#scio-is-a-story

[writing-reference-redux]

I felt like sharing my collection of Latin phrases that may make good fanfic or fanart titles or inspiration. Some of the translations may be off, so you might want to double-check them before use. Also, I used capitalization liberally so you might also want to check where capitalization is actually indicated.

Ab Intra (From Within)

Acta Est Fabula (The play has been performed)

Acta Sancti ___ (The Deeds of Saint ___)

Ad Undas (to the waves / to hell)

Advocatus Diaboli (Devil's advocate)

Aegri Somnia (a sick man's dreams / troubled dreams)

Alea Iacta Est (the die has been cast / point of no return)

Apologia Pro Vita Sua (defense of one's life)

Caetera Desunt (the rest is missing)

Cedere Nescio (I know not how to yield)

Damnatio Memoriae (damnation of memory / denying someone ever lived)

De Nobis Fabula Narratur (their story is our story)

Decessit Vita Patris (died before their father)

Diem Perdidi (I have lost the day)

Dies Tenebrosa Sicut Nox (a day as dark as night)

Dolor Hic Tibi Proderit Olim (some day this pain will be useful to you)

Dulce Est Desipere In Loco (It is sweet on occasion to play the fool)

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus (while we live, let us live)

Dux Bellorum (war leader)

Ex Umbra In Solem (from the shadow into the light)

Festina Lente (hurry slowly)

Fortis Cadere, Cedere Non Potest (the brave may fall, but can not yield)

Fui Quod Es, Eris Quod Sum (I once was what you are, you will be what I am)

Graviora Manent (heavier things remain / the worst is yet to come)

Haec Olim Meminisse Iuvabit (one day, this will be pleasing to remember)

Hic Mortui Vivunt (here the dead speak)

Hinc Illae Lacrimae (hence those tears)

Hodie Mihi, Cras Tibi (Today it's me, tomorrow it will be you - of death)

In Ictu Oculi (in the blink of an eye)

In Somnis Veritas (in dreams there is truth)

Inter Spem Et Metum (between hope and fear)

Lapsus Memoriae (slip of memory)

Luctor, Non Mergor (I struggle, but am not overwhelmed)

Lux Ex Tenebris (light from darkness)

Media Vita In Morte Sumus (In the midst of our lives we die)

Memento Mori (remember that you will die)

Memento Vivere (remember to live)

Morior Invictus (I die unvanquished / death before defeat)

Mundus Senescit (the world grows old)

Nemini Parco (I spare no one - death)

Nitimur In Vetitum (we strive for the forbidden)

Non Ducor, Duco (I am not led; I lead)

Non Omnis Moriar (I shall not all die / part of me will survive beyond death)

Nunc Scio Quid Sit Amor (now I know what love is)

Oderint Dum Metuant (let them hate, so long as they fear)

Omnia Mutantur (everything changes)

Onus Probandi (burden of proof)

Opera Posthuma (posthumous works)

Ophidia In Herba (a snake in the grass)

Pax Aeterna (eternal peace - a common epitaph)

Primum Non Nocere (first do no harm)

Pulvis Et Umbra Sumus (we are dust and shadow)

Quis Leget Haec? (who will read this?)

Quod Periit, Periit (what Is gone is gone)

Res, Non Verba (deeds, not words)

Respice Finem (consider the end)

Scientia Et Sapientia (knowledge and wisdom)

Seculo Seculorum (forever and ever)

Sed Terrae Graviora Manent (but on earth, worse things await)

Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (if you want peace, prepare for war)

Sic Infit (so it begins)

Sic Vita Est (such is life)

Silentium Est Aureum (silence is golden)

Sine Nomine (without a name / author unknown)

Sola Dosis Facit Venemum (the dose makes the poison)

Solvitur Ambulando (it is solved by walking / simple tests find solutions)

Stamus Contra Malum (we stand against evil)

Succisa Virescit (cut down, we grow back stronger)

Sum Quod Eris (I am what you will be - of death)

Summum Bonum (the supreme good)

Summum Malum (the supreme evil)

Sunt Lacrimae Rerum (there are tears for things)

Sunt Omnes Unum (they are all one)

Tabula Rasa (blank slate)

Transire Benefaciendo (to travel along while doing good)

Tu Fui Ego Eris (I was you; you will be me - of death)

Ubi Amor, Ibi Dolor (where there is love, there is pain)

Ultima Forsan (perhaps the last / sundial quote "perhaps your last hour")

Usque Ad Finem (until the end / fight to the death)

Vacate Et Scire (Be still and know)

Vi Et Animo (with heart and soul)

Victoria Aut Mors (victory or death)

Vincit Qui Patitur (he conquers who endures)

Vita Ante Acta (a life done before - of reincarnation)

Vivere Militare Est (to live is to fight)

Vox Clamantis In Deserto (the voice of one crying in the wilderness)

There are also some longer ones that may not make good titles because of their length, but are still worth inclusion:

Aut Simul Stabunt Aut Simul Cadent (they will either stand together or fall together)

Flectere Si Nequeo Superos, Acheronta Movebo (if I can not reach Heaven I will raise Hell)

Forsan Et Haec Olim Meminisse Iuvabit (perhaps even these things will be good to remember one day)

Igitur Qui Desiderat Pacem, Praeparet Bellum (therefore whoever desires peace, let him prepare for war)

In Regione Caecorum Rex Est Luscus (in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king)

Minus Malum Toleratur Ut Maius Tollat (choose the lesser evil so a greater evil may be averted)

Quem Deus Vult Perdere, Dementat Prius (whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad)

Ubi Sunt, Qui Ante Nos Fuerunt? (Where are they, those who have gone before us?)

Virtus Junxit Mors Non Separabit (that which virtue unites, let not death separate)

[missadangel]

The Heart of Rome (Marcus Acacius x Reader)

All Chapters List

Chapter 5: The Council

Hi, guys I did some research on Rome, and they don't use the word princess. instead, they use rarely: filia regis so I mentioned in the story. But I will use the princess word to make it easier. I will make Geta softer than he looks in the trailers, but not much obviously. In history Caracalla kills Geta so I am writing my fic according to real history places, and tradition, events. if you have any advice let me know, thank you for all your support, so enjoy the episode...

Si scio quid sit amor, propter te est.

If I know what love is, it is because of you. H.B.

Road…

The streets of Rome were fairly tranquil at night, in comparison to the bustling activity that characterizes the city during the day. It was particularly the case with the roads leading out of the city and into more remote areas. The general's villa was situated on one of these remote roads, and it was a somewhat lengthy journey to reach the city on foot. It might have been a good idea to use a horse or cart to traverse this road. But you were determined to continue on your journey, despite the discomfort you felt. You voiced your concerns to yourself and even considered turning back. You would have been pleased to rest in Marcus' bed, next to his warm body, his strong arms.  Yet, you were worried that you might regret not going ahead with your plan if you didn't do it. Even though you had these concerns, you decided to keep walking. As you got closer to the entrance to the big city, you suddenly noticed what sounded to be footsteps behind you.

You were reluctant to turn your head to see what was happening because a shiver ran through your whole body. It was as if the darkness of the night, which had been your friend a moment ago, had now become your enemy. Sounds, shadows and endless dirt roads were now his companions. When you started running, your legs were not as strong as you had hoped, and you experienced more discomfort than you had anticipated. Nevertheless, you ran with all your strength to reach the stone roads.

Subsequently, upon noticing your breathing becoming more rapid, you decided to take a moment to catch your breath. You were somewhat surprised but grateful when you realised that you were no longer being followed. Upon reaching the stone streets, you were somewhat reassured, but on the other hand, you felt a pang of sadness because you were further away from Marcus. The morning was fast approaching, with dawn on the horizon. From your observation point at the foot of the Venus statue in one corner of the street, you were clinging to the marble at the very end of the column and looking at the city panorama ahead, attempting to calculate the direction of Palatine Hill. The Colosseum is in a great spot, right in the center and visible from all sides. It's a bit of a landmark. So, it made sense to adjust the route to go forward and to the right. You still had a way to go, so you kept walking. You never expected it to be so difficult.

It's particularly when you're passing through these streets, places you've passed before, that your memories start to haunt you. It's as if these streets, which you used to pass by horse and cart, have now turned against you, becoming your enemy's friend. After a few quiet, dark streets, you stopped to rest under the triumphal arch. As you drove under the arch, you noticed something you hadn't seen before and were surprised.

The colossal statue of a former emperor that you had seen it before, but you hadn't had a chance to look at the inscription.

‘Imperator Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pertinax Augustus’

Your knees gave way, and you found yourself unable to stand. The stone pavements felt cold against your skin, but you remained still. As you gazed at the statue of your father, you found yourself thinking that perhaps things might have turned out differently if he had been there with you. You had never had the opportunity to witness first-hand what kind of an emperor he was, but from what you had heard, he had been quite successful. You spoke to him, your gaze fixed on his stone eyes, and wished he had heard you: “Father, my lord, I have made my decision. I have been thinking since I learnt about the letter. I came here even though you warned me, even though I knew it would be hard. My heart hurts, father, but I am not afraid. I met love, and I am not going to lose it. I love him so much. I know you hear me, and I know you understand. I am not angry with you. In fact, I am grateful. I met my brothers. You were right about Caracalla. Provide guidance on Geta. I saved him, Father, and I'm ready to face whatever comes next. I know you're with the Gods now, so I'm asking you to help me. I'll do whatever it takes for Rome. Open my eyes and ears, give me strength.”

You wiped away your tears and remained in a seated position for a period of time. However, when the cold became unbearable, you began to shiver. Before standing, you heard the distant cry of a horse, followed by the sound of hooves striking the ground. You wrapped your cloak around yourself tightly, burying your hair and face within it. The sound of hooves echoing in the silence of the night only served to heighten your nervousness.

As the horse drew nearer, you became aware of a slight tremor in the ground beneath your feet, caused by the horse's hooves striking it. You turned your head and observed a man who clothed in a dark cloak.

'My lady,' he greeted you.

When you looked at him, you felt a little surprised and perhaps a little uneasy, and said nothing. He opened his cloak and jumped down from his horse and approached you, still holding on to his horse's harness. The horse snorted noisily and you involuntarily took a few steps back.

"It is imperative that you come with me, as the situation is too perilous for you to remain here at this hour.”

"Who are you that I should agree to accompany you? Was it you who followed me previously?”

He bowed his head and replied, "Yes, my lady. I am a slave of Master Macrinus and I must take you to him."

You narrowed your eyes. ”What if I decline your offer?”

The man laughed, 'He thought you would say that. He said if she doesn't want to come, bring her by force, before she does something to hurt herself. Don’t let her to do, so.’

It was your time to laugh, 'How thoughtful of him. Tell him I appreciate the advice, but I have somewhere else to be right now.’

As soon as you turned around, you heard him coming towards you.

“My lady, I have to do as I'm told,” he said, coming up quickly behind you and grabbing your wrist. You tried to pull back with all your strength, but he was too strong. When he got close, you had a chance to get a good look at him. He had a very muscular and large body, which reminded you of warriors fighting in the Colosseum.

“Let go of my arm!” you cried.

But he had no intention of letting go, his strong hand locked around your wrist as if you were chained.

As he drew you closer to his horse, you heard another horse neighed from down the street, followed by a voice you recognised from before. It was a voice you would not forget, even if you were dead, a voice you felt your ears were made to hear.

The general spurred his black horse into a halt in front of you two. The horse reared under him and uttered a cry. He leapt down from the horse with one swift movement, his face as angry as ever, his eyes fixed on the other man. The general seized the man's hand that was gripping your wrist, pulled it and pushed with such force that the man staggered backwards. But he seemed to be angry too, and quickly regained his composure.

“How dare you lay a hand on her? State yourself, who are you?”

The General moved in front of you, taking charge and protecting you. You were relieved to see him. From behind, he appears to be dressed only in his tunic and cloak. It seems he may have left in a hurry, perhaps he was so worried, you wondered if he had opened the letter yet or not.

"General Acacius, Master Macrinus has given me a mission. I will complete it.”

"Macrinus? I just remember where I saw you before. Tell him I am Marcus Acacius, and I will prevent you from completing your mission.”

The man frowned and tensed as one hand went to the sheath of the sword at his waist. He was not afraid of the General at all.

"Marcus," you gently grasped his cloak and gave it a slight tug. He did not turn to you, still glaring at the man.

"Macrinus would like to take me to the council meeting, I believe he wants to ensure my safety until then. I apologise for not telling you before, I hope you can forgive me.”

Acacius turned his head and looked at you. His eyes conveyed a multitude of emotions, including anger, frustration, and longing.

"Nevertheless, I am unable to allow you to accompany him. I will take you to the meeting if that is your desire."

"No, the emperors may think you've been hiding me all this time. I won't let this happen to you because of me."

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, as if trying to suppress his anger.

“Don't you realize how much I care about you? They've already seen you with me, so I'm prepared to face whatever consequences may result.”

You frowned. "I would never want to cause any damage to your reputation."

"Is that why you decided to leave me? What exactly you were planning, I wonder?”

You bit your bottom lip. “To go to Geta and tell him everything.”

Acacius' eyes flashed with anger. “I'm hoping you're joking right now.”

“He said he owed me, I thought he'd understand.”

“Do you really think he's as pure and kind-hearted as you? How can you be so reckless?”

"Perhaps he'll reconsider when I tell him I'm his sister.”

Acacius shook his head, “Wrong. He won't. He'll kill you on the spot, I'm sure of it.”

You were fairly certain that what he said was true, but you still had the inclination to believe it wasn't. Then, two more riders came down the street towards you and dismounted next to the other man. The General immediately sensed a potential threat and pulled you behind him for protection.

Macrinus knew exactly what he was doing and he was determined to see it through.

It is probable that his slave felt emboldened by the arrival of the other men, as evidenced by his demeanor, which shifted from apprehension to confidence.

"General, I advise you not to cause us any trouble. We're taking the lady with us.”

Acacius drew his sword and looked at them with a glint in his eye, ready for whoever or whatever was about to come at him.

"I dare you to try.”

They seemed to hesitate at first, looking at each other, then drew their swords, the tension rising. You swallowed hard.

"Three against one. I heard you were a good soldier, but you don't stand a chance against three of us." He smiled, but it seemed a little cruelly.

"You must have misheard then. I've killed more when I was in a worse situation." His voice was threatening, making the other person uneasy.

"Indeed, I had the opportunity to observe it at the Colosseum. However, we also fought there, so it would be unwise to underestimate us."

They fought there? At the Colosseum? Gladiators?

You had observed the combatants in action during your time there; you had witnessed it first-hand, with your own eyes, and it sent a chill down your spine.

You moved in front of the general, who was still pointing his sword at the others.

“Marcus, you need to let me go with them.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Please, hear me out, the council meeting is just around the corner, he can't do anything to me, he needs me.”

You grasped his other hand tightly with both hands and looked into his eyes.

“Please, I ask you to trust me.”

“He's the one I don't trust.”

“I know. I don't trust him either but I need to find out what his intention is before the meeting.”

Marcus looked at you for a moment, considering your words. Then he sheathed his sword. "Very well. You're right.”

The others seemed relieved, but they tried not to show it.

"A wise choice, General," the man said, his voice firm and his gaze steady. He gestured for the others to put their swords back, then approached you with purpose.

"Come with me, my lady," he held out his hand to you and the general caught it in mid-air.

"Who gave you permission to touch her?"

He pushed his hand away and grabbed your wrist. "I will be accompanying her.”

The man laughed and looked at you with disdain. "As you wish. That's fine by me."

As he walked away towards his horse, the general turned to you.

"I'm assuming you've ridden a horse before?"

You didn't ride much in Egypt, given that you lived inconspicuously.

"Well, sort of.”

The look on your face made him smile. He pulled you close to his horse. His black horse lifted one leg and just the tip of the hoof touched the ground, snorted heavily. Acacius stroked the horse's back gently. "You should know how lucky you are to be carrying this beautiful woman, Dromos. Be gentle with her.” The horse lets out a soft whinny as a reply, and Acacius smiles.

“Dromos?”

“Yes, I named him that because he runs so fast.”

“I see.You seem to be quite good friends,” you said with a smile. Hesitantly you reached out and stroked the horse’s neck, ran your fingers through the black of his mane.

“Indeed we are,” he agreed. He placed his hand on the stirrup and held it for you. “Place your foot here and I'll lift you up."

You did as he said, then he put his hand to your waist, lifted you easily and sat you on the thin saddle. When the horse moved, you grabbed onto the horn of the saddle to steady yourself. Then you felt a soreness between your legs but forced yourself to ignore. Acacius quickly climbed on top of the horse and positioned himself right behind you, gripping the reins. You felt safe as you felt his muscular body caressing yours from behind.

“Lead the way,” the General said loudly to the other man, you felt his warm breath just above your ear. The man nodded kicks his horse forward. Acacius gave a gentle pat to Dromos, he neighs, and starts to move faster. Acacius moves a little, closing the gap between you, his arms around you from either side as he holds the reins. Your body shook with the movement of Dromos as he galloped at a moderate speed through the streets of Rome. Your back kept bumping against the General's strong chest, and you even felt his chin in your hair. You gasped. Was he doing it on purpose?

You glanced over at his face and noticed a smile at the corner of his lips, even though his eyes were fixed on the road ahead.

“I’m guessing you’re upset with me?" you asked as the General pulled the rein to the right to steer it, top of your shoulder bumping his chest.

"For leaving me in bed and abandoning me?"

"And for not mentioning the letter before."

"That too.”

When you turned to look at him, a few strands of your hair got caught in his beard. The hairs kept flying with the wind, brushing against his face. He seemed pleased with them.‘

"I must admit that I was eager to find out who you are, but this is beyond what I could have imagined. I can understand why you did it, but I'm still hurt. I wish you hadn't left me in bed. You broke my heart.”

You swallowed, “Forgive me, I didn't know what to do. Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done. Will you let me heal your heart? I'm Medicus, you know?" You blinked your eyes under your long eyelashes, he smiled.

He buried his lips in your flowing hair and whispered in your ear.

"My heart is yours to heal. You don't need to be a medicus for that.”

You smiled as you felt his lips on your cheek, your lips yearning so much to touch his. At that moment, as you rode with him on his horse, you wished that he would take you far away, to a place where no one could find you two, you were willing to give everything for it.

Macrinus’s Villa…

The men on horseback dismounted and led their horses into the courtyard. Acacius gently pulled his horse's reins and rode in a circle, glancing towards the villa. It seemed as though he was hesitating. Soon, Macrinus appeared in the doorway and grasped the bridle to the right, turning it around to face him.

"My lady," he bowed his head and greeted you. "General Acacius?”

Acacius ignored him and dismounted, one hand still clutching his horse's harness.

“Sir Macrinus, have you stationed your slaves outside my villa to keep watch? Or should I say your gladiators?”

Macrinus smirked. “I needed to make sure Lady Aurelia was safe.” He turned his eyes to you.

“I think you can rest assured that it's not something you need to worry about, especially when she's with me.”

“Which is why you must have accompanied her here, I see.”

“Apparently.” Acacius muttered.

“Then let me invite you in,” he gestured with his hand.

Acacius turned to you and held out his hand. “My lady.”

You smiled, initially surprised that he was addressing you with respect for the first time, but then realising how much you liked it. You took his hand and dismounted the horse and allowed yourself to be embraced by his protective arms. He took you gently and lowered you down.

As your feet touched down on the ground, you felt the throbbing return and let out a quiet moan.“Are you alright?” Acacius's voice was worried.

You regarded him with a somewhat hesitant expression. "I'm a little sore from..." You pursed your lips.

Acacius stroked your disheveled hair with his big hand. "I wish I could relieve your soreness.”

You blushed at the memory of witnessing how well his passionate lips worked on your body before.

“I'll take that as a promise for later, General.” You smirked mischievously.

“At your service, my lady,” he grasped your hand gently and kissed it.

As your heart melted in the warmth of his smile, Macrinus watched you from afar, his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. He felt something very different. He controlled his expression though and cleared his throat. You and the General looked at him, his warrior slave standing beside him. Acacius held out his hand, offering it to you.

“Shall we?”

Sitting in his garden, you realized that Macrinus' villa was bigger than the General's. The fountain in the center of this big courtyard was rectangular, and in the center was a statue of the queen goddess Salacia, the wife of Neptune, the goddess of the sea and water. She's holding a bucket just above her head and the water is gushing out of it.

The columns ahead were white and straight, half covered with red marble, with ionic protrusions at the corners. They proudly stood among various trees and plants, but this beauty was nothing compared to the Domus Severiana. That palace was magnificent and wonderful.

Although you couldn't see it clearly because it was still dark, you were wondering what kind of flowers were behind the fountain when Macrinus' gladiator slave stood there, blocking your view. You met his gaze and turned to the general, who was standing next to you. He seemed uneasy and reluctant to sit down. His body language showing his tension. You reached out and grasped his hand.

"Would you perhaps like to sit with me?"

"My lady, I believe I will be more comfortable like this," he replied, his eyes on the gladiator who crossed his arms and looking at Macrinus as he approached.

“Apologies, I am expecting an important guest, I wanted to make sure he arrived safely,” he sat down opposite you and crossed his legs. A delighted smile spread across his face.

“I assume you brought the letter with you, my lady?” he said, looking at you.

You glanced at the General, to whom you entrusted the letter. He crossed his arms and looked directly at Macrinus.

“Prior to that, elucidate your intentions regarding the council.”

"I'm going to make sure our lady gets her 'filia regis' (princess) title back and gets what's rightfully hers. You know, general, you were what, twenty? You must have been about that age when Aurelia was born. Septimius gave me the task of taking her away to protect her. He made me promise.”

"I was nineteen," the General stated, his eyes distant as he recalled those days. "And you were the one who made up the lie that she drowned in the river when she was little? You actually took her to Egypt? With that man, Vicius."

He turned his head to look at you, to see your expression. You felt sad when you remembered him, but you gave the general a half-smile anyway.

“There were three hundred days of mourning throughout the empire,” Macrinus gave you a half smile. “Then it was forgotten when it was time for Caracalla's fifth birthday, but the people of Rome must still remember their princess. The year you were born was a very prosperous one, the fields were full of new crops, there were hardly any beggars in the streets.”

A soft smile spread across Acacius' face, you wondered why, but you didn't feel comfortable to ask when Macrinus around.

“Wine,” Macrinus ordered one of the other slaves. “My lady, please eat something,” he said, indicating the food on the table. “You need to gather your strength.” Then he looked at Acacius who shook his head. “I should head out to dress properly for the Council,” he said and turned to you and got down on his knees. "My Lady, I will be ready to provide any assistance you may require at the council today."

“No, General, I cannot allow you to do that.”

He looked confused.

"Perhaps it would be better if I said that I've kept my name a secret from you.”

“They've already seen us together,” he protested. “I don't think they'll care about that.”

"Lady Aurelia is right, General. It would not be good for you to make your side clear, at least from Geta's point of view. Half the council already knows everything and we have the upper hand."

"Marcus, please," you grabbed his big hand with both of yours. "I don't want you to stay in the middle of this.”

He took both your hands in his, his beard brushing against your skin. "As you wish. but know that if things don't go our way, I will do my utmost to ensure your safety." He kissed you gently on the top of your hands and stood up. "I will see you at the Council then." He nodded and left the courtyard. With his leaving, you felt abandoned, out of place.

Macrinus' gladiator-slave accompanied the general out into the courtyard and returned a moment later. As his eyes met yours, you turned your head.

“I wonder why you keep gladiators as slaves in your villa?”

Macrinus smiled, shaking the wine glass in his hand, “Choosing gladiators is an art, they often become prisoners of war, just like other slaves.”

“So you buy them, train them and put them in fights,” you looked at the gladiator without turning your head. "What is the return on investment of this strategy? Is this the best way to gain the trust of the emperors, by providing entertainment?”

Macrinus laughed. “My lady, you have the right angle, but I don't think you see the whole picture. Perhaps you could save your thinking skills for the council, as it is almost time. My slaves will be ready to dress you properly," he said, rising to his feet. "If I may ask, as you still haven't given me the letter."

One of the girl slaves came as you stood up. “The general has the letter, I'm sure he will bring it before the council.”

“I must say, I am rather surprised at the extent of your trust in him.” Macrinus narrowed his eyes.

“I trust him more than anyone,” you said confidently. You couldn't bear to hear him speak unfairly of the General. You took a step back, looking around to avoid making eye contact with him. “Now, where do I get dressed?”

Roman Forum…

The Roman Forum was the centre of day-to-day life in Rome: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's leaders. This was where the Senate—as well as Republican government itself—began. The Senate House, government offices, tribunals, temples, memorials and statues gradually cluttering the area.

By the time the carriage carrying you and Macrinus arrived, the morning sun was already brightening the streets. The streets were now filled with Romans, spread around, going about their daily routines. This particular street was noticeably more crowded than usual. A considerable number of people had gathered in anticipation of the emperors' attendance at today's significant meeting. Among them were individuals with pending court cases, spectators eager to witness the new gladiators' initial contests, distinguished patricians and their wives, and those in need, who had come with the hope of receiving alms from them. Additionally, there were individuals who were to be dedicated as priestesses to the temple of Vesta and their companions, as well as those with business at the state house and, of course, the esteemed members of the senate and their wives.

Women were allowed to walk around the Roman Forum, but not in the Curia Julia, the senate building. Of course, the empress managed to sneak herself in - to see what was being said behind her sons' backs and what plans were being made - so it was inevitable that no one would pretend to know about it.

Today, Julia Domna managed to get herself into the Curia in the same way, but you couldn't see it because the entrance was too far away. Macrinus got out of the carriage and looked in towards you.

‘My lady, you will have to sit here for a while, you know women are-.’

‘Yes, sir, I know.’

He turned his head and squinted at something in the distance.

‘Acacius,’ he murmured.

Upon hearing his name, your heart began to race with excitement. He was the only person you desired to see at that moment. Macrinus took a step back, and the general's footsteps could be heard just outside the carriage.

"Did you bring the letter, General Acacius?" Macrinus asked.

You stuck your head out, eager to see his face. Cato was beside him, he took your letter out of his leather bag and handed it to Acacius, he handed it to you. You reached for it, and he turned his head to meet your eyes, making you realise how much you had missed him, even in such a short time.

“My Lady, I would like to return this to you.” The General was dressed differently today, in a toga worn on formal occasions. White in colour, it covered almost his entire body, with burgundy stripes around the edges. The shawl was of the same colour and pattern, the sleeves were short so you could see the thick gold bracelets on his arms, it looked perfect and neat.

“I am grateful to you for ensuring its safety,” you said quietly.

Macrinus cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should go inside now to start the session."

“Sir Macrinus, you go first.” Acacius said in a detached manner, his eyes locked on you.

“My lady,” he bowed his head, turned around and made his way towards the wide stairs of the Curia.

"Are you feeling a bit nervous?” His voice softened for you.

“A little,” you lied.

He smiled and put his hand on your cheek. “No need to be, you have nothing to worry about. It's your birthright, like every Roman. I think that's the only thing Macrinus and I agree on.”

You touched his hand on your cheek and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I know, thank you.”

He tilted his head towards you, almost close enough to touch you with his lips. “I will always be there to protect you, my beautiful lady, no matter what the outcome.” He held your eyes captive for a moment with his eyes, then pulled himself back. He looked ahead, frowning.

“They're here,” he said, squinting.

“Our Emperors!” Someone in the crowd shouted at the top of his lungs.

Your swallowed, feeling your heart began to race. Acacius stroked your hair gently, "There's no need to be so distressed. They can't do anything to you. There are very few people in the Senate who likes them. As much as I don't like him, I have to hand it to him, Macrinus knows what he's doing, almost succeeded in convincing the entire council,’ he said. 'I must go in now, Octavius will accompany you in,' he said, kissing your hand for the last time before leaving. You inhaled deeply while holding the letter in your hand tightly, praying to all the Gods.

Curia Julia…

All councillors were present and awaiting the commencement of the session, with the oldest councillor taking the lead in opening the meeting. The murmurs of the members of the Senate reverberated gently off the walls of the Curia's spacious, high-ceilinged meeting hall. When their names were announced a little later, all the congressmen stood up and showed their greeting as the Emperors entered the hall from the great hall, albeit somewhat reluctantly. They took their seats in the western corner of the round hall, their attire differing from that of the members of the senate in that it was rather more ostentatious and therefore perhaps less appropriate.

The longest-serving member of the council approached the emperors and stood on the ledge in the centre of the hall to offer them his greetings. He surveyed the room with a gesture that seemed to convey a desire to embrace everyone. “What an auspicious day. Many gave their lives so that we could stand here once more, for the sake of an empire, a government with laws.”

All the members applauded him, except the emperors, who seemed bored already. Acacius was in the lowest tribune and sat quite close to them. Many were surprised to see him at the meeting today; he rarely attended, and no one even knew he voted in the elections.

“In honouring them, I would like to mention that we must pay our respects in your presence to General Marcus Acacius, commander of the southern armies, General of the Six Legions and protector of Rome.” he said, raising his hand and pointing to him. “He demonstrated remarkable courage in defending the Rome and is worthy of our respect and gratitude.”

The members started clapping more enthusiastically. They were all chanting the General's name together. Acacius stood up to show his appreciation and then sat back down.

“Senate is now in session. I invite Sir Macrinus here to make his speech.”

As oldest member approached the tribune to take his seat, Macrinus rose from his seat, came to the centre and greeted the emperors and members.

“Your Majesties, esteemed council members. The reason we are gathered here today is not a matter of government or politics. It is a matter concerning our former emperor, Emperor Septimius Severus and his family.” As he extended his hand towards Emperors, Geta turned curiously to Caracalla.

“What is he saying, brother?” he whispered.

Caracalla answered without looking at him. “Patience brother, you’ll understand soon enough.”

“So you knew?”

He did not answer, which made Geta angry and curious.

By the time Octavius came to get you from the carriage, you were pretty bored sitting inside.

“My lady, it's time.”

You nodded and got out of the carriage with his help, taking a quick look around as you walked together through the crowd. The gladiator fights had taken a break, and people were discussing what was happening in the Curia. One of the trials was underway. A man and a woman were crying, as if they had been convicted of some crime you didn't understand. As you made your way up the stairs of the Curia, one after the other behind Octavius, one of the guards at the entrance blocked your path with an outstretched hand. Octavius brushed his arm away with the back of his hand.

"She is no ordinary woman, and the council members are waiting for her."

"Forgive me," he said, stepping back to allow you to pass.

You and Octavius entered a large hall and proceeded between tall, imposing white pillars. After a short while, you heard the voices of several men. Was there a disagreement in the council? Octavius stood near two large, thick pillars and looked in the direction of the sound, raising his hand towards you. "Perhaps we should wait a moment."

As the big iron door swung open, you could hear the voices inside a bit better.

"Are you saying that our sister is alive?"

It was Geta's voice, sounding angry. "Where has she been all this time?"

"As I said, Your Majesty, your sister was sent to Egypt on your father's orders. She wasn't there when I went to find her, but she is here now. Your sister is waiting outside with the letter your father, the Emperor, wrote to her. Shall I bring her here now?"

Macrinus' voice was loud but persuasive.

“Yes, the council wants to see her!” Someone else's voice was louder than his.

The voices that rose and echoed in the great hall were positive, a flicker of nervousness swept through you. Soon, Macrinus appeared in the doorway.

“My lady, remove your cloak, please.”

You did as he said, Octavius held it for you, and you felt a little reassured that he was there.

Macrinus accompanied you into the meeting room, his demeanor somewhat less reassuring than you had hoped. “Walk with a little more confidence, my lady, you will soon be declared 'filia regis’ (princess).”

His confident face was only working in his favor. It had nothing to do with you. You were trying to look ahead as you descended the stairs one by one, the councillors began to murmur, you didn't feel ready to look at them, and soon you heard Caracalla's hysterical laughter, you were startled and looked in the direction of the sound.

He pointed his finger at you. “You! It must be a lame joke!”

Geta was silent, only his eyes locked on you, leaning forward and marveling under his eyebrows. Caracalla stormed out of his seat and came over to Macrinus.

“What does this mean?”

“You told me my sister was coming, but you forgot to tell me who she was?” he scolded him in a low voice.

“It's pure coincidence that you've met her before, Highness.”

He then looked in the direction where the general was sitting, and you had the opportunity to observe him and the others. All the members were dressed in white togas, similar to the general, but with black embroidery around the edges of their clothes. It was a large hall filled with men, and it was somewhat awkward and uncomfortable to be in the middle of them as the only woman.

"She resembles her mother," one individual posited.

“Indeed, she is an exact match, both physically and genetically," another concurred. “Just like in the records.”

A multitude of voices were present, yet your attention was directed towards Caracalla, who directed a finger at the general.

"For how long have you been aware of this, General Acacius?”

“He didn’t know!”

As your voice echoed through the vast hall with a ringing effect among all the male voices, the other voices gradually faded and Caracalla turned to look at you. Then you handed him the letter.

“I got the chance to open it on the day of the ceremony. That's when I found out everything. General Acacius had no idea.”

This time you said it looking at all the council members as your eyes met Acacius. He was staring at Caracalla, looking a bit angry. Geta arose from his seat and approached Caracalla. He took the letter from his hand and read it over, then looked at you.

“Why didn't you say anything that day?”

"I was planning to," you replied. "I was uncertain of your reaction and what you would do," your eyes shifted to Caracalla. Another councillor approached and examined the letter.

“This is the seal of Emperor Septimius Severus,” he said, looking at the other members. Caracalla grasped the letter and held it up. “But a broken seal and a piece of paper which doesn't prove anything.” Geta reached out to take it from him, but he pushed him away with his elbow, tore the letter into pieces and threw it on the floor.

You were filled with anger. "That was the last thing left of my father," your voice was higher than you would have cared to have it be.

Macrinus interjected, "Your Majesty, while I understand your concerns, I believe it would be beneficial to hear the rest of the speech before making a decision.”

“I want to hear it.” Geta sat back in his seat.

Caracalla nodded and reluctantly joined him.

You clenched your fists, looking at the pieces of the letter on the floor, some of them scattered on your sandals. It was hard not to cry, your father's seal lying on the ground like something worthless. How could he be so cruel?

"Sir Macrinus, if I might be so bold, I would like to say a few words before you speak," said the oldest member of the council.

As he stood up and came to stand beside you, the room fell silent. "I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet Lady Aurelia before she disappeared," he said, looking at you. "Her eyes and hair are similar, and her face has retained a remarkable resemblance. The emperor Septimius affectionately titled to her as 'Aurelia' due to her blonde hair. I am the one who made it official, and I have my signature and seal included in the record book. It is an honor to see you again, Lady Aurelia.” He bowed his head.

"I am truly grateful for your kind assistance, sir.” Your voice broke.

The crowd began to murmur again, with only a few objecting. The general was looking at you with a soft expression, and you smiled back, though you quickly turned your head away to avoid being noticed. Macrinus thanked the elderly member, waited for him to take his seat, and then he turned to the council members.

"I was fortunate to be able to visit Egypt four years ago at the Emperor's request. I went in search of the lady Aurealia, who was residing with Vicius, Septimius' personal medicus. I had a brief encounter with her, but it seemed that she was still unaware of the truth about herself. Vicius was of the opinion that the Emperor had not sent me. Perhaps he considered himself to be more closely aligned with the Emperor than I was. I am still curious as to what the Emperor may have promised him,” he said sarcastically.

“He did a good job of hiding her,” Caracalla said, teasingly.

The crowd found his behaviour amusing and laughter echoed through the great hall. Geta joined in with the laughter. The mood in the hall started to lighten, but you frowned. It wasn't right to disrespect his memory.

“Sir Macrinus, you mentioned seeing the lady Aurelia around four years ago, which is around the time we lost Septimius Severus.” One of the councillors said.

“I know what you're implying, but I've always had the trust of our emperors since they ascended to the throne. I couldn't bring your sister because I returned here as soon as I heard the news of Septimius Severus' death.” He said, looking at him and then back to the emperors. “He gave me a task before he died and told me to get it done. But I'm not the only one. There's someone else he assigned. With your permission, I call consul ordinarius Gaius Septimius Severus Aper here.”

Once more, the great hall was filled with murmuring. Macrinus  turned  towards you. “Your cousin,” he explained. You raised your eyebrows in surprise.

“I hate him,” Caracalla growled. Geta didn't seem to like him either.

A moment later, Gaius entered the great hall with another letter in his hand, greeted everyone and came over to you. He appeared to be in his thirties, well built but not soldierly, with an attractive but stern face.

“Lady Aurelia, we meet at last,” he said, smiling at you. You nodded, but didn't have anything to say, and were pretty surprised.

“Another letter?” Geta enquired.

“It seems our father has written letters to everyone but us,” Caracalla said, making a face.

They stood up and gave their cousins the kind of hug that was pretty clearly insincere. It was obvious that they didn't get along. Gaius held the letter up for everyone to see.

“I was with my uncle when he wrote this letter, he sealed it in my presence.” Gaius said.

“Before or after you fled to Leptis Magna?” Caracalla asked. Geta burst out laughing.

He ignored them and spoke to the council instead. "Members of the Senate, I break the seal in your presence," he said, and broke the seal of the letter that the father had sealed himself and opened it.

Macrinus asked permission to take the letter and summarised it for the council members.

“It seems that our Emperor has directed Gaius to ensure that upon the eventual return of Lady Aurelia, she will be duly restored to her full birth rights. That makes two of us sir Gaius.” Macrinus and him exchanged looks that made you sure they talked about his before.

“I am privileged to be able to convey greetings from your relatives in Leptis Magna to you. The entire Severan Dynasty salutes you, my lady,” Gaius said, bowing to you. “And of course you, our emperors,” he bowed to them, as a reply Caracalla turned his head in disgust.

Oldest member of council came towards you again with few members beside him.

‘Then, before our emperors and your esteemed councillors, I extend an invitation to all to welcome our filia regis princess Septimia Aurelia Marciana, first of the name, daughter of Emperor Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pertinax Augustus and his first wife Paccia Marciana, patroness of Leptis Magna back to her home.” He sang out.

"A very warm welcome back to Lady Aurelia!" someone stood up and said in a cheerful voice.“Welcome back, filia regis Aurelia!” another joined him.

And all the council members repeated in unison.

Geta approached you in a cheerful manner, clapping his hands. “Welcome, I embrace you as my sister," he said, kissing you on the cheek. You were somewhat startled, but you kept your composure, your cheeks blushed. "We must celebrate this," Caracalla said, kissing you on the other cheek, smiling involuntarily. You forced a smile in return, although he still made you feel somewhat nervous.

“My brother is right, we must celebrate!”

All the members were now standing and applauding, their enthusiasm evident in the resounding applause that echoed through the great hall.

"Sir Macrinus, bring the new gladiators to the Domus Severiana tomorrow. I want new games!" Caracalla smiled with joy.

"As you wish, your majesty," he bowed his head.

"But brother, tomorrow is the festival of Saturnalia," Geta whined.

“Well? That's better, it'll add some excitement.”

While they were chatting, you scanned the room, looking for the General among all the men.

Caracalla turned to you. “As our sister, you're supposed to come with us now?”

This was something you hadn't planned. You didn't factor in the idea of living under the same roof with them. Why didn't you think of that before?

Geta stood between you and Caracalla. “Mother must be pretty shaken up, perhaps you could go and find her first, I'll accompany Aurelia, she's a bit wary of you,” he grinned at you and took your arm.

Caracalla smirked. “Fine by me.” But you could tell he was watching you two.

'Come on, sister, there's lots to do.' You were a little surprised by how fast they welcomed you, but you feel grateful somehow.

The council members were all standing and chatting, and although you wanted to go to the general in this crowd and talk to him, you had to put it out of your mind for now. Before Geta pulled you along by the arm and led you out, you looked back at Marcus for the last time and saw that he looked worried. As you descended the stairs of the Curia with Geta, cheers and applause erupted from the crowd outside.

“Emperor Geta!”

Guards surrounded you to protect you, the crowd chanting Geta's name with enthusiasm.

Geta raised his hands high and greeted them. Then he grabbed you by the wrist and raised your arm.

"People of Rome, allow me to introduce you to your filia regis, Lady Aurelia!"

You didn't expect it to happen so soon. The crowd fell silent. Caracalla came running up behind him and grabbed Geta's other arm.“Eager much, brother? We must announce at the festival tomorrow.”

After a brief period of murmuring, the crowd suddenly began clapping and shouting again. You were taken aback when Julia took your other arm. How long had she been there?

"I would like to invite you all to welcome Lady Aurelia!" she sang.

"Welcome Lady Aurelia!" someone shouted loudly and cheerfully.

“Lady Aurelia!”

Just like in the hall, the streets of the Roman Forum began to echo with your name. It was a strange feeling, a bit frightening, exciting, and proud. You weren't used to any of it, but you were born that way, a princess. It will take me a while to get used to it, you thought.

“See? They love her already,” Geta winked at Caracalla, then pushed back the hair that had fallen over your shoulder. “Smile, sister.”

For him it was easy to say, for you it was all so sudden and you would have to adjust to this new situation. As the crowd chanted your names, the general, who had been observing the proceedings from a distance, seemed somewhat displeased that Geta had managed to touch you with such ease.

He hated to see another man touches you, even if it was your half-brother.

"General Acacius, it's been a long time," Gaius came up to him.

"Sir Gaius," the general nodded. "You are correct, I had just been appointed commander of the southern armies when I arrived at Leptis Magna. It must be decades." His eyes were watching you from afar.

"I must say that you played a significant role in the success of the battle there," he said. "I believe our people are still grateful to you." He was also observing you and Geta.

"I believe you stayed there to hide the emperor's letter. I understand why you chose to stay away from the capital," the general's eyes shifted to Caracalla.

"I believe he may view me as a potential threat to the throne, as he has done in the past. However, I believe it is my duty to remain here and complete my mission," he said with conviction.

The general observed Gaius' gaze and perceived that he was focusing it on you.

"I must ensure the safety of Lady Aurelia."

"But perhaps it would be wise to ensure your own safety as well? I believe you may be in more danger than she is.”

Gaius picked up on the hint in his voice. "Sir Macrinus told me a little about your relationship with her. I'm really grateful that you protected her while I was away."

The general stayed silent and waited, obviously sensing Gaius' intentions with his man instincts.

"I'll ask the emperors for her hand in marriage. I'm sure she'll be safer in Leptis Magna. She can't be happy with them – look how uneasy she is with them.”

The general looked tense. "I wasn't aware you were a widow," he said.

"Yes, I got divorced a while ago," he replied with a smile. "I would like to remarry, as a widow, you know what I mean, I guess."

Acacius returned his smile with a disgusted expression. "Could Iask why you believe Lady Aurelia will marry you? I am merely cautioning you in advance, Sir Gaius, because I am convinced that you will be rejected." He smiled wryly at him, then turned his back on him and began to ascend the stairs.

Macrinus approached him as Gaius glared angrily after him." You were right – there is something between those two."

"Don't worry, tomorrow at the festival we'll take the first step to get rid of Acacius once and for all."

Gaius turned to him, looking angry. "How can that be? He's someone everyone respects. He's the biggest obstacle in my way."

He touched his shoulder. ”The gladiators are ready to fight, we just need Majesties’ approval tomorrow. Then Acacius will find himself in the Colosseum, and then we'll get rid of him for good. Then there will be nothing in our way, my friend." He smiled confidently.

Palatine Hill…

As the morning sun shone on the crimson-red roofs of the Domus Severiana, the birds chirped cheerfully and flew around, their songs of joy filling the air. Yesterday was a turning point for you. Things moved pretty quickly, and it was a bit of a challenge to adjust. When you first arrived with your half-brothers last evening, it was a lot easier than you thought it would be. Julia, their mother, was pretty quiet all night, but she didn't react badly to you, which surprised you even more. e. You got the feeling that she could be pretty ruthless, even though she seemed pretty calm. The idea of living in the same house with them wasn't appealing to you. In fact, it made you feel uneasy. Geta was the only one who didn't make you nervous, but you knew he was unpredictable like his mother.

You opened your eyes in your new room and bed, looked around, and closed them again. This room was big and luxurious, much more so than your room in the general's villa. A bit too much, you thought. You pulled the silk bed sheet over your head and sighed deeply. You would give anything to open your eyes to the new day lying next to Marcus, in his arms.

You were no longer a slave, nor a Medicus, nor could you go to his villa as a commoner. It seems that even as a princess, you don't always get to choose. But you missed him so much, his strong arms around you, his sensual lips, all the memories you had in his villa.

A gentle knock at the door momentarily distracted you from your thoughts, which seemed to fade into the elegant surroundings of this splendid room.

"Please come in," you said, sitting up in bed.

A young slave girl entered the room.

"My lady, I am pleased to see you are awake," she said, her voice conveying a sense of concern.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, it's about Emperor Geta."

You removed the bedclothes around you and got out of the large bed.

“What happened to him?”

“He asked me to take you to him quietly, he doesn't want the Empress to hear.”

‘Hear what?’

‘He seems a little unwell.’

‘Take me to him,’ you said quickly. You were concerned that the poison might still be present in his body.

You left your room and went into the main hall to leave your chamber. Your room was in the east corner of the other courtyard. They said, it was your mother and father’s chambers when they first married. You strode up the stairs and entered Geta's chambers. It was still early, so the room was quiet. The other slaves looked at you with concern as you approached the door of the room where you had come to heal him the last time. They greeted you and opened the door for you. You were surprised to see a couple of young slaves lying on the floor. Their bodies were naked, which made you blush with shame. It was clear that your brother Geta had a lot of fun last night. There were two girls in Geta's bed, but he was nowhere to be seen. You looked at the latrina (bathroom, toilet) door and heard a coughing sound behind. He should have been there, but you had no intention of finding him naked.

You cleared your throat and called out to him.

“Highness? Geta? Brother?”

There was a brief interlude of laughter, and then he looked up at you through the latrine door.

“I need to get used to this, a woman's voice calling me brother.”

His face was as white as marble.

"Is everything all right? You look a little pale.”

“It's because I started the damn day throwing up.”

You looked down at the wine glasses on the floor and sighed.

"You must have had a lot to drink. You're just recovered, so you need to be careful about alcohol.” As you approached the latrine door, he was coming out, you almost bumped into each other. You quickly backed away and turned around, it was a bit stuffy in there, you moved to open the big window.

Geta looked like a little boy, messy hair and all, far away from an emperor.

"Do you think it's because I didn't drink your herbal thing?" He threw himself into the armchair by the window, covered his face with his arm.

“You didn’t?" You looked at him in shock. “How could you not? You had to drink it all to get better.” You were angry.

“But it tasted like cow dung.” He whined, lifted his arm up, gave you a mocking look. “What, are you scolding me?”

You swallowed. “Your Majesty,” you said suggestively. “You must drink the concoction for your own health.”

“I can't.”

You crossed your arms. “Don't you want to get better?”

“Because of that stupid whore, she broke the bottle. That's what happens when you bring a whore from the whorehouse.”

When you heard that word, you thought of Decima. You faced the fact that you had left her behind while you were dealing with everything.

“Could you make the mixture again? It's a festival day and I want to feel good, I don't want to look unwell especially when I’m with Caracalla.” He mumbled.

“I will, but may I ask something in return?”

“Aha! You don't act like a saint anymore, huh?” He laughed. You ignored his joke, approached him.

“Please, brother, a small favor?” Perhaps it seemed to you that you were looking at him in a pleading way. But to him, it was seductive, though he didn't show that. He cleared his throat.

“Alright, what can I do for my lovely sister? What is it you want, I really wonder?”

You smiled hesitantly. “A platoon of soldiers.”

Geta opened his eyes wide, let out a hearty laugh, stood up, and then laughed again, clapping his hands. You tried to stay calm and wait patiently.

He laughed so hard that the slaves on the floor and the ones in his bed all woke up and quickly left the room.

“You know, you really are an unbelievable woman.” His childish smile spread all over his face. He let out another laugh. Then he crossed his arms. “What are you planning to do with all those soldiers? I am genuinely curious.”

“I'm going to save my friend.”

He put his hand on his chin, thinking, narrowing his eyes.

“Why don't you ask the General Acacius for help? He can do alone what a platoon of soldiers can do.”

“Because he won't like what I'm going to do,” you were sure of it.The mere thought of it made you nervous, so you had to get it done as soon as possible.

Geta laughed again. “Something Acacius wouldn't like, hmm, sounds delicious. The soldiers are at your service, sister.”

Whore House…

In the early morning, the street where the whorehouse was located was not very crowded, even quiet. Compared to other parts of the city, it might have been the quietest place in the mornings, but not today. You had come to this street with a group of ten soldiers with a single purpose. And this time you had the power to do it. Not as Aya, but as Princess Aurelia.

Walking with confidence among the soldiers, not paying attention to the people looking at you. You paused in front of the door, and the soldiers stopped with you. You'd already told the commander what was going to happen. He nodded and kicked the door open. The soldiers scattered inside to make sure you got in safely, the last two entering with you, standing next to you, protecting you.

Juturna, the woman who owned this place, looked like she had just woken up. She was surprised to see the soldiers; her pupils were popping out of their sockets.

Then she saw you and pointed her finger at you.

“You! What the?”

The room where they were holding Decima was upstairs. You ignored Juturna's whine and headed for that room. The soldiers were waiting for you downstairs, and one of them came behind you to protect you. When you stepped in front of the room, you rushed inside. Decima was lying on the bed, her wrists still cuffed with chains. She looked a little weak and hardly looked at you. You were incredibly angry. You grabbed her chain and looked at the soldier.

“Uncuff her!”

The soldier nodded and grabbed the collar of one of the guards who had come after you.

“You heard the lady!”

The guard was frightened, he quickly uncuffed her, and Decima's bruised face lit up with a ray of hope. When she was free, she hugged you.

“Aya, but how?”

“Never mind now, let's get you out of here first.”

You grabbed her arm and led her out of the room. As you made your way downstairs, you heard Juturna's cries.

“Lady you can't do this!” she lunged towards you, but one of the soldiers pushed her back.

“Pay her compensation,” you ordered one of the soldiers. He handed her the pouch full of coins.

“This girl is now my slave, send the necessary papers to the Domus Severiana, and if you have any objections, try the Emperor Geta.”

She swallowed hard, knowing full well that she'd never want to contradict him. You smiled triumphantly as you and Decima walked out of there with the soldiers behind you. Then you stopped suddenly when you saw the general standing next to your carriage.

When did he come?

You led Decima inside the carriage and looked at him. He'd called the commander of the troops to him and was talking to him. He punched him on the chest, but not so hard. Was he scolding him?

As you approached him, the soldier was coming towards you, rubbing his chest where General had hit him.

“The General says we're done here, my lady, if you'll excuse me.” he bowed his head.

“The General is right, you can go,” you said, looking at General.

“You really do whatever you set your mind to, you are so stubborn, my lady.” He muttered.

“How do you know I was here?”

Acacius crossed his arms and squinted at you. “I am the General, remember? All the soldiers in this city are under my command.”

"I see. I understand why you might be upset with me for not asking for help. I thought you could stop me from coming here, so I asked Geta for help."

"I can see that you and your brother Geta are close. I believe he asked you for something in return?”

"I promised to make the herbal concoction to heal him."

"I'd like to hear the real answer."

He smiled, but his eyes were sharp. It was impossible to lie to those eyes.

"Perhaps I told him you wouldn't like it," you said, biting your lower lip.

“This is the answer I'm looking for.”

“I didn’t want you to upset, I’m sorry.”

“It's not something you should be sorry about,” he said, looking at the carriage behind you. “You did it for your friend, I understand.”

Her eyes softened, and he was smiling once more, which prompted you to return his smile.

“I miss you,” you said in a low tone.

"I miss you more, my lady. "There are memories of you all over the villa. Facing those memories makes me sorrowful." His brown eyes were warm. "I find I miss you more when I'm in my room. There are so many reminders of you there," he said, his lips curving in a mischievous smile. He leaned his head towards you, close to your ear. "Especially in my bed." You gasped as his warm breath hit your face, your heart racing.

You almost forgot you were in the middle of the street. You were ready to throw yourself into his arms. You pulled yourself together with his giggling, he must have been amused by your facial expression. You jokingly nudged his muscled arm with your elbow.

"You're pretty shameless, General. Seducing me right here in the middle of the street.”

“Apologies, my lady,” he said, laughing.

"Are you coming to the festival today?”

“Yes, I've been invited and I would like to take this opportunity to talk with the emperors.”

You heard the hint in his voice, but you didn't understand it. His grin made you even more curious. He never smiled when he talked about emperors, so this was weird.

‘What are you going to talk to them about, I wonder?’

Acacius held your hand and looked into your eyes. "If it pleases you, my lady, I will tell them I ask your hand in marriage."

You froze and opened your eyes wide, unsure if you had heard correctly. Acacius smiled and kissed your hand.

“You can give me your answer after the festival. You might want to head out now, as preparations are about to get underway.” He put his arm around you and pulled you towards the carriage.

You looked at him before getting in, “I'll be waiting for you there, Marcus.”

@myownwholewildworld @orcasoul @pedroslut4eva @immyowndefender @lailathepedritofan @screechingchildfury @shinymusicpanda @somedayheaven @ivoryandflame @negrita2345 @music-lover09 @javiismyhsbnd @idontcareihavenoidea @jisungandpedrolover

if anyone wants me to tag them please comment :) thank you all <3

[makingqueerhistory]

OurStory Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity (SCIO). We collect, archive and present the life stories and experiences of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender) community in Scotland. This involves oral history work with all ages, including the older generation, whose stories reveal the tremendous changes that have occurred in the situation of LGBT people during their lifetime. In addition to collecting stories, images, artefacts and research materials from LGBT lives, we present our heritage through the arts, in exhibitions, storytelling and drama.

[hekateofsoria]

Epic is living rent-free in my mind and even more since the announcement of the release date of the Vengeance Saga! While practicing my latin I remembered one of my favorite moment of the Odyssey that I'm eager to hear about in the musical: the reunion of Odysseus and Penelope, and especially the story of their bed sculpted out of an olive tree and rooted in the ground of Ithaca (omfg I love that story). So I decided to write about that story to distract myself from waiting for the Vengeance Saga and the Ithaca Saga... Here is my interpretation of the young couple Odysseus & Penelope and the story of their wooden bed :)

Transcription under divider

Ante diem tertium decimum Kalendas nouembres (tertium annum):

Non scio cur, sed hodie de fabula cubilis Ulixes Penelopesque recogitabam. Ergo volui de hoc scribere:

"Ulixes manu Penelopem uelocius ducebat, et eam per siluam Ithacæ plenam et procerarum fagorum et robustorum roborum egit donec mediam profundiorem siluam adsecuti sunt. Igitur, ambobus pro maxima pulcherrimaque olea stantibus, Lærtiades dixit:

— Cara Penelope, inquit, uxorem te duxi, atque ad excipiendum nostrum amorem, volo diuinissimam regiarum ædificare in qua magnificentissimum cubilium erit. Ergo cubilem ex hac olea, quæ, memento eius, custos nostrarum horarum fuit nobis conuenientibus, excidam. Cum hoc fecero, circum hanc oleam caram nobis, quæ nunc cubile erit, nostram domum extruam.

Et dius Ulixes huiusmodi uerba locutus est uenusta Penelope mota eum complectente."

[taraross-1787]

Medal of Honor Monday: Jason Dunham

At about this time in 2004, a hero engages in an action that would earn him the Medal of Honor. Jason Dunham was the son of a United States Air Force veteran, and he was born on the birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Perhaps he was destined to be a hero?

Dunham enlisted in the Marine Corps soon after his graduation from Scio High School in New York. By the spring of 2004, he was a Corporal serving a tour of duty in Iraq. He was based at Camp Husaybah, a fortified compound located near the border. The assignment was far from easy, of course: Husaybah was a known hot spot for insurgents.

Soon after he arrived in Iraq, Dunham was involved in a conversation with two other officers. The discussion proved important, although no one realized it at the time.

The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-jason-dunham-moh

[lazodiac]

Happy Lesbian Awareness Week! Please be aware of my lesbians!

And, by all means, please feel free to ask questions about any of them!

(Art by me, my friend Fury, or by @heli-0s, who deserves tons of commissions.)

CHLOE NICOLS

Chloe Nicols is- or really, was- the supposed queen bee of her highschool. The reality was, she was simply the forward facing punching bag of shitty rich-kids who she was forced into being the friends with. After an (accidental) facial scorching by Rei Scios- an old friend she has a secret crush on- Chloe has lost all social draw she had. She couldn't be happier.

Kidnapped by Kestrel and saved by Rei, the two are rekindling their friendship... and more, a missed youthful romance now beginning to blossom. That's not all either- with the troubles Rei and friends are encountering, Chloe is doing her best to contribute. She DID convince her parents to put her through fencing school after all...

ELLA UMBRA

Ella Umbra is a very normal girl. She moved to Laketown with her family a few months ago- a small, gentle place where she could relax and enjoy her life. Unfortunately she became friends with Verde, and in doing so is drawn into the chaotic adventures of Rei Scios.

In the aftermath of it all, Ella is faced with a number of problems. Her favorite umbrella is broken- just about twisted in half smashing a puppet's hand off. The secrets she's been hiding about her very normal human girl life are at risk of coming out and, maybe, ruin her friendship. Worst of all... despite being ace, she's developing a crush on Verde! Uh oh!

SAILA WALKER

Orphaned at a young age in a tragic fire, lit by her budding pyromantic powers, Saila has lived a hard sixteen years. Dancing and putting on fire-shows for the locals of a town that don't quite respect who she is, she dreamed of one day being a hero like the gunslingers and horse-women of her rider stories- tales of fantastic adventure and excitement in the open plain and deserts of Trestaria.

Her day changed when Noble, a gunslinger straight out of her beloved fiction, walked into town and gunned down the men oppressing that cold-hearted home of hers, partly to save her. Forcing her way into his party as a guide, the two walk a path of mist and fire...

[messagefound]

scio

ft lilieve by @crashstanding

there are some formatting issues near the end, as some dialogue is supposed to get smaller, but i guess tumblr doesn't do that :(

summary: Adam is worried about his son. He debates whether or not to sacrifice his autonomy in exchange for eternal safety.

         Albatross was dreaming.

         Or was it Adam?

         Or was it Lilieve?

         It had to have been Albatross because he was the only one really sleeping.

         Adam saw him, if only from a distance. He stood on a floor that wasn’t there, for there was nothing there. There was only black. He saw his boy curled up tightly under his coat, eyes shut and body trembling.

         “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, DEAR?”

         Adam let out a shaky breath as he felt his counterpart’s massive presence wrap itself around him. His eyes remained firmly fixed on his son, even as he reached out to take Lilieve’s taloned hands in his.

         “I didn’t mean to come here,” he said. His voice was barely audible, like the background noise of wind swishing through leaves. “It just happened.”

         “YOU WERE WORRIED.”

         “Yes. I know.”

         “WHY DO YOU NOT GO TO HIM? YOU HARDLY WANTED TO LEAVE HIS SIDE BEFORE.”

         Adam fidgeted, grasping at the buttons on his shirt. Albatross’s brother was safe within him. He was probably sleeping too. Curled up with his father’s old bunny plush, while his myriad feathered half-siblings stood watch in the branches above. Back to being the little boy he never was. Safe, warm, as he should be. As he always should be.

         Albatross deserved that too.

         “I fear I wouldn’t be able to stop myself if I got any closer.”

         “STOP YOURSELF FROM WHAT?”

         Adam grew silent. He heaved a heavy sigh.

         “Have you heard that story about the painting they found in a dead artist’s kitchen?”

         “PERHAPS.”

         “They didn’t quite know what to think of it. Who would create such a gruesome scene and place it in a kitchen? It had no name either. So, they began to think of what to call it.”

         “AND WHAT DID THEY DECIDE?”

         “They decided to name it after a myth they knew. It was the only way they could comprehend the scene before them. They relegated it to the sphere of stories meant to explain and teach and warn. It was meant to comfort themselves. What else could it be, of course, then a titan devouring his godly son, one that was destined to overthrow him regardless? It’ll be okay. The monster will be gone soon.”

         “WAS THAT NOT WHAT IT DEPICTED?”

         “No one knows. People theorize all they like but it doesn’t change the fact the artist isn’t there to tell them. Perhaps he wouldn’t want to tell them regardless. Perhaps it reflected a deep-seated instinct, a snapshot of what that instinct was before we began to call ourselves civilized beings.”

         He paused.

         “If evolution had anything to do with it at all.”

         “WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?”

         “I remember, a long time ago, before I met you, my family told me a story. I can’t remember their faces, but I often remember the things they told me. They told me once that when humans were first molded by gods, they had trouble having children. They had them, of course, but the problem was that the parents ended up loving them so much they kept eating them to keep them safe. The gods had no choice but to calm the intensity of that love so the children could live and have children in turn.”

         “AH. I SEE.”

         “I think about that sometimes. I don’t think that’s ever left us. Even now, all I want to do is put him back in my ribs where nothing bad would happen to him again.”

         He clutched the rung where Lycoris slept as he said this.

         “Seeing how pained he still is, even after he finally met me, makes me feel hollow. Knowing his work still isn’t over makes me want to wail until my throat bleeds. Inside, nothing bad would happen to him ever again.”

         “NOTHING GOOD WILL EITHER.”

         He hugged himself, shuddering.

         “I know.”

         “THEY WILL BOTH BE IN ETERNAL STASIS, ETERNAL SLEEP, UNTIL YOU TAKE THEM OUT AGAIN. LYCORIS IS ONLY AS LUCID AS HE IS BECAUSE HIS BROTHER HASN’T COME TO JOIN HIM YET.”

         Adam squeezed his eyes shut.

         “I know.”

         His body seemed to ripple and sharpen. He was the most humanlike out of the two of them, and yet, something always changed whenever his emotions ran high. Looking at him then always seemed to hurt one’s eyes, a phantom imagined pain like an intrusive thought. It wouldn’t hurt you if you didn’t engage with it, but it vividly reminded you of what it would do. He didn’t seem so soft anymore when he was like this. It was natural, yet utterly grotesque, like a massive corpse flower reeking like death on the forest floor.

         Lilieve always thought he would look different had he been buried just a bit too long. One simply doesn’t come out of a sheltered life, of a lonely apocalypse, completely unscathed.

         He felt her clawed hands grip him; a single palm able to grab his entire body as if he were a toy. But her touch was never violent, not once. He couldn’t see her, not clearly (eyes still firmly fixed on his son), but he felt feathers turn to gossamer and scaled hands turn to skin and claws turn to nails.

         “BELOVED…”

         He covered his face in his hands, shivering out quiet, echoing sobs in the black. He felt his counterpart (his wife his wife) hold him close, stroking him gently yet carefully as if she were handling the stem of a rose.

         “I just want him to be okay” he uttered; voice as thorny as he felt but barely hiding an unbearable sadness.

         “I KNOW. I KNOW. BUT BELOVED,”

         He felt fingers tangle in his hair, lips press softly against the back of his head.

         “HOW DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO LIVE A FULL LIFE IF HE STAYS? IT IS TRUE HE WILL BE SAFE, BUT HE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO WISH OR DREAM. HE WILL NEVER FALL IN LOVE, OR SEE THIS WORLD’S BEAUTY, OR TEACH OTHERS TO SEE ITS BEAUTY, OR KNOW WE REVIVED THIS WORLD FOR HIM, OR EVEN KNOW HE IS LOVED SO. HE WILL NEVER LEARN TO REMAIN KIND EVEN AFTER HE’S BEEN HURT. HIS LIFE WILL NEVER AFFECT OTHERS.”

         “I know”

         “BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN, AND HE WILL GET HURT, AND IT WILL HURT DEEPER THAN THE BLACKEST AUGUISH, BUT WE MUST KEEP SENDING OUR LOVE. THAT IS ALL WE CAN GO TO MAKE SURE THE PAIN WON’T BE THE END OF HIM.”

         “I can’t even visit him properly”

         “WE HAVE THIS. THEY HAVE DREAMS. WE CAN REACH OUT THEN.”

         He felt her fingers intertwine with his.

         “PLEASE DON’T FORGET THIS BURDEN IS FOR BOTH OF US. I MAY NOT HAVE HAD A HAND IN YOUR SONS’ CREATION, BUT I STILL LOVE THEM DEEPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE YOURS. JUST AS YOU LOVE MY CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY ARE MINE.”

         Her hands tugged his arms, until they were spread outwards, palms facing up.

         “eve?” he asked, voice still barely coming out properly. His eyes were open again.

         “IF YOU ARE AFRAID TO GO NEAR HIM, TO SPEAK TO HIM, THEN YOU CAN SPEAK WITH MY VOICE. JUST AS I CAN SPEAK WITH YOURS.”

         “wouldn’t it scare him” he breathed, squeezing her hands tightly. “weren’t we scared of embracing our precious marble for fear of crushing it in our fingers”

         “MY BRANCHES WILL HOLD YOUR HANDS AND STAY THEIR MIGHT. WE WILL HOLD HIM IN OUR ARMS, JUST THIS ONCE, THIS I PROMISE TO YOU. HE WILL KNOW OUR LOVE AND KNOW HE MUST KEEP GOING.”

         Adam exhaled, and he felt Lilieve kiss his head. He wished he could kiss her back, but…later. After this. After…

         He closed his eyes.

         Albatross felt an immense weight. It wasn’t a weight as if something were on top of him, crushing him, but rather…the air. It was hard to breathe for how heavy it became. He kept his eyes tightly shut; his body tensely curled into a ball beneath his feathery coat.

         Just keep sleeping. The nightmare will go away if you pretend it’s not there. Just focus on how soft the feathers are. Don’t focus on how much you miss your brother. On how you ran out and ignored your daughter’s cries because you were angry and couldn’t handle the truth. On how there was a madwoman out there that rots everything she touches. On how you must be worrying everyone you cared about because you willingly fell into the sea and haven’t returned.

         Just ignore it. Forget it. It’s too much.

         It was still so cold.

         “ti n y cygne t”

         Despite himself, his eyes shot open. It was the “frightened animal” thing to do. You hear a noise; you see what it was. It could be something intended to hurt you, after all.

         He did not know how to react to the sight before him.

         He couldn’t even lift his head enough to know how tall this being was. His eyes hurt trying to figure it out. There was white, with bits of red, with flowing black. He felt surrounded, but he was sure there was only one being here.

         There was warmth beneath him, and he felt a finger (a finger) stroke his hair, his back. Somehow it made his body tremble, not just from how immense the thing was but the sense that the ground(?) was shaking.

         (was it trembling?)

         He stared until he felt like he made some semblance of eye contact. He wasn’t sure if he was even looking in the right place, but it did cause…some sort of reaction. He felt its head(?) lean in towards him, stopping mere centimeters from his body. He could feel its breath on him, blowing his hair up intermittently with its gusts.

         He could glimpse its teeth, its throat. The insides were pitch black, and its teeth were sharp and honed. They could pierce him straight through with just one if it wanted.

         Albatross didn’t know if it wanted.

         He closed his eyes again, covering his face.

         “plea se do no t be afra id ple ase”

         He hadn’t noticed it before, but its voice, booming though it was, felt…disconnected. Not quite in-sync with itself if that was possible. It sounded like it was making a concerted effort not to rupture his ears with its force.

         He peeked out a little.

         This for sure were its eyes, and the four circles trembling in his direction were its pupils. Reaching out, gingerly, cautiously, Albatross could feel what he assumed was the flesh of its palms, the very thing he was sleeping on.

         (the trembling earth was but a hand?)

         “tin y ti n y b aby boy”

         Was it baby-talking to him? What manner of creature was this?

         “Cygn us Cygnu s”

         It…knew his name…? His real name…?

         …oh.

         Oh.

         “Papa?” he whispered. The word still felt almost foreign on his lips, especially in the grown body he had. But who else could it be, then some other manifestation of a lineage that already wasn’t quite human?

         “ye s ye s”

         This time he felt more hands on him, more than any human should ever rightly have. These were coarser, rougher hands, with a texture like wood that sometimes snagged on his hair before loosening. Branches…?

         “Eve is here too…?”

         “yes ye s us bot h o ne to se e you”

         Albatross exhaled, finally relaxing. His body went limb as this large parental being stroked him with fingers as large as entire landmasses. It…made his eyes sting. Somehow. For some reason.

         Did he feel guilty because he had been scared…?

         But whatever tears came drifted away into space, blown away into the void by its breath.

         “shh h h hh shhh”

         Even its sounds of soothing felt disconnected. Were they really trying to keep themselves together as one being…just to comfort him? One so infinitesimally small as him…?

         Yes, it was true he was their son, and yet. And yet.

         (he still didn’t understand why they would do that, why anyone would)

         (he didn’t know why)

         “precio us littl e swa n”

         Papa always likened him to a swan. He was named after one charted in the sky, after all, and his hair was white like one. Swans were beautiful birds, but deadly when threatened. They’re still dinosaurs after all. You don’t come between them and their families.

         …Diana…

         He really messed up. He shouldn’t have left her there. Brother was gone. She was here now. He had to take care of her now.

         “sh e has alrea dy forgive n yo u”

         “Has she…? Will she…?”

         “w e prom ise”

         He sniffled despite himself, more tears getting blown away.

         “I wish she could meet you. I wish this were over so I can be a good son and show you my family.”

         “belov ed”

         He felt their jaws getting close, but he didn’t shrink away this time. It was only a kiss, one big enough to envelop his entire body. No hurt. Not ever. Never from them.

         “en dure plea se”

         “It hurts so much.”

         “I t wil l be bette r we pr omise”

         Another kiss. There was care and hesitation in their movements, for they knew they were so much bigger than him in this state. They wanted so badly to cover him with kisses as much as they could when they were components, but not here, not now. Later. After, always.

         “we wil sin g fo r yo u lulla by”

         “Will I be able to see you again?”

         “alwa ys alwa ys always com e for yo u when call”

         “Promise?”

         “pro mise”

         Another kiss.

         “lov e you lov e you alwa ys”

         Albatross felt the sensations of vines intertwining with his hair, and he could vaguely see the branches sprouting spider lilies. Their blooms whispered incoherently, shakily, but he knew his brother was here too. He couldn’t be with him anymore, but he was still here, and he wanted him to be happy.

         “si ng slee p no w”

         Albatross closed his eyes.

         “yo u ar e ou r sunsh ine

         Ou r onl y sunsh ine

         Yo u mak e us happ y when ski es ar e gra y

         Yo u’ll ne ver kno w dea r

         How mu ch we lov e yo u

         Pleas e do n’t take

         Ou r sun shin e

             Aw ay”

             The universe can sing, did you know that?

[ghostlandtoo]

WISH FULFILLMENT — COME BACK WRONG

a mood board for a friend’s fic concept

ID:

A web weaving post feature Wolfwood and Vash from Trigun Maximum. The first image is a panel of Wolfwood biting down on glass vials in his mouth and underneath the panel is the quote: “Why does tragedy exist? Because you are full of rage. Why are you full of rage? Because you are full of grief.” The second image is spliced together panels from volume 10. The first panel is Wolfwood holding a shot glass with speech bubbles saying: [N][arrow][is][the][strai][T][.] [I am asking [You] [h][ow] to endure it.]. Next is the panel of Vash bowing over his shot glass with spec bubbles saying: On the strength of My having asked it of you. Around him are thought bubbles saying: Oh, God… God… Please do me this one favor… The third panel is Wolfwood in profile, a tear running down his cheek. A speech bubble next to him says: [I am asking [not] to endure it.] The final panel is of the gravestone placed over his grave with a cross craved into it. Around it says: Scio… Sweetheart.

The lines are from a poem by tumblr user inactics linked here.

The third image is a quote from Richard Siken: He was not dead yet, no exactly—parts of him were dead already, certainly other parts were still only waiting for something to happen, something grand, but it isn’t always about me, he keeps saying, though he’s talking about the only heart he knows—

The fourth image is a screencap of dialogue from Disco Elysium. It reads:

You – Do I remember?

Inland Empire – No, you don’t. And it’s better that way.

You – What *do* I remember?

Inland Empire – Nothing.

(in all caps by the narrator) Don’t come back here!

The fifth image is Wolfwood aiming his handgun at the back of Vash’s head, who is in the foreground. Underneath that panel is a picture of an engraved plaque with a Jenny Holzer truism on it reading: Protect me from what I want. The sixth image is the panel of Wolfwood forcing Vash to hold a gun to his head and saying “Shoot.” The panel is cut in half by a quote from Richard Siken: but I think I’d rather keep the bullet. It’s mine, see, I’m not giving it up. This way you still owe me, and that’s as good as anything. You can’t get out of this one, [] you can’t get it out of me, and with this bullet lodged in my chest, covered with your name, I will turn myself into a gun, because I’m hungry and hollow and just want something to call my own. I’ll be your slaughterhouse, your killing floor, your morgue and final resting, walking around with this bullet inside me like the bullet was already there, like it’s been waiting inside me this entire time.

The seventh image is a picture of a line from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. It reads: (Guil) Our names shouted in a certain dawn… a message… a summons… there must have been a moment, at the beginning, where he could have said – no. But somehow we missed it. (He looks around and sees he is alone.) Rosen-? Guil-? (He gathers himself.) Well, we’ll know better next time. Now you see me, now you – (And disappears.)

The eighth image is the panel of Wolfwood and Vash sitting on the couch from volume 10. Wolfwood was been blacked out so he is just a silhouette. In the middle of his body is a block of text reading: living—despite (line break) living—against.

The final image is a dialogue box from the gamer Pathologic. The Executor is saying: I’ll tell you a story. Once there was a man who wanted to fix everything. He begged on bended knee for a chance to turn back time… And when he got it, history repeated itself. “Good job,” we told him. “That’s your fate.” He asked us, “Once more?” So we let him try once more, but with a catch. He who denies his fate will be punished.

[roguelioness]

fables from the field

[written for ffxivwrite2024]

Day 13: Butte

Rating: T Words: 1176 Pairing: none

“I know Alisaie is quite spirited, but surely she cannot possibly have compared the land there to arses,” she can almost see Aymeric shaking his head in disbelief.

Alyzen laughs, the lush dichondra soft beneath her back. Above her, the night sky gleams with all its finest splendor, the only velvet background the perfect foil for the luminescent jewel tones of the stars.

“Well, it’s not entirely untrue,” she concedes, “I believe her exact words were, and I quote, ‘Tis remarkable that this landscape sports buttes in all manners of shapes and sizes. Mind you, she said that in the plainest of voices, with the most serious expression on her face. And then she looked at me and winked, and Halone’s breath, ‘Meric, it was nigh impossible for me to hold back my laughter.”

“It seems she has a most remarkable sense of humor,” His voice, fond and affectionate, warms her.

“Aye, that she does.” She shifts slightly, reaching beneath her to remove a particularly irritating pebble. “It’s good to know that there can still be moments of levity to be found no matter how trying the situation may be.”

“And you, cher-” her heart stutters for a moment, then sinks as he corrects himself. “My friend, how are you faring?”

She closes her eyes, regret digging into her side like a dull blade. There is guilt there too, that despite the way she had ended affairs with him, he still indulges her need for conversation. She should, perhaps, not rely on him so much – and yet she cannot bring herself to entirely cease the mundane chats. Sighing internally, she brings her thoughts to answering his query.

“It has been…” she trails off, gnawing on her lip. “In all truth, ‘Meric, it has been a challenge. I yet feel cheated out of dealing Ilberd the retribution he so rightly deserved, and I am still angry that in the end, he got what he wanted. I am annoyed, to say the least, that it is we who have to shoulder the yoke for his actions.”

“‘Tis understandable,” he murmurs. “Though I would imagine the chance to see your homeland must provide some measure of compensation?”

“You would think so,” she watches Astor circle the sky, riding a thermal current, his wings stretched out in full glory. “But…” she hesitates. It bothers her, this lack of… recognition she feels with her mother's – with her – homeland. 

“But?” he prompts, and she is reminded of Alisaie’s quip once more, and starts to laugh. Aymeric must have also heard the same thing she did, for he joins her in laughter. “That was unfortunate timing, he chuckles. “Yet I would know what troubles you, Aly.”

She idly plucks a blade of grass and rubs her thumb over the leaf to aid her focus. “I thought I would have an immediate connection,” she says at last. “To this place. After all the stories I’ve been told, the many times my mother has described it to me, after… after all that time and effort she and I spent for the Resistance…” She sighs. “I look around, and I feel… nothing. Though that is not to imply that I have no sympathy for the people here,” she hastily adds, “they have been through much and more, and it shows. That we should be here to free these lands of Garlean rule is the right path. And yet…”

“You hoped you would feel as though you belonged?” Aymeric’s soft words and quiet sympathy makes her eyes prickle with unwanted wet heat.

“Aye,” she admits, just as softly. “I thought I might find a home here. That I would gaze upon the land and its hills and ridges and instantly know that I was where I should be. Instead, all I see is a once-beautiful land despoiled by its conquerors. There is no familiarity here, and I… I do not know why. I cannot understand why the only ties I feel to this land and its people are those of responsibility. Why can I not feel the same kind of ease Lyse does? Especially when I have done more for this land than she has,” it comes out with all the bitterness she feels towards the young Scion.

“She has not been disillusioned as you have,” he says gently. “From what you have told me of her, she is young and has the fierce righteousness of youth. You have heard the best of Ala Mhigo from tales, but you have also experienced for yourself the struggles of the Resistance. Do not be so hard on yourself; allow yourself the opportunity to look around without thinking of how matters should be. ‘Tis important that you bear in mind that, for all intents and purposes, it is a new and unfamiliar land to you. When you find your own reasons to marvel at it, you will find the connection that you seek.”

“What if I do not?” she voices the fear at the back of her mind. “What if I remain unmoved?”

Aymeric laughs. “I cannot believe that you will remain unmoved, Aly. ‘Tis most unlike you. You always have an opinion on every affair, be they little or no.”

“You make me sound like a belligerent grouch,” she grumbles. 

“Indulge me for a moment, if you will, and describe your surroundings to me.”

“From where I am, atop a hill, it feels enormous,” she begins. There are peaks of all shapes jutting out from the ground. Most of them are flat, and covered in vegetation, like a green carpet over the striped rock. The pathways through them look like a labyrinth; from the ground, I can tell you they twist and wind, and there is always the worry of getting lost.” 

She shifts to sitting cross-legged, the better to view her surroundings. Her tone becomes increasingly passionate. “It should feel arid, and yet there is a wild, untamed beauty about the area.Every plant, every tree grows in defiance of the rocky ground. Ruins of buildings carved into the cliffs might be weathered, but that they yet exist speaks to the craftsmanship. And oh, ‘Meric, how beautifully they have been carved. I cannot imagine how much time it must have taken to create them; they are truly a labor of love, each and every one. I wish you could see them for yourself; I think you would enjoy the sight as much as I do.”

“It sounds most picturesque,” he murmurs. “I too hope that I might see it someday.”

“If all goes our way, you shall,” she exhales. “Though I cannot say how long it will take.”

“Do you still believe yourself to be unaffected?” he sounds amused, and her eyes narrow at the hint of smugness within his tone.

“...No,” she mutters ungraciously.

His laugh pulls a smile to her face.” As I thought. You may have your many buts, but it is plain to me that you enjoy the sight of the buttes that surround you.”

“Aymeric de Borel, you did not just say that!” 

[icys-poetry]

One must imagine Sisyphus happy And this is imperative. This is the ultimate test For you, who is mired in Your own impossibilities that crush the soul and yet I ask the impossible. Scio, sweetheart. Scio.

One must imagine Sisyphus happy, and this does not Mean that he is good. He violated hospitality, killed many, and This is his punishment, not fair but Imposed by petty gods who walk amongst the people

One must imagine Sisyphus happy, must imagine That he does not cling to misery as an affirmation Of his rage against the gods on earth, as a Destruction of the only thing in his power, but rather— One must imagine that he found joy despite it. Because even eternal torment is not eternal, and Isn’t that such a relief? Because The titans fell and the giants fell and so Someday, too, must the gods And he will crawl from the crumbling realm of Hades

I beg you to imagine the impossible, that Sisyphus finds contentment despite E v e r y t h i n g. That he pushes the rock forward, backwards, that he Arranges a path for it to make music as it falls

He is sloppy at first, pushing his rock, and yet He learns. Like every Greek peasant who dreams of becoming  A warrior, his arms grow strong, his abdominals emerge, his Body is honed for this task, and isn’t he proud? He is here but he has changed himself.

He is not here to advance to the impossible freedom, for He knows the gods are not kind. All the same— All the same, they cannot stop him from dreaming about Faraway lands in his mind and stories that play out Time and time again.

I ask you to imagine Sisyphus happy, or at least Proud of his accomplishments, satisfied Not in the result but in the labor And in the process and in himself, because You have always been Sisyphus

I ask you again, impossibly, to find happiness despite it all. I’m sorry.

[irrealisms]

Aww, did you think you broke the cycle? 

Next to Normal // all i ever wanted was [Wilbur animatic] - WolfyTheWitch // tumblr post by @celestialkindliness // oh, how i want to be free - @aliveburs // Marsha, Thankk You for the Dialectics, but I Need You to Leave. - Will Wood // Sakizuke - NBC Hannibal // oh, how i want to be free - @aliveburs // I Am So Depressed I Feel Like Jumping in the River Behind My House but Won’t Because I’m Thirty-Eight and Not Eighteen - Sandra Cisneros // Breathe - In the Heights // Status Quo Is God - TV Tropes // tumblr post by @intactics

[IDs under cut]

Image 1: DOCTOR MADDEN: Well, let’s start by getting to know each other a bit. Psychotherapy and medication work best in tandem, but we can try the first alone, and see how far we get. Why don’t you tell me—

Image 2: A drawing using the YCGMA color palette of Wilbur silhouetted against a background of buildings and rubble. The closed captions read "Am I right back where I started fourteen years ago?"

Image 3: a tumblr post by @celestialkindliness : *guy who's trying to pretend he's not trapped* big fan of narratives. big fan of the ceaseless and repetitive flow of events given life by an audience and mutated by their perception

Image 4: Say the line, Tubbo! Say the line! You can’t leave, you’ll never leave, you can’t escape the narrative because you’ll have to continue it, you want to, and isn’t this easier? Isn’t this a life worth living? Family safe, country safe, everything’s safe, what else is there to want?

Image 5: How many years have you been on that couch?/They could’ve quilt’d you in the throws by now

Images 6+7: A screenshot from NBC Hannibal, focused on Will Graham. The closed captions read "I've lost the plot. I am the unreliable narrator of my own story."

Image 8: And relearn your lines. Dress rehearsal is coming up!

Image 9: I Am So Depressed I Feel Like Jumping in the River Behind My House but Won’t Because I’m Thirty-Eight and Not Eighteen

Image 10: [NINA] This is my street I smile at the faces I’ve known all my life They regard me with pride And everyone’s sweet They say, “You’re going places" So how can I say that, while I was away I had so much to hide? Hey guys, it’s me The biggest disappointment you know The kid couldn’t hack it She’s back and she’s walkin’ real slow Welcome home, just breathe

Image 11:

Status Quo Is God

"Looks like everything's back the way it was! Which is the only way it should ever be..." — Marge Simpson, The Simpsons

Within a work, particularly long-running series and franchises, almost nothing changes. If something does change, it's generally reset back to the way it was before very quickly.

This usually happens in a series with no overarching conflict or plot, although it is also the final stage of Exponential Plot Delay, the phenomenon in which the plot of a serial story has totally ground to a halt. In either case, each installment of the series will open under virtually identical circumstances to the installment that came before.

Why create a static situation? The creators want the audience to be familiar with the characters and situation, without having to bother with such things as "what happened last episode".

Image 12: me: [I am asking [You] [h][ow] to endure it.] god: On the strength of My having asked it of you. me: [I am asking [not] to endure it.] god: Scio, sweetheart.

[lisystrata]

Clive Barker's Undying Soundtrack

A few posts earlier, I mentioned the soundtrack from this old game. But I must say that there is an overall amazing voice acting. However, despite the old age and primitive graphics, the game also seemed to me at one time a masterpiece in the horror style, very atmospheric, with addictive gameplay. All my friends who have passed it involuntarily recall this whisper from nothingness, this hiss that comes from behind the back of the player, making him flinch (especially if you go through the story alone, late at night and with good headphones): "Look back!" You look around, turn on the supervision mode - and now a rather harmless baroque picture on the wall is transformed in an eerie way … My favorite music from this game is the disturbing main theme "Dum spiro, spero. Dum spiro, scio."

Brothers and sisters from the Covenant family. They are so cute (if you do not turn on the clairvoyant mode). What an irony!

[sciocodezero]

This is a story I'm developing. It's about a world where humans and AI live separately. AI take up most of the world and humans take up only a small section of it. A human, Yuu, travels to the AI world in search of his dad who disappeared there when he was younger. He'll eventually meet Scio, the tv head, and Data, the android, who will help them find his dad. All three of them are basically seen as rogues and have to be careful not to be caught by PK, the ruler of the AIs.

More lore and stuff can be found in this link to my TH literature.

[spaciousreasoning]

A Five-Bridge Day

The sun came out today, thank goodness!

The morning’s blood sugar was up a bit, to 134. Not too far out of range for someone with diabetes, I guess. Then came our coffee and brain games, followed by a breakfast of rice and eggs with cheese and bacon bits, accompanied by toast and jam.

We started a shopping list for Costco then went there early to avoid the crowds. We pulled right up to a pump for gas, and when we finished picking up everything on our list, we used the self-checkout because all the other lanes were quite long.

At home, after putting everything away, Nancy came up with the idea to head up to Linn County and finish seeing the covered bridges there: Gilkey, Hannah, Hoffman, Larwood and Shimanek. All five are on the National Register of Historic Places. The blue skies and sunshine made it a lovely adventure, and we managed to get all five done in less than a couple of hours.

Doing additional research later, I discovered there was one more bridge on the Linn County covered bridge tour list. In 1986, the town of Stayton deconstructed and rebuilt the Jordan Covered Bridge, originally built east of neighboring Scio. Work finished in 1988, but just six years later the bridge caught fire and burned to the ground. The town built a new bridge, known today as Stayton-Jordan Bridge. It is no longer located in Linn County. We’ll visit it later.

We were too late to stop in Albany and have lunch at Camille’s Bistro, so we went straight home. Then I got out and walked 2.1 miles under 40 minutes. During my walk, Nancy prepared a salad, pinto beans and tamales. It was a very good dinner!

Went to the Thursday recovery meeting. It was smaller than usual, about 20 people, but there was good sharing and, as always, it was good to be among my fellow recovering people.

Once home, we streamed the post-election Colbert show then watched two more episodes of “Coroner.” Together they constituted one story about chasing down a serial killer. Not the best pre-bedtime entertainment, but it was not particularly bloody.

[saskiamcc]

One More Day - location recce

On the 16th of October, we trekked to The Barnton Bunker Preservation Society SCIO in Clermiston to take a look at a possible location and scout out rooms for camera, sound and production design considerations.

We met one of the workers on the site, Chloe, at the gate and she introduced us to the space, explaining that they are currently doing work in the outer area - which we had to consider in terms of sound when making our final decisions.

She showed us around each of the floors, explaining what each space is used for - some were more plain than others, which I noted could provide both positives and negatives for production design. On one hand, the emptiness means that we have a lot of creative liberty to dress the room how we like, however it also means I have to take into account how I am going to dress the room without it being bare or two dimensional. Some of the other rooms have big pieces of machinery (that do not work anymore) or scrap pieces. I did think that while these could make for really interesting backdrops, it could get in the way of the tone of the film and may cause problems in the future when I am envisioning the story based on the script itself.

These rooms in particular I loved because of the machinery which I thought added both depth and texture to the room. However I noted that they may limit us in terms of dressing the set and also space in terms of camera set ups.

There were also some sections of the bunker that I immediately noted as ones I didn't want to use and discussed with Finlay and Alfie, purely because of how much light and space there was. Of course, production design is not the only factor in determining the choice of location - sound and camera take a big priority in the choice, however the some of the rooms were open plan and while I think it is possible for me to dress those rooms in a way which looked interesting, there were others that stood out to me more and gave me much more inspiration. Additionally, in some of them I felt that I could not see the scenario in the script occurring in that space.

Some examples of rooms that didn't give me that much inspiration

There were a lot of rooms and spaces that I took note of that I loved and got really excited about. One in particular was a room inside of a room. We initially looked at it through a hole in the wall, where a window used to be, and I thought it could look really cool - a frame within a frame. Additionally, the window frame had writing all around it which was an interesting concept they could incorporate into the story, where maybe this bunker was a hideout for more than these two survivors. The room itself is a pale blue colour with brown, grey and blue panels which added interesting dimensions and depth to the space. In this room, I could start to picture how I was going to dress it, with a ripped bed sheet between some of the panels to create a divide between the characters, as if they've been sleeping there for a long time. It also had a cable that hung from the ceiling across the room which I thought could act as a make-shift washing line for the characters (of course we would of had to check the stability and safety of this prior to the shoot). In the centre of the one of the walls also had a big black scorch mark, which I imagined the characters lighting multiple fires to keep them warm - this also gives us an indication for costume design (warm clothes). The only limitation we found to this room was the size - it may not be able to fit all cast and crew comfortably.

Two of the other rooms that I really liked were very similar to each other - the main difference being size. The walls of both rooms were black with wooden panelling overtop, however the bigger one had two exposed brick walls, which I loved. Metal vents ran along the ceiling which I thought gave the room quite an industrial feel - quite post-apocalyptic. The smaller room had plaster ceilings, which had holes and were peeling slightly, adding to the idea of the length of time the characters had been in this space. I could see potential and advantages to both spaces, and all of the other departments seemed to agree that one of these two rooms was going to be the final decision. In the end we decided to go with the bigger room to avoid any safety hazards in regards to the size of the space (fitting all crew and equipment etc.). From my perspective I think we made the right decision because I'd really like to take advantage of the industrial feel of the room.

the smaller room - mr forbes standing in for size reference :)

Our final decision - the big room :)

I am really happy with our decision and I think India and I are going to have so much fun creating and dressing the set here. I had a lot of fun exploring the bunker - Chloe even took us to their "rave room" where they hold parties and gigs, which she suggested we should use for our afterparty :)

This bunker was an amazing find thanks finlay !!!

[barfoltidotcom]

BABBLING ABT CELESTINE

celestine is one of the OCs ive put the most effort into, i love them so mich. they are a half dyrad and they are a lich hunter lol

they are married to florence and they are in love and like an old married couple they are so cute

they have a low grade empathic connection bc of a rite during their wedding (celestine has like...flowers that grow from their hair and leaves n shit so their hair changes with the seasons. like in spring uts green in fall its orange/red and in winter its dead leaf brown) so they had to take a lock of their hair from evey season and braid them into florence hair and then they braided a lock of florences hair into theirs okay also magic is involved obvi

ANYWAYS they are in love but thats not celestines whole story of course

they are also rlly close with their mom

they are an incrdibly talented sorcerer and was selected to be part of a royal court of magic users lol i have to work out more details abt it

but basically everyone else on that council was like....obsessive about how celestine was fae and p much immortal and wanted the same longevity of life so they all tried to become liches or whatever to live forever but of COURSE they got corrupted and now celestine hunts them down one by one because they suck.

also relevant while they were on that royal court thats when they meet marinseya!! bc she is a knight at the castle and is in charge of rearing dragons/dragon stuff

so anyways they fled the castle after the lich incident and practically drove themselves mad hunting them and then they went and chilled in the forest with their mom

and thats when they met florence bc he was at the temple of scios in the town very nearby