Chevi

Iophon liked the Gardens of Sallust. Then again, he liked all of the city. The gardens made for a nice walk, even if it was not one of the fanciest areas in Rome, even in the winter when it was the time for citrus fruit, not flowers. Iophon, currently without and tourists to guide, strolled along the garden paths, breathing in the air that was a lot less stifling in the gardens than in more crowded parts of the city. His feet carried him to the quaint old temple of Venus Erycina. There, sitting on a fallen column of stone, he spotted a man, opening a parcel of something that smelled like honey cakes. Iophon smiled at the scene. Sometimes Rome was downright picturesque. "Don't forget to offer one of those to the goddess" he noted, stopping to smile at the stranger. Iophon was generally a friendly person. "She might smile upon you in return." @Atrice

"Well... I know one, he lives in my insula" Iophon nodded. "I can... run and get him. Unless you think you can walk." It wasn't terribly far away, but walking after being hit on the head was probably not an easy thing to ask of Wulfric. At the same time, Iophon was hesitant about leaving him alone either. He dabbed some more at the wounds, trying to see if the bleeding was slowing down. Some of it had already dried, but the wet cloth was not currently helping. "Are you feeling faint or dizzy?" @Atrice

"Oh I won't let you break it anyway. I like it the way it is. Felix, how are we going to solve this?" Felix had no idea. If he could not at least cause some moderate damage to the man, and it got back to the dominus, it would be his own skin on the line. But clearly, Alexius was not going to let him do any damage at all. "Maybe it's better that we forget about it, and you let your master send someone else to beat me up. But oh... Will you be punished for not doing as told?" "Most likely." Felix nodded, frowning. If he went back, without getting the job done, he would definitely be punished. "So... I can try to beat you up anyway. Or you can beat me up, and I can tell him I lost. Same result either way..." @Atrice

"You should see if you can borrow a mirror some time, you're pretty, uh..." Azarion arched an eyebrow. No, he didn't have a mirror... it had been a while since he had seen himself in anything other than some water in a washing basing. What exactly was Rufus getting at? "Pretty good-looking. Just the sort that'll catch the ladies' eyes." The other eyebrow went up too. That was... weird. Back at that one party, Vibia had been convinced too that he could get sponsors with his charms, although that was more for wealthy men... But being considered good-looking? "I think there's bound to be more, somewhere - if there isn't yet, there will be." Azarion turned back to the wall, perusing the letters. There was a whole lot of FUCK and SEX. He tried to find more names. Mostly his own because now he was curious, or Rufus' to prove a point. Instead, he found a third. CYNANE HAS FOUR COCKS @Sharpie

Rufus was not the only Rufus in Rome. Or the only red-haired one, since the name kind of implied that, at Romans sucked ass when it came to naming their slaves. But Azarion... that was not a very common name. There could only be one of those in the city, or the gods had a very strange sense of humor. "As for you, I'd say it means you've caught someone's eye, somehow." Azarion was still confused. Whose?... How? He never thought of himself as attractive. And he had certainly never... fucked anyone. He was almost nineteen years old, but his life... had not really gone that way. "You're the charioteer, someone obviously admires you already - you didn't even have to wait before you got an adoring fan." Azarion rolled his eyes, theatrically looking around and shrugging his shoulders. He might have an admirer... but where was this adoring fan? Scribbling on a wall was easy. And it was probably a joke. He turned back to the wall, now looking at the letters with new eyes, glancing back at Rufus. Do you think they wrote more? @Sharpie

"Your master should have known better than sending a household slave to do his dirty work." He was not wrong. Felix rarely ever pondered his place in life, but this was one of the occasions that made him resent being a slave. Just because he was strong and well-build didn't make him a brute. "You know what... actually... Why don't you punch me? Just once? Then you've done it. And we can move on and I won't have to do anything to your pretty face." Felix blinked. This man had some nerve. Saying things like that, in the middle of a very serious situation. "What was your name again?" "Felix." he grumbled, glaring at him. "And your plan wouldn't work. The dominus would never be satisfied with a punch. Even if I break your nose." @Atrice

Ovinia responded to the kiss with equal passion. Lucius smiled against her lips as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled her closer, until she somehow settled on his lap. The closeness made his heart jump. He'd missed this. When they finally parted she looked around, worried, but Lucius was much too distracted by the way she was biting her lip. "We're on a beach in the middle of the afternoon...." "Sun's gonna set soon" he muttered, leaning in to trace kisses down her neck. He really didn't care. His hands moved along her body, trying to get the soaked tunica out of the way. "No one's gonna come looking for us. They now better." he added, smiling against her skin. She tasted like salt. @Sara

"That's easy for you to say. You've probably been with hundreds of women." "Hundreds?" Lucius arched an eyebrow at her, amused. What did she think exactly Roman men did in their free time? For sure, the number was larger than zero, unlike in the case of women, but still... Ovinia seemed embarrassed about this conversation. Which was... baffling, to Lucius, after the last time they'd been together. "I don't know what I want," "I think you do" he smiled, waiting for her to find the words. "When I was dreaming it was...what we did last time." "You dreamed about me?" he liked that thought. A lot. "Kissing. In bed. You... Your hand was on my thigh and... Do I honestly have to tell you?" She glared, and he smiled, leaning in to kiss her. No, she didn't have to tell him, but he wanted to hear if she would. He was not sure she would even want him in her bed again, now that she was a freedwoman, taking time to find her own life... he did not want to assume. But also, he could only hold back so far, hearing her talk about how she dreamed of last time. The kiss was more passionate this time, and he turned his body to pull her closer. Her clothes were wet and cold, and he could feel her through them, her dripping hair ticking his face. @Sara

Ovinia seemed... embarrassed. Awkward. Lucius was not sure why; by now it had been well established that he wanted her, loved her, and was absolutely at her mercy. "I know- And last time was....perfect. I just..." He tilted his head, watching her. "Just what?" "You know I'm not very experienced. It's a bit...humiliating, to not know what to say or do. I...I've been...thinking about you a lot. When you've been gone." He smiled softly, still holding her. The fire was catching now, and the warmth of the flames reflected on her cheeks. "I have been thinking about you a lot too." he admitted "And you know it's... not a matter of experience. It's more about being together. You can just tell me what you want. Or... what you were thinking about." @Sara

A laugh bubbled up from Lucius' chest as he scooted over, wrapping an arm around her. Gods, she was cold. The cloak helped some, but he was not sure it would be enough. He rubbed his hand along her arm. "You know you have already seduced me, right?" he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. @Sara

Lucius smiled, picking up a stick to adjust the pile of wood as it was beginning to catch fire. The warmth was good, especially since Ovinia was... still soaked from swimming. The tunica clung to her ver tightly. "Sea-drenched as I am? I went swimming a month or so ago and when I came back up Marius said I looked like a sea-witch. I didn't realise that was your type." "I think Marius doesn't know how to use his words." Lucius rolled his eyes. "If anything, you look like a Nereid... You must be cold, though..." @Sara

"What's kindling?" "Oh boy." Lucius would have laughed, but he had an inkling that she was serious. "Go on then. You can start a fire for once." Lucius chuckled, walking away to gather some dry grass and twigs before he returned, and set about starting the fire. He could tell Ovinia was watching, although he was not sure she'd try to learn the skill just yet. "You look so handsome, even with that." "I'd hope so. The bruises add to the whole rugged look." he smirked, sparking the flint and blowing on the kindling until he had a flame going. Lucius was nobility, but he knew a whole lot about fire. He sat back on his heels too, smiling at her as he looked her over. "And you look... very distracting." he added, gesturing at the outline of her body in the wet clothes. @Sara

Lucius was a little surprised to find Ovinia soaking wet. The weather was definitely far from the heat of summer afternoons. Did she... actually go swimming? Gods, it was cool enough for him to wear a cloak! As he walked down the path, he saw that she was kneeling over driftwood. Trying to light a fire. "You... were not joking about the swimming." he noted, crouching down next to her. He took the light cloak off, draping it over her shoulders. "That wood's never gonna catch like this. It needs kindling." @Sara

They both got to their feet, and Lucius chuckled as Ovinia mused about her future. Ovinia Camilla, working. Making money. He knew better than to make a joke about that, but the whole thing was endearing. Right. He needed to go get clean. "I'm going to the beach. To swim. Meet me when you're done?" He did. It took a while to get properly clean, shave, and tend to his wounds, but eventually Lucius, refreshed and in clean clothes, made his way down the path to the beach. It was the late afternoon now, but the sun was out. It felt almost unreal, being in this peaceful corner again, after the past weeks in Rome. @Sara

Lucius blinked as a finger was pressed to his lips. He waited for Ovinia to speak what was on her mind. And hopefully not break his heart in the process. "Don't say that. We haven't seen each other in months and before that... We've only spent one night together. I can wait, we should wait. I want...to be a freedwoman, on my own, first." Lucius nodded slowly. That... made sense. Well, it didn't make sense to him, he'd always known what he wanted, but it made sense for Ovinia to feel that way. "I love you. And...I want to marry you. But I want to find out who I am first." He nodded again, more relieved this time. "That... Is probably a good idea?" he smiled. "Let me know what you need, anything... Or ask any of the others. I'm... um. I'm gonna go take a bath." And not ask if she would still share his bed in the evening. @Sara

"You smell of smoke and horses. You should bathe." "Yes, I should." Lucius had had a long day of travel, and as much as emotions were running high, he knew Ovinia preferred him clean. "And I should too. I can wear the tunica you bought for me, and then I said I'd help Verenia with polishing the cups today... Oh... Your other freedmen and women work for you." Lucius tilted his head, watching as the realization dawned on Ovinia. She was a free woman now... but thinking of herself as a freedwoman would take some time. "They chose to" he nodded. "Obviously, I did not want to marry any of them though." @Sara

Ovinia finally gathered some words, although her tears were still flowing. Lucius held her, allowing her time, until she finally sat back to look at the scroll again. Asking what she would do now. "Well... that is up to you." he said "I don't tell you what to do anymore, although I don't think I ever really did..." he added with a small smile. "I mean, I have ideas. But it's your life." @Sara

"Oh, I am not... put off women. Just, no whore. And no more Rome." "No Rome?!" Iophon would have gleefully gone along with the concept of swearing off women... but Rome? Rome deserved a lot better. Wulfric just needed to learn how to do things properly. "I did. And she told me, she want me too." "Of course she did." "But, I will not have whore again. This... teach me lesson." "Correction, you will not have that whore again." Iophon noted, cleaning up the blood from his head. "We'll get you a better one. My treat. Should have asked me in the first place. Tour guide, remember? Rome has so much better to offer." he chuckled, turning Wulfric's head. "Well, from what I can tell, your skull is not cracked. That's good. Someone should stitch you up, though." @Atrice

Ovinia ended up in his arms, and he held her as she sobbed. She had months and months of tears to cry. His hand stroked her back gently, waiting for her to gather herself. She was free. She was happy. And he lived to tell her the news. The gods were kind sometimes. "I'm not going to l-lose you though." "No you are not" he smiled, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I'm not going anywhere." He paused, chuckling as he tilted his head, pulling back to wipe some tears from her cheeks. "Literally. Looks like we will be here for a while, until the domus is restored..." @Sara

Ovinia's reaction was immediate and shocking. Lucius knew the news were big... the news she'd never expected to get, something that changed her entire life. But even so, the way she broke down was a force of its own. He wrapped an arm around her, guiding her to sit down before she'd collapse from the shock, and knelt down next to her. She was free. He was feeling those emotions too. "H-how?" "Imperial favor" he smiled a little, holding her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "It's real. He signed it himself." @Sara

"Oh no. One cat is enough. That one is a menace." Lucius chuckled, getting up from the floor and offering a hand to Ovinia. He had left the few belongings he'd brought with him on the table nearby, and now he dug through a bag, pulling out a leather case that held a scroll. He looked a little sheepish as he offered it to Ovinia. "I... I don't really know how to do this in a fitting way." he cleared his throat. "You are free." @Sara

"And how is your master going to know that you got me?" Indeed. Felix frowned. This would have been easier if the other man had not put up a fight. Or made a good point. "You weren't asked to... kill me, were you?" "No." Felix shook his head. He was not sure he could have gone through with that. "But I am sure he will send someone to... see? If I have done my job?" He was frustrated how, folding his arms, the immediacy of the fight gone. "What do I know? I'm just a household slave!" @Atrice

"I was thinking I could help you! You never look after yourself!" Even though she was chiding him, Lucius couldn't help but smile. When Ovinia forgot about herself, she tended to show how caring she could be. She would have walked all the way to Rome to take care of him in the middle of a conflagration. It was the kind of thing that made him love her. She looked concerned when he told her the news about the house. "I'm so sorry... Are you alright?" "I am" he nodded. Losing the entire house was a blow, but... "No one got hurt. Everything else is replaceable." Most of his childhood memories were attached to the villa, anyway. Lucius smiled, leaning over to kiss Ovinia gently. "I did bring you something, though." @Sara

"No-o. Your job is to send in your men. You're too important to do it yourself. Besides, what happened last time?" Lucius sighed as she got off him, and pushed himself to sit up. He knew she had been worried. He knew she would be, the moment he sent the note with Marius. But she also knew she was wrong. His job was to be there with his men, not send them into danger alone. He was, as usual, worse for the wear, with scrapes and bruises and some burns, but nothing serious. He did need a good bath, though. "I didn't run away. I was coming to find my master. It's different. Of course Marius twists things. He's kept me locked in a cupboard for weeks. And anyway, you didn't say I couldn't come in your letter." "Remind me to thank Marius" Lucius sighed "It would have been a terrible idea to come into the city. What were you thinking?... And you wouldn't have found me anyway. The domus is gone." @Sara

Lucius was vaguely aware of being watched, so he managed to wave a hand in the household's general direction. If they had not been aware of this relationship, they were now. Marius groaned, and ushered the others away. Ovinia, on her part, examined Lucius. "Are you sure you're alright? Do I need to be furious at you for putting yourself in danger again?" "It is kind of my job" he muttered, looking up at her. "And you're the one talking. What is it I hear about you running away?" @Sara