I actually finished this chapter three weeks ago and broke my record by finishing it in only about two or three days. Thank God for Lunch breaks! would've been less than that but we had work training.

Special thanks to Pineapplebun for her wonderful betaing despite all her school work!

so with out firther ado..here's the next chapter of Timaeus!

SPOILER ALERT: There's a new and VERY familiar face!

Chapter LXX: Masks

These were not the painted wooden ritual masks mimicking the animal-headed gods, or the golden death masks crafted in the image of deceased kings. No, these were works of art woven from silk and cloth, carved from porcelain, or molded from clay crowned with feathers or embedded with jewels. Some were comical caricatures of the human face that sported elaborate headdresses or covered the entire mask including the eyes; others were white as bone with popping swirls of colors and sported intricate patterns. Some were part of a much more elaborate disguise: fantastical costumes more ambitious and extravagant than any Yugi had ever witnessed lined the racks and stands beyond the wall of masks that glittered in the display.

Peeking through the glass, Yugi could spot sumptuous ball gowns with enormous bell-shaped skirts lined with fur, feathers, brocaded with gold, or sporting enormous draping sleeves that spread like wings—one even came with wings! One was a single full body suit like Timaeus' under armor, but was boldly decorated with illustrious diamonds and a breathtaking mane. A pair of costumes that would off-set the other looked to be inspired by the sun and moon; another looked like a rainbow-winged fire bird. The one behind it was a gold knight with armor shaped like a roaring lion; a similar design stood beside it, though it was molded in the image of a dragon. Another was a brilliant canine resembling a jackal but bigger, fiercer—a wolf, he recalled from his studies. Another was made entirely of drapery that resembled the colorful wings of a butterfly; an almost identical costume, but in all black with sparkling silver beads resembling stars, was backed with the leathery wings of a bat. Another was an enormous white gown that depicted the breathtaking image of an ibis spreading its wings, while another was a simple cut awash with every shade of blue and green of the sea.

Yugi absorbed it all with childish wonderment and wide-eyed fascination. Where did all these come from? Who made them? And what were they all for? Elaborate costumes like these were purely used for celebrations in Kemet: sometimes dancers would dress up for rituals and people would wear their finest garments to festivals, and of course Per'a'ah and his family wore their best finery for such occasions, but never anything like this.

"See anything you like, lad?"

Yugi jumped and whirled around. The old man sweeping the shop's porch was a short, plump individual with a round belly; the affable smile that brightened his still youthful purple eyes and his aged but rosy face made him appear a lively, jolly character. Setting down his broom, he tucked his thumbs into the sash of his green and white tunic and quirked an amused smile in Yugi's direction. "You're more than welcome to come in if you'd like. I've got plenty more costumes and masks inside." He stepped aside, making way for Yugi to enter. Yugi gleefully accepted the invitation and quickly found himself surrounded by the vibrant skins of fantastical characters more wild and magical than he could've ever imagined.

"What are all these for?" he asked, eyes darting about the enormous space and weaving through the racks.

A jolly laugh was the response to his enthusiasm. "Not from around here, are you lad?"

Yugi felt his face flush a little, though he didn't feel at all embarrassed. "Yes, actually. I came from overseas with my husband."

The man's easy smile and friendly violet eyes earned Yugi's welcome even before he offered his hand. "My name's Solomon. I'm the owner of this costume shop."

Yugi froze as he shook the man's hand. "You made all these?!" he exclaimed, his eyes alit with stunned mystification.

The man laughed heartily; his plump belly vibrated with each guffaw. "Oh, not all of them, I confess, although I was quite the mask maker in my youth. My family does own this shop, however, and we are the best costumers in all of Locri. True, we may be the only one in this city, but I guarantee from here to Caulonia, you could search each and every corner of the market district, and you will not find a better mask maker nor costumer than you will here." There was such a paternal pride in his voice that Yugi couldn't help but smile in admiration. "I made many of these in my youth, but time has passed and I'm not that young anymore. My hands are not what they used to be," he smiled, holding up his calloused hands, strong and thick from decades of hard work yet gracefully gaunt. "Nowadays, my daughter and my grandson are responsible for most of the labor. I simply manage the shop."

"Who makes the costumes, then?" Yugi asked curiously.

Another proud grin. "My daughter. Girl's a poet with a needle and she's good friends with Subella, who I'm certain you've met. She runs the Seamstress shop in town?"

Yugi blushed, recalling that meeting. "Oh, yes, I have indeed. She's…"

"A very passionate woman," Solomon chuckled. "She could never resist a cute thing such as yourself. Sometimes, she helps my daughter make the costumes— or at the very least provides the cloth and materials. In exchange, my daughter will sometimes take on a few of her custom orders that require certain techniques or need specific repairs. I'm afraid they're both running errands today, but if you decide to stop by in the future, I'll be sure to introduce you, um…" He trailed off as his eyes widened with realization, mortified by his own rudeness.

Yugi chuckled. "Yugi. Please, call me Yugi. And I'd like that very much."

Solomon's smile brightened. "Glad to hear it." His eyes flickered to Yugi's attire, widened with masked amusement, then flickered back to meet his eyes. With a grin, he asked, "Would you like to try some on?"

Yugi nodded.

With a speed and maneuverability impressive for his age and stature, the old man started weaving through the racks. Yugi joined in as he tried on an array of masks and costumes alike: a mask with an explosive crown of gold, purple and crimson feathers; a purple gown woven all over with blue, pink and red silk flowers; a full-faced wolf mask made with actual fur; a black lion mask with an explosion of feathers skillfully placed to replicate a mane; some of those comical caricatures of human faces with long noses or floppy ears; and even the sun and moon costumes from the display. He also made sure to try some of the simpler porcelain masks with patterns of painted diamonds or swirls. All of them looked wonderful, and yet nothing quite…fit.

"Ah!" With a cry of victory, Solomon removed a mask from its display and twirled around with a child-like enthusiasm, proudly presenting his discovery in his hands. "Try this one."

Yugi delicately removed the mask from the elder's hands; it was smooth and polished like glass or alabaster. The colors swirled in deepening shades of green speckled with flecks of gold on the cheeks and forehead. The vacant eyes were two curved holes larger than what Yugi would expect from a mask. There was no mouth piece, but the cheeks curled and spiraled in leaf-like shapes. Two spiraling horns sprouted from the crown of the mask and curled backwards like a ram's, and a festooned bush of vine-like tendrils woven with flowers fell backwards like a curtain of hair.

"Try it on," Solomon suggested, gesturing to a looking glass. Yugi did so, and when he spied his reflection in the mirror, he gasped. With the mask in place, his violet eyes were more piercing and his golden skin seemed more sylvan. Coupled with the green dress he wore, he certainly looked like something wild, something mischievous. Memories of the imps and dryads and other woody sprites Timaeus compared him to filled his thoughts, and Yugi's lips pulled into a smirk. He winked, then spun around, looking at himself from all angles. It felt natural, complete, as if he'd been reunited with a missing piece of his soul.

"I like it," Yugi breathed. "My husband likes to compare me to a forest creature."

"It suits you, lad!" Solomon chuckled. "Tree sprites are known to be mischievous."

"He told me that too," Yugi smirked, grinning at his own joke. "These are all wonderful. We never had anything like this back home."

"You've never had a masquerade?!" Solomon gasped.

Yugi shook his head.

"Oh, masquerades are a big part of Atlantis' culture, especially here in the West! People don masks and disguises to celebrate special events and festivals. Our three biggest holidays are celebrated with the largest masquerades of the year! The Day of the Dragon, the Festival of the Autumn Bride and the Carneval of Caulonia!"

"I remember that one—the Carneval!" The girls had mentioned it.

"Aye! One giant party that one, though the best masquerade, in my opinion, is without a doubt the Festival of the Autumn Bride! That one's going to be extra special this year, I imagine."

"It is?" Yugi gasped. Festivals and religious matters were his responsibility after all. Being a newlywed bride didn't excuse ignorance.

"Oh, yes," Solomon said with a playful grin that bordered on rakish. "It's still two seasons away and we'll, of course, have to celebrate the Festival of the Spring Maiden first. That one should be coming up soon I think."

Yugi's eyes widened with worry but Solomon placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, patting reassuringly. "Not to worry, lad. It's still at least a month off—early in the season and all. We don't hold that festival until Spring's in full bloom. That's how we know the Spring Maiden's returned."

"The Spring Maiden?" Yugi asked. "Do you mean the Iron Lady?"

"Aye," Solomon said with a grin. "In case you're not fully familiar with the culture, the Iron Lady is only Queen of the Underworld for half the year. Through the long winters, she and her husband rule, keeping death at bay and guiding the departed into the next life, but when the earth warms, the Iron Lady leaves the Underworld and becomes the Spring Maiden and the Goddess of Fertility. She returns life to the land and blesses it and the household. We celebrate her return every year with music, dancing, flowers, and kisses—if you've a sweetheart, that is." There was a roguish wink in his violet eyes that made Yugi blush.

"And the Festival of the Autumn Bride?"

Solomon burst out laughing. "Oh, that one is our most important festival—least here in the west it is—deep in the end of autumn, just before winter starts. It's the last of the harvest festivals, you see? With the harvest over, the Iron Lady's duties as the Spring Maiden are fulfilled and she is now free to reunite with her husband, the Lord of the Dead. We celebrate the reunion every year with a grand procession!" His eyes brightened with excitement. "Everyone dons their best costumes, their favorite masks, and their best disguises! There's music and dancing and games and a harvest feast that will make you salivate all winter, Best of all is the parade! The whole city gathers to watch and join the procession to the Temple, where the God and Goddess reenact their marriage vows and we all celebrate!"

Yugi listened with intense fascination. It reminded him of the Opet Festival or Sekhmet's Feast, but even the most lively of Kemet's festivals honoring their gods did not sound as wonderful. Already, his mind was spinning with plans and ideas and questions to ask Mai and Bakura—and even Timaeus. Thoughts of what costumes they might wear also came to mind as his eyes darted about the room. Somehow, imagining his stoic and commanding husband dressed up as a bird or an imp for the evening seemed too hilarious to picture without laughing, but he could see Timaeus donning a disguise, slipping on his rouge mask and letting his more juvenile side out to play for an evening. Just the thought made him burst with exhilaration. "That sounds incredible! I can't wait to see it!" And plan it, though of course he had to prioritize the Festival of the Spring Maiden as it came first.

"Aye, aye," Solomon joined him in his excitement with a hearty laugh. "Plus, I reckon this year's celebration will be rather special, now that we have an actual couple to take the roles."

"How so?" Yugi asked.

"Because the Magister is married now, of course."

That caught his attention. "What?" Yugi asked with a surprised squeak.

Solomon chuckled lively, the roguish wink returning as a twinkle in his eyes. "Well, lad, you see, since the true God and Goddess cannot join us of course, every year a couple must step up and act as their avatar for the evening. Traditionally, the Magister and the Magistrate will do so as they are the rulers, just as the Magistrate will represent the Spring Maiden at the Spring Festival, but as the Magister was unmarried at the time, another couple would step up to fill the role. In recent years, it was his First and his wife, the Quartermaster. Before that it, was the Boatswain and his pretty wife as they were newlyweds."

"Why a married couple?" Yugi asked, unsure why his heart was pounding.

A teasing smile flashed across Solomon's face. "Well, given the wedding ends with the God and Goddess by proxy consummating their marriage in the Temple of the Iron Lady, it would be inappropriate otherwise."

Yugi's entire face suffused with color. Solomon chortled at his embarrassment and Yugi spun around, covering his mouth to keep from squeaking. Of course that was why. He shouldn't even be surprised. Weren't fertility rituals done the same way in Kemet? In every country? An image of Timaeus reenacting that ritual with another woman flashed in Yugi's mind and a wave of jealousy suddenly made his vision flash green. He was glad no one had performed that ritual with Timaeus. No one was ever going to perform that ritual with Timaeus. Except him.

A thought sparked Yugi's devious side and he spun to the mask maker, smiling. "Does the Festival of the Spring Maiden include such a ritual?"

Solomon paused to stroke his chin in thought, but Yugi caught the glint in his eyes. "Not that I can recall, but then again, it's always been less extravagant than its sister celebration, though I'd be lying if I said love making didn't make its way into some of the spring and summer festivals. Speaking of," he gestured a hand, "you should keep that mask, lad. It really does suit you."

It took Yugi a moment to realize what he was saying, and with a blush and a start of realization, he quickly made to untie the strings, but Solomon's stronger hand paused his. "Keep it."

Yugi blushed in realization. "Oh, I couldn't. It's so lovely! At least let me buy it..."

The old mask maker shook his head. "I mean it. It truly does suit you. Consider it a gift for visiting my shop," he winked, his smile kind. "Just as long as you promise to come back."

Yugi bit his lip. "Are you sure?"

"I insist!" Solomon spoke with grandeur. "My daughter always said the best days are when our work goes home with the right owner, and I think this one has indeed found hers. And besides, it's not every day I have the new Magistrate visiting me."

Yugi's expression dropped; thank goodness he'd kept the mask on or he surely would've dropped it. He spun to protest, but the knowing smirk that tugged the man's wrinkled lips left no room for lies.

"How did you know?" Yugi slumped with defeat.

A plump finger pointed to his chest. Yugi blinked and looked down, just in time to admire the silver medallion peeking out beneath the folds of his hood, bearing the all too familiar image of an enthroned couple. Yugi blushed again. Of course, they'd recognize the Locrian Symbol even if it wasn't the crest specifically used by the current Magistrate. Good Lord, had he worn it out all day? Was that why…?

A dark thought clouded his jubilance. "I hope this act of generosity was not made in hopes of gaining favors from me?" he asked in the tone of an authoritative prince.

Solomon looked appalled, at least flamboyantly so. "Of course not!" he gasped with dramatic hurt. "I'm offended you'd accuse this poor old man of governmental bribery."

Yugi could not help it: he laughed and laughed loudly. "Alright, alright, I believe you. And thank you, truly. I'm still getting used to all this, and I was hoping disguising myself like this would let me get to know my people without my title, and they me."

Solomon nodded, understanding. "Ah, but lad, we do not see titles in our rulers—at least not in this city. You've seen how we treat our Lord. Why should we treat his lady any different?" he winked. "In any case, my offer still stands: it's yours if you promise to come back. Oh, and do bring that man of yours along: it's been quite some time since I last saw him, rushing about for the perfect Autumn Festival costume."

The sight Yugi's imagination conjured sent him into a fit of giggles. "I will," he promised, slipping off his new mask and carefully placing it inside his bag of gifts before making his way towards the door. "I'm sure we'll both be back for—"

With a gasp of alarm, Yugi bolted back and hid behind the nearest rack he could find.

"What is it, lad?" the old mask maker asked, alarmed.

Yugi pointed with a shaking finger. Following it, Solomon's old eyes fixated on the street outside where three very recognizable figures were arguing loudly amongst themselves, one struggling to hold a very large box in their hands. Brows furrowing in thought, Solomon hummed in acknowledgement and turned back to the hiding Magistrate.

"You said you were traveling in disguise?" A nod. "Hm, I see. And I suppose that means I am correct in my assumption that the disguise was necessary to flee from your home for a flight of fancy as the Magister is still away?" Another slower nod. "And am I also correct in assuming that the Magister's Master of Maps, Master of Ships and Master of Repairs is now outside my shop street because they've come to fetch you and bring you home?"

"Please don't tell them I'm here!" Yugi begged, hands folded together in mercy. "I know they mean well, but Timaeus was only to be gone for three days, and I could not bear another day watching this city without seeing it for myself. I've already seen three of the Sisters and I only have one left, then I promise I'll return. I never meant to be gone so long."

With a grandfatherly smile, Solomon nodded, then whispered. "You'll just have to slip out the back door, then."

"Back door?" Yugi gasped.

"Aye," Solomon affirmed, quickly ushering him towards the back where more racks of costumes hung and another wall of masks could be seen through an enormous glass window. "A smart businessman knows to make the most of his space, and mask making is an art, not just a piece of the wardrobe, thus my shop has two entrances!" Again, that grand voice that Yugi loved. "One leads to the Sister of Cloth and Jewel from which you came in, but this one," he pushed open the door, "leads to the Sister of Paint and Song. I trust you'll find her company very pleasant."

At once, his eyes brightened, and with a grateful smile, Yugi spun to the man and hugged him tight. The old man caught the embrace with a warm laugh.

"Thank you!"

And with that, Yugi was off.

"You're welcome, lad." Solomon watched as the green flash vanished in the distance, a content warmth filling his chest. "You're welcome."

The Magister truly could not have made a better match.

Shouts and insults filled the front of his shop when he returned. Lord Otogi and Lord Malik were taking turns shoving the large box back and forth between them as Lord Ryou snapped insults at them both. The pale man straightened when he caught sight of the elderly owner and donned a much more patient and polite tone as he asked with a bow, "Excuse me, Mask Maker, but by any chance did a young man come into your store today? About my height, maybe shorter, wearing a green frock dress and a gray hood. Honey-skinned, deep-blue-eyed? The seamstress said she saw him coming this way—"

"—And demanded we take this back to the Palazzo for him," Otogi snapped, mumbling frustratingly and shoving the box right into Malik's face, forcing him to catch it. "Damn woman wouldn't take no for an answer! And I thought Bakura was bad."

Ryou shot him a glare, then returned his attention to Solomon, his expression softening at once. "Has anyone come in matching that description?"

"You mean our new Magistrate?" Solomon smiled innocently, biting his cheek to keep form laughing when their faces flashed with panic and the box nearly dropped from Malik's fingers. "As a matter of fact, he did! Wonderful lad! Our Magister truly could not have chosen better!"

Hope bloomed in Ryou's emerald eyes, so bright that the old man felt a bit terrible for teasing him. "I'm afraid you just missed him. Didn't say where he was going, only that he wished to see the rest of city, but he did promise he would be home before late!"

It took all of Solomon's will not to burst when the three men all but fainted on their feet.

I loved writing this chapter! it was so much fun! the masks, the costumes, building the Locrian culture, going into detail about the rituals...I love the world building! Spoiler Alert all the events listed or named in this chapter will be happening in the second volume ;) in fact, i think the third harvest tradition (which is the Locrian version of Halloween, cause, as all of you who know me know, Halloween is my Christmas!) should fall RIGHT around Yugi and Timaeus' six-month celebration ;)

I orginally planned for the Mask shop owner t be an elderly woman oc, but Solomon wormed his way into the story instead and I just could not say no! I love him! His mischievous side definitely works well as a mask and costume maker and I can see Yugi warming up to him immediately and vice-versa.

Yugi's mask was loosely based on the Jack-in-the-green or the Greenman costumes cept his was more to reflect an imp or dryad/druid or forest creature to reflect his wild and mischievous side as well as his ability to grow stronger and mature from a tiny seedling to a mighty oak :) Ah, symbolism. THat was totally pansed by the way, i didn't plan it ;)

and before anyone asks, no i have no idea who will play the role of Solomon's daughter and grandson in the sequel. i've played around with both Atem and Yugi's mother in the past and there are plenty who could fill the role besides Yami so we'll see what I come up with :)

until then, thanks for reading! I've got art shows all this month so i'll do my best to get the next chapter finished as i'm having serious debate about it or if I should just jump into the next one, but i definitely wanna get it up before Halloween!

as always read, review, critique, comment, ask questions and go nuts!

NEXT TIME: Yugi finally makes his way to the Sister of Paint and Song the breathtaking heart of his adopted city. Dances, paiting and so much more abound and Yugi just may have met his match on the dance floor. All the while his fretting bodyguards inch ever closer to their wayward charge and one in particular is in for a shock of his own,