return_to_nola | Entries tagged with tobias wagner

Ian sat perched on the wrought iron railing, waiting for Tobias. He'd snuck out (he was getting good at that) and was wearing something a lot closer to casual--jeans and a soft t-shirt from some band he'd never heard of. He'd picked it out of the thrift store bin because of the muted rainbows in its design, wanting...

He wasn't sure exactly what. To rebel? To broadcast? To feel like part of a community?

He worried at a thumbnail as he waited, legs swinging, almost chickening out and running away before he even showed up.

nola_eustace

In the end, the fact that he absolutely should not have been there wasn't enough to stop him.

It was later in the afternoon, school out and most everything wound down for the day, yet not so late that he was supposed to be back from study group yet. He'd gotten permission from Mr. Wagner before slipping inside and back--back, back--to the far corner of the opera house, standing and breathing it in one slow lungful at a time. It felt like coming alive by bits and pieces, the energy of this place filling him up and up and up until, stupidly, he thought he might cry from it.

Cry or burst or come crumbling into pieces. God. He missed this place.

The old piano wasn't used much anymore, but it was still tuned. Ian trailed his fingers over the keys, smiling at the light swell of sound before he glanced around to make sure he really wasn't in anyone's way, as promised.

Heavy curtains draped the walls; he appeared to be alone.

Sliding onto the bench and shoving up his sleeves, Ian let his fingers find the right keys. He played, humming along at first, then singing--low enough that his voice wouldn't carry, and more bittersweet than any heartbreak.

nola_eustace

Sneaking out wasn't the dumbest thing Ian had ever done, but it was stupid enough that he was almost pathologically careful about it. Each step was planned out in advance, with multiple ways back into the house and a few diversions planned in case he was caught.

But, well. He was going to his first gay club with the guy he really needed to stop crushing out so hard on. It wasn't like he was going to decide it was too risky and miss out on this.

He slipped out, backpack on, and found a likely-looking dark corner of a park some distance away. There he (quickly) stripped out of his Dad-approved clothes and into some stuff he'd cobbled together and stuffed in his locker. Nothing too Fashion Gay, as Tobias called it, but more body-conscious than he'd ever worn before. Dark and fitted close, with the occasional artistic slash to show bits of skin. He dragged his fingers through his dark hair to muss it and tried his damndest to try the makeup tutorials he used to watch in secret before his phone had been confiscated. All he really managed was some smudgy glittery deep-deep-blue-black around his eyes, but Ian figured his face was weird and feline enough that he carried it off.

And if he didn't, well, Tobias was way prettier than him, anyway. No one would even notice him.

He shoved his real clothes into the backpack and hid it under a bush before loping off into the darkness to meet Tobias at the address. The closer he got, the more unsettled he got, especially as he began to notice other men (much older men). There was color inside, and plenty of darkness too, and flashing lights and music and <i>skin</i> and--

He turned away, arms around his waist, too freaked out to be anything but perfectly calm.

nola_eustace

He'd skipped the last half of school, which was dumb, but it was to avoid completely losing control and erupting into a ball of fury and angst at school, which would have been even worse. Usually when he was feeling like this, he'd creep by the Wagner opera house and play (metaphorical) Phantom: playing one of the songs he loved best on the piano and quietly singing along until Mina came to join him.

Or until Tobias came and drove him to distraction.

Ian groaned and flung one arm over his eyes. He was sprawled on the soft park grass, under the shade of a tree, Spanish moss painting delicate patterns as light filtered through. The city was alive around him, but here in this more secluded park, it was relatively quiet: the perfect place to live and relive his latest fight and die a little more inside.

khirsah

Where: Phoenix Effect, a brand new coffee shop -slash- bookstore in the French Quarter
When: Monday evening
What: The grand opening

It's funny. No one can really recall what the space looked like before Phoenix Effect was there.

It's the French Quarter--every bit of usable space has been taken ten times over. And yet somehow, a brand new, incredibly large, impressively immaculate coffee shop -slash- bookstore is just...there. Smack dab in the middle of the Quarter, with two stories, balconies lined with tables, gorgeous wrought iron, a golden-hued facade, and music drifting soft into the air. The chalkboard sign outside is simple:

PHOENIX EFFECT
Grand Opening
"The past is always tense, the future perfect."

Many people are passing it by without a second glance. But any reincarnate in the area feels compelled to stop, give it another glance, turn around and go inside. All the doors and windows are open to the beautiful night, and the warm-wood-and-funky-painted walls exude a welcoming energy. It's almost like coming home.

People are everywhere, milling about and enjoying the free food and drinks (which are all excellent). There is a central courtyard that has been cleared of tables to become a dance floor. Twinkle lights and colorful flags festoon the indoor-outdoor space, with balconies above looking down on the action. There are comfy couches and bookshelf after bookshelf lining the walls with pretty much any book you can think to want. (Literally.)

The decor is a mix of time periods and styles that all seems to blend together seamlessly, and in one corner stands a friendly young woman handing out log-in details for a private usernet you can sign up for, just for Phoenix Effect customers. Even if you've never cared about that sort of thing before, you feel weirdly excited about setting up a profile and giving it a go.

All in all, it's a beautiful space on a beautiful night with a lot of new and familiar faces.

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Entries tagged with tobias wagner

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OPEN TO ALL: The Grand Opening of Phoenix Effect

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July 2019

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