Chevi

"All sorts. There was one about you and your brother...at least if that's who Gaius is." Lucius was amused by the topic on conversation, but his face fell at the mention of his brother. "Well, that's incredibly disturbing." The people of Rome really had their minds in the Cloaca Maxima sometimes. "And one saying what a waste it is that you're abandoning your station. From a spurned lover, perhaps." "I don't really have lovers, spurned or otherwise. You are entertainment enough." Lucius smirked, running a finger along the curve of her shoulder. "Of course there's also lots about me as well, I hope some of the complimentary reviews are from you." "Oh, you'd like that, huh" he grinned "Vibia is excellent in bed. She will take all your inheritance, but you will thank her for it." @Sara

"Not proper enough, no. I have high standards, you know that." Lucius chuckled as they settled on the pillows. No doubt there would be more pleasure in the near future; his gaze followed the curve of her body. But for now, he was spent, and talking to her was at least that much fun too. "What sort of art? I can tell you where to find the best graffiti in the city, some beautiful if not anatomically incorrect drawings. I've seen you featured as well, it's complimentary of course. For the most part." "Now that's my kind of art" he grinned at her, then arched an eyebrow. "Me, featured? Dare I ask what the people of Rome are saying about little old me?..." @Sara

Visits to Vibia had always been... delightful. Easy. Few and far between, too, but worth every as. Now that Lucius was about to leave the ranks of patricians behind, he visited her one last time. For old times' sake. They had had a good run since their first meeting in the apple tree. Although a bed was way more comfortable. Lucius lay among the sheets, sprawled out on his stomach, blissfully satisfied. "You're telling me that this is not worth staying a patrician for?" "You make a very compelling argument" Lucius muttered into the pillow, before he peered up at Vibia. She looked gorgeous, and also elegant, as if she had not just fucked his brains out. True professional. "I have equite friends. Too you know. Just not bankrupt ones. You stay rich and this doesn't have to be goodbye. I trust you've paid for a full afternoon though, if you're set on this path. Make it a proper farewell." "Not proper enough for you yet?" he grinned, rolling onto his side to face her. "I did pay for a few more hours. Shall we converse about art?..." @Sara

Tiberius recognized him easily, and his entourage fell back to allow them to talk. "Lucius Vipsanius Roscius. Though I gather that will have changed now?" Lucius nodded. "Lucius Manius Victorius Roscianus, if everything goes according to plan." he noted. Officially, the adoption had not been finalized yet, but the process was moving along. Adopting an adult man was more complicated than adopting a child, after all. But at least a family was willing, and that opened an escape door for him. Out of the cursus, and, hopefully, political obligations. "I regret that we did not speak soon after the party; I think that things have been busy for both of us. But how have you been? "Well, you have heard the most important news, then" Lucius chuckled. "I have been busy giving my brother a headache, may the gods bless him. But I am glad we have time to talk now. And I'm sorry if I put you in a difficult spot." he added, glancing around. Despite the following, the meeting had somewhat of a clandestine feel to it. @Sarah

"And how have you found your new role?" "I love it" Lucius grinned sleepily "Although I am sure some of my ancestors are turning in their grave." "Things will feel right when we're in Rome. It will all fall into place." "It already has" Lucius assured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We are married, we have a son. Rome will forget the rest faster than you can blink. And we don't have to hide anymore." @Sara

"Which part of it? She's the only one who has complained so far. Surely you can understand her presence? As she is here to entertain as she currently does, and nothing more. It's not like I imagined this should turn into an orgy! Not at all! Tiberius wouldn't want that." "Marcus, I assumed you would not invite the ladies along to an orgy. I give you the benefit of doubting that you'd be an idiot." Lucius smirked, shaking his head. Vibia's presence really was not the problem here. She was still playing music, willfully ignoring the drama that was unfolding close buy. She must have seen Ovinia storm off. Likely, she was going to comment on it later, in more private company... "I think the mistake was telling Ovinia to respect her. Or leaving her out of the joke. Beats me. She gets pissy at all kinds of things." "Do you think she's ready to talk? With any of us? Maybe not yet..." "Feel free to try." Lucius shrugged "She's to marry my brother, but she hates my guts." @Atrice @Sara

"I don't have to put an actual collar on you, do I? This was taken off deliberately, I can see that; the cord hasn't been cut. Now, was it for protection, or because you needed some sort of weapon?" Azarion really wanted to roll his eyes, but it was a bad idea for multiple reasons: he was still dazed, and Marcus had already commented on his face expressing his thoughts. At least he was asking the right question this time. Azarion nodded again, making a swinging motion with his good arm. Since I can't carry actual weapons. If he had had a bow, the fucker would be dead. "So. Your assailant. Would he have been about my height, taller, or shorter?" Wow, he was bad at this. One question at a time, Azarion signed before he realized Marcus could not read his hand signs. This was going to take forever... he blinked. He signed again, but this time, in a way that Marcus would hopefully understand. He mimed holding a stylus, and writing. @Sharpie

Azarion drifted off from the conversation. The stitching was just too damn painful. How did the one time he actually had an injury treated by a medicus turn out to be so damn painful?... He let out a long breath once he was bandaged. Someone returned with his tablet. For the first time, it occurred to Azarion it might be a bad thing that he had taken it off. In Marcus' eyes anyway. "At least it wasn't a shipwreck this time. Much more interesting, and much easier to treat - and it'll heal cleanly unless he's careless with it." "He's not going to be careless with it," The medicus left. Azarion was still lying on the table, trying to get his bearings. He had felt blood loss many times before. It was no use getting up too quickly. Marcus was still towering over him. "Your face is much too expressive, Azarion," Fuck you too. "Now. I hate playing Twenty Questions, but that's going to be the only way I'm going to manage to get a clear description. So. It was a man. Did you see his face?" Azarion sighed, or rather, took a few deep breaths until the room stopped spinning. He nodded. @Sharpie

Yeah, well, Marcus was not helping, not one bit. He thought he was, but he failed miserably. Explaining to Ovinia that Vibia was, indeed, a prostitute, but she deserved respect under the circumstances, was clearly not the right way to go. When she glared a him, Lucius actually winced. He would not have been surprised to get a slap in the face. It dawned on him that his brother might find out about this. Gods help me. "I'm afraid I'll have to leave you gentlemen to your entertainer of... Many qualities, and many talents. I'm sure you'll be enthralled. Excuse me." She stormed off, as gracefully as a storming off could be accomplished. Lucius watched her go, still looking sheepish. He drained his cup, and looked at Marcus. "Well... that was probably not a good idea." @Atrice

"There was someone dead, but not today... You found Safinia there." He had. Azarion nodded. This had to do with Safinia. With her killer. Who was still out there. Fuck, the stitches hurt. Azarion chewed on his lips. The blood was more of a drip than a trickle now, but the loss of it made him feel dazed, and the room spun again. "Nicandros, in your opinion, how would you say he was wounded? Could that be a scrape from a nail or a sharp scrap of wood, for instance?" "No, it's too clean, not torn - I would say it was a knife or something sharp like a knife." "Was it a knife?" Azarion nodded sharply. Of course it was a fucking knife, you fucking excuse for a boss. Ow. @Sharpie

Azarion groaned, partly from pain, as the medicus was cleaning his wound, but mostly from frustration. He really, really needed Marcus to understad. Damn the Romans. Damn them for taking his words away. "All right, you were out in the alley and you were injured there." Azarion nodded. "You saw someone there this evening. Someone dead?" He shook his head, then yelped as the medicus started stitching his arm. Holy fuck, it hurt. "How serious is he hurt, Nicandros?" "It'll sting. He will need to keep the arm clean, so nothing with the horses until it's begun to heal. There will be a scar but nothing worse - I will bandage it and will take another look at it in a day or so, with your permission?" Azarion huffed, sucking his teeth at the pain. At least the injury was not as bad as it felt. His hands grabbed the edges of the table, but he was still looking at Marcus. He shook his head again, then used his free hand to make a stabbing motion. Come on. @Sharpie

Marcus grabbed a second cup of wine, and so did Lucius. They were going to sing, for better or worse. At least they had Vibia to follow. Ovinia looked like she was about to faint. Or kill someone. Possibly him. “I’m not sure you would consider my singing entertainment. But if you insist. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Vibia, can you play a tune we all would know?” "How about some Sappho? Everybody knows the words, and the melody is easy." Lucius managed to hide another snort in his cup. Of course. Sappho. It was well known, and easy to sing, and none of that had anything to do with his amusement. Rather, he remembered that if Ovinia hated the topic of singing before, she was surely going to go out of her mind now. They started singing. Marcus' voice was actually not half bad. They all knew the song, and some of the actors joined in too. It was an all-around good time, until Ovinia choked on her wine. Her face spoke volumes. There it is. Lucius found himself dragged away from Vibia, but at least Marcus was along for the ride too. For a moment, he seriously thought Ovinia was going to grab them both by the ear. "She's...she's a prostitute?!" "Well... she's an entertainer of many qualities." Lucius noted sheepishly. "More of a hetaera, really." He added, quirking an eyebrow at Marcus. This was his mess to clean up. @Atrice @Sara

"Don't fret, we'll have a medicus here in a moment, you're perfectly safe now." Azarion was fucking fretting. The murderer had gotten away again. His thoughts were fuzzy and his head was spinning, but that much was clear. However, the arrival of the medicus interrupted his attempts to be understood. "What happened? - no, hold still, let me see. Yes - I'm going to have to stitch it, I think. I'll need more light." For all the injuries he had had before, Azarion had never had a wound stitched. His previous owners all just kind of assumed he was going to die, or survive on his own. His arm still hurt like hell, so he allowed the medicus to work, but on the other side, he was still reaching out for Marcus' attention. He pointed at his injury, then pointed towards the door he fell in through. The alley beyond it. He dragged his finger across his throat. Hopefully, Marcus would remember who else had been attacked out there. @Sharpie

The world spun around as Azarion tumbled through the side door into the stables. There was yelling and the sound of running, but for the of him he could not tell who was who. He just needed to tell them something. Something very important. It was more important than anything that he told them what he had learned. But when he tried to talk, he couldn't. What was happening? Hands picked him up and carried him, and then he was placed on some hard surface. Not a bad. Lights danced around his head. "Take a torch and see if there's anyone out there - this wasn't an accident." Accident. It wasn't an accident. Azarion's eyes opened. His head was still spinning, and he was in pain, but he recognized Marcus now, giving out orders. He reached out with his good hand, grabbing for his arm. He needed to know. @Sharpie

"No, I can do it. Give me a hand?" Lucius handed his wife the baby, and then he reached over to untie the top part of her tunica. He had done that before in more passionate ways, but there was also a kind of magic in watching her feed their child. Lucius settled in, determined to stay awake as long as Ovinia had to. "How do you think he'll fare on the journey?" "He will fare just fine. We all will." he assured her with a smile. "I won't let anything happen to my family, you should know that by now. That is my entire job as paterfamilias, after all..." @Sara

Lucius swore, partly from the pain, and partly because he hated messing up just when he was trying to prove himself. Titus walked over with clear disapproval, but at least he helped clean the wound. "Won't need stitches. Palms bleed a lot. You still want to do this?" "What, you think this is gonna scare me off?" Lucius huffed, trying to find a clean place on his tunica to wrap the wound until he found some bandages. In the end, he took off the cloth from around his neck, and used the clean side of it to wrap his hand. "You'll face worse injuries than that." "Oh I am sure. But nothing will hurt as badly as my pride." he said, in an overly melodramatic way. Damn, the cut hurt, but it was not enough to scare him off. "... thank you, Titus. I'll try my best not to be a nuisance." @Sara

He would never forget this. He would have a new scar to remember it by, one of many. And he had a face now, and a voice, although both shadowy, and not much to go on in the multitudes of Rome. But for the first time, Azarion felt like he was not insane. Safinia's killer was still out there, and dangerous. He stood there, dazed, for a moment, wondering why he was still alive at all. Eventually, he swayed. Blood was still dripping down his arm, and as the rush started wearing off, the pain shot through him. Azarion turned, and made his way back to the door, leaning against the wall and the crates as he went. Hopefully, he'd make it to the stables before he passed out. @Sharpie @Atrice

Lucius was slightly surprised to be invited for an infromal meeting with an imperial. He had assumed that that door had closed a while ago. As much as him and Gaius tried to make the whole transition happen without much fuss, gossip was gossip, especially in a city like Rome. And a senator's brother giving up his rank to join the vigiles, out of all things, was bound to make waves. As he walked through the gardens, wrapped in his cloak, Lucius wondered if he was in for a stern talk from the young imperial. He had attended Tiberius' party, and he was among the select few that Silanus deemed worthy of that favor. Tiberius seemed like a clever, reasonable young man. But who knew? Maybe he did not take kindly to scandal. Lucius was wearing a plain tunica and a thick woolen cloak. It would have been too much to wear his vigiles uniform. It was not hard to spot Tiberius, trailed by praetorians and slaves. Lucius took a deep breath and put on a neatural expression as he approached him. "Tiberius Claudius Sabucius. Salve." @Sarah

"I'll tell my brother you said that when we go for dinner next week." "Feel free. As long as both our brothers still think we named him after them." Lucius smiled, setting back on the bed with the baby in his arms. "What's wrong, hmm?" "I don't think it's the diaper. It seems dry." Lucius noted. Guessing what made a baby cry was not an exact science. "He's not excited about moving into your domus in the city, I think." "He likes the villa." Lucius smiled. He was going to teach his son all about that, once he got older. "Should I go find the wet nurse? You look like you could use more sleep..."

Lucius jolted awake to the crying a moment before his darling wife kicked him in the shin. Time had lost its meaning a while before. Hours? Days? A newborn child, apparently, was a whole lot of work. Even when one had servants to do a lot of that work. "Luuuucius, get the baby. Careful of the boxes." "He's got a set of lungs" Lucius mumbled, tumbling out of bed and promptly tripping over a box before he regained his balance. He walked to the next room, and came face to face with a somewhat disheveled nurse on his way in. "I've got him. Thank you." Scooping the baby up, he held him to his chest as he made his way back to the bedroom. He hummed gently over the fussing. Such a tiny creature, so much noise. All-around perfect. He made sure not to trip over anything this time, and managed to safely settle on the bed. His son crunched up his face in typical fussy baby fashion. "You know, you are still the most pleasant Gaius in the family." @Sara

Lucius smiled softly as Ovinia shifted and kept weaving her plans. As if they have traded places, she was done with the waiting, and done with being cautious. It amused him, but also made him fell all warm inside. Every time he met this woman, he discovered again why he could not get her out of his mind for fifteen years. "Well, all of that sounds great" he smiled, gathering her up into his arms again "And also, it makes me feel incredibly attracted to you. So, I am taking you to bed. Where you will be more comfortable. And well cared for." He stood, lifting her up. He stood for a moment, looking around. "...You'll have to tell me where the bed is." They could figure out the rest later.

CALPURNIA PRAETEXTATA 40 | 25 May 36CE | Senatore | Former Vestal | Heterosexual | Canon | Hannah Waddingham Personality. Clever, proud, and independent. Born into a senatorial family, and raised to be a Vestal from an early age, Calpurnia is used to privilege. She is confident in the world, she has had exceptional education, and the freedom rarely awarded to any woman outside of the House of Vestals. Now that she is back in Roman society, she is determined to keep that freedom, and enjoy the finer things in life. She is a great conversationalist, although she is sometimes too direct with stating her opinions, and she absolutely does not suffer fools. She can be intimidating when angry, but it takes a lot to really anger her. She cares deeply for the people she holds dear: her Vestal family, and her actual family. She does not often let her guard down around strangers. She seeks knowledge for knowledge's sake, and does not much care for politics, although she follows them with the attention of a historian. Appearance The first thing people tend to notice about Calpurnia Praetextata is that she is tall. Standing at almost five foot ten she towers over most of the women in Rome, and she is only a bit shorter than her brother. That, combined with her thick blonde hair, would have had her mistaken for a barbarian quite a few times, had she not been a Vestal since the age of 9. He appearance still earns her strange looks, but over the years she has grown from lanky, awkward girl into a proud woman with a straight posture. She carries herself with the dignity befitting her privileged station, even though she is not a Vestal anymore. Since she has left the House of Vestals, she enjoys dressing in colors, and appreciates fine jewelry. She has blue eyes and a wide, bright smile when she is truly amused. Family Father: Tiberius Calpurnius Praetextatus (alive) Mother: Aurelia Faustina (alive) Siblings: Aulus Calpurnius Praetextatus (born 33CE) Spouse: none Children: none Extended family: none Other: Former Vestal Virgin History 36CE: Calpurnia Praetextata is born as the second child (and only daughter) of her parents. She admires her brother and annoys him by following him around. 45CE: At a little over nine years of age, Calprunia is chosen to be a Vestal Virgin. It is considered a great honor by everyone, and she does her best to rise to the task. She leaves her family, and begins her training at the House of Vestals. She devours knowledge, and is curious about everything. 55CE: At nineteen, Calpurnia concludes her training in the House of Vestals. From now on, she serves as one of the six Vestals guarding the flames. She takes her position and her duties very seriously, and begins exploring the privileges granted by her station as a Vestal. She still studies and reads a lot, honing her knowledge of history, literature, and politics. 62CE: Civil war breaks out. Calpurnia is worried for the rest of her family, especially her brother. Publius Cotta breaks into the House of Vestals, and in an unthinkable, unspeakable act, he kidnaps one of the Vestals, a woman who was a mentor to Calpurnia, and shielded the rest of the Vestals from the attack. Calpurnia is too scared to do anything but shield the others too, and she still harbors regrets about not putting up a fight. Later, after Cotta is killed, the Vestal returns, but since no one can be sure her vows had not been broken, she is allowed to quietly disappear, and a new Vestal is chosen in her place. Calpurnia is shaken by the events, and takes her duties even more seriously after this, not just as a Vestal but also as a guardian of Rome's honor. She is relieved when she receives news of her brother's survival. 65CE: After ten years of service, Calpurnia takes on a student that will one day replace her as a Vestal. She is also a likely candidate to become Virgo Maxima, but she tactfully avoids the possibility, as she is not sure she would like to stay on after her 30 years of service. She is known to be a good (although stern) teacher, and also for having a soft spot for using her Vestal powers to occasionally save people from execution. 74CE: Calpurnia purchases Eppitacos at a private slave auction, and sets him free, mostly out of respect to his reputation as the leader of free people who put up a valiant fight against the empire. Her decision is not unanimously seen as wise, but she sticks with it, making sure Eppitacos can start a new life as a freedman. 75CE: Calpurnia's 30 years of service as a Vestal officially come to an end. She spends some time contemplating the decision of staying or choosing to leave. Eventually, at the end of the year, she leaves the House of Vestals, and re-enters Roman society. She still harbors some curiosity about all that the wider world has to offer, and she is determined to learn by exploring this time. 76CE: Calpurnia currently lives with her brother's family. As per customary, the search for a suitable husband has begun, although she is determined to make that choice for herself, thank you very much. Chevi | Central Europe | Discord

Azarion rolled his eyes at his cousin as he made a jab at the Saii. Once upon a time, it had been meaningful, the tribes that they belonged to. But here, in Rome, as slaves, they were both Sarmatians. Their bond was stronger than any differences. Also, Tiranês was still a jerk. The cousin pulled out a small bead, and placed it in his hand. It was one of those small, decorative things their people liked to collect. "When you do braid your hair again, wear that," Azarion smiled and nodded, touched. Thank you. He'd keep the horse. He had not thought about growing his hair out yet, but now he thought he might. We will meet again. You are not getting away from me that easy. @Sharpie

Theo smiled a surprised smile as Rufus switched to speaking in Greek. It was a different dialect, spoken by Greek people in Italia, but he understood just fine. And he appreciated the effort. "Korinthos." he answered, smiling at the thought of his birthplace. "I studied there under my father who was also a healer. I left it when I joined the legions." Judged by his age, it was clear that had been before the unrest in Achaea. He had not been back there since, and he often wondered how the rest of his family was doing. Or how Corinth had changed since then. "Where did you learn Greek?" @Sharpie

Well that was... definitely a whole lot of dog. Lucius watched as the slave struggled with it, but at least it was not snarling or trying to bite. It looked a little mopey instead. He had had some experiences with dogs, especially around the villa where they kept them for guarding as well as herding sheep. The sheepdogs were usually smaller but more clever. But this one definitely did not look like a sheepdog. "That's alright, then" he smiled, walking a bit closer, and holding out a hand for the dog to sniff. Sniff it did, and then immediately proceeded to slobber, large pink tongue lolling out in excitement. "What... exactly is the purpose of this creature again?..." @Sharpie