•Chiropractor's Office•
"And how are you feeling today, Mr. Greyson ?"
He gave a sort of pained expression as he stood up, using his left hand to shakily grip the cane to keep himself from falling over..again.
"Sore, doc. But that's to be expected, i suppose."
"Well you are correct, but that is why you are here, to help relieve it, even if it is a slow process."
It's been almost a week since Alex was released from the hospital and he was adjusting very slowly.
"Now, have you been taking your medication when needed?"
"Yes."
"And any side affect's you have noticed as of late?"
"Besides feeling abit drowsy, no."
She wrote something into her computer, fingers clicking on the keys.
"Have you been doing the exercises that i showed you on our first visit in the hospital?"
"Yes. Three times a day in fact."
She typed more into her computer, clicking the mouse a few times.
"Ok, come lay back and we'll get started."
The man got up and walked over to the table laying off to the side, and with help from the doctor, laid on his stomach.
She then set a sort of heating pad on his back, turning it on low and then rolling her chair over to next to the table as she began to gently press down with her hands.
"How's this feel?"
"Good..alot better than it did this morning.."
"How did it feel this morning?"
"Locked up, i could..barely get out of bed."
Though he wasn't actually sleeping in his bed, as due to his back as well as when he hurt himself trying to get up said stairs to his room, Uncle moved him downstairs for the time being, sleeping in the backroom on a couch he had stored back there.
"Hmm..i'll prescribe you a heating blanket for you to use at home and when you sleep at night, and remember-"
"No strenuous activities, i know, i haven't forgotten."
"Good, I'm happy to see you are remembering."
After about a couple of hours, Alex left the doctor's office, his back feeling better, if only temporarily, as he made his way to the bus stop down the street.
Normally, he would have drove to his appointment, but due to his back, he didn't want to take a chance in case he got into an accident.
He didn't want to make his injuries any worse than they already were.
One of the many buses that called the city home pulled up, stopping with a loud squeak of the brakes and a burst of air as the doors opened in front of him.
He climbed up the steps, and sat down in the first set of seats made for people with disabilities, setting his cane beside him.
"Where to?"
The bus driver gave what the man thought was a sympathetic look back at him in the rearview mirror, but he didn't catch it in time to be sure.
"Chinatown, please."
"You got it."
The bus driver closed the doors and pulled out of the stop and into the street, heading for chinatown.
It was relatively quiet on the bus, an elderly couple and few students from the university being the only passengers besides himself.
He hadn't heard from Jackie yet about the Snake Talisman, though he was sure the older man was handling things just fine without him.
If anything had gone wrong the man certainly wouldve heard about it, but that didn't stop him from worrying any less.
The bus came to a lurching stop, brakes squeaking as it did so, followed by a puff of air as the doors opened and Alex stepped off, cane tapping against the hard plastic esque floor as he did so.
Once he stepped onto the sidewalk, the bus closed its doors and drove off, and the man made his way into Uncle's Rare Finds, happy to home after being out all day.
•Antique Shop•
"So you're finally back i see."
Alex glanced over to Shendu for a moment before he walked over and sat down in a cushy roller chair that was sitting behind the desk.
"I was only gone for a few hours, did you really miss me that much?"
Shendu huffed in response, or at least it felt like he did, it was hard to tell since he was a statue and all.
"Can't i be curious? I am trapped here all day after all."
"I never said that, i just remember you saying that mortal's interest's were beneath you."
Shendu once again huffed, his eyes glowing abit before returning to normal.
"Have you heard anything regarding the Snake Talisman?"
"No, and believe me if i had you and uncle would be the first to know about it-"
The door opening cut his sentence short as a mailman came in with a medium-large box in his hands as he walked over and set it on the desk.
"Who's this for?"
The mailman looked at the small clipboard for a moment before answering.
"It's for Alex Greyson."
"Oh that's me, i'll sign for it."
He took the clipboard, signing his name on the line and handing it back to him.
"Enjoy the rest of your day."
He then left, getting into his truck and driving away.
"Where's it from?"
Alex looked at the shipping address, and a smile formed on his face.
"It's from Virginia, so i have a hunch my family pitched in to send this to me."
"Where is this..?"
"On the east coast, i can show you on a map later."
The man opened the box, reaching in and pulled out a large case, something Shendu didn't recognize, but Alex apparently did, as his eyes went wide, and the demon wasn't sure but he swore he saw a few tears forming in them too.
"He finished it..like he promised.."
He opened the case, and pulled out a polished guitar, the surface reflecting the light and the ceiling above.
He cradled it as he sat back down, fingers gliding over the face of it before they went along the steel strings, before he strummed a few notes, making a 'hmm' sound.
His right hand went up and tuned a few of the pegs, tightening one, loosening another, and strummed a few notes again.
"What are you doing?"
He glanced over to Shendu for a moment before he went back to what he was doing.
"Tuning my guitar, gotta make sure it sounds right before i play it."
He tightened another peg, before strumming once again, smiling satisfied.
"Perfect."
The man began to play, the finger's on his right hand strumming the metal strings in a rhythmic way, with his left hand moving up and down the neck of the instrument at the same time.
It wasn't anything specific, like a song but just something simple to start out with as it has been a good few years since he played.
Shendu couldn't help but listen as the man played, having not heard music for nearly a thousand years since he was imprisoned,
and it sounded so much different in comparison to then.
The man stopped after a few minutes, flexing his fingers in an odd way, before rubbing them and his hands.
"Do your hands hurt?"
"Oh, yea, i guess its been longer than i thought since i last played is all."
"..how long exactly?"
"Hmm..well when i was in university i used to play in local bars and coffee shops for open mic nights or small gigs."
"..i see."
"Eh, it wasn't anything really, i mean i did get paid, but i cared more for the fact i was playing music for people to enjoy."
He smiled softly at the memories of the smell of alcohol, cigarette smoke, the lit up neon signs on brick walls and the smell of coffee, pastries and the warm light that poured in through glass windows.
"..Earth to mortal..Hey, you in there?"
The man seemingly snapped back to reality, shaking his head
"Oh sorry, guess i got lost in my own head there.."
The demon didn't respond as the man went back to practicing, music filling the shop once again.
"Do you know any songs?"
Alex stopped playing, taken by surprise at the question, as he turned towards Shendu.
"You..want to hear me sing while i play?"
"Yes, is there something wrong with that?"
"Well no, I was just surprised, I didn't know you liked music is all."
The dragons eyes flared up, and the man swore he could hear him growling, though it seemed more like a chuckle to him.
"..You never cease to surprise me, mortal."
"Is that a good or bad thing?"
"Like i'm telling you that."
The man cleared his throat as he began to play, fingers doing as they did earlier.
"The dreams of young lovers are like a good wine, surprised by the richness and sorrow they'll find."
"Longing for something sweet, come sweep me off my feet."
"Hoping for some change, to take me away, for nothing in life comes free."
The dragon was..surprised as he listened, as sure he heard the man's voice when he spoke, but this..was something else.
"Oh, hope is a dish far too quickly consumed, pipe dreams on a plate, i'm simply run through"
"All alone, standing still, a table for two, bitterness plagues me, but what am i to do?"
Shendu could almost believe he was back in his palace, his musicians playing quiet songs for him as he sat on his throne as he ruled over his kingdom, but he knew those days were long gone.
"For nothing in life comes free..You'll see, never they'll tell me"
"It's written in the stars; i'll never get that far"
"I'll spread my wings and fly far from here, reaching for my best, and finally, my heart will be at rest.."
The man's hands were starting to hurt like before, but he wasn't going to let that keep him from finishing the song.
"The party's about to begin, so grab all the glasses and bottles you can"
"Dress up the table, and cheers to the end; of the sorrow, the sadness, all the strife we've endured"
"A new day is coming, those wishes been heard"
"Oh, sit down and enjoy what's served"
The pain was growing worse, but he did what he could to ignore for a few more moments.
"A new day is coming, my wishes been heard"
"So, sit down and enjoy what's served.."
As the last note played, Alex moved his hands away, moving his fingers and rubbing both them and his hand's as he looked over to Shendu, who was surprisingly speechless.
"So, what did you think?"
"It was.. adequate."
The man smiled softly, setting the guitar back into its case, shutting it.