Shannon

Now that they were living apart, it seemed to Felix that he did much more with Shannon than he ever had while living together. About once a week, sometimes more frequently, one would suggest an outing to the other, and they would try some new restaurant, take in a performance, or discover some place new together. It was this newness that kept Felix curious and interested, wondering at what Shannon might try next. The time they spent living together seemed strangely quaint and prosaic now, a distant miasma of the same few wine bars, restaurants, and parties. Now, they ignored most of the friends they had made as a couple, and spent time only on one another.

Felix preferred this immensely. Alone with Shannon, he caught glimpses of that strange, indefinable thing he had been seeking ever since the two of them had agreed to try honesty in their relationship. Each tempting taste kept him coming back for more.

They toured the Royal Academy of Arts today, keeping mostly to the classic collections as was the preference of both, staying out of the way of school groups and tours. Felix lingered before a painting of Thor battling the Midgard Serpent, a glance at the subtle explanation plate nearby recalling the story to mind. "Very different from the modern interpretation of the god of thunder, isn't he," Felix mused while studying the painting.

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Shannon hated the nights when Felix wasn't home but it made the days they spent together all the better. He was radiant and happy as they wandered the halls of the exhibition.

Though he wasn't as educated in the world of art as Felix (that required reading and studying, two things they would never have in common), he had cultivated enough knowledge through live observation to contribute intelligently to their discussions. Occasionally, serious discussions were overrated.

He tilted his head as he regarded the painting. "From what I've heard, this century's Thor is mostly admired from the back in tight jeans. Imagine the response if they had taken a page from the classics."

Felix bit off an amused laugh, only because the museum encouraged quiet, not sudden peals of delighted laughter. His eyes, however, were laughing for him. "Those films would have a much stricter rating if they did," he observed in a low drawl, standing side-by-side with Shannon to look up at the artwork. They had never stood shoulder to shoulder, owing to Felix's ridiculous height, but the feeling of Shannon at his side was a pleasant one.

"I might even develop an interest in brightly-colored action movies, if they did. What do you think?"

"I don't know if I would go that far," Shannon cautioned. "There is the matter of plot and acting abilities to contend with. Do you think Chris Hemsworth could carry a film on his rear alone?"

Felix gestured in the air, as if reading an invisible film marquee. "Solid as a Rock: The Christopher Hemsworth's Posterior Story," he pretended to quote, then glanced at Shannon with a subtle glimmer in his eyes. "I'd watch it."

Shannon had to cover his mouth and avoid eye contact to keep from laughing out loud. "From brightly-colored action movie to erotic documentary. That is high praise indeed," he said when he could speak.

It felt uncommonly good to be laughing with Shannon again, talking, enjoying the things they had always enjoyed. When Shannon was happy, the whole world seemed welcoming and full of color.

Of course, the reverse also tended to be true, as well, but today Felix was determined to ignore that.

"Apparently my taste wavers dangerously without you to keep it in check," he teased in a low, musical murmur. "Perhaps you should choose our next view."

Shannon led the way further down the hall, perusing the collection as he went. He stopped to take a closer look at one particular painting. "I don't think we're getting better with our subject matter," he said, referring to The Rape of Ganymede.

Felix tilted his head. "He doesn't seem to be too distressed, does he? Considering the way he's looking at Zeus the eagle. I'm not certain the artist understood what he was depicting."

Shannon didn't either, especially given the title. "Have you read that story?" He would not be surprised if Felix had, or at least had an abundance of information about it.

Of course he had. "It is one of the classic myths, which were oral history for the most part, aside the few ancient writers whose works survived," Felix began, with every indication he might be able to go on for some time. "Abundant evidence exists to suggest the original myth was, indeed, homoerotic in nature, considering the tradition of pederasty at the time, but then Plato leapt in and spoilt things for everyone by dismissing it. But, really, Zeus abducted so many lovers, and Ganymede was the only one who was awarded immortality and lived on Olympus, so Plato's really being quite dense."

"From the sound of it, it's the title that's really off the mark," Shannon said. "Though I hope Zeus wasn't still an eagle when he took Ganymede as his lover."

"Far more renowned and remembered artists before this one painted their own works with the same title. While technically beautiful and well-executed, he's showing little originality." Felix turned slightly away from the picture, toward Shannon.

"Zeus wasn't very discriminate about his own form when he took his lovers. Where do you think the Minotaur came from?"

Shannon's golden eyebrows rose and it took him a second to find his voice. "How is that even-" He stopped the question before it could finish and raised a hand as if to hold it at bay. "I don't want to know."

Felix managed to laugh silently, with a small shake of his head. "It's mythology, darling, it doesn't have to be realistic. Or even make sense, most of the time. It explained the world to a people without knowledge of the world, and that was enough."

"I wonder how the lack of knowledge leads people to imagine the world being creating through relations with animal." In some abstract way, perhaps it could make sense, not that he would have thought of it. "There's a word for that, isn't there?" Of course there would be. There were words for all sorts of depraved things.

Felix spoke quietly; it wouldn't do for this word to echo off the marble floors. "It's called 'bestiality'," he confirmed, the shape of his mouth revealing his distaste. "But I don't think the ancients thought of it that way. It's symbolism, metaphor..."

He caught himself before he went on again, on a subject which he knew Shannon had little interest in.

"I suppose that's the problem with the present," Shannon mused. "People take everything too literally and then act on those assumptions."

Felix chuckled lightly. "Of the many problems with the present, I would not say that our modern preference for the scientific method is one of them. Though I tend to agree, as a society, we have lost our capacity for imagination over time."

Catching sight of another piece down the hall Shannon frowned. "Perhaps it wasn't a recent loss for some." He nodded toward the 'art' in question. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It seems to be a fireplace," Felix observed, moving further down the gallery with his hands clasped behind him. "The stone is likely hand-carved. It was a way to patronize an artist while acquiring something you actually required."

The decoration was lovely now that Shannon took a closer look at it but he couldn't bring himself to like it in the museum. "Functional art," he said. "I understand the reasoning behind it but I can't help feeling that defeats the purpose of art."

It was rather rare that Shannon set foot into a philosophical conversation, and Felix was genuinely curious to hear him think more. "What do you feel is the purpose of art?" Felix asked, only barely editing out a half-derisive nickname like Lord Teverius that would have mangled the entire conversation.

Shannon's comment had been based on a feeling and he wasn't familiar with putting such thoughts into words. He took a moment before responding. "To be admired?" He thought of the art he had seen with Felix, today and in the past. He remembered seeing other people's reactions and overhearing snippets of conversation. "To be thought or emotion-provoking and discussed perhaps?" Either way, he didn't think of fireplaces when he thought of art.

Felix quite liked Shannon thinking. Perhaps he ought to encourage it more. "So, the carving doesn't make you think or feel or want to discuss it? Other than the meta conversation we are having now."

"If I had seen it in someone's home, probably not. The only reason we are discussing it is because it is in the museum." He looked at Felix and asked, "Does that make it art?"