the vagabond

he was beginning to breath, “no, no. you’re fine, mate. i was just caught off guard. i didn’t think anyone would find me down here. i guess i’m not the only night owl in this place.” he gave a small grin. “thank you, though. really." 

he shook his head, "not too many questions at all. you should see me while we’re writing, i’m sure my bandmates just want to,” he held up his hands and imitated a strangling motion with a little strangling noise to go along with it. “we’ve really only got a single out now, we’re mainly a pub band, but we’re here to work on our album and a few more songs just for back up. i could pull up the code on spotify if you’d like!”

“promise i wasn’t stalking you!” michael says quickly with grin, nodding at arden because really--the man’s music was amazing and michael was in awe. he’d seen a couple of live musicians in his life, but there was no one who could match the vocal range that he’d heard from arden in the last little while.

michael laughed at arden’s words about his bandmates before shrugging. “the creative process is like that though, right? i mean i guess?” michael really needed to find his path in life and loitering around, (his father’s words--not his), wasn’t going to help. “of course i’d love to hear it!” he said quickly, hoping that his overeagerness didn’t scare the other.

arden nearly let out a scream when he heard the voice speak behind him. he clenched at his heart and whipped around. “holy fuck, you scared me, mate.” this was not what he was expecting at all. though, the praise was nice. 

he relaxed a bit and nodded with a shy smile, his demeanor now that he wasn’t playing music was completely different. “thank you though, it’s very nice of you to say that. i’m, well, we’re trying really hard to. the band is trying to.”

“i’m sorry!” michael held up his hands to the other man, as if he were surrendering. “i didn’t mean to scare you,” he laughed before shaking his head. “i just--i had to compliment your skills. you’re an amazing singer.” he told him, surprised at how the man with that golden voice was now acting so shy.

“you have a full band huh? i’d love to hear you guys play...do you guys have any songs out?” he pulled a face before taking a deep breath. “sorry, i bombarded you didn’t i? that was too many questions.” he laughed, a hand running through his hair. “you can take your time answering.”

“sounds less like a drinking game and more of a death wish.” the smile that crossed beau’s features was an amused one, albeit genuine. he had always considered himself modest for the most part, and the occasional recognition was something he still hadn’t grown accustomed to. “well, michael, i’m beau—” see? point proven, with his unnecessary introduction and all, “it’s nice to meet you. to be honest, things felt more awkward before talking to you.” after all, there wasn’t much that seemed to have been going particularly well for him yet in the two weeks since he’d arrived. “it’s sort of refreshing to see a new face… are you here for long?”

michael shrugged and nodded after a moment of thinking about it. “it probably is, but hell--it’s fun so might as well.” he laughed before shaking the other’s hand, even though it amused him that beau had been trying to introduce himself even though michael already knew exactly who he was. and really, he was glad he hadn’t made things awkward for the other, since that would not be fun and really wouldn’t help in getting to know the other. “well i’m happy to help with making things..not awkward,” he laughed and nodded. “i’m here for a while at least--haven’t really decided what to do next, but i’m definitely here till christmas for sure. what about you?”

just when things were starting to look grim, lunette sighed in relief when she saw her friend in the lobby. “michael!” she called, waving him over, “i have an idea!” she whisper yelled.

michael had been in his sweats on the way to the gym when he’d heard lu’s voice calling out to him. he gave her a grin as he jogged over, his hood being pushed of his mess of blond hair before raising his eyebrow. “an idea from you? that means it’s gotta be devious and i’d be lying if i said i wasn’t intrigued. lay it on me.”

“it is truly the kjb of our generation,” via hummed without hesitation. the key to any good conversation, in her opinion, was to say the first thing that popped into your head. sure, sometimes (( or most the time in via’s case )) you sounded like a complete and total dumbass, but that was price you had to pay for quality wit and jackassery. “that’s code for the king james bible–not to be confused with the kgb: the main security agency for the soviet union in the fifties–all the cool kids are saying it nowadays.” she grinned and tucked her hair behind her ear, “oh, she’s definitely thought about it more than once. even if you happen to be the best boyfriend in the omniverse, the mind wanders at three in the morning.”        

michael was a bit amused at the way this woman was talking about these things, especially given to someone like him who was a virtual stranger. but it still made him smile before he nodded. “i bet she probably did, but thankfully that’s why we’re not together anymore--i had to protect myself.” he grinned conspiratorially at her before shrugging. “but thank you for opening my eyes to the thoughts many people around have, i’ll really have to end up watching my back. by the way--i’m michael.”

location: concert hall at the piano time: late at night song: dream by bishop briggs

he snuck into the concert hall that night. okay, so it was open, so he didn’t necessarily feel bad about it. plus, he was a music lover. he would never hurt anything in here. he approached the piano and gently stroked the keys. what a pretty thing. 

he took a seat and played a few scales, the music floating up effortlessly, mimicking his fingers. he moved onto other songs, eventually settling on one that he was very fond of in the moment. he played the opening softly, letting the music flow, then he started singing. softly, but through the out the course of the song, his animations grew. he broke from the song as written to repeat the pre-chorus again. 

“oh, i had a dream                                            that you couldn’t hear me screaming                                                                                 trying to tell you everything                                                                                                    but it wouldn’t stop you leaving”

his voice, absolutely stunning. it had a strong and powerful tone, it rose above the piano, he had no problem belting over the instrument. he had command over the straight tone and vibrato, using it to his advantage. for how wonderful his tone was, there was just enough husk, enough growl, in it to make him sound like a rockstar, and in that moment, he felt like one.  “i wanna wake up where your love is                                                                'cause your love is always waking mine                                i wanna break down where your heart gets                                                                                        so torn, it’s almost breaking mine                                                     i wanna lay here, lost and bitter                                                                         so long, i feel like i could die                               i wanna tell you what my truth is                                                                                            but it’s buried down inside” he played the last note and sighed, it was just him in here, or so he thought. 

michael had been wandering through the resort, like he randomly did during the late nights. he enjoyed it because of how quiet it was, and how it allowed him to see the entire resort with a fresh set of eyes. the truth was, sometimes you could look at the same place in so many different ways depending on how you looked at it. right now, he was looking at a quiet sleepy mountain resort, whereas during the day--it was always buzzing with people.

he could hear a soft musical note and froze in his steps, but when he heard someone starting to sing, he neared the concert doors, wondering who it was that sang with such an amazing voice. normally michael didn’t think he had an ear for music, but the way this man was singing--it was pretty amazing. 

michael listened to the other play his last note and broke into applause. “that was fantastic, you should play for full houses,” he called out, clearly having no idea who the other man was given the darkened shadows in the concert hall.

“especially not the christmas ones,” beau interjected, no real malice to his words but soon flinging into a far too passionate of a tirade no one asked for anyway, “they’re all the same; holiday issues arise, someone’s name is probably nick, the issue is resolved by a male and female working together, and they fall in love by christmas with mistletoe.” seeking for some sort of assurance that he was right in his hallmark movie claims, beau’s attentions returned to his latest companion, only to find something other than the reaction he was anticipating. “i am, but i can’t say i know you,” it gave him pause, but with a quick recovery, he offered something of a lopsided —albeit genuine— smile and a cordial handshake, “—at least, not yet anyway.”

michael chuckled at the man’s words, before shaking his head. “that’s where you’re wrong man, you watch the christmas ones to turn it into a drinking game. every time something predictable happens, you get to take a shot--so really, it’s a good deal.” he grinned before nodding at his words. “of course you wouldn’t know me, i’m just--i’m a fan.” michael knew he was probably making this a hell of a lot more awkward and wished he’d have just kept his mouth shut. “i’m michael andrais.” he stuck his own hand out to shake the other’s hand before grinning. “i hope i’m not making you feel awkward or annoyed by recognizing you.”

she was into how into he was into her being into this party. she hadn’t had this much fun planning a party since she couldn’t remember when. “i would be inclined to agree,” she smiled at him. oh no, she had the vague thought of how cute he was and she also knew that she needed to cool it. she shrugged, “a little over a month. i don’t know, it’s kind of my job to make contacts, i’ve been doing it for awhile now.” she shrugged, “it’s going to be one hell of a party, and i’m excited for it. honestly, no need to thank me, there’s not a how heck of a lot of things that i need. this is just fun for me.”

michael gave her another smile when she agreed to her being his savior. “you know--if you’re my saviour once, it just means you’ve got to be there whenever  i need someone right?” he was teasing her of course, but thought it was great how fun she was. “a little over a month? that’s still pretty damn incredible..” he trailed off, not wanting to tell the other how he felt like he bothered pretty much most of the people he’d met here. “well i’m very excited that you’re excited lu, but tell me--there’s got to be something i can do, to thank you for all this help.”

via hummed and flipped through the pages for a moment, “really? because i read this in popstar!, and i’m pretty sure they only report on the cooliest of cool.” she laughed and set the magazine down for a moment–she was supposed to be working, after all. “for research? in that case, i’d go with poison. it’s the easiest way to get rid of someone without leaving evidence behind–and that’s according to the experts that write law and order: svu, so i’m pretty sure it’s absolutely and completely accurate.”

“no, you read it in popstar! then it must be the gospel truth,” he was teasing her now of course, and teasing was only fun when the other seemed to reciprocate well, which it definitely seemed like she was doing. “well--they definitely know their stuff on law and order, so i’m sure it’s the best way,” he wrinkled his nose before shrugging, “makes me wonder how many times a girlfriend has thought about offing me though.”

‘‘deal, you can have some of my cookie as well.’‘ she broke it in half, placing her half in front of her and passed the other to the male. ‘‘i don’t think you’re boring at all, actually. i’m not much different.’‘ she admitted with a warm smile, taking another long sip of her drink and sat it back down. ‘‘mostly surfing and spending time on and around the beach mostly. back home i own my own apartment just a few minutes from there so i’m constantly spending time over there by myself and with my mates, it’s my happy place.’‘ callie replied. ‘‘i’ve been trying to pick up snowboarding while i’m here since it seems a lot like it but i’m quickly learning that it’s not.’‘ she chuckled. 

michael laughed at how cutely she decided they both had to share their treats, but he wasn’t going to refuse. with a smile, he took a bite from it and gave her a wide eyed appreciative smile. “that’s a really good cookie,” he grinned before taking another small bite from it. he liked her company, he liked her company, a lot, actually, and that surprised him not because she wasn’t great, but he could feel something different with how he reacted to her. “surfing is so great, it’s one of my prerequisites whenever i go to a beach.” he chuckled before giving her another smile. “i’ll take you snowboarding okay? because it’s legit the same thing as surfing and i have no doubt you’re going to be a pro right away.”

via sighed and skimmed through the magazine she stole from the lobby, laughing when she finally got to her horoscope. “some relationships, like warts, can be handled with the tactful application of liquid nitrogen,” she read aloud, pausing to take a sip from her kickstart and let the wisdom of popstar! really sink in. after a moment of serious contemplation, via gasped and covered her mouth her hand, “you don’t think they’re suggesting i burn my hypothetical boyfriend to death with liquid nitrogen, do you?” the corner of her mouth tugged into a small smirk, “because, honestly, there are much easier ways of disposing your partner.”

michael had been walking past the woman reading through the magazine when he’d heard her words, shocked at what she was saying even if it was amusing him. “wait wait wait, say that again--dousing your hypothetical boyfriend in liquid nitrogen to get rid of him--isn’t cool,’ he grinned before noting the smirk on her lips which only intrigued him a little bit more. “and what are these ways? you know--for research,” he chuckled before waiting for her to continue.

closed starter for @michaelandrais

“‘the great gatsby’ or ‘the jungle’?” beau wondered aloud, desperate for guidance. reading was never really his thing, but given how quickly he was running out of ways to keep himself safely entertained, it was high time he find new outlets. “i thought ‘the shining’, but something about being snowed in on a mountain and slowly possessed by the ghosts of a hotel seems, uh… inappropriate.” and there went that lopsided smile. “—or is it time to say screw it and finally give in to all the hallmark movies on tv?”

michael had been chilling in the lounge when he’d heard the random voice talking about movies. it made him turn back to find out the source of the voice and when he caught sight of the man, he almost felt like he was seeing things. this was beau chase, in front of him! “you--um--the shining probably isn’t a good idea.” he looked away quickly, not wanting to weird the man out by staring too long. “but hallmark movies can be fun? especially christmas ones.” he grinned before finally succumbing and asking what he needed to. “are you--um--you’re beau chase right?”

‘‘ooh, yes please. i haven’t gotten to try it yet.’‘ the blonde sat her cookie down and picked up the fork sitting on her side of the table, scooping up a piece of the pie and putting it into her mouth. she chewed slowly, eyes widening. ‘‘that is so yummy! i’ll have to get it next time.’‘ callie said, taking a sip of her cider. it instantly warmed up her body. ‘‘what do you like to do when you’re not travelling?’‘ she asked, hazel orbs locked on the boy in front of her. she could stare at him for hours, the longer she looked at him the more breathtaking she found his features. she knew she had just met the male but she knew he was someone she wanted to keep around. 

michael gave her a wide happy smile when she took a bite of the chocolate pie. “told you it was good, and hey--we can share right now too,” he nudged the plate gently over to her side of the table. at her question, he found himself shrugging, “i told you callie, i’m a pretty boring person. i like hanging out with friends, doing mostly what they like to do.” he caught her staring and found himself grinning inspite of himself, there was something warm about her gaze, something that made him wonder just what was going through her head. “what about you? what do you like to do in your spare time?”

@michaelandrais

her feet carried her down the hallway, a skip in her step and a smile on her face with a plate of her latest concoction in her hand. holiday times were always her favorite, especially the food. it gave noelia a chance to use a bit of creativity in her cooking. some people, however, saw her recipes as a box from chopped with miss matched ingredients and all. she landed in front of the door of a person who she hoped she could convince to be adventurous. banging on the door three times, noelia shouted out “stop jerking it and put some pants on, mike! i need your help!”

michael had been in the midst of getting dressed when he’d heard the relentless banging on his door and laughed when he heard her words. he quickly pulled on his pants and had his towel around his neck, he could always slip his shirt on when she was satisfied with whatever it was she needed from him. “i wasn’t jerking off,” he rolled his eyes as he opened the door. “but it’s nice to see you too noelia.” he took a look at the plate in her hand and ushered her in. “well what are you waiting for? come inside-let’s see what you’ve got.”

‘‘last year we spent the holidays in france, the year before that italy and the year before that norway. this year.. wyoming. i can’t be the only one who sees an issue here.’‘

“looks like you’re an avid traveller huh?” michael noted when he heard the words from this pretty little lady. “but hey--out of all those places, which is your favourite?” with a grin he stepped a little closer to her. “but listen, give little old wyoming a chance, it might grow on you.”

michael’s comment sent a small blush to callie’s cheeks, her top teeth gently grazing across her bottom lip. ‘’says you,’’ she giggled, watching as he left the table and went over to order their goods. her hazel orbs moved around the little cafe as she waited for him to return, it was decorated in the same warm and homey manner that the rest of the lodge was. her eyes bounced back to the male when he returned, beaming as she took hers from him. ‘’ahh, thank you! can’t wait to devour both of these.’’ callie said, breaking off a little piece of her cookie. ‘’what did you get to eat?’’ she asked, popping the piece into her mouth.

michael had known he’d find friends here in wintergreen, mainly because he’d never met someone that he couldn’t be friends with--but finding someone like callie, who actually made him feel hopeful for something else--he hadn’t expected. he smiled at her when she took her drink and shook his head. “please, you don’t have to thank me,” but he took a sip from his own drink first before looking down at his plate. “it’s the chocolate mud pie. because i mean--with chocolate, you go big or you go home, right?” he pushed the plate gently towards her. “did you want to try some? i think you’ll like it if you’re a fan of chocolate.”