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Attis managed a slightly choked laugh. "What does anyone do with a baby? Fuss over it, fall in love with it, clean up after it." He shrugged. "Cassia will be delighted." And if Cassia was going to be delighted, then Longinus would have to relent, wouldn't he. Not that Attis particularly wanted to be a father, much less have his child follow in his footsteps as a slave, but things being what they were, he'd do his best to be a good father. "He can learn to ride Ragum when he's big enough," he added, though chances were it would be a girl. "We need to tell the master, there's no point putting it off and imagining what he'll say when we can just find out, after all." @Chevi

"Shit - no. No, I don't think that, at all." He dropped the pillow, twisting to grab Metella's hands. Attis would probably do something really stupid if Longinus did that, but saying as much wouldn't help. "He's not that sort of master, really." He might bury it very deeply, but he wasn't the sort of soulless thoughtless uncaring master that would do that - he hadn't whipped Attis for swearing at him, that time, after all. "He's not a monster!" @Chevi

Attis had only the absolute vaguest idea of women's cycles and all their other mysteries, but even he knew they bled more often than that. He was still trying to figure it out when one thing made itself crystal clear. He set the pillow on his knees and clasped his hands on it. "We have to tell the master." He was going to be... Attis didn't have a clue what Longinus was going to be but 'pleased', 'happy', 'thrilled' and 'overjoyed' were not it. Probably the total opposite of it, in fact. @Chevi

His own pillow hit him in the face. "You're preg- that's...." He trailed off, it wasn't fantastic. "Oh.... cock." Their master was probably going to murder him. Longinus didn't like kids, not particularly, and probably didn't want another slave who wouldn't be of any use for several years, and... He was going to be a father. Oh, balls. He'd be worse than useless at that! "Are you sure?" @Chevi

"What the fuck did I do?" He'd done plenty of things but nothing that would incapacitate someone by making them throw up like this. "I swear to the gods I didn't put anything in your food, if that's what you think!" @Chevi

Her exclamation caught him by surprise. "What? What is it?"

"No," Attis said, somewhat uneasily. "You're the only one - you haven't eaten at any of the cauponae recently or anything, have you?" It might be grasping at straws but it was the only thing he could think of. There wasn't any other reason that it would only be Metella who was ill, not that he could think of, anyway. He sat on the foot of the bed, his usual good humour buried under the weight of his concern. @Chevi

It took merely a glance and brief gesture for a slave to step forward and pour a cup of wine for each of them. Aulus took his cup and sat back. "I would hardly be worthy of the name if I couldn't rise to a challenge," he said. "Funding a building project and being elected consul are more enjoyable challenges than some I have faced, though, I can assure you of that." Even over the last year or so, there had been direct threats to his family which he had addressed as coolly and calmly as he had anything, including making contingency plans for his wife and children that would place Horatia and Calpurnia Horatia under his sister's protection and his son Titus under the direct protection of Quintus Augustus. Thankfully, those plans had not been required to be put into action and the man who had threatened them had been quietly dealt with. He hadn't even told his wife what he'd decided on - she would probably not have been pleased, though had they needed to enact that contingency plan, he was sure she would have acquiesced. "Well, if you think any of the house slaves would be suitable, you may have them, or I will come with you to the market. Not because you need my advice or anything, but just because I'm your brother and would like to accompany you." She did not need a man to act on her behalf as an unemancipated woman did, she was an ex-Vestal and that came with certain freedoms and privileges that she would have been used to for the past thirty years. Was it really so long?! "You and Horatia will certainly be the first women to make use of the baths. There is also going to be a library attached - Horatia's idea." @Chevi

"About... seven and a half years. More or less," he said, with a shrug. It hadn't been enough for him to lose his accent - maybe it was a good thing slaves weren't supposed to be heard. He was sure he would have been the subject of some snide comments from various of his master's guests if they heard his accent. He adjusted his cloak against his neck, his fingers brushing the iron slave collar he wore. He had no idea why his master thought he might be a flight risk but that was the only reason he could think of for why he had it, as uncomfortable as it was. "Rome is a big city, the biggest place I've ever known," he said. He was used to cities and crowds but nothing came close to matching Rome for the sheer size and numbers. @Sara

"I need to go that way anyway," he assured her. "It's no problem, really. And you'll get used to everything - it might take a little bit, it took me a while." Part of that had been the language issue for him, some of it was simply that it was a new place for him. "It can be a bit overwhelming until you're used to it all, though." Rome was bigger than pretty much anywhere else Davus had ever been, and if she was new here, she would be having some of the same sort of problems. Maybe worse; the traders could be bad enough for a male slave, he didn't like to think what they might be like for a woman - especially one as young and uncertain as this one was. @Sara

She seemed nervous, uncertain, her enquiry directed at him in a soft voice he almost didn't hear over the bustle of the market, her Latin accented. He turned back, registering her request and her timid manner - she would surely be taken advantage of, if she wasn't careful. "Cossus Antius?" He knew most of the stalls, just through familiarity with this market after several years of shopping here regularly, even if his master didn't buy from them. "Yes - I think so. You've come the wrong side of the spice traders... Shall I show you?" He needed to head that way anyway, he had several different spices on the mental shopping list he'd been given this morning. @Sara

Davus was out on the usual shopping trip for the household - yes, they had some things delivered, but not everything and for those things, they had house slaves to do the shopping. The markets were as busy as ever, and of course he had to end up down near the Emporium Magnum, with its shops and stalls that catered to the wealthiest members of society (of whom Davus' master was one, being a senator and all). There were people everywhere and his attempts to navigate without getting too close to the areas where merchants touted their human wares led to him getting into a narrow gap between two stalls with nowhere to go when someone spun unexpectedly on her heel, straight into him. "Sorry, Lady," he said automatically, having registered that it was a woman, before he fully took in what she was wearing - though really, even a pleb around here could be wearing a cloak as threadbare as the one she had on. He pulled his own lacerna a little closer about his shoulders. @Sara

"You might prefer something more...substantial," Jason said, thinking. "But what would you say to the loser telling a story?" Trust me, his sign said to his cousin. He and Azarion were good at knucklebones, and he had no idea how good Cinnia and Tiberius might be, but this he could do. Stories were, surely, something they all had in common, from their own people or that they had learned from others. It would be something, anyway. He glanced to either side to see how his master and his British blood-sister would respond. @Atrice @Sarah @Chevi

"Of course," he said, helping himself to a sprig of grapes and sitting back. "A good move for anyone, I should think - and I am all but guaranteed to be elected. Quintus Augustus has told me he will support me in my endeavour for the position." He paused, studying his sister. She had something of their mother about her, and something reminiscent of their father too. He wondered how alike Calpurnia and he were, especially after all these years and with such different lives. "Do you have a body slave, at all? Or do you need one?" If she had not brought a girl with her, there was probably some suitable slave somewhere among the household slaves. @Chevi

This idiot better be worth it. Jason gave his cousin a shrug and an expressive look of his own. Who knows! He could keep his eyes and ears open, but who knew how much help he would actually be - he didn't have the leisure time to wander around Rome asking questions and helping with an investigation, and nor did he know if he would be able to get away from his master and the palace to be able to contact anyone if he did hear anything. At least he knew where to find the medicus and the tall warrior-looking man. "I'll do what I can," he said. "If anyone needs me, I'll get a message if you send it to the palace - the slaves' door." He somehow thought that the very tall patrician-looking man would send a message via one of the Praetorians, simply handing it at the main entrance. A guaranteed way for him to never receive the message at all! He glanced at Azarion. Did his cousin want to add anything? @Chevi @Atrice @Sara @Liv

"Generals ride horses to battle," Teutus allowed. "But horses are expensive to keep, and the city isn't a good place for them anyway - they need exercising and more room than people do." It made sense that people in the country were more likely to have horses, though they were going to be a symbol of status pretty much everywhere, unless you happened to live in a place where everyone had horses because that was the kind of country you lived in. Which was a completely foreign sort of place to a city-born person like Teutus. "I suppose you must find everything here strange, so I would find everything equally strange if I were to visit Germania," he said, though he couldn't imagine wanting to visit Germania. It was too far away, too cold and probably too barbaric. @Atrice - so sorry on the delay!!

"If I wasn't prepared to have you, what sort of brother would you take me for?" he asked, indicating the seats nearby, with some food laid out on the table. "This is your home, especially now - and you may find that I am not around to get in your way as much you think." His consulship was all but guaranteed and he had a lot of work to do to prepare for it, as well as overseeing the construction of his thermae. What he was most nervous of - ridiculous though it might be! - was what to do if his wife and his sister didn't get along, especially now that Calpurnia was to live here. They were both independent women with their own thoughts and opinions, and of course Calpurnia had been one of a very small community that was revered and looked up to, and commanded respect simply by her presence. How was she going to adjust to the much smaller world of a Roman woman? Although an ex-Vestal commanded as much respect as a current Vestal, and was considered to be emancipated in the same way a mother of three was, she would be entering a house run by her sister-in-law. Aulus was going to steer clear of any potential friction if he possibly could! @Chevi ( @Sara )

"Don't sit up, then," Attis said, worry etched across his face. Could she be ill? It wasn't impossible, of course, but surely it couldn't be serious - Cassia was perfectly fine and she was the one person in the house other than Attis who spent the most time with Metella. "If you've got a headache, I can get you something for it," he added, keeping his voice low in case she did have a headache. He had no idea at all what else it could be, if she wasn't hungover - maybe she had eaten something dodgy recently, and if not that, then she must be actually ill. @Chevi

Aulus was feeling slightly nervous, uncharacteristically so. It was one thing to have a sister who was one of the six Vestal Virgins and who spent her life in the Atrium Vestae... it was another to have his sister come to live under his roof, the first time they had lived in the same house since she was nine (and he was twelve - gods, was it really as long ago as that?!) Horatia had been very sweet and as wonderful as ever, withdrawing to the sanctuary of her own study so that he could have these first few moments alone with his sister. He was in the garden, his wife's favourite part of the house and a private family area, and told the slave to show Calpurnia through - she was going to live here, he was not going to receive her in the atrium or the tablinum as if she were merely a client. He hoped that they could reconnect properly, that they wouldn't be strangers to one another. He couldn't help smiling as she stepped through the door - the stola she was wearing was a shade or two lighter than his own tunic. Apparently blue was a favourite colour for her, too - and of course as a Vestal she had been limited to white. "Calpurnia! It is good to see you," he said, holding out his hands to her and kissing her cheeks. @Chevi

Well, what do you know! His books had actually taught him something useful and correct, for once! "Yes, Domine, it is," he said. "We can ride almost before we can walk." And your people have taken it away from me, he added in his own thoughts. It was an old bitterness by now, something he tried not to think about too much, except on the days when the longing for it was so strong it left a tang in his mouth that tasted almost of blood. He had never let it show, though; some things hurt too much to be allowed to show, especially to people like the Romans. He squeezed his hands behind his back, trying to let the sudden tension bleed out before it could be detected in his words. "I suppose it must be, Domine." Though they don't know he's Sarmatian - how could they, after what happened to him? @Sarah

"Well, whatever's caused it, I hope it doesn't affect the master too." A Longinus who was ill was a Longinus that nobody really wanted to be around, after all. She sagged onto his bed and he bent to pull the blanket up over her. "You... Just stay right there, I'll sort things out for you," he told her. A clean basin and a beaker of water were easy enough to procure. Mira seemed happy enough to exchange her usual chores for looking after Cassia for the day. The master was doing... whatever the master usually did first thing in the morning that didn't need Attis, who knocked quietly on the door in case Metella was asleep, or had a raging headache or otherwise didn't need to be disturbed. "Are you feeling any better?" @Chevi

"I -" And then she'd snatched the basin out of his hands and emptied her breakfast into it. "Oh. Merda!" He didn't know what to do with a vomiting woman, but guessed it might be similar to looking after a hungover master, so he waited until she was done before rubbing her back gently. "Come on, let's get you tucked up, you'll feel better." His room would be best, he thought. It wasn't much, but would be better than the shared slave quarters. Somewhere even vaguely private, where she could lie down and sleep if she needed to. With a clean basin in case of any further... upset. And a cup of water. He'd have to tell the master and ask Mira to look after Cassia today. But first things first. "You can use my bed, it'll be quieter there, and I'll get you some water to rinse your mouth with." @Chevi

And somehow the newcomer had been co-opted into helping, despite the fact he looked about as bright as a moonless night. And the girl (Didia?) had taken the lead, telling him that they were looking for a barber (apparently a friend of Azarion's, which was going to piss him off no end! He pressed his leg to his cousin's, hoping to delay the outburst of temper that was sure to follow despite his inability to speak. "He's tall - about as tall as our vigiles friend here," he said. "He's got dark hair and blue eyes and wears a green knee-length cloak." Which was a description that matched about half the men in Rome! He was dangerous - he'd hurt several women, killed one - and hurt Azarion, so they couldn't presume anyone would be safe. He didn't think the newcomer looked like someone who could be discreet and that meant that he'd likely get himself into serious trouble, which probably hadn't occurred to anyone else, though it was obvious that Didia didn't want to let on just why they were after this man. He glanced to Azarion, lifting his eyes to the ceiling. What a total mess this is! @Sara @Chevi @Atrice @Liv

Attis was crossing the atrium with the basin of water his master had used for his morning ablutions when he spotted Metella. She did not appear to be her normal cheerful self. If anything, her face rivalled the paleness of the slightly moon-faced marble nymph pouring water from a sea-shell that was the main fountain in the garden. "Is everything all right?" he asked, though it patently wasn't. "Look, you should maybe go back to bed - I'll get one of the other girls to look after Cassia, the master won't mind when he knows you're not well. Green suits you usually, but not when it's your face rather than your tunica that's green." @Chevi

I was looking for a year. But I can't ask questions. Jason didn't quite know what to say to that. "Well, now you've got help. And I bet any of these people will help you kill him - you know I will." Slowly; the Romans were as good at that as anyone, though whether they'd do that to a citizen was another thing. Jason hoped that he wouldn't turn out to be a citizen, he could think of several very exquisite things to do to the man once they got him. And of course the door burst open and yet another person crammed himself in, this one with a sort of big-eyed somewhat bovine look to him. Jason, very much not the tallest in the room, exchanged confused glances with his cousin and decided to let someone else explain what was going on. Too many people talking at once would confuse anyone, and they didn't need five people giving five different explanations for this gathering. @Chevi @Atrice @Sara @Liv