Players:
Summary: A secret hobby is revealed.
Date: February 08, 2010.
Log Title Secret of the Green Thumb
Rating: PG.
Keith's Penthouse
side from private bedrooms, which requires a resident's permission, there really isn't anywhere in Keith's penthouse where the residents are not allowed to go. Just one room really. A room at the very end of the hall that's almost always locked and Keith does't talk about it. And while the rooma is usually sealed up tight, today the door is cracked enough to let some light into the dark hallway. What could be behind Keith's secret door?
Ethan has been out job hunting and generally adjusting to a post school existence and when he gets home, he finds the penthouse quiet and serene seeming. Which is fine with him. Hanging up his jacket and slipping off his shoes so that he doesn't clomp around and wake people, the young man is just about sneak into Drew's room and retrieve fresh clothing from his bags for pre-bedtime shower when he notices the light at the end of the hall. Curiosity. It's part of what makes a mage a mage. The need to know. Though it seems perhaps a bit wrong, he moves down the hall, virtually silent in stockinged feet and stops outside the door, listening a second, trying to decide if he should knock or just go away like a good guest or house mate.
The sound of someone lightly humming and mumbling occasionally can be heard from the other side of that door. If one listens closely enough they may also hear some music. There's just enough space there to peek inside. And in that room…well it seems someone's created an indoor garden! There's all sorts of plants set up and growing nicely in the room, fruits, flowers, vegetables and more. The ceiling's all skylight and apparently Keith's in the room. He can't be seen through the little crack but it's his voice in there
Ethan blinks at the indoor greenery. And the need to keep it hidden. He sticks his head inside the door and looks around a bit before drawing it back and knocking on the door gently, so he doesn't wake anybody else up. After all, if the door is open, Keith might not mind visitors to the little green space.
Keith opens the door quickly, the air having alerted him to Ethan's quick movements before the knock. He peers down at Ethan a moment and reaches out to pull him into the room. The white haired man doesn't look angry, just a little confused. "Hey, Ethan. I left that door open didn't I?"
Ethan nods. "Unless the lesser spirits have taken to opening doors, you did." His expression is more than a little curious as he looks around and he doesn't seem to mind being hauled into the room, rather grinning faintly at Keith. He says, "I thought Drew was the one in the family with the green thumb."
Keith, just in cargo shorts and some dirt, has headphones around his shoulder and an MP3 player clipped to his belt. He frowns slightly and looks away at the comment about Drew's green thumb. If one looks close enough they might even notice a faint blush around the man's ears. "He's not the only one," he remarks, rubbing the back of his neck.
Ethan laughs quietly at Keith's apparently bashful streak and goes to rest a hand on the Air Spirit's shoulder. "Hey, it's cool. So, why hide this?" He looks around and then a thought hits him, "Ah, these are, you know, /legal/ plants? Right?" He doesn't have enough of a background to recognize illegal ones. "And if so, why hide it? This is interesting."
Keith sighs a little. "They're legal, yeah. Unless it's illegal to grow weird hybrid plants," he says, glancing over at one little freshly worked upon patch of dirt. "I dunno," he says. "Just…not what people would expect from me."
Ethan shrugs and says, "Dude. You get to make your own rules. Who's going to tell you no?" He watches the spirits amongst the plants for a long moment. They seem healthy and happy, even with being the life that generates them being indoors. He looks back to Keith and arches his eyebrows, "Hybrids?"
Keith nods. "Yeah, bought some kinda hybrid seeds I'm gonna grow and see what they are," he says, patting the soil he'd been working with. The air spirit sits right on the floor and shrugs. "Not about being told no," he shrugs. "Just…'gardener' doesn't really fit in with my 'wild and extreme athlete' image, ya know?"
Ethan grins and sits down next to Keith, tailor fashion. He shrugs and says, "It seems to me, and I could be wrong here, that you're the guy in charge of your image. If you want to be 'wild and extreme athlete who happens to grow stuff' then who is going to tell you no? Besides, everybody needs a hobby and a way to relax." He pauses and says, "Speaking of which, I wanted to apologize for snapping at you the other day. I'm on edge with everything that's changing but I took what you said in the worst possible way without giving you the benefit of a doubt. I'm sorry."
"It's just…embarrassing," Keith says simply, avoiding looking at Ethan as he does. He goes quiet a moment before reaching over to pull Ethan closer and keep an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry about it," he says. "You know I don't think of you or the others like that so that's all that matters."
Ethan slips an arm around Keith's hip and rests his head on the Spirit's shoulder. "Hey, don't be ashamed of having an actual personality beyond extreme guy." His voice sounds amused at that. "And I think part of it hits home because all three of us still have a lot to prove, you know. That we /can/ do things for ourselves." He laughs and says, "It's an ego thing. Men are expected to stand on their own two feet and all three of us are in awkward, transitional moments and depending on other people just as we're getting to the point where we are supposed to be starting out." He's been thinking about it, obviously.
Keith frowns. "If you're all so worried about that I'll just make ya pay rent," he mutters. "Standing on your own isn't all it's cracked up to be."
Keith frowns. "If you're all so worried about that I'll just make ya pay rent," he mutters. "Standing on your own isn't all it's cracked up to be," he says. The white haired man looks up at the sky through he cleat ceiling. "Gets pretty damn lonely standing on your own."
Ethan gives Keith another hug. "It's not just about rent. It's about figuring out who we are. Living a little. You're awesome, Keith. Literally. In the old fashioned sense. And we're all grateful. But with guys like you and Keith and Dmitri around, guys who have already /done/ stuff and proven yourselves, we, well, I, just feel like I need to show I can be on the same level. Not power-wise, because you know, that's not going to happen. But as an adult."
Keith sighs and lays back, trying to pull Ethan with him. He doesn't seem in the least bit phased by the dirt on the floor. "Already proved enough," he mutters. "Old fashioned sense?" he asks with a quirked eyebrow.
Ethan shrugs. When in Rome. Or in room, as the case may be. He settles back with Keith, looking up. "Yea, as in awe-inspiring." He grins and says, "As much as I like my codename for the superhero stuff, it fits all of you better. Primal. And you're very much Air. Wind, like a constant storm. Which is good and bad. And certainly attractive. But then again, you are all are. But your natures can be a little overwhelming."
Keith snorts a bit. "I go by Maelstrom if I do any of that stuff…not that I go out of my way to do it," he says. "Yeah…some little bitch I met a couple months ago said something like that," he sighs. "Overwhelming my ass…lucky I didn't make the winds tear her apart after what I caught her doing," he mutters. "What do you mean bad?"
Ethan smiles and says, "Maelstrom is good! And honestly, I know that you guys have enemies out there. Xane told me. But still, I'd think you'd be doing more stuff to help people." A pause, "And what did you catch her doing? And bad in that you're a lot like a whirlwind, Keith. It's easy for your to snatch up people and spin them out of control without even noticing. You don't /mean/ to do it, but it can happen." He laughs quietly and adds, "Or maybe that's just me."
Keith shrugs. "I help people…when I feel like it. Xane tell you I've been training a young mutant that's got air control powers?" he asks. The enemies they've got out there irk Keith mostly because he doesn't know where they are. It's part of why he wants everyone together. Easier to protect that way. "Little bitch was almost killing people by manipulating air pressure and then looting the corpses. Showed her just how insignificant she was. Lucky I was feeling generous enough to let her go with the scare," he mutters. He did call the police too but he doesn't say it. "I spun you out of control?"
Ethan scowls and says, "People like that are a menace. Not the mutant kid. The one hurting people. And training people is pretty noble of you, by the way." He pauses and says, "And you did. I think it's partially because I /see/ all of you. The Spirits and the flesh." And then a faintly salacious grin. "And hey, the flesh is pretty darned easy to look at too!"
Keith nods. "Kid's sweet," he remarks. "Goes to a school Kaden used to. Been helping him learn to ride the winds," he pauses. "No, I haven't slept with him. No plans to. Kid's got himself a little boyfriend," he says, stretching a bit. A smirk crosses his face. "Damn right I look good. I put a lot of work into keeping this bod so mouthwateringly hot."
Ethan can't help but laugh. "And humble. It's the humility that works for me." He shakes his head with amusement. "Okay, I need a shower. Even more so now. And then off to the couch for me. Job hunting again in the morning." He stops to give Keith a peck on the cheek and then starts to get up. "Thank you for showing me your sanctum, here."
Keith pulls Ethan back in for a proper kiss. "Nonsense," he says simply. "I have three beds in my room. You can use one whether I'm in it or not," he says. "Just don't tell the others about here, alright?" he requests. "Only you and Drew know about it…"
Ethan happily kisses Keith back and then nods. "Not a problem. I think the others would just consider it interesting, but that's your call, not mine."
