Jenn

While not necessarily a huge fan of the gladiatorial games due to the blood and guts, it was a good way to keep bridges built with the larger Roman community. Julia knew she was in the unusual place of being widowed- she knew socially people were encouraged to re-marry after a death, but Julia was still on her own. She enjoyed being out on the outskirts of Rome, enjoying the free air and the horse farm. Julia arrived at the games venue and headed towards the Imperial & Senatorial box. She saw that Claudia and Tiberius were in the Imperial section interacting with one of the many Senators that were nearby. She cast a smile in their direction and found an empty spot. Settling in, she took a look at the roster that was being passed around then passed it on to another person.

One of the often-misunderstood things about her was the reason why she was unable to talk. It was commonplace for slaves to have their tongues cut as punishment however that was not the case with her. If she were to open her mouth he would see that she had a full tongue. The disfunction was specifically her voice. She could form sounds but not concrete words. "Oh. Alright... Well, I apologize…Do you... uh, can I help you with something? Are you waiting for someone here?" Tacita shook her head no when he offered to help her with something. She was often given small tasks to keep busy and today it was mending. Was she waiting for someone? She pointed to the narrow collar she wore and then pointed into the warehouse. Her Dominus owned the warehouse and she had been sent in from their Domus to bring him lunch. @Chevi

The young woman next to her seemed to understand her gesture enough as she went on to talk about what had happened. Apparently, she had been watching the show as well and said that someone had taken her money. Ah she had been pickpocketed. That was a very common situation in the market. She then went on to say that she was worried about being locked up in the kitchens forever. Tacita could certainly understand her anxiety. She had been given the money to do complete some errands and instead was going to be returning to her Dominus with empty pockets. This was something that usually had severe repercussions. When she began to play with her hands Tacita attempted to reassure her by tapping the young woman’s hand. “Sorry, I babbled. Rome is just very confusing place. Has it every happened to you? With people who try to take money from you? Or shopkeeper who try to… rip off?” Tacita nodded her head and pointed to her voice. As she was unable to negotiate there were many times when shopkeepers would attempt to rip her off. Most of the time she wouldn’t go to the emporium by herself but if she did Tacita had certain merchants that had learned to understand her gestures. @Beauty

He wasn’t saying much. Tacita suspected he was trying to figure her out. They were both looking very sheepish regarding the current situation. He suddenly seemed to put the situation together “Oh…Do you…not talk?” Tacita pointed to her throat and shook her head no. He would know the extent of her voice if he remembered back to a moment ago when she gave a rather undignified squeak as he just about tripped over her. As long as he asked things in a yes/no format she would be able to carry on a ‘conversation’ @Chevi

She is a former slave, but should never have been forced into that position in the first place. Her brother, pretty infamous for being a rebellious baddie, took it upon himself to murder their parents & take power. Instead of marrying his sisters off or killing them he sold them into slavery. She was restored to her families' lineage (ie her slave history was forgotten) by Lucilla & the Magister at the time. If you want to do a thread we can come up with something. @Sarah

Hey It would be interesting to see these two interacting. Not sure about a marriage due to social status (not that it means a lot to her) but also because of what he does. She understands that slavers have to make a living too but having once been a slave it would be too close to her history. She is open to all kinds of friendships though @Sarah

(prior to Claudia/everyone else arriving at Juliana’s) Julia had been doing some work in her domus, but she received an invitation from Flavia Juliana. The invitation had been very simple- there was no indication as to the reason for the invitation. She informed their head slave that she would be heading out for a while and that she was unsure when she would return. After adjusting her chiton and adding a palla for warmth she left for Juliana’s. Arriving at the Domus of Flavia Juliana, she raised a hand to knock on the door. The door was opened by her slave. “I am here at the request of Flavia Juliana- please inform her that Julia Valeria is here.” There was a quick ‘yes Domina’ and the slave stepped back to let her then shut the door behind her and went to get Juliana. Julia let her gaze roam around while she waited for Juliana to return. It was a beautiful Domus. @Gothic@Chevi@Sains@Atrice

Tacita had come to the market with Linus as he had some errands to run. While she didn’t exactly need to be there, Corva did not need her at the Domus today and had sent her along with Linus to keep him company. They arrived in the area just outside of the main market. Linus found a bench on the outskirt of the forum and told her to wait there for him. “Wait here, I will be back in a few minutes” Tacita nodded her head and sat down on the bench. As she sat waiting for him, a crowd gathered, and she heard the laughter and cheering. There were men entertaining the crowd with dancing, singing and drama. So that was what the excitement was about. She shifted slightly on the bench so she could see more of what they were doing. Tacita nodded her head along with the rhythm and watching the crowds being mesmerized by the show. A young woman sat down on the bench next to her and buried her head in her hands. “I am going to die today, Have you ever seen someone more idiot than me? No because no one is more idiot than me. Where is handsome man to save me when I need them?” Tacita turned to face the young woman next to her. She pointed to the young woman and put her hands apart with a ‘what happened’ look on her face. When she asked where was a handsome man to save her when she needed them, Tacita shrugged her shoulders. @Beauty

As she popped up out of his way he managed to catch himself on the door frame. Not the most graceful recovery for either of them, but at least neither of them seemed to be injured. He stepped back holding his hands up in apology. "Gods, I'm very sorry. It was an accident, I didn't mean to... uh." He looked down at her basket and her gaze followed his to the ground. There was no damage. “I should watch where I’m going. I apologize.” She knew she owed him a bit of an apology as well. Tacita pointed to the ground then placed her hand on her chest. She tapped her hand twice and attempted to look apologetic. Hopefully he would be able to figure it out…if not she would duck inside for a moment to find someone to translate. @Chevi

Tacita sat quietly by herself outside the door to Spurius’ shop. People came and went, walking right by the young woman with her basket. Occasionally, she would look up and scan the area around her but mostly her focus was on the two feet space around her, the basket and the item of mending in her hand. Finishing the tunic, she placed it into the basket and was about to pick up another item when a foot connected with the basket and someone much taller than her stumbled. She gave a startled squeak and attempted to pull the basket and herself out of the way but she didn’t know if it would be enough for him. She threw the item into her basket and pulled herself to a stand. Tacita looked at the man in front of her and began to get a little anxious. She felt like she owed him a huge apology, but she had no way to tell him- she had been forbidden to write for anyone but Spurius or Linus…and she didn’t even know if he would be able to read it if she could. Would he be angry that she wasn’t offering an apology? Did he have any idea of who she was and her deficits? @Chevi

October 74 AD (location: Sitting just outside of the Spurius' Slave market) She had been in the household about 7 months and felt like she had a family. Her immediate superiors were Corva and her husband Linus and they were good to her. To her they replaced the parents she never knew. Corva had sent her out to the garden to pull a handful of herbs and produce. Once that was done and delivered to the kitchen, she was given a basket of food to deliver to their Dominus. Tacita changed into a clean tunic as she was going to his place of work and knew she was expected to make a good impression. “Stay at the warehouse until you are sent back" Tacita nodded her head, grabbed her carry bag and headed off with the basket. She arrived in the Emporium Magnum- if she hadn’t been born and raised in Rome seeing the number of people milling about would have terrified her, especially with her deficits, but she knew the merchants that they usually dealt with and those merchants had gotten to know her unique circumstances. Tacita pulled the basket in close so that it didn’t get bumped. She wove her way between the stalls until she arrived at their warehouse. Tacita entered the building and after her eyes adjusted to the light change, she saw the various slaves for sale as well as the staff that he employed. She got the attention of one of the workers and gestured to the basket. Tacita was informed that he wasn’t present at the moment but she could leave the basket in his office. She nodded her head and delivered the basket. Once done, she stepped back out into the main room where slaves were milling about. With everyone milling about and her being a young woman, she was careful to make sure she was staying out of the way and cautious with those she didn’t know. Tacita had a basket of mending thrust into her hands. She found a spot just outside the door where she could maximize the light and enjoy the fresh air. She took the first item to mend and after checking for what needed to be done she began to stab the fabric with a needle.

Julia is recently widowed- although she isn't exactly ready to run head first down the aisle yet, she is available for marriage if the right person came along. It would need to be someone who allied with the Imperial Family as she is very supportive of the Imperials. She hasn't exactly had the easiest life-her brother Camillus sold her and her sisters into slavery, she had a son while a slave, goes from her master without her son, finally reunited with her son thanks to her connections with the Imperial family (she went to Lucilla after she fled her master), survived the purges/civil war although she was placed under house arrest because it was suspected she helped the Imperial children escape, after the war fell in love with Canus (long story) and it was a companionship match but he has now passes away making her a widow...

She watched as Seia took her father’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Barbara was thrilled to see her father happy- not that he had been miserable exactly, but life had been full of ups and downs. He deserved to be happy. Seia went on to say that she loved their father very much as well as her and Alaricus. It was a little weird to hear her say that they were precious to him, and that she was honoured he trusted her to look after them. Barbara, being only a few years younger than Seia didn’t exactly need a ‘mother’ anymore, but at the same time it was wonderful to have a ‘friend’ who was experiencing similar things to her- mostly motherhood. Barbara shifted her son’s weight in her arm as Imperia wiggled off her mother’s lap announced that they could play all the time now. It was going to be so much fun to have a sister, even if that sister was closer in age to her brother than her. Imperia ran to Alaricus saying they could play swords. Great that was the last thing they needed- more swords being bandied about. Her and Seia must have thought the same thing as Seia immediately piped in with directions to keep the activity outside so as not to break everything in the domus. “Imperia, remind me to see if some of my old toys are still around here. It is wonderful to have a little sister to pass them on to.” @Gothic @Renna @Sarah

Hey Dev I still have Julia so there could definitely be posts with Rufia. Julia had been "married" to Canus (companionship marriage as they both have up on ever being married lol) but he has recently passed away so she is now widowed.

"I was returning to my mistress' rooms, Domina," Good she was glad that she wasn’t keeping Volusa from her duties. Claudia was a good mistress but slaves still came and went at her orders, and she would never want someone to get in trouble because of her. Volusa offered to go in and see if Claudia was accepting visitors and Julia followed along a few steps behind her pausing only when she arrived at the threshold of the door. Isis, another of Claudia’s slaves recognized Julia and informed her that she had come to visit. Isis returned a moment later and said she could enter. Julia took a breath to calm her nerves- she hoped this visit went better than the last time she had been there. As Julia was ‘tying up loose ends’ she hoped that her and Claudia could patch up their relationship. Although Claudia was far from needing someone as a governess anymore Julia had promised to remain a close ally and that had soured with her marriage. She entered the main part of the chamber and saw Claudia sitting nearby. Julia gave a cautious smile and a quick curtsy out of respect for Claudia’s elevated position. “Salve. I just wanted to pay you a quick visit as I had come to deliver a message to Caesar. I hope you are well.” @Sharpie @Gothic

My sisters- even if simply to know they are alive. What is your favourite memory?

Julia knew she was an oddity when it came to social rules & decorum- having once been forced to be in the same position as Volusa she knew what it was like to be looked down on for your position. Since being restored to her former station, she should have adopted the view that slaves were there to be ordered around and ignored unless you needed something but that was something that she hadn’t been able to wrap her head around. To her they were still people with names and feelings, and it didn’t hurt anyone to at least use a name. Julia was sure the young woman was surprised that she had used her name, but Volusa managed to hide her surprise. "Salve, Domina. I am sorry that I don't know whether my mistress is seeing visitors today - but I'm sure she would see you, Domina. I am well, thank you, Domina. I hope that you are, also?" Julia gave a nod of her head in confirmation of what Volusa said. She hoped Claudia would see her- things had been a little tense after her marriage, but that was no longer an issue. That being said, Claudia still outranked her so if she did not wish to see Julia that was her decision. ”Thank you for answering my question. I will leave it up Claudia whether she would like a visit today.” When Volusa went on to say that she was well and hoped that Julia was also doing well, this is where Julia hoped she wasn’t wearing her heart on her sleeve. Generally she was pretty good at shielding her ‘emotions’ but it had certainly been a stressful period so wouldn’t have surprised her if she wasn’t hiding it as well. ”I am doing well…Do not let me keep you from whatever task you were doing.” Julia did not wish to get Volusa in trouble- the life of a servant was come and go at their owner’s will. @Sharpie @Gothic

As Julia headed through the palace towards the Cubiculum Pueri where Claudia’s room still was, she was stopped by the occasional guard but she wasn’t held up. When she neared Claudia’s room she saw Claudia’s young body slave coming down the hallway towards her. She noted that Volusa drew to one side of the hallway to let her pass, but Julia figured it made sense to quickly check in with Volusa regarding whether Claudia was accepting company today. “Salve Volusa, I hope you are well today. Is Claudia accepting visitors today? I had hoped to say hello to her before I headed back home.” @Sharpie, @Gothic (if you want)

OOC Name: JennCharacter Name: Barbara StilichaLink to active thread: Meet your new Stepmother Character Name: Julia ValeriaLink to active thread: Tying up loose ends Character Name: TacitaLink to active thread: A Diamond in the Rough Link to active thread: I hope that we will be friends

Shortly after Saturnalia, 73 AD Following the death of her husband, Julia got a crash course in what was required to prepare a body for cremation. Alaric, had come to pay his respects to Canus and make sure she was taken care of. Julia had been grateful for his visit. Following his cremation and a suitable mourning period she felt she had one more thing to do. Following Canus’ involvement in the Clemens uprising and Quintus coming out of the ‘war’ as the victor, Canus had been forced into a period of servitude to the Imperial Family. His period of servitude came to an end when he was finally released due to poor health. Julia sat down at her desk and penned a very short letter informing Caesar that he had passed. She wasn’t looking for anything from him, simply felt that he should be made aware. Julia sealed the letter with her family seal then set it aside to take to the Imperial Palace. A few days later Julia arrived at the Imperial Palace and handed the letter to Caesar’s secretary. She informed him it was for Caesar’s eyes only, but it was not urgent. After this was done, she decided to say a quick hello to Claudia if she was available prior to returning home. Julia headed through the Imperial Palace towards Claudia’s quarters. @Sharpie

Dated: Shortly after Saturnalia (73 AD) Ave Caesar, I hope this letter finds you in good health. I do not know if you have received word or not, but I am writing to inform you that Canus has passed away. His death was due to a recurring illness and occurred during Saturnalia. I do not ask for anything, I simply felt you should be aware that he is no longer on this earth. Julia Valeria @Chris

original application: https://www.aeternaromarpg.com/topic/5232-sextus-julius-fidelis/?tab=comments#comment-5340 Son born to Julia Valeria while she was a slave. He was born June 49 CE/AD. When she discovered she was pregnant, her master said if it was a girl child she could do with it what she wished but if it was a boy he would take the child and raise him as his illegitimate child. Julia cared for her son until he was 2-3 years old then watched as he was taken permanently from her. She feel into a semi-depression and in a moment of insanity fled her master's home but was unable to take her son with her. That was the biggest regret of her life. She found her way into Lucilla's (Empress of Rome) household as Governess to her younger children and for Julia it was a replacement for the son that had been taken from her. Flash forward 15 years and her son was 'sold' to the senatorial family "Julii" but it was only a selling on paper. Julia had gotten help from the Imperial family to track down her son. Her son was purchased and immediately freed/restored to his maternal lineage. He has gone on to pledge loyalty to the Imperial Family/joined the military but details after he is freed aren't set in stone.

74 AD Following: A diamond in the rough After Spurius had determined that he was going to keep her she had spent the rest of the day quietly observing the coming and goings of his place of business. From what she could tell so far he seemed like a very reasonable person- the slaves he had for sale seemed to be ‘well’ cared for. When it came to slaves one could never entirely know for sure as a person could have many different personalities- be defeated one minute or riled up/causing trouble the next but she had noted that many of the slaves he had seemed appeared to be accepting of their fate. Unable to say much to anyone in the room, she had mostly kept to herself until he said it was time to go. She slung the canvas bag over her shoulder and followed out after him. Tacita followed a few steps behind him through the streets of Rome. Her gaze constantly wandered back and forth- she was trying to commit the route to memory although she figured it would be some time before she would be allowed to venture places alone. Most masters kept a very firm grip on new slaves and she also had the disadvantage on not being able to ask for directions if she got lost, although she knew there were vendors in the marketplace who were ‘familiar’ with her…she was a bit of an unusual girl. @Sarah

74 AD Barbara Stilicha: Day after Decimus/Alaric meet (looking for thread timeline): Meet my Crazy Family Julia Valeria: February 15, 74 AD: Lupercalia Begins (observing only) Tacita: March 74 AD: A Diamond in the Rough (purchased by Spurius) March 74 AD: I hope that we will be friends (meeting Spurius' household slaves)

Back in time (Prior to 73 AD, did not include threads carried over from the JCINK board) Barbara Stilicha: January 67 AD: Meet your new Stepmother Julia Valeria: December 73/Early 74 AD: With Celebration comes Loss (Canus' Passing) December 73/Early 74 AD: A Family Friend (Alaric visits after Canus' passing)