New Beginnings?

[Sara]

Charis glared at him, "I'm sorry." She snapped, throwing up a hand at it, "I don't want to do it as much as you don't want to know about it, it was a joke." She exhaled sharply through her nose before adding, "But maybe you should know about it, you need to be prepared when you free and get to go to slave market to pick your own bed slave." She was irritated now, and it showed on her voice and her words. She had thought she was friends with Teutus, and had expected compassion, but he man was as reserved as ever. 

Throwing up her hand she shot him a final glare, "I see you late domine I need to go pack my things to take into my new whore house." She promptly stormed away, feeling a rush of anger and humiliation. She didn't want to take it out on Teutus, but how could she not? She'd recieved news she'd been dreading today and he'd received news he had been longing for, and the level of comfort he'd provided to her had been as if she'd scraped a knee. 

She snapped at Jocasta who smirked as she entered the slave dormitory, "Don't you start with me." Before she began to pack. Gods she wasn't sure living in this house could get much worse. 

 

TAG: @Sharpie @Joaquin @Atrice

[Sharpie]

If that was her idea of a joke, she had a bloody peculiar sense of humour, and worse sense of timing.

"Who says I bloody want one?" he retorted to her back. They were more trouble than they were worth - if he felt the need to resort to having a slave in his bed, he'd make damn sure that slave was better behaved than Charis and Hector. They both deserved each other, and if Tertius couldn't see that he was only making a rod for his own back with this arrangement, Teutus was in no mood to enlighten him to that fact -as if he'd be listened to right now. And by the time he was freed and his father was more inclined to listen to him, it would be too late.

"I'm not your bloody dominus," he added, furious at her for gods-knew-why. "I'm not bloody likely to be, ever, at this rate, no matter what anyone says," he muttered, his knuckles turning white as his gripped his tabula hard enough that he would not be surprised if he snapped the wooden frame in half.

With Charis heading to the slave quarters and Tertius and Hector still closeted in the tablinum, there wasn't really anywhere for Teutus to go except out. Maybe a walk around the block would clear his head, and if he got in trouble for it, so be it.

The slamming of the garden door to the street was probably audible throughout the house but Teutus didn't care right now.

 

 @Joaquin@Atrice@Sara

[Joaquin]

Hector understood Tertius’s perspective enough and superficially was on his side in the matter, even if he didn’t necessarily share the frustration. He had never been fond of Teutus, and neither did the idea of freedom ever cross his own mind, so as far as he was concerned Teutus was or should have been pleased with the news. Still, when Tertius had asked him if he thought Teutus had stopped believing him, truth be told so did Hector. Teutus’s release from slavery had always felt more like a rumour or fancy, hence even Hector’s shock when it was announced. It had always seemed that perhaps Tertius had no real intention with it or that Teutus’s manumission wasn’t that much of a priority to his father, either way it always made Hector so smug.

“I noticed the same,” Hector admitted, trying his best not to smile because he disliked both Charis and Teutus greatly at the moment. His mind didn’t go to lovers, mostly because he had missed a lot of their gripping at each other, and instead wondered if they were in plots together: Teutus would get his manumission and Charis would get whatever she was after. Hector still couldn’t quite place what it was that she wanted. “I was vaguely aware the two were friendly but by how much or how far, I couldn’t say. Certainly, they show more interest in each other than compared to the other slaves.” He wasn’t about to outright lie to Tertius, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t fan the fire just a little. “Should I keep eyes on them?” he innocently asked.

@Atrice @Sara @Sharpie

[Atrice]

Tertius was happily oblivious to what went on between Charis and Teutus elsewhere in the house. He had Hector on his own here and although he did trust Teutus, his son still did not quite know him the way Hector did. Thankfully! Hector had spent more hours with Tertius than Teutus had; both during the days and nights and he trusted Hector. And now Tertius wondered if his son was even very happy by this public promise of freedom, because it was indeed going to happen this upcoming winter! If not before Saturnalia, then during. He had decided that. Maybe Saturnalia was actually perfect, since it was a festival where slaves would switch places with their master. He usually did it together with Hector, of course. But it could be used as part of the festivities to make Teutus switch places with the free... and become free too. 

He soon stopped musing over that though, because something else was on his mind. He did notice how Teutus and Charis had been whispering and while his son had been very good with teaching Charis more Latin and showing her the ropes of the house, he didn't want them to be too friendly. Not when Charis was his bed slave. Hector said he also noticed how the two had whispered and Teutus was not like that with the other slaves. Hector continued telling what he knew of the pair and then it was as if he knew what to say... although that was no surprise. Still, it cheered Tertius up. 

Tertius smiled at his favorite slave, when Hector suggested to keep an eye on them, "You read my mind, dear Hector. I would be very happy if you'd keep an eye on them and tell me if you notice anything... unusual." Tertius said, "I knew I could count on you.." And that pleased him very much, "I promise I'll take you out very soon, as we discussed. Is there anything you need... or something you just want? I'll make sure you get it." 

Somewhere in the distance, outside of the tablinum, he heard the slamming of a door... possibly the front door. Tertius wondered who and why, but as he stood here with Hector, he assumed he'd find out soon enough.

@Joaquin @Sara @Sharpie

Edited December 27, 2019 by Atrice

[Joaquin]

Hector smiled as Tertius did but only partly because his instinct was to return Tertius’s happiness. Much of his own happiness was because he had been given what was the official go-ahead to ‘keep an eye’ on the other two. Even though, ‘keep an eye’ was more synonymous with words like snoop, spy, eavesdrop, or meddle than it was with attentive observation and that had been predetermined as it was. Hector would have done it even without Tertius’s blessing because ultimately, as he saw it, he was being cheated.

“Of course, it is never any trouble,” Hector assured Tertius pleasantly with a wide smile and a nod. There was no lie. He wanted his master to place his approval and trust in him and he felt fulfilled knowing that he did. And it seemed that he did when he brought up his promise, which was at least one thing amid everything else that Hector looked forward to, and asked after what he wanted. “Well, there is one thing,” Hector said, brushing under his jaw as if he were contemplating, even though he had a good idea of what he wanted. He liked to play humble at times. “I do find myself parched in the night and it would be wonderful to quench my thirst with some wine.” Hector could drink like a sea sponge, but the gods knew he would need a drink at his disposal.

As he spoke, there had been a slam. He might’ve shrugged it away as a result of the other slaves arranging the new room, but it didn’t sound incidental. Rather, it seemed purposeful due to the way it resounded, but he only swung lightly and inclined his head towards the doorway to acknowledge it in his face when he sensed Tertius had heard it too. 
 

 

@Atrice @Sara @Sharpie

[Atrice]

They were a good team, weren't they? Tertius and Hector... he hoped of course that whatever Hector found out about Teutus and Charis, it wasn't anything at all and his son was not making advances on his second favorite slave (Teutus did not truly count as a slave like that), because that would make things rather messy in the future. Charis was his and it was going to stay like that. Just like Hector was his, devoted and perfect as he was. Hector said it was never any trouble to help out his master, but Tertius had offered to give Hector something he wanted... a kind of reward for being so good and obedient.

The slave brushed his jaw and seemed to have something in mind, then said he wanted some wine. Tertius arched a brow, that was a strange and very humble request, but of course, if that is all Hector wanted... "Of course, you can have a drink in the night if you want, if you're not with me. I don't seek to make your life miserable, after all, Hector." He said with a smile and it was then they both heard the door slam. Hector turned his head. Maybe this was a good place to start their new little deal?

"Go find out who that is. I hope that wasn't Charis leaving on her own." Although why should she be upset over the news? It couldn't come as a huge surprise, after all. But people should not go and slam the doors in his house... "I'll talk to you later. I'm so glad I can always trust you." He added, just making sure Hector knew so he would not fail Tertius, ever.

@Joaquin @Sara @Sharpie