Drowning sorrows

[Chevi]

"None taken. I'm sure you could do better anyway."

"Don't sell yourself short" she said with the honesty of drunk people, slapping Manius on the shoulder "It ain't your fault you have a penis."

Thessala did not dislike penises in general, but she was definitely not in the mood for one right now. Manius seemed like a good man, though. A good man who got a tough break, and probably deserved better, like everybody else.

"Maybe I should leave you to do that on your own. I doubt you need a guard."

"I don't" Thessala agreed "But you might. Are you good? You should be good. You look like a... good man. I will walk you home. Or to a brothel or whatever."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Thessala claimed it wasn't his fault that it wasn't him she wanted to fuck, if anyone. It was apparently just because of his gender. She slapped him on the shoulder, as if they were old friends, but the truth was they just met and things were not going well for any of them. And wouldn't either. She was a slave. He was a freedman with no job, no wife, no life... nothing. Even his old master was long gone, he couldn't just go back to him either. There was nothing. He didn't reply to her statement but suggested to leave her on her own and he didn't think she needed a guard anyway.

She suggested he might need a guard and he gave her a look. He didn't need a guard. Both because he could fend for himself and maybe also that despite that, he maybe didn't want to. Thessala kept being strangely compassionate, wondering if he was good and said he was a good man and she would walk him home. 

"No brothels for me. My wife... her former master owned a brothel. He wasn't kind." Manius said. That he wasn't kind was putting it very nicely. He'd abused Salacia... and the girls and boys at the brothel. No, Manius would not go to such places, "I'll go home. You can walk with me if you want. But I don't need a guard." 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"No brothels for me. My wife... her former master owned a brothel. He wasn't kind."

"Fuck him" Thessala stated with conviction. It felt like the solution to everything tonight. It sounded like Manius loved his wife, and she deserved better than a brothel, and being lost in a damned earthquake. 

"I'll go home. You can walk with me if you want. But I don't need a guard." 

"Sure." Thessala fell into step next to him. Guard or not, it gave her something to do. She needed to do one thing right tonight, and if all it was was to walk Manius home and make sure he got into a bed, then she would take it. She could worry about the rest tomorrow.

@Atrice