Adamaris

Annia Comna

She remained transfixed on the arena and the men clashing swords. One was duel wielding while the other kept a shield on one arm. The one who used two swords was fast, agile, she favored him over the two. Despite his lack of defense he more than made up for it in speed and skill. It had crossed Annia's mind to get a gladiator of her own though she never thought to ask Titus about it. One of her slaves sat beside her, a large fan in her hand as she fanned her Domina. Per usual Annia was dressed only to impress trying to look something like an Empress though with a much smaller fund. She dawned her fiery red wig as was usual for her since it lent her an exotic flare and reminded her so much of the slave she once loved. Mostly because the hair used to make the wig had belonged to that slave.

A male voice interrupted her concentration on the game, blue eyes shifting over to the gruff looking man. He was not a common scrawny male nor a slave who worked in a house. He was muscled, well defined. He had the look of a solider though far less well dressed. Still he didn't look like someone who was too important, he was more of the common rabble. She hadn't a need for him and so she turned her head away trying to watch the fight again. "Depends." She paused a moment seeming a little sharp of tongue. "Only if my husband comes to accompany me."

Nothing should turn a man off of a woman than knowing her husband might come along but Annia knew hers wouldn't. He was too busy with that whore of his and she was too busy trying not to care. Turning her head she looked him up and down, blue eyes flickering with a hint of annoyance. Resting a finger delicately to her chin she bared her teeth as though breathing through them. "I see you are still here."

@Atrice

Annia Comna

She'd been cooped up with Canica all day, more or less playing the duties of a faithful wife and caring mother until she felt the sinking sickening sensation of boredom eating away at her. Annia loved her family but there must be an escape from them at times. Despite having grown so comfortable with her domestic lifestyle Annia was still at heart a reckless adventurous little girl seeking some form of freedom and rebellion against what was expected of her. Unlike before she didn't express it by cutting her hair short and playing with wooden swords. No, as a woman Annia expressed it by going off to a peaceful place alone. To be away from the home and hearth and the worries of a child and concerns of a husband drinking again. She didn't even take a slave with her as she wrapped herself in green silken shawl and left the slaves to watch her daughter.

Walking along she enjoyed the faint trickle of a water fountain over a small pool. Birds were fluttering about singing their songs as the scent of exotic flowers hung in the air. It was a place that if Annia cared more for romance would have called rather Romantic. Unfortunately for her romance was never top priority of her list. Swinging the green silken fabric over her shoulder she paused a moment to admire a strange orchid claimed from another land by the Roman Empire. After all it was not just slaves that Rome won when they took a new place.

The flower looked fragile, as though a single touch might kill it and yet at the same time it looked dangerous with petals pretending to be thorns or sharp points. Really in a sense the flower reminded her a little of herself. Sharp and deadly in appearance but once you got beyond her false representation you realized just how fragile and soft she truly was. It would be a most horrid mistake for her to allow others to see that side of her. Not even Titus was given the pleasure to seeing Annia's weaker more delicate and soft side. The only person trusted by it had been a love she'd known since childhood. The girl whom she had promised heart and soul she'd never love anyone above her. Even though her love and loyalty to Titus was strong she had never broken that promised. She'd never loved anyone more than her. Turning away Annia nearly bumped into another enjoying the scene and caught herself just in time to avoid embarrassment. "Pardon me."

@Atrice

Annia Comna

"No one can control me, cuz this is what I'm made of."

She was all too aware of where he was meant to be seated, a place Annia reached for herself though she never tried to make it obvious. She longed to have her husband gain favor with Caesar through his success with his gladiators in their ludus. Annia would work another angle, not that she felt her husband couldn't bring them success but more so they could win favor from two sides. She played the more political game. Making friends, throwing lavished parties to win attention to their ludus and gaining a reputation for hospitality. She wanted to appear to have wealth and power even if it wasn't always true. Often times when you were convincing enough others would start to believe you. Behave as the class you wished to be, not what you were. This is why Annia tend to look down on other equite.

Annia too admired the blood sport, she always had since her childhood. Before she had been sent to Rome to be married. Once Annia had even dreamed of being a warrior in her own right, winning her freedom from the marriage she feared being forced into. "Have you ever had the honor of seeing the inside of a ludus?" Annia tried to avoid making it sound like an invite. She loathed sounding desperate but of course she wished to gain his interest. Perhaps a random meeting could be her hopes to win a friendship, not a real friendship of course but a voice to speak for her and a means to gain reputation. After all, few people mattered to her truly outside her husband and daughter. "There is an excitement over watching the gladiators train.  A place where slaves are transformed into hero's of the coliseum." From there some Gladiators even had the privilege to become like gods, their names on everyone's lips.

They had yet to have such a gladiator, one that the people of Rome idolized, one they cheered for, excited to see the next poor soul lose their life to them. "There is no lack of excitement at the ludi." When she said this she intentionally mean her home of course. Annia was no stranger to throwing parties that meet every desire the human heart could conjure. She did this so people in Rome would happily whisper her name when you sought out a fine rare taste of something new.

16 hours ago, Atrice said:

Tertius would definitely enjoy a private tour of the ludus to watch the gladiators - and it sounds good with them meeting at the arena and then moving on to the ludus

Alexius does his very best to try and be charming when he sees a good looking woman, but he also isn't so fond of denial, so that might be interesting. They could also meet at the arena or maybe if he's come to watch gladiators train near the arena (there were seats above the training grounds back then, so that you could come and watch them train for no cost... that's what he does). And I don't mind if he doesn't get it his way

I'd love for Cynane to meet some kind of love interest, so if Annia is interested in her, that could go even further. Cynane isn't very fond of most men, she doesn't trust them and thinks they hold too much power and they never treated her very well in the past. I think she'd be surprised to find a lady liking her like that, but she might also end up being curious about it - so this could definitely turn interesting too

@Adamaris

Awesme, sounds like a plan for Annia and Tertius. It shall be entertaining for him and a benefit to Annia and her husband.

Annia and Alexius should be a blast if not for just all the sass. Great if they end up being sort of enemies where Annia always tosses insults at him and he ruffles her feathers. Since he hangs around where gladiators are too often Annia will run into him. More often perhaps than she would like.

Annia, turning bicurious women since she was a teen. It would be interesting since Annia has some of the same opinions on men minus her husband. I LOVE this idea of Annia sort of being a flirt that makes Cynane question that part of herself. 

Annia Comna

"No one can control me, cuz this is what I'm made of."

Hearing the male voice Annia turned her head slowly to look upon him. She remained cool and calm, perhaps more so than the woman beside her who was a bit more excited to have a higher member of society speaking with them. Annia brushed it off herself as though this was common place to her but remained equally as polite. "Ah, Quintus Sulpicious Rufus." She used his full name, never using a shortened version unless she held a friendship with others or had spoke to them long enough that it became tiring. "What honor is this, having you bless us with your presence at our humble box." What indeed, this was interesting. Annia hoped it had nothing to do with the wide eyed little waif seated beside her but then again if she was the bait for a larger catch so be it. Laying her fan in her lap she listened to him speaking and internally scoffed at his comment for Ludus Gallinus having any spirit left. They would have to have had spirit from the start to have it remaining yet.

The mention of Ludus Magnus soured her stomach and made her taste a bitter bile in her mouth. She hated when people brought it up but Annia held her tongue and retained her pleasant smile. "Yes, they always have held a bit of a reputation in Rome. Of course we've had new prospects this year. I'm sure they will add a thrill to the day as the games come to a close with the final matches. After all we wouldn't want to give the people of Rome anything less than the best show they will ever see." She didn't have to insult the other Ludus but in her own way she was informing him that they wouldn't so easily bend either. One day she would see her husbands Ludus stand above all others and when that day came she would stand proudly by his side.

"Are you a fan of the games? You seem to be well versed in your ludi." Perhaps even more invested in the games than he seemed. Did he have a Gladiator fighting under his name perhaps? If not it might interest him and more importantly if the idea ever came to him she could push him towards her husband for 'aid'. It never hurt to have more promising gladiator's in the stables and a senatore in ones pocket. Soon enough Annia planed to have more than that in her pocket. Nothing would thrill her more than having half of Rome eating from her hand. Should she play her cards right there might come a time where it was true.

9 hours ago, Atrice said:

Hello Ada! I come with a few ideas!

Tertius/Annia
Tertius is a now 44 year old senator in Rome and I'd love to gain more plots for him. He's kind of bored with his life at the moment and has begun coming more and more to gladiator games, so that might be one way for him to meet Annia. Maybe he wants to watch them train and doesn't want to sit with the commoners or something like it, and they can interact?

Alexius/Annia
Alexius is a former gladiator, once known as Lexus, but he was freed back in 60AD. He kind of misses his "glory days" as a gladiator, although back then, he hated it. When he was freed he was the new lanista of his ludus back then, but it didn't last long and he left Rome. Now he's back though, he works as a bodyguard for the wealthy Oriana, but he also still watches the games and hangs out near any ludus because he hasn't really found his proper spot in life yet. It might be interesting to have Alexius and Annia meet then. Just beware, he was and is still quite the womanizer

I also have a few slaves - Helenus works in the thermae, Helios is a prostitute at the Domus Venus and Cynane is Claudia Caesaris' personal bodyguard, but she has time off sometimes and also gets to meet others that way. She is kind of a feminist and has her own pride, she likes powerful women and she might find Annia very interesting.

My own plotter if you want to read about all my characters 

@Adamaris

Oooooooooh, for Tertius she could try to win his favor and friendship by giving him a private tour of the Ludus and to let him see the Gladiators train. She can perhaps meet him at a game and he can express his interest and she can slide in with volunteering to show him the Ludus and of course throw him a nice little feast to convince him she's just the best damn hostess in all of Rome.

Womanizer woman woman womanizer, womanizer baby. Yeah, Annia would certainly try to part his boy parts from his body if he tries playing anything with her. She's such a little spitfire WHICH IS WHY HE HAS TO MEET HER OUTSIDE HER LUDUS. xD I love being able to push her buttons and have her get pissy and hissy.

Something tells me Annia would actually secretly love and admire and possibly really lady crush on Cynane. Annia sort of in her own way is a bit of a feminist though she's more so in the view that women can manipulate the world around them by 'playing the game' and making men think they hold all the cards. I think these two need to meet if only for Annia to really lady crush.  xD

Annia Comna

"No one can control me, cuz this is what I'm made of."

As per usual the games proved to be a magnificent show and with gladiator's trained at their ludus present Annia was hard pressed to miss out. Besides she had a rather important prospect outside of sitting in the box beside a fellow wife ludus owners wife. She tried gossiping and talking to Annia though the older woman viewed the younger girl as a lesser. She had nothing of use or interest to her and so the fiery redhead kept her eyes locked on the show at hand. With elegance she raised a fan to cool herself off, moving with a strange sort of ease expected of someone from a higher class. Annia always kept her appearance with perfection, not a curl out of place, every stitch of fabric she wore was to play into the current fashion trends of the women of Rome. Even the very way Annia breathed was well calculated by the woman to give her a soft feminine appearance even if it meant she had to take shallow breaths to appear closer to Roman perfection. It would be considered a borderline obsession around her appearance if there wasn't such good reason for it.

As the gladiator of her Ludus took his next swing and made contact with the arm of his opponent the crowd around her went into an uproar of cheers. Blood spraying over the sands as the wounded gladiator moved back and swung his net to capture his prey. It was like a deadly dance between the two, a slashing of the blade and a swiping of the spear. Net twisted and tossed as shield deflected attacks. Their dance went on for some time until the sword made purchase and slid into the neck muscles of the other gladiator, blade blood soaked and moving through the other side of flesh. When the blade was withdrawn the opponent backed off, hand to his wound though his legs betrayed him. With a rapid lose of blood he rocked and swayed until the sword was swung with force and in a single cut sliced into his belly. The other gladiator fell to his knees, the crowd standing and roaring in excitement as Annia continued to fan herself, looking a little bored with the bloodshed. True it was a victory for her ludus but the show hadn't been spectacular.

"What an impressive match."

The other woman's voice held an annoying high pitch tone to it, almost like a stargazing child will poor intellect. Perhaps once upon a time she had been just as infuriatingly bubbly but then again Annia had serious doubts to that. She'd never been a wide eyed innocents. She'd been born, bought, and sold, innocents was not an affliction Annia had ever suffered. "Not impressive enough. I certainly hope your husband has something a little better or our gladiators will cut through your men before noon." She smirked, a smile as sharp as a knife itself and just as painful in the breast of the woman beside her.

Body Slave

Female/ 22-27

An extraordinarily beautiful young woman of exotic appearance. For a slave she is well dressed and decorated as Annia's favorite and personal slave. She is Annia's most trusted slave and often the only one who share's in secrets not even Titus knows of. Annia is very fond of this girl and not ashamed to show a more physical affection for her. Often times when Annia feel's lonely she will turn to this slave as company since she is Annia's 'safest' solution. Because of this she is constantly being gifted beautiful necklaces and bangles. Her life is fairly simple so long as she keeps on Annia's good side but she also knows Annia's temper and that she wouldn't think twice about doing something horrible to her if her trust was broken. Annia is also horribly jealous, not wanting anyone else to touch this slave meaning should she fall for someone the relationship would have to be kept secret. It also gives her a shield because Annia would never let anyone touch her, not even Titus since this slave is only for Annia.

Gladiator

Male/27-33

It's not a great secret that Annia actually enjoy's watching gladiators battle to the death in the arena. She has spent most of her young adult life watching the fights with her husband and his family. Because of this Annia has invested in a gladiator of her own, to bring her fame when he steps into the arena and cuts down his opponents. Annia is rather proud of him, having bought him from a smaller Ludus where he had garnered a reputation within the smaller city. He is new to Rome but willing to fight since pleasing his Domina could earn him his freedom. 

22 minutes ago, Gothic said:

Okay, feel free to start the thread and I shall reply.  

Can do, where is a good place to catch him?

Annia Comna

About: Annia is a woman seeking to rise in power from her station. She's a social climber  who is cunning and brutal. Annia isn't a woman to be crossed or to make enemies with. She can be pleasant and even friendly though it's normally an act of manipulation. The best way to get on her bad side is to threaten her family or go against her husband. Despite a rocky relationship there is only one person she will ever truly love, her husband Titus. Never think of coming between them or it's your head.

Potential Plots:

Slaves/Gladiators: Annia has many slaves herself and is in a position to interact with gladiators. Though she views them as no better than brutes they do serve one potential purpose for her. Desperate to give her husband a son she would even turn to the gladiators for help when Titus is unavailable. 

Member's of the Senate: She is always trying to gain her family higher and get her husband in with the elite. It would be nice to plot potentially with senators, their wives, or their daughters.

Priestess/Midwives: Annia is desperate for a son but since the birth of her daughter conceiving has been a long and painful process. Perhaps Annia can be seeking the help of a midwife and priestesses for fertility aid.

Others: If you have other idea's for characters with her feel free to shoot them her way.

Hmmm, I say Quintus perhaps more so because that meeting is of actual use to her. 

Annia and Caius: Because I want to see Annia eyeroll into another dimension talking to him. She's going to go find Cthulhu with that eyeroll dimension shifting. For real though, he likes gossip and she likes gossip but he is beneath her so she can't associate with him. Instead she will accidentally get stuck in conversation to find out what the lowlife knows. xD

Quintus and Annia: Aren't they married in another life? Really though a political figure on her side, she needs to play nice so she can wiggle her way into friendship and put him in her trap card pocket.