Science and beauty

[Atrice]

It sounded nice, what Septima described with Isis and what happened with the rebirth and all, if you followed her. So it wasn't the same as with Hades; Hades did not sound like a very nice place, he thought, and he believed most agreed. There was a reason that a brothel was called Elysium and not Hades. Although he was completely inexperienced in those matters, he knew the difference between pleasure and pain. 

"Your underworld sounds nicer than Hades." He said, hoping he didn't offend some god now. It would be nice if that's where his mother went, he thought to himself. But he didn't know and with Septima, he felt he knew very little. He apologized for being so ignorant, but Septima said she was sure he knew a lot of things and that she would just read a lot.

"I didn't mean to offend you. It's nice, that you know things. Someone has to, right?" Lexus said and stood again, looking in a certain direction, "I think someone's coming this way." 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"Your underworld sounds nicer than Hades."

It really did. It was not the main reason why Septima followed the Great Goddess, but it filled her heart with a warm feeling when she thought about the afterlife by her side. Roman beliefs of what happens after death were bleak, to say the least, unless one followed the older, Greek traditions of the Elysian fields, hoping they would be worthy of being numbered among the heroes of old. What the cult of Isis promised was something much... better. It was just hard (not to mention forbidden) to fully explain to the uninitiated.

"I didn't mean to offend you. It's nice, that you know things. Someone has to, right?... I think someone's coming this way." 

Everyone knew things. Different people knew different things, and had different skills. Septima liked learning from various people, especially the ones that didn't have the same upbringing as her. Lexus, however, seemed to believe that he did not have much to offer.

At the warning that someone was coming, Septima, sprang up, trying to make her way out of the flowerbed without stepping on the flowers, or the beetle. Unfortunately, it was not an easy feat of balance, and she stepped on the edge of the stola instead, tripping forward, about to fall flat on her face. "Oh no..."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Well it was true, he didn’t have much to offer. Septima was a girl, but despite that, she knew more interesting things than he did. And she could read. That was the way to learn things; being able to read. He really wanted to learn that. She didn’t comment on him apologizing if he offended her, but he hoped she hadn’t taken it personally and he thought it was nice that she knew things. He stood though, as he thought he heard the sound of someone walking their way.

 Septima jumped up from her spot too, to escape the flowerbed… but before they knew it, she’d tripped herself and was about to fall. Lexus hurried into the flowerbed, jumping in among the flowers practically, but he had no eyes for them, but for her. He reached to grasp some of her, anything, and caught her arm just before she hit the ground. She was heavier than he thought though and while she might not land on her face, she still dragged him with her and he landed on his back.

 “Ow…” He said and sat up, “Are you alright… Septima?” He looked up at the path, maybe he heard wrong, no one were coming, but now they both sat here and he hoped she hadn’t hurt herself.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Septima was well on her way to a very embarrassing faceplant when Lexus grabbed her arm. His intentions were noble, but the rescue only half succeeded. Septima managed to not fall face first into the ground, but she did drag Lexus down with her. They both landed, him on his back and her right next to him, in an awkward heap in the grass.

“Ow… Are you alright… Septima?”

"Fine, I'm fine..." she scrambled back; the stola and the tunica she was wearing were not making it easy to gracefully get back on her feet, but at least she sat up, looking around, her cheeks dark with embarrassment. She had not only fallen, but she had also dragged Lexus down, and now she was rolling around in grass, shamelessly close to him. She looked around, trying to see whoever was coming down the path. 

"Did they... You said someone was coming?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Lexus wasn't at all like his father, it would seem. His father did enjoy telling stories about things he'd done in the past and it would seem that he liked helping people out - and he often succeded, but when Lexus tried helping someone, it didn't help much. Well she didn't land on her face, but she still landed and Lexus was on the ground among the flowers too. He sat up a bit, asking if she was alright and Septima confirmed that she was. She tried to get on her feet, but her clothes were in the way.

"That's good, I hope you're not hurt. I didn't mean to startle you like that." Lexus said and gave her a little awkward smile, before she looked around to see if someone were coming. He sighed.

"I thought I heard someone, but maybe they turned around or maybe I misheard. I'm sorry." Lexus said and got on his feet and stretched a hand out to help her up, "Let me help you up... I'm really sorry. It really wasn't on purpose." 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"That's good, I hope you're not hurt. I didn't mean to startle you like that." 

"Oh no, it's fine." she was still embarrassed about the fall, but none of it was Lexus' fault. He had merely given her a warning. It was not on him that her dress was fully impractical for nature exploration.

"I thought I heard someone, but maybe they turned around or maybe I misheard. I'm sorry. Let me help you up... I'm really sorry. It really wasn't on purpose." 

"I know. Thank you." she blushed a little as she accepted his hand, making sure to free her feet first before she attempted to stand up. Once she was back on her feet, she dusted her dress off; it had some grass stains and some dirt on it. She sighed. "I wish I could wear short tunics." she noted, then caught herself and blushed again "I mean... I wish... I had more practical clothing for... exploration."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Septima said she was fine and not hurt and then he got on his feet, as usual talking way too much and once more he apologized for what just happened, since it would appear that no one were coming at all. He misheard or something and caused her to fall and himself too. Lexus wasn't worried about himself though, but her. She looked like such a fine lady. What if anyone asked why her dress was dirty now? What if anyone saw them... 

She just thanked him though and took his hand, although she blushed. And she let go once she stood, brushing her dress and she sighed, musing about how she wished she could wear something more practical. He looked her over.

"That makes sense. I've always thought it a bit unfair, that women work in all their skirts and the men don't have to." Not that he thought she did hard work, but he knew his mother had worked and many less wealthy women did. And slave women too. He thought it all over, it really was unfair, wasn't it? Then an idea came to him, because he got those sometimes and he smiled a little. He hoped she wouldn't think ill of him for suggesting such a thing, most adults would definitely think it quite outrageous. But Septima seemed different, so why not?

"What if... but I don't know if it would be right... could you like... disguise yourself, as a boy? When you go out to explore, I mean." Although she would make a very pretty boy, he thought to himself. But still she'd be able to wear what she wanted to.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Lexus looked her over. Another woman would have made good use of that look, and another man might have been looking at different things - but Lexus seemed to be assessing her dress in earnest. Septima still felt a bit self-conscious until he spoke.

"That makes sense. I've always thought it a bit unfair, that women work in all their skirts and the men don't have to." 

"It is unfair, isn't it?" she chuckled in agreement. Not that there was much she could do about it. Lexus, on his part, had a look in his eyes as if he was considering an idea.

"What if... but I don't know if it would be right... could you like... disguise yourself, as a boy? When you go out to explore, I mean."

Septima blinked in surprise, and let out a surprised little laugh. The idea sounded like a joke, but Lexus seemed like he at least halfway meant it. She bit back the laugh, and gave it some consideration. "I wish I could" she said honestly "It would make a lot of things easier... Although I am not a terribly good actress. That would be my sister... I don't think I could make anyone believe I'm a boy." she looked down at herself, lifting the edge of her stole to her knees for a moment, as if she was considering the pros and cons of the idea.

@Atrice

[Atrice]

They could agree that it was unfair, that women had to wear skirts and it would be so much easier to work and do many things, if you did not wear a dress every day. It really was unfair, but Lexus was in no position to change how society worked and Septima wasn’t either. It made him want to do something, but what could he do? He really did have to find a good mentor and learn about writing, reading, math, philosophy and politics, so that he could become a Senator someday. A boy could dream, right? And dream big, he did.

 But that did not change the current situation. He suggested then that Septima could disguise herself when she went out to explore and first she let out a surprised laugh, but Lexus was actually serious. Then she confirmed it would make things easier, but she was not an actress. She lifted her dress to her knees, as if considering it.

 “That’s a pity… it could work, I think.” Lexus said, he really did want to help, “You have a sister? Does she look a bit like you?” He then asked curiously, as he had another idea. Meanwhile he finally stepped out of the flowerbed and would lend a hand to her, if she needed one.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Septima realized a moment too late that she was showing off her legs to a stranger, and dropped her stola with a blush. No, the way she behaved, no one would believe she was a boy, even if she somehow managed to look like one. What would she do with her hair anyway?...

“That’s a pity… it could work, I think. You have a sister? Does she look a bit like you?”

"She looks almost the same. We are twins." Septima told him as she accepted the hand and stepped out of the flowerbed. She could have done it on her own but now she was worried she might stumble again. "But she is a lot more... social. I'm more like the scholar of the family. Well, me and my grandfather."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Lexus had barely considered that it wasn’t right for her to lift her stola like that, when she suddenly dropped it and blushed. Oh… well she had pretty legs, he thought, but that wasn’t why she had been lifting her stola, right? She really did not come across as some loose woman, like those he’d seen and met back when his friend Phaedo worked at the Domus Venus, and Lexus went to visit him. He kind of missed Phaedo, but he’d been sold to someone private outside of Rome and he had not seen his friend since.

 He had an idea coming into his head though, when Septima mentioned a sister and he wondered if they looked alike. She confirmed they did, because they were twins. Lexus’ eyes widened for a moment, “Twins?” He knew that twin births didn’t occur that often and his mother had said that people who had twins had been blessed especially by the gods. And therefore Septima must be a blessing in herself, he then judged. That was… amazing!

 Meanwhile Septima spoke more of her sister and how her sister was more social and Septima herself was more like a scholar. He nodded, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he met a girl who was a twin and also that she had a sister who looked just like her, which fit perfectly into the idea he had. Also and especially if she was a better actress than Septima.

 “That’s not so bad.” Lexus said, because he didn’t see how being a scholar could be bad… his mind was elsewhere though, with his idea... “Hmm… and your sister is more social and stuff? And looks like you? Maybe… but I don’t know if you like the idea at all, stop me if you don’t…” He paused, “She could pretend to be you? And you could disguise yourself as a boy and you could go out together, and then you could move about more easily? You could say you’re a distant cousin or something. If that could work…”

@Chevi

[Chevi]

“Twins?” 

Lexus seemed excited to learn Septima had a twin. Twins were a rare occurrence, she knew that from her studies, and various cultures saw them as a blessing or a curse. It was rare for both of them to survive and thrive like Clio and Thalia did.

 “That’s not so bad. Hmm… and your sister is more social and stuff? And looks like you? Maybe… but I don’t know if you like the idea at all, stop me if you don’t…”

Septima tilted her head. Another idea? Something that had to do with her sister?...

“She could pretend to be you? And you could disguise yourself as a boy and you could go out together, and then you could move about more easily? You could say you’re a distant cousin or something. If that could work…”

Septima blinked in surprise and chuckled a little, then once again gave the idea some honest consideration. She tried to imagine herself by Thalia's side, dressed as a boy while Thalia was trying to pass as Clio the scholar. She chuckled again at the mental image.

"It's not a bad idea... but I doubt it would work. For one, Thalia can no better pass as me as I can pass as a boy... and besides, we are too much alike. Enough people have seen us together to figure it out... if I was going to dress as a boy, I would have to be alone. Or... not with her, anyway." she tilted her head, with a look of her usual scientific curiosity "Would you dress as a girl?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

He was still surprised to learn that Septima had a twin sister, who looked like her, although it sounded like her personality was different. Lexus liked Septima so far though and he wanted to help her out. She wanted to go out and explore more easily and the fall just before proved, that dresses and skirts weren’t very good for exploring. Lexus then had a brilliant idea, or so he thought – why should she not just disguise herself as a boy when she went out? And her twin sister could help? He thought it was a great idea.

 Septima chuckled at first, but then seemed to actually consider the idea. She said it wasn’t bad, but it also wouldn’t work. She didn’t think she or her sister could pass as boys and besides, she would have to go alone, because people knew her and her sister. Then she asked if he would dress as a girl. Now it was his turn to chuckle, but it was a good question, honestly.

 “Uh, I don’t know… I never thought of it.” He said and grinned, “My father would definitely give me weird looks if I did! But I guess… if I had to, for some reason, why not? A long tunic and a toga, like what nobles wear, isn’t that different… or is it? I guess they don’t work so hard either, so they don’t have to wear clothes that you can move in.” He looked down his own body; he wore a simple knee-long tunic that could easily be hitched up by the belt, if he wanted to be able to move more easily – like what many working-class Roman men wore... "I guess you would have it easier, if you could wear this. It's a pity it won't work for you." 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Lexus grinned at the question, but Septima didn't back down. In a playful way, she wanted to see how he'd react when his own idea was turned on him.

“Uh, I don’t know… I never thought of it. My father would definitely give me weird looks if I did! But I guess… if I had to, for some reason, why not? A long tunic and a toga, like what nobles wear, isn’t that different… or is it? I guess they don’t work so hard either, so they don’t have to wear clothes that you can move in.”

Septima arched an eyebrow. He could probably pass for a young woman, as long as he covered his hair and painted his face to look more feminine. The thought made her chuckle. It would have been quite the sight to behold; no wonder he thought his father would be surprised about it. The comment about nobles not working... well. It depended on the person and their status, really. Septima, being the granddaughter of a man of standing, was not expected to work; she was expected to marry. She was not sure yet which one she preferred. 

"I guess you would have it easier, if you could wear this. It's a pity it won't work for you." 

She looked over his outfit. She wished she could wear a shorter tunic. Not as a woman of noble birth, obviously, just... as a scholar. In general.

"If you think you could pass as a woman, I am sure I can pass as a boy" she chuckled. "It would be an interesting experiment anyway."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

He had a tendency to just talk and then talk some more, once he got started and the thoughts concerning himself wearing a dress… they were plentiful, those thoughts! He mused a lot over it, while Septima was very patient and listened. She knew he could talk a lot now anyway and he kind of felt he could trust her. He felt safe with her.

 And it was interesting to think about these things, because he never did before and honestly, why not? Besides being a freeborn Roman boy, and therefore a citizen that was supposed to act a certain way, he did not see why he could not wear a dress. But right now, it was nothing more than a thought and he mostly thought it a pity for Septima that she had to wear it.

 What she said next made him think further. She said that if he could pass as a girl, she could do it as a boy. And said it would be an interesting experiment. Honestly, she was right. She was. Septima was very smart. So… that made the next idea quite obvious…

 “Should we give it a go?” He asked with a little amused smile, although beneath that smile, he was actually serious, “You could borrow my clothes and I yours? Just to see… would you do it?” Gods his father would either laugh or scold him and he didn’t know him well enough yet, to know which one of them it would be. It might be better if he never knew that Lexus had considered it.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Lexus seemed amused. Septima was too. It was such a funny, wild idea for an experiment, but just interesting enough to merit actual consideration. Could a girl pass as a boy in Rome? And if they could, how many of them did? And what about the other way around?.... Fascinating. 

“Should we give it a go? You could borrow my clothes and I yours? Just to see… would you do it?” 

Septima felt like she was at the threshold of something exciting. Something definitely clandestine, but also more interesting than anything she had done, inside or outside of her studies, in... ever, really. It was a giddy, spur of the moment feeling. She barely knew Lexus, but he seemed equally amused by the idea. 

"... sure. I'm honestly curious now. Would you?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Well it was amusing, wasn't it? This idea of wearing clothes that were ment for the other gender. Lexus thought it amusing, definitely! Amusing... but also interesting. They were now discussing whether both of them could pass as the other gender and if they could, would they try it out? Lexus considered it and then suggested what was only natural now... that they should do it. They could switch clothes. He didn't consider yet that they were out in the open in a public garden and perhaps should not undress here. He also didn't consider yet that it meant he would have to get half-naked near her and she near him. The third thing he didn't consider was that they just met today and barely knew each other. All those things were not on his mind. The only thing that was on his mind was the idea of them switching clothes. 

Septima seemed amused too, but then said she was also curious. 

Lexus chuckled, but then let the grin fade again to appear more serious, "I would. If you would." He wouldn't do it alone! And then she wouldn't have to do it alone either, so it made perfect good sense to him. 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"I would. If you would."

It almost felt like a dare now. Thalia had always been more susceptible to dares than her, but Septima was curious, and felt a kind of excitement she had not experienced before. They would swap clothes, and see if she could get away with looking like a boy. Lexus seemed amused by the idea, but not in a way other young men would be, or so she assumed (she did not have much experience with young men). 

This brought them to the question of technicalities. Septima glanced around. "We could swap clothes." Now that this was not a hypothetical anymore, somehow she found boldness she didn't know she possessed before. "But where?..."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

So he'd agreed to switch clothes with Septima! Whom he just met, here in the gardens of Sullust, but it didn't matter. Getting his mind off everything else that had happened in his life, that mattered. And he had barely been thinking about it since he met her. But now it had come to this point, where he had stated he'd dress up as a girl if she would dress up as a boy. She glanced around and then said what had been on his mind - swapping clothes. Of course she was more smart than he and wondered where to do it. Lexus glanced around too, they were pretty much out in the open here. 

"Many in one of the pavillions here? There's also the temple to Venus?" He'd walked a lot in these gardens lately and there were fountains, statues, pavillions, a porticus and then of course the temple to Venus. Maybe they could use some of that as shelter, "What do you think, Septima?" 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

Lexus and Septima looked around at the same time. Now that they had agreed on swapping clothes, and Septima was feeling very daring, there was the question of how and where. They could not very well just jump into the bushes, after all. Could they?

"Many in one of the pavillions here? There's also the temple to Venus? What do you think, Septima?" 

"Let's try one of the pavilions." she nodded. The temple of Venus was a popular place, especially with the gardens around it that young people liked to frequent. A pavilion was more likely to be private this time of the day. Or so she imagined.

It took them a little time to find one that was unoccupied, and so well covered by rose bushes and creeping ivy that it offered a private enclosed space. Septima looked around before they approached it; even if the pavilion itself was empty, it would not do for someone to see her enter it with a young man.

"So... how should we do this?..."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

It did feel a little bit daring and he almost felt giddy and excited, because this was something new and different - something he never tried before, but honestly, why not? Wasn't he the one who stated how unfair it was that women had to wear longer skirts, when it was so much easier to move around in a simple loincloth and a not very tight-fitting tunic, like what he wore? Septima suggested a pavillion and together they walked around in the gardens to find one that was unoccupied. It felt nice to walk and talk with someone and even someone you had a common... quest, with. They had agreed on this odd idea together and they would do it together. He didn't think twice as she did, when they approached it, but she stopped and asked how to do it. How they should do this?

"We swap clothes." Lexus first said and now he suddenly thought further. They were finding an empty pavillion because they had to do this in private and secret. But how do it without undressing in front of each other. He didn't mind much, but he could see it would be a bigger deal to Septima. She was of a finer rank than he and she probably never undressed near a guy before. And never saw one undress... he didn't think about how she probably shouldn't even be seen with him. The undressing part was far more interesting anyway.

"Uhm... I hadn't thought this far. Maybe... if..." He tried to wrap his mind around the idea and searched for options, "How do you feel about... getting undressed in front of me?" Maybe it was not a good idea after all. Lexus had seen naked women before and barely clothed women before, when he visited his friend Phaedo at the Domus Venus, but he could imagine it was different for her. 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"We swap clothes."

Septima arched an eyebrow at Lexus. He had stated the obvious, as far as their plan went. And now she had to wait for him to realize the kind of... technicalities this plan came with. As a daughter of nobility, she was not in the habit of undressing in front of men.

"Uhm... I hadn't thought this far. Maybe... if... How do you feel about... getting undressed in front of me?" 

Neither of them had thought this far. If they had, they would have probably regretted the plan immediately. It was completely harmless, merely an experiment in swapping clothes, but Septima was aware that it would not look that was from the outside.

"In front of you? No." she shook her head. She was not about to take her clothes off while being watched by a strange man. "Turn your back." she added after a moment of hesitation. "Don't look."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Sometimes Lexus would talk before thinking. Not a very smart approach, but sometimes it just flew out of him before he could stop it. So when Septima had asked how to do it, he stated the obvious. And then he finally realized that there was more to this than just swapping clothes with someone. She was not just a girl from next door, she was a young lady of some rank and they could not really just undress in front of each other, as if it was nothing. So he asked how she’d feel about it, and of course she wouldn’t do it. Right.

 He was just about to ask what to do then, when she told him to turn his back and not look. Lexus thought it through shortly.

 “I have a better plan. You should get dressed first. Then me. You’re the one who should be more careful, I think?” He said. He would not mind stripping what little he wore in front of her, but if she was shy, maybe he should pretend to be too? “If we both turn our backs… look the other way. I’ll get mine off first and toss it to you. And you get dressed and give me your clothes?” He suggested, looking her over and then chuckled, “And maybe help me wrap all those… bits… where they’re supposed to be.” There were more pieces to her clothes than to his, he realized. And he just bet he’d get it wrong.

 @Chevi

[Chevi]

“I have a better plan. You should get dressed first. Then me. You’re the one who should be more careful, I think? If we both turn our backs… look the other way. I’ll get mine off first and toss it to you. And you get dressed and give me your clothes?”

They were both thinking the same thing. Clearly, Septima could not just undress in full view of Lexus, and she was not even sure she wanted to see hi  undress either. The whole idea was terribly immodest, even if completely harmless. If he turned his back, or even better, if they both turned their back, then there would be no problem with it, right?

"Let's do that." she nodded, turning her back, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Lexus did the same. At least this way she would be done with the changing quickly. 

“And maybe help me wrap all those… bits… where they’re supposed to be.”

"I'll help" Septima smiled. She placed her writing tablet and other belongings on the ground, folded her palla, then slipped out of her stola and tunica, until she was left in the wrappings around her chest and mid-section. Once Lexus handed her his tunica, she'd put it on quickly, to avoid being embarrassed. Also, cold. 

@Atrice

[Atrice]

At least he was good at planning stuff – like exactly how you’d swap clothes with a young and noble lady, who probably shouldn’t undress in front of him. Lexus wasn’t so shy, but he knew he had to consider her too and he did. She agreed with his plan and turned her back and Lexus did the same. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw she did the same and couldn’t help but smile at her, before he looked away. Gods, there was a pretty girl undressing just behind him! And while he doubted she had anything he had not seen before, at the brothel with Phaedo, he couldn’t look at her. How weird was that?

But he did it too – undressed. It wasn’t hard. He removed the belt and made sure to take the purse off it, that was attached to the belt with a string. But how to give the clothes to her, if he could not look her way? Lexus stole a quick glance over his shoulder, seeing Septima barely dressed and he turned around again, blushing and feeling a little warm suddenly. Which was weird, because seeing the women at the brothel only made him feel shy the first few times.

Lexus folded his tunica into a bundle, wrapped the belt around it and then carefully tossed it along the ground towards her.

“There’s the clothes. When you’ve put it on, let me know. And you can give me your tunica?” He said without looking her way. Gods it was hard not to look, but he would stick to the plan. He didn’t want to embarrass her. Once he had put her tunica on, he could turn around and face her. Gods it was weird wearing such a long tunica and so colorful compared to the simple, knee-long and light-brown tunica he wore.

@Chevi