#ft. aurelius

[apicelladonna]

wip or how many times can Ella be inspired by Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan?

[gabrielxaurelius]

Ander's Classroom || with @ander-aurelius

Pride was often something that others tended to look upon as some kind of sin or a flaw in someone but Gabriel had never been quick to see it through the same lens. There was no denying that at times pride could be something of a fatal flaw if it prevented someone from seeking out help ( something he frequently found himself reminding his patients ) but he'd always felt it an exaggeration to threaten that it came before a fall. He had always chosen to view it as something more positive, taking pride in all aspects of his life. But there was nothing that could make him more proud than his children when he would always consider them the best thing he'd done with his life. So much so that adjusting to life without them all occupying the same space had been a difficult transition for him, no matter how often he told himself it was only right for them to move on with their lives he never stopped missing that extra time spent with them.

Scheduling didn't always make it easier for him either, his so often filled and their hours never quite coordinating. When he'd spotted that there was room on his for a quick morning meet up, he'd seized the chance as well as two cups of coffee. It didn't surprise him that he'd managed to beat Ander there, knowing his son had always had a struggle with mornings, and so he just made himself at home by sitting on one of the desks. The smell of coffee had been too much temptation for him and he'd been taking a sip when he heard the sound of footsteps. "Morning." Wide grin was given to his son, shrugging slightly in something of an apology. "Sorry, couldn't wait to get into mine. But here -" Rising to his feet he held the other cup out. "- figured you could maybe use this. It's just how you like it."

[scotianostra]

January 24th in the year 76 is the reputed birth date of Publius Aelius Hadrianus the greatest wall builder Scotland can call a friend. 😉

Although now entirely in England it is in what was often called, ‘The debatable land’ the areas around it having changed hands on many occasions, work started on the wall was built in 122AD and stood as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire for over two centuries.

It is thanks to Hadrian’s Wall that the land which became Scotland was first considered one territory. It’s also a fact that we know more about Hadrian than just about every King of the Scots until Malcolm Canmore who reigned almost 1000 years later, and the emperor who in a real sense created Scotland turned out to be a fascinating character.

Hadrian is known as one of the Five Good Emperors, the others being Nerva, Trajan, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius.

Hadrian’s family were from modern-day Spain and he may have been born there or in Rome in 76, as his father was the cousin of the previous Emperor Trajan, who looked after the boy when Hadrian’s father died when the future emperor was just nine.

I’ll skip the full story of his life and press on with the story of the wall.

Hadrian knew the east of the empire well, but not the far west. He travelled through Gaul to Britain and there he was told of the fierce barbarians to the north, so often portrayed on page and screen as savages, who frequently raided south deep into Roman Britain.

These “barbarians” were most likely the Picts who then occupied most of what is now Scotland.

As someone who commissioned or oversaw the building of bridges, aqueducts and temples and who made the Pantheon the greatest building in Rome – it survives largely intact even now ��� the solution to the northern problem was simple. He would keep out the barbarians, and thus ordered the construction of a wall right across the “waist” of Britain from Luguvalium to Coria, or Carlisle to Corbridge as we know them.

The story is told that he was informed that it couldn’t be done – Hadrian went to Eboracum (York) and supposedly drew up the first plans himself.

For the first time, the inhabitants of what we know as Scotland knew they had a southern limit – not that it stopped them invading anyway. It was 73 miles long and in places was up to 12 ft high and 20ft wide, with forts and fortlets spread out along the wall. It remains the largest Roman artefact still extant in the world.

So was it really the southern border of Scotland? Never officially called the border, the Wall still marked the extent of the Roman Empire with everything south being Roman Britain, especially after the Antonine Wall between the Clyde and Forth was abandoned only eight years after it was completed in 154. And the Romans did not leave until the 5th century.

So for centuries, everything north of Hadrian’s Wall was seen as the land of the barbarians, and that is why, when the land we know as England was invaded by the Angles, Saxon, Jutes, Danes and Norsemen, the peoples north of the Wall were left to their own devices.

It has been argued that no one has ever really “conquered” Scotland in that the country we think of as Scotland did not really come into being until the Picts and Scots joined together and later took back Strathclyde and the Lothians from the Britons and the Northumbrians respectively – it was only in 1018 that the Battle of Carham finally confirmed the land north of the Tweed on the east coast as part of Scotland. Various English kings claimed “overlordship” of Scotland, but the man who came closest to conquering this land was a commoner, Oliver Cromwell, and even he left alone the far north and the Hebridean islands.

Hadrian died in 138, having defined the limits of the Roman Empire in the West, limits that did not include Scotland, and we should be grateful to him, for it took a man of genius to realise that the people of this land are different from those south of his Wall.

[secondswords]

generally speaking, cavaliers shouldn’t attack their necromancers. to do so would be the very antithesis of their position. she was here to protect aurelius from harm, not to cause it to him. one flesh, one end, and all that. but after being on the receiving end of her necromancer’s harsh words, after having her own life force taken from her and concurrently being forced to relive the worst day of her life, seeing the crimson stain on aurelius’ shirtsleeve felt good. to drain him of something precious, even just for a second, before he used her own thalergy to zip himself shut.

his nod of approval stirs something in her, that gratifying feeling of receiving praise, of being recognized for doing something right. something she’d been striving for her entire life. but like all good things, the moment is fleeting, and aurelius is attacking with a newfound fervor. along with that comes the increased intensity of his thalergy absorption, which romilly can’t help but fight against. and then - “i can feel you struggling against me, dyad. trust me.”

“trust you!” for the first time in a while, romilly laughs, but she doesn’t recognize the sound, short and clipped and drenched with bitterness and cynicism. part of her is trying to let go, to give up control and let aurelius take what he needed. another part of her pleads endlessly for him to stop, stricken with fear that he may go too far again. it was a constant, mental tug of war between an obedient soldier and a traumatized girl. what could she do if she were both? “i’m trying.” rounding on him again, she’s stopped short by a blast of necrotic energy, and nearly loses her footing before she feels something akin to an adrenaline rush steadying her.

he’s giving it back to me.

“don’t go easy on me.” the words slip from her tongue before she has a chance to think about them. she’s reminded of the many times she said them to her brother in their youth, but this wasn’t a friendly spar between junior officers. it isn’t her place to give commands to any superior, nevermind the heir to her house, that much had been drilled into her since her childhood - but this one she feels she can get away with. “i can get up when i fall.” is this really what he thought of her? that she was so weak she needed to use his necromancy as her crutch when she stumbled?

could she blame him for thinking so?

romilly starts again, walking a quick half-circle around her necromancer before stepping in and lunging towards him with her rapier. she tries to let her muscle memory guide her, to enter some sort of mindless physicality to let aurelius pull her thalergy without resistance. or, at least, with less resistance. the sensation still spurred that seed of panic within her, but she inhaled deeply, imagining that perhaps that’s what her brother used to do when he struggled.

relax.

remus’ voice cuts through the noise once more, and for the first time since they were paired three months prior, romilly begins to slowly dismantle the walls she’s built, inch by harrowing inch.

aurelius couldn't help the grin that started to form when romilly called him an asshole. that was more reaction from her in weeks. he was being an asshole. it was like finally scratching the itch that had been gnawing at him for longer than he cared. he could be worse, he'll admit. she hadn't yet caught a true glimpse of his temper. when she settled into her stance, he braced himself for the change he didn't think would come—preparing for the moment he'd notice her stepping into her brother's skin like a ghost, trying to move like him and wield his sword with the same precision, the same grace and failing.

but when she deflected, he started to see a difference.

she was not fumbling trying to be bigger than she was this time. in fact, she was faster than he'd anticipated. more confident and less performative. a surge of satisfaction coursed through him as he barely avoided her swing's full-force, twisting, making his hitbox smaller. still, she got him. he felt a small sting on his upper arm just below where the dark ring of a broken ouroboros inked his right shoulder. clear beneath the open light fabric of his shirt, blood seeped, and just as quickly as the line of red formed, the cut healed itself. courtesy of her thalergy that flowed through him. he nodded his approval before once more siphoning the life energy from its unwilling donor.

this time, he fought like a second house officer—fast, precise, and relentless.

he took a fraction more thalergy from her than he did just a minute ago, the same amount he would have if she'd been remus. her resistance was something they had to work on if they wanted to learn how to move in tandem. intuitively, he directed her thalergy into himself, quickening his reflexes to match hers. he let her lead as she advanced on him—moving where her feet manoeuvred him, avoiding where her rapier speared as he shot spikes of necrotic energy up from beneath them, trusting that her now lighter footwork would save her. "i can feel you struggling against me, dyad. trust me," aurelius gritted out as he pushed back, sending a shockwave of his necrotic magic her way. but before she could stumble, he returned a sliver of his own thalergy to keep his partner upright. they had to become a truly adept necromancer-cavalier duo before they could attain lyctorhood—blur the line between fighter and wielder entirely, but they were out of time to reach there. coming to an understanding would be their best option now.

this training wasn't a test to see how well she could fight. he had no doubts about that. she had already proven she was a good combatant.

it was a test to see how well she could resist fighting him. a test she's yet to pass.

[lucadrewfan]

I wanna see more cross dressing Aurelius can we bring Aurelius wearing the sexy sleepwear in his quarters back in 2025

Ft. Achilles my Legion courier snapping a picture to save for himself later.

[my-name-is-apollo]

OKAY so I read "The Caesars" by emperor Julian and y'all, if you love Lucian's satires this is absolutely for you.

Here are some of my favorite parts from it:

A quick summary: Romulus (who has now attained the status of a god, like Heracles) once hosted a Saturnalia and invited the Greek gods and the Roman emperors to the banquet. A contest between the Roman emperors ensued, with Alexander the Great called in as an extra contestant upon Heracles' request.

Silenus is the star of the show, doing most of the jesting. But I really like the way his bond with Dionysus is highlighted

And it's no joke, he really does roast these emperors till they're sizzling lol starting with Julius Caesar himself:

Next comes Augustus Octavius, whose entry is so pretentious and pompous that it becomes repulsive

Apollo gets a bit defensive over his "nursling" (a nod to the belief that Octavius was actually Apollo's son) and goes *insert Barbie meme "it's really not that bad! it just needs a little... shaping. To the salon!!"* ft Zenon the Philosopher who casts some spells of philosophy to make Octavius less obnoxious

And it works because Octavius is mostly humble and well mannered for the rest of the day lol

Heracles grabs this opportunity to fanboy over Alexander the great.

Like, "my beloved Alexander"?? It's cute when the gods gush over their mortal descendants.

Now, a shoutout to the emperors who didn't even get a chance to sit in the assembly because they were the worst of the lot apparently. We have:

Caligula, so terrible that the gods didn't wanna even look at him and he straight away was sent to Tartarus

Nero, who tried to be an Apollo wannabe and promptly got taken to the underworld

Commodus, whom Silenus didn't even bother to roast (and he tripped and fell anyway, what a loser)

There are more but these were the funniest

Anyway, the gods decide on how to choose the best amongst the Emperors. Apollo and Hermes have differing opinions on this, but Zeus decides to entertain the suggestions of both of his sons :3 (finally, one instance where he treats Apollo and Hermes equally)

All the emperors talk about their achievements first, then Hermes cross examines them to see if their motives were worthy enough and oh boy, it does not go well for Alexander who is brought to the verge of tears by Dionysus lmaooo

Anyway, in the end the gods vote and Emperor Marcus Aurelius wins the contest. But after that, Zeus asks each emperor to choose a god to spend the rest of their evening with

Ares and Aphrodite kind of just adopt Caesar LOL and yes, Cronus is present, sitting beside Zeus, with Rhea and Hera also sitting with them. He is the one who nominates Marcus Aurelius.

but here's the most crack part of this whole thing:

Like who invited Jesus bro skdjsndn 😭

Anyway, the story ends with Hermes giving some generic advice to the author, Emperor Julian and ending the story. Also, Julian lets us know that this whole story was told to him by none other than Hermes himself, and gives a disclaimer that he doesn't know if it's is true or just a lie fabricated by Hermes, or a mixture of both LMAO

Here's the link PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE THING

[kirinwyn]

Some comfort Cal for a hard day, ft a Jaro Tapal/Marcus Aurelius quote

Close ups below

(Reference: screenshots)

[secondswords]

the musty, stale scent of the tunnel had hit her like a wall as soon as she dropped down through the manhole. romilly tried to focus on her breathing, to keep her eyes straight ahead and her expression stoic, to appear marginally more confident than she actually was. but she could not stop the rapid open and close of her fingers around the hilt of her dagger, a clear tell of the unease that flowed through her as they trekked through the dark.

she did, however, feel marginally reassured by the presence of the fourth house. out of all other houses, they were perhaps the most similar to the second - and therefore a strategic alliance. philly and rio were friendly enough, unlike some of the other canaan house inhabitants. still, she was filled with nerves - aurelius was surely used to her demeanor by now, but if her brother paid her a visit here, philly and rio would bear witness to her reaction.

upon reaching the laboratory, she’d taken in the sights - shelves where books may have been placed years ago, haggard lab coats, and a wall of windows revealing the chamber of RESPONSE - and then shifted her gaze to aurelius for direction. her hand remained on the dagger in her coat, fist continuing to open and close around it. “dyad, you’re with me.” romilly nods once in acknowledgment and heads toward the door marked IMAGING so she could investigate before her necromancer steps in.

the door to IMAGING opens automatically at her approach, and romilly looks back to catch aurelius' eye briefly. "this place is still alive after all." she murmurs, and crosses the threshold of the doorway. the room contains a collection of machinery that seems to have been out of order for centuries, a long, dusty desk, and a single, dingy ceiling light that flickers, every so often coating them in shadow. the centerpiece of the room is a tall metal pedestal topped with a reflective glass panel.

everything seems impossibly old, and so romilly does not attempt to touch anything out of fear that it may crumble beneath her touch. she keeps her hand on her dagger, the curl of her fingertips around it the only constant in this strange place. satisfied that nothing in the room seemed particularly threatening, she steps aside to allow her necromancer (or perhaps the others, if they were interested) entrance.

[ @bellemaledictions > @rhinerapier > @ghxstunwilling ]

+++ picking up right from the plot drop; a closed starter for the hole squad ( @secondswords > @bellemaledictions > @rhinerapier )

naturally gravitating toward each other, trusting in a fellow soldier's discipline and tactical awareness, second and fourth houses had been drawn together by a shared suspicion—something about canaan house felt too quiet. the key rings, given without instruction, the locked doors, the knowledge that this place once created something as powerful as the lyctors—all of it had been a puzzle neither could ignore. like a trained squad, they had ventured together into the depths of the south side basement and found that there was access into a hidden space beneath a loosened manhole. on a technicality that room had not, in fact, been locked.

they had spent a few moments looking around before aurelius came to a stop at the threshold of LABORATORY 2, the scent of mildew thick in his nose. his fingers flexed at his sides, not for lack of control, but calculation—muscle memory aligning itself to whatever fight might present itself.

he did not like this.

not because of the dark, or the rot, or the silence that felt somehow aware. not because of philly’s wary observations or the meek fidgeting of romilly’s fingers against her dagger hilt. he did not like this because there was nothing. a sealed room, stripped bare, with only two labeled doors and the gnawing sense that someone had been here long before them and had made damn sure they wouldn’t leave anything behind.

mercurio’s voice cut through the stagnant air, his casual words failing to mask the thread of tension beneath them, "that can't be a good sign. literally."

aurelius exhaled slowly, his breath misting. "no, it’s not," he murmured. his gaze traced the letters: Response. Imaging. clinical. specific. indicating some sort of test.

his first plan of action was simple: find what the second house was meant to find. if this was a test then the second didn’t sit around waiting for answers to present themselves. they pursued.

he glanced at philly. "lets looks behind the doors," he said. "dyad, you’re with me. chaur, you stick with your necromancer."

[catilinas]

silly signature on the quilt i just finished (!!!) ft. commodus murdering marcus aurelius in gladiator in the background

[heavensoared]

isn’t that DARIUS AURELIUS ALARIC SKYWARDEN? i’ve seen them wearing the crest of VISSAI. i hear they’re 49, but they’re also a DRAGONRIDER. they’ve risen up the ranks to become THE CROWN PRINCE KING OF THE VISSAI KINGDOM. they seem to be LOYAL & RESOURCEFUL, but also AMBITIOUS & RASH. if you look closely, you'll see their aesthetics include BLOOD SPLATTERED OVER ROYAL GARB, CALLOUSED HANDS, SAND AND DIRT CRUSTED UNDER SHORT FINGERNAILS, GOLDEN DECOR IN THE FORM OF A PROUD DRAGON ON DARK LEATHER ARMOR.

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: [ DARIUS AURELIUS ALARIC SKYWARDEN ] NICKNAME: [ DAR, PRINCE, RIDER, LITTLE KING, DARI ] AGE: [ 49 ] GENDER, PRONOUNS: [ MALE, HE/HIM ] TITLE: [ CROWN PRINCE KING ] SPECIES: [ HUMAN ISH ] KINGDOM: [ VISSAI ] HOUSE WORDS: [ ON WINGS OF VALOR, WE RISE ] CASTLE NAME: [ REGIA IGNIS (LOCATED IN DRAKEREACH) ] OCCUPATION: [ DRAGONRIDER ] RELIGION: [ THE WINGED BEAST / SPRINKLES OF THE HORNED STEAD ] LANGUAGE: [ VISSAIC, DRACONIC, COMMON (ALL DIALECTS) ] ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: [ HOMOROMANTIC ] SEXUAL ORIENTATION: [ HOMOSEXUAL ] SEXUAL TEMPERAMENT: [ BOTTOM-SUB (occasionally a lil dom outside of bed)] SEXUAL POSITION: [ BOTTOM ]

RELATIONSHIPS

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: [ TBA ] CHILDREN: [ NONE ...YET ] PARENTS: [ KING ALARIC GAIUS SKYWARDEN (DRAGONRIDER) + QUEEN IGNATIA. (SORCERER) ] SIBLINGS: [ DANTE SKYWARDEN, TBA. ] FRIENDS: [ RYKER FEINHALNAAR, KLOGROG, BALTHOR MILEDON, ELENORIUS DRAKNOR ]

PHYSICAL TRAITS

FACE CLAIM: [ PEDRO PASCAL ] EYE COLOUR: [ BROWN ] HAIR COLOUR: [ BROWN ] HEIGHT: [ 1.81 METRES / 5'11 FT ] BODY BUILD: [ BIG AND BEEFY WITH A SLUTTY LITTLE WAIST PERFECT FOR GRABBING ] FACIAL HAIR: [ LIGHT BEARD CENTRED AROUND THE MOUTH, EXTENDING TO THE SIDE OF HIS FACE, SUBTLE STACHE. ] TATTOOS + PIERCINGS: [ PIERCING TOP OF HIS EAR. VISSAIAN CREST INKED ACROSS HIS BACK, DRAGON'S WINGS STRETCHING AROUND HIS SIDE TO HIS FRONT ] NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: [ NECKLACE WITH THE VISSAIAN CREST AROUND HIS NECK, SIGNET RING OF THE ROYAL FORCE, BIG-ISH SCAR ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS FACE (AS PER GLADIATOR GIFS) / ONE ACROSS THE BRIDGE OF HIS NOSE, A HANDFUL OF SMALLER ONES SCATTERED ACROSS HIS BODY ]

PHOBIAS AND DISORDERS

PHOBIAS/FEARS: [ NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH/STRONG ENOUGH, ENDING UP ALONE, DISAPPOINTING HIS FAMILY/FATHER, NEVER ACTUALLY BECOMING KING. ] MENTAL DISORDERS: [ LETS NOT GET INTO THAT JUST YET HE HE. ]

PERSONALITY

INTELLIGENCE: [ NOT THE SMARTEST COOKIE, BUT HE'S HAD GOOD EDUCATION + IS QUITE THE STRATEGIST. ] LIKES: [ HIS DRAGON, FIGHTING/SPARRING, NATURE, MEAT, SWEET TREATS, MUSIC, ANIMALS IN GENERAL. ] DISLIKES: [ BRATS, COWARDLY BEHAVIOR, LACK OF HONOR IN OTHERS, LAWBREAKERS, VEGETABLES, HEAT, BEING DISTURBED WHEN HE TRAINS. ] POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES: [ LOYAL, HONORABLE, KIND, DETERMINED, HARD-WORKING, RESOURCEFUL ] NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES: [ RASH, AMBITIOUS, HEART > MIND SOMETIMES, IMPATIENT, GRUMPY ]

AESTHETICS

AESTHETICS: [ BLOOD SPLATTERED OVER ROYAL GARB, CALLOUSED HANDS, SAND AND DIRT CRUSTED UNDER SHORT FINGERNAILS, GOLDEN DECOR IN THE FORM OF A PROUD DRAGON ON DARK LEATHER ARMOR, DARK WINGS SPREAD ACROSS SKIN, VELVETY VOICE ECHOING THROUGH THE HALLS AT NIGHT, THE DIMLIT SHINE OF FIRE MIRRORED IN THE GOLDEN ORNAMENTS ON BATTLE ARMOR. ] INSPO: [ CASTLE BY HALSEY, SOUR CANDY BY BLACKPINK/LADY GAGA, HEAVY IS THE CROWN BY LINKIN PARK, IGNITE BY ZEDD, FLESH BY SIMON CURTIS, ROSENROT BY RAMMSTEIN, SILVERSPOON BY LOUDEN SWAIN, I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO BE KING BY THE LION KING, SEVEN NATION ARMY BY THE WHITE STRIPES, EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD BY LORDE, BELIEVER + WARRIORS BY IMAGINE DRAGONS, TAKE ME TO CHURCH BY HOZIER, THE ARCHER BY TAYLOR SWIFT, RUNAWAY BY AURORA, PRINCESS LEA, ROBB STARK, HECTOR (TROY), GLADIOLUS (FFXV), AZRIEL (ACOTA) ]

KINKS

KINKS: [ POST-WORKOUT/SPARRING MAKE-OUT SESSIONS. BREEDING. FINGERS. IN. HIS. MOUTH. COLLARS. VERBAL FEMINISATION. CHOKING. PUBLIC. PRAISE. WORSHIP. HUMILIATION. DEGRADATION. SOMNOPHILIA. WATERSPORTS. FACE FUCKING. TEASING. AFFECTION. MARKING. TOYS. ] ANTI-KINKS: [ VORE. SCAT. INFANTILISM. ]

BIOGRAPHY

darius alaric aurelius skywarden was born beneath a rare alignment of stars, their golden glow bathing the peaks of vissai’s towering mountains. his birth was heralded as a fortuitous event, an omen of strength & wisdom, fitting for the crown prince of a kingdom revered for its dragonriders & its enduring ties to the skies. the eldest son of king alaric & queen ignatia, darius came into the world with the weight of destiny pressing gently upon him, though he would only come to understand its significance as the years unfolded.

from the moment he could walk, darius was immersed in the traditions & responsibilities of his lineage as a direct descendant of the skywardens. at the age of three, he was presented with a dragon egg—a shimmering sphere of gold & crimson (in his case)—a rite of passage for all royal children of vissai. darius’ egg was notably stubborn, refusing to hatch for years despite his unwavering dedication. yet, this taught him patience & perseverance, qualities that would define him as a leader. when the egg finally cracked & seraphina — a majestic dragon with iridescent scales & piercing blue eyes, emerged. their bond was immediate & profound. the pair grew together, their connection deepening with every flight above the mountain peaks.

his first flight on seraphina remains one of his most cherished memories. it was a crisp autumn morning, the air filled with the scent of pine & the soft rustle of leaves. darius, barely thirteen, stood nervously at the edge of a rocky outcrop, the vast expanse of sky stretching endlessly before him. seraphina nudged him gently with her snout, as if reassuring him that she would not let him fall. “are you ready, my friend?” darius had whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of excitement & fear. seraphina let out a low, rumbling purr before spreading her massive wings.

with a deep breath, darius climbed into the specially crafted saddle secured on her back, designed to ensure a rider’s stability during flight & adorned with the traditionally vissaian sigils & golden accents. he adjusted the straps carefully, his hands steady despite the flutter in his chest. “let’s fly.” he had said & with a powerful leap, seraphina launched them into the air. the rush of wind stole his breath & for a moment, his heart raced with terror. but as they soared higher, the fear melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of freedom. the world below seemed tiny, a patchwork of greens & golds & the sky around them felt infinite. darius laughed aloud, the sound carried away by the wind & seraphina let out a triumphant roar. they spent hours in the air that day, dancing among the clouds & diving through beams of sunlight. when they finally landed, darius dismounted with shaky legs & a heart full of wonder. “that was incredible..” he had murmured, pressing his forehead against seraphina’s. their bond had deepened in those few hours, sealing their partnership for life.

as darius matured, his days were filled with rigorous training. he mastered swordsmanship under the kingdom’s most skilled knights, learned the languages of the other kingdoms & studied diplomacy & governance with his father. the young prince’s discipline was unmatched, his every action guided by a desire to honor his family’s legacy & meet the expectations placed upon him. though he exuded strength & stoicism, those closest to him knew of his tender heart. he was known to comfort frightened stable boys, ensure his servants were well cared for & protect his younger brother, dante, with a fierceness that belied his calm demeanor.

whenever the royal family of varlinnis visited vissai during darius’ youth, he was tasked with looking after their youngest prince, ryker. what began as an obligation blossomed into a deep & enduring bond. darius became ryker’s mentor, teaching him the arts of leadership (even though he knew the chances of the youngest to reign over varlinnis were slim), combat & dragon lore while ryker helped tickle out the magic in darius. their shared moments, from sparring sessions to quiet conversations under starlit skies, forged a brotherhood that evolved into something more profound as they grew older. darius, who had never previously shown interest in romantic relationships, found himself drawn to ryker in a way he didn’t fully understand. the love that grew between them was a secret, hidden from the world. as the crown prince, darius knew his marriage would one day need to serve the kingdom’s interests, not his own heart. this knowledge weighed heavily on him & he kept their connection shrouded in secrecy, unsure of whether their love could ever truly be.

in his late twenties, darius undertook a diplomatic mission (his first solo mission with big stakes) to a distant kingdom in the west, a land famed for its intricate clockwork technology & towering crystal spires. accompanied by seraphina, he negotiated trade agreements that brought innovations to vissai while ensuring mutual respect between the kingdoms. the journey deepened his understanding of the world beyond the mountains, solidifying his reputation as a statesman.

for several years after turning thirty & seeing the world beyond the known, darius wrestled with a growing restlessness. the weight of his duties & the crown’s expectations began to feel stifling. there were days when he would stand on the edge of the cliffs, gazing out at the horizon & imagine what it would be like to leave it all behind. the thought of taking seraphina & flying far away, to live a life free from obligations, tempted him more than he cared to admit. yet, his sense of duty always won out, grounding him in vissai even as his heart yearned for a freedom it barely knew.

during his forties, darius faced one of his greatest challenges to date: a rogue dragon that had taken residence near the trade routes, endangering caravans & villages. though it pained him to confront one of seraphina’s kin, darius led a carefully planned expedition to subdue the beast. the battle was fierce, with fire lighting up the night sky, but his strategic mind & unshakable bond with seraphina ensured victory. rather than slaying the dragon, he managed to calm it, earning its reluctant respect & guiding it to an uninhabited region in the north where it could live without harm.

now, nearing his fiftieth year, darius finds himself reflecting on a life dedicated to service & sacrifice. though he has not yet ascended to the throne, he is a beloved figure in the kingdom, admired for his unwavering commitment to his people & his family. his relationship with his father, though marked by duty & reverence, carries an unspoken warmth & though a growing impatience has taken root within the cornw prince's heart, darius harbors a quiet hope that he will inherit the crown only when his father is ready to relinquish it, not through loss.

the approach of his fiftieth birthday would potentially spark a kingdom-wide celebration. the peaks of vissai would adorned with banners of gold & crimson (his & vessai's colors combined) & the air would soon be filled with the hum of anticipation. the event already promised to be a grand affair, with dignitaries from across the realm arriving to honor the crown prince - much to his demise, because it would only undermine a worry darius carried within his heart at all times to begin with: that he'd lose his life to duty & the eternal wait for his time on the throne to come.

regardless of his fears & the royal house's plans, darius remains true to himself: steadfast, kind & ever ready to protect the legacy of his house. with seraphina by his side & the love of those he holds dear, he stands as a symbol of vissai’s enduring strength, rising ever higher on wings of valor.

[omegaremix]

Omega Radio for June 28, 2021; #275.

Klaus Mann: “8Ω”

Man Is The Bastard: “Cat Scratch Fever Dreams”

American Pleasure Club: ��Ban This Book”

Bad News: “Interference”

Disinformation: “National Grid”

Bruce Gilbert: “National Grid Pts. 1 & 2″

False Maria: “L.A. Sucks” + “I Really Am Alright”

Moonbeam Terror: “Revenant”

Pod Blotz: “Unified Totality”

Sonic Warfare: “The Nature Of Duality”

Magik Markers: Inverted Belgium (live)

John Wiese: “Mystical Finland” (live)

Ritual Chair: “Live At Rec. Center, 4.13″

FFH & Prurient: “AM. KR. RS. YS. KW.”

Carlos Giffoni: “Severance Pt. III”

Valentina Artaud / Monochromatica: “Rigor Romance”

Pleasure Korps: “Death And Love Can Both Be Bought”

Lana Del Rabies: “The Dies Of March” + “Don’t Tell Her Where She’s Been”

JS Aurelius: “Improvised Acoustic Wreckage, Third Collision”

Pedestrian Deposit: “Girl On A Bicycle”

Canal Street Electronics / Michael Berdan: “Phantasm Rhapsody In E”

Merzbow & Genesis P. Orridge: “All Beauty Is Our Enemy”

Merzbow: “Ghost Rider”

Etant Donnes ft. Alan Vega: “Ghost Rider” + “Brutal Piss Rods”

Wolf Eyes: “We Really Hate You”

Whitehouse: “A Cunt Like You”

Bonus Omega; 275th broadcast.

[esmexsilverhorn]

Hopes and dreams weren't exactly something she had been discouraged from having during her youth, her family had always seemed so endlessly supportive of her during her childhood that she had once believed that anything was possible. ( that optimism had continued into adulthood, just it was now tempered by a better grasp on reality ) It was only as she grew older and slightly wiser to the world around her that she realised that their support wasn't as unconditional as she'd once believed. Their love and encouragement that had seemed so endless was instead limited by their own beliefs and hinged upon her doing what they expected from her.

So despite the way she'd always felt some kind of tug towards teaching, always enjoying school and maybe being a little too eager to help her classmates, it was never a career that her parents approved of for her. No, as a member of the Silverhorn family her path was supposedly clear and all she had to do was put one foot in front of the other down the road they'd created for her.

So that particular dream had been set aside as she convinced herself that she'd be just as happy to follow in her mother's footsteps. The last place that she'd expected to be able to pick it back up again was in Thirteen but the notion of it finally being within her grasp was one that set hope bubbling up within her again. It was that hope that bubbled over into an excitement she knew might have been a lot to take so early in the morning ( he confirms that thought moments later by remarking about the hour ) and so she did her best to temper it.

It barely worked though, tone still ebullient as she took his hand to complete their handshake. "It's nice to meet you, Ander. And thank you for having me, I know it's probably the last thing you expected this morning - I was surprised when it came up on my schedule. A good surprise but not something I was expecting." She's not sure if she's intending for the words to put him at ease or not, she just knows that she can only restrain herself so much.

Head shook at the notion of there being any kind of boring task in a classroom and she found herself settling at the idea of having something to do. "Oh no, that's fine. I'm happy to do whatever's needed and it'd be a long day for us all if they can't write anything down." There's a light laugh given before she takes the box and finds a seat to get started. "I'd love to hear what you've got planned."

Ander would blame his blank look on the early hour, but the steady rambling from the woman standing before him was admittedly a bit too much to take in. Perhaps he should have gone to breakfast on the off chance the benevolent district gods had decided to grace them with the rare opportunity to snag a single cup of black coffee. Any hit of caffeine would help, really, and he wasn't opposed to groveling for it. Ander truly was not a morning person.

Regardless, it would appear that coffee would remain a dream to be actualized another day. For now, he would have to handle the situation unfolding in his classroom. The man blinked a few times as if to clear the fog from his mind. He really hadn't been prepared for this; both the offer of help and to have himself put together and functional so early. He could usually manage to get by in the mornings when it was just him, but having to field questions and whatever monologue she had just run through was testing his abilities.

"Esme, right," Ander finally said after a prolonged silence that bordered on uncomfortable. "Help, yes, of course." Her words were slowly starting to come together. Now that he thought about it, having an aid really wouldn't be so bad, not when the class size kept increasing. "Welcome, I guess. Sorry, not I guess, just welcome. It's early." He sighed inwardly. So much for first impressions. Still, he offered her his hand as if a handshake would fix the mess of a conversation. "I'm Ander, it's great to have you."

He ran a frazzled hand through his hair as he turned to survey the room. Fortunately, he had the foresight to clean it up before leaving work the day before, so it wasn't too much of a mess. Ander's classroom was perpetually cluttered, though, a fact he could do little about given the fact that is was his, but it was neat enough to be considered acceptable, even by Thirteen standards, but he couldn't deny that her efforts at straightening out the desks had made everything look more put together.

"You know, we have some new students starting today and I really need to get some materials put together for them." Ander moved to the small supply closet just behind his desk. The shelves were starting to look a little sad and empty, so a call down to Necessities would need to happen soon, but they could worry about that later. "I hate to give you what must be the most boring work imaginable on your first day but," he said, pulling a battered cardboard box from the middle shelf. "I really need someone to sharpen some of these pencils. If you wouldn't mind...? I can fill you in on the lesson plans for today as we go?"

[bitter-teeth]

Wyd if I pull up like this???

Ft. Aurelius

[elysiium]

& 𝒓𝒆.  a closed starter \ ft. auraline & calahan , the queen's study .

𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑒𝑛'𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 . a place of quiet serenity ; a glass house , overgrown with plants that suffocate the walls and floor . a multitude of birds trill , sweetly high , the chorus as playful as the birds themselves where they've made a home here . their beautiful chorus distracts and calms auraline — fuego flies amoung them for a time before perching on her shoulder and affectionately pecking at her cheek . this is the one place she is never disturbed , one of the only gifts from her mother that she enjoys today . during the time of her captivity , this is where she would go on her bad days ( to forget , to escape ) and now it serves as a place just for her — to seek calm , to get work done . it's why she is surprised when distant voices bring her out of the book in hand , head rising and turning towards them to see none of than her brother - in - law seeking entrance by the guards at the entrance . ❛ calahan , i . . . ❜ her voice trails , her hand waving permission for her guard to allow him through . even as she does , her accompanied hellhounds react : leora who lies at her feet simply raises her head towards @rufficns , aurelius rises to his feet , a low warning growl vibrating in his throat . the seelie runs her fingers through his fur , book now placed in her lap . ❛ . . . did we have an appointment ? ❜ one she may have overlooked , not something that happens often , but with where her head has been lately . . . it's possible .

[avilionea]

NAME:  Gorlois of Cornwall SPECIES: Human ORIENTATION: Heterosexual GENDER: male BIRTH DATE:  December 18th

APPEARANCE

a mountain of a man, tall , with hair of red-gold sand. His build is strong enough to match his height and cleave a head from its shoulders.

face claim: Sean Bean

RELATIONSHIPS

FAMILY:  Mark of Cornwall ( Brother), Blancheflor of Cornwall (sister)

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: Igraine of Cornwall (wife)

CHILDREN:  Morgause; Elaine of Garlot; Morgen le Fay ; Arthur/Cador (unconfirmed)

PERSONALITY

He is loyal to a fault and deemed to good to be human. a great tactician and self declared family man, he is easily rallied behind.

NEED TO KNOWS

Gorlois is tall. he stands roughly at 7 ft 3 inches to Igraine's 5 ft 1 inch. Elaine's height takes after him

Gorlois is the youngest ever Duke of Cornwall, having inherited this position upon his father's death shortly after the deaths of King Constantine and his heir Constans. While his father was alive he set up an alliance through his son, engaging Gorlois to the Lady Igraine of Ireland.

His house has always been looked upon favorably through the generations and during his ascension to dukedom only solidified that further by making another alliance with the Kingdom of Garlot, promising one of his children in marriage when they had children of their own. Elaine was born roughly around the same time as Nentres and it is one of the few promises of Gorlois' that Uther keeps after Gorlois' death. had Gorlois lived, Nentres was set to be fostered in Cornwall, to be raised as a good enough man to wed his daughter.

Gorlois and Igraine are very well suited and love each other very much. They have their daughters relatively back to back and because of the age gap between Gorlois, Mark and Blancheflor, its often perceived that they are his children rather than his siblings.

Gorlois gets his titles ( Gorlois the Good, Gorlois the strong. The Mountain of Cornwall) after his taking in of Aurelius Ambrosius and assisting in placing Uther in a safe fostering situation after Vortigern tried to assassinate them both. Gorlois remains loyal to the line of Constantine and helped rally forces against Vortigern's tyranny after Vortigern killed his own King of Dumonia. Though he gives credit to Aurelius over the defeat of Vortigerns general Hengst, it was really Gorlois who led and rallied an army for the battle of Kaerconen in which Hengst was defeated by Gorlois. he also took back York during this time and gave it to Aurelus as proof of his loyalty and his friendship.

He's a girl-dad. He spoils his daughters ( and his sister). He's also beaten another lord within an inch of their life for insinuating that his lack of sons made his daughters a waste. Aurelius coming to his defense ( in barely managing to keep Gorlois from killing this lord) is how they became friends during the war.

[angelbenningflint]

“A real friend would clean up my brain explosion.  Just saying.”  Angel answered, acting as if he was truly hurt, eyes cast down, lashes fluttering against cheek, corners of his lips pulling downwards.  But as funny as he thought his stupid act, he could never keep it for long, either out of distraction and desire to move on or the fact that feeling upset with Ander, false or not, was such a foreign feeling, so he quickly found himself chuckling and breaking the mask.  

Angel had a sneaking suspicion that the child in question was pulling everyone’s chain, in a way.  Perhaps he was distressed and didn’t want to deal with the small things such as spelling homework, and decided to take advantage of the situation, knowing everyone would give him leeway due to his circumstances.  Or maybe he was truly troubled.  Maybe Angel was conflating the boy’s situation too much with his own, and knew everyone reacted differently, but after Angel’s entire life had been upended and he lost his family…He didn’t start yelling choochoo.  Then again, the boy was younger than Angel had been.  All these things, he pondered, while ultimately knowing that if he hadn’t had the patience and understanding he was given by Doc, in the same way Ander was giving his student, he wouldn’t have made it.  So in the long run, he was sure that kid was going to turn out okay.  The Aurelius family had a way of helping with that.  Like father, like son.

“My guy, I know you have a tendency to want to lift the entire world on your shoulders—why your parents didn’t name you Atlas, I’ll never know—But you are doing every possible thing you can for those kids.  Case in point, most teachers would hear a kid yelling choochoo around the class and throw them out for disruption, hell, I’d be one of them, but instead you’re trying to take the time to figure out the why and help him through it.  You’re doing the best you can with what you’re given, and more to be honest.  So, for your shoulder’s sake, unburden the world for like, one night.  Shake it out.  Take a stretch.  Otherwise you’re gonna end up looking like Old Man Parker and his hunchback.” 

Ander never fully understood what went on down in technology or what exactly Ángel's job was. He knew in a vague sense, and that he was good at whatever they had him working on, but beyond the basics, it didn't make much sense to him. The work seemed to make his friend happy, though, something Ander felt he was so incredibly deserving of, so if Ángel wanted that salvaged metal, he believed he was far more entitled to it than anyone down in weapons.

"I'd kind of prefer it if your brain didn't explode, actually," he said in an almost thoughtful tone as he turned his head to look at his friend. Ander couldn't help but crack a smile at his companion's antics and animated nature. "I'm pretty sure you need it, and frankly, it would be just kind of gross." Growing up, his siblings often complained about his incredibly dry sense of humor, but Ander didn't care. He thought he was hilarious, and that's all that mattered, right?

Ángel turns the conversation to Ander's student and he can't help but sigh. It was hard to imagine the past lives of the children he had been welcoming into his classroom as of late. The undeniable horrors they'd witnessed and the fear they'd harbored in their short lives. It broke his heart to think about, but understanding their history was so important in helping them integrate into 13 and providing them with the support they needed to adjust to their new lives. The boy in question had come from District 6 just a few months before and the transition had been difficult for him. Ander had tried to help, truly and genuinely had done all he could to adapt class materials to fit his needs and capabilities, but every now and then they appeared to hit a wall. Such was the case with the train incident, where instead of working on his spelling, the boy decided to run laps around the room loudly proclaiming he was not a student, but a train, while occasionally pausing his sprint to scream CHOO! CHOO!

It wasn't funny. Or it shouldn't have been, really, but when you become so exasperated what else is there to do but laugh and embrace the chaos?

"He...got there eventually," he said, words punctuation with an airy, exasperated chuckle. "We may have all needed to take a break and run some laps, get some energy out, but we took it as an opportunity to learn how to spell freight, so I think it was a success." Honestly, being a teacher was exhausting, especially at the level he taught, but he never once regretted it. "As long as these kids are settling in and learning, that's all that matters, right?" He sighed and his laughter died out. Something heavy replaced it. "I just wish there was something more I could do sometimes, you know? I feel bad for these kids. They deserve more."