Tumgik
#i love marc antony v much
shinkomiii · 5 years
Text
"Is she not the most beautiful woman in Rome?"
Tumblr media
;my duties include being seen with the most beautiful woman in Rome on my arm. So when shall we have our parade?
art by me.
tagging: @marycarrillo21 @yuruwuuu @crimesolvingdevil @betelgeusebee @steelbluewarpaint
306 notes · View notes
Text
Each KOTLC kid as a Shakespeare play that they could star in
Sophie Foster: Much Ado About Nothing. Beatrice. I love this idea. Like, she'd just have so much fun with her role and do so much with it. From the glint in her eyes as she argues with Benedict, to the smug toss of her hair, to the declarations of love and hatred. It's perfect.
Keefe Sencen: Romeo and Juliet. This kid would be a perfect Romeo. Like, he'd nail it. Effortlessly. There are real tears in his eyes as he cries over the body of Juliet, a tremble to his hands that cannot be faked as he drinks the poison, a look of sheer, ungodly horror when he sees her wake up, a choked last breath, and a silence as his foolish love is ruined by his own impatience and over-dramatic behavior.
Fitz Vacker: Henry V. There's just something so simple and glorious about the character of Henry, in that play. He's understandable, relatable. A young king who declares war, must rouse an army and head into battle? It's too authentic, watching Fitz portray the character.
Biana Vacker: King Lear. I've never seen another fictional character so suited for the role of Cordelia. Literally. Never in my life have my interpretations of two completely different characters hit so similarly. I can't cope.
Tam Song: Hamlet. He'd love everything about it. It's such a dark and dramatic story, it's exactly what he'd want to do with his acting career. Like, from the skulls to the murder to the intrigue, it would just be so much fun for him.
Linh Song: The Tempest. She would be an amazing daughter of the sorcerer Prospero. Just. She'd nail it.
Marella Redek: The Merchant of Venice. Marella could play Portia so well. Like, uhm, yeah. All those speeches about justice? Honor? Mercy? The role was made for her.
Dex Dizznee: Julius Caesar. Dex would play Marc Antony. I can see him giving that speech about "My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause til it come back to me" so effortlessly and purely, I can feel the tears in my own eyes.
Stina Heks: The Taming Of The Shrew. Miss girl would fricking change the game when it comes to people watching this play. She's the pure embodiment of Katherine, and I think she would endear the audience a lot more to the character and her portrayal.
Maruca Chebota: Macbeth. She'd be an amazing Lady Macbeth. Legit. Think about her, hallucinating on stage, trying to wipe blood off her hands, trying to escape her own tortured mind. Imagine her character convincing her husband to murder for power, of turning the king's blood to her power at the command of a witch. I just. I love it.
Wylie Endal: Midsummer Night's Dream. He would be an amazing King Oberon. The stern, but creative king, seeking revenge on the wife he loves in a fluctuating, eternal fashion, content to play a prank on her that definitely leaves everyone but him embarrassed. Wylie would be such a good Oberon.
44 notes · View notes
bryceslahela · 2 years
Text
choices li tag game <33
tagged by the amazing @mvalentine. i love u bestie <3333 also i added commentary, ignore if u want.
also idk who to tag so … @trystcnthorne @kingliamrys @paladinofsol and anyone else who wants to.
across the void - none. book was ass. sorry howdy.
america’s most eligible - the bad boy that wasn’t even bad. the flop boy.
a very scandalous proposal - hate the way british lis are written so stopped playing but i might replay again bc everyone raves abt simon/ava. if that’s their names.
baby bump - rich guy in ill fitting suit. clit covington.
bachelorette party - rich doctor. reed? as much personality as a loaf of white bread. he had rlly big gazongas tho like ik the design team had fun inflating those things.
big sky country - dallas. dallas so beautiful. i love 1 (one) man.
blades of light and shadow - mal volari
bloodbound - adrian raines (didn’t finish tho)
crimes of passion - obviously my #bae trystan thorne
a courtesan of rome - depends on my playthrough, it’s either marc antony and syphax or just marc antony.
desire and decorum - never finished but ernest sinclaire. he’s v pathetic looking and that’s my type.
distant shores - edward mortemer.
the elementalists - beckett harrington (i know he’s a divisive li but idc he’s my nerd 4 lifer 🤞🏾)
endless summer - sean gayle
foreign affairs - y’all already know 🤭 mr blaine hayes. my number one. my shorty. my bae. my boo. my lil doughnut head.
the freshman series - chris bc i didn’t care abt him frfr. james was cute and was my boo for a minute but then he rlly fucking annoyed me. on my replay it was zig, he was hot but i never finished.
hot couture - no one. all were ugly and hazel wasn’t available.
immortal desires - both (but i liked cas more im sooooo sorry gabey wabey 😪)
laws of attraction - gabe ricci. he’s hot, sexy and has a good job unlike some ppl.
mother of the year - thomas mendez. hot single dad ?? purrrrr.
murder at homecoming - black!tyler is sooo pretty but i’m sorry donovan is gonna be my number one.
my first two loves - noah harris. miss him sm but i am not replaying 100 chapters pb got me fucked up fr.
nightbound - none. didn’t finish.
open heart - bryce lahela obviously 🤭. i would write a sonnet abt him but no one would listen 😪romanced ethan and raf for a bit tho
perfect match - everyone. all lis were TOP TIER. damien and hayden were my mains tho.
platinum - raleigh. fine asf. flop mc didnt deserve him.
red carpet diaries - matt rodriguez. no thoughts up there. love that for him frfr.
ride or die - logan? i think.
the royal masquerade - never finished but the pretty boy prince.
the royal romance - liam rys.
rules of engagement - the rich one. forgot his name srry to that man.
save the date - justin mercado (he wasn’t bad at all y’all are just haters)
veil of secrets - i played once when it came out and it was flynn but i replayed and romanced grant even tho he’s bald.
wake the dead - the hot guy. idk i quit playing.
17 notes · View notes
ernestsinclairs · 6 years
Text
NS*W Alphabet - Marc Antony
Tumblr media
A = Aftercare
Who said there was aftercare? If there was one thing his years in the army had improved, it was Antony’s stamina. The man could keep going for hours. There wasn’t aftercare, not because he didn’t care, but there wasn’t time for it before he flipped you back around and started all over again.
B = Body Part
His favorite part of you is your mouth. Perfectly formed and lush, ten out of ten when it came to passionate matters. And besides, yours was the only one that spoke the truth, that never quite let him win - and reminded him of it. The challenge your mouth posed made it the ultimate prize.
C = Cum
Antony always comes inside of you, never anywhere else. He couldn’t imagine not doing it. There was just that feeling of closeness, that feeling of heat. And it made you feel his. There was no way he was giving that up.
D = Dirty Secret
He’ll take you anywhere and anytime. That couple in an alleyway making love to one another at midnight? Best not to get close, or anybody would have seen it was Rome’s most powerful man and its premier courtesan. Right in the open courtyard with your skirts sliding across the marble of the fountain? He’ll do it. The man has no shame.
E = Experience
Antony’s definitely experienced, no doubt about that. He’s had his fair share of lovers before, though he always claims that none of them were as good as you. God, the things he could make you do though. It could just make you scream.
F = Favorite Position
Right on top of you, looking down and grabbing at your face as he kisses you hungrily. Of course, against the wall is just as good. Any position that makes Antony feel as if he’s in power, as if he’s dominant, is good enough for him. Though that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you being on top. Just for a few minutes though. Then he takes control again.
G = Goofy (are they humorous? Are they not?)
In the heat of the moment, Antony’s more passionate than lighthearted. He takes his lovemaking seriously, and it’s a constant battle of skill over who comes out on top. That doesn’t mean there’s some mocking and teasing during foreplay, but during the actual act, nothing can stop that man from getting what he wants.
H = Hair
He’s well groomed down there, conforming to Roman tradition. But when a few stressful days go by, or when he simply doesn’t care, you’ll run your hand against the stubble on his jaw, feel a tiny tickle when you reach in to kiss him.
I = Intimacy
You hadn’t expected him to be so intimate, but he was. Antony just wanted to be on top of you all the time, feeling every square inch of your skin, breathing in your scent as he pounds you hard. Even after a long, passionate night, you lie in bed together, limbs entangled, not daring to move until sunrise.
J = Jack off
Well of course he does. How do you think he got through years of military service surrounded by men?
K = Kink
His cloak. That scarlet cloak he wore from his military conquests was a favorite thing of yours to play with. You’d dance around the room sultrily, clad only in the red cloth gracing your form. If you did that, there was no doubt Antony was bedding you that night. 
L = Location
His favorite places to take you, were also the places he hated the most. He hated the Senate, and the useless building they had their useless arguments in. Antony slept with you in there at least half a dozen times. The luxurious villas of the anti-Caesar senators who had fled the city? Been there tens of times. Nothing gave him more satisfaction - except seeing you unwound under his touch.
M = Motivation (what turns them on, what gets them going)
Literally, just seeing you is enough to set him off. Antony knows what he wants, and he doesn’t mind taking it. That’s part of his appeal, you guess, but with this man, you’ll probably never know.
N = NO (what turns them off, what is a no for them)
Anything that involves sharing you. If there’s one word to describe Antony, it’s possessive. He can’t bear the thought of someone else having you in their bed, and takes it upon himself to make sure you can’t ever think of leaving him. Every single time the two of you make love, it’s like Antony outdoes himself every time, showing you why he is the only one who really matters.
O = Oral
Definitely yes. Nothing gets him more excited than you bare before him then you taking him in his mouth, your eyes staring straight into his as you bob up and down. That little smile he gives you when it happens is truly special.
P = Pace
Always fast, always rough. Marc Antony is a taker, and when he gets going, there’s literally no stopping him. He’s passionate, virile, and when he has you, he makes love to you like the world’s about to end. He’s always fast and hard, and at the end of the nights, you’re draped across him, too tired to move as you drapes the covers over your shoulders.
Q = Quickie
Antony’s a fan of quickies, willing to take you whenever he feels like it. Against the side of the rock while hunting in the forest? Done. On his desk when he feels like it? Done. In his private box at the gladiator arena with the curtains closed? Done.
R = Risk
He’s a big thing on risk. The man just runs on adrenaline, and whatever gets that rush getting, he will jump in on it. Of course, it’ll hurt to be too reckless, he is a public figure and the face of Caesar in Rome after all. 
S = Stamina
During your training as a courtesan, you thought you’d be able to outlast any of your patrons - and any man you took to your bed. Antony almost proved you wrong on the very first night you spent together. Countless hours with no rest, just going at it in his bed, proved him a rival to you. Of course, he hadn’t won yet. It was a constant battle between the two of you, seeing who could drag it on the farthest
T = Toy (do they like to use anything?)
He has a toy. It’s called his dick.
U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)
If he’s feeling gently, he won’t tease. He’ll ease into you, giving in to your pleas. But when Antony’s feeling particularly nasty, he’ll tease for hours, trailing your most sensitive parts with his fingers, nipping at your neck, pulling in, than pulling back at the last minute, until you’ve completely melted in his arms. 
V = Volume
He’s not too loud during the actual act, but when he climaxes, it’s definitely loud. There’s that groan that always tells you when you’ve hit the sweet spot.
W = Wild Card (a random headcanon)
Antony has a thing for you in jewels. Like, literally nothing but jewels. He loves you bare, clad in nothing but gold chains and rubies and pearls and diamonds that he’s bought you. The clinking, shimmering noise as you make your way over is like church bells to him. He comes immediately.
X = X-ray (what’s going on down there)
You hadn’t expected anything different - he was definitely good sized, a little thicker than usual perhaps. That took a little time to get used to, but once you did, you were rolling.
Y = Yearning (how high is their drive?)
Very high. Very very high. You swore, the man would keel over and die if he didn’t get enough. Most of your appointments were made by him, addicted to the feeling of you in his arms.
Z = ZZZ (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)
Antony does have a gentle side for all the things said about him. He’ll stand watch over you until you fall asleep, like a soldier at arms. Protective instinct, you concluded. But that was alright. A soldier like him was always nice. 
@your-sylphofhope @give-me-ernest-sinclaire @thereignofqueens @wughhumans @frugalchoicer @regina-and-happiness @indiacater @zigbadboy @maxwellscorgi @its-night-again @schizhoephrenic @l-artimitelavie @youplayedmeout @timmagicktoad @claudevonstruke @valenciajeff @softchild03
581 notes · View notes
luxurylives · 5 years
Text
A Different Time
Pairing: No pairing
Book(s): A Courtesan of Rome
Word Count: 3,819+
Rating: PG
Summary: Arin finds peace after plotting to kill Caesar. 
Author’s Note: It’s been done before in some movies and television shows, so I figured why not and ran with this for A Courtesan of Rome Appreciation Week. Pixelberry Studios owns the characters.
Tagging:  @acor-appreciation @maloneyberry  @thisiswhythealienswontvisit @thechoicesvita  @thefirstcourtesan @silverofdreams
Arin paced the scholae, deep in thought. All of the lies, manipulation, and plotting had come to an end. Caesar was dead and because she fled the scene after his murder, she had Marc Antony to defend her innocence. However, she betrayed Cassius at the same time and broke his heart. Arin would not admit it to anyone, but it hurt her, even now.
“Is it what you wanted?”
Arin snapped out of her thoughts and whirled around to see Lena standing nearby. A calm, stoic expression on her face.
“The spirits of Catauni are at rest. That is as much as I can ask for” Arin said quietly.
“You have lived for them for a long time, Arin. If they are at rest now, does that mean you can finally choose for yourself?”
Arin bit her lip and walked across the room, staring at the steaming waters of the bath. Lena was right, this was her moment. She could finally make a choice and would not have to worry about the repercussions. “I hope so,” she said as a small smile appeared on her face.
“And what will you choose now that your life is yours? What do you want to do with it?”
Arin looked up from the waters, her mind began racing through everything that has happened since she arrived in Rome. The day she and her family were paraded through the streets like animals, the moment she saw her father in the ring, befriending Sabina, reuniting with her mother and killing her brother. However, there were moments of passion and desire—Syphax, her former bodyguard who proposed and made love to her before she killed Caesar. Cassius who she also bedded and then betrayed out of fear, and Marc Antony…another lover, who was dangerous, arrogant, and had a remarkable way of keeping her on her toes. Each man ignited something within her…but was it worth it? There would be no peace in Rome, especially now with Caesar gone and his nephew destined to take over. Arin turned to look at Lena who was anticipating her answer.
“Well?”
Arin thought for a moment and then finally came to decision, she would spare her heart and turn away from each of them. “I want to spend my life with my family”.
“I would never have kept you here so long had I thought you would truly find them again”.
“I would not give up the years I spent with you, Lena. You are my family now, just as they are”.
Lena offered her a small smile and walked over to hug her. “Go to them, Arin. You have waited a long time for this”.
Arin smiled, her heart overflowing with warmth; she hugged Lena once more and then quickly hurried out of the scholae.
 Later that day Arin arrived at the temple of Ceres to reunite with her parents. Victus, her father wrapped her in a tight hug, a wide grin on his face. “You did it, Arin! You avenged the Catauni. Their spirits are at rest now”.
Arin turned to her mother, Delphina, who was joining them. “The goddess is proud of you, my daughter. You did the task She laid out for you”.
“And we’re proud of you,” Victus said merrily.
Arin smiled warmly at her parents, some time ago she began to think this moment would never come, and now it was finally here. “What will you do now? Will you be returning to Gaul?”
Victus turned to Delphina and took her hand, his features darkened. “There is nothing left for me in Gaul, Arin. All I want is to find those who are still lost in slavery and help them return home”.
“We will do that together; your father and I will travel throughout the Republic until we have found and freed every member of the Catauni”.
Arin smiled as her mind drifted to what Lena asked her earlier. This was the perfect way to move on. “I’ll come with you! There is nothing I want more than for us to be together and bring back every surviving member of the Catauni. It won’t be easy with so few of us, but we can welcome new members from other tribes. The Catauni will live again”.
Delphina smiled but then frowned as she turned to take in her surroundings. “If only your brother were here with us”.
“I wish I could have reached him, Mother. But he had belonged to Rome for too long” Arin winced, the memory of her slitting his throat came back to her. The bright crimson seeping from his throat as he fell to the ground.
“He never had your strength, Arin” Victus replied.
Delphina took a step forward and laid a hand on her forehead, hot tears began to swell in Arin’s eyes. Delphina had recited this benediction to her for as long as she could remember.
“May the Great Mother guard and protect you, Arin, in all that you endeavor. May She bless you on land and sea. May She bless you in water and fire. And may your life be always a gift that you will cherish…”
Arin smiled warmly as the temple began to melt and recede around her.
 “…she’s awake!”
Arin blinked slowly, bright lights were shining on her. What…? Where am I? Arin thought as her eyes darted around the room. She tried to move but she couldn’t, there was an overwhelming pain coursing throughout her body. Arin blinked once more and saw two people rushing into the room, one had purple scrubs on and the other had on blue scrubs with a white coat. Arin couldn’t comprehend what they were saying to each other as they moved around with precise and quick movements. Fear began to take over, despite the pain, she tried to move until a pair of hands came down on her, holding her in place. Arin glanced to the other side and saw a shiny needle being pointed at her, she began to struggle once more. However, her efforts were useless, she felt weak and drained. Shortly, her eyes began to water, and her body went completely still.
 A different kind of light awoke Arin, it was calmer and soothing. After a few minutes, her eyes began to adjust. Arin took a deep breath and slowly sat up, there were two people in the room, sitting across from each other in silence.
“Vincent, look,” the woman said as she stood up and hurried to Arin’s bedside.
The man looked up from the floor and turned to face Arin, his mouth went agape.
“Who…who are you people?” Arin asked worriedly.
The woman froze for a minute, staring at her blankly. “Arin, it’s me, Delaney…your mother”.
Arin stared at her blankly, she was confused. Her mother’s name was Delphina and her father was named Victus. The woman wore a printed blouse with a v-neckline and wide sleeves, navy skinny pants, and metallic flats.
“This is your father, Vincent,” Delaney said.
Vincent started to reach out but shoved his hands in his pockets. He had on a grey long-sleeved shirt with jeans and a neon vest. He gave her a small smile, a grateful look in his eye.
What is happening? Why aren’t we in the temple of Ceres? Why are they going by different names? What is this place? Arin thought as her heart began beating double time and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
The same woman from earlier who wore the white coat and blue scrubs entered the room with a stethoscope around her neck and carrying a clipboard. “Hello, how are you feeling?”
Delaney and Vincent moved away from the bed as the doctor entered the room. “Who are you?” Arin asked.
“My name is Dr. Aurora Emery, I was here earlier. Marlene paged me when she noticed you were waking up”.
Arin blinked at Aurora and shot a confused look to Delaney and Vincent.
“The subway you were on derailed,” Vincent said.
Arin bit her lip and tried to make sense of what they were telling her, but she could not remember. “How did I get out?”
“One of our paramedics found you unconscious and pulled you to safety”.
“Dr. Emery, you mentioned something about her liver?” Delaney folded her arms, casting a worried look at Arin.
Aurora took a step back as she finished her examination and turned to Vincent and Delaney. “Yes, a grade one liver laceration, from what I have seen it isn’t too bad, but I want to admit her into acute care for a night or two”.
“After that, she’ll be okay to come home?” Delaney asked.
Aurora shook her head and gave a small smile to Arin. “By Thursday she should be good to go”.
“I’d like for her to stay at my place,” Vincent said turning to Delaney.
Delaney shook her head and moved away from him. “No, the last thing she needs is to be downtown, she will stay with me in Whitewood”.
“Dammit, Delaney, I am not getting into this with you— “.
“Mr. and Mrs. Bennett please, I don’t want to cause Arin anymore stress than what she is already experiencing if you need to discuss that please do so outside”.
Delaney and Vincent exchanged a somber look and moved away from each other.
“I apologize, Dr. Emery, we’ll figure it out later,” Delaney said as she shot a hateful look towards Vincent and took a seat.
Once Aurora finished, she promised to come back and check on her later. Arin simply shook her head and stared at the two people in the room, both were strangers to her.
“I have to make a phone call,” Vincent said quietly. He walked over to pat Arin’s shoulder and exited the room.
Delaney stood up and slowly walked over to Arin and sat at her bedside. “Arin, would you prefer to stay with me for a few days?”
“I would prefer to stay at the scholae”.
Delaney closed her eyes for a moment and took a small, deep breath. “Arin, what are you talking about?”
“I am a courtesan, I work for Lena. We were at the temple of Ceres and you were reciting a benediction to me. Father was there too and we— “.
“Arin, you need to rest,” Delaney said as began tucking her daughter in.
“But…I— “.
“Arin, you need to rest” Delaney repeated sternly.
Vincent walked back into the room and slipped his phone into his pocket. Delaney stood up and pulled him to the other side of the room and began whispering so Arin couldn’t hear.
Arin laid back and turned her head to stare out the window, soon she was fast asleep.
 Thursday arrived sooner than expected, Arin was still trying to process everything that had happened. It couldn’t have been a dream…everything was so real… Arin thought.
“…and of course call if you have any questions or concerns,” Aurora said.
“Thank you, Dr. Emery,” Delaney said and shook her hand. “Please, say hi to Ines for me, she and I need to catch up”.
“Will do,” Aurora said with a polite nod.
“Arin, you ready?”
Arin snapped out of her thoughts and noticed all eyes were on her. “Um…yes”.
As soon as Aurora left, Delaney and Vincent walked Arin out of the hospital and to the parking lot. “Are you sure you want to stay with your mother?”
Delaney rolled her eyes and turned to Vincent. “We agreed she would stay with me until she is ready to go back to her apartment”.
“It’s fine,” Arin said quietly.
Vincent frowned and shook his head. “Alright, but call if you need anything”.
Arin shook her head and hugged him. Delaney looked on but turned away as soon as Vincent looked at her.
 That evening Arin arrived at a quaint townhouse in the Whitewood with a small yard and carport. Once Delaney parked the car, she helped Arin inside and headed upstairs to prepare the guest room, leaving Arin in the living room. As Arin sat on the couch, she saw Delaney’s tote laying on the coffee table. Arin reached inside and pulled out a file folder with a rubber band around it. Arin removed the rubber band and opened the folder and saw multiple essays stacked on top of one another, with the titles: "The Names of All Lost Things", "A Summer Without", and "Winter in July".
Arin furrowed her brow and began flipping through the graded essays, her heart stopped when she reached the twelfth one. The name Sabina was printed at the top.
Arin quickly flipped through the pages, expecting to find something but to her dismay, all she found were critiques and explanations of a novel written by someone named Enrique Vasquez. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Arin threw the essay on the coffee table and rushed to answer it, as soon as she opened the door her blood began to boil…it was him, the tribune who destroyed her village.
“Hi, my name is Gavin Ruffner with Townsend Landscaping. I’m looking for Delaney Cole?”.
“You will not be looking for anyone!” Arin reached for an umbrella near the door and raised it, ready to attack him.
“Oh my god! Arin!”
Gavin’s eyes widened and he took a step back as Delaney rushed forward and pulled Arin inside, snatching the umbrella from her. She quickly turned to Gavin with an apologetic look on her face. “I am so sorry about her, please go around back, I’ll be out there shortly”.
Gavin uneasily shook his head and quickly stepped away to go to the backyard. Delaney slammed the door and whirled around to face Arin, eyes blazing. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”
“He attacked us! He burned our home! The things he said about my brother…I do not trust him!”
Delaney ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “Arin, just…just…go upstairs…please”.
“But I…”.
“Arin just...go” Delaney slumped onto the couch and buried her face in her hands.
Arin turned to start up the stairs but stopped when she noticed her mother was crying. Arin started to walk over to her but decided against it and walked upstairs.
 Arin spent the rest of the day in the guest room staring out the window and trying to process everything. There wasn’t much in the room except for a few boxes and storage bins. Arin rummaged through them only to see ornaments, wreaths, and garland. Arin walked over to a small bookshelf and looked through some of the titles, one of them stood out.
“Julius Caesar…” Arin picked it up quickly delved into the novel. After a while she placed the book back on the shelf, shaking her head. She slowly exited the room and started to walk down the stairs, the lights were on in the kitchen and Delaney was talking to someone on the phone. Arin crept down the stairs hoping to hear the conversation.
“…and she almost hit him with an umbrella”.
Arin grimaced thinking back to what happened earlier.
“Louise, I’m worried…remember when I brought her to you before? After…well…you know…” Delaney paused taking a deep breath.
Arin swallowed and leaned forward slightly, After what? What is she referring to? She thought.
“…I suppose I could…it’s just I don’t want to overwhelm her…she has been through so much already. I’m stressed as it is, between the number of classes I’m teaching, dealing with Vincent, Colton’s anniversary, and now Arin…”.
Colton’s anniversary? What does that mean? Arin thought. As she shifted her weight, the stairs creaked, and her blood ran cold.
“Arin you might as well just come into the kitchen” Delaney called out.
Arin stood up and followed the light to see her sitting at the island with a cup of tea in front of her. Delaney was dressed for bed, her hair in a bun with pajamas and a robe on.
“I’ll call you tomorrow…. thank you, talk soon” Delaney said and hung up.
“I’m sorry, I’m just…trying to make sense of everything”.
Delaney took a long sip of her tea and slowly set her mug down. “I didn’t mean to snap at you earlier…it’s just…a lot has been going on lately”.
Arin studied Delaney’s face and bit her lip. The time to piece things together was now. “Can you help me make sense of it all?”
Delaney stood up and walked into the living room. Momentarily, she returned with a photo album and handed it to her.
“Maybe this will help jog your memory,” Delaney said as she down.
Arin flipped through the photos slowly, each one slowly awakening something inside her.
“That was taken on Christmas Day”.
Arin looked up at Delaney who gestured to a photo of her opening presents with a boy next to her gaping at an Xbox and controllers to go with it.
“Is that…?” Arin pointed at the boy…this has to be Cingerix she thought and looked up at Delaney.
“Your brother, Colton”.
Arin nodded and took another look at the photo, once again something clicked in her mind.
“Where is he? What happened to him?”
Delaney took another sip and set her mug down. “Colton passed away last year…he was a firefighter”.
Arin flipped through a few more pages of the album and came to a more recent picture of him, he was dressed in a grey t-shirt that read Whitewood Fire Department and black shorts. Arin ran her fingers over the photo and let out a small sigh.
An uncomfortable silence began to seep through the kitchen. Arin looked up at Delaney who was deep in thought.
“Is this helping at all?”
“A little…it feels like I have experienced it…like I know but at the same time…I don’t”.
Delaney shook her head and tapped her fingers along the side of her mug.
“Who was that earlier? You said I was there before?”
“Louise Hall, she is a therapist you were seeing after your engagement ended”.
“Engagement…?” Arin asked. Her mind drifted to Cassius and Syphax…however, there was a good chance neither existed.
“You were engaged to Trent and both of you were expecting a child but there were…complications”.
Arin stared at her blankly, “Did I…?”.
Delaney shook her head. “You were devasted and at the time you lost your job at the art museum”.
Arin resumed looking through the photos, sure enough, she came to one of her and a man with slicked-back black hair, brown eyes and tan skin. They were snuggled up together on a blanket with a picnic basket, smiling happily.
“What happened to him?”
“A friend told me he was engaged to someone named Katie, but she left him for someone else”.
Arin continued looking through the photos. “Did something happen between you and…my Dad?”
“Your father and I separated a while ago, Arin”.
Arin thought for a moment and she could feel a memory slowly coming to her…on a cold winter night, she was seated in this very kitchen, Delaney sat next to her in tears.
“What happened?”
“He had an affair with this architect he met at a construction site he was working on,” Delaney said. “The signs were there and I just…tried to ignore them”.
Arin reached out and took her mother’s hand. “I’m sorry”.
“No…no it’s fine, we’ve all moved on from it” Delaney gently gripped Arin’s hand and offered a small smile.
Arin suddenly felt something, an electrifying, warmth that coursed through her body. Everything that she couldn’t piece together began to fall into place. After a moment she looked up at her mother who looked at her quizzically.
“Arin, what is it?”
“I remember,” Arin said and looked back at the photos. “I remember everything…I was on my way to a job interview at this museum in McCord Bend and I took the subway…I left you a voicemail and…then there was this loud screeching noise…the lights began to flicker, and people were screaming…”.
“As soon as I heard about the subway, I called your father and we rushed to Edenbrook, but it was so…chaotic. We sat and waited for hours until they finally allowed us to see you”.
Arin shook her head, everything was finally starting to make sense. She and her family never lived in Gaul. There was no tribe called the Catauni. Delaney was her mother and worked as an English professor. Vincent was her father and worked as a construction planner. She had graduated from Langston University with a bachelor's degree in library science and a minor in history. She worked as a museum archivist. She and her parents buried Colton last year and the anniversary of his death was coming up. She was engaged to Trent but after she lost the baby, he left her for a woman named Katie. The art museum she worked at in Claymont closed and she lost her job. Louise Hall was the therapist she began seeing afterward. She had a job interview scheduled at a museum in McCord Bend but then the subway derailed and gave her a concussion. While she was unconscious, she must have imagined she was a courtesan who was on a mission to kill Julius Caesar and avenge her family.
“Did this help?” Delaney asked and gestured to the photo album.
 Arin shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. “Yes, I…I don’t know what came over me earlier”.
Delaney squeezed her daughter’s hand and smiled. “You were trying to process everything”.
Arin sighed and began laughing, thinking of the man she frightened earlier.
“I better get in the bed, I do have a full day of classes to teach tomorrow,” Delaney said as she finished her tea. She stood up and set her mug in the sink and started to exit the kitchen.
“Mom?”
Delaney stopped in the doorway and turned to face her daughter. “Yes?”
“I love you”.
Delaney smiled and walked over to Arin, hugging her tightly. “I love you too”.
Once they released each other, Arin watched her mother go up the stairs. She sat in the kitchen for a few minutes and helped herself to a pint of ice cream. As she was eating, she noticed a newspaper sitting on the table. Arin set the pint down and picked it up. After skimming a few articles she flipped to the entertainment section and began reading: Get ready for these popular books to hit the big screen. As Arin read through the list, she paused at the seventh title, The Secret of Ninradell. Next to the title was a picture of the author, Marianne D'Arneaux who had a striking resemblance to Lena. Arin smiled and set the paper down. Once she put the ice cream away, she turned off the lights and went upstairs. Maybe it was a dream, but she knew the people existed in the real world, in one way or another.
Author’s Note(s): If you made it to the end, this takes place during Chapter 14 of Open Heart and you may remember Trent and Katie from Rules of Engagement.
12 notes · View notes
jean-anouilh · 7 years
Note
For the history ask thing: 1 but like besides Alexander
is that all??1 - who is your favourite historical person
okaaay besides Alexander I dont have a whole lot. Im not a HISTORY student so I don’t study a lot of People. BUT I do like Marc Antony SO MUCH, as well as Cleopatra bc the INTELLIGENCE. I am vv vv v v v interested in Augustus because his cult and propaganda is GREAT i love it
aaaaand big fan of sophocles bc hIS PLAYS!!! GODDAMN also the dude died at 90 possibly bc he tried to recite a long sentence from antigone without taking a breath and i relate
ask me Historical Questions
2 notes · View notes