Jump to content

Liv

Moderators
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    949

  • Joined

  • Days Won

    45

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Liv

  1. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    "I'm sorry!" In his haste to apologise, Titus threw up his hands, realising belatedly that all that did was slosh good wine and ensure a repeat of the very situation he was apologising for. This time round, however, Bacchus must have taken notice and directed the wine mostly on to the table and Titus' own tunic. That was going to be two hefty fullonica bills that week, but then again, it wasn't like they went out drinking all the time. Just occasionally. For special occasions as well as ordinary ones. By some mercy of the wine god there was still some of his grape nectar in the cup. Titus downed it carefully so as not to turn his clothes completely dark red, and again held it out to Longinus, who had seemingly taken on the barman role. "Good choice. There's this blonde there, what was her name again? Vipsania? No-- Vibia! She's a real treat!" With his free hand Titus touched his thumb to his index and made an 'o' shape. "Might be a bit too experienced for your boy, though, Aulus. Even if you take him there after he's put on his toga." @Sara @Sharpie
  2. Liv
    Now Titus knew this fearsome Zalmoxis was a he. Unfortunately, that fucker had been doing too good a job of protecting the Dacians. Titus' ears perked up at the very cursory explanation, if it could even be called one, of whatever ritual was happening next month. He had no idea who the messenger was or what they would do other than deliver a message... but what if the god was not pleased and withdrew his favour? That would be to Rome's advantage, especially with a four-year window like the woman had implied existed. By then someone more capable than himself would have come and coated the earth with the blood of these barbarians. This was a minor setback to his hidden agenda, but if Titus had waited a week he could wait a month. By that time his captors would hopefully have grown less wary of him and slacked off on their supervision, and he could finally help himself to one of their admittedly well-made swords and do what he was supposed to. For once not needing to feign interest, he turned a curious gaze on Zia. "Tell me more," he half.-requested, half-ordered. At least while he listened to stories of Zalmoxis boredom would be staved off, even if only for a few minutes. Jupiter, if it truly were as she said, Titus would be wanting to hear stories of all their gods if he was to stay awake and power through a whole week of sitting there looking pretty. Trying to fight off a yawn and failing, much to his jaw's chagrin, Titus put down his drink and supported his temple on his fingertips, displaying his tedium for everyone to see. "That's a relief," he muttered under his breath. "This isn't your first wedding. Are they always this charming and lively or is this specially for me?" @Sara
  3. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    The cup's topped-up state lasted only a few seconds before Titus brought it to his mouth again. "Don't remember you being this interested in having a son when Antonia was still alive, but what do I know?" he grumbled, shrugging with a little too much gusto and sending half of the contents of his wine cup flying over the table to land on Aulus' clothes with a purplish splash. He looked forlornly at his almost-empty-again cup. "Worry not, I know there's a million of us running around. If I had an as for every time a Titus did something, I'd be the richest man in the empire." Awfully good taste they had, Aulus and his wife, to name their kid that. Probably after one of his grandfathers or uncles or great-grandfathers or whatever, but still a very nice name. Titus held his cup out to Longinus, wordlessly requesting another refill. "Ask me again in five years, unless you want to know the girls version..." was his muttered comment before he turned to Aulus and clapped him on the shoulder with far too much excitement. "How's that going for him? Been to the girls and all? Got his toga on?" @Sara @Sharpie
  4. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    Fine, so her money wasn't the reason Longinus was dying to put a ring on Sestia Vaticana's finger. He joined Aulus in his thorough inspection of their friend's face and reached the same conclusion, but chose to knock back his wine instead of commenting. "Didn't you have a slave bastard? Still no luck in tracking him?" Not that said bastard would have been a good solution to Longinus' conundrum, by virtue of being a slave and the child of a slave with presumably no pedigree. Even if he were to be found and freed, he still wouldn't be a full citizen. Titus raised his cup too. "Aulus's got a point. Doesn't Sestia have two boys? Make friends with the youngest, if he's a decent young bloke adopt him. Or go and make one... but that's a trial and error thing." Stupid cup getting empty again like it was nobody's business! @Sara @Sharpie
  5. Liv
    How degrading was it that the one person in the room who had not treated Titus with hostility was now giggling in amusement? Trust children to be children, even in the dreariest of situations. Had their fortunes been switched, would the boy still be laughing and stuffing his little face without a care int he world? Probably not. Hours? The gods truly laughed at him. He would be lucky to be awake by then... although falling asleep did not sound like such a bad idea if it allowed him to skip the neverending speech. The strong wine was certainly helping with that. Unfazed by the intense scrutiny he found himself on the receiving end of, Titus helped himself to another piece of bread and dunked it in the bowl of gooey honey he was currently monopolising. His appetite was finally making a comeback, but the painful clicks in his jaw when he yawned or chewed too hard made him stick to soft foods. So they took the chain of command very seriously, even outside the battlefield. That was good information to have, if only it could somehow get to the right hands. Titus swallowed the last of his bread and trained his eyes on the woman again. "What does your Zalmoxis do that is so scary?" Maybe he (she? it was impossible to tell by name alone) enjoyed frying people with lightning bolts like Jupiter. Their high-priest had peculiar garb, though Titus reckoned a foreigner could say the same upon laying eyes on the flamen dialis for the first time. She had no obligation to inform him of the eagle's whereabouts, but the news made something in his chest fill with warmth. In spite of his failure, the act meant the legionaries would not be forgotten; that none would be subject to the gossiping tongues mentioning desertion. Their families would no longer have to wait countless years for a return home that would never happen. Titus raised his cup in a silent toast to the fallen, eyes staring unblinkingly at the cup but clearly in a faraway place. After taking a swig, he turned to Zia and flashed her a brief, heartfelt smile. "Thank you." He mimicked his new wife in scanning the crowd, looking for signs of a change in rhythm. Failing to find them, Titus had no choice but to ask her. "What happens after he's done speaking? Do we just sit here and eat and drink?" For that they needn't have bothered with him; a scarecrow in armour would have been enough. "It's a one-day thing, right? No speech and banquet tomorrow?" @Sara
  6. Liv
    (Letter dated the day after Consequences) Titus Sulpicius Rufus to his dearest friend Longinus, greetings. It is now day 2 of your slave Attis' stay in my house. If it were not a waste of good pepper, I would have ordered him to eat some every time he opens his mouth. Are you aware he lies to your face with no remorse? He did it to me yesterday. To be entirely frank, I think he's beyond redemption, but I won't let personal opinions deter me from the mission you gave me. He's now making himself at home in the kitchens and, if all goes well, will return to you with top-notch childminding skills under his belt or, at the very least, better acting prowess. Is there anything you absolutely do not want me to do to him? Farewell, my dearest friend and brother. @Sara
  7. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    Longinus' heart wanted very many things and it changed its mind very many times. Still, it was good to hear he had had the foresight to let Cassia know about her soon-to-be stepmother before the actual wedding. When an accusing finger came jabbing at him, Titus grabbed it with unexpectedly quick reflexes and bent it backwards until he saw a satisfying grimace on Longinus' face. He hadn't had enough to drink yet that he couldn't pay back in kind. "Oh, so it was around that time," he nodded to Aulus in remembrance, making a face when more memories came rushing in uninvited. Neptune forgive him, but he really hated sea travel. "That was very brave of her to do. To Horatia Justina and her nerves of steel!" he toasted, inclining his head towards the other two and happily draining his cup. That fucking cup seemed to get empty far too quickly. But there was no crack on it, because the wooden table had no spillage where he put it down. A true mystery. Shrugging again, this time to himself, Titus grabbed a jug and distributed its contents by all three cups so that they were adequately filled. "My mother was actually chuffed. She thought I would do a lot worse." Quite frankly, so had Titus at the time. As the second son with no noteworthy skills, achievements or looks, he could not expect to land a Claudia Caesaris. It had also helped that Valeria had an easy laugh and great people skills and that they'd wasted no time in giving Plancia Magna a grandchild to dote on. With an absent look, he sipped at his wine. "Nah, she never really had reason to complain," was his final verdict. "It was a lie, that's what it was," Titus deadpanned as he looked down at the inside of his cup. Still enough. For a popina, their wine wasn't so bad. Better than that vomit-inducing ale Longinus kept trying to pawn off on unsuspecting victims guests. He looked up again and stared at Longinus with silent challenge in his eyes. "So. Spill it. Why so soon? You suddenly hard up or what?" @Sara @Sharpie
  8. Liv
    Dacian weddings were apparently very drab affairs. The only one who seemed even remotely pleased was the old man, who was droning on with enthusiasm about a great many things. The guests did not look convinced and their scepticism was shared by the bride, who kept stealing glances at Titus when she thought he wasn't looking. He ignored her in favour of sipping on his wine or dipping bread in some honey. Though they might be barbarians, Titus conceded that in matters of viticulture and apiculture their current products were already plenty satisfactory. While he busied himself eating and drinking, Titus couldn't help but draw parallels to his experience with a Roman wedding. No procession, no white dress, no knot of Hercules, and he certainly wouldn't be carrying the bride over any threshold that day unless she wanted him dead of a punctured lung a few hours later. He had not given up on his intentions yet, but choking to death while the lungs filled with blood and stopped being able to do their job sounded clumsier and more accidental than other methods. That first time round, both he and Valeria had been nervous and excited in that typical way of young newlyweds. This time, he only felt bored, and tired: whilst the armour did provide his rib cage better support than the bandages under his clothes, it was also far from comfortable in his state. The Latin words brought him out of his thoughts and back into reality. "I don't know how to." While he had been picking up a few more words here and there over the last week during his waking hours, Titus' Dacian skills were still far from enough to hold even a simple conversation. But he had promised compliance, so comply he would. Craning his neck forwards so he could make eye contact with the little boy sat on the other side of his mother, Titus braved what he hoped came off as a smile and addressed the kid in his shaky Dacian. "I'm no good." Wait- that didn't sound right, not even to him. He corrected himself. "Not good. Body feel bad." The head did too, but he couldn't bother with more eloquence. He then raised his eyes to his new wife and switched back into Latin. "How much longer is this going to go on for?" Leaning back into his chair, he took another drink of wine before glancing at the chieftain with vague interest. "Old man's got balls of steel. What's stopping all these people from just offing him and then us?" @Sara
  9. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    The mental image of an angry mob tearing down Longinus' door to demand he return the thermae builders made Titus erupt into a chuckle-snort that only did not have dire consequences because he'd already swallowed his drink. "The only thing he's managed to plan in advance in recent memory is this very outing," he declared helpfully as he reached for a jug and refilled his cup. Ah yes, the difficult age. Titus was just beginning to see its effects on girls from up close; Aulus with his son might have more useful advice. "Why don't you buy the property next to hers and add a passageway? She keeps her place and its new decor, you don't technically move in with them so they save face and you finally have a chance of starting anew with your own decoration. Besides, when someone throws a hissy fit they can just fuck off to their side of the house and leave the others be," he concluded with a one-armed shrug. And speaking of sons, what about Longinus' own daughter? "Have you told Cassia?" he asked his friend in a surprisingly gentle tone. The poor little girl was probably, if inadvertently, getting the short end of the stick. @Sara @Sharpie
  10. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    "I reckon it left him when he walked into this building," Titus quipped as he raised his cup to join the toast. "And to the fearless Sestia Vaticana, for choosing to entwine her life with yours." He never quite knew how to answer the question of his wife's literary merits. He thought it was good, naturally; just as she supported him in his ambitions and endeavours, so did Titus her. On the other hand, he possessed no remarkable taste or talent for the arts, and anyone who could produce better metres than him (amongst which a significant percentage of the educated population of Rome was to be found) was automatically promoted to anything ranging from 'decent' to 'marvellous' by his inner literary critic. To save himself the trouble of a possible (boring) literary tangent, Titus downed some more of his wine before replying. "I think it's good. Public opinion does so too. It'll fly right past you, though." Unless it was Landicus; that might be right up Longinus' alley. Maybe he could be gifted a coveted new piece as a wedding present. A reading club sounded nice; he reckoned it was a matron's equivalent of a lads' night out minus nudity and imbibing. And Aulus' book suggestions were so very safe. Personally, Titus didn't see the interest in revisiting what dozens of Greek tutors over the decades had attempted to cram into the heads of their young Roman pupils, but to each their own. Ouch. Was he better off sitting with his legs crossed under him now? If he had known there would be this sort of violence, Titus would have put on a pair of greaves before venturing out. As it was, wine would have to numb the pain in his smarting chin. The new toast came in very handy. "May their marriage be a happy and fruitful one!" Speaking of fruitful, both bride and groom had children from previous marriages. And hadn't Sestia mentioned something about redecorating her Rome dwelling at great expense, when Titus had encountered her after the Games? He cast Longinus a curious look. "So who's moving in with whom?" @Sara @Sharpie
  11. Liv
    Titus had not expected the woman to agree so readily, or quietly, to his one demand. That the tribe would try and manipulate the circumstances of the delivery to fit their narrative better was pretty much a given, but not one worth fighting over. To Rome he was a dead man, regardless of whether a body turned up or not; nobody would concern themselves with his fate. His brother and sister might, in private, but as far as public life was concerned, his had effectively ceased to exist. His actual, bodily one was also threatening to suspend operations for deep maintenance. He heard the woman bark something in Dacian - probably orders to the guards - from very far away, as if she were on the other side of a great chasm. Titus hoped she was telling them to take care of the eagle. The rest of her words in Latin and the way she said them registered only briefly. Why was she blurry all of a sudden? What what it she wanted now? Compliance? Yes, yes, she'd get it. He tried to give his verbal assent, but only managed to splutter and then flinch with a groan at the resulting stabbing pain in his chest. When had it all become so dark? With the last of his energy, Titus gave a feeble nod before finally giving in to the bone-deep exhaustion that was ruthlessly taking over. His whole body hurt, but it would be a hundred times worse in a few hours when he woke up. And he deserved all of it. @Sara We can pick it up right after if you're okay with it!
  12. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    What an amazing coincidence that Longinus and his betrothed should be old acquaintances, particularly when Titus considered that in the years he'd known his friend, he couldn't recall the lady's name having been brought up a single time. Not suspicious at all. Still, he didn't want to make the conversation turn sour, and so he put on a contrite face and did his best impression of a certain contrite yet cheeky body slave. "My sincere apologies, domine. In spite of all my hard work and even taking into account you had been in Rome a great deal longer than I when that list was written, it was still not enough to satisfy your high standards. Please allow me to attempt to regain your favour by refilling your cup." With these words he emptied the contents of a jug into Longinus' cup, leaving it just a hair's breadth away from overflowing. The piece of information Aulus shared about the Vari's family relations was new to him too, and Titus briefly wondered what their extended family reunions might be like. Aulus might be the embodiment of sense, but his brother-in-law's reputation preceded him. No wonder both mother and daughter were having trouble finding a good match. "Oh, Valeria's doing well, thanks for asking." Before Aulus had the chance to do it himself, Titus grabbed a hold of another, non-empty jug and poured a more reasonable amount of wine into his friend's cup than he had done with Longinus'. "She's been so busy writing lately that it feels like I barely see her some days. Guess she draws more inspiration from our bustling city than countryside living," he chuckled, putting the jug down and concluding his brief stint as pourer of drinks. Fortunately for the situation at hand, Valeria wrote perfectly proper stuff under her own name, even if it didn't comprise the gross of her work. "How about yours?" Titus gave Longinus shifty eyes as if to say 'don't worry, we'll get to yours too' before turning his attention back to Aulus. @Sara @Sharpie
  13. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    Unimpressed, Titus smiled tersely at Longinus and took another swig of his wine. "I am sure. If you've already had so much to drink that you don't remember, that's your problem." Inwardly he was relieved that Aulus did not seem to take offence to his venerable sister being the subject of informal correspondence between friends. "Of course!" he rushed to corroborate, feeling rather as if he were a little boy again and his brother Quintus was about to scold him. He refilled his cup with one hand and pretended to rub his chin with the other as he turned to face Longinus, extending his middle finger in a covert show of the digitus impudicus. "There was another lady closer to our ages who Longinus here dismissed almost immediately, the gods know why. The sister of Praetor Quinctilius Varus. Her daughter was on the list too, and we even went to see him about her. For some mysterious reason," Titus's face took on a look of innocent surprise, "our good friend did not dismiss the daughter, although he now changes his tune and complains that she is too young." If Longinus was going to make him look like a lecherous fool, then he was going down with Titus. "Who else...? Oh, yes. The daughter of Proconsul Tuscus, since we all know how much Longinus loves and misses Britannia. Claudia Caesaris, but that would be an unattainable dream. And one of my sister-in-law's nieces, if I remember correctly. Is that right, Longinus? Since you're so doubtful of my memory." @Sara @Sharpie
  14. Liv
    Nothing made priorities clear like your life being in danger, but Titus barely had any time to take in his success in leading the woman to terror and desperation. The men guarding the door ran into the room, wasting little time in pulling him off of the woman and sending him hurtling to the ground a handful of feet away. Before he could take a breath's pause they unleashed their fury on him, pummelling and kicking everywhere they could make contact with. He didn't stand a chance, not with hands bound and so little energy left, and all he could do was curl up on his side and make a feeble attempt at protecting his skull. The sickening crunch of something in his chest giving way, the blow to the side of his head that made everything fade into blackness for two seconds or two hours, the fountain of blood sprouting from his nose and getting in his mouth - or maybe it was his mouth that was filling with red and flowing backwards into his nose, he couldn't really tell anymore -, the throbbing eye that would swell shut in a few hours... he doubted all that would heal within a week's time. The thought made him want to smile, but he found he couldn't; it hurt too much. Sometimes meant sometimes. This could have been one such time, had it not been for the guards' timely interruption. They might have killed him, too - probably would have, if not for the woman's also timely interruption. Her order gave them pause, and after what felt like an eternity they backed away, ready to spring into action again if needed. He briefly toyed with the idea of saying he wanted nothing they could offer, had no need for anything anymore, just to see what kind of look she would make. Would she be angry? Fearful? Satisfied? But the idea left his brain the moment he spat out the blood pooling on the inside of his cheek and lifted his eyes to meet hers. There was one thing he wanted. One single thing. "I want our eagle returned to Rome. Intact. No games, no trickery." It took great effort to force out the words and his jaw hurt with every syllable and fresh blood dripped from a million places at once - his mouth, his nose, his temple -, but it was his only wish at the moment, because winding back time to three days before and redoing it all wasn't fulfillable by anyone, not even the gods. Even though he had failed his men, he could do right by them one last time and have the symbol of what they stood for sent back to their homeland. They did not deserve to see their standard abandoned and degraded in a foreign field, or melted down for its metal - of which the Dacians had more than enough anyway. The adrenaline wearing off hit him like a chariot out of control. With every passing second Titus became acutely aware of every bruise, every ache, the way his chest heaved painfully with each shallow breath telling the tale of at least one broken rib, the metallic wetness mixing in with sweat and dirt. His eyes desperately wanted to give in to darkness and shut out the world, but he forced them to remain open for a few moments more, still trained on the woman. A whisper left his bloody lips. "That's all I want." @Sara
  15. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    For someone who up until a few months prior was supposedly in so deep mourning that he had to be physically dragged to a barber for a cut and shave, Longinus seemed to have moved on fast. Awfully fast. And Sestia Vaticana had only been in Rome for a few months after years of absence, so this didn't sound like a rekindling of a teenage passion. "I'll drink to that. Cheers," Titus said to Aulus and raised his cup before downing half of its contents and setting it back down. Trust Longinus to put somebody else on the spotlight when he got too uncomfortable under it. "Not Sestia Vaticana. Your Vestal sister was, though..." Titus smiled sheepishly whilst simultaneously glaring daggers at Longinus, a feat only accomplished thanks to years of training. "But I only had good things to say about her! That she was very good-looking, of excellent breeding and that her prestigious position made her as desirable a bride as any member of the Imperial family. I swear on my ancestors there was nothing about her in that letter that could not be read in front of you." Under the table, he tried to step hard on Longinus' foot as quietly as he could. @Sara @Sharpie
  16. Liv
    The woman's lack of a retort to his crude statement led Titus to wonder if she was seriously considering it in her mind. She wasn't bad-looking in spite of the arrogance that marred her features, but between performance anxiety caused by current circumstances and the judgmental look that seemed to be a permanent fixture in her eyes, the chance to fantasise about a different face and a different place would be a precious one. Cultellus, Cothelus, Cinaedus, Culus - who cared. It's not like these barbarians would pronounce his name correctly, either. Titus just rolled his eyes in mild annoyance, not even proud of having his guess confirmed. For whatever reason, the Dacian was very defensive about her current state. Maybe it was a thing of shame in their culture. "Why should it? Just proves you're a wom--". The surprise kick had him instantly crying out and doubling over, trying to protect himself from an eventual new blow. His world dissolved into all-encompassing pain. He could feel nothing else, see nothing but sparks in the darkness behind eyes screwed shut. The pain came in waves, each worse than the other, until it finally started to abate as he panted heavily and stars slowly disappeared from his blurry vision, the world gradually regaining its colours and contours. His fingers twitched and his whole body shook as Titus struggled to regain control over his breathing, but slowly he sat up straight again and with watery eyes glared at the woman with as much scorn and hatred as he could put into it. Fucking bitch. A deep breath to steady himself... And then he was standing up lightning fast, using all the strength he could muster to flip the table with his bound hands towards the woman. She would have to jump up and back off to avoid it, and Titus seized the opportunity to close the distance between them and charge her with his shoulder, knocking her down on her back. If she wanted a fight, by Mars she was going to get one! Wasting no time before the commotion inevitably brought in the guards, Titus pounced on her, straddling her waist so she wouldn't be able to use her knees to strike back and looming over her to dig his left elbow onto the sensitive area right below the spot where collarbone met her right shoulder, putting all hips upper body strength into it. His left forearm was brought to bear down hard on her throat, a manic fire gleaming in his eyes. The chokehold was awkward, but still frighteningly effective as he made use of his tied right wrist to increase the pressure on his forearm. It wouldn't be long before the lack of air had her in a panic. Titus grinned down at the woman, a predatory smile hanging loosely from his lips. "Do you want to die? I don't mind dying. I've got nothing left to lose anyway." He gave a short derisive laugh, but did not ease the pressure on her throat. "But if you die, your little boy will be all alone when the legions come back. How do you think that will turn out?" @Sara
  17. Liv

    Boys Night

    Liv replied to Sara's topic in Poppina Via Lata

    Well well well, to think he would be the last to arrive and thus complete the trio. Longinus' choice of establishment could not have been unintentional, although his good friend wasn't quite known for thinking ahead. Titus actually approved of it: made the walk so much shorter when they reached the inevitable point of being drunk enough to take the party somewhere more sordid. He spotted the two others sat at a table and was spotted back almost right away, and after a round of vigorous embracing he took his seat and motioned to a passing servant to bring drinks. "Lucius Cassius Longinus, colour me surprised! Congratulations on your impending nuptials, but I have to ask..." Titus rested his elbows on the table, leaning forward almost conspiratorially. "How did this come to pass?" @Sara @Sharpie
  18. Liv
    Longinus' letter had started off commonly enough, but somewhere between the second and third paragraphs Titus found himself choking on a few of the almonds he'd been munching on. They did say love did strange things to a man. He shared the rather incredible news with Valeria while a slave went to get writing supplies, and penned a quick reply to be delivered to the secretary straight away. To Lucius Cassius Longinus from his gobsmacked brother Titus Sulpicius Rufus. Greetings! To answer your questions: a) Attis is doing well and still in possession of all his important appendages. Valeriana has grown very fond of him (he has strict orders to pay attention to her), I think she'll miss him when he returns to you. Just yesterday they were making literal mud cakes with great gusto. b) This is the earliest and most insane mid-life crisis I've ever heard of. My hope is that Sestia Vaticana, being a charming and spirited lady, will right you before it's too late. I found her very pleasant when I met her, please don't ruin her with your stupid. Of course we'll be there. c) I see you're looking to break the fingers on your other hand. As long as you don't smuggle in any ale I would be delighted to join you and Aulus Calpurnius as you tell us the full story of how this indescribable series of events came to pass. Your friend, Titus @Sara
  19. Liv
    Lesser men would have wilted under the woman's fiery glare, but Titus let it roll off back, seemingly unaffected. Whatever her opinion of him, and it was painfully obvious it was low, it could not compare to the way he felt about himself and his monumental failure. Her little offhanded jab stung with all the precision of a good medicus, and Titus felt his muscles tense involuntarily, the rope burn on his flesh immediately more noticeable. He would not be so arrogant as to deny it, but neither would he give her the satisfaction of seeing him hang his head in shame. Titus returned her depraved smirk with a raised eyebrow on an otherwise impassive expression, filling in the silence to rob it of its intended meaning. "Actually, with you I'd prefer to do it in the manner of beasts1. That way we won't have to look at each other." The rest of her little speech fell in line with what he expected: yes, it was about her son, and she was the very picture of a self-sacrificing parent who would put their child's safety and well-being above their own. To that he could not relate - the gods had not seen it fit when they had decided to take Valeria and their child over a decade before, might they be forever free of suffering under Dis Pater's care. Titus shrugged once more, again deliberately ignoring her mockery and forcing himself to relax his posture. "Why not take the boy and go back to your father's? Or are you forever tied to your husband's family even though he's dead?" One more reason why these creatures needed a civilising influence, so they would learn to turn relationships into political acts. Unfortunately, somebody else - someone better than him - would have to be the bringer of that influence. "And why wait a week for this pretence? That'll just allow more time for the news to spread, which I would think goes against what Cultellus is trying to achieve." He made to wave his hands, but stopped short as the rope began cutting mercilessly into sore flesh. A dusty piece of knowledge from what had might as well have been another lifetime struck him as a possible reason. "You bleeding now or what?" @Sara 1 - apparently this is what they called doggy style!
  20. Liv
    A look of mild surprise crept upon Titus' face, making him look more alert for all of a few seconds. He had been ignorant of the familial intricacies of this tribe beyond the most basic need-to-knows, and now that they had been brought to light, he found himself wondering why the woman in front of him had not gone back to her own father following the death of her husband. Perhaps her kin were dead, or maybe it was the little son she spoke of that compelled her to stay. Either way, she was looking more and more impatient with each instant. Surprise then gave way to indignation, and before he could stop himself Titus was leaning forward in his seat and speaking up, interrupting the woman. "We do not! Men -yes. Women -sometimes. But not children!" They could be turned into slaves and sold, which was much wiser financially. Trust these barbarians to be misinformed; no wonder they fought tooth and nail if they operated under the assumption of mass extermination should they fall. Under different circumstances (rather, between different nations) the plan would have held water. It would have even been called a sound one. However, as things stood, it had one glaring flaw Titus could not overlook. "Very clear. But there's one thing you aren't accounting for. I get it, you want this to go the way of Armenia. But look instead to Pontus, Numidia, Mauretania, Aegyptus. They tried the client state trick too, and what are they today? Roman provinces. Do you know why?" He did not wait for the woman to reply, but but merely drew breath and carried on. "Resources. You lot are sitting on literal gold. Why should Rome let you control it when she can cut the middleman and take it for herself?" No, it did not seem to him like they had thought it entirely through. Whether it was desperation or honest, misguided belief that they could buy themselves peace in this way - Titus would find out very soon. "You're just delaying the inevitable. I give it three, five years tops before you're forced to see the futility of your plan. Then again," he shrugged, mocking glint in his brown eyes, "you'll have me dead long before that." And if they didn't, he would do the job himself. Fatigue was starting to take over, but he would not give in to it just yet. The conversation wasn't over. Titus leant back in his seat, let his hands drop onto his lap and cast the woman a long, tired gaze. In spite of her cold demeanour, she had explained everything to him, which is why he couldn't figure it out - how was a woman who did not hesitate to glare at him with such contempt content to simply do as she was told? She seemed to have drawn the short straw just as much as him. "One more question. Why are you going along with this? And don't tell me it's just because of your son." @Sara
  21. Liv
    A very good question. Titus could not even begrudge the woman for asking it, as he would have the done the same. He lifted his bound hands for her to see and wiggled grimy fingers in a mockery of the pattern she'd been drumming on the table before dropping them on to the hard wood. "I would have if your friends hadn't got to me first." And of course they had been cautious enough not to let him out their sight, or to leave just one man keeping watch over him. Not that he had anything left to live for. But if he could fool the Dacians into a quiet lull for a few days, then at some point he could gets his free hands on something - surely this woman had a knitting needle or two laying about. And then he could finally do the right thing. Titus stared blankly at the woman, struggling to make sense of her words. Surrender? This did not look like surrender. Surrender would have been their corpses strewn about a field and the survivors in chains, ready to be handed off to slave traders. Surrender would have been Roman roads criss-crossing the province, and fora and theatres and baths and temples raised here and there. If he voiced his confusion, though, she would probably see it as a small victory, a show of her people's superiority over him. "Either something is getting lost in translation or I don't think that word means what you think it means," he mumbled, shaking his head in frustration. A whole week - if he made it through that long (and if some merciful deity was listening, he wouldn't). And then what? A sham of whatever these people called a wedding? Would they still have him bound then? Maybe they'd even tie a rope round his neck and drag him to the place like you did to a stubborn ox. The thought elicited a wry smile. "Didn't know you people had an alphabet." He had never bothered to learn more about this pig language than the strictly necessary, and roughly half of his vocabulary were choice words not suitable for polite company. "A bed does sound nice. A bath would too, for both our sakes." A shave would probably be too much to ask. As if provoked by his unkempt state, Titus scratched the side of his head awkwardly, the simple gesture made difficult by the way his wrists were forcibly joined. "Please, do enlighten me. What exactly are 'your terms'? I honestly don't see what it is your old man hopes to achieve. Rome would sooner forget I ever existed. There's nothing in it for you." Either the plan was absurd beyond a possible explanation, or he really was far too exhausted to be able to follow their convoluted reasoning. @Sara
  22. Liv
    She presumably expected him to bristle at the notion of a grown man learning a language alongside children, but it did not provoke such animosity in him. How many nurses had listened in on their charges' Greek lessons, picking up the basics, and went on to use them for their own advantage? Titus shrugged nonchalantly. If he was to stay in this hellhole for an undetermined amount of time, he would like to at least be able to exchange insults with the Dacians on equal terms. For all the angles to the situation, the woman seemed to be taking it all in her stride. If she wanted him painfully executed for being ultimately responsible for her husband's death, her disdainful contempt kept eventual anger well at bay; she did not show fear either, taking a seat across him as if about to sign some contract. Had she been one of the Dacians' commanders that day, they might have not lost so many of their own and inflicted an even more shameful defeat on his legion. She was even humouring him by speaking in Latin instead of keeping to her mother tongue and have him tumble over his words in a mediocre attempt at communication, irritating drumming tic notwithstanding. "They don't want me back," was the simple answer Titus provided as he stared down at his hands, oblivious to her gaze. "They expect me to end my own life." Which would be the honourable thing to do, if not for the lack of utensils and the constant watching that made it impossibly difficult for the time being. He smiled, but there was no trace of mirth in it. "Have you ever heard of a man called Quinctilius Varus? He did much the same, some sixty years ago. My only redeeming quality compared to him is that I only fucked up one legion, not three." He had an idea of what the woman was trying to figure out; he wondered the same thing himself. "I'm not sure what your chief's endgame is with this plan of his, but whatever he's relying on my name for, he'd better forget about it." He was just a dead man sitting. @Sara
  23. Liv
    If the woman was expecting to rile him up with her little quip she would have to put far more effort into it. Titus merely blinked lazily at her with half-lidded eyes, to show how utterly unimpressed he was. The chieftain appeared to pick up on it, and quickly embarked into a grandiose-sounding speech of which Titus could only make out a few loose words. When the spectators understood the old man's plan, however, they did not seem as convinced or impressed by it as he. Gasps turned to indignant cries and angry voices rose above the crowd's murmuring. Titus smirked; such poetic justice it would be if the damned tribe ended up perishing to infighting on his account. Another of Fortuna's whims, or another god if not her. As he was escorted out, a light sneer remained on his lips. Many of the Dacians were glaring daggers at him, and would doubtlessly have made use of their actual daggers if not for the gladiator-like bodyguards that flanked him. In the antechamber, Titus could not help but laugh out loud at the way in which Cultellus' plan had backfired. Was this his role now, to be some Cleopatra come from distant lands to sow discord amongst the Ratacenses like the last queen of Aegyptus had done with Antony and the divine Augustus? Why, they were even planning on using him for breeding stock! It was all so stupidly funny. The funniest thing he'd sheard in the last couple of days, really. His shoulders and arms shook as he laughed, causing his wrists to rub uncomfortably against the rope that bound them, but Titus paid it no heed. He stopped only when the door opened to let in the woman from before. His breath was ragged from that little fit of near-hysterical laughter, but she did not seem to be bothered by it. In fact, she looked very much the type who did not want others to see what bothered her - she had lost a husband barely two days before and there she stood, tall, proud and dry-eyed in her gold adornments. Titus looked up at her, weary -and wary - all of a sudden. "Just little," he replied in her tongue with the typical hesitance of non-fluent speakers. Just enough to call you a whore and tell you to fuck off was what he would have liked to add, but since she wasn't being openly hostile, neither should he. Maybe she had as much choice in this whole farce as him, though the way she studied him made him think otherwise. Titus briefly considered asking a question or two of his own, but decided against it even before he opened his mouth again. Being their captive, he was at their mercy - let the woman lead the conversation, if it could be called one. By the looks of her she would probably next taunt him for his presently less than hygienic state, or some similarly stupid thing outside his control. @Sara
  24. Liv
    How could it all have gone so wrong? How could a ragtag tribe of miners and smiths inflict such damage and defeat a bloody legion - professional soldiers, for crying out loud! Some bored, wicked god must have been wanting a repeat of the Teutoburg Forest massacre for their own entertainment, because nothing else could explain such a phenomenal blunder. In the two days he had been held captive, Titus had replayed the whole grim scene over and over in his head. He had failed everyone. His tribune - who now lay dead in some ditch -, his men, his emperor, his family, his ancestors. The only minuscule measure of satisfaction amidst all the misery was that it had been something of a Pyrrhic victory for the Dacian tribe: they had lost not only a great number of their forces but also their heirs and future chieftains. On both sides the chain of command had been irreparably cut. That desperation, he reckoned, had to be the reason why the chieftain - Cothellus, Cultellus, whatever - had come to Titus with his absurd idea. From a purely logical point of view it made some sense: what better way to delay your demise by an angry enemy than to entreat one of said enemy to your side? The old man was placing some obscure hope on him, for it would have been much easier (and more popular) to have him executed, probably crucified in a mockery of Roman custom; perhaps he hoped Titus would share information on the tactics and training of the Eagles. Or perhaps he wanted his little grandson and heir to learn Latin and the Roman ways for diplomatic purposes, and more grandchildren and spare heirs of partially Roman blood. Had the Dacian been reading up on the daughters of Mark Antony and their fates and gathered inspiration from their lives? Who could really tell? Titus was in no position to negotiate, and Cultellus did not relent even after being made acutely aware of just how little clout Titus' name carried at the moment within Roman power circles, courtesy of the Ratacenses. He went quietly. What was the point in resisting, bound as he was, with no weapons and flanked by two bellicose giants who would be happy to crush his head into a pulp like some melon the moment he so much as fiddled with the rope round his wrists? Titus let his gaze wander, taking in his surroundings with disinterest. A big hall, but it could not compare to the marble buildings of Rome. Sullen faces stared at him, and some jeered and called him names - if they had more eloquent things to say about him, his Dacian was not good enough to understand it. The giants stopped at some random point in the middle of the hall and so did he. Ahead was old Cultellus in a fancy chair, next to a sad-looking little boy, and by the boy's side was a haughty-looking woman with long flowing hair and covered in golden jewellery. Apparently she was none too impressed. "Apologies for not living up to your expectations. You're not the only one complaining these days," he observed in self-deprecating Latin. @Sara
  25. Liv

    Salting the earth

    Liv replied to Liv's topic in Back in Time

    Hearing Longinus describe the deceased medicus, Titus was inclined to agree with him - that Sextus fool sounded entirely too dimwitted to even grasp the intricacies of this sort of scheme. He would be a liability rather than an asset... Although he could still have been 'employed' ad hoc by the true culprits without quite grasping what he was doing. "Your man not realising he was dying does not fill me with confidence about those notifications, either way. Sounds like anyone holding their breath and keeping their eyes closed might have fooled him." He quickly flashed through the little compilation of facta inside his head, trying to remember anything he might have come upon that had to to with death notifications and turning up blank. If he had seen something somewhere, it had not registered as important enough to commit to memory for past Titus, much to the chagrin of present Titus. "I'm afraid I don't know," he admitted in a hushed, vexed tone. In any case, Sextus the incompetent medicus was dead and thus no longer capable of facing punishment if he truly had had a hand in fudging the numbers. As for the other, living suspects, one of them might see fit to confess to the whole thing if he was challenged enough. Titus downed the last of his wine and found himself far more interested in Aulus' suggestion than he would care to acknowledge. Perhaps it was the grime of the journey, the soreness in his muscles or his brain in need of a break, or a combination of all three; a camp bathhouse had never sounded more enticing. He turned to Aulus, hoping he didn't look too eager. "Great idea. A bath cleanses the body and the mind." @Sara @Sharpie
×
×
  • Create New...