Renna

Itsa me, Rennalish. 

I love Aero. I haven't been active in a long, long, long time, mostly due to my own IRL problems and Ancient Rome really not being my forte in the first place. But. But! I legitimately hard-core hated Romans for years. Somehow, who knows, Gothy twisted my arm and convinced me to give it a try, and I tried it, and now I'm all fond of ancient Rome like a grandma who knows her children are troublemakers and clucks about it while shaking her head, because how is it that kids are so smart and so stupid at the same time. Romans? "Aw, those guys." I know way more about Rome than I ever thought possible. I still get a bit of schadenfreude every time I learn of some new historical incident where the tribes they were all snooty about kicked their skirted butts, BUT, I also love them. My stupid, overly-formal, debuached geniuses. Such a blend of imagination and contridiction and honor and cruelty, they ARE human nature at its most dualistic and Aero got me thinking this way. This site is special. I created a character I adore here, and one I would love to play (again, and again, and again, I don't care how, cranky Seia delights me). I remember dozens of other people's characters with love like I knew them in-person. 

In short, it's a damn cracking good site and my only real wish is that it lives. I'm fine with a reboot, or a semi-sandbox (like maybe 3 sections on site: History I, History 2, AU), so there's some structure for different plotlines. My main concern with a reboot of that nature is that it is going to be more work. I think the easiest solution will be to reboot and shrink the lore. I personally adore trying the same characters in different ways, because change one tiny thing and suddenly you're careening off down a path headed toward the other side of the world. That isn't for everybody, but "what if?" is fun for me so starting over won't bother me in the slightest as long as the site history remains accessible and people can continue their current plots as much as they wish in a subsection or AU board of the rebooted site. 

We have great stuff here. It's beyond kind to keep it open even when your muse has burned low, so I'm just thankful for that. Choose the option that seems healthiest for you, O Venerable Admins. We made awesome stories before, and we still have the talent so we'll make them again.  

Seia did not miss the wrinkled nose in response to her mention of horses, and stifled a laugh. "None that I entered myself, but I do believe that some we sold already may have made a future in the races. I was curious and wanted to see." The woman desperately wanted to tease her companion, but held herself back, for Gaia's sake. Seia had very little use for fussy, fainthearted women, but she supposed not many other girls grew up knowing anything about horses at all. "But I'm sorry to tell you, Domina, that there isn't much about me that people would expect. I assume you've never ridden one? A shame. If I may share a secret?" 

She leaned over, just slightly. "I think 'they' say that it isn't proper for women to ride, because once you do, and become good at it, once you can control an animal so much larger and stronger than you...men are absolutely flimsy in comparison." Seia settled back in her chair. "It makes it much more difficult for people to bully you, I'll say that much. Not to mention, it's fun." 

Seia Imperia - 32 or 33 I forget - Renna

"Proposals have fallen through?" That truly did surprise her. "Your mother is such a loving person; she's exactly the kind of sweet beauty men want for a wife. That's a shame...I hope she finds a good match soon. She deserves to be happy." It made no sense. Gaia was a perfect wife, utterly charming and utterly sensual. A man would have nothing to complain about. 

Seia accepted the wine with quiet thanks, and considered both Corinthia's offer and her question. Seeing Gaia again, well, she did wish to. She missed her friend, and she knew exactly what to bring her as a peace offering in case there was any leftover ill-will. A gift of peaches and honey would probably smooth over any ruffled feelings Gaia might have harbored, but from the way her daughter was speaking, it seemed that perhaps there were none. That would be wonderful. She did have to wonder, however, exactly what Corinthia was asking her. Surely she knew the general idea of what happened? The older woman did not want to rehash her life story, partly because it was painful and partly because she had enough infamy at this point that launching into the great story of her bullfight with Cyprianus would probably bore a companion who likely knew it all already. "That's a very good suggestion," she answered at last, taking a sip of the gifted wine. "I think I will. I've missed her. As for me...." 

She shrugged. "I'm doing well. I was single for a few years after first being widowed, and threw all my energy into raising my daughter and finding justice for my first husband. Thanks to the gods, I received that. I remarried a good man, one of the few willing to help me when it looked as if I would have no money or standing left, and I'm very happy with him. I've given him another daughter, and more recently, a son." Her cheeks colored a little. "It's very busy, with three children of my own and one stepston still in the domus, but I like being busy. And I still have time for my horses." Seia nodded down to the track. "I had a Parthian friend, years ago, who gifted me a  mare. It's become a business for us. N'aschi and her descendents create some very fine horses, so I was rather interested to see if I could recognize any of mine in the race today." 

@Gothic

She'd known this woman's mother? Seia took a moment trying to think, trying to place the face with someone familiar, but when Corinthia provided the name her eyes flew open in recognition. Gaia. This was Gaia's daughter?! 

"Claudia Gaia," she breathed. "Of course, I see it now. I'm surprised I didn't see it sooner. Look at how beautiful you are!" 

How many years had it been since she'd last seen the two of them? Gaia, Seia suspected, was never going to age, but Corinthia certainly had not been this proud young woman when they'd first been introduced. Seia sat again, feeling a little better about the situation. "Your mother," she told her companion, "was always very kind to me. Not a common thing in this city." For her especially, but she didn't add that little cynical note to the end of her statement. "Several of the Imperial family were, back in the day...I just haven't felt right coming close again, after everything. At first I was too much of a political target and didn't want to spread the damage, and after..." Seia shrugged one of her shoulders, a bit wistfully.  "It just hasn't seemed right, all things considered. Your family has been through enough and I supposed no one needed reminders."

Seia took Corinthia in again, then shook her head. "It has been too long. You're a lady now, as stunning as your mother. I let time go." She smiled then, just a little. "Can you tell me, please, is she doing well?"

@Gothic

Seia's annoyance grew at the woman's tone. She'd chosen the most innocuous question she could think of; so why, then, was she being answered so tersely? She hadn't missed the once-over of her clothing either. Classless, to make it so obvious. As Seia took her seat, she adjusted her clothing and flicked a long, golden chain and fine pendant out from under her palla so it rested on top. Titus' gift to her was not one she tended to flaunt, but it seemed she was in the company of one who thought highly of such things. Here you go, princess. I have money. I can play.

Imperia already knew she wouldn't find a friend here, but her sarcastic thoughts were interrupted by the woman's name and she froze. An Imperial? Of all the places she could have sat for these races, she'd chosen to sit next to an Imperial? And a snobby one, at that; Seia had fond memories of some of the Imperial family from when she was newly wed, but had kept her distance from them after her first husband's imprisonment and execution. She didn't know the younger members at all, and even though she'd ultimately won, well...it was still awkward. Some people probably still had doubts. Cyprianus had far overstepped his bounds, yes, but even Seia couldn't deny that Titus had been staunchly anti-Imperial, even if she didn't think him capable of assassinating anybody and was certain that he hadn't. People who did not know him well could hardly be expected to be wholly convinced that he had been innocent, even if her bulldogged tenacity had ended up tearing a dictator down. She hated it, and had decided that avoiding those with a vested interest in such things was the wisest option, considering that she was a woman with a temper and a mouth. But here she was. Trapped. 

"....No, domina." Seia's answer was very slow, coming before she had time to think it through, and she realized that it might sound as if she had just refused Corinthia's request to know who she was. "I mean, no, we have never been introduced, otherwise I would have never been so forward. I had no idea." She rose from the seat she had just taken, smoothing her palla around her body. "I'm Seia Imperia, and I suppose you have probably heard of me. Please excuse my intrusion, and forgive me if I've caused any discomfort. I'll leave at once." 

@Gothic

She didn't really want to be here. 

Seia had enjoyed the races, once, and still loved horses - riding them, and caring for them, and her N'aschi had helped her create some of the finest stock in Rome. But the city was difficult for her, these days. She didn't trust or like people much. Old memories bit often and hard, and she preferred the company of her new family to the backstabbing citizens of Rome. It was Alaric who had urged her to go out into the city, enjoy herself, find some friends, because he was a good man who wanted his wife to have happiness outside of him. She saw the sense in it, and had agreed, but now that she was here found herself feeling rather reluctant about the whole thing. How was she supposed to make friends? And what was the point, the next time things went south for her most of them would sit back and enjoy the free entertainment. She had friends, Seia grumbled to herself. Just because there were less than five of them didn't necessarily mean that she needed more, since the ones she had were quality. 

Still, she settled down next to a young lady who seemed bound and determined to let the world see how wealthy she was, and inwardly rolled her eyes. She hadn't had the heart to tell Alaric that she wasn't going to make friends, even though she was pretty sure it would be true, but she had agreed to go out and try to enjoy herself. What did it matter if she was seated next to a peacock? She was here for the horses. Still, she had basic manners, and decided to greet her companion with polite small talk. Hopefully in a minute they could go back to just ignoring each other. "Salve, Domina. Do you have any favorites for this race?" 

There, that should be inoffensive enough. She hoped so, anyway, because looking at the pale-skinned slave with this woman was making her heart sting a little. She wondered if Alaric had been that white when he'd first come to the city...she couldn't look at any of these foreigners without seeing some part of him in them, these days. 

"Ah, thank you, Alaricus, Crispina." Seia lowered herself, giving them both a smile. "You take such good care of me." It was true for both of them. Seia was ostensibly the mistress of the house, but Crispina was the motherly figure that the wise listened to when she began to boss. Seia herself was not always wise, more of a bulldog that dug into the ground and held on when she was sure it was the right thing to do, but in matters of health and hearth? She deferred to the slave. 

Imperia was quick to accept her stepbrother's offer to sit with him, hurrying to the open place and sitting down with another bashful look to their guest before tucking herself closer to Alaricus, with his confidence. It was safer here, he liked conversing with strangers and could do most of the talking if she didn't know what to say. 

The lady of the house watched to see that her daughter was safely settled down, then smiled to Decimus. "Thank you, dominus." Seia's hand moved to rest on her belly, as it did so often these days. She still wasn't sure what to make of the gods, but if there was a Juno, it seemed that she did in fact favor one Seia Imperia. Which was only right, after all, considering the hell she'd endured for the sake of her first husband. "Tell me, how long have you been in Rome now? Are you learning your way all right? The city is so huge compared to the colonies...my mother and I lived in Greece, when I was a girl, I still remember the first time I saw the city coming back. It made me dizzy." 

@Sains @Gothic @Echo @Indy @Jenn

Seia blushed like a child. She couldn't help it. "Thank you." 

She squeezed Alaric's fingers, tightly, treasuring that she could take his hand this way, whenever she liked. "I love your father very much," the woman told Barbara frankly, then looked to Alaricus, so similar to his father. "And both of you. I'm always so happy in your company, in this house, and I know how precious you both are to him. I'm honored that he trusts me to help care for you. I..." She couldn't speak for a moment, then finished simply. "I'm just so happy. Thank you for welcoming me." 

It was so different than how Titus' family had 'welcomed' her, and filled her completely. Imperia wiggled on her lap, and announced, "We can play all the time now!" Seia's daughter broke free of her arms and rushed to Alaricus, tugging at his arm. "We can play swords. You can show me." 

This made her mother laugh. "Outside," she chided. "We don't want to break everything in the domus." 

@Gothic @Jenn @Sarah

Imperia's giggles relaxed her mother, along with the sweet kiss, and then the distant crash made her laugh out loud. "I love that boy," she told Alaric. "He makes me smile." 

She moved into the circle of his arm, accepting the squeeze, then strode out to the main room, letting Alaric follow behind with Imperia still in his arms. Seia didn't say anything to Alaric's other children at first, just giving them a shy smile, but she went over to the unfortunate chair and set it upright without comment. Only then did she greet the others. "Salve, Barbara, Alaricus. It seems we're just in time to keep the domus from being torn to pieces." 

But the comment wasn't scolding - even if Seia had tried to be stern, it wouldn't have been very convincing given the size of her grin. 

Seia hadn’t exactly wanted to entertain a guest, but it had nothing to do with the guest himself and everything to do with the rough start Alaric’s baby was having in life. The pregnancy was new, her belly only just rounding out, but the fatigue and illness so far had been far worse than it ever had with Imperia. Seia was proud that her husband was so welcoming to those new to Rome, so generous with his friendship and help, and it annoyed her that she would, most likely, be stuck in their room trying to gather the energy to greet Alaric’s new friend until well after everyone else had arrived. She liked using herself to show off for him - look at me, look at the kind of woman he deserves to have - and a late hostess did not serve this purpose well. 

Imperia was being sweet, though, patting rosewater onto her mother’s face with a tenderness that went straight to Seia’s heart. She was such a good girl. “Thank you, dear.” 

Seia pushed herself off the stool with a few breath and a little shake of her head. “I’m all right now, thanks to you. Let’s go meet your father’s new friend, yes?”

She took Imperia’s hand in her own, giving it a squeeze as they went together to the Triclinium. Seia was dismayed to see that her fear really had become real-Barbara had even beat her there, and she’d needed to travel!- but she put on her brightest smile anyway and entered with a joke. “This has to be a girl, Alaric, soldiers are supposed to be on time and this baby is always making me late.” 

She bent to peck her husband’s cheek, then turned her smile to Decimus. “You must be Decimus. Welcome, dominos, we’re so glad you were able to come.” 

He hadn’t been given wine yet, and Seia was quick to pour some. “I’m Seia, this is my daughter Imperia...” 

Imperia moved like a ghost, stepping half behind her mother, shy in strange company, but she too offered a smile, “And I hope my tardiness will be forgotten after enough of some truly excellent wine. Welcome.”

She wanted to go see her grandchildren, spoiling them with her attention, but the rule was that guests came first so she only allowed herself to flash Barbara a swift, rueful little smile. 

Seia was in Alaric's room - her room, soon, and nervously checking her hair and makeup in the hand mirror. She didn't want to look too glamorous, or intimidating; she was so happy to think of this second marriage, but she couldn't forget how badly it had gone when she'd first met Titus' family. Time had cured that, eventually, but it had required Titus' death to do so, and imagining that she might face the same with Barbara, and Alaricus, made her cringe. Barbara was only a little younger than herself, as Nefertiti and Irisi had been, but if she should be upset by this, it would hurt worse. Seia was....invested, in Barbara, that was the only way to explain it. She knew what Alaric had done for her, she knew how deeply her love loved his daughter. She wanted it to go well. This was why her hair was left down, simply styled, her makeup was plain, her jewelry was dainty. She didn't want to come swanning in and -- 

"Oh, I hope this goes well." She couldn't help fussing out loud. Imperia was sitting on the bed, impatiently swinging her legs. SHE'd been delighted to hear about all of this, which wasn't a surprise because she'd followed Alaric around like an awestruck duckling even before a marriage was on the table. "Mater pretty!" 

Imperia hopped down and ran over to throw herself at her mother's legs, grinning up at Seia with Titus's hazel eyes and making the woman laugh and her heart seize all at the same time. "Thank you. So are you." Seia lifted her daughter in her arms, holding her to her breast and giving the girl a kiss. "And very sneaky, too, you knew that would make me laugh." 

Imperia just grinned and shook her head 'no', feigning innocence very unconvincingly. 

"You are an imp," Seia told her. "I'm not sure I have a daughter, maybe the gods gave me a monkey instead? Are you a monkey?" 

"Nooooooo" Imperia wiggled out of Seia's embrace like lightning, scaling down her Mater in a way very much like a monkey despite her protest, and Seia rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. Not convinced." 

She caught the girl, straightening her hair and clothing with practiced swiftness, and crouched down to look at her face. "Remember, they might not be sure that they like the idea of having a little sister, so we need to be patient, okay? They might not want to play with you right off." 

Imperia stared at her, as if not believing that anybody would ever not want to play with her, but instead of answering she was distracted by Alaric's entry and hurtled at him, slamming into his leg as she had her mother's and wrapping her arms around it to try to take a ride on his foot, giggling the whole time. "Pater!" 

Seia gave her daughter a quick glance, surprised and a little stung that the title came so easily from the girl's mouth when she already -had- a Pater, but of course...what could Imperia remember of him? Her mother's stories, that was all, the touches to her cheek from the necklace that was "Pater", had been all these years. Alaric was solid, and the child was still only just out of babyhood, it shouldn't be surprising that the solid, living man would be the one Imperia saw as Pater. All the same, it hurt a little. But Seia brushed it off with a quick shake of her head, telling Alaric quietly, "She's excited." 

@Gothic @Jenn

Alaric's praise of her as a mother warmed Seia's heart. "You don't know how much that means to me," she confessed to him. "I didn't want to be a mother, ever. One of my playmates, when I was a girl -- her mater died having her little brother. That terrified me, and I had nightmares, and my own mother was just ...unreasonably cruel. Not just strict, I mean cruel. I was sure I would either die, or have a baby and turn out to be just like her toward it. I don't know which frightened me more. But the way Titus spoke of children, and parenthood, made me wonder if maybe there was something lovely in it, and then Imperia came and my world fell in on her. I didn't know it was possible to love so much. She is my life." 

And the little girl had her father's eyes, so even with his absence Seia was able to see part of him, living near her still. Thriving. 

There was a silence, Seia's fingers caressing gently into Alaric's hair, but after some moments she smiled at him and made a pleased sound in the back of her throat. "This was what I hoped for," she said. "Your face just now. You look calm, comforted...at peace. I wanted so badly to be the one to make your face change this way." She'd done it. The wish was granted, and how beautiful it was to see! His comment made her blush, however, her tan skin washing bronze. He'd loved her while she was going to the courts? Why - that was even before they'd spoken in the market. That was so early! That was - 

Her thoughts derailed when Alaric turned his attentions back to her nose, both making her laugh and blush again. "Well, it was hardly proper of you." It hadn't been proper of her either, in point of fact. "I was rather expecting a softer, just-getting-to-know you sort of kiss. Instead..." He knew what he'd done instead. He was very guilty. "Actually, I find I've forgotten exactly how it happened." Seia kissed him, slowly. "You'll have to show me again." 

"Which gods?" Seia wanted to know, not missing that he'd claimed the kiss to her nose he'd confessed to wanting so badly. "Roman, or from your homeland?" 

She didn't care which he believed in, she didn't suppose that it really mattered one way or the other. At least not to her, so uncertain of her own faith and beliefs, even though she was a favorite at several temples throughout the city for her devotions. Desperation and devotion, Seia knew, were not quite the same things. She'd become pious only because there was nowhere else to go, and it felt like doing something, to pray. It was better than doing nothing, pacing up and down waiting for the city to give Titus the justice he deserved. It kept her from losing her mind. 

Seia closed her eyes as his brow met hers, savoring having him this close at last, and slipped her arms around his neck to keep him close to her. "You're a good father," she informed him. "You love the children you have, and I love you for it." If she was going to have more, she wanted to know that they would be loved, and safe, and treasured. Part of her could, to some point, understand not liking children, but bringing them into the world was so dangerous, such an impossible battle, she was certain that whatever higher power ordered the affairs of men had intended them to be cherished. Wasn't that the way of things? Anything worth having was worth struggling for, and every woman who gave birth was risking her life to do so. There were men out there who abandoned their babies, after all of that. 

The thought made her shiver, and she tightened her hold on Alaric as if holding him would be a shield strong enough to keep such ideas at bay. "...You have a big heart." This was murmured against his face, and punctuated by a kiss. "You love easily. Alaric, when do you think you fell in love with me?" 

Seia's eyes were still closed, her expression peaceful now. "I'm not sure when it was love, for you, but that first time at the market, when I was trying to sell things...You kept coming into my mind." There was a sudden laugh. "And then you kissed me and it only got worse. That was cruel of you." 

"The garden needs help, yes," Seia agreed, "Although I don't know how to plant anything. We'll have to hire someone. It will be worth it, though, green places are good for the spirit." She reached out to brush the hair dipping onto his forehead, smoothing it away between her fingers. "And I'll need somewhere for my horses, although I suspect you knew that, Master Oh-look-I-found-this-codex-about-Parthian-horses." She laughed, quietly, then sobered. "And yes, rooms for the children...with maybe one or two left empty, just in case." 

She wondered if he would give her more, and the thought of it warmed her so fully from the inside out that she went very still. A moment later she was kissing him. "Just in case, Alaric," Seia whispered. "Can you imagine that?" 
 

“I don’t want to remove anything,” Seia assured him. “You don’t have many things in here; I assume that all of them are important. It just needs more color. Codices. Paintings on the wall, things to look at and learn from. And my tradition is to have a stone and a bench in the garden, so we can sit together and ... also have a place to think of people we miss.” 

She was glad to make him laugh, it was such a nice change from the stern demeanor he gave to everyone else. 

SEIA IMPERIA.

33 | November 11, AD 39 | Cives Romani, Nobilitas, Senatore Plebianus| Wife, mother | Heterosexual | Original | Lily Aldridge

Personality.

Seia was molded by a father who did not get along with his wife and doted on his only child, a bright, precocious daughter who was very interested in his daily affairs and the world at large. She was also molded by a mother who seemed to carry venom for everyone around her, including her little daughter, and consequently grew up to be an assertive, wild young woman who vastly preferred the company and affairs of men to those of women – who she was not overly-familiar with, and generalized as largely being similar to her own mother Acilia. There was a point in time where no trouble was too big, no consequence too risky, but age and experience have tamed some of these traits back to present a more polished woman. 

There are a few traits at Seia’s core. The most lasting is a loving, tender heart that attaches to people quickly, especially when they are in pain, and a loyal soul. She is not gifted at making and keeping friends, finding herself a little too much of a black sheep to comfortably fit in with many people, but the few who do know her well treasure her as an oddity: a very tender little woman who is also very good at putting up thistles to shove the unwanted away. She will go to any lengths for the ones who make it into her heart, and will also have no hesitation in letting blunt honesty drive others as far back as she can convince them to get (made easier by a bold intelligence that grants her a whip-sharp tongue). 

Those who knew Seia in her younger days would also remember a playful young woman with a quick humor and a thirst for discovery – not adventure, necessarily, but learning and doing something new. The younger Seia was curious about anyone and anything even a little bit different, and would ask her questions without hesitation or reserve. It was this that earned her a fair number of acquaintances in questionable circles; Parthians, Greeks, Jews – she didn’t shy from talking to any of them, and expressed such an honest interest that she earned a little favor in return. However, sorrow has a way of changing people, and anyone becoming acquainted with her now is unlikely to see much of curiosity, friendliness, or humor. The loss of her husband has stricken her hard, and the few who see the widow these days will not notice much more than that bitter pain still burning.

Appearance

HAIR: Dark brown, almost black, and waving
EYES: Dark brown, expressive
BUILD: Hard to say. Seia has a slender frame and does move gracefully thanks to the instruction of her mother, but she is definitely not a delicate little wisp. She has a presence to her, something in her personality coming out in her appearance to make her seem a fairly solid and commanding person. Her figure has filled out a bit more since her pregnancy, but she can still turn heads. Or she would if she wasn’t always glaring daggers at people.
HEIGHT: 5'4"

STYLE OF DRESS: Seia is quite fashionable and favors bright colors (especially red) with tasteful jewelry – she prefers small pieces of exquisite make to large ones that are a bit cruder, but was reasonably spoiled during her time as Titus’ wife to amass a pretty impressive collection of clothing and jewelry. She admires the Greek-style chiton best for its graceful lines and for her family’s time living in Greece, but wears the stola the majority of the time in honor of her status as a wife. Specifically, in honor of her status as Titus’ wife, as her marriage with him was and is very special to her, and she’s keenly aware that it’s only by his grace that she is able to wear the stola at all. The other accessory that never changes is a pendant, gifted to her during her betrothal. In the past Seia had worn it under her clothing, out of public sight, but since Titus’ execution has worn it in pride of place with her typical defiance. She cares much less about fashion these days, as there is no one she particularly wishes to impress and has very little heart to dress up for her own sake, but she never goes anywhere without that necklace and her wedding ring.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Seia is a striking woman, even more so with the careful and expert application of makeup. Without it she is a pretty girl of dark color; with it, she also exudes strength. The proper use of ochre and kohl goes a long way in highlighting her high cheekbones and expressive eyes; she generally refuses to powder her face under the (rather astute) belief that pale things look weaker, and that which is different gathers more attention. However, these days she focuses less on cosmetics. In the past she’d chosen clothing, cosmetics, and accessories with the highest taste, but in her new reality - a mother, a widow, an outcast, and then a wife again - she has so many other things on her mind that it is not the highest priority. The moods still take her to make herself fine, but not always, and not as often. 
 

Family

Father: Marcus Seius Cinna, 70

Mother: Acilia Cinna, 60, now divorced from Senator Cinna

Siblings: None

Spouse: Titus Acuelo Gurges, Alaric Stilicho

Children: Imperia Acuelonis (Titus' daughter), Barbara Stilicha and Alaricus Aetius Stilicho Minor (stepchildren), 
Aetia Stilicha, Titus Aetius Stilicho (Alaric's daughter and son) 

Extended family: Related by marriage to the Imperii family. Stepson: Gnaeus Imperius Acuelo, Stepdaughter-in-law: Unknown (character needed).
Stepgranddaughters: Imperiosa Acuelonis ("Nefertiti"); Imperiosa Acuelonis Minor ("Irisi"
Stepgrandson: Spurius Imperi

Other: There is some connection to the Imperial family that I don't understand but I believe Gothy when she tells me it's a thing

History

CHILDHOOD [AD 39-54]:
As the first and only child of Senator Marcus Seius Cinna, Seia enjoyed a silver spoon from day one. Marcus doted on his precocious little girl from the beginning, coddling her almost as he would a son. Father and daughter soon became the best of friends. Seia adored sitting on her father's knee as he taught her everything that could be taught--philosophy, languages, wines, mathematics, poetry, music, and rhetoric. She adored his praises and kisses and the way he gave her everything she asked for (that he could afford, of course; at the time he was a man of modest means). He in turn adored the way his little daughter caught on to her lessons, looking up at him with a bright and certain gaze as she asked every question she could think of...and especially the way she would kiss his cheek good-night. This closeness only improved over time; Seia looking to her father first in everything and Marcus happiest to come home to his little girl. She loved to hear his stories of the Senate and Rome and its laws, and could even put up with being stuck at home with her mother for the sake of the precious few hours spent with Father. The only thing to mar her perfect happiness was the frequent arguments between her parents, but over time it simply became a fact of life. 

Seia's first 'golden age' ended when Senator Cinna found himself spearheading a few unpopular laws and reformations in the Senate, and when Seia was ten it was decided that political matters were putting the family at too great a risk to permit Acilia and her daughter to remain safely in Rome. Once Marcus decided that it was plausible that his enemies might threaten his family in order to get their political desires, he ordered his wife and daughter off to Greece to stay with Acilia's extended family until things cleared up. Those next four years were both hateful and wonderful to the little girl; the time spent so far away from her beloved father was interminable, but on the other hand she was in Greece. Even a grieving Seia could not find it within her to refuse all the education fabled Greece had to offer, so the moment Acilia turned her back she was busy learning all over again. With persistent hard work the girl became fluent in Greek; a tongue that was helpful both in practical life and in scholarly pursuits. Seia was delighted to be able to read the Grecian epics in their original forms, sans Latin translation. Acilia, of course, was less than pleased with her daughter's new 'ability', but Seia ignored every punishment directed her way and returned to Rome too educated according to popular opinion.

TEENAGE TO EARLY ADULT [CE 55-58]:
Her Grecian immersion cost Seia her first suitor, actually. Upon her return to her home city Acilia promptly started making arrangements to marry her daughter off, only to have the arrangements fall through because of the girl's outspokenness and over-education. At the time she was a girl of just barely fifteen, with no obvious beauty to tempt a husband, and Acilia despaired of ever marrying her daughter off. Seia and Marcus, however, were only relieved to be spared, and with some work the Senator convinced his wife to wait a few years yet. 

Those few years were probably the best of Seia's life. Things in the Senate had smoothed out, and her father was making a comfortable living--slowly rising in status until he could truly be considered a prominent and wealthy Roman citizen. Marcus' elevation introduced his daughter to the finer side of life, and she discovered in herself a pleasure for fine clothes and luxurious living. Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen....every year brought a little more wealth to the Senator's family, a little more prestige; and once Seia was nineteen it could not be denied that she had found her full blossom.

ADULTHOOD [AD 58-]:
This, of course, sent her into a panic and her mother into a frenzy. Seia had always been wild, and fearful of marriage (after all, what had she seen of it to tempt her besides her parent’s constant bickering?, but being so close to The End, as she saw it, of independence and even being able to hope to use her mind to its full extent, sent her into recklessness. Year 19 started off badly with midnight excursions to somewhat-seedier Tabernas, and a crowd of people slightly rougher than she was used to to share in the celebrations, but these shallow beginnings slipped her into a time of great personal change. Year 19 was love, loss; learning, maturing, wisening, grieving, and softening, beginning with a Greek fighter named Lucian and ending with a man she had sworn never to love as he was thrice her age. 

Lucian Patrionus caught the young woman’s attention by refusing to make an unfairly-matched opponent suffer in the ring, accepting the crowd’s disapproval in favor of ending his last fight swiftly. The act touched her heart, which led to a conversation, which led to a brief, very brief, and very chaste romance – meetings when they could be managed, a kiss when it could be stolen, and quiet, swift conversation in the hope of comforting the quiet man who carried pain in his eyes. It lasted three weeks. Lucian disappeared with no trace, simply not arriving to one of the set meeting times, and as time passed on with no word Seia could only assume her fighter was dead – news later confirmed by a run-in with a slave who had known the man. For Seia, it was worse not knowing, because there was an Empire to comb – perhaps the man hadn’t been killed in the ring, but sold elsewhere, and how could she look without being noticed, and how could she grieve without showing anything, and was it even right to grieve when she had no proof he was fully gone? It was the first time her life had ever truly been complicated, secrecy and society and new emotion mingling as one to start adding depth to Seia’s character, and it was the first time she began noticing the circumstances of other people more than her own. 

Not to say that the change was instant or perfect. As the months passed another man came in, another fighter, quiet and with pain in his eyes – this time a Roman citizen, a soldier, returned from service in Britannia. The two became easy friends, and as Acilia was still on the hunt for a husband for her daughter, Seia decided to fall in love again. After all, Corvinus of the Decimii was a friend. She liked him. He could make her smile and she was able to coax his serious mouth into a smile, too, even laughter every now and then. They could talk. He didn’t look at her strangely for ideas or uncommon behaviors or anything, really, he was just Corvinus and she was Seia and it was easy. So why couldn’t it keep on being easy? Seia, who had been confident of getting anything she wanted from her father her entire life, told him flat-out she wanted Corvinus of the Decimii, and was sure she would have her way this one last time, all the while escaping her terror of a marriage to a total stranger. 

Except it didn’t work. Acilia wove a noose and slipped it, deftly, over both her daughter’s throat and her selected groom’s, easily betrothing Seia to Titus Imperius Acuelo Gurges, sixty years of age and one of the wealthiest and most prominent politicians in Rome. Whether Marcus had intended to betroth his daughter to Corvinus still isn’t known, but at the end of the day it didn’t matter – Acilia had her prey, and neither bride nor groom could back out without managing to insult the families of some of the city’s major players. Seia stormed. She stormed, hard; threw ancestral pride and consequence and rational thought to the wind, because if she was going to have to marry some old man he sure as hell wouldn’t get to be the first to enjoy her. 

She met with Corvinus one last time, and the meeting wasn’t chaste. After that the two parted ways, Seia to deal with her unwanted betrothal and Corvinus summoned back to Britannia, but she was satisfied in her rebellion if still unhappy with her coming marriage.

Surprisingly, it was Titus himself who made the transition easier…not at first, but as Seia found her already-small circle of friends becoming smaller and smaller over the next few months, she was surprised to find a patient and courteous man in her unwanted suitor. The Senator she reviled was encouraging, and had a gift for painting the place of a wife as something natural and good, without once suggesting that his headstrong betrothed should perhaps spend less time with her books. In fact, he gave her some. He rarely patronized either. Not never, for being two generations apart from one another, and Titus being a traditional Roman man with a woman who didn’t quite fit the mold she was supposed to be in, made a few clashes inevitable, but much less than Seia had expected to hear from someone so many years her senior and so secure in his own status. Titus had a way of explaining things frankly, and an apparently-sincere desire to listen to his fiancee’s fears, that Seia found rather comforting. Speaking in person was still something that did not come naturally, however, so instead Seia Cinna began to connect with her betrothed in letters. He answered all, promptly, and in the correspondence Seia discovered an intelligent, lonely man long missing adult companionship. It softened her. It warmed her, too, and through time and the written word, Titus transformed from enemy to stranger to friend to love. 

All was not perfect, however, for this time her romantic escapes would not leave without consequence. At the beginning of her betrothal Seia complained about Titus to the few friends she had, and was surprised to receive no sympathy from people she had been sure would understand. The young woman made a naïve mistake in trusting them further, trying to explain herself the simple statement that she loved another. It made no grounds, and Seia was left to return home in confusion, now missing two in her tiny group of companions, and some time later Cinna received a letter with a very simple, and self-righteous, ultimatum: Either she would tell Titus of her indiscretion, or he would find out through other means. 

This was crueler than anything Seia had expected to hear. The man who had written the letter was a citizen of Rome, he knew full well how dire the consequences could be for adultery, and yet he still was willing to risk the life of a former friend by forcing the confession. It was agony. In the end Seia gathered her courage and her honest nature, forcing herself to Gurges’ home to deliver the confession and a tearful apology, all the while braced in terror and shame against the man’s anger. But somehow, some way, the girl managed to say something right, because at the end of it all, Titus forgave her. 

That was the turning point. If she had been growing fond before, Seia was fiercely loyal now, and when the time came to deliver her wedding vows that spring she meant them whole-heartedly. The two enjoyed an affectionate, happy marriage for the short time it lasted, with Titus continuing to instruct and encourage his young wife in her new role, and Seia bossing around the strict Senator without any fear. There were books to be read, and accounts to be balanced, and a memorable trip to Titus’ beloved Aegyptus, and then, near the end of the brief and blissful time together, a little daughter who was everything her father wanted.

[60-73CE]:
Seia would have been content to stay with her friend and confidante forever, and in truth was already dreading the separation that would have to come with a husband so much older in years, but nothing could have prepared her for how it ended – in violence and blood, the staunch and honorable Titus apprehended as a traitor and executed without trial. 

She had never once imagined her world coming apart this way, never even dreamed of it, and the pain and shock was enough to have her withdraw from society completely, scorning her once-admired Senate and the city of Rome in favor of turning her back on everything except the treasured memories and the little girl who was all that remained of what had been a match blessed by Venus.

It was a long and weary fight, not only with her own grief, but there was Titus' estate to battle for, for the sake of his children. His name to clear, her daughter to protect, the mockery of all of Rome to contend with, and a powerful man to take to trial for the injustice and humiliation of executing an innocent man, a Roman citizen, without the trial that was his right. It was exhausting. But Seia fueled herself with grief and anger and mockery began to turn to admiration, with people very slowly beginning to see her as something she thought she would never be: an ideal, loyal Roman wife. When that war finally ended, she rested, treasuring her daughter, keeping to herself with disgust for all those who had turned away from her when she most needed them, but after some time she found a friend in one Alaric Aetius Stilicho, a man who had never found her steadfast defense of her husband entertaining.

(In year 67) Weds Alaric and later that year gives birth to another daughter, Aetia Stilicha.

(In year 72) Bears her first son, Titus Aetius Stilicho.
 

Renna | MOUNTAIN STANDARD | DISCORD OR PM

"I hope the same for you." She relaxed, seeming comforted, and moved to curl up in the circle of his arm. "And I don't blame you for missing the others. Good people are so precious it makes sense to miss them when they leave us. I won't blame you if you don't blame me." 

Seia was quiet, thinking, then her eyes fell on the ring on her finger and she flashed into a smile, cheered up just by the sight of it. She lifted her hand for him to see, showing it off. "Look, someone wonderful gave me this today! I've never felt so fortunate." The widow kissed him, but couldn't resist giving him a teasing whisper as her spirits recovered. "But once I move in, I'm doing something about this boring room."

This time she laughed, again with a good-natured roll of her eyes, but she smiled and answered the question seriously. “I like good, kind men,” Seia told him, “With handsome faces and easy smiles, who make me laugh, who are generous and honest. Physical prowess is not a requirement... but it is something I greatly enjoy. It helps things last longer. And it makes me
feel sheltered. Safe.”

She would not speak ill of Titus, not here, not ever. He had been strong for his age, surprisingly so, but her desire for him had never been solely for his body. It would not be that way with Alaric either, but ... in that sense there was more.

Seia had been trailing a hand lightly over Alaric’s arm as she spoke, getting a feel for the muscles below the skin, but a sudden flash of guilt made her pause. Was she being unjust to Titus, to have found another so soon, and to be so completely happy? She missed him, of course, wedding again would not change that, but would he be ...insulted? If he knew?

No. Surely not.

Her hand began moving again, more slowly this time, a tender caress from wrist to shoulder and back again, and then up his arm once more to dip below his tunic, massaging his chest. If Titus was aware of any of this, he would want protection for his daughter, and comfort for the wife who still wept herself to sleep every now and then out of sheer loneliness and weariness and grief. He would not grudge her this.

And what of Alaric? Was it wrong to have thoughts of someone else, when she was with him?

“...I love you, Alaricus.” This was not spoken with any hint of jesting, but with a quiet solemnity that only traveled as far as his ears. Not even the walls could hear these whispers. “I would give you anything.”

Seia hesitated, her hand stilling again, then asked the question rather than letting it fester. He had lost wives many times over, even a child, and thinking of that made her heart ache for him as well as be more willing to ask. "Alric? Is it....is it all right, to still miss Titus, and to think of him, even when I'm happy with you?"

Her face took on a worried look, one she could not quite help. "I thought it might be, but I felt a little ...strange, just now, like maybe I was betraying him or you, or both at the same time, and I just...I could never."

Alaric's fiance rolled her eyes at him from the pillow. Men and their constant need to tease! "It isn't too early," Seia informed him, "For me to banish you to sleep on a couch. If we're committed enough to have sex, we're committed enough for me to command you." It was fine, though, two could play at this game. "I'll choose to believe that you weren't daring to suggest that your new wife was fat, Alaric, only that you need to spend another hour or two every day refining your arm strength."

Her voice was sweet as honey, sly. "I think it was very brave to admit to me that you are actually a weakling."

Seia flashed a grin at him, wickedness touching the expression. This was, of course, not true; she loved the strength in his arms, his solidness. But he'd started on this road and Seia firmly believed in giving as good as she got.

“Wait.” This was sighed against him, her hands slipping into his hair. Seia backed him out the door, still lost in his kisses, then whispered in his ear. “My husband should carry me over the threshold, even if right now the marriage is only between us. It’s good fortune.”

"You grumbled!" Seia fairly shrieked it, laughing. She'd completely forgotten their wager in the more important happening of his proposal, but that didn't mean she couldn't tease him about it. Her smile radiated at him, though, and when she felt him coming close again her body stilled, yielding to the kiss, and then returning it, just as fiercely. When they finally parted her breath was ragged, but her smile was still on her mouth. If anything, it was brighter than ever, and she turned her face to whisper to him. "Your bed," she commanded in his ear. "Now."

She hadn't meant to do this, just in case he changed his mind and left her in disgrace, but the way he was looking at her, how happy he was - he wouldn't change his mind. They were both aroused, and in her opinion, they'd also waited long enough. Seia could remember that one kiss, so long ago, how she'd needed to extract herself from his lap and give him time to recover. It was a mark in his favor that he'd restrained himself, and she knew that if he refused him now, he would do it again...but if she was being honest, she'd much rather repay him a hundred times over. "You said that if I lost the wager, I had to accept a gift. I have the ring..." She flashed it for him, along with a dimpled smile, "But I can think of something else I'm ready to receive."

It had been so long. So very long, and Seia could think of no one else she would rather share such pleasures with, and he would be her husband. She could call him that, if she wanted - if it would please him - and the thought delighted her. All these dreams made real.

"That's the goal," Seia laughed, lifting her fingers again to press over his brow, caressing it fondly. She actually giggled when Alaric pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her nose, her eyes disappearing as they crinkled with her smile. "Seriously, my nose? That's what you wanted to kiss?"

She laughed again, delighted, then moved her hands from his forehead to lock around his neck, smiling up into his face. "Well, it's yours to kiss, as often as you like. All of me is yours."

"You have no idea," she breathed to him, removing herself from the kiss just far enough to give herself room to whisper. "How long I have wanted this. Since that first kiss..." So long ago now, it seemed, how could have time have moved this far? "I've dreamed of it. Not just making love..." A smile, then, and then Seia gave him another quick, soft kiss. "Being able to hold you, and tell you that it will be all right, and ...and this..."

Seia lifted her thumb to very gently press at the furrow between his brows, smoothing it out, and slipping her hands back into his hair. "You always look so worried, just there. I have been aching to soothe it for you. And I can, now, as much as I want." This made her laugh, and she stood on her toes to kiss his forehead.

Seia beamed, thanking all the well-wishers with her smile and soft words, but after several minutes of this she gently shooed the attendants away. "Here, thank you, don't mind us now. We have much to talk about."

She watched them scatter, then turned back to Alaric and just tugged his hand to pull him into his gardens - outside, where she always loved to be. Seia didn't say a word, but stopped when she found a pretty spot and twisted to put her arms around his neck so she could kiss him, hard, her fingers twisting into the coppery hair she'd longed to touch for so long.