Episode 5

> In my classroom the mask you will learn to use is your own face.
>
> Aalea to Caeso, **Session 5**

> I have slept on the bones of this god. I trust him to have my back.
>
> Aggrippa to Aurelius E. Otho, **Session 5**

SHORT SUMMARY

## Synopsis

The acolytes are yet again escorted to the Hall of Eulogies first thing in the morning, where Mother Drusilla announces that they will be conducting interviews and interrogations about the murder. She yet again looks at Caeso, because he is very suspicious. After that the acolytes find themselves in the Hall of Masks for the first lesson held by Aalea. She wants to talk to everyone one on one, while she makes the others read from famous Itreyan plays, poems, and stories. Ashlinn gets to read first, while Xanthus is getting to talk to Aalea first. She gives credit to Xanthus for having two of his classmates already obsessed with him, Tacitus and Aurelius. He tells her about coming from Godsgrave from a marrowborn family. He goes little into his romantic history and his family having ties with the Red Church. Next to read a scene are Aurelius, Xanthus and Bianca, while Whispcatcher leaves to have a chat with Aalea. It’s a love play about a man forsaking a queen. Caeso reads the myth of Hyacinth. Following this, Bianca flirts again with Caeso as Petra leaves for her interview. Nadya goes next to have a chat, while some other acolytes perform a dramatic reading. Aalea compliments Nadya’s belt and she says she will get her a similar one. She talks about her merchant background, growing up as the eldest of 5 in a coastal town in Liis, helping raise her siblings, leaving everything she says about that very vague. Nadya asks her about the nature of her relationship with Mouser, Aalea says they are like siblings and that she really cannot stand Solis. Nadya leaves to read a scene out of a story, it’s the Vex resurrection confession and the players die. Caeso tells Aalea his army unit and that he spent 10 years in the army working directly under the leader of the legion. Caeso tells Aalea he is not sure if he wants the kind of attention Bianca is giving him.

Aurelius goes in next to have a chat with Aalea. He tells her that he was raised in Dawnspear and lived in Godsgrave. She tells Aurelius that she is marked by the Mother and she can sense the same within him. She asks him if he is marked by the Mother or Anais, to which Aurelius proclaims it is the latter. Aalea asks him about Xanthus, having thought his passion may be the result of an intimate past. Aurelius tells her that he hates him and they have a fractured history. Their families are linked due the Numicius’ being the patron family of the Othos. She asks if Aurelius is a virgin, he says no. After Aurelius, Agrippa goes in for a chat. It’s revealed that Agrippa used to be a slave alongside the rest of his family, he became a gladiator and later earned his freedom in a match. Aalea says Solis has an inferiority complex and when Agrippa asks her who he has to watch out for in the other acolytes, she mentions the twins, Octavia and Diamo.

At lunch Xanthus goes and torments Tacitus a little, asking him if he talked to Aalea about him. Which prompts Tacitus to say yes and ask if he did the same, to which Xanthus only answers with a simple ›no‹. Tacitus mentions that someone called Severus is still missing but Xanthus pretends he knows nothing about it. Nadya notices Lynne staring at her a lot. Nadya asks Naev about how long the curfew will go on for and says that it will probably go till the end of the semester. Stressing how terrible the punishment is going to be for breaking curfew. Caeso catches Nadya alone to talk to her about being worried about the murder investigation. He asks her to be his alibi, because they were together in his room when the murdering happened and she knows he didn’t do it. Aurelius and Agrippa go and have a talk in Agrippa’s room. Aurelius asks Agrippa to teach him how to fight. They have a conversation about Anais and Agrippa shows him his holy symbol.

Xanthus leaves to go to take Mouser up on his offer of a "favour." Aurelius meanwhile spends the night reading again.

## Further Reading

* Fic by Ronan, about what happened after Xanthus goes to Mouser: nsfw Xanthus and Mouser
* Mouser and Aalea have conversation afterwards about the acculates, Fic by Sash: Aalea and Mouser conversation