almost craves his concession to the match.

"Yes," Polydorus confirms; his voice still uncharacteristically soft, "what do you think?"

"Well…" Ennius begins hesitatingly, and takes some bracing sips of wine, "she's certainly pretty…and kind; we've exchanged words, she's very caring… but… a bit on the wild side, don't you think…?"

The Tribune smiles wryly and chuckles, nodding his consent.

"What I mean to say is," the surgeon tries again, articulating somewhat helplessly with his hands; the wine in his cup sloshing about dangerously, "Perhaps a more genteel choice will be more suitable? Take a nice girl from a noble Equestrian family, if you don't want any of the pompous girls of the Palatine…"

Polydorus shakes his head, laughing easily, his dark curls bouncing with the motion.

"No, no," he says in amusement and defiance, "this one will do nicely."

Ennius narrows his eyes at his friend and frowns. The Tribune laughs again, this time at his friend's facial expression.

"You know," the surgeon says slowly, crossing his arms over his chest, "I rather think you just enjoy shocking all of Rome. Is that it? Is that why you do it?"

Polydorus can't stop laughing. He takes a few steps towards a disgruntled Ennius and thumps him on the shoulder.

"That's just it," he says good-naturedly, "You got me there."

 8.

Two days pass before Ennius sees Carola again.

He's invited to dinner at Polydorus' Uncle's Villa, and he's glad to comply; feeling that perhaps there is another motive for inviting him. Eusebia is doing somewhat poorly; her face is deathly pale and her ankles swollen. Pregnancy does not agree with her, and there is, unfortunately, little he can do to alleviate her condition at the moment, beyond the regular advice of a building diet and nettle tea.  

"She should feel better after the child arrives," he says to the anxious Polycorpus as he rearranges his tools in his satchel, "there is little to be done now. But I find that a small offering to Ceres sometimes helps."

"Thank you, my friend," the other man says, clasping Ennius' shoulder, "I'm much obliged to you for taking the time to examine Eusebia. She feels so ill at times –"

"Say nothing of it, Polycorpus," the surgeon interrupts the fair-haired man, feeling ill at ease with all the gratitude, "we've known each other a long time, since the Academy; you should know by now that I consider it a privilege to be of use to my friends."

Polycorpus smiles and squeezes Ennius' shoulder fondly.

"But tell me," he says, changing the subject rather artfully, "is my cousin really going to marry that slave girl?"

The surgeon nods and shrugs, accepting a cup of wine from the other man.

"I think so," he says and takes a sip, "you know Polydorus; if he's not driving the Roman high society mad, he's not satisfied."

Polycorpus laughs and shakes his head, bringing his own cup to his lips.

"Yes, I rather think you're right…"

They are about to rejoin the others – Polydorus is no doubt close to giving his uncle a stomach ulcer – when a slave walks in and whispers something in Polycorpus' ear. Ennius places his cup on the table where his satchel still lies; he's eerily certain that the message is actually intended for him. When the slave leaves, Polycorpus sighs dejectedly.

"Why can't the pompous Patricians be ill at a more convenient time?" he asks rhetorically; Ennius smiles tiredly and throws the satchel over his shoulder, tying the clasps closed, "I'm sorry, my friend; you are needed at Pollux' Villa. It's a complaint of the throat."

The surgeon's insides turn into ice at the mere mention of "throat" and "Pollux' Villa". An image of a reclining young woman in a pink dress, fingers pressed daintily to a long, gracious neck, rises guiltily in his mind.

"I shall leave at once," he says urgently and nods to his host, "please, convey my apologies to your uncle and the rest of the guests; I shall return if the case is simple and doesn't take long."

"Of course," Polycorpus mutters and walks the hurrying surgeon to the kitchens so that they are not hindered by quizzing guests. In the courtyard he clasps the physician's shoulder tightly, "Gods be with you, Ennius."

The surgeon nods abruptly and turns from his friend, disappearing into the night rather quickly; his steps echoing in the darkness long after Polycorpus returns into the house.

He is met at the front of the grandiose Villa by Carola's anxious uncle, who looks absolutely nothing like her. He is not a big man, and the toga he wears hangs from his shoulder rather sluggishly; his eyelids are heavy and the head bolding. The hands, which he wrings in distress, are covered in warts; from the state of his agitation, the man is obviously fond of his niece.

"You are Diodotus Ennius, Caesar's surgeon; I presume?" he asks in a voice as small as the man himself, "I am Rufus Pinarius Pollux, and my niece is gravely ill; she insisted on calling for you."

Ennius gestures for the older man to lead the way, and they enter the large atrium together. He is about to ask Pollux for details of his niece's condition, but the lavishly decorated space renders him speechless; the frescoes on the walls around them are filled with dancing nymphs and laughing cupids bedecked in garlands of laurels against a vivid crimson background. The floor is laid out in aligned marble triangles of black and white and the impluvium, the shallow rectangle pool in the centre of the room, is paved with delicate mosaics stones that form a sophisticated geometric design. Two small reclining sofas, one opposite the other, stand, flanking the impluvium.

"My niece started feeling her throat about three days ago," the older man begins, thankfully, without any prompting from the dumbstruck surgeon, "she has since grown worse! She can barely swallow now!"

Ennius clears his throat, trying to find his voice again.

"Has another physician been to see her?" he asks assertively enough and is relieved to see the uncle nodding.

"Oh, yes; our family medic came and instructed her to drink hot honeyed water," the older man states and wrings his warty hands, "we even made an offering to Aesculapius, but nothing helped!"

A loud barking from the doorway to one of the bedrooms puts an end to the agitated recounting of the young woman's illness, and Ennius turns to looks at the familiar small dog that stands guard over his Mistress' room. The surgeon smiles fondly and squats down next to the suspicious animal, letting it sniff his palm.

"Hello, Horace," he says amicably, patting the dog with his free hand, "remember me? Best to let me through, old boy; I've come to help your Mistress."

The dog gives a final whine and a growl of warning and moves aside to sit on its behind in the middle of the room so that Ennius has to sidestep him in order to get to the patient on the bed.

Surrounded by pillows and silk, she lies atop the covers like a wounded dove; her turquoise robe tied snuggly under her round little breasts, and falls open at her thighs, revealing the soft, see-through shift beneath. She tries to rise when he approaches, but Ennius precedes her; he sits on the edge of the bed, his hip rubbing against her ribs in the process, and takes her face in his hands. He tries to ignore the tiny gasp she gives when he touches her and overlook the slight exhilaration of her pulse and the blooming in her cheeks.  

He tilts her head backwards, and moves it softly from side to side; his fingers pressing gently into the skin of her neck. The left side of her throat is swollen; he can feel it through his digits, and the quivering muscles underneath his skin assure him that the difficulty in swallowing is causing her trouble. He looks up, and meets her dazzling eyes, and sees fear in them.

The light in the room is too dim for an examination, and he asks that some more light and salted water be brought in. Pollux, in his agitation, jumps to the task himself, leaving the surgeon and his patient alone in the room. Ennius realizes that he's still holding Carola's face in his hands, and with a seemingly accidental swipe of his thumb against her cheek, he lets his palms fall from her physiognomy.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" he asks softly, and she nods mournfully, unable to speak.

Her eyes are filled with unshed tears, and Ennius' chest suddenly feels extremely tight, as if it is being crushed by some supernatural force that he has absolutely no control of; he feels guilt, for disregarding her complaint a few days ago, and thinking that her plight was just another way to get a rise out of him. His own cheeks redden in shame.

Pollux and two slaves return with extra oil lamps, and Ennius is brought back into the situation by the necessity of reclaiming his status as the able physician. Promptly, he orders one of the slaves to stand behind him with the lamps and lean as close to him as he can without burning them both. Then, gently, he takes Carola's face in his hands again and looks in her eyes.

"Open your mouth, please," he says, tilting her head back once more, "as wide as you can."

She does as she is told, and it doesn't take long for the surgeon to find the serious problem that ails the beauty before him. He looks at her intensely for a moment before releasing her face and rising from the bed.

"I think I can help you," Ennius says, reaching into his bag, "but you must keep absolutely still. Can you do that?"

He turns to regard her; she's sitting up, propped up on her left palm, the fingers of her right hand pressed against her throat. She nods frantically in confirmation. The surgeon removes the needed appliances from his bag and turns towards the nervous uncle.

"I shall require all to exit this room," he says rather sternly, "leave but one slave to hold the light over me. I must have complete silence to concentrate. This is a very delicate situation."

"Of course; of course!" stutters the uncle, and ushers the other slave out of the room, "out Strabo; out! Let the good Surgeon do his work! And you, Castor!" he calls to the other slave, who stands to attention as fast as any Roman soldier, "don't disappoint me, man! Aid Surgeon Ennius as best as you can!"

"Yes, Dominus!" the slave called Castor assures him, and Ennius has the amusing feeling that he might salute the older man; but instead the slave just bows slightly over the lamp he's holding.

"You're in good hands, my dear," the uncle calls, already at the door, "this young man looks promising!"

Carola attempts a smile and builds up a fake strong façade to try and assuage her uncle's worries, and Ennius realizes that she is very fond of her guardian. Touched in spite of himself at the thought that she may care for some other human being, Ennius returns to the bed with his tools.

"Do you trust me, Carola?" he asks softly, deliberately using her private name, despite the impudence of the matter; she doesn't seem to care – at least, he thinks she does not; not by the soft tilt of her luscious mouth – and she nods.

"Good," Ennius says, his heart threatening to burst, "now open your mouth as wide as you can, please; and stay absolutely still. Light, please; Castor!"  

He is successful on the third attempt, and when he finally withdraws and rises from the bed, Carola gasps and falls back against the pillows.

"What did you do?" she pants in a way that makes the poor surgeon think unchaste thoughts, despite his good upbringing. Her chest is rising and falling quickly with her laboured breathing, "I- I feel m-much better!"

"Rinse your mouth," he instructs her, coming to stand by the bed as she, again, does as she's bid, "When did you last eat fish, Madam?"

He's holding a little fishbone between his fingers, and she slowly rises from her lying position to stare at the offending tiny piece of fauna.

"Three days ago," she says quietly and glances up to meet his gaze, "you saved me, Surgeon; I am forever in your debt."

A few charged moments pass with them looking at each other, and then Ennius clears his throat awkwardly and looks away.

"It was my honour, Madam," he says quietly and begins putting his tools away, "I am just glad no further damage was done."

She follows his movements with clever eyes, her fingers drumming idly on the bed.

"Tell me," she says suddenly, smiling openly for once, "is it true what they say of your friend? That he plans to wed his slave?"

Ennius looks up from the task of fastening up his satchel and regards her with scrutiny, but she seems genuine enough, and he can't detect any scorn in her voice.

"Yes," he confirms after a second, "he's about to free her the day after tomorrow; then there will be nothing to stop them from getting married," he turns back to his bag, fiddling with the straps for an excuse to do something, "I assume you object?"

"You assume wrong," she laughs, and his head jumps up at her words, "oh, don't look so shocked; I like a good scandal every now and then, and Polydorus is a smart, sensible man; he must have his reasons."

This approach throws Ennius off, and he stutters a little, battling for words. Her smile is disarming, almost like a weapon, and he can't seem to look away. Being in her presence is becoming more dangerous to him than the battlefields of Gaul ever were.

"No doubt he does," he says, smiling curtly, eager to end this audience and be gone to brood in peace – maybe even return to Polycorpus' party, "now, Madam; I will leave you to your rest, you must not overwork the throat."

"I shall be silent, then," she says playfully, and rises to her knees on the bed; thus bringing the two of them nearly face-to-face. Ennius swallows hard and tries not to breathe.

"Thank you, Ennius," Carola whispers, the front of her robe opening a tad to reveal her thin shift and a hint of soft skin, "truly; I knew that you would be able to help."

He smiles, rather bashfully, and her eyes light up; and suddenly, before he can stop himself, he blurts: "No trouble; can I do anything for Horace while I'm here?"

Carola laughs.

 9.

Polydorus' wedding is a small event, luckily for the nervous bride.

The Uncle and the cousins are prevented from attending due to the joyous event of the birth of Polycorpus' long-awaited son. The child is healthy and robust; and they name him Gracchus, after the gratified grandfather who shines with both pride and obesity. Both the blushing bride and the groom's family are secretly happy at this fortunate absence.

There are no guests, save for two; Ennius and – oddly enough – Carola of the Pinarii.

"Why would you invite her?" the surgeon demands of his friend an hour before the wedding, at the moment when Polydorus is being dressed, "is this some kind of jest at my expense?"

The Tribune frowns at his friend and reaches out his arm so that his slave is able to wrap the toga around his shoulder.

"I happen to like Carola," he says testily and throws his arms in opposite sides as the crimson wrap he chose to wear is being tucked into his belt, "this has nothing to do with you; I knew she'd like to come. You got her all wrong, old boy; if you just pull your head out of your righteous arse, you'll see that."

Ennius gaps at his friend in horror, and tries to remind himself that murdering a friend- especially a groom on his wedding day – is against his Hippocratic oath.

"Oh, stop gawking;" Polydorus says good-naturedly, "I'm only teasing. And do try to be civil; it's my wedding day!"

***

Ennius shifts from one foot to the other, wondering at the directions in which Cupid's arrows fly, when he feels, rather than hears, Carola approaching him. He doesn't turn, but waits for her to stand close to him before he acknowledges her presence. The wedding is held at the courtyard, by the humble stables, with a bored priest from the temple of Ceres presiding over the ritual; but Carola seems oddly apropos to this peculiar gathering in her yellow dress and sun-kissed hair. She leans over to whisper in his ear as the priest's drawl washes over the sleepy slaves that gather in the back entrance to the house.  

"The bride is lovely as spring, don't you think?" she breathes close to his ear, and he has to stifle the urge to shiver, "I've never seen such natural, vivid red hair before."

"Demelza is very sweet and kind," he says, leaning closer to her when Polydorus sends him an inquisitive look, "she will make a great mother one day."

Carola takes a step back and frowns at him.

"No doubt that is all you men see when it comes to womenfolk and marriage," she says tartly. The priest raises his hands to the sky and invokes Mother Ceres; Polydorus yawns.

"I never said that," Ennius whispers harshly, determined to make her understand, "I just pointed out that Demelza would make a fine mother!"

"As you say, Surgeon," Carola says, smiling that infuriating, sarcastic smile that figures quite often in his dreams these days, "I, for one, would rather be an old maid than do all this."

"Surely not," the surgeon says, frowning; the priest is getting closer to the finish line, and Demelza starts fidgeting in nervousness, "what of love?"

"Oh please," Carola whispers, chuckling breathlessly, "love has nothing to do with marriage; at least not in my world. You and I both know that."

"Not if you choose the right man," he says suddenly, not knowing what compelled him to say such an impudent thing to someone he knows so little.

She looks at him, startled; but then her eyes soften as she smiles the way she did when he took care of her ailment; a genuine, brilliant smile that warms his body from the inside.

"You and I both know that I will have no say in the matter," she says rather ruefully and looks away. The priest lowers his hands, and Polydorus leans in to kiss Demelza on both cheeks. The pair turns to their two guests, smiling sheepishly. Carola grins, opening her arms, and approaches Demelza with the air of a childhood friend.

"My dear," she cries eagerly, kissing the befuddled girl on the mouth, "what a beautiful dress! You simply must tell me where you got the fabric from!"

 10.

"Tell me, does your beloved wife know the kind of party you are about to attend?" Ennius asks grudgingly, all but dragging his feet. By his side, Polydorus sighs dramatically and rolls his eyes skywards.

"Gods above," he drones before turning to his friend, "stop being so prudish, brother; it doesn't suit you. It's only an orgy; Demelza wouldn't mind. It's practically pious to attend one!"

"Pious my arse," the surgeon mutters, shaking his head, "why must I come along? You know I was never a fan of the cult of Bacchus."

The Tribune smirks and nods, wiping his damp forehead on the tail of his cloak. The night is abnormally humid for this time of year, and walking through the crowded city without turning into a mobile puddle is becoming incredibly difficult.

"Yes, I know," he says, laughingly, "You were always for the more rational Gods, whereas I am quite fond of the old drunkard. You're going because you need to relax, old friend; you've been working yourself to death."

It's true, of course. Ennius has been gradually submerging himself in cases since Polydorus' wedding; groaning quietly under the load when no one was around to listen. He'd go out at daybreak and seek the poor patients of the Aventine, and come back at night, too exhausted to eat, and would collapse on the bed in his clothes. After some time, the Tribune would stop trying to wake him up to drink/eat/bathe/change his clothes, and would just leave him lying prone on the covers, snoring peacefully.

"I know," Ennius acknowledges grudgingly, "but couldn't we go to the theatre instead? Why an orgy, of all things?"

Polydorus sneaks a glance in his friend's direction and sighs, chewing on his lower lip.

"I wanted to provide a distraction," he confesses uneasily, looking ahead; deliberately not making eye contact. Ennius frowns at the Tribune.

"A distraction?" he asks confusedly; in the distance, he can see that the Villa in which the orgy is being held, is lit by a large number of torches, which makes it look frightfully eerie, "A distraction from what?"

"A distraction from a certain golden-haired nymph, who will – sooner or later – be wed to a very influential man, and will only break your heart. I've noticed the way you both looked at each other at the wedding, Diodotus."  

Ennius stops in his tracks, quite unable to move.

"Much obliged, of course; Romulus," he mutters, feeling almost faint, "but I assure you, nothing of the sort-"

"I've known you for years, brother," Polydorus whispers, suddenly very close to him, "you cannot fool me. Now, come; we are going to drink, smoke hemp, and you are going to bed a succulent maiden who will scream your name from here to Macedonia."

He grabs the surgeon by the shoulders, slinging his arm around the fair-haired man in an embrace, and all but drags him the last couple of feet. Once inside, and free of their cloaks, Ennius comes to his senses, shaking his head to clear his mind. Music is being played in the distance; flute and drum and lyre, all rising together in a hymn to Bacchus and his drunken rituals of oblivion. Bodies are writhing together on the floor before them; naked breasts and genitalia for all to see. Ennius wrinkles his nose in distaste.

"Sons of Dis!" Polydorus spits suddenly, making the stunned surgeon turn to him in surprise, "I can't believe it!"

"What?" Ennius asks urgently, grasping the dark-haired man by the arm, "What is it?"

"Here I am, planning a brilliant distraction; when she is here!" he cries, pointing a finger at the distance. Ennius follows the pointed digit and focuses his eyes on a cluster of sofas at the far side of the atrium where, sure enough, sits a familiar figure, dressed in a flaming red, almost transparent, dress and smokes an opium pipe.

"Gods below," he mutters, choking slightly on the oath, "what is she doing here?"

"Don't know," Polydorus hisses, already making his way through the crowd and towards the seated young woman, "but I am going to find out!"

She notices them as soon as they reach her, and Ennius is heartened to see that she is not under the influence yet. Her eyes light up, and she springs to her feet, spreading her arms in delight.

"Well, well, my two favourite soldiers, Polydorus and Ennius," she cries, and her smile twists upwards to the left, "what brings you here?"

"What brings you here?" Polydorus corrects her, frowning and fuming, "this is not the place for young, unmarried noblewomen!"

Carola throws her head back and laughs.

"My, my; such double standards, Tribune," she crows, shaking her head, "but worry not, I'm not here to participate; this is research."

She smiles wryly at their stunned faces and shrugs.

"Oh, I take it you've not heard," she says, and now Ennius thinks he can detect a faint hint of despair in her deceptively light voice, "I am to be married next month! I am to be the wife of Senator Ursus Terentius, who is fat and tedious and is 30 years my senior. Congratulate me, my friends; I am the most fortunate of women!"

The two men stand in complete silence amidst the noise of the party around them. Carola is smiling at them, but her smile is no longer acerbic, and her two front teeth are embedded deep in her lower lip.

"Well, tell me now, my dear Surgeon; did I choose the right man?" she asks, and her eyes are impossibly large as they regard him sincerely. Ennius feels his stomach dropping, and his heart contracts painfully in his chest. By his side, Polydorus sighs dejectedly.

"Carola –" he begins, but she raises her hand to stop him and shakes her head in negation.

"No, no; my dear," she says, still smiling, "not all of us can marry our beloved slaves, who mean more to us than all the Senate combined. But worry not! I shall have a grand Villa and many slaves, and be one of the most influential women in Rome! Or so Uncle Rufus assures me."

Ennius stares at her, unable to speak, and soon she turns to looks at him openly, with such sincerity, that his heart threatens to break under the strain. Polydorus, utterly forgotten, clears his throat after a few long, silent moments.

"Oh, is that brother Marcius I see over there, by that column?" he utters miserably, looking around; "I shall go and say hello, then, shall I? I will give him your best too, Ennius. You two…talk."

When Polydorus skulks away to greet the probably imaginary friend, Carola takes a step closer to Ennius and raises her pretty face closer to his ear. The surgeon lowers his own head, sensing that the girl has something to say.

"Is it true what they say about the first time?" she asks above the din, and Ennius colours, "is the act of penetration really that painful?"

"U-um, well…" he stutters in mortification; she does not look at him, and he's left staring at the golden crown of her head, but that does not seem to alleviate his embarrassment in the slightest, "That is, there is a membrane, at-at the opening of the vagina, and, well, it is...torn during coitus, which causes blood and some pain; of course, if-if a man cares for the woman, he will take steps to, um, make her, ehm, ready for him."

She looks up at him then, and the resolute, sarcastic twist of her mouth makes his heart ache.

"I'm doomed, then," she says, smiling sardonically.

He frowns in sympathy, trying to convey his regret at her situation; but Carola suddenly tilts her head to the right and narrows her eyes, and regards him in a calculating sort of way.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to help me," she says slowly, "take this membrane off my hands, so to speak. You look like the sort of man who'd 'take care' of a woman, as you said."

Ennius' eyes widen in alarm and his face – already flushed – turns almost comically red.

"Madam, I- I could never-" he stammers in agitation, "I wouldn't dream-"  

She steps away from him, suddenly quite red in the face herself; and he understands that his ineloquent response has wounded her.

"Oh, I, I thought," she manages, and her eyes run wildly over the writhing bodies about them, as the music gets more upbeat and cacophonous, "I, I thought you-"

And suddenly, just like that, he understands that he is more than quite taken with the girl before him; she's hurt, and embarrassed, and overall – afraid – and she just tried to lure him into helping her and comforting her by sarcastically offering herself to him, and he – he turned her down.

And unexpectedly, quite out of his mind over this little nymph, Ennius grasps her waist and pulls her over to him, so that her round little breasts are pressed tightly against his chest, and his mouth is buried in her curls, close to her ear.

"I assure you, Madam," he breathes against the strands of gold and feels her gasp delightfully against his torso, "This is not the case."

And she raises her head and looks up at him with fire in her eyes, and her pretty lips are mere inches from his mouth.

"Oh no," she sighs, and he can almost taste the spiced wine on her breath, "of all the men in Rome, I stumble upon an honourable one…"

His hand at her waist tightens and inches downwards to the small of her back; her eyes fall to his mouth longingly, and her breath hitches.

"Carola," he mutters ruefully; he is dangerously close to breaking his righteous resolve in half and just taking her on her offer, but a commotion to his right makes him lift his head and notice Polydorus making his way towards them, shoving writhing bodies and standing people aside. The pair springs apart just in time, looking incriminatingly guilty; but the Tribune is too wired up to notice.

"We must go," he says to the red-faced couple, not taking note of their discomfort, "there is no time to lose."

"Why?" Carola cries in dismay, her brows furrowed, "you've only just arrived!"

"The 13th is ordered to regroup with Caesar in Greece, to chase Pompey" Polydorus explains, shaking his head; Ennius sighs and rubs his eyes resignedly, "we leave at daybreak for Ostia.  We must head back, Ennius; I wish to see Demelza before we leave for war."

The surgeon nods and mutters 'of course''; he turns to take his leave of Carola with a heavy heart. She looks up at him with clear eyes.

"Well, if you must leave," she says almost too lightly, "let me at least kiss you. For luck."

She rises on her tiptoes and kisses Polydorus swiftly on the mouth; then, slowly, she turns to Ennius and moves to press her lips against his.

This kiss is longer, and soft, and he fights the urge to open his mouth and taste her sweet lips with his tongue. Unbidden, but at least safe from Polydorus' view, his hand rises to rest gently on her arm.

And then, almost too soon, Carola breaks the kiss; retreating from him and from his touch.

"Bellona protect you," she says, meeting his eyes defiantly, "both of you."

So this is the end. He is for Greece, and to Gods know where from there, and she – she is to be married to some pompous elderly fool who will dribble and moan brokenly when coupling with her - his young, pretty wife. Bile rises in his throat, burning his oesophagus with fiery force, and he has to swallow against the image in his mind. Ennius takes a step back, and then another.

"Thank you, Madam," he answers softly, and turns from her, and disappears into the crowd of humans, without a second glance.

[wallyaxiom]

full name: reagan elliot spade

nickname: regs, elli, raps, rapunzel

age: 18

birth date: march 14

city of birth: vancouver, canada

gender: female

preferred pronouns: she/her

sexual orientation: bisexual

occupation: student

face claim: katherine langford

family connections

parents: oliver and wally spade

siblings: josh, olivia, cassiy, kaylee, blake, blaine, sam, dj, connor, allison, nikki, august, austin, luke, leia and celeste spade. 

physical traits

eye colour: green

height: 5′5

body build: curvy

notable physical traits: her eyes honestly like wow!! or her hair it’s always a mess

playlist

landslide; fleetwood mac

paper houses; niall horan

nancy mulligan; ed sheeran

find me; sigma ft birdy

faith; george michael

the rundown

at this point we shouldn’t be surprised at the plethora of spade children that has happened over the years. Little Reagan was the doing of Wally. Seeing Luke and Leia growing up as their nest began to grown emptier made wally beg Oliver for another baby. Of course being the baby hoarder that he is Oliver agreed without hesitation thus leading Oliver and Wally to raise two teenage girls at the age they are not which is undoubtedly old. but that little fact didn’t stop them from raising two bright little girls.

Reagan Elliot Spade, the second to youngest spade child is a but of an oddball. the girl sort of lives in her own little world. you can often find her in her room painting away or out in the woods exploring with her pet chameleon, pascal, with her. her parents always had a hard time keeping track of reagan. the girl would notorious for wandering off and getting herself into situations. she meant no harm she just wanted to explore the great big world around her. those adventures often meant her little sister, Celeste, tagged along and together the world was their’s for the taking. 

she’s a lot like her father oliver, it’s hard to deny that when she got his unruly hair and green eyes, but besides that she gained his wit, spunk and love for animals. hence why she’s never without her pet. but like all spades she’s the perfect mix of both her parents and gained wally’s kindness, sense of adventure, curiosity and basically his annoying ability at being good at everything he did. yeah reagan got that too and it’s annoying and she knows it but hey it’s not her fault she excels at everything she does.

another reason reagan is such an oddball she doesn’t act like she lives in this decade.and by that i mean she loves the 80′s decade. she’s spent many days in thrift stores buying vinyls and clothing. if she’s listening to something i can guarantee that it’s not the radio and probably one of her george michael cds and as for movies? she prefers the classic john hughes. however she does listen to music from this generation okay. peep the listen above for some of her faves for further proof. 

reagan’s one true passion has always been art. she had a natural talent for it ever since she was young. it started out with simple child like doodles that flourished into masterpieces. she plans on going to art school to better her craft. reagan’s dream is to one day be featured in gala’s across the world. she wants to do it on her own terms though and not with the help of her parents and siblings legacy. that’s the only downside of being a spade in her eyes but besides that reagan loves it. she loves her crazy family and the richness they’ve brought to her life. there’s no other family out there like them. they’re special and she’s proud to be apart of it.

the future is bright for reagan - that she knows. life might not perfect like an 80′s movie but it’s perfect enough for her and that’s all that matters. 

relationships

extended spade family -  why is this family so big

hit me up for connections.

[cassiies-world]

Music

Finding the right music can makes a big difference while running or working out to. I know when I have a good beat and catchy song I definitely do better while running. Helps keep my mind off the burn I feel in my legs by helping me stay focused on the run itself

Some songs I listen to on my workout playlist :

- Cassiie's World

Follow me on my other social media sites :

Instagram: @cassiiesworld 

Facebook: @cassiiesworld

Online Store:  https://cassiiesworld.square.site/

[cassiies-world]

Dealing with Stress

The past few months have been undeniably stressful for a lot of people around the world. Dealing with no working, the pandemic, knowing if you still have a job, or even lost a job and many more that can trigger stress. I know the feeling, the first few months during the pandemic have I never felt more stressed and depressed in my entire life and I did not know if I was ever coming out of it. But it is possible!

Stressors during difficult times can include both personal and economical challenges.

Here are some healthy ways you can deal with stress:

Take care of yourself - eat healthy, having a good balanced meal will so much good. Avoid foods that leave you sluggish and tired. Go for a run or a walk, I would recommend going outside, getting fresh air, being under the sun and surrounded by nature does help, especially for me. I love nature so I love being outdoors and doing any kind of out door activity.

Connect with others, family and friends. I think it is super important to keep in touch with other, technology is a great way to keep in touch during hard times like this during the pandemic. Not being able to connect to others makes me feel lonely and having does feelings aren't great.

Recognize when you need help and do not feel ashamed for needing help or don't feel bad for talking about how you feel. Make sure you talk to someone who is willing to listen to you and not judge it. It really does help. When trying to figure out things on your own or dealing with things on your own can be hard.

What are some ways you cope with stress?

- Cassiie's World

Add me on my other social media pages!

Instagram: @cassiiesworld Facebook: @cassiiesworld Online Store:   https://cassiiesworld.square.site/

[cassiies-world]

60 Day Challenge

Starting in march I made a commit to myself to stay on my fitness goals because I started to notice I was falling off. I have been going on and off with my fitness for years and I finally have been able to find the motivation that I need to work on myself and reach my fitness goals. I thought before I was doing well with my fitness but I was no where near it. I would go about a month and a half working out, 2 days a week and after my motivation will go down and Ill stop working out until something gets me motivated again which would happen like months later. I wanted to become more consistent with my workouts and my fitness. So I made the choice in march to start a 30 days challenge. 

The first two weeks was hard because I did not think I would keep it up. But after about two week or so it was starting to get easier and I really wanted it this time. So I kept pushing myself even when I did not want to and also with the help with my boyfriend. I used to have the mind set also that if it was raining outside, looked cloudy and gloomily and snowed that it was not a good day to run. I HAD to change my mind set on that and I also found out I prefer to run in the rain then in the sun. I finally reached the end of my 30 days challenge and I felt AMAZING and I did not want to stop. 

So I made my challenge longer to go for 60 days. I am noticing such a nice changed with my body and my physical health and strength. I was getting better, getting faster and stronger.

Today I have reach my end of my 60 day challenge! But I am not ending it here! Now I am making my challenge longer to 90 days! Wish me LUCK!

- Cassiie’s World

Add me on my other social media pages!

Instagram: @cassiiesworld  Facebook: @cassiiesworld Online Store:  https://cassiiesworld.square.site/

[cassiies-world]

How to breathe while running For Beginners

One of the mistakes newly runners do is trying to run as quick as possible by trying to have a fast pace. But then finding themselves being out of breathe a lot quicker. But then it also has to do with the fact that it can be to the lack on knowing how to breathe properly while running.

When you learn how to breathe properly while running, you find that you are able to run longer. While running you should engage in diaphragmatic breathing or "deep belly breathing". Deep belly breathing helps you use the entire capacity of your lungs, so oxygen stays in your lung longer.

While running breathe through both your mouth and nose, you aren't getting the most oxygen when you are only breathing through your nose. Over time you will get so use to breathing properly while running it will become like second nature to you!

- Cassiie’s World

Add me on my other social media pages!

Instagram: @cassiiesworld

Facebook: @cassiiesworld

Online Store:  

https://cassiiesworld.square.site/

[cassiies-world]

Detoxing

Detoxification or detox are getting more popular then ever in the fitness world. Detoxing has been claimed to help clean out your body of toxins that are harmful to your body, leaving you feeling more refreshed.

So what is detox? it is designed to help eliminate toxins out of your body. There are different ways to detox. One way to detox is fasting for a period of time and then going on a really strict diet of only eating fruit and vegetables and only drinking water.

Detoxing has been claimed to do some of the following things.

~Helps stimulate your liver to get rid of toxins ~Promote toxin elimination through feces, urine, and sweat ~Improve circulation

Another method of detox is drinking a detox tea. There are many diet detox teas out there and they also help promote weight loss. Another way of detoxing is taking laxatives or colon cleanses. I personally do not like laxatives because they leave me shaky and sometimes waking up in sweat in the middle of the time and feeling like I need water as soon as possible. I stopped taking laxatives a couple years ago and switched to drinking natural detox (teas). Exercising is another one and they are many more.

Some people have reported that they have been feeling more focused and having ore energy after completing a detox diet. But it can also be due the fact that you are no longer eating unhealthy foods.

The benefits of detox include getting good sleep, feeling more relaxed, losing weight, helping in avoiding processed foods and more. I would also recommend drinking more water when doing a detox.

If you choice to detox you have to be careful not to over due it. Some detox supplements and etc will come with warnings. Like if you are pregnant it is not recommended to do a detox. Other high risk are children, adolescents, older adults, those who are malnourished, blood sugar issues like diabetes and who suffer from eating disorders.

I have been detoxing for the past 4 years and I love. It helps me keep focused on my diet and I get so much more energy because of it. If you want to try natural detoxing, My online store sells natural detox tea. If you like to try click on the link here >>>> [Detox tea @ Cassiie’s World]

If you are thinking about detoxing, I would consult with your doctor first!

- Cassiie’s World

Add me on my other social media pages!

Instagram: @cassiiesworld  Facebook: @cassiiesworld Online Store:   https://cassiiesworld.square.site/

[cassiies-world]

Can You Relate?

Getting the motivation after "falling off the wagon" can be hard to get back! Even after you vowed to get back on track. You ask why can't I seem to get my motivation back to get back on track with my weight loss. There can be many factors to why. Physical and mental health can play a part. Having a busy schedule and finding no time to fit in workouts because by the end of the day you are just tired!

Or even having motivation to keep cooking home cooked healthy meals instead of getting a quick bite from a fast food restaurant or going out to eat instead of making dinner because its just "easier" Lucky now there are many new healthy restaurants openings up all across the US. One of my favorite places to go if I do not have time to make dinner is Parana bread, getting one of their salads! My favorite one is the spicy Thai chicken salad, YUM. They also have so many options to choice from.

So how do I get my motivation back?

Lets start off by changing and shifting our perspective about working out. This might be a huge challenge to you but it really is not when you think about it. Instead of thinking "I can't do it" start thinking "I CAN DO IT!". One thing that keeps up from achieving our goals is the excuses we make when it comes to starting a journey to getting fit. They can range from having a busy life or that you might feel like you won't be able to achieve any fitness goals, and etc. But it is you that is stopping yourself from doing it! Once you stop making excuses, your motivation will come.

Set a goal for yourself, maybe working towards doing a 5k race! Find one and register for it ahead of time. Set realistic goals, for me when I started, I did a 30 days challenge and started slow. I use to think that I had to be face and do it quick that how I would get my results which is not true at all. Starting at your own pace and etc will make it more enjoyable for you.

Figure out a time when it will be best for you to workout and commit to it. I am a morning person and wake up early everyday. I have time before work so I will go running to start my day. Because I know after work I'll be busy with school, making dinner and doing other chores.

Always change it up! Make your workouts fun, make a playlist of your favorite workout songs to keep you going through out your workouts. Take on a yoga class or a dancing class. Go hiking or swimming. It doesn't always have to be running everyday or walking or etc.

Have a great support system! It has been proven that when people have people behind them cheering them on with their weight loss journey do way better then those who do not have a support system.

- Cassiie’s World

Add me on my other social media pages!

Instagram: @cassiiesworld Facebook: @cassiiesworld OnlineStore:  https://cassiiesworld.square.site/

[cassiies-world]

The Pros and Cons of Outdoor Workouts and Indoor Workouts

We all have our own preferences to how we want to workout. Some of us like to do cardio, while others like to weight train. Some like to workout outside while going for a run, hiking or cycling. While others like the gym because there are some many options of what kind of workouts you can do and you do not have to spend money on any exercise equipment.

Pros and cons of outdoor exercise

Some of the pros of working out outside is it helps improve mental health. There has been studies that talked about how working out in natural environments are connected to feeling positive about oneself. It helps with deceasing depression as well. You also workout longer when outside. It is free, you don't need to sign up for a gym membership to go running, walking or biking outside. While there are great things about working outside there is a downside to it. Being exposed to the elements like snow, strong winds and even freezing cold and rain, can make a workout difficult. If you live in a city you have a higher risk of being exposed to air pollutants and allergens.

Pros and cons of indoor exercise

Some of the pros about working inside or at a gym is that you are most likely to have air conditioning and heat to make the air comfortable. You also don't need to worry about any elements that you may experience while working out outside. At a gym there are facilities that you have access to like saunas and shoes, some even have spas. This is perfect for someone who wants to workout before heading to work. You can work out and get clean right in the same place. The downside to working out a gym is that you have to may monthly membership fees and annual fees. But on the plus side you don't have to spend thousands on exercise equipment!

As for me I prefer working out outside. I have tried working out at the gym and I do like it to, but overall outside is where I prefer it best! I love running out in nature, I get a sense of feeling good when I am outside, being under the sun. As for elements that I encounter while outside are so bad. If you have the right workout gear on, you can handle some elements of the outside! I also do love running in the rain it feels refreshing to me and my workouts feel even better. Sometimes being under the sun to long on a warm or hot day (which is why I prefer also to wake up early for my run) can make me feel more tired or not able to work out to long.

What do you prefer when you workout?

- Cassiie’s World

Add me on my other social media pages!

Instagram: @cassiiesworld Facebook: @cassiiesworld OnlineStore:  https://cassiiesworld.square.site/

[cassiies-world]

Shipping Policy

Processing time for orders is 1-3 business days (business days do not include weekends or holidays). These times may be extended during holidays, launches/restocks, and promotions. Your order may be shipped 3-5 business days after the order is placed. Your order confirmation email will state the current processing time. Once shipped, delivery time within the United States is within 5 business days. Delivery dates are estimated, not guaranteed. We do not offer express/overnight shipping at this time or ship internationally as of right now.

Please note we are not responsible for any shipping deliveries that may be affected by, but not limited to, the following: customs, natural occurrences, air/ground transportation strikes/delays or transfers from USPS to international mail carriers.  Please check with your tracking number and if the package says delivered, but you have not received it, please contact your local postal carrier.

Please be sure your shipping address is complete and correct (including apt and house numbers) as this may also delay your order from being shipped.

The US Postal Service does not guarantee the delivery date and time of your package for standard/ first class mail.

F.A.Q

What payment options do you accept?

We accept payments via Credit Card in US Dollars only.

What will happen if my package is undeliverable to my address?

First, please check the status of the tracking number provided to you. If we get your package in the mail, we will contact you via email to request an updated shipping address so that we can resend it to you. A small return shipping fee will be invoiced to you to cover return shipping costs due to the unclaimed, invalid/undeliverable, etc address provided to us. This will need to be paid prior to us re-shipping your package. Your package must be received prior to us making any changes or re sending the order. Please be sure to enter your shipping address in correctly to avoid delays in receiving your order. We do not refund shipping fees.

After my order is submitted, can I make changes to it or cancel it?

We will attempt to make the change or cancel your order within the same day your order is made. If you contact us after the day you placed the order, we cannot guarantee the order can be changed or cancelled. Depending on our volume and time of year, we may not be able to make any changes. If you made an error or you want to cancel your order after it has been processed and shipped, unfortunately, we will not be able to cancel the order or issue a refund. If your address is incorrect, please email cassiefitnessx@gmail.com as soon as possible.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS:

The Site, and all of its contents, including but not limited to articles, other text, photographs, images, illustrations, graphics, video material, audio material, including musical compositions and sound recordings, software, logos, titles, characters, names, graphics and button icons, excluding User Content (collectively “Proprietary Material”), are protected by copyright, trademark and other laws of the United States, as well as international conventions and the laws of other countries. The Proprietary Material is owned or controlled by Cassiie's World. Except as otherwise provided in these Terms and Conditions or without our express prior written permission, you may not, and agree that you will not, use, publish, reproduce, display, publicly perform, create derivative works from, reverse engineer or decompile, disassemble, distribute, license, transfer, sell, copy, post, enter into a database, upload, transmit or modify the Proprietary Material or any portion thereof, for any purpose or by any means, method, or process now known or later developed. The use of the name or photos of Cassiie's, Cassiie's World, Cassiie's Fitness World cannot be used as a hashtag (#) to promote or sell an item not endorsed by Cassiie social media. Modification of the materials appearing on the Site or use of such materials for any other purpose is a violation of our copyright and other proprietary rights.

Additional information regarding orders:

We reserve the right to refuse to process and order due to suspected fraud or unauthorized or illegal activity. If such is the case, we may reject your order. Our customer service department may email you at the email address you provided to confirm your order. We also reserve the right to cancel any accounts or refuse to ship to certain addresses due to suspected fraud or unauthorized or illegal activity. To avoid delays, please be sure your name, billing and shipping address matches the card you are using. We reserve the right to cancel any order using any promotion or promotional code, at our sole discretion. If any order cancellation occurs you will be credited in full for the cancelled order(s) and your order will not be shipped. We do not make price adjustments. We take these measures to protect our customers as well as ourselves from fraud or other unauthorized or illegal activity.