Sara

Reality hit her like the ton of bricks threatening to fall from the insula above them. Her face levelled off, dropping the smirk of amusement to one of surprise mixed with...horror. He was serious? This wasn't a joke? She had to ask; "You're not joking?" She blinked. And then she called out. "Put me down." The men holding up her litter dutifully did, setting her down gently before her slave stepped to the curtains to offer a hand to help her out. She didn't take it, and instead pushed herself up and out of the box by herself until she was standing in front of him wrapped in all of her finery. She didn't realise how inappropriate it was, to be dressed to the nines surrounded by people that had lost everything until a wolf whistle from a man in the crowd sounded. "You're serious?" She didn't know why she was getting so irate. Maybe it was because nobody hold told her, but that didn't explain why she was so invested or even needed to be told about a man she'd only met a handful of times. "This...this is your life now?" TAG: @Chevi

Surprise crossed her face and settled on it. She blinked. And then blinked again. "What?" She didn't believe him, or rather she did believe him for a millisecond of dread before it passed and she assumed the comfortable familiarity of thinking this was one of Lucius' jokes or pranks. He had established - through several of their chance meetings - a fondness for teasing her, and she assumed this was no different. She rolled her eyes dramatically and shifted in her seat, not willing to step out onto the dirty street for a joke. "And what might your new name be?" She inquired, going along with the prank. "The vigiles uniform suits you, by the way." TAG: @Chevi

She let out a breath, relieved that she hadn't sounded too moronic to him. Most men weren't interested in hearing about her hobbies so when he had pressed further, she panicked and come out with gibberish. At least he was polite enough not to dwell on it, and instead took her diversion by taking about his aspirations. "An aedile in charge of public buildings and yet you've never visited the Mausoleum before?" she gave him an amused smile, "I shall promise not to smear your campaign by broadcasting such a shameful fact." She chuckled, "And after that?" She pressed on as they walked through the circles that made up the space until the other crowds drifted away. "My father has been a praetor for most of my life, he seems content to settle there." She considered Gaius and decided flattery was a good option; "You do not strike me as the...settling sort though." TAG: @Sharpie

"You can call me Ovinia Camilla." She snapped. She always got like this when she was frightened or panicked; stubborn and haughty and all of the worst traits she harboured came out to play. She recognised it immediately and shook her head, mumbling an apology. "Ovinia is fine." Or as close to an apology as she would ever likely come. She glanced up at him as she walked slowly, although it occurred to her that once she got to the end of the street she really had no idea where to go. She had litter bearers usually that carried her, or slaves or her brothers to direct her. She blinked and drew to a stop. "I...just want to go home." Her bottom lip was wobbling in upset and she wrapped an arm tighter around her waist. If this man hadn't interrupted then she would be...she sucked in a shaky breath and swallowed a boulder size lump in her throat. "Do you spend your evenings lurking in dark alleys to save young women, Lucius Antonius?" She chose to ignore his preferred name. TAG: @Atrice

She stared straight ahead at the ceiling as she felt him shift and roll to his side next to her. She felt her chest tighten and her stomach lurch at the words. Spurius had never begrudged her for only having Tadia, but then he already had sons and had no need of any more. But she wanted them; those imaginary offspring and she knew if she remarried the fact that there was something wrong with her meant she'd be limited in her choice of partner. Who would want a barren wife? Lucius, clearly. "Sex doesn't make a marriage." She glanced across at him at the feeling of his fingers tracing her jaw, although she didn't quite believe her own words. She'd managed to build a successful enough union with - now - almost no sex at all. So maybe it really wasn't important either way. "If I divorce Spurius," This was better - she was talking in practicalities now rather than shutting the idea down completely, "He might try to keep Tadia." Although his disinterest in his youngest child was pervasive so maybe he wouldn't be fussed either way? "And I would have to convince my brother, and I'd need a better reason than I love an equite. I tried that once, in my youth with one of my fathers clients." She chuckled at the memory, "It didn't end well for me or him." She supposed 'leaving one;'s wife to die in a fire' was a good enough reason for her, but might not be for her more politically minded sibling. The thought made her feel sick. TAG: @Chevi

Ovinia was seething but strove to not let it show on her face. She'd had a few years of practice, and managed to mask it well enough. Of course he chose to humiliate her here, and he wasn't even being particularly subtle about it with; I'm sure I don't sing as well as some of the ladies here. She took a discreet sip of her wine, startled to realise her cup was almost empty. How had she gotten through it this fast? "Yes," She encouraged - turning the conversation away from Lucius. What was he even doing here? He was older than them, and she thought he hated his fellow patricians? "Marcus do tell. You and our gracious host," She inclined her head to the young Imperial, "Have already enchanted half of Rome's youth and it's only just started. What else can we expect?" She took another sip, draining the cup although she kept it in her hand so that nobody would see it was empty this quickly. TAG: @Atrice @Sarah @Eris

"And what are you cleaning up?" Ovinia asked, drawing back the curtain with a languidly swept hand. She could smell the smoke and remnants of fire from within her litter, but thought she'd pose the question to him nonetheless. It didn't even really register with surprise, not for more than a moment, when she heard his voice instruct her litter bearers. She assumed that this was Lucius' new hobby or venture. He'd tried farming, wine production, selling at the market, singing - why should cleaning up after yet another city fire be any different? She was on her way home from a party - her slaves dutifully walking behind her. Her father and brothers had opted to stay, and couldn't be convinced to escort her - even after she'd explained what had happened those weeks prior with the dreadful man and the knife - but they had, in their wisdom, sent for the vibrantly coloured litter and burly litter bearers to see her safely to their domus. It should only have been a short trip, and judging by the updates her slave - running along next to the litter - passed through the curtains, they were almost home. Or would have been, had Lucius not stopped them. "I'm tired and I'm going home," She said with an eye roll as she still held the curtain aside, "I'm not in the mood for your newest hobby getting in my way Lucius Vipsanius. Clear the road." TAG: @Chevi

Ovinia gave the man a glare, but given what she was feeling, it was weak and nowhere near as threatening as in her head. His words sent a shiver up the entire length of her spine and she wound her spare arm around her waist as it protecting it from the invisible, lurking attacker. She repeated his name over in her head and then out loud; "Lucius Antonius Alexius." It didn't ring any bells. The gens was obviously famous, but the branch he was from was foreign sounding, peculiar to her ears. "Lucius Antonius Alexius." She repeated and then drew her eyes up to his. "We can walk." She swallowed, "But the first thermopolia that we see, I am going in there and I am going to tell the owner that Ovinia Camilla is being walked home by Lucius Antonius Alexius, and I want him to see you. If anything happens to me, there'll be a witness." She'd read that tactic in one of the books she'd picked up out of boredom from her mother's dusty shelves. She swallowed. "It's in the Esquiline. Come on." She was trying to sound imperious, but just sounded afraid as she wobbled herself straight from the wall and slowly, very slowly, began her walk home. TAG: @Atrice

"I'm fine." She managed to choke out with undue pride. Her bottom lip was wobbling though and tears were still drying on her cheeks. She felt like she could cry and cry and cry but managed to hold it together, out of shear stubbornness more than anything. "I've just been assaulted," She scoffed as she tried to push herself up. Her legs and her arms were trembling and she leant on the wall for support when she finally found her feet. "W-why would I want another strange man following me home? Seeing where I live?" she took another step back, involuntarily, further away from him. A life spent in the city meant she had learned to be wary of strangers and keep her wits about her. Before this night, however, the worse she'd ever dealt with were lewd comments and being pickpocketed in the forum. She swallowed at the dawning realisation that it could have been so much worse. TAG: @Atrice

Charis tried very, very hard to keep her face as perfectly neutral as she could. She succeeded, but only just. She almost lost it and let out a laugh at his statement that he now wished to honour his family name. He had three sons by three different mothers, none of them citizens and two of them slaves. If that was Roman honour then the Empire was doomed. "I don't know why he mentioned it." Charis admitted with a little shrug and a sigh. "I'm sorry you have to bear the mistakes of your ancestors." It was much the same in her culture; shame passed down from father to son, son to daughter. It was the way of the world and it shouldn't have been amusing that it was such a colossal shame but...it was. To think, before she'd met Wulfric, that she'd thought Tertius was above reproach in the eyes of Roman peers. What was less laughable, of course, was that under the law and by his name, her son was a Varus. She swallowed. "You are not your ancestors." She gave him a small smile, "And nor is Peregrinus. Thing that happen in the past...should be left there." She gave him a meaningful look, just for the briefest of moments, before dropping her eyes again. "I'll go tomorrow, if you will allow it domine, to see what I can find from the markets on his whereabouts." TAG: @Atrice

Ovinia hummed in agreement. Spurius could indeed go fuck himself. She'd had the thought intermittently over the years when he did something irritating or made a snide comment about her dress sense, or hobbies or whatever was the latest thing to criticise when he'd had a bad day and couldn't lash out at the slaves. To hear somebody else say it, especially somebody like Lucius, was cathartic. She saw his next words coming though, before he said them. She'd always thought Lucius was rash in his youth, and it seemed that adult life and responsibilities hadn't tempered them. She met his kiss with passion of her own, clinging to his arms and then his shoulders and then his jaw until she pulled back, breathless and dropped her forehead to his. "We can't live in a dream world Lucius." She could divorce Spurius - that was the simple part. Her eldest brother, now paterfamilias, had no love for him and he wasn't that influential, praetor though he might be. But choosing somebody like the man whose bed she shared now as a second spouse was likely beyond reality. She swallowed and shook her head against his. "I can't marry you." She managed a half-smile as she cracked her eyes and pulled away to flop herself back down on the pillow. "You wouldn't want me for life anyway. Almost barren? Approaching mid-life? Nothing in common? Pfft." She was trying to lighten the tension in the room, but the self-deprecation didn't land and just made it...sad. TAG: @Chevi

Titus let out a whistle at 'Senator' and smirked. Rich boy playing dress up. If he hadn't of been as helpful as he was, he would have made a snide remark but instead he kept it trapped in his mouth, biting the end of his tongue. "Cursus what?" He asked with a scoff and a frown. His lungs were clearing and he only coughed once as he tried to ask the question. He pulled himself back up to sitting though and leant his forearms on his knees. "Is that something for citizens or just rich citizens?" He arched a brow and took back his skin, downing a glug of water. He was in a standoff of his own with his own brother, although for far less banal reasons he was sure. TAG: @Chevi

Why anybody would join the legions was beyond him. Maybe for slaves born and bred in Italia it was a more natural fit, but he had seen the enslavement of people around him - had seen their pain at the hands of soldiers, and knew he didn't wish to be complicit in it. He had judged that this was better, if only just. "Night patrols as well." He confirmed with a shrug. "Thieves, rapists, murders, fires...we get the lot." And it was honest work, if a bit demoralising to do. There were only so many times one could be told not to bother following up an assault on a slave because 'she was only a pleb's slave' before you lost your wits - which he did, and he had the flog mark to prove it. He cast a glance sideways at Lucius. He wasn't usually in the business of asking questions, but the man's own interest had piqued his. "What do you do then? When you're not catching yourself on fire in insulas." TAG: @Chevi

She smiled into his arm, hooked under her head. She wanted to stay. She did - selfish as though that might seem. If she could blink and transport her daughter here to his domus, and then just quietly slip away from Spurius and the rest of the obligations life had imposed on her, she would. The fire would have provided the perfect out as well - for all her husband would know, she could have perished in the flames he left her in. "Tempting." She murmured. And it was; especially with the sensation of his hand skirting over her side. Very tempting. "I can stay today and...today and tonight." She murmured. The city would be in chaos for a little while yet. What difference did one day make? Then when she couldn't stand the feeling any longer and was losing her train of thought, she rolled herself over so she was facing him. She reached up a hand to softly brush the curls away from his forehead. "But I have to try and find him." She sighed and kept her voice at a whisper, reaching down to grab his fingers and leave a kiss on his knuckles. "If only to kick him in the balls for leaving me in an inferno. And Tadia." She swallowed. She'd be expected by dinner tonight, and when her parents inevitably didn't arrive at the villa, she imagined a tearful night for her daughter. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I can't keep living with him, knowing what he did, knowing what else I could have." She whispered, as if begging Lucius to give her another option when there wasn't one. TAG: @Chevi

Ovinia listened, and felt herself wince. Shared interests. Right. She glanced sideways and up at his face, trying to draw together a tangent of a mutual interest. He said he found music a pleasure, so there was that. But beyond that...her mind was drawing a blank. He was older than her, had different worries and priorities and relationships with his siblings. She'd been coddled from birth, and left out of much of the concern and dynamics around politics than his own sister had, most probably. She felt inadequacy rise in her chest. "I was taught some philosophy." She added weakly. Although not much, and she'd never paid much attention to the tutor who had done her father a favour by offering to extend his lesson to her. "To listen to?" She arched a brow, "The cithara. Or the lute. There's a player from Greece as well, on the lyre who was doing the rounds at the great houses of Rome a few months ago, who was impressive. I just...find it soothing." She shrugged, being honest, "I close my eyes when I listen and can see things..." She chuckled, rolling her eyes, "I know that makes me sound mad. But you know how some people enjoy reading? And they talk about the vivid images they get when they read of the story or the plot and the characters? I understand that when I listen to music. I see the ocean or fields and harvests and people and," She shrugged again, feeling more than a little embarrassed - she hadn't meant to get so personal and a flush coloured her cheeks, "And I suppose that sounds very odd." Clearing her throat and trying to divert attention away from herself, she glanced up at him again. "I'm afraid if we are to meet again though Gaius Vipsanius, you shall need to educate me on your work and politics so we can converse. My brothers have been rather lacking in that regard." She gave him a conspiratorial smile, and tried to push down the inadequacy. TAG: @Sharpie

Ovinia pressed her back as hard as she could against the wall to create as much space between herself and this man as possible. He was keeping a distance though, for which she was grateful, even if she cast a suspicious glance down the alley - as if expecting this to be a ruse as well. She shook her head silently as he asked if she had been hurt. No. She supposed not - it just felt as if she had. Nobody had been that close to her before, not like that, and the feeling of a blade against her waist made her shiver again and a fresh bout of tears broke over her lashes. "I-I want to go home." She managed to choke out and glanced down the street again. Her slave was nowhere in sight. The utter, utter, utter bastard. "M-my slave ran away." And if he had any sense, would stay away. Better to be considered a runaway than face her father's wrath once he found out about this, of that she was sure. She didn't trust this man, how on earth could she, but at least she was not alone out here anymore. "Did you see who did this?" TAG: @Atrice

She kept watching his hands, as if they'd tell her what he was feeling, given she couldn't look at his face. his voice was even though - when talking of Wulfric's mother. Charis briefly wondered what she was like in her head; Teutus' mother - she had been told - was dark haired, and obviously so was she. But Wulfric had lighter colouring, suggesting a blonde or perhaps a redhead mother. Maybe Tertius didn't have a type, at least not a physical one. Maybe he just enjoyed the power over his notable female bedmates. "Hector is spying on me?" She asked. She was pushing the line a little, but she kept her voice light, almost amused, as if Hector's overzealous stalking was an irritation rather than what it really was, which was far more troubling. She shrugged and sighed, fiddling again with the end of her braid; "He said he wouldn't stay in Rome forever. He gave me advice, on where Peregrinus should sleep. And..." she frowned, trying to dredge up the conversation from the recesses of her mind, "He spoke of Germania, and thought I was from there too - with my accent. He mentioned somebody in Germania, another Roman." She cast a quizzical glance up at Tertius, "I think he said he was also a Varus...it was a long time ago, he said, but important, to the Germanic people." She kept her voice confused, and a frown on her forehead. "Do you know what he was referring to?" She knew exactly what Wulfric had been referring to, given he was kind enough to explain it. But she couldn't pass up the opportunity to needle Tertius. TAG: @Atrice

Titus cast him a confused, and then amused look. This felt right? He scoffed and shook his head. He really shouldn't have been surprised though; he supposed he wasn't going to be the only person in the world that enjoyed the grittiness of this kind of labour, or the rush of something when it was done. He had no qualms in admitting he enjoyed leading by example and putting himself on the line, but he'd encountered few - no, scratch that, no civilians who felt likewise. "Is that not what the legions are for?" He arched a brow, "For citizens?" A quick glance at his new aquaintances attire suggested he wasn't a slave. "Freedman." He shrugged and lounged back, still regaining his breath. He didn't particularly want to expand, and usually didn't feel the need to, but this person had followed him into the flames, he owed him something. "There's not many options for us. And it's good work, decent work." Better than working until his fingers bled at a warehouse, only benefitting his boss becoming richer. "And six years in the vigiles and I get citizenship." TAG: @Chevi

You came back. She did, and she knew she would come back again and again had she the opportunity or the means. Here she felt at home, at peace - even with everything else moving on around them. She couldn't voice any of that though, she didn't want to sound silly. But maybe she needn't have worried. His words hit her like a ton of marble, smushing her into a something unrecognisable. She stilled her breath for a minute. "I love you too." She managed to whisper - as if saying it any louder would make it something she had to confront, rather than something she could hide away as her little secret. She did love him, she knew that and had known it for longer than she cared to admit. She had liked him in her youth - not that she'd seen it at the time - but now she was older, wiser and actually absent of love, she had realised what she was missing and what this meant to her. "I don't want to go back." She kept her voice at the same whisper, although by now she was awake and staring out into the dark room ahead of her, although she was trying to sink back into and relax into his arms, his breath on her neck. TAG: @Chevi

Ovinia couldn't sleep or not for long anyway. She should have done, if she hadn't felt wrung out before she certainly did now. She was so exhausted that as she pulled on her tunica again, the sounds of a sleeping Lucius behind her, she thought she'd trip over her own feet. And she did a bit, stumbling out of his room into the dreary grey of the day. Rain filtered through the peristyle into the gardens and she breathed in the sensation. It had to be late morning by now - but her concept of time was more than a little skewed. The house was quiet still though and the darkness of the day's weather meant it could have been any time from 6pm to midday. She saw the outlines of a few people milling about and she blinked, stifling a yawn against the back of her hand. She should feel embarrassed, and a part of her did in a way, but in another way she felt utterly at peace and utterly content in her choices. There would be hell to pay later; hours of guilt to work through, not to mention the trauma from the fire, but for now she was in a satiated, content little bubble. One of the figures moved - a woman a bit younger than herself who cast a curious eye over Ovinia before offering with a breezy, cheery smile; "A bath, domina?" She should have been offended at that, but right now all she wanted to do was collapse into warmth and scrub her skin clean of smoke and dust. She was led back to the little room she'd been in the night before...no, this morning and undressed. The girl had already folded a set of clothes on the bench - not to her standards or quality, presumably they belonged to one of his servants, but Ovinia was grateful all the same. She lingered in the bath for what felt like an age. She knew she needed to let Lucius sleep - she was bone-tired but she had no idea how he was still functioning. When she finally withdrew from the warmth of the rose-scented bath, clean and shiny and made new again, the girl was waiting. Ovinia smiled at her - which was returned with an amused one. "Feel better for that?" She nodded and wrapped a towel around herself as the girl made a 'tsk' noise and started combing through her hair. "Thank you, for this and the clothes." The girl waved a hand to her right, "It's fine - yours are being laundered. I figure after surviving the fire you could do with some relaxation." Ovinia heard the amusement in the girl's voice but she was tactful enough not to say anything further or insinuate anything. Instead, she braided her hair and pinned it up very loosely before helping her into the scratchy, basic tunica. She felt like a new woman, and probably looked it too. By the time she crept back into the dark of Lucius' chamber and crawled back into his bed, hair still dripping wet, she must have been gone at least an hour. Judging by the warmth from his body, it was at least that. "Move up." She mumbled sleepily, eyes feeling heavier than ever, "And give me some more of the sheet, before I freeze." TAG: @Chevi

She made a murmured sound, moaning in assent. Yes. Yes they should have done this years ago, they'd wasted so much time, lost so much time. That he dreamed about her pulled something deep in her and she shifted until she was on his lap - it wasn't much of a movement, she was practically there already. "Me too." She breathed and then finally, reluctantly pulled back her forehead and fluttered open her eyes. They were dark with lust, as were his. The sensation of his lips against her skin made her shudder and she moved her hand up through his hair, raking through. The other played against his neck, catching on a graze. She winced. "Your injuries." Her voice as husky and she chuckled, "Doesn't this hurt?" It probably did, like her arm did when she moved it but the feeling was quickly overtaken by other sensations. The fact they were injured, they hadn't slept, she hadn't bathed didn't seem to matter. "I'm not going anywhere today." She murmured and leant back down to his lips. Her real life could wait a day. This was where she wanted to be today. Today. The thought struck her and she bubbled a laugh, a proper laugh. "Happy Saturnalia." TAG: @Chevi

Ovinia had never been so utterly petrified her entire life. She felt like she was frozen to the spot, and didn't even breathe as she felt the firmness of a knife against her waist. She cried though, tears streaking from her eyes and dripping over the hand that was clamped over her mouth. And then he was gone, pushing past her and knocking her over as he run the length of the street. She was shaking, trembling all over. What the fuck had just happened? She felt like she might throw up. And then another voice. Ovinia flinched, scrambling over until she was crouched with her back scuffing against the wall to her right, panting and trying to catch her breath. "G-go away." She choked out and then her voice gathered strength and she screamed, "GO AWAY!" The man could be part of it; a ruse to distract her and cause some horror hitherto unpredicted. She glanced up to see him; tall and broad and strong and looking concerned. She wound her arm around her knees, in shock. TAG: @Atrice

She'd never been kissed like this; with urgency and need. In that moment, twisted and mad as it sounded, it felt like if she didn't kiss him she'd simply drift away and die. She needed him and it was an experience she had never had, nor never expected to have after she'd signed her life away at her wedding. She made a noise against his lips and wound her spare hand from his chest around his neck. Gods forgive her. When she pulled back for breath, she let her forehead nudge his, resting against it as she panted air into her lungs. She didn't want to speak, didn't want to ruin a moment, a perfect moment despite the injuries and the smell of smoke that still clung to her hair and her skin. She didn't ever want to leave this feeling. It felt like fifteen years worth of build up that had finally been brought forth into the world and it was everything she wanted. "Why don't I feel bad?" She breathed with eyes still shut and forehead against his, "Why don't I care about what I'm doing?" TAG: @Chevi

The look in his eyes lit something up in her chest. She wanted him. She'd always wanted him and always marked him off as forbidden, beyond her grasp. But she could have died tonight and the person that had been there for her at the end was him. He had barely finished speaking before she moved; one hand moving behind his head to run her fingers through his damp hair, the other flush against his chest as she leant in to kiss him with more passion than she'd ever kissed anybody in her life, not caring for his injuries or her own. She'd imagined him kissing her; at Neptunalia she had thought for a moment that he might, in her dreams she sometimes saw it - even now, but in all of those situations she had never been the one to make the first move. Life had a funny way of not following dreams though. TAG: @Chevi

She smiled back at him, equally soft as her fingers continued their ministrations up his forearm. She could feel the heat from his bath dissipating. She frowned at his words though, evidently not understanding his meaning at all. "You...would rather not be here?" She arched a brow and her fingers stilled on the curve of his elbow. "I told you that I can leave if you want me to." But she'd kick up a fuss if he did. The thought of trekking to one of her brothers in this state, with nothing but the singed tunica she was wearing and the sack of jewels she'd kept was depressing to say the least. TAG: @Chevi