"I'm afraid I can't let you through."
Ruby spread her arms. "Look, Terminus, I don't have any weapons."
The god furrowed his marble eyebrows. "There is a Senate meeting in progress. How do I know you won't sneak in?"
Ruby paused. "You can trust me. I'll just be buying crepes."
Terminus sighed. "Fine. But if anyone asks, probatio, I will not hesitate to let them know where you've slunk off to. First, hand in all your weapons."
Ruby turned out her pockets. "Uh, I have a stick of gum and a paperclip."
Terminus' shoulder wriggled- he must have been gesturing with his non-existent arms. "Hand it in. Can't trust anyone with anything these days. Anything else?"
"Just this." Ruby pulled her screwdriver out of her belt.
Terminus' nostrils flared. "I'll take that, young lady." The screwdriver dematerialized in Ruby's hands instantly.
"What? But it's just a-"
"Don't bother arguing. You may step over the line. You can collect your personal effects when you leave."
"...Okay. Great," Ruby had already crossed the Pomerian line, and was heading in the direction of New Rome's centre. "Thanks, Terminus!"
He grimaced and made an odd movement that might have been a facepalm, if he'd had hands.
The street of New Rome were oddly quiet, save for the occasional startled squawk of a pigeon as Ruby hurried past. She felt exposed without her screwdriver, but she suppressed the feeling and increased her pace. She needed to arrive before the meeting ended.
Ruby briefly wondered what Jennie was doing today. She'd long-since gotten over the argument they'd had the day before, and hoped her friend had done the same. But that wasn't important right now, anyway.
When she reached the town square, she doubled back, running to the Senate as fast as she could. Hopefully Terminus wouldn't notice until the meeting had ended.
As Ruby crept in through the Senate's massive doors, she heard the dull hum of arguing. Dammit, I'll have to sneak around the back. I hope there's a door.
The patter of footsteps startled her so badly that Ruby let out a strangled shriek and ducked behind a pillar, flattening herself against the cool marble and silently willing herself to be invisible.
"Who's there?" called Larry, a Centurion from the second cohort. Ruby clapped a hand over her mouth and edged around the side of the pillar as the demigod drew closer.
Larry walked around for a few more nerve-wracking seconds, then grunted and returned to the meeting. Ruby noted that he didn't come from the front doors. A tentative smile spread across her face as she began to follow him, taking care not to make any noise.
She'd been right- Larry entered the Senate meeting through a back door, and was greeted by a few other centurions. Ruby waited a few minutes, then swung the door open a crack.
A heated debate was taking place between Reyna and Octavian.
"-I'm telling you, we need to cut off the water supply to San Francisco and divert it towards New Rome! We could complete it in a few days!" Octavian urged, gesturing wildly. A few other centurions in Ruby's view nodded. She couldn't see Leila or Jerry, fourth's centurions, but she hoped they disagreed with the augur.
"And how do you think the residents of an entire city will bode if we go through with your plan, Octavian? Not very smart of you," Reyna snapped. Ruby hid a grin behind one hand.
Octavian spluttered. "Well, how do expect me to react when half our city is in the medical bay and the other half won't even come out of their houses? What if it spreads to the camp? What will we do when half of our legion is vomiting every ten minutes?"
Ruby had to admit, he had a point. The Senators needed to take action as soon as possible, or the poisoning could have dire consequences.
Reyna was silent while the Senate broke into yelling and debating. Ruby desperately wanted to burst out and tell them to listen to the praetor, but she wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place, let alone be arguing with the centurions. She shifted impatiently, willing the noise to recede.
Reyna raised her voice, quieting most of the Senate. "Octavian, you do have a point-" Ruby could envision the augur's smug expression- "but we cannot reveal our presence to the San Francisco's inhabitants, no matter the situation. It's too dangerous, for us and them. Have I made myself clear?"
Grumbles and mutters confirmed her question.
"Good," Reyna continued, "I propose that we take samples of the poison, and try and come up with an antidote. The medics and the children of any healing gods, major or minor, can help with this. After everyone is well we can divert our attentions to the culprit. Octavian, though you prove a valid point, we do not know for sure whether the poison is really in the water supply, or whether it's airborne, so we can't take any substantial action until we've found this out."
Centurions were nodding and murmuring approval. Ruby's grin got wider as the opinion turned in Reyna's favour.
Octavian realized this, too. He cleared his throat. "Fine. We'll stick with your plan until something goes wrong. Then, I expect all of you will turn to me for help."
Most of the Senate ignored him.
"Senate dismissed," called Jason. It was the first time Ruby had heard him speak.
The centurions and other senators sighed gratefully, and there was a collective rustle of togas as they rose from their seats and began to file out. No one used the back door Larry had gone through. Ruby supposed it was used for bathroom breaks or for senators to escape the more boring meetings.
As the last of the senators left the room, Ruby nearly had a heart attack when Reyna said loudly, "Ruby, I know you're here. Come out."
Ruby reluctantly pushed the door open fully and stepped out into the light of the Senate Hall.
Reyna stood on a podium in the middle, purple robes in stark contrast to the brightness of the room. Ruby felt underdressed in her grubby purple t-shirt and grubbier blue jeans. She involuntarily reached for her screwdriver, and flinched when it wasn't there. She made a mental note to collect it from Terminus as soon as she could.
"How... how long did you know I was here?" Ruby stuttered, struggling to meet the praetor's gaze. Reyna had a ghost of a smile.
"Since the back door opened. I'm not surprised."
"You're not?"
"Of course I'm not. It's one of the things I admire about you. You're always so curious."
Ruby felt her cheeks grow hot.
Reyna's face became serious again. "But you shouldn't have come. If Octavian or any of his people knew..."
"I'd be dead meat, I know," Ruby admitted, "but I wanted to see-" she stopped abruptly, catching herself.
Reyna raised one dark eyebrow. "Hmm? Wanted to see what?"
"...Nothing. I- I'll just go now..." Ruby pivoted on one heel and turned to leave through the back door.
"Ruby..."
Ruby spun around, meeting Reyna's gaze. "Yes?"
The praetor's mouth was drawn in a thin line, as if it took great effort to say the nest few words.
"Would... would you like to... perhaps go for a coffee sometime? We haven't exactly spoken properly for a while, and I'm interested in how you're finding the camp. I apologize if I came off earlier as... rude."
Ruby was so startled she didn't reply for a good few seconds. Reyna coughed and muttered, "If you're too busy-"
"Oh no, it's fine!" Ruby interrupted. "That was just, you know, a bit... um... weird for you to say. To me. Because I'm still on probatio. And stuff."
Reyna shrugged. "I'm just curious. It's not a date, Ruby."
"Okay. Okay. Sure! I'll see you at lunch tomorrow? In New Rome?"
"Alright."
"Okay. Bye!" Ruby backed out of the room so fast, she ran into the back door. Spluttering apologies, she spun around and wrenched it open, hurrying down the hallway and out of the Senate House.
Terminus reluctantly returned Ruby's screwdriver, gum and paperclip when she reached the Pomerian Line, but Ruby couldn't have cared less.
Reyna just asked me out on a date. The praetor just asked me out on a date.