So like. Cic. Fam 7.23.4 introduces Licinia, sister of a Cassius; there is a house in Rome next to Cicero's that belongs to Cassius and is inhabited by Licinia; Licinia's husband Dexius is gone to Spain.
We are not sure which Cassius owns the house, but we do know from the same letter that he is friends with Nicias, whom Shackleton Bailey identifies as Curtius Nicias of Cos: grammarian, Epicurean, friend and client of Dolabella. Cassius may be our Gaius Cassius Longinus or his younger brother Lucius.
Licinia's husband Dexius is otherwise unattested. It seems an obscure marriage for a half-sister of Cassius, and it needs an explanation. Nevertheless, I am very tempted to bring up Decius, proscribed and killed in 43 bce according to Appian (App. BC 4.27). I suspect they might be the same person.
[Note. Shackleton Bailey: "Manutius proposed Crasso ( i.e. M. Licinius Crassus , son of the ' Triumvir ' ) <;in place of Cassio>". This particular Crassus does not make sense: even if the unattested daughter of the triumvir existed, how likely was she to marry a no-name Dexius while her brothers married the daughters of Metellus Scipio and Metellus Creticus? Furthermore, by Shackleton Bailey's dating of the letter to 46 bce, M. Licinius Crassus the younger is long dead. Some other Crassus might make sense, but I do not think we have a suitable one at the time.]
Yep! We changed his design right before we announced the rebooted version of SN. It makes for some really interesting backstory for him and cal alike (ps: they meet already on irk!)
I decided to make another character for the AU, since Genevieve only exists the MC role. Dexius, on the other hand, does not. i noticed that most characters made for the AU are heavily based on their creators, so that’s what i did with this guy!
More of his info under-the-cut!
Professional assassin for the resistance, undercover as a palace butler
Details:
Black lay-over mohawk with red tips
Metal studs in his lower lip
Bright amber right eye, pale grey left eye
Laceration scars on his back, chest, abdomen, and wrist; all of which are from battles and missions in his history.
Light Skin
Very slender build
Mid 20’s age range
Skills:
Professional in combat involving firearms, light melee weapons, and hand-to-hand
Very fast on foot
Great with solving coded messages of many kinds
High pain tolerance
Weaknesses:
Curious
Fragile body
Lightweight drinker
Stubborn
“The act of killing doesn’t bother me at all. How so? It’s not as if i don’t value human life; i do, very much so. But when it comes to taking out my targets, i just don’t think of them as humans. I consider them something more like… livestock. Of course, this is mindset is only easy to apply when i don’t know the person i’m being paid to kill. Like a farmer slaughtering his swine, i willfully remain unaware of my target’s sentient being when i kill them for profit. However, it’s much harder to be that careless when I've spent time getting to know my prey. Such is the case with King Drye…
I used to see him as just a parasitic creature, whom the world would be better off without. I was perfectly willing to take him out when the mission was handed to me. However, since being hired as palace staff, a few weeks had passed without giving me a single opening to pull off a discreet kill. During that time, i learned a lot about the King by watching him and talking to him myself. That was my mistake, learning anything about that man, like reading the first few pages of a book. Because now i can’t stop. I can’t put that book, the King, down.
He’s a man of mystery, and that hits me in one of my greatest weaknesses. Curiosity is my curse. I want -- perhaps NEED -- to know what’s going on in his head. I now converse with him as often as it is appropriate to, doing my best to analyze anything he says. I still haven’t come to a conclusion, but i’m determined to do so. And when that happens? Well… it’s likely enough that i’ll kill him. He’s done and continues to do so many horrible things, and it’s up to me to stop him. However, I will admit… it is possible that i’ll spare his life. It all depends on what i find out about his motives, and what it seems he’ll do and become in the future.
Call me foolish if you must, but in all honesty… it seems possible that he could change. Whether an awakening incident occurs or a special person intervines, perhaps he can be made a better man.
I’ve received several messages from the resistance, asking me why the mission hasn’t been completed. I respond by saying that i just haven’t gotten the chance to act. But that is a lie; I've become the first face the King sees almost morning, bringing him what he needs to begin the day while no one else is watching. Many times have I had the opportunity to slit his throat and escape the castle before anyone would miss him. I just never take those chances, and i still won’t do so until I've decoded that mind of his.
I’m accustomed to having a rather careless and rebellious personality, but since i am now the King’s servant, i have to behave properly. It turns out that i don’t mind it as much as i thought i would. I’ve come to like the fancy uniform i wear, as well as the high-class work environment. I never would have guessed that i would find a luxurious atmosphere so appealing.
My job usually consists of cleaning and assisting the King and other high-ranking officials. I’m often ordered to fetch food, drinks, clothes and weapons. The worst part of my job is cleaning up any gruesome messes the officials leave, but it’s really not so bad. I have a very strong stomach when it comes to blood, dead bodies, and exposed innards.
When i’m not working, i’m often standing near the King and awaiting orders, or even conversing with him when he has time. With each visit we have, my questions get a little more personal. Of course, i’m very careful what i ask.
In the midst of all this, one thought lingers in my mind… i think the King knows who i am. I’m not certain of it, but he’s said and done things that may have been hinting at knowing that i’m really here for his head. But if he knows, why doesn’t he stop me? That’s what doesn’t make sense…
I’ll just have to take it day by day. I approach him with an open mind every morning, and return to my chambers with new information every night. Every new day is a chance to collect puzzle pieces. Someday, though i’m not sure how soon, i’ll figure King Drye out… and on that day, i’ll complete the mission.”
Relations: [to be determined]
just in case anyone new to the EDAU is seeing this:
