Salem took a dramatic bow as the opera ended, as the small crowd yelped and cheered, shouting encore! all around. He smiled, and as the curtain dropped he rose, climbing into the backstage area. He chatted with his family some, and then moved to mingle with the crowd, still in costume-and in character.
(Sorry it’s short, I’m tired.)
(No worries! I've been running around all day today lol)
He applauds quietly once the show had finished, his eyes bright, a small smile on his lips. Axel stood quietly, moving like a shadow through rows of people. He had, of course, come to the opera today since he would be working here for a little while. He came tonight to get a feel for the stage, the actors, and of course to get right to work. This had not been the first time someone had hired him for his art. Axel looked stunning, as usual, holding himself with dignity as he walked.
When Salem spotted the handsome man, he immediately moved his mask up his face to get a better look. His face flushed, he was always this way around pretty people, so he approached the shorter, tapping him on the shoulder. “Hello. So, what were your thoughts on the performance?” he asked, a bit seductively, smiling his ghostly white teeth at the man. It gave off a strange effect, really, and he shut it down to put his face in its usual smirking state.
Axel turned slowly when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder, his brow raising ever so slightly. He recognized the other slightly. Whether it be from the voice or his eyes Axel wasn't sure. "Quite beautiful." His voice was like silk, and as sweet as honey. He had a relaxed expression, despite being caught off guard. He hummed, "I enjoyed it." That was true, he had a splendid time. But those who did not know him well might take it wrong since his ethereal expression rarely changed.
“I take it you’re our new painter? Well, my sister did say you’d be as fair as spring. She certainly wasn’t exaggerating.” he smiled, relieved at the approval, but concerned with the lack of reactiveness to his presence. “You know, I could give you a quick tour backstage, just to show you the ropes. You’ll want to know how our sets work before you can paint them, but we’ll have to sneak around a bit. The Matron hates when I bring people backstage after shows.”
He nods slowly, "Yes. I'm the new painter. My name is Axel, it's nice to meet you." That quiet voice, gentle and relaxed. His ears did turn a faint pink due to the sweet compliments, but he remained collected and calm. Perhaps seeing how the stage worked would help as well. He did need to understand the basics of the stage as well in order to paint sets properly. "I'd appreciate that." Axel hummed, adjusting himself a little more. He had to acknowledge that the man in front of him was stunning.
Salem grinned again, but this time it was more like how a cat would, sneaky and in turns, on and off and not quite sure of itself but confident all the same. He noticed the faint blush, and internally celebrated, but externally he remained cool and calm as ever. “Well then, we should get going, shouldn’t we? Come this way, it’s wonderful what my brothers can do with some metal planks and a bit of welding.”
He took notice of the grin, not thinking much of it. He wasn't too worried since he was technically invited to check out the performances and get a feel for the stage, the actors, and the general mood surrounding the opera. He nods and follows quietly after the man in front of him. His eyes scanned curiously, taking in everything. This would be his "studio" for a little while. He might as well get used to it.
Salem’s brothers were currently taking apart a set for the next show, all of them blonde-haired little mischief makers like their younger brother. His sisters were busy adding tiny details to backgrounds on the next set, the stronger of the three hauling the things around and moving them however was needed to to get the job done. His cousins, of which there were many, were also helping out, some of them getting out of costume and others preparing for the next show. It was always busy around here in some way, Salem liked that. However, he hated feeling trapped, and he felt trapped here, and that was… not something to think about when a cute boy was standing right by him.
He wondered briefly… What it would be like to have a family such as this. To be so close to one another. Working together in different ways. It was different from the silence of his home. Of course, there was the nightly violin, however that was different compared to the hustle and bustle behind the curtains. He seemed rather content as he walked beside Salem, his honeyed orbs wandering the set with curiosity. It was certainly something to think about. His hands were clasped together in front of him, a bit of hair falling into his face but he didn't seem to mind. Now that he thought about it, Axel had never lived in one place for long. He was an artist. However, he had settled here since it offered stability.
Salem had a thought, a dangerous one. Usually, people who settled down here ended up marrying, just for the sake of the family tree branching enough to be acceptable in polite society and not become a snarled mess. But the Clemont family was pretty easily recognizable anyways, all of them were absolutely perfect looking, especially cousin Lucille, with her dark brown eyes and her hands the color and type of wet clay, soft and malleable yet strong as anything. Her father, like all the others, had come here for a job and ended up falling in love, the Clemonts were especially seductive and had a large presence here on this massive station, though it was unclear as to exactly why. Salem shook his head at the thought, not wanting to think about how messed up his family was. “So, what do you think?”
Axel was an outsider if anything else. He knew little about the town and little regarding the people in the town. To say he was helplessly clueless… Was an understatement. But he looked so serene, like a ray of sun, or a moon beam. He had never really experienced love in his life time, finding it rare to find a lover when he was always moving. So he left it be. It was hard to ignore him however. He was just so breathtaking. He hummed when the other spoke, still calm and collected. "It's quite incredible." He sounded thoughtful. "Like a well tuned violin." He gazes up at the taller man.
“Interesting metaphor, darling. Do you play?” he asked, moving to climb up a sturdy metal ladder with one hand, extending the other to Axel in a gesture of friendliness. “I might have Clarissa hire you for the orchestra if so.” Salem grinned his Cheshire Cat smile, and moved one foot, then the next, up the ladder.
He hummed at the question. "I do." There was no point in lying, "However I doubt I play well enough to be part of an orchestra." Nevermind. That was a blatant lie. Playing the violin was like walking to him. It was like air. He took the others hand to haul himself up, following after the other quietly. He rarely played for others. His music allowed him to express himself, as well as his art.
(So basically my parents deleted my account…. do you want to continue this?)
(Sure!)
(My parents deleted my account again, wanna continue this?)
(Of course! I'd love to!)
(thanks, let's do it then!)
He hummed at the question. "I do." There was no point in lying, "However I doubt I play well enough to be part of an orchestra." Nevermind. That was a blatant lie. Playing the violin was like walking to him. It was like air. He took the others hand to haul himself up, following after the other quietly. He rarely played for others. His music allowed him to express himself, as well as his art.
"A shame, a shame." Salem said, walking along the rafters, balancing like a skilled cat, weaving in and out of equipment like it was second nature and climbing between the tightest of space. It was unclear exactly how he managed that with his height, but he was a slippery individual in more ways than one, why not?
Axel was able to keep up with the other rather well, his eyes flickering around, taking in the sights. He was excited, humming quietly as he follows. "Where are we going exactly?" He asks, his eyes still soft as he glanced over the bustling people. He made sure to chart everything within his mind. He knew he needed to think carefully and figure out sets while he was here.
There were people working up here, too, and they waved at the two as they passed by, mostly working to fix pulleys and attach parts and generally make things easier for the actors to navigate. "I'm giving you a tour. Pay attention to what's going on, now. I might need to quiz you later." he smiled, and it was clear by the ease of his face and the gestures he was making that he was joking.
He hummed at that, nodding slightly. He was definitely taking mental notes. He rarely acknowledged the others, only quick or curt looks. He wasn't here really to make friends. He was here to work. He didn't mean to be harsh, that was just his job. He wasn't sure how to interact with people, so he just quietly followed after, marking everything within his mind. He didn't really talk, even when the other made comments.
"You're very talkative." Salem grumbled at the lack of response, and decided to speed things up a bit with the "shock-and-awe" factor. "Come up to the roof with me, you can see the whole city from there." he grinned, pulling Axel along by the hand and up through the rafters.
Axel simply shrugged at the others words, he didn't take them to heart. He didn't try to at least. He was used to the comments about how he never spoke, comments about how he was unable to connect with those around him. How odd it was that he was silent. He let Salem grab him by the hand, tugging him to the roof. He didn't want to think too much about it. He wasn't a fan of heights, but he could t say no after he saw how excited the other was.