#when did this turn into a talk about my relative maturity i don't know

[missadangel]

The Heart of Rome (Marcus Acacius x Ofc!Princess Reader)

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XI. The Accusation (+18, Mature)

gif --- ayo-edebiri

“Ad astra per aspera”

To the stars though difficulties…

Villa…

"I need you to help me to kill Caracalla.”

You stared at Julia's face in astonishment, trying to make sense of what you just heard. Her dark brown eyes were serious, but you noticed something in her expression that you couldn't identify – it was somewhere between fear and unease.

"You came to my house to ask me to help you kill your son? Is that correct?”

“He is no longer my son. Macrinus has made him a mere plaything. He pretty much does whatever he wants. He had his relatives killed, without any hesitation. I can't let him kill Geta too. It's only a matter of time. I can't lose Geta.” She sounded upset when she mentioned him. "I lost everything to Macrinus. First he took my son, then my reputation. My own son won't listen to me, he sent me into exile, which is unacceptable." Her tearful voice suddenly turned serious. "I have no one left to go to but you which Acacius had a hand in this, of course.”

‘What are you sa-?’

"He wiped out my men in Legates. They were my last remaining stronghold. I did everything I could to keep them on my side for all those years. Did he tell you how he killed them? I'm sure he didn't, so as not to startle you."

You took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "My husband doesn't hide anything from me. But even if he did, I'm sure he has his own reasons." You said confidently.

"Sure he has!" she said sarcastically.

She was testing the limits of your patience. "Cease talking nonsense about my husband!" You barked. "Simply say whatever you came to say then take your leave.”

"Fair enough.” She crossed her legs. “Caracalla must die before Macrinus returns to Rome. Before he appoint him as Praetorian prefect (commander of the Imperial Guard)." She took a deep breath. "I'm sure of that he will take action against my sons once he assumes command of the guards. This could potentially lead to him ascending the throne. However, if Caracalla dies, it might weaken Macrinus' position. It would be more feasible to defeat him when Geta is emperor.”

"And you needn't worry about being hidden away in the shadows, as it seems unlikely that Geta will exile you like his brother did? It sounds like you're saving yourself.” She averted her eyes which meant you were right. "But why do you need my help exactly?"

"I believe you care about Geta, don't you? He also cares for you in some way. Perhaps more than you realise.”

“There’s nothing—“

You were about to protest, but she silenced you by raising her hand. “I am his mother, so I know him well and I know you don't wish him dead too. Besides, it would be better for everyone if he rules Rome alone. So Caracalla must die as soon as possible before harms him. You're a medicus, aren't you? You could make a concoction of herbs that will kill him painlessly.”

Her words were sharp, but her gaze was unwavering, declaring that this was the path she had to take. But it was still strange that she said it so easily. It felt wrong.

"I wouldn't have come to you if I didn't have to. It's only a matter of time before he finds out, accuse me of betrayal, and send me back. This is our sole opportunity before Macrinus's return."

‘Our? There is no ‘our’, there is no we. Furthermore, it is not a decision that can be made alone. You present this as an easy solution, but I am a married woman and my husband is a Roman general. What will happen to my husband if your plan fails? Have you ever considered this?”

She rolled her eyes. “Isn't that why you should help me? Once he's dealt with my sons, Macrinus' next target is General Acacius. To get you.” You knew exactly what she meant and she realized that. "I imagine your husband feels very regretful about not taking Macrinus out that night. Because I know he won't let him get away with it.”

You swallowed hard, hating to admit that she was right. Julia smiled, seeming amused by your expression. "Oh, poor Aurelia. It must be tough to be caught between three men. Yet you are fortunate. Even if you were to become a widow one day, there'd be another man waiting for you. Since you're a Roman princess, you're worth a great deal.”

That was the last straw. You felt a rush of anger and stood up abruptly. “Get out of my house now! Leave!” You barked, pointing your finger at the courtyard door. Julia stood up, looking insolent.

“If you truly care about Geta, think about what I said.”

“I said leave!” You shouted, then pointing your finger at her. “I'm warning you, don't you ever speak ill of my husband and don't come to my house again!”

Some of the slaves rushed towards you.

“Domina!”

“Escort Lady Domna outside.” You said sharply.

Julia gave you a stern look and turned away. She raised her hand to stop the slave who was approaching her. Then she left the courtyard. You were still pretty angry and tired, which made your head spin even more. Decima put her arm around you and made you sit on the lectus (couch). She grabbed your feet and gently lifted them, helping you lie down. Norell and Tullia were keeping an eye on you from a distance, looking a bit worried. You looked them with a half smile and told them to get on with their work. You leaned your head back and closed your eyes. Decima took your hand.

"Would you like me to make you some dittany tea (cretan thyme)?" It was an herb that was usually used for relaxation. Decima was from Egypt, so she was familiar with herbal teas. Well, not as familiar as you are, of course.

You looked at her. "Not that, not if I'm..." you said quietly.

"Oh, you're right. Chamomile then?”

"Yes, that's better. Thank you my dear.”

After drinking your chamomile tea, you fell asleep in the courtyard. The slaves were mindful of your need for rest and made every effort to avoid disturbing you. Those who walked towards the courtyard did so as quietly as they could. Then Mau appeared and jumped next to you. However, you were so deeply asleep that you were unaware that she had fallen asleep on your lap. You were suddenly awakened by the sound of a sword being unsheathed and a man shouting. Mau meowed loudly, jumped out of your lap in fright and sought refuge elsewhere.

Seeing Octavius holding his sword to a man's throat who you had never seen before. Opened your eyes in surprise.

“Sir! Have mercy please!” He begged. You noticed some parchment papers and a reed pen in his hand.

You sat up on the couch. “Octavius, what is happening here?”

"My lady, this rat was attempting to draw your likeness without your permission."

You were taken aback. "Can you clarify what you mean by that?”

Decima turned to you. "This man came for the General, but we informed him that he was not present. I then assumed that he had departed. Forgive me, my lady.”

Your eyesbrows rose. “You came to draw my husband?”

The man swallowed. Octavius shook him. “Lady Aurelia asked you a question. Speak, thief!”

You warned him, “Octavius, please put that sword away and allow the man to speak.”

He obeyed. The man stood up ad bowed. “Yes, my lady. Aventine cloth dyers association are paying me to do a mural of General Acacius and the tiger he fought in the arena, my lady.”

“Explain yourself. Why would they do that?” Octavius barked.

“He’s famous, sir, the city, all the Roman citizens likes him. He’s a hero.”

You smiled, and he was indeed a hero to you. You picked up the fallen scrolls and took a moment to examine them. He had painted you so well, even the mau in your lap, which you found quite remarkable.

"But you drew me, his wife," you murmured.

"My lady, allow me to beat this insolent rat to death," Octavius hissed. The man shuddered with fear.

"Please, sir. Leave him alone," you said, a little harshly.

"My lady, forgive me. You were so beautiful when you slept that I was overcome with admiration and wanted to draw your likeness.”

You felt your cheeks flush involuntarily.

“How dare you!” Octavius roared.

“Calm yourself, sir.” You gave Octavius a warning look. You stood up and approached the man. “Please rise.”

The man stood up looking a little ashamed.

“I'll tell my husband you came by. You are well talented, I liked your drawing,” you said, showing him the parchment. “May I keep this?”

He looked at you and gave you a big, warm smile. "It's already yours, my lady. I'm really pleased you think so.

You glanced at Octavius, who seemed to be losing patience. Then you looked at the man. “You may yet leave now.”

The man bowed his head and gave you a shy look, then turned and walked out of the courtyard. Octavius accompanied him outside. You and Decima studied the painting the artist had created. She then enquired as to whether she might bring you something to eat, and with your approval, she departed. It would seem that Mau was hungry when she returned to you, as she rubbed her tail against your leg. She meowed loudly when she saw Norell approaching you a moment later with a tray in her hands.

"Where's Decima? I thought she was supposed to bring the food.

You noticed that Norell's cheeks flushed. "Well, my lady, she had some more work to do in the kitchen."

"Is she all right?"

She nodded, but her freckled cheeks were still red. You grabbed her wrist as her furtive look and tone of voice made you wonder what she was hiding. "Tell me, what's going on?"

"Um, Decima. She took food to Sir Octavius." She averted her eyes from you and smiled in a way that seemed a little evasive. You blinked in surprise and then laughed.

“Oh, well, well,” you said, amused. “When these two have become so close?"

Norell chuckled. "It has been a while now. She often speaks of him."

You giggled. "Where might they be now?"

She turned her head towards the courtyard. “Over there.”

"Perhaps we could go and take a quick look at them," you suggested, with a hint of mischief in your voice.

Norell let out a soft laugh and followed you behind. The slave at the door was about to speak to you but you silenced him by putting your index finger to your lips.

You and Norell peered out of the door, observed Octavius and Decima by the stables, talking, smiling at each other. The slave at the door looked at them from behind you and grinned too.

As you watched them from a distance you recognized a familiar feeling in the way they looked at each other, love.

"My dear Decima," you murmured, sharing her happiness.

Norell sighed deeply. "I hope that one day I will be in love too.”

You heard the other slave sigh and you both looked at him with surprise. He bowed his head shyly.

“Domina? My lady?”

All three of you were startled by Tullia's loud voice. Decima had heard it too, and when she turned her head towards you three. You blushed and hurried inside.

“Tullia! Why are you shouting?” you snapped.

“Oh, forgive me. I thought…”

You and Norell had laughed loudly running towards the other courtyard. Tullia was looking at you, a bit confused. Decima came into the courtyard and made her way towards your voices.

“My lady?” She then looked at Norell in a rather angry way.

“I didn't say anything,” she said, holding up her hands.

"Come now, why are you keeping this from me?" you smiled at her.

Decima blushed.

“You're already sooo obvious.” Norell said smugly.

“What did you say?” Decima frowned and approached her and Norell turned around to run away. They ran into the courtyard and you followed. Decima cupped water from the fountain and threw it at her. Norell also did the same. They began to soak each other, laughing together. Norell ran towards you, intending to hide, but as Decima attempted to throw water at her again, the water hit you in the face, and you flinched when you felt the cold water on your skin.

“Gods!” Tulla cried out. She ran towards you. “My lady, are you alright? Look what you've done! Cease this nonsense now!” She yelled at them.

Mau had also got her share of a soaking, licking herself like mad to dry.  Decima and Norell were looking at you with guilty looks on their faces. But you, far from being angry, approached them with a serious expression and cupped the water from the fountain and threw in their faces. And a fun game began between the three of you. Tullia's grunts mixed with your laughter and echoed throughout the courtyard.

By the time the general arrived, you were still engaged in your game. Octavius was observing you at the door, perhaps not fully aware of his surroundings.  Marcus heard the loud, cheerful laughter and dismounted, heading for the courtyard with curiosity. He looked where Octavius was looking and was struck by the difference between this view and the one he saw every time he returned home. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He was at a loss as to how to react. He smiled as he recognized your cheerful laughter. Then he looked at Octavius, who looked like he was stunned.

“What are you looking at?” he yelled.

Octavius startled with his loud voice. “Sir!”

“You may leave Octavius,” he grumbled. How dare he watch my wife? he thought. Well actually he was watching someone else but still.

You all froze when you noticed him. Decima and Norell bowed to him and made their way away from the situation as quickly as they could.

“I'll get you some dry clothes, my lady,” Tullia said and ran out of the courtyard.

How great. They all left you alone with Marcus. He regarded you with interest as he approached. The stone floor was quite wet, as were your dress. You bit your lip, uncertain of his reaction. Fortunately, a smile soon appeared on his face, and you breathed a sigh of relief.

"I must apologise for not realising your arrival."

"No need to apologise, my love. There is nothing quite like coming home and hearing your cheerful laugh, which is music to my ears."

You had a sudden sneeze. It wasn't the most romantic answer. Marcus chuckled. “My Lady. You’re all soaked."

Before long, Tullia appeared with a clean dress and the cotton cloth to drying yourself. "If I may, my lady-“

“Give that to me.” Marcus kindly took the cloth from her hand and wrapped it around you. Upon seeing your feet, you instinctively drew them back, as if to hide them. You hadn't realised how wet they were. He smiled and gently took you in his arms, which made your cheeks flush. After all, Tullia was following you behind, carrying your dry clothes in her hands.

Your hand was touching the golden-edged leather strips on his shoulder. Playing with them by running your fingers between each strip. He smiled in response. Once you had entered the room, Marcus set you down. Tullia then placed the dry clothes she had brought for you on the bed, leaving the two of you alone in the room.

"Allow me," you said as you reached for Marcus' armour, but he gently pushed your hands back.

"You first. I do love seeing you like this, but I'm afraid you might catch a chill." His eyes were roaming over your body.

You held his hands and placed them around your waist. “Maybe you could warm me up then?” You smiled naughtily.

He smirked and his hands were already undressing you with haste. Once he had removed your belt and your damp stola, his eyes lingered on the tunic that clung to your body. You were now very aware of the reason for the sudden change in his eyes. That his gentle hands would soon become more impetuous. Even before you reached for the holster on his waist, his lips found yours. His hands were trying to remove your long tunic and you were trying to remove his armour, but it was difficult. When your wet tunic fell to the floor and gathered around your feet, Marcus pushed it aside with his foot, never breaking the kiss. You couldn't tell him to take off his armour because your lips were completely captivated by his. Grabbing you by the hips, he picked you up and put you on the edge of bed. You pulled yourself back with all your might, kneeling on the bed. His armour touching your wet and naked body was a little strange, although seductive. Marcus thought you were playing a game, so he tightened his grip on your lips, not allowing you to break the kiss. But as he tried to come towards you, putting his knee on the bed, the sword at his holster hit the edge. He looked down at himself in surprise and laughed.

“I tried to tell you,” you laughed and helped him out of his armour.

“I must have been under your spell, princess.” He grinned.

Once he'd taken off his armour, Marcus grabbed you around the waist and laid you back on the bed. You couldn't believe how excited you became each time, as if it was the first time he'd ever laid you down and positioned himself on top of you. Moreover, how could it be that each touch of his lips to yours felt so different from the other? It really amazed you that such a simple touch could evoke such strong feelings. Perhaps it was the endless blending of pleasures that this strong bond between you bestowed upon you. What a treat, what a magnificent and wonderful feeling. His lips and tongue were exploring every inch of your body as your bodies fit together perfectly, and you enjoyed one pleasure after another. It felt like there was no end to the adventure of exploring each other's bodies and their needs. Every time you encountered a new sensation and a lot of pleasure. Even Marcus, who was an expert lover, found this to be true. Despite his extensive experience, he had never made love to anyone before you, not even once. It was more than a sexual fulfilment. It satisfies his soul too, as he inhales your scent, touches you, tastes you, he feels complete, he feels alive. To him, you were made for him. The moment you got into his heart, everything lost its meaning; you and all the other insignificant things. You were born into his life like the sun into a dark, war-torn, blood-stained, boring, lonely world. You brought him light and purpose. From now on, he would live to serve you, to make you happy, to protect you from all evil. With you by his side, he was more likely to put his duties for Rome second.

“Marcus,” you moaned. He bent his head and kissed your lips, where you said his name. He didn't want to hear his name from anyone else's lips; only you had to say it, the others not allowed. They couldn't say it like you anyway. It wasn't even a possibility.

“What do you wish me to do, my love?” He whispered in your ear. His lips were caressing your earlobe.

You kissed his cheek and pulled his head towards you with your hands in his hair, it was your turn to whisper in his ear. “You know already.”

He grinned, of course he knew. His big hands gripped your hips tightly, deepening his thrusts and quickening his pace. As you moaned in response, he kissed you. Not to silence you, but to feel your beautiful voice within his very own mouth. Soon together you reached the overwhelming end of your pleasure, moaning into his mouth for the one last time. You remained in that intimate position for a while, breathing heavily. Feeling each other's hearts beating against your chests under your palms. Savoring this glorious moment.

The bright sunshine streamed through the window, illuminating the room with a warm glow. The soft breeze from the balcony caressed your still damp hair, causing you to shiver slightly and pull the sheet over your shoulders. When you heard the swallows chirping, you decided to open your eyes. Marcus wasn't with you in the bed. You frowned and sat up.

“Morning my beautiful wife.”

You turned your head towards his voice. Marcus was at his desk, looking pretty busy with a quill pen and some papers.

“Morning.” You gave him a smile. “Did I sleep for too long again?”

“Just a little,” he replied turning his head back down to continue writing something on the paper. You got up and put on your tunic. However, you then felt nauseous again.

“Excuse me,” you said covering your mouth with hand. Hurried out of the room. Marcus put his quill pen down on the table and stood up. He walked out of the room and followed you into the latrina, waiting outside the door.

"Aurelia, my love. I'm rather concerned."

As you stepped out of the latrina, he put his arms around you.

“Maybe I should call for another medicus?’

"I don't think that is necessary," you said as you walked back to the room together.Marcus helped you to sit on the edge of the bed. He crouched down in front of you, his hands gently smoothing your dishevelled hair.

"You said that you might get better if you rested. However, I can see you're still not feeling well." His face showed concern.

"I'm actually feeling better today." You mumbled. It wasn't a complete lie. The nausea wasn't as bad as it had been the day before. You felt you had no complaints, knowing what was causing this feeling. Marcus lifted your chin up with his hand. You didn't want to tell him before you were certain, but he was so concerned. He needed to know.

"I sense you're hiding something from me.”

You looked at him, blinking your eyes and inhaling a deep breath. "Marcus, I, um. I wasn't sure if I should tell you until I was certain..."

He looked at you from under his eyebrows. "Continue."

You took his hands in yours and looked into his eyes. "I believe I'm with child.”

Marcus froze. His eyes widened in surprise, his pupils dilated. Then the most marvellous smile appeared on his face. He kissed your lips, and his heart overflowed with bliss. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling towards him. He buried his face between your breasts, then slid it to your belly, planting kisses along the way. You felt his lips on your belly.

"What have I done to deserve you?"

“It might be too early to say for sure. Perhaps we should wait a little longer-“

His lips found yours suddenly. He put his knee on the edge of the bed next to yours and laid you back down. You wrapped your arms around his neck. Without breaking the kiss, he settled right next to you on the bed. He put one hand on your belly.

“My beautiful Aurelia,” he purred. “I love you, with all my heart and all my soul.” His warm breath caressed your face, your heart blossomed.

“I love you, Marcus. I love you much more than words can ever say.” You touched his cheek with your fingers. “I hope that I am carrying your child.”

“Our child.” he corrected you.

You smiled. “Our child,” you repeated.

He kissed you again, your heart beat with bliss, which soon turns into desire. “I shall spend all my days with you." He said huskily as his hands lifted up the hem of your tunic. “I shall spend all my time making love to you, over and over until our bodies become one.” His lips found yours again and soon turned into a hungry, lustful kiss. As he slid into your shaking body, and you moaned with exultation. This was love. This was blessing. Elysium on Earth.

Over the next few days, you tried a series of tests to find out whether you were carrying a child or not.One of the tests was a common one in Rome and Egypt. All you had to do was urinate in two different bags; one filled with barley and the other with wheat. If the grain in either bag sprouted after being peed on, it meant the woman was definitely with child.As it turned out, they were right. You saw the barley sprouting within a few days, and the wheat took a little longer. Decima said that meant you were carrying a boy. That's how you felt, they said it was a maternal instinct. You never thought of yourself as a mother, at least not this early. But it was indescribable happiness. Marcus was treating you with more tenderness than ever. You were delighted to be the cause of this amazing man having such wonderful feelings. It was a pleasure to see him so cheerful, and the others in the villa were equally pleased to share in his joy.

During this time, Marcus had been closely involved in the training of the soldiers at the Campus Martius (Fields of Mars) just outside the city. Macrinus had been absent for over a week and it was to be expected that he would soon reach Libya. As the general of the army, it was his duty to be prepared for any eventuality and to train his troops accordingly. No matter how busy he was, no matter how late he came home at night, at the end of the day, you found him in bed snuggled between your breasts and legs. You never complained as you wanted him so much as ever thanks to changes of your body that had led to heightened sexual desire.

That morning, when you were helping Marcus put on his armour, you mentioned Julia. It seems she was pretty desperate, even talking to him about Caracalla too.

"Geta is keeping her hidden," Marcus said as he checked the strings on his armbands, "It's likely that Caracalla will eventually find her. She may have a point about Caracalla being prepared to assign Macrinus as Praetorian prefect. However, he will need to return to accept it. I must finish him before he arrives in Rome." He said with determination.

"I suppose he will return soon, then?”

"He must be. I'm waiting for the messenger pigeon to come back. If the legion commander in Libya confirms he's arrived, I'll make the necessary preparations."

You swallowed, feeling concerned by the fact that he was about to fight Macrinus again. Marcus took your face in his hands.

"Please, do not be concerned, my lady. I gave you my word that you won't lose me."

You nodded. "You do what you need to do, my love."

"I will. For you." He put his hand on your belly. "For our child. I will do whatever it takes to make sure he grows up in a safe Rome, and with other Roman children.”

“I am certain you will.” You embraced him and rested your head on his chest, running your fingers through the contours of the medusa.

“Speaking of children,” Marcus said. You lifted your head to look at him.

“Hmm?”

“All the kids at the Poorhouse and the people there.” He murmured.

“I haven't been to visit them in ages. What about them?”

"You don't have to go. Please don't tire yourself out. I want you to stay here and get some rest. Besides, It seems that Geta is already looking after them in your absence."

You raised your eyebrows in surprise. “Really?”

"Yes, that does astonish me too. I find it unusual that he would spend his coins on something like that."

"He said he would, but I must admit I didn't expect him to keep his promise."

"You might be right about him. Maybe he could be a better emperor.’ You sensed the sincerity of his tone. "However, I tend to agree with Julia about Caracalla." He said, his face suddenly serious. "Every moment he breathes is detrimental to Rome.”

"Julia almost begged me to poison him."

He was checking his sword carefully. "No, that's treacherous. Even for him. He is an emperor, after all. It must be done honorably."

You felt tense. Or was he planning to act soon? He never mentioned it though.

He put his sword in its holster. "Enough politics, I think." He smiled. "I must take my leave now, my lady.”

For some reason, you felt a sudden sense of unease. "Will you be on duty at the Field of Mars today too?"

"That's correct," he replied after adjusting his armour for the last time. "Please don't engage in any risky things during my absence." He said in a commanding tone.

“I'll be making herbal tea, too dangerous,” you said mockingly.

He gave a little laugh and kissed your temple before leaving the room. As you followed him outside, you realised that the uneasy feeling inside you was getting worse. Maybe it was an unnecessary consequence of your new situation: worrying too much about everything. Marcus looked back at you one last time before heading out. You gave him a smile and then he left.

You made your way downstairs to the girls. You had little chat while they were engaged in weaving the carpet. There wasn't much else to do for the rest of the day, except lie down and rest. You visited Unio to feed her and brush her pearly-white mane with your fingers. Marcus had forbidden you to ride, not until the birth. He'd also told you not to go to the poorhouse, and you'd had to obey him on that one too. In the last few days you had become a little better with your knife and Marcus had admired you for it for the first time. But your overly anxious husband didn't want you to pick it up for a while either. Why did carrying a child have to be so boring?

In the evening, you were feeding Mau. Then you heard footsteps approaching from the courtyard.

"Domina!" The slave boy came running to you. He had that look on his face again, hesitation.

"What is it now?"

"The Emperor." He mumbled.

"Sister!"

You were quite taken aback to see Geta appear out of nowhere. He approached you and embraced you while you stared at him with your mouth hanging open.

“What are you doing here?”

Geta made a face. "Is this the manner in which you choose to greet me?"

"Well, apologies. I am simply astonished."

Geta looked around. "So this is your little house.”

You walked towards courtyard together. "Please have a seat, your majesty," you said, gesturing to him.

All eyes in the villa were on your emperor half-brother, who was seated comfortably on the armchair wearing a crown on his head and an overly flamboyant toga. You requested that the slaves bring you wine and fruit. Geta examined the wine glass and took a sip. As you observed him sitting where his mother had sat days ago, you came to recognise the differences between him and her. They were nothing alike. You were surprised that you had never realised this until now.

"It's been almost weeks, I've missed you a lot." He said suddenly. "How are you feeling now?" He looked you up and down.

"I feel better now, thank you." Your hands involuntarily went to your belly. You were unsure whether you should tell him or not. He was so unpredictable that it was difficult to guess the outcome of saying something like this to him. Perhaps it would be best to wait until your belly gets bigger before sharing.

"My mother," he suddenly said in a serious tone. You looked at him. "She's been here. I know what she told you.”

“You do?”

"As she gets older, her behaviour is getting worse. Don't take her seriously."

"Do you think so? What she said to me is something that should be taken seriously."

"You're right, it's horrible. Caracalla really has gone mad, but her intention of killing him... It's simply not right.”

"Is there something new about his madness?"

"Apart from the fact that became Macrinus' plaything? Well, he won't take me to any meetings anymore. He's got a new toy.”

“How you mean?”

"Macrinus' new right-hand man. He's like his shadow, taking care of things while he's away. I've never met him before, but my brother has already assigned him to the important tasks. I hadn't even been informed about it. Can you believe it?"

You thought about what Marcus said to you about Macrinus' spy. "Could he perhaps be one of the legates?"

"No, he's just come from the north. I don't think anyone knows him, not even the general, your husband."

"If Macrinus hid him like Gaius, I don't think he meant well."

"That's what I thought. You're clever, sister. I've missed talking to you. But not politically, of course." He grinned.

You smiled back. "You're helping your mother to hide from Caracalla, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." He snapped, playing with his glass.

"What if he finds out?"

He shrugged. "That prick sent her without asking me, anyway." Suddenly Geta put his glass on the table and leaned towards you. "Aurelia, he's really out of control. I know Caracalla, always was, but this time it's different. He's hallucinating, dreaming, and that worries me. I know he'll hurt someone else, if not himself. Last time he nearly got me killed, all because of a stupid dream he had."

"Did you say hallucinations?”

He nodded. "I'm certain it's her. Mother. She did this to him. I gave her a clear warning, but she refused to listen. I'm asking you because you're the expert. Is it possible for a herb to have such an effect?"

“Many kinds of plants can do that. But how could Lady Domna possibly poison him?"

"Not directly of course. My slave caught her talking to another slave in the street. She is not aware, but I know everything.” He exhaled deeply. “She should never have come back, she'll get herself killed."

It was something that would endanger not only herself, but everyone including his own son Geta. How could she be so irresponsible? She must be mad for sure just like her son.

"If its on his drink or food, if I can examine it maybe I can help.”

Geta smiled smugly. “That's why I came here.”

He gestured to one of his slaves who was holding a small wooden box. Geta reached the box, opened and took out a vial filled with red liquid and handed it to you.

"Here. This is a sample of the wine he drank yesterday. Will that be enough?"

You took it, uncorked it and sniffed. As you were already highly sensitive to smells, this one smelled completely wrong.

"Yes, I think this would be enough. Let me observe this first.”

"You do that. I must return now. I don't want him to realize I left the palace and came here. He's rather mad and unpredictable more than ever." He stood up and put his hands on your shoulders. "If you happen to find out what it is, send me word. I'll send one of the slaves here. It seems that I can no longer trust my own guards. He is about to place them all under the control of Macrinus' rat."

You nodded. "I will see what I can do, brother."

Suddenly he leaned in, wrapping his arms around you. You tried to pull back, but it was futile.

“Geta,” you hissed. “You should not touch me like this. Please-“

“What's wrong with embracing my sister?” he said arrogantly.

You couldn't help but feel that he was right, but it still felt a little awkward. He laughed at the look on your face and leaned his head down to kiss your cheek. "Take care of yourself, sister. Hope I'll see you soon," he said, with a wink, and left the courtyard with his slaves following him behind.

Campus Martius. (Field of Mars).

General Acacius arrived there after completing his other duties at the barracks. The layout of this place is reminiscent of an army camp, with a number of small buildings.

“Attention! The general is here!” Octavius barked at the soldiers. They immediately stood at attention.

Acacius' eyes were fixed on the recruits. Some of them were pretty clumsy. He jumped down from his horse, squinting at them.

"Chin up! Chest out! Shoulders back! Suck your stomach in!” Octavius commanded, touching their shoulders to ensure they were doing it right. Then he ran to Acacius' side as he approached them. "Sir!" he nodded to him.

"Sir Octavius, these soldiers are struggling to get in line properly! This is how you train them?” he yelled at him.

That's what being a Roman General entailed, after all. Keeping an eye on the rookies and their commanders, supervising his second-in-command, training all the soldiers to keep the army ready for anything, constantly meeting with the Legates to assess the situation. Keeping track of the legions abroad was undoubtedly the hardest task. The army pigeon was the most efficient way to communicate. A trained pigeon could deliver a message in two or three days, whereas a soldier would take months to do the same.

He looked the soldiers in the face as he passed, tapping some on the shoulder to make sure they were properly in line. The soldiers saluted him by putting their hands on their chests. Some of them looked nervous.

“At ease!” Marcus shouted and the soldiers got into a relaxed position to continue their training.

Octavius walked with him towards the building where the Genaral's room was located. Cato was there, waiting for him outside his room. He saluted him.

“Cato, why you are not with the recruits?’’

"Sir, I wanted to let you know that the pigeon has arrived. I have placed it in its cage and I am waiting here to ensure its safety." He said it in a very serious manner.

Octavius chuckled. Marcus grinned.

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” Marcus asked him. They were both looking at Cato.

“I believe this prick using the bird as an excuse to avoid training.”

Cato opened his eyes wide. “Never, sir!”

"Who gave you permisson to talk back?" Marcus shouted at him. "Now get out of my sight before I train you myself!"

“Yes, sir!”

Marcus and Octavius laughed after he hurriedly picked up his sword and rushed out. "This boy is really...” He murmured.

"He's been working really hard lately," Octavius said, opened the door and waited for Marcus to enter.

“Do you believe so?” He entered the room and sitting down in his chair and putting his sword on the desk.

"I think he's ready for the platoon training. If you agree.”

Marcus opened the lid of the cage and took the small sealed paper tied to the pigeon's foot. "I still don't think he's ready. He must to learn to overcome his hesitation first." The seal belonged to the Eighth Legion. It was stationed in Leptis Magna, a likely place for Macrinus to visit. Marcus lifted the seal and opened the thin paper.

“My dear friend, the esteemed General Acacius. I Caius Drusus commander of eighth legion, salute you! I have dispatched my men to the harbour of Alexandria as you ordered, however both ships that came from Rome brought only armoury and provisions. Sir Macrinus or his men were not among those who disembarked. Also, we have received word of a few men gathering in the Syrian sector, which may be in line with your suspicions. We await your orders. Rome Victrix!”

Marcus crumpled the paper in his fist and squeezed it. Octavius figured it was bad news.

“Sir? What does it say?”

Marcus slammed his hand down hard on the desk, his whole body filled with anger. “Damn you Macrinus!”

Marcus found himself somewhat perplexed. He was certain that Macrinus was on his way to Ostia and that the ship was waiting for him there. But why hadn't he been seen in the harbour? Octavius picked up the paper he had crumpled up and read it with curiosity.

“How can this be?" He put his hands on the desk and looked at him. Or maybe he never actually left? Did he play a trick on us?"

Marcus was mulling it over. Why would he do that? What was he trying to act? He was such a clever enemy that he never gave away his trail. For Marcus, fighting was simple. It was easy to move your sword according to your enemies movement and cut him down. But playing mind games was tough. It was exhausting to think like your enemy, to anticipate his next move, to always try to be one step ahead of him. Especially when the enemy was someone who had the emperor in the palm of his hand. Could he be seeking retaliation? Or had he never left Rome? Marcus exhaled nervously.

“Octavius, I want you to place two men outside the villa.” He ordered, turning to him. “Is Felix still on Palatine Hill?”

"Yes, sir. He's positioned there as you ordered." He'll let me know if anything arises.

Marcus put his hand to his face, closed his eyes and sighed again. “We're missing something, Octavius.”

“What could it be, sir?”

“I'm not certain yet. But I'll find out. Make sure all the men are gathered in our usual place tomorrow night, in incognito. We shall talk over. Now leave me alone.”

“Yes sir,” he said and left the room.

Villa…

You had been studying the wine residue that Geta had brought you for most of the day, with the help of Decima and Norell. Despite making a few mistakes and experiencing a few setbacks, you eventually managed to identify the substance as the fruit of the Red Shanglu plant (Phytolacca acinosa). Given its red colour, it was a logical that it would blend well with wine.

“Why doesn't it kill him immediately?” Decima asked. She shook the vial in her hand.

"It's not a particularly poisonous plant. Or maybe the person who made it is inexperienced with it. However, even the smallest amount could cause brain damage. That's more dangerous than death,” you muttered.”

“What kind of fruit is this? Can we find it around here?” Norell asked.

“No, unfortunately not. It's probably a fruit from China or somewhere nearby.”

“Didn't the Empress come here from Syria?” Decima asked.

“Damascus is frequented by Chinese traders, couldn't she have brought it from there?”

“That is true.” When you were in Egypt,your uncle had purchased a number of plants from traders who came from Damascus to Alexandria. This was not an auspicious sign. It would be very difficult to create an antidote without the plant itself.

“So what are you going to do?” Norell asked.

“I need to to speak with Geta. I must inform him of this."

“But the soldiers outside, won't let you.” Decima murmured.

Right. Two of Marcus's men arrived at noon for some reason. You were certain that if you went with them to Geta, there would be tension between those two again. Moreover, it was already dark, and he must be on his way back.

You opened your small leather notebook to review the notes you had taken earlier and consulted the description of this plant. From what you can gather from your notes, it seems that reversing it is not an option. However, there was another fruit that could potentially help to mitigate and cure it. Acorus gramineus (commonly known as Japanese sweet flag). Of course. How you didn’t think of that? You recalled your Uncle Vicius with respect and found that his teachings had proved useful to you in your life. You promptly rose to your feet and took a moment to survey the shelves. This plant is a common genus used in Rome and other regions. You attempted to reach for the jar at the top of the shelves, but it was out of reach. You rose on tiptoe and reached as far as you could. Before Decima had a chance to get up and come over to help, another hand suddenly appeared and grasped the jar.

"I did warn you not to do anything dangerous, didn't I?” Suddenly Marcus appeared next to you.

You looked at him in surprise. When had he arrived? The girls greeted him and left the room. "Jars are now a source of danger to you, General?" You teased, took the jar from his hand and put it on the table.

Marcus smiled and approached you, wrapping his arms around you from behind. He planted a tender kiss on your hair and breathed you in, finding your ear. “I missed you.” Then he kissed your cheeks, your nose and your forehead, making you giggle. Then he turned you to him and kissed you on the lips before you could even open your mouth to answer.

“I missed you too, my handsome husband.”

He chuckled and looked at the vials, herbs on the table. "It looks like you had as busy a day as I did.”

You took a deep breath. “I guess I did."

He put a hand under your chin and turned your head towards him. His eyes were already filled with curiosity. "Something has happened. Tell me."

You put your hands on his shoulders. "Geta was here."

He raised his eyebrows. "Your Emperor half-brother Geta?”

“I know no other Geta,” you laughed. But he didn’t.

““What did he want? Why did he come?” He asked in a rather stern tone. Just hearing his name was enough to make him angry. You place your hands on either side of his face. It had an instant calming effect on him, his expression softened immediately.

“You've just arrived, my love, you must be tired. We can talk while we eat."

You picked up a jar of jasmine from one of the shelves.

"I'll put it in our room, it smells nice and has a calming effect."

Marcus put the jar back and grasped your wrist. "There's no need, my love. Your smell is much nicer, and it's the only thing that can calm me down." He led you out of the room.

Once you had entered the courtyard, you requested that Tullia bring the food and walked to your room. Before heading for the stairs, Marcus stopped when he noticed Octavius and Decima talking.

“Why is he still here?”

You chuckled. He looked at you with questioning eyes. You grabbed his muscular arm. It was your turn to tug. “Come now, leave them be.”

“I now understand why he has been distracted lately.” He grunted as he climbed the stairs with you.

“Please don't be angry with him."

“I'm not. But I need to talk to him later.” He said after entering the room.

Your food was brought into the room while you helped Marcus take off his armor. As usual, Marcus sat you on his lap while eating.

"You know, I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit on your lap when my belly gets so big," you said as he fed you a grape.

“Nonsense. There's plenty of room for both of you on my lap," he said, opening his arms. You tilted your head to the side and snuggled into his chest. "As a matter of fact, I can hold three, four, five, or even more," he added, eating his food. You lifted your head to look at his face. "What are you going to do with so many children, General?" you asked, opening your eyes wide.

“I'm going to raise my own army,” he said, laughing.

You laughed too. “Since you are so lascivious husband, it is quite possible.”

“Is it just me? You are too, my sweet wife.”

Your cheeks flushed. “You made me,” you touched his shoulder with yours.

He bent his head and kissed your shoulder. “Pleasure is all mine, my lady.”

“Well, I didn't say I was grateful.” You teased.

As soon as you said that, he looked at you differently. You locked eyes. The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted. You were well aware of why his eyes had changed. "Then I'll take you in such a way that you'll be eternally grateful." He bent down and kissed you passionately on the lips. His kiss became more intense as you wrapped your arms around his neck. He put his hands in your hair and drank so deeply from your mouth that you almost forgot how to breathe. But you wanted so desperately that you never wanted him to stop. Even more so now, you wanted him more than you ever had, and he seemed to be quite pleased about it.  Marcus helped you lie back against his arm. He pulled the hem of your tunic up your legs and pulled you back onto his lap. As he slid the straps of the tunic down your shoulders, you could feel him getting impatient under your hips. When his lips slid to your neck, you threw your head back to gasp for air. But then you gasped again as he started to play with your already very sensitive breasts. Just the touch of his warm tongue made you feel like it was going to send you over the edge.

“Hmm your breasts are so responsive than ever my love."

You were sure your cheeks were redder than wine. “It's simply expecting for this phase,” you said breathlessly. Your impatient fingers ran through his hair. You were eager for him to take you now.

“It only adds to your beauty. You are so beautiful to be real,” he said huskily. You kissed his neck in response. He grabbed you by the hips, lifted you up and laid you on the bed. Soon he was on top of you. You wrapped your arms around his waist and pulled him to you. Or rather, you tried. He chuckled. “You are very impatient for someone who is not grateful, princess?”

You sighed. “I apologise, I shouldn't have said that. I'm so grateful, please, Marcus.” You squirmed desperately. It was one of your lustful husband's favorite moments. “Please what, my love?” He put his knee between your legs as slowly as he could.

"I want you," you purred.

His lips were on your earlobe, and the feel of his hot breath on your neck made you shudder.

"You want me where?" He teased. His fingers caressed your nipples, his glorious length brushing against your entrance which driving you mad.

"I want you inside me, please," you whimpered.

He smiled wide, like he won a victory. “I shall fulfill my princess’ desire.” And there he was, right where you wanted him most. You felt like you were going to explode with happiness and break into little pieces. You felt proud of yourself for making progress and getting to this point. Now you both knew each other's bodies and desires well. It was a progress you didn't expect from yourself, and it wasn't difficult at all. Everything was easier with him. Desiring him, kissing him, feeling his skin under your fingers – it was like a need for life. You needed him. You needed him inside you, on your skin, in the air you breathed, everywhere. With him, everything was beautiful and complete. Without him, everything was missing and lost. With him, you felt alive.

"I'm afraid I may be a little late tonight,” Marcus said as you tied the strings on his armbands. ”You'll keep your promise, won't you?”

Oh yes, your promise to him. After a lengthy discussion, he agreed to your proposal of preparing the herbal mixture for Caracalla, but he would prefer you to remain at the villa for the time being.

“I've positioned one of my men near Palatine Hill. One of the soldiers waiting outside will deliver it to him. So there's no need for you to go there," he said in a commanding tone.

You nodded. “I shall do whatever my husband says.”

A broad smile spread across his face. He wrapped his arms around you. “Say it again.”

You giggled. “I'll do whatever my husband says.”

“My ears have been blessed.” He pulled you to him and kissed you on the lips. He then sighed breaking the kiss. “I'm afraid I must take my leave now.”

“I know you'll come back to me eventually, so it will be easier to await for your arrival.”

He took your face in his hands. "You will wait my return, then, my lady?"

Of course you will, why did he ask such a question?

“I have waited a long time for you, Aurelia,” he said in his velvet voice. His expression was severe, the brown of his eyes warm, intense. “How could I not come back to you?” He kissed you on the temple. He grabbed a few strands of your hair, burried his nose in them inhaling your scent. You rose on tiptoes and kissed him with all the warmth of a woman in love. And he returned your kiss with all the joy and happiness of a man in love. If only Cato hadn't knocked on the door at that moment, you might have stayed there till night.

Once Marcus had left, you went downstairs to your little clinic-like room to make the herbal mixture. With the help of the girls, you managed to do it in less time than you expected. You did as Marcus told you and handed a vial of the mixture to one of the soldiers who were positioned outside the villa. He mounted his horse and headed to Palatine Hill.

As you sat with the girls until the evening, you found yourself feeling that strange sense of unease you had yesterday. It was just like that dream you had a few weeks ago. No matter how hard you tried to ignore it, you couldn't. And it didn't seem to go away until Marcus came back.

It was just after midnight and you were lying in bed playing with your wedding ring. Mau was sleeping peacefully next to you. But unlike him, you were far away, feeling peaceful. You couldn't sleep without seeing him return to you. Soon, however, you heard some horses neighing and murmuring, and your body filled with excitement. You quickly got out of bed. You wrapped your shawl around yourself and left the room, heading for the stairs. But you were halfway up the stairs when you saw the face of a man you didn't know. If you hadn't been holding on to the railing, you would have stumbled. One of the slaves stepped in front of the man, but he pushed him hard. From his clothes, it was clear he was one of the imperial guards. They usually kept their galea on, but not this man. At his command, five or six more soldiers entered the courtyard and all of them stood at attention. They were all dressed like imperial guards. You were wide-eyed, trying to understand what is happening, Decima ran up to you and held your hands nervously. Everyone in the villa woke up to the sounds and rushed to your side.

“You must be Princess Aurelia,” the man said, nodding then smiling weirdly at you. His eyes lingered too long on your body. You felt uncomfortable with the way he looked at you. You pulled your shawl tighter around your body. "Who do you think you are? I will not tolerate you entering my house at this time of night like a raider. I want to know who you are! Speak!"

The man laughed arrogantly. "My name is Flavius, my lady. You do not know me, but your husband does." He took a few steps towards you. "However, even if it's a very tempting idea, I am not here because of Acacius. As for your question, I am here by the command of your brother, the Emperor Caracalla. I shall take you to him."

You were both confused and afraid. "At this time of night? What is so urgent?"

"Oh, true. I forgot to mention the charges against you, forgive me." He smirked, gesturing to one of his men.

The man unfolded the scroll paper to read it aloud. "Princess Aurelia, you are under arrest by the command of the emperor. Your charges are; attempting poisoning of the Emperor himself, conspiracy behind his back, and aiding and abetting the exiled empress."

You swallowed, your heart pounding fast. It seemed likely that the ointment you had sent to Geta must have fallen into Caracalla's hands somehow. "I don't accept these charges! There must be a misunderstanding." you said.

"It doesn't really matter, my lady, I have been instructed to take you to Palatine Hill. And I will." The man came close enough to reach for your arm, but you stepped back.

"Lady Aurelia is the wife of General Acacius and also a princess. When the general returns home, they will go together to the emperor. Perhaps it would be inadvisable to take her by force, sir Flavius?” Tullia said firmly.

They knew each other? You wondered who he was.

”I remember you now. You stood up to me like this back then too. You may have aged but you're still stupid. Get out of my way at once!” Flavius barked.

Wiht Tullia's lead, the slaves and girls moving in front of you as if shielding you. The man sighed and drew his sword.

“No!” you cried.

“The Emperor's orders are final! Get out of my way or I will slay you all with my sword!”

“Do as he says!” You warned them, your voice trembling with fear. They regarded you with an uncertain expression.You held Tullia's hands. "Please, I don't want you to get hurt. I will be fine, I promise."

Then they bowed their heads and, with visible reluctance, withdrewing involuntarily.

You looked at him. “I should dress properly, first,” you said and headed for the room.

“I'm waiting, princess!” He said arrogantly.

How dare he talks to a princess like that? As soon as you walked in the room, immediately grabbed your scabbard and tied it around your ankle. You had to be prepared for anything. You put your hands on your belly, hoping everything would be fine. You put on your stola, look around the room one last time, opened the door and went out. Walked down the stairs, looking at the slaves who looked at you with concern. They were your friends, your family. You smiled at them reassuringly. The man named Flavius held out his hand to you. "My lady.”

You stepped towards outside, choosing to ignore him. Suddenly, you noticed Marcus' soldiers, who were brought to their knees with swords held at their throats by guards. "Put your swords away!" you barked them. But they looked at their commander. Flavius nodded. The men drew back their swords and sheathed them.

"General Acacius has entrusted us with the Lady Aurelia," one of the soldiers said. "We must accompany her.”

Flavius turned to him. "So that's what your General told you, eh? What if I don't let you then?"

The soldier looked at him sharply and drew his sword halfway, the sharp sound of the blade making you tense. "Then we'll have to stop you."

"No, please," you interrupted. You stopped the soldiers by raising your hands.

"My lady, please step aside. The general's orders are certain, and if we die for him, it would be an honour to do so."

Flavius laughed cruelly. “We must give him what he wants then!” He ordered to his soldiers and they all drew their swords once more. You were worried because they were outnumbered. Despite all of your objections, they began to fight. Flavius took hold of your arm and led you towards the carriage.

“Get your hands off me!” You struggled, but he was so strong. "Don't you hear me? I am your princess! You can't touch me!" You shouted at the top of your lungs but it was in vain. He made sure you were seated in the carriage and turned round. After his men killed Marcus' soldiers they mounted their horses at his command. Soon the carriage moved to take you to Palatine Hill. You couldn't stop your tears and sobs as you looked at the soldiers lying lifeless on the ground.

Marcus, where are you? you murmured as you gazed out the window, surveying the dark and gloomy streets.

A place just outside the city…

Marcus and Octavius are waiting in one of the dark streets, which is meant to be a secret meeting place. They're both wearing black cloaks. He had stationed a few of his men at key points in the city to be ready for any move Macrinus might make, and every now and then they hold a small, secret meeting in this gathering place. Secrecy was very important. It had to be late at night because it was an important matter that was only between them. But tonight there was something odd. None of his men showed up. They should have been here by now. Octavius looked down the road but didn't see anyone. They decided to wait a bit more, soon they heard footsteps coming closer. It was one of Marcus's men.

“General! Sir!” The man was out of breath. “Guards. Macrinus.”

Marcus touched his shoulder. “Easy. Breathe.” He told him. “Speak clearly. Why are you on your own?"

"Speak, Aris, what has happened?" Octavius growled.

"The imperial guards arrested all of our men and took them to Palatine Hill."

"On what grounds? What did they say?"

"Have you seen Macrinus there?" Marcus asked.

He shook his head. Suddenly there was the sound of  number of horses approaching towards them and they all tensed up.

"You were followed, you fool!" Octavius hissed.

Guards quickly surrounded and circled around them. One of them looked at Marcus. It was Flavius. “Acacius, It's been too long. Strange night, isn't it?” He jumped down from his horse. Marcus looked at him, astonished.

“Flavius?” He looked him up and down. He recognised his rank by his attire. “So you've been appointed commander of the guards? I thought you were up north.”

So he was the Macrinus' shadow man. He knew exactly what he was doing, Marcus thought.

“I returned a while ago,” he took a step closer to him. “Since I have unfinished business here. With you.” His voice sharpened.

Marcus remained still.

“You killed my brother, remember? You took him from me. And for what? For screwing your wife when you're in the south?”

Marcus clenched his fists. His body was filled with rage. He was dangerously on the edge.

"I've been looking forward to this moment for quite some time, Acacius. I have been waiting for the right moment to take what you have from you when you feel happy.”

Marcus grasped hilt of his sword. Octavius and Aris were ready, waiting for his command.

"So Macrinus made you his commander? Is this how you plan to get revenge on me?"

"He's a very clever man, I'll give him that. And he's determined to finish you, though not as determined as I am." He grinned.

"Right, so how do we do it? One on one? You and I?" Marcus drew his sword to half-length.

Flavius laughed. "You've already lost, Acacius, why should I bother?" He gestured for his man to read the emperor's order. The man unfolded the roll of paper. "General Marcus Acacius! You are under arrest by order of Emperor Caracalla! Your charges are; placing men in front of the emperor's house to spy on him, to command the armies for your own benefit, attempting to murder a member of the senate, abusing the title of general, going behind the emperor's back.”

"Right," said Flavius, coming over to him. He held his gaze. “The Emperor wants to see you. He'll be the one to decide your fate.” He approached him. “Just as he will decide your wife's fate.” He grinned with his teeth.

Marcus grabbed his throat with both hands. “What did you just say?”

The guards half-drew their swords and took up attack positions. Octavius and Aris gripped the hilt of their swords in response.

"Speak, or I'll rip your neck off!" he roared, his fingers gripping his throat tighter. Flavius seemed amused.

"Your wife, Aurelia, is a beautiful woman. I took her from the villa to Palatine Hill. I told you it was a strange night.”

Marcus punched him in the face and kicked him in the stomach, mad him fell to the ground. He then quickly drew his sword. In a flash he leapt on him and held his sharp sword to his neck. “If you say her name again, I'll cut your tongue off!” He barked. “Why did you take her there? Speak, damn you!” He was boiling with anger.

Flavius, however seemed calm. “Don’t be a fool, Acacius, if you kill me now, you'll get nothing. I'm only doing my duty.”

Unfortunately it was true, he could kill him and all the guards one by one, but that would only result in a higher charge being brought against him. Furthermore, Marcus's primary concern was you. He had to make sure you were alright, which meant he had to go to Palatine Hill with them.

Flavius ignored sharp sword pressing against his throat, laughing cruelly at him. “Revenge is a son of a whore, isn't it?”

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[tatasoom]

Never have I thought... Last Twilight turned out to be that good that I would like to write not prediction and not bl-related things, but about a thing we all know so damn well - family.

There're two types of comments that makes me sad:

about Day's mother not understanding Day and his love

about Day hating Night too much

I've already written about my parents getting divorced at the same age of mine as Day was. But what if I told you that I also have an older brother, stories of father cheating on mother and a mother always busy with work?..

Take a seat, dear readers, thank you for your attention, I'll try to make it easy to read and maybe put some pictures. I'll tell you what's real in this series and why my heart hurts for all of them!

First of all let me tell you why Day's father hasn't become a problem and later Day even talked to him nicely. I mean REALLY NICELY. The answer is lack of feelings in Day. You can't hate person you barely able to love. You can't be hurt enough by someone you barely remember.

That man cheated on their mother, that man didn't provide his own two children even with food, but all of this exists as a story once told to Day. He loves the idea of being kinda loved by his biological parent, because we all want to be wanted and needed, but the father we've seen in that last two episodes is a stranger we're all getting to know with Day.

Let's leave this man living his life full of regrets and talk about Day's mother. She is THE MOTHER. As we know she discovered being cheated when Day was three (or maybe earlier?), left her propably hometown and spent another two years dealing with a need to divorce. Night was around ten or even less that time. She was maybe thirty. No food, no money and only three of them as she mentioned when giving Mhok a house tour.

And Day's mother actually survived and even succeed. I like the actress chosen for this role. She's beautiful. She looks gorgeous every time we see her. She also must be smart and charismatic to be a famous chef. And still there're only three of them. After around fifteen years (or even more) this absolutely stunning woman is still a single mother of two.

This woman made a fortress that supposed to keep safe from any heartbreak. And this fortress has it's rules.

Have you heard anything about Night's girlfriends? He's already mature enough to have a girlfriend or even a wife. And do you understand now why I think that the fear in Day's eyes everytime Mhok flirts with him at home probably has very little with a sexual orientation?..

The whole family has TRUST ISSUES. Their mother is their leader of course.

So you say that the mother with her trust issues (and social status and financial stability) should understand that Mhok loves her son. Okay, Mhok for her:

Young man, something around the age of her older son. Spent a year in prison. Has no relatives. Is an employee in her house. Didn't talk to him much.

Now tell this woman she needs to be happy her younger blind son is dating Mhok. And wants to be with him. Live together, have his own family. After all these tough years when there're only three of them and the reason for that was her being cheated by someone she loved. Tell her to trust in love. Tell her she needs to trust Mhok.

You can tell this woman to get therapy and then talk to her son(s) and you will be absolutely right. However people usually don't act right when dealing with their strongest emotions and I can't imagine this woman being less than heartbroken in the next episode.

Also need to say that being a single mother of two sounds like a choice between spending time with children and spending time making money for these children. And it's true. I also blamed my mother for not being in my life when dealing with different sh*t.

I was being bullied for a year and all my mother did was making me to change school after the year ended. She never been there when I was coming home with eyes full of tears. Oh, and before that year I even had an accidental (not car accident) eye trauma. Yeah, really, I'm not lying. My eye never recovered fully and I spent a week with a vision similar to Day's one. But it's okay now. I was around twelve back then.

So what about Night? Don't you think Day hates him too much? It's not a big deal to use Night to get to Songkhla and just not speak to him there at all, right? Why being so dramatic?

I remember a couple years ago my older brother was asked by my mother to help me with some renovations in the apartment I live in. That night we argued that hard that I left my only home in the whole big city and refused to come back until he left it. It was around 5AM. I spent that night in a park.

So if you think Day can't be mad at Night after that car accident without more valid reason, you need to ask yourself what Day felt for Night before the accident. And the simplified answer is love.

It's only the closest ones that can hurt you the most.

It would be really nice to know more about Day and Night's childhood, teen years. I'm sure mother always told them they need to be together and help each other and be kind to each other. The boys for sure was annoyed, but they care of each other so damn much. The goldfish "Little Day" is still alive after all.

After such a betrayal from a man mother can only trust her sons she raised herself. She taught them to trust her, to trust each other. That's why Night used to be the main caregiver for Day. He was the only person the mother could trust as much as she trusts herself.

Meanwhile Day learned that the only way to have some mother's time is to be the better son. Maybe his mother can't be with him regularly, but she wil definitely come to see him playing, right? Day and Night managed to compete for mother's time and attention without even realizing it.

I actually tend to tell everyone that my mother loves my brother more, even though I try to be less troublesome and more mature. I even complained to my friends about the need to take care of my older brother like he's the younger one.

I feel something like grief looking at Day's family. Their relationships and their personalities are like an aftershock of something happened years ago. And maybe it's not even a divorce.

Time actually heals. For Day and Mhok and Day's mother's relationship this time will start the moment she will be told about them. For Day and Night's relationship this time will start the moment Day get a stable zero vision and start learning to live in a new reality. I also hope we won't get eye donation from father/brother/mother/Mhok or I won't trust screenwriters ever again.

The family needs to see each other. And for that they actually don't need eyes.

If you're reading this you're my hero!

Thank you so much for reading this brainrot. I questioned myself whether all of this needs to be written, but decided to spit my thoughts out. Sometimes these writings help to analyse not only the characters, but myself. That's good.

[littlelegoman]

LMK NINJAGO CROSS OVER, BUT IT'S JUST LLOYD AND MK SWITCHING PLACES FOR A WEEK

Tang (possibly Pigsy, too): Wow, that sounds like a lot to go through as a child. And you bodily became 18 when you were 12? I'm so sorry, they shouldn't have done that to you..

Lloyd: Well-- it was to save the city--

Tang: What did that city ever do for you? I mean, your whole life is just one tragedy after another; your mother abandons you, your father is locked away, you get sent to a boarding school to make you evil and you still get bullied there. You're manipulated multiple times by adults, and sure, you tried to do that once to them, but you were a child. They were adults. That's not fair.

Lloyd: It was destiny, I had to because of the prophesy...

Tang: No, you had a choice. You didn't have to do all that, and even if you wanted to, you could've waited till you were mature enough to understand the severity of it. Your uncle trains you-- actually, he forcibly takes you, which legally would happen anyways as your only relative, but the law was never involved, not to mention you were under the impression you'd be hurt.

Tang: It's not your fault either. You were coerced into it. The prophesy never said when you had to defeat your father, right?

Lloyd: Well, I don't entirely remember....

Tang: You needed an adult who wasn't going to use you, and you never got that. You never got a childhood, and that's terrible. I'm so upset that this happened to you because no kid deserves this. I'm not completely okay with MK being the Monkie Kid; I mean, look at all the danger it's put him through - but at least he was an adult, old enough to make his own conscious choice.

Lloyd: I...

Lloyd: Thanks, mom.

Tang: It's no pro-- wait what?

MK: And you have elemental powers?! Oh, that's so cool! I don't have any of those, really. I mean, I can do a lot of things that the Monkey King can do, but I don't think controlling elements was one of them.

Zane: It is awesome, of course, but we have years of years of unpacked trauma.

MK: Same!! :D

Red Son: Your father... was okay with you becoming a hero?

Lloyd: He wasn't the best, but it's not completely his fault. The whole venom and oni thing really messed him up. He knew what he was, and he... deep down, he wanted a safe world for me, and fhst meant a world without him.

Red Son:.... I see.

Lloyd: So, uh, you want to be like your father?

Red Son: Well, of course I do! I'm not some a simple-minded peasant like Noodle Boy or Dragon Girl! My father's legacy is one to behold with pride.

Lloyd:... but?

Red Son, sighing: but my father barely recognizes my greatness; and Noodle Boy and his peasant friends do....

MK: Why is... why.. (MK, trying to talk about Garmadon)

Wu: Ah... My brother and I share Oni and Dragon blood... when he was bitten by The Great Devourer, it caused his blood to turn cold.

MK: Does that mean you can become evil too?

Wu, caught off guard: Oh. I..

Wu, sighing: Yes. That is a possibility. I trained my students the best way I knew how... I.. admit I wasn't the best

MK, smiling brightly: HAHA, yeah, you weren't!

Wu, offended:

MK: Wait-- you ABANDONED your son to an evil school?!

Misako: I-- I did.

MK: Why not send him to a normal school?! Or with Mister Wu?! If you knew he was gonna beat up his dad, wouldn't it have helped if he grew up with morals???

Lloyd: I mean no offense, Sun Wukong, but I don't know why MK still likes you.

Wukong: Honestly, I don't either

[m1ckeyb3rry]

Hiii Mickey! B4 I request smt I just wanna congratulate you on 500 (u deserve sm more) your writing is literally heaven. Shakespeare who? 🤔 Anyway, b4 I completely forget what I came to request and start yapping on about how ur a literature god, may I pls req jealously hc on SitH characters?

Sincerely,

friedrichswifegirlfriendfiancesidechick

── SOMEBODY'S JEALOUS!

Synopsis: Headcanons about how some of the SitH boys act when they are jealous.

Event Masterlist

Pairing: Colt x Reader, Friedrich x Reader, Hadrian x Reader, Marek x Reader

Word Count: 0.9k

Content Warnings: 3/4 of these characters are ocs from a specific fic i wrote so that ig?? also friedrich is a menace but what's new

A/N: you're too sweet anon AHAH thank you so much!! i can't believe you like sith sm that you want to request for it...that's actually so crazy to me but means sm thank you again!! i wasn't sure which characters you wanted so i just did my favs hehe

Additional: part of my 500 follower event! see the event description and rules to make a request of your own.

Colt Grice

i think he would be the pouty type of jealous if that makes sense

like he's not going to say anything outright but he lowkey acts like a child

becomes super clingy in the moment

afterwards is all like "why don't you love me anymore 🙁"

"what does he have that i don't 🙁🙁🙁”

he's cute about it though like you can't even be mad at him because he's genuinely so worried that you like this other person more

definitely would try not to make it your problem though like he recognizes that it's his own issue to deal with so he's not going to get upset with you just for talking to someone

will probably refer to himself as your boyfriend in front of whoever he's jealous of just so that they know their place and he WILL be petty about it

he's a pretty chill guy overall so i don't think he would be too horrible but he definitely has his moments of insecurity and doubt

would not hesitate to fight a man if you expressed that you were majorly uncomfortable though. he literally goes to the gym JUST to be able to beat a man up if necessary

otherwise though he trusts you to handle it

just be prepared for him to be extra affectionate afterwards

Friedrich Visser

unlike his best friend he turns into a supervillain if he's jealous

like friedrich 99% of the time is this sweet, adoring boyfriend (setting aside how sassy he is and how much he definitely teases you)

he jokes around a lot and is relatively unserious most of the time so you literally get whiplash when a guy starts flirting with you and all of a sudden your goofy bf is replaced with his evil twin

he's very tall and he will use that to full effect

modern au friedrich is a boxer so he gets bonus intimidation points for that and canon friedrich is a warrior candidate so at that point any guy might as well give up LMAOAO

he's also creepy looking (STILL HANDSOME GUYS I PROMISE HE'S HANDSOME HE JUST HAS A CREEPY VIBE TO HIM THAT FREAKS PEOPLE OUT) and normally he wishes he was more approachable but now?? it's exactly what he needs

he'll start whispering quietly in a foreign language and the person thinks he's cursing their bloodline (he's literally just reciting the irregular verbs in the preterite tense in spanish)

a glarer. he has a crazy death stare and he will take advantage of it

creates such an inhospitable atmosphere that the person literally just runs away out of fear

then he's back to his regular self and asks if you want a sweet treat or something

he's paying ofc because he's the best boyfriend in the world and you could never dream of wanting someone else. right??? 🤨🤨🤨

Hadrian Amata

to be honest i cannot see him being jealous or at least acting like he is

he is far and away the most emotionally mature person on this list (and probably in the entire sith-verse tbh)

like if someone is hitting on you he'll literally agree with them and tell them he thinks you’re pretty too

he might hold your hand or hug you or something in front of them just so that they leave you alone, but that's about the extent of it i think

he’s not a pushover though. if someone isn't taking a hint he will tell them to leave and then escort you away himself because he doesn't want you to have to deal with that kind of bs

he was raised with a sister so he knows better than to be possessive or controlling

he wouldn't want someone treating xanthe like that so he's not about to treat you like that yk??

major green flag but that was to be expected from him

Marek Birdwhistle

this depends on what universe we're looking at

if it's a modern au where he doesn't get scarred or pre-athyae then he's funny and lighthearted about it

he is canonically the best looking character in the story (besides y/n) pre-athyae incident so if we're talking about a world where he doesn't get tortured and whatnot then honestly just the sight of him near you will be enough for people to back off

like no wayyy are they flirting with you when MAREK BIRDWHISTLE is right there

honestly you might be the one who gets jealous i bet he gets mad bitches 😭

but he pretty much ignores all of them...he only really has eyes for you so although he's friendly to anyone he'll (very politely) reject anyone who makes serious moves

if someone does have the guts to approach you he'll lowkey judge them

he's going to be subtle about it but he won't hesitate to point out their flaws and ruin their self-confidence

now if this is in canon, especially post-athyae...i don't think he gets jealous necessarily because he literally just hates himself so much that it would only make sense if you want someone else

i’m not going to describe his injuries in this because they're pretty horrific and you’ve all read the chapter but yeah. he genuinely does not believe that you love him when he looks like that

he went from constantly being praised for being handsome to people being horrified by half of his face (which is generally kept bandaged but still) so it is a HUGE change for him

he would require reassurance that you are with him for more than just his appearance and that you don't find him hideous at all

omg pls be nice to him fr he deserves better i think the only characters who can claim to be treated as poorly by the narrative as him are the haas twins 😔

[bugwolfsstuff]

VineOwls Christmas

Pollux's Pov

Pollux felt like he was in a fairyland. Bright blue, red, yellow, and white lights flashed around him and his twin like a kaleidoscope. Snow covered everything, like a crystal wonderland. It was just a (Probably) mortal village decorated for Christmas. But it looked so pretty.

Luke Castellan, a son of Hermes, chuckled behind them. "Haven't you ever seen Christmas lights before?".

"We have, Larry. They're just pretty." Pollux replied, though he didn't think Luke heard him over the scarf.

"Not that you'd know anything about prettiness," Pollux's twin brother, Castor, said. 

Castor always made it clear if he disliked someone by making sarcastic remarks or insults. 

And Pollux liked to be sneaky, like being passive-aggressive or tripping someone while they're carrying something with a vine.

To put it mildly, neither he nor Castor liked Luke Castellan. Sure, there was nothing wrong with the guy. He was nice enough to them. He doesn't talk badly about their dad like the other campers (at least Pollux has never heard him do). But since he came back from his quest, there was a feeling at the back of Pollux's mind, like a gut feeling, that gets stronger by the day. 

"Hey, wait up!" Annabeth called from down the street. Her blonde curls bouncing under her grey woolly hat like a halo as she ran to catch up.

Annabeth had been him and Castor's friend since —well, not since they met her. In fact, they were kinda very mean to her when they first met when they were eight. But they're ten now! They've matured now and become best friends.

He even made space on the sidewalk for her.

"The Christmas lights are so pretty," she said, walking between them, Castor on her right, Pollux on the left.

"Yeah," Pollux said.

"Can you believe what Leonard quoth to us?" Castor said, putting an annoying amount of emphasis on quoth.

Annabeth giggled. "It's Luke, Cast. And what did he quoth to you?"

Pollux sighed, "Don't encourage him, Owlbrain." 

Castor discovered Shakespeare a week ago, and he's been hyper-fixated on it ever since. And Pollux isn't sure how much longer he can take hearing about symbolism in Romeo and Juliet in the middle of the night before he starts thinking he's in a Shakespearean tragedy himself.

"O, speak to me no more. These words like daggers enter my ears." Castor annoyingly grinned as he quoted Hamlet. He turned to Annabeth, "Lenny here," He gestured to Luke, "thinks we've never seen Christmas lights before".

Luke put his hands up in defence, "Hey, I was just saying, you guys seemed so amazed by the lights; it's like you haven't seen Christmas before".

"Probably 'cause me and Cass don't celebrate Christmas," Pollux said.

"Dad has beef with Jesus," Castor explained, scooping up snow in his gloved hand.

"And Mom's relatives come over around Christmas, and Dad says they're a bunch of—" 

"Pollux," Chiron chided, rolling up behind them in his wheelchair, "Language. And Castor put that snowball down."

Castor stared at Chiron. The snowball he was about to throw at Luke dropped to the pavement. "I wasn't going to do anything!" 

"I don't celebrate Christmas either, though not because of that," Annabeth said.

"Then why?" Pollux asked, kicking a ball of snow as he walked.

Annabeth hesitated, "...Because of how it's about family and how great it is. And since I ran away from my 'family'. It's kinda a sore subject."

"Oh," is all he said.

It was all he could say; one of the only downsides to having your godly parent at camp was that you'll never understand your fellow campers.

Annabeth laughed, "Guess neither of us are getting Christmas presents this year."

Pollux giggled. "Yeah," he said.

But he was lying. He had already made up his mind.

Annabeth was getting a Christmas present.

A laugh rang out, and Pollux heard Chiron say, "Don't."

He and Annabeth whipped their heads around to see what was going on.

Luke was standing behind Castor, who had lagged behind and was too distracted by a red robin nearby to see the giant ball of snow Luke had looming over his head.

Pollux scooped up some snow, and Annabeth did the same.

"Cassie, look out!" he yelled, throwing a snowball as hard as he could at Luke's chest. Unfortunately, Pollux was never much good at being a marksman, and instead of hitting the much bigger son of Hermes, he hit the much smaller Castor's left arm.

Annabeth on the other hand, was a better shot than him...unfortunately, not better by much.

Her snowball sailed over Castor's head and past Luke's chest.

Hitting him in the armpit.

Luke dropped the snowball in mild shock...directly onto Castor's head.

'Whoopsie' was all that went through Pollux's head.

Part 1 of 7

[liviavanrouge]

Chat

Sena: ....is it selfish to me...to not want to know them?

Cove: *Looks at her* Your siblings?

Sena: *Hugs her knees to her chest* Yeah....I mean it wasn't their fault that they were taken in and I got left alone but it still hurts

Cove: Can you explain everything to me?

Sena: Apparently my parents died and then it was me and triplet siblings, no blood relatives could take us in...

Sena: My siblings got taken before I did and I was left alone for a short while till Mom and Ma took me in...

Cove: Sena, I'm really sorry about what happened to your parents..so, so sorry

Sena: *Rubs her eyes trying to stop the tears* It's embarrassing being seen like this, I've been the most mature one and now I'm breaking down

Cove: Sena....you're not doing anything wrong, you know that right

Sena: *Tilts her head away silently*

Cove: I think you can be as sad as you want, for as long as you need or you can feel okay about it whenever you want, too

Sena: ....you didn't answer my question from earlier...

Cove: *Rubs the back of his head, looking away* ....I don't think you're selfish for wanting that

Sena: *Perks up surprised*

Cove: Yeah, like you said, it's not their fault you all got separated but I guess I somewhat understand not wanting to know people you've never known...

Sena: *Stares at him*

Cove: But...one day, you might run into them and maybe you'll feel different

Sena: *Looks away, her hair falling out of its buns* Maybe....but right now, I'm grateful for the people who are already in my life, I feel no need to go searching for my siblings just to be happy....

???: Hey.

Sena: *Turns around, her hair draping over her left shoulder*

Elizabeth: *Stands not far then walks closer* Would you mind going? I want to talk to just Sena.

Elizabeth: You can come back, it's not gonna be forever or anything

Sena: I wanted to talk with you as well

Elizabeth: Oh? Then we're on the same page

Sena: *Stands up, watching Cove leave*

Elizabeth: Did Mom's tell you about your parents too?

Sena: My birth parents are dead and turns out I'm a triplet....but my siblings got taken before I did...

Elizabeth: *Looks away* Sorry.

Sena: Why did you want to talk to me?

Elizabeth: *Raises an eyebrow* I was worried about you, I was the one who brought it up but I made you deal with whatever was left after I was gone

Sena: *Blinks twice* Oh

Elizabeth: I wanted to ask you what happened without anyone breathing down our necks

Sena: *Smiles* It was quite rude to bail like that

Elizabeth: *Rolls her eyes, trying to hide her smile* I know, I know, I'm not very nice

Sena: *Looks down her smile fading* All of this.....really upset me..

Elizabeth: I'm sorry Sena, it's a pretty depressing topic

Sena: It is...

Elizabeth: You have to be born in the U.S. to become president

Sena: Huh?

Elizabeth: I get that I was never gonna get to be president but...it just feels weird having stuff taken away not even getting a chance at it..

Elizabeth: I don't like having to know that when I was born I was gonna have a completely different life

Elizabeth: So different that I can't even think about what it'd look like in my head

Sena: *Fiddles with her dress, watching Elizabeth Intently*

Elizabeth: I could've spoken another language, lived away from everything I've ever seen here, had someone else as my sibling

Elizabeth: And then my parents died, and I was adopted and the life I got became a totally new thing forever

Sena: Elizabeth...

Elizabeth: I can't go back to what it was even if I wanted to

Sena: I guess I know how you feel...a little, but to be honest I couldn't care less about a life I could've had

Sena: *Looks away towards the ocean* This is my life...even though I didn't choose it, I'm gonna stick with it until the end

Elizabeth: *Stares at her* I don't know why today was the day

Sena: *Turns her attention back to her*

Elizabeth: Nothing came up to make me ask the question, It was just something I've had in my head for a while

Elizabeth: When it was just me and moms in the living room I just kind of....said it, finally and there you go

Sena: Oh...

Elizabeth: ....learning about them and what happened doesn't change how I feel about our family, Sena

Elizabeth: *Smirks* I'd already figured out a long time ago that moms weren't out biological parents. It wasn't news

Sena: They could've, just not together

Elizabeth: True but I'm not half white or native american. So, no, neither of them could have been my mom

Elizabeth: Nice try, smart aleck

Sena: *Smiles slightly*

Elizabeth: Nothing about the family I was first born in would've made me decide that this wasn't my family anymore

Elizabeth: *Smiles* If you had hoped you'd be free of my big sisterly status, don't think you're so lucky

Sena: *Giggles*

Elizabeth: You'll always be my little sister

Sena: And you'll always be my big sister

Elizabeth: *Chuckles* Ready to head back home? It's been a long day

Sena: Yes please

Elizabeth: Come on, you two, let's go

Sena: *Smiles, and dusts the bottom of her dress off hurrying after her*

[cherrrysue]

hey do you have any fics where larry is in an established relationship but they’re keeping it secret for one reason or another ???

yesss here u go

Secret Relationship

the first one contained heavy amount of smut read at your own risk

We Keep Taking Turns by Ropewithnoanchor

E, 69K

The start of the On The Road Again Tour means new anxieties, this time for both Louis and Harry. Between performances, traveling, interviews, family time, and the biggest crisis their band has ever faced, they have to help each other feel better the only way they know how—through domination and submission.

[A relatively canon-compliant story of nights in hotels and bedrooms, starting in February 2015.]

Hands Clasped Tight by afirethatcannotdie

E, 44K

“What am I looking at here?” Harry asks.

“This, my friends, is a ‘proof’ Instagram account, run by your students,” Liam announces.

“It’s got all this stuff about how the two of you are together,” Niall adds.

“I heard about that,” says one of the math teachers. “Confiscated a kid’s phone today when they were looking at it. I have to say, the evidence that you’re dating is pretty damning.”

“Really,” Louis says dryly. “Do you think being married for three years might have something to do with it?”

Or the one where Harry and Louis are high school teachers and their students have been playing matchmaker for over a year. Little do they know, Harry and Louis are already married.

If You Asked Me If I Love Him (I'd Lie) by allyasavedtheday

M, 26K

So Harry and Louis might have fucked up.

The day of their wedding was the single most perfect moment of Louis’ life and every single day since where he’s been able to call Harry his husband has been nothing short of bliss. There’s just one teeny, tiny problem…

Their families don’t know they’re married.

*

Or the one where Harry and Louis eloped but neglected to mention it to anyone. Meanwhile Lottie is getting married and the only way for them to not steal her thunder is by pretending they're just friends for the weekend. Featuring Harry and Louis as terrible liars who don't know the meaning of the word platonic and some Tomlinsons and Styles's who definitely don't believe them.

Into The Midnight Sun by summerwine

E, 63K

Every day without Louis was a never ending blue Monday. Every day went without his sweetness and warmth and the radiant colours of his flame. The tenor of his voice became unfamiliar and muddled between going so long without the sound of it and getting lost with every other voice clouding Harry’s memory.

But he was here now, warming Harry’s bones with lips like summer. Every moment in his arms felt like a Sunday stroll through London. Beautiful and stormy and feeling every bit like home.

or, It's 1983, Harry embarks on his first world tour and Louis is a budding actor in LA. Life spent apart isn't easily adjustable, but somehow they make it work.

Call Answered by vondrostes

E, 249K

The day after his 27th birthday, Harry Styles attempts suicide. Louis is flown to his bedside to unravel the mystery of why he did it after a flash drive is found with a note attached, addressed to Louis. On it are a collection of 78 songs, all written for different dates from their past.

You Watched Me Sink by bananasandboots

E, 38K

They've discussed it a few times - the boyfriend thing. It's not like it's some forbidden, horrific, abandon hope all ye who talk about furthering the relationship sort of subject. They're mature adults. They're in tune with their feelings, their hearts' desires, the way those butterflies swoop in their bellies whenever they so much as hold each other's hands. They like each other. A lot. It's mutual, they know. But for now, they're just content to enjoy the simplicity of what they have, and what they have is great.

When dating in secret stops being enough, then they'll discuss that too.

Or, the one where Harry teaches Sex Ed and sneaks around with the drama teacher, and doesn't realize how out of tune he is with his true feelings until everyone else figures it out for him.

Lover Boy by brightgolden

E, 27k

“I’d love to meet your lover boy one day,” Lottie says suddenly as she pours Louis a whiskey on the rocks after their dinner. OR Where Louis wants to tell everyone about his relationship with Harry, but his boyfriend clearly thinks otherwise.

please leave a like or reblog ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

[triviareads]

ARC Review of Bed Me, Baron by Felicity Niven

Summary:

Lady Phoebe Finch has always viewed George, Baron Danforth, as a friend and a mentor, so when she becomes engaged, she can think of no better person to soothe her nerves about the marital bed by teaching her how to have sex. George is shocked by Phoebe's request, but can't find it in himself to deny her, not when he's wanted her for ages without realizing...

My review:

I started this book expecting a humorous romp with great sex, and I absolutely got that, but I also got this lovely, introspective romance about two people who've known each other all their lives but recognize something new and special in one another, and more importantly, they both realize they will need to change and cannot rely on the familiar past if they truly want to be together.

And that's what I thought a lot about; what made this variation on friends-to-lovers work for me because I don't typically go for this trope. Here's what it came down to apart from Phoebe and George recognizing that they need to change: For all that they deny it in various parts of the story (and prior to the story beginning), George and Phoebe were sexually attracted to one another in the past, and that continues through the story. I can't stand when there's unrequited pining that comes as super tragic, especially if it's the woman pining. There was also a base level of respect between them, even though their friendship was not an equal one, as Phoebe realizes, despite the time and care George gave her. The respect was still there, and that's what laid the foundation for love.

I felt Phoebe's pain about feeling like she needs to grow up even though she's technically grown and mature; It's "growing" in the sense of attaining a greater degree of independence (and conforming which, to be clear, she doesn't need to do but she feels like she does).

And that's, in part, where her daddy kink comes into play, I think, because she wants to be taken care of. Saying she has daddy issues would be a disservice because she had a great relationship with her father. It's just something she wants and seeks out in a partner, and there was this particularly heart-wrenching moment when she thinks she's found that with another suitor, but as it turns out, he's not at all the man she thought he was. It's also the reason she ultimately turns to George (or is George the reason? he did... basically shape her tastes, even if it was unconsciously) as a mentor and teacher figure, subconsciously as a protector, and eventually as a lover, and George reciprocates in turn.

The sex:

Fabulous. Varied. This is a romance novel where sex is a way for the main couple to communicate, even when they're on the outs with each other. Here's what I enjoyed the most:

a) Look, Felicity Niven said the series is called "bed me" for a reason, buuuuut I was endlessly delighted by how down-and-ready Phoebe was. And George protested relatively little compared to other HR heroes who are asked for sex lessons, which I just took as more proof that he already liked (loved?) her.

b) And because Phoebe is so unapologetic about wanting sex, she and George aren't afraid to get a little weird during sex, which I really do appreciate. For example, Phoebe's fixation with stroking George's bald head during sex (which both of them are turned on by), or sometimes their dirty talk went a little sideways (a particular scene involving a "stallion" and "mare" stands out to me). But this made the sex feel more natural and created this dynamic that was wholly unique to them.

c) I have many thoughts on the daddy thing. To be clear, George Danforth did attain daddy status at the age of twenty-six. Like, that much was clear based on his "I'm gonna hold her and pet her tenderly while she cries, and then dick her down so good she forgets that she's sad" internal monologue. That being said, because he's still twenty-six, he doesn't quite have that stern, all-knowing thing perfected, and I'd say he's more grumpy than stern.

d) It was really moving to read their "hate" sex; it felt like when all words were exhausted between them, this was the only way they could get across to each other. It was such a stark, almost raw scene. And a part of me can't help but feel they both knew what they were doing when they, uh, finished the way they did because they wanted to be in each others' lives regardless of how unhappy Phoebe was with George.

e) This is a part of the second epilogue, but I'm obsessed with Phoebe's "I'm a big girl now, daddy" moment. And good for George for recognizing (to a degree lol) that gender roles are a lie and he doesn't need to kink shame himself in the process.

Overall:

I would recommend this to every historical romance reader looking for a romance that has a relatively light plot, but emotionally packs a punch. I honestly think this is the gold standard for friends-to-lovers historical romances, and I look forward to reading the next books in the Bed Me series!

Thank you to Felicity Niven and her team for the ARC in exchange for my review.

[raivenreine]

I'm having thoughts about Eredin.

Why is that? Well coz I'm approaching that moment in my ongoing maxi-fanf, which I've been writing since 2016, when Ciri is going to meet Eredin for the first time. Why am I thinking about it? Because of OOC. 'Out of character' that is.

When I started my fanf 7 years ago, I had a problem: how to write about young Avallac'h and Eredin (Auberon and Ge'els as well btw) if I had no idea what they were like at that age. I had to use my imagination and make assumptions. And then I thought: what if their young versions would age up to be different in the end? What if I ended up with OOC? What if my matured versions of the characters and the original ones didn't match?

I feared for a reason. Now after 7 years I can make a confession: they don't exactly match. Maybe Avallac'h more or less does. Ge'els does. Auberon turned out weird. Eredin doesn't match at all. But as I've been thinking about him more, I'm starting to realize that I don't really like the original Eredin at all. But I like my version 🥰

The original one is not exactly... well, smart and forseeing. Unlike him, Avallac'h and Auberon managed to talk Ciri into something as obnoxious as sharing bed with a relative and consenting to be impregnated by him. Both Ava and Auberon were diplomats.

And what did Eredin do? I've no idea what his real intentions were: either to make Ciri kill Auberon or to make the king of the aen Elle more sexually effective, but his persuasive skills were like zero 🙊 He might be arrogant, proud, self-assured, yes, but these qualities can't justify the way he talked to Ciri. Let's think about it: he's the leader of the Red Riders, who travel on the Spiral, and most of all he desires freedom, power and an opportunity to move through worlds even more easily than he can at the moment. And Ciri is the key to fulfilling his dreams. Dh'oine or not, she is important! To be or at least to pretend to be a friend to her can be crucial but Eredin fucks up everything. From my point of view it's sheer stupidity.

What I'm saying is that Eredin could be so ambiguous and interesting but instead he's one-dimentional. So...

As I said: as I'm slowly approaching that moment when Cirilla meets him, I can't but think how OOC my Eredin has become. I can't imagine him behaving like he did in the Lady of the Lake. He's just... different. Harsh and impulsive, hot-blooded at times but there is so much more to him. I can't imagine him insulting Ciri for no reason. Coz he's not stupid!

Anyway I'm really curious to know how that scene between them is going to unfold.

[quietplace26]

So this au is basically about how Akito can summon The Fox Devil from Chainsaw Man, or at least, something similar to it.

Kon! au

It all started out as a innocent trip to see some distant family.

Akito was just a small boy and Mari was just a baby. Their parents had wanted to get away from the city for a while, so they planned a trip to the countryside to visit some relatives.

When they arrived, Akito's relatives immediately usured his parents inside so they could chat about adult things.

So being the mature boy he was, Akito promised his parents that he could look after Mari while they and the other adults talked.

This leaves both Akito and Mari alone with their older cousins who start asking Akito to come play with them in the nearby woods.

Akito of course declines at first. Not only was he was watching Mari, but those woods made him nervous...

Unfortunately, his cousins wouldn't take no as an answer, and after some more pushing from his cousins, Akito finally agrees.

With a sleepy Mari cradled in his arms, Akito follows his older cousins into the woods.

The group of children eventually stops in front an old shrine where Akito's oldest cousin tells Akito to head on in as he and the others were getting a few things.

This turns out to be a big mistake as Akito's cousins showed their true colors and proceeded to lock the young boy in the shrine.

"T-this isn't funny! Open the door!" Akito hits the door with his fist, begging for his cousins to open the door, but all they did was laugh and the young boy hears them start walking away, leaving him and Mari locked up.

Akito felt like he was going to cry. He should've stayed at the house like his parents asked him too.

A pudgy little hand pats his wet cheek, making Akito glance down. Mari was staring up at him from his arms and looked very much like she was going to cry as well.

"N-no! Don't cry Mari!" Akito didn't know what to do! His cousins had his bag that had Mari's toys and blanket in it, so he had nothing for Mari to play with!

Wait... There was one thing he could do that'll make Mari smile!

"K-Kon!" Akito knew Mari like when he did a fox hand sign, so he tried it. "Kon, Mari! Kon!"

It does the trick. Mari giggles, and started to babbling happily. It was almost she was saying kon as well.

Akito sighs as he leans back against the locked door behind him. "I really hope mom and dad find us soon..."

As the young boy dozes off, he never notices multiple glowing red eyes watching him and Mari from the darkness...

Akito slowly wakes up to the sound of Mari giggling. "'On! 'On!"

Why was she trying to say Kon? Akito wakes up with a yawn. "Mari? What-" Akito freezes, a cry of terror erupts from his mouth as he saw what was before him and Mari.

He and Mari weren't in the shrine anymore. They were somewhere else, and they weren't alone.

What looked looked like a fox was sitting in front of them. A massive fox with multiple glowing red eyes scattered across it's face, and nine long, luscious tails swaying behind it.

Akito throws himself over Mari, curling around his baby sister protectively. "Please don't eat us!"

The fox just tilts it's head curiously, and all of sudden, a calm female voice fills the room. "I will not eat you little one."

Akito slowly looks up, tears streaming down his face as he did. "Y-you won't?"

The fox shifts her massive body around till she was face to face with the young boy. "You have my word."

Despite knowing full well that he shouldn't trust the creature in front of him, Akito gives the fox a weak smile. "Okay... I-I believe you."

She makes an odd huffing sound that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. "I am pleased that you are no longer upset little one."

Apparently Mari had enough of sitting in her brothers protective embrace, so with a few wiggles, the baby escapes Akito's arms and crawls over to the fox's massive snout, hugging it with a happy giggle.

The fox immediately stills, making Akito start fearing for his and Mari's life again, but the fox just melts to the floor with a pleased rumble as she let Mari continued hugging her snout.

Soon Akito comes over to join his baby sister, lightly petting the massive fox's fur in awe, murmuring a quiet, "So pretty..."

The massive fox Akito and Mari were petting was actually a Kitsune. One that had been originally living in the shrine Akito and Mari were locked into. She had no name, as it was lost to time itself, and she never really cared to reclaim it.

She never really cared much about humans, as they weren't worth wasting her time on, but when she saw these two tiny humans, these tiny kits, she knew they were special. They were hers. Her kits.

But regardless of wanting nothing more to keep these human kits all to herself, she reluctantly helps the siblings get back to their parents as she knew she couldn't raise these human kits like they were actual Kitsune kits.

But that didn't mean she couldn't look after them. Protect them if need be. All Akito or Mari needed to do was to make a silly little fox hand sign, call out the word "Kon", and she'll be there to assist them! No matter the cost...

[nightguide]

what and why this is not allowed anymore (offense drama) movie: Womb (2010)

kids don't need to be introduced to sex that early on if you're waiting for your virginity to be broken too easily (if you did then nothing happened)

i'm skimming the movie noticing the admiring of the actress in real life since she has the same cognitive development as i do in emotional maturity, please don't fraternise with the allowance of her own maturity than being connected to her by motion relativity (by heart) to you being 'that guy' or 'girl' in real life. she has boundaries and will try and kill you with a thought (reasonable objection to why you should not be staring at women online out of pure immaturity) because she is an actress, i don't respect that line of hate either if you're the one embarrassing me while you're reading my blog so who the fck are you

FROM THE DSM-V CLASSIFICATION OF DISORDERS

Neurodevelopmental disorders - no credibility of time taking you apart of the reason why your lover never returned, and to your childhood that has a faint consequence in your reason of living, you are not yourself anymore but the embodiment of the feeling that never happened into whim (motor disorder is where you're separated from marriage apart from anything you may never have in common with your lover when you have a commitment to take when you were there in real life than being known by parental consent alone)

2. Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders - if you never seen Euphoria (tv show) then you will get hit too damn hard because of that pure image of sadness, like kids don't know what the 'other worlds' theory looks like til you see a kid with the camera aware (heartbreak) look at her like that and you will feel agonised as a parent to deliver your trust initiated like that you never felt again (Dad died) so that is just nazar at heart break for a kid to have such space inside her soul to grieve again for the last time that you may never be but what is and who sabotaged you? like intuitively talk to Hollywood about that, like your Dad must have had it too good to be true (notoriety) til nazar takes away spirit from a movie telling you what it's like to be hurt that you'll never feel hurt again and the actual reality (unspecified Catatonia - of anything you have, you don't even feel the need to trust your world if intuition turned into a cast of people intuitively relevant to your life healing you of something that was not even there leaving you feeling heartbroken over what you sincerely wanted, like that God complex of you never feeling heard despite your knowledge attained via hardship)

3. Bipolar and related disorders - the heartbreak is right there. so ur man is cheating on u an ur the snail. *now it's time to fess up* til u find someone new (this is actually a documentary now for anyone on the spectrum since sincerity is married quality that even shitty men have no kinds of help but this is coming from the POV of the dead Dad (every father is reasonable to live but the dead dad is how u called the 90's on the intuitive phone for help) an like u know a bitch) every man is a dickhead til proven true (i get that)

4. Depressive disorders - this is actually staged an innocence on stimming so this is why, cancel Matt out of the scene and this is actual reality, everybody is different but so on and so forth, you're not condemning loneliness anymore if a man is so lonely that even a woman is romantically inclined to the world before him (so he died transcendentally to see you live like an erotic love story to be held to the viewers heart understanding Eva's level of erotic ingenuity) that sparks a reason (a man can never be depressed but depression for a woman is shyness died for her to be so Eva knows her level of fame when meeting Islam the hard way to LET MUSLIMS LIVE, FRENCH WOMEN DON'T FUCK AROUND AND FIND OUT, THEY MOTHERFUCKING DO IT!!!) (premenstrual dysphoric disorder)

5. Anxiety disorders - 'this is where you want to be (mood) but you're always so lonely', that is the chasm. and that is why there is no reason to live (dying by separation from marriage kills the reason so this is the climatic moment of a womans self esteem in love to prepare a man to fight (he would just make ends meet by asking Allah to make sure the mother does not get harmed by the daughters emotions -the lightbulb- (like what you seen in Ned from Pushing Daisies, but the actor does not define war from times of a psychological attack from 2009 (media resolution to public quotation) (Agoraphobia)

6. Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders - a feeling is reason but forbid the reason in food and she is dying food is now 'sex' without her man around her physically and it will kill her if anything does not prepare a man to go to her to sexually meet her erotic desires (peace at last) but now virgins are considered food for the devil since commitment is strange for them to take than take a broken man out of the way for a succubus to feed on attention (Excoriation: skin picking disorder)

7. Trauma-and stressor-related disorders - you know they're a piece of shit by the way they looks. now normal (Eva had beef with her on set irl) and that is how you're afraid of getting hurt by punchable faces punching you so who is punching you cuz she's attractive af rn, like bitch who are you (water physics is a mans nur (beauty) saying it's obvious that they want it from you that they don't know you to have you, so where is your haya? (modesty) (adjustment disorders)

8. Dissociative disorders - you're at a collective political fault of your heart so you have a reason to feel heartbroken in every single way that you don't care about your life except that you will manage your way into an illness (derealisation disorder) which is why that you will never occur to your senses that you believe in a cure (known strength) that your actual relationship with food became a metaphor (legacy count via public access of bodily autonomy is how nobody drives you but yourself which is horrifying if not even factual anymore for your reason to be if not working at a hostile situation to keep the quote unquote baby alive) tells you why your body cannot rest without you actually saying it by public notoriety (so your husband is famous)

i will do a part 2 soon

[ofavernus]

I DID NOT FALL. I ROSE TO SHOULDER A COSMIC BURDEN.

ind. semi-selective, private rp blog for zariel of dungeons and dragons (as well as a few related characters, such as BG3's mizora) est. 8 / 21 / 2023, and written by fawkes ( he/they, 27 ). i’m mutuals-only, and low-activity. timezone is GMT-8. follows back from @voxdraconis.

rules and info below.

information.

this is a blog for antagonists, so it'll be relatively low-activity and will be, y'know, treated like an antagonist blog. this one isn't here to be friends. it might be here to turn you into a warlock. (:

zariel doesn't leave avernus much. she has a blood war to fight, after all. she speaks on the material plane mostly through servants or agents. i'm going to be including one sub-muse on this blog (mizora, wyll's patron cambion from BG3) as well as the following that i've used in my own d&d game:

sharptongue, a red-brown furred imp with the head of a bat, who acts as one of zariel's mouthpieces for when she needs to speak to warlocks or hunt down runaways directly. he has no character of his own, he's just for zariel to talk through, more or less.

dame surila, a tortoiseshell tabaxi paladin, dressed in the light leathers of a knight of Lathander and armed with two shortswords. she was a hellrider of the ancient past once. she's also more or less an empty husk (died, after pledging her swords eternally to zariel) and the archdevil puppets her body for when she needs a mouthpiece on the material plane that's less obviously infernal. dame surila looks like an adventurer until inspected with magic like a paladin's divine sense, which reads her as both fiend and undead.

rules.

not doing shipping on this one, though mizora may be down for shenanigans. would you, though? would you do that to wyll? you gonna bang his patron and then look him in the eye about it?

i encourage you to send me asks on this blog, it's the easiest way to interact with me. all my stuff over here (askmemes, open posts) are free game.

always feel free to ask me to tag something it if makes you uncomfortable or otherwise. i'll try to tag common content warnings as best I can, and i'd appreciate if my mutuals could do me the great service of tagging anything related to cancer, real world terminal illness or hospitals. (fantasy/fictional diseases and such are fine.) this blog won't have any full-on smut on it, though it may include mildly sexual content. it will, most likely, have canon-typical mature content around the same level as in the actual game. violence, darker themes, ect.

i have a full time job. i am a low-activity blog that may take a long while to reply (& an especially long time to answer asks). please bear with me, and always feel free to poke me and ask about a particular reply—i actually prefer if people let me know about threads they're particularly invested in. but also, know that i'm not ignoring people, i just have limited time. sometimes i will hyperfocus on particular threads and take longer to get to some than others. it's just how my brain works.

i don't care if you don't use formatting, all i ask is that you proofread your posts, and trim threads so that they don't get too overly long.

have fun & be yourself ect ect.

[ycurkxng-a]

a drabble that's been in my drafts for weeks and I'm literally never going to finish it so fuck it I'll just post it when it's not finished, I dont give a shit

Wow, Maybe Therapy Would Be Good.

Characters: Dean King, Ali Ramden

Warnings: Mentions of suicide and directly talking about a suicide attempt, childhood abuse (neglect and beatings), drug use, the likes. Generally if you don't like to hear about godawful things happening to children I'd stray away from this one.

Everyone who'd gotten relatively close to Dean King knew that not everything was right up in his head, he'd been put through the ringer of life and it showed through his actions. Most didn't question why he would get into fights so often just to defend people he didn't even know, or why he seemed to get so enraged and defensive when shouting began. It was confusing, but it was a can of worms that no one really wanted to pry into.

Few had really dug in deep to see what was in his head, and even less could handle it.

He was brought up through violence and suffering, since he was a little kid. Seeing his parents split which left him with a mother who cared more about getting her fix than him or his sibling, taking what seemed to be endless beatings from all sides, nearly being murdered a few times, Jesus Christ- what didn't he go through?

To him, the worst part of it all was that it took a childhood away from him. He had to adapt faster than everyone around him just to keep going, and turns out, having the emotional maturity of a fully grown man by the time you're 11 isn't exactly normal. Then again, was he ever normal in the first place?

No, he wasn't. Dean had... well, he hadn't accepted it, but he understood that after all he'd been through at such a young age, he would never be right again. The scars still dragged across his body and mind, down into the very core of his soul. Marks of a life filled with nothing but pain had left him wounded and still bleeding, forever craving a sense of relief from the pit of anguish he found himself in. That too was something he could never gain, not through natural or decent means at least.

Not one part of him was truly whole, it was all just shattered pieces that he'd shoddily glued together. And sometimes those pieces fell apart, but he never stayed down for good, even if he'd love to do just that. He always had to pull himself back together and keep pushing forward, not for anyone else, not for himself. But out of spite.

Defiant to the very end, Dean refused to lay down and die because of someone else and what they did to him. That'd be proving they had won, bested him. But the game wasn't over until the King fell, and Dean wouldnt let that happen, no matter how much he hurt. Not to anyone else's words or hands, not even his own. He'd know, he tried.

[c4ndl3-w1ck]

hi there. mentally ill guy here.

i think putting a blanket statement over a ship and saying anyone who ships it supports pedophila and incest is fucking insane.

let me tackle this one by one.

the camera thing. is it ever mentioned that xefros doesnt know about them heck? is it even mentioned that that's an actual thing dammek did?

and if it is, here comes my next point.

Borderline Personality Disorder Part one, Psychosis

yeah bet you didnt see that coming.

BPD is a personality disorder caused by trauma. living in constant fear for your life, surprise surprise, causes trauma.

"but dude you cant get diganosed with BPD until you're an adult"

AHA! thats where you're wrong. Teens can in fact be diagnosed with BPD.[1] Dammek is soon to be 7 sweeps old, which is 15 and 2 months. This leaves him most likely around 14-15 years old. (yeah hey maybe we should put a pin in that, yeah?)

Now we get to the part with the cameras. Why the fuck would a heavily traumatized teenager who fears for his life have cameras in the room of the person he's the closest with.

No no no, don't give me "oh hes a creep" use your fucking brain for once. be rational.

The answer is psychosis.

Psychosis is defined as a mental condition that causes hallucinations and delusions. It's a symptom of many mental illnesses, including BPD.

"Both auditory hallucinations and delusional ideation (especially paranoid delusions) are relatively common in individuals with BPD."[2]

As someone who experiences paranoid delusions on the regular, so does dammek. that is why he has so many security measures in his hive. that is why he has cameras in both his and xefros's hives. that is why he has a godforsaken apocalypse shelter.

Because when you have paranoid delusions telling you that either you or someone you care about so fucking much is going to die, that shit fucks with you. it fucks with you hard. so him having cameras in xefros's room, though weird, is most likely put there so his psychosis doesnt get worse. so that he can tell himself that xefros is alive.

Part two, Autism

now, for this part, i struggled to find up to date articles on the overlap of BPD and ASD, so most of this will be based off of my own experience as someone within that overlap.

"Stealing his belongings, manipulating him into submissive roles (while also insulting him), and being a big source of his immense anxiety and low self esteem, are signs of a abusive relationship."

Hey. Buddy. Puts a hand on your shoulder. Hey those first two and a half things? How do I put this. Those are symptoms. Those are symptoms, and judging from Dammek's character, they are not intentional.

because yeah this kid wakes up every night and rubs his hands together going i cant wait to be an abusive piece of shit to the one person who loves me on this horrible planet.

Does this stop his from being a big source of Xefros's insecurities? No. It doesn't. But just like every other horrible homestuck relationship (dirkjake, karezi, actually scratch dirkjake the entirety of the alpha kids, damara and rufioh, eridan with fef and vriska, me and my ex {just kidding}) these motherfuckers refuse to talk about their emotions.

LA PIECE DE RESISTANCE: THESE BITCHES ARE KIDS

Wow look at that are you looking. Yeah I said we'd put a pin in that.

Dammek and Xefros are at least 14 years old, turning 15. (Same as joey, hiveswap takes place on nov 11, her birthday is january 1st.)

They are still growing and changing as people. They are not going to be fucking perfect. Have you met a teenager. They are insane. They are fucking crazy. And they are chock-full of hormones.

Dammek is stated to be going through his "rites of maturation" soon. This is implied to be a form of troll puberty. Probably some cocoon shit cause trolls are bugs.

tl;dr. what the fuck is wrong with you xefros and dammek are just hormonal teenage boys with mental illness as a result of trauma

i could have worded this better but honestly who give a shit

[1] Healthline, BPD in Teenagers - Written by Traci Pedersen, edited by Kelly Morrell, medically reviewed by Lori Lawrenz, PsyD, copy edited by Naomi Farr

[2] D'Agostino, A., Rossi Monti, M., & Starcevic, V. (2019). Psychotic symptoms in borderline personality disorder: an update

Reminder that Xefmek / Xefdam is abusive. Anyone who supports this ship is supporting proship, and romanticizing abuse.

It shouldn't have to be explained with how obvious it is but putting cameras in someone's house (especially in places as intimate as a bedroom area) is a violation of someones privacy. This is not a relationship that can work out even if Dammek gets better, because the trauma inflicted on Xefros is already so severe. (e.g. If Xefros finds out for several years of his life he has never had privacy in his bedroom but rather has been constantly recorded, I imagine the thought would make him feel nauseated, dizzy, and be paranoid for much of the rest of his life wondering if someone he trusts is violating him again and he doesn't know it.)

Stealing his belongings, manipulating him into submissive roles (while also insulting him), and being a big source of his immense anxiety and low self esteem, are signs of a abusive relationship.

If you support this you are a proshipper.

[mishkakagehishka]

sits down in front of you. elaborate? 🤨

AWGH I SAW THIS IN THE INBOX AND FORGOT

Listen

Tbh I mainly thought about Valkyrie bc ValkyrieP and all but. I think they'll retire from the idol industry when they hit, like, idk, 30 or so. The idol industry prefers "the youth" and all. But I think they'd do it of their own will, too, when they reach a peak, they'd decide, this is it, this was Valkyrie. We had fun, we grew together, we made friends and enemies, we created art, but now it's time to close this chapter and move on. And I think by this time, they'll both have matured (tbh I blame a lot of the "oh he's fucked up" moments in enstars on the fact that the cast is. Literally made up of late teenagers, high schoolers are just like that), and Shu'd get his anger issues and perfectionism (mostly, he's still Shu, and the perfectionism stays for his art) under control, and Mika learns to be truly independent and he doesn't pedestal Shu as much as in his youth, but they never stop thinking of eachother as friends, comrades... anyway.

I think Shu probably grows a little taller, not by much, I don't think he'd change much in appearance because he'd still seek youthful beauty. He graduates, he starts creating art - paintings and sculptures alike - hosts exhibitions, is actually rather successful (the fact that he was already known as Shu of Valkyrie helped definitely, but he's also Really Good, I think his motifs would often be some sort of reflection of his trauma, of his mental state from Yumenosaki as he remembers it, maybe even some paintings with titles like, "From Mademoiselle's eyes" or how she saw the world in contrast to him ...). Mademoiselle speaks a lot less, too, but he still considers her a dear friend and part of his family, and like. You know, she's there when his stress flares up, whenever the trauma swims back up or he's feeling overwhelmed, or just lonely, I think.

Mika deserves to have a growth spurt because the Gap between him being a clumsy lil guy while at the same time being, like, 185 and relatively built would fit him well. But he's still more lean than muscly, because he continues dancing :') After some time of that, as the conversation turned this morning, I did add him organising workshops and dance lessons for the kids from poorer neighbourhoods and in orphanages, because I think he'd definitely be the type who'd want to "give back" to his community, even if it means just giving them a fun way to keep physically active. Volunteers a lot, too.

Idk the idea came to me when I was joking around with my friend, talking, "They go their separate ways when Valkyrie disbands, but then Ibara sets up a reunion party for CosPro, and Shu gets a heart attack when he sees how stacked Mika's become since the last time he saw him," but even that. They'd video call :) They're still friends, I think their bond has become such that it's unlikely to break easily. They have rough patches and fight, but it's like. The fact that they can fight and argue now instead of Shu just telling Mika what to do, is part of why I think they've got potential to be lifelong friends. When they mature a bit more HDBDBDHDJD

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

Hi, Slug! Since we have now the official Shuffle Divisions, I'd like to know if you were hoping to see (maybe hear it's better in this case) different characters together. Like, did you expect different teams? Sorry for my bad English!

To be honest, I wasn't really paying attention until the lineups were revealed, so I didn't have any preconceived notions. This all looks fun and goofy. My thoughts on each line-up:

Ichirou, Roshou, and Juushi: This seems like the ultimate good boy group, in that every member of the team gives off powerful good boy energy. I feel like whatever's going to happen with them will probably involve helping grannies cross busy intersections, rescuing kittens from trees, and volunteering at the local soup kitchen. I can dig it.

Samatoki, Doppo, and Rei: I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how this one will work out, because their individual dynamics are all so different. I think Doppo would get scared at first and probably accidentally tick off Samatoki, but how would Rei play into it? And would Doppo come out of his shell later, like he tends to do? I'm looking forward to seeing how they gel, because I can't imagine it right now.

Ramuda, Hifumi, and Riou: A lot of people are talking about Ramuda and Hifumi getting along, and I agree, but I'm personally way more hyped to see how Ramuda and Riou interact. (I like Riou a LOT.) I know it's not going to be the scenario in my mind of "Dice brings a trusted homie in need to the trusted homie Dice turns to in times of need" which is directed like an art film, illustrated by Michelangelo, and has won 15 awards. But I hope that they do get along. I don't think Riou would mind Ramuda's particular brand of obnoxiousness - he is so very accepting, and it is delightful - but I hope Ramuda's end goes beyond, "Ick, going outside! Yuck!" I really don't want it to devolve into a match of Hifumi and Ramuda making fake gagging noises and going, "Yuck, boy cooties!" But both have been known to act with all the maturity of elementary schoolers, so who knows?

Jakurai, Hitoya, and Saburou: Saburou's winning this one for sure. I think Jakurai would probably like Saburou a lot, because Saburou is a lot like Hitoya and Jakurai when they were kids, and Hitoya would probably be pissed at him for the exact same reason. I think Saburou would probably really enjoy the company of these (relatively) mature, intellectual adults, but at the same time, the palpable tension between Jakurai and Hitoya would make things awkward. This one is hilarious to me. A soap opera in the making. "Law school? Easy. Med school? As if. Raising a family? The hardest challenge ever. Join ex-friends and lifelong rivals Hitoya and Jakurai who must come together to co-parent a moody teenage son in a household where the collective IQ is through the roof. Coming this summer: MENsa"

Sasara, Gentarou, and Jirou: Oh, jesus. Well, I have to say, I think Jirou is the best equipped person to survive a Sasara and Gentarou combo, as the two of them have an unparalleled ability to take clowning to the next level. This will probably be the most chaotic in terms of sheer hollering and weird noises.

Kuukou, Juuto, and Dice: Oh god, poor Juuto. Honestly, if Juuto wasn't there, I'm pretty sure Kuukou and Dice would end up sharing a blunt together behind a dumpster somewhere and then end up being homies for life. As is, I think this group has the highest potential to get charged with manslaughter. I don't think they'd intentionally kill anyone, but rest in peace to anyone who happens to get to close to this powderkeg.

I have a feeling that, as a whole, this event is probably going to be like, "WHEW, glad that's finally over! You know, now that I'm back with my normal crew, I feel like you guys aren't so bad after all! There are some real bozos out there" but virtually every cast member is saying this.