Caius leaned against a column, looking into the showroom of CALIGVLES ARE VS even as the bouncer kept a wary eye on him. The new sandals for 120CE were in, and most prominent among them were the feathered footwear of the Quicksilver line, endorsed by the god Mercury himself.

But just as prominent was the price tag of 100 secteres, more than Caius could hope to make in a year. He was sure that with sandals like that he could unlock his true potential and become a professional athlete, sweeping the Olympic games and perhaps even meeting Mercury in person.

But those dreams would have to wait. Caius could spare perhaps two secteres, and that was if he regarded food as optional for the next two weeks. That wasn’t enough for the Herakles Hobnails, even though everyone knew that brand had gone downhill since Hercules had ascended to godhood. It would only buy one-half of the cheapest sandals the place had, the Caligula Specials.

Caius had begin making desperate plans to steal the Quicksilvers when the guard finally grew impatient with his gawking and drove him off.

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