#teunis

So my question is (and you've probably answered this before, sorry I forgot) how old are the characters and how exactly does the timeline work with everyone's age at the different parts and with the war/abandoning of slavery? I understand this probably needs a longer answer but I would appreciate it so much, thank you in advance!

I don't think I have answered this! I never know how much anyone is interested and I don't like just posting to the void because I don't want to be annoying. but I'm always happy to answer or post stuff people are interested in! ❤️

Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who and why?

If you died or went missing, who would miss you?

Teunis will be trying to figure out who he turns to when he needs help in the next present chapter :)

Past Teunis trusts Ephaedro to try to protect him, but of course there's only so much Ephaedro can do. Teunis will have to figure out if he trusts Sebastos or Livonia to protect him. Present Teunis would protest that he doesn't need protecting. He doesn't trust Alida but if push came to shove he'd go to her if he had to.

Who is the most important person in your life and why?

Who are your friends? Describe them.

Teunis

Teunis is capable of being polite to people he's just met. The better he knows someone the more they get to deal with unvarnished Teunis.

For past Teunis, the most important people are his parents and then Gaius because his whole life gets restructured around Gaius. For present Teunis it's probably Kal both because they're closest friends and their finances are tied up together in the shop.

Past Teunis has a group of similar-aged boys and girls in the neighborhood where he lived who he'd run with or do chores with. Present Teunis has ride or die besties Kal and Cyril, close acquaintances like Calla/Thisbe/Elion, and then a wide circle of people he's friendly with but not especially close to. He's a many acquaintances, few friends kind of person.

Ephaedro

Ephaedro treats everyone the same, very politely :) because what if there are consequences :) :) because even if it seems like nothing bad will happen what if it does :) :) :) (Teunis will find out how Ephaedro is with people he fully trusts much later)

Ephaedro's most important person is Gaius and then becomes Teunis later.

Ephaedro kind of doesn't have friends at the point where Teunis meets him. He's close with Sebastos but not friends for reasons that will come up later.

Kal

Kal is pretty reserved with people he doesn't know well and isn't trying to seduce. He comes off as a little cool and very put together for people he doesn't know well, unless he's in charm mode. For people he does know well he's much warmer but also much more of a mess and his default state is kind of an asshole.

Kal's most important person is Marcus basically no matter what point in time and he hates admitting this up until they're married (and sometimes also after).

Pre-Marcus Kal had a lot of friends that I wish I'd fleshed out in the original but I hadn't given much thought to at the time. Marcus-era Kal was kind of isolated or felt like he couldn't make friends for fear of Marcus' jealousy and he's only just recovering from that when Marcus shows up again.

Marcus

Marcus is always in polite and charming mode with people he doesn't know well, and then the better he knows someone the more comfortable he is being snippy or less formal.

Kal is Marcus' most important person. Arguably this is why Kal and Marcus are such a mess.

Who is the person you respect the most and why?

Ephaedro: before meeting Teunis, definitely Livonia. So important, so smart, feels like she rescued him from a very bad situation. After meeting Teunis it's definitely Teunis. Smart, brave, ride or die loyal.

Teunis: some mix of his parents, Livonia, Thisbe, and/or Kal, but complicated depending on how he feels about himself at the time.

Cyril: definitely Eubelia. He's a wifeguy if that's still a thing in matriarchy world.

Kal: Thisbe or Alida. He wants to be a mean woman when he grows up.

--

“Kallius,” Ephaedro whispered, shaking him. “Kallius, you can't do this again, master will be so angry.”

Teunis swam back up to himself muzzily, trying to focus on what Phaedro was saying. Kallius, that was him, because the master said so. Again–the fever?

Phaedro helped him sit up even as Teunis winced at the pain lancing through the switch marks across his back. His whole body throbbed as Phaedro helped him drink. Cold water, almost too much on his empty belly, and it felt good right up until it gave him wracking, shivering chills.

“Kallius, you can't,” Ephaedro said, starting to cry. “He said he'd sell you if you got sick again, you can't.” Phaedro stroked Teunis’ hair as Teunis leaned against his shoulder and closed his eyes.

--

Teunis should have been less drunk to open it.  Or maybe more drunk. He spent the evening pacing the little parlor and bedroom of his boardinghouse rooms after a tense supper with Elion; he had trouble focusing on Elion with the unopened letter in his pocket, unable to make himself speak of it.  It lay on his parlor table while he drank, first small glasses and then straight from the bottle even as he knew he shouldn't.

--

My darling Kallius,

A friend attended a rather remarkable exhibition this spring in Leucarnum and she said the funniest thing.  She said one of the pretty boys running errands for that detestable Thisbe ad Claudiae woman looked remarkably like my favorite little assistant.  I didn't think it could possibly be you, since you were always such a good, polite boy and I know you'd know better than to get mixed up with such a horrible woman causing so much trouble, but I thought I would write to you at the address my friend provided because I have some rather important news I thought you might like to hear, in case it truly is you mixed up with so much trouble.

Our dear Ephaedro has for some years been visiting your lovely mother and father, who I understand are very anxious for any news of what happened to their precious boy.  Ephaedro has spent many holidays with them since they came to enquire about you, after your unfortunate disappearance.  Your charming parents seem very affected by your absence and comforted by Ephaedro's visits.

Your poor parents, like Ephaedro and so many of your unfortunate class, have never managed to learn to read nor write, but I would be more than happy to pass them news of you if you're able to find someone to write your reply for you.  A part of me hopes that my dear friend was mistaken and that you are not entangled with that horrid radical ad Claudiae woman, but another part of me hopes this has reached you so that your poor parents have news of you after all these years.

--

Teunis stumbled out of his rooms after he read it, the walls narrowing as the floor rose up to meet him.  He made it out to the cold back garden before he threw up.

Love,

Marcus has two completely separate accounts, one for completely family safe sedate book and poetry opinions, like a Goodreads style reading log with very mild opinions. The other one is full of unhinged theater fandom takes and gifs of pretty twinks getting railed.

Pre-annexation Kal's is all very sedate landscapes and arty still life photos, same of his paintings in progress. Maybe also a very secret side account solely for liking other people's travel photos. Post-annexation pre- getting back with Marcus it's wall to wall thirst trap photos of himself, more ambitious works in progress, and liking cat photos. Post- back with Marcus it's cat photos and Marcus looking very cozy and domestic with some wips.

Eubelia's and Calla's are social justice issues of the day, often on the same side but with wildly different vibes. Teunis has some of that but also his own unhinged theater fandom takes and talking positively with Marcus' secret theater fandom account about fic.