The Imaginary Party

[docoflove1974]

'Of course I joke, Cato. I would not have a man of your heritage bow before an empress.' She smiles at him and it chills his blood. 'I was only going to suggest one of my own efficacious salves for these wounds. I would be honoured if you would see me about it later.' She turns to Doc and winks.

 

"Say no more!" Doc giggles knowingly.

 

Just a whiff of the potent potable that Pantagathus brings over, and Doc is immediately glowing with happiness. She returns the kiss on the cheek of her friend, and quickly brings a goblet of wine to the Augusta. "You simply must try this...divine!"

 

Doc continues to flit around the room, making sure that the party is enjoyable by all. Whispering in Nephele's ear and handing her a goblet of vino, she hopes that the great lady of ars magna will knock off the shenanigans, lest M'Lady gets her dander up (you know how fickle they can be).

[Nephele]

Nephele suddenly realizes that her scheming has made her remiss in thanking the gracious Pantagathus for his wonderfully imaginative gift of the pair of perfect Bastuli-Phoeni dancers! And versed in the Cordax, no less!

 

Nephele wonders if if the dance of the Cordax is as scandalous as Theophrastus described in his character of "The Reckless Man", and eagerly anticipates the evening

[Pantagathus]

Pantagathus approaches Ursus and raises his left hand exposing a purple sash wrapped loosely about his forearm,

[Julius Ratus]

Ursus is a not a butler at parties. He stands in the corner awkwardly pretending to look interested at surrounding events, until he either finds something that arouses his interest or goes home in boredom.

 

Perhaps bouncer would be a better title. I figured since it is you who brings rotten posts to Tartarus, it would be you who drags drunken sots out of the party .

[docoflove1974]

Perhaps bouncer would be a better title. I figured since it is you who brings rotten posts to Tartarus, it would be you who drags drunken sots out of the party .

 

Negatory...Big Bear Dude is a welcomed invitee...the bouncers are those brutes outside who'll steamroll anyone who gets out of whack.

 

With that...GO needs to be on his best behavior!

[WotWotius]

Fresh from the self-inflicted debaucheries in the subera, WotWotius makes a drunken entrance via the compluvium. Upon falling into the atrium, he is immediately ejected by Ursus.

 

He did not want to be part of the party anyway - he informs the butler-come-bouncer - and so returns to his pit in the subura.

Edited April 19, 2007 by WotWotius

[docoflove1974]

Doc goes over to Ursus, who has unnecessarily heard such negative comments, gives him a hug and a fresh goblet of vino. In the background a cheeky bloke starts to sing..."Always look on the bright side of life..."

[caldrail]

Caldrail wanders in... "So where's this party then?"

[Northern Neil]

R.Cornelius Hadrianus(Northern Neil) stands on his own in a corner, an engineer only just elevated from the plebaean class in his threadbare and only toga, somewhat overawed by the wealth and status of the other guests. He sees a half naked man in a thracian helmet come into the atrium and trip over the ledge of the impluvium due to his restricted visibility. In an eerie presage to something that actually happens to his modern incarnation many years later, the following occurs:

 

Being of slightly shy disposition and not wanting to start a conversation with a man rumoured to eat babies, he wanders off to one of the food tables. He accidentally knocks a dish full of small savouries off the table with his elbow. They land in a large tray full of gravel used by the domus cats as a toilet. Nobody sees this. Acutely embarrassed and not wishing to appear silly to these people he has just met, he quickly picks up the savouries, puts them back in the dish, and hurries to another room! Nervously looking through the doorway he has just exited, he sees Caldrail lift his helmet and help himself generously from the dish of savouries...

Edited April 19, 2007 by Northern Neil

[caldrail]

Caldrail creates a mess when he discovers the biscuit barrel.....

[docoflove1974]

Heheh this is way too much fun already!

 

Doc, noticing that RCH/NN has scurried off with a tray, nods to one of the servants, and a fresh tray of nibblies is produced. She takes a small plateful over to RCH/NN, pops one into his mouth, and gives him a great big hug. No worries, mate.

 

As for Caldrail...Doc lifts an eyebrow, offers a wink and a smile, and goes about dancing and frolicking around the hall.

[Nephele]

Heheh this is way too much fun already!

 

It certainly is! Nephele is having so much fun at Doc's party, that she wonders for a moment whether it might be ungracious of her to push Doc into the impluvium again.

 

Attempting to control her perverse sense of amusement, Nephele turns her attention on two late arrivals -- that dashing Equestrian from the north of Britannia, R. Cornelius Hadrianus (a.k.a. Northern 'Neilius) and that terrifyingly delicious gladiator, Caldrail.

 

But wait! There's a problem here. Wherever these two go, they leave a trail of biscuit crumbs and shattered pottery in their wake. They're a regular pair of tauri in a china shop, muses Nephele. Well, we can fix that! They just need something upon which to focus...

 

Now, where's that "present" that Pantagathus brought? Mmm... Paaaan... taaaa... gaaaathus... Nephele smiles to herself and licks her lips as she thinks-- (Uh, heheh, pardon. Back to the story.) Ah! There it is! Nephele claps her hands, and orders her present of the twin dancing girls to entertain:

 

 

Of course, now poor 'Neilius and Caldrail think they're seeing double, as they stagger, hypnotized, across the atrium toward the Geminae, still hopelessly trailing biscuit crumbs and shattered pottery in their wake. Ah, well. I tried.

 

-- Nephele

[The Augusta]

Meanwhile, The Augusta, still reeling from Pan's earlier attempts at sycophancy, lounges on her couch, bored. Cato has escaped her clutches and Nephele has placed guards around the food tables - not to mention the baby-eating gladiator from savage Britannia. Augusta's attention is caught by the twin dancing girls and she downs the last of her Pucine (it's her fifth cup), and strips off her palla and stola. Now, with only her homespun tunic to cover her modesty she edges over to the dancing girls and roughly nudges one out of the way. 'For the love of Juno', she cries, 'let me show you how to do it properly!'

[Northern Neil]

Meanwhile, The Augusta, still reeling from Pan's earlier attempts at sycophancy, lounges on her couch, bored. Cato has escaped her clutches and Nephele has placed guards around the food tables - not to mention the baby-eating gladiator from savage Britannia. Augusta's attention is caught by the twin dancing girls and she downs the last of her Pucine (it's her fifth cup), and strips off her palla and stola. Now, with only her homespun tunic to cover her modesty she edges over to the dancing girls and roughly nudges one out of the way. 'For the love of Juno', she cries, 'let me show you how to do it properly!'

R.Cornelius Hadrianus (NN) pays close attention...

Edited April 19, 2007 by Northern Neil

[Pertinax]

Pertinax has arrived late due to examining a particularly interesting case of the Bloody Flux. His Aegyptian apprentice and slaves are trying to stop him tripping into the impluvium due to short sightedness. He is looking for the esteemed Pantagathus to help him decipher a barbariac text from Noricum relating to an order of Nard, he is also keen to explain how he performed a particularly difficult trephanation on a slave posessed by demons. He is aware of a number of particularly beautiful Ladies of Quality at the party , but before he can engage these beguiling creatures in conversation he is accosted by the notorious Thracian Gladiator Brittanicus Brutus Maximus who wishes to have his sword arm examined before a match pair in which 20,000 sestercii have been wagered by men of rank.He advises the brutal Thrax to desist from the consumption of biscuits as this is not pleasing to the Gods .He also notices the louche youth WotWotius (sometime drinking companion of Mark Antony) and the worthy but penurious R C Hadrianus with whom he wishes to discuss the construction of a Caldarium in his villa.By good fortune he is rescued from the surly Thracian consumer of biscuits by the efforts of worthy friend Pantagathus and conveyed to a quiet corner to discuss certain propitious Mercuric rites with the lean and saturnine Ursus, a man of brooding and portentous sensibilities.