Fierce Ladies

[Chevi]

Aia wondered if Cynane knew Decimus. Her ten years in Britannia had made it abundantly clear that Roman men did not prefer to fight alongside women - and Briton women at that. The thought of them having to put up with Cynane on higher order, and especially that she looked like she would be more capable than some of them, was definitely amusing. 

"It is strange, I suppose. But more for them. A woman, who is even a slave, is carrying weapons and has the rank of guard - sometimes walking with the praetorians. It is sometimes hard for them to accept. But I'm here and they can't tell me to leave."

Aia chuckled at that as she sipped her wine. It was the worst fate to be a slave, but in this case, it also protected Cynane from the other guards running her out of the palace, or worse.

"I should not enjoy it as much as I do, I suppose. But Rome is the men's world. And here we are."  

"And here we are." Aia nodded. In a men's world, as women, neither of them in a position that was ever designed as feminine. "But at least you don't have to wear one of these?" she added, tugging on the many folds and wrinkles of her own dress. "These things are a bother and a half."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Cynane hadn't met a great lot of useful Romans after her capture in Britannia - she and the other capable survivors of the battle, who had been taken by the Romans, were kept together and bound, and as soon as possible, slave traders took the slaves along with them on the long journey to Rome, where they were sold and Cynane ended up in the ludus - and became a gladiatrix. Until two years ago. And although she was here and she still preferred to not be a slave (who preferred being a slave though?), she still kind of enjoyed that she had the position she had here in the palace, alongside the praetorians. Cynane was a woman, she was a slave and she carried weapons. She was not free, but she had her privileges. Aia chuckled too when Cynane spoke about it.

Then Aia poinetd out that at least Cynane wouldn't have to wear a dress and she smiled, "No... that wouldn't be very useful. At least I don't have to wear that." She said, looking at the other woman again. She was pretty, not in a beautiful sense, but in a very natural way. Her hair though... and now they had spoken a little, she decided it wouldn't hurt asking about it, "What happened to your hair... if you don't mind me asking?" 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"No... that wouldn't be very useful. At least I don't have to wear that." 

"Not even on fancy occasions? Lucky you." Aia grinned. She was still warming up to Roman female fashion. Stolas and tunics and pallas were hard to move around in, and they made her miss the military tunics and pants. They sure made a woman's life a lot harder, especially when she was trying to get out of the way of danger. Aia had long resolved to tear the bloody thing off the moment she had to run for her life.

"What happened to your hair... if you don't mind me asking?" 

Aia shook her head. Her hair was slowly growing out, but it was still hard to explain. Not many Roman women cut their hair like that.

"I... traveled here from Britannia, and decided it was safer to travel as a boy." it was part of the truth, but by far not the whole "My domina doesn't like it, but we'll just have to wait until it grows back."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Aia apparently envied her for not having to wear a dress, but she grinned, so it wasn't too bad, "I'm a slave, Aia... and a guard. They don't dress me up like a puppet, that wouldn't aid my job well." She explained, a little bitter with the slave part, but also still pleased that she got to wear the guard equipment and even weapons, even if she was a slave. As a gladiatrix, she hadn't been very esteemed. Here in the palace with Claudia, it was something else. 

Cynane then dared to wonder about Aia's hair, and the other shook her head and spoke of travelling more safely as a boy with short hair. Cynane tilted her head, trying to imagine Aia with short hair and smiled.

"I'd like to see you with short hair. You never see women with short hair." She said, "And that does sound like a wise way to travel as a woman. Not that I ever travelled alone here, but I imagine if I did... I'd disguise as a male too. Just to be safe." Cynane added. So the topic had slightly turned towards men and how bad they were... at least towards lonely women. And again, it all made her even more curious about Aia, "It must have been interesting to take a look into the men's world." 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

 "I'm a slave, Aia... and a guard. They don't dress me up like a puppet, that wouldn't aid my job well."

Like that ever stopped the Romans from playing dress-up before, really. Cynane was right, she had a job to do, and a very important lady to protect, so her purpose trumped her decorative abilities. Still, Aia had to observe, she would have looked stunning in a dress. That was probably another reason why her owner did not want her in one.

"I'd like to see you with short hair. You never see women with short hair. And that does sound like a wise way to travel as a woman. Not that I ever travelled alone here, but I imagine if I did... I'd disguise as a male too. Just to be safe." 

Aia nodded. She had a lot of experience living as a man. It was not just the hair, but also the voice, and the body shape, and the way she carried herself around them. It needed a lot of practice, and a willingness to spin lies at a moment's notice.

"It must have been interesting to take a look into the men's world." 

"Well, that's one word for it" Aia snorted, sipping her drink "I mean, yes, it was easier to get around, and to know things, and to be in places like popinas. But men, in general, are not all that interesting when they are left alone. Not the men I encountered, anyway, but then again most of them were not nobility." she shrugged "You know, it's funny, I have a friend who is just as intrigued by the women's world. I guess the other side always seems more interesting..."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Cynane of course knew she wasn’t all bad looking and she did take great care of her hair, as she knew the Romans were fond of nice looking hair and her skills she learned at home regarding that… well she’d never seen a Roman with such braids and twists! But they made her stand out and she didn’t miss the dress at all. She had worn them of course, back in Britannia, but not really since she came to Rome. As a gladiatrix, her attire was either very toned down or she was dressed up in shiny armor for the arena. And now, she just had to look fierce and impressive enough to be bodyguard to a princess. Which wasn’t hard, when all the other women here were pretty and delicate little things.

 She commented on Aia and her story with her hair, musing a little over travelling as a man versus a woman and how it would be interesting to see the men’s world from their point of view. Aia didn’t think it had been all that interesting and Cynane let out a little grin when she mentioned that. Then she spoke of a friend who was intrigued by the women’s world.

 “I guess you’re right. But oh the men would just love a look into women’s lives, wouldn’t they? I imagine they have all kinds of… dreams about what women do on their own… and what they talk about. And maybe they’re right, and maybe not.” Cynane said and looked up for a moment, as a male slave passed them. Slaves and freeborn were two different matters of course, she thought. And then there were people who were oddly in between, like Aia seemed to be. She was interesting, but hard to figure out.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

>>“I guess you’re right. But oh the men would just love a look into women’s lives, wouldn’t they? I imagine they have all kinds of… dreams about what women do on their own… and what they talk about. And maybe they’re right, and maybe not.” 

"Oh, you mean how behind closed doors we all sit around naked on pillows, oiling each other up, talking about who has the largest cock in Rome?" Aia grinned. Men had simple tastes and simple dreams - most men, anyway. Tits, asses, cunts, the fresher the better, until they were all dressed up and magically turned into respectable matrons capable of running a respectable Roman household. Or were purchased for personal use. 

Aia stretched her legs, sipping her wine. Doing both, especially right next to Cynane, in plain sight, made her feel like a rebel. She glanced up in time to see the wondering expression on the other woman's face. She smiled a little. "You can ask if you want."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Cynane let out a laugh at Aia’s comment about what the men imagined they women did on their own, “I’d not be surprised if that is what they think. Is it though? Since you’ve been behind their closed doors, do you know?” It was interesting to meet a woman who’d been behind the men’s closed doors, without the men knowing she was there. Cynane knew men well too, but she hadn’t been able to hide who or what she was. It made Aia different.

 She watched the other woman stretch her legs almost casually while she took a drink – and then she smiled and said Cynane could ask if she wanted…

 “Ask what?” Cynane arched a brow, but then she smiled a little, “You’re very fascinating, Aia.”

@Chevi

[Chevi]

“I’d not be surprised if that iswhat they think. Is it though? Since you’ve been behind their closed doors, do you know?”

Closed tents, really. Aia had shared a lot of time and space with soldiers of all kinds, and while they were not exactly representative of all men, or all kinds of men, in the empire, she had been one of them long enough to get a general idea. She nodded and chuckled at Cynane's question.

"Oh, yeah. That's all they think about. Most of them, anyway."

Some were exceptions.

 “Ask what? You’re very fascinating, Aia.”

"Well, that makes two of us." the interprex grinned at the taller woman "Maybe one day I'll tell you my story, and you'll tell me yours."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

She had completely forgotten time, as they sat here talking. It didn’t seem to matter, as they were discussing whatever they had in common and trying to figure each other out. It was obvious both were hiding something, although she got the feeling that Aia had more secrets than Cynane did. Aia chuckled though, when Cynane wondered what men really thought of the women, and Aia confirmed that the men she’d encountered mostly thought of tits and cock. Not surprising, Cynane had the same experience, more or less.

 Aia had then seen Cynane watching her, and said she could ask… but she didn’t know what Aia was thinking about, but confessed she thought Aia fascinating. Aia said the same thing about her and Cynane smiled.

 “Maybe.” She said with a grin, “But right here and now… does not seem appropriate. Another time, another place. More private.” She added, although she wasn’t sure how she and Aia would find time and space to meet again, unless it was like today. Maybe if Cynane had a day off and Aia had the same, but it seemed kind of far-fetched. Sometimes it was more irritating than anything else, being a slave.  

@Chevi

[Chevi]

“Maybe. But right here and now… does not seem appropriate. Another time, another place. More private.”

"Very well" Aia nodded, finishing her cup of wine "It seems like I will visit sometimes, along with my domina's entourage. I'll look for you when I have free time." she stood up, trying to smooth out the wrinkles on her dress. The attempt did not accomplish much, but then again, she also did not care much. "I am glad that we met, Cynane." she added with a smile. Slave or not, Briton or not, the woman was an entertaining person to befriend, and not nearly as boring as some of the Roman ladies were. "Good luck guarding the imperials..."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Aia seemed kind and easy to talk to, and although their lives hadn’t exactly been alike, they weren’t that different on the other hand. They didn’t fit in here, in Rome, with their personalities – they weren’t like the other women. Not like the women they worked for. And she would like to talk more to Aia, but not here and now. It seemed like their stories might be better behind closed doors, where they’d be alone.

 She watched Aia stand and attempt brushing her dress and she gave the other woman a smile, “I’d like that.” She said and stood too – it wasn’t right of her to sit down, when her companion stood. Aia was glad to have met her, she said and bid Cynane good luck. She could hear from the nearby chamber where their superiors were meeting, that they might finish soon too.

 “Thanks. So far, it has been quiet. But you never know.” Cynane added, “I’m glad to have met you too, Aia.” She said, bowing her head to the other woman with a friendly smile. She didn’t have many friends in Rome. She’d be happy to have just one – and especially this one.

@Chevi

FINISHED