* BEGINNING / end.

❛ — i control the world, and behold what i've done with it! a frozen land, a scorched land. the land of men that men forsake. ❜

[aureliuswrites]

ROYALVERSE + TAROT — three out of ?

[aureliuswrites]

ROYALVERSE + TAROT — two out of ?

[aureliuswrites]

ROYALVERSE + TAROT — one out of ?

[aureliuswrites]

@ofaphrvdite​ ( alina. )

at this rate, he’d have to start sending letters back home in the middle of the night. just as the palace’s post carriage was leaving, he’d tossed in his own letters, five in total,  right before the noble lady turned the corner and noted him saluting it goodbye. at least he wasn’t a stranger to idle conversation — far less so than she, perhaps. 

“ you must excuse me, my lady, for leaving my post, but i’d presumed you were quite well-guarded in the tea room. those three fellows ? they’re twice my size. ”

milan smirks broadly, revelling in the obvious exaggeration. nevertheless, he takes his rightful place at her left, hands braced behind his back and looking around for trouble. the versailles gardens were miserable and overcast, and frankly, alina’s mood did little to rebel against january’s state of weather, most days. ah, this place was deficient of sunshine like his village’s children were of sugar. 

“ i would ask what’s on your mind, but i fear it’d be impertinent, no ? ” of course, he asked in not asking, as was his way. 

[pedrito-pascal]

Lucas Bravo as Gabriel Emily in Paris (2020-)

[aureliuswrites]

— olivia​.

olivia pushes the pile of fries closer with a friendly wiggle of her brows, a peace offering that’s won her far more business than it ought to. “the macbeths are really old school about it. you know?” another ketchup smothered fry. “you ever seen the godfather? real classy like. traditional. it’s the cardozo’s you gotta look out for. they’re the nutso stereotype. tommy shelby on steroids you know.”

she’d watched a lot of films in her self inflicted shut in.

the woman nods along, visibly perking up at the talk of parties. “there’s a gala next week if you want to tag along? i always get a plus one. usually use it for my cats but i can make an exception.” she grins, already brimming with excitement at the prospect of another glamorous night.

she leans back in her seat then and shrugs, eyeing the glob of sauce she’d smeared on the corner of her planner. “you know. a little host here, some monetary compensation there. tech supplies for a raid. whatever. easiest just to say yes. you’ll get that soon.”

the part of bash’s brain that recognises danger is severely underdeveloped, which is why he only smirks at the mention of the movie — a classic, frankly. “ you mean they’re gonna make me an offer i can’t refuse ? ” strange as they may have been, the pop culture references were helping a great deal in forming mental images of the factions. cops, gangs, godfathers. and sophomore drug dealers, but those were probably small fish.

now utterly enticed by the fries, he pulls up the chair opposite hers. as he pinches a few, he looks up at the mention of a gala, eyes more alert than in any meeting at illyria tech so far. immediately after, his expression dims at the mention of cats. “ you take them to galas ? ” the lightest of scoffs follows. “ i’d love to. your cats may be good dance partners, but i promise i’m better. ” he hated dancing, but it was about the principle.

easiest to say yes. made sense. bash wasn’t sure how he was going to get a foothold on the city just yet, but he was nothing if not ready to leap at the next best thing. “ though i do wanna see the goth towers up close ... ”

[cutedatesuggestions]

you kiss me so sweetly, and no one has ever kissed me sweetly before, and i realize how much i have been missing all these years. your love is something entirely new

[emily-axford]

ABOUT TIME (2013) dir. Richard Curtis Mary & Tim + London underground

[begavet]

misfits

[wild-aloof-rebel]

siblings || 5x01 & 6x05

[dailyskams]

I don’t know. I find myself super boring actually.

[kieumy-archive]

NANCY WHEELER Stranger Things 3.01 | Suzie, Do You Copy?

[benbarnxs]

Ben Barnes as Logan Delos in Westworld: Reunion.

[aureliuswrites]

— angeline.

— antoine ! ( @aureliuswrites​ )

         “ whiskey sour. make it double, please. ”

      lord knows, angel would need it. her date for the night didn’t know the definition of shutting the fuck up. a headache was already blooming and it would only get worse with him talking himself, himself, and only himself. it was far more annoying than it was disappointing. after all, it wasn’t like she actually liked him. she just needed a hot distraction and the pickings were rather slim for a last minute choice. all she needed from him was a few pictures together for the press and to flex on social media. the brunette was more than happy to ignore him for the rest of the time. 

      she loved a good party as much as the next person, but lately, any press and event to do with her latest global campaign filled her with a sense of dread. the brunette wished she could pass it off as exhaustion but she knew the direct cause.

      and fuck, the direct cause was heading this way. looking stupidly cute.

          “ your sister knows how to host a party. ” angel announced as a greeting, turning to face the bar. it was fucking weird to see a picture of the two of them, hanging as a banner, over the massive alcohol collection. she stared it down as if to remind herself to keep this professional. “ having a good time ? ”

“ i could’ve sworn there was a perrier-jouet champagne back there, hm ? ” a light smile dispelled any irritation that may have been laced in his words and the bartender smiled back, turning to handle both orders. god, he deserved a medal for how at ease he looked, as light and cheery as any guy in his twenties, at the talk of the parisian night. didn’t matter that he felt he was exactly two drinks away from manslaughter. 

though, of course, there was another reason that had dragged him there.  

“ she was born with it, ” he replied, amused but sincere. marguerite combined a remarkable sense of aesthetic with terrifying management skills — her entire brand was testament to that. brand. antoine mulled over the word, trying to avoid the glaring photographs of him all around. 

then he shrugged. “ what’s to complain about ? we’re the talk of the town. ” he’d perfected the art of non-answers over time, ideal for a press interview. but this wasn’t, and the corners of his mouth drooped at the thought that he was holding ange at the same distance as a reporter. he had to amend. “ i burn out easily at these events, y’know. ”

he could fake a smile for hours and hours. but it came at the cost of his energy — and sobriety. oh, speaking of — his champagne arrived. “ à ta santé. ”

[aureliuswrites]

— leo​.

“is that the dulcet tones of one theresa josephine, i hear?” he cries, in his very best stage whisper as he lopes toward her. catching the inside of her elbow and hooking it through his, like two wayward children. so really, nothing new. no doubt their poor old mother had already popped a packet of paracetamol in preparation. 

the youngest of the clan grins down at the bottle, brightening even more if it’s even possible, at the prospect of being wine drunk in the next fifteen minutes. ten, if he can drink quickly. “oh then it must be the bestest wine there is, if aurelia has graced us with her taste.” not that either of them would care by the time they’d popped the cork.

leo starts to tug them toward the rest of their family, each step dragging along the floors with the squeak of his sole. “i think we should shot it in the bathroom first. you know, check it’s good.”

she rolls her eyes without a drop of irritation. leo’s tug on her elbow has improved over the years — he could damn near pull her arm off if he was just a tad more excited. shit. even in her four-inch heels, she just barely crosses his chin. nevertheless, the resentment dissolves as soon as it arrives. 

“ she said it was some shawn-tahwn de la — whatever, some fucking french name. ” lia sounded hot saying it, but theresa didn’t remember specifics apart from that. “ if it gets me drunk, i don’t care if its from tesco. ” the idea of taking a sample in the bathroom is not just tempting — it was an idea she’d come up with in the car. no fucking way was she hugging papa without alcohol in her blood. 

but they didn’t have much time. she scurried on, her heels clacking behind leo’s squeaky steps. “ and how’ve you been ? can’t be that well if you’re sampling wine in the bathroom. ” 

[aureliuswrites]

— cali.​

— julius ! ( @aureliuswrites​ )

      maybe it was years in the spotlight or her sleek gucci sunglasses — but the flash of cameras no longer fazed her. cali stood on the outskirts of the stage: close enough to be the ever supportive wife that she needed to be for the pictures but far away enough not to detract from the main event. her neutral expression behind the glasses may have made it but truth be told, the blonde was hanging onto every word. while brutus, then rosalind, and eventually julius took to the stage to share their remarks on the citywide riots, cali was mentally storing every word in her memory. 

     after all, one never knew when they may need to be referred to once again.

     not soon enough, the press conference was over. in an deceivingly affectionate gesture, the woman wrapped her hands around her husband’s left as he walked past her, flashing the press a gentle smile. she made sure it was the right balance of genuine but solemn. the last thing she needed was headlines reporting that she seemed so smug about such a horrific event. 

          “ you did well.” cali spoke quietly as the two exited the stage. her free hand reached up to remove the sunglasses, allowing the sound of their expensive shoes to echo between the silence of her words. “ captivating but reassuring. ”

he despised the cameras. though they had been a routine part of his life since his was a teenager, every time he had to smooth his suit and withstand the gazes of a thousand — perhaps a million — imbeciles. it was pathetic.

julius’ speech was the most awaited of the night, he knew. unlike the average public relations spiel — he’d written this one himself. it was meant to touch gently upon the violence of the riots, and the disorder that the city would’ve senselessly fallen into, had the senate guards not intervened. after all, chaos was the very proof that order was necessary. the fact that all was quiet by morning was the case for why julius deserved to be in control. 

oh, well. it wasn’t a matter of who deserved anything. he was in control. 

before reporters even had the chance to raise their hands, the senate’s representatives had all but dispersed. he had known precisely where cali was the whole time, naturally. she was the only presence he could tolerate after a day in the public eye. perhaps the only presence under any circumstance. thus, taking her arm was second nature, as their shoes clicked in perfect tandem together.

he blinked at her praise as they headed through to the atrium, before allowing himself the smallest of winces. “ if i could have you give all these speeches, i would. ” for him, it took effort to be captivating — for her, it would be a herculean task not to be. 

[osvaldrps-archived]