What will be, will be

[Sara]

He seemed...awkward, at the thought she should be his friend and it set a frown on her forehead. They were social acquaintances, moving in the same circles as all young, well-bred patrician men and women did. Of course it was slightly odd to think that her life was about to move on to marriage and babies and she'd be entering the society above her own, given her husband would be older, whereas Marcus would be off to forge his career. That thought and his words sparked another thought in her head and she tilted her head to study him. 

"I don't actually. Well...I know you're in the villa," And was eternally grateful she hadn't come across him that night she gave her testimony to Tiberius, "But your work...you're in the tullianum, yes?" She arched a brow and set to move back to the bench, taking a seat again and smoothing invisible wrinkles from her dress. "What's it like?" Her curiosity was getting the better of her. "Do you have many...famous prisoners in there?" The barber, her face blanched at the thought, he was in there. Was Marcus there with him? Did...the man speak? She needed to know.

[Atrice]

It wasn't really that it was awkward that she'd be his friend, but it was just something that never occurred to him before. When he first encountered her, like really encountered her and talked to her, she had been something he wanted, like it was with most pretty girls. But that was awhile ago now and he wasn't the same as back then. Especially not at the moment. He fully expected he'd be back to his old self soon though, but that was not the case right now. The beating was not long ago, it was still hurting and Ovinia now knew something had happened to him. 

At least she didn't leave and he thanked her for being his friend. And then thought that at least he could try and offer her a favor or anything. At first she didn't seem to have any ideas, but then suddenly she had one right now. She referred to his work in the prisons and asked if they had anyone famous there.

"It's... I guess it is what you imagine. Dirty and smelly and rough. Many of the people who come there are horrible people. Foul language and crude behavior." He explained, "I don't know if we got anyone famous very recently." Marcus said, putting a finger on his chin to think. Maybe she wanted stories, many people were very fascinated by criminals and stories about them, "There was one guy Tiberius came to see. He'd assaulted and murdered some people, including a Senator... he got a public execution. Without a trial. Not really the way we usually do things." 

[Sara]

She wrinkled her nose at the description and picked off invisible lint from her dress. A changed woman she might be, more worldly than before, but she was worldly in the sense of a veil of pleasure being lifted from her eyes. The seedy underbelly of the city - besides her run in with Marcus Barbatius - was still an enigma to her. And she preferred to keep it that way but...for now this was more important and she tried her very best to steel herself and her nerves. Her wits were already scattered but she'd had practice of schooling her features into neutrality, and tried to exercise that now. 

She bit her tongue so as not to bark 'good' at the lack of trial. Instead, she tilted her head and feigned curiosity. "Was that the barber? The one executed at Cerealia?" She asked and tucked a loose wave of glossy dark hair behind her ear. She hoped her voice wasn't wobbling. "Did you...talk to him at all? Did he say much to you?" Did he say why he did it? 

[Atrice]

He gave her a surprised look, when it appeared that she knew the exact prisoner he was talking about. Was it that easy to guess from his description? But did they mention at the execution why the man was getting such a death? Marcus had not been present for it, he had been busy with something else, probably some party that had to do with the festival being held at that time. But he then nodded at her words, "Yes, that's the one. He was a barber, they said." 

Marcus watched her with more interest, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and wanted to know more. Wait, did she know something about that whole affair? They said he'd assaulted several people in Rome and the rumors back then had spread easily and quickly... by the sounds of it, he'd murdered many people and he had cut people because he wanted to drink their blood or something. And some said he ate them. Or that he was the leader of some strange cult or religion or something. Marcus didn't know what to believe, he only knew that it sounded disgusting. But Rome held more strange people than one might guess. He knew that now.

"I didn't talk much to him, no... but Tiberius came to see him and talk to him. The barber, he acted oddly superior, towards Tiberius. Like, thought he held the high ground, although he was behind bars. He was... weird." Marcus said, still watching her, "Did you hear the stories about what he did to people? I don't know if half of it is true though." 

[Sara]

Ovinia felt his eyes on her and regretted her choice of words immediately. Had she been too honest? Had she revealed too much? She wished she had wine to steady her nerves, but she doubted she could have kept a cup steady in her fingers if she had any. She exhaled a breath as Marcus talked, keeping her hands steady on her knees instead, looking back to the altar. The God of healing. Her physical wounds had long since closed and scarred over, but the mental ones...well...they were nowhere near healed, even if she was improving day by day. 

She tilted her face up to look at Marcus, finding him watching her as he continued. Did you hear the stories about what he did to people? She wanted to cry. She had wanted to know but now she regretted every second that had led her to this moment, and she couldn't tell him. She couldn't admit it. She panicked, thoughts rolling through her mind until words came tumbling out of her before she could stop them; "He hurt one of my slaves. One of my girls. Obviously I couldn't allow her to be tortured for evidence...maybe that's why he didn't have a trial." She swallowed, hoping sincerely  he would buy it. "I...suppose I wondered if he ever told you, or anybody, why he'd done what he'd done." she exhaled a breath and smoothed her hands over her knees. "I'm glad he's gone. And that he suffered." 

 

[Atrice]

Marcus was watching her, glad to have something else to focus on instead of just his own pain... and noted how she was looking away and the way she exhaled a breath. Oh she definitely knew something about the now-dead barber. Ovinia then looked up at him and he wondered what stories she'd heard about that man. She then said that he'd hurt one of her own slaves, but the slave was not tortured, so that could be why there was not a trial. And then she asked into why the barber had done it all and said she was glad that he was gone and that he did suffer. 

"Yeah such people should suffer. I heard it was very gruesome. But I didn't see it for myself." He said, "I'm sorry about your slavegirl, I hope she wasn't too badly maimed. And I have no idea why the man did what he did. There's a lot of gossip going around. Like, he even hurt his own slaves and many of them died because of it. But he didn't tell Tiberius why he did it. Maybe he was just nuts." Marcus said with a shrug, but kept musing about it, "Why do you think he did it? He didn't say anything to your slavegirl?" 

[Sara]

"I did." Ovinia murmured quietly, saying she had seen his death, but chose not to elaborate further than that. That day had been awful, almost as awful as every other thing to do with the man; the attack, her decision to try and end his life herself because the others wouldn't listen. His death had been gruesome and bloody but it hadn't been enough for her and she didn't know if anything ever would be. 

She ducked her head in thanks as he said he hoped her slave girl was alright. It was sweet of him to care, she had known very few men that cared for the welfare of the slave girls they ogled or groped or worse.  She knew her own family were guilty of such treatment, and whilst she didn't touch her slaves, she knew her moods were sometimes just as bad. She was trying to be better. Trying. But none of them cut their slaves, like the barber. Cut. Marcus dragged her out of her thoughts though with a question and she responded with a "Hm?" At first, trying to formulate an answer. She just swallowed and shook her head. "No. Just that there...there was nothing she could do, and he wanted to do it so he did." She let out a breath, shaking her head. He had hurt so many people. 

"Let's pray to the Gods that nobody else that evil walks these streets again." She loosed a breath and wrapped her palla around herself tighter, trying to distract herself with a little smile. "And let's hope  you are up to the task of keeping them all in prison, hm?" She tucked some dark hair behind her ear, "When do you move to the next stage of the cursus?" 

 

TAG: @Atrice

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Sara

[Atrice]

 

She was honestly being kind of weird about this whole ordeal. Marcus tried to think back, it began after he'd told her to keep his secret and he'd owe her a favor. Then she began asking into the whole thing with the weird barber, who got executed in the arena, torn apart by beasts. Not that he saw it, but she did. Apparently because he hurt one of her slaves. She didn't reply, but just nodded when he asked if the girl was alright. Not that he cared a great deal about slaves, but when he heard the stories about that barber, he could imagine how bad it must have been for the victims. Perhaps even more now. And he kept musing and thinking about the whole thing, then wondering if Ovinia knew something he didn't. But the crazy man didn't tell her slavegirl anything, instead just said that the man wanted to do what he did. So he did it. Sick. Marcus frowned.

He nodded at her words, hoping like her that nobody like that would walk in Rome, "Now that is something to pray for." Marcus said, noting how she wrapped her palla closer around her and then she asked into how his course of honor was going, "Uhm... when I'm done with this year, I suppose? But I think you have to apply for it. Then I'll be sent abroad somewhere. Maybe Lucius Longinus can put in a good word for me somewhere." He didn't have many other people who could. Well Tiberius of course, but he was currently avoiding him, so... and besides, it was not something he was looking forwards to so far, but it had to be done. He did have ambitions. He just had to... deal with himself first. And her! Ovinia of course, "Should we go outside again?" Maybe she was feeling cold, maybe that's why she wrapped the palla around her. Or maybe it was something else. Marcus was curious.

@Sara

 

[Sara]

Her mind was so scattered it was only after he answered her question that she realised the answer had been obvious and she nodded, feigning ignorance. "I forget how it works, it's been a while since my brothers started theirs and we silly young women don't have anything comparable." She chuckled. No, no work to help the empire for people like her...unless one counted conceiving and bearing the next great generation of leaders. "Where would you like to serve?" She asked, a bland question, to move them - and her own thoughts - on from Barbatius. "My brother served in Hispania, and he enjoyed it." She mused. Lucius seemed suited to it - life in the military, moreso than the civil positions back here. 

His question prompted her to stand immediately. "Yes." The atmosphere of the temple was beginning to feel oppressive and she confidently strode towards the doors, gasping in relief as she breathed in a full deep breath of air...even if it was sour, city air. She dropped the palla from her rich, dark hair and glanced sideways at Marcus. "What are you going to do now? Back to the Villa?" 

 

TAG: @Atrice

[Atrice]

 

Marcus shrugged, her explanation was good enough for why she didn't know how it worked. Honestly he wasn't that schooled either, not in this matter. His brother was much older than he and their lives had taken odd turns the whole time. He actually wasn't sure that his brother was really following the Honos Curum, so maybe Marcus was doing better here. Ovinia wondered where he'd like to serve and at least that one was easy, "I think... maybe Britannia? Because I was born there. But I can barely remember it. So I think I'd like to see it again, see if it's really as bad as some say." He replied, Ovinia was all chuckles and smiles now suddenly, but Marcus had grown far too serious now, after what happened. He didn't like that very much. Maybe he needed a drink. His head had begun to hurt again.

So to get there, first they'd have to go outside... and he tried to be polite. Make it about her. She had pulled her palla around her, so maybe she was cold. She quickly agreed to leaving and was steps ahead of him before he'd even moved. Once outside, she dropped her palla again and wondered what his plans were now, "Yeah that was the plan all along." Marcus said, pulling at the edge of his hood to hide the bruises and the scar by his brow again, "And you're off to more temples I guess?" 

@Sara

[Sara]

Ovinia Camilla

She let out a low whistle, arching a brow. "Britannia...filled with savage men painted blue, and blonde haired women who want to kill you?" she shook her head. She'd wanted to travel, once upon a time - being taken to the farthest flung corners of the Empire with a handsome husband with an important job but now the idea of being away from family, from friends, from...other important people in her life filled her with a sense of dread she couldn't articulate. She wasn't a woman who was often lonely, somebody like her had an assortment of friends, frenemies and acquaintances, but being sent to an outpost like Britannia with its perpetual drizzle and savage locals sent the fear of isolation straight down her spine.

As she took down the palla from her hair, he raised his hood - amusingly opposite, and she glanced sideways at him. "I hope you're feeling better." She said, honestly meaning it. Nobody deserved to be in pain, even if they had brought it on themselves. Well...nobody like Marcus, at least, who likely only had the beating for something stupid and not malicious. At his question she sighed and shook her head. "I think the Gods will be sick of me if I see any more. I'll probably go shopping," She shrugged, "Check in on a friend - she recently had her first child." The thought that she was falling behind her girlhood companions who were married and bearing children came to her and she tried to push it away. "Keep well, Marcus. Keep out of trouble." She bid him farewell, her lips quirking in a small smile. 

 

TAG: @Atrice