Érik

Alexius let go of his hand, and Florus felt something grumble inside him. Was it disappointment? That was silly. Alexius was just trying to show him something; the gardener had no business getting overly excited. He stood up at the same time as the former gladiator did, very much as eager as the other man was. Just imagine, if Tranquillus could feel the way he felt, with just a slight pressure on his hand... He was going to get carried away now, and he knew he ought not to. He wasn't going to get Tranquillus, after all. For so many reasons. 'Alright, let's go,' Florus urged the other man. Maybe he was being too enthusiastic. Was that alright? It was a good thing Alexius lived close by: he didn't want to wait a second longer. It was also a good thing that they were going to be alone. It felt like it would be embarrassing to have someone else witness his inexperience and Alexius' coaching. Of course, he didn't have anything to prove to anyone, but if something ever happened, with Tranquillus, or, more likely, with someone else, he didn't want to be seen as the one who had needed coaching. 'I haven't,' Florus replied. Of course Alexius would need to know these things if he was going to teach him all about them. 'By a man or a woman.' @Atrice

Cinnia's words and kind smile seemed to rouse something inside of Florus, and he found enough energy to brace himself, and enough enthusiasm to want to go on with the lesson. A shy, small smile appeared on his face, proof of his good faith. He was ready to do this, and yes, he was willing. He needed to learn so that no one would ever try to steal from him again. Or, if they tried, he'd ensure they knew he could give them what was coming to them, swiftly and without so much as breaking a sweat. Alright, that last part might be wishful thinking, but being prepared was always a good thing. 'Gratitude for your help, Cinnia,' the gardener said, his tone serious. Florus was serious most of the time. He found it difficult to disengage from a train of thought, and levity and wit often went by too quickly for him. It wasn't just the language barrier. Sometimes he felt like he inhabited his own head more than the outside world. But these lessons were grounding him in the moment. The moment to kick some ass. 'I think... I don't mind what you think is the best option. I just... please don't touch me there anymore.' He really didn't like it. @Atrice

Gaul. He'd heard about the Roman province, but he'd never met anyone from there. As always when he encountered people from new places, Florus examined her, expression still neutral. Yes, she looked like a regular person. People didn't tend to have the name of their country of origin stamped on their face. Except for the one slave he'd seen once at the market. He couldn't read, of course, at least not really, not yet, but he knew some letters, and he assumed the F on the man's forehead was short for wherever he was from. Thrace, maybe? No, F didn't make that sound. What was a Gaul doing in Britannia, he wondered. Then again, merchants existed, and he supposed they had to learn each other's languages in order to do their merchant stuff. Maybe she was part of a merchant fleet? She seemed to be a free woman, at any rate. Florus closed his curiosity up in a box. It wasn't his place to wonder about other people. All he really wanted to worry about was his plants, and a certain special someone. His cheeks were still quite pink, but as she incorrectly assumed his someone was a woman, he raised his eyes to meet hers, somewhat defiantly, though his expression remained altogether polite. 'I like irises. I hope he does too.' @Chevi

Florus looked at his cup of wine, and might have been about to drink when he noticed Alexius' eyes on him. Something about how the man looked at him was warming his cheeks. It was exciting, arousing even. He would learn so much! He was a good deal more cheerful than he usually was, and not sober at all, but he was still in control. Or, well, his pulsions seemed to have a better control of the situation than his mind. Alexius was a good-looking man. Very experienced. Good. 'It is,' he confirmed. 'I didn't know what I wanted until two months ago.' He didn't know when he would get the chance to thank Attis for it, but he felt like he should. He'd never understood why women had no appeal for him, and had always pretty much figured everyone else was also pretending they liked them as much as they did. 'But now I know,' he said, raising his head to look into the other man's eyes. And it was very good to know that he was not alone with his desires. It was good to know that someone like Alexius understood. Something pulled from his navel as Alexius caressed his hand, and he repressed a shiver. That felt really nice. The former gladiator was going to teach him how to touch, and maybe then he'd learn how to elicit such a reaction from someone like Tranquillus. Or most likely not. But still. And then the other man spoke of pleasure, and Florus had to bite his lip. Alexius was very good at this. If one day Tranquillus could feel just half of how the former gladiator was making him feel, right now... Florus finished his cup of wine, but found that swallowing presented a bit of a challenge. 'So, erm, do you want to go now?' They needed to go now, really, because it was already bordering on indecency, as far as the gardener was concerned. @Atrice

Hitting someone, anyone, and especially a friend, it turned out, made Florus miserable. The blow had landed, and it seemed like he had hit well. She'd stumbled back, and seemed to touch her jaw gingerly. It seemed painful. She gestured that it was alright, fine, but he still felt incredibly guilty. He hated that he had hit her, especially since it wasn't the move they'd practiced. He wasn't sure how he could make it up to her. He'd have to find a way, because surely this would not do. He shook his head at her words. 'I didn't mean to, Cinnia. I didn't want to hurt you.' Permission to do it or not, he hated it. He hadn't liked fighting in the battles either. He felt so out of his depth, far away from what made him him. He liked plants, not violence. 'I don't think I would have made any kind of warrior,' he said. 'But I don't think I'd feel sorry punching someone who grabbed me, though.' @Atrice

'Aia,' he repeated. It wasn't a name he was immediately familiar with, and that, coupled with her accent, made him wonder where she was from. He had only once, since leaving Longinus' household, met a Briton in Rome, and that was Cinnia. He wondered if any of his tribe, the Silures, were wandering the city, enslaved as he was. Probably. He couldn't fathom being the only one left. It was a depressing thought, for one, but honestly it just seemed supremely unlikely. 'Where are you from, Aia?' Aia's perceptiveness brought a pink tinge to Florus's cheeks. Or maybe it wasn't really perceptiveness, and the gardener just felt called out? He was, after all, totally arguing about the price of flowers, for his special someone. 'Erm...' Well, she certainly had her answer. @Chevi

The wine was beginning to swirl his thoughts, almost as though the plumes of burgundy occupying his mind were wine in smoke form. It was alright, nothing was wrong, but Florus distinctly felt more relaxed. Everything was going well, and everything was going to go well. Swimmingly. They'd go to Alexius' home, and the former gladiator would explain all he knew to the gardener so he wouldn't come off as an inexperienced child to the man who would have him. Hopefully Tranquillus, but probably not. The body slave didn't see him, after all. 'Let's go to your place, then,' Florus said with a decent amount of cheer, more than his usual neutral expression contained. 'What kinds of things will you show me?' He was eager to learn. @Atrice

Florus looked at the woman seriously, though not unkindly. He seldom did smile, and not for strangers. HIs gardens and Tranquillus got his smiles. They were worth it. He considered her for a moment. She had showed him kindness, and she spoke his language, albeit with an accent he was unfamiliar with. She spoke with assurance and the confidence that told him she was far from being a slave. What was someone who spoke Britonic doing here, out of their own free will? He certainly wouldn't be here of his own accord. But now that there was Tranquillus... Well, it was all very confusing, wasn't it? 'Florus,' he said, after a moment. 'And you are?' He should know better than to speak to a free person in that manner, but the common language brought out some familiarity within him. @Chevi

The second Cinnia grabbed his belt and started reaching for his front, Florus became immensely stressed. Not thinking about anything at all, least of all what she had told him to do, his instinctive reaction was to aim a punch to her jaw. Realizing what he'd done, the gardener immediately took a step back and stared at the woman, wide-eyed. 'I... apologies!' @Atrice

Florus let himself be used and hit, feeling like a straw doll. She wasn't hurting him, as promised. 'It does make sense,' he confirmed. He liked that he understood how the seemingly random movements were connected and could be used to defend himself. And now she was going to grab him, and he was going to have to try to defend himself, as she had just shown him. But then that meant that she was going to mimick his attacker, and grab at him the way the stranger had, and he didn't want that. He hadn't liked it then, and he didn't want it to happen again. Did he have a choice, though? He tried to shake himself into position, but he was still uneasy. 'Alright, do it,' he said, though his tone was less inviting than his words. @Atrice

Florus gratefully nodded to Alexius as he poured him some more wine, and soon brought the cup again to his lips. He took a sip, and then licked his lips, nonchalantly, not breaking eye contact with the former gladiator. Alexius was an experienced man, he was saying so himself. And he had said he was there to give Florus a hand, if he needed. Well, that was just perfect, wasn't it? The gardener could totally ask for his help. It wasn't like he didn't need it, honestly. If left to his own devices, he was pretty sure he would never figure it out. And although he was certain Tranquillus would never, not in a million years, want him, he was also certain it wouldn't come off as attractive in the least, to Tranquillus or to any other man, if he didn't know what he was doing. Alexius could give him pointers. 'Didn't you want to go for a swim?' Florus asked, confused. He didn't mind either way, honestly, but he would probably prefer the option that allowed him to keep his clothes on. He'd been naked in front of the other man enough for today. 'We can go to your home, and then you can show me things?' That was bound to be a helpful discussion. @Atrice

Florus nodded, looking at Cinnia's feet. He had been uncomfortable, and yes, afraid, if he admitted it to himself. He had escaped, but what exactly he had escaped, he wasn't sure. He gave the bodyguard a confused look as she explained the man might have wanted more. What more could he have wanted? He had neither a purse, nor money hidden elsewhere on his person. Florus bit the inside of his cheek, and looked up at the woman. Yes, changing the subject to the more practical aspect of things would be best. 'Okay,' Florus agreed, trying to clear his mind and put on a more determined front. The elbow. Elbows were pretty strong, she was right. Unless he pinched the nerve there, then it felt all weird, and he wasn't sure he could use it as a means of defense if he did. But if his elbow was normal, then sure. He mimicked her movements, not really sure how it all made sense, but he innately trusted her. She knew what she was doing. He trusted her enough to repeat the moves his attacker had made, slowly. He didn't think she would hurt him. @Atrice

Florus waited for Alexius to be shocked by his revelation, but it didn't happen. Instead, the former gladiator revealed his own penchants, and the gardener merely stared back, uncomprehending. So he knew? And he liked men too? And women, as well, which he didn't know was possible, but it seemed irrelevant to his own interests. 'Can I have more wine?' He asked. Would that make the red upon his cheeks disappear if he had another cup? He bit his thumb, pensively looking at Alexius. 'I didn't mean to stare, but...' he trailed off, shrugging. He couldn't help it. Attractive men just caught his eye, and he knew this, now. And Alexius certainly was an attractive man. 'I am inexperienced,' he said in a low voice, looking at the table between them. The blush hadn't faded from his face. 'I have a friend who explained to me the mechanics of, you know, sex,' he said, the last most a mere whisper Alexius would have to lean in to understand. 'So I know how it works, but I don't know the rest.' If the other man was there for him, as he said, maybe he would be able to help him with the matter of Tranquillus? @Atrice

Florus blinked a couple times as the merchant's attitude dramatically changed towards him, handing him the iris for only half the price. His eyebrows raised, he handed the money over, and grabbed the plant, nervous that the man would change his mind. He held the iris to his chest, supremely satisfied. It was a beautiful variety, and he hoped Tranquillus would like it. He didn't have much money of his own, and he didn't spend it on anything other than the baths, but he still wanted to get the other man something. Why, he wasn't sure. He just knew that his heart was full, and he needed to get it out somehow. He wasn't very good with words, especially in a language that wasn't his own, but hopefully this plant would do some of the talking. Hadn't the white heather done just that? Florus walked away from the merchant until he was behind the woman who had intervened. 'Gratitude,' he said. 'You didn't have to do that.' @Chevi

Since his enslavement, Florus was not a very confrontational person. He knew what happened when you defied the Romans, and this man's reaction reminded him of it. He had forgotten himself, and that was a foolish thing. The merchant was yelling, and calling him a barbarian, and the young gardener reflexively recoiled. He didn't want to make a scene. He would just forget about the iris, and slowly slink away. Irises weren't even that nice, anyway. Not worthy of getting in trouble, at any rate. His plan was to just go back to the domus, and try again another day, when he didn't feel so overwhelmed. And just like that, his plan was cut short. A woman, not much older than he was himself, had barged in. For a split second, he thought it meant he could slip away unnoticed, but then her words registered. She was talking about him. Taking his defense, sort of, and drawing all the attention to him. Supremely uneasy, Florus looked at his toes. 'I'm no one,' he muttered back at her, wishing he could disappear in the hot summer air. She seemed like she wanted to help, but she was going to get him crucified... @Chevi

EJDER FLORUS - HERE

'I'm not like the Romans,' Florus countered. He closed his eyes, recalling the events of that moment. All this for a few coins? He just didn't get it. Very obviously he wasn't carrying anything, but that hadn't stopped his attacker. He was lucky to have been able to get away. And he did need Cinnia if he was to avoid a repeat of the situation. What if another time he couldn't manage to just push the other man off? He didn't want to be beaten for not having any money on him, which he surmised was what might have happened. She trusted him, she said. Okay. He took a deep breath, and positioned himself on her left side. The attacker had lunged at him from an alleyway, and so he lunged at Cinnia himself, grabbing her belt and pulling her towards him. Once she was facing him, he looked up at her with an apologetical expression. 'He must have been reaching for my purse, but I didn't have one,' he said, pawing at her front, and pretending to grab her crotch. Even if she said it didn't matter, he didn't want to do it to her. 'And then I shoved him away,' Florus said uneasily, taking a step back. @Atrice

Alexius was behaving in a comforting manner, and Florus wasn't sure whether he was reassured or whether he ought to brace for the worst. He was going to have to explain it to the former gladiator, and he was going to need to get more wine down his throat in order to procede. 'You aren't making me feel uneasy, Alexius,' Florus said. Not in the way the other man expected, at the very least. Searching for his words, he finally drained his cup. That was a mistake, since it was nowhere near empty, Alexius having just refilled it. The wine was nice. Not quite as bracing as he would have liked, but it would have to do. Honesty was important, after all. 'I, um...' How did he begin? 'I don't know if you know this,' he started. 'But some men like other men.' He rapped his fingers on the table once or twice, and then his gaze met the other man's. His cheeks were still rosy. 'I like other men.' There. That wasn't so hard. 'And the reason I was looking at you in the baths...' By the gods, suddenly it had gotten more difficult. He pursed his lips. Where had the wine gone? @Atrice

July 75. The markets were bustling with activity, as they always were, but Florus didn't care. They made him uneasy, most of the time. Too many people, and too many things going on at once. Sensations, colours, noises, smells... Eventually it all set him on edge. There was a reason why his only outings generally were restricted to the baths, and why he preferred to stay in the gardens when it was possible. There was no peace outside. Not with so many Romans around, that was for sure. Not to mention everything else... Today his mind was focused on something else, however, as it had been for the past two weeks. Tranquillus. Oh, he'd been thinking about him for a long time, now, but it had been two weeks since they'd shared their first kiss and Florus' world had become that much more beautiful. The world made more sense now that he had an anchor. It had also been almost two weeks since Tranquillus had left, and Florus missed him enormously. He hadn't known that he could feel so happy and so sad at the same time. Just as he had been able to touch the body slave, he had been taken away. It was so difficult. The only thing he could do was throw himself entirely into his work. He'd been a devoted, caring gardener before, but now he threw all his energy into it, working all the hours where there was sunlight, and barely stopping to eat. He didn't really notice a difference in the outcome yet, but that wouldn't stop him from working. It was that, or sit around the gardens feeling sorry for himself. That had never been his type. So he'd had an idea to make the domus more flowery. Large clay pots, which he had found in storage, somewhere, could be used to host plants and put around the doors leading to the gardens. It would be beautiful. And he'd even found a smaller pot, which he thought he might use to put beside Tranquillus' bedroom door. All he needed to do was shop for the plants that would go in that pot, now. The young gardener browsed the flower and plant merchants, occasionally stopping to smell them. Interested, he pointed at a very nice iris. The merchant told him the price, smugly, and Florus exhaled incredulously. 'Are you serious? That plant is not worth that price!' He was indignant, now, and found his Latin to be failing him, so he reverted to Britonnic. 'Do you take me for a moron? You're a thief, that's what you are!' @Chevi

Florus was enthusiastic about it all. He was going to learn to defend himself, and no one would ever try to steal from him again. Or, well, if they tried, he was going to kick their ass all the way back to their domus! Or something like that. He was invincible, or something, now, wasn't he? Not quite, of course, but all the same, it felt great that he wouldn't be a defenseless child anymore. Sure, he'd killed a man or two in the battle, but that was all the sword's doing. It was pointy and sharp, and all you really needed to do was stab people. That wasn't skill, though. He was going to be learning a skill now. And that was exciting! He gave her a bright smile, something that didn't altogether happen that often. His face immediately became more somber as she asked him to do to her what had been done to him. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't a very good memory. He hadn't liked being pawed at like that, along his belt to find the purse he hadn't been carrying, and elsewhere, for better hold, he assumed. 'But I don't want to touch you there, Cinnia.' @Atrice

Florus thought he was doing a fine job of being comfortable around Alexius when he brought up that he'd seen the gardener look his way. He nearly choked on his wine, and coughed, looking at the other man in alarm. He was suddenly bright red. 'I... Apologies,' he stammered. He hadn't been expecting to be caught. He didn't think Alexius would have picked up on it. Nor any man, really. Much like Tranquillus didn't notice. Attis had told him men could like other men, sure, but he hadn't known before. That of course had to mean that most men were unaware of the fact, and wouldn't be expecting another man to be looking at them in that manner. He'd thought he had a relative safety about it. Florus looked at his fingers, not daring to look up. Alexius wanted to drink his cup, and he did, but the gardener didn't feel like doing that. Drink more wine, sure, but not in as joyful a manner as the other man. 'Apologies,' he repeated. 'I didn't mean to make you uneasy.' @Atrice

Florus nodded in understanding. 'Alright, Cinnia,' he said. Instantly his face became more serious as he envisioned the faceless person who had grabbed him the other time. They wouldn't have as much success with that once he properly learned how to defend himself, he thought. Cinnia was going for his throat, but the stranger had gone for his waist. And, well, not just his waist, but he figured it was all an attempt to grab a nonexistant purse from him anyway. Maybe Cinnia would next teach him how to protect his middle? He had managed to push the man off, but what if he wasn't as lucky the next time? Maybe he'd get beaten once they realised he didn't have anything on him. No. He wasn't going to let that happen. He'd learn. He looked at Cinnia, who was putting pressure on his throat already, and decided to do as she said. She was no longer Cinnia, Brigantes Briton, but a faceless, nameless man, who wanted his purse. Florus brought his arms between Cinnia's, and pushed them outwards, effectively freeing himself of her grasp. 'It worked!' He exclaimed, barely hiding his excitement. @Atrice

'It is,' Florus replied. There really was nothing quite like feeling clean. And the massages, too. There wasn't really anything quite like it in Britannia. To soothe an aching back, the remedy seemed to be having someone kneed their fists in your back. It really was nowhere near as gentle or as efficient as here in Rome. That was at least an area where they knew what they were doing. 'I go for the baths and the massages,' he said. Not the other thing. But if he did happen to see people worth a glance, he wasn't going to complain. Why did gladiators need to be so... there, and so naked? It was so terribly distracting. Alexius had an idea, though, for after their jar of wine. They'd both only come out of the baths, so it was a bit odd to want to go back in the water so soon, but it sounded like fun, and fun wasn't really something the young gardener afforded himself. He wanted more wine down himself, though. Now that his cup had been refilled, he took a sip. He could get used to this, he thought. 'Sure. That would be refreshing.' Would they undress for it, he wondered. The other man had already been dressed as Florus had wandered in, and he reasoned that he might not be disappointed to see more of the former gladiator again. 'But in the meantime, I'm not opposed to more wine.' Especially not when wine made things less awkward, and made him less shy. @Atrice

'Erm,' Florus replied. It was the only thing that came to mind. She was being weird, and he didn't know why. He had barely ever spoken to her before, if at all, in all the months he'd been here. Fair enough, Tranquillus and Attis were the only ones he'd had real conversations with in the household. He'd never spoken to women much, outside of his mother and sister, but but it was also fair to say he'd also never spoken much to men, either. For all his life, the gardener had mostly kept to himself, and that had been fine. Opening yourself up to other people made for a flurry of emotions, and he was needing to learn to deal with them. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't so much fun. It had been easier when everyone had just left him alone and not really cared to talk to him. Back in Britannia, there was no one like Tranquillus to make him feel like this. Easier. It had been easier before. 'What do you mean, bloated?' Did women feel bloated? Why? Aside from genitals, was that the difference between men and women? That women were bloated? He didn't remember the women in his family being bloated, or saying something to that effect, and Cinnia didn't look especially bloated, either. But then again, he couldn't tell by looking at Nymphias. She called his attention back to the shadows in the rain, but try as he might, he couldn't see what she was pointing to. 'Are you sure?' Florus asked, still squinting. 'It's raining. If there's someone out there, they should come and shelter themselves.' What if it was Tranquillus, though? Tranquillus, walking through the rain, to check whether he was alright... He was so kind, after all. 'Tranquillus?' He called out. If the body slave was out there, he should get out of the rain. Or else his tunic would be soaked. Hmm. Well. 'Wait, are you from Britannia too?' @Beauty

Florus contemplated his empty cup, somewhat surprised to find that draining it all meant there was nothing in it. He was still thirsty. Did the effects of wine increase, the more one drank? Maybe the first cup had an effect, and then it meant you were immune for the other cups. That would be good. Then again, in his village, a lot of men got drunk on ale and mead, and that took several cups. Most likely wine behaved the same. But he wasn't in the habit of drinking, so nothing would happen to him. Probably. 'I like the baths,' Florus admitted. They were possibly the only good thing the Romans had come up with. 'Getting clean is a nice feeling.' He peered inside his cup once more. Nope, still empty. Why did that surprise him? Was he allowed to pour himself some more, or would that be considered rude? He ought to wait for Alexius to decide. He was the one who was paying, after all. 'I get sweaty every day,' the gardener said. 'And dirty. I can't make it to the baths everyday, though, so I just scrub myself down.' He could picture Alexius scrubbing himself down, too. Way too easily. Wine really was an odd beverage. 'I fill an amphora with water in the morning and then I wash myself at night. Sometimes you really have to rub to get the dirt and sweat out.' He contemplated his fingernails, which had probably never been entirely clean in his entire life. No amount of scrubbing and rubbing changed that. @Atrice