Liv

So, um, how about that party in Naples? Family and friends and cake by the ocean, right? How many can fit in Cornelia's villa house...? My Livia's in the book club too (but she lives outside Rome so she won't make every meeting lol), so that's a good excuse to get to know your matrons!

Longinus was being a stubborn prick, but that was all right: Titus had plenty of experience being one too and was rather confident in his skills and endurance. If they had to be here all day trading insults, so be it - his legs had been through far longer rides. "I did say I would teach him a new trick or two," he riposted humourlessly without missing a beat. Attis must be sick with worry, going by the way he wasted no time in fetching Longinus some mysterious concoction. Might have been a hangover cure, except for the fact there was no tell-tale odour of a thoroughly pissed person wafting through the air. Maybe it was just something to cheer him up. "No," Titus stated in the same final tone he used when shutting down an unreasonable request from one of his children. It would take much more than angry words to get him to leave, especially after bearing witness to the sorry state Longinus was in. "In case you haven't noticed because you're too busy wallowing in pity, you twat, your friends are concerned. I count myself amongst them, so..." He walked over to Longinus and joined him on the sofa, unceremoniously moving his friend's legs aside so he could sit more comfortably. Now that he thought about it, he should have brought Tranquillus along too; somehow his body slave always knew the sensible thing to say or do in spite of his placid looks. Titus glared back at Longinus, lips pressed into a thin line, before sighing and sending out a silent plea to Attis with a pointed look. Come on, back me up here. "Your mother's worried." Titus didn't know for sure, but imagined it was true. "Cassia is worried too." Of course she would be, poor thing, even if Longinus didn't have the best track record. "So is Aulus. And Valeria. And myself." He had no doubt Attis should be listed as well, but he would let the slave argue his own case to his master and with that strengthen their shared cause. "You can shut yourself away all you like, but you cannot stop those who care about you from worrying. And it's not like you to let this go on for so long, even more so with no explanation." There was nothing but seriousness in his features, and his voice was now calm and collected. As much as he wanted to literally smack some sense into Longinus' thick skull, it didn't feel like it would lead anywhere at this point. "So I'm only going back with another horse and you on it. If that's not agreeable to you, your slaves better get a guest room ready then." @Sharpie @Sara

Good grief. Titus didn't quite know what he had been expecting, but finding Longinus in the garden in his present state wasn't it. His friend was back to his unkempt ways - probably hadn't had a shave or cut in weeks. The easy, sometimes irritating smile that often danced on his lips was gone too, replaced by a scowl that Titus decided did not really suit him. He was the scowler in their trio, not Longinus. "I too asked for a great many things that ended up not happening," he retorted sarcastically, snapping his fingers at the anxious slave girl to bring him something to drink. He stood there for some moments, first glaring at Longinus with a mix of frustration and disapproval, then letting his gaze soften with concern after exchanging a quick glance with Attis. This was not normal. Everybody went through rough spots, but even in the period that followed Antonia's passing, Longinus had not looked so... defeated. He was sure Attis would agree, with his far deeper knowledge of his master's moods and routines. The girl returned with a cup of wine, and though Titus took it from her he did not drink right away. "What happened?" he asked softly, as if he were talking to a skittish horse. "Did one of you get cold feet?" No way that pathetic dowry excuse had a hint of truth to it, not in this particular case. "Or... was it her father?" @Sharpie @Sara

Formiae, late June 75 AD After close to three days on horseback, Titus would have been lying if he said he didn't fancy a nice long walk to stretch his legs, and maybe even a massage. Attis had kept pace surprisingly well and without much complaining, or perhaps he had complained but Titus was riding too far ahead to hear it. His shoddy hearing helped with that, too - blessings in disguise, such were the gods' mysterious ways. The villa in Formiae was very nicely kept, and not a thing seemed to be out of its proper place - testament that the master did not live there full time, as its current state would have been impossible to maintain had that been the case. The slaves, on the other hand, seemed displeased that yet more visitors had come to disturb their existence with even more needs to be attended to. Ignoring the doorkeeper's repeated excuses that his dominus was unavailable, Titus gave the man a look that could have made a legionary wet himself and brushed him aside to walk past, not bothering to wait for his friend's body slave to explain the situation to the doorkeeper. Attis could stay behind and elucidate the other slave or he could follow and help find his master quicker. "Longinus!" he called out as he made his way to the atrium, ignoring the scandalised glances some slaves shot him. Good thing most villas had a very similar layout. "I'm here to return Attis to you, I can't stand him anymore!" And find out what in Jupiter's name has got into you. @Sharpie @Sara

Judging from the way Zia tensed under his touch and then exacted payback by pressing down on his chest, Titus realised he had hit a sore point. Even as he hissed through gritted teeth and quickly recalled his roaming hand from its strophium -unwrapping mission to slap hers away, he made a mental note to file away this piece of information for later use. Verbal ammunition, if need be. Did she perhaps feel like less of a woman because of her lack of curves? Maybe her slaves could confirm that... And of course she had not only to pay in kind, but add insult to injury. Yes, he had a fully functioning cock, and although it possessed a mind of its own on occasion like all cocks, this time they were in perfect agreement: this woman was not worth getting it up for. Titus' first instinct was to bite back with some choice words about the Dacian, but he managed to reign it in and chuckle derisively instead. Very well, he would spell it out for her. "You won't let me touch you. You won't touch me either unless it's to hurt me. Views are limited and subpar," Titus pointed out, gesturing broadly from her chest down to her subligaculum, "and your personality doesn't help matters either. Look, I don't care if your tribe all get off on degrading and humiliating each other, but that does nothing for me." He was drunk, tired, in pain, tired again, and at that point just wanted to close his eyes and pass out until dawn came, but she was making even that difficult. "What do you think I am, a fucking ballista? Release the bowstring and off it goes?" he asked irritably. Under the right conditions that might have been the case, but the current ones couldn't be further from it. Numa's balls, this time he wasn't even ashamed or embarrassed - she was reaping what she had sown, and deserved it. All those nice about cooperation and understanding and respect? Zia could go and fuck one of the guards, or both, for all he cared. No, there was an easier way out. Titus would have rolled over onto his side in a huff if he had been able to, but as it was, his only recourse was to close his eyes and drape an arm over them to block out the dim lamplight. "I'm trying to comply here, but you're actively working against that. So no point to it. Good night." If Zia didn't react in some way, it would only take a couple of minutes for him to fall asleep for real. @Sara

A small, barely audible sigh of relief escaped Livia's lips as Horatia voiced her concurrence that slaves would be allowed. Even if this family outing came to pass, she was far more comfortable around Aglaea than her father or any of her siblings, even Lucius. Aglaea knew everything; there was nothing to hide. But with Publius or Horatia or Lucius or pater, Livia would always have to be alert, on the lookout, so that none of them noticed anything out of the ordinary. Because then, they would ask questions that Livia was not comfortable answering, and might not even stop at that but take action too. And then what? She would be the laughing stock of Rome and pater with her for his poor judgement. No, it would be much safer with Aglaea around. "Hmm..." she brought a pensive finger to her mouth, "I suppose I would like to go swimming. And horse riding, I haven't done that in ages." Neither activity was lady-like in her accursed husband's opinion, as they allowed for better perception of her body - but that didn't stop Livia from swimming in the stream when it was hot without his knowledge. "We could play dice, or noughts and crosses, or XII scripta..." Hide and seek also crossed her mind, but she dismissed it as too childish and embarrassing to mention. "And get drunk all together!" She giggled at this last bit, wondering what reaction it would elicit in Horatia, who Livia had never seen drunk. She wasn't even sure such a thing was possible. "I would like your opinion on something." Those were words that Livia did not utter often lately, not when directed to Horatia. Her sister's practical instincts would probably rejoice at the opportunity to be of assistance, and at the same time it provided a nice pat to the ego - that helpless little Livia would request her wise big sister's advice once again. "Assuming you are happy with your body slave, would you ever free her?" @Sara

"I am sure he will be a worthy one," Livia smiled beatifically at the two men. The technicalities of making that happen could not be more foreign or less interesting to her, but Tertius, by virtue of being a praetor, might have some room for manoeuvre where others would face a definite refusal. Teutus' mention of how he spent his days now also fell within the expected: he could not be presumed to be running mindless errands anymore, but learning your new place even if the surroundings remained the same would naturally take some time. "I imagine there are new angles to consider, even in familiar situations..." Like the three of them sitting down for a chat and drink, for instance; whereas before Teutus would have had to be at his father's beck and call, he was now able to join in as an equal. She took a sip of her wine and put the cup back down for a moment, leaving both hands free to receive the small pouch from Aglaea. After a heartbeat's hesitation, Livia passed it deferentially on to Teutus while explaining what it was. "This is a small token from your uncle and myself, to mark your new circumstances. We hope you find it to your liking." Inside, Teutus would find a thick gold ring embedded with a smooth oval carnelian. It was simple in design but of quality materials and workmanship. Needless to say, Secundus had not been involved in its selection at all, although he had miraculously if grudgingly agreed that she should not show up empty handed. She had briefly considered asking for the image of Libertas to be engraved on the gemstone, but had ultimately decided against it in case it was too much on the nose. Livia watched Teutus' reaction with expectant interest, but turned to Tertius after a few seconds to keep the conversation flowing. Every minute they spent talking about something else was a minute not spent fielding questions about how she was doing. "And how is young Antonia taking to the changes?" @Atrice @Echo @Sharpie

Hi Kali, welcome to AeRo! Since there aren't enough Titi around, let me throw mine your way! Titus Sulpicius Rufus is pretty much in the same boat as Sharpie's Aulus - also a long time supporter of Quintus Augustus going abck to the civil war, and good enough in the latter's books to have been a legate in Dacia 70-74 AD. He's now eyeing a praetorship for practical reasons, but his heart is in playing general out there in some province. He's also a distant relation through his sister-in-law Cornelia Scipionis! Then I also have Livia Justina, sister-in-law to both Sharpie's Aulus and Atrice's Tertius Quinctilius Varus. She doesn't really care for politics, though, so not sure if there's anything in there for your Titus. Anyway, I'm game for whatever you have in mind!

Oh yes, the terrible trio can expand into a quirky quartet! Titus, like Aulus, also took Quintus' side early on during the civil war, and he's been here and there doing this and that. I'm sure we can come up with something!

Colour him impressed! It turned out his new gardener apparently had some sense about him. Instead of asking all sorts of inanities about sleeping arrangements and meal times - which Tranquillus would have been better suited to answer, anyway -, the young man seemed to have an archer's focus on his new assignment. With a fledgling smile of approval on his lips Titus began to speak. "If it exists somewhere in the empire, it can be found here in Rome too. Try at the Emporium Magnum first, Tranquillus can tell you where it is." Not that Florus would be going anywhere alone the next few weeks anyway, not until he proved himself reliable. "Draft a list of what you need, investigate costs, and see me or my secretary about it." If he thought he would have carte blanche and unlimited funds from the get-go, the Briton had another thing coming. "As to your artistic freedom," Titus emphasised the word with a displeased tone, "you may do as you please as long as there is nothing poisonous or otherwise dangerous." The last thing he needed was one of his kids sick to their stomach or worse because their sibling dared them to eat some random berry. "Though you might want to confer with your domina first, she's more creatively-minded than me." He exchanged an amused look with Tranquillus. Valeria would almost certainly have plenty of ideas as to how the gardens should look. @Ejder @Chevi

Titus glared back with all his might, though the effect was lost after a few seconds owing to a giggling fit. "Her complexion has nothing to do with it, your lack of self-control does." He managed to stop laughing long enough to down the contents of the cup Aulus had attempted and mostly succeeded to refill. No amount of prayer would save Longinus from a proper dressing down in Africa, which was perfectly justified as far as Titus was concerned. Were he in the Proconsul's shoes, he would do the same or worse. "I don't know, I'm not buying it," he shook his head a couple of times before stopping abruptly because the world had become a lot more mobile than he had accounted for. Neptune's trident, it was like he was at sea. "Who would her father be saving her for? Titus Caesar?" Titus picked up a jug to refill their cups and frowned upon finding it empty. Fuck. Still frowning, he waved it at an employee passing by who grunted his acknowledgement. He turned to Aulus, arching an eyebrow in confusion. "Should we really pray for his preservation though? Isn't it better for him if Neptune sinks him on the way there?" He gave Longinus a bleary, pitying look. "If her father's as fierce as you say he is..." @Sara @Sharpie

If Florus found his newly-assigned task daunting or beyond his capabilities, nothing in his countenance showed it, and Titus appreciated his assertive nod. Maybe - and it was a big maybe, and still too soon to tell, but - the gardener would turn out to fit right in and hopefully reveal himself an asset. Taking care of the plants, Titus reckoned, was the easy part. Managing expectations and keeping everybody more or less pleased was where the challenge lay. Still, he knew Tranquillus would make sure the young Briton toed the line. "Yes, I suppose that's that for the time being," he agreed, casting an inquisitive look at Florus. "Or is there anything you'd like to ask? Get all the stupid questions out of the way while you have the chance." Titus might not be feeling as charitable or patient the next day. @Ejder @Chevi

So much for trying to be nice. Titus winced at the forceful touch and took a step back, gingerly rubbing his ribcage. "That was for your sake, not mine," he glowered, but made no move to touch her again. If she wanted to make things more unpleasant for herself out of sheer, pigheaded pride, he had no reason to deny her. Titus refilled her cup as he was bid and poured himself a new one for good measure, stealing furtive glances while she undressed. It was a disheartening sight: how on earth had this woman borne at least one child and not filled out a little? Remove the head and ignore the obvious female parts, and her body resembled that of a prepubescent boy more than a woman's. And that was just not how he rolled, at all. Even with copious amounts of wine, it was still a tall order, made worse by Zia's standoffishness; no illusion of smooth curves and grooves or supple skin if he tangled his hand in her hair and closed his eyes. "Are you daft?" He rolled his eyes, pointing vaguely at his torso as he swigged his wine in a single gulp. Bitch had probably never had a broken bone in her life. She'd certainly never tried to fuck anyone while nursing one, that much was obvious. "Or just entirely clueless?" Not bothering to wait for a reply, Titus went to work on carefully divesting himself of shoes and clothing until he had stripped down to his subligaculum, kept lonesome company by the bandages wrapped round his chest. With that out of the way, there were no reasons left for dithering. Gods, how could one look so little forward to a shag? With grim resolve and a slightly unsteady hand Titus poured himself a new drink of wine and downed it in almost the same breath. Any more liquid courage and it would be counterproductive. He settled on the bed, half-reclining against the headrest with legs stretched out, and tugged on her arm to pull her closer and into a straddling position."May I at least take this off and pretend like it's actually covering something?" The question had barely left his lips, yet one of his hands was already snaking up to unwrap it while the other came to rest on what should have been the curve of her hip if she hadn't been straighter than an iron rod. @Sara

His new wife had at least one hidden merit, that of interpreting. It might play in her favour when another legion or two came knocking on their door. Of the words in her language she tacked on at the end, Titus recognised only two, both recently learnt: 'husband' and 'chief'. They made the wine sour in his stomach. "When the audience is worth it, which was not the case," he replied in a can't-be-helped tone, blinking in her direction before putting his empty cup down. While Titus didn't understand what the old man had said, between his wave and the sudden stiffness to Zia's body he could make an educated guess as to what it was. He was unceremoniously dragged outside, just barely managing to wave back to his honey-loving new friend who seemed fairly nonplussed at his mother disappearing with a stranger. Maybe the little boy just wasn't that attached to her, Titus pondered maliciously as she led him on. If he were to befriend the kid, she would probably be pissed off beyond belief yet also unable to prevent or remedy it. The thought clinched it; besides, it made the charade that much more believable if he actively sought to bond with his new stepson... Despite the throbbing discomfort in his chest, he smirked in satisfaction, causing one of the guards to eye him quizzically and then smile back in complete misinterpretation of the gesture. Someone was all hot and bothered. Holding up his newly-released hand in a call for peace, Titus nodded slowly. "I'm not in a state to try anything, in case you haven't noticed," he countered irritably as he scanned the room, which was devoid of people except for the two of them. Not even a slave to help with undressing? These Dacians took their privacy far too seriously. "Yes, thank you, that would be nice," Titus mumbled as he began to fiddle with the trappings of his armour. Amidst a lot of lip biting, hissing and grunting, the thing finally came off after what he felt had been an embarrassing amount of time. His breathing was laboured and his face pale as he put it atop a chest in a corner with slightly wobbly movements, turning his back on Zia and for once glad to be rid of the thing. He had not been lying moments earlier: he really did not feel he was in a state to try anything other than sleep. Who would find out, anyway? She was no virgin, as her young son attested to, and seemed as happy to get on with it as a sow headed to the slaughterhouse. The guards might be listening in, but was the door so flimsy that they would hear it all? Not all instances of coupling reached brothel levels of ear-piercing shrieking. But perhaps it would be a great offence to the apparently terrible Zalmoxis if things didn't carry on as planned, and while Titus did not fear him or his punishment, Zia most likely did. If it were the other way round, he would not be keen on angering his gods either. Needs must. He had promised compliance, after all. Titus turned around and closed the short distance with slow, uneasy steps between them before helping himself to a cup of wine wisely filled almost to the brim. As he drank he cast Zia a languorous look, trying to stir his imagination into filling in the blanks of what she might look like underneath that black dress and only partially succeeding. It would take more wine, possibly the entire unwatered jug. Titus put down the empty cup and cupped her cheek in his hand, gently guiding it upwards towards him to join their lips in a hesitant kiss. @Sara

Quiet though he was, apart from his little acquiescence, Florus seemed every bit the compliant slave. Whether it was his own nature or the time spent in Longinus' household that made him this way, Titus did not know, but suspected it was the former unless his friend's mother had had a hand on it. At any rate, he was pleased thus far. It was unusual for Tranquillus to stare so much, but perhaps he wasn't convinced by the gardener's obedient act and wanted to catch him in a faux pas. Titus saw no other explanation that fell in line with his body slave's disposition. He seemed a little more distracted than usual, too, but that might well be one of the ways in which Tranquillus chose to show the last of his displeasure. Regardless of the reason, he still had his wits about him, even if it took him a bit longer than usual to respond. "Good call, she did say something about pomegranates." Titus cast an expectant look at Florus. "Can you make that happen?" Probably not that year, unless Florus somehow procured a mature shrub and successfully replanted it. "I think a sweeter variety would be the better choice. Oh, and speaking of my children," he paused to exchange a knowing look with Tranquillus, "my two youngest like to play here and dig holes looking for worms and such. Valeriana in particular is very... energetic." Understatement of the year, but Florus would find out on his own soon enough. "So you will have to gently and politely keep them away." Titus gave Tranquillus another meaningful glance, wordlessly conveying he expected Tranquillus to ensure that particular order was followed to the letter. @Ejder @Chevi

Titus was confused. Sure, anyone who actually knew Longinus would at times regret that very fact, but to an outsider he was a good catch. So he didn't quite get why Sestia Vaticana's father wouldn't approve... until Aulus voiced his loaded suggestion. "Oh. Ohh!" He let out a low whistle and joined in on the toast. "That's idiotic, even for you! Plenty of dark-skinned beauties at the Venus if you couldn't keep it inside your subligaculum." Titus sipped his wine whilst observing Longinus with blurred pity. "So who'll be Cassia's guardian after your untimely but entirely deserved death?" @Sara @Sharpie

"That can't be." Titus shook his head dismissively. Not in the same mould as his first marriage had occurred: she lacked the bloodline to go with it. It also couldn't be simply because he held no illusions about being able to go back to Rome as if nothing had happened - and Titus did not plan on lasting that long, anyway. While he could humour her by learning his colours over the coming month, in the long run it was a useless lesson. "Black," he repeated in Dacian like a dutiful pupil. So she had chosen the outside to match the inside. How quaint. A toast. A fucking toast where he was supposed to wax gratitude about having his sorry life spared and praise the people who had decimated his legion. Titus' hand tightened round his wine cup, knuckles turning white. If he refused, there would be bloody chaos, to put it mildly. The old man, the priest and even his new wife could all die in agony and he would laugh in their faces, but the curious little boy stuffing himself and smearing honey all over his face in the process deserved better. Sighing in resignation, Titus let go of the cup, pushed his seat back and stood up slowly and carefully, using his arms for support. If it made him look weak before the Dacians, all the better; it would help his goal. He turned to Zia with the fakest of smiles on his lips and held out his hand for her to take. They should try to present a united front, starting from that moment. "Esteemed guests, thank you for joining in on today's celebrations." Had Titus been sure they did not understand Latin, he would have cursed them to Hades and back, but unfortunately that was not the case. He was not about to waste much of his breath on them, regardless. "May our peoples learn to live in harmony and to treat one another with respect, and see their relationship mirrored in ours." Smirking, he tipped his head towards Zia and reached for his cup with his free hand, raising it up in the air. "Here's to us, and to you all." That was all they were going to get out of him that night, Titus mused as he drank up, and if they weren't happy then they might as well just come at him already and find somebody else to play their fool. @Sara

"It's definitely both," Titus agreed enthusiastically as he bobbed his head up and down before taking a swig of his newly-replenished wine. He debated emptying the rest of its contents down on Longinus' head in retaliation for his little jabs, but it would be a waste of decent wine and quite possibly the beginning of a fistfight, which could not end well given the place and the abundance of other patrons. If Longinus turned up at the wedding with a botched nose or missing most of his teeth, Sestia Vaticana would never allow Titus into their domus again. He stared at Longinus with unfocused eyes. "Please say you didn't! Not even you could be that rash... right?" @Sara @Sharpie

If Tranquillus said his swift return was due to indisposition, then Titus would take him at his word. He trusted his body slave night unconditionally, and Tranquillus was not the type to even fib or embellish the truth. He would keep the gardener on his toes and make sure he quickly became familiar with the household, its rules and his role in it, Titus was sure of it. Said gardener, too his credit, seemed to be pleasantly neutral about the entire situation, and was apparently well-behaved enough that he knew not to speak unless addressed. Although he owned no explanation to anyone about Florus' provenience, Titus reckoned the hard stare Tranquillus was subjecting the gardener to was actually a surrogate for the question he would like to pose but was too well-behaved to. "Yes, let's do that," and with these words he motioned for the two slaves to follow him to the gardens. On the short way there, Titus explained the whole deal to Tranquillus. He did not know if Florus was familiar with the circumstances of his change in ownership, but if he wasn't, he was about to find out. "Do you remember when Lucius Cassius Longinus was here the other day? We struck a deal then. He was in need of a sparring partner, which is why our good Dacian friend went with me and did not come back, and I could use a gardener and he had none for his." Titus looked over his shoulder, casting Florus a brief yet expectant glance. "So don't embarrass your former master, Florus. He sung your praises quite enthusiastically." Since winter was already dragging its long cloak over the world, the gardens were anything but impressive, with only a few plants hanging on for dear life here and there. With a lazy, sweeping gesture, he presented to Florus his new dominions. There would be the hortus to take care of too, but there he would have to join forces with the cook. This particular patch of land would be his sole responsibility. "There you go. It's your job to make it green and pleasant, preferably without too many insects." He turned to his detail-oriented body slave for help. "Tranquillus, is there anything in particular you think Florus here needs to know?" @Ejder @Chevi

A despicable whore? Him? Brave words coming from a man with at least one known illegitimate son; there was probably half a dozen more that Longinus didn't know about roaming the fields of Britannia. Titus very briefly considered retorting that Longinus should then find himself a more amenable bride to be, but some trace of sense prevented him. He didn't want to get booted from the wedding before it had even started. "Funny thing, mine was also fifteen years ago! Not in Greece, though," Titus piped up. He jabbed a finger at Longinus' shoulder and gave him a quizzical look. "Were you even in Rome back then? And we weren't friends then, why should I have invited you? To aggravate my in-laws?" That required no help, he managed just fine on his own. "Speaking of the bride's mother, are her family coming up from Carthage? Think they'll make it in time?" If they were not able to, Aulus' implicit suggestion of having his sister stand in was a very kind one. With a Vestal not only attending but also participating to a degree, it would surely be a marriage blessed by the gods. @Sara @Sharpie

Have an idea for a character but are struggling to find a period-appropriate face? Take a look below and see if one of these fine people strikes your fancy. If you click on a picture it will open in a new tab and it will tell you the actor's name as well (coding limitations prevent me from adding them to the list atm). If you have come across someone you'd like to see added to the list, PM me here or on Discord, or reply below with a pic and I'll add them. I've tried to steer clear of suggested faces in the canon lists and wanted ads but can't promise I didn't miss one or two. Gladiators/gladiatrices/barbarians: Senatorial/Equestrian rank: Plebs/Peregrini/freedpeople/slaves:

Titus chortled heartily at the mess his self-proclaimed idiot friend had just made. "Bacchus punishes you for your hubris, Longinus." Served him right. Disappointed at the lack of refills, he took matters into his own hands, grabbing a new jug and pouring away; it was a small miracle that most of the wine ended up inside the three men's cups and not spilled on the table. "She's a whore, what did you expect? If you're so fussy go and buy her for good. Threesomes every day!" He gulped down his wine in one go and set the cup down with finality and just a little too much force. The loud clunk against the table drew the attention of a few other patrons, but once the threat of impending violence was discarded, all went back to what they were doing. Aulus had a point; Vibia wasn't the most beginner-friendly whore around. His son would be better off with a nice, inexperienced girls with not too many previous terms of comparison. Titus was fortunately saved from exerting more brain power on the beauties of the Venus by Aulus' timely question. The sacrifices made such a mess. And that dreadful spelt cake. "Yeah, how many guests are you looking at again?" @Sara @Sharpie

For some inconceivable reason, Titus couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he had done something bad. Although Tranquillus had made not a single sound in protest when Titus told him to accompany Sulpicia instead of him on his outing, the very subtle changes to his body slave's expression reminded him of a dog who did not understand why it was being punished by its master. It was no big deal, really - just a simple delivery mission. And the Dacian he'd just left at Longinus' place, with his huge frame and slightly bovine look, was as good a deterrent for potential troublemakers as anything. Leave one, take one. A Dacian for a Briton. Yet another Briton, because Longinus apparently only ever sourced his slaves from that damned island. Titus suspected ale might be involved in his friend's incomprehensible decisions. At least this new one had followed along without causing trouble, and he seemed to be adequately housebroken. Spoke decent Latin, too. Upon Titus' return with the new slave in tow, Tranquillus was easy enough to find. If the Briton was going to be taught the ropes by someone, the natural choice was his trusty and unflappable body slave, capable of standing even the most inane questions with his neverending patience and paedagogical skills. "Back already? That was quick," Titus commented in the guise of a greeting. He stepped to the side so the Briton could get a better look at his new tutor of sorts, at the same time allowing Tranquillus to make his first impression of the newest addition. "This is our new gardener..." Titus stared at the young man, appearing to be deep in thought for a few seconds before speaking again. "Florus. That's your name from now on, I don't care what you were called before." Since he'd be taking care of the flowers, naturally. Supposedly as gifted as the goddess Flora herself, too, if Longinus' words were anything to go by. Titus couldn't be bothered to come up with fancy, pretentious names for his servants; he called them like he saw them. Easier to remember, too. He turned his head to address his body slave again. "Tranquillus, I had a mind to have you keep an eye on him." Or 'please check that he's not too daft' for the uninitiated. @Ejder @Chevi

"Hope he speaks good Latin, then," was Titus' deadpan reply as he eyed said high priest with faint disdain. In honesty, the few Dacians he had spoken to all knew his tongue far better than he knew theirs, and failing that there was often Greek to bridge the gaps. But that was something he would never admit to, and certainly not when they should be the ones learning the official languages of the empire if they really wanted to present themselves as a somewhat civilised people. As he mulled that over, a detail stood out to Titus, and he shot Zia a sly smirk. "Tomorrow, you say? The same tomorrow when there's another celebratory feast? How will I make time for both things, I wonder..." The woman was as much a blushing bride as he was a charioteer. Titus snorted, but chose not to respond to it, much as he had chosen to ignore her pointing out the animosity - he wasn't blind, and despite Cothelus' attempts at merrymaking the tension on the room was still thick enough to cut with a knife. "No, I had a wife many years ago." Now, in particular, it felt like it belonged to a different lifetime, a different timeline even. He did not like to dwell on what had been, much less on what could have been, but he felt the urge to defend his late wife's honour from some crude joke the Dacian woman no doubt had up her sleeve before she even could voice it. "She passed away," Titus added sombrely, lowering his gaze. There was no need for Zia to know the details - and out of some fuzzy feeling resembling piety or devotion, he also wanted to keep his memories of those halcyon days unblemished by his current situation. Even if she had no respect for him, he hoped she would at least have respect for the deceased. Her earlier question was much easier to answer. "More cheerful than this, for one. The bride wears white, not whatever that-" he pointed his finger at Zia's dress, "-colour is. There's a couple of different ways to do it, too, depending on status. A pleb's would've been quite different from mine." Rather obviously, he wasn't privy to all the details on the former. "There's two handfuls of witnesses, sacrifices to the gods to ask for their favour, and we shared a special cake which in truth wasn't even that good..." Reminiscing on the spelt cake, Titus subconsciously wrinkled his nose. For something reserved for very special occasions, one would think that cake would taste like Elysium, but sadly that hadn't been the case. "Then at the end there's a procession anyone can join from the bride's house to the groom's. That's it." Not quite, but Titus was going to keep his mouth shut about the bridal carry lest the harpy sat next to him put it into her head to try it. Of course, if the tides of fortune had turned differently, Zia might have found herself experiencing a simple plebeian wedding with some honourably discharged centurion for a groom... but there was no point to musing on ifs and buts. He decided to tease her a little; what with how bored he was, even that was looking appealing now. Besides, the chieftain - when he finally took a pause for breath, or ran out of words - might appreciate the fact that the new couple were by all appearances speaking civilly to one another in public, in a pathetic pretence of unity. "Would you have liked to have had one of those? Or was that just curiosity?" @Sara

Titus Sulpicius Rufus - 2 - Red - Liv @Anna