#falco-caesar

[revolutionaryjackelving]

NOTES on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

I saw Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (should really be “Kingdom of the Apes” but whatever) and I surprisingly liked it a lot. I also found a lot of reviews of the film missing the mark of the film. So I’m going to explore it a bit here. SPOILERS. So about Planet of the Apes… Short answer, I’ve never been a fan of the franchise and the reason has everything to do with prejudice. I just don’t…

[smallratboy]

Headache - Commodus x Reader

Your husband Commodus has a headache, so you help him feel better.

masterlist

Commodus’ head throbbed in time with his heart, a hammer against his skull. He rubbed his forehead, trying to alleviate the ache. The senators droned on and on, his headache worsening with each hour that passed. 

“The plague continues to spread,” said senator Falco. “None of our previous ideas have worked. Caesar, do you have any suggestions?” 

Commodus looked up, the movement coming with a stab of pain. He winced, finding that all eyes were on him. Some looked concerned, others looked judgemental, most just looked bored. 

“Have we tried altering the water supply to give cleaner water?” He suggested, trying to sound like he was in control. If a simple headache threw him off this much, how could he lead? 

“We discussed that already,” Gaius said, his tone clipped and frustrated. Commodus sighed, pressing both palms against his temples. Gods, he needed to get out of there. 

“Perhaps the meeting should be adjourned,” one of the senators suggested. “The emperor seems…unwell.” 

“I am fine,” Commodus snapped, standing. His head ached, the pain spreading across his head and down the nape of his neck. Still, he would not let it show how much it bothered him. So, for three more hours, Commodus discussed the plague with the senators. 

As soon as the meeting adjourned, Commodus fell into his chair. He put his head on his desk and covered his head with his arms, blocking out the light. He wanted to shut everything out, as if he could hide from the pain which insisted on finding him. 

You walked into the courtroom, searching for your husband. You hadn't seen Commodus all day, which was unusual. He sought you out when he was done with meetings, seeking comfort in your presence. You had decided to look for him, assuming he was busy with other things. 

You saw him hunched over his desk, looking like he was sleeping. He was still dressed in his armor, a crown of laurels nestled in his dark curls. You put your hand on the back of his neck, whispering his name. 

“Commodus, my love,” you murmured “Are you awake?” 

He lifted his head slowly, his eyes squinted to little slits. You smiled at him, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He looked up at you, a pained sadness evident on his face. 

“Are you alright?” you asked, kneeling down to his level. He shook his head, wincing. 

“My head hurts,” he said, sighing. You nodded, understanding. Commodus was prone to pushing himself to the very brink, going days without sleep or proper food. His paranoia also prevented him from resting, and he was always on edge. It was no surprise his body was starting to show the signs of his unrest. 

“Come,” you said, standing and taking his hand. “Let me help you.”

Commodus took your hand and followed you as you led him to the baths. The water was warm and the room was full of steam, light from the setting sun shining through the high windows.  

You began to take off Commodus’ armor, relieving him of the heavy material. He sighed as you undressed him completely, and you pressed kisses to his shoulders and the back of his neck. 

You made him sit in the water, and you sat behind him on the edge of the tub. The water was scented with rose petals, and bubbles of oil shone on the surface, softening his skin. He rested between your knees, and you slowly helped him relax. 

You took a cup and filled it with warm water, tipping his head back and pouring it in his hair. You rubbed sweet-smelling soap into his hair, scratching his scalp with your nails. Commodus let out a contented sigh, his eyes fluttering closed. 

You poured warm water over the back of his neck and the top of his shoulders. You rubbed soap into his skin, paying special attention to loosening the tension held at the nape of his neck. Your hands worked against the hard muscle, and you felt Commodus turning to putty beneath you. 

“Feel better?” You asked, kissing the top of his head. Commodus nodded, sliding into the water. He floated on his back in the tub, enjoying the feeling of being warm and relaxed, his headache slowly fading. 

You joined him in the tub, pulling him into your lap. He pressed his face against your neck, wrapping his arms around you. 

“You're magical,” he whispered, smiling at you. You ran your hand through his wet locks, bringing his lips to yours. 

“I love you, too,” you murmured.

an: if you liked this, let me know!! I love seeing what people think of my work:)

taglist: @darknessisafriend

[whencyclopedia]

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall (known in antiquity as the Vallum Hadriani or the Vallum Aelian) is a defensive frontier work in northern Britain which dates from 122 CE. The wall ran from coast to coast at a length of 73 statute miles (120 km). Though the wall is commonly thought to have been built to mark the boundary line between Britain and Scotland, this is not so; no one knows the actual motivation behind its construction but it does not delineate a boundary between two countries.

While the wall did simply mark the northern boundary of the Roman Empire in Britain at the time, theories regarding the purpose of such a massive building project range from limiting immigration, to controlling smuggling, to keeping the indigenous people at bay north of the wall. The wall continued in use until it was abandoned in the early 5th century CE.

Purpose

The military effectiveness of the wall has been questioned by many scholars over the years owing to its length and the positioning of the fortifications along the route. The argument goes that, had the wall actually been built as a defensive barrier, it would have been constructed differently and at another location. Regarding this, Professors Scarre and Fagan write,

Archaeologists and historians have long debated whether Hadrian's Wall was an effective military barrier…Whatever its military effectiveness, however, it was clearly a powerful symbol of Roman military might. The biographer of Hadrian remarks that the emperor built the wall to separate the Romans from the barbarians. In the same way, the Chinese emperors built the Great Wall to separate China from the barbarous steppe peoples to the north. In both cases, in addition to any military function, the physical barriers served in the eyes of their builders to reinforce the conceptual divide between civilized and noncivilized. They were part of the ideology of empire. (Ancient Civilizations, 313)

This seems to be the best explanation for the underlying motive behind the construction of Hadrian's Wall. The Romans had been dealing with uprisings in Britain since their conquest of the region. Although Rome's first contact with Britain was through Julius Caesar's expeditions there in 55/54 BCE, Rome did not begin any systematic conquest until the year 43 CE under the Emperor Claudius (r. 41-54 CE).

The revolt of Boudicca of the Iceni in 60/61 CE resulted in the massacre of many Roman citizens and the destruction of major cities (among them, Londinium, modern London) and, according to the historian Tacitus (56-117 CE), fully demonstrated the barbaric ways of the Britons to the Roman mind.

Boudicca's forces were defeated at The Battle of Watling Street by General Gaius Suetonius Paulinus in 61 CE. At the Battle of Mons Graupius, in the region which is now Scotland, the Roman General Gnaeus Julius Agricola won a decisive victory over the Caledonians under Calgacus in 83 CE. Both of these engagements, as well as the uprising in the north in 119 CE (suppressed by the Roman governor and general Quintus Pompeius Falco), substantiated that the Romans were up to the task of managing the indigenous people of Britain.

The suggestion that Hadrian's Wall, then, was built to hold back or somehow control the people of the north does not seem as likely as that it was constructed as a show of force. Hadrian's foreign policy was consistently “peace through strength” and the wall would have been an impressive illustration of that principle. In the same way that Julius Caesar built his famous bridge across the Rhine in 55 BCE simply to show that he, and therefore Rome, could go anywhere and do anything, Hadrian perhaps had his wall constructed for precisely the same purpose.

Continue reading...

[taamlok]

three songs ask: 3, 12, 19 🤍

thanks for the ask! questions from here

3. three songs you were recently obsessed with

caesar on a tv screen by the last dinner party, francesca by hozier, enola gay by orchestral maneuvers in the dark

12. three favourite songs from video games

spanish sahara by foals (life is strange), a hole in the earth by daughter (life is strange: before the storm), all the sailing music from assassin's creed odyssey lmao

honourable mention to the shadow cursed lands combat music that idk the title of because borislav is gatekeeping

19. three songs that are your guilty pleasure

rock me amadeus by falco (it fucks idc), little dark age by mgmt (tiktok song), kingdom dance from tangled (it's fun to twirl around to, however admitting that is embarrassing)

[perpetualgladiatorstatue]

Decimus Meridius is dragged by force into the cellars of the Colosseum, under the surprised gaze of Juba, Senator Gracchus and the other gladiators who are also locked up as prisoners.

The general is stripped of his armor and his robe, left only in his underwear and a long frayed vest, without a sleeve. He is chained to chains on the boards of the elevator, which goes up to the arena, with his arms stretched out and pulled out over his shoulders so that he cannot defend himself.

The patrol leader who broke into the school of Proximus and some Praetorians, according to the Emperor's orders, torture Maximus Decimus Meridius, all night. The gladiators imprisoned in the nearby cell, are forced to watch helplessly, as the Praetorians begin to beat Maximus so harshly, that they elicit stifled screams of pain and suffering, while they insult him.

When they have had enough, but have been careful not to leave too many visible signs of the beatings on his body, they leave him in that standing position, chained up for the whole night, without even giving him the chance for a break and a rest, remaining to watch along the corridor, to prevent him from being freed. It is dawn, the first reddish lights, are reflected on the outline of the Colosseum. Emperor Commodus is on the balcony of the Royal Palace. Senator Falco approaches Caesar, who is standing with his back to him, leaning out onto the balcony, and slowly announces: "It is all done......' A satisfied and cruel smile touches Commodus' lips. Lucilla sits inside the room with her back bent, distressed and frightened. Her eyes are shining, because she has been forced to confess and she knows with pain of her brother's orders regarding Meridius.

Commodus turns slowly, and with his eyes closed he murmurs:"... what will become of my nephew?... And of his mother?... Will they have to share the fate of her lover... or will I have to be MERCIFUL?..."

The emperor, it seems to think about it, frowns, with a smile, murmuring amusedly:

"... COMMODUS THE MERCIFUL...". Then he enters the room, coldly decreeing: ".... Lucius will stay with me, for now..." while Falco turns to look at him in silence. Commodus adds: ".... and if his mother, dares even look at me, in a way that displeases me...he will die!"

The emperor turns to look at Lucilla, who is still sitting, with her eyes lowered, reduced to silence, her expression is destroyed by grief, for the fate of her, her son and ofMaximus.

Commodus, threateningly continues to say:

"...and if she decides to be noble and take her own life. he will die!"

The emperor approaches his sister, saying: ".... As for you... you will love me, as I have loved you!..... You will give me an heir, of pure blood....so that Commodus and his progeny, reign for a thousand years..."

GLADIATOR

[littleeyesofpallas]

Just gonna throw all 3 of the DS additions into one post here...

ABYSS[アビス] So, it's just the way Japanese writes the word Abyss, which is straight forward enough, but it also seems to be ANUBIS without the NU? Would that technically make it ABIS?

COSMO ABYSS[コスモアビス] just what it sounds like

ENT[エント] from JRR Tolkein's fantasy race of tree men

NAABYSS[ナービス] NYA and ABYSS? But also sounds like NERVOUS[ナーバス] which would be kind of cute if it was like mic sh, but I don't think that's an intended wordplay here?

SHADOW MAGE[シャドウメイジ] just what it says on the tin

ROBERTA[ロベルタ] she wears a maid outfit... is this supposed to be Roberta from Black Lagoon?? But it's not a maid outfit that actually matches Roberta's...I don't know what to make of that. Unless there's some kind of shared source reference between the two of them?

TANUKI[タヌキ] from tanuki[狸]: "racoon dog"

SWITCH[スウィッチ]

TZOLK'IN[ツォルキン] the name for the mayan calendar. This name appears on a list of Abyss type monsters in the My Monster Rancher mobile game, but I can't seem to find any images of it?

JYOKA[ジョカ] From jyoka[女媧] the Japanese name for Nüwa/Nügua[女媧] a mothergoddess in Chinese mythology. Like the previous one, I can't seem to find actual images of it. The name did get reused in the new LINE Monster Farm mobile game but for a Naga/??? type. Shockingly close to the phonetics for JOKER but totally unrelated

FALCO[フアルコ] just shortened from FALCON

BAKA FALCO[バカフアルコ] from baka[馬��]: "idiot" it's kind of hard tot ell but it's a man in a Falco suit.

YUZUCO[ユズコ] like the fruit yuzu[柚子] which is yellow

PIROCO[ピロコ] from PIRORO and FALCO

NAGUACO[ナグアコ] obviously the KO bit is the CO in FALCO like a bunch of the other names here, but I can't pin point the root... Is it NAGUAL like the indigenous mesoamerican concept? But it's such an obviously Egyptian design...

LOVECO[ラブコ] LOVE and FALCO

TORICO[トリコ] supposedly a subtype Xenon, but I can't find images of it for context clues. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess it was a play on toriko[虜]: "prisoner." But also Tori[鳥] is just the word for "bird"

JUSTICE[ジアスリート] Can't find images but straight forward name.

STAMP[スタンプ] no idea what this is about.

Also not sure if that weird gym teacher looking Falco/??? is one of those last two or some kind of Engliah localization original.

XENON[ゼノン] Like the noble gas? Although it's also how the Japanese phoneticize ZENO[Ζήνων], the name of several historical Greek figures. But also it shows up in relation to Ultraman, and we know Monster Rancher makes a lot of Ultraman references...

GAIA[ガイア] from Gaia[Γαῖα] the Greek mother Titan

CAESAR[カエサル] I guess from the roman emperor?

CHAOS XENON[カオスゼノン] Just what it says

NEMESIS[ネメシス] Another one from this app that I just can't seem to find any images of... Name is straight forward though

[dragalialore]

Imagine if we see Tartarus as an NPC in the event and get to see him before going mad with grief over Alberius? Or if we see Myriam die again. This event has a lot of potential for pain.

Ohhhhhhh man, all of these are possible.... we might also get to see a younger Cleo!! and then watch her witness her master’s supposed death.....

Yeah, this event’s gonna have me crying.

[dragalia-lost-lore]

This is a great idea for a blog. I was wondering if you would consider doing castle stories as well? Due to how they work newer players will really have to pick and choose which ones they can see themselves, I've been playing since half anniversary and have been choice paralysised out of seeing most of them myself. You could ask around for transcripts for any you can't read yourself.

Thank you for the suggestion! I see no problem with doing them in the future. I’ve read all thus far, and they’re relitively short, so I’ll do my best to put them out.

[dewa-chan]

Just pilots this time! A lot of pilots =w= But ships are coming next.

Caesar Nicola Falco - Official, pilot of SS Michelangelo. 46 years old.

Freyja Sigurðsson - Official, pilot of SS Czar. 26 years old.

Yekaterina Antonenka - Elite, pilot of Quantum of the Seas. 20 years old.

Marion Bittencourt - Standard, pilot of Costa Diadema. 18 years old.

William Nadon LaFlamme - Standard, pilot of Symphony of the Seas. 17 years old.

Roy Belrose - Old Guard, pilot of SS United States. 19 years old.

Rosemary Lancaster - Elite, pilot of MV Arcadia, 18 years old.

Hilda Räägel - Medical, pilot of Yenisey. 17 years old.

[madphantom]

Songs with names in the title in my playlist

Al Capone - Michael Jackson

Alexander Hamilton - Hamilton

Alice - Jack Curley

Amelie - Teddy Hyde

Anne Marie - Prefab Sprout

Ben - Michael Jackson

Betty Short - Mark Isham

Bijou - Queen

Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Caesar - The Oh Hellos

Caroline - Arlo Parks

Cora - Latin Quarter

Darla - Fox Academy

Dave Brubeck - Vacations

Delilah - Queen

Demi Moore - Phoebe Bridgers

Doctor Robert - The Beatles

Eddie - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Eugene - Arlo Parks

Eva - Nightwish

Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn

Gabe - Keaton Henson

Georgia - Phoebe Bridgers

Grace - Awfultune

Gretchen - Jack Stauber

Heather - Conan Gray

Helena - My Chemical Romance

Henry - Acid Ghost

Jackie - Placebo

Jackie Chan - Post Malone

Jeanny - Falco

Jessie - Joshua Kadison

Jesus - The Velvet Underground

John Wayne - Cigarettes after Sex

Jorge - Nightmares on Wax

Juarez - Gerard Way

Karin - Bohren und der Club of Gore

Lazarus - David Bowie

Lazarus - Michael Patrick Kelly

Lilly - Morons all Around

Louisa - Lord Huron

Lynn - Jack Stauber

Madeleine - New Politics

Madeline - Mark Isham

Mandy - Barry Manilow

Mara - Jack Stauber

Mary - Baby Goth

Michelle - Sir Chloe

Montero - Lil Nas X

Mr Bruce - Roy Hargrove

Peggy Sue - Buddy Holly

Salvador Dali - Loona

Sebastian - Cockney Rebel

Sue - David Bowie

Ted Bundy - Theory of a Deadman

Tyler - Yxngxr1

Viktoria - Maria Mena

Warhol - Palaye Royale

[postwarlevi]

The AOT characters favorite actors/movies/etc list might get a little long so I might break it up. The more movies and actors I can include the better! Plus maybe I can include some clips!

Of course we're going to do vets Levi, Erwin, Hange and Miche.

104th cadets Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Connie and Sasha

Warriors Annie, Reiner, Pieck and Porco

Ymir and Historia will get placed in there, now so will Kenny (thanks @happybird16 ) so I was thinking of other characters like Kuchel, maybe Gabi and Falco etc.

Any characters I should include? It might take a little thinking but I love classic movies so much I could try to pair any character!

@hauntedhousecat thoughts?

Oh and @m-jelly just wondering (if you have an opinion on this?) who you think would like the British movies and actors like Trevor Howard? I ask because for me some have a very different feel than Hollywood (like Brief Encounter)

Open to other countries too of course and silent film which I'll include somewhere!

Right now I want to do favorite actor, movie from them, another random movie they like, plus an actor/movie that you wouldn't think they like.

So for example Erwin might be actor: Henry Fonda, movie: 12 Angry Men, random movie: Bringing Up Baby, and unexpected actor/film: Edward G. Robinson/Little Caesar.

List(s) are nowhere near done but I think it'll be really fun and would love to hear what you think!

[pinkcupboardwitch]

Iconic Marcus Didius Falco moments:

- Stops in the middle of impressing his date to rescue a moth from flying into a candle

- Tells Titus Caesar to his face that he’s a republican and hates emperors

- Adopts a goat that ran away from being sacrificed

- Accidentally starts a riot in the marketplace by mispronouncing the word licorice

- Shoos away an inquisitive dog, then feels bad and gives it half his lunch

- Once peed off a balcony to “prove his independence”

- Won a fish from the emperor’s son at a horse race

- While staking out a mark, impersonates a priest, starts a handball league among young priests-in-training, and spends the afternoons reading to them from Caesar’s Gallic Wars

- Commandeers a boat to investigate a different mark in true action hero style; the boat sinks and he has to be rescued by his fourteen-year-old nephew

- On a third occasion, has to be rescued from a fight by his goat

- Is so amazed when his crush kisses him that he stomps away and mortally offends her

- Gives away his position at a critical stakeout by sneezing

- Sets up an illegal scaffold for his family to watch a parade, then bribes the guards to go away with sliced melon

- Gives half his money to his mother and the other half to his dead brother’s girlfriend and child (how does he pay rent then, you may ask. Exactly)

- Commissions his date to buy him a bronze bucket for his mother while on holiday; compliments her afterwards with the iconic pickup line, “Very few people can buy a good bucket.”

- Is genuinely delighted to the point of waxing rhapsodic when she buys him spoons on the same trip

- An entire book later continues to mention that the spoons are his most prized possessions

- Stops in the middle of interrogating a target to ask if he can take cuttings from his periwinkle

- When faced with a choice between the emperor Vespasian and another contender for the throne, picked Vespasian solely because the other guy had shrugged off one of his drunk friends trying to assault a woman

- There is a chapter that consists entirely of him failing to learn to swim and morosely skimming stones at a hermit crab, but missing on purpose because he doesn’t want to hurt it. Water wings made from blown-up wineskins play a role.

[crusherthedoctor]

falco-caesar said: Is that DBZ line a dig at Super Mario Bros Z specifically?

Nah, it's a general criticism. A lot of fans - whether those who make content or don't - tend to be in favor of doubling down on the SA2-'06 era's tendency of taking the DBZ elements of Sonic up to eleven. You know, hedgehogs being the equivalent of Saiyans, super forms always being used to save the day while everyone else cheers them on helplessly, and so on.

This is something I've always been opposed to, because although Dragon Ball has always had an obvious influence on Sonic, it also took inspiration from other sources as well, the Death Egg being one of the most obvious examples. The atypical combination of different inspirations is part of what makes Sonic's world and cast interesting, so when the whole thing gets reduced to little more than DBZ With Furries, it indicates to me that there's a lack of proper understanding of this franchise.

[darknessisafriend]

The world will be ours Part 2

OMG I am excited to present you this second part! Slow burn for this chapter but I just love teasing ;) 

For those who’d like to read part 1, click here

Part 2

The rest of travel went well, Commodus was no longer ignoring you, and you enjoyed both his company and Lucilla´s. For now he had been the opposite of the stories you had heard about him. Still he didn´t really get closer to you, at least you didn´t notice it, he was much closer and affectionate to Lucilla, after all she was his sister; maybe he will change his attitude towards you when the wedding will be celebrated.

When you finally reached Rome, you were astonished by its beauty; the architecture was unlike anything you had ever seen. Commodus noticed your wonder and smiled proudly.

“Have you ever seen such beauty? It is worthy of gods…” he commented with marvel in his eyes, and he was right. The both of you stayed silent for a moment, enjoying the view, until he spoke again.

“I have something for you…” curious you turned your head to look at him, you hadn´t noticed the little box he was holding in his hands. He opened it to reveal a golden ring; it was finely sculpted and had the embroidery of the Empire embedded in it. Astonished you looked up at him, his eyes were still on the ring, he took it out of the box and extended his hand to you, so you could rest your left hand in his, his skin was warm and softer than you had imagined.

“It is a gift; I offer you this ring as a thank you for giving me the honor to become your husband and as a token of my duties to you.” He pronounced solemnly as he slides the ring on your third finger. Even if you knew it was the tradition to give such object to the future bride it still made your head spin, it was so romantic of him.

“Thank you.” You answered sincerely with a bright smile, if it wasn´t improper you would have given him a kiss, for now you contented yourself with a light caress on his palm, he slightly bowed his head in response, a small smile playing on his lips.

Right before entering the city, Commodus and Lucilla went onto the imperial carriage. You went in another which would follow them; after all you were not officially his wife yet. As the cortege went through the city, you had to force your mouth shut, you had never seen such crowd gathered, it was like in a dream, petals of flowers were thrown, people were cheering, it was a wonderful sight, you couldn´t help but feel pride at being part of this cortege, you knew you were going to enjoy such position in Rome.

Of course, your enjoyment got a bit slowed down when you heard some angry shouting headed to the new Emperor, you frowned. You were perfectly aware of Commodus reputation but you never thought Roman citizens would be this hostile to him, didn´t they know the danger they exposed themselves to?

The carriage finally arrived in front of the imperial palace. You noticed a group on men in white togas, the Senate; they were greeting the new Emperor, and were probably eager to inform him of important matters requiring his attention. You followed as he got off the carriage, a young boy ran down the stairs, and threw his arms around Lucilla, it was his son Lucius then, you smiled touched by this scene. You directed your gaze to Commodus; he walked to the senators, so you closely followed him. Other children were there, giving him flowers, which he then handed to you with a polite smile.

After greeting him, one of the Senators, Gracchus, looked at you.

“Y/N our future Empress I believe. I am pleased to announce that this union was approved by the gods” He spoke respectfully, Commodus nodded although he seemed uneasy, but before you could think more about it, you were introduced to other senators like Falco for example.

Unfortunately, you didn´t have time to rest, Commodus had to attend his first session with the Senate. You sat next to Lucilla, observing the session; it was your first time seeing the Roman political process. Gracchus started, Commodus was playing distractively with his sword as if he was bored or ready to fight any one who dared to oppose him, and this idea sent shivers down your spine.

“…to combat the plague which is already springing up there. So if Caesar…” Commodus lifted his hand to make Gracchus go quiet, he got up.

“Don’t you see Gracchus? That’s the very problem isn’t it? My father spent all his time at study. At books and learning and philosophy, he spent his twilight hours reading scrolls from the Senate. And all the while the people were forgotten…” he pointed out. He was right, even where you are from; it was taking ages to have decisions from Rome and in the meantime problems worsened.

“But the Senate is the People, sire. Chosen from among the people, to speak for the people.” Argued Gracchus.

“I doubt that many of the people eat as well as you do Gracchus, or have such splendid mistresses, Gaius; I think I understand my own people.”

“Then, perhaps Caesar will be so good as to teach us…out of his own extensive experience” replied Gracchus sarcastic, and the senators started laughing. You couldn’t believe it, he may be the new emperor but he should be considered as such and yet they dared to mock him openly.

“I call it love…I am their father. The people are my children. And I shall hold them to my bosom and embrace them tightly…” he looked lost in his thoughts, his dreams of a great empire where everyone is happy under is benevolent reign.

“Have you ever held someone dying of the plague, sire?” the senator raised his voice, like he was losing patience. Commodus slowly turned, his patience diminishing fast too.

“No but if you interrupt me again…I assure you that you shall” he threatened with a dangerous smile, if it was the only way for him to be respected by Gracchus then so be it. The senator lowered his head in submission, good… but suddenly Lucilla got up and spoke.

“Senator, my brother is very tired. Leave your list with me” She asked as Commodus left. You didn’t really understand why she had intervened; her brother had to be respected.

You decided to follow your future husband, and as you left, you heard Gracchus say “My lady, as always your lightest touch commands obedience.”  You definitely didn’t trust this senator; he was too confident and condescending for your taste.

Meanwhile Commodus was pacing in his study, irritated, his breathing was fast, he didn´t expect to be treated this way.

“Who are they to lecture me?” he fumed, you felt bad for him, they won´t let him prove his worthiness. You approached him gently.

“Commodus don’t…” you started wanting to soothe him, but he cut you off irritably.

“Not now Y/N.” you lowered your eyes, maybe he needed some time alone to think, you had simply wanted to tell him that he shouldn’t be upset with their pitiful behavior. You took a few steps back, to give him some space.

“Commodus the Senate has its uses.” Spoke Lucilla forcefully has she came in. And to your surprise he didn´t cut her off or anything…so he just didn´t want to hear you then? You swallowed down at this idea but you kept hope that this was just a coincidence, nothing against you…

“What uses? All they do is talk. It should be just…you and me and Rome.” He argued; Lucilla quickly glanced at you; you really felt out of place, what he had just said hurt your feelings. He was so soft with her and tolerated everything she said, even if it was against him. You truly didn´t understand why he was behaving this way with you, especially after the few gentle moments you had shared with him.

“Don’t even think it! There’s always been a Senate” he angrily put his crown on the table. You stayed at your place when he walked to his throne with Lucilla. They were having a heated and passionate discussion about the greatness of Rome. You would have gladly participated in such debate, but the way they were talking, it was like they had forgotten the world around them; and to be honest you didn’t want to be subject to his frustration, again.

“I will give the people the greatest visions of their lives.” He said as he kissed her hand fondly, closing his eyes while doing so. You clenched you jaw, you wished it had been you, you lowered your eyes once again, then left to go to your quarters, they probably didn’t even notice you’d left anyway…

You spent the rest of the day by yourself in your quarters, upset by his sudden change of behavior. As you were about to go to sleep, Lucilla came to visit you, you gave her a small smile, you could tell by her face that she knew exactly why you were upset.  She sat next to you on the bed, and took your hand. You spoke first, letting out your frustration.

“None of us have the choice but marry each other, but that doesn´t mean we have to hate each other; I believed we could at least be friends… “

“He doesn´t hate you Y/N…”

“I just wanted to help him…he didn´t even let me speak…” you lamented, looking at the marble floor.

“It wasn´t against you personally, he will change, once the marriage celebrated, he will see your true value.”

“It was going so well before we arrived…I thought…what´s changed?” you asked, deeply upset and confused. She sighed, gently stroking your hand.

“He just has a lot in his mind right now…and he only ever had me before, he doesn´t know whatever he should or could trust you just as he trusts me, but I assure you with time he will trust your judgment” she finished. You wanted to believe her, you hope she was right…

Three days passed, Commodus was very busy, you barely saw him, most of the time, you would hear his voice from afar, see his shadow quickly passing in a corridor, and even when he was standing right next to you, he barely acknowledged you. Even if you had Lucilla to talk with, and sometimes Lucius, you felt incredibly alone, you were starting to miss your home and if continued like this, you didn’t know how much time you could keep going. Especially that your feelings for him were growing stronger every day…even with his current behavior.

As the night came, you aimlessly wandered in the corridors, until you passed in front of the Emperor’s quarters, you heard Lucilla’s voice.

“Commodus drink this tonic.” Silently, you hid behind a column to observe him. He drank what she gave him and made a face at the taste of the elixir. Lucilla had told you earlier that he was having insomnia for the past days, probably due to his dreams for his Empire.

“I think the time is almost right. I could announce the dissolution of the Senate…at the celebration to honor our father. You think I should? Are the people ready?” he asked her, restless, bags under his eyes starting to be visible.

“I think you need your rest now.” You understood is eagerness, but you agreed with Lucilla for once, exhaustion won’t help him, and it was best to wait some more time before dissolving the Senate, time where the people will love him even more.

“Will you stay with me?” he requested, his voice almost pleading, desperate.

“Still afraid of the dark, brother?” she replies soften by his sudden childlike attitude. You wish you could hold him, and bring him to bed, caress his hair while he falls asleep.

“Still…always…stay with me tonight?”

“You know I won’t.” She refuses, her tone without appeal.

“Then kiss me…” you gasp silently at the scene, this wasn’t the feeling a brother should have for his sister. Instead, Lucilla kissed his forehead as she should, which briefly relieved you, “sleep brother.” And then she started to leave in your direction. She can´t see you, so as silently as possible you walked back to your quarters, your eyes were wet, if he was in love with Lucilla then there was no way for you to compete and make him fall for you.

As you thought you had smoothly escaped without being noticed, you heard Lucilla’s voice whispering behind you.

“Y/N?” you quickly turned your head to her, then resumed your walk to your bedroom, unfortunately she followed you. You passed a hand through your hair, you didn’t want to talk, you didn’t want to see anyone, you just wanted to be forgotten.  

“Did you see?” you nodded, tears starting to run down your cheeks, you avoided her gaze.

“I´m sorry Y/N…” you laughed ironically at her apology.  

“Y/N don´t pay attention to this, it´s…”

“It´s what? Nothing? He has no desire for me to be here; clearly he was simply being courteous with me before, I was foolish enough to believe he was developing feelings for me. I wouldn´t be surprised if he gets me killed in the coming days…”

“Stop speaking this nonsense Y/N!” she scolded, seizing your arms to shake you out of your trail of thoughts.

“He cares more about you than he dares to admit! Commodus is not being himself, he´s deeply affected by his opposition with the Senate…Rome is extremely deadly when it comes to politics; he is looking for comfort from the only person he has ever trusted, but he is looking for the wrong kind of comfort from me…he should be coming to you…”

“But he won´t…”

“He will. Y/N listen to me…I´m sorry, I should have scolded him when he disrespected you.”

“No need to apologize, what happened cannot be undone.” You replied, drying your tears with the back of your hands. Lucilla stayed by your side, talking with you, trying to soothe the hurt you felt, until you fell asleep, she covered your body with the thin sheet of the bed, and went to check on Lucius. She had to change things between the two of you, every day she felt her brother slip away from sanity, you were his only hope for stability and happiness.

The morning after you slept longer than usual, it’s not like it mattered anyway. Then you realized something… the wedding was supposed to happen tomorrow! Days had passed so quickly.

But to be honest, after what happened, you weren´t excited, you often had imagined what this day would be like, your family, a man who loved you. Now you family wasn´t there and you doubted Commodus felt anything for you.  As you were dressed up you went to the library to read, but as you came out of your quarters, you collided into someone, hard, you gasped in surprise at the shock. You realized you had come face to face with the man you wanted to avoid, Commodus of course.  

“Good morning Y/N.” he greeted you politely with a courteous smile, no, you were not going to fall for his pretty words today.

“Caesar.” You replied coldly, using his official title. To your surprise, he quickly glanced at you, slightly taken aback; it was the first time you called him like this, you bowed your head and continued your walk to the library. Commodus eyes followed you, slightly troubled by your sudden coldness, he’ll have to talk to Lucilla about this.

You spent most of the morning reading, you were even joined by Lucius and enjoyed a philosophical conversion with him, he was clever for his age, probably thanks to his mother’s influence.

“You know Lucius, the most unfortunate people of the Empire, they are the most important, do you know why?”

“They are the one in the fields, the workforce of Rome.” He answered confidently.

“Not only, they are numerous, and they are the one with the most ferocious will if they are ignored, capable to bring an Empire to its fall…never forget them.” You advised him, smiling as he listened to you carefully. You didn’t notice Commodus leaning against one column, listening to your conversation. Lucius noticed first, you turned your head to see what he was looking at that. When you saw the Emperor, your smile faded.

“Lucius, why don’t you go see your mother.” Said Commodus, the question coming out as an order; the young boy left, leaving you alone with Commodus, who approached you.

“I offended you.” He stated, you slightly arched an eyebrow, curious about where this was going.

“How so?” you asked innocently, he chuckled and sat in front of you.

“Don’t play this with me Y/N, Lucilla told me I had been neglecting you too much.” You wanted to tell him how you felt but you didn’t want to risk ending up in a cell.

“You are the Emperor, you don’t have to justify yourself.”

“I know. You see she refused to spend time with me unless I spent some with you…I don’t really see an interest in it…” your blood was boiling, coming to apologize for offending you and yet he was doing it again “however she’s right. If you are to be my wife, I have to find pleasure in your company…”

“I thought you did when we were on our way to Rome.” He blinked a few times, and nodded, encouraging you to continue.

“It seemed to me we agreed on many things, including the future of Rome. And yet you prefer the company and advice of Lucilla who’s opposed to your vision for the Empire.” You truthfully explained, you saw his eyes become slightly threatening at the way you mentioned his sister. “I am not insinuating anything Commodus, I am merely stating facts, ask Falco if you don’t believe me.” You added with confidence.

“Care to play Latroncules?” he offered changing of subject, setting the boardgame on the table between the two of you. You nodded, if it could enable you to talk at open hearts it was a good opportunity. He started to play moving the first piece, then it was your turn.  

“How do you feel here? At the Palace…” he asked, thinking about his next move in the game.

“It is very nice, beautiful, I’ve never seen such fine artwork. I enjoy spending my time here” you said, looking at all the parchments in the room “Although I would enjoy more company.” He didn’t say anything, he simply listened to you while playing.

“How about you? Are you holding on?” you had to ask, softly, caring, it was hard for you to hide your feelings for him. He stopped playing, and looked at you in the eyes, you could tell he was surprised by your question, he didn’t expect you to care, once again. He sighed and looked to the side.

“It is harder than I expected. The roots of the Senate are buried deep…there are so many things I want to accomplish but this…it’s preventing me from executing my vision…”

“You feel exhausted, am I right?” he didn’t answer, avoiding your gaze, he didn’t want to show is vulnerability, yet it was so visible to you, his mind was getting tired, he couldn’t handle the whole Empire on his shoulders, he needed support and you will give it to him, no matter what.

The game continued for a while, you talked about many different things, from moments to moments it felt like the time in the carriage. Finally you won the game.

“Well played Y/N” he admitted, a small smile on his lips, he bowed his head respectfully. He got up, he had to get back to his duties. As he was about to leave the room, he stopped and slightly turned his head in your direction.

“I did enjoy your company…I have yet to decide if you deserve my trust.” He confessed in a low voice. Hope swelled in your chest, he did like you and you were going to do your best to earn his trust.

That day you went early to bed, the preparation for the wedding would start early tomorrow, you had to accomplish various religious rites with Vestals before the ceremony. Despite a bit of nervousness, your sleep was better, filled with dreams about your future with Commodus.

You were woken up at dawn, and after accomplishing the religious rites needed, an old woman came to dress you. You wore a long white robe; your hair were tied into six locks as according to the tradition, then the woman added flowers into them. Finally, a veil came to cover your face, and you wore golden sandals. You looked at yourself in the mirror, your mother would have been so pleased by your appearance; your fingers touched the fabric of the dress, it was made of silk, something you never wore before, it was such a beautiful piece, very soft to the touch.

The old woman came to tie the knot of Hercules around your waist, you had heard about it, only the husband could untie this knot, on the night of the marriage. You grew nervous at the idea of this; it was going to happen tonight, you wondered how it was exactly, was it as enjoyable as people said? Was Commodus going to be gentle with you or take you by force as some men did? It’s was a bit scary, so many things you didn’t know…

You were brought to the ceremony at the beginning of the afternoon. A lot of people were there, some senators, nobles. Your eyes landed on Commodus, he was waiting in front of the altar where the priest was. He turned as you arrived; you were struck by his beauty, he was dressed completely in white, being a perfect contrast with his golden crown and his dark hair. His eyes never leaved you once, they were soft, awestruck. You didn’t know that in his mind, it was like he was seeing you for the first time, like he only seeing your beauty just now. You looked so pure, like a goddess giving herself to the Emperor to thank him for his work on Earth. He swallowed down and refocused his attention on the priest. However his confusion didn’t go unnoticed to Lucilla, she smiled soften by his brother’s emotions.

The both of you stood before the priest as he spoke about the duties of the husband and of the wife, protection, fidelity, etc. Then, came the time for you to pronounce your vows. You turned to look a Commodus, you hoped your eyes showed your sincerity.

“Ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia.” You pronounced, which meant ‘Where you are Gaius, I am Gaia’, this sentence symbolizing the strong bond that was being established. Now it was Commodus turn, he was trying keep his face emotionless, but his voice was slightly shaking, his eyes filled with emotion, as if a marriage was for him a bigger deal than you thought.

“Ubi tu Gaia, ego Gaius” he spoke, meaning ‘Where you are Gaia, I am Gaius.’ He sounded so sincere, it seemed the night had got him thinking about is attitude towards you.

The Pronuba, the priest took your hands and those of Commodus, to join them together. Your heart skipped a beat, you had touched his hands before but now it felt so different, attractive, intimate. You wondered if Commodus felt the same thing.

The both of you turned to the altar where the Pronuba made an offering to Jupiter, it was a small cake especially made for the occasion. Then, he took half of it which he separated in two smaller pieces and handed one to each of you to eat, it was meant to protect your marriage.

As the ceremony was finished, Commodus stayed by your side, you received many congratulations from those present including Lucilla, she seemed relieved that her brother was finally having a wife. Then the time came to officially introduce to the people as the Empress of Rome. Commodus lightly took your hand, giving an encouraging smile and the both of you walked to the balcony of the palace, so that the People could see you. They were cheering outside, and there was a lot more citizens than you had expected. Commodus is smiling at the crowd, so you do the same and those closer enough to see your face cheered louder at your smile, warming your heart. Your husband leaned closer to your ear “they love you.” He told you, satisfaction filling his voice. This day wasn’t so bad after all you thought.

After this, a giant feast was organized, there so many different and delicious foods coming from every corner of the Empire that you didn’t know which one to eat first. Commodus was sitting next you of course, looking at his guest, you saw him wave at a servant and speak to him, you didn’t manage to hear what he said. The servant came back quickly and stood next to you with a wine bottle.

“Wine from the province of Gallia my lady.” Explained the man, it was wine from your home, he served it in your cup then Commodus’s.  

“I had it brought here especially for this day, well I asked for it the day I met you.” Proudly adds your husband, he really had wanted to please you and it did, it was like a part of your home was here with you now. You lifted your drink to him, and he did the same, you closed your eyes as the crimson liquid met your tongue, no wine could equal the one of Gallia.

Finally as the celebration came to an end, you and Commodus were escorted to the private area of the palace which in itself was a smaller palace in the imperial palace. You knew what was supposed to happen next, even though you had grown attracted to Commodus you couldn´t help but feel nervous, of course you had never had such intimacy and you hoped your husband would be gentle with you.

The two of you walked side by side in silence, until you arrived in the bedroom which was adorned with flowers, he stopped and turned to face you, he looked nervous having a hard time to meet your eyes. His hands slowly untied the knot around your waist, he carelessly tossed it on the floor, then softly his finger came up to cup your cheeks, you blushed at the contact, suddenly very aware that he was touching your face, it felt electric. He was looking at you intensely; his mouth slightly agape as if he was thinking on how to proceed next and your heart was racing.

“Go to sleep Y/N…I have to work on urgent matters.” His voice comes as a murmur as his hands left your face; his eyes grew emotionless once again. And he just left, leaving you alone in the room; you don´t how much time you stood like this, still processing what he had just said, it wasn´t supposed to go this way…

Tag list:  @stellargirlie @rosebloodstuffandthangss @clowndaddyfleck @lyoongx @skaravile  @hopelessdisasterr 

[thoodleoo]

I now have to ask what other pieces of fiction about ancient history you enjoy. I often find myself hunting for novels about Romans, then being wholeheartedly disappointed.

quite honestly, they’re few and far between. it’s difficult to find stuff i like, because i end up just getting caught up with inaccuracies or viewpoints that i disagree with, so i don’t enjoy a lot of fiction about rome.

i find colleen mccullough’s masters of rome equal parts fascinating and frustrating. she’s very well-researched and generally does a good job of giving balanced depictions of characters, but it’s also obvious that she has some favorites (her caesar in particular annoys me, which makes reading a large chunk of the series a chore. on the other hand, i love her clodius, so…)

i actually really enjoyed david wishart’s nero despite having tons of issues with his i, virgil. on a similar note, jesse browner’s the uncertain hour is another story featuring petronius that i enjoyed, although parts of it were a little unpleasant

if you’re really looking for a good time, i also highly recommend lindsey davis’s falco series. i’ve only read a couple of them, but they’re enjoyable. not the most accurate read at times, but quite fun!

edit: i can’t believe i forgot robert harris.....please read his cicero books i love them (i also enjoyed pompeii but i think that’s a little bit more of a niche book)

[phlaimeaux]

Hello!

I mentioned this on the ISOLATING podcast today.

Here is a six round quiz you can do with your friends/family/frenemies in person or over the internet/WhatApp. The questions are mostly from the amazing Louise O’Connor and I wrote some of the less good ones. Please go on Twitter and say thanks to her. She’s @oconnola.

You can use this quiz but the only rule is that you have make a donation to a charity that is helping vulnerable people at this time. In Ireland, good ones are Alone or Age Action. Please find a similar one in your country/area. And if you could ask the people who are playing with you to do likewise.

It’s one point for a correct answer plus a bonus of two if you can get the link that ties each round together, so the whole quiz is out of 72 points. Sometimes it’s easier to figure out the link and work backwards to get the questions.

The way I did it with my family was to use the main O’Doherty family WhatsApp. There are forty people across three time zones on that. I told them we’d be having a quiz at 8pm Irish time and to form teams and nominate a captain. In the end there were six teams and they could converse with the rest of their team across video platforms. At 8pm I cut and pasted the questions from round one up on the WhatsApp and gave them 10 (more like 15mins really) for the team captains to get the answers back to me directly . Then we moved on to round two. There was a threat of excommunication from the family if anyone cheated.

I corrected them and my Dad did the scores while they were deliberating on the next round and it was one of the most fun nights of the pandemic so far!

Good luck with it and let’s all just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Let me know how it goes.

DO’D

ROUND ONE

1. Brazilian forward and politician Bebeto played for which northern Spanish club for four years in the 1990s?

2. What is the currency of Sweden?

3. Name the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber, and provides most the eye’s focusing power.

4. What is the scientific name for the family of birds that includes jackdaws, rooks, ravens and magpies amongst others?

5. What number appears directly opposite 1 on a standard dartboard?

6. What is the Internet country code top-level domain for Colombia?

7. In anatomy, by what name is the crown on the top of the head also known?

8. Which song on The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan features a woman’s name twice?

9. Which brand regrettably launched its hard seltzer line in the USA in early 2020 with the tagline "coming ashore soon"?

10. Who is the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs?

ROUND TWO

1. According to singer Edwin Starr, what is good for absolutely nothing?

2. The Pub Landlord comedy character is played by whom?

3. A rock group, record label or film not belonging or affiliated to a major record or film company is known by what name?

4. ‘______snipe,’ is originally Wall Street slang for ‘streetcorner broker.’

5. Which 2020 Democratic presidential candidate was the mayor of South Bend, Indiana?

6. What was Spike Lee’s film about murderer David Berkowitz?

7. Which international football team played with the letters CCCP on their shirts?

8. What was Lewis Carroll’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland?

9. In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, what is the name of the Imperial troop transporter/combat vehicles that defend the ice planet Hoth?

10. French duo Air had a hit with ‘Kellie Watch ___ _____’ in 1998?

ROUND THREE

1. Ursula Andress appeared as Honey Ryder in which James Bond film?

2. After Romeo and Juliet, which character has the third most lines in the eponymous play? We never actually learn this person’s given name.

3. What 1994 Robert Altman film was shot on location during Paris Fashion Week?

4. Otto Octavius is the real name of which myopic enemy of Spider-Man?

5. Louise Fletcher won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of which character, the antagonist of a character played by Jack Nicholson?

6. An 1886 book by Robert Louis Stevenson investigates the dual lives of which two title characters?

7. What does assassin Leon call his work in the movie ‘Leon’?

8. What genre of song was first published in Tommy Thumb's Song Book, published in the 1740s? Subject material includes the destruction of a major thoroughfare in the English capital, an expedited order of a very special cake, and the threat of a tragic arboreal accident?

9. The term PhD is an abbreviation of which academic title?

10. Jackie, played on TV by Edie Falco, and Betty, played on screen by Renée Zellweger, both share what job in the title of their show and movie respectively?

ROUND 4

1. How are Athos, Porthos and Aramis better known?

2. Which 1991 film stars Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze?

3. How many countries of the world begin with the letter O (in English)?

4. As of 2020, how many times have Manchester City won the premier league?

5. On a typical dart board, which number is directly to the right of the number twenty?

6. How many claws does a rabbit have on its foreleg?

7. In Greek mythology, how many Muses are there? They are the daughters of Zeus.

8. Does a vein carry blood to or from the heart?

9. How many players are typically on a volleyball team?

10. How many countries are permanent members of the UN security council? They are also the only countries with a veto.

ROUND 5

1. What denotes the letter C in the NATO alphabet?

2. What is the surname of the central family in the sitcom Keeping Up Appearances?

3. A 'black light' emits what kind of light?

4. Which Louisiana general led the Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 during the American Civil War?

5. Which rock group sang the 1988 number 2 hit, The Living Years?

6. What was first broadcast on August 1st 1981?

7. Which Roman emperor succeeded Julius Caesar?

8. What five letter word, beginning with G, refers to sloppy or sticky semi-fluid matter?

9. A Plantar wart is most commonly known as what?

10. Which (US) city hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics?

ROUND SIX

1. Which long running BBC music show is hosted by Jools Holland?

2. Which Shakespeare comedy features the characters Benedick and Beatrice?

3. Complete the title of this Duke Ellington song: ‘East St Louis ______ ____’ 

4. What breed of dog is or was a pet kept by, amongst others, Elvis Presley, Martha Stewart, President Calvin Coolidge and Sigmund Freud?

5. What is the chemical symbol for the element copper?

6. The sitcom Frasier was itself a spin-off of which sitcom? I hope everybody knows its name.

7. Which cereal, marketed in the UK and Ireland by Nestlé, features the cereal in question falling into a bowl with blue, red, yellow and green stripes?

8. Which condiment is made mainly of mayonnaise and finely chopped capers?

9. Constantinople was the capital of which empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453?

10. Which Australian musician’s singles include Chandelier and Cheap Thrills?

ANSWERS

Round ONE

1. Derportivo La Coruna

2. Krona

3. Cornea

4. Corvids or Corvidae

5. 19

6. Co

7. The corona

8. Corrina Corrina

9. Corona

10. Karen O

Theme: Coronavirus

Round TWO

1. War

2. Al Murray

3. Indie

4. Guttersnipe

5. Pete Buttigieg

6. Summer of Sam

7. USSR

8. Through the Looking Glass

9. AT-AT

10. The stars

Theme: Oscar Wilde Quote. ‘We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.’

Round THREE

1. Dr No

2. Nurse

3. Pret a Porter

4. Dr Octopus

5. Nurse Ratched

6. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

7. Cleaner

8. Nursery Rhymes

9. Doctor of Philosopy

10. Nurse

Theme: Heroic front line workers at this time

Round FOUR

1. Three Muskateers

2. Point Break

3. One

4. Four

5. One

6. Five

7. Nine

8. To

9. Six

10. Five

Theme: Pi

ROUND FIVE

1. Charlie

2. Bucket

3. Violet

4. Beauregarde

5. Mike

6. Teavee

7. Augustus

8. Gloop

9. Veruca

10. Salt

Children in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Willie Wonka

ROUND SIX

1. Later

2. Much Ado About Nothing

3. Toodle-oo

4. Chow

5. Cu

6. Cheers

7. Cheerios

8. Tartar

9. Byzantine

10. Sia

Theme: Ways of saying goodbye.