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Trapped in the past?

Claudia didn't know exactly how it had happened, but the guy she'd been trying to snag an artifact from had caught her instead. She remembered being dragged through some kind of portal, and a conversation with some very strangely-dressed individuals that would have scared even some of the toughs she'd known in her time on the streets. It had been hours before she really understood what had happened, to get even a slight grip on the foreign words and sights around her. Somehow, she'd been sent back in time, when exactly she wasn't certain, and given over to these scoundrels to do with as they pleased. It wasn't until she saw the city that she even knew where she was. Nobody could mistake Rome, even this ancient shining city.

Her wrists tied together and into a string with the other unfortunates, the only real indignities she'd been spared were being stripped of her possessions and raped. From the little she could catch, they thought she would being them quite a small fortune as a wonder. Maybe even one of the senators would find her worth having, and it wouldn't do to damage the goods unnecessarily. Still, she had quite a few bruises and a blackening eye from the casual 'encouragements' she'd received. A halting attempt at what she knew of Latin and Greek had only resulted in snickering laughter and an incomprehensible reprimand with a threatening knife at her mouth. Apparently their definition of 'damaged goods' didn't include the ability to speak.

Now, she was turned over to the slave auction, and there, nothing could have prepared her for the indignities. Her clothes, much the worse for wear after all the travel were unceremoniously stripped off her in front of the noisy crowd as one man gave a long-winded description of her, enthusiasm clear even through the language barrier. She struggled against the touches of interested parties, only her bonds keeping her from being able to strike back.

She'd yanked away from yet another impertinent squeeze when she finally saw a familiar face. It made her gasp, her thoughts latching onto the name that went with it in what might have been a prayer of salvation, but she had to get his attention. And if he was the one from this time, she couldn't just call him by name. Not his real name. Still, she knew one of those he'd used in the millenia he'd been hanging around pretending not to be an archangel.

"Loki! Help me!" The words were in modern english, and that was probably a mistake, but she was too distracted to try for something more appropriate to the era just now. She had to get his attention, maybe get the eager shoppers to give her some space. She had to get out of here.

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"Well, I can do forge and foundry work if I need to, as well as some simple glass-wares. I'm better at cutting and shaping for specific purposes. I build a lot of, um, machines. They'd probably be curiosities more than anything.I can do tools like dividers and compasses and the like, too."

It wouldn't be hard to get the tools, even if she might have to make certain ones to get higher quality. "I know what was doable with the technology of this time, at least. Might not be the best without practice, but I could do a few things that would make you some money."

"I think we've found your job, provided the faculties are available," Gabriel says, ideas forming. "What kinda of metal are you used to working?"

It might be worth him looking into the local artisans, see what sorts of things they do. Maybe see about managing things in a way for Claudia to learn things she doesn't know or just get her practice with them.

"Copper and copper alloys would probably be easiest. I won't do anything with lead if I can avoid it, but I can do gold and silver, too. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume iron and steel are a bit too valuable and likely to be made into weapons rather than anything else."

She's going to have to think about things like flux and solder if she really gets into things, but riveting and piercework is totally within her grasp with little help.

"We can make it work. Although if you want this to be a long-term thing, we're definitely talking some kind of workshop." Even if he had to do something like chain her to an anvil for propriety's sake.

"Yeah, iron and steel aren't jewelry metals. Bronze, silver and gold are the big three. It'll probably be best to have you working on bronze." Then he starts thinking out loud. "Might need to rent or apprentice you to someone who already does the kind of work we're talking about. Sure, you'll be making money for them but the renting option brings in money to me, making more sense than the other, since I won't be spending and my 'man from out in the sticks here to see the center of the empire' cover was lucky to afford you as it was."

His mental wheels are turning. "It would get you experience you need, establish you as someone who can do this sort of thing, and get money, helping maintain my cover so there aren't questions as to how I'm affording things."

"You can always cook up a story about how I'm from a tribe not too far from yours or something that explains why I started yelling at you in a barbaric language and how you found out I had these skills. I suspect most people would have just had me work as a menial when not being used for other things," Claudia commented. "Renting is fine, as long as you pick someone who isn't going to be a monster if I make mistakes."

The last thing she wants is to leave this time period with lash-marks or something equally horrid.

"Note my clothes," Gabriel points out drily. "I'm not from that far out in the sticks. Best to avoid ending up on the auction block myself, hmm?"

Not that the chance to get him there would have happened. Then she keeps going and he gives her a tired glare. "I think I know how to pick someone reasonable. Not to mention, I could sue for damages of my property if they did anything to you."

Claudia can't help a slight smile at the almost-familiar glare. "Forgive me if I don't trust the legal system for handling things when they allow people to be treated like property instead of intelligent beings," she said, quietly.

"I am a liberated woman of the twenty-first century." And two thousand years out of her element. "People get in trouble for spanking their children when I'm from."

"Not wanting to be sued is a good motivator to keep people from damaging other people's slaves." Then, "You're in in your time anymore. Deal with it."

Complaining gets her precisely nowhere. A quick moment later, he drains the last of his wine, disappearing the cup. "You done eating? Time to get you where you're supposed to be unless you want people deciding that I'm busy entertaining myself with you, considering the amount of time you've been in here."

"Sir, yes, sir," she said, giving a mocking salute. She just hoped he'd at least get rid of the vermin she expected to pick up before morning. For his own comfort, if nothing else. He'd found out what he wanted to know, and that she wasn't going to let his secret out.

It wouldn't be too out of character for him to just abandon her somewhere instead of being burdened. And entertaining him, well, that wasn't like making love. This Gabriel didn't care about her.

He dismisses the auditory illusion as he rises to his feet. "At least attempt to behave," he says, unlocking and opening the door. "You'll see me again tomorrow."

Then, switching from Norse to Latin for the benefit of the one or two people in the hall, including the well-built man who started coming their way when he saw the door open. "I should have work for you either tomorrow or the day after."

Then he was turning her over to the handler to take her to her quarters, passing over a coin to ensure she had a room to herself. It'll be small and not all that awesome, but at least Gabriel won't need to worry about anything that may happen while she was out of his direct supervision.

Claudia shrugged a little, and gave him a wink over one shoulder as she was led away. She had to be a little wild now, at least to fit the stories that must have been flying around out of the slave market, but not just now. She had no idea what the next day would bring, and possibly balking would be enough.

The last thing she wanted was to be more trouble than she was worth to a cover that was already strained by her purchase.

It's probably best that she not make herself overly annoying, yes, unless she wants to risk ending up on a brothel after all.

Gabriel heads out to find someone suitable to rent Claudia to, keeping in mind what they'd talked about. Having found a few possibles, he eventually returns to his room before leaving an illusion of him sleeping in it to go explore the city some more, this time under illusion.

The morning brings him making another round, this time questioning people more closely, getting them narrowed down further. There's finally an agreement with one to let Claudia make an example of what she could do to see if she suited and he goes back to the inn to reclaim her.

Claudia had slept the best she could in a bare closet of a room with barely a blanket, but it was better than nothing. Still, dawn came early in this new life, and she was uncertain just how early Gabe intended to return. She'd probably have to learn a lot more Latin at some point, but the language barrier worked for now because she could just stare stupidly if anyone asked her anything she didn't want to do. At least, she hoped it would work.

Right now, all she could do was wait until her master returned, and then stand and present herself. "Morning," she said, carefully.

"Stunning grasp of the obvious," he says drily. "Did they give you anything to eat yet, or do I need to get you something on our way out?"

May as well find that out first before telling her about what she was going to be doing.

"Some liquid that may have been in the same room as meat, but that's it. I'm fine, though," she said, not wanting to complain too much.

"Besides, you can't just hand over good food in public, even I know that much."

"I don't think anyone is going to complain about you eating low quality plain bread," Gabriel points out. "The good stuff dipped in olive oil or covered in butter, yeah, they're going to notice. But people can't do hard physical work on water alone."

Which brings him to his next point. "Found someone who's willing to give you a go to see if you suit. If so, we'll work out more specifics instead of the general agreement we've worked out."

"You going to stick around to translate if needed, or am I going to have to point and grunt?" Claudia asked. She doubted she'd have a problem if the tools were even close to usable by her spoiled reference point. The finesse might take time.

"Bread wouldn't be bad. If you're feeling generous."

"I'll be sticking around. This'll give me a chance to see what you can do too, remember. Since this is just a demonstration, it wouldn't make sense for me to leave just to come back in an hour. You've taken the time to think about what you want to make, I hope?" Just going to ignore the sarcasm.

"What I can make depends a lot on what I have to work with, but I'll manage something," she said, shrugging a little. She also wanted to see more of what was being made so she didn't do something too outlandish. "Is there anything you think I should make in particular?"

"You'll be working with bronze. Silver and gold are only for if you prove yourself capable with a lesser metal first." Given the other two were more expensive.

"Might be good to go with something relatively simple. Like a bracelet that can be slipped on with no moving parts. Design on it to be up to you, be it geometric, stylized fruit or animal of some type, or something resembling something from your time period," he says with a shrug. "Something relatively unique would make him more likely to take you on because it's something new. People like new things in what they wear."

"I didn't expect anything valuable. I can do a bracelet or a cuff," Claudia said. She wondered what would happen if she tried to get some simple coloring materials like liver of sulfur or various nitrates. But that could come later. Even vinegar or ammonia might be new to them, and not something that was impossible. She even remembered reading of an interesting process for staining metal that basically used sawdust and urine.

"I won't disappoint you, I hope."

Best not to get too fancy right off the bat. This is about showing a basic level of competence, not to wow with complicated materials and methods.

"It would be nice," he says turning to start heading out. "Let's get you something a little more substantial to make it easier for you to focus on your work. You can eat as we go. He has a shop that's partly exposed to the outdoors when it's open, so there's plenty of air movement to make working with hot things less miserable."

"Thanks, boss," Claudia said, smiling just a little again. She'd have to think, wishing she had access to more contemporary works on the arts, but that had never been a big thing. The trades were secret, after all, so committing things to paper only meant competition.

She followed him through the streets, wondering just what the day would bring, and if she dared broach the subject of protective leathers of some variety. Still, she could do basic shaping and grinding without much, it was only the heat-treating that bore a slight risk, really. Without power tools, there was less chance of hot metal shavings flying off as one worked.

With a start, she realized she was actually looking forward to this demonstration of skill. "It might be worth your while to set up some kind of a contest, you know. Wagers on how badly I'll fail..."

"Oh yeah that really shows confidence in your skill," he says drily. "I'm pretty sure the only people who'll be paying attention are me, him, any regular customers he may have that want to see the new worker and what sort of goodies to expect from you, and maybe a street brat or two who have nothing better to do."

He would like to not tempt fate. Just have things go well as he keeps seeing what there was to see. Maybe do some checking around for whoever left her here.

"Pity. And I wasn't saying you'd bet against me. I know I'm awesome," she said, grinning wider. "You just have to trust me."

She'd been the one to not only improve upon one of Tesla's designs, but get it into a smaller package. But that was a couple thousand years from now, give or take. "I'll just have to use science."

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