Rashibot's page

Of course not. She's talking to me.

Rashibot is much more chill and cool.

"Well, I need to start dressing for our 'tour'," Rashida sighs, turning from the rail to head belowdecks. "Part of our bargain was that I'd play the decoy and keep the family's attention on me. So it's back to fancy nails and a load of greasepaint for me. I think it'll be pretty safe today, at least, if anybody else wants to go with me to sightsee. I'm not sure how mad the family is about what happened to the Ament, but that could make things nasty once I make a lot of noise in town about being a Massri."

An unusually thoughtful look flickers across the lovely face. "Maybe I should simply check in at the family compound, like nothing is wrong. She made us look like she was fleeing for her life. But besides Gahiji trying to kill me, the family has done nothing to me. They always have deniability with Gahiji, his temper is so awful." She worries a ruby lip with perfect white teeth, eyes distant as she thinks hard about the situation. "If one of us doesn't check in, they're liable to freeze the family accounts that we're familiar with. I don't know about you guys, but I like having a lot of money." Her nose wrinkles at the thought of poverty and despair.

"I need to think about this. After all, they didn't plan for me to find out about my, er, condition. Lord Taraz..." she shivers at the name "... pretty much clued me in. But if Gahiji went back home, he would have told them that I was in Morocco and now know about my construction, and that I'm with you. The family will know who I am. I need to figure out what to do to re-establish myself as the weak Rashida."

She looks around at those gathered on deck. "I may need some help with this."

"New look?" Rashida looks puzzled. "Oh. Right. Well, to me... me, you understand, it's only a month or two since I graduated from the University. So it's not really a new look. I tried to look like most of the other kids, as long as they were decently dressed. I was never a snob," she sniffs.

"But nobody here is in a coma or stuck 'book learning', so I hope you all will come see the sights with me! I'll go to whatever party, whenever." She grins at the recovering helmetcat. "Always up for a good time!"

Turning back to the rail, she again surveys the Eternal City which glows in the sunlight below them, the brisk breeze ruffling her ebon hair and setting it swinging as it plasters her dress against her body. Suddenly, one hand shoots out, pointing at something below.

"Look, the Pantheon! You can see the oculus from here!" she squeals, like any common tourist, heedless of expected Massri dignity.

"Bored? I don't know who could be bored in La Bella Roma, the eternal city, capital of the world," Rashida enthuses, dark eyes shining as she peers over the rail to survey the immense city spread out before them, "I've always wanted to visit. Sure, it's greatly under the control of the Catholic church now, but its history is much, much longer. Imagine! Caesar, Nero, Mark Anthony, Cleopatra all set their feet on these streets! And there's so much to see and do. I want to explore the catacombs! And the Pantheon! And Trajan's Column! Oh, and of course the Colosseum!" Her unmanicured hands are clasped together in an effort to avoid clapping with delight, though she can't suppress her excitement, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet like a small child.

Day by day, as she relaxes around her new acquaintances, this "Rashida" grows more and more different from the vessel of the goddess who attended the Baron's party. Though the image of their old friend, she acts more like a college student on a tour of Europe, delighted with the idea of visiting Rome unfettered by ties to Ma'at or the Massri family. Where Rashida is always immaculately groomed, this other Rashida is more casual, dressing down and rarely bothering with nails, makeup, or jewelry. Uncannily, she knows almost everything their friend does and tells the same stories in the first person. "When I was in school in Friedrichshafen..." "This one time, my bodyguard..." "One of the priests who raised and trained me..." Yet she has no memories of the Baron's party and is, if anything, rather frightened when the name "Taraz" is mentioned. It can be... unsettling.