Chevi

Damn, it hurt. Getting cut was never a pleasant experience, but in his desperation to prove that he meant his promise, Lucius had disregarded the fact that knife cuts hurt. The gods and spirits made him pay the price for his oath. He grimaced and dropped the knife. Still, it seemed to have worked. Ovinia did not look angry, just... miserable. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I...I'm so scared." "I'm sorry." he knew she was scared. But he could not imagine how much, because there was a world between his life and hers. "If it's not you then it's o-one of your guests. If it's not them then I-I have to let them touch me, I have to hear them talk about me...I just...I can't..." He shifted, leaning against the side of what was left of the bed. He reached up his left hand to touch hers. The other arm... well, at least they did not summon the damn medicus for nothing. "We'll figure it out. I promise. But please don't hurt yourself. You deserve... you don't deserve that." @Sara

Ovinia struggled, but he managed to take the knife away from her. She did not cut deep enough for a serious injury, but she was bleeding, and crying. Lucius let her go; holding her would have done the exact same thing he did not want to do. He slid back off the bed, kneeling on the floor, catching his breath. Dammit. His word was not enough. She had lost everything, and whatever he promised, she only saw what she wanted to see in his what he had said. So, because he was out of all other options, Lucius did something he rarely ever had done before. He invoked the gods. The knife was sharp enough, it cut through the bandages on his injured arm, and blood dripped down onto the charred floor. "Ovinia, look at me." he looked up at her as she still sat crumpled on the bed. "I swear by the lares of this house, and the spirits of your ancestors, and the gods of Dis invoked by blood, that I will not hurt you. I do not want to hurt you. And I will protect you as long as I am able." @Sara

He was losing this battle and he knew it. It was his word... against his own word, and she had no reason to believe him now, when she already believed the worst. Lucius gritted his teeth, watching her struggle. "You could be lying now. You're telling me that protecting me, not doing your duty in my punishment is more important to you than what would happen if they found out you'd lied?" She really did not know him. And it was his fault. "You're a liar!" The blade cut deep into her wrist. Lucius sprang up, throwing himself on the bed and grabbing her hand, trying to twist the knife away before she did any more harm to herself. Before the injury, he could have easily done it, but now he was off balance, and only using his left hand. @Sara

"Save me? You were trying to save me by detailing how and when you'll force me?" She did not get it. She just... he couldn't make her see, she was too hurt, too scared. She managed to draw blood and he winced again, getting up on his knee. "Are you looking at me like that because you're worried you're going to lose out on your present? Don't worry, I'm sure Caesar was a whole store of other girls to give you." "I never wanted this." he snapped. He was trying not to scare her, but he was hurting too. "I never wanted any of this. You think I want you to see me like... a monster?" He was halfway there himself already anyway. "They gave you to me to punish you. And if they think I am not doing that properly, they will take you away." How did she not realize that? "I was lying, Ovinia. I was telling them what they needed to hear, so they wouldn't try to take you." Because they both knew what would happen if they did. @Sara

"Yes you did. You wanted me to be pliant, learn my place, fix you so you can what? What was it you said last night? So you can break me?" He hated, having those words thrown back at him. He hated the reason he had to say them, and hated that she had to hear them and believe they were true. She pressed the knife against her skin and he tensed up. If she really tried, he would have to stop her. He could see she was shaking. "Please. Please just leave me alone." "No." he was not going anywhere. "Do you not understand what I was trying to do, back there? You think I said those things because..." being seen as a person like that, it made him frown with pain. "I was trying to save you." @Sara

"You're not going to hurt me yet, I understand." Lucius looked at her with a pained expression. He knew what this was about. Wrapped up in her loss and her humiliation, Ovinia had missed what he had been trying to do, back at the party. And she blamed him for being the monster she'd always expected him to be. He felt ashamed enough to accept some of that blame. "I'm going to join my parents. Can you not just leave me alone? Even for this?" He winced as she actually managed to press the blade to her skin. His instinct was to stop her, but there was no good way of doing that without proving exactly what she believed. "Please don't do that." he said, more quietly. He slid down to sit with his back to the blackened door frame, facing her. "I'm sorry I said those things. I didn't mean them." @Sara

The domus was a horrible place of desolation. Anyone who had to see their home turn into this... no one deserved that, no matter what their family had done to the emperor. Definitely not Ovinia. Lucius waved at Marius to wait at the door as he walked in. He found Ovinia in one of the rooms, still holding the knife. "I said go away or I'll do you first. Get. Out!" "I'm not going to hurt you." he said, stopping in the doorway. She looked scared. "What in the gods' name are you doing here?" @Sara

It was late in the morning, but Lucius was still dead to the world when his bedroom door banged open and a very upset Marius hurried in. Lucius blinked, struggling to sit up. "Smthing on fire...?" "Sir, sorry to wake you like this w-we had an incident this morning. Ovinia has left." "... what?!" "We found her, we found her don't worry - but she's refusing to come home. Says if we try and drag her well... She has a knife. She's at the ruin of her old family domus. I...am not sure what to do. I could send for the vigiles and a medicus, in case she does..." "Oh, fuck." Lucius was instantly wide awake. He fumbled out of bed, in the same tunica he had been wearing for the party the night before. "Take me. And send someone for a medicus. But don't let anyone else know. Definitely not the vigiles." Hopefully they would still arrive in time. @Sara

He could see the dread in her eyes. Dammit. He never wanted to be a person to do that to someone else. He hated this show, the guests, the whole thing. This was why he never hosted parties. He felt like they turned him into a worse person every time. "Well. When you have, be sure to loan her out? Sharing is what friends do, no?" "You might not want her when I'm done with her" Lucius replied with a smirk that felt like a stab. There was general merriment after that. Ovinia walked around refilling cups, and when the wine ran out, Lucius dismissed her. He knew she was not going to come back, even if Marius tried to force her to. The guests left well after midnight, happily drunk, and leaving the house in a state of disarray. Lucius felt a raging headache coming on that had nothing to do with wine. He made his way back into the house after seeing the last guests off, heading to his room, hoping he could fall asleep. @Sara

"No good comes from being soft on slaves." No good came from being hard on them either, but Lucius was not about to start pointing that out. This party was already going to the dogs anyway. "Gaius, this isn't appropriate conversation for..." "Deal with her, Lucius. The Emperor wanted them cast as slaves for a reason, not so they could swan about as if they still mattered." Lucius winced. He knew this was going to come up sooner or later. Being enslaved was only part of the punishment, after all. The other part was the humiliation, and being toted out to teach everyone a lesson about what happens to those who rise up against the emperor. "More wine, domine?" He looked up to Ovinia smiling at him. The stupid girl didn't know what she was playing with. And she was doing it all wrong. Lucius frowned at her, desperately trying to will her to get the message, while he felt the glare of all the guests on his skin. He hated this, he hated all of this. "I can help break her if it is not your thing" the young tribune piped up again with a wolfish grin. "I think quite a few of us would happily do that service for the Emperor." "I really appreciate the offer, Publius" Lucius managed to note, with a fake lightness in his voice "But I think I'll do it myself. Once I can do it properly." he added with a thin smile, glancing down at his arm that was still in a sling. @Sara

Ovinia refilled his cup, although she looked like she was about to dump the entire pitcher over his head. This had to be excruciating for her. Lucius hoped the wine would run out soon so he could send her out, but the guests were having too much fun with this. At least the ones that did not have the decency to look sheepish about it. "Lies there like a sack of fruit, eh? Ah well, you're welcome to borrow my Letitia to teach her what to do." Uh-oh. "Get off!" There was a sudden silence. Everyone stared at Ovinia, and the man who still had his hand raised to grope her. He turned red, and turned his gaze at Lucius. "Have not quite broken her in yet, have you." Lucius opened his mouth, not knowing what the fuck he was going to answer, but the young tribune decided to chime in. "Lucius? Please. We all know he has a soft spot for them." SHIT.

Lucius saw Ovinia turn white as she was commented on, and silently prayed that she would not respond. She was not supposed to talk at all, but that had never stopped her before from talking back, or calling him names, or flat out declining to do as she was told. If she stormed out, that would be bad enough. But still better than talking back. "You got your present then? I saw the list from the Emperor...saw your name. Must be nice, eh?" "Oh! She was the present? A patrician girl, huh?" one of the women piped up, suddenly interested in looking her over. She was an equestrian wife, which meant that once upon a time she would not have shared dinner with someone of Ovinia's rank. Judging from the glint in her eyes, she was fully prepared to enjoy this turn of events. Lucius bit the inside of his cheek. He waved to Ovinia, motioning her to refill his cup while he tried to act like this conversation was not a big deal at all. "She's good enough." @Sara

Ovinia eventually made an appearance, although Lucius could tell from across the room that she wanted to be anywhere else but here. She was carrying a pitcher of wine, probably because that was the only thing Marius trusted her with. Their eyes met and she managed a little smile, before trying to blend into the paintings on the wall. "I have to say, you do live up to your reputation about knowing the finer things in life" one of the praefects noted, raising his cup, waving for more wine. He was obviously referring to Lucius' patrician past more than his actual taste, because he did not give a shit about the finer things in life. The wine was decent, though, he'd made sure of it. "You can say that again" one of the younger tribunes piped up, his eyes following Ovinia. "Where have you been hiding this one so far?" @Sara

A few weeks later Lucius did not like hosting. He really didn't. Organizing parties and planning feasts was an art form he was not familiar with, and he did not like the games and unspoken rules of the social gatherings of Roman elite. He would spend time with his men any time... but tonight was not one of those occasions. It had been the praefectus vigilum himself that requested the young tribune host a dinner party. Lucius knew eventually the hosting would fall on him, but that did not mean he had to be happy about it. Luckily, Marius and the others went above and beyond in making the house presentable, cooking the large and fancy meal, and even dressing Lucius in a proper dinner attire. Ovinia had been strangely absent for most of these proceedings, but for once Lucius did not have the time to get annoyed about that. Among the invited were the other tribunes, the praefect, and some other officers that held up order in the city during the rebellion - from the cohortes urbi, the praetorians. Some other equestrian noblemen and women were also in attendance, and the few patricians that deemed that mingling with this crowd was advantageous for their career despite the fact that they were slumming it below their rank. Lucius was sitting in a chair by the dinner table, while most others were lying on couches; his arm still hurt, so lying down for a meal was awkward to say the least. He was holding on to a cup of wine, putting on a good face for the whole thing. This was going to be a long evening... @Sara

They both looked like drowned rats. Lucius felt a pang of guilt as he saw Ovinia's meager attempt at covering herself. The tunica stuck to her skin, showing all of her figure. She probably had never been exposed like this in public before. He averted his eyes, walking along as they headed home.

Lucius rolled his eyes. He complimented people whenever they earned it. Ovinia seemed smarter than she gave herself credit for in her struggle to keep up patrician appearances. Which is why it was so annoying that she refused to get out of the damn water. "You first. And pass me my veil when you get out. Please." Lucius sighed, getting out of the pool. Once again, everything dripped water, and the clothes clung to his frame, instantly getting cooler in the evening air. Oh the walk home was not going to be fun. The weight of his own arm was also adding to the soreness, and he slipped it back into the sling with some difficulty. "I could go home and send Marius with a blanket." he noted, picking up the veil "But then you'd have to wait here alone." @Sara

"The medicus said it will hurt before it gets better," Well, in that case it was definitely going to get better, because it hurt like hell. Ovinia helped move his arm, pushing just a little beyond what he was normally willing or able to do. Which resulted in the arm hurting a lot by the time they were through with the exercises. Lucius was not sure how he was going to move his arm again at all, once they were out of the water. "How was that?" He looked down at her, both worn and stubborn. He had faithfully done everything she prompter him to do. "You are good at this. But your lips are turning blue. We should go." @Sara

The pool was still shallow enough to stand in; Ovinia was still up to her neck in in, and it came up to Lucius' shoulders enough to help move his arm. Gods knew he needed the help, because it was already sore from the exercises earlier, and what she wanted to do was... a whole large range of motion. Lucius grimaced, waiting for her to decide if she was actually going to help. The bandages on his arm were soaked through, so he barely felt her touching him. But eventually she gathered her will to push. Lucius winced as his arm rose higher; he had not been able to raise it above his shoulder since the injury. It still stopped there, at the surface of the water, and he he frowned, his body fighting the pain of moving it higher at all. He bit his lips and followed her cue, because she was not going to let him live it down if he started complaining. @Sara

Lucius stared at the girl, baffled, as she flat out refused to come out of the pool. Instead, she bobbed away in the opposite direction. It was still strange to realize that he had the authority to drag her out of there, or send people to drag her out, for everyone to see. Not that he ever wanted to humiliate anyone that way. But gods she was just so... Lucius groaned, walking into the pool, and wading over to her. "Fine. We do the exercises, then we go home. Well, I am going home. You can stay for all I care." @Sara

"I'm in here now. We could try the exercises where you need help?" If Lucius had learned anything in the past few weeks, it was that Ovinia was usually being useful when she had something to gain. In this case, it seemed like she was not ready to get out of the pool. Judging by the blush, and his own state od being, wet tunica clinging to his body, he could imagine why. "Get back in? I'm not getting out." Lucius sighed, rolling his eyes. "Ovinia, you can't live in the pool. Come on out. Let's go home."

End of the year, 76AD Metella was feeling miserable. Saturnalia came and went, with feasts and merrymaking all around the house, everyone had slept off their hangovers and were back to their everyday work... except for her. Because she still felt sick. She would have blamed it on Longinus' cooking, but she knew better. She had not eaten any of that this year. And yet, here she was. Was she getting ill? It would be just her luck. Leaving her room, Metella made a decent effort to start the day. She made it all the way to the atrium before she faltered, her stomach turning, and her face turning even paler than usual. Her breakfast was not sitting well at all. She wavered, catching herself against one of the columns of the atrium. "Oh, sh..." @Sharpie

"This is not funny." Oh, it kind of was. Ovinia was soaked to the bone, with hair plastered to her face and shoulders. He held her steady, since her chin was barely above water. Some people snickered, but it was soon business as usual around the piscina. "I'm getting out." "Yeah. We should go home." he agreed. He was also soaked, and his arm was sore. Enough pool for one day. He headed to the stairs, wading through the water. "Are you doing this to punish me?" "Doing what?" he blinked, looking back at her. "I didn't pull you in." He waded out of the pool, shaking his hair and dripping copious amounts of water from his tunica that stuck to his skin. Leaning down, he picked up the veil from the edge of the pool. "Come on, before we both catch a cold."

"YOU!" Any pretense that she was a slave and he was her dominus evaporated in a burst of fury. If anyone was paying attention, they would have guessed it was the other way around, if anything. Ovinia kicked and splashed, throwing water at Lucius with no regard to the fact that she was getting soaked herself. Lucius held up his good hand, sputtering, but entirely too amused (and too wet) to be annoyed. "Maybe think about the orders you give next time?" he grinned, once again wiping the wet hair out of his eyes. "I need to go and lay this out to dry on the bank of grass. You've probably ruined the fabric." "How is this even my f..." Oh, this was almost too good. The gods were smiling on Lucius, as Ovinia stood and then immediately lost her balance, falling into the water. She was only a little shorter than him, so she would not drown, as long as she managed to find her footing. And not act like a wet cat. Lucius laughed, reaching out with his good arm to help fish her out. @Sara

Theo knew Artemon from living in the insula. He was... not very clever, but he was a kind young man, usually seen together with his (brighter) brother. He was not sure, however, if they should drag Artemon into investigating the dangerous man who was cutting and killing people. He looked between Didia, Lucius, and Alexius, waiting to see what they would decide. Apparently, they decided on a half-truth. Artemon was very friendly and easy-going (usually with little to no social boundaries), so maybe he was just the kind of unassuming person who could find a barber without raising any flags?... @Sharpie @Sara @Liv@Atrice

"You shouldn't be so quick to judge people, domine; they might be apprentices to a medicus." "You judged first!" he pointed out, but was somehow glad to see the smile. The women probably were prostitutes, all things considered. But honestly, that was a profession too. The free ones paid taxes and everything. And the enslaved ones couldn't help it. Ovinia was fully prepared to take credit for the water. "You see? I'm not totally useless." "I never said you were." The veil came off somehow, floating into the pool. Ovinia had her hair done up, and looked annoyed at her head being exposed. Lucius was not even sure where she had gotten the veil. The dignified look was counteracted by the way she tried to fish the floating veil back with an outstretched leg. "Pass it back." Lucius arched an eyebrow at her from the water. Giving orders, really? "Sure." He pulled the floating veil into his hand, twisting it into a bundle before he did just that. Tossing it with his left hand was a little awkward, but it did fly all the way to Ovinia, carrying a fresh splash of water with it. @Sara