He rested his eyes on the pair of ursine creatures in the closure. They seemed to have plenty of space to roam with what looked like shelters where the bears could rest or hide from public view. It all looked a lot how they lived in the wild. He smiled at that and nodded before he looked towards her when he heard her voice by his side. He listened and gave a facial expression mostly centred around his mouth to give the impression of stating 'more or less' as he continued to listen. He arched a brow when she said that artists work was worth more once they had expired. He sighed slightly, Kaeso could agree about pay being turbulent but knew you could usually find it. "That's a shame to hear... My friend would have been sad to have seen that happen. I'm sure he would have loved to have seen your work." He smiled before he looked back at the bears, marvelling at the power that he knew they were capable of. He had seen what their claws could do to a human body and it wasn't a pretty sight. "Well, don't let that stop you from your art, will you?"

His hands gripped the rail, revolving around the metal slightly as he watched the animals below. "Establishing the truth?" he questioned before he nodded. "I see, not as uh, fluid as art?" he tilted his head in curiosity before the wonder of the bears wore off and he turned towards her ready for the next thing to see.

Kaeso listened with rapt attention as she spoke of where he could stay or what he could do. He smiled slightly at the aspect of cheating and then he shook his head, "Not my style. Besides, I'd still have to read the books, to know what came after." He knew there could have been some times where Roman ruled or they could have been destroyed after the battle he had taken a part of. Kaeso mused on that, reading history books might help him to grow more accustomed to this place but her realised then he would have to learn their tongue. His mother tongue and smudge of Celtic would not cut it here. He had already seen some strange confused looks sent his way much of the sort he probably wore himself when he was around fluent speakers of a foreign tongue. "Different? How much different?" he asked, since the military was all he knew, it seemed like the most logical route but that would depend just how much the army had changed since his time in the legions.

He nodded as they moved on with a constant check of the time before they eventually steered towards the Zebra enclosure, "I know it's your turn but... hm... But if I can't get back... Will you teach me your language?... I must stick out like a sore thumb with what's now a dead one.." he asked, it saddened him to know his language had been diluted so much but he knew that if he could not get back home, he would have to follow the rules of this time and to do that, he would have to learn to adapt. He blinked at his line of thinking and knew it was most unlike his own and very much like his second's. He gave another flicker of regret and sadness before that turned into a rueful smile.
 
She turned, checking her watch with a sigh. They needed to start making their way over to the other side of the zoo if they were going to make it to the equine enclosures in time. She shrugged her shoulders at his words, saying with what she hoped was a positive tone "I would have no qualms about teaching you English. That's the most common universal language now, among several others like German, French or Mandarin. It might be difficult to do, but lots of English words are derived from the Latin version of it so you shouldn't have too many problems adapting to it."

Valerie linked her arm with his again, pointing out to bears just before they disappeared from sight. "For example, that's a 'bear'. What you would call ursa, as far as I know." She chuckled at his comment of sticking out like a sore thumb, shaking her head softly and saying "You do stick out like a sore thumb, but for different reasons other than the language you speak. You...you can just tell there's something different about you. It's the way you stand, the aura you give off to others around you. People who have the same mannerisms as you are rare in these times."

She side-stepped a small child with it's face coated in sticky melted ice cream, running feverishly with a balloon in one hand and the half-consumed frozen treat in the other. The sight made her smile. "Puer....child in english. It's bisexual, just meaning the juvenile or younger version of a person before they are an adult." They were reaching the zebra enclosure quickly, a small crowd gathering around the fence underneath a shaded area where stands and a roof had been built. Valerie removed the necessary tickets from her posket, handing it to the person dressed in the zoo's staff uniform before joining the line of people in the feeding section. "You ready?" She asked the Roman, eager to see his reaction to the zebra's

A person's voice spoke out from the speakers hanging on the roof posts, announcing the event as the zebras were lead out into the enclosure area. They were a small herd of nine animals in all, the equine beasts immediately making their way towards the line of people around where Valerie and Kaeso stood. One of the other zoo staff appeared, hauling buckets of hay and pellets which they placed among the crowd of people. Young children flocked around the containers, plunging their small hands in and grabbing as much of the food as possible before running back to the fence, dropping half of their load along the way and scattering the hay all over the cement.
 
He gave a last glance towards the big fluffy Ursines and looked towards her as she spoke, taking in her words and he smiled, nodding, "There have been some words that I've recognised but it's hard to follow when it's in-between everything else." It had made things ridiculously hard to follow when he had listened to it. Especially when it had been her boss. However, he could recognise he would need to learn this newfangled tongue as soon as he could. He could only imagine what it would have been like had someone with no understanding of Latin had been dumped into his lap in his time. Mostly everyone spoke Latin in his time even if they weren't Roman. There was always a need to communicate. Even with the Britons they were currently at war at, even some of them knew Latin. No one wanted war if they could avoid it but when negotiations failed, war often took its place.

He felt her warmth at his side again and he found that very reassuring. It reminded him that he wasn't alone in this alien world, that he had a friend who had his back should he have need of it. He obediently followed her pointing hand and watched the bears amble away. She explained what it was called in their tongue and he found himself trying it for himself . "Bear, bear..." he smiled and nodded, it sounded like a strong word, befitting a bear which could easily kill a man without a thought. He blinked when Valerie continued to speak about his presence or aura as she had called it.

"I guess the army isn't a major part of everyday life here any more?" he asked, for Romans everything revolved around the Legions now. If you had an army behind you, it was a huge political advantage. No one was going to question you all that much with that kind of threat. Even worse if the man involved had both the backing of an army and of the mob. That was serious political weight. And civilians relied on the legions not just for the security and wealth of their nation but for also security at home and for help should they have need of it. No one liked to mess with the Urban Cohorts. The legions were in all parts from the lowest rungs to the Praetorian Guard whose sole purpose was to protect the Emperor. Not that Marcellus had much love for the Guard. He thought them soft and ill-prepared for warfare.

Kaeso watched the kid go past and grinned at the state of its face. He chuckled softly as Valerie explained the English for what it was called. "Child," he nodded, testing it for himself as they continued on towards where the striped horses were being held. This place was quite sizeable, much bigger than he had anticipated. The animals of his time never got this amount of space to themselves. He liked it, even if that animal was destined for the arena, it should get a decent amount of space. They went through the ticket booth surrounded by multitudes of other people all waiting to feed the zebras. He grinned at her and nodded, "Oh yes." As they got closer he saw the animals moving for the first time in his life and he watched them, transfixed. They were exactly like a small pony but striped with a long tail with long hairs in its end and when he looked at its face, there were the big ears that were more like donkey ears than those of a horse. He noted how different the stripe patterns were and wondered if they were unique to each animal. Some looked older and some looked like they were only a year old with youthful perks in their stride.

"They're beautiful," he spoke as he studied them. They looked small but they also looked fast and their hind quarters gave indication they could bolt pretty fast if they had to or lash out with a hard kick. He laughed as little children rushed around the buckets and grabbed handfuls before rushing back to the waiting animals. He had almost forgotten what civilian life was like. He had been marching with the Legion for so long now. They drew closer and he stooped to take some of the feed himself. It was similar to what they gave their own horses and oxen. It was nice to know some things never changed. The beasts looked expectant as if this was a usual event for them as they reached the fence and some were already nosing around for the food they seemed to have been promised. He didn't disappoint them, holding the hay out and one of them who seem to be in its prime of life gently took the strands of hay and nosed with velvety lips at the pellets. "A lot smaller than I had imagined," he spoke watching the animal eat.
 
Valerie watched the pair carefully, man and beast interacting harmoniously with another from across the fence. The hustle and bustle continued around them, the zoo staff talking about the zebras that lived in the zoo and what it would be like if they lived in their natural habitat. Adults chattered among themselves from where they monitored the young children whisking around between the legs of those taller than them while they toted feed back and forth. Valerie though, could only focus solely on Kaeso as he interacted with a beast he had only seen from afar in the horrible setting of an arena. She picked up some hay for herself, holding it out to a slightly smaller zebra that had to muscle it's way up to the fence in between the larger ones.

She held out the food she had to offer, the soft muzzle of the equine animal nuzzling her palm and tickling her with it's whiskers. The girl chuckled under her breath, slowly bringing up her other hand to risk scratching the animal behind it's ears. Apparently, this was something it was quite used to and did not flinch in the process. Once the food in her hand was finished, she said to Kaeso, "I'm going to get us something to eat, stay here for a bit and I'll be back soon." She left with a smile, heading towards the nearest food stand which sold a variety of items. The line was not too long, the female taking her place in the back as she decided on what to purchase.

Meanwhile, the man who had been following them had stopped a short distance away from both the food-stand Valerie now occupied and the zebra enclosure. He talked quietly into his headpiece, saying to the men in the van, "Right....I see something of an opportunity here. She's alone, so now would be a good time to try and get a hold of her apartment keys. The security at the university is too stringent and we won't be able to just pull a fire alarm every time we need something. One of you bozzo's hurry up and get here, that way I can distract and you can swipe the key from her bag while she's busy."

The men back in the van knew to act quickly, one leaving after a quick tossing of a coin to see who would get their chance at some actual field work. The man jogged up to where the other waited, slowling his pace when he saw the food stand nearby. The main authority of the two looked up from his watch as he arrived, saying in an irritable tone under his breath, "It's about bloody time. Don't stuff this up now, just take the bag and get the key when I offer the distraction. You'll only have a moment, so be quick about it. However, if the time you wasted in getting here is any indication of your ability to rush, then perhaps we're both already doomed." The man scowled at the one from the van, straightening from where he had been leaning against a nearby pole. "Keep up now and try not to disappoint."

He made a beeline for the food stand, taking the place behind Valerie just as she was the next to place her order.
 
It was like magic. Something that he could never have hoped or foreseen for himself in any day of any point in his time, or hers but here he was stood hand-feeding a Zebra along so many others, young and old alike, as if it were a normal everyday occurrence. His people, and he himself had, would have viewed and did view these creatures as nothing more than objects to be caught and used, abused and thrown to the lions. Even the lions and tigers and bears in the arena, they did not have a life of luxury nor one they deserved. His expression was completely open as to his myriad of feelings. Of sadness and loss and bitter regret. His people could have been so much more than just seeking fame, glory and conquest at the expense of everyone else they had thought inferior to their prowess. Valerie's people seemed a lot more united, not at endless peril from within as well as from without.

His head bowed, his other hand slowly and gently moving to stroke the beast between the space of its eyes. He paused when the equine started but then returned to nibbling at the hay allowing the Roman to rest his hand on the Zebra's forehead, a thumb stroking as if easing out his regret and bitterness. The gesture seemed to calm the Centurion, a man so used to living and breathing a world of warfare and yet he felt his misgivings lighten allowing himself to find his centre, his own little tranquil state aided but nothing saved for a quadrupedal herbivore. The world around seemed to disappear as he spent the immediate time just for himself. He was still wary and anxious about the time he found himself and sad at the knowledge his people were now nothing more than shadows and dust but he could accept this and move on.

Valerie's voice broke through his shield with a dull blade and he slowly looked at her when she spoke, his hand remaining on the animal he was feeding. He smiled and nodded, "I'll be here," he promised and watched her leave, his hand falling away from the striped animal. His bribery now exhausted, the Zebra gave a snort and backed itself out of the way before walking to where a child was sticking her little arm through the bars that separated the two groups. He smiled, she was small and thin enough to squeeze through the gap and join the herd but for the hand on the girl's shoulder from whom he assumed to be the girl's father. Another joined them, he initially took the man to be a friend of the father and child at first until the male had laughed at something the first had said and then kissed the other man. It was something that existed in his time but if was not socially accepted and he found it awkward as he hurriedly looked away. He stared at the herd letting his empty hand drop back to sit by his waist until a cough made him blink at the owner momentarily confused and lost.

"Sorry mate, would you mind?" The man was tall and had a good smile, one that reminded Kaeso of his father's smile. A boy was stood next to the speaker and was staring up at him, clutching a handful of hay. Kaeso hadn't really understood much of anything that had been said but the tone was explanation enough. Since he knew only a smudge of animal names in what was the normal language here, he gave an apologetic smile and a deep bow of his head. The man looked at him strangely and the boy seemed curious if confused as the soldier moved out of the way letting them gain access to the herd of Zebra.

Stood in the middle of a throng of people of several accents and languages, he felt lost again. He heard Valerie's English but if he concentrated enough, he could hear what he thought was Arabic. It was perplexing how Arabic could have survived and yet Latin was considered to be dead and solely for the use of scholars and scientists. He pulled a face scratching his previous curiosity in half. No wonder Arabic had survived. He had never known such a people of traditionalism and stubbornness. He couldn't fault them for it really, no matter how inter-feudal they could be over trivial and silly things, they stuck to their traditions. Romans however... Well, he wondered what number the god and goddess count had reached. His people had an assimilated culture, there was very little of their own mixed into the cultures they had taken in their conquests for their own. They had taken on the Greek pantheon and changed the names and yet, when referring to the caretaker and guardian of the underworld it was always Hades and never Pluto. He sighed and looked about, eyes searching for Valerie's friendly face and didn't really think much of the man that had stood behind her at the food stall.

Yet his gut was clenching. He knew why, he was still wondering about that intruder she had supposedly seen. He was usually had a good read of people since it paid dividends tenfold to do so. Whether it was someone new or someone he had known for years, he could tell from the small unwitting signs they gave. He had never had any reason to suspect she had been making it up or lying and he then wondered at what anyone would want from Valerie. It troubled him even on a day where he had rather they had forgotten all about it and enjoyed their day out. However he knew it would be against his nature to not run through scenarios. Only difference now was he wasn't sure of the full picture since he lacked fundamental information that anyone born in this world would instinctively know.
 
Valerie was fumbling around in her bag, trying to get through all the items that had been thrown into the small space and accumulated over the last few months. I really should take the time to sort this all out at some point. It's really quite bothersome to need to scratch through here every time I need to get something out. She pushed aside a tube of lipstick and container of headache tablets, need to slide her fingers between a small compact and collection of keys in order to reach her wallet.

Just as the girl was about to pull the wallet out, the man behind her appeared to accidentally 'slip' and knock right into her. Valerie was lurched forward forcibly, knocking everything from her grasp with the unexpected push. Coins from the purse, various items of make-up as well as the silvery collection of keys all fell from her handbag as she headed towards the ground. The female prepared for the impact, only to be stopped just before she hit the ground by the man strongly grasping her elbow.

The agent from the van knew it was now or never, rushing forward as everyone's attention was drawn towards the commotion of Valerie's near-fall. Meanwhile, the man who had been setting this up from the moment he had seen the girl alone made sure to keep all eyes on him and not on the other agent. "Oh my! I am so so sorry! I'm very clumsy, often trip over my own toes I'm afraid, it's just unfortunate that I managed to pull you in on my mishap this time around!"

Valerie looked up, the man's plain face staring down at her from where he held her elbow. His mouse brown eyes and closely cut brown hair made his appearance bland and easy to forget, save for the significant cut that was sliced through his left brow. He began to pull her up, continuing to apologize profusely and continued to keep her occupied. "You must let me buy you something, you look like the sort of girl who would go for a vanilla cone? Or is it in fact strawberry?It's the only way I can think to ask your forgiveness, especially after I almost sent you sprawling across the floor..."

The other man hastily picked up the keys, removing a small container from his jacket pocket quickly as possible, he flicked the container open to reveal a soft pliable material that would become indented when an object was pressed into it. He proceeded to indent the shape of the two possible keys on the ring that might provide access to the female's apartment before shutting the container and dropping the keys while Valerie was none the wiser.

"Well, actually it's chocolate but that's really not necessary. I appreciate the thought though." Valerie bent down along with the man who had caught her, picking up the items that had fallen and placing them back into her bag. She offered the man one last smile before approaching the counter to order some food. Meanwhile, the other two men slowly vanished back into the crowd and were gone the next time the girl looked over her shoulder.
 
Kaeso stood in where he hoped he would be easy to pick out from the crowd. Given his stature and stance, that wasn't likely to be hard. Kaeso was used to making himself seen and heard by the natural way his job and rank as a Centurion had demanded of him over the years he had held the rank. It was everything that he had ever wanted to be. He had been living his childhood dream and did well at it up to that moment that some scientific toy had robbed a native warrior of a trophy. He watched the line for the food stall and picked her out just as another knocked into her. He frowned unsure why the man had done so. Kaeso was only alive through being able to observe the world and situation around him as well as he had been taught. He had not seen any reason for the man to have lost his balance or tripped and frowned, highly suspicious but he did not wish to make a scene especially when he did not yet have grasp of the language.

He shook his head unhappy with himself and wary. His gut was trying to say something wasn't right and he was effectively quieting it for the sake of not making a scene but he felt it would achieve little to nothing to do so. He glanced round as he observed people about the area, kids laughing and screaming and parents enjoying the fun their offspring were having. His gaze was met by one of the male couple had been looking at before and he shifted slightly as the man eyed him over and looked back to his husband... Kaeso frowned, there was much to this world that he was still trying to deal with. There was a lot that remained the same. The screaming and laughing kids would look no different if it was the arena or the Circus Maximus where teams of chariots were cheered for. Zoological features weren't a thing but seeing a lion or a bear in the arena still brought awe and intrigue.

The Centurion looked back to where Valerie was and no longer could see the two men that had bothered her before. He'd have to ask about that later. He didn't particularly like the thought of her being bothered by others like he had seen with her boss. He felt protective about her and of her. He didn't like the idea of harm coming to her. He let out a deep breathe and picked at his shirt before he saw her moving away from the food stall again with something carried in her hands. He made a slow beeline towards her, "Everything all right?" he asked ignoring when someone close-by heard his use of Latin and looked his way.
 
Valerie felt flustered, a few eyes still looking back towards her from the people who had seen her nearly hitting the pavement. She could feel the stares on her back, although the prickling sensation of being watched slowly subsided as people went back to going about their own business. The man at the food stall slid her order across the counter, the female balancing the simple meal of fries and sandwiches in her hands after tossing her bag back onto her shoulder.

Kaeso approached, his return to her somewhat of a comfort. She was suddenly restless, the man who had bumped her and his overly-generous offer of a free ice-cream nagging at her insides. However, the Roman's company helped put her at ease. Thought of the night before, when he had had the same effect on her when she thought there was someone at her window, sprung to her mind. She felt the need to squelch such memory though, instead forcing a smile as she stretched out her arm and offered the meal. "Everything is fine. I'm just a little worried this won't be to your taste. It's vastly different from anything you might have had back in, ah, your time."

The person who looked his way was a woman with a thick American accent, a typical tourist with a camera strung over her neck and a hat with the zoo's logo placed on her head. She paused from where she was walking with a group of other tourists attending a guided tour, bunching her brows together. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again almost as if she had thought better of the idea. Valerie noticed her out of the corner of her eye, the puzzled look on her face catching her attention. The young scientist thought she was going to simply walk away, but felt her stomach drop when the woman rather took a step forward closer to them.

"Excuse me, but are you two also tourists? If so, you're missing the tour." She looked between the two of them, pausing an extra length of time as she looked over Kaeso more closely.
 
She seemed to be troubled and he wondered if she had found what had happened just as peculiar as he did but he didn't particularly want to worry her further and especially in such a public space. Some things were better left discussed in private or away from the mob. She presented him with a tray of food items that weren't all that familiar to him but he was hungry enough to try and not worry about what was what. besides, to refuse it out of not knowing what they were was rude at best. He wasn't going to do that. He took the tray with a smile and shook his head, balancing the tray with one hand with an ease that spoke of being able to being able to balance items far heavier than food and a tray and he reached out to gently touch her arm. "I'm sure it'll be just fine nonetheless," he was honest in that. Some of the meals he had in his time could be described as less than fit for human consumption but he had eaten it because that was all he was going to get.

He took one of the yellow gold rectangular things that felt hot to the touch and had a squishy but slightly granular texture to it and nibbled on it. He didn't know what it was or what it had done to it but it tasted amazing. Course, potatoes were completely foreign to the Roman and was something he had never experienced before. It'd would be something of a shame to have to go back, this time had a lot of tasty grub. He was soon helping himself to more whilst maintaining the tray to a level where she could also help herself if she so wished. She had bought it after all. He wished he could pay her back, somehow.

Kaeso's head shot up somewhat akin to a deer in bright lights when a woman spoke and if he thought English people were tough to understand, then this woman brought a whole new meaning to this newfangled language. What on Jupiter's stone was that accent?! He couldn't understand for the want of trying and he had to look to Valerie for explanation of what the woman had said even if it advertised just how much of a non-native he was to this country. "Uh..." She was looking at him as if what she said held more direction to him alone and he was suddenly back to his greenhorn days being yelled in the face by the Centurion tasked with his training, spittle flying into his face with beady angry eyes. He was sure 'bear' wouldn't exactly be the right thing to say here.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, offered the woman a broad smile and glanced back at Valerie. He was going to have to learn their tongue fast as he could.
 
She had needed to hold the tray with both hands, but he seemed to take it in one with ease. His ability and skill was ever surprising to her, Valerie's wandering thoughts that suddenly pounced on her of what it would be like to see him in his element on the battlefield both scaring and surprising her. She imagined his hand grasping a sword instead of the food, his tall figure adorned with the outfit he had been transported here in. Somehow, the image she conjured up involved splatters of blood being smeared across his face and clothes in a state worse than that when they first met. Valerie shook her head, wishing the gruesome images away and bringing herself back to where they stood in the zoo.

While he consumed the food, she pinched a few of the fries every once in a while. The salty tang that coated her mouth was pleasant enough, filling the hole that had opened up in her stomach. She noticed that he went back for more, eating more than one would if they were just trying to be polite. At least he likes them then. Something I got right.

The woman's gaze seemed to bore right into her, the girl gulping quietly as she fumbled with the syllables in her mouth. Kaeso's confused and somewhat desperate-sounding plea for her to intercept the American's query made her mind rummage around for something to say. "Cat got your tongue?" The woman added, raising a brow and folding her arms over her chest. "Do. You. Speak. English? En-g-lish?" She spoke as if to a toddler, her vaguely condescending tone snapping Valerie back into working form. "Yes. Yes we do. At least, I do....he doesn't." The woman eased up, chuckling as she unfolded her arms. "Oh, I see. You went and fell for a foreigner. Good thing you speak his language at least. Are you part of the tour?" Her insinuation as to Kaeso and Valerie being together made her turn beet red, face flushing like she had been burnt under the mellow sunlight. "Ah...no. We're not part of the tour." The female tourist visibly lost interest after that, shoulders sagging as she sighed. "Oh. alrighty then. Just wanted to make sure you weren't lost"

She then turned and left, jogging a short distance to catch up with the rest of her group. Valerie's throat had gone dry, her hot cheeks difficult to ignore. The scientist also found she was a little speechless, filling the following seconds of awkward silence by grabbing a few more fries and eating them carefully. "Anything else you want to see?" She asked quietly after swallowing.
 
He continued to enjoy the food she had bought for him, the orange things were a little salty but they were pleasing and warming. The sandwich was just as good as the orange things. It was an effort to stop himself from simply wolfing it down. He wanted to enjoy it.

Kaeso's attention returned to the other woman when she spoke again and he felt her eyes bore into him as if they were hammers. The feeling was unnerving and something he wasn't all that used to. She spoke again and whilst he still had little to no understanding of what words she had said, he read the meaning well enough to feel as if he was being mocked in some way. He didn't know how intentional it was but it was enough to make the Roman face her more squarely in reaction. He didn't like her tone. He was a Centurion of Rome, he wasn't some kid still learning to walk. It was a good thing Valerie interceded and explained where he could not. It seemed to have a positive effect as the woman laughed and Kaeso eased his stance though he was still wary. It was then he caught sight of Valerie's reaction to something the strange woman had said. It left him curious why she had reacted that way.

He watched her shift to catch up with her group with a perplexed expression to his features that spoke of how that situation had left him. He looked back to Valerie and found she was still flushing in the face. His curiosity was plain to see but he wasn't sure how wise it was to ask what the woman said. He sighed softly and shifted reminding himself for the umpteenth time to learn as quickly as he physically could. Perhaps learning this tongue would lead to less weird situations.

"I wouldn't mind seeing the Lions," he nodded and followed her lead when it was time to move on again moving at an easy enough pace. He kept the tray at a level they could both access not wanting to hog it all for himself.

Eventually his curiosity won the battle that had stayed within his mind, "What did she say before, that woman? She said something in a tone I didn't like..."
 
At his indication towards the lions, one of Valerie's favourite animals, the girl managed to clear her throat and scrape together some form of normality so that she could lead him towards the big cats. The female's steps were small as she tried to clear her mind of what had happened between them and the tourist, all memory of the oddity of the man from before completely cleared from her mind. Instead, it was much more focused on the embarrassment she was trying very hard to hide. She picked at the chips and ate half her sandwich, finding that her appetite had dwindled too much for her to consume the whole thing.

She was just swallowing her last bite when he asked the question, Valerie immediately assuming that he was asking about what she had said to make her react the way she had rather than the child-like tone the American had used when talking to them. The bits of toasted bread scraped at her throat, the female wishing now she had also purchased something to drink. Not wanting to inflate her embarrassment anymore, the girl spoke as if he had been referring to the child-ish way she had asked if they spoke English.

"Um....she was asking if we spoke English. Owing to the fact that we didn't reply fast enough, she assumed that even if we did speak it, then we had very poor understanding of it." She reached for more of the fries, more out of needing something to do with her hands and mouth to keep them occupied rather than any actual deep hunger.
 
He nodded lightly before they turned to head for the lion paddock. He was quite sure seeing them all in an enclosure with a life provided for them without fear of having to be hurt or having to hurt humans in an arena would be a strange experience for him. It would be different to the Zebra's especially as he doubted he'd be able to feed them too but it would be an animal he was familiar with and had seen in action in entirely different setting. It was all a new learning curve and an expansion of his understanding. He smiled as they walked. He found he was glad for it. To see how other people treated animals even by a people separated by time.

Kaeso maintained an easy pace as they walked completely following her lead as she knew the place and he did not. He was totally alien to this place and much of it and its people were alien to him. That woman was still in his mind and there had been something in her tone that he had been slow to pick up upon. He glanced to Valerie when she spoke and he scratched his jaw in thought for a moment.

"That's... unfortunate," he murmured not really knowing what else to say to that. She seemed embarrassed by something but he didn't want to put his foot in it and make it worse. He had never had to worry about being understood before. Latin had been the language everyone learned owing to the fact Rome was the largest civilisation of the known world at that point in time. Rome was trading and fighting and thus communication even between her and foreign empires had been crucial. Sure, he had learned some of the foreign tongues along the way but only bits and bobs of it. He wasn't the worst when it came to the language of the natives in Britain in his time but the English she spoke was vastly different to that now.

He had to start all over again.

He no longer ate, his appetite sated and was happy to walk it off. He glanced at people as they walked past and had it not been a zoo or them being two people separated by time and culture, they could simply have been walking down any busy road through Rome's capital. There were young and old, singles and couples, laughter and intrigue everywhere he looked. The air was filled with an excitement akin to that of the arena or the Circus Maximus.

"Valerie... does racing still exist in your time? Like chariot racing? With horses?" he asked, curious. He did enjoy going to the Circus Maximus when he was in Rome.
 
They continued trodding along, the warm breeze drifting among them as they reached some of the predator enclosures. The lion's den was surrounded by a seemingly low fence, one that people could easily lean on. However, the enclosure itself was built with a moat of water surrounding it with the centralized island sunk down so that walls from the inside were much higher. The maned beasts sat sunbathing, eyes closed in relaxation while their honeyed fur glinted in the sun. Compared to their ferocious reputation, these creatures seemed to be quite calm...like overgrown house cats lounging around lazily in the early afternoon.

Valerie paused, leaning forward onto the enclosure's cement perimeter with her elbows propping her up. She watched the lions carefully, turning to Kaeso and quite unceremoniously giving him another word to add to his vocabulary. "Lions. That's what we call them. Not too different to the word 'leo' that you are accustomed to." She breathed in and out slowly, taking a moment to just appreciate the warmth brushing against her face from above and lighting up her eyelids even when she closed them. He asked a question, the female's eyes flitting open again slowly. She inched a little closer to him, her elbow brushing against him as she closed the gap between them. Valerie did not want anymore people wondering where they were from or why they were speaking a strange language.

"Um...we still have racing, but not so much with horses and chariots. We use specially made cars, like the one I drive but with different shapes. There are still many places in the world that race horses professionally, but like I said not with chariots. Nowadays, it's with a single rider called a 'jockey' that sits on the horses back. The horses are specially bred for sprinting short distances and people bet money on them."
 
He followed her lead to the Lion's Den as it seemed to be called on a header board that they walked beneath as they went past what he assumed to be some sort of information page about the lions. When he saw the familiar looking beasts in a setting entirely different from that which he was used to, he had to lean on the railing. They were even more beautiful and majestic now as they had been in the fury of attacking those they had been set on in the arena. He saw the male with his amazing mane of brown auburn fur with a golden body that emphasised its strength and power. It seemed crazy to think that man had any chance against such a beast but he had seen them killed in battle and he hated the sounds it had made. He remembered those sounds.

"Li-lion..." he echoed, wrapping his tongue around the given word when she gave it. "Lion...," he smiled before reverting to his native tongue, "They're beautiful... this is so, so different to how I've seen them. They look happy here," he breathed, his hands clenching around the rail suddenly quite angry at his own people for how lions were treated in the arena alongside the other beasts. He supposed it was just how their culture was. If he did get back and found retirement, he was almost quite certain what avenue he would look into.

He blinked slightly as he felt her get closer but made no outward acknowledgement to it as he looked at her. He listened attentively and nodded, "We used to bet on the chariots. Blues, reds... racers from all over the known world. The horses from Judea were a sight to see, the finest trained to be found."

"I could watch them all day... Is there anything you'd like to see?" he asked, he didn't want today to be just all for him. He would like her to enjoy it here too and if she had some animal she wanted to see, he knew he would like her to see it too.
 
Valerie breathed in slowly, taking note to release it over a long period of time. It wasn't often that she got to get out of work during the week instead of the week, it was even more rare for her to do so with company. Of course, having a Roman centurion as a companion was much different from what she would normally expect from just an average, present-day colleague. However, the day at the zoo had been enjoyable nonetheless. She grinned, standing back up straight from where she had previously been leaning forward onto the railing.

"No, there. nothing else I want to see. In fact, I think it's about time we headed back. I'm rather tired after last night." She gathered her things and waited until he was ready, then strode with him to the parking lot where she got in the car and drove them back to her apartment.

*********************************************
Once they returned, Valerie shutting the car door with a loud bang before rifling through her bag for her keys. She made her way briskly up to her apartment door, pulling out the silvery item just as she reached the door. Val was surprised though, to find that she would not be needing the keys after all. "Why...the door is open?" She furrowed her brows, noticing the small gap. Using her foot, she pushed the door open further to reveal her apartment in a state. It looked like someone had shaken up the entire place. She dropped her bag beside the entrance, treading carefully among broken glass from knocked-over picture frames, pillows scattered all over the floor and cupboards emptied. She stopped at the box she had gone through to get Kaeso clothes, picking it up carefully and placing it on the kitchen counter.

"Someone's been in here. They broke into my home." Her voice was hollow, strained yet empty of emotion. Her face had gone an ashen white, the girl gulping quietly as she shoved glass out of her way as she walked towards the room.
 
He had a feeling he could stand or sit here for hours watching these magnificent beasts and not grow bored of them. Every inch displayed a level of reverence and power which spoke tunes to everyone else. It was clear they knew they were a predator and kings of the forest and no one could tell them any different. He was very grateful towards Valerie for showing him this, and he knew his arrival had not been easy for her. He looked at her and smiled broadly before he nodded.

Kaeso paused momentarily to watch the lions again for a few more minutes before he turned, ready to head back, "Let's get you home then," he agreed regardless of the fact she was the one driving. He wouldn't have the first clue how to operate it. He had a feeling he'd rather stick with the horse. At least the drive back was uneventful.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He pushed the door outwards once they got back and the car grew still and quiet again and he got up, standing straight as possible for a moment before he moved out and gently closed the door. He could hear the birds singing high up in the branches of trees or the nearby bushes as he slowly followed her back towards the door. He looked at the door and frowned. Surely she hadn't left it like that? His hand instinctively went for the sword that was usually by her side and was dismayed after dimly remembering he didn't have it on him. It was hidden in the boot of her metal beast cooling down nearby. An open door however could only mean one thing. "Be careful," he advised as she moved inside and he followed, his gut shifting with the anticipation that came with the prospect of whoever invaded her property still being inside.

Kaeso blinked, the place was in such an uproar of mess as he followed her in and carefully closed the door behind him as he stared about the place. He could hear her moving further inside, glass shifting and he wince, glad they weren't barefoot. He moved through the other rooms more of out of a need to make sure that whoever had been here was here no longer. He eventually rejoined her and frowned. Clearly they had been looking for something but what that was Kaeso didn't know.

He reached out to her gently squeezing her arm in reassurance and gentle reminder that he was with her, "We need to see if anything's missing... Do you have anything important people might want to take...?" he asked gently knowing that invasion was a vast slight against one's privacy and that often brought anger and hurt the surface. He had to remain level headed and was the better one for it despite his lack of knowledge about current times and how it worked. He was angry but more because it had soured what had been a bloody good day.
 
Back
Top