thenewnormal: (Default)
[personal profile] thenewnormal

Did we do a start in TFLN? Here's where things go when CAPTCHA starts.

Date: 2019-03-16 10:18 pm (UTC)
everything4him: (Think we're getting somewhere)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
"You never can tell with you kids these days," Bass said, knowing it was a ridiculous statement, both because the age difference wasn't really that much, for adults, and because, if it were, the tech limitations would go the other way.

On the other hand, Miles was also, technically, a Millenial, and he still had a flip phone.

He ordered a beer from the bartender, as well, leaning his side up against the bar, so he could face Alex.

"And that's an impressive skillset you're learning there. Of course, I'm a Marine. They teach us to navigate the old-fashioned way solely because of people learning to do things like that."

He accepted the beer with a smile for the bartender, then focused back on Alex. "Remind me where you're from?"

Date: 2019-03-17 01:24 am (UTC)
everything4him: (Wondering about you)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
"Driving is not my MOS," Bass agreed. "We got the Army boys for that. And they probably use GPS." They were Army, after all. "But I've done two tours in Iraq, so. I do have some experience in the desert."

Which was...not what he wanted to talk about, because it was not in any way, shpae or form, a collection of good memories. For a few seconds, shadows darkened his eyes, and he had to take a moment, visibly push them away, take a drink of his beer and focus on the fact that he was here, in Hawaii, with a hot airman making jokes about aliens and Bass's advanced age of 30.

He laughed, and it was only a little hollow, and met the extended hand with his own and a teasing brush of fingers through and over each other. "My mom loved that show." He let the comment about his age go without retaliation for now--probably more a sign of the shaking off of memories than anything else. "I've driven through Roswell, once, on our way from Vegas to Texas. Went to the museum, had a milkshake at the diner, then were on our way. Small town, but still about three times as big as where we grew up."

He forgets sometimes that not everyone knows who he means by "we."

Date: 2019-03-17 03:47 am (UTC)
everything4him: (Serious concerns)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
"I figured, but that's my only real desert experience. I mean, it's pretty desolate, but you can't say that the way to Vegas isn't very well marked," Bass said with a careless smile. "UFO freaks have got to be more interesting than the descendents of Scots and German farmers who are still farming the same land their ancestors did. Our only claim to fame is that Lincoln spent his childhood fifteen miles south of town."

Bass's smile faltered again, but then steadied, as he shook his head. "No, I had two sisters." Past tense, there. "But I meant me and Miles. Uh - Staff Sergeant Miles Matheson, if you've met him. My roommate and best friend. We grew up together, enlisted together. Most people sort of just lump us into Matheson-and-Monroe. The Corps figured out it was best to keep us together--more effective that way."

Date: 2019-03-17 05:43 pm (UTC)
everything4him: (Enjoying our chat)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
Bass was afraid of Miles dropping him when he came out, but. Miles had been punching bullies who made Bass cry since first grade--until Bass learned to fight back and then became the town darling with his baseball skills. When Bass confessed he thought he liked guys as much as girls, Miles shrugged and said, "Yeah, your tongue down Billy Anderson's throat behind the bleachers kinda gave that one away. You can do better." Hell, Miles hadn't even been properly pissed when Bass knocked up his fiancee. Everyone knew they came as a package deal--you couldn't love one without loving the other, though possibly he and Emma had taken that farther than intended.

He chuckled a bit. "You should go, sometime. Everyone should go, at least once. Though here is definitely better than most other places." Better than home, where Bass never went anymore--Emma brought or sent Connor to him. "Do you surf?"

Date: 2019-03-18 01:05 am (UTC)
everything4him: (Listening with interest)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
"For a lot of people, finding their balance is the hardest part--but skate or snowboarding has similar center-of-balance, so it just becomes timing and getting up. Getting up's not that hard to learn, so, really, it's just learning the timing." Bass shrugged, took another pull of his beer.

"I'm just trying to get to know you," he said after a moment, with another smile. "But I'd be happy to show you what we've learned. Can't say I'm an expert, but I manage to catch most of the waves I try for now, at least."

He leaned in just a bit, as someone pushed to the bar behind him. "So--you're in Hawaii. You don't surf. What do you like to do for fun?"

Date: 2019-03-18 03:56 am (UTC)
everything4him: (Listening with interest)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
Bass certainly wasn't complaining about the attention--his lips curved into a bit of a smirk, followed by a chuckle.

"And now I know at least one way you can benefit from my experience--you've gotta get out more, kid. You're living in paradise, on Uncle Sam's dime. He's gonna expect payback, so you might as well squeeze all the joy out of it that you can, so you've got memories of things to make you smile when you feel like there's nothing good left in this world." His tone stayed light, but there was real advice there, and the flicker of those shadows there and gone. He knew about having to find a way to survive--sometimes all you had was a promise you'd made to someone, but if you could remember what it felt like to smile, sometimes that was enough hope to help you claw your way back from the edge.

"Also, clearly, I need to find a way to move out of the 'mostly strange' category..."

Date: 2019-03-18 11:38 pm (UTC)
everything4him: (Think we need a new plan)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
Bass ducked his head, laughing a little. "I think I might need to know what I did to move into it, first?" Though, yes, he'd admit it was good, if he was stuck there, that Alex liked strange.

He let the other part of the conversation go; it wasn't exactly the type of conversation he wanted to have when he was just getting to know someone. Later, maybe, once they'd gotten to know each other better.

He tilted his head in some. "To be fair, I'm still trying to figure out how to convince you I'm not an old man."

Date: 2019-03-19 03:50 am (UTC)
everything4him: (Enjoying our chat)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
"I'll make it a priority for the evening." Bass watched Alex's beer, letting his gaze settle on his lips, on the way he took the sip, the moisture there afterward.

He smiled, focused on the question. "Beyond surfing? Hmmm...I box. Train or spar several times a week. If I'm somewhere there's a league set up on base, I usually play baseball or softball in the spring. I played in high school, had a scholarship, but then 9/11 happened, and I followed Miles into the Marines instead. But I still love to play." He traced a finger around the top of his beer bottle. "Music. I play piano well and guitar adequately. Miles plays guitar. We tried to have a band in high school, but drummers were in short supply in a town of 15000 people. But, we mess around with them when we find others who want to play. And I read a lot. History, military history in particular, mostly the Civil War."

He flashed Alex a grin. "And, this, of course. Spending time out on the town with pleasant company."

Date: 2019-03-20 06:31 pm (UTC)
everything4him: ([Smiling] Excuse me what?)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
"Uh, people from midwestern farming towns do. So, that's more a culture thing than age," Bass protested with a laugh.

He nodded, though, at the comment about computers, about the needing something that was just yours, even though he didn't really understand that anymore than Alex did having a friendship like his and Miles. He'd never really had anything that was just his, because he'd always had things that were theirs, his and Miles. Maybe their relationship was his thing, but that was still theirs.

He tilted his head, giving Alex a curious look. "Why'd you stop playing? And what do you like doing most on computers?"

Date: 2019-03-21 03:03 am (UTC)
everything4him: (Caught my attention)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
"Ah. I know about those." Bass made a face. "Not my own--I was lucky. But Miles' dad...Retired Marine, son of a Marine, god knows how far back. Not big on the positive affirmation. Fond of using his fists to make his point. And 100% convinced until the day he died that I was a corrupting influence who was gonna turn Miles gay and get him dishonorably discharged."

But from the look in Alex's eyes, Bass suspected his story was worse. Miles had, after all, been straight. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

He gestured for the bartender to bring another round, nodded a little. "That makes sense." Control wasn't something Bass had a lot of, but that was more an internal thing than external. When it came to childhood, he'd had a good one. But from the internal chaos, he knew what it was like to want to feel in control of something. "I sometimes get that feeling being out on the waves. You got to respect the ocean, but how you handle yourself out there is just on you, on your skill and patience."

Date: 2019-03-22 10:41 pm (UTC)
everything4him: (Enjoying our chat)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
"Matheson," Bass said, and it was weird, always, to say that with any distaste, because, as a whole, he was very fond of Mathesons. Miles. Charlie. Ben. Even Rachel, now that Miles had ended that, which Bass very much approved of. "But, yeah. I think there are still a lot of men out there like that. Sadly, lots of 'em in the Marines, though it's gotten better. Realizing how many of us had distinguished ourselves in the military without them knowing we were there, retired Admirals and Generals coming out...it's making their whole narrative look laughable."

There was vindication there, much as there'd been when he'd hit the homerun that won the state championship his sophomore year.

He grinned at Alex, and the way he lit up. "I promise you--there's nothing like it. It's one of the only places I always feel at peace. Quiet - like Sister Mary always told me I should feel during Mass, but I never quite managed it."

Date: 2019-03-23 05:55 am (UTC)
everything4him: (Listening with interest)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
Bass laughed and flashed that smile of his again. "Exactly. If we'd lived near the ocean, and I'd have discovered the waves, then...well. There'd have been even more praying for my soul than I'm sure there already was."

Not from his parents, at least, but he'd given the nuns at their Catholic elementary school palpitations, probably, the poor things. They'd meant well.

He took a sip of his own beer, eyes sweeping over Alex appreciatively. "So, with you growing up in Roswell and working in the museum, I gotta ask - do you think it's all a hoax, or did something inexplicable crash there in 1947? I mean, all the deaths of the people connected to the initial investigation seem suspicious, don't they?"

Date: 2019-03-24 02:43 am (UTC)
everything4him: (Enjoying our chat)
From: [personal profile] everything4him
Bass was just curious about things and liked to read--and that included in museums. He'd driven Miles a bit crazy, reading most of the exhibits at the museum in Roswell. He considered Alex's comments, and nodded.

"That makes sense. I just figure--universe is a big place. It seems more likely than not that we are not the only intelligent life in it. What seems less likely is that any of them would have any desire to come here. I mean, we've got great beaches, but other planets must, too."

He shrugged, a little sheepish. "But of all the crackpot theories out there--that something happened in Roswell seems believable, just because of the level of weirdness around it. You should totally dig into the files and see what you can find with those computer skills of yours." He considered, then grinned. "And then laugh about it, probably."

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Alex Manes

August 2023

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