Érik

That's what the Romans wanted them to think, though, wasn't it? That they were lucky and could have it worse. It was still true, though. Of all the things he could have been sent to do, he was able to do the thing he most loved. It was a bizarre conundrum, whether to be angry at the injustice or happy for his situation. He generally settled for a mixture of both. He nodded in answer, and put himself in what he supposed was a fighting position, with his legs apart at shoulder width and his back straight. Florus wasn't uncomfortable with Cinnia being this close. She wasn't intruding his personal space, and she wasn't Tranquillus. Then again, was he really uncomfortable when the body slave was this close? Maybe that was part of the problem. He nodded as she explained what he was going to have to do, but then frowned. 'But I don't want to hurt you,' he said. He didn't think he'd necessarily have the upper hand on her if he tried her tactic. He was younger, and thought he might be more muscular, too, but she was a fighter, and she had experience on her side. They wouldn't assign her to guard a princess if she couldn't do more than just hold her own. But why did she want him to hurt her? @Atrice

Both slaves were now gazing at each other in confusion, though Florus' lie had made his cheeks grow quite pink. The look lasted for a while, until the girl pointed at something, far off in the rain. Even by squinting he couldn't see anything. The rain was falling in curtains, and it had gotten so dark the trees were barely silhouettes. Whatever she might have seen, he hadn't. 'What am I supposed to be looking at?' Florus said, frowning. After a few more seconds of this, where he still hadn't seen anything, he turned back to look at her. 'What am I supposed to see?' @Beauty

The corners of Florus' mouth curled upwards ever so slightly as Alexius said he wasn't too terrible at conversation. Now, did the gardener believe him? Maybe not, but all the same, it was nice to hear. He had spent most of his life trying to avoid interaction with people, so social skills weren't bound to just jump on him, just like that, at random. Maybe it was because he was so bad that Tranquillus couldn't ever see him. 'I will take a drink or two, then.' Or maybe more. However more it took to make things fun with Alexius. Not that he wasn't a pleasant man, but Florus' shyness in front of the attractive man did sort of get in the way. Pursing his lips, he nodded to the toast, then drank a sip. Hopefully the wine didn't make him do too many foolish things. Not in front of Alexius. 'I've swept, once, but I'm a gardener, so I haven't done any household chores. There is enough to do in the gardens without needing to pile on more.' Briefly an image flashed before his eyes, of Alexius helping to clear out rubble. How was the other man dressed when he did that? Probably not the same way as in his mental image, which was to say, not at all. Pink lingered on Florus' cheeks. 'And yourself?' He downed his entire cup of wine in a gulp, hoping it would act quicker to make him less shy. 'Your tunic must get really dirty from all the dust,' he commented. Wait, what? @Atrice

Florus nodded in agreement. 'I don't find myself in as bad a predicament as most other household slaves,' he said. 'I can keep to the gardens, and mostly no one bothers me. I do do it all on my own, though, so it's still a lot of work.' But at least it wasn't rebuiling walls and painting and stuff. Surely he wouldn't be good at it either. He didn't want to be asked. He liked that he would never be asked. He had his own responsibilities, and they were cut out for him. Cinnia looked him over, but it wasn't in the same way that a lot of other people tended to do it. He found that he preferred her way. He felt less like a display at the meat stalls under her eye. Still, though, he was uneasy. In Britannia, and in Longinus' household, no one had really looked at him twice. The only people who did look at him seemed to be men and women who leered at him in the markets. The one by whom he wanted to be seen didn't even notice him, anyway. Being seen was certainly a curious thing. 'I'm ready,' he said. He hadn't much liked how the stranger had pawed at his waist. It had been quite obvious that he hadn't been carrying a purse; what was the interest in grabbing at him in that manner? 'I want to learn,' he said. 'I don't want to be a vulnerable target, I want to kick ass.' @Atrice

Florus tried not to judge how bad the trees looked. He thought this was the emperor's palace, and that the emperor was one of the most powerful men, if not the most powerful man, of the world. Clearly, though, you couldn't be all that great if your plants were this lacklustre. Florus' gardens at the Roman's domus was more impressive, that was for sure. The thought gave him satisfaction. Florus was completely indifferent to the marble and finery that surrounded him. He was certain that everything was even more luxurious inside, but he didn't care. This wasn't his universe, and so much stone made him uncomfortable. He preferred more natural materials. Britannia was clearly better in every single aspect of absolutely everything. 'I have been... good,' he measured. He had been, for the most part. He wasn't sure if getting closer to Tranquillus had been a good thing, because it wasn't like he would get what he wanted out of that relationship, and being strictly friends would likely be frustrating in the long run. And then there'd been the earthquake, of course. 'I was unharmed, but the gardens suffered some losses.' He knew it was a trivial thing to say, since learning of the number of victims, but the plants were what was close to him, what touched him most. He cared about them, and seeing harm come to them had hurt him. 'You were right, though. I was attacked the other night. That's why I need to know how to defend myself,' he said brightly. 'Anyway, how are you? I'm pleased to see you are equally unharmed.' @Atrice

Florus nodded in agreement. He wasn't sure that he intended to drink the hooch at all. Alone? What good would that do? Drinking with someone else was out of the question, because what if he admitted to anyone else within the household that he had done such a thing? For starters, he didn't know any of them enough to drink with them. Well, there was Tranquillus, of course, but the gardener suspected he wasn't the type to indulge in such a thing. And then, there was also the fact he was certain this wasn't a thing the Roman would encourage if he came to know about it. It was a dumb thing to have done, really, when he knew the possible consequences, but it was done, and all that remained was to decide whether he wanted to drink it or not. The barmaid had poured them a cup of wine each, and Florus nodded at her gratefully. 'Is it really me who is talking when I drink, or is it the wine?' He wondered. The wine had given him some rather interesting ideas, the other time. Or maybe it had been that the ideas were dormant within him, and the drink was simply waking them up? 'I will stay with you,' Florus said seriously, rubbing a spot on the surface of the table with his index finger. He looked up at Alexius, and held up his cup. It was customary for people to toast each other, but he didn't know what to toast to. As usual, he would let this other man take the lead. He wasn't versed in social niceties, so it was better that way. @Atrice

'I don't have much occasion to drink,' Florus said. There was wine that the slaves drank, of course, but he tended to keep to water. Working in the heat, it just seemed wiser. He drank as much water as he could, because it was easy to feel faint under the harsh Roman sun. Even in Britannia, they'd drank a lot of water while they were working in the fields. Heat stroke was a very real thing, and with the weather here being so much worse than back home, he was not going to tempt the Fates. They sat at a table, and the young gardener looked around, so as to be sure no one was listening in. No one seemed to be. 'Don't tell anyone, but I think I am making some sort of wine in the shed at the villa,' he said. 'I stored some old plums in a barrel of water, and I think they fermented...' It was only half accidental. He was more or less aware of how alcohol was made, and he'd mostly just been curious. It wasn't as though those plums were good enough for the Roman, anyway. A very slight pink coloured Florus' cheeks at the mention of the other man's rudis. He remembered it too, and more than anything else, he remembered how it had troubled him, and how much he had been thinking of, well, something very different while handling it. Pressing his lips together, he looked down at the table. 'I'm afraid I don't make for a great conversationalist.' @Atrice

Florus didn't know whether Alexius' hand on his shoulder was comforting or disconcerting. A bit of both, maybe. Certainly it did nothing to alleviate his redness. At least the former gladiator had bought his lie about needing to bolt. In truth, Florus had become entirely too flustered to continue interacting with the other man, and he'd needed to dash before he did something stupid. His body had certainly betrayed him that day. As it tended to do when Tranquillus was around and within touching distance. By the gods, how had he not figured all of this out ages ago? He definetely wasn't the smartest man. 'We did have a good time,' Florus confirmed. Especially since Alexius hadn't at all noticed how incredibly awkward the gardener was being. And hopefully he wouldn't notice this time either, though frankly the gawking, whether conscious or unconscious, might end up giving him away. But Alexius probably hadn't been told that men like Florus existed, so it was alright, he just needed to be discrete. 'I think I might acquire a taste for wine,' he said, falling into step with Alexius. @Atrice

Florus gave a nervous little laugh when Alexius clapped him on the back and told him not to worry. Alexius was nice, but wasn't it rude to just use a friend to acquire drinks? It felt dishonest somehow. Still, though, the former gladiator was playing it off in good humour, so surely it was alright of Florus to accept? He wasn't coming off as someone who was disappointed in the gardener's inability to pay, so it must be fine. 'If you're sure,' he said. Alexius' next question had Florus looking at his feet instead of at the other man. 'I... apologies. I suddenly remembered that I was needed at the villa,' Florus lied, a fact that was made obvious by his beet red cheeks. 'Apologies. It was rude behaviour.' @Atrice

Florus just stared at the young woman, his expression no longer neutral, because he was absolutely unable to hide his confusion. What was this girl talking about? Why was she talking in riddles? It might be rude to look at someone as though they were insane, but the gardener couldn't really do otherwise. 'Neither do I,' he said. 'Because I'm not in love.' Maybe that part was a lie, but how was it any of her business? Florus was fairly certain she didn't even know his name. How did she know anything about him at all? He should never have told Attis anything. This was probably all his fault. 'I don't love Zia!' Florus responded immediately, growing even more confused. He'd barely ever spoken to the other woman, what could have given Nymphias that impression? 'Quit speaking in riddles, I don't understand it. I'm not in love with Zia. Or with anyone.'

Florus decided to stop looking at Alexius. The other man was probably going to notice it at some point, and he was likely to ask questions. And sure, Attis had said that men could like other men, which the gardener now knew to be true, but he knew it couldn't possibly be all men. And besides, he didn't like Alexius like that. He didn't know Alexius at all. All he knew was that he was a free man, a former gladiator, and a man who was embarrassingly good-looking in the baths. And in general. He really did have to stop staring. 'I don't mind, but I have to let you know that I still don't have any money on me. Apologies,' he said sheepishly. @Atrice

'Oh,' Florus simply replied, his mouth a perfect circle. It felt trivial and insensitive, now, to be upset about his trees, when some people had lost their lives in the earthquake. Alexius hadn't said anything at all to make him feel bad, but still he felt like a selfish child for a second. His trees were important to him, of course, they were the only thing in his life. But at least he still had his life... It revolted him, that some slaves had been burried alived underneath the rubble and had lost their lives. They'd not been able to escape, because they'd been locked in their cells. Other slaves, he knew, might have been in chains. Briefly he thought about the potential death toll, and it made him both dizzy and angry. And to think he was in distress because of his trees! He ought to be thankful he had his life. Yes. He was. 'Bless the gods that you were in luck that night,' Florus finally replied. He was glad that the other man had survived. Glad that none of the people he knew had perished. Small comfort, but still. Alexius looked angry, and he wondered why, though not for long. If he used to be a slave, he was bound to be angry at the senseless loss of life that was entirely the Romans' fault. Any offer that Alexius made him was bound to make the young gardener at least slightly pink, but he was still glad for it. Anyway, it wasn't as though Alexius was looking at him in the same way, right? It was perfectly innocent on his part. Right? He was allowed to go drink with an attractive man, fully conscious of his attractiveness, wasn't he? Attis had said it was alright. And he'd said it was normal for him to like Tranquillus. So it was alright also to go for a drink with a good-looking man, even if he had no further plans with him, surely? 'I'd like that,' Florus replied. He still didn't have any money, though. Hopefully it wouldn't anger Alexius. @Atrice

Florus simply nodded, his expression neutral. Training at the palace was fine. He wasn't going to be too impressed by anything, really. It was the imperial palace, so what? Florus didn't care for statues and fancy marbles. He didn't care for mosaics and columns. Roman architecture was a strange beast, and it mostly made him indifferent. He couldn't imagine how the imperator's palace would make him feel any different than Rufus' villa. Trapped, and ever mindful of the fact everything had been built by slaves. Cinnia needed not fear his reaction. He was now perfectly trained in remaining as expressionless as humanly possible, and he would make a fine display of just that. Florus followed Cinnia, until they had arrived at what the gardener presumed were the training grounds. Inquisitively he turned to look at his new tutor, but remained otherwise silent. She had told him not to speak, and he was awaiting her instructions. @Atrice

Florus nodded. Talk about the earthquake was normal enough that his complexion returned to normal. Everyone had been affected by the earthquake. He knew his household had been relatively lucky. They deplored no deaths, apart from those of some trees, and nothing was too broken down that it couldn't be rebuilt. He'd been very busy in his gardens, and hadn't had time to worry about much else. This outing to the baths was the first in a long time, it felt. 'I've been busy clearing out my gardens. We lost the pomegranate tree, and two hydrangeas,' he scowled. Of course that might not interest Alexius, but that was Florus' universe, and it was his entire life. 'Things are slowly getting back to normal. You weren't injured, were you?' Florus eyed the man from head to toe, slowly, under the pretense of checking if he'd been wounded. Of course, though, he acknowledged he was also checking the view. Alexius was certainly good-looking. Gladiators... @Atrice

Finally, Cinnia appeared, and Florus nodded at her politely, walking to bridge the distance between them. He stopped at a healthy distance, and the shadow of a smile appeared on his face. 'Gratitude for seeing me, Cinnia. I...' Florus cleared his throat. 'I was wondering if your offer still stood? I would like it very much if you could help me learn to defend myself. If you are still willing?' @Atrice

Florus looked at Alexius in shock. 'I... no!' What kind of offer was that? He regretted tying the towel around his waist, now, because he was going to have to undo it all over again to tie his subligaculum. This was stupid. Sighing in frustration, he walked towards the bench he had left his clothes on, and took the towel off again, doing his best to pretend Alexius was not there. It worked for a moment, enough time for him to tie the loincloth. Grabbing his tunic, he put that on, too. Now that this was done, he felt more on equal footing to talk to Alexius. It wasn't really fair, was it, when one of them was dressed, and the other stood nude under the first one's gaze? Even dressed, though, he felt naked while Alexius was looking at him. It was a very unsettling feeling. Florus was able to tell, now, why the presence of the other man made him flustered. It wasn't, as he'd initially thought, the steam in the baths, or the vapours of the wine. It was all rather much more simple than that. He now knew the effect attractive men had on him. Cheeks still rosy, he was able to meet the other man's gaze. 'How have you been, Alexius?' He remembered the man's offer for more wine at an ulterior moment, but felt it rude to ask to be invited for drinks. Still, though, he wouldn't decline. @Atrice

Trigger warning: mention of assault attempt July 75 It had been weeks since Florus had met Cinnia out in the markets. Weeks, during which he'd been extremely busy. Busy with the gardens, first and foremost, but then also busy with figuring some very obvious things out. And, then, of course, after the earthquake, there was so much to do, so much to repair in the gardens. Trees to replant, new plants to order, the lack of rain to deal with, and the neverending battle against weeds. Yes, Florus had been very busy. He had wanted to see the other Briton again, but chance had not favoured him, and for a while he hadn't thought about her offer anymore. Until one evening when he was returning to the villa from the baths, and a hand had violently grabbed his arm from a shadowy alley. Florus had said he wasn't carrying any money, but that hadn't stopped the stranger from pawing at his waist, despite his evident lack of a purse. He'd managed to turn around and shove the stranger away, and had run all the way back to the villa. The altercation had lasted all of ten seconds, but it had been really stressful. What if he hadn't been able to get away? Surely he would have gotten beaten up badly. Since then, though, Cinnia's offer had come back to the forefront of his thoughts. She'd said there was a chance he could end up in a situation like this, and he almost had. Florus had to take it seriously. And he had to heed her advice. This was why, on his next free day, he had walked all the way to the imperial palace, and, as Cinnia had said, asked for her by name at the servants' entrance. The gardener stood there waiting, his back straight, hands behind it, feet apart at shoulders' width, immobile. @Atrice

The baths were one of the few good things about Rome. Bathing in the river back in Britannia had been great, but the thermae here... It took bathing to another dimension. It wasn't the best for cooling off after a difficult day -nothing would beat the river then- but he'd never really felt cleaner than after a visit here. And, deny it though he might want, the view was sometimes very good. There'd been no gladiators in today, and also no Tranquillus, but it hadn't been a wasted visit. He'd gotten his weekly massage, and was now clean as a whistle. He made his way to the changing rooms, less self-conscious about walking around naked when there weren't gladiators or a certain body slave to see him. He was still stark naked when someone called up to him. Startled, he looked up. 'A-Alexius,' Florus stammered, suddenly very busy with tying his towel around his waist. And also suddenly rather red. 'I, yes, very glad to see you.' @Atrice

Florus' eyes widened as Alexius placed his hand on the gardener's. Why was the other man doing that? And why did it feel so... tempting? He looked at his hand, and quickly pulled it away. Though he did not mean to be rude, he was alarmed. 'I, uh, I do want to learn about pleasure.' His cheeks were furiously red by now. Why was he discussing this at all? Wasn't this something he ought to discuss with the woman he was going to one day marry? Right, except he was a slave, so a marriage wasn't in the cards for him. Maybe just a woman he'd meet, then. So far, no such luck. 'Giving... and receiving,' he mumbled. He totally knew what sex was. And he knew it was supposed to be pleasurable. Alexius was giving him a strange look, and Florus suddenly knew that wine was a much stronger drink than he'd anticipated. Who knew where another cup might lead? As red as he could ever remember being, Florus got up from the seat, and nodded towards Alexius. 'Gra-gratitude for the wine, Alexius. I- I hope you have a pleasant day.' Without further ado, he bolted from the tavern. @Atrice

'I don't think anything alive should be immaculate,' Florus countered. Perfection was for inert things, like statues. Nature was alive, and a little more chaotic than all that, and that was the way he liked it. The Romans didn't tend to see things that way, though. Rufus generally let the gardener run things the way he saw fit, but a lot of the gardens around here were pristine. They were purely decorative, seen as an element of style rather than something flourishing, in constant motion. Oh, how he loved his gardens. They both received their skewers, and, pleased, Florus took a bite. It was every bit as delicious as the last time. 'I should probably be going too. I was hoping to find pistachios.' @Echo

Florus continued to edge closer to Alexius as the man told him about what he desired, but he remembered himself, and slinked back into his chair, using the drinking of wine as both an excuse and a natural barrier between them. Not that Alexius needed a barrier. Florus did, because the wine made him stupid. The man was talking about his desire to be free, not anything else. There was no reason to think about anything else. He was probably very popular with the ladies, he thought, but there was no reason to think about that. Until, that was, Alexius started to talk about pleasure. Florus blushed, still looking at his hands for a while, but then looked up at the ex gladiator in defiance. 'I do know what pleasure is, if that's what you mean. Just... not with other people?' Already he was sure he had spoken too much. He drained his cup, cursing the drink and its power to make him say ridiculous things. @Atrice

Cinnia was kind. It seemed like he really was meeting kind people when he came out to the market. He wouldn't exactly start speaking to more people, not really, but it was good to know that not everyone was out to murder him. At least the slaves weren't. The Romans probably were, but it wasn't like Florus had any cause to address any of them. Fortunately for him, really. 'Do you think I would be allowed to go to the imperial palace?' Where was it, anyway? He'd never been, but now that Cinnia had pointed out his vulnerabilities, he didn't want to make it clear that he was also ignorant on top of it. 'It's Cynane they call you, right?' He didn't want to make the mistake of calling her Cinnia to the guards' faces. Suppose it landed either of them in trouble? 'I look forward to it, Cinnia.' Florus nodded at her politely. 'If you'll excuse me, I really need to buy those lemons now.' Without any more ceremony, the gardener trotted off to the next kiosk. @Atrice

'Don't apologize,' Florus said, watching as the vendor seemed to get ready to take the meat off the grill. 'I know nothing about anything except my small village in the Silures tribeland in Britannia, and the gardens I tend to for my dominus in Rome.' There was no chance of him ever knowing what the outside world was about. He'd never traveled, never seen anything outside of the village, and barely anything of Rome at all. But he found he didn't mind. He wouldn't want to travel. All he wanted out of life was the land he took care of, the trees, the plants, the life all around him. The peace and quiet. He had no real curiosity for anywhere else, and he was quite satisfied with that, thank you very much. Coming from Britannia, though, he didn't think he'd be able to stand hot and arid days every single day. He enjoyed the comparatively sunnier weather, but the heat? He still hadn't completely gotten used to it. At the end of the day, he always needed to wash himself, because he was filthy, sure, but mostly because he was absolutely covered in sweat. It had been easier in Britannia. People just bathed in the river to cool off. There was no such thing here, as far as he knew. The baths weren't really for cooling off. Instead, every morning he prepared himself an amphora of water, which he threw lemon thyme in for the smell, and kept it in the shade. After his day, he washed himself down with it, and could finally relax. That was as close as it came. If it got any hotter, he couldn't possibly deal, could he? 'Britannia is a fine place,' Florus said. He had seen none of it, but he knew it was superior to Rome. Obviously. 'It's not a desert. It's very green, and very wet. It never gets as hot as here.' @Echo

Florus nodded. Most people weren't well suited for gardening. It was a matter of temperament, he supposed. A lot of people weren't patient. They looked at a tree, and expected fruit within the next few hours. They didn't seem to understand that these things took time. It wasn't just a matter of weeks. It was months, years... He wasn't altogether very patient with other people, or their world, at least internally. But for his gardens? His patience was boundless. 'Judaea?' Florus asked. 'Where is that?' He had never heard of the place, and her explanation was likely not to inform him about much. He had no idea what the world was like. He knew only his village, the places he had worked in Rome, and the endless stretch of lands between them. 'Was it nice there?' @Echo

Florus tilted his head, expression a little confused as Alexius complimented his hands. He looked down at them. How could the other man tell if his hands were talented? How could hands be talented, even? They did what they had to, whether it was rough or gentle. Whether it was tugging on a particularly tenacious weed, or pinching an old bloom to deadhead it. They were just hands... His were more calloused already than those of the house slaves he had encountered, but that was normal. His work was more physically aggressive than theirs, and he had to wield tools that still gave him the occasional blister. He was still scrutinizing them as Alexius leaned in some more. Florus found he didn't mind. The other man was just trying to sit more comfortably, after all. And he too was leaning in a little more because, well, he didn't exactly know, but apparently it was the done thing, to huddle around the table like so. 'I would be amenable,' Florus replied, the ghost of a smile etching itself on his face. No, he wouldn't mind spending more time with the ex-gladiator at all. There was wine to drink, which he was discovering was very nice, and made him want to be bolder, and then, of course, there was Alexius. Who was a very nice, interesting man. He nodded as he listened to him, scooting himself closer too, little by little. He looked at him, biting his lower lip. 'I wouldn't like being forced to kill other people who had no choice but to be trying to kill me too,' he said. He hadn't liked his experience of war at all. The fighting, the blood, the noise... It was so contrary to the gardener's very essence. But at least he had done it to defend his land and his people. Not so that other people who owned his very life could watch on and call it a sport. Generally he didn't even like fighting. He was just a man who liked peace and quiet, why was it so hard to obtain? 'The pleasure?' Florus repeated. Again, pink tinted his cheeks. 'I wouldn't know about that.' Or, well, not with another person. He drank more wine, to avoid having to say anything about that, but found that his free hand was lingering on the table, and he was still looking at it for any trace of hidden talent. Well, when he thought about it, his hands did have other talents than strictly garden work... But that was none of Alexius' business. @Atrice