The Young Pope

"Thank you for the marriage advice, but already tried and tested before, and the women that she brought up to me didn't make a dent on my impression whatsoever." Besides, Lucius felt that he shouldn't bother her too much about it and in effect waste her time trying to pick a wife from the rather large sea of women out there; in the end it all came down to him and his will to find the right one, with or without love involved, as now wasn't the time to continue bicker with one's self before it was too late. "You don't look all that shabby yourself my friend, trust that your reputation will summon someone forth to your desire, if good looks alone won't do it." He gave a tap on the Jew's shoulder as they still continued with the horse affairs. 

"Who knows, by the end of the day I may have found myself a horse that I would proudly proclaim as my wife, and I see why not? Our dear old emperor Caligula did plan to make his horse the next Consul." Lucius chuckled, focusing on the particular breed that Bessus pointed towards. "This one here has great, shining teeth for sure and even if it isn't my breed of desire, it nonetheless packs a solid punch by the looks of it." Even if it was too early to say whether it was THE one the young senator was looking for, he sensed that they wouldn't be standing there the entire day, and the prized asset would be soon revealed. 

"My good sirs, now when I think of it, I would like to show you one of our newly arrivals from the Oriental Steppes. It's similar yet distinct from the Arabisn horse, so if you could kindly follow me I'll gladly take you to him." Without giving them much to consider, the handler proceeded to head in a certain direction with swift steps, forcing the duo to keep up with him. An abrupt pause in the horse inspection meant that additional conversation was possible.

"So Bessus, anything else going on lately in your life that I ought to know about?"

@Beauty

For my second character, I've been tempted for a while to create Lucius' sister Furia Pontia Tullia, but I would need some extra kick of motivation to do; in that regard, I was wondering if there happened to be any sentore character out there willing to have her as their wife, along with sons and daughters? She's about 29 yrs old and redheaded. Personality wise I envisioned her to be intelligent and beautiful, described as a responsible parent, skillful manager of the household, and a compassionate philanthropist of the poor and needing. Otherwise everything incl. the amount of kids could be discussed. Please reply here or in Discord if this would summon some interest!

"Have you ever considered ditching racing altogether for comedy? I think it would suit someone of your character instead...yes, now that I'm telling you this out loud, I can clearly picture myself sitting in a packed audience anywhere, listening to your dry jokes and nonsensical rants. You my friend would turn out to be quite the success story." Giving a complimentary pack on the back, Lucius may have been joking back at him, but there was actually some semblance of truth in all of it. He'd known Bessus to be a talented conversationalist throughout all these years ever since they met each other, and one of his greatest strengths happened to be mastering the art of comedy, achievening the perfect balance between acting over-the-top and restrained. 

"You're absolutely right; when was it the last time we ever finished a thought-provoking conversation, just like in the old days? I suppose we shouldn't let our busy lives act as excusable reasons for not doing so, even if your charioteering as well as my judicial-politico duties can be quite demanding at certain times. Gosh, both of us are still unmarried...In my case, I really need to improve my efforts and find a wife as soon as possible; even dear little sister of mine has been pestering too much about it, and she already has pack of sons and daughters to help raise into dutiful Roman men and women of the next generation." Lucius kept asking himself why it had taken this long for someone of his standing to find the 'soulmate' he'd like to spend the rest of his life with, whether it's out of love, (mainly) politics and economics or all of those factors in fact. His situation wasn't particularly unique which was odd to say the least; were Roman men in general becoming too unattractive for the opposite sex? It reminded him of this topic he'd discussed with Oriana Laecania once during her parties, which indicated that this issue hadn't gone unnoticed among the women of the empire either. 

"Good day and welcome Senator Lucius to my humble horse dealership...Bessus, great you seeing again, and I kind of agree with you; why make it more difficult for a hot-headed senator by purchasing an equally hot-headed horse? You wouldn't probably be able to get anywhere with double the stubborness, unless you're looking for a challenge of course, which I can absolutely sympathize with as well considering life can't always be like a straight line to follow, no? In any case I shall be of your assistance to choose the next dependable, four-legged compantion." The horse dealer chuckled, showing both the senator and racer the available horses within their viccinity, talking them about the high, rigourous standards he held for each and every one of them whilst echoing Bessus' words about personality traits and such which made the horses unique from one another. 

"Has any horse caught your interest thus far? Any questions that you may have?" The handler initially asked Lucius as he still remain undecided, turning his attention to Bessus as well since he cirrectly assumed that he was the main expert to mainly consult with. 

@Beauty

That sheer amount of confidence that Bessus possessed was the reason as to why Lucius wanted him to come along, aside from his incredible knowledge of horses and having this innate capacity of feeling exactly how they felt and acted; a true horse whisperer in other words. “You’ll indeed lower the prize and so much more, that I’m certain of. Tell you what, we should just head into the countryside for a few days this summer, only you and I together, with no one else to bother us...just like in Greece.” There were times when Lucius remembered the good old days when they were young and innocent, when the burdens of the big world hadn’t yet been put on their shoulders to carry, and Bessus happened to be one of those who showed him how it felt like long ago, something which couldn’t be taken lightly.

As they were waiting for a horse handler to approach them, the young senator took a long gaze on the horses and wondered which of these would become his new companion, though he snapped out of it as soon as his Jewish friend inquired about the type of horse he desired. “Roman virility? I suppose that’s what every senator tells himself when attempting to pick a horse.” He chuckled. “Well firstly I expect that it functions properly. Secondly, it should represent the Furii-Pontii: a hot headed creature of intelligence, which brings its own sets of advantages and disadvantages alike, as I’m you’re surely aware of. Thirdly, I would like for the horse to be of the best Thessalian breed with oriental blood, similarly to Alexander the Great’s horse Bucephalus, as to which I apply those standards when choosing a new horse.”

At that moment, a horse handler began to approach them; the bargaining could finally begin. 

@Beauty

Another day at the market, but this time it wasn't about picking up random, beautiful pleb or slave women from the market stalls *wink, wink*, rather it was time for Lucius to purchase a new horse. His old one had tragically passed away due to old age and the young senator found himself standing close to a large pen where different horses were galloping around. It had to be one of these worthy of being called his 'Bucephalus', similar to Alexander the Great's own who was recognised as the most famous of them all: a massive create with a massive head, he was described as having a black coat with a large star on his brow, and his breeding was that of the "best Thessalian strain", acting as the mount for the legendary warrior king for years. 

Of course Lucius couldn't call himself to be a complete expert, even if his knowledge regarding these magnificent creatures and friends of mankind wasn't all too shabby. Instead, he'd requested that his Jewish friend dating back decades since they were both in their teens, Tiberius Herius Bassus, would join him on this early morning day in the middle of March and help pick out the best choice. He trusted that the knowledge of Bassus would become quite handy, in order to reduce the chance of getting played by the horse dealers wanting to get away with as much cash as possible without enough care about the customer's demands. Luckily it seemed that he had time to go and help out a friend that has stood by his side for so long, that one could say that they knew each other like dear brothers would. 

@Beauty

Lucius enjoyed having a good shave and hair cut when the occasion called for it, especially when the morning was shining bright by the sun above in the cloudless sky. Many senators preferred having it at the end of the day for relaxation purposes after a hard day of work as they put it, however Lucius did it differently by having it earlier in order to feel refreshed and save the rest of the day for more important matters that required his full attention. Accompanying him were his few but highly reliable, dependable lictors acting as the regular bodyguards and civil servants for a senator such as himself. They would be the first ones to enter the establishment of the famed barber Marcus Barbatius, who happened to be the young senator's favorite since he knew exactly how he needed to trim those hairs of his. A bit of a special fellow, considering some clients of his somehow ended up disappearing alltogether for strange, unexplainable reasons and rumors here and there were spread about his true, inner self. 

Whatever the case may have been, Lucius didn't want to mess his head around that and instead wanted to have the standard shave and cut, nothing more, nothing less. As the young senator stepped inside the establishment, following suite of his lictors, he noticed how there were already 3 clients already waiting for their turn. Dammit, he told himself that as he sat down on one of the chairs, at least there would be plenty of chatting beforehand as long as he didn't end up late for judicial duties. "Marcus, greetings my old friend; a lovely day for receiving a shave and cut no?" As he sat down, Lucius noticed someone else he was awfully familiar with. "Isn't that Titus Justinius Canicus Phiscerus himself that I have the pleasure of setting my eyes upon? It seems that both of us have the desire of receiving the end of Barbatius' services, haha!" He exclaimed in full delight, as Titus happened to be one of the young senator's shady contacts whom he'd proven himself to be quite useful when it came to chariot races in general.

@Atrice@Brian

Lucius took a deep breath as he was about enter once again, a godless place full of so much debauchery that it would qualify itself for receiving divine 'fire and fury' like the story with Sodom and Gomorra; hopefully he was able to get out of it later in time in case God decided to cast a spell of doom. 'Wild' Lucius back in the day would've been feeling so excited and jttery, to be able to drink as much wine as he wanted until he became wasted, eat so much til' his stomach bursted, and pleasure himself with so many strangers both men and women that the entirety of Rome could hear the satisfaction being emitted from sexual acitivies. 

The new Lucius however adhered to another set of creed which denounced this type of excessive lifestyle that was both damaging for body and soul, and it can't be stated enough that refraining from such luxuries in life had proven to be a challenge, so why would a supposedly pious Christian enter this den of temptation? Just like how he justified attending gladiatorial games, it was quite important for a senator and even a praetor such as himself to keep up with the appearances and prestige. Opportunities could also present themselves when interacting with the multitude of Rome's most powerful and influential statesmen attending these events, and Lucius knew that he wouldn't exactly excuse himself from attending. 

The young senator would just need to keep the drinking to a minimum whilst trying to stare too long on the scantily clad slaves who were surely numerous in number this evening, as everything would turn out to be fine right? 

"Quite an impressive ensemble of women...and men, Aulus, you certainly have a good taste. Though the Venus is certainly the best source to find them! Ah, it's great to see you here as well my good colleagues!" Lucius exclaimed, keeping the facade up with a smile which covered the feeling of disgust and wondered how long he needed to surround himself with these alluring servants; even the prostitutized musician stared at him with a lustful gaze. 

@Sharpie@Liv@Sara + anyone else!

@Sharpie - As long as close connection can be made and opportunities arise, the pious senator can handle a night of scantily clad people!

As Lucius visited the next corral where each slave of a 'herd' waited for their eventual fate, he couldn't at first notice anyone he deemed to be 'special' enough for him to consider taking back home. Eventually he spotted a female 'Barbarian' who looked pretty angry and sad, giving the ground a good amount of fisting alright. However, it wasn't her understandable lack of patience and sad fate which attracted the young senator's senses, instead it was her fiery hair of reddish color which captivated the attention of his: Lucius' branch of the family were known for their red hair, which perfectly paired quite well with their infamous temperament which was quite hard to refrain from showing itself visible by provocation. The fact that this slave girl presented herself in this matter only reinforced the notion of her being the one to bring home from the market on this very day.

"Is the responsible handler for these slaves here? I would like to speak to him regarding a pruchasement I wish to proceed forth with!" Lucius exclaimed, feeling confident about that she would be a fine addition to the household and a person to save from certain death. 

@Mord

Once again, Lucius would bear witness to another disgusting round of senseless killing. To think that he used to like this sort of Roman past time befitting a senatore, but now when he'd seen and heard about the 'enlightened truth' which resulted in his  converting to Christianity, the young senator couldn't help but feel disdain towards blood, limbs and intestines being splattered all over the arena whilst people are happily cheering without any pity or shame within themselves. However he had to put aside those personal feelings, considering the fact that keeping up with appearances and maintaining close connections with a powerful institution such as the Imperial Family was more important. 

Wearing what custom dictated, namely a senatorial tunic and toga with a flair identifying him as a Praetor, Lucius was currently sitting in a Senatorial box close to the Imperial one so he could chat with anyone within the viccinity if necessary, alongside the usual company of Lictors acting as his personal bodyguards. It wasn't just prestige which compelled him to attend, as his sponsored gladiator from Britannia Turi/Ambrosius was going to have his own opportunity to fight & shine without dying...hopefully. 

@Anna@Chris@Sharpie@Gothic@Sarah@Jenn + Anyone else!

@Sharpie - Is it still ok for Lucius to potentially join?

"Turi...I'll keep that in mind, and I'll tell you every bit of information about your brother's whereabouts as soon as I'm able to, that you can count on." There were countless slaves in Rome and without a shadow of doubt many would probably have similar names, though what was worth was that the masters loved to call their new slaves by their awful Romanized names, making everything much more complicated than it needed to be. It could certainly be a possibility that the brother would end up in his household, but then one had to make sure that this was THE Turi they were looking for, while at the same time taking into account that he was already dead by this point of disease or injury sustained during the attack. The senator now sitting beside her had no choice but to continue instilling hope of the brother's survival by smiling, and tonight's prayers would definitely be dedicated towards him. 

"Would you like to start heading back home, or?" He noticed that a substantial amount of time had passed and it wouldn't look good at all if her master started wondering what she was currently doing or where she was to begin with. 

@Beauty

*Bump*

“Well let’s see who dared show up, as I can’t imagine that any of the old faces around here would have the audacity enough not do so.” He smirked, as missing any party of Oriana without good reason would surely attract everyone else’s attention and the free reign of gossip would commence. He had the pleasure of experiencing that himself during the time of his parents’ deaths and all of that crap that came along with it. “Spotted anyone new around here by any chance?” Lucius curiously asked, making his way through the crowd with the hostess, whilst also searching for his precious olives that he really wanted to taste. 

“Flavia Lucilla Augusta’s taste for the impeccable isn’t something to sniff at, for sure. I’ll happily take this my good friend.” Making a mental note to himself, Lucius already found his first item of worth befitting his household, as it was now time to find more items of interest; no matter how expensive they were, he had all the money in the world and wasn’t shy enough to refrain himself from too much spending. 

“Paulus...anything that is of foreign origin that’ll impress the likes of my senatorial colleagues? Perhaps from the land of the Seres? (e.g Chinese) Their items have begun to fascinate me now when I think about it…So different yet beautiful in their creation, as if they belonged to a different mortal than ours.”

“I’ve been feeling rather well, thank you for asking, as I haven’t felt this inspired and motivated to serve the interests of the empire for quite some time...Still in the search for a suitable wife, but I’m sure that the Gods will guide me to one eventually.” He slightly smiled, as the attempt to find one has proven to be quite the challenge surprisingly speaking, considering there were many senators in his prime age that were in need, but all of the Roman women were either already married or didn’t care enough it seemed.  

“As for my sister and her family, they happen to be in good health and spirit, which is wonderful considering I have one less issue to keep track on. Even if it has been a while since they visited, and vice versa, we still keep close contact through correspondence.” He couldn’t help but feel proud over what his sister managed to accomplish despite the perception of their diminished authority in society, and wished that he expressed it towards her more frequently. Lucius may have neglected keeping contact with her for a long time since the deaths of their parents, but at least he was trying his best to repair the relationship after receiving divine intervention from this new faith that seemed to be the answer to everything.

“Anything else my domina wishes to inquire about me, or should we begin with the actual business at hand that has brought us both together?”

“Oh I’m sure there will be plenty of time for both of us to say what we truly think; I’d say we can call that a deal.” Lucius said teasingly...She was quite a pretty Gallic woman alright, hopefully her beautiful presence wouldn’t distract too much from his attention to acquiring important language skills. Finding an open clearing he showed her where to sit down, overlooking a view of the Roman capital beneath them. With no time to waste, he felt eager enough to begin the lesson and by the end of their session, he would’ve probably learned a thing or two. 

“So teacher, where do we begin?”

“Oh there’s so much that comes to my mind that I can’t quite tell you exactly, but sometimes when I do end up here, all by myself and no one else to be found, I simply like to not think about anything particular at all and instead take my time to meditate and reflect, where the realities of life are ignored in favour of a clear sound of mind.” 

As she was concentrating on the handsome view, the senator concentrated on the beautiful britannic lady sitting right in front of him. To think that she ended up as a slave and has to fight day and night for her own survival, considering she deserved far better circumstances than the pitiful conditions she had to constantly endure. If she happened to be under Lucius care, she wouldn’t need to worry about a thing, that was for sure. But she belonged to someone else much to his dismay, and having this time alone with her would at least provide comfort and a sense of security, hopefully speaking.

“Your brother sounds like someone I’d like to meet some day, if I knew who he was of course.” He chuckled. 

“Of course, we would still be here during the night if I were to show you everything that’s worth to see. I’ll take you outside now if you’d like.” Lucius felt quite relieved over the fact that Lexus accepted his rather generous offer of becoming his mentor, so that he may one day end up like a man of great importance and perhaps show the same kindness in return for someone else of humble origins. Even if the senator wasn’t in a hurry to call it a day with his newfound apprentice, it wouldn’t look good either if he was responsible for his potentially late arrival to this banquet. 

“Well thank you for having the privilege of spending the afternoon with you, Lexus; I hope to catch you later this week so that we may begin your apprenticeship...Is there anything else on your mind you’d wish to speak about before we depart from each other?” Lucius asked as the two of them were now standing outside of the Curia. 

Lucius chuckled at Ardra's small joke in an attempt to probably lighten up the mood of the rather unfortunate circumstances. "You may become old and barren as you say, but at least you should know that you're among those who'll age gracefully over time, as one can already see that today. Before reaching such a stage however, you'll probably already meet someone who'll be a good husband and father to your future children." The senator said so, hoping that it would lift her spirits up and not give up life too easily, whilst trying to simultaneously follow her instructions in creating a so-called 'flower helmet'; her warm hand mometarily touched his as she took some of his flowers to demonstrate, and it was among the sweetest of all touches that Lucius hadn't felt in a long while to be so genuine, even if it lasted for a second or two. At first it proved to be a struggling matter, trying to twist and bend those twigs without completely breaking them apart and making the petals fall off from the buds. Eventually, he seemed to have grasped the very nature of this procedure.

"Not bad eh?" Proudly he showed Ardra the little creation even if it wasn't as elegant or sophisticated like hers. "I think this calls for some wine after such hard work." Lucius joked, taking the bottle of wine and touched the opening with his lips where hers was previously at as well. As soon as he did so, he could sense that subtle yet identifiable taste of her lips; Oh how it made the senator's senses to be tingled in such a way, it literally tortured him inside as every drop of that honeyed-liquor passed through the mouth and down the throat of his. 

@Beauty

"Aye, I would really do something like this for you. Why? Because you happen to be among those individuals who encourage me, day and night, to continue living in this world with a hopeful, positive attitude. I truly believe that if you work and study hard enough, and doing what's right rather than falling into the temptations of others, you'll belong to a new generation that will create a better world for us all." Lucius said whilst putting his hand behind Lexus' back, feeling rather glad that the boy liked this proposal that was just laid out in front of him, as not many kids of his circumstance would've ever possibly achieved and he could imagine what was going on in his mind right now, as if a divine blessing was sent directly from the heavens and now being passed unto him. The senator also thought of the mother as someone who would absolutely approve of this opportunity and allow Lexus to work and study under a wealthy and influential benefactor involved with the Roman bureaucracy; a better gift any mother could've dreamt and asked for to become a reality.

"I would like to meet your mother one day, and tell her how much of a great mother she is for raising someone up to be like you." Lucius reminded himself of his dearly beloved mother Tullia Maria, who was partly the reason as to how he turned out today, adopting the civilian path rather than the military one that his father wanted to begin with; it must've been the spirit of Cicero within him which was encouraged rather than being supressed. "So is there any other location you had in mind to visit? I would be glad to show any of them!" he asked. 

@Atrice

"Well what are you waiting for? Try some already as I can see that they're too irresistible!" Lucius allowed her to pick as many cakes as she could manage at first, who happened to be among the sweetest women he'd ever layed his eyes upon and interacted with, both when it came to beauty and her eloquence in the way she conversed amongst other things. He couldn't have felt more than happier in this instant to be sharing this experience with someone else, and this relationship of theirs was blooming for sure; where it would eventually lead to, only they could find out in the end. "I heard that Britannia's quite lush and green due to the amount of rain it receives, so I do believe those words of yours if one were to compare this oasis with your island." He opened the lid of the wine bottle and started drinking from it without letting the lips touch the sides of the opening, making sure that it wouldn't spill all over his toga. It seemed that this particular wine had a slightly different texture and taste to it compared to his standard purchasement, but it didn't matter much as long it tasted good.

"You're quite the most noble of all the women I've met so far, that I can guarantee you." The senator noticed how she began to form a crown from the flowers she plucked from the ground, reminding himself of the female slaves back home in the garden where they were allowed to do so for their own benefit of fun, aside from preparing those flowery headsets for invited guests to wear during special occasions. This made her seen as more adorable and innocent than ever befire in his eyes, contributing to an aching heart of desire. "My name means light, someone who shines in the dark to provide guidance and comfort to those around. It's a rather common name around here, though from experience it seems that most of the men carrying that name contaminate everyone else with darkness, ironically enough." Lucius couldn't help but chuckle at such a thought, considering how quite a few of these names being positive-sounding theoretically speaking, didn't sometimes align with the person's actual termperament and personality. 

"Aye, have a little sister who lives outside Rome with her family...Furia Pontia Tullia she's called, which is a feminine version of my father's name. I suppose one could call her a hero, getting married first and earlier than myself whether she liked it or not, as all of us in society have a role to fulfill. My parents picked a suitable match for her at least, and she got to experience giving birth to plentiful of children. It still irks me somewhat, as to why dear father of mine never found someone before passing away; there was a time when I actually got close of being married, to a woman that I loved, whom I still love as a friend today. But our families never went through with the marriage despite the optimistic prospects, and here I am on the lookout for a woman who may have the pleasure or grief to share a life with me...I assume that you were also about to be married off, before your new life in Rome? Forgive me if I'm terribly mistaken."

He finally grabbed one honey-cake and his mouth was totally ready for a food-orgie to say the least, savouring every piece of such delightful treat that could bend the knees and break minds of even the most resiliently, hardminded individuals out there. "Delicious, is it not? Also, would you kindly teach me how to make a flower crown...I got to have some valuable skill to impress the women around here." He laughed. 

@Beauty

"Thank you, but there's no need for any kind of repayment, everything's on me." Lucius said, compelling her to exit the market with him, as the destination he had in mind was his favorite hill overlooking a gorgeous scenery of the city and it wasn't too far out from the centre either, and usually there were little to no people at all whenever he paid a visit with a friend or two. Eventually the duo reached the bottom of it, but before reaching their final destination Lucius halted and looked at her. She was naturally scared for her own safety at the risk of saying her old name out loud, but Lucius wanted to make her feel less anxious and concerned whenever she happened to keep him company. It wasn't easy for her to be in a status of slavery the senator thought, as her life could suddenly take a sharp turn to either direction and her fate sealed forever meaning that every decision had to be made with extreme care. Hanging out with a senator on a whim wasn't perhaps part of the protocol either, especially if he was considered to be an enemy of her people and vice versa.  

"I understand why your old name ought to not be announced in public like this, but you need to understand that whenever you're with me I'll promise to grant my protection...that I swear upon my family's honor. Ardra...I'm not sure what it means unless you kindly tell me, but it certainly sounds more real and authentic compared to Nypmphia, which is based on Roman water spirits, unless you already knew that. So I'm going to call you Ardra, whether you like it or not, because I can't allow your honor and dignity to be degraded within my presence, which is the same principle I apply to my 500 slaves I possess in my household; each and everyone of them I cherish as real humans and not like animals living on a farm, all of them sharing the same hope of one day returning to their homeland and be reunited with their loved ones, as to which I'll do absolutely everything in my power to make it a reality."

With that said and hoping that those words would cling unto her mind, Lucius found a suitable spot on the top of the hill, namely a patch of grass. He layed a piece of cloth or blanket on the ground for Ardra to sit upon, instructing the Lictors beforehand to give them a bit of privacy at the very least. "I hope this view appeals to your senses, as I sometimes usually find myself here to collect my thoughts and rest under those trees over there."

@Beauty

Truth be told, Lucius couldn't help but feel affectionate towards her already due to her circumstance, and some sort of attraction grew within him. He too realised that his subconcious physical interactions were getting the better of him, and thus he had to think about restraining himself lest he'd like to send clearly wrong signals to this beautiful, pitiful slave whose mind was probably in the process of healing itself after going through so much unnecessary pain and suffering; he thought that it wouldn't be right of him to toy with her feelings, unless she really wanted to be share a mutual affection as well. Oh how he truly wished that she belonged to him instead of that Titus Sculpius Rufus, as he could've given her something else that didn't always remind her of having a status of a slave. Fantasies were also starting to fill the senator's head, containing alternative scenarios where Nymphia happened to be the perfect wife providing him multitude of heirs in a happy household, which he wanted to supress as well.

"Do you know if they're still alive or dead? If some of them managed to survive, they would most likely been brought to Rome as well; I can't say for certain if you would ever stumble upon one another in this myriad, but rest assured that I'll provide as much aid as possible in seeing a potential reunification. May I ask first what your true name is?" Lucius found it quite demeaning and outright silly that the slaves had to be provided new names according to Roman standards, as if their original ones from their home territories weren't worth enough to be heard or spoken out loud. When it came to his household, he tried as much as possible to call his slaves by their native names rather than whatever hogwash of names the Roman slavers provided them to begin with, just in order to forge a closer connection and show that not all Romans were so thick in their heads and so full of themselves. "Also, care to have a bit of honey-cake snack with me somewhere else with fresh air, rather than continuing to breath in this stenchfilled crowd mania?"

Lucius decided to purchase traditional roman baked goods, browsing through the offers at hand by that stall they were standing beside. It wasn't his absolute favorite joint where he used to acquire such delicacies but this one seemed to be new in the market, and perhaps he would come to enjoy their selection as well. Requesting for some honeyed wine, the basket for carrying the baked goods was now filled to the brim. It brought him happy memories of when he first met the little boy Lexus, as honey-cake was also involved in the process of getting them to know each other. 

@Beauty

Lexus truly reminded Lucius of himself when he was just a little kid, filled with curiosity and eagerness to learn about everything that the the world had in store, ready to be discovered by those who really took it upon themselves to be the forebearers of truth and unlockers of secrets. The senator also saw that the he seemed to cherish the legacy that their ancestors left behind for the upcoming generations to preserve and build upon that in order for society to continue developing and improving itself. It stood in stark contrast with many senators who didn't appreciate enough what they had managed to achieve in their lives, or what they've inherited from the previous generations, yet here sitting in the Curia Julia were supposed to be the 'assembly of elders' allegedly being wiser and more experienced members of the society or ruling class. Truth be told, it seemed as if the multitude of them had the minds of bickering children rather than minds formed by long-aged wisdom through previous experiences, both old and young senators in fact. If possible, Lucius wouldn't have minded seeing Lexus switching places with one of the 599 other senators, seriously speaking in a humourous attitude, fully confident that he could do a better job.

"Both assumptions are actually correct!" Lucius exclaimed. "The altar was placed there by Augustus himself to celebrate Rome's prowess, specifically his own impressive victory at the Battle of Actium against the combined forces of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. She has since then served as an inspiration for us senators to look up to, and someone to pray to for victory in wars and battles." Before the senator could explain further, Lexus abrupted him about whether he could sit, probably wanting to feel how it is to be a senator even for just a short moment. Naturally Lucius couldn't deny this opportunity and his face shone up as a result of that. "Feel free and savour every moment you're here with me in the Curia." He paused and wanted to collect his thoughts, since he was about to make an attractive offer to the boy, seeing something in him which could be cultivated for the betterment of society as well as being of the opinion that he deserved far more than what he currently had. Lucius sat down with him, and hesitated slightly at first since there was a risk that the offer wouldn't be enough, but sooner or later he had to offer it to Lexus and doing it now when they were in the Curia couldn't have been a better moment than this.

"Lexus...would you like to come and study under my tutelage and care alongside performing physical chores, getting paid for it in the process? I wouldn't want you to worry about repaying me or anything of the sorts in the form of money, as I've plenty of that. What I would only demand is that you work and study hard, because if I'm going to take you in as my 'apprentice' I expect that knowledge to be put for good use later in life, as well as helping you grow as a character...Reading, writing, speaking...fighting in fact." Such an offer must've perhaps come out of the blue and sounded shockingly enough for someone like Lexus to hear, but the senator couldnt do anything else other than to listen and witness how he reacted. 

@Atrice