milliways_bar | (no subject)

FLOUNCE!

Miniver. Crouched. Staring at snake.

"Cool."

Pickles smiles down at both Axl and Miniver, still playing the guitar.

"Yeah, say Hi, Axl."

Axl sticks his tongue out to taste the air around Miniver, then winds up tighter around Pickles' leg.

Pickles, unmakeup'd for once (Because someone ran off with his cosmetics) grinned. "He's shy."

Miniver has a few minor kleptomaniacal tendencies sometimes. He'll learn.

"Can I touch him, or will he bite?"

He'll give the makeup back, once he remembers he forgot to take it out of his pockets.

He wasn't worried about the makeup, really. He was more concerned with his hair, which was decidedly more wavy today.

"He don't bite, but he'll squeeze all the blood outta you if he don't like you."

Axl is making his way up the rock star's leg and onto the seat, doing the "I NOT HERE U CAN'T C ME!!" Thing behind Pickles.

Miniver watches the snake, laughing quietly.

"Oh, he's pretty, though." He wants to poke, but does not want to startle it. "What d'you feed him?"

"Guinea pigs, rats. Preferably alive, but I'm gunna have to have Bar magic me up somethin' that ain't alive but acts like it fer him."

Pickles sets his guitar down and hoists Axl up onto his lap, petting the snake. "G'head, I know you want to touch him. He won't freak out too bad."

Cue the baby-talk towards the snake.

Aww now that's adorable.

Miniver reaches to gently stroke the snake's tail.

And if anyone asks, he's totally high.
Not that he isn't totally high, it's just that the baby talk is totally not metal, and he knows it.

Axl seems to like it though, and is rather calm, still flicking his tongue out at Miniver.

"Yeah, it's okay Axl, it's Miniver. Yeah, you little goofball, he ain't gunna hurt you." He looked up at Miniver, and explained, "He had a bad experience with his previous owners, they liked to fuck with him, now he's kinda shy." He looked around the coil'o'snake and pointed out a scar.

"Apparently they liked tryin' to cut him."

"Awwww!" Miniver continues to pet the snake, slowly, no sudden movements. "Damn, Pickles, he's fantastic, though. He's like your kid or something."

"Enh, I just try to keep him happy, gives me somethin' to do between record deals and bands." He set the heap of snake back down on the floor and Axl went to curl around the pedastal of the table.

Pickles smiled then, though it was put on, and definately more a grimace, "Saw Draco today."

"Mmhmm." Miniver is busy following the snake when that sinks in. He turns sharply back to Pickles. "What??"

That got quickly raised eyebrows, before he settled again. "Yeah. He looks like shit."

He took a drink from the bottle of gin nearby. "Said he was in a war. Axl scared the crap outta him. I told him I won't fuck with him 'til he can at least snipe back like he used'ta. I'm not gunna bother with him otherwise."

He shook his head. "Poor guy. Reminded me of a Vietnam vet. All jumpy and distant."

"Aw, jeeze, I coulda told you not to go bug him. It was bad enough I did it the first time he came back. He put seven months of that war in my head. It blows, man." He does not want to think about that does not want to think about that fucking Draco and his fucking rememberizer and Death Eaters and tortured people and a big white peacock staring at the blood on a high window like some kind of avenging angel...

Miniver shakes his head hard, pulling his fingers through his hair and gritting his teeth against the memories. They pass soon enough but his eyes are a little haunted when he looks up at Pickles. "He didn't deserve whatever he went through and I don't want to know what it was. I can't help him anymore. If he wants to come to Life Support meetings... I'll tell Mia to bring him. Otherwise... he doesn't want me there."

"Dude." He put his hand on Miniver's shoulder, looking concerned. "Don't you go all freaky on me about it, too."

He slipped closer to the poet and sighed, "So, in other news, my stuff's here now. Brought all I'll need fer about two months of livin' here. Might have to go once in a while, just to talk to my manager, tell him how I'm doin' in "rehab", which is what I'm sayin' it is."

He smirked,
"It will be, eventually."
As soon as he runs out, that is.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He takes a deep breath, puts his hand over Pickles', pulls it down and kisses his wrist. "Two months, huh? I think we can survive two months together, right?" Hopeful.

"I think so, yeah." He squeezes Miniver's hand.

"We'll have to keep our pets away from each other, it would probably end up in a deathmatch if we don't."

Or Axl would just lay there and look stupid while Miniver's bird tried to carry him off.

Pickles grinned, "Might be enough time to teach you somethin'." he nodded over to his guitar.

"I know a little," Miniver says, perking up and eyeing the pretty pretty instrument. "I actually know how to play a cello. It can't be that different, can it?"

"Er... a little. I mean, it's got similar frets, I guess, but playin' a cello's different than an electric guitar."

He slid over to Miniver's side, taking the guitar with him to set in Miniver's lap. "Y'know, it ain't so hard, once you get used to the chords and stuff. After learnin' them, you don't need to know anything else."

Pickles put his arm around the hippie. "I want to teach ya, so y'know how to play the songs you like singin' so much."

Miniver cradles the guitar in his lap. It's certainly not the first time he's held one, and his experience with the cello as a kid means he knows a little about the notes and how to move his hands. Sort of.

"You seriously think I can play Irish folk on an electric guitar?" he asks, leaning back against Pickles.

"Turn it into a new style." Suggests the rock star. "The punks do it all the time. I've heard a lot of folk turned rock." He snitched the guitar back, only to pluck out a punk-ish tune, singing,

"I stumbled in at 2am all drunk
and full of smoke
my wife said "I've had enough"
that's it, I'm sick, get out!"
so I stumbled down to kelly's pub
across the edge of town
and I told the boys me story
and we had another round

and we'll drink and drink and drink
and drink and drink and drink and
fight-yeah!
and we'll drink and drink and drink
and drink and drink and drink and
fight-yeah!
and if I see a pretty girl
I'll sleep with her tonight
I'll drink and drink and drink and
drink and drink and drink and fight

and mary McGregor
well she was a pretty whore
she'd always greet you with a smile
and never lock her door
but on the day she died
all the men in town did weep
for mary McGregor finally got some sleep

well I once loved a girl
a child I'm told
I gave her my heart
and she gave me a cold
so now I sit standing
out in the pouring rain
I'll stumble back to kelly's pub
and cry away me pain."

Okay, so it wasn't traditional, but it sure was fun to play!

Miniver is giggling helplessly by the end of the song.

"That... is... fantastic!"

Pickles laughed, "You'd love punk music. At least the stuff comin' outta Ireland, they're all crazy as hell, but they can definitely make you smile."

He gave the guitar back, and checked up on Axl, who was wrapped around the pedestal, napping.

Miniver tinkers with the guitar. He seems to remember a number of things, finding chords fairly easily and if it isn't quite professional, at least not much of what he does sounds BAD. After a little warming up, he manages to pluck out an identifiable tune. Identifiable if you know "Danny Boy," anyway.

Oh, Pickles picked right up on it. And he smiled. "Okay, here's what to do with that."
He slipped closer, pressing a kiss to Miniver's jaw, putting his fingers over Miniver's, before whispering, "Start singing, follow my movements."

He started whispering the chords into Miniver's ear, strumming the guitar in a rhythm that followed the tempo of Danny Boy easily.

"A. E. Down to B flat. good."

He sings, very quietly, because he's shy -- and follows as Pickles shows him. He's a quick study with the strings.

That's okay, Pickles can hear him, and that's what mattered. He smiled, still whispering out the chords until the end.

"Yeah," He whispered, "See, you got it." He pressed another kiss to the curve of Miniver's jaw.

The guitar had now aquired a new, slithering friend, however, who apparently decided that it was time to stop practice and look at Miniver in what could pass for snakey awe.

Snake!! Snake is awesome, but snake can wait for a few moments as Miniver turns to kiss Pickles properly. That accomplished (and then some), Miniver turns at last with a smile to the snake. "Done being scared of a little ol' mouse?" he asks it, voice soft.

Pickles returned the kiss, before rubbing his thumb under Axl's jaw. "He's attracted to artists."

He smirked, "Guess he takes after dad in that one."

Pickles let the snake inspect his new boyfriend while he lit up a smoke. Axl started climbing up Miniver's arm.

Miniver strokes the snake with the hand not being climbed. "Dude, he's awesome." He leans his head back against Pickles' shoulder and hisses at him.

Pickles flicked his tongue out quickly and pressed a kiss to Miniver's forehead. "Yeah, all I need to do is order him a terrarium for upstairs, and we're good to go." He took a long drag from his cigarette and shifted his attention to the observation window.

Not for long, though, it made his head swim.

"I could help you get it up there," Miniver suggests. "I can sorta float stuff with this wand. Maybe not anything that big, but I might be able to make it lighter." Worth a try. So long as enough other people are carrying it that it won't break if Miniver can't do it.

He continues petting the snake. "Okay, so, um... I dunno, about my stuff..."

"Yer stuff? Well, it can go to my room if you want... But I mean, no pressure, y'know?"

He smiled, "Any help'd be good, unless Bar decides to just put one in there, y'know how it works around here."

Miniver gently sets aside the guitar and slips his free arm around Pickles. "Guess the better question is -- d'you want it in there? And like... what happens when Old You turns up again? And... stuff."

"He'll know, I mean, it's me. He should remember this all happenin', but I won't be surprised if Axl goes missin'. I'd steal from my own self, too."

He smiled, flicking the ash into an ashtray.

"I wouldn't mind havin' company, if you want it too. I mean.. I'm pretty bad at cleanin' up, you'll have to live with a mess. But other'n that? Please."

"Well then. That'll be that." There could be other Logical Questions, but Miniver finds himself not really caring all that much about them. Besides, there is a snake to play with. He scoots a little closer against Pickles and strokes the snake gently. "Figure this one's done being scared of me?"

Axl leaned closer, using Pickles' shoulder as a platform. This amused the rock star.

"I'm pretty sure. You said the M word earlier, now he thinks either you are one, or you have one. Wanna babysit while I see if Bar can make somethin' for him?"

"Uh-huh."

Miniver is almost as infatuated with the snake as he is with Pickles.

Pickles kisses Miniver on the cheek before standing, lifting Axl off himself to drape the snake across Miniver's shoulders. The python is rather heavy, and long, and squeezy.

The redhead leaves to have a talk with Bar, and returns with an enchanted mouse-shaped snack which moves as a mouse would, but only for as long as it's not being eaten.

"Talked her into makin' somethin' like those chocolate frogs Draco showed me once, only out of snake-healthy food."

He dropped back down beside Miniver, "Wanna feed him?"

"Mmhmm." Miniver, who has curled his knees up and crossed his arms over them because snakey IS very heavy, takes the mouse and holds it in a flat hand not far from the snake's nose. "Dinnertime, Axl-pretty..."

The snake doesn't hesitate and before Cheevy knows it, he doesn't have a hand full of pseudomouse, he has a hand full of Axl!Face.

"Oh, that's real metal, Axl. Real metal." Pickles pets the back of the snake before hoisting him off Miniver, and setting him back down on the floor, where he just lounges and small crunchy noises are heard on occasion.

"I love the little rascal." He murmurs. "So, you got any plans? Ain't much we can't do here."

Miniver watches the snake, half in disgust and half in wonder.

"Uhh..." It takes a moment for him to recognize the question. "Um, nope! No. Not. Doing anything." Pause. "Wow."

He laughed, "I'm so used to it now... Kinda surprised when someone ain't used to it."

He leans closer then, "Well, maybe we should get all your stuff over to my room, hm?" He mutters lightly, pressing a light kiss to Miniver's cheek, "Get you settled in, get me settled in, hope to gad that Bar's lightened the mood in there maybe a little? Because I don't know what Old Me was thinkin' but I ain't a goth."

Miniver laughs as well and tugs at Pickles' hair.

"Yeah, okay. At least get some of it, not that there's much."

He's really not much of a packrat except when it comes to books.

Which would probably make the bookshelves quite happy, since what's already on them is two books. A large, leatherbound journal, and a rather old Finnish Necronomicon.

Pickles squinted at the hair pull, before he stood and took Axl up, wrapping him around his arm and over his shoulders.

"Let's go do that, then. Start with this new journey, er.. whatever." (http://dingdongdoodily.livejournal.com/1901.html)