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hetalia2010-05-07 12:55 pm
[Fanfic] Rome is back
Title: Age of Empires (Chapter 1)
Author: ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
haruki_emishi
Rating: PG
Summary: Rome is back to the land of the living again after pulling favors in the afterlife. As he tries to adjust to the changes he starts to feel nostalgia and longing for the world he used to know.
Notes: This fic in particular is inspired a roleplay between a good friend of mine and I. The character of whom she created I will add in here in name only in the second chapter. I want to touch on Rome in the 21st century but I also wanted to delve more in his character. I think there is more under the surface than just a goofy, wine drinking Gladiator.
The 21st century really had a lot of pizzazz to it that Rome couldn’t overlook even if he tried. There were cars that zipped up and down long and sometimes winding roadways, there were signs now that were illuminated by lights, and the plumbing system his people had created eons ago was perfected for the most part. Though there was a lack of public bathing place in many areas across the world but that did little to bother him. What he was interested it now was how the architecture had changed so drastically over the course of a couple thousand years. He took for instance the mighty height of the skyscrapers and he was impressed by their size. A few however had made him confused and in a way he felt some were almost too large and somewhat obnoxious. Alfred had shown him a few photos of Washington D.C where the government buildings harkened back to the buildings of his era. It did put a smile on his face to realize that in his absence many government systems had taken cues from his own empire. A little over three days he had been back in the world of living from a favor he had asked of God.
“Please let me go back for a while just so I can see how everyone is living.” He had asked politely and putting on his best smile.
God granted his wish.
Now he was traversing the ancient city that he had lived in so many years ago. Things had changed but my god how overjoyed he was to realize that not many buildings changed, and some of the oldest ones from his era had still stayed! This fine Thursday afternoon he spent taking a relaxing stroll throughout Rome. He walked down the sidewalk dressed in normal attire as to blend in with the crowds of now. Veneciano had helped him pick out something that was casual but comfortable. Pants that were black in color they felt funny on him. He had never thought of the concept of pants and he had never worn any either. It was a little annoying because to him he felt it would be such a hassle to take off when trying to sleep with someone. The traffic signal a few feet away blinked red as he approached it. Not quite used to the laws of this new age he nonchalantly walked across the street as cars and vespas honked at him.
“I am doing nothing wrong I am just walking!” He flailed a little and hurried across the street to the much safer sidewalk.
“Crazy people...they made the transportation so fast these days. Someone could be killed. Well people could be killed back then if a chariot ran you over…” He thought on this for a moment as he continued his walk. He lifted his head up more and his golden eyes grew wide as he started to jog towards one building in particular that suddenly stirred memories from long ago. Slowing to a stop he stood in front of the massive circular structure and a broad smile appeared across his face.
“The coliseum well what do you know it’s still standing.” He walked towards it feeling an air of nostalgia sweep up around him. He began to enter the complex when a man stopped him in his tracks rather abruptly.
“You have to stand in line to get in here.” The man gestured then to a long crowd of people, tourists, waiting in line to get a chance to see this magnificent structure. Rome furrowed his brow and looked over at the man and then back to the crowd. Why if the man only knew who he really was then he would let him wherever he wished. With a heavy sigh he trudged down to the back of the line and stood waiting like everyone else. A pair of young women were speaking rapid fire German to each other as they snacked lightly in a pastry of some kind. He tried to listen intently but the Germanic language as it was changed a bit since he was alive. Placing his hands on his hips he looked around and spotted an entrance not guarded by anyone. Keeping himself inconspicuous he waited for the line to start moving before he quietly began to slip away from the people. Half of the foreign tourists did not even seem to care, probably thinking it was none of their concern if he got caught. Pressing his back against the wall he looked around and scooted ever so carefully in the shade of the great arches. Once he was past the red zone so to speak he stepped out into the great interior of the building. Quietly he stood there for a moment just looking around as if seeing it for the first time. A small smile began to form on his lips and he pressed the palm of his left hand against one of the stone wall. How many times had he seen these high walls before? Many times he had walked this interior as he begun to now but not so peacefully. He slowly walked around the inside of the coliseum before stepping out into the sunlight and walked towards the middle. People were all around taking photos and talking about how magnificent the coliseum was.
“You never saw it in it’s prime.” Rome said to himself but more in pride than as a harsh statement. The rows and rows of seats now were empty of their spectators and he found himself experiencing a sudden sense of longing. Standing in the direct center he let his arms hang at his sides and closed his eyes. He could almost hear the crowds cheer and yell, and the sound of metal clanging and hooves did not seem so far away now. For the three days he had been back in Italy this was his first day back in his old Capital. Prior to this he had been staying in Venice with his grandson Veneciano.
“Hey! You should not be in here!” He heard a voice behind him yell and his eyes snapped open as he turned around. That same man from before came running over looking more than agitated.
Rome sighed, “I apologize it’s just the wait was becoming so long.”
“Doesn’t matter! Now get out before I call the police on you, out!” The man threw his hands up animatedly and Rome lofted a brow before conceding and walking out the way he came. When he was far enough from the crowd he turned back around and looked at the coliseum before turning back on his way down the street. When did all the things his people work so hard to build become a commodity like this? It annoyed him a little bit but there was no way he was able to go back in there now. He passed by a vegetable stand and glanced over at the woman running it. She looked to be in her early thirties, long curly brown hair, and he could instantly tell she was already spoken for. Walking a long more he found himself glancing and looking at the women that were bustling around. Some were older, not really his type, some were young and rather innocent looking. By a vendor selling decorative scarves he saw a petite black haired girl dressed in blue jeans and a feminine white top. Clearing his throat he walked over and stopped to admire the scarves himself. The girl looked over and smiled a little bit before getting back to her business. Rome picked up a deep purple one and admired it as it shimmered slightly in the sunlight.
“This color would look lovely on you.” He said to the girl with a smile. She looked over at him somewhat surprised at his sudden compliment. Her cheeks turned a rosy color and she placed the burnt orange colored one she had down.
“Grazi but I am looking for one to match my evening attire.” She said and went back to her search. He placed the purple scarf down and eyed the selections that she was running her fingertips over.
“Perhaps I can help you?” He inquired in a friendly manner not at all trying to be annoying. The young girl scooted off to the right and kept looking not making eye contact with him or speaking. Rome furrowed his brow some and let out a small sigh wondering what he had done wrong.
“Quit bothering my daughter!” A man demanded as he came over with a few parcels in his hands. The older gentlemen had a thick accent presumably from somewhere farther south than Rome. The ancient Empire stood and looked at the man before giving a friendly smile.
“My apologies sir I was only commenting on how lovely certain colors would have looked.”
“Yes well it says something about a man when he’s trying to talk to a sixteen year old. Now get away from her” he turned to the girl, “come Maria we’re going to shop elsewhere.” The father said taking her off before shooting one last venomous glare at Rome. Sixteen? Why back in his day that was a perfectly acceptable age to copulate or even flirt with a woman. Had the times changed so much that people became peevish over the appropriate age a girl should be before taking a man? The day had not been as fruitful as he was hoping and soon he would need to find Romano. He walked along feeling farther and farther detached from a lot of the citizens of Italy now. People had changed so much and so did their customs, which he scarcely was even able to fit in properly.
As the day drew closer into evening the balmy air began to cool down a little bit. He had been walking around for hours like a child who just came to a new place. His wide eyed wonderment of the changes must have seemed odd to some people. As he walked along he stopped none too far from a structure large with a great wall around it. Though he could still see from the top the building within was majestic, beautiful, and he knew exactly what it was from Veneciano’s description, The Vatican. The center of the Christian world some would say and a place radiating with a holy presence. Rome stood there on the lonely sidewalk looking at it with a more somber expression. In the days of his empire these people were the minority religion. Yet it seemed that only in a couple years time their numbers began to rise more and more. The temples of his people’s religion began to lose power and the oracles no longer used for prophecies. These people began to speak of the Roman Gods as not true gods at all. That what they were following was nothing more than a lie or something of that nature. Rome watched as his Empire began to collapse slowly for many different reasons, and he blamed the Christians as one of those reasons.
To think that the center of his once glorious city was now inhabited by their religious center! Nothing had ever made him angrier than to realize this fact when he was told by his grandson. There was a time when that great coliseum was used to toss the Christians in it, and then spectators would watch as they were forced to fight to their deaths. Due to the fact the early Christians were a rather peaceful lot they did not believe in fighting, and that made it all the easier. Such a deep seated hate though also shook Rome with a sort of fear inside of himself. Did he really have such a venomous hate that he thought nothing of killing people who never fought back? Or when the people had to hide underground in catacombs starving to death? Was it really by his own hate that he fueled the actions done by both him and his people? The crumbling of his Empire, this new religion, and everything collapsing around him must have clouded his judgment. Though he still was unable to shake off the contempt he felt for this cathedral and the people who prayed in it. He turned and walked off quickly pushing all malicious thoughts from his head and went to find his grandson’s home.
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