Did I use the pronoun 'she'? I'm sorry *sweatdrop* I was thinking from Roma's perspective at the time... I'm not going to reveal Rio's gender so undramatically!
I was awoken the following morning by the sound of children- that sounds so dreadfully pleasant, but I assure you its one of the worst sounds possible, especially when the children are squawking incoherently. I blearily blinked, and Sadiq shook me awake.
I sniffed. "Bath." Wrinkling my nose, I pulled away, standing up with an effort- Sadiq's stench was becoming unbearable. The room quickly depopulated as people rushed to their various jobs, and as we left we noticed a sleepy Vlad and Abel slink towards the room. Vlad saw me and motioned for me to come over. "Yes?"
"Are you going to be leaving?"
"Going to the baths, and later Tameri's popina."
Vlad looked at me, blinking slightly. "That's fine. Here's ten denari to pay for both of you, and a load or something when you get hungry, Roma's treat. Just be sure to check in when you get back." He punctuated this remark with a yawn, and then he dragged himself off to sleep.
"Hey, Sadiq, you know where everything is?" He nodded. Neither of us felt like talking, but communication was necessary on my end. "Lets go grab you some clothes, then. I need some more too." After mutedly collecting a pair of fresh tunics from a small chest- Sadiq explained it was his- we discovered Tameri and Gupta stealing some fruit to take with them. "So I'm going to go to the baths with Sadiq- When should I head to your Popina?"
"You've figured out where both the baths and our Popina is?" Gupta was astonished- exceptionally so to get so many words out of him.
"Well, Sadiq knows where the baths are-"
"Unlike you, I can actually find my way around."
"But I'm sure I can work out where your Popina is!"
Tameri sighed. "Sadiq, you know where the park on Sampietri is?"
"Naturally."
"Be there about half way through the sixth hour."
I sulked silently as I realized my glorious concept of looking after Sadiq was being quickly and upsettingly reversed. Ignoring this, we headed out to the baths after following Tameri's example and stealing some food. (Bread in my case, naturally)
The routine was much the same as last time, so I shall skip it. Sadiq did keep covering his face, though. After we were finished cleaning, but before we left the main building, Sadiq pointed out we had nearly an hour left, and recommended we go see a play. I was naturally confused, but he took me by the hand and led me to a theatre. Because yes, they had a theatre in the bath buildings. Regeneration for not just the body, but the mind. I mused.
We settled down near the middle of an amphitheatre, already casually filled with people like us, mostly of egyptian origin. This was possibly because the play appeared to be a traditionally egyptian one, already partially finished. The actors did not move much, relying more on loudly spoken words and their costumes- some were incredibly fanciful, but others were just as plain, or tattered. I thought that they must have originally had a full set of elaborate costumes, but over time, they were replaced by whatever they could find.
While they were speaking latin, it was strongly tainted, and me and Sadiq had problems figuring out what was going on. Looking around, I noticed a family sitting not far in front of us, and moved down a few seats towards them. After listening to their explanations, thankfully childishly simplistic, I scooted back to Sadiq.
"That guy is Seth, and that guy is Horus, and they're trying to figure out who's going to take Osiris thrones. Its just a simplistic theatrical play." I whispered. Just then, a women went and stripped on stage. "And now I have no idea what's going on again."
After eavesdropping on the conversations around us, our furtive scooting led to first, a fairly good understanding of what was going on, and second, the knowledge that this was boring, but traditional.
Sadiq seemed distracted. "What are you thinking of?" I leaned over, questioning in my normal voice as, by this point, everyone was talking.
"They're wearing... masks, right?"
"Yes? Have you never seen a mask before or something?"
"No, I have, it's just they're unfamiliar to my culture...What is their purpose?"
"In theatre?" I leaned back, thinking in an attempt to give a good answer. "To display a different person. I mean, that really is the whole point of acting- giving an entirely new impression of oneself based solely on different actions. Masks just help."
"I need one."
"What?"
"I need a mask."
"Okay? Why?"
Sadiq became more serious. "Because I need to hide. Because the light is too bright and people can see me and I don't want it."
I had forgotten about that. However, I attempted to take his strange request and thoughts in stride. "So do you want to buy one or steal one?"
"...lets steal one."
We spent the last moments of the play figuring which mask we wanted to take.
"Look at that hippopotamus one!" he pointed to a particularly fancy one worn by Seth.
"You'd look stupid."
"I'm going to be wearing a mask!"
"Lets not make it a stupid one. What about that one?" I pointed to a plainer one, Orisis's, that reminded me distinctly of Phantom of the Opera. Probably not intentional?
"No. No way. A broken mask? Only covers one eye, as well." We were silent for a few moments, until an epiphany struck Sadiq.
"That one." He pointed directly to one that was worn by one of the underlings. "I need that one."
"What? That one looks even dumber-"
"It needs to be that one." I looked at the mask, and shrugged. It was incredibly plain, just a white eye mask. But to each their own, I suppose.
The play had finished, but while most left, we loitered, attempting to unsuspiciously spy on the actors, acting relaxed. They headed right. When the last had left, we scrambled out and around, then returned to our natural state as they walked past us. "What should we do now?" asked one to the other. "Do you fancy leaving?"
Sadiq walked up behind them; "I think we should take a bath." he scuttled away.
"Oh that would work." Another said, looking around for the source of the suggestion- thankfully we were sufficiently far away that they did not suspect us.
"Okay, a bath." the suggestion spread throughout the group, and they all headed to the main bath building, one collecting enough money from the members and what they had made and distributing it out. It annoyed us to have to spend money to get inside again, but Sadiq pointed out this would be a lot cheaper than attempting to buy one. When we entered and headed to the changing room, we casually began to partially strip.
"Make sure you have all your props- we have to do this play later." One turned to the slave there whose job was to guard clothing in exchange for coins, and began handing him money. This was our chance!
I casually picked up the mask, and after exclaiming about the time, pointing to an invisible watch before remembering that they hadn't been invented yet, and headed out 'unobtrusively' with Sadiq. As soon as we had left, we increased our pace, leading to a half run when we heard a commotion from behind us.
By the time we had left, we were approaching a slow run. Going around a corner, Sadiq tied on his mask and turned to me.
"What do you think?"
I wavered to give an answer. The mask gave his eyes the impression of being empty and dark, almost soul sucking. To be honest, though, it was surprisingly natural on him. He still looked very skinny, his brownish tunic hanging off him, but due to two good meals and a good clean and oil, his natural colour was beginning to return. I suppose it made him look more exotic? It was confusing. "It looks fine. How do you feel?"
He waved a hand in front of his face and blinked once or twice. "I feel...relaxed. At peace. It feels amazing."
"That's good." I tried to refrain from using my 'you-are-completely-crazy' voice. "We'll get going, then?"
He nodded, a persistent smile forming.
As we walked to the park, I curiously paid close attention to the reactions of people. Surely a random guy in a mask was strange? However, he was merely ignored, treated as normal. Then again, this city was multicultural, with egyptians and nordics and saxons mingling freely.
Have I said how much I love the parks here? How they are so separate from the noise of the city, yet so close? Rome was an exceedingly dirty place in its poorer locations, but most streets were clean, most buildings, while not constructed as art, were not the ugliest, especially as there was a red stripe about shoulder height along all the buildings. I wonder why?
"Rio." Gupta was slightly less enthusiastic at speaking as Heracles, a smaller smile,but he still found it necessary to attack my legs with great gusto.
"Hello, Gupta." I greeted him, kneeling down. Gupta hugged me, and then looked up at Sadiq, and his miniature (cute!) smile collapsed into fear.
"You're Gupta, right?" Sadiq smiled. Gupta shuddered and buried his head into my leg. Sadiq frowned. "What's wrong?" he bent down, but at his touch Gupta yelped and ran back to his mother.
"I guess your mask scares him. Its quite a nice one, by the way." Tameri swept up Gupta, causing him to give a slight giggle. "Did you steal it?"
"Maaaybe..." "Weeeell..." Sadiq and I said at the same time.
"You did. Something, I should comment, that I quite understand. Gupta, he's alright." Tameri cooed to her son, and he gradually turned his face to Sadiq, who twitched his mouth into a hesitant grin.
"Are you sure?" Gupta tugged at his mother's clothes.
"Of course! Besides, Rio would stop him from doing anything bad, right?"
"Pff." Sadiq crossed his arms. "Like she could stop me." Gupta looked frightened for a few moments, until I grabbed Sadiq and ruffled his hair.
"Don't worry! I'll keep him under control." I grinned while Sadiq scowled and pushed me away.
"I swear you're turning into Roma." Tameri joked.
I clasped my heart, offended. Gupta had wiggled his way out of his mothers arms, and was curiously touching Sadiq's mask.
We walked- well, Sadiq and Tameri walked, me and Gupta skipped- to the popina. Tameri opened the slats, noting with approval that Vladimir had refilled the amphorae. It was just before midday- people had been up and about for a while, but were not in a hungry mood yet. Tameri sent me and Gupta to do a quick cleaning while she told Sadiq his job.
And so the days passed, memories of the future sliding away. Each day turned into a beat of a pleasant rhythm, starting and ending about the same.
Me and Sadiq would be woken up by the sound of children, or, if we missed that alarm, Vlad gently shaking us, and if that still didn't work, Abel volunteered his services of kicking us awake. After that, we mostly messed around- helping Atanas and Carol cleaning, playing with the children, going to the baths, before we walked (well, Sadiq led me) to Tameri's popina. Gupta would be quietly washing the dishes while Tameri sat behind the counter taking payments and managing the store. At first, she had insisted on helping me and Sadiq with the tables, but we had eventually worn her down with gentle assurances. Every day that passed she seemed more frail. I did enjoy working with Tameri. She wasn't really my boss, though whenever I needed a question asking I naturally turned to her. We were still a bit stretched, though nothing compared to poor Cyanae, who we did occasionally help out.
Gupta got taller, which he proudly measured as 3 feet, 5 digits, and compared to Heracles. Sadiq- well, he didn't grow taller like a child, but he definitely gave the impression of being taller, the way he held himself less hunched, 'filling out' to how he must have looked before. He still acted... strange... and the times when we were furthest apart he became exceptionally snappy, a hint of violence, though that grew less. Vlad would occasionally visit with some of the children, or Vash and Roderic h would come by themselves. After work, we generally went to the baths, or visited one of the parks with Cyanae and Heracles, before splitting ways. Back at home, it was time for dinner, a play fight or two, then snuggling up to Sadiq like a puppy and conking out. Nice and relaxing, I was beginning to see why Italy acted like this.
For each Nundinae, Sadiq and I would take some of the popina's money and go with some of the household to the market, picking up both basic foods and a small treat or so. I enjoyed these opportunities, because they meant I had a better chance of seeing, well, seeing amazing things. Animals sold that I hadn't seen even in the best zoos, people whose races now ceased to exist. Except by that time I had stopped thinking in that manner, of 'this is past'. It was a subtle change, one I did not really pay much attention to, but it had started off as 'in the future', and then I forgot to think about the future at all. At least my latin had improved considerably?
It was about... oh, twenty nundinae? Half a year, I would say, half a year later.
We were eating breakfast outside in the garden. I was sprawled out on the grass next to Carol, which Lovino and Feliciano had taken as an invitation to scramble across my stomach when chasing each other. Elizabeta was taking to Sadiq, who seemed to have taken a liking to her. As it was not that sort of liking, no one cared. Roderich was playing on his lyre nearby, with Vash and Atanas sitting next to him, just listening. Antonio was playing with a toy boat, then attacking Francis for stealing it.
There was a yell. The tone was immediately identifiable as Lauras, causing half of us to sit up, alert, and a clash from upstairs, presumably Abel. She yelled again, and it was a shriek of delight. We were still fairly alert- Laura was not of a hysterical nature- we heard Abel race towards the front. Then we heard him laugh, a relieved laugh.
I was curious enough to get up and head inside at this point, but before I could, I saw Laura half race into the garden, an unusual smile on her face, followed by Abel and Roma.
"Roma!" "Grandpa!" "Sir!"
It was... actually, it was everyone except Sadiq, Atanas, and Carol, who ran over to Roma and hugged him. He tussled everyones hair and kissed everyones faces, gazing at his empire affectionately. Well, except for me. He gave me a vaguely blank look.
"Who...?"
"Rio!" I yelled, head butting him.
It took him a few moments to respond, but then he hugged me back, a big bear hug. "Rio! I remember you! The pretty girl from Youess! Hey, Atanas! Carol! Get over here!"
A few extended group hugs later, we finally broke apart. (Sadiq was still glowering in a corner.)
"How was it?" Carol started blabbering. "Did you get hurt? Was it difficult? Who- Who is that?" He pointed behind Roma to someone I hadn't seen before. A small boy with red eyes and silver hair, rebellious looking, hands bound together.
"Hmm?" Roma asked, then put his hand on the boys shoulder, causing him to flinch. "This is my new territory from Germania. Gilbert."
FINALLY I GET TO GILBERT! FINALLY!