Chapter Eight
Know Who I Am

Mosca played with the lapels of his black button-up shirt, pacing aimlessly as they waited. Bo was bouncing around in a yellow shirt, one side hanging over the waistband of his pants, as Prosper tried desperately to catch him and keep him from ruining his clothes before they even left the Stella. His own shirt was a powder blue, matching the soft blue of his eyes. "Bo, get back here!"

"Where's Rae?" Bo demanded, stopping abruptly and pouting. "She's gonna make us late!"

"I feel WEIRD!" came a shout from above their heads. Scipio laughed, tucking his dark emerald shirt into his pants. (He had, of course, 'stolen' said attire.)

"If Bo forced us to dress up, Rae, then YOU have to, too!" Riccio yelled up at her. "And I hate this shirt SO much!"

"Stop whining, you spiky-haired monkey," Mosca insisted. "It's just a shirt."

"I don't want to look like a rich boy!" Riccio complained loudly, flopping down at the table with a bored sigh.

"Rae, come on down so we can go before Riccio decides to swap shirts," Scipio called. Riccio mumbled something along the lines of, 'S'not a bad idea, actually…'

"I swear, if any of you laugh, I'll kill you."

"Come on, Rae!" Prosper coaxed.

"Seriously."

"Rae, we won't laugh."

There were sharp footsteps, the short heels of Rae's shoes clacking against the wood floor. She appeared at the head of the stairs, biting her lip nervously. Scipio's mouth dropped open.

Her shoulder-less dress was a soft color of magenta, a deep purple sort of red color. The silken texture glimmered as Rae slowly came down the staircase. It came to her knees, cut at an angle so that the back dropped to the top of her calves. It was pleated just below her hips and drifted out, swishy and flowing. Taffeta stuck up elegantly from the slightly dipping neckline. Rae bit her lip shyly, looking at the ground and allowing her painstakingly curled hair to cover her blush.

The boys' eyes were all as wide as saucers; except, of course, for the ever dependable Bo.

"Rae, you look so pretty!" he shrieked, skipping his way over to her. She fluffed his hair fondly and replied,

"So do you, angelo." He beamed up at her.

"We can leave now, right? Right? I don't wanna be late!" He began his rapid hopping once again, tugging at the hem of Rae's dress. She swatted his hand away.

Scipio quickly closed his own gaping mouth with slight embarrassment, glancing over at Prosper. He too, had his mouth open, and Scipio immediately didn't like the admiring look in his eyes. "Look sharp, Prop," he barked, spooking Prosper a bit. He snapped his jaw closed, scratching his wavy brown hair sheepishly and shrugging. Scipio made a point of walking closest to Rae, like a gallant, and perhaps jealous, escort.

"We're gonna be late!!" Bo cried in despair, hurrying towards the vaporetto as fast as his little legs would carry him. His blonde curls whipped over his cheek as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure everyone was still behind him. In his hand was a bag, and when asked about it he replied, "I can't tell you yet, I'm waiting."

Rae, who was naturally graceful and catlike, was completely out of her element trying to keep up in her spiky stilettos, chasing after Bo like a fussing mother hen. Her brand new chocolate-colored pea coat billowed out from her sides, giving the impression that she possessed brown wings and completing the illusion. Prosper was only a half step ahead of her, faster in his loafers, calling for Bo in his endearing worried-and-irritated-older-brother voice.

"Bo! Bo, you better slow down right now, or I swear, I'll—"

"Aspetta, favore, aspetta!! Wait, please! Wait!!" Bo waved his arms through the air, trying to get the captain of the water taxi to halt the boat. His pleas went unheard, however, and the vaporetto continued to pull away the dock.

"We won't make it!" Riccio panted. Bo picked up speed, and it only took Prosper and Rae .3298 seconds to figure out his plan.

"Boniface!" Prosper shouted, "Boniface, you better not be thinking what I think you're thinking. Don't you dare—"

Bo crouched and sprung at the end of the dock, flying over the foot-long gap between him and his objective. He tumbled onto the deck, his hair flying about him as he rolled to a stop. Prosper leapt after and landed, but Rae was not as poised as her heels wobbled underneath her and she landed, face-first. Scipio followed, flanked by Riccio and Mosca until they were all safely, if not a bit unorthodoxly, on board.

"I have to admit, your form was a bit shaky in the middle but I'll give you an eight out of ten for the landing," Scipio smirked, extending his hand to help Rae to her feet. She glowered at him but took his hand, awkwardly getting to her feet on her unstable shoes. She stumbled slightly as she regained her balance, nearly falling all over again. Luckily, Scipio was faster than gravity, tightening his grip on her hand and slipping an arm around her waist before she could take another spill.

"Thanks," Rae whispered shyly, lifting her eyes to meet his, and Scipio gasped softly; so softly, he could barely hear it himself. Rae cocked her head in confusion.

"What is it, Scip?"

"Y-Your eyes," Scipio stuttered. Rae blinked at him, suddenly extremely self-conscious.

"What about my eyes?" she asked warily. She stood up straight, releasing Scipio's hand to brush off her dress in order to divert her attention. Scipio's other hand dropped from her waist, quickly stuffing itself into his pocket as if it had committed a terrible crime by touching the gentle curve above her hips.

"They're…they're violet," he breathed in wonder. Indeed, Rae's eyes were the sweetest, richest shade of amethyst that the Thief Lord had ever seen. There was a red tinge to the purple, and Scipio founding himself thanking his lucky stars he had happened to bring Rae a dress that matched her eyes.

"We're here!" Bo shouted suddenly, jumping at the rail and pointing excitedly towards a plaza that was located on the edge of a seawall, like a square missing its bottom side. Strings of small light bulbs crisscrossed above it, throwing light down on its elegantly dress inhabitants, who were dancing in beautiful circles around the plaza to a…

"Oh, Bo," Rae inhaled, her eyes misting over. Bo smiled proudly, slipping his slight fingers into Rae's happily. A violin quartet played, conducting the dancers with their breath-taking sounds, and Rae's heart felt as though it might implode with the magnificence of their music. Rae knelt down and delivered a kiss to Bo's cherub cheek, and he reached inside his shirt for a tattered and torn piece of paper, and Rae realized this was the flyer Bo had been carrying around for a month, keeping her birthday gift a secret. On the flyer read, "An Outdoor Halloween Masquerade Gala, hosted by the Vitamin String Quartet featuring renowned singer, Miss R. Fallen."

"Knew you liked violins," Bo explained simply, leading Rae off the water taxi in her stupor, towards the dancing area. "And you found that old record player in the Stella and you started dancing, so I thought you'd like this, too."

Rae smiled gently and then curtsied, holding her hand out. In a haughty, proper voice she asked, "Signore Boniface, would you do me the honor of a dance?"

Bo giggled and took her outstretched hand, kissing it like he hand seen the gentlemen of Venice do to fine ladies, and then pushed his bag into Scipio's hands and skipped happily with Rae towards the floor.

Mosca and Riccio both elbowed each other, the pair of them eyeing the long table of food up. They nodded in mutual agreement before scampering off towards the free feast, grabbing plates and stacking them as high as humanly possible. Scipio and Prosper both watched Rae and Bo dancing around joyously; they clasped hands and spun in circles while the couples around them danced primly to a Venetian-styled waltz the violin quartet played.

Prosper listened to the waltz and thought of his mother, when she had taken him to a carnival when she was alive. Bo had not been born yet, still a glimmer in his mother's eye, and Prosper was still very young and carefree. His mother had sat him atop a merry-go-round, his small fingers gripping the wings of a lion as a Venetian waltz floated into his ears. He went round and round and round in circles, listening to the waltz and smiling at his mother and never wanting to get off again.

The young boy with an old soul wanted to back in that place, and he barely noticed when Rae cried, "Dance with me!" and pulled him onto the dance floor. And once again, he was listening to a Venetian waltz and spinning in circles and as Rae's laughter filled the air, Prosper imagined that he was dancing with his mother, and he smiled.

"Has no one ever taught you to dance, Rae?" Scipio asked teasingly as he sipped sparkling apple cider from the refreshment table, arching his eyebrow as means of an invitation. They gang was seated around a table, eating docile food like finger sandwiches and quiche, taking a break from dancing to enjoy the way the lights hit the water of the canals. They all wore cheap orange and black paper masks that were being handed out in spirit of Halloween.

Rae cocked her head to the side in confusion, but then saw the smirk lift up the corners of the Thief Lord's mouth and the glimmer of mischief enter his dark eyes. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no. Scipio, spinning in circles is one thing, but actually dancing is a whole other—"

"Come now, Rae, it's not that hard. It comes very naturally," Scipio coaxed. He stood up and took Rae's hand as she spluttered in protest, ignoring her arguing and pulling her back onto the dance floor. The rest of the boys cheered her on, much to Scipio's amusement and Rae's mortification. She tried to pull away from Scipio's strong grip, pleading with him,

"Scipio, seriously, I don't know how to—"

"It's easy," Scipio promised her, putting his hand on her back and lifting her other up in a waltzing position. "You just have to follow my lead."

Rae snorted. "If I ever followed you're lead, you'd probably lead me to my death," she snickered. She tugged her cheap paper mask off her face with a sigh, "This damned thing is ruining the makeup I spent three hours trying to apply to my face." Scipio discarded his as well, then swept Rae onto the floor murmuring,

"Just close your eyes and follow me."

The quartet struck up a new tune, pleasant and gentle, and the female entertainer began to sing,

And I'd give up forever to touch you,
'Cause I know that you'd feel me some how.
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,
And I don't wanna go home right now.

"I like this song," Rae intoned quietly, eyes still closed as Scipio began to edge her into the rhythm of the dance. A languid, relaxed smile formed on Scipio's lips as he watched Rae's facial expressions, ranging from frustration when she stepped on his foot to delight when she remembered a step correctly. Her eyes remained shut, and it gave her face a peaceful façade. They twirled around, their feet flying despite the occasional misstep.

And all I can taste is this moment,
And I'll I can breathe is your light.
And sooner or later it's over,
I just don't wanna miss you tonight.

"Sorry," she whispered as she stumbled over her own feet, biting her lip. Scipio simply guided her back into the pulse of the song, assuring her it was okay. Bo suddenly was at there side, tugging Scipio's coattails. The bag he had been carrying all night was outstretched towards him, inclining him to take it.

"What is it, Bo?" Scipio asked, momentarily halting the dance to reach inside. The moment his fingertips brushed across the object he smiled at Bo in realization, and then pulled out his black bird mask. Much to Bo's pleasure, he slipped it onto his face and tied the ribbon in the back.

"Yours too," Bo informed Rae, reaching in and pulling out her brand new harlequin mask. Rae took it with hesitant fingers, but once she had it resting on her face for the first time, she felt her chest swell with a confidence and pride she had never felt before. Bo skipped back to the rest of the gang, his mission complete. Rae and Scipio eased back into their waltz, grinning at each other from beneath their masks, unique from the paper masks on all the other dancers.

And I don't want the world to see me,
Because I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

"Scipio?" she asked softly, opening her eyes to look up into his face. She always seemed to forget how much taller he was, especially with his damned boots on. Granted, she was a bit small for someone her age, but denial kept her from remembering how he dwarfed her.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you…why did you ever put that mask on?"

And you can't fight the tears that ain't comin';
All the moments of truth in your life.
When everything feels like the movies,
You'd bleed just to know you're alive.

Scipio was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper."My f-f-father," Scipio cleared his throat forcefully, "My father is a tyrant, and I am a good-for-nothing. I saw this mask in our attic once, when I was looking for a picture of my mother. I found myself putting it on, and I felt this…this newfound glory. I felt strong, like I was someone else. For once, I didn't want to feel like a good-for-nothing. I wanted to feel like I was a good-for-something." Scipio glanced over at where Prosper, Bo, Mosca, and Riccio were seated, laughing amongst themselves. "And I think I am; at least, when I'm here, with you, wearing this mask as the Thief Lord. As Scipio Massimo, though…"

And I don't want the world to see me,
Because I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

Scipio let out a shaky sigh, and his eyes were suddenly cold and angry. "Scipio Massimo is nothing more than a weak, ignored child whose best friend is a cat and whose father never listens."

Rae's eyes were filled with tender understanding, and she found herself and Scipio at a much closer proximity than before. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling how his shoulder flexed beneath her cheek as he steered her effortlessly.

"Scipio Massimo," she whispered, "am I not your friend?"

Scipio looked sideways and could see her jaw and her long hair, which had been meticulously brushed and undone from it's usual braid for the occasion. The curls shone in the hanging lantern lights. He blinked and immediately responded, "Of course you are, Rae."

"Do I listen to you?"

"Unless you're arguing with me."

"Do I ignore you?"

"I wouldn't allow you to," Scipio chuckled.

"Have I ever called you weak?"

Scipio sighed again, sounding exasperated. "Rae, I—"

"And I speak nothing but the truth, don't I, Scipio? Before you were ever the Thief Lord, you were Scipio Massimo. The Thief Lord belongs to Scipio Massimo, not the other way around. You shouldn't be living a lie, not to them," Rae gestured to the gang, "or to yourself."

"How do you suppose I do that? Each day, I play one or the other," Scipio snapped, his voice bitter and aggrieved. "I wake up as Scipio Massimo, I fall to sleep as the Thief Lord. I can't just end one of them."

"You don't have to end either of them," Rae soothed, her breath tickling Scipio's neck. "You have to let them become the same person."

And I don't want the world to see me,
Because I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

"How?" Scipio asked. His voice cracked. Rae was silent.

And I don't want the world to see me,
Because I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

I just want you to know who I am.

I know, I know, I'm positively evil because I haven't updated in so very long. But I will, I promise!
-lifts right hand and places left on a copy of The Thief Lord-
I swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
So please please please PLEASE review and tell me you missed me and tell me how bad this chapter sucks butt.
Heh.

--C.