Echo

Aglaea sometimes thanked God that she was born a female - though she had been a slave most of her life, she had never been in any kind of serious danger, especially not the kind that threatened her life. Felix had certainly led a different life than her own. She wondered what might have happened to her had she been born a male. Cynically, she wondered if her parents would have abandoned her if she had been a boy. "Well, I don't envy you the danger," she said with a smile. "But I would like to travel more, if my mistress ever did any traveling." Felix described all the places he had been and she nodded thoughtfully. "You're right about Antioch. I don't miss it." She laughed. "Is it true that the Briton warriors are blue?" @Chevi

Caecina rose gracefully from the couch, adjusting her palla. "I'm sure it will be alright. I'll make sure we have a couple of guards." She brushed her hair off her shoulder as he explained what he would be doing. "Alright, meet me in the stables." With not another word, the girl left the room for her preparations. Ten minutes later, dressed in a less expensive chiton and palla, she strode to the stables to find her horse already tacked and ready to go. She stroked the beast's nose as she waited for Marcus to arrive. @Atrice

ANNIS 23 | 15 July, 52 | Slave | Gladiatrix | Heterosexual | Original | Gaia Weiss Personality. Annis is a clever mind. She isn't one to brag or boast about her skills, but rather to let her skills speak for themselves. In a crowd of people, she is more likely to stand on the fringes and listen and observe, rather than to engage in conversation, but she isn't unapproachable. She has simply learned that letting people talk makes it easier to learn about them. She is ambitious and driven, dedicated to her training as she always has been, and eager to gain patrons and fans through her success in the arena. She is a skilled fighter as well, using her strength as well as her wits to win. With the little freedom she has, Annis can be impulsive in what she does, whether that's taking lovers or drinking excessively on her down-time. She misses her freedom, but she enjoys her work all the same. She is slow to form real attachments to people, not trusting the Romans to take that away from her, but when she does form an attachment to someone, it is for life. She is also loyal to a fault, willing to overlook the character flaws of people she loves. Appearance Annis is a quintessential Briton woman. Standing much taller than most Roman women, and some Roman men, the woman carries herself like a queen, with perfect posture. She has golden blonde hair and blue eyes as well as fair skin. Her usual attire is a tunic with leggings, and when she is in the arena, she paints her face with woad. Annis trains almost constantly, so she is muscular, though not overly so. She fights with a pair of swords. Family Father: Brennus Mother: Fedelmid Siblings: Wulfrun Spouse: None Children: None Extended family: Other: History Annis was born in a Britannia taken over by a foreign entity: Rome. Luckily, Annis's tribe was small and their village remote, so they had been largely overlooked by the Roman invaders. Brennus, Annis's father, was the leader of the tribe, while her mother, Fedelmid, was a warrior. Annis was the younger sibling of her older brother, Wulfrun, who was slated to become the next leader of the tribe. The girl's early childhood was spent happily enough. She learned important survival skills, how to ride a horse, and how to use a weapon. The village didn't have to worry about Roman soldiers too much, but that was soon to change. In 62 AD, Annis's tribe joined Eppitacos in his effort to oust Rome from Britannia. Annis was too young to join the battle, but Wulfrun was old enough, and Brennus led the tribe into battle. Annis was left behind in the village with the elders. For days, the tribe members that had been left behind in the village anxiously waited for news. Finally, word came. Brennus had died, along with many of the warriors. Wulfrun returned, barely eighteen, and became the leader of the tribe. The battle had been mostly successful, but not entirely, and there had been a large loss of life. Wulfrun had been trained well by his father, though, and managed to keep the tribe together, despite his inexperience. Annis continued her training, now spurred along by a goal of revenge against the Romans. She became proficient in many weapons, particularly swords, and when she turned sixteen, she decided to set out on her own and find her closure. She spent a year this way, moving from village to village, looking for ways to test her strength and exact revenge. When she was seventeen, she stopped in a village and found a group of young men and women in similar situations to her own, who wanted vengeance and to revive Eppitacos's efforts to oust the Romans. She spent another year with this group, moving around and fighting where they could. One day, when Annis was eighteen, the group decided to hit a Roman outpost, having grown in size. But the group had greatly underestimated the strength of the legionnaires, who soundly defeated the group with catastrophic effect to their numbers. Annis and a number of the more influential members were captured during their retreat. After being questioned for some time, Annis was sold as a slave to a ludus in Rome and sent on her way. Annis has made a name for herself as a gladiatrix, though it took some time to get her to fight. Now, she fights in order to gain her freedom and return to her brother and tribe in Britannia. Echo | EST | Discord or PM

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Aglaea was on her way back to the domus after running an errand for Livia. She was in her own world, after having to bargain and haggle with the person trying to sell her a piece of jewelry for far more than it was worth. She didn't notice the other woman until she was right in front of her, and she accidentally trod on her foot. "Oh!" She stepped quickly away, covering her mouth with her hands. The woman had made some angry comment, but Aglaea barely noticed. "I am so sorry, I was not looking where I was going. Are you hurt?" @Sara

Even though Livia insisted it wasn't an issue that she had served herself first, Aglaea knew that she had had a lapse in judgment. She had momentarily forgotten her place. But she assured herself that it would not happen again. She would be hyper aware of herself for the rest of the day. Aglaea sat on her knees, in a position ready to jump up when Livia needed something, and took apart her piece of bread, eating one small piece at a time. Livia asked her if she wanted a partner and Aglaea blushed deeply, averting her eyes in embarrassment. Aglaea had certainly been considering her own wishes recently. There came a time when a woman wished for a companion in life. In some twisted way, Aglaea's biggest companion in life was Livia. She couldn't imagine life without Livia by her side - though, really, she was at Livia's side, not the other way around. Eventually, she found her words again. "Yes," she said slowly, "I think I have. I appreciate you thinking of me domina. I wouldn't want to be an imposition - but if it came up in your conversation with Horatia..." She trailed off, blushing again. Then Livia gave her a kind gift: several hours by herself when they visited Horatia. She looked up and smiled. "Thank you, domina. You are very kind." Already, her mind was swimming with the possibilities of what to do with her time. But she would cross that bridge when she came to it. @Liv

Marcus explained that the Poppina was where you went to watch people and be seen, as well as the layout of the building. She briefly considered what Juliana would think of a respectable young woman going to a place like that - even in the upper class portion, but decided she didn't care. She spent most of her life worrying about Juliana's opinion when she rarely considered what she wanted to do. Other than getting married, she wanted adventure. And Marcus was just the person to give her the opportunity. "That sounds like a good time. We just have to be sure Juliana isn't aware of it." And, somehow, she had to get Astraea off her back so she could enjoy herself without the Greek's disapproving stare boring into her back. "Are you feeling any better? I was thinking I might go for a ride in the fields today. Would you like to join me?" @Atrice

Aglaea continued with her thought about their visit to Horatia in her home. "You are sisters, after all. Sisters always have a connection. I'm sure it will be a happy reunion." Aglaea wish she had the luxury of having stayed with her sister, but she, too, had been sold into slavery by their parents. She finished her quick pat dry of herself and saw her mistress trying to dress herself, laughing and shaking her head. "Here, let me help." She realized that she had put her own needs before Livia's and recognized that that went against her job description. But the thought gave her pang. With expert fingers, the slave unclasped her mistress's clothes and fixed it, smoothing out the wrinkles and stepping back to look at her work. "I should have dressed you first, domina. I apologize." Quickly, she turned to pull her tunic over her head before settling onto the picnic blanket to arrange their food. "Of course. And, for a special treat, dulcet piperata." The kitchen had prepared several of the dense honey nut cakes and Aglaea had commandeered one for their picnic. As she arranged the food, she considered Livia's question about people in the temple. She laughed. "No, I wish. I'm afraid there's just not much time to get to know someone like that." She didn't sound petulant, just matter-of-fact. It wasn't every day, let alone every week, that she got to go to temple or even meet new people, but she was used to that after years of slavery. Livia then offered Aglaea some of the food and she smiled. "Thank you, domina." Bowing her head quickly, she said a hasty prayer and then, took a piece of bread. @Liv

Felix said that his master had had enough of wild spaces in their travels together. “I probably would have too. Was it terribly dangerous? Aglaea hadn’t been to too many places in her life; only Judea, Antioch, and Rome, not including the various villas she had been to. Nowhere like Britannia. Felix then asked if Aglaea had grown up in a city and she smiled. “In a way. I was born in Judea, but i’ve been enslaved since I was seven or eight. From Judea I went to Antioch and then I joined Livia’s household.” She paused a moment. “Where else have you been with your dominus?” @Chevi

Aglaea walked beside the taller man, admiring the lush beauty in the gardens once they arrived there. Aglaea often enjoyed walking in her mistress's gardens when she had free time and nothing better to do. It reminded her of God's creations and his love, bringing her peace. Felix asked whether her household had gardens and she smiled. "Oh, yes. My mistress has the most beautiful gardens, both at her home here in the city and the villa." She paused a moment to study a particularly attractive rose bush. "But the villa is beautiful anyway. There is a lovely swimming spot that she likes to go when she can." When Secundus will let her, she thought privately. "Do you ever get a chance to get out of the city? I personally prefer the open spaces in the country rather than the cramped city." @Chevi

Marcus assured her she had time and she shrugged, not completely placated but willing to let the topic go. "If you say so." Caecina looked at him as he suggested her take her to the Poppina Via Lata and she raised her eyebrows. "No, Juliana would most certainly not like that," she said with a laugh. "But you're right, I would enjoy that. I could use a little adventure, that's for sure." Caecina's days were filled with a lot of monotony here in the villa, as much as Marcus and her siblings entertained her. The city was far more exciting and there were many more social events for her to attend. "What is the Poppina like?" @Atrice

Aglaea smiled as she said that they had been invited to visit Horatia. A visit to the city would break the monotony nicely and maybe she could get away long enough to hear a sermon, if the timing was right. "I am glad to hear that. I am sure Horatia will be glad to see you." Aglaea did notice that Livia only mentioned two places when she listed the places she liked, which sent a bolt of sadness through the slave's belly. If only this situation had an easy out. Perhaps Livia could find a good reason to divorce the man, but that would damage her reputation. As Livia left the pool, her slave followed, getting a fluffy towel to dry her off. As Livia mentioned the fact that she had spoken about meeting people twice, Aglaea laughed a little. "Oh, no, it's nothing like that." She finished patting her mistress dry and began drying herself off as well. "I just enjoy speaking to other people. Rome has so many provinces that you can meet all kinds of people and hear their stories." But Aglaea did wish she could find someone. A girl did get lonely not having one particularly person to care about them, though of course Livia did care for her slave in her own way. It just was not the same as the love between a man and a woman. "Are you hungry now, domina? I made sure the kitchen packed some of your favorites." @Liv

Marcus said that teasing was only fun until someone was hurt, but Caecina was not phased. Even if the slaves weren't there, she knew he was harmless to her. They might jab at each other and squabble, but at the end of the day, they were practically siblings. "Oh, I'm shaking," she said when he threatened her, crossing her arms. Caecina briefly wondered what might have happened had she not been there to get Marcus home after the party. She had been a little tipsy, too, but was well within her limits and still had had her wits about her. "Pity for them," Marcus said. Caecina shrugged. "More like pity for me, I swear I'll never get married at this rate." And what else was there in life for a young Roman woman? Marriage was the ultimate goal, and then children. Of course, Caecina felt a twinge of fear in her belly at the thought of bearing a child. But it was quickly gone; it was too fine of a day to be frightened by something that far in the future. "But there were a few pretty girls. Besides you of course." Caecina rolled her eyes but was clearly pleased at the compliment, which were what she lived for. "That's not a bad idea. Perhaps we'll both find a match one of these days, if we work together." She laughed. "But I doubt you have any trouble attracting girls without my help, anyway. I see how the other girls look at you." Caecina could hardly fail to notice the good looks of the young man living in her home, even if they were like siblings. "When's the next party?" @Atrice

Caecina rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay, I'll stop messing with you." She paused with a mischievous smile. "Even though you're fun to rile up." Astraea came back just then, followed by a kitchen slave who placed Marcus's breakfast on a table next to where he was seated. Caecina looked up as he continued talking. "You could barely walk." Caecina knew Marcus well enough to know that he knew she wasn't the pious, perfect princess she presented to her parents. Even Juliana wasn't completely fooled; she was too smart to know. At least with her stepmother, Caecina tried to actually act right, at least for the sake of her younger siblings. It was progress. Marcus then asked her if she had found any potential husbands and she laughed. "Oh, you know me. There are always options. But none have really caught my eye." She held out her cup for the kitchen slave and then drank a sip. "I did have fun, despite myself. You know how I love to stay home and weave, but I managed to entertain myself." Really, she quite enjoyed parties and had been entertaining herself with a sizable group of suitors who came to her like bees to a flower. "And did you find a wife? Before you were too drunk to know what was happening, that is." @Atrice

Caecina might have been older, but, like Marcus, she hardly considered herself a woman yet, even though she was more than qualified to be married now. She was still prone to her bouts of childish immaturity, even though she was good at hiding them. "And I am not convinced the fun is at all worth the morning after. You look terrible." She was enjoying this. Marcus then explained that while his legs did work, he shouldn't have to use them. He even sounded like he was trying to order her around and she scoffed. "I'm not your slave, bonehead." But then she laughed and gestured for Astraea. "Please go to the kitchen and get his royal highness some breakfast." With Astraea gone, the young woman settled back on the couch and studied him. "It's a wonder I even managed to get you back home last night. You were all over the place." @Atrice

Caecina awoke early in the morning, feeling somewhat tired from the little amount of sleep she had gotten that night. But she was not nearly as bad off as Marcus, who had done quite a bit more drinking that Caecina had. When they had arrived at the social event last night, Caecina had seen that she would have to be the adult one of the two, and she had managed to keep Marcus alive as well as get him back to their villa. Now, she rose from her bed and dressed in a clean, white chiton, as well as a pale blue palla, washed her face, and brushed her hair. Feeling much more awake now, she went to the kitchen to eat a light morning meal. Marcus was like a brother to her and Caecina often wavered between wanting to get into mischief with him and wanting to be the mature one. She had been yelled at enough for one lifetime, and Marcus had a habit of getting into trouble and dragging her down with him. Not that she always minded, though. He was a lot of fun. Speaking of fun, she observed Marcus as he went to the peristyle and decided to follow him. "Get me something to eat." Caecina gave a short laugh. "You have two legs that work perfectly fine, Marcus," she said, speaking loudly on purpose. He got so ornery when he was messed with while hungover, and Caecina had the advantage of not being hungover herself. She settled on a chaise lounge and sipped her watered wine. "I see you survived the night." @Atrice

Aglaea had been fortunate to learn to swim. Her first mistress had had a massive bath in her domus and in order to help her bathe, Aglaea had been dunked more than once in straying too close to the deeper part of the tub. The slave floated on her back, slowing her breathing so that her inflated lungs would help her float. She kept her ears above water, though, in order to listen. "You're right too. The city is unpredictable and sometimes that's more exciting than the routine here." She paused for a moment and then added, "Plus, when you do go around visiting your friends, I can meet the slaves in their households. I interact with the same people everyday here." Even though Livia didn't say it, Aglaea knew she was thinking of seeing Marcus, too. The slave stopped floating and did a few laps again, intent on staying moving as she considered what Livia had asked. "I suppose I like the clean air. It's hard to breathe easy in the city, both because of the dust people kick up and how close everything is." She stood up near the middle of the swimming hole and brushed her wet hair off of her shoulder. "And, like I said, meeting new people." One thing she didn't say out loud was her ability to visit temple and hear sermons. The quiet of the villa made it easier to quiet her mind for prayer, but she missed hearing the teachings of the priests, as well as conversing with other converts. "Do you know when we will return to the city? I suppose we are at the mercy of Secundus in that regard." Aglaea shook her head in anger about the man. She wanted Livia to be happy and Secundus was the biggest impediment to that happiness. "And do you have any favorite parts about the villa?" @Liv

"Oh, good," she said. Aglaea hated being in another person's way. Then, Felix explained that he was also not busy and suggested they visit the gardens. "I would love to see your household's gardens. And I wouldn't mind the company, either." The slave went into the kitchen briefly and put her plate and cup away, then returned to where she had left Felix. "Alright, where to?" @Chevi

Aglaea glanced at the plate and then back at the other slave with a smile. "I was almost finished anyway." She listened as he explained that he was a body slave to the master of the household and that he had been born in the household. She briefly wondered what her own life would have been like if she had been born into slavery instead of sold into it by her parents. "That's nice," she commented, meaning his position as a body slave. "I joined Livia's household when I was... thirteen or fourteen, I think. But I've only had two mistresses my whole life." Aglaea suddenly realized that she was blocking the door and she stood, picking up the plate in order to move it. "I hope I wasn't blocking you from going inside. It's just such a nice day, and I was dismissed for a while, so I decided to spend some time outdoors." @Chevi

"Unless you're saying I'm in the way, sitting here," she said with a teasing laugh. It was clear she was joking. "It's nice to meet you, Felix. I am Livia Justina's body slave." Now engaged in talking to the young man, Aglaea set aside her food. She wasn't overly hungry anyway. "Where do you work in the domus?" She wasn't usually so blunt, but sometimes directness was the best policy. @Chevi

Aglaea shook her head. "But that would mean I would have to get my belly and shoulders wet..." her tone was deceivingly whiny; she was actually in a good mood, and quite liked to swim. With a deep breath, she dove into the water, completely submerging herself in one motion. A moment later, she popped up hugging her gooseflesh-covered skin. "Gah!" She hopped from one foot to the other for a moment, then slowly lowered into the water again and swam back and forth a few times like Livia had done a moment before. After she was a little warmer, she sank into the water up to her shoulders and sat there, listening to Livia speak. Rome was an exciting city and her duties as a body slave differed there slightly than here at the villa. She often had to venture into the markets by herself and deal with haggling salesmen, or deal with the public more. No, she did not miss the city overly much. While the city offered many exciting things to do and see, the country life was quieter and Aglaea had space to breathe. "Not too much, if I am honest, domina. We couldn't do this in the city," she pointed out, gesturing to the creek and picnic spot. "I'll bet you do, though." @Liv

Aglaea was in her own world. It was sunny, with the sun beating down on her dark hair and warming her up. But her mind was not in Rome. It was in Judea, trying to grasp the memories of her childhood that sometimes seemed so fleeting. Sometimes, she could not remember the faces of her mother or father. But the slave was drawn from her musings by a voice nearby. She hadn't noticed the man until he was quite close. "Oh, that's alright. I'm perfectly comfortable here." She gave him a smile. "But thank you for offering." She took a moment to look at who she was talking to. He towered over her, especially since she was seated and he was standing, and was very muscular. She wondered where in the domus he worked. The few times she had accompanied Livia to visit Horatia, Aglaea usually stayed with her mistress and so had not met many people in the household. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Aglaea." @Chevi

Aglaea was settled on the bank, her legs trailing through the water up to her calves as she considered Judea and her life there. She watched as her mistress swam back and forth with an absent gaze, her elbow resting on her knee with her chin in her hand. Livia suddenly splashed her and she gave a short shriek. "Hey! No fair!" She laughed, though, good-natured. "Did you go swimming back then, too?" Sighing, the slave rose from her seated position and walked toward their blanket, though she was still listening as Livia spoke. "I don't think so, especially if you mention that the kitchen slaves could use the almonds from the trees we plant instead of buying them. It might save money in the long run." As she answered, she, too, stripped down to her underclothes and folded them on the blanket. She pulled her hair back and then walked back to the stream. "Alright, you convinced me. I'm coming in!" Slowly but surely, she waded into the creek until it was up to her thighs. "I don't know how you stand this water, domina. I'm freezing." @Liv

Aglaea followed close behind Livia to the water's edge, breathing in deeply. The sound of the water whispering over the pebbly streambed brought her soul a moment of comfort. The smell of fresh water, too, was cleansing, hard as the smell is to describe. Aglaea laughed a little. "You needn't worry about the time. I'll remember." Seeing how it was her one purpose to keep Livia happy and healthy, getting her back to the domus was important. When Livia squealed about the temperature of the water, Aglaea put a few fingers into it and drew them back, shaking the droplets off. "I don't think you'll be able to entice me into that for a while yet!" Livia spoke of Hispania and Aglaea heard the longing in her voice. Sometimes, Aglaea remember Judea in the same way. Despite the difficulties in her early childhood, she sometimes wondered what life would have been like if her parents had not given her up to her first mistress. She would probably be poor, for one thing. As Livia commented that she was happy that Aglaea was with her, she smiled wistfully. "I am glad I am, too." But a pang went through her heart, a familiar tug that made her wonder which she wanted more: her freedom, or to stay with her friend. @Liv

Aglaea obediently set to helping her mistress undress, unclasping her stola pulling it gently to the ground, careful to watch for any falling paper. When she saw none, she folded the stole and placed it on the blanket. Her own opinions about the morality of her mistress's love affair with Marcus aside, she desperately wanted to see her happy, so she was willing to turn a blind eye and keep quiet about it. She also knew that her suggestion of a poppy draught was not possible, but it was nice to entertain the idea anyway. Once Livia was undressed, Aglaea took off her sandals, intending only to soak her feet for a while. She might fully submerge eventually, but it was mainly her feet that were hot. "This is a beautiful spot. I am glad you are able to come here sometimes. If there's a benefit to Secundus' bullish behavior, it's the silence afterwards." @Liv