Levi Open Post ((for nexus_crossings))

[tryingitall]

The angel Balthazar spends most of his time at Lucifer's villa these days, to no one's surprise. He hasn't let go of his apartment, though. He's only rearranged it for Levi's comfort. The sleek modern furniture has been replaced with antique reproductions, and the plain walls covered with art that matches the painter's tastes. Levi's very fond of copper, and shades of deep blue. The art studio that used to be dedicated to one small room has now expanded to encompass all but the bed and bathroom of the place. There are shelves of supplies, several paintings in progress, books and references, sculpting supplies, and in one room there is even a workspace dedicated to glass. Nothing bigger than jewelry or small vessels can be made there--there simply isn't enough space, but Levi relishes the opportunity to experiment.

It's weird having a time-share situation with his own body, but he can't deny that he's never had this much encouragement for his art before, neither in the way of supplies provided or financial support. If only Bart could have seen this!

Well, maybe he will, some day.

In the the meantime, even with all the opportunity surrounding him, sometimes when the angel retreats to let him play, all he wants to do is drink coffee and sketch and watch the world go by. That's what he's up to today, sitting on the veranda outside the lobby of the apartment building. It's late afternoon, and he's watching the tawny sky darken over the Nexus, listening to music of various ages and styles and planets drift from open windows in the apartment building above him. He's got an open sketchbook, a pile of charcoal pencils and tortillons he's stuffed into an empty dopp kit bag, and on the table at his elbow is a very foamy caramel-coffee drink, and a half-eaten plate of cheese fries.

It's hard to tell what he's drawing at a glance. It's a subtle swirl of gray, but if you sit with him long enough, a picture may emerge...

Comments

[ziggyplayedguitar]

Ziggy does not mind the looks, attention is always welcome from admiring eyes.

"Vessel?" Ziggy tries not to think about what that means too much. Instead turning to amusement. "I'm the rockstar that looks like the devil."

Ziggy does shake his hand when introducing himself, Aletayria though presses his hand up palms together. Both of them have cool hands and delicate frames, the woman even more so than Ziggy. Her yellow eyes meet his and she reaches out gently with her mind to figure out what she's feeling. There's no insult among her people for this kind of surface contact.

"Aletayria... Jones." It as odd to use the blended name. "I'm Ziggy's mother. I see that the friends continue to be charming humans."

[tryingitall]

"It's an angel thing," he says. "Angels from his world at least. They need a human body to live in outside of Heaven. It's okay, I agreed up front."

And honestly, unlike many other vessels, he doesn't regret it so far. He grins at Ziggy's joke and nods. "Yeah, you sure do, minus the wings. Ziggy, right?"

He seems surprised by Aletayria's greeting, but he's not intimidated by the alien look to her, and the yellow eyes. He's been around angels a lot, of late. They're more than a little alien, themselves.

Levi's mind has delicate shielding, placed there by Balthazar himself, but it doesn't block out the flux of emotions. He's calm and content, enjoying the evening, impressed by Ziggy's sheer aesthetic charm. And when she says she's his mother, there's something a little softer creeping in, as if he's thinking about his own mother. She may also sense Balthazar's presence, hidden deeper beneath the surface, but peacefully still, like someone in deep meditation.

[ziggyplayedguitar]

Ziggy nods. "I understand the idea because of a friend." But there's definitely a sense in his presence that the person in mind is much more than a friend.

"Yes, Stardust. After my father's mission." Ziggy adds.

She is also calm, peaceful, and motherly. She glances between between Levi and Ziggy. "If you want a hug, I don't mind." Though she has no idea the exact context she can sense the surge of familial love.'

[tryingitall]

If anyone gets what kind of 'friend' he's referring to, it's Levi, who comes from a time and place when you simply couldn't refer to a same-sex lover as anything but a friend--unless you were rich and influential. He's not aware, of course, that Ziggy is coming at it from a different time period and perspective, but he smiles gently anyway, and nods.

He's surprised by the offer of a hug, but Aletayria gets a sheepish smile. "I'm okay. Just...my mom died when I was about twenty-two. We had some disagreements, but I miss her sometimes."

[ziggyplayedguitar]

Ziggy's world, tbough in a future era from where Levi's, had similar issues with deviant persons. Ziggy broke all those conventions and then some. The Nexus didn't stifle the inclination to hide. Ziggy leans in to his mother and then nods, getting up to fetch drinks. Levi can probably pick up on what telepathy looks like from the outside easy enough.

"I understand." She takes a deep breath and her own sadness creeps in. "My father's still alive but he's disowned me and forbid me from seeing family because of my choices. It's hard to lose a parent."

Especially when death wasn't even an issue. Losing a parent because they choose to leave felt harder to her though it didn't diminish this person's pain.