Echo

Aglaea smiled at that. "That's a very good point. I do my best to be kind, but I fear the city has made it hard to be kind. Though, that's no reason to stop trying." She shifted her bag on her shoulder. "Actually, I've been with my current mistress for fourteen years, but we don't always stay in the city. I'm just out of sorts today - I don't know what I was thinking, not securing my coin purse better." This young man was an unusual character, to be sure, but his attitude about kindness was refreshing in a city full of the selfish. She half-wondered if he was a convert, too - but then reasoned that she would have seen him around the temple. The young man then asked if she spoke Greek in the selfsame language. "I do, as well as Aramaic and Hebrew." She spoke these words in Greek, but then switched to Latin again: "I'm from Judea, but my first mistress ensured I had a well-rounded education. It made me more valuable, you see." She gave a wry smile. "Would you like to sit a while? I wouldn't mind the company, since I have nowhere else to be." @Sharpie

Aglaea watched as the woman stood. She seemed alright now, maybe a little bruised, but none worse for the ware. She smiled as the woman inclined her head, and returned in kind. “Thank you for the conversation. I apologize for keeping you so long.” She paused before adding, “Blessings upon you.” Then, she stood herself and went on her way. @Sara Sure Thanks for a great thread!

"God is the Father. He created the heavens and the earth and he blesses those who abide by his teachings and ask forgiveness for their sins." Aglaea thought that summed it up quite nicely. She understood it was difficult to understand, though, from the other woman's perspective. This was clearly her first exposure to the Hebrew religion, and Aglaea had been raised in the religion and stuck to it throughout the years on her own. Of course, there was more than what she was telling her - about the Son, who had been sent by the Lord to die for the sins of the world. Aglaea listened to the other woman as she elaborated, chuckling slightly. She had noticed a chasm between how she expressed her religion and how the Romans did. Aglaea prayed every night and morning, and throughout the day, she used the teachings of both Judaism and Jesus to determine the right course of action. Which was why she was sitting with this woman until she felt better. "You have a sharp wit and a keen eye." @Sara

Aglaea chuckled. "That's true. She probably wouldn't notice if I did." She didn't like the idea of lying, but she also feared her punishment if she revealed that she had been careless; and it probably wouldn't be coming from Livia, either. Secundus was in a sour mood at the best of times, and if his money was squandered, Aglaea trembled to think what would happen. "That's a good question. I hope she would be less angry for me covering up a lie." And she might be, seeing as it might protect her and her slave from her husband's wrath. "Thank you for your concern, by the way. It's not everyday that someone shows such kindness in Rome." @Sharpie

Annis wasn't really familiar yet with all the geography of the empire; after all, she had really only been to Britannia and Rome. But she nodded as though she understood where that was. Saba continued to speak, explaining that she was a house slave before this, and then guessed that Annis was from Britannia. "Yes, Britannia. How did a house slave come here?" She laughed as Saba dunked her head in the water. This was a curious woman indeed. @Chevi

Aglaea chuckled at the woman’s confusion, though not in a mean tone. “Yes, you’ve got it. We also call him Adonai and Jehovah - but don’t be mistaken, these are all names for the same God.” She was beginning to enjoy the conversation- she rarely talked about her religion with anyone other than other Jews and converts, and the chance to educate someone was like a gift, despite her abrasive attitude. “We believe all other gods are false.” The woman commented that the Dacian priests were far more revered than those of the Romans, and Aglaea had to agree. “The Romans do have a curious relationship with their gods, do they not?” @Sara

Aglaea looked curiously at the woman as she seemed shocked at her belief in one God. But then, she reasoned, not everybody knew the tenets of Judaism, let alone Christianity. She feared for a moment that she had outed herself as a Christian by stating that God had a plan for her, but that was in the Torah, not in the newer sermons of Jesus. "I'm Hebrew. We believe that there is one God - Yahweh." She gazed at the woman for a moment. "Do your people worship multiple gods, then? Like the Romans?" @Sara

Astraea was clearly unhappy about it, but she seemed to think that with her presence, nothing too unseemly could happen. Caecina feared her too much for that. "Very well. But if anything untoward happens, be sure that the first person to hear of it will be Juliana." Caecina smiled charmingly at the slave. "Nothing will happen, I'm sure. Thank you, Astraea. Alright, let's go in!" She looked back at Marcus and waited for him to lead the way. Once they were inside, Caecina gazed around, getting a bearing of her surroundings. There were several senatorial types here, and upper-class plebs with enough money to spend on a drink here rather than the lower half of the poppina. Caecina followed Marcus's eyes to the barmaid and felt a jolt of jealousy - she was pretty. But then, she reasoned, Marcus couldn't have too much to do with her. And besides, Caecina and Marcus weren't in a relationship, so he could do whatever he wanted. They were seated at a table and Caecina looked at the young man. "So, this is what it's like! Thank you for bringing me. I'm excited!" @Atrice

Aglaea chuckled slightly at the other woman's reaction. "It doesn't make much sense, does it? Not at first glance, anyway. And it's ironic that my parents, Hebrews, sold me into slavery after all the trouble Moses went to to take our people out of slavery in Aegyptus." She shrugged. "But I would not have led a good life life back in Judea. I have been very blessed with good mistresses who treat me well. I might have died, had I stayed back in my homeland. I believe God has a plan for me." Jeremiah 29:11, she reminded herself: For I know the plans I have for you." @Sara

Aglaea nodded simply as she said to be sorry for those who had been poisoned. She made a mental note to pray for their souls tonight. Aglaea had been lucky enough not to witness anything quite that bad. She had lived a life of relative wealth, due to her position at the side of a wealthy senatorial lady. But she was still a slave, and had no freedom to make her own choices. She supposed she never really did; up until the age of seven, she was under the control of her parents, and after that she was handed off to a new mistress. The only decision she had ever made was to convert to Christianity. She smiled softly despite these thoughts, though. "I suppose you have a point. My parents were foolish to have more children than they could care for. But in a way I am thankful for their decision." @Sara

Aglaea inclined her head. "I don't know you, so I have no reason to poison you." Not that she would ever poison anyone, anyway. She handed the water skin back. "Maybe put some on your foot, it could help soothe it." The woman listened to Zia's story, frowning as she absorbed the words. She wasn't really surprised. The Romans could be remarkably cruel to those they wanted to conquer, but to offer poisoned wine? It was almost too hard to believe. "I'm sorry you had to witness something so terrible," she murmured softly, grounded by the cruelty of the story. Then, the other slave asked whether Aglaea had been snatched during the war. It wasn't a topic she brought up often, how she had come to be in slavery, but she supposed she had nothing to lose from telling her. "No. My parents were very poor and had too many children to keep up." She paused, her throat momentarily blocked with emotion. "They sold my sister and me into slavery when we were young." @Sara

Aglaea nodded. "Yes, I will, thank you. I usually do... I guess I wasn't thinking straight." She chuckled at her own foolishness. He introduced himself as Rufus and she smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you, Rufus." He went on to ask whether she would be in trouble for losing the money and she shrugged. "I hope not... it really wasn't much, and my domina is kind..." But would she forgive the foolishness of losing even a little bit of money? Aglaea hoped so. It was just something that happened in Rome sometimes. And Aglaea would happily pay it back somehow. @Sharpie

Aglaea frowned at the woman as she threw the skin back, asking suspiciously what was in it. "Water. What, did you think I poisoned you?" She opened it up again and took a drink herself. "See? Perfectly safe. And it was the least I could do, stepping on your foot like I did." She looked at the woman for a moment, curious about why she was so distrustful. She must have had some hardships in her life, to think that some random person on the street was setting her up or something. "No, it's not a trap. It's a water skin." @Sara

Caecina most certainly hadn't forgotten their day by the stream. It weighed on her mind constantly, most particularly because Marcus had made her promise not to tell anyone, so she couldn't talk to anyone about it! But she understood the need for discretion. After all, they were practically siblings. But Caecina had a hard time knowing what to think of Marcus as now. She was almost certain of it now - she had feelings for him as well. But like Marcus, for Caecina, the day had faded into the background due to the secretive nature of their kiss, and their routine became ordinary again. Until they returned to the city! Caecina felt alive as they entered the city, felt her blood rush at the sight of the crowds and all the interesting things to see as they made their way to the domus. One day, Marcus asked her to accompany him to the market and she agreed, glad for a reason to get out of the house. She had put on a lovely light pink chiton which she had spun herself, as well as a white palla with an embroidered edge. Then, the pair loaded into the litters and were on their way. But this wasn't the marketplace! She looked around as she stepped out of the litter - helped by Marcus! - and grinned at him when he reminded her of his promise to take her to the poppina. "You didn't! Juliana will kill us if she finds out!" Astraea loomed behind her like a shadow. "She'll be second in line, domina. This is not a place for ladies of your standing." Caecina waved her hand flippantly. "I trust you'll keep your mouth shut, Astraea." Who cared about consequences! This was going to be a true adventure! @Atrice

Aglaea shrugged slightly. "Not much, thankfully. Only a few coins." She looked in her satchel at her purchases to make sure it was all still there. "Yes, I had finished shopping." She looked back up at him and smiled. "Thank you for your concern, though. My name is Aglaea." @Sharpie

Aglaea had noticed the young man sitting across the way and looked up as he approached, asking if she was alright. She gave a tense smile. "Well, it would seem I have lost possession of my coin purse. I think it might have been stolen." She looked around again, futilely it would seem. Then she sighed, trying to smile once more. "I think I probably won't find it again." @Sharpie

Mid-May, 75CE What a perfect place for people-watching! After her afternoon spent in the temple, Aglaea had walked through the city to the Forum with a small meal she had picked up on the way and settled on a curb to watch the people go by. There were plenty of senators, obviously, but all kinds of other people, too. Slaves, merchants, equites, plebeians. Aglaea enjoyed her time observing the people of the empire. It reminded her of her home in Judea, especially the crush of the crowd and the variety of people. After her meal, Aglaea turned to head home when she noticed her bag of coins was missing! She looked all around where she had been sitting, but it appeared it was well and truly lost. "Oh, no..." Livia would be furious. @Sharpie

Caecina was amazed how good it felt to kiss him, too. He was a good kisser, and a jealous part of her said that it was because he had plenty of experience. But, to be fair, she had a fair bit of practice as well, so she couldn't be completely jealous. Just as an awkward silence was descending on the pair, a guard appeared and told them it was time to go. Caecina was partly glad that he had saved them from having to make conversation after their kiss, but also annoyed that he had interrupted. Because part of Caecina - a very large, vocal part - wanted him to kiss her again. As she was wrapping her palla around herself, Marcus walked past her and whispered in her ear not to talk about what had happened. She smiled innocently. "I'll be the picture of discretion. You can trust me." And she was genuine. She wanted to remember the moment and keep it hidden like a gift. She mounted her horse with some help from the guard and turned to Marcus with a grin. "I'll race you back to the villa!" And, like nothing had happened, she was off. @Atrice

Aglaea noticed the pain in the woman's face and remembered the skin of water she was carrying to stay hydrated. "Here, I have some cool water." She offered the skin to the other woman. The cool water would help soothe the injured foot. The woman explained in no long words that she was Dacian and then asked where she was from. "I am from Judea, originally. But I haven't been there in years." @Sara

Caecina closed her eyes as Marcus leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. Almost unconsciously, she moved her hand to rest on top of his for the duration of the kiss. The moment seemed to stretch on, and the girl didn't want it to stop. But then the moment ended as Marcus pulled away and Caecina moved her hand away, blushing softly. "That... felt very nice." Caecina smiled. "Yes, it was." She couldn't think of anything more to say, until he spoke and suggested it was her turn in the game. She laughed, and was about to respond, until she heard a rustling in the underbrush. One of the guards broke through the trees into their little clearing and dipped his head. "It's getting on in the day. We should return to the villa." Caecina was almost thankful for the excuse not to have to fill the moment with silence. She didn't even know what to say - Marcus had feelings for her! She stood and brushed herself off. "It's just as well, I was about to be hungry for lunch." She turned to Marcus with a secretive smile. "Thank you. For a wonderful time." Then, she gathered her palla off the ground, shook it off, and put it back on. @Atrice

Caecina inhaled sharply when he suggested that she was his crush. She had never even considered that he might think of her in that way! Besides the occasional glance from him that she caught, she thought he only considered her a friend. But she couldn't deny that her heart was beating quickly. She was nervous. He asked if it was alright and she gazed at him for a moment, before her surprised face resolved into a small smile. "I think that would be alright," she said, her voice low and slightly shaky. How could he suddenly make her so nervous? She leaned slightly closer to him, showing him that it was alright but allowing him to make the move. @Atrice

Aglaea didn't respond to her first statement. She highly doubted that she was that highly valued to be worth suing over. Aglaea doubted that Livia would bother suing if she got a bruise. It was just something that happened in the city. The woman continued to talk and said that she would have to pay for her to get back to her domus. She wondered what the right thing to do. She had very little money to start with, but would her savior say to forsake her personal belongings on behalf of someone less fortunate than her? She probably had enough for a small litter. "I have already apologized for my actions. I will not grovel," she said simply and not unkindly. "I am sure that your foot will be alright if you simply rest a moment. I can stay with you until you are alright to walk." Aglaea didn't sit next to the other woman, but made no move to leave, even though she could easily get away from her if she wanted to. "Where are you from?" @Sara

Annis never felt more alive than when she was fighting, and the high continued long after the fighting was over. It was almost like she entered into a trance, where she barely remembered the details afterwards and only focused on defending and attacking. It was a similar feeling to when she put on woad paint - it gave her a sense of confidence. But the fighting was ending, signaled by her opponent holding up her hands. Annis dipped her head. "Yes." She put down the sword reluctantly and took a step toward the water bucket. "You are a good fighter, even if you are new. Where are you from?" @Chevi

Caecina shrugged when he asked how she could not be sure. "I just haven't thought about it much," she said nonchalantly. And that was the truth. Marcus chose dare again. Here was her chance to do something really interesting. She gazed at him with a calculating look, wondering whether he would accept the dare. "I dare you to kiss your crush. If you have one." She paused a moment. "Obviously, that doesn't have to happen now, as we are the only two people here. But next time you see her." @Atrice

Caecina pursed her bottom lip in a fake pout when he rationalized that she had asked for truth. "Well, then, perhaps I will choose a dare next time and you can give me a really interesting one." He was quiet as he thought of a question, then he asked if she had a crush on someone. That was quite a complicated question. She had several suitors that courted her occasionally, taking her for walks, visiting her at the villa or the domus in the city. But she could be cold-hearted, and really wasn't interested in any of them sincerely. She just liked the attention. Of course, there were the imperial princes - she had always found both of them interesting, particularly Tiberius. But she wouldn't go so far as to say that she had a crush on him; it would just be a mutually advantageous marriage, should it happen. And then she arrived at the obvious person: Marcus. She sized him up unconsciously as she thought. They had grown up together, been childhood companions and gotten in (and out) of plenty of trouble over the years. She had never really considered him as someone to have a crush on - until recently. Very recently. He had grown up, he was almost a man in every sense of the word! And she would be lying if she said she didn't think he was handsome. Those baby blue eyes, the dirty blonde hair... and he was taller than she was, which was always a weakness for her. She realized that she was blushing and she pretended to cough, covering her mouth to give the color a chance to escape her cheeks. Did she have feelings for him? She was suddenly very confused about it all. But she managed to keep her playful energy up. "Maybe. I'm not quite sure yet." @Atrice