So far, with the exception of perhaps one day, Octavia had found the island to be an overall pleasant place, and she would have been lying to say that it wasn't due, in part, to the absence of one particular person.
One person who was now standing on the path as she rode by in her new litter.
"Oh, Juno's mercy," she swore, eyes wide in her incredulity. The litter stopped at her command, and with a look of displeasure on her face, she swung her legs over the side of the cushion so she was sitting upright, suspended just slightly off the ground. "Mother?"
"Octavia," Atia brushed back her hair, trying to sound calm and collected. She would have managed were in not for the fact she knew not where she was, nor what sort of creation her daughter was atop of. Still, it would not do to show her confusion, least of all to her daughter.
Atia pulled herself to her feet, her breath still catching some. "What sort of trick is this. Come, get us back home. Now Octavia, this foolishness is over."
Without realizing it, Octavia mirrored the gesture, running her hand through the hair that fell loose over her shoulders. "There's no foolishness, mother," she insisted, sounding already exhausted in having to deal with the woman. "And I certainly can't get us home, not even if I wanted to. This..." She sighed, and still unable to take her eyes off Atia, shook her head. "You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you, but it actually is true."
"Stop with your silliness, I did not raise my children to lie to me. now get off that... Thing, and get us home." Atia sounded vexed, for she was. Vexed, and perturbed, and out of sorts. It was no matter, they would get home no matter how obstinate her daughter was.
"Have you seen Timon? I'll have him whipped. He let Servillia go. The gall of that man, countermanding my orders." She spoke as if she had heard none of Octavia's words. Troublesome girl.
Wesley had grown accustomed to certain occurrences upon the Island, though he was utterly at a blank when it came to explaining them. For instance, such a moment when he came nearly face-to-face with a woman who appeared quite out of sorts. He hadn't the foggiest where she was a moment before, merely that here she was now.
It confounded him and he did hate to be confounded. "Ma'am?" Wesley offered quietly. "Are you all right?"
Atia turned quickly to look at the man before her. Terribly dressed in the oddest sorts of garments, and wearing some sort of mask. Likely a pleb, or a slave. She squared her shoulders and stood, the look she gave him one of boredom.
"Fine. Of course I am fine." It would never do to show any sort of weakness. Just a mere moment of distraction, that's all it had been, or so she told herself, as she straightened her tunica and fixed her hair. 'I appear to have become lost. No matter. Direct me back towards the city."
It was not a question or a request, but a statement. In fact it was very near an order.
"I'm afraid that the largest city you're bound to find is right here," Wesley offered ruefully, with a wry note in his voice. He arched a brow, thinking on his odd luck at having to greet people.
As many a Slayer might be happy to say, Wesley wasn't equipped with the finest of people skills.
"Don't be preposterous," Never mind that he chose to speak to her as such, Atia fixed him with a disdainful look. "Stop with your lies or I'll have you whipped for your insolence. Come now, I cannot be far. I was just in my Villa. No matter what sort of trick Servillia may be playing at, we cannot be far from Rome."
Antoine was just walking today. There was nothing else to do and it seemed the perfect way to waste time. And to show off today's dress. (White with lace trim, a row of buttons and a light purple sash.) What other reason did she need? Except for Thisbé needing her excercise, of course.
When she saw another woman clearly in some sort of distress, or at least confusion, she smiled and made her way over to her. "Hello. Are you all right?"
"Do I look alright?" Atia said dismissively. At least she could stand. She would not have anyone look down at her. "I'm sure I will be fine, if you could please direct me towards the city. I seem to have gotten lost."
"Oh dear. You've just arrived, haven't you? What's your name?" She looked a little worried for a moment before launching into a hurried and enthusiastic explanantion, not waiting for an answer to her questions. Marie Antoinette didn't need to wait for others. "There isn't any city here. It's an island, somewhere in the indies I think. And people get pulled here from every imaginable time and place. I's like magic."
"Magic?" She sneered a the word. "My dear, I am sure it is just the work of charlatans, most of the priests are you know."
An island. Surely not even Servillia could have worked so fast. Perhaps she had been drugged? "Where is the Consul's Villa? You will take me there immediately."
Ulixes and I have been engaged in some sort of silent conversation. Basically, measuring each other's responses. I have to say our relationship is... it's difficult to describe. I would almost liken it to having a sibling, though I've never had one. The affection, however, is... deep.
We both lift our heads in twin expressions of surprise as a woman appears from nowhere, looking... unsteady.
"Are you well?" I'm sure not, but if she's ill or wounded, that's different than the general bewilderment
Atia shook her head, taking a deep breath before turning to glance again at the barbarian woman. A slave most likely. Some sort of whore, or novelty for the arenas.
"I am fine," Atia rose unsteadily to her feet, straightening her tunica and hair. "If you could point me toward the city I would greatly appreciate it." Sometimes sweetness, even with such people, was the best way of going about things.
"I'm afraid there is none here," I inform her, Ulixes prowling off to one side with a slight toss of his head. He looks vaguely agitated by her tone. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
"No city?" Atia looked at the woman incredulously, scarcely believing what she was hearing. "Where are we then? Come. Tell me now."
Servillia could have drugged her perhaps, absconded with her, left this woman to guard her. For some reason she no longer thought her a slave. Hired sword, from the gods knew what barbarian province. "I do not know what Servillia is paying you, but I can double it. I simply need to return to Rome."
The star observed the woman for a moment or eight, watching the panic that she had seen several times from far away, up close and not as personal, Tristran the dormouse rest in his place in the pocket of her dress.
Only when she could be certain that the woman probably did not have some sort of frothing disease did she speak.
"I don't think you're going to die. Not right now at least. You might if you keep making all that noise."
Atia had just caught her breath when the woman spoke to her, "Is that some sort of threat?"
She was dressed oddly, and Atia was completely unsure of where she was. Could Servillia have drugged her? Could Timon have betrayed her? Shakily, she got to her feet, squaring her shoulders, "I do not think you realise just who you are dealing with."
The star did not do threats. Not really, at least not anymore. She had not had the patience for them when she had things to bargin with and these days, they seemed like far too much work with far too little pay off.
"It'd be a very sorry threat if it was," she pointed out. "I was just pointed out that you need to breathe or you're going to wind up doing more harm to yourself then good. Probably. And I don't think who you are or were matters much. At least not to me."
"Of course I need to breathe," Atia responded shortly. "What kind of fool do you take me for."
As for the rest... Surely things in Rome could not have changed so much since she had been abducted (for that is what she was convinced had happened now), "Whatever Servillia is paying you, I will double it."
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One person who was now standing on the path as she rode by in her new litter.
"Oh, Juno's mercy," she swore, eyes wide in her incredulity. The litter stopped at her command, and with a look of displeasure on her face, she swung her legs over the side of the cushion so she was sitting upright, suspended just slightly off the ground. "Mother?"
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Atia pulled herself to her feet, her breath still catching some. "What sort of trick is this. Come, get us back home. Now Octavia, this foolishness is over."
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Gods, this was going to be troublesome.
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"Have you seen Timon? I'll have him whipped. He let Servillia go. The gall of that man, countermanding my orders." She spoke as if she had heard none of Octavia's words. Troublesome girl.
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It confounded him and he did hate to be confounded. "Ma'am?" Wesley offered quietly. "Are you all right?"
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"Fine. Of course I am fine." It would never do to show any sort of weakness. Just a mere moment of distraction, that's all it had been, or so she told herself, as she straightened her tunica and fixed her hair. 'I appear to have become lost. No matter. Direct me back towards the city."
It was not a question or a request, but a statement. In fact it was very near an order.
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As many a Slayer might be happy to say, Wesley wasn't equipped with the finest of people skills.
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When she saw another woman clearly in some sort of distress, or at least confusion, she smiled and made her way over to her. "Hello. Are you all right?"
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An island. Surely not even Servillia could have worked so fast. Perhaps she had been drugged? "Where is the Consul's Villa? You will take me there immediately."
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We both lift our heads in twin expressions of surprise as a woman appears from nowhere, looking... unsteady.
"Are you well?" I'm sure not, but if she's ill or wounded, that's different than the general bewilderment
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"I am fine," Atia rose unsteadily to her feet, straightening her tunica and hair. "If you could point me toward the city I would greatly appreciate it." Sometimes sweetness, even with such people, was the best way of going about things.
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Servillia could have drugged her perhaps, absconded with her, left this woman to guard her. For some reason she no longer thought her a slave. Hired sword, from the gods knew what barbarian province. "I do not know what Servillia is paying you, but I can double it. I simply need to return to Rome."
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Only when she could be certain that the woman probably did not have some sort of frothing disease did she speak.
"I don't think you're going to die. Not right now at least. You might if you keep making all that noise."
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She was dressed oddly, and Atia was completely unsure of where she was. Could Servillia have drugged her? Could Timon have betrayed her? Shakily, she got to her feet, squaring her shoulders, "I do not think you realise just who you are dealing with."
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"It'd be a very sorry threat if it was," she pointed out. "I was just pointed out that you need to breathe or you're going to wind up doing more harm to yourself then good. Probably. And I don't think who you are or were matters much. At least not to me."
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As for the rest... Surely things in Rome could not have changed so much since she had been abducted (for that is what she was convinced had happened now), "Whatever Servillia is paying you, I will double it."
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