Late night delivery

[Chevi]

September, 77CE

The man smelled like a cheap brothel. Which was fitting, since that's exactly where Lucius and his men had gotten him from. The vigiles were on their usual patrol when a fight broke out, instigated by an extremely drunk moron who, on top of being rowdy and refusing to pay, also tried to make a break for it with some of the money paid by others. The heavy lifting had been done by the brothel's own guard, but the culprit did manage to stab him before he was subdued. Lucius and the vigiles, once they got control of the situation, tied up the perpetrator and carted him off to the prison.

Just another day in the glorious life of Rome.

Once they arrived (with the prisoner still bleeding from the nose), Lucius walked ahead to report to whoever was on duty that they had a newcomer for them. It wasn't terribly late at night yet, at least. Some idiots just started their drinking early.

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Marcus should be going home, but ever since he went back to his work as one of the vigintiviri, he found himself spending more time at it. Maybe he was making up for the time he'd been gone or the wrong he'd done, maybe he thought that if he worked, at least he didn't get into trouble... either way, he was still here, at the office at the prisons. It was evening, which meant he was working by torchlight and lamps and he could hardly see the text on the scroll anymore. Maybe he should take a walk through the hallways and see if everything was in order and then go home. But just as he stood, someone walked in the doorway and to his great surprise, it was Lucius. With Marcus being at work and the beating being months ago now, he didn't think much about his looks. The scar from the stitching by his brow was healing nicely. He looked more like his usual self. Perhaps just a bit more alert, but it wasn't something he thought about.

"Lucius! It's been a while!" He said with a smile to his friend, they'd known each other for a good while now and although he didn't understand why Lucius chose the path he did, he would still welcome him. He did see him from time to time, due to their jobs in Rome overlapping a bit, like now. It was nice. 

[Chevi]

"Silanus!" Despite how tired he was, Lucius' face lit up at the sight of his friend. They had seen each other only rarely since he joined the vigiles, but he still had a soft spot for the young patrician. He moved to clasp his arm in greeting but hesitated. "Forgive me for the grime. It's... been a day." He chuckled, nodding at the men who held the capitve on his feet. "Got one for you. Got rowdy, tried to rob a brothel, stabbed a guard. Standard workday evening."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

It was nice to see Lucius, even if their meetings were often brief, due to what Lucius did and what Marcus did. And this was another delivery to the prisons. Lucius came right up to him and then clasped Marcus' arm and only after that asked Marcus to forgive the grime. He looked down on his arm and brushed it, "I can tell!" He said with a grin and looked past Lucius to take in the captive of the night. Gods he was glad he wasn't a vigile and had to do what Lucius did. He'd absolutely hate it. How could you enjoy such work? Marcus enjoyed the prisons, but mostly because he got to be in charge of people. And after what happened to him, it was nice sometimes to be the one giving orders for others ending up in a similar misery too. He could deal it out, if he wanted to. Not that he did it often. But he could. And that's what mattered.

"Well we must find him an empty cell. Or maybe..." He chuckled, seat the man with some whores or big guys or something. See what they'd say, "Let's see where we can fit him in." Marcus said and waved that they could follow him, then waited for Lucius to catch up with Marcus, "Do you have time for a drink afterwards, maybe? It's been a while." 

[Chevi]

"This is the end of patrol for the day" Lucius nodded, following along. It had been a long time since he'd really talked with Silanus, and it was a welcome invitation. "Just... let's find a place that stinks less than I do?" He added with a grin. The prisoner was dragged to an appropriate cell assigned by Silanus, who seemed to be taking some amusement out of his job.

@Atrice

[Atrice]

If he had to work, he might as well take whatever amusement from it that he could. Which wasn't much. Prisons wasn't the most exciting place to work, but at least he thought it more interesting than some of the other jobs a vigintiviri could do. Not that he tried the others, but this was most interesting of them, he thought. On the way to the short-term cells, Lucius informed Marcus that he did have time for the drink at a place that didn't stink.

Marcus let out a laugh, "And make that place stink too, because you're there? How about seeing if one of the baths is still open first?" Marcus suggested and stopped to talk with a guard to find out what was available. Finally the rowdy man was tossed into a cell with some men with an almost gladiator-like appearance. He complained, but Marcus ignored it. The guard would get the man's name and information and then they'd find out if there was to be a trial or what.

"I just need to finish up in the office, then I can go too. Some wine while you wait?" Marcus led the way back, seeming very much at home. As if the sounds and the dirt and the smell of the place didn't bother him so much. And it didn't. It wasn't as bad as in the beginning.

[Chevi]

"Sure" Lucius smirked. "A bath actually sounds good." While Marcus finished his work, Lucius dismissed his men for the night. He would return to the castra and file his reports later. For now, some wine and some time with a friend (preferably in warm water) sounded like a great end to a rough day. Once Marcus was ready, Lucius walked out of the building with him, heading to a bath. 

"So... settling into your new job, I see?"

[Atrice]

So they'd go to the baths together. That didn't sound too bad, he thought to himself and Marcus finished up his work, sending the last orders and getting all the paperwork in order before he left. Making sure to send a slave with some wine for Lucius while he waited and did whatever he did, while Marcus finished. Finally he was finished and caught up with Lucius. As they left the building, Lucius commented on Marcus' work.

"Yeah... it's going better now, I'm getting used to it." He almost mentioned that he had to take a break back in June, but decided not to, because the less Lucius knew, the better. The less anyone knew, the better, "How have you been? Promoted, right? I bet you didn't plan on that." He said with a grin, since Lucius left the Senatorial class to start over in a lower class, and now he was getting promoted. He might end up properly wealthy in the end anyway.

[Chevi]

"Yeah. Centurion." he gave his friend a smirk. He had not gotten into the vigiles for ambition, that was for sure. But he did have other reasons for wanting to advance in the ranks. "And I know I know, I could have done the same in the legions without quitting my family... but the vigiles, it's different. Not very glorious... but we are helping the people. Here in Rome." It was an argument he had made many times before. "How about you?" He glanced at Silanus.

[Atrice]

A Centurion among the vigiles, that was something, for someone like Lucius. Who'd chosen to throw it all away to start as if he was  plebian or something, and there he stood, Centurion again. Of course Marcus had no idea how or why he'd ended up there, but he was probably smart enough to have such power. Lucius then went on about how the vigiles weren't half as glorious as being in the legions, but he liked helping people. Yes, he always talked about that. Marcus didn't.

"As long as you feel useful, I suppose that's what matters." Marcus said, because it was what he could come up with, "I'm just... doing what I'm supposed to do. Not much else going on. I do want to follow the course of honor. And honor my family name." Although Varus had said he wasn't doing well in that department, but he did what he could to prove the older man wrong. And not get into trouble again.

[Chevi]

Marcus sounded... more subdued than usual. Lucius tended to pick up on those things with people. He knew his friend didn't quite approve of a patrician suddenly throwing away his title... but this was not about that.

"Well, you seem to be on the right path if they trust you with the prisoners" he pointed out with a small smile. It was a job for young patricians, but it was an important one nonetheless. It showed who had the promise of making a good career by being organized and responsible. Things Lucius had not really been. "And how is life otherwise?... I'm not really invited to parties anymore, so you'll have to fill in the blanks."

[Atrice]

Marcus nodded, he was on the right path and he intended to stay on it if he could. If he didn't mess up again. Knowing himself though, he knew he might. But he had to try and not get into trouble, honor his family name and his friends and hopefully grow his fortune again. Being here helped with all of that. Then Lucius wanted to know how his life was besides his work. Well it was as usual, more or less anyway. Perhaps fewer parties and more work, but besides that, it was the same.

"Life is good, I guess. Not much has changed really. Work and parties and plenty of wine." He said, "It's good to have something to do though. How is your life?" 

[Chevi]

"Pretty much the same" Lucius shrugged. "Fewer parties though. More burning building. This city is a damn tinderbox, have you ever noticed?" He shook his head. Too much talk about work. After a few months s centurion, he already had a tendency to go off into rants about the building regulations of the city and whatnot. Not exactly light conversation. "Any marriage prospects yet?"

Edited February 1, 2023 by Chevi

[Atrice]

Marcus gave him a look, when Lucius spoke of burning buildings, "A damn tinderbox filled with crude and rude people." He replied, because while Lucius took care of the burning buildings, he also brought people to Marcus, like the man they just brought in. People who deserved nothing more but to be locked up for good. Although not all people who beat others ended up in the prisons. Some apparently had certain rights or were just powerful enough to avoid it. He sighed and then luckily Lucius changed the topic. 

Which made Marcus let out an amused laugh, "Marriage prospects? For me?" Marcus chuckled, "Definitely no. It's way too soon. Besides, I need to... have a little more to call my own first. Imagine getting married and then go 'oh, but we'll live in my friend Tiberius' home, I haven't got my own'. So... no." He said and looked at Lucius with interest, "What about you? Since you brought it up..." 

[Chevi]

Lucius knew the question was going to come back at him. He grinned at Silanus' answer. Still a bachelor. Living with Tiberius was not a bad way to do it, as long as he was climbing the ladder of the cursus, in close proximity with an imperial. And he must not have had someone special in his life if he was in no hurry. Unlike Lucius... who had someone, but absolutely no chance at marriage.

"Not really" he shrugged off the question. "I just made centurion, I have my hands full, but... as much as I can do for the city, I don't think I'll be considered a valid prospect for anyone until I at least become tribune..."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Marcus Junius Silanus

 

He was not even twenty years old yet, of course he would not marry so soon! And especially since he had no one special he wanted to marry. Marcus thought he'd marry someday, but he doubted it would be for love. With his goals and ambitions, his will to climb high, he'd most likely marry for the sake of politics and alliances. He could just hope the lady he'd marry would also be pretty. Not to mention good in bed. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon anyway, he was still young, he had no plans of marrying within the next few years anyway. Lucius however was older than he, so maybe? Since he brought it up...

But Lucius said he had no plans of marriage and didn't think he'd be a valid prospect for anyone yet, "I think there's plenty of young ladies who'd love to marry a guy like you. Handsome and doing good for the city? I'm sure you could make someone very pleased and happy." He replied, Lucius probably even had a better shot at that than Marcus did. Gods, he was being very honest tonight, wasn't he? Well it was a while since he spent time with a friend who wasn't someone high and mighty. Maybe it was a really good thing Lucius dropped by tonight. Maybe he did need to unload with someone who hopefully wouldn't judge him too hard.

@Chevi

Edited February 27, 2023 by Atrice

[Chevi]

Lucius winced, against his better judgment. Make someone pleased and happy... he wanted that. He wanted that with one certain someone. And he couldn't have it. Silanus did not seem very content in that department either; even if they could not share secrets, they could share the mood. They arrived at the gates of the baths and walked in together. Lucius tilted his head at Silanus. "So... not in a great mood lately, huh?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Marcus Junius Silanus

Marcus glanced at Lucius as he seemed to react to what Marcus just said. Was there someone? He suspected there might be, despite what Lucius told him so far. Marcus just couldn't quite figure out exactly what was going on. Lucius was a bit of a mystery really, he was born into a good and wealthy noble family and now he was a vigile, by choice. And he was probably even far too good to be that, he could probably do something even better for the people elsewhere. Like the Senate. Marcus should really pull himself together and try and attend some meetings, learn something. He just felt so young among them. But on the other hand, how else would he learn?

He was thinking to himself while they walked and approached the nearest bath house and went inside. Once there, Lucius suddenly asked about Marcus mood. It took him by surprise.

"Why... why would I not be in a great mood?" Why indeed? Perhaps because he messed up big time and got beaten up and humiliated, although that was months ago now, but it still sat right there within him. Did Lucius suspect anything by the way Marcus replied? Lucius was smart. He'd figure out that Marcus was stalling. He inhaled a breath and decided to continue doing just that, and began to undress for the baths.

@Chevi