The Finer Things

[Rufia Flavia]

october 74ad

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There probably wasn't many in Rome who had lived through Clemens that didn't recognize her, this much Flavia knew as she walked among the masses. The great market was bustling as always, and every once in a while she would catch glimpse of someone staring at her. Use to the stares bothered her, she never knew if they had been out of pity, respect or blame. Now with a happy marriage and four children later, she found she cared not for any of it. She didn't need any of it. 

 

Rome, which once was such a familiar and welcoming place to her - or as she called it in her youth: home, now felt foreign and smothering. She missed her villa the moment they were far enough away from it to not really desire to turn back. She missed the simple life with her husband and children. She even missed the gruff. often drunk but jovial father-in-law that had came with her marriage. She mostly missed the twins, her youngest girls still too small for her to trust to travel. 

 

However, she needed to come. To check up on things, to visit the family. To remind herself that her universe was much bigger than that pocket she lived in outside of the city. And today, she needed to shop. For threads and yarn to weave, for fabric to make clothing for her husband. Perhaps that was a practice slowly going out of date, but she still enjoyed the look of pride in her husband's eyes when she presented him something she had created for him. 

 

"Come, sweetheart." She said softly to her eldest daughter, gripping the girl's hand securely as they walked away from their litter and began the trek into the marketplace. Her eyes darting around the nearest stalls to see if something would catch her eyes.

@open

[Horatia Pulvilla]

Horatia was no stranger to the market place, she and her daughter ventured there often for one thing or another. She knew she could send the slaves and trust them to get the orders right, but she had a thing about getting her own stuff for projects she was working on as gifts. Especially when it came to fabrics. Liking the be able to feel the quality of them before she purchased yards of it. 

This day was no different, with Appiana at her side as they moved through the crowd, stopping here and there to purchase little items that her daughter could carry with ease. Doing their business until she felt her daughter's frantic tugging at her arm. And she took a moment to keep herself modest as she asked her daughter what was wrong. "Flavia and Lucilla, mama!" came the reply pointing to the moving figures of  two people they apparently knew. 

A smile played at her lips and she nodded to her daughter, "So it is, go great them while I pay here." She said sending the girl off, watching her as she ran through the crowd to meet up with their cousins. "Thank you" She said the merchant, handing him a few coins, "Keep the change" She continued before following the way her daughter went, calling out in greeting, "Flavia!"