Sara

Mid May, 74AD Charis frowned at the mass of tangled roots as her fingers delicately tried to prize them loose. Whichever fool her Dominus had employed in the garden before her evidently had no skills in tending to the flowering plants or small collection of herbs that grew here. Whilst Charis herself couldn't claim she had extensive experience in tending to gardens, her natural proficiency with the natural world, and the work she had done on her family's small cooking and medicinal garden had enabled her to at least have a semblance of knowledge that her predecessor clearly lacked. The fool had planted the roses in the shade and their once beautiful petals had curled and withered. She needed to replant them, but it was taking far longer than anticipated. Knelt on the floor, she muttered in her own language under her breath as she tried to prize the roots free. She had been in a better mood since her afternoon of relaxation with Cynane, three days prior. For whatever reason, Rhoda - seemingly the only one who had noticed her absence - hadn't informed the Domine, and she was deeply grateful. She had needed that afternoon, to laugh, drink and be carefree. The headache she had dealt with the next day, however, was less than fun. Batting a bead of sweat away from her forehead - still deeply unused to the heat - she didn't notice the little figure moving to join her until the young Antonia Varia was standing next to her, peering down. "What are you doing?" The voice made her jump, and she sat back on her heels, smiling a little but respectfully dropping her eyes. "I need to replant roses domina, and cut heads off so grow again." She said in accented Latin, which had improved tremendously in the two months she'd been here. She'd met Antonia very briefly that day after her introduction with Tertius - and seen her around more now that she was working in the garden, but had never held a full conversation with the little girl. She had wanted to though, she was a deeply family-orientated woman. She moved to quickly wash off her hands in the small basin she had brought out with her - thinking it inappropriate to have hands covered in dirt whilst speaking to her domine's daughter. "You have to cut their heads off?" Antonia asked and Charis grinned, "It does not hurt them, domina, but yes...cut their heads off." Charis glanced up at the sound of another figure approaching, and grinned broadly seeing Teutus. TAG: @Sharpie

Charis blinked in shock as the other woman snapped and moved to lean heavily against the wall behind her, clutching at her cheek and wincing at the blood on her freshly split lip. A sensible woman, or at least one in full possession of her senses, would have run back to her domus - it was only ten or so minutes from here - or even the castra. As it was, whether through shock or some benign belief that she could help she stayed where she was, behind the brunette woman. But as the man slashed at her, and the slight brunette dodged it and came up behind him, Charis choked in shock, backing away further down the alley. She moved a hand to cover her mouth as the newcomer bit into the mans ear. His scream echoed around the small alley and between that and the groans of pain from the man still clutching his groin, Charis sensed an opportunity. "Leave him!" She called loudly to the other woman and moved tentatively as if trying to pull her away, but seeing the knife still clutched in his hand, stopped where he was. "Leave him, let's go!" She said louder, imploringly. But he was still clutching at the knife, no matter how much main he was in with his ear and arm, and realising he could well run them down if they tried to flee, Charis quickly - before she could think - stepped forward and tried to wrestle it free from his hands. A struggle ensued. TAG: @Chevi

Charis took another deep sip of the wine at Cynane's comment, studying her for a moment, trying to figure out her meaning. Although if there was innuendo in there, she was oblivious. "The garden is fine but whomever was working there before was useless..." She rolled her eyes and took another sip, feeling the warmth spread down her chest. "I've had to replant several of the flowers, they were dying, but it's better than working in the kitchens." Rhoda had initially continued to call for her to help, but that had slowly tailed off. She now only worked with the older Greek cook should the Dominus have guests or an elaborate meal was being prepared. Most of the rest of the time she was free to tend to the garden; planting and pruning and planning any new additions. She was about to start on a story of her garden at home, back in Britannia, when they were suddenly shaded by the appearance of a tall man blocking out the sun. Blinking, Charis turned wine-flushed cheeks to look at him, and the colour deepened in her cheeks at his state of undress and...appearance. It took her a moment to realise he was speaking Latin and to follow his words. Glancing cautiously back at Cynane before she answered him, she asked in their language; "Friend of yours?" She couldn't help the little grin. Turning her attention back to the man she arched a brow, speaking in accented Latin (which had improved immeasurably in the two or so months she'd been in Rome); "Too kind, sir." She didn't know if this one was a slave, better safe than sorry and be deferential. Noticing she was still clutching the wine, she took a sip and handed it back to Cynane. Her head felt a little fuzzy, and she felt more relaxed. She didn't realise how tense she had been - as if she was storing all of the pent up anxiety and sadness since her arrival. "I sorry...we only have wine for two, maybe other ladies have some for you." She turned back to Cynane with a grin, but didn't ask him to leave. It was sometimes nice to be flattered. "You come here often?" TAG: @Atrice

Charis tried to smile; "I never stabbed you...I even let you hold the knives!" She laughed weakly. She did, however, know how fortunate she was. Few wealthy masters would take a risk on a chalk-footed slave, especially one that barely spoke Latin. She could easily have ended up in a brothel or the arena. No. Despite the discomfort she felt in her current domus, it was at least, probably the best of a bad situation. She listened patiently as Aia spoke, feeling better now she was clothed. She couldn't help the little smile, shaking her head; "Men are fools...all of them." They could be so oblivious to the machinations of women. She had thought it was just her people, but it had become apparent that the men in Rome were much the same. Her Dominus, for example, considered her a smiling, docile young slave. He didn't hear how she mocked him under her breath and grimaced as he looked at her. Charis envied the other woman. Having a skill, so in demand, that she could skirt the fate that she was probably owed. She could't help but laugh though, at the question. "Write?" She laughed genuinely, "I can barely speak Latin, let alone read it or write it...apparently my vocabulary is good but my grammar is shocking. If only I had a better teacher." She mused with a sly little grin before shrugging her shoulders, "Why, are you offering to restart our lessons?" She arched a brow at Aia. "Or will you just abandon me again." Her eyes narrowed. "You just...stopped coming. I thought something had happened to you." She said, chiding lightly. TAG: @Chevi

Vibia . freedwoman and prostitute . . finished . . seventy-four AD . Another Day in Paradise? - Early July 74AD - Vibia & Justinia Vibia needles a new arrival at the Venus. Midnight Games - Early July 74AD - Vibia & Marcus Bored and unable to sleep, Vibia flirts with her on-off lover Marcus. What a lovely time - Early September 74AD - Vibia & Gaius Vibia entertains a client. A Relaxing Evening - Late November 74AD - Vibia & Group Vibia attends and works at Aulus' orgy. Let's Dance - Mid November 74AD - Vibia & Valeria Vibia makes friends with an irreverent patrician. I know your secret, your dirty little secret - Mid December 74AD - Vibia & Titus [M - V] Vibia pays her respects to a man that knows her secret, and things escalate. . seventy-five AD . It's ya birthday, it's ya birthday - Mid January 75AD - Vibia, Valeria & Titus Vibia entertains at a threesome... Open Season - Mid June 75AD - Vibia & Titus Vibia entertains a client who pries for information. The Hunt - Mid June 75AD - Vibia & Titus Vibia is asked to provide information and is offered a job. Come and Rock Me, Venus - Mid June 75AD - Vibia & Aurelia Vibia entertains a female client at the Venus. What (and I can't stress this enough) the fuck?! - Late June 75AD - Vibia & Others Vibia experiences the earthquake at the Venus. In Confidence - Mid August 75AD - Vibia & Secundus Vibia sees her regular client, Secundus Quinctillius Varus Celebrations, Confidences and Confessions - Late August 75AD - Vibia, Secundus & Livia Vibia attends a party and sinks her claws into Secundus' wife. . seventy-six AD . Work Dinner- Late July 76AD - Vibia & Lucius Vibia meets a new client up a tree. One Magic Autumn Eve - Mid September 76AD - Vibia & lots Vibia attends and works at an Imperial party. A Good Goodbye - November 76AD - Vibia & Lucius Vibia says farewell to her favourite client. Party People - December 76AD - Vibia & Azarion Vibia and a charioteer from the Whites get some action at an orgy. . seventy-seven AD . I want it that way - January 77AD - Vibia & Marcus Vibia meets a brothel master. Priorities- Mid February 77AD - Vibia & Lucius A fire near the Venus brings an old friend back into Vibs' life. (19) . current . Happy Holidays!- Mid December 76AD - Vibia & Marcus Vibia entertains a new client at the Venus. An Education - Mid February 77AD - Vibia, Tiberius & Marcus Vibia gets hired by an Imperial. Flash Your Cash - Mid June 77AD - Vibia & lots Vibia sets out to find investors. (3)

Charis only responded with a grin at Cynane's surprise. She wondered briefly what her family would say if they saw her now; the pragmatic, sarcastic, bold young woman now shy and docile. She felt slowly, however, that she was coming back in drips - a little flirtation or banter here, a small lie there and she was returning to her former self. And she was sure Cynane would appreciate the old Charis more than the quiet, door-mouse little slave girl she now presented. Now they had the wine and moved into the gardens, Charis' eyes widened in wonder. It might not have been one of the grandest, or even one of the best maintained but to her it was...beautiful. She didn't even hear Cynane as she moved over to a bench. Instead, the young Briton woman moved to run her hand through the flowers that sprung up between the trees and surrounded the fountain. "It's beautiful..." She murmured to herself. But glancing around, when she finally moved from her reverie, she realised Cynane had sat a little way off and she moved to join her. "Hmm?" She asked, distracted but gratefully accepted the wine. Taking a deep breath, she moved it to her lips and took a deep sip. Charis had never been one for drink - given her stature it affected her more quickly and readily then a lot of her friends, and loosened her tongue. But she needed the fuzziness it provided now. She couldn't, however, help the wrinkle in her nose and the wince as she handed the jug back to Cynane. "Gods that's foul...but I can feel it warming my chest." Deftly, she moved to unpack the little parcel of cakes and set them about between them, talking distractedly. "I don't know why I like the gardens so much, in the domus and here I mean...we didn't really have anything like them at home - not besides herb gardens and crops...I suppose," She cast a wistful look around - noticing a few people milling about near the Britons, "It just reminds me of the nature of home...even if its more manicured, more...fake. It's still beautiful." she offered a cake to Cynane. TAG: @Atrice

Vibia eyed the clientele that filled the Venus this evening. Relieved to be actually earning rather than sitting in the corner with her cithara, she sipped some wine delicately, watching and waiting for the right patron. It was busy tonight although mercifully the sounds of the musicians drowned out the less...discrete sounds of the establishment, happening in the small rooms just down the corridor. She didn't know what it was, but the cooler weather always seemed to bring out the masses. Not that she was complaining, it had been a few weeks since she had actually been given an opportunity to earn her keep. Titiana seemed to be baring some sort of grudge and Vibia was slowly going mad just sitting in the corner singing her songs whilst the other girls got the gold. She couldn't help the little smile at the arrival of a man she'd seen before. He'd been a visitor before, she remembered his face and couldn't recall any onerous stories from the other girls. She arched a brow and flashed a flirtatious smile in his direction. He was a senator, she vaguely recalled and her smile widened; she could be in for a good night. As he beckoned her over, she gracefully moved through the clients and girls to stand in front of him. "Dominus." She said in a light voice, "Is there anything I can...get for you?" She eyed him lasciviously, "Or are you just...browsing?" She grinned flirtatiously. She was dressed well this evening, a well cut blue dress to highlight her figure and slightly lavish gold accessories; a well crafted necklace and gold pins holding her hair loosely off of her neck. She might be a prostitute but she was determined to never look cheap. TAG: @Brian

Charis choked at the sight of the knife in somebody else hands. And here she had thought these sort of torments wouldn't happen to her now she had arrived in Rome. How naive she was. Blinking at the other woman who prowled closer, she only grit her jaw. She hadn't intended to give them a knife. The feeling of the blade on her cheek made a shiver run the length of her spine. She was embarrassed that she was relieved when they swung it round to the self-assured your woman who inched closer. Charis herself just frowned. The attitude - the swagger and confidence, this woman was evidently something special. But then a woman alone, this late at night? A prostitute maybe? Charis didn't see the irony that she, herself, was a woman alone after dark. She flinched at the harsh words in a language she didn't understand, feeling on edge. The two men just looked between themselves, laughing nervously - evidently perturbed at the graceful woman's tirade. Charis, feeling one of their hands loosen its grip, took the opportunity and brought her knee hard up into the groin of the man holding her. "Bitch!" He managed to grumble but as his hands fell away from her she tried to move out the way but collided with Thessala, standing next to her now. "I..." She was about to apologise, but was interrupted by one of the thieves moving quickly over to them, slashing the knife in the gladiatrix's direction. TAG: @Chevi

Charis nodded and with a grin befitting a little girl who had been told she could have a treat, bounded off in the direction of the shop. She had been out of the domus so infrequently, and given she had been conversing her own language with Cynane had to repeat herself a few times to be understood. The shopkeeper rolled his eyes and packed two small cakes into a small parcel of fabric. Charis flashed a gentle grin. "Thank you Sir...it is treat for my Domina, I want surprise her...she is only eleven and so weak..." The shop keeper eyed the smiling young Briton and with a little sigh, unpacked the parcel and added in an extra cake. Charis paid and the man winked at her. A little lie never hurt anybody, she thought and was on a high from her dangerous little excursion. Rejoining Cynane she glanced around, switching back to their dialect. She liked the secrecy it gave them - few wound be able to understand the slaves' gossip. "Men are so easy...an extra one for us to share." She grinned. "Wine and to the gardens...? You'll have to direct me I'm afraid..." She couldn't help the hum of excitement in her chest about being somewhere other than her routine; domus, market, baths, domus, market, baths. Her Dominus had said the gardens were beautiful in Rome and she intended to see them for herself...with or without his permission. After all, what he didn't know couldn't hurt him? TAG: @Atrice

Charis blinked in shock at another voice, a way off, called out. It was enough to startle the men but as they glanced down the alley and her own eyes followed their gazes, she was...disappointed to see a woman. The two men grinned to one another and shared a laugh at this poor newcomers expense although their grip on the young Charis didn't slacken. Still struggling to unsheathe the little knife, one of the men noticed her fiddling and glanced down with an amused look. "You don't have money but you give us...that?" Charis glanced down and realised what it must have looked like. If her cheek wasn't throbbing in pain she would have blushed. Instead, she finally wrestled free the small knife and quickly moved it up to the throat of one of the men as they distractedly looked at the newcomer. "H...help, please..." She called out to the shadowy figure of the other woman. The man whose throat she now had at the end of the knife blinked in shock at the weak voice but decisively held blade and muttered something to his friend. The force of the second blow knocked her balance and almost immediately disarmed her, the knife clattering to her feet as she blinked, feeling the pain unfurl across her already injured cheek from the punch. She choked back bile that filled her mouth. She tried to reach the knife but was held firmly as one of the men swooped down to pick it up, holding it between the two women. "Now where shall I start? You..." He moved the blade to Charis' cheek, "Or you?" He swung it back to the newcomer. TAG: @Chevi

Charis didn't press her company, only added with narrowed eyes; "You say it like being a woman is such a curse." Maybe it was. Men in war were simply dispatched to the afterlife, it was their women who were enslaved and sold; raped and beaten. Maybe it was a punishment from the Gods to be born female. It was evidently a sore point for the young woman, and Charis didn't want to pry but she had not been oblivious to the marks that littered the other woman's body that she had glimpsed. She only added, quietly; "I hope they didn't treat you too poorly. When...they found out." Aia was beautiful, and men humiliated were capable of terrible things. Swallowing, she averted her eyes to the floor and listened. She had needed to hear it - resolutely, that her daydreams of freedom were naive, futile. It had been dawning on her for weeks now, but she had harboured a hope that they would be merciful upon realising their mistake. It hurt, but it was necessary, to have that final flame of hope extingushed. Nodding slowly she blinked errant tears from her eyes and swatted a few away with the back of her hand; "Ugh Erea you stupid woman." She chided herself sternly. She was not a woman often moved to tears. No, she was far too practical for that and it brought a flush of humiliation to her cheeks now. With a deep breath she glanced back up at Aia, "A pity you weren't in the market for a slave a few months ago, you could have spared me this bother." She was trying to joke but the words sounded hollow in her throat. Stiffly, she moved to quickly dress herself again but the towel across her shoulders shielded most of her modesty and she turned her back to Aia for extra measure as she spoke. "Then I will just have to...get on with it. He's not so bad, my master." She was talking more to herself than her company but when she finally sat back down and faced the redhead she offered a thin smile. "He doesn't touch me, leaves me well enough alone so that's...something. I would have made a terrible prostitute or body slave." And she wasn't being modest. She had often thought her husband would have preferred a hardier, more curvaceous and...worldly woman, rather than the virginal slip of a thing he was legally to bed. After a few moments she added; "Why did they not put you in slavery? When...they found out?" TAG: @Chevi

Early June, 74AD - Castrum Cohortes Vigiles The sun had fallen by the time Charis had emerged from the baths and blinking into the dusk she had to frown to remember the way to her domus. She often had no time in the day for her own personal attendance, but early evening whilst the other slaves were required to serve at dinner, she found solace and peace in the baths. Even if she still wasn't used to the brazen immodesty she found in them. Pulling damp, braided hair over her shoulder she set off on the walk back. It wasn't long, it should only take twenty or so minutes and she enjoyed the opportunity to think in peace. She had been walking for some ten minutes when she heard footsteps behind her. The streets in this part of the city were largely deserted at this time; most slaves attending to their masters and most masters harassing their slaves. Cautiously, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder to see a man - significantly larger than the diminutive Charis, stood a little way off watching her. Swallowing, she remembered what others had said about the robberies in Rome. She was turning her head back to quickly leave when she felt a shove come out of nowhere and her face hit the side of a building to her right. Blinking, more in shock than in pain, she quickly righted herself and stared up at two men towering over her. "Money. Now." Was all they said, gruffly in an accent that was about as Roman as her own. "I...I don't have any money." she managed, and clutched her hand to her cheek, relieved there was no blood but it was tender under her fingers. "Liar," One of them spat and continued in a language she couldn't understand - talking between them. She felt as if her heart might jump out of her throat and she quickly blinked, looking for an escape route. Noticing this, the older looking one quickly took hold of her face and pushed her back to the wall. "Money. Gold." He repeated, evidently irritated by her lack of cooperation. She stuttered as she spoke, feeling sick; "I a slave...no money..." But her fingers dropped to her thigh and felt the thin leather strap and the small, blunt blade tucked within. It had been a habit, in Britannia, to carry one of the knives her father and brothers made - it was practical for eating and for self defence. Here, she knew she shouldn't but somehow she felt better with it - her little secret and one she was terrified she'd have to use. Quickly - as they conversed and pressed her hard against the wall, her fingers skirted under her tunic to retrieve it. TAG: @Chevi

"Run away." What dream do you remember most vividly? What happened?

Charis swallowed, and nodded with a sigh. "Remembering it hurts though." She offered a weak smile. But Cynane was right - to forget was as awful as being complicit here. She was a free woman, a married woman and she should never forget the slight that had been inflicted on her. Waving a hand, as if trying to brush past it - because whilst she should remember, she shouldn't do so now - she offered a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders. "Let's not remember it right now...life is so miserable here, I don't want to make it any worse." And she meant it, dredging up the past now would serve them no good. She grinned then, as Cynane agreed to her plan. It had been a daydream, a fantasy (how simple her fantasies had become!) but at Cynane's affirmation, her smile beamed. "Really?!" She laughed. Gods how she wished to watch the sun go down, drinking and laughing, joking and gossiping with a friend amongst nature. Glancing about, realising her exuberance had garnered her some stares from passers-by, she bit her lip to stop the smiling. They had neared the markets now and the amount of people was overwhelming. Quickly her hands went to the little coin purse hanging from her belt. It contained almost nothing, just enough to buy a honey-cake for each of them. She'd been saving. "I...can't afford to get wine." She winced and shrugged her shoulders, "But I can get you a honey-cake and we can still go to the gardens...? Nobody will miss me I'm sure." For some reason, she simply didn't care if they did. TAG: @Atrice

"I missed certain parts of you." She acquiesced with a little grin, "But your talking is not one of those parts." She was jesting. She'd found few decent conversationalists in the Venus - or rather - few that she enjoyed the company of. Marcus was a rare exception and certainly brightened up what could often be a decidedly monotonous existence. She eyed him in silence as he spoke, trying to gauge him. Absently her fingers went to the rich gold necklace she had forgotten to take before she had collapsed onto her pallet. It had cost her most of her wage of the previous month but what women didn't enjoy the finer things in life? Still, she concentrated carefully on him. "Of course I've seen you." She rolled her eyes, "And my pretty little head knows that you keep all of us lovely flowers safe but...is that...it?" She offered a little laugh, perhaps cruelly and dismissively. Vibia had a shockingly high opinion of herself given her own station, and it was only natural she held those in her life to the same standards. Amused, she pulled her hand away from his and folded her arms across her chest. Tilting her head to the side, she arched a brow. "A grown man and all he does to earn his glory is...guard some rowdy whores?" She laughed again, cruelly and arched a brow. She liked to goad others, but sometimes didn't realise the sharpness of her own tongue. TAG: @Gothic

"Aia." Charis repeated, as if trying it out for size, mouthing it to herself silently again. Occasionally she stole a glance at the other woman, now with her modesty preserved the young Briton felt less awkward, and she still couldn't quite believe that the scrawny young man was now here...sat in front of her...and decidedly feminine. Nonetheless, she listened with patience and couldn't help the shadow of a smile that crossed her lips. "You were never a very good teacher...if you were I would have been able to speak Latin and would have been sold for a lot more...poor children." She joked, feeling a bit of her lost vigour return. "But that sounds nice." She added almost wistfully, before glancing at her companion with a frown. "But what made you leave the legions? You just...left...did you come back here after?" Charis was too proud to admit she had been hurt by the sudden absence of somebody she had considered a friend. Or at least an amusing acquaintance. Shrugging thin shoulders, a flush coloured her cheeks, as if embarrassed by her newfound circumstance. Self consciously, she wrapped the towel further around her shoulders. "Again...you don't need to be sorry, I don't need your pity..." She said stiffly, because she knew if she let the emotion in it would drown her. Awkwardly, she continued, but kept her gaze away from Aia. "When they first put me in the cage...even when I was here, and sold I thought that they'd listen to what happened and release me, send me back." she swallowed and cast a cautious look up at the older woman. "But that's not very likely...is it?" She needed somebody to be honest, for once. TAG: @Chevi

Charis nodded sympathetically. Her life had its dangers, but she could always count on the protection of her menfolk. She did not want to imagine herself, alone. If their situations had been reversed, she was sure she would have done similarly, even if she was sure she would have made a very unconvincing man. "If it is any consolation you are a very pretty woman." She offered, "Much better looking than as a man...even if you need to fix your hair." She joked, hoping Aia wouldn't take offence. Her barometer for humour had been severely warped as of late; the Romans never seemed to want to jest. Not that she had really been in the mood for humour lately. "What is your name now? Aius isn't a woman's, is it?" In the company of somebody she had once called almost a friend, she had lost some of the meekness she had picked up. She missed being forward and bold. Shaking her head, she resumed the braiding of her hair. "No, he has Hector for that." She wrinkled her nose, as if the thought of the man was distateful. Still, her lips twitched in a smile. "He bought me to work in the kitchens but...I have about as much skill cooking as I do reading so I've managed to find work in the gardens which is ...bearable, at least." She did not say that it was on bearable because she hoped it would not last, but her chance of freedom seemed to be rapidly diminishing as she realised that the Romans simply didn't care to hear her story. Casting a curious look up at Aia she narrowed her gaze. "What do you do? You're not a slave...are you?" She didn't know how it worked...whether Aius' lies had deprived her of her freedom. "And you haven't seen my brother or sister on your travels have you?" She added, half jesting, but her voice sounded hollow. "My husband is long dead I suspect but Turi and Ardra weren't at home when it happened...I'm...trying to find them in Rome." TAG: @Chevi

"It's not your fault." She shrugged, but eyed the woman. For a brief few moments after her brothers death and her mothers disappearance she had wondered if this flame-haired woman had led her down the garden path, whether Charis had said anything she shouldn't have to her and that was why it happened. But she had certainly not said anything that would warrant what happened to Calpornus. She smiled a little, ruefully, feeling bolder than she had done in quite some time. "I wouldn't have chosen Charis if I was a free woman." Before she nodded, "I arrived here in March I think and went to market and was sold. I...don't know what happened, to Turi and my sister after I left." She harboured a vain hope that they hadn't suffered a similar fate to herself, but knew it was unlikely. Feeling embarrassed, of having to admit she had fallen so low, she moved to place her towel around her shoulders to shield the lash mark that was slowly fading to a silvery-white from its previous angry red. Charis blinked up at her though, genuinely surprised and...impressed. "You...were a very adept liar, Aius." She almost laughed but it sounded hoarse in her throat. "Why could you not be a woman in Gaul I don't understand?" Perhaps this young woman's fate was as complex as her own. "A hill, I don't know." She waved a hand flippantly, "The man who...bought me, he's a senator. Tertius Q...Quin-ctilius Varus." she managed to stutter. His name and its correct pronunciation often escaped her, as she was so used to just calling him domine. TAG: @Chevi

She smiled genuinely as the woman habitually slipped to Briton and used it herself. "That's not helpful, I need to practice my Latin." She offered as a weak joke, wanting to delay the inevitable conversation. Awkwardly, she pulled her hair behind her ears and fiddled with the loose half-braid she had been plaiting, a nervous habit. "I think you know what happened." She cast a curious glance at her company with an arched brow. She tried to sound nonchalant, but the weariness ate away at her words. "A few months after I last saw you they took my mother and killed my brother," She shook her head, "Not Turi...my eldest brother. I think they feared we were arming people, an uprising," She waved a hand, "I don't know." She didn't want to spread her misery and so instead, avoiding looking up at her company she said quietly in a muffled voice; "And then they came for Immin and I a few months later and here I am." How different she felt, must have seemed. The once proud Briton woman, confident, witty...reduced to averting her eyes, alone in a bathhouse in Rome. Arching a brow at Aia she managed to smile, wanly, "And you? The Gods decided you weren't worthy of being a man? Or...you were a very good liar...?" TAG: @Chevi

@Brian Fab! I'm away for the weekend, so if you wanted to start something for Gaius and her, please do be my guest! And I'm definitely going to request her brother, I just need to get round to it haha!

Charis flinched at the voice. Something in her, since her arrival here, had made her more fearful of people speaking to her directly. She had grown (begrudgingly) accustomed to moving through life unnoticed as a slave. The rare times people did speak to her, it made her almost confused. Glancing up she couldn't help the flush that coloured her cheeks at the other woman's nudity. She was still unused to it. Tactfully averting her eyes both for modesty's sake, and respectfully given she had no idea if this person was free or enslaved, she frowned at the voice. It was familiar, but as the woman suggested she knew her, Charis shrugged, fingers still working through her hair. "You seen me at market maybe, mistress." She offered in accented, broken Latin. But there was lingering doubt. The woman's voice was familiar, and few people had paid her attention before Tertius when she had been at the market. Cautiously, she glanced up again and set her eyes on her company. The features were familiar and as it dawned on her, confusion filled her head. "Ai...Aius?" She managed. Completely tactlessly, she cast a confused glance between the woman's face and chest, trying to square away the scrawny albeit very masculine man she had known in Britannia. "You woman now?" She managed a small laugh of genuine confusion before she glanced away again. Offering to help she added weakly, in case she had not been as memorable to this man...woman, as the red-head had been to Charis. "Erea..." She gestured to herself, "But...Charis now." TAG: @Chevi

Charis visibly winced at the awkwardness. She hadn't realised she'd mentioned the child until it was too late, and it was in the open now. In truth, that loss seemed paler compared to the loss of her family and husband. She hadn't ever known being a mother, but she had known being a wife and a daughter and a sister. That didn't mean it didn't still distress her, but at the moment she was trying not to dwell. As the slaver had told her, a few days after it happened; 'You're young, you'll have more. Smile!'. She shuddered at the memory. "No...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you morose." She offered a weak smile. Glancing at her friend she shrugged her shoulders, trying to act braver than she felt; "It's in the past now...I shouldn't dwell." That was the advice the other slaves had given her, a few days after she arrived in her masters house. At the time it had seemed almost...laughable, pathetic even. But in time she had come to understand that dredging up her upset and bitterness wouldn't serve her. She could still be angry about what happened, but she needed to be proactive in changing her circumstance now, and being upset didn't help. It was, however, easier said than done. Relieved at the change of topic, but still trying to shake off the awkwardness, she nodded. "Honey cakes sound good." It had been serendipitous to find a friend, especially one from her own country and she wasn't going to let a silly comment and awkwardness ruin it. Turning her face up she offered a more genuine smile. "I'm working on being allowed to go to the gardens soon, here, in Rome." She had heard they were beautiful...and a source of desperately needed shade for the fair-skinned Briton. "We should go. With honey cakes and wine, spend the afternoon gossiping..." The latter was perhaps a wistful dream, but she could hope. TAG: @Atrice

Late May, 74AD Charis glanced around nervously. Since she had been in Rome she had yet to get used to the way these people seemed to relish nudity, and the public experience of bathing. At home, she'd steal away to one of the rivers near her home to bathe in peace and alone. This, right now in Rome, was deeply uncomfortable for her. Still, it was at least time outside of the domus and away from her domine and the other slaves. A time for peace. Even if she resented that most of the meagre coins she was sometimes given, were frittered away on washing. Seated in the apodyterium, her tunica thrown over her lap and chest to shield what modesty she had left, she avoided the glances of curious Romans. It was quieter now, but not without a smattering of people. She had learnt, in her months here, that early evening was a suitable time to visit. Most citizens were dining and their slaves serving and preparing their food. Given her work was now in the gardens, and required light, she could venture out largely unobstructed. Deftly, her fingers worked through the knots in her hair, having pulled it over her shoulder. It was damp from the tepidarium, and she was braiding it. Here the Romans seemed to wish for their women to have these great elaborate styles that she could never recreate, or else loosely tied up off the neck. She missed the braids she had worn at home, and the action of plaiting it was soothing to her. Glancing to the left and debating another dip into one of the baths, a voice caught her off guard and she glanced up. TAG: @Chevi

Hey @Brian I'd love to plot! I think Vibia is more likely with your people; particularly Titus and Gaius. She's a prostitute (although a freedwoman) at the Venus. For the former, she's involved in two (!) gangs at the moment - as she managed to get her freedom with the help of the Consortium, and is under their thumb, lying in wait and trying to gather useful information about the Syndicate who run the Venus. Knowing somebody in another gang may be interesting...! As for Gaius well...she's pretty and a prostitute so...if he visits she could meet him in a professional capacity! The only other idea I had was a loose one where my other character, Charis', brother was sold into slavery a few weeks-months after her and has ended up a gladiator. She's desperate to find him, so he could always have been sold to Titus' Ludus! But really, I'm open to any ideas!

"It's my husband more than my brothers you'll have to worry about." She remarked with a sly grin, although it was a bare faced lie. Immin was far more reserved than her young teenaged sibling, and the wound in his leg which had never healed right marked him out as easy picking for somebody in the legions. Nonetheless, this man didn't need to know the intricacies of her marital life. Still, ever the astute business woman, Erea narrowed her eyes as if working over a trading problem. "All you'll gain out of it is practice. You sure that'll suffice?" She didn't trust this one as far as she could throw him (and given her diminutive stature, that wasn't far at all). "I don't have very many interesting secrets for you to try and coax out of me, unfortunately, so you'll have to genuinely just be content with practicing your Brittonic." She did have a few secrets up her sleeve, but this one didn't need to know that. Glancing around to make sure they weren't overheard, she took half a step forward. "I can't come here more than once every other week on business, but my siblings come with me when I do." She chewed on her lip, trying to figure out a way to make it work. She ideally wanted him alone. That way, anything went wrong or he was even less trustworthy than she suspected, her family wouldn't be caught out with her. "I don't want them to know." She admitted. It would embarrass her, and them. Fraternising, openly, with a Roman. It was enough to earn her more than a glare from those that fought at Petuar. "Any suggested solutions, Gaul?" TAG: @Chevi