nexus_crossings | Inside the Eye of the Storm

Inside the Eye of the Storm

Erik had his painting canvas propped up on his easel as he was now standing in the middle of the Plaza area, delving about in his leather painter's bag for some oil paints. He'd got his wooden palette already covered in an array of different colours which were swished across in painted dabs on the wood. Big blobs of blue, white, black and yellow were covering it since he was painting a sky portrait. The clouds slowly drifting across the Plaza sky, slow and lazy. The guitarist's instrument nowhere to be seen today as he was on a break from touring just for a few days before delving back through the portal into the crazy world of LA. The PINpoint was his go to when he wanted to leave the Nexus and head back to the LA hotel in which he was staying at. Robert's hotel room to be precise. Ziggy's limo driver.

"Where is it? I thought I brought it with me. Var är du? Säg inte att jag lämnade dig på hotellet."

The Swede shifting back into his own language because he often did when upset or worried. The worry now being he thought he'd left his favourite small paintbrush with the tiny head back home. Or, rather, back in the LA hotel room in which all his art stuff was currently being stored in. Damn. Sighing, he pulled out a slightly bigger brush and began swiping the rather worn bristle head into some blue paint and then across the canvas. He had painted a few clouds and blue sky but it was far from finished. Erik often enjoyed the break from the chaos which was the world of being a rock star. Sometimes, the pressure got too much and the young Swede withdrew to dissolve himself inside of a sketchbook or canvas. That's if he wasn't absorbed in his music, plucking away on his strings of his electric guitar.

"Don't you ever worry when you've left something behind and then can't remember where you've put it?"

That part infuriated the guitarist. His question directed towards anyone who may be curious about his painting or those wandering around the Plaza doing some shopping or out for a drink or bite to eat.

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Dressed in neutral colors except for a thick knit sky blue scarf, the young woman walking through the Plaza is like any other, on her way to somewhere or another. Erik's voice catches her attention and she pauses, giving him a shy smile.

"Of course. I think that happens to everyone." Her gaze shifts to his painting and her smile widens. "Oh, that's lovely! You're really capturing the clouds."

His comment has Mira look up from where she's seated on a bench fiddling with a small device in her hands.

"Happens more often than not to me. Though something tells me your screwdrivers don't have legs and roam the workbench like mine do." That, was a seriously stupid mistake she made, but hey, it is fun to freak out customers when she whistles and they come running to her like she's some sort of Disney princess with animals.

Speaking of tools... a small bulb flies from her hair where it had been hanging off a clip, and offers it's light to help him search. "Sorry about that. I swear my drones are starting to evolve their AI, though that one's always been the best made one."

The young Swede looked up from his painting and smiled fondly. It was nice when your work got appreciated by someone and she seemed to be interested in his art. Placing his brush onto the palette, Erik nodded and pushed a hand through his jet black messy hair. A new resident coming to see what he was doing.

"Thank you. I am trying to get them in the moment as they slide over the blue sky slowly. My small brush seems to have disappeared but I think I know where I left it."

Back at the hotel. It had to be there.

Edited 2021-10-06 15:16 (UTC)

"Screwdrivers with legs?"

Erik glanced up from his painting and shot the woman an amused smile because his English even not perfect could still understand what she meant. It just sounded odd to him. Then, the small bulb thing was flying over towards him lighting up. The guitarist looked visibly surprised as he stepped back wide-eyed a little frightened.

"Vad är --- det?"

His native tongue being used because he was surprised and didn't know what the little floaty bulb thing was. Erik squinting at it while still holding his paintbrush in his right hand.

"What--is that?"

Not being particularly artistic herself, Adia appreciates that quality in others. She steps closer to get a better look at the painting while also being careful not to invade Erik's personal space.

"I think it must be especially hard to paint clouds. They're so ephemeral, changing shape and reflecting the light in different ways." She looks up at the sky, at the clouds themselves. "They probably change even more in the Nexus than they do anywhere else."

Remembering that she's talking to a complete stranger, she adjusts the strap of her messenger bag and gives the young man another shy smile. "My name is Adia, by the way. Are you an artist? How long have you been painting?"

"They can be hard but I have been painting and sketching them for a while now. Every time I go to a new place I like capturing the sky because it is always different to me."

The Swede was often fantastical in his imagination with both his art and music and loved opening up his mind to new ideas. If they changed more within the Nexus then Erik would get to paint a good piece.

"I am Erik Ivarsson. Artist and guitarist. This is more my hobby since I am a professional rock guitarist when I'm not playing about with pencils and paints. As for how long? I would say around ten or so years now."

"Are you new to the Nexus?" Adia asks curiously. "I've been visiting it for a few years now." As quiet and unassuming as she is, she does give off the appearance of someone who is comfortable in the Plaza. "A lot of it has changed, like the clouds, but this part of it is pretty stable, at least."

She's surprised to hear that Erik is a rock guitarist as well as an artist, but only a little. They're both creative pursuits, after all. "It's nice to meet you, Erik. I'm impressed that you have time for both painting and guitar playing. I'm a microbiologist, and between that and my volunteering, I barely have time for anything else."

Of course, it probably doesn't help that she takes on way more side projects and charitable acts than the typical person would invest in. Adia has a very hard time saying 'no' when it comes to helping others.

"Are you in a band right now? What kind of rock music do you play?"

"Yes, I'm new here since I followed my brother and his band mates through the portal. Hunter is his name and he's the lead singer for the Hammer's band."

How Erik had time for his hobby? He made time usually when he felt the need to escape for a moment or two, delving into the bliss of quiet while he worked on a piece. He often enjoyed sketching life; people's portraits, events going on around him, that sort of thing. So far he'd drawn lots of people's faces and had a sketchbook bulging with pages of his friends and lovers.

"A microbiologist? That's quite a career to have. You sound like a very intelligent young girl. As for what music I play here is an example."

Erik pulling out a recording he'd made a while ago of him playing alongside his brother on stage.

"Your whole band came here?" It makes Adia think of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, but that was probably a coincidence. Lots of bands must visit the Nexus in order to perform. "Where are you from originally?"

Erik strikes her as a contemplative sort of person, which helps relax her. She likes Ziggy a lot, but the idea of being around a lot of boisterous rock stars is unnerving. Being around a lot of people period is unnerving.

His compliment has her blushing a bringing a hand to her face modestly. "Thanks... it's something I've always been interested in, which made all the studying worth it, you know? I actually wanted to be a veterinarian when I was very little, but once I found out that you sometimes have to put down animals, I didn't want to do it. It's a lot easier to work with microbes."

When Eric pulls out the recording, she watches with rapt attention, and very soon she is smiling and tapping her foot to the beat. Her taste in music is eclectic, but this is a style of rock she already enjoys and Erik and his bandmates are very entertaining. This is the kind of concert she'd like to attend, hopefully with not too many people crowding around her in the audience.

"You guys look like you're having so much fun," she says brightly, peering up at him once it's over. "I like the song, too. It reminds me of The Rolling Stones a little."

"Sorry, it's a firefly drone. Harmless, but it wants to help you search for whatever you misplaced." She hummed softly to call it back to her. "FD, no scaring the artist, besides, weren't you helping me upgrade DK?" She chided, much like a mother to a child.

"Yes. Our whole band and I already know that Ziggy and his band were here before we arrived. Some of the others bands we're touring with are along here with us. A crazy train ride! I am from a northern settlement in Sweden called Kiruna. The most northern town in my country. My brother, Hunter, is from there too. I live in Stockholm now though since I became a rock star and travelled to the bigger cities."

Erik smiled boyishly and wondered what she thought of rock stars in general. Then, he noticed her tapping her foot to the beat. Did she like it? That was some of his early time on stage with his brother.

"The Rolling Stones? Yes, we do bare a resemblance to that British rock band. They are some of my favourites along with Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Def Leppard and some other famous bands."

"A firefly drone? What is a drone?"

Erik looked rather confused because he'd never seen such a thing before having come from a time before advanced AI and modern technology involving drones and computers. His world was more akin to the tech from the 70's and early 80's.

"It wants to help? Oh uh----well, thank you. Does it have a name? Or is it called Firefly?"

The guitarist was wide-eyed at the drone just moving towards it with a curious smile.

"Oh, I know Ziggy!" So it wasn't a coincidence, after all. Erik gets a soft laugh when he calls his arrival with the other bands a crazy train ride. "It does feel that way in the Nexus sometimes, doesn't it? Are you planning to perform here? I saw Ziggy and his band once in concert, but that was before I had gotten to know him."

If the video is any indication, she'd enjoy seeing Erik and his brother in concert, too.

"I've heard of Led Zeppelin... I think..." She frowns softly to herself before giving Erik a sheepish look. "Sorry, I'm not from Earth originally, so a lot of the music and culture is new to me. I think you're the first person I've met from Sweden. That's... up north? In Europe, right? I spent a lot of time at one point studying Earth geography, but I've forgotten some of it."

"It is a small machine. I built it." She grinned. "The Artificial Intelligence is a basic program, I'm more hardware less software." She smiled. "I don't really name them, they have a certain noise in the back of my head, that one... Is usually in the alto range. Their siblings are tenors, bass and off key. Sorry that doesn't make sense does it." There's a reason why she doesn't hang out with normal people much. Mostly to do with how she says her brain is wired wrong.

The drone hovered a bit flashing in morse code that it was sorry that it startled him. "He says he's sorry by the way, he didn't mean to scare you."

"You do? A lot of people know Ziggy here it seems. Is he really popular as a singer within the Nexus? Me and my brother are quite new here so I don't really know how famous he and the Spiders are here. It's good that people like glam rock though!"

Erik loved glam, punk, hard rock and blues. Particularly blues and rock since that was his one true love. Hence the reason why he played the way he did and why he loved using the slide guitar method and delved into playing the pedal steel guitar. All good stuff. His style of music was what he loved best about being a guitarist.

"I love Zeppelin. The way the singer can use his voice in pitch and resonance is amazing. My brother loves that about him. Myself, I love the guitarist and the way he plays a double-necked guitar. Yes, Sweden is up North in Scandinavia."

"You built this? I've never seen anything like it! How does it get controlled? By an aerial or something like that? Remote control?"

Erik didn't understand artificial intelligence much so just stared and frowned at that. All these words just mostly flew over his head but he knew the little thing was impressive at least.

"I do not understand some of the words you use but this little thing is cute. Hello!"

The Swede smiled and waved at the machine wondering if it could see the guitarist behaving like a curious school boy.

"I think he's just really popular in general," Adia replies with a soft smile. "He's got a big heart, and is so out-going, too." Most of the time, anyway, but Adia is not inclined to share what Ziggy was like when she first met him when he was still grieving for his lost fiancé. Then again, she probably wouldn't have bonded with him as quickly as she did if she had met him in any other scenario. "But people here love his music, yeah."

It's obvious to Adia how much Erik loves music, particularly the guitar. "I'll have to pay more attention to the guitar parts the next time I listen to them. Scandinavia includes Norway, right? I have a friend who lives there."

Mira nodded. "I, don't usually sleep well, so in my fits, I build." She tapped her head. "I control it to some degree, it's a gift." She said calmly. "I can't explain how though, and well, once they get a mind of their own, I can only give a small nudge."

It blinks on and off a few moments as if to say "hi" back. When he waved, it bounced in the air following his hand.

"I think it likes you."

"Yes, I think he is because he's like no other musician I've ever seen. Such colour on stage and his acts! Mick is a lucky man to have Ziggy as a partner. They're cute together."

The Swede knew how close they were together on and off the stage and it warmed his heart. So far the tour had been wild and he was loving every moment of it. He'd have to thank Hunter for inviting him along sometime. Then, Erik was listening to Adia talk about Scandinavia.

"Yes, it includes Norway. That's the furthest north and is attached to Finland. It would be easier if I had a map but I don't. Your friend is Norwegian?"

It was always nice to meet other people.

"It...likes me? You think? Oh."

Erik didn't know what to say so just waved back at the machine, thinking it was cute in it's own way. The Swede then realised he hadn't even introduced himself to the young lady and almost forgot his manners being swept up with the strange little robot. He placed his brush down onto his palette and held out a hand.

"I'm Erik Ivarsson. Guitarist and artist."

He offered a boyish smile to both her and her machine.

"The drones tend to be picky." She grinned. "Means if he's with me and I'm back in here, he'll probably come find you to pester you. Once I make them, I kind of lose control of them."

She fumbled a moment to put her tools and the contraption she was working on in one hand, brushing off any grease on her work pants before shaking his hand. "Mira Greason, and also dabble with guitar. Acoustic folk and blues mostly, though I have a small following at the club I work at, for when they talk me into filling in a jazz session." She smiled. "What style you play?"

"It's quite the show," Adia agrees. "I'd like to see him again in concert, now that I've gotten to know him better. I haven't met Mick yet. Ziggy invited me to his townhouse in the Nexus, but I'm not the type to just drop in somewhere." She smiles sheepishly. "It seems a little silly now, Ziggy is so friendly and welcoming, but I don't know anyone else."

When Erik brings up a map, Adia immediately pulls a worn leather journal from her messenger bag. "I have one," she says brightly while she flips through the pages. There are handwritten notes and sketches on each of them, as Adia uses it for her research while she's in the Nexus. "Here it is... I traced it from an atlas in the Grand Library."

She shows it to Erik, pointing to a little dot in Northern Norway labeled Asvera. "This is where he lives... um... he's not Norwegian, though... he's a god, actually. His name's Thor and he's originally from Asgard, but he and his people are settled in Norway now..."

Her shy demeanor returns, glancing at Erik sidelong. It's weird to namedrop a god, especially one that the musician has probably heard of and might even worship. Her face pales a little as she hopes that she hasn't made things awkward. "I met him in the Nexus," she adds quickly. "I, um, I didn't know he was a god at the time, he's pretty down-to-earth for a god, actually..."

"I am sure you will meet Mick soon since he sometimes plays guitar by the fountain here in the Plaza. Also, he lives at the townhouse with Ziggy and their cats. It's cute. There are other rock stars around too who come and go."

Erik had noticed a few of the merry band coming and going through the portals from back on their world to step into the Nexus once more. The PINpoint was useful like that. The Swede took notice of the map Adia was showing him and nodded. He didn't know the name Asvera though. The word Thor though---that got the guitarist to gasp and go wide-eyed.

"Thor? The actual god? But---Jag kan inte tro det här! I can hardly believe a god is here but then Loki---he is also here and we have met him. How fantastical indeed! My brother must know of this and Aarne too, unless he has met this Thor."

The Swede was unsure, sceptical almost because Thor was a god and those were not supposed to mix with mortals were they? Asgard was a sacred place and Erik just sighed at the possibilities.

"I'll keep an eye out for him," Adia promises. "Ziggy told me about the cats." The cats are no problem as she likes cats a lot. Not clamming up around various rock stars coming and going will take more work for her.

Even as she braces herself for whatever reaction Erik will have to the news, she can't help but nervously fiddle with her journal, shutting it and stuffing it back into her messenger bag. At least he's already met Loki, so she doesn't have to namedrop him, too. "Yeah, Loki's here, too. There's a few Lokis, actually, from different universes... Thor is really nice, I don't know if he's what you'd expect, but he takes his role as leader of his people pretty seriously. He's used to people knowing who he is, so I bet he'd be pleased to meet you and your brother and your other band members."

Thor's goodwill with humans was not always the greatest on his own world, which saddens Adia. She's always held Thor and the other Avengers in high esteem. Maybe meeting Erik and his band would be a positive experience for him.

"Meeting gods is always scary for me," she admits quietly, rubbing the back of her head. "Being around Thor isn't scary, though. He's very kind."

"The cats sound very sweet. I have a dog back home called Sigge. and the name in English translates to Ziggy."

That part caused the young Swede to giggle because of the uncanny similarity with Ziggy's actual name and the fact that the famous singer was touring with Erik right at this moment. Or rather, Erik joining the merry band of travelling musicians. It had been fun so far!

"A few Lokis? I've only met the one and he seemed a really nice man. He has some really cute children too. As for Thor--yes, I'd love to meet him! Even though as a pagan I shouldn't really say such things as Thor is revered as a powerful being who should be worshipped."

It was a tough decision to make. Would Erik actually take Adia up and meet Thor in person? He was still very unsure about it all and distinctly frightened too.

"Picky drones? I did not know that was even a thing but now I do. This is interesting."

Erik watched the drone and wondered if he acted like a lost dog without his owner and that idea stuck in the young Swede's head. It was an amusing one but one that caused him to smile slightly. Now, Mira was shaking his hand and this pleased the guitarist who had found another musically inclined person within the Nexus.

"I play hard rock mixed with some glam and blues styles. Mostly blues with hard rock elements. You are more a jazz musician?"

"The basic artificial intelligence, well I used scraps of tech from my dad's ship for it." She smirked.

"When not at work I'm more blues and folk. Though at work, well I'm a big draw for my boss when I sing jazz. Only working for him because it's the best club in town for musicians, but he's a total slimeball."

Adia shares in his laughter for a moment because that is a funny coincidence. "I have a pet cat... well, she's mostly kneazle, but anyway. Her name is Anastasia. We also have a couple of pokémon, a tepig named Princess and a braviary named Zelus. All of them came from friends in the Nexus."

The species names probably won't be familiar to Erik, but she's happy to elaborate if he asks. There seem to be more pressing concerns at the moment, such as Erik's nervousness about meeting Thor. She gives him what she hopes is a reassuring smile.

"That Loki you met is very devoted to his children, yes. There's also one who runs a bar called The Viper's Pit, and another who..." She trails off, biting her lip, frowning thoughtfully. "Well, I only met him once, but he gave me a cookie. But, um... this Thor, the one who's my friend, he's the sort of god who likes to meet humans and befriend them. I don't know how he feels about being worshipped, but he definitely doesn't want people to think that they can't even say hello to them. I mean, when I first met him, he didn't even bother telling me he was a god!" She blushes a little at the memory and pokes at a loose thread on her scarf. "I thought he was an alien, actually..."

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Inside the Eye of the Storm

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