The warm water on the marble floor of the bath house, spread across the fine black hairs on fictitious’ feet as he curled his toes. His thin legs upheld not a much broader body, and he looked about as natural in the bath house as an Aventine whore in the Temple of Vesta.

The bath house at the foot of the Palatine was where most senators or wealthy equestrians would relax during the day. If one was lucky, one could often see a former Consul or two taking a quick dip with a friend. The marble pillars of the main hall which surrounded the largest central bath held up a domed roof which let in glimmers of sunlight through several carved holes. The sound of water splashing from the baths echoed constantly through the room and mixed with the hard slapping sounds of the massages from down the hall.
Fictitious scanned the central Tepidarium and went to the first smaller bath on the right. (Thank goodness Appius man Gavius was meeting me in this bath) he thought. (The larger bath would have just made me even more uncomfortable).
The 5 grey marble steps were smooth beneath his feet, and a shimmering mosaic head of Neptune glared up at him from the bottom. He trod carefully down each one as if they were eggshells. (It would be just my luck to trip and fall) Fictitious thought.

As each step brought him further into the warm water, he began to wade across to the meeting point. He had the same walk every man did at that depth. Arms outstretched to his side and long determined strides. He ran his dripping wet hand through his short brown hair to try to stop the prickling sensation across his scalp that he always got when he was nervous, and he ended up shivering as droplets raced down his shoulders like rain. Down one of the curved alcoves in the bath, he sat down on the marble bench and waited. He curled his toes again in the water, but only succeeded in giving himself a muscle cramp which shot up his right calf.
“AHHhhh” he cried, before stopping abrubtly with the realisation of how his sound echoed even more than in the Senate hall. He plunged his head underwater to continue his cry of pain. The misfortunate man made matters worse by accidentally striking his moving head with his own kneecap causing him to thrust his head upwards out of the water as quick as it went in amidst his own gasps and spluttering for air. Groaning of embarrassment and pain, Fictitious’ pasty white fingers rubbed the rapidly growing lump on his forehead.
“It would be better for all our sakes if you left that head of yours at home sometimes Fictitious” came the voice of Tibbius Gavius.

Tibbius Gavius was an enormous Roman by anyone’s standards. A full 6 and a half feet with the proportions to match, he loomed over almost everyone. His bear like figure was tanned practically black and his teeth bore a similar colour. The chestnut brown hair was wavy and smooth. They say he sold it often to provide wigs for senator’s wives but this was more rumour than truth. His right arm from the elbow down bore a large patch of scar tissue from a nasty burn several years prior, and he blinked a little too much than what was considered normal.
He had known Appius Terentius since his time at Ravenna as a boy. They had grown up together, and Appius had tossed his friend some of his wealth when he became successful. The money had bought Gavius a slave girl from Gaul, who later became his wife. That was 9 summers ago and since then she had born him 4 boys. Gavius felt himself permanently in his friend’s debt for all of this, and had been as loyal as any dog or legionary one might find.
“I know he needed a senator to speak for him while he was away, but from what I’m hearing it sounds as if you are often better when you are silent”
Fictitious opened his mouth to reply, but a combination of fear for Gavius and some quick thinking, lead to him closing it and simply nodding.
“Precisely” Gavius said, and sat down by Appius’ fellow patron.

An unlikely pair the two would have appeared sat naked in the bath house had anyone walked past. Gavius titanic bronze figure hunched over, overtaking what appeared like the entire alcove, and Fictitious in all his skinny chalk physique looking as if he would faint from terror at any moment.
“Now” Gavius said calmly as he rubbed his wet hands across his face and down his neck, the moisture running down in lines back into the bath. “Appius wanted me to meet you here in regards to this bill of Vitulus he received word of today.
The bulky figure slide under the water like an otter to let Fictitious take in his opening lines. Below him, Fictitious could see Gavius run his hands through his hair under the water and shake his head as if it were in front of a mirror.
Gasping for air as he rose, he let out a jet of water across the small corridor of the alcove and it landed with a plopping sound a few feet away.
“Appius you see intends to buy land in Illyricum once this rebellion is over. Why wouldn’t he? Cheap lands as a Quaestor, and what with a war just finished. Well Appius thinks that if Illlyricum became a full province of Rome, then his prospects of getting a return would be far greater. Land prices would rise over the years as trade and settlers moved into the region, and he would be in a fine position. Don’t you agree?”
Fictitious opened his mouth just as before, but again thought wiser, and closed it again and nodded.
Gavius’ giant like hand grabbed the back of Fictitious head as if it were a child’s and squeezed firmly to emphasise his point.
“Appius knows you are a man who cares little about foreigners, and that you blame them for your own father’s death in Illyricum several years ago. This he knows, and this he feels, he having lost his own father” His voice lowered until it was almost inaudible against the running of the water from several of the baths. “Appius told me, to tell you that he is your patron. That he doesn’t care what you think, only that you stand where he stands, you move where he moves and you say what he thinks. Therefore he wants to make doubly sure that you vote in favour of the bill when it is put to the floor. He hopes this is clear” Gavius moved Fictitious face until it hovered above the shimmering surface of the water, reflecting the terrified senator’s face back up at him as Fictitious’ quickened breaths rippled across the top. “As clear as the very water we are staring at now”

Standing silently, leaving Fictitious still staring at his pale image in the water, Gavius began to leave the baths little alcove. Without even turning back to wish him farewell, Gavius uttered
“My wife sends her regards. I don’t know why she sends them, but she does”
And with that, he turned outwards and up the stairs, leaving Fictitious alone.