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Of cabbages and kings


Sharpie

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There are four types of responses a person can have when faced with immense danger: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Pretty much every slave has had to pick up the latter, from taking every punishment their dominus throws on them to continuing their mundane yet often back-breaking work lest they incite the wrath of their higher-ups. Rome is not a place for fairness. It practically isn't even a word at this point. Jannus knows this quite well. He has the faint marking of scars upon his back, inflicted by one of the senior members of his second dominus's household staff. Sometimes, the master himself would come to watch. It gave Jannus the creeps. 

Perhaps he was fire-blooded once, with flames in his speech and flint in his eyes. Rome quelled these flames. Fire may rage through a forest, but even the most powerful blazes can be conquered with water. Speaking of fire, Jannus notices that Apollo's chariot has advanced a little farther than he'd expected it to. It wouldn't do if he was late bringing back groceries, mainly because he does not want to disappoint the domina of the household. Maybe it was time for him to go, but not before exchanging parting words.

"I'll take your word for it. It's hard being, well, us, but I hope you find what you're looking for."

@Sharpie

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Jason glanced skywards too - the senate session would be over soon and his master would be looking for him before he knew it.

"I hope you do, too," he said. "Whatever it is you're looking for."

It had been nice, to be able to talk with someone outside the Imperial household for once, someone with a different perspective on Rome. Jason wasn't sure he wanted to find Rome becoming home, though he suspected it would soon enough - it had been nearly a decade since he'd seen his own home and his own people, and where he was living would inevitably come to be home, as much as the place of his captivity ever would. He was trying to resist the inevitable, probably, but he wasn't ready to give up just yet. Cynane hadn't, after all, and Jason admired that fire in his blood-sister, and in his cousin. He had no wish to roll over and give up.

"Don't let the bastards get you down," he added with his slow smile. "They're not worth it."

He hoped he'd meet Jannus again, somewhere, and maybe have a longer conversation. Right now, though, they each had somewhere else to be on their masters' business.

"Gods go with you, Jannus - whatever gods you believe in."

 

@Insignia - thread end?

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