Live or Die

[Atrice]

72 AD

It was her ninth year as a gladiator. Think that she had been in Rome for such a long time and all she'd done was fight. And well, being passed around between wealthy Romans who could afford to bed a gladiatrix, because they thought she was good looking and there was that amount of superiority, when they could make a fierce gladiatrix like her submit to them. But what other option did she have? It wasn't the fighting she minded so much. It was more the rest. But still she fought to stay in shape and today was no different than the other days. She woke up, she got her morning porridge and then out into the training arena to work hard.

Apparently today a new set of slaves arrived, slaves to become gladiators. Everyone stopped fighting when they entered the area and she looked them over. Some were young, they wouldn't last for long in the arena. A few weren't so young, they were men and not just boys. There were no women today, no new gladiatrices. She picked up her wooden sword again and continued to spar with her partner for the day. Soon she'd forgotten all the newcomers and suddenly it was evening and time for the evening meal. Some kind of stew with chickpeas and spices. She sat down by one of the long tables in their dining area and there was mostly silence. Until the new gladiators arrived, some seeming uncertain, but they picked up their bowl of stew too. One of them picked the empty seat next to Cynane. He was tall, very tall, and had dark hair and handsome dark brown eyes. Such a pity men were wasted on entertainment like this.

Cynane decided to be nice for once, "Greetings... I hope you like the food. Won't get better than this." She said, but was clearly sarcastic, the food wasn't exactly something to brag about, but you got used to it.

@Mobius

[Mobius]

Doing one's job well was always a good thing, especially for a slave who could pay dearly for slacking off. However, as Amatus walked into the Ludus he was questioning the merit of it. The only reason he was there, posed to be trained as a gladiator, was because he'd done his previous job really well. He'd grown used to the life of a rich merchant's guard. It wasn't much of a life, but he had nothing to complain about it.  He'd lived with a full stomach, got to learn a bit of reading from one of the educated men in his master's employ, and he didn't find the work to be dull. Technically, his life was on the line depending on how... determined potential robbers were to get away with his master's goods, but it didn't feel like his life was on the line as much back then as it would be moving forward. All because he'd done too well when a group of bandits ambushed them on the road to Rome. His master, never one to miss out on a chance to make some coin, took advantage of his athletic performance and sold him to a slave trader. Once in Rome, the trader sold him into the life, or possibly death, of a gladiator.

Thus Amatus was born, with Dago staying outside in the past. It really did feel like he was looking through new eyes as he entered a whole new world. He wasn't the only one. There were others around him, some younger than him and some older. All unsure of themselves in some way he assumed, though some of them hid their insecurities better than others. Amatus was trying his best to appear emotionless if not a bit confident, especially as all eyes turned to him (or more like the group of fresh meat), but he could tell that he wasn't exactly looking confident. All he could do was hope that he didn't look timid or anything like that. Something told him the place preyed on the weak and he didn't want to look weak. He wasn't weak no matter how much confidence or eagerness he lacked. The reason he was there proved that much.

The day was something of an adjustment day. Learn the ropes, get a feel for it, that sort of thing. Despite the relative ease of it, Amatus was still quite hungry by the time he walked into the dining area to get his rations. Nerves were starting to build up inside him. He'd have to sit somewhere... and who knew what that would entail. Once he had his bowl of stew in hand, he surveyed the area before spotting an empty seat next to a woman. How bad could she be? Sitting down with a bit of a huff, he only took a quick glance in the woman's direction before honing in on the stew. It... didn't really look too appetizing, but he wouldn't complain. He was about to bring the spoon up to his mouth when the person beside him spoke. Raising a brow, he looked towards her again and actually chuckled a bit. "You're filling me with such confidence," he joked in return before finally eating the spoonful. After tasting it, his nose scrunched up slightly and he commented,"Setting the bar... pretty low, huh?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

How bad could she be? If only he knew. But to his advantage, at least he wasn't Roman, didn't seem to be anyway. A fellow slave like her, he had that going for him at least. He sat down next to her with a huff and Cynane greeted him and commented on the food. He chuckled and returned her dry joke and she glanced at him tasting the food. The way he scrunched up his nose made her smirk.

"It's so you don't get expect too much from the start." She said and ate a spoonful too. She was used to it now, she'd been here for years. She just knew it wasn't as good as what she was used to, but at least it was food, right? And she needed it to stay fit and be able to both fight and entertain in the arena. After all, it was rare the gladiatrices were made to fight to the death. They were just there for fun and tits, keeping the crowd away and alert until the real gladiators came in. As if she wasn't capable of fighting just as well as them, probably even better than some of them. At least she had confidence, right?

"I mean... it can't get much worse than this, right?" Cynane then asked once she'd finished another spoonful and she put the spoon down and looked at him properly, "Do you have a name?" 

@Mobius

[Mobius]

"Is that it?" Amatus raised a brow, looking back down at the bowl of stew. "They've accomplished their goal." It wasn't the worst thing he'd ever eaten. If anything, it was far from the worst thing he'd ever eaten, but that didn't mean he'd be craving it in the future either. He took another spoonful, but it didn't taste any better than the first. At least it would be filling. It had that going for it. Could it get much worse than the stew? "I don't know, can it?" he asked, and though his tone was a bit humorous it was a legitimate question. If either of them knew if the food could get any worse, it was her. He didn't know how long she'd been there, but even if she'd only been there two days it was longer than his one day. "Feel free to give me a bit of false hope," he added with a chuckle before downing another scoop.

Amatus looked to her again when she asked if he had a name. "Dago— no..." He sighed and looked down, falling into a sad sort of quiet for several moments. Nope. There was no time for any sort of emotions. Shaking his head, he fixed his mistake,"It's Amatus now." Finally looking back at the woman, he returned the question to her,"What do they call you?" It was probably the better way to ask the question. What she went by might not be her real name in the same way that what he was now called wasn't his real name. That was going to take some getting used to...

@Atrice

[Atrice]

She couldn't help but smile at his words and was kind of surprised at it - few men, even only few of the gladiators, had the ability to make her smile. Men were no good to her, mostly. They didn't treat her well. So why should she smile at them? But his dry humor and the way he chuckled was a nice change. Not many of the other slaves and gladiators here spoke right now, but she didn't care. She didn't care about a lot of things by now.

"Sorry about that. False hope is useless. But it's all you can have here." She almost mentioned the man who captured her and had her brought to Rome, to be sold to the ludus. He gave her false hope. He would kill her then and there or sell her as a slave, so she could hope to be free someday. She chose the latter. And now almost ten years later, she still wasn't free. Bloody Romans indeed. She held a grudge only towards a few people, but he was one of them. And he should pray to not meet her again. 

Cynane had then asked about his name, and he began with one and then another. So his name was Dago and they changed it to Amatus? Not quite the name she'd chose for a gladiator, but it wasn't up to her. 

"They named me Cynane. I had another name too." But she would not utter it here, not so near their overseers and guards. Maybe she would tell him if they were alone at some point, "Good to meet you Amatus. I hope you'll live long." She then said with a smile to him, while they continued to eat. 

@Mobius

[Mobius]

Amatus wondered just how few and far between smiles were in a place like that. He figured there weren't too many reasons to smile, unless certain people relished in their victories more than they probably should have. The thought turned his stomach a bit, making him realize that he probably would never celebrate his victories if he had them. Maybe he wouldn't wind up winning at all... he wouldn't have to complain about the food for very long if that was the case. That would have usually made him laugh, but it didn't have that effect this time.

"I get the feeling that once that false hope is gone, the chances of survival go way down," Amatus observed as his eyes scanned around the room for a minute, making note of the expressions on the faces that he saw. There were one or two that looked like they had given up hope. He didn't want to live like that, even if there really wasn't any real hope to go around. Looking back to the woman, he learned that she'd been named Cynane. She had another name, too, but she didn't slip up and say it. Nodding, he offered her a smile. "Good to meet you, too," he replied before sighing quietly,"Funny, I'm hoping for the same thing." Smirking slightly, he ate another spoonful before asking her,"How long have you been here?" He nearly worded it how long have you survived, but he decided against going that route.

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Cynane nodded at his words, it was true that without hope, even false hope, you wouldn't survive for long. For why should you survive and live, if there was nothing to hope for in the future? Gladiatrices luckily did not have big chances of dying in the arena, they were mostly just the sexy entertainment before the 'real' gladiators came in. As if she couldn't fight as well as most of them. As if she wouldn't beat most of them if she got the chance. She sure did when they were just practicing and she doubted it was because they were nice and let her win. Men were too proud to do that. They wouldn't let a woman win unless she did it herself. 

They introduced themselves to each other and she didn't share her real name, but she thought she might tell him later, if he'd remember. If he'd care. For now though, she wished him a long life and he sighed and hoped for the same. But there was a smirk there. And a question.

"I've been here almost a decade, I think. And a decade ago, I lost my freedom." She said, again with a small sigh, her smile had faded. She looked at him, "Were you captured in battle too?" 

@Mobius

[Mobius]

Almost a decade. The woman had been there for almost a decade. Amatus couldn't even begin to imagine being at that place or living that kind of lifestyle for so long. It had to get mundane after awhile, boring and repetitive to the point that one could go through it on autopilot. Not that the only other alternative, dying, was better than the same old same old day in and day out, though. Initially, the fresh meat looked impressed by how long she'd been there, though. To be honest, he didn't really know much about the fights. His free years had been spent on the outskirts, with nowhere to witness the spectacles of the arena, and he'd had no chances to experience it once he became a slave, though even his masters never went to any matches. He'd actually assumed women didn't play a part in it so he also assumed that their fights were the same as their male counterparts'. The impressed look on his face melted into a more somber, almost sympathetic one as she continued on and mentioned she'd lost her freedom that long ago, too.

Cynane wondered if he'd been captured in battle, to which Amatus shook his head. "No, uh..." His voice trailed off. The topic of how he came into a life of slavery was one he rarely talked about. He actively tried to avoid talking about it, actually, not that it ever really came up much. However, he felt like he shouldn't skirt around the topic with her. She'd been open with him, at least to some extent, so he could offer her the same courtesy. "My father attacked my mother, I attacked him, and he sold me off," he explained with as little detail as he could manage, shrugging after,"Bounced around a bit after that. I was a guard for a merchant who sold expensive goods— jewels and things like that. Some thieves got too big for their togas and tried to rob him. I impressed him a bit too much in defending the merchandise so he sold me as a gladiator prospect. Great reward for my hard work, huh?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

She lost her freedom before she came here - she lost it in Britannia and then she was sent to Rome along with a bunch of other slaves captured in the battle... and otherwise. Cynane tried not to think about how much time had passed. She'd not seen anyone she knew since then. Her siblings and her parents were gone and she didn't expect to see them again by now. Her life was here now, no matter how much she wished it different. No one even considered offering her freedom. Maybe Amatus had better chances. She wondered if he was captured like her, but he wasn't. Oh she shouldn't have asked. She could hear in his voice that he didn't like to talk about it. Look at her being insensitive! But then again, could you afford to be sensitive, in a place like this?

Then he explained anyway. Sold by his own father. Jerk, she thought. Then Amatus had been a guard and apparently done his job so well that he was awarded with... becoming a gladiator. 

"Damn Romans. They really know how to make you feel like you're worth something." She said in a very sarcastic tone. It wasn't like it was unknown how she felt about the Romans here. It just wasn't often she spoke about it, because of course they didn't like it... but she went on, "He should have offered you freedom for your impressive work instead. I'm sorry. And sorry about your father too. He's as bad as them." She looked at him, best he could do here was hope for freedom too, but if it would be given... no one would know. 

@Mobius

[Mobius]

There were a lot of words Amatus would happily use to describe his father. Jerk was one of the most mild ones. If he ever got the chance to, he would love nothing more than to punch the guy square in the face... then maybe kick him where the sun didn't shine for good measure. He knew that he wouldn't get that chance, though. Long ago he'd given up the hope of returning home. What he wanted even more than getting some good quality payback on his father was to see his mother again. Even if just for one more time. To hear her voice, to feel her arms around him, to spend time with her. Nothing hurt more than knowing that he'd never get to see her again. Hell, he couldn't even be sure that his mother was alive. Who knew what his father did to her once he'd disposed of the person who'd gotten in his way during his fit of rage.

Amatus was surprised to hear Cynane speak so negatively about the Romans. The fact that she felt the way she did about them wasn't surprising in the slightest, but the fact that she would actually open her mouth and voice any negative feelings about them while in the heart of their territory was surprising. Very surprising. Shocking even. That didn't stop him from chuckling a bit at her words, though. "They do, don't they?" he replied, though he kept his voice low so as not to be overheard by the wrong people. Sighing quietly, he shrugged. "My father's the worst of them all," he muttered before stuffing the spoon back into his mouth. After swallowing, he admitted,"I honestly don't know how I'd handle freedom at this point. Rome is so different than my little home in Belgica..." As his voice trailed off, he looked towards Cynane again. "Where are you from?" Though he soon realized that that might have been a touchy subject so he proceeded to add,"If you'd prefer not to say, I understand."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Maybe she would speak more freely with Amatus some other time, but for now they sat in the dining area, surrounded by the other gladiators of both genders and the guards nearby. She didn't care if anyone told on her, it didn't matter. She could handle whatever they did to her, she'd been through plenty already. She enjoyed that Amatus was so easy to talk to though, that he chuckled when she spoke of the Romans and their way of rewarding people. But he considered his father the worst. She could understand that, from his point of view. Think, to sell your own child into slavery. She knew it happened, especially among poor people, because they could not afford to feed their own children. But still, what went through a father's head, that he'd sell his own son? Jerk indeed, it sounded like it! 

Amatus then said he didn't know how he'd handle freedom and wondered where she was from. He tried to pull the question back, but she shrugged.

"I don't mind saying. Not at all. I was born and raised in Britannia. Brigantes." She was proud of her heritage, no one could take that from her, "Fought against the Romans and... bad planning meant my party lost. So here I am." She said and ate the last spoonful of her poor stew, "I don't know what I'd do with freedom either. I would like to go home, but I'm not sure it'll be the home I left. So... I don't know." She sighed and downed the rest of her watered wine too.

"Come." She then said, deciding that now she'd finished eating, she didn't have to sit here. She didn't mind talking to Amatus though. So Cynane stood. One of the guards eyed her, but she gave him a smirk and a wink and moved on, towards the training area of the ludus. She hated that she had to try and charm the guards to get some time away from them, but it usually worked.

@Mobius

[Mobius]

Amatus was relieved that the question didn't bother Cynane. He was well-aware of how talking about or even thinking about the past could bring up emotions, no matter how suppressed they were, and he didn't know how sensitive she would be to a question that would bring her mind back to home. To her real home. So to hear that she didn't mind the question was definitely a relief to him. Being friendly with somebody in the Ludus would no doubt be an asset, if only to chase away the loneliness and dread that no doubt came from going through that kind of life all on his own. He knew they weren't friends yet, and perhaps they wouldn't ever actually be friends, but he didn't want to burn the bridge of having somebody to talk to. Thankfully, the bridge wasn't on fire thanks to his mouth. Not yet anyways.

Cynane was born and raised in Britannia. Amatus' eyes widened slightly at the news. She was even farther from home than he was, but he smartly kept that thought to himself. He might have been sarcastic at times, but he wasn't insensitive. Not intentionally anyways. Sighing quietly, he shook his head. It was bad planning that led to her and her party losing the fight against the Romans. "I'm sorry to hear that," he told her genuinely. He only had a few spoonfuls left of his own stew, and he downed another while he listened to Cynane continue on. She, too, didn't know what she would do with freedom if she was ever given it. "I know the feeling... I mean, my home wasn't attacked or anything, but... how did it change after I left?" The completely accurate way of wording that last part would have been 'Is my mother still alive?' That was a can of worms he didn't want to open in conversation with anyone, let alone somebody he just met, though.

"Come." Amatus was in the process of swallowing his last spoonful of stew. Raising a brow curiously, he took a swig of the less potent wine before standing up to follow her. Where were they going? He kept the question to himself, for one of the guards had noticed Cynane. The guard let them pass, though, and Amatus found himself asking a different question once they were out of the guard's earshot,"They just let you go wherever you want?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Amatus' eyes widened, when she said where she was from. He hadn't thought she came from that far away? Well she did. And she might never see it again. She confessed that she wasn't sure what she'd do with freedom either. She would like to go home, but it might be painful in the long run. It might not be a good idea. Amatus was kind, saying he was sorry to hear that her party lost against the Romans and he knew what it felt like, being unsure about what to do when you were free. She nodded at his words, she too feared how much her home would have changed by now. But he had more to return to, he had his family, or maybe he was unsure. If his father sold him because his father had been mean to his mother, then said mother might not exactly be better off without her son. 

But she decided it was better to talk away from this busy dining area, with too many open ears and eyes. So she walked away and made a silent deal with a guard. Cynane walked towards the training grounds of the ludus. It had turned darker outside now and there was no more training going on today, so the area was nice and quiet. She sat down on a bench by a wall and soon enough, Amatus joined her, wondering how she could just leave.

"It's not like I can escape from here." She nodded towards the locked gate from the street into the ludus, "And besides, I may owe him a favor later. Or tomorrow." She rolled her eyes, unsure if he knew what kind of favor that would be, but it didn't matter. Men were all the same. Or, most of them were... it was hard to tell if Amatus really was different when it came to such things, but right now, it didn't matter... "A necessary evil, that's all. Sit, if you like. Dago, was it? I'm Cinnia." She said, daring to reveal her real name now they were alone.

@Mobius

 

[Mobius]

There was a strange peace and quiet out in the training grounds. Strange due to the fact that, well, it was the training grounds. During daylight hours it was likely anything but peaceful and quiet. Finding it there now was quite strange, but it was a nice change from the busy dining hall. There was a bench, empty like the rest of the place, up against one of the walls and that was where Cynane was headed. Amatus followed, though he didn't sit down right away. His eyes scanned around the place for a moment, taking it in in the dying light. His attention returned to Cynane as she started to reply to him, though it soon flicked over to the gate when she alluded to it. Talk about a grim reality; she couldn't escape from the place and neither could he for that matter.

Looking back to her, Amatus' eyebrows furrowed when he realized what she meant. "That's... horrible." There were several words that played in his mind to use. Horrible, unpleasant, piggish, awful, and even disgusting. Obviously, he settled on horrible, but any of the options would have worked. Amatus then settled beside her on the bench, offering a smile when she told him her real name. "It's nice to meet the real you, Cinnia," he replied, pausing for a moment before adding,"Though Cynane's a nice name, too... far better than Amatus." Chuckling, he shook his head at himself before sighing quietly and glancing around again, the peacefulness enveloping him. "I'm assuming it's hard to find peace in a place like this, huh?" he wondered as he looked back to her.

@Atrice

[Atrice]

She would never be caught sitting on this bench during the daytime. If she did, she was pretty sure she'd be ordered off it right away. There was no time to sit still and relax, when you were supposed to stay fit and strong and practice training and practice your performance, so you could entertain the crowds. It still annoyed her that the gladiatrices weren't there for anything but light entertainment, when she fought just as well as the men. Probably better than some of them. At least she'd been raised to be a warrior. She'd practiced since she was old enough to hold a sword in her hand. Now she looked up at Amatus, who stood for a few moments before he sat down. He seemed uncertain if they should even be here, but she asked him to sit. Explained how she got away from the guards.

She let out a huff at his comment on that, "It is. But at least it's my choice. It isn't always." After all, she could have chosen to stay in the dining hall and then be escorted to her cell afterwards with the other women. But she chose to leave and she chose to give that signal to the guard. At least she knew what she was getting into. Finally he sat down and smiled when she shared her actual name. He thought it better than hers, "It really could have been worse. Apparently the real Cynane was a princess and a commander of armies in Greece." She explained. She wasn't sure what was behind Amatus' name, but to her it sounded like they were mocking him. She knew ama meant something with love. And what place had love in the life of a slave and especially a gladiator? Bloody Romans. Her companion mused about peace in the ludus then.

"It's often very hard. But if you can somehow make yourself friendly with the guards, it's easier." She explained, "But I understand if you prefer not to." 

@Mobius

[Mobius]

It might have been horrible, but at least it was Cynane's choice that time. It wasn't always her choice, which made Amatus' brows furrow a bit deeper for a moment. It being forced made it even worse. That sort of thing didn't sit well with him. Not in the slightest, and it was obvious by the look on his face. At least this time it was her decision, which took the bitter taste out of his mouth. It still didn't completely sit well with him overall, but at least it was a mutual arrangement. "Well, thanks for buying me some fresh air, too," he told her, fully realizing that she didn't have to bring him with her. After the overwhelming day, it was nice to just be surrounded by quiet. The conversation was nice, too. It prevented his thoughts from running away from him and whatever anxiety his newfound lot in life might cause from taking over him.

Cinnia could have been given a worse name. Cynane was a princess and a commander of Greek armies. "That's fitting," he replied with a nod. Cinnia had been a warrior in the North. The original Cynane had been something of a warrior, too. Fitting. "Amatus is beloved or loved or... something like that," he explained with a shrug followed by a huff,"Incredibly manly, right?" His trademark sarcasm had an extra bitterness to it that time. Love. He had no use for love anymore and being "beloved" by the spectators or his dominus wouldn't help him stay alive when it came down to it. Moments like those, in which he could find some sort of relaxing peace. Those would help him get through his new life. Love? All it would do was mock him. If he could make himself friendly with the guards, it would be easier to find peace. Chuckling softly, he glanced in the general direction of where they came from. "I doubt I'll be able to charm them like you did," he joked, looking back to her,"so I doubt I'll have much success in that endeavor."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

She watched his brows furrow and wondered what went through his mind. Why she'd do such a thing? Give herself up like that? But as a slave and warrior, what wouldn't you do for the little bit of freedom you could actually gain? It was better than not having it. And she didn't let the guards too much. Her body belonged to the wealthier Romans, to her patrons, the guards knew that too. Wealthy Romans paid well to use her and the guards might face punishment if they did it for free. But she knew what to do. At least Amatus thanked her for getting him out here too and she smiled, "You're welcome. Maybe you'll do me a favor another time then." She replied to him and explained the meaning of her Roman-given name. And as she had guessed, his name had to do with love.

"They really know how to have fun, don't they? Name a slave after someone who was highly ranked and commanded armies. And another, who's meant to fight for his life, name him something very sweet." She said and rolled her eyes, "It's not that it's not manly. It would just be a better name for another type of slave." The type who belonged in the brothels. Amatus didn't though, she could tell just by looking at him. Broad shoulders and strong arms and his height too. It was obvious why the Romans thought he'd make a better gladiator than a prostitute. 

She suggested he could make friends with the guards too, but he joked and didn't think he could charm them, "Shouldn't you be able to charm someone? With those looks?" She said with a grin, "You'll just have to be victorious in the arena then. That can sometimes buy you a taste of freedom too. Maybe eventually real freedom. Although that bit is rare." 

@Mobius

[Mobius]

Amatus wouldn't hesitate to pay Cynane back if he got the chance. As of right then, he didn't know how he would be able to do so in the place like the ludus, but if he got the chance? He definitely would. Cynane even brought up him doing her a favor in the future, to which he immediately nodded. "Absolutely," he replied without hesitation,"Anything you need, you know where to find me... and if you don't know where to find me, it probably won't take too much searching." It wasn't like there were too many places he could be in that place. The ludus was quite the establishment, but it was no labyrinth and there were only certain places he'd have access to at any given time. If she needed a favor of him, he believed she'd have no trouble finding him.

Cynane's namesake was fitting for a gladiator. The name of a commander was a name that brought forth ideas of power, strength, and victory. On the other hand, a name related to the word love was more fitting for a resident of a brothel. "Amatus" didn't bring to the mind an image of a trained fighter meant to kill. "They're definitely fans of cruel irony if nothing else," he huffed. Cynane didn't necessarily think the name wasn't manly, but he wasn't so convinced. "They shouldn't have held back at all and named me Cupid," he joked in return, managing to chuckle at the joke despite not having a good outlook on the topic,"Maybe they were afraid that that would have brought out the wrong customers." As if Amatus didn't fit under that category, too.

Amatus smirked when Cynane mentioned his looks. "Well, maybe I'll luck out and one of the guards fights for the other army." That was likely the only way he'd be able to charm any of the male guards. There was another way to get a bit of freedom— win. Winning sometimes bought a taste of freedom and, rarely, true freedom. "Good thing I don't plan on losing then," he replied, though he didn't necessarily sound completely confident in his abilities to avoid losing and the consequences that came with it. Looking at her for several moments, he brought up a thought that had been on his mind,"I'll be honest... I wasn't aware there were women gladiators, too. Do you fight men or only other women?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

She let out an amused snort when he said she knew where to find him, for any future favor. That was true enough. She knew. He'd be right here, just as her. Unless he got sold or something, but if he proved to be a good gladiator who could win the crowd... why would they sell him? He'd already won her over, it seemed, so maybe he had a bright future ahead of him here at the ludus. Despite his name, which they also discussed. He agreed the Romans seemed to like their irony and then suggested they should just have named him Cupid. Cynane let out a little laugh again, "That would have been sweet. Cupid the Gladiator." She replied and leaned her head back against the wall. Suggesting he could charm the guards if he wanted to, with his looks and he smirked and commented on that bit.

"It seems to me, that when it comes to slaves, Romans don't care so much about that. As long as they get be on top." She rolled her eyes, that really did seem to be the case, from what she'd seen so far, and after almost ten years here, she'd seen more than enough. She suggested though, that Amatus could also be victorious in the arena and that could get him at least a taste of freedom too. She smiled when he said he didn't plan on losing, nobody did, but she hoped for his sake that he wouldn't. Except it meant he had to kill others. Well if it was him or them... everyone knew who they'd pick. But then he wondered about female gladiators and what they got to do and she sighed.

"Just the other women. We're the fun entertainment before the male gladiators enter." She said, rolling her eyes, "As if we can't fight as well as you. But Romans don't like that. They prefer to see women as weaker than the men. Gods forbid we show the Roman women that they can actually fight back." Cynane looked at him, "We get to train with the men though. Perhaps I can show you a few things tomorrow if you'd like?" 

@Mobius