Eron "Eros" Fletcher (cruelarrows) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2014-03-11 16:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, aphrodite, eros, gabriel |
Who:Eron, Ahprodite, and Gabriel
What:Moving In
When:Backdated-March 5th
Where:Aphrodite's Home
Rating: Low
Status: Complete
As much as he’d thought the decision to move in with his sister would be difficult, in the end it had actually bene quite simple. He wanted to know more about his family, Angel had the space and the funds to help him along, and he would be in a much nicer area with (hopefully) more privacy than his current place afforded him. That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t miss it or that it wouldn’t have its challenges. Her place was much further from the school, which meant a lot more driving. He only hoped his little Sentra could take it. He didn’t have a whole lot of stuff, thankfully. Since his new room in Angel’s home was fully furnished he ended up just leaving the few pieces of furniture that were his and just packed everything else up in a small rented trailer that he attached to his car. He liked his current roommates. They were a fun group of guys, but things got a little bit wilder than what he wanted in his own home. He promised to come back for parties sometimes and since he had plenty of help loading up he was finished in hardly any time at all.
The quick load up was good in that it meant he got going at a relatively decent time and missed most of the traffic on his trip down. He was so not looking forward to that part. He was a fairly confident driver, but driving with the trailer was a special kind of frustrating. Thankfully, he made it without incident and arrived at the resort where Angel lived. The security guard barely looked twice at him, so she must have explained the situation to them already. This is the part that he really wasn’t looking forward to. Angel’s place, well his place now as well, he supposed, was huge and he’d be moving everything in himself. There was no way he was going to pester his sister to bring in his things. Eron hoisted his harp bag onto his shoulder and made his way to the house. Might as well bring the most important stuff first and maybe chat a bit with Angel before he really got started.
Eron tried the door, finding it unlocked as Angel had said it would be, and made his way inside. He didn’t see anyone at first so he called out. “Angel? Hanna? Anyone home?” He knew that someone had to be home what with the door having been unlocked, but still, he didn’t see anyone now and wasn’t sure of the best place to look.
Dite had been buzzed when Eron showed up and she had intended to be there to help him, she had been on the phone for three hours at that point and would have hung up as she hadn’t been getting anywhere. But after the buzz she got through that seemingly endless hold and found herself pacing through the house as she talked, ending up in the kitchen when she finally heard another voice over the sounds of her own conversation. It was decidedly not Hanna so she hurried back to the main hall and found Eron near the main door.
“Hang on, baby.” she said into the phone with a gentle smile and tilted the phone down, away from her lips. “Hi. I asked a few guys to stop by to help you with anything heavy or just whatever you need, they should be… uh,” She hadn’t willed them into existence yet, she had waited perhaps too long and now she had to think of a way to make them appear without Eron realizing or seeing them materializing out of nothing. Thankfully she could think on her feet and in the next moment a pair of very attractive, muscle-bound men in what resembled moving company uniforms came through the front door. “Ah, there they are. Hi boys, everything is going in the big bedroom downstairs. Be gentle now.”
They weren’t real people, not really, but they were close enough and would disappear into nothing once they were finished with them. But they followed orders very well, she made the shoo motion and they abruptly turned and headed back outside to unload. “Anyway, I kinda have to deal with this but I shouldn’t be too much longer.” she headed into the sitting room on the other side of the hall, it all open so her voice still carried when she went back to her conversation. “Yes, you had me on hold for hours, my phone is gonna die if we draw this out.”
Well, that was unexpected. He slid aside to let the two men into the house. They were rather more attractive than any other moving people he’d ever encountered and they both seemed...generic in a way. It was odd. He hadn’t heard anyone drive up or get out of any kind of vehicle, but the men were there so they had to have come from somewhere. They couldn’t have been just formed out of thin air. He gave a little wave to his sister, not wanting to interrupt her phone call any further, and made his way further into the house to what would be his bedroom. Eron set his harp on the bed and a moment later one of the moving guys brought in one of his boxes and stacked it against the wall. “Thanks.” He offered with a smile, receiving only a nod and a smile in return. These had to also be some of the most professional moving people he’d ever encountered.
Instrument taken care of, Eron made his way through the house and outside once again. He tried to help, but was gently shooed away and assured that they could take care of everything. So, he satisfied himself by directing them regarding where his belongings should go. He’d gotten rid of the majority of his things when he’d moved north, only keeping his more important personal stuff and a selection of things that were his mother’s. It probably would have been good to keep some of it, but at the time he hadn’t even wanted to look at it, much less think about what he was going to do with it all. He wasn’t the type to cling onto objects for the most part as well.
The men seemed to have no issues at all with any of his belongings, bringing everything in with no complaints and little chatter. Any attempt at engaging them in small talk was also for naught, but that might not be too unusual. Maybe Angel’s money afforded her that kind of service. He expected the men were used to working for the kind of people who wouldn’t even give them the time of day.
Gabriel had a car. It was a glorious little bright red mini cooper. He loved it. A lot. He'd saved for a long time to get the thing, and even then had only recently actually paid it off completely. It was sort of a shame that not two years later he basically had no need for the thing due to crazy archangel powers of teleportation or possibly flight.
The point was that that poor little mini cooper had not been put to use today, and instead Gabriel had appeared in Dite's kitchen in a flutter of invisible wings. He was pretty sure he'd given warning, but maybe not. Some days it was hard to tell what he'd planned or what he just felt like doing. In any case, it was good for all involved that he'd arrived in a discreet portion of the house and not just out in the open. It was also good for everyone involved that he'd bothered wearing pants. Sometimes he didn't. Times were really rough with all these extra people around lately. Gabriel would never begrudge Hanna for having a safe place to stay, but that girl was kind of a cockblock.
"Hello--" The archangel paused, a tupperware of cinnamon rolls in his hands and the soles of his chuck's squeaking against the floor in a quick stop at the sight of handsome creations of men moving boxes. Shit. What had he forgotten about? "--oh." Oh. No. That had come out a little too Mrs. Doubtfire for his liking. Bad. Bad.
He tried again. "People. Hola. Como etas."
“Well, yeah. I’m putting effort in or something. Whatever. Your English has gotten worse. How the hell does that happen anyway? You’re surrounded by English speakers. I mean, look at Prince Philip, he speaks English fine and he’s just as Greek as- Ugh. So what?” Dite wasn’t pacing as much as she was doing lazy circles around the sitting room, even walking out onto the balcony once or twice, a little sad she wasn’t wearing her heels that made that oddly satisfying clicking sound on the floor.
Not that she needed the distraction.
“Yeah, yes, whatever. Anyway, it’s been weeks and today was like a record or something, three hours. I get it, you’ve gone all psologliftis for the Germans- Of course I know how to swear in Greek. If you’re going to try to compliment me to get me off the topic you can mika ta kolo, you-” And that was when she turned again and spotted Gabriel in the hall. She switched completely to Greek for a moment even though she knew Gabriel would understand, it was more about making sure the man on the other end of the line fully understood her. “You know what? When you decide you’ve got enough time to actually have a proper conversation with your wife why don’t you call me because I’m kind of tired of waiting on hold for hours just to get you on the line and have you not actually talk to me. Okay? Alright? Alright. Love you, bye-bye now.” she then shut the phone off and tossed it onto the couch.
“Candyman!” she positively lit up with the smile she gave him, coming up to give him a hello kiss. Even with the house all abuzz with activity and her last conversation with her husband weighing on her a little it didn’t mean it would have been acceptable to skip hello kisses.
Things had suddenly gotten very crowded and a little bit confusing in here. Angel was obviously annoyed with whomever it was she was talking to on the phone, the moving guys were getting close to done with bringing in his things and he was directing them, when suddenly there was someone else in the room who seemed as surprised to see him as he was to see them.
He was obviously a regular visitor if his casual demeanor was anything to go by. “Uhm…” Eron started to greet him awkwardly when Angel finished her conversation abruptly and did the job, much more enthusiastically than he himself would have done and definitely more physically. He wasn’t kissing any strange men, that was for sure. Evidently this was her...paramour? In the absence of anything else to do he watched the movers and waited for them to finish their greeting.
Well that was an awkward thing to walk in on. Gabriel made a sorry sort of expression that he was lucky enough to be able to hold until he got his greeting kisses in. That Angel was having problems (communication or otherwise) with her husband wasn't exactly something he could feel sympathetic over. But he could manage not being a complete dick, and so tamped down on any slight bit of childish glee he may or may not have been feeling. He was millennias old. Petty jealousy didn't suit him. Really.
"Heya, Beautiful," he greeted, handing over his desserts in a flippant, too casual way. Even with little thought, it was still technically an offering to a Goddess, and that counted for something. Always bring goddesses gifts. He'd learned that somewhere or other, he was sure. Even if Aphrodite was less likely to be angered than Kali might have been, it still made sense. "What've we got here, then? It is moving day?"
If his grin went more wild than it might usually have been, it would be wisest if no one brought it up. Encouraging Gabriel was a questionable activity on the best of days. "You must be the minor, huh? I hope you've been behaving." He could see the relation between Eron (os? Fuck.) and 'Dite without even needing to look closely.
“Moving day.” she repeated in the affirmative, doing her best not to curl herself around him or be all over him like she was some kind of excited puppy. At least she wasn’t bouncing. She often found herself bouncing a little when she was happy and even if her husband had annoyed her Gabriel always made her happy with his visits. “And not a minor.”
She popped open the box and inhaled deeply of the amazing smell that was Gabriel’s fantastic cinnamon rolls. She always paused to smell the sweets he brought her, she knew if she waited any later they would be all gone. These days, especially with Hanna staying with her she tended to polish off everything he brought fairly quickly.
“He’ll be twenty one soon. But not yet. Oh, Eron this Gabriel, he’s the most wonderf- I mean he makes the most wonderful things ever.” She held out the box to him. “Cinnamon roll? They are seriously the most incredible cinnamon rolls ever. Better than you could ever buy, only you can because he has a great little shop.”
Eron had to admit that he was a little bit bowled over by all of this. Not that he really minded, but Angel was acting much more like the young woman that she was than the last time they’d seen each other and it was interesting to say the least. That meeting had been, perhaps understandably, fairly serious. He stepped up and returned the smile the other man gave him with one that was softer and slightly more hesitant, but with a glimmer of mischief behind it. He was a young man, after all. “I haven’t even been here long enough to really make any trouble.” Eron did wonder a little bit about Angel’s slip up, but chose to ignore it as he had no idea what it was all about anyway. “
He reached out and took a roll with a nod and a murmur of thanks as he had a feeling that once his sister and Hanna got into them there wouldn’t be any left at all to try. With his free hand he reached it out to Gabriel to shake. “It’s good to meet you. You know my sister well?” They’d most likely be seeing a lot of each other if so, therefore it was best to be polite.
Nearly preening over even accidentally having been called wonderful, and for his desserts actually being called wonderful, the archangel only chewed at his bottom lip to keep his smile from going a little too far. Not that he didn't have nice teeth (and before recently a killer good dental plan, thank you), but sometimes too much was too much.
"Oh, so I only have to wait a little while for the corruption," he teased. "All the better then, gives me time to make a real plan." This poor kid was so fucked the day he turned twenty one. So very, very fucked. And no, it really wasn't odd at all for Gabriel to be planning things like that for a practical stranger. This was how he made friends. Or enemies. Frienemies.
He shook Eron's hand with some amount of fervor -- a little too enthusiastic, a little too long. "I know her well enough to know to bring her treats," Gabriel acknowledged in a way that wasn't at all telling of any sort of fact and winking at the blonde. What kind of question was that anyway? The best option here was not to describe how well he knew 'Dite. Because that was rude and also something a brother son had no place knowing, Greek or not. "Looks like I got here too late to help with the move," he went on, sounding not sorry at all. "Such a shame."
There might have been a teenie-tiny little whimper at Gabriel’s talk of corrupting but one she would never admit to if asked. That was all she needed. She had been hoping that Eron would end up more like Eron and less like Eros, not that she didn’t love her dream son with all of her gold-pumping heart but Eros was plainly a little shit. One that Aphrodite never had control over, not like the rest of his Erote brothers who were generally obedient though perhaps not as devoted. Such was the trade-off.
She had slipped a little closer to Gabe, moving a hand behind his back to run a finger down the back of his spine, making sure her new baby brother couldn’t see. She had meant to call him wonderful originally but that would have seemed like too much in front of Eron. She could save her golden tongue singing the archangel’s praises for later, when they were closer to being alone. Perhaps it wasn’t fair to tease him like she did, but he was utterly adorable and thus it was his own fault for inspiring her to keep putting her hands on him when she shouldn’t have.
“Oh right, the movers. They’ve gone quiet.” Such was the trouble with homunculi, they did as they were told but after a task was completed they tended to stand around and wait for new orders or dismissal. They were probably standing staring into the empty trailer now, looking a little lost and probably wanting to return to non-existence. “I ought to check on them, or pay them, or whatever you do with strangely good-looking movers. Would you boys like a drink? Happy to grab something for you on my way back.”
Eron decided that he kinda sorta liked Gabriel, even if the other man did put him the tiniest bit on edge. He had an intensity to him that was hard to suss out. He felt a bit more threatened than he did excited by his mention of Eron’s upcoming 21st birthday, but whatever the other man might plan it would likely be a hell of a good time. It was nice to think that he had people who would do such a thing for him here even if they were basically strangers. “Should I worry?” He asked with the quirk of his brow, gaze flitting between the two of them.
He’d forgotten about the movers as well. In the wake of Gabriel’s arrival he hadn’t noticed they’d stopped going back and forth. There had only been a few boxes left so he was sure they had been able to figure out where to put them without his direction. To be perfectly honest it hadn’t really been needed in the first place, but he’d been left feeling pretty useless with them there so directing them was better than nothing.
“A water maybe? If you don’t mind?” He asked and then realized he was still just holding his cinnamon roll like an idiot, so he took a bite with an appreciative little noise. It was good. Nice and soft, still warm and very obviously handmade. “This is good, but you probably knew that?”
Secretive touches were just as or more exciting than deliberate and blatant ones and Gabriel wasn't against giving his own gift of touch -- taking a cue from her own talents of invisible hands, he might have been responsible for both a stroke against her cheek and a pinch on the ass.
"You're the best," he informed her, resisting any urge to cackle. Because that would be giving it away. "Whatever it is you want to bring, Beautiful." It was a clue in, of course, that those obviously fake movers were meant to be realistic and not just pretty things to look at, and he should be behaving himself probably more than he already was. The God Talk had yet to happen, and Gabriel didn't need to break the poor boy with archangel powers, or by revealing his worship of Dite was particularly poignant and not just for the normal horn-dog reasons.
"You should be very worried," he told Eron, rocking back on his heels playfully and offering up a smile that was nearly predatory. That he could use someone's birthday as a threat against them was a skill that Gabriel alone seemed to have. "And I do know, but I also love to hear it. Good is a nice start, but I think we could really bust the thesaurus out on this one. Really good? Fabulous? Super duper?"
It took all her strength not to jump at the pinch, her smile might have gone funny for a split second but that was all she was going to give away. She would have called going straight for her ass cheating, but with Eron there she didn’t want to encourage playing this game. “I should be worried.” She pointed out. Eron could attempt to resist Gabriel all he wanted, but it seemed to her that the archangel usually got what he wanted. If he wanted to do something for after Eron’s birthday then it was going to happen, Dite just hoped it wasn’t in her house or at least left Eron in good enough form that she wouldn’t have to take care of him. “You’re not allowed to break him too much, sweet stuff, I would have to live with him after.”
Before leaving she turned her head and kissed Gabriel’s temple, easy as she was taller than he was even in her flats, “Keep it normal for now.” Of course normal for Gabe wasn’t exactly ‘normal’ for most people but she would insist that it was most people who were wrong. “Party for later.” And with that she shot her brother a smile and approving thumbs up she headed to the front door and eventually outside where the two fake movers were standing as she had thought.
“Time to go, boys.”
Eron noticed the funny turn that Angel’s smile took and quirked a brow, but didn’t say anything. He really didn’t need to know anything about their personal life, though he was sure that he would likely know way more than he wanted to know sooner or later. Gabriel didn’t seem the discreet type. Then again, neither did Angel. “Hmmm...let’s go with….delectable.” He rolled the word around in his mouth, tasting it as he had the roll itself, with a little smirk twisting his full lips, before taking another bite.
Thumbs up were good, weren’t they? He hoped so. He was sure that if Angel hadn’t approved of their meeting and any potential plans she would had said something. She didn’t seem the type to hold back any opinions, be they positive or negative. With Angel taking care of the movers he turned back to Gabriel as he finished off the roll and idly licked icing from his fingertips. “So, Candyman?” He was probably getting himself into trouble by asking, but the nickname was just too amusing.
Delectable. He liked delectable. It was risqué sounding. Almost dirty. Gabriel smiled, slipping his hands into the pockets of his well-worn jeans. "The poetry you could write," he teased, even if he was eying the door that Angel had wandered out of only a moment before. Casual and playful were both things he was, but that didn't mean he wasn't also a bit of a love sick puppy.
But he was keeping it normal. For now.
"Candyman," he agreed, eyebrows raising high, like he was just willing for Eron to say anything against the nickname. "Like the song. Or maybe because I own a candy store." He cocked his head to the side, showed off his dimples. "Or maybe I'm just that sweet. It's hard to really know for sure, isn't it?"
“I’m not going to push it. That’s between you and Angel, I think.” He said with a chuckle, giving a gesture of surrender before wiping the last of the icing away on his jeans. “So how did you two meet?” He was only vaguely interested to know, but there wasn’t much else to talk about and it would be ridiculous and awkward to stand around quietly while Angel took care of the movers. He’d have to think of a way to properly thank her and perhaps offer to compensate her later. He’d offer favors if she wouldn’t take money. He’d already resolved to try and make himself useful around the house. Even if she was happy to spend her cash and help him out he didn’t want to be the guy that just sponged off of his sorta famous, wealthy half-sister.
Getting into Gabriel’s graces was therefore, naturally, something he should do. It didn’t seem like it would be all that hard since the man seemed pleasant and affable, even if there was something predatory about him, an air of danger that Eron couldn’t quite place. He seemed much bigger than his small stature allowed for and in more of a way than someone with simply a big personality should do. It was intriguing enough to make him interested in befriending the man for more than just his sister’s sake, even if it ended up getting him burned.
"Really?" Gabriel scoffed slightly, wandering further from the middle of the room (no one just stood in the middle of the room, right out of the path of the walkway. That was weird.) in order to plop himself down on one of the couches. It was always a wonder when furniture that looked so nice ended up being comfortable too. Best to take advantage of it.
"All the questions you could possibly ask about anything or anyone, and you want to know how we met?" He rolled his eyes a little, licked his lower lip. "Internet forum. It's where all the cool kids meet. Who's your favorite ninja turtle?"
“Don’t say Raphael.” Dite warned as she returned, glass of water in one hand, a pair of champagne coupes in the other. Archangels, Aperol instead of vodka, garnished with the lemon twist that sat on the floating slices of cucumber that had been cut to look like three pairs of wings because she wasn’t even remotely subtle. And really, the glorious Gabriel sitting on her couch seemed to have very little to do with the archangel Eron was likely familiar with. He was a hell of a lot more enjoyable to be around than the Christopher Walken version, that was for damn sure.
She handed off the water to her brother, hoping he wouldn’t notice that she had essentially come straight in from outside with the drinks in her hands and the box of cinnamon rolls missing. She might have been counting on Gabe to be his usually dazzling, distracting self knowing he never disappointed. “He said he was bored and was looking for jokes or nudes or music to keep himself entertained. I sort of sent him all three, he asked me to run away with him, and here we are.”
“Why would I say Raphael? He’s a dick. Michelangelo is obviously the superior ninja turtle.” He took the glass of water with a little grin and a word of thanks before moving to sit, making sure to leave plenty of space for Angel to sit with her boytoy. Even though he hadn’t done much it was nice to sit and relax for a bit. Los Angeles driving was nothing to scoff at and the loading had been a bit strenuous too. He figured he deserved it.
He hadn’t noticed her coming straight in with the drinks, but he did notice the conspicuous absence of something else. Evidently either Angel had a mean sweet tooth, or she’d stashed them somewhere for later. He wouldn’t begrudge her either one, but he wasn’t about to just let it go either. “I guess I shouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know details and did you manage to polish off all of those rolls? If so, I’m impressed. I’m not even joking.”
"Raphael is a dick," Gabriel agreed. He wasn't talking about the ninja turtle. Although, yeah, he was kind of a dick too. Maybe Raphael was just a name like Todd was: instant dickery. No one was safe. No one was spared.
The drink he positively chuckled over -- lacking subtlety or otherwise, it was clever. Also just a good drink. Plus who didn't like cucumbers in their drinks? "Jokes, music and porn are the holy trinity of the internet," he explained, as if that sort of thing needed explaining -- particularly to someone young. This kid probably didn't even remember AOL. Gabriel did. That noise: there was nothing worse. And he'd been in and around countless wars. So really, that was saying a lot.
"And gasp," he said, actually looking shocked and going toward outraged. "What a thing to accuse! Especially when it's obvious that Angel here was just kind enough to offer up the leftovers to the movers that just slaved over hauling all of your things in here. Think they don't get hungry? Jeez, kiddo. Just. Jeez."
Yeah. Gabriel was pretty good when he wanted to be.
“Or I just stashed them while I was getting these. That’s always an option too.” Not that she was always so practical but sometimes she could take the less showy route to compliment and contrast Gabriel. He often did the same for her in similar situations. “And really, Ron. You’ve seen my work, I don’t actually eat anything, I just sniff and get all my calories in via bloody marys and whatnot.”
An obvious, easy joke, which was what made it perfect. She decided that was she sat down, almost indecently close to Gabriel. She may not have wrapped herself around him or up in him when they were standing but now she could do as she liked and seem slightly less conspicuous about it.
She took a sip of her drink before continuing, hopefully sliding past the earlier topic without giving too much away. “He’s studying music, you know. The harp. Gabriel is quite fond of the horn, himself.”
Subtlety, what was that?
Eron found that he was enjoying himself quite a bit already. Gabriel and Angel were both easy to talk to and they complemented one another well. Angel seemed to temper the man a bit, whereas he seemed to bring out her playful side. This was mostly conjecture though seeing as he’d only just started observing them. “I wasn’t accusing anything. It was a logical assumption considering I’d be tempted to do the same myself.” He said with a grin that was mostly hidden behind his water glass. “That was my second guess.” Eron pointed towards Angel to emphasize his statement. “Also something I personally would have considered. I’m sure they were nice enough guys, but cash works for a tip. No need to give out perfectly good baked goods to strangers, you know. Unplanned, anyway.” His mother hadn’t often made baked goods from scratch seeing as she worked all the time so the times when she did he had always hoarded them, or tried to eat them all at once. If one didn’t work the other generally did.
His interest piqued again at his sister’s mention of music. That was an easy way to get his attention and he turned his blue eyes back to the older man. “Is that so? What type?”
"Flatterer," Gabriel teased, scooting minutely closer to Angel definitely inching closer to that indecent thing. Ron. Why hadn't he thought of that? Such a good nickname. This poor boy was forever going to be considered Captain now. If Gabe hadn't been the one to connect the dots, he probably would have been remorseful about it; it was pretty lame. Oh well. No turning back now.
"No worries there, Cap. There's no shortage of baked goods or chocolate. It's more advertising than any act of charity." Which was sort of true. It was one of the reasons his business was still going well: when he'd first started he'd wandered around the area and handed things out for free. Get them hooked so they'd have to come back. It was a little bit like drug dealing, he thought. Except obviously he didn't know anything about that. Drugs were bad. Just say no.
That fucking horn, though. The look Gabe offered Dite over that one was something between 'I'm Impressed' and 'You're The Worst, Marry Me'. It was a strange combination. "Oh yeah," he drawled before sipping at his drink. "It's been a while. But, you know. I just like music. Particularly brass horns. They just really ring true, you know what I'm sayin'?" Heh.
If she had known he was going to start referencing Captain Ron before hand she would have said he deserved her crack about the horn. As it was she beamed back at him and wasn’t at all disappointed in his answer. But he handled that so easily, she knew he would, she knew better than most that Gabriel had a very talented tongue. It wasn’t enough though, it needed a little bow on it, or a heart above the ‘i’ or some kind of topper, and really it was staring her in the face. She rested a free hand on Gabe’s knee, holding to it because she needed physical help to get this out without any sign of laughter, “So modest, sweetheart. Gabe here plays like an angel.”
Her lips twitched but she was quick to hide it with another sip of her drink. Her eyes did eventually turn to the archangel, brows up in a clear ‘you see what I did there’ expression. He was welcome to make her pay for it later, but for the moment she was just going to enjoy the joke.
More and more as the conversation moved along he began to feel as if he were navigating a minefield of inside jokes and obscure references. He didn’t so much mind being called Ron. Some people from school had called him that and actually he’d had a friend who annoyingly always called him ‘Ey, Ron!’ inflection and everything. It hadn’t been funny for very long. Cap he actually didn’t get and his puzzled brows showed it clearly. It was evidently hilarious to the two of them, but he had no idea what it might be referencing. “Cap?” He asked, almost afraid of the answer. He hoped it was something fairly innocuous, regardless.
There was something going on with the horn comments as well, but that was a bit less obvious and felt more like a personal joke than just a reference. “That’s too bad, that it’s been a while I mean. I love playing and it’s always good to find another music lover.”
Ba dum cha! Good one there, Angel. A real knee slapper. Gabriel had to hide a groan of amused disapproval (it was a thing) behind a long drink of his not at all subtle angelic booze. He patted the top of her hand in a way that spoke volumes, but only in some secret inside-joke language. Just how he liked it.
"Captain Ron," Gabriel explained, with a shocking amount of patience. He sort of had practice talking to younger folks, what with all that candy store. "Nineties flick with Kurt Russell. Sea mullet is the best kind of mullet.
But! You really want to talk to someone who knows their music, you should have a chat with my sorta little brother one of these days. You haven't heard an angel play til him." And if that wasn't the truth, nothing was.
“One of those movies where the family is unhappy because the father is uptight and needs a special new male friend to come in and turn things around. Basically gay Mary Poppins with dudes who are totally straight though you’d swear that by the looks they gave each other that they were fucking. Also, glass eye. He was born for roles where he has only one eye.” Because well, Kurt Russell really was, one only had to look at his IMDB page to see that.
She turned her hand when he patted it, fingers curling around his and refusing to let him go, even going as far as interweaving them. Dite could do something as simple as hold hands without it being suggestive, she swore she could. “That’s the one who just got on with the Philharmonic right?”
Dite also swore she didn’t stalk Gabriel online, not even a little bit.
“I haven’t seen it, obviously I guess. Is it any good or should I stay away for my own sanity?” Neither of them were particularly old, but older than him by quite a bit, so he was certain there would be other moments like this in the future where he simply had no idea what they were talking about. He did note them lacing their fingers together in a casual display of intimacy. They were sweet together, he thought.
Eron obviously perked at the mention of the philharmonic, interest caught. “Do you mean the L.A. Phil?” He asked with badly contained excitement. If Gabriel knew someone who was in the L.A. Philharmonic he definitely needed to meet this person. He would love to eventually be in a performing orchestra someday rather than playing the weddings and small venues he currently did for extra cash.
"You should definitely see it. It's amazing." Gabriel could not actually be trusted in terms of taste as far as movies went, because he told everyone everything was good, and never seemed to deviate with that opinion. His DVD collection was vast and reaching and just as likely to be filled with tripe as it was gold.
There was something particularly perfect about the description of a gay Mary Poppins, and Gabriel committed that one to memory for later on. Never know when you need a line like that. He twisted his fingers further against hers and was momentarily distracted by how such a simple gesture could be so nice. It was mind boggling, really -- in the same way that short skirts were mind boggling. Well, okay. Maybe not the same way. But still.
"The one and same," Gabriel agreed, because he totally didn't stalk her on the internet either. Nope. Except for the part where he totally did. "Samandriel. He plays the violin? Viola? Both? I'm a horn dude, I dunno the difference. Anyway, I think he still plays down at Lux on weekends, you could see for yourself."
“No, it’s not, but watch it anyway.” Though really she had only seen it once and that had only been because some channel had run it after Xena: Warrior Princess one Sunday afternoon. She had watched a lot of shit for similar reasons, but she wasn’t at all sorry for it. It was all just preparing her for the conversations with and the references she could drop for Gabe.
It was nice to have someone understand her references, someone who could communicate no matter the language, the best was having someone happy to hold her hand. But she wasn’t going to dwell, it was just a little bump in the road that was all. A bump that had lasted months and one she didn’t really worry about until she started enjoying the company of a certain archangel more regularly. But it was all fine. Her marriage was completely fine.
“You’d like Lux,” she knocked back the rest of her drink. “Piano bar. Lots of talent. Lots of pretty, well-dressed people.” She then tipped the glass up and ate the little cucumber wings before she continued. “Not my type of place, a little too subdued, but it’s really nice if you’re into live music and refined cocktails.”
To be perfectly honest, it really didn’t sound like Eron’s kind of place. He tended to like small, divey places where everyone drank a lot and got a bit rowdy. Not that he didn’t like nicer places, but he found them a bit stuffy. If he had to choose he’d say that the only thing he didn’t much like about being a music major was how snooty some people got about music and “sophistication.” He may not have wanted a bunch of loud and rowdy guys in his own home, but for whatever reason he very much enjoyed it when he was out. There was just an energy to those kinds of situations that he loved. He’d also developed a fondness for darts, as well as crotchety old men who would slip him a beer and tell him all about their lost loves and time on the sea. You didn’t much get those things in fancy piano bars.
Still, it wasn’t that he couldn’t enjoy that kind of atmosphere and if good, live music by talented artists was a factor he was definitely interested. “I’ll have to check it out for sure. It would be nice to meet someone to talk music with in the area.” He liked his classmates well enough, but hadn’t been able to really make a connection with any of them yet. If Samandriel was anything like Gabriel they likely could at least have pleasant enough chats.
Gabriel didn't like Lux either, but that didn't mean he didn't show up and expect free things now and again. Anyway, there was a private upstairs to it that got a little rowdier depending on company (read here: that company was Gabriel).
The archangel not at all daintily gulped down the rest of his drink and then somehow managed to fish the cucumber out of the bottom of the glass with only his tongue and absolutely no hands. It was purely talent on his part, and if there was an innuendo included it wasn't his original intent but more power to everyone for seeing it anyway.
"I'll get you the address of the place. Or we can all go out some day. Because you're a minor." And shouldn't have bar preferences or knowledge, according to Angel. "Anyway. You probably have unpacking to do, huh?"
Dite watched his little display with perhaps more overt interest than she should have had. She knew how talented those lips and tongue were, and not just at what everyone would assume she would have intimate knowledge of. They had played the cherry stem game, Dite had won, then Gabe did. He was very talented when he wanted to be and she could appreciate talent in all forms.
She watched him a little after he finished tossing him a little less than covert wink before looking back to her new baby brother. She was happy they got along but she was really going to have to get Gabe a copy of Bulfinch’s Mythology so he would know just not what to encourage the young godling to do. “Right, the hom-” she knew she was better than this, she blamed Gabe for being distracting. “emovers were just paid to bring the stuff in, not to unpack. Though they could have been, they’re really very good.”
“Yeah!” Eron agreed with a grin. Perhaps with the older man there with him things wouldn’t seem so stuffy. He was probably being a bit unfair, judging the place before he had even been in it, but from the description he didn’t have much hope. However, he could very well be wrong. “I’d like that. Sounds like fun.”
With the mention of his unpacking his smile faded, but didn’t disappear completely. That was always the frustrating part wasn’t it? He should at least get out his clothing and other things he would need day to day and try to figure out where his belongings would go in the enormous closet attached to the room. “I do, which I should probably get to, unfortunately.” He finished off the water and fiddled with the glass a little bit as he wasn’t really all that excited about the task ahead. Eron did know that Gabriel hadn’t come to meet him, he’d come to see Angel, so as much stalling as he wanted to do he felt he should give them some time alone. “It was nice meeting you, Gabriel. I’m sure I’ll see you around soon.” He gave the other man a smile and then turned his attention to his sister. “Where should I put this?” He said as he gestured to his glass.
"Toodles," Gabriel's parting grin was just as wide as his greeting one, and he wiggled the fingers of his mostly free hand playfully. "I'm definitely around now and again." Which was true. And next time he'd even remember to bring his car along, so that any subsequent nearly awkward could be avoided.
Even if he was the one saying goodbye, Gabe made no real move to get up, himself. Nope. He'd just sit here and hold Dite's hand and wonder over how girls always smelled good, or… whatever.
“On the coffee table is fine, I’ll get it later.” to illustrate this point she took Gabe’s and her own empty glasses and set them down on the coffee table before them before sliding back against Gabriel. She did feel a little bad for letting her brother tend to it mostly on his own, and to be essentially dismissed as he had been, but he was a big boy. He could do as he liked, the only house rule was not to do anything illegal that could be traced back to her. Well that and if the archangel was about do your best not to get between him and Dite. But both were very good rules that she hoped Eron could follow without trouble.
“If you need anything feel free to holler.” she told him with a smile, running a thumb over the back of Gabriel’s hand as she did. Someone would be there to help him, it might not have been the actual Dite as she had learned about making duplicates of herself by watching Gabriel, but as far as she was concerned, real or not, it was the thought that counted.