#it’s where i first fell in love with maximus

[wildsaltair]

oh we’re back with the Shrek parallels 😂😂 for a sad one, here’s Maximus on horseback in a parallel with Tangled

both racing to save the ones they love 😭

@wildsaltair blame this on the booze, I am a bit tipsy lol

[copdog1234]

They sold me so hard on Lucy x Maximus, I'm a FIRM believer after the series... but WHERE is the fan content? They're both so sweet, hot, interesting, and complex.

Right??? They're so cute!! An on-screen couple that really didn't feel forced!!! They deserve more hype!!! The "I'll find you" couple, the "I'll support you" couple, the "love at first sight" couple, the hope for a better way of life, the self-sacrificing, the angst of how he fell in love with the girl whose father ruined his life.

I just have so many feelings about them and it's insane that no one else is talking about it.

[yourimagines]

Hi, can you perhaps write a one shot about the new fallout series. Perhaps about Maximus?

love your stories ❤️

Sure, I really like the series, as a gamer myself.

I hope you like this one ❤️

Wanderer

* English is not my first language I apologise

* Gif is not mine

* Triggers: Swearing, Blood, and Fluff

Y/N POV

The sun was shining down on me as I walked through the desert waste land. Sweat and blood were dripping down my skin, a bullet hole was on my right side of my shoulder and the headache I was having was getting worse by the minute. “I think I’m going crazy…” A loud explosion was heard in the distance, a shot of pain shoot through my head, causing me to shut my eyes. “Ahh…” my hand went up to my face as I fell down on my knees. “Please don’t let me die…” I slowly opened my eyes, trying to stay awake. My vision was blurry and my knees started to hurt from all the hot sand beneath them. I slowly fell flat down on my chest as a shadow started to cover me, I tilted my head up and saw something standing close to me. My eyes slowly rolled back and my face fell down again as I lost my consciousness.

Everything was pitch black, a weird uncomfortable feeling was flowing through my body. I felt heavy but also light, as something was carrying me. I tried everything, moving my arms, opening my eyes but nothing happened so panic started to creep in. I felt trapped in my own body without knowing what was happening to me.

Maximus POV

I saw a beautiful young woman wandering all alone under the desert sun, she was almost passed out when I spotted her. She’s probably wounded and dehydrated from all the heat. So I thought let’s go help her out, look if she needs some help but when I finally got to her she fell down, losing her consciousness. “I’ve got you.” I carefully picked her up and carried her out of the burning sun. She looked beautiful, she’s not from up here as her blue, yellow clothing and she wasn’t smelling bad, she had access to water. She could be from a vault or something.

I lay her down on the cold floor and checked her for some injuries. She had a view cuts and one bullet hole on the right side of her shoulder. I carefully took a better look at her shoulder and saw that the bullet went all the way through her shoulder, meaning it wasn’t there anymore. “You need a sting pack immediately.” I got out of my suit and grabbed the sting pack from my left arm. I kneeled down next to her and carefully injected the needle into her soft skin. “You’re going to be okay.”

Y/N POV

I woke up all alone in an old building with a sore shoulder. “Urgh…” my head was still pounding from all the heat and dehydration. I slowly sat up and saw a young man sitting in front of me, smiling at me. “Hi.” His voice sounded low and soft as he greeted me. “Hi.” My voice sounded a bit hoarse and not so sweet as usual. “You passed out because you were wounded, I fixed that problem for you.” He pointed at my shoulder. “Thank you….” “Maximus. My name is Maximus.” I nodded and took a look at my shoulder. “Why? Why did you help me, Maximus?” My shoulder was still hurting but the wound itself was looking way better than it was before. “Why not?” I looked back at him, he looked a bit confused. “Because we don’t know each other, I could have killed you.” He shrugged his shoulders and looks down at his hands. “Maybe but you needed help. And I do the right thing by helping people.”

Maximus POV

She was right but that’s not how I want to be, ignoring the people who need my help. I’m a knight now and I should help them. “Okay, well maybe I can help you out then, so tell me where are you heading?” “Las Vegas, I’m on a mission to save the world.” I saw her lips curl up, trying not to laugh. “Yeah, Yeah, I know it sounds stupid…” she shook her head as her cheeks got a rosy colour. “No it’s not, I-I’m also on my way to Las Vegas.” I was surprised, she was going to the same place. “Why?” “To find the person who shot me.” She pointed at her shoulder. “Okay, well we could go together, I mean it’s better than travelling alone.” She nodded and stood up. “Okay, let’s go then.” I smiled and stood up as well. “Have you ever flown before?”

She was clinging onto the suit as I flew us through the air. “Are you okay?” She had her eyes closed, probably afraid of falling down. She only nodded and I knew that I needed to land. I slowly went down and wrapped my arm around her as my feet touched the ground. She carefully opened her eyes and saw we were back on the ground. “We walk the rest.” I slowly placed her down on the ground. She nods and starts to walk.

Y/N POV

Max was a great companion to have in these harsh conditions. The loneliness was getting to my head and everyone I met wanted to kill me, just because I’m from a vault. “We should take a rest.” His robotic voice said to me. “Yeah, my legs hurt.” I sat down against an old wall, just out of the sun. He did the same but still in his suit. “You should take some sleep, you need it for your shoulder.” I wasn’t sure about that one, sleeping with a stranger. Yes he saved me but who says he doesn’t do anything to me, like selling me for caps. “I won’t do anything to you, I trust you and you should trust me. We are companions now.” I nodded and tried to get comfortable but everything felt uncomfortable. “I can’t, my shoulder hurts and the sand irritates my skin.” I felt a mental breakdown coming up as my eyes started to prick. “Come here.” He patted on his lap and I got shy. “Uhh you sure?” He nods and moved his legs a bit, getting comfortable by himself. I moved shyly to him and crawled into his lap. “Better right?” I was blushing very hard and hide my face against his metal chest. “I’ll keep watch, just rest a bit.”

I don’t want to admit it but I slept very good on his metal suit. His suit was cold outside the sun and it made me feel better. “Are you okay?” He asks me as we walked through the dessert again. “Yes, are you?” He nods and looks around. “I think we are almost there.” I stayed close to him as we walked over a hill. “I think we are here.” I said as I pointed to the city down the hill. “Well, thank you for your company Maximus.” I said to him, he nodded slowly and looked back at the town. “You sure you want to do this on your own?” I sighed and nodded. “Yes, we both have a different mission to achieve, but after this I would love to be your companion again.” He walks over to me and his large robotic hand moved up to my head. “Be careful.” I smiled up at him, feeling the butterflies in my stomach. “I will, be careful as well Max.” With that I walked away from him, heading to my own battle I had to fight as he flew over me, to fight his battle on his own.

[calaisreno]

Map of the World

1145 Words / CW: Nudity, sex

The day has not yet dawned, but everything in the room has barely started to take shape, gauzy and grey. I can’t see the clock. Doesn’t matter; too early for the hour to have a number. 

I remember sleepless nights when dawn was near, some vigil ending but  the day not yet begun. I remember nights without dreams, my sleep a solid and unbroken place between days. 

I open my eyes, your warm presence reminding me that this is real, this is my life. 

You’re still asleep, but you won’t be for long. People who know you would predict you’re a restless sleeper, tearing the sheets from their moorings, stealing the blankets. You’re not. When you sleep, it’s quiet, deliberate, deep. A trip into a Night Palace, perhaps. 

You don’t move when I touch you, still deep enough that you don’t register my hands. I adore your hands. You’ve deduced this, I know. Long, thin fingers, sensitive, artistic. Violinist’s hands. 

But there’s a place on your body where my hands always go, my favourite part of you. I’ve never said, but since the first time, I think you’ve known. Touch doesn’t lie. 

My hand travels lightly over the swell of your arse, finding the soft bit of skin between that and your leg. You’re lying on your side, top leg bent, the bottom one straight, and that’s where I find it, the soft crevasse between the gluteus maximus and the biceps femoris. 

I could live in that tender spot. 

You sigh now and begin turning into me, settling your head against my shoulder. I won’t touch your neck yet because you’ll wake as soon as I do, and I haven’t finished my exploration.

Soon I’ll roam the canvas of your back, feel the smooth, raised marks that are reminders of your two years away. These are the sigils that spelled the end of that journey and brought you back to me. They’ve faded to silvery-pink, and to me they are beautiful, a sacrifice you made out of love. You don’t walk around in a sheet these days, showing them off, but I know what they mean.

I find the scar on your chest, the one that nearly took you away from me again. It’s deceptively small, just a white pockmark now, barely able to be seen unless you’re looking for it. I don’t need a map to find it; my finger goes right to it. I touch it lightly, with reverence, knowing that you would have given your life for me to be happy. 

I wouldn’t have been; we both know that now.

Mapping each ridge of your ribcage, I feel your heart beating beneath.

Clothed, you don’t appear muscular, but your strength is here, in these long, lean limbs and the planes of your abdomen. The first time you hugged me, you were at your lowest peak, physically. You’d been shot, barely recovered, and then plunged yourself into drugs, wearing yourself so thin that it shocked me. I was angry, confused, distraught. 

When your arms went around me in comfort, I felt your strength. You were not frail. I did not doubt that you’d been using yourself up, abusing your transport in ways I hated, but you still felt solid, strong enough to catch me before I fell into despair. The weeks before—the drugs and the madness—were not a deception, but you’d been careful to hold back enough strength for when you would need it. Either I would save you, or you would save me. 

I think we saved each other.

You sigh, a barely-felt susurration against my neck. Avoiding your neck, I let my fingers travel to your nape, into the curls there. Your hair will look like a bird’s nest when you get out of bed, and that will be partly my fault. I love seeing you sleep-tousled, disheveled. For everyone else, you’re carefully put together; in disarray, you’re mine alone. 

Your hand rests on my shoulder, over my scar. An ugly thing, I’ve always felt, and difficult to hide because of its size. My country branded me a hero and sent me home. I didn’t feel like a hero; I hated my scar, the way my hand shook, and the perplexing limp that defied explanation. 

That day in the lab, I was invalid, a broken man trying to return to some sort of life. You were able to read my entire history in one look, and I felt embarrassed.

It was only years later, when we lay in bed and you traced my scar with gentle fingers, that you told me what it meant to you: Without this scar, you would not be mine. We would never have met. You might have died in another battle and never returned. Or you would have returned a different person, with more possibilities. That you returned as you did, a man who needed a flatmate, brought us together that day. The rest is history, as they say. 

Your eyes are open now, blinking in the pale early light. We are shadows here, a land before the dawn. Your hand reaches below, finding my eager cock. I touch all the hidden places, the soft skin of your bollocks, the swell of your muscles as you tense. You’re wide awake now, quietly watching my reactions. Patient now, soon you’ll be pleading, insistent. 

I kiss the smile that is curving your lips and, begin my journey below your jawline, down your neck. My hands are around you now, exploring. 

There are no words yet, none needed. We move together, the rustle of the sheets the only sound. Our bodies know one another. We read the signs: breath quickening, pheromones unloosed, flesh growing erect. 

We move. You once taught me to dance, telling me that it was all about reading your partner. This dance, we learned together, whispering under the sheets: Is this all right? Do you want—? Oh, God, yes! More! 

It’s early, and we’re both too impatient to lengthen this intimacy. I take us together in my hand, slick from sweat and semen, and you stretch out, gloriously pressing into the touch. Seeing you like this always burns me to the ground, lays waste my body. You shudder, and I no longer hold back. 

The sun rises, the room is lit gold. 

The sheets are already cooling as we lie heavy in our sweaty embrace. There will be more, when we’re awake, and it will be different, another journey across well-loved terrain. 

And now good-morrow to our waking souls, Which watch not one another out of fear; For love, all love of other sights controls, And makes one little room an everywhere. Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone, Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown, Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one. — John Donne, The Good Morrow

---

And here we are, the final day of May Prompts 2024! Thank you all for reading and for leaving wonderful comments. It's been so much fun. 💕

My final story was going to be a sequel to His Favourite Jumper but that story outgrew the category of "ficlet" and will be posted separately tomorrow on AO3. There will be socks! And Sherlock returns!

My entire collection of May ficlets can be found here: Trifles 3.

The May Prompts 2024 Collection (all authors who have submitted stories) can be found on AO3 here.

[wildsaltair]

@coping-via-clint-eastwood THANK YOU SO MUCH <3 I didn't see this in my feed so I might have missed it if you hadn't tagged me!!!

@whumptober | Day #29: "Fatigue" Gladiator (2000); The Quick and the Dead (1995); Proof of Life (2000); Cinderella Man (2005); American Gangster (2007); The Exorcism (2024); The Next Three Days (2010); L.A. Confidential (1997)

[crimsonboomerang]

Cooper Howard qotues

Why, is this an Amish production of The Count of Monte Cristo or... just the weirdest circle jerk I've ever been invited to?" – The Ghoul after being awoken

"Well, what makes you think I'd give a good goddamn about that?" – The Ghoul to Honcho about a bounty

"Well, I tell you what, boys, whenever somebody says... ...they're doing one last job, that usually means their heart's not in it. Probably never was. But for me, well... I do this shit for the love of the game." – The Ghoul to the bounty hunters

"You right, friend, about one thing. This right here was your last job. My paycheck wasn't quite what you expected, but... well, you know what they say. Us cowpokes... ...we take it as it comes." – The Ghoul while murdering Honcho

"Now, last night a bounty came in through all six agencies. A hefty price on the head of a man that fits the description of that fella right there. Now, I may not know much, but I do know a bidding war when I see one." – The Ghoul about the bounty for Dr. Wilzig

"Well, now, that is a very small drop in a very, very large bucket of drugs." – The Ghoul after being shot at by Lucy

"You got to be fucking kidding me." – The Ghoul after seeing Maximus' arrival

"Well, I'd say come up here and get me, but... it's hard to walk upstairs when you're wearing a 12-piece cast-iron skillet set." – The Ghoul to Maximus.

"Well, I guess basic training ain't what it used to be. 'Cause you drive that thing like a fucking shopping cart. Rule number one: read the manual." – The Ghoul taunting Maximus

"Yeah, well, the Wasteland's got its own golden rule. [...] Thou shalt get sidetracked by bullshit every goddamn time."

"Well, Lucy MacLean, it ain't all canned peaches and marmalade left up here, sweetheart. Sometimes a fella's got to eat a fella." – The Ghoul while harvesting Roger's remains

"I'll bet that outfit makes y'all fell like a big man, don't it? Well, I know 'cause, well I used to wear one back in the day. There was only one problem with it. There was a flaw in the welding just below the chest plate. I wonder if they fixed that in this new model? I guess not." – The Ghoul confronting the Brotherhood.

"Oh, you want another autograph, young Henry? Feo, fuerte y formal." – The Ghoul to Hank MacLean.

"When your daughter said her last name was MacLean, well, I just couldn't believe it was the MacLean. Hell, this kid used to pick up my wife's dry cleaning. Now, I've waited over 200 years to ask somebody one question. Where's my fucking family?" – The Ghoul confronting Hank MacLean.

"War never changes. You look out at this Wasteland, looks like chaos. But there's always somebody behind the wheel. And that's who I want to talk to. That's where your daddy is headed." – The Ghoul to Lucy Maclean.

John Hancock quotes

Of the people, for the people."

"Plenty of folks wanna make life hard for people just tryin' to survive. I'm not willing to stand for that kinda shit."

"What kind of settlement requires a test for entry?" – Referring to Covenant.

"Whoa, the Downs. Hope we're not going anywhere for a while." – Referring to Easy City Downs.

"That kinda bull is the reason I became mayor in the first place." – Referring to The Big Dig

"Damn. Hey, look, if you wanna get outta here..." – If taken to Nate/Nora's corpse in Vault 111.

"If someone needs help, we help 'em. If someone needs hurting, we hurt 'em. It's not hard."

"Like it? I think it gives me a sexy, king of the zombies kinda look. Big hit with the ladies."

"Hey, does that play "Red Menace?" Love that damn game." – Accessing a terminal

"Looks like you can use a little pick me up." – Said when initiating dialogue with him as a companion (and him giving the player character a random chem)

"Whoa ho ho, I like you already! Walk into a new place, make a show of dominance. Nice." – referring to the Sole Survivor killing Finn

"Listen close. It's the last thing you're ever gonna hear." – When Sinjin tells the player character to stop speaking as The Silver Shroud

"Christ, it's bright in here. Clearly they didn't consider some folks might be nursing hangovers. " – Possible comment when entering Vault 81.

If completing The Big Dig with Bobbi No-Nose:

"How you doin' killer? Arms tired from all that digging? You know, my strongroom is surprisingly empty now..."

"Now if it was just the money, I'd rough you up, break a few bones, and then we'd be square once you paid me back. But you killed Fahrenheit. That means blood for blood."

When traveling naked:

"Hey Emperor, love the outfit."

"Let them stare."

"Don't mind me, just enjoying the view"

When committing Cannibalism:

"Suppose they're...beyond caring at this point"

"You...you do what you gotta"

"That one...all yours"

"At least you have the politeness to wait til they're dead"

When using chems:

"Two a day, keep reality at bay."

"Lean back and enjoy the ride."

"That's a good one, take it all in."

"Never trip alone."

When getting Addiction:

"You feel as bad as you look?"

"Wow, how much did you take?"

"'ay, you should slow down, and that's ME saying that"

When not responding while talking with him:

"Did I say something wrong?"

"You wanna talk? Make me a little nervous over here."

"What gives? I thought we were talking."

"Did your chems just kick in or something?"

"Like talking to a brick wall."

"Hmm, lights are on but no one's home."

"What? Mole rat got your tongue?"

"Uhm... You alright?"

"You check out on me?"

"Anybody in there?"

"That's right. Take it all in

After committing to a close relationship

"Words don't begin to do it justice. You, you're the best thing I got."

"Guess you're the piece I'd always missing...that and that toe I still can't find..."

"It's like I found a part of myself I never realized was missing... which happens sometimes when you're a ghoul."

"Nothing to lose but each other."

"Moments like this, I know all that karma stuff is bull. Because no one like me should be this lucky."

"You sure you wanna be stuck with this ugly mug?"

When Lover's Embrace is activated:

"Morning, sunshine."

"Well look at you. I must still be dreamin'..."

"Don't mind me... just enjoying the view."

Upon picking up junk:

"Careful! You don't know where that's been."

"That actually worth something?"

"If anybody could find a use for that."

Upon looting a corpse:

"Time to collect."

"To the living, go the spoils."

When the Brotherhood of Steel arrives in the Commonwealth:

"Holy shit." – When witnessing the Prydwen's arrival.

"Brotherhood knows how to make an entrance. I'll give 'em that." – When commenting on the Brotherhood

Cooper Howard VS John Hancock quotes these two has some good quotes it's hard to pick one for me I say both anyways you can use these for Headcannons, Edits, Memes, and so on I just put these here so it's easier for some people to use them I also tag people if your interested talk in the messages there open I have so many things I want to make but the next one is going to get Cooper Howard and John Hancock with Serena I was thinking doing a Picture Edit with some quotes and yes I do requests too.

[perfectfangirl]

notes after rewatching fallout s1 ep1

so once again like a crazy person [i've done this with star wars sequels before] i've decided to take three and half pages of notes over the course of an hour. i've been a fan of the games for at least a decade and i'm actually always watching lore content between the installments though so while i do know some minute details, within the show, there was some things i was interested in and curious about that i just decided to jot down. some of this may be things discussed already and some of it might be something i wasn't sure if anyone brought up before but anyways! maybe i'll do the whole season, but here's my ramblings • them titling the episode "the end" was when i knew i'd love the show • ok but i really wonder if cooper can still do those party tricks? he was really good at them and lucy would probably love them too 🥺 • thinking back, the radio in the first scene mentions not knowing where the president is--- beginning to wonder if he was the guy sitting in on the vault tec meeting • just realized they introduced the mr. handy robot in some of the first scenes • ten years of nuclear threat according to anchor but the show is careful not to give away all the cards because why does the weather anchor make it seem like they know when the bomb will drop? idk but birthday boy mother turns off tv real "head in the sand" like • the nat king cole song that's playing though [wondering if the song is mirroring specifically cooper's feelings about barb despite everything hmm] • horse's name is sugarfoot 🥹 • him having to pay alimony... wonder what the prenup? was like... [still think he probably loves barb 😞]

• them calling him a pinko despite him being an architect of vault boy's persona, a quintessential presentation of a "man's man" acting as a cowboy, a real cowboy, a former marine--- wondering if there was a smear campaign after his situation with barb and vault tec, him working children's parties leads me to believe... • did the kid's say the birthday boy's name was boyd? [if so, there's another character in the games with this name and this is also the name of a character walton has played in another series, funny] • weather man show's up again distressed, wondering if we'll get more info about that day • everyone ignoring, cognitive dissonancing their own nuclear annihilation is so prescient if not disturbing and damning

• him teaching janey the thumb thing ☹️ • cooper's voice when he says "let me see if i can't rustle you up a piece" 😩 • janey being the only one to notice the first bomb • the fear in cooper's eyes • cooper being in denial one last time before realization sets in • people becoming animals the moment they realize what's happening--- one guy punches his friend not letting his family into the fallout shelter • people getting into their cars and cooper onto his horse to escape--- wonder how fast they could be since it doesn't seem you could outrun nuclear annihilation

• lucy being raised so well under the circumstances 😔 [hope she never becomes her father] • i haven't trusted steph since episode one • lucy being a teacher [amongst other things] and asking maximus about what happened after the bombs fell makes so much sense [and also much like another person suggested is an interesting juxtaposition to cooper's pre war knowledge] • lucy showing how skilled she is for being a marriage candidate when in reality we are seeing someone fit for the wasteland is crazy on second watch • is lucy not watching a cooper howard movie with her dad? hello??

• them reading "war and peace" in the family book club is rich • lucy [thinking] she's not good at guns, ironic • steph having to step in like a sisterly type because lucy's mom isn't there 😞 • the wedding dress on lucy being ill fitting, tight as symbolism for lucy not truly "fitting in there" and being constrained [foreshadowing] oof • the vault boy sign in the back saying "don't lose your head" lmao • didn't catch the "cousin stuff" until someone mentioned it on tumblr and twitter 💀

• the flashback we see of lucy ending up being almost a false memory, a misrepresentation of her actual memories, that she has been on the surface, in the sun • norm taunting lucy about her future husband being "anybody" and a "cannibal, crammed full of tumours" 😭 unfortunately for ghoulcy, this was some of the heaviest foreshadowing [the raider also could have been one too] • why didn't hank recognize moldaver? • so many things i still don't understand about vaults 31, 32, 33 • the growing realization they are raiders was pretty funny to me lmao

• moldaver having to sit through the disingenuous lies of hank ugh • norm going into vault 32 like they wanted them to know what was up? or is that just how vault doors work? they used lucy's mom's pip boy [that hank lied about burying] • lucy putting norm in a storage vault, she really is so strong • the handed down wedding dress getting messed up • i am curious if the raiders [shady sands survivors?] only mostly harmed vault tec aligners but maybe not • the way hank and steph retaliating a little too well • hank acting like he doesn't know moldaver when everyone really does know moldaver • moldaver telling lucy she looks like her mother is really such a tipoff

• realizing maximus is getting bullied 😭 • dane... might love maximus a little idk • from latrine duty to basically ruling over the brotherhood of steel • they really showed some dude jacking it lmao it's just normal i guess 💀 • maximus being defeated and having a rightful outburst of emotion, poor guy • the poster saying "the outside world can never harm you"--- funny • chet would've died up there 😭 • them not opening the vault back up for her, wondering if the vapourized bodies are from the initial bomb drop or the subsequent shady sands ones • dane almost gets maximus killed three times tbh • maximus joined the brotherhood of steel to get back at what vault tec did, essentially hank's doing, hank has many enemies • knowing the enclave, it makes sense why siggi is hunted • cooper the ghoul's introduction though • the bounty hunter saying his captors dig cooper up every once in a while to cut pieces of flesh off him 😞 no wonder cooper acts the way he does 😔 he's been taken advantage of, no wonder he doesn't trust anybody and is horrible to everyone • "why is this an amish production of "the count of monte cristo" or the weirdest circle jerk i've ever been invited to?" why would he say this 😭 • cooper's... been invited to circle jerks 👀 • does the bounty hunter know the ghoul is cooper howard?

• him not harming the chicken, him healing dogmeat, there's something there, folks • people only digging him up to use him again 😞 • what a coincidence he's dug up just as lucy leaves the vault • "i do this shit for the love of the game" he's a character, he's playing a character, real theatre kid • hence why cooper is introduced as "the ghoul", cooper is long gone • "us cowpokes, we take it as it comes" something about this lineee

[jeannereames]

Do you think alexander considered hephaistion his alter-ego?

"He, too, is Alexander"

Did Alexander think of Hephaistion as his alter-ego? Quite possibly—but not by that term. For one thing, “alter-ego” is Latin, and we find it first used in writing by Cicero, although it may have been (quite possibly was) in common parlance prior.

The concept did appear to exist in Greek, but the tendency to apply it to Alexander and Hephaistion owes chiefly to two attestations. The first is the recorded meeting between Alexander, Hephaistion, and Sisygambus, wherein he supposedly said, of Hephaistion, "He, too, is Alexander." The other concerns a quip attributed to Aristotle, mentioned in Diogenes Laertus that friendship is one soul in two bodies—but this not found Aristotle's surviving works, despite a longish passage on friendship in his Nikomachian Ethics.

Without being unduly cynical, we must always take exact phrasing with a grain of salt. I think there's very little we can be certain Alexander said. Same problem with Aristotle, unless you're reading his actual writings, and even some of those are dubious, such as the infamous Ath Pol, or Constitution of the Athenians. We typically distinguish these as “pseudo-Aristotle.” (So if you see “pseudo-”some-name, that means the work is attributed to that person but almost certainly not actually written by him/her.)

So, as part of my usual ‘Let me ‘splain you why you can’t trust that story/saying…,’ let’s play some dating games here.

First, Cicero is our initial attested use of “alter ego,” in a letter to his friend Atticus, that dates the phrase to somewhere between 68-44, or middle of the first century BCE. Maybe we can push it back a little earlier to the early first century, but I’d be uncomfortable pushing it further without solid evidence. Popular terms change. Anybody call a fashionable (male) person, “That cool cat…” these days—except as a bit of a joke? I didn’t think so. 😉 But “cool” itself is otherwise still in common use. So we have to be careful about when terms are popular.

Now, the story of Alexander before Sysigamgus is best known from Curtius (3.12.16-17), but Diodoros also relates it (17.37.5-6), and so does Arrian (2.12.3-8)—although with a caveat. He says it doesn’t appear in his trusted sources (Aristoboulos or Ptolemy) but he tells it anyway, apparently because he approves of the actions in it.

We don’t know where it comes from. Maybe Kleitarchos? Possibly Kallisthenes? It does not appear in either Plutarch’s bio of Alexander or his Moralia, although normally he loved these sorts of anecdotes. There’s a good reason, however, that Plutarch doesn’t tell it (see below). Justin is just too short. (It also appears in abbreviated form in a couple of later Roman sources, Valerius Maximus and Dio Chrysostom. So it was clearly popular in the rhetorician crowd.)

So, what are the words attributed to Alexander? Diodoros’ Greek is kai gar kai outos Alexandros estin: “and for also this [man] Alexander is” (6). Arrian renders it kai gar ekeinon einai Alexandron: “and for that man is Alexander” (7). Curtius puts it, albeit in Latin, nam et hic Alexander est: “for he also Alexander is” (17). Yes, I rendered those into English pretty exactly, even if it sounds a bit funny. First, it helps show how every translation is an interpretation, but also allows us to watch the parsing itself.

None of them is exactly the same, even if the meaning is the same. That’s a good reminder we don’t have his exact phrasing!

Assuming the event even happened.

Why should we doubt it? Aside from Arrian’s skepticism?

This story feels a LOT like a classic lesson in proper clemency. I’ve talked about the importance of clemency before. The bulk of this tale is meant to show a chivalrous Alexander early in his career, before he fell victim to divine aspirations and the lure of that nasty Oriental Luxury <tm>. See what a good guy he was?! Plutarch, in his take, insists not only did Alexander not rape the royal women, he wouldn’t even look at the women. That’s probably why he doesn’t tell this story, because going to their tent absolutely IS looking at them, donchaknow. It’s even funnier because it’s Plutarch who tells us Statiera died in childbirth well, well after that baby could have been Darius’s. (Consistency? What consistency? Pfff.)

My point here is that the story may very well have been fabricated to make a MORAL point of how to be an honorable victor—whether in the era of the Successors (which grew increasingly bloody and vicious), or in the later Roman period. It would also provide a perfect example for Curtius to contrast with Alexander’s later Asian debauchery.

You may be wondering, But why would they make up an entire story like that? Wouldn’t people know?

Um, to prove my point I give you…Twitter, QAnon, and whatever quote is being attributed (wrongly) to Samuel L. Jackson this week. The more often people hear something, even a lie, the more likely they are to believe it’s true. Arrian’s other stories of after-Issos events has Leonnatos going to talk to the women, not Alexander (and Hephaistion). Of course, it’s entirely possible Leonnatos went the first evening, while Alexander and Hephaistion went the next morning. It even makes a certain amount of sense that he’d visit the royal women. So, the bare-bones of the encounter may be true, but mistaken identities and all those speeches were likely put in people’s mouths later.

Incidentally, there’s a pun in the line, as alex-andros translates to “protector of men.” So Hephaistion is also a protector of men. Romans and Greeks ate up that sort of word-play.

As for the Aristotle titbit…Diogenes Laertus reports a list of “sayings” (aphorisms) attributed to various philosophers. For Aristotle, one is: “To the query, ‘What is a friend?’ his reply was, ‘A single soul dwelling in two bodies’” (5.20). I’ve seen people claim he was referencing Alexander and Hephaistion. There’s absolutely no reason to assume that except romanticism and an Alexander-centric view. In our surviving writings by Aristotle, he barely mentions Alexander.* Shock, I know. 😂 But Alexander wasn’t at the forefront of his mind.

Additionally, as I said above, we have a longish bit on friendship in the Nikomachian Ethics, where that definition doesn’t appear, although nothing he says about true friendship in it contradicts the quote, either. But “Sayings of…” were a popular form of literature in antiquity, and sometimes a clever quip got attributed to more than one person! Maybe Aristotle did say that, but it’s not in actual writings about friendship by Aristotle. Aristotle’s writings on friendship are rather more complex; he lists three types of friendship in Book VIII.

Anyway, this little in-depth study is meant to help folks see how complicated it can be, to get back to what ALEXANDER himself said, thought, or even did.

Yet one thing ALL the sources agree upon: Hephaistion was Alexander’s favorite, not just (or even primarily) as a commander, but as a person. I’ve never read any claim to the contrary, and I have (quite literally) read everything in the ancient sources that concerns Hephaistion (and most everything that concerns Alexander too).

So, while it’s impossible to say that Alexander considered Hephaistion an “alter-ego,” or ever called him “Alexander too,” you can rest assured that every ancient source agrees that Hephaistion was dearer to Alexander than anybody else, maybe even including his own mother.

—————-

* 391a2: his “On the Universe” treatise opens with a reference to “Alexander,” who I think it’s safe to assume is the king. And 1420a5, is “Rhetoric to Alexander”--except that treatise is widely understood (even in the medieval world) to be bogus: e.g., a "pseudo-Aristotle" text. Plus Alexander is mentioned in a couple fragments.

[apomaro-mellow]

Okay, let's talk about Gladiator 2 and why parts of it fell flat

As soon as the movie started and we see Lucius' wife with the biggest death flag ever, I wondered if women WOULD have a larger role in this movie but honestly my hopes weren't high.

The monkey cgi wasn't distracting, I think it was fine. What WAS distracting was how they were all rabid and murderous but as soon as Lucius takes down his the rest just. Stop? And it's not even in an "they saw him kill one of their own and backed off". They just basically disappear.

Alright so now for the actual plot. I'm all for political intrigue but when you do that it needs to be made clear what each faction is and what their endgame is. It takes a little too long into the movie for this to be established. I get that Acacius and Lucilla want to overthrow the emperors and restore power to the sentate, making Rome a republic like what her father and Maximus wanted. It takes a bit too long to be revealed that Macrinus simply wants Rome to fall and dissolve completely. And Lucius's motivations and goals change throughout the movie, for good reason, but his development feels lacking.

I feel like I'm going in a bunch of directions, so let's focus on this character by character instead, starting with our main.

Lucius has the seeds of a great character and clear motivation but he never feels fully fleshed out. At first his main goal is to kill Acacius because of the death of his wife, so it seems mostly personal and like Lucius has no real stake in Rome, despite being a prince of it. But then in the cell scene with his mother he apparently resents her for seemingly moving on with her life and never coming back for him and like-my friend, HOW? The film shows that Lucius was essentially wandering and lost his protective detail through the years, how was she supposed to find him and bring him home? She probably thought he was dead! I don't think he had to lose his wife or have the revelation of his real father to want to fight against Rome or for it. The fact that he would have seen Rome taking more and more lands and killing people either in search of him or in their pursuit of domination should be enough. Also, he only ever showed ferocity when fighting or that one scene with his mother. I think if he was really filled with rage, they should have found more opportunities to showcase that.

Lucilla's only fault is being a female character and thus the narrative doesn't know what to do with her besides making her do the exact thing she did in the last movie which is not watching what she said and where she said it. I can believe that she was frazzled from her meeting with Lucius and forgot to check her surroundings but this is literally what happened in the first Gladiator. So you're telling me she learned nothing after her lover was killed and her son went missing??? There's really not much else to say about her character.

Acacius was actually pretty fine for me but that's mostly because it felt like he had the least amount at stake? IDK, his motivations were clear. He's in love with Lucilla, so of course he supports her plan, he even has the means to do it. I guess he hesitates to help Lucius but it's not obvious how long has passed from when he finds out the prince's identity and when he's next in the arena. I don't know how he was supposed to help Lucius anyway. He understood his role in Lucius pain and was ready to die by his hand. He might be the only character fully realized in this movie.

Macrinus was a treat and that's not just bc he was played by Denzel. He's making moves from the beginning and it's entertaining to watch even when you don't know exactly to what end. But as I said before, I feel like it takes too long to know what that end is. Especially when his acquiring of Lucius is completely on accident. At first it just seems like he wants power just to be on the senate, then it seems he specifically wants to puppet the emperors. I really do like the progression of what he did, I just wish we knew more about where he came from and how that colored his opinion of Rome and wanting to destroy it. But he basically won, so that's another point in his favor.

Geta and Caracalla are the last ones I'll talk about. I'm biased bc I'm currently enamored with Joseph Quinn's acting but I still feel like more could have been done with their characters. The twins are supposed to be tyrannical but they seem tame compared to Commodus so let's put their deeds up side by side.

Commodus: 1. killed his father. 2. tried to execute an innocent man after framing him. 3. burned and crucified that man's wife and child 4. has at least been trying to sexually coerce his sister to the point where her son is rumored to be the product of incest 5. fatally wounded Maximus before meeting him in the arena

The twins: 1. changed a 3 round punching match to a battle to the death instead. 2. One murdered the other

The movie wants you to do a lot of fill in the blank when it comes to them. They're Roman emperors, so of course their morals are low compared to the average person. But that's not enough. Commodus' personality permeated every action he took and each one, whether towards his sister or Maximus was antagonistic. Saying that either of the twins do anything to propel the plot until the latter half of the film is being generous.

There's also the fact that nothing they do is personal. Hardly anything that happens in this movie is.

Acacius isn't the one who kills Lucius' wife. It's a random Roman soldier. Macrinus has nothing personal against anyone in this movie, he was branded with Marcus Aurelius. I'm trying to remember a scene between Lucilla and the emperors BEFORE her betrayal is found out and I'm coming up with nothing. Now that I think about it, does Acacius even know that Lucius was at the siege of Numidia?

I still give this movie a 7/10, it's perfectly enjoyable, perfectly watchable, those colosseum scenes - especially if you see it in theaters. I could've watched hours more of Macrinus and the twins. But they could've done more to strengthen the characters.

[guapoduoshipper]

Mi corazón es tuyo.

Part 2: here.

I found it very interesting that q!Cellbit openly confessed that he fell in love with q!Roier from the first time he saw him because I think that nowadays he can say it being 100% sure of that but, watching a bit of his first days on the island I realized that, while you can confirm that he is telling the truth, you can also see that at the beginning he didn't know how to identify exactly what q!Roier caused in him. And, let's see, it's totally normal, q!Cellbit previously only knew hostility, he came from a place where he was feared but not admired, where he trusted no one and no one trusted him.

It's just that I can imagine q!Cellbit looking at !Roier's energetic smile like a fool and not being able to define it any other way in his head as a "I'm never going to forget that smile" because he had a crush on someone but he had no idea what "having a crush" was in the first place.

And then you confirm that there was indeed a genuine interest on q!Cellbit's part from the beginning: he was able to distinguish q!Roier from all the other islanders, he even acknowledged that he liked him and laughing out loud at q!Roier's antics was always easy for q!Cellbit but you can also notice how he was initially wary of him for more serious topics such as the enigmas surrounding the island.

He didn't know his true intentions and was apprehensive when q!Maximus started sharing with him everything related to The Theory Bros. And, it seems to me something SO congruent with q!Cellbit as a character that seeing how little by little q!Roier is gaining his trust, through sincere and solid actions, to the point that he is the only member of the order to whom he is incapable of lying to and that, on the contrary, he tells him in all sincerity all his plans to infiltrate the federation with the certainty that he is not going to rat him out, is simply art.

From the first "crush" was born an interest from which, after forming a friendship and with mutual flirting, came an unconditional support that helped q!Cellbit finally realize what it was that he saw in q!Roier that he had not known before: to love and be loved.

[kb1301]

I need a new Shaxx12 fic! So I guess I have to make it!

This one's going to be about first confessions!

Letting Your Core Out

By the Ironwood Tree, where the afternoon breeze shook its leaves and branches, and where each loose leaf fell with the wind’s aid, there was Max.

He was going to have a discussion… with someone he long loved to be with. With someone he’d pined for and waited for, for so long. A busy and proud man with a knack for boisterous shouts and a heart that exclaimed its golden self. A strong and adamant man that had protected people and destroyed what number of enemies.

He looked onward to the countless buildings and structure of the City from the ledges of the Tower. And in his gaze did he find himself in thought.

He had always believe in finding love, or finding affection and intimacy with the right person. He had that idealism when it comes to relationships, always wanting to find that person for himself. Though of course, his previous relationships from his previous versions had told him much about what to expect when it comes to love. He’d pour out his core, his heart, to completion for the people he gave his care and affection. And what did he get? Pain, mistreatment, abandonment, the extreme highs and the deep lows. He never knew them until Spinner came to help him remember it. It wasn’t his Ghost’s fault, he was the one curious about it.

And so now he had sown his own doubts onto himself. That idealism he long had becoming more dubious as time passed and as he reminisced over what memories he never had nor recently knew. But he still had a glimmer of hope. He’s not the hopeless romantic he was from since then, but the same sentiment kept itself for his current version.

The heavy steps of boots got him out of his pondering, and in facing behind did he see Lord Shaxx, and his core whirred a bit faster.

"You have taken yourself a momentary reprieve, Lord Shaxx?"

Shaxx leaned over the ledge beside him, and so did Max follow suit.

"There are no matches within the Crucible that are in need of my handling as of now. Breaks are rare and few for me and so I came here." Max nodded. "Though of course, you have something to discuss with me, Maximus?" Shit. "You had requested for my attention, so I am here to listen!"

He looked at his helmet, one horn intact and yet glorious. He had wondered what would be underneath it... And how much he'd like to remove it to hold his cheeks and kiss him— No, focus! Muster the truth!

The breeze came once more, and the leaves fell by them. It hadn't bothered him though, too preoccupied with processing the right words and the right feelings. He felt too awkward already, by just being with Shaxx nearby and the conflicting feelings inside him.

"Max, come on! I know you well! Just let it out when you've calmed your thoughts!" Spinner spoke to him through his consciousness, for which he was thankful. Spinner was if not, the closest confidant he had with anyone. The bond of a Guardian and their Ghost was boundless, and Max knew that well. Even through the reboots and memory wipes he faced.

"Maximus?"

"Oh, uh... Yes, I do have something in mind to speak of with you, Lord Shaxx." He's already fidgeting, but he calmed himself down with a short moment of meditation.

"Okay... Lord Shaxx, I must confess something from deep within me. I..." Here goes nothing. "I have developed a burgeoning... and inexplicable affection for you. Not only out of admiration as someone that motivates me even through my failures and shortcomings, but also through what successes I've made with what fireteams I've joined." He said it quietly as passersby, both Guardian and those without the Light, were there and could listen in on them.

"This affection is not... merely platonic. It's... romantic as well. I've grown to be fond of you, and every time I hear your praises or your rousing cheers or concern, it makes my core—my own whirring heart—turn faster."

"Every time I come by your area of the Tower, I always took a glimpse of you, one of longing and yearning... One that I'd never thought to get into again. My life and the previous selves I've had, always were hassled by the whims of something like love and affection. I was a fool of such, treating myself like some blind devotee to someone I placed my affection for. In return I was hurt, and used, and discarded."

He looked downwards, unable to face Shaxx.

"What I am trying to say, Lord Shaxx, is that... I've loved you, and I still do carry those words within me. Even as my idealistic and dreamy interpretations of love have grown dimmer than what it used to be, I kept a certain hope that that love will be actualized. Be realized."

"And so... I confess to you all of this, and the evolved infatuation turning into the love I have for you."

As the words settled into the air, Max felt heavy, squeamish even. The silence had him fearful, had him feeling ashamed of confessing something shitty and pathetic to the man he wanted to love. Fuck me, I guess. Foolish imbecile you are, Maximus.

With that thought impacting him, he had said one last thing.

"I completely apologize Lord Shaxx, that was an inappropriate discussion of mine to hand out to you."

He quickly bowed and tried to scurry away, he was stopped from leaving any further however. The tight grip on his arm, though truly gentle with the fingers sinking onto his robes, had held him back and facing the taller and bigger man in front of him.

"No, Maximus. Don't leave."

Max's optics widened, the bright blue staring at the other's helmet, as if seeing his face behind it. He relented easily, looking down ashamed, and yet patiently curious.

They had stared at the City again, but he could feel Shaxx's gaze on him.

"I... understand the emotions that you have, Guardian. These feelings you have are valid, and I will not fault you on it."

The Exo nodded understandably, at least knowing that Shaxx accepted it was already dissipating some of his more momentary fears.

"I do have my own confession to share, while we have time."

If Max was organic, that would've gotten him choking in shock.

"I am aware of your feelings, Maximus. I know of your candidly shy stares for a while. I know of your reasons to come by my part of the Tower, always trying to talk to me and wanting to learn more about me. I know of your gushes that spread implicitly through your trusted friends. To be frank, it's adorable."

Max's headplates felt warmer than usual.

"The amount of time you've spent beside me, through the talks and even just the proximity of you being there, has grown to me as well. Be it for the Crucible that you loathe going through, and yet you persisted and overcame through, or even making friendly conversations with me where you hid your infatuation under the words, it was all spent well."

"I never had acted upon it though. Too much at stake, and the Crucible is always something that will be under my hands, and hence I am busy. I would not have the time to confide with any such feelings or thoughts if it wasn't for you being such a distraction to me."

"What kind?" Max asked, his spirits slowly lifted with each sentence spoken by Shaxx.

"One that I welcome. One that is rare." Oh. His metal skin felt warmer now, having spread from his head. He could feel his temperature rise.

"Like you, I've grown to... love you too. It was not as instantaneous as you had. I know the way those eyes of yours grew brighter the first time you ever saw me." Oh fuck. "But my own emotions had grown slowly but gradually over time."

"Which leads us to where we are now, Maximus—" The man Shaxx spoke of wasted no time to hug him, enveloping his own arms over his abdomen, not fully enclosing it.

"I... That's all I would want Lord Shaxx..." His voice sounded like a mix of relief, anxiety, excitement, and affection. He dug himself deep onto his armor, as much as his body would allow.

Shaxx hugged him back, embraced him fully. Even leaning down to make it more comfortable for the both of them.

Perhaps they held this embrace for a while... The City they viewed over forgotten, the breeze of the afternoon time blowing over their looser garments.

Max felt this was worth it, and hoped it would continue out to be that way.

[smallratboy]

"I would butcher the whole world if only you would love me"

Maximus and Commodus grew up together as brothers. They were inseparable, bound together by fate. As they grew up, their bond was broken, and they had to face one another not as brothers, but as enemies.

Chapter 7

Masterlist

Tags/warnings: Brotherly relationship between Maximus and Commodus, non-graphic mentions of incest between Commodus and Lucilla, graphic mentions of battle and corpses, major spoilers for the film

Commodus 

It had seemed like hours that these senators had been talking, droning on and on about horrifically boring and useless things like whatever new sickness had sprung up in Greece. Commodus had long begun to fiddle with his sword, at first sheathing and unsheathing it, then tapping the toes of his boots, then spinning it on the marble tiles. The tip of the blade made a dull whine as it spun against the floor, leaving a small indent beneath it. 

Finally, as Gracchus was starting yet another bout of ceaseless droning, Commodus held up a hand to silence him. As the room fell quiet, he looked up at the senator. 

“Don't you see, Gracchus?” Commodusasked, a tight smile drawn across his face. “That's the very problem, isn't it.

“My father spent all his time at study, reading books, learning his philosophy. He spent all his twilight hours reading scrolls from the senate. All the while, the people were forgotten.”

Gracchus faltered, an expression of disdain on his face. He took a step towards Commodus. 

“But don't you see?” Gracchus asked, hands extended, smiling as if superior. “The senate is the people, chosen from the people, to speak for the people.” 

Commodus stood, his sword held dangerously in his hand. Gracchus faltered under Commodus’ smoldering stare. 

“I doubt the people eat so well as you do, Gracchus,” Commodus pointed out. He turned to another senator, pointing at him with his sword. “Or have such splendid mistresses as you, senator Gaius. I understand my own people.” 

“Perhaps the emperor would be so kind as to teach us,” Gracchus joked, “from his own extensive experience.” There was a ripple of laughter from the surrounding crowd, and Commodus felt anger and embarrassment burn within him. He sighed, throwing the sword over his shoulders and leaning his head against it in false nonchalance. 

“I call it love,” Commodus declared, turning around the room. “The people are my children and I am their father. I shall show them they are loved. I shall hold them to my bosom and embrace them-”

“Have you ever embraced someone dying of plague, sire?” Gracchus interrupted. Commodus turned to face him, a deadly fury in his eyes. Gracchus paled, taking a step back. Commodus took a step towards him, fury building within him. 

“No,” He said, his voice full of malice. “But if you interrupt me again, I assure that you shall.” The threat was clear. Commodus’ hand shook against the tip of the sword where he held it, the cold metal digging into his fingers and drawing blood. 

From the corner of his eye, he sees Lucilla rise to intervene. Commodus storms out, the sword falling to his side but still tight in his grasp. 

Commodus sat down hard on his throne, swinging the sword in front of him and imagining it was all the senate who he was striking down. Every single dry old man who would aim to lecture him, put him down, treat him like a child. He wished he could strike them all down. 

“Who would dare to lecture me?” He cried to Lucilla as she entered the throne room. 

“The senate has its issues,” Lucilla admitted, coming to stand before Commodus. He looked up at her. 

“All they do is talk,” Commodus complained. “It should be just me, you, and Rome.”

“Don't even think it!” Lucilla reproached. “There has always been a senate. The people depend upon it.”

Commodus scoffed. How could anyone but him get some sort of joy from the senate. Even the lowliest of Rome's citizens enjoyed the idea of their senate, but the emperor would see them stricken down. Was Rome that blind, or was there something within Commodus that caused this disparity? This thought made him even angrier. 

“Rome has changed!” Commodus said, standing. Lucilla eyed him warily. “It takes an emperor to rule an empire!”

“Yes, but you must at least leave the people their…” She trailed off, unsure of what to say. 

“Illusions?” Commodus supplied. 

“Traditions,” Lucilla settled on. Commodus scoffed. 

“Traditions,” Commodus mocked. “What are traditions worth in my new Rome?” 

“New Rome?” Lucilla asked, concern in her voice. 

“I shall show the people the greatest thing they have seen, and they will love me for it!” Commodus declared, taking a step towards his sister, standing inches before her. “They will soon forget the tedious sermonizing of a few dry old men. I will give them the greatest vision of their lives; colosseum games worthy of a great empire!” 

Lucilla looked at him, looking like she wanted to reproach him. He waited, his gaze deadly. Finally, she gave him an acquiescing smile. 

“Whatever you say, brother,” Lucilla said, holding a hand out to him. He took it, bringing her palm to the side of his face and kissing it. 

“My empress,” he murmured, drawing her to him. He held her in a solid embrace, inhaling the scent of her lavender soaps. He almost imagined that he felt her trembling in his grasp. 

Maximus

Maximus’ thighs ached from the rough leather of his saddle. The sun beat down relentlessly on his shoulders, and the wound on his shoulder throbbed in tandem with his head. 

As he crested the mountain pass that overlooked his home, he saw a sight that awoke him from his stupor like a bath of ice water dumped over his head. His farms were destroyed, his horses slaughtered, his family nowhere to be found. The sands of his home were stained a dark crimson. 

His horse, the poor beast as exhausted as he was, began to gallop as he drove his heels into its flank. They flew down the hill, the Spanish scenery turning into a dusty blur as they rode. Finally, his horse gave up on him, bucking him off and settling down onto the sand, exhausted. 

Maximus ran as fast as his weary legs would take him, up the hill leading to his home and across the smoldering ruins of his burnt homestead. He let out a strangled cry and fell to his knees when he reached his small mud house. 

His family, his dear wife and son, were crucified and lashed to the front of his home. Their bodies were disfigured, their faces bruised and battered, barely recognizable. He let out a strangled sob, the sound wrenching its way out of his throat like it was trying to escape his insides. 

On his knees, beneath the corpses of his wife and son, he wept. He had lost everything. His father, his son, his wife. All of them taken from him. All of this because of Commodus. As he sobbed, he thought back on his childhood. He always knew there was something off with Commodus, something hidden beneath the surface, but he loved him nonetheless. 

As visions of all he had lost danced before his eyes, one horrible, unrelenting thought wove its way through his mind. How did it come to this?

Slowly, very slowly, his weeping stopped. In its place was a hollow melancholy, heavy in his bones like it was calling him to return to earth. 

Battling this heaviness was worse than fighting for his life, but he managed to gently, lovingly, take down the crucifixes and slowly pull the nails from their hands and feet. He threw the nails and crucifixes as far away as he could get them, wanting to be rid of them forever. 

Monotonously, he began to dig into the harsh, sandy earth with his hands. The gravel began to wear away at his palms, bloodying them. Finally, long after the sun had fallen below the mountainside, he covered the bodies of his family with the same sandy gravel that he had planted his crops in a lifetime ago. 

Wearily, lovingly, he topped each grave with a jasmine flower, which hung beautifully from the roof of his home. The pink blossoms were small but fragrant, their scent bringing fresh tears to his eyes. He tucked himself between the two graves and fell asleep, imagining that he was back in his bed, wrapped between the ones he loved. 

What felt like ages later, he found himself awoken by the rumbling of a horse carriage and the bright light of the midday sun. He squinted, his eyes protesting at the sudden intrusion of light. A figure leaned over him, blocking the sun from his gaze. He felt the man pack something into the wound on his arm, reminding him of the pain. He grimaced. 

“Don't die. They will feed you to the lions,” The man above him said, an unfamiliar accent heavy in his words. “The lions are worth more than we.” He joked. 

Maximus couldn't find the energy to even chuckle, sleep overtaking him once more. He dreamed of plains of wheat, stretching as far as the eye could see, and the soft sound of children's laughter which rang out all around. 

~*⚔*~ 

In the royal palace, Lucilla slept, her son wrapped in her arms. Rome was quiet, the heat of the day finally dissipated. Emperor Commodus walked the halls, his robes swishing softly as he walked. Commodus felt a hot, sandy breeze against his cheeks. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. 

In the far Roman province of Zucchabar, it was as noisy as ever. Slaves were hauled in from all parts of the world, and traders shouted at passersby, trying to sell their wares. Maximus slept, albeit fitfully. A cold breeze hit Maximus’ face, soothing his fever and reminding him of home. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked.

~*⚔*~ 

a/n: Likes, reblogs and comments make my day, so if you liked this or want to suggest another fic, don’t be afraid to tell me!

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVING MY WORK TRANSLATED, PLAGIARIZED OR REPOSTED TO ANOTHER SITE

[dastardlyobnoxious]

QSMP Purgatory finale

On a cc/streamer/lore level it'd be incredibly lame if multiple people were perma killed because they failed the equivalent of a quick time event. Holding out hope that given BBH’s return to the island, the others will see similar alternate escapes play out. 

On a head canon/fan-fic level though, I really admire how metal/angsty this ending comes off?? You could take this in so many directions, and I kinda love it for that. 

Like picture this: 

Desperately running towards the coast line as their escape stood before them, having fought long and hard to escape this nightmare.

No one could've anticipated the nuke Maximus was building, it caught everyone off guard, including the Observer, who’d failed to anticipate this penultimate attempt to end the federation.  

Vaporized in a near instant, max’s victory would mark everyone else's defeat. 

Slime & Roier helping each other in their escape, they'd arrive on the boat first, rushing round it to get that old junker started in the few minutes they had. Without them, even those who'd escaped might've perished. They'd bring a relieving levity to the survivors, hiding the grief they felt to help the others. Roier in particular starting back his therapy sessions. 

Phil & Tubbo arriving next, after the earlier madness of the two clashing, when the cards fell they still deeply cared for one another. Phil air lifting Tubbo out even as his wings tore and broke, just as they arrived. They'd be crucial in maintaining the boat and keeping count of supplies, crushed by the looming dread of potentially losing so many. They’d get help from the others when the boat was in crisis or in need of hands.  

Fit arriving next, he'd stayed strong throughout Purgatory, keeping it together for the sake of his son Ramon. Through Phil’s aid he'd manage to save Bagi with only seconds to spare, crashing onto the boat as Bagi swam behind. Desperately hoping that Pac and Ramon made it to safety, he'd take charge as a group leader, dealing with any conflicts or dilemmas alongside Etoiles.

Bagi was next, saved by Fit, she'd clung to the edge of the boat as they'd started to depart. Throwing herself aboard as they'd started to sail away, she'd actively mourned the dead while trying to maintain an optimistic outlook that the others had survived. She’d serve as a reliable emotional anchor for many in the group, serving as a sort of backup leader in case Fit or Etoiles weren’t available, she’d support the others where she could. 

Ironmouse, Etoiles, and Aypierre reached the boat as the bombs went off, missing the radiation burns by mere moments; they'd made it onboard in various ways. Catching the boat thanks to its angle towards the shore, Iron made it on foot whilst Aypierre and Etoiles made it via grappling to the sides and throwing themselves over. Once grounding themselves, Etoiles and Aypierre would be there alongside Fit to break up any potential disputes, serving as the group’s muscle whilst helping with their technical experience. Iron on the other hand, mainly managing the group's supplies alongside Tubbo, she’d take charge of gardening and rationing what was on board.  (Not the most familiar with the last four, so if any of that’s just entirely inaccurate tell me).

Nine out of sixteen made it off that crumbling island, left with the anticlimax and non-closure that came with the other’s vanishing alongside that watchful eye. They will carry those scars, never being the same happy go lucky people they’d been. Cellbit, Tina, Maximus, Dapper, BBH, Foolish, and Baghera each had their own stories ended abruptly. Whether they survived or not is an ambiguous unlikelihood, maybe they beat those odds, maybe not. 

The survivors were left with one question, what of the other eggs? They’d been assumed dead alongside the Observer, but one variable remained in play, ElQuackity. He was never a fan of the eggs, but if it came down to survival, would he work with them? It was a question that stirred in the survivors, clinging to those next to nothing odds.  Anyways, that’s just my take on yesterday's events, who’s to say what’s true or what isn’t. Up to the CC’s afterall! Hope this was a fun read regardless.

[taraishere]

The sad downfall of Atomic Betty

I have beef with Season 3. If you're wondering "Why Tara? Atomic Betty was a perfect show start to end!" Well my mates.... two words. Mission. Earth.

Atomic Betty seasons 1 to 2 were perfect for the most part with memorable characters, smart written jokes, plots that can be interesting and etc.

Mission Earth has NONE OF THAT! Or barely any to say the most. They flanderized characters like Betty, Penelope,Sparky, X-5 and DEFINITELY NOAH. Despite that, Chaz and Regeena are good or alr characters to say the most.(but wtf does Chaz give old emo smoker vibes-)

And if you're wondering,yes, not all of season 2 and 1 was perfect, there were a bit of flops but it was still exceptional while Season 3/Mission Earth wasn't! There was only a few good episodes like No Space Like Home, Bold Age, Love Bites, Fairytale Fate, Bootcamp Betty, The Manchurian Guardian and there was even one episode in this season that was a guilty pleasure of mine,Girl Power. But still, a third of the top ten worst episodes are full of this season.

Episodes like April Fools Overture, A Finfull Of Dollars,Who's The Baby Now? ,It Came From Hollywood and ESPECIALLY A HARD DAYS FIGHT are absolutely insufferable. Not only this but, the jokes are just.... UNFUNNY... most of them are just grossout jokes or one off catchphrases, this was very rare in 1 and 2. Only a few jokes made me laugh in Season 3 but even then it was only occasionally.

What's sad about this is that the first episode of this season was great because it had the charm of the first 2 seasons and (sadly)the last relevant appearances of The Chameleon, Paloma and Juanita(The Chameleon is the 2nd best fucking villain behind Maximus and Minimus,change my mind,while Paloma is my favourite character overall). No Space Like Home was great but sadly the short partned with it along with the next episode was shit.

Speaking of shorts most of them were ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS. The good ones where the love triangle one, the one where X-5 is a chair and the last two Sparky and Minimus:Undercover thing. The short with NSLH, Sparky and X-5: Prank'd was just B A D like the idea of X-5 pranking Sparky would of been good but the execution was terrible like if I rewrote this episode(which I will) then it would of been awesome but no, like the prank here is NO WAY in character for both X-5 and Sparky like it would been better if they make an adult adaptation of AB this would of been great but here NOPE! At least do the thing TD did where they just censored it but oh well.

The shorts should of been an aftermath of the episode (Like Total Drama Island- Total Drama World Tour) just to make it better - Or even a POV of one of the characters! But fuck it's been god long,AB's cancelled ,Atomic Cartoons fells of like what else do they have now other than Hilda? And mostly everyone who worked on Atomic Betty moved on.

[annachum]

Okay now I'm finally having some ideas on the Inhumans in ASOMAM

In ASOMAM, the Inhumans are actually also magical beings living amongst the Lhazareen mountain scapes, and ruling them over is the Royal House of Randac ( ie Inhuman royal family )

We have ofc the roster of the main Inhuman royals

But Maximus fled to join Wenwu's web of alliance ( with Doctor Doom )

So to help secure an alliance between Lhazar and the Free Cities ( both became under threat of Doctor Doom ), Pietro Blackfyre was set up to be bethrothed to the Princess Crystal of Lhazar

Man at first those 2 aren't as convinced. Like Free Cities and Lhazar never had an alliance before - how can one sure this can work?

But when Crystal shows up with her Lhazareen entourage, dressed in a beautiful gold and black Lhazareen royal robe.....

Pietro FELL at first sight

Anyway, Crystal didn't fall for the X Council Silver prince per se, but she gradually grew to love him

They went from allies to friends to love 🤯🤯🥺🥺🤯🥺🥺

That was also inspired by the 70s/80s plotline where Crystal joined the X Men btw 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

So the Marvel Comics turns out to want to have more of a Chinese/Desi/Himalayan like cultural approach with Attilan. But it's first created in the 60s so it all gets confusing.

I talked with a co worker about the Marvel Comics

And she said that a lot of the older Marvel Comics are created for white people and that's a reason there are those ethnic stereotypes in the Comics

My mind just went BLOWN

It's like

WOW

That explains a lot

I'm just so glad that the cultural representation in the MCU movies is actually better than in the Marvel Comics

All things considered 🤯🤯🤯

Okay with that realization

I can see more the Attilan in MCU ( or smth ) be like a mix of Chinese, Himalayan and Desi cultures, similarly with how Stan Lee intended but there's a lot of confusion going on in the 60s 🤩🤩🤩🤯🥺🤯🤯🤯

And turns out there are natural redheads in the Himalayas, India, Uyghuristan and Central Asia

I finally figured out someone who can play Crystal in MCU ( or smth )

CHARITHRA CHANDRAN

Basically imagine her with copper red hair

🤩🤩🤯🥺🤯🤯🤯

And now I imagine Medusa in MCU or smth to look kinda like Tabu in some lights but with auburn hair 🤩🤩🤩🤩

And then Black Bolt, Maximus, Triton and Karnak looking more East Asian/Himalayan coded

And then Gorgon looking more Central Asian/North Indian coded 🤩🤩🤩🤩

Okay now in MCU Attilan

I imagine Attilan fashion to have several aspects of East Asian, Desi, Himalayan and Central Asian in spades

🤩🤩🤯🤯🥺🥺

Now I imagine Black Bolt and Maximus to regularly dress in Ancient Chinese/Tibetan inspired clothes

Medusa and Crystal to often dress in Desi inspired clothes

Gorgon to often dress in Central Asian/Turkic inspired clothes

And Triton and Karnak to often dress in Southeast Asian/Chinese inspired clothes

🤩🤩🤯🥺🤯🥺🥺

MCU Attilan can be like a mix of Star Wars and ATLA vibes in spades 🤩🤩🤩

Turns out the MCU Fantastic 4 may not be exploring the Inhumans as much and more on the Silver Surfer and multiverse

Bummer

I thought having a sci fi Asiatic civilization that is Attilan in MCU would be fucking cool 🤩🤩🤩🤯🥺🤯🥺🥺

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Sunday, July 14, 2024

july 1_ July 14

VENERABLE PETER THE PATRICIAN, MONK OF CONSTANTINOPLE (854)

Saint Peter was born into a patrician family at Constantinople at the end of the eighth century. During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Nikēphóros (802-811) Peter was commissioned as an officer and participated in the campaigns of the Greek army against Bulgaria. In one particular battle the emperor was mortally wounded, and Peter was one of many soldiers taken captive.

One night, while he was praying, the holy Evangelist John the Theologian appeared to him in a vision and released him from captivity. Having returned to Constantinople, Saint Peter left the world and withdrew into a monastery on Mount Olympus (in Asia Minor) and became a monk. There he passed his time in constant ascetic efforts for 34 years under the guidance of Saint Joannicius the Great (November 4). Saint Peter lived all his monastic life in strict fasting and constant vigil, wearing a prickly hair-shirt and going barefoot. He lived the final eight years of his life at Constantinople, where he founded a church and a monastery named for Saint Euandrus.

Saint Peter died in 854 in the seventieth year of his life, and was buried in his monastery.

St. ANGELINA, DESPOTINA OF SERBIA (16TH C.)

Saint Angelina was the daughter of Prince George Skenderbeg of Albania. Her mother’s name is not known, but she raised her daughter in Christian piety and taught her to love God.

Saint Stephen Brancovich (October 9 and December 10), the ruler of Serbia, had come to Albania to escape those who wished to kill him. Some time before he arrived in Albania, Saint Stephen was unjustly blinded by the Turkish Sultan for some perceived offense. Since he was innocent, he bore his affliction with courage.

Saint Stephen was not only Prince George’s guest, but he was also treated as a member of his family. Not surprisingly, Stephen and Angelina eventually fell in love. With her parents’ blessing, they were married in church. After a few years, they were blessed with two sons: George and John.

When the boys were grown, Saint Stephen and his family were forced to flee to Italy for their safety. At that time the Turks invaded Albania and began to slaughter men, women, and even children.

Saint Stephen died in 1468, leaving Angelina a widow. In her distress, she turned to the ruler of Hungary for help. He gave them the town of Kupinovo in Sirmie.

Saint Angelina left Italy with her sons in 1486, stopping in Serbia to bury Saint Stephen’s incorrupt body in his native land.

The children of these pious parents also became saints. George gave up his claim to the throne in favor of his brother John, then entered a monastery and received the name Maximus.

John was married, but had no sons. He died in 1503 at a young age, and many miracles took place before his holy relics.

Saint Angelina survived her husband and both of her sons. Mindful of her soul’s salvation, she entered a women’s monastery. She departed to the Lord in peace, and her body was buried in the same tomb as her sons in the monastery of Krushedol in Frushka Gora.

Saint Angelina is also commemorated on December 10 with her husband Saint Stephen and her son Saint John.

Source: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-13:8

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

MATTHEW 10:1,5-8

1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.