Echo

Hi, everyone. I hope y’all are well and that you’re having the most fun here on AeRo. Unfortunately, this post is a long time coming and I’m sorry for not writing it sooner - it was wrong of me to disappear with little to no explanation. As you might remember, I am going to graduate school! I have been working hard this summer to save up money to pay for it, so that and other circumstances in my life have made my muse for AeRo dry up completely. I still love y’all and my characters and plots here on the site but it’s unfair of me to string y’all along and make you wait for me. So, for now at least, this is goodbye. I am unsure when, if ever, I will be returning to AeRo but I’ll stick around in Discord and I’m always available over PM. There are some characters i don’t want to cut off without figuring out where they’re going after I’m gone, so if you want to figure that out with me, please feel free to reach out. I love you all and thanks for all the fun :) ~Echo

Hi, all. I have been a little more active the past couple of days, but that is going to change in the next couple of weeks, so I wanted to post this absence to let y'all know. I am graduating from college! It's a scary time but exciting as I try to figure out what I'm doing with my life/where I'm going next. The school year is also wrapping up and I am finishing my senior thesis which is a culmination of two years of work, so my focus will largely be on that for some time. I also just found out that my beautiful tabby Hattie is very sick and we will probably have to put her down this week. I am trying to deal with those emotions so it's killing my muse. I hope you all understand. I plan to be back after graduation stuff has calmed down and continue rping with y'all this summer :)

There was a certain quality about fighting that Annis enjoyed as well - obviously, it made the blood rush through her ears and her heart beat faster than running or swimming. But it was also the principle of the matter, the fact that she was trying to do what so many Britons wanted to be able to do. She was proud of herself for standing up for her countrymen, trying to stem the flow of Roman oppression. Her own tribal lands had not been captured yet, though her family had been broken up by the battle led by Eppitacos. She liked to think her efforts had helped that. "Thank you," she conceded, "for letting me come." Nothing more. If she was offered food, she wouldn't eat as quickly as she wanted to. She couldn't show weakness, even to her own fellow Britons. "How long have you been with this group?" Could they be trusted? She decided she wouldn't sleep tonight, not until she got a good gauge on the people she was sleeping near. She chuckled a little at his innuendo. She was a little new to the world of love, but not unexperienced. As they walked, and as the sounds of the Romans faded, she found herself relaxing a little more. @Knight

Annis had heard of the cells of Briton fighters who were rebelling against the Romans in a more organized fashion than she was. The analytical part of her mind saw the wisdom in having a group around you; not only were you safer that way, you also had the opportunity to do more damage to the Roman oppressors. But the prideful part of her didn't want to admit when she needed help. "You do seem like a good warrior," she said with a grudging smile. Her expression turned to surprise, and a little pleasure with the compliment, but she didn't comment on it. "I guess I'll tag along." Make it seem like she was doing him a favor. She followed along easily, having stopped back by the log to grab her pack. "If I were a wife, perhaps," she laughed. "You're doing some good for our land, at least. I'm... trying. To do the same, I mean. I left my tribe a while back. I've been making my own way in the world." @Knight

Annis watched as the man lit up again, grinning despite herself. He had a sort of charm about him, she had to admit. Something contagious about his smile. Taking out a dirty rag from her pocket, she swiped it over the sword a few times. “Well, if you’d stopped and asked, I would’ve given it to you,” she said with a playfully mocking tone. “Do you always run headlong into battle? My father would’ve made mincemeat out of you.” At the mention of her father, someone she hadn’t talked about since he had died, she sobered up and clenched her jaw, turning away. Recovering her composure after a moment, though, she turned back as he spoke. It did sound tempting, and if he had as many warriors as it seemed he did, it might be good to stick around them. She got lonely during her long sojourns in the forest and there was safety in numbers. “Does your group fight like that often? By blowing things up, I mean.” He then introduced himself and after a moments hesitation, she smiled. “Annis.” @Knight

Annis had no plans to die today. She still had so much left to do, still had revenge to enact on the Romans for taking her father and scattering her village’s warriors before she was old enough to help. If this man wanted to die, that was fine - it would be his choice. But Annis didn’t plan on it. Shifting so that she could get to her pack, she was distracted by his words and met his eyes. They were startlingly clear, blue like the summer sky. She was taken aback by their intensity, so before she could say anything, the idiot was over the log and heading toward the Romans. “Wait,” she hissed in vain. “Idiot.” Barely daring to breathe, she looked over the log again and watched him. He almost seemed capable of taking all three on his own - but not quite. He lost his weapon after stabbing the second soldier and the third leveled a pila at him. Without thinking, she drew her sword, which had been resting in its sheath attached to her pack. Moving quicker than she knew she was capable of, she ducked under Owyn’s arm and the pila and drove her sword into the Roman’s chest before he could react. With an effort, she wrenched it out and, for good measure, swiped the sword across the man’s throat, bringing silence back to the forest with a final thump of his lifeless body on the floor. Annis was silent a moment, then she gave a genuine laugh. “You,” she said through chuckles, “are an idiot. What were you thinking? I had two of these, I was going to give you one.” @Knight

Annis did enjoy getting her revenge on the Romans, really she did. But she wasn’t as much of a firebrand as this bloke - more methodical, careful, she considered herself. She knew blowing up a Roman outpost was foolish and risky, unless you had the numbers to offset the risk. Maybe she ought to go with this man, at least for a while - any Roman who saw her would associate her with the screaming hordes who had blown up the town, even if she wasn’t involved. She hadn’t seen how many Romans there were, so the best first step was to hide. She crouched behind her bush, perfectly concealed, but the big man next to her would surely be spotted. He told her to follow him and again took her hand - what was with that?- but she followed despite her renewed annoyance and lay next to him, not disgusted by the mud because of her extended stay in the forest. In the quiet of the moment, she felt his large, muscular body pressed against hers and her heart fluttered. But she reminded herself to stay focused - they were in real danger. As the voices passed, she ventured a peek over the log before ducking down again, silent. “There are only three. Are you fit to fight? We can take them.” @Knight

Annis pulled out her water skin again and took a sip, about to grudgingly hold it out to him before he grasped her hands again and raised them, obviously still keen on celebrating. Annis was in a less jovial mood and she jerked her hands out, a little less than excited about the developments of the day. "Well done," she said, clipping her urge to respond with her real feelings. She held out the water skin, keeping her ears open for movements in the trees. Who knew whether the Romans would come this far to pursue the culprits? "You might as well have kicked an anthill. The Romans aren't going to take this lying down." She fixed him with a look at him calling her a stick. "I don't even know you," she said suspiciously. "And I work alone." But at the mention of food, her demeanor changed slightly. But before she could respond, the wind changed and carried the sound of Roman voices toward them. "Get down," she hissed, ducking to hide behind a bush. "Great. Just great." She was going to be blamed for this if they were caught. She was just an innocent bystander! @Knight

In one moment, all had been silent. In the next, all hell had broken loose and Annis was nearly knocked over by a large man, clearly a warrior of some kind based on the paint on his face and the gleam in his eye. Chaos reigned and confusion clouded her mind, and the only word that cut through was "run!" So, she did, surprised by the hand gripping hers but willing to ignore it so that she could escape the danger. As she realized the direction they were running, back into the thick trees, she felt a flash of annoyance. She had just come from there this morning! Why had she stopped in this village? "Come on, there's a clearing this way," she said, pointing a little further west. It was away from the road and surrounded by thickets of undergrowth. It would be a safe place to stop for a rest, and as hungry as she was, she couldn't run for very long. Soon enough, they came upon the clearing she had suggested and she bent over, panting to catch her breath. At length, she whirled on the man, suddenly realizing his state of undress with a bit of embarrassment. But her anger outweighed her embarrassment. "What the hell was that? Who are you?" @Knight

68 AD It had been a hard few weeks for Annis. It wasn't often, but now was one of those times she regretted leaving her family and forging her own path. What was left of her family, anyway. She felt occasionally angry at herself for being so selfish, leaving her poor brother to run the village almost by himself. But she reasoned that she wouldn't be of any use to anyone anyway - sixteen years old, no head for politics or running a village. Wulfrun was better off without her. Fedelmid, perhaps not so much, but mothers had to let their babies go sometimes. Annis's luck had been running dry the past few weeks, though. She had taken on a pair of Roman legionnaires by herself and gotten herself injured, though she'd managed to dispatch them. Then, she'd had to hightail it out of the town she'd done it in, knowing that someone would eventually match her to the crime. With little food or water, she'd been foraging for herself and tending to her own wounds. She almost didn't mind the silence of the forest, but she knew she couldn't stay out here forever. Her wound almost healed, she decided to make her way to the next town she knew of and hopefully find an odd job for some coin. Stepping into town, she felt almost directionless. There was a strong outcropping of Romans here, too many for her to bother with. Sometimes, you had to sleep in the same bed as the enemy to make it through, even if she hated every second of it. She walked from building to building, inquiring for jobs that needed doing, but it seemed no one was willing to take on the skinny blonde girl, or had anything for her to do. Defeated, she slumped against the wall outside of a tavern and took a draught from her water skin. She would find something eventually, she always did. @Knight

Aglaea listened to his words, grateful for the distraction. In an abstract part of her brain, it was easy to imagine living among a different people like the Chatti; she imagined herself finding transport from the city all the way to Germania, finding a place in Wulfric's village where she could be helpful and simple and unseen -- life would be much easier, she thought. But the path was impossible. "Your world sounds appealing," she said with an ironic smile. "I hope to see it one day." She shrugged at the thought of buying her freedom. "I can save up enough money from my wages to buy myself, but if my master refuses to be my patron, there is no place for me in Roman society. And..." She hesitated, feeling suddenly sick at the thought of leaving Livia. How could she, after all these years? He asked her if she would come home with him if she were free and she sighed. "I don't think I could bring myself to leave her, even if I was free. She needs me and I need her. Sometimes." Lately, Aglaea had seemed more alone than she had ever been, with Livia a stone wall to talk to. @Atrice

<3 Can't wait to play with you!

Unlike Livia, Aglaea had given her fears of miscarriage or stillbirth to her God. She knew that her faith would be rewarded, that she would have a healthy baby when the time came. But she wondered still if that was what she wanted, if it was what was best for the baby after all. The fears that she would not be able to slip away before or after the baby was born to get it away still kept her up at night, helped along with the discomfort of a growing body. Aglaea heard the icy tone her mistress took on and grimaced, clasping the necklace around Livia's neck quicker than she normally would. Taking a step back, she watched Livia, wanting to find something to say but coming up short. What was there? It was almost as if they had just met for the first time and had not grown close. There seemed to be an unbridgeable gap between them and neither wanted to take the leap: Livia, the slave thought, out of selfish pride, and Aglaea herself out of fear. "Yes, domina," she said quietly, fetching an ornate silver mirror from a side table and depositing it into her hands. A moment of silence stretched on until Livia broke it. "Enough people to conceal you, I am sure. I will let Ursa know how to behave ahead of time. You are right, she does need to learn." She bit her lip, then sighed heavily. "Livia... what has happened to us? I miss you. I miss... the way things were. Before." Tears welled up in her eyes again. @Liv

Aglaea nodded as he asked her to tell him about Roman society, but before she could launch into her lesson, he offered to tell her about the Chatti, his people. She had wondered what sort of society would create a man like Wulfric, and she had decided that it must be a good one. "I'm not sure... do your people have a government like Rome does? What are your homes like? What sort of food do you eat?" She could hardly conceive of a world like Germania but found herself intensely curious, even if a small part of her knew it would just make her want to escape. Wulfric fixed her with his light blue gaze and she blinked as she returned the look. She could still see the hint of his father in him, but she knew if she were stuck under Tertius's gaze she would be frightened, not intrigued. "Perhaps..." She had had a thought but didn't want to finish it for fear of making him angry. She thought perhaps he shouldn't meet the Varus family. She feared their influence might corrupt him, taint him, and she didn't know whether she could take that pain. He was too good to be marred by the family of the man who had sired him. "I wish I could, too. Sometimes, I stash away my wages to save up, but ultimately... I don't think my mistress would let me go. Secundus either, for that matter." It was a sobering thought, and she knew it wasn't realistic to think about leaving Rome with Wulfric. @Atrice

Welcome! So glad to have you :)

Deianira had been taken out of the Elysium for the night a few times - either she was rented by a wealthy senator to be entertainment for a sordid party or a man preferred to take her in some other location. It was understandable; some of the building that housed the whores was still collapsed, and though the rubble had been cleared away, it had only been covered up with large tarpaulins, which did not excite some men. She began to lead the way, feeling apprehension fluttering in her chest. She wasn't sure what to think; Lucius seemed a strong, capable man, but Marcus had so many knives and was so quick with them... She pulled herself out of her thoughts to focus on him; it was easier. "A place like that?" She sounded a little confused. Where else would she be? "Well, I was born in Greece. At a... place like that. It's all I've ever really known. I was born into it." She glanced at him. "You are a fighter?" @Atrice

Aglaea stopped as she was instructed and stood still, her eyes following Livia's movements carefully. She had been under the impression that Livia had told Horatia that she was with child, hence the sudden move out to the countryside, for fresh air. But then she remembered, part of the plan was that Horatia shouldn't know, due to the need for her not to ask questions. "Forgive me, domina. I have had trouble remembering things of late. I will do my best to be better." She stared at Livia fully now, as she called the baby "it" as though he or she was some inconvenient object. "It?" she whispered, suddenly choked up. She had spent so long thinking about their situation that she hadn't factored in Livia's reaction much. She was being awfully casual about someone else's baby. Perhaps she had begun to believe the lie that Secundus planned to feed the world, that the child was his legitimate son or daughter. And though she often thought of the child as an "it," hearing the world aloud had triggered a reaction unexpectedly. Grateful for an excuse to turn her back, she went to the engraved wooden bureau and fished through the jewelry box sitting on top of it, finally producing a pearl necklace and a pair of matching earrings. "And am I to be there? I cannot hide... myself... as easily with my tunica." @Liv

Secretly, Aglaea did wish that he would take her in his arms again. It had been a tender, loving gesture, given out so freely and without thinking - for a person who lived in a house where affection only came with expectations, it had taken her by surprise but left her wanting more. But why should she expect such things from Wulfric? He was nearly a stranger, though now a friend. She shouldn't expect it from him. "I see," she said, thinking of how to support him in that. "I suppose I ought to tell you all I know about him, and about Roman society. It may help you, for you to follow the conventions." And Rome had so many, though there was no special convention she knew of for an unknown son meeting his father for the first time. "And perhaps you can tell me about your people, too? I enjoy hearing about different cultures." She stared at him openly, a faint smile playing at her lips as he said that she could trust him. Somehow, she believed him, though it was so hard to know who to trust. "Thank you," she said simply, feeling touched. She took his hand and squeezed it to communicate her thanks more fully. "The Varus family is not worthy of someone as good as you are." @Atrice

Aglaea smiled softly, looking away from him into the distance. "Yes, I think everyone needs comfort sometimes." She felt the need strongly now that she felt all the more vulnerable. Carrying a life inside of her was shoring up new feelings, and Livia's reaction to the pregnancy (which was to all but ignore it, except that it took the burden off of her) was making everything worse. But Aglaea's loyalty to the woman didn't allow her to vocalize such thoughts, any more than she had. Livia was simply confused and sad about the whole ordeal, just as Aglaea was. They would surely come back together soon, right? Wulfric explained that he had not made any progress toward meeting his father since they had first met and she nodded. "When you do feel ready, be sure to be on your guard. He is a very important man. I cannot say how he will react to meeting you. Another son will probably be rather a shock," she laughed. Wulfric really was a good man, she thought, as he assured her he didn't mind her talking. Any other friends she had were unaware of the situation; due to the nature of the plan, the only people who could know about it were Secundus, Livia, and Aglaea, and now Wulfric. "I will welcome you as a friend, Wulfric," she said softly, finally looking into his striking blue eyes. @Atrice

Aglaea inhaled slowly at the sound of her mistress's impatience. She knew that their dynamic had changed dramatically since that day and Aglaea was not willing to further anger her mistress by returning to those casual, sisterly connections. She feared that Livia might view it as impertinence now that Aglaea had gone behind her back. "Of course, domina. How silly of me." Never mind that it was silly to go out in public and risk the entire operation being exposed by the nosy Horatia and her eagle eye. Aglaea would hold her tongue on that topic. Livia was obviously distracted by her attempts to understand how to dress as a pregnant woman, so Aglaea didn't respond, obeying when she was bidden to hold her breath. It was such a fascinating role reversal, this brief moment of being dressed by the Roman matron. The slave shot Livia a bewildered look as she clapped, but quickly smoothed it over as they met eyes. Obediently, she began to walk around the room, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the dress. "Yes, emeralds would be too much," she said, glad for something to focus on. "Perhaps that lovely diamond necklace, or the moonstones. Or pearls. Anything white would be a nice contrast." She glanced at Livia as she passed her, wondering what was going through her mind. "You think this will convince Horatia that you are... with child?" She didn't know where the question had come from, but she tensed slightly as she heard the words leave her mouth. How would Livia react? @Liv

Wulfric was wise, Aglaea could tell. His words were spoken with experience - of course there was no way for her to know whether her life would have been better or worse had she kept her freedom. She knew that she would have been able to see her siblings grow up. Perhaps she would have been married, at an appropriate age - had children, watched them grow. Well, had children that she had planned for, that was. She had a child now, deep within her and no more aware of the danger it was in than a tree could be aware of the axe. Was she being unreasonable? If she were unable to get her child away from Secundus, would its life really be that bad? He wanted this child more than anything, surely he would be kind? Through the haze of tears shading her eyes, Aglaea saw Wulfric's arm move and wrap around her. Despite herself, a startled expression came over her, but she did not draw away. The motion was so tender and innocent that it nearly broke her heart - God must have put Wulfric in her path for a good reason, to provide her with comfort. She listened to his words and laughed a little. Perhaps she should meet Wulfric's people. They sounded kind. Suddenly, Wulfric pulled his arm away and she straightened, gazing into his eyes with a soft smile lingering. "No, I - I didn't mind it. It's not often I am so comforted." The tears that had threatened to fall had gone now and her voice was steadier. "I'm sure you didn't come here to hear me complain, of course. Have you made any strides toward meeting your father?" @Atrice

At just over five months of pregnancy, Aglaea was beginning to feel a great deal of apprehension. Her baby - no, Livia's baby- would be born soon, taken from her arms, and she had no plans to prevent that. She felt nearly hopeless. No sooner than she had begun to grow stout, the family had all packed up and retired to the villa in the countryside, far away from prying eyes or blessed moments of freedom snatched away. Each day was much the same as the one that came before it, and the monotony was grinding on the slave and everyone else. She would awake early as always and prepare herself for the day, only to enter Livia's rooms to awaken her and dress her properly, though who was to see if she were not perfectly attired? She attended Livia all day, until it was time to retire. Sometimes, Aglaea stole away from her bedroom for a precious few moments of aloneness at night, though usually shepherded back to her proper place by a guard. Perhaps the most trying part of the whole ordeal was Livia's attitude. When Aglaea had let her secret burst forth those months ago, she had hoped to gain an ally in hating Secundus and his plan, perhaps even enough to help her prevent the child from growing up in his household. But Livia almost seemed to have accepted it, and in rare moments, Aglaea thought she saw a glimmer of hope in Livia's eyes, that betrayed her burning desire for a child. If only it could be someone else in this position! Today, Aglaea was taking a few moments to sit down on a bench in the hallway near her mistress's room. It was becoming harder and harder to stand for long periods of time and she found herself winded, and with a curious ache in her lower back that might have portended the future pain of childbirth. She heard her mistress's voice echo through the house and, with an effort, lifted herself from the seat and proceeded into the room. The child in her belly was awake and active, fluttering around with those unknown movements of unborn children, but Aglaea stilled her hand before it could reach to rest over her growing bump. She had learned early on that Livia didn't care for motions indicating that Aglaea was different, had another life with her. "Yes, domina?" She said cautiously. Her language had become more formal recently, almost like verbally walking on eggshells to prevent any outbursts. Her mistress explained that her sister had invited them to a dinner and Aglaea's eyebrow raised in silent confusion. "And... you plan on attending?" Am I to go as well? was the thought that flitted through her mind unbeckoned. She knew not to argue, though, and took the garment from the other woman. Laying it carefully on the bed, she undressed with her back to Livia, an unconscious position of modesty. Then, she lifted the garment over her head and let it fall. Livia was taller than she was by an inch or two, but the dress fit well, though green was not the best color for Aglaea. "This color suits you, domina. May I help you select some jewelry to match?" @Liv

Aglaea gave a short laugh at Charis's comment about how men thought. She was right, though; Aglaea had much experience with Roman men, and though most of them had treated her with enough respect, her position afforded little else. She was simply a vessel, either to carry wine or hairbrushes, or, like now, a child for her mistress. And men never thought that women like Aglaea might not be happy with this lot in life. They thought only of their own momentary pleasure or how a slave could be used as a means to an end. Aglaea allowed a moment of relief as her friend confirmed that she wouldn't tell anyone. She had feared that Tertius might come to find out, and then the whole affair would unravel in the path of the less-than-friendly rivalry between the Varus brothers. "Thank you, Charis," she said earnestly. "I appreciate your... discreetness." Charis then had a suggestion - ways to prevent pregnancy. "Oh, yes. My mistress takes a plant called silphium... it is more effective, I think. I've skimmed a little off the top, just enough so that she doesn't notice. I hope it is enough." She glanced over her shoulder to see that they were still alone. "Once your child has come... would you like me to bring you some? If you don't want this to happen again..." @Sara

Tertius had certainly left a trail of children throughout his travels, it seemed. Aglaea wouldn't have been surprised if it had turned out that he had children in every province in which he had served. But maybe Wulfric was the oldest and Aglaea's curious mind wondered how the legality would work, since Wulfric was not a Roman citizen. The man commented on her age when she had become a slave and she smiled, perhaps somewhat bitterly. "Yes, I was young. Though I have to wonder what my life would have been, had I not been sold into slavery. Perhaps better. Perhaps far worse." Aglaea's expression was truly bitter, however, when his next question came. Yes, Livia knew, and the two had barely exchanged more than the most formal of words throughout the days that had passed since she had found out. Aglaea wished desperately to speak candidly with Livia, but they hadn't been alone, not truly, and especially not in a house where the walls had ears. "Yes, she knows... that is what is most difficult, I think. She barely objected when... when she found out." Her mouth twisted as though she was in pain and she rubbed her belly in an unconscious motion, though there would be no flutterings yet. It was too early for that. "I think she is jealous of me... how could she be, though? Knowing I didn't want this?" Her voice broke at the end and she stopped, breathing unsteadily. @Atrice

"Oh, no, do please forgive me," Caecina said with some passion. "I have put my foot in my mouth, as it were." She chuckled a little at herself. "Those all sound like wonderful things to trade. And you would get to see the empire as well - I believe that would be a fine occupation." @Atrice @Sharpie My apologies, folks!