Domus call

[Chevi]

Whenever Theodorus imagined going to a brothel, he generally pictured himself entering through the front door, with a purse full of money. Apparently, the Fates had other ideas. Their ways were twisted and roundabout, much like the alleys of Rome, and they led the medicus to another door, and into another situation.

Honestly, the whole thing seemed a little bit strange. From what he could make out from the messenger's words, someone at the brothel had been hurt in some sort of a freak accident, in a way that reminded someone who worked there (a former gladiator in a cushy new job) that the injury might be best treated by a medicus who had seen a lot of similar injuries, namely, someone from the Ludus. A late night run and some knocking later, Theodorus, never to say no to a medical adventure, was on his way to see what the gods were preparing to throw at him. He had already been in bed, so he was not showing his best, his hair sticking out in messy ways, and his tunic haphazardly thrown on with a cloak on top. He blinked, looking around curiously as he was ushered inside, the air in the Domus smelling of... various things, perfumes among them.

"Uh... where is the patient?"

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia heard the bloodcurdling scream from the other room. She hadn't been with a client at the time. She raced out of bed to see what it was. It was usual to hear moans and some screams of pleasure, but it was very easy to tell the difference. When she entered the room, she saw one of the prostitutes on the floor with her leg turning a way it definitely shouldn't have been. An audible gasp left her mouth, leaving her speechless but just staring at the girl. Justinia looked around to see what happened. Her eyes drifted to the glass all over the floor and a liquid making a large puddle around her. Had she been drinking and slipped on the puddle of wine? There had now been a small crowd of the other prostitutes gasping. She made her way to the guard, telling him what had happened and that the girl needed to see a doctor immediately. 

The young woman was told to get changed and wait with the guard until the medicus came. She didn't see what happened, but she was the first one to get to the girl and pieced together what might have happened. She was given a see-through blue silk robe by one of her regular clients, so she threw that on as it covered most of her and it didn't require a full tunic. She then rushed to wait for the medicus, wondering if they were able to find him alright. 

When the messenger came back with the man, the slave perked up. Finally, someone was here to help! "Hello dominus," she said. "The woman is right in this back room, follow me." Justinia would normally take a client's hand to lead them back to the room, but since this was a serious situation, she didn't know if it was appropriate. "I think she slipped on some wine. She is covered in glass and her leg is bent in a way I haven't seen before. I'm very worried for her." She spoke to him on the way to the room, letting him know of the situation. "There is also many of our prostitutes gathered around her, I can try to move them if you wish." 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

A rather beautiful young woman in a see-through dress greeted him inside. She did not seem injured, so Theo assumed that she was here to act as a guide of sorts. His eyes wandered over her for a moment, until he reminded himself that there was a patient waiting.

"Hello dominus. The woman is right in this back room, follow me. I think she slipped on some wine. She is covered in glass and her leg is bent in a way I haven't seen before. I'm very worried for her. There is also many of our prostitutes gathered around her, I can try to move them if you wish." 

"Yes... yes, that would be helpful, thank you" Theodorus admitted, once again the phrase 'many prostitutes' losing its appeal due to the context. He followed the young woman down the hallway to the room where a woman was wailing on the bed, her leg bent in an unnatural angle, and some blood soaking into towels from her cuts from the glass. A crowd of worried women surrounded the bed. Theo made his way through them, blinking in th eheavy cloud of perfumes. "Alright, ladies, I need space to work, and... what is you name, dear?... she does not need an audience for this. You. What's your name?" she looked up a thr girl in blue who had escorted him to the room "Can you stay? I might need some help here. Unless you are squeamish, in which case, I need someone who isn't." The last thing the medicus needed to deal with was a second person fainting or something while he was trying to help.

@Sydney

[Sydney]

It was strange having a man in the brothel for another reason other than pleasure. Sometimes they would have a guard apply or one of the Syndicate members would come in to check up on things, but most people only  came in for one thing. Justinia lead him into the back room, where he seemed to take control of the situation. There were a lot of bodies in the room and Justinia knew the girl needs space. 

“Justinia, Dominus,” she said, nodding towards him. She walked towards him, getting a good look at the girl. She was heartbroken for her to see how much she was in pain, but she was not squeamish. “Yes, I can stay and help. Whatever you need from me, Dominus,” Justinia said in a respectful manner.

She then turned around at some of the prostitutes standing in the room trying to see what happened. “Please, let the medicus work. I will update you when everything is over.” Some of the people started to protest, but they understood the certainty of the situation. It was strange, Justinia wasn’t ever in a leadership role like this. But she appreciated the fact that she could help, even if she didn’t have much of a choice. 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

There was a lot of sobbing and whimpering, but eventually, Theo managed to find out that the injured girl was named Flora (at least they called her that in the borthel). The rest of the women were ushered outside, hopefully to go on their way and reassure their clients that nothing serious was happening, although there might be some more screaming later on. Eventually, only the girl in the see-through blue dress was left behind.

“Justinia, Dominus. Yes, I can stay and help. Whatever you need from me, Dominus,” 

"Excellent. My name is Theodorus, you can call me Theo." the medicus moved to the bed, trying to get the frantic girl's attention "It's alright love, I'm here to help. Have you been drinking? I saw some wine on the floor. You might want to drink a bit more if you have it, and I'm going to take a look at your leg. Is that alright? I'm just going to look." he told her, while motioning to Justinia to bring some more wine for the woman. She was clearly in pain and the less conscious she was for the next events, the better.

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia was not used to calling people by their names. Even when she worked, she would always call them Dominus unless they were very keen on calling them by their first name. Most men that walked in liked the power that held when a woman slave called them Dominus. Despite that, she still wasn't going to call the medicus by his name, as if her Domina walked in and heard her say his name, she figured that she would be in a lot of trouble, which wasn't what she wanted. 

She nodded when he asked her to bring more wine. Justinia figured that she would be drinking too if she was that hurt. The woman seemed to barely speak, either being too intoxicated or too hurt. It was a scary thought that something like that could happen to her. Justinia grabbed some wine from the corner of the room, as every room seemed to have at least one bottle for the customers. She hurried over to the medicus and the girl, handing him the wine. 

"If I may ask, will she be okay?" Justinia said, taking a second to look at the girl. She figured she wouldn't die or anything, but the thought occurred that her leg might not work right the rest of her life. It was something that terrified her, and realizing this, she knew she needed to be more careful. The girl was a slave in the brothel, and if she didn't get better, she would be sold for next to nothing if she had a limp. 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Justinia seemed to have an acquired instinct of obedience, but she also seemed like a naturally bright girl. She brought wine, following unspoken instructions, and Flora drank most of it down with a mix of anguish and fright. In the meantime, Theo rolled up her dress to look at the knee. It was definitely bent the wrong way, and as he laid his hands on the joint, the injured girl wailed. The other women and men at the brother would have to work extra hard to keep their customers happy with sounds like this seeping through the walls.

"If I may ask, will she be okay?" 

"That is a very good question" Theo muttered; the girl was frightened, and Justinia seemed worried. If a prostitute slave lost the use of a leg, she would have a hard time earning her share for her owner. The medicus frowned as the touched the knee again. The girl was bleeding for several smaller cuts, but the big problem was her leg. "Good news and bad news, love. Your knee doesn't look broken, but it is definitely out of the place it should be. You could be crippled for life if I don't pop it back in." he noted, taking his cloak off "Alright, Justinia, have you worked with a medicus before?... I mean, in a professional capacity..." he trailed off, looking around "Because I'm going to need an extra set of hands here, if you think you are up to the task. And something for her to bite on. And something hard, like... a tray, maybe?"

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia didn't realize what it was like witnessing pain until now. It was strange seeing someone in physical pain while one just idles by and watches. Justinia was always great at listening even though she didn't know what she was doing. The whole thing intimidated her, but she wanted to please the stranger just like she was taught to do. It might have been different now, though she was still willing to do whatever it took. Maybe she would impress her Domina that way. It was her time off after all, and the other prostitutes needed to make money somehow. 

He said that the girl might be crippled and Justinia didn't know how to take that. At least she might be able to get better, but she was terrified for her. If she couldn't use her leg, she couldn't work. She would literally be worthless. Justinia tried to keep a balanced head. "No, Dominus," she said in response to if she ever worked with a medicus before. She hadn't worked with one ever, and she honestly never thought she would. 

He said that she needed an extra set of hands and something hard for the girl to bite on. "I will help as best as I can." Justinia turned around and looked around the room for something for the girl to bite on that wasn't too big. The rooms that the girls had weren't too big and had minimal items in them. She thought of something quickly, taking off her robe without a thought. "Will this work? It's not hard, but if she stuffed it in her mouth it might be better on her teeth and possibly muffle any screams that she has." Justinia offered her robe to the man. She felt like a tray might be too heavy or hurt her teeth. Maybe the silk robe could help her and keep her quiet at the same time. Her Domina would not be pleased if there was a girl screaming bloody murder in the brothel. 

@Chevi

 

[Chevi]

"No, Dominus. I will help as best as I can."

It was really a small chance, finding a slave, and a woman at that, who had worked with a medicus, in a brothel. But it didn't hurt to ask. Justinia was quick on her feet, at least, not making a fuss, which was much appreciated, because the injured girl was making fuss enough to make this next step hard. She drank most of the wine in big gulps, and now she looked woozy, but no less terrified. She began to sob again when Theo told her the news about her leg.

Justinia disrobed in one smooth, well-practiced motion, and Theo's eyes widened.

"Will this work? It's not hard, but if she stuffed it in her mouth it might be better on her teeth and possibly muffle any screams that she has."

"Tha... that's a good idea" he concluded a few heartbeats awkwardly late. It must have been natural for the girl to be undressed in front of strangers, but Theo, with his military background, was not used to women doing that in front of him without a second thought. He cleared his throat and took the silk robe, rolling it into a thin piece before he turned back to Flora. "Bite on this, love."

Looking around, the finally grabbed the wooden tray the wine had been served on, and slid it under the injured leg on the bed.

"Alright... uh, Justinia, come over here. You will have to hold her leg in place so I can pop it back in. Can you do that?... May I?" he asked, before he reached for her hands, placing them on the other girl's thigh "Hold here, as strongly as you can. Put your weight on it." he looked up at the injured girl "Sorry love, but this is going to hurt. I'll do it as fast as I can. Ready?" The question was to Justinia, more than to the patient. The latter had nothing to do with this, other than bite down and brace herself. Justinia, on the other hand, was important to what happened next.

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia watched the girl sob, which was heartbreaking to her. She hated when people cried. The girl must have been in so much pain that Justinia couldn't have imagined. She looked at the medicus, who seemed to used to this. She wondered how someone had the willpower to hear people scream in agony and trying to make the physical pain better--or not. Her thoughts lingered to if the man had ever seen someone die. That was probably a given, but how terrible it would be to see someone in pain just let go and stop living. Justinia had to get her mind off of it before she started crying herself. Her mind focused on the girl and the medicus, wanting to do everything in her power so the girl wouldn't die. 

"Yes Dominus," she said, as he placed placed her hands on the girl's thigh. She looked at the girl, hoping that this would work. If it didn't...she didn't want to imagine it not working. The sooner her knee could get better, the sooner she could keep making money. That was the most important thing, right behind her staying alive. 

She held onto her thigh, taking a second before she answered the medicus' question. Justinia was fearful that she wouldn't do it perfectly. She took a long sigh, and instead of answering the question, she nodded. She kept a strong grip on the girl's thigh, and though she wasn't very strong, she tried her best. She then closed her eyes, not wanting to see what the medicus was about to do. 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Justinia braced herself and nodded, even though she visibly paled at the idea of what was going to happen. She was already doing more than what could be expected of her, given the circumstances. As long as she held a strong grip, Theo would do the rest, and she could calm her nerves later. First, they needed to deal with the other girl's leg.

Jolting limbs back into place was something Theo had done many times before. Arms, legs tended to get dislocated in close combat, or even due to building accidents, both very common in the legions. Some of them tore or broke, which made things almost impossible to repair; but if one was very, very lucky, they would pop back into place, and heal relatively well. 

It was worth a try.

Once Flora braced herself, and Justinia held the leg in place, Theo took hold of the lower leg in a practiced way, braced himself, counted to three in his head, then popped the knee in one determined motion. The wet popping sound it made when it jolted back into place was surpassed by the girl screaming through the cloth she had been biting on. Her entire body went tense for a long moment, then limp. Theo ran his hands over the injured knee, touching to make sure it was where it needed to be, before he touched her pulse.

"She is unconscious" he noted, patting Justinia's hand "Thanks, love. This part is done."

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia was not as prepared as she thought she would be. She didn’t know how he would put the knee back into place, but the moment she heard it, an audible gasp escaped from her lips. The gasp was easily overshadowed by the muffled scream. She could feel her body tense up in her hand, and after, going limp. Justinia opened her eyes and saw the woman passed out on the bed. 

Oh my Gods...was she dead?

Justinia froze up, her hand still on her thigh. She just stared at the girl, her eyes wide and her face horrified. Justinia’s face lost color for the moment, and for a second, she thought she was going to pass out herself. 

Please don’t be dead. 

Please don’t be dead. 

Please don’t be dead. 

The silence broke when the medicus said that she was unconscious. She had a sigh of relief, though her body was still very tense. It took her a moment to realize that the medicus touched her hand and told her that it was done. She finally understood that she didn’t need to grip her thigh anymore and immediately took her hand off. 

She was dazed for a bit, needing to lean against the wall. The color from her face was still trying to come back. She couldn’t believe that...whatever that was...just happened. 

“Thank you for helping her, Dominus,” she said, her voice soft. “She will be alright, right?” 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

The hard part was done, now came the healing. At least the girl was mercifully unconscious. Justinia looked dazed and a little shocked, moving away to lean against the wall. Poor thing, she must have seen a lot of things in the brothel, but nothing like this. 

“Thank you for helping her, Dominus. She will be alright, right?” 

"Gods willing" Theo nodded, picking up his cloak from where he left it, and offering it to Justinia, politely averting his eyes. "You did well. Her knee is back in place, and I'm going to put it into a splint so that it can heal." he moved over to the small table, opening his oversized bag to rummage around for bandages and poultices. "I'm going to have to clean her cuts as well. Do you think we can get some clean water?... If you are not feeling alright, I can get someone else."

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia took a breath and just a moment to herself to gather her thoughts. She was fine, and she was still willing to help, it was just a lot to take in. She never thought she'd be doing something like that, especially not in a place such as Domus Venus. But everything was going to be fine. The prostitute was going to be alright, the doctor seemed to be just fine, and she would be fine. She had to keep convincing herself of that, but she finally snapped out of it when the man started speaking. She looked at him, attentive and switching from intense to relaxed. It was a switch she had to make often. 

It seemed as if the man was uncomfortable of her without a robe. It was funny to her in a strange way. Men were usually too comfortable in the brothel seeing her naked. She forgot what it was like for someone to be shocked to see her nude. She took his cloak, seeing that it was please him for her to put something on. She covered herself with him robe as she listened to him as he spoke about her healing. He asked Justinia to help clean the cuts. She nodded, smiling at the semi-good news. It was better than bad news. 

"Of course Dominus, right away," she said without hesitation. She left the room, seeing that most of the prostitutes were still outside trying to see what was going on. She laughed, walking in between them and grabbing a pail, filling it with clean water from the spigot. She rushed back into the room, pushing past people again, and facing the medicus. She placed the pail of water next to the unconscious woman, standing right beside her. 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Justinia was shocked, but she was not ready to give up yet. Maybe it was a slave's sense of duty, or maybe she was determined to help a friend, but she decided to go for water herself. As she went out, Theodorus could hear the murmur of curious people outside the door, craning their necks to see what was going on. He didn't care. People always had morbid curiosity when it came to his line of work. He got the splints and the bandages, and moved back to the bed, working on securing the injured knee as steadily as possible. The girl was still unconscious, but she groaned as he touched her leg. She would be in pain when she woke up. Theo wrapped her knee and leg to hold it in place. Justinia returned with the water.

"Thank you, love. Could you please take a clean cloth and wash the cuts on her arm and hand? She must have fallen into the glass shards when she slipped." washing wounds was an easy enough task, and the girl was a quick learner anyway. "I will bandage them when you are done." he finished wrapping the bandages on the knee, making sure it was properly set. He glanced up at Justinia again. "You are not easily scared, are you."

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia nodded when he asked her to clean the woman’s cuts. She couldn’t imagine the kind of pain she would be in when she woke up. As a prostitute, the men and women had to have a high pain tolerance. But looking at the woman, with her knee and her scrapes, would have pain on a whole different level. She hoped that she would never have that kind of pain. 

She grabbed the the cloth and wrung it out, placing the cold rag on her arms. There wasn’t a lot a doctor could do about scrapes, and sometimes the littlest of scars stung the most. Justinia tried washing away as much of the blood as she could as gently as she could. It would be hard for a man to want her until her scars healed. 

Theo then spoke to her once more, about her not being easily scared. She laughed. “If you knew me, I’m scared of a lot of things. But there are times when one needs more help that I cannot justify my own fear getting in the way, Dominus.” Justinia had been scared this whole time, especially for the girl’s well being, but she had to do what he asked. Not only because he told her to do it, but because she’d want someone to help if she were in the same situation. 

@Chevi

Edited July 1, 2019 by Sydney

[Chevi]

Justinia got to work on cleaning the cuts and scrapes, as thoroughly and gently as she could. Theo glanced up occasionally while he finished working on the injured knee, and noted that, even if she was hesitant about the blood and the pain, the girl was doing a fairly good job. Others might have run away, or been sick, going through this whole ordeal. Maybe she had seen more things like this than others.

 “If you knew me, I’m scared of a lot of things. But there are times when one needs more help that I cannot justify my own fear getting in the way, Dominus.”

"One develops courage by surviving difficult times", Theo quoted in Greek, mostly out of habit. There had not been much use for literacy and philosophy in the legions, but some things stuck with him from his early education. Father had never been a great admirer of Epikuros, but he did admit some of his ideas were worth remembering. "You have done well so far. When Flora wakes up, she will have a lot to thank you for. Any my job would have been a lor more difficult without your help." He moved on to bandaging the clean cuts, putting some ointment on them to help with the pain and the healing "May I repay your help in some way? You have more than earned a reward."

@Sydney

 

[Sydney]

It was strange that Theo kept speaking to her. She was so used to not speaking unless she were to answer a question, and nothing more. Most didn’t pay attention to her when she wasn’t naked, let alone know she was even there. She was always scared to speak out of turn for good reasons. The girl handled pain alright, but pain from a strike to the face was one she never dealt with well. She was just glad to speak with somebody so kind.

She was taken aback when he spoke something of a different language. Greek, perhaps? She only knew Latin, so she was interested when others spoke of something differently. Though Justinia was clueless on what he said, she didn’t question it. It was probably relevant.  

“She doesn’t need to thank me, I was happy to help in any case.” Justinia finished up the last of washing her cuts out, putting the wet, bloodied rag in the bucket. When he offered her a reward, she chuckled a little. “A reward? No, dominus. I should be the one thanking you for waking up in the middle of the night to help this girl. I will assume you will be compensated nicely from my owners. But I appreciate the offer nonetheless.” 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

“She doesn’t need to thank me, I was happy to help in any case.”

There was a sense of companionship among prostitutes, or so Theo assumed. They worked in a place, and lived a life, that was not easy for any person, especially if they were alone. The girls would help each other in many ways (unless they hated each other, which he assumed happened sometimes), and Justinia seemed like the person who would do so just because it was the right thing to do. She really was admirable, even if she denied it.

“A reward? No, dominus. I should be the one thanking you for waking up in the middle of the night to help this girl. I will assume you will be compensated nicely from my owners. But I appreciate the offer nonetheless.” 

"Oh, I will be paid I'm sure." Theo chuckled. "If for nothing else, then to keep my Greek mouth shut." No one liked a blood-soaked brothel, even if it was just an accident. Justinia refused a reward of her own. Theo mused about that, packing up his things "Seems unfair, though. Are you going straight back to... work?"

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia realized it was all over. The screaming, the passing out, the blood, and the cracks her body made. It was strange to think that, as quick as it happened, there was nothing else but to wait until she woke up. That’s where the real pain would be, both physical and emotional. As much as Justinia hoped the woman would still be used, she was afraid she wouldn’t be useful or considered pretty with her bruising and scars. 

When Theo said that he might get paid to shut his Greek mouth up, she laughed. So he was Greek, and that was the language he spoke earlier. It was always interesting to meet people outside of Rome, though she was born outside of it as well. 

He asked her if she would go back to work. “I assume so, my break should be over by now.” She would hardly call that a break, but it was a rewarding way to spend her time. She watched him pack up his things. Her mind wandered. 

“Will I see you again, Dominus? You were very kind and I enjoyed your company greatly.” 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

There was nothing else to do now, but wait. Theo hoped that someone would be nearby when the injured girl woke up. He took a vial out of his bag and left it on the bedside table.

"Put this in a cup of water. For the pain." he instructed. Justinia, or whoever else looked in on the girl, would make sure she did not suffer much while healing. He also asked if Justinia would be going straight back to work. However brave she had been, she was clearly rattled by the whole event, and Theo could not imagine what it would be like to go straight from that back to pleasing customers.

 “I assume so, my break should be over by now.” 

"Oh." Domus Venus was a popular house, especially this time of the night.

“Will I see you again, Dominus? You were very kind and I enjoyed your company greatly.” 

"Not in... uh" Theo was not sure how to answer that. He did not really frequent brothels, despite some of his friends' repeated invitations, and he didn't really have the money to throw around either. He was not sure how much Justinia's time cost, but he could guess he was not going to be a regular. With that said, however, the young woman was kind, and clever. Under different circumstances, she would be great company. 

"What if I buy some of your time?" he ventured "You seem like you could use an actual break. And maybe some food?"

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia looked at the vial he got out. She wondered what it was. She knew very little about medicine or about what anything did. Anything medical related wasn’t her strong suit, but she could take orders easily. She’d try to look after the woman after she woke up, so long as she was in the brothel. She smiled and nodded. 

Somebody must have broken up the crowd outside, because she heard that the brothel was back to normal hours. It was funny that a man was here for a prostitute though didn’t want to sleep with her. Very rarely did that happen, and when it did, it was usually a virgin who chickened out. Theo was here for business, but it was still ironic. 

“You don’t need to do that, Dominus.” She said. “You’d be spending a lot of the money you earned from this job.” Justinia wanted to say yes. She felt like it wouldn’t be the right thing to do to just accept the offer. “Though if you do not mind, I would enjoy it.” 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

“You don’t need to do that, Dominus. You’d be spending a lot of the money you earned from this job.”

Theo didn't doubt that. For someone like Justinia, young, beautiful, and clever, a brothel could ask a high price. Not that most patrons wanted the full hetaera experience, with conversations and poetry, but the girl looked quick-witted enough to know how to please her customers, and she had that exotic tint that probably fetched a good prize with the men of Rome. Theo did not frequent brothels, so he could only vaguely estimate how much her time would cost.

“Though if you do not mind, I would enjoy it.” 

"It would be my pleasure." he smiled, then caught himself a few seconds too late "I mean... not like that. Just... uh. I'll go talk to... whoever I need to talk to."

The rest went fairly quickly. The news ran like wildfire, so the supervisor of the establishment was already waiting for him outside the room. Theo told them what they needed to do, and then accepted the payment, with some extra (just as expected) for quick work and for privacy. He did get an offer for a free visit to the brothel, which he declined, suggesting a different kind of exchange instead. Gods, Justinia was indeed expensive. But... he didn't mind. Not that he was going to save up to be a senator one day anyway.

Theo returned to Justinia looking a little sheepish. 

@Sydney

[Sydney]

Justinia thought it was so strange, talking to this man like a normal person. And the man, Theo, was giving her an actual break? He must’ve wanted something. Not that she would’ve minded giving him something, it was just...different. He seemed very kind, reminding her of someone she hadn’t seen in a long time. It was something she wasn’t used to. 

She laughed when he said he would speak to someone about buying her for her time. He was so awkward, though she has had her fair share of awkward men. Fathers would often buy their virgin sons prostitutes if they didn’t seem to be very suitable for women. The way he accidentally spoke about sexual topics wasn’t a lot different than the virgins she slept with. 

When he came back, she smiled. “And it seems as if all went well?” She asked. “We can go to my room, I can get some bread and wine, Dominus. You are probably hungrier than I am after helping the woman.” 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Theo did not frequent brothels as a general rule, it was simply not in his nature, and they made him feel a little awkward. He was a friendly and talkative person, curious about other human beings he encountered, and doing a sexual transaction with someone one sees an an actual person was always terribly awkward. Not to say that Theo did not enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, he just went a different way about acquiring them.

This time, it really was just about a well deserved break, no matter Justinia's amused smile when he returned to her.

“And it seems as if all went well? We can go to my room, I can get some bread and wine, Dominus. You are probably hungrier than I am after helping the woman.” 

Theo nodded and followed her to her room. On the way, he tapped one of the slave boys running errands around the house.

"Bring us some olives and cheese, will you?" he told him, dropping a few coins into his palm. He really was hungry and thirsty, after the work he had done.  He followed Justinia into her room, and looked around for a convenient seat.

"We have two hours of your time. Not much, but enough for some food and a break?"

@Sydney