InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Hold the door!"

Steven Shiancoe (thegodofrock) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-01-16 20:28:00

Entry tags:

dionysus, hermes

Who: Steven and Philip
Where: Steven's Apartment
When: Sunday, January 16, evening
What: Just another meeting
Status: Incomplete

Steven's fingers moved over his guitar strings, urging a tune from the worn instrument. It was an acoustic guitar, old but well-maintained. Steven never brought it on tour with him; it was his favorite, a gift from his grandfather shortly before cancer took him. Of all the people in his life, it was his grandfather who had encouraged him, who had never looked at him like a waste of space or disapproved of his personal habits. Steven used this guitar -- and this guitar only -- to write his music.

The song he was currently strumming was one from his third album. In its entirety, the song was more than just an acoustic guitar; it was a sentimental piece, accompanied by the soulful melodies of violins. In his mind, he could hear those violins, the same as he had when he had first begun work on the piece.

The melody drifted through the open door, spilling into the hallways of the building. Steven liked to keep the door open; to him, there was something unnatural about barricading yourself away in your apartment alone, keeping yourself apart from your neighbors and those around you.

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thegodofrock
2011-02-07 05:16 am UTC (link)

Steven grinned in response to his admiration. He really had no right to act as though he deserved the compliment, but he grinned nonetheless. "Sure, kid, the door's always open to you." Moving away from the counter, he moved around the kitchen in search of something to eat. At last, he returned to the counter with crackers and cheese. "Hell, if you ever need somewhere to stay, I got extra space. If you don't mind a few tunes."

Fitting a piece of swiss cheese on top of the club cracker, Steven held it up for examination. "I know how it is. Sometimes, it's nice to just take a load off and put your feet up and let someone else worry about the grocery shopping for a change."

He munched on the cracker, not knowing just how badly his guest needed a place -- but the offer was on the table, for the present and in the future.

"And if you're ever in the country, stop by and pay the vineyard a visit. Same law applies."

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arkhospheleteon
2011-02-07 01:53 pm UTC (link)

It suited Philip, these sudden and unsolicited invitations made by Steven that far surpassed the customary acts of modern hospitality. Offers of a place to stay, a place to rest, possessed an unrivaled allure to some deep-seated part of him and uncovered a new layer of overwhelming approval, perhaps because Philip had spent much of his life as a traveler, weaving in and out of the lives of others. Though he had never sought nor desired permanence in regards to having a home, he knew the difficulties of being without proper shelter that he recognized the value of having one place he could always turn to in a time of need. The word xenia lodged firmly in his brain, though he didn't know where it came from. It's meaning only a vague recollection from some old lesson in school.

"You've got to be the most awesome person I've ever met," Philip said, pilfering several pieces of cheese from the arrangement Steven had rustled up from his kitchen. He nibbled contentedly at one edge of the snack, never one to let the opportunity of food slip by. "I don't think there are many people these days who'd open there home to a perfect stranger. Most places that I've been people didn't even take the time to get to know their neighbours. The most you'd get is a wave so you wouldn't even think about asking to borrow a cup of sugar. Times have changed. I guess for them trust isn't something owed but earned." Something in Philip felt almost old while saying this. "I like this better." He meant it as he glanced up to meet Steven's eye again, something stirring within him that felt a lot like camaraderie or brotherhood. Philip was accustomed to these bursts of affection, but the odd, almost protectiveness for his current companion was far more foreign. He could only presume it was part of his appreciation for Steven's gracious abilities as a host.

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thegodofrock
2011-02-08 01:02 am UTC (link)

"Hm?" Steven asked, as if he hadn't heard. His expression became a grin, then, and he lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "It's nothing." While it wasn't unheard of for Steven to offer his home and food so freely, he rarely did it with such immediacy. He would feel entirely comfortable offering this young man a copy of his house key -- although he could not say why. "I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

The phrase brought a sense of deja vu -- it was the only phrase in Steven's vocabulary to describe the sort of shift in his perception, as though the words held an element of history somehow. Yet, before he could put his finger on the sentiment, it escaped him, leaving him feeling a bit foolish.

"This'll probably date me," Steven began, sliding effortlessly back into the conversation. "But I was lucky enough to live off the kindness of strangers for a lot of years. There were always people who disapproved and acted like we were trash, but a lot of that didn't come until later. It was a good time. And you would have loved Woodstock."

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arkhospheleteon
2011-02-09 01:35 pm UTC (link)

"I know I would have," Philip said, quick to align his own thoughts with those of someone he viewed as immensely and effortlessly cool as his current company. "And I'd have definitely looked out for you too. I mean, I still would if you needed it and I had something to offer. But right now I think you're pretty well taken care of." His eyes once again roved the penthouse rooms as he tried to ignore the sense that some deeper meaning lay beneath those statements, the tug of some old promise made that he didn't remember making and simply couldn't have since he'd only just met Steven then. The sensation left him uneasy. Though it had not been the first of its occurrences since his arrival at P1, it was perhaps the most potent, and his efforts to shove it off into some distant corner of his mind so that it might subsequently be ignored was not proving entirely successful. Yet, he at last managed to rationalize it away, the feeling while strange could not be deemed unpleasant, and Philip told himself this was merely his typical restlessness at work. He seldom liked to stay in one place long, the anxious twitch apparent in his inability to even remain still. However subtle, there always some ever-present movement in his hands or feet. He tapped his fingers against the curved surface of his glass before downing the remaining contents.

"I probably ought to let you get back to things," Philip admitted, his piece of cheese polished off soon after. "But I'll definitely be back!" He added with sincere enthusiasm. Whatever odd moments had transpired between them, Philip knew he was nevertheless comfortable there. He liked Steven and his home.

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thegodofrock
2011-02-11 05:16 am UTC (link)

"You've got a lot to offer," Steven reassured him hastily, not wanting the boy to assign so little worth to himself. He rather liked him, and, still, he was strongly reminded of himself. That aside, Steven liked to think he had valuable insight into the human condition -- like most rockers from his generation. Usually, they did have insight -- if only because their age had granted it to them. "A man might have a million dollars and still be in need."

With a sweeping gesture, Steven indicated the apartment around them. "You're welcome here anytime. And don't worry, you didn't interrupt anything I can't return to later. The music will come or it won't, and it doesn't matter what I'm doing or who's around. That's how it's always been."

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arkhospheleteon
2011-02-12 03:24 pm UTC (link)

Philip set down his now empty drink, and with his hand free, he threw both arms hastily around the musician, careless to how precarious the action may have been to Steven's own glass of wine. Yet, somehow it had not spilled, and nothing more came out of Philip's reckless decision than an impetuous but affectionate hug. "Man, You're the best. I'm glad I stopped by and got to meet you," Philip said with a grin before he stepped back and raised a hand in a more typical parting gesture of a wave. But he delayed no longer, disappearing a second afterward out the door he had previously come in from.

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