He'd had no idea of what a "crab boil" might be, though from the listing that developed on the board in the Inn suggested that plenty of other people did, and that it would involve food. He'd asked around a little, and he'd gathered that it would be some sort of dinner party, featuring the local crabs that grew here and the foods provided by the volunteers.

Gaius does not know how to cook, nor does he have any desire to do so. He'd had a cook at home, and Licinia had always managed the household and the stores, as was expected as the wife of a prominent citizen. He still hasn't learned here, though he's been putting his experience as a quaestor to use in managing the stores here. So Gaius hasn't brought anything he made, but he has brought a supply of fruits and vegetables from the storehouse and set them out on one of the tables.

He's been here long enough now that he's used to how different a dinner party is here than it would be in Rome, where guests would recline on couches and be served their meal, sometimes with important political matters being discussed.

That's one thing that isn't so different, the social role of the party, so Gaius makes sure to circulate among the guests, since that's how it's done here.

He pauses at the clear liquid that many people seem to be drinking. It has a strong, unfamiliar odor and it's not apparent whether or not people are actually enjoying it.

"What is this?"