My angel close your eyes I'll be your lover tonight

[Elia Selvaggio]

I'm afraid I'm just a normal human who is in love with a lewd Irishman and is too obsessed with painting. What you see is what you get with me.

[Patrick O'Connell]

A normal man is just what I need in my life...

Although you're not really ordinary
You're extraordinary!

[Elia Selvaggio]

I was about to say I don't think I'm necessarily normal.

[Patrick O'Connell]

You are far from normal!
In a good way...?

[Elia Selvaggio]

Of course in a good way. Artists never want to be seen as just "another" person. We like to stand out.
At least, this one does.

[Patrick O'Connell]

So you've never been shy?

[Elia Selvaggio]

Who, me? Haha! Nooo, not me.
Did you imagine me as a shy child?

[Patrick O'Connell]

It would've been cute to see you as a shy kid...
But nah. I can't imagine you being shy now.

I was a shy kid though! Can you believe that? Haha!
I always wanted an outgoing friend though. I thought one would pull me out of my shell.

[Elia Selvaggio]

What kind of friends did you have?

[Patrick O'Connell]

My friends were just kids in the community. My family was part of a... ah... commune? You could say?

I didn't have close friends or a best friend, though. At first I was too shy to talk to other kids, and then when I grew up a bit, I was too... gay for them.
Danny was my first real friend and I only met him after I moved in with uncle Greg.

What about you? I can't believe we've never talked about this stuff before!

[Elia Selvaggio]

I think because normally when we're together it's either art related or sex related. We... haven't really talked about real things, have we? Probably because, I admit, I don't always live here in the real world. Your mind is in Ireland and mine is... somewhere that I'm not even sure exists.

But to get to the topic on hand, my family was very religious as well, very strict. They frowned upon artistic expression so I left home at a young age. I haven't really stayed in touch, either. I feel as if my family and I never truly loved one another, not the way we do. You and I. I think I tried when I was young. I wanted to be loved but... some people just can't.

[Patrick O'Connell]

In my defense, love, the sex IS incredible. ;P

But also I thought you only wanted me for the paintings and for sex so there didn't seem to be a point in getting to know each other better...

Anyway. It's hard to make friends when you're constantly on the move. It was like that for me too, when I hitchhiked around Ireland after leaving home.

I don't regret it though. I was happier out there than under my father's thumb.

Us two unloved lads found each other to love, didn't we? That's poetic!

[Elia Selvaggio]

I just wish we met sooner.

It's strange thinking of the world as it is now. We are much more accepted than we would have been if we were born a few decades earlier.

Is it bad where you're from?

[Patrick O'Connell]

Yeah... If you'd have been born an Irishman... or me an Italian! We could've already lived a whole lifetime together. :3

In general it's not bad but in parts of Dingle and in the little community I grew up in, yes. They didn't tolerate any form of 'deviance,' as my da called it.

It was a lot worse when he drank. But I suppose everybody drank. Helped them take their minds off of
what they did.

[Elia Selvaggio]

Yes. Its the same with Italy. In some places it's fine. It was just my father... I suppose he was disappointed.

But that sounds so ominous. What
did they do?