ROMANI ITE DOMUM.

[romaneseuntdomus]

Esca doesn't realize he's walked through any door, at first, because the door to the peristyle at the Aquila Vila don't have doors, precisely. It takes Esca a moment to realize what's happened, and in that moment he walks into and onto a bed, of the softest quality he's ever encountered. The shift in perception shocks him further, and he turns, scaring and confused. An open door behind him leads back to the garden. But here... There are things to explore. Gently, he closes the door, and walks out.

The floor is soft under his feet, softer than fresh grass, and the air is pleasantly chilled like the best days at home. There are shining metal boxes open, but nothing happens when he walks inside, and eventually he finds stares that take him to identical rooms. None of the doors are locked, though it does take Esca some time to understand that one must twist the handle to open them.

He repeats this descent until he finds himself in a large room full of color and sound; multiple booths call out to him like sirens, and he is at once curious and skeptical. He wishes he had brought a sword. As is, in a shirt and braccae, he feels slightly exposed.

He climbs atop one of the nearest flashing booths, this one bright yellow and shouting about 'slots'. Crouching, he cups his hands around his mouth and calls out to allies. "Am I alone? Show yourself, friend! I mean no harm, and have naught which you could steal."

Comments

[romaneseuntdomus]

Esca looks at her food curiously, trying to make up his mind. While the extra flourishes seem optional, he supposes eating them is essential to understanding the dish. "What do you suggest? What are... sprinkles?"

[marthy]

"Hmmm. It depends on how much you like sweet things. If you're not a big fan, fruit might be a better idea." Martha finds a container of rainbow-coloured sprinkles and places it in front of Esca, using a spoon to scoop out some sprinkles and let them fall back into the container. "These are sprinkles. They don't taste like much, but they look nice. These are bits of candy, these are bits of biscuits, and these over here--" for she's been gesturing to the various things as she speaks--"are syrups. They're warm."

[romaneseuntdomus]

In an attempt to understand the appeal of ice cream, Esca ends up trying a tiny bit of all the toppings that look edible. He ends up mostly with fruit and whatever's brightly colored, not quite trusting whatever chocolate is. He finds the stuff much more palpable with the additional elements, and eats a bit more enthusiastically. "Thank you," he says. "It's... very interesting." He tries to understand how alien his food must seem to her, and understands better her objection to seal, now.

[marthy]

Martha watches him pile on the toppings with something like amusement; his dish looks really nice, if not the kind of sundae she goes for when she really needs a pick-me-up. (There's not a hint of chocolate, as far as she can tell.) "You're welcome," she says brightly, running her spoon along her own dessert. "Ice cream's my favourite for dessert."

[romaneseuntdomus]

"Which... is eaten after dinner? And is ice cream?" He's trying to learn, really. He hates being left in the dark about things.

[marthy]

"Uh-huh!" Martha nods. "Of course, it's not always ice cream--you could have cake or pie or biscuits or fruit or whatever else you like--but ice cream's my favourite."

[romaneseuntdomus]

"I think," Esca says, smiling faintly. "After this, I've no more room for... deserts."