Intro//The Glory of Rome//Moderate Aphro

[notawolfman]

Oki paced his cell restlessly, as he was prone to doing when not in the arena. Red eyes focused on the point directly ahead of him as he stalked around like the caged wolf he was. Matches for the day had all concluded, blood cleaned from the sand, gladiators' injuries had been treated, and the slaves put away...until it was time to "entertain" for

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[slavic_sinner]

Tonight, there was no buyer. The door opened to a murmur of several different voices, explanations exchanged, the click and jangle of metal on metal.

The man was a convicted criminal, identified in conspiracy as well as the assassination of a senator earlier in the week. Perhaps other crimes of state could be pinned on him; it had taken a long time to capture him, after all. And now he was to be set out for the public enjoyment-- blood for blood, as they said.

Chains exchanged hands, and the guard who brought the man (barely more than a boy, really, remarkably young to be wreaking such havoc) gave his new jailer the only name they knew for him: "Mello," he gruffly told the keeper of the cells. "'S all he's called. Send 'im out t'morrow morning with tha'-- tha' big guy. Funny hair."

"I'll see to it," came the response, the door shutting, and footsteps down the hallway. A minute later, the keeper was opening Oki's cell, shoving the criminal inside.

He remained tied, hands cuffed with a short chain behind his back, and a cloth gag between his teeth, tied around his jaw. Pushed into the cell roughly, Mello fell on his side with a grunt, dirty gold hair in disarray, but he sat up as soon as he could to send a indignant glare at the back of his jailer as he walked away. No explanation would be given to Oki. He wasn't important enough; he would have had to glean what he could from eavesdropping.

[notawolfman]

Oki had paused in his pacing only as long as it took the guard to thrust Mello into the cell. It wasn't often that he actually shared a space with another person as it was generally assumed that he'd maim them...which was why the guards never entered his cell without needing to.

He waited for the guard to move on before examining his new cellmate...this boy who was a criminal. It seemed unlikely that he'd survive the next day and Oki had to wonder if they'd even put him through gladiator school first...seemed unlikely.

Pausing in his restless pacing, he approached Mello.

[slavic_sinner]

Stiffening, Mello shrank back in surprise before sitting up suddenly straighter, though it didn't do much good. He looked like a cornered animal, dirt streaked on his skin and his clothing, crouching there on his knees, glaring up at him with those very expressive eyes. But there was no fear. Only anger, indignation, defiance.

[notawolfman]

No fear. That was refereshing. Oki crouched at Mello's level, tilting his head in mild interest. Had he been any normal slave, he'd be keeping his distance because, bound or not, Mello had a slightly higher social status even here. But he wasn't, so he didn't.

Reaching out, he tugged the gag free.

[slavic_sinner]

Ugh. Finally.

Mello spat out the cloth as it was pulled from his mouth, tossing his head indignantly and licking his cracked lips.

"Can you untie me?" he demanded, not bothering with any preface.

[notawolfman]

"Probably not." Oki stood and circled behind Mello to look anyway. Such an unusual persom this one is.

[slavic_sinner]

"Thought you people were supposed to be strong," Mello grumbled, nevermind the fact he was tied with metal. He was not resolved to dying here tomorrow--and die he would, because not even he was prideful enough to think he could stand against trained warriors. He was fast and clever, but he was no warrior.

Still, he was far from willing to accept this fate. He could escape. They underestimated him. He had all night to try.

[notawolfman]

"I could easily remove them if you wanted your wrists broken in the process," Oki replied simply, taking no offense to the comment. Grabbing one of the cuffs to hold the boy's arm still, he grabbed the chain and pulled to break it from the cuff. "You're lucky these were old."

Standing, he shuffled back to where he was pacing.

[slavic_sinner]

Mello winced at the pressure, but that snap was very pleasant to hear. The cuffs could be ignored for now until he found a way to cut them off; at least he could move his hands properly again.

Taking a breath, he pushed himself up to his feet, shaking his stiff arms out with the dull jangling of what was left of the chain on the cuffs.

"Good. Okay then..." He turned, going to the door to examine it carefully. "Don't suppose the door's old too?"

[notawolfman]

"You don't really think I'd simply be pacing here if I could deal with the door like that do you?" Oki never stopped in his pacing. He fully intended to be free one day, he was just waiting for the right opportunity.

[slavic_sinner]

"How am I supposed to know?" Mello snapped, still examining the lock. "You could simply get your kicks from this sort of life."

Pulling a little bit of metal from his pocket, Mello began to try picking the lock. Even if it didn't work, at least there was something to be said about his perseverance.

[notawolfman]

"You wouldn't, but it's assuming quite a bit to think that someone here as a slave would pass up a chance at freedom."

Someone underestimated this kid if he got here with metal. Either that or Mello was just that resourceful. Oki watched him try the lock, still prowling the cell.

[slavic_sinner]

It was tiny, really, a thin and twisted little piece, in a hidden pocket in the lining of the actual pocket. So basically, yes: resourceful.

Mello just shrugged in response, twisting about his makeshift lockpick in the keyhole. "Like I said. Hell if I know. I have more important things on my mind."

[notawolfman]

"Escape or die right?" Oki was aware that it was supposed to be him that Mello fought the next day. And while he was reluctant to fight someone who obviously not a match for him, he didn't plan to purposely die either.

But Mello seemed pretty sharp, so there was a chance something might happen.

[slavic_sinner]

"Escape is the only option," Mello growled under his breath. The guy seemed all right now, but in the ring, Mello knew he didn't stand a chance. And even if, somehow, he could fend off this one or Oki decided not to kill him (doubtful, since the punishment would be severe), there was no way he could stay here. He had better things to do. And there was no way he could keep winning even if he did survive the morrow by some fluke.

The lock-picking didn't seem to be doing anything. Mello withdrew his arm from the between the bars with a frustrated exhale of breath, and began to bend his little bit of metal a different way, intent on trying again. And again. Until he succeeded.

[notawolfman]

Oki shifted to get a better view of what Mello was doing. "Can you open it?" he asked, listening for any guards. Criminals were prone to escape attempts so there was a chance someone would be checking on Mello periodically.