"H-Hanschen?!" Moritz stammered faintly. The tall, burly blond stared at Moritz blankly for a second, before breaking into a queer smile. He leaned against the stair rail and folded his arms. It was at this point that Moritz saw that Hanschen was wearing nothing but a bed-sheet wrapped around his torso.
"Well, what do you know?" Hanschen said condescendingly. "I never thought you would turn up in Priapia, Herr Stiefel. I heard you failed the final exams. Did you get thrown out of your house?"
"That's...that's none of your business!" Moritz squawked, trying to sound angry and hiding his shame. He stood up boldly. "If this is where the runaways go, then what are YOU doing here?"
"He's Gustave's male lover." Ilse said from behind him. "He's been sneaking out for the past two weeks to be his model and do some late-night fucking." Ilse grinned slyly at Hanschen from the sofa.
"Pot calling the kettle black, you little wood nymph." Hanschen replied coolly. "Where's Gustave? Don't tell me he left me out to dry to entertain you, Herr Stiefel." Then he noticed the reddish makeshift bandage on Ilse. "And what happened to your shoulder?" Ilse didn't answer.
"Who wants honey with their tea?" Gustave's head popped out of the small door to the kitchen, which was no bigger than a good-sized cupboard. "I have sugar now, too."
"Sugar and honey, please." Ilse said. Moritz shook his head politely.
"Milk, and a lot of it." Hanschen said coyly. "Make up for what could've been."
"Ugggggggghh!" Moritz gagged uncontrollably. "How can you all be so...so...SO...!"
"Free?" Hanschen said, still completely calm. "Coarse? Vulgar? Everything you aren't?"
"Leave him alone, Hansy," Ilse said, "You're always so mean!" Hanschen stuck his tongue out at her and took a seat in a nearby chair. Moritz kept his head down as Hanschen adjusted the bed sheet.
"By all means, look, Herr Stiefel." Hanschen said, grinning. "Guarantee you've never seen anything like it." Moritz covered his face and moaned into his hands, fighting not to vomit.
"Leave the boy alone, Hansy." Gustave said as he entered with a plate of mugs. "He's clearly still learning the heavy concept of freedom of speech." He handed Moritz his mug first, then Ilse, then Hanschen. Hanschen grabbed Gustave's crotch as he took the mug, grinning evilly.
"Freedom of speech?" Moritz asked quietly. He couldn't help but watch their sexual interaction.
"You may not know it...Moritz was your name?" Gustave said. Moritz nodded. "You may not know it Moritz, but you actually can say and do whatever you please. It's our right as citizens of Germany. It's the society around us that constricts us and prevents us from doing so with demanding voices and blows from the Bible. That's why places like Priapia and Worpswede have been springing up all over Germany. The people who understand that society is their only constraint and wish to break free of it...that is where they go. Worpswede, Dachau, Schwann...and now Priapia." Moritz had been listening intently, taking in every word, when suddenly Hanschen stood up and began to gather his clothes, oddly enough strewn all up and down the spiral staircase.
"What's the matter, Hansy?" Ilse asked.
"I can see the sky lightening from the skylight." Hanschen said quickly, throwing on his shirt. "I need to get home before my parents wake up." He tugged on his shoes as he made a dash for his school jacket on the top stair. Moritz looked up to see a massive hole in the low ceiling, covered with what looked like broken stained-glass. The sky was no longer a cold black, but now a dark, dingy gray color.
"Wait...if you want to break from society," Moritz asked slowly, "Then why do you go home?"
"By day, I conform to society and make a pleasant name for myself." Hanschen replied, grabbing Gustave for a fleeting tongue-kiss that made Moritz want to have a seizure. "And by night, I'm a liberated prowler; a pussycat, if you will." he finished, licking his lips. "Even a night-prowling wildcat wants a warm home to return to." He grabbed Gustave's crotch one last time and bolted for the door.
"Wait...! Hanschen?" Moritz said quickly. Hanschen stopped and turned around impatiently. "Will you...? Will you see if my parents...and Melchi...?" Hanschen held up his hand to stop him, smiled at him from over his shoulder, and left.
