"Sadly, I have never been able to pass as a woman from any perspective but the back, and only with my hair down," Ganymede said gently, and an echoing smile graces his features when he can see the little peeks of Armand's fangs. He likes the moments when Armand is free to be happy and to show it, no matter who's watching, or may be nearby. "Rubens was a celebrity. The more people perfect you to fit their own terms, the more you value others' flaws. It's what makes them real."

He spoke from experience, yes, but it wasn't tinted with sadness, it was simply the way Ganymede had lived.

He nodded at the question about the woman he'd met. "La Gioconda, I met her several times, yes. She was a wonderful woman, she loved life, and loved to laugh and smile. I will tell you that I have posed for two sculptures on purpose, and one of the two results is much closer to real than the other." But he won't give Armand any more hints than that; he knows exactly how sharp Armand is and he wants to see him figure it out.