ANTONY cry 'havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war
earlier in my script (which is not Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar), Antony refers to Dolabella as one of his ‘dogs of war’ when talking to Cassius (which IS a reference to Shakespeare’s JC), and it comes back around after Cicero writes to Cassius and informs him of Trebonius’ fate
While these things were taking place at Rome, Cassius and Brutus were collecting troops and money, and Trebonius, governor of the province of Asia, was fortifying his towns for them. [...] Trebonius, who was captured in bed, told his captors to lead the way to Dolabella, saying that he was willing to follow them. One of the centurions answered him facetiously, "Go where you please, but you must leave your head behind here, for we are ordered to bring your head, not yourself." With these words the centurion immediately cut off his head, and early in the morning Dolabella ordered it to be displayed on the praetor's chair where Trebonius was accustomed to transact public business. Since Trebonius had participated in the murder of Caesar by detaining Antony in conversation at the door of the Senate-house while the others killed him, the soldiers and camp-followers fell upon the rest of his body with fury and treated it with every kind of indignity. They rolled his head from one to another in sport along the city pavements like a ball till it was completely crushed. This was the first of the murderers who received the meed of his crime, and thus vengeance overtook him.
App. Civil Wars III. 26
For Dolabella is in Syria, and, as you have foreseen in your prophetic soul and have foretold, Cassius will crush him while they are on their way. For Dolabella has had the gates of Antioch shut in his face and got a good beating in trying to storm it. Not trusting in any other city, he has betaken himself to Laodicea, on the sea-coast of Syria. There I hope he will speedily pay the penalty of his crime: for he has no place of refuge, nor will he much longer be able there to stand out against an army as large as that of Cassius. I even hope that Dolabella has by this time been overpowered and crushed.
Cic. Fam. 12.14
Place then before your eyes, O conscript fathers, that spectacle, miserable indeed, and tearful, but still indispensable to rouse your minds properly: the nocturnal attack upon the most beautiful city in Asia; the irruption of armed men into Trebonius’s house, when that unhappy man saw the swords of the robbers before he heard what was the matter; the entrance of Dolabella, raging,—his ill-omened voice, and infamous countenance,—the chains, the scourges, the rack, the armourer who was both torturer and executioner; all which they say that the unhappy Trebonius endured with great fortitude. A great praise, and in my opinion indeed the greatest of all, for it is the part of a wise man to resolve beforehand that whatever can happen to a brave man is to be endured with patience if it should happen.
Cicero, Philippic 11
Philippi and Perusia, Ronald Syme
ko-fi⭐ bsky ⭐ pixiv ⭐ pillowfort ⭐ cohost ⭐ cara.app
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44 mickvince something mafia related plbs ill love you forever sorry for being so demanding 🥺
[not sure if this is what you intended but here you go]
---Two weeks before the wedding---
While the whole city of Naples was asleep, Michele was sitting at the pier under the crescent moon and cloudless sky. The night was unusually quiet, and all that could be heard was the sound of the waves lazily going back and forth against the shore.
“How does it feel, Vincé?” Asked Michele in monotone, after Vincenzo sat down next to him.
“What do you mean?”
“Your wedding with Arianna. Have you already forgotten?”
“No, I haven't.” Vincenzo looked up to the sky, spotting a few stars. “But I'm not really enthusiastic about it, you know? I barely know her.” He added, shrugging, turning towards Michele, staring at his icy blues.
The other man turned around and sighed.
“I think she feels the same, too.” Continued Vincenzo, gazing at the sea. “We're getting married just to please our parents, after all.”
Michele stayed in silence.
“What's wrong, Miché?”
“Nothing, it's just...” Michele exhaled. “I don't know what I'm going to do after you get married and move there. Maybe I should just... Get it over with already.” He suddenly got up, but Vincenzo stopped him, seizing his arm.
“Don't even try to think about it!” The blond raised his voice.
Michele stared at him, saying nothing, the corners of his eyes filling with tears.
Vincenzo moved his hand to Michele's. “Ti amo, Miché. I always will.”
The raven-haired man brought his fingers to Vincenzo's cheek, before the blond got closer and pressed his lips against Michele's.
---One week before the wedding---
“Ciao.” Said a boyish familiar voice.
“Ciao...” Michele sighed, without diverting his gaze from the sea. “How's the nose, Vincé?”
“Not as bad as the other day, I think it's healing.” Informed Vincenzo, sitting down next to Michele.
“It's all my fault.” Murmured Michele. “I'm sorry.” He turned towards the blond, whose hazel eyes were glistening under the moonlight.
Vincenzo frowned. “No way! Why would this be your fault?”
“You got beaten up by your father because he saw you hanging out with me! The real question is, how is this not my fault?” Michele's blue eyes began to become watery. “I should just... We should just stop seeing each other, before one of us ends up dead!”
Vincenzo exhaled. “Miché, don't say that...” He rested his hand on Michele's shoulder. Michele took Vincenzo's hand on his and squeezed it.
A gunshot was heard in the distance.
“We should go home. Now.” The dark haired man said, looking at the blond boy in the eyes.
---Two nights before the wedding---
Michele was feeling restless: it was three in the morning and Vincenzo still had to show up. He was shivering, despite it being a summer's night in Naples. He felt like something bad had happened to his lover.
He shot a glance back at the coast: he never felt so happy to be proven wrong, as he realized that Vincenzo was running towards him.
Michele got up and pulled the blond boy in his arms, hugging him and kissing his face all over. Vincenzo squeezed him just as tight. “Sorry for being late. I was worried someone was following me and I took the longer way.”
“Grazie a Dio you're here, Vincé.” The other whispered.
“Listen,” Vincenzo detached himself from Michele, “I am so tired of living like this.”
Michele blinked, a worried expression painted on his face.
“I don't want to get married to Arianna, I can't take being a criminal anymore...” Continued the blond, “and more importantly, I can't stand being away from you for just one more minute.”
“Vincé, where are you going with this?”
“I want to run away with you, Miché!” Vince took Michele's hands in his.
“But where?! You know they're gonna find us no matter where we go!”
“Not if we take the cargo ship to America.”
Michele widened his eyes.
Vincenzo grinned.
“You're crazy, you hear me?” Michele threw his arms up in the air. “Pazzo!”
“So, are you in?”
Michele hesitated. “If I had to choose between staying here without you and the possibility of dying at sea with you…” He said in the end, smiling. “I still would choose you.”
---One night before the wedding---
The first sun rays of the morning had still to come out as Vincenzo and Michele embarked on the first cargo ship to the United States of the day, hoping for a new chance at life.
Put That Guy in a SituationTM Ask Game/Prompt!
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Astarion: Here's my little treat with their cheeks all flushed. You will come to my bed tonight, won't you?
Roz: Very presumptuous. I'm undecided what I'll do tonight yet.
Astarion: Ah, you need a bit of enticing, let me see. How about this one: All these accolades from the Tieflings are nothing compared to the sound of my name, cried from your lips.
Roz: So many honeyed words, as usual.
Astarion: Not half as sweet as when I tasted you. Hmm, let me give it another go: Every part of your perfect body whispers temptation - it's as if the Gods made you just to ruin me.
Roz: And what else...?
Astarion: I can go on all night with the flattery, but is that really all you want? How about if I said these little words... Everyone's favourite... I love you.
Roz: Having fun, are you?
Astarion: I am, it's hard not to with you. Now, as much as I relish standing around and saying all my favourite lines at you, I'd much rather we got to experience each others' full portfolio of talents once again.
trying to figure out how i feel about this scene. on one hand, the dialogue is obviously very fun on its own, but astarion is laying it on as thick as ever so it's still not real, though it does seem a little... overcompensating? especially since he's fully admitting he's using lines and pushing waaaay too far into the infamous I love you.
and it's not just because roz is playing hard to get: even if you pick the "you don't have to ask twice" line he has a whole thing about how he can hardly focus, he's so consumed by thoughts of their night together. he's laying it on thick no matter what branch of the conversation you pick.
something's going on, and i have a theory.
here's an alt dialogue:
Astarion: I love you.
Roz: A little soon to say that, don't you think?
Astarion: Well, it can be true, if only for tonight.
and then when you go to bed, he says:
Astarion: I hoped you would come. I have missed you. And now you're all mine, and I'm all yours. Until morning at least.
and here's what im thinking. if this were 100% him manipulating roz, he wouldn't keep emphasizing that it's just for tonight. but if it were 100% real, i don't think he'd be so over the top with his flirtations.
so i think its that he wants it to be real. i think his feelings are starting to get more complicated than just "here's a person i don't care about that i can manipulate", but he still feels his position is precarious enough that he 'needs' to have something with them that he can control. so i think he wants to pretend, if only for a night, that it is real - but he can't even do that. he has to keep tacking on caveats and assurances that it isn't. like drawing a line in the sand, not just for roz but for himself, too: he can pretend for tonight, but then he has to go back to the simplicity of detachment after.
because he admits when he confesses later that he's never done this before! he doesn't know how to be in a real relationship, he doesn't know what that looks like or what that feels like, and i think he wants it but he's afraid of it. and in this scene we're getting a fascinating mélange of that fear and desire mixing with his lack of foresight; he has a plan, so he's going to stick with it, even if it's probably a terrible idea with the way the tides are turning.
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