orangetoughguy | log post II

[Sound doesn't carry clear as a bell but hardwood floors do emphasize the sound here and there in the house. From the chair in the living room the old man hears a few choice sounds.

FLAP. FLAP. CLUNK. And a healthy rustling noise. It could be up from the bathroom.]

Everything okay up there?

[He asks before he starts up the stairs. So far no shouting but that bird has the ability to swallow anything in a short amount of time.]

Hold. Still.

[Freddy's got the car magazine tightly rolled up to rid their home of the invader. There's no way that beast got in through the complex, it had to have come skittering by when they left the windows open and you know what they say about roaches. Just one will do the whole building in. So here he is crouched in the upstairs bathroom, moving objects aside very very...very slowly, ready to take a swing--!!!]

Sam!

[Tok tok chomp. The bird gets its protein in one fell swoop. Without teeth the toucan's got to swallow the bug whole but before that he gives Freddy a cool eye while those legs thrash in his big color-changing beak. Toss! Gulp. E-e-ee-ee-ee-e-e. Sick.]

...Good job, buddy. [Freddy remarks then flops back on his bum.] We're fine.

[And that's that. He wanted all the glory fff--but what's this under the sink? Freddy tilts his head to get a better look.]

What the hell's goin' on?

[Toucan looks like he's in one piece. With all the noise the old man almost thought they were in some kind of a fight. Shit. Freddy is obscured by the opened cabinet under the sink.

Larry's heart drops a little. But it was hidden behind other shit so really there's nothing he should be concerned about. What's the kid going to want that's down there anyway?]

Sam got a roach. Nothin' real big.

[Flap flap flap. Sam perches on a bear shoulder, croaking a bit as if to tell them "That was good." Then the bird flaps off downstairs to his fruit cups for a chaser. Meanwhile Freddy reveals the dye box in hand coming out from the obscuring cabinet door. ]

Kinda the size of the B in this Buxom Brunette.

Woah. Wait. You saw a roach in here? Shit. You know what they say about those? See one then there's more of em. For what we pay in this place.

[He shakes his head. Oh. Hey again, Sam. The guy's been chummy. Must have really missed them the times they've been apart. That'll show him to be so ornery.

There's the box now in the kid's hand.]

Pretty big then.

[Real casual like he leans crossing his arms. Should the denial start now? Larry's opting for wordless surprise. That in of itself isn't a lie, he is surprised to see it in the kid's hands.]

Just one and it coulda came from outside.

[Freddy explains while getting up off the floor, box still in hand. Hey there's a broken seal on it too. The kid resists the urge to open the box...for now.]

Are you keepin' a girlfriend in a closet or something?

[Yeah, he'll take it slow if he has to.]

It better just came in from outside.

[Can we talk about roaches more? No? He would have thought that the kid would take it and run. Looks like he's stuck on the box.]

You seen it. [A laugh, short and not too loud. Don't look nervous now.] Might have been left here. I can't remember cleanin' out the bottom of the sink.

[Shrug.]

It's not for me or you so we can throw it out.

........ [Right. He looks between Larry and the box.] So what you had Blanche over for ladies night and she forgot her goods?

[No Newendyke, Blanche isn't even really a brunette, stupid. Look he's just trying to get Larry to own up to...whatever this hairdye implies.]

What're you tryin' to say? No ladies get in here. No guests period.

[That is an issue that should be squared away instantly. Freddy must know that. This is their home. Their safety depends on their secrecy. The old man pushes off from the wall to stand closer. He braces himself on the counter as he leans down.]

I'm fucking with you. If you're touchy about it I won't bug you.

[Yes he will, but the kids trying. Honestly he is. Freddy puts the box down on the counter and doesn't budge an inch.]

[Eyes on the box. The kid. The box.

He should have tried to find a barber that could do it. Though then another living being would directly bear witness to the old man's secret.]

Anything else that's interesting down there?

[Anything. Anything at all. Fuck fuck fuck.]

Edited 2011-06-23 08:16 (UTC)

......

[Wow. It really bothers the old man. So why are you pressing the issue, Newendyke?! So sue the kid, now he wants to know what's got his man worked up about dying his hair and what made him want to dye it in the first place. Did Freddy do something wrong? Say something wrong?]

How long have you been doin' it?

[To Larry's credit, his jaw doesn't jaw. ON the inside though he feels like oneof those cartoon characters with his mouth gaping right to the floor and his eyes the size of hubcaps.]

How long?

[He repeats in case the kid backs off on his own. And to buy more time the old man wets his lips.]

It's just hairdye come on.

[Does he have to tell Larry he's not gonna make jokes? Not gonna poke fun? There's a fine line between being a joker and being a rotten Newendyke; the latter's more harmless like Edward Nigma.]

You still look great so I mean I guess I ain't noticed a change.

[Oh wait maybe that's the wrong thing to say cause that'd imply the hairdye isn't working. But Freddy didn't notice a need in the first place, peppered or not.]

[Caught and there is no damn way out. They've built a good line of trust. To lie right in the kid's face that's more than an insult, that's telling him he doesn't trust him.]

...about three weeks I guess?

[Not too many words to the answer but it's dead honest. He didn't notice which was the effect he wanted. Kind of.]

It was once.

[Because there isn't too much hair on the old man that'd need it. Enough to bother him. Enough to show he's longer in tooth. Freddy wasn't supposed to find out though. The old man clenches his jaw.]

Edited 2011-06-23 15:12 (UTC)

Three weeks huh?

[Freddy steps forward now to go around Larry then stand between the bear and the door. No way out now, Dimick. Green eyes start inspecting that still full head of mature man hair. Seriously, is it that big a deal? He can see Larry clenching his jaw from here.]

Anything I oughta know about?

[Not that he doesn't trust the old man but his old man memory may have casually forgotten something or other that started this coloring business.

[Ahem. He clears his throat to elaborate.]

I tried a patch in the back the first week and waited then fixed up some last week. ...so three weeks.

[Don't look too close. Oh fuck. While Larry is a grown man the clearly inspecting candy apple eyes make him feel like he's growing smaller.]

I'm forty three years old, Freddy. I didn't plan on living this long.

[He cracks a sheepish smile trying to take away the dead serious subject matter.]

That's not even halfway to a hundred.

[Freddy remarks before those candy apple eyes are indeed inspecting his hair for those patches, for any signs of coverage. Details like this happen to interest the kid, there's nothing he's actually hoping to find or anything. Fortunately for Larry, Freddy here isn't exactly tall enough to get a good look at his crown.]

Well I think you're fine as you are but if you wanna keep colorin' it's no thing by me.

[He gives a shrug. Why does it need to be so dead serious? Relax old man.] ...You sure there's nothin' you wanna tell me? Did I make a shit joke?

[But Freddy this is the old man's ego! Thick fingers rub on through his hair.]

I don't want you feeling like I'm not on the same level.

[Physically though there was that day that he stayed in bed at least 80% of the day. (As though it was oh so long ago.) Larry now rubs his chin remembering not to bring too much focus to his head.]

Stupid, right?

[Maybe he'll feel a little flattered that Larry considers him to be a big enough deal to go through a peculiar hoop.]

What kind of level are we talking about?

[He said he wouldn't bug but now he's bugging because he wants to know. Does Freddy do something that indirectly makes Larry feel old? He's more than aware he makes jokes now and then but most of them are in endearing good taste. Right? ...Right??]

It ain't stupid. Bein' two different colors is kinda weird anyway.

[A bombshell brunette or a silver fox, but being half and half is just bizarre unless you're in a comic book. In any case, Freddy's not fully convinced.]

I can't quit being forty three. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna keep graying out completely. By the time you even start to show anything chances are I could start thinning out.

[Is that superficial? Uh. Let's try something else.]

Baby, how does it make you feel when someone says some shit like 'oh nice that you and your pop are out' or something?

[Arms fold.]

You're older than me. You can't slow down and I can't catch up, not really.

[Freddy offers with another shrug. Oh he's starting to get the idea but trying to downplay the severity. Maybe it's just hard for a kid because...he's a kid, he's not there yet, although sometimes brats on their bicycles look at him like he's the old uncool fart.

Wait what? Freddy stares at Larry.]

Who said that? Who the fuck said that cause it's the first time I'm hearing it.

Concepcion y Manuela. At first I thought it was funny but the more we go to the taco stand the more I'm dead certain they believe we're related. Not everybody says it out loud.

[But he knows a look. Shaggy at the guitar store for one. Fuck when it's out in the open out loud it sounds ridiculous but this is what he has been wrestling with.]

Don't get for a second I'm ashamed of you, of us. I'm not.

What? That's bullshit. We're there like every motherfuckin' week man. If I saw a guy hanging out with his dad so much either he works for the old man--[Like Freddy did once upon a time.]--or he's a shitbag and has no fuckin' friends.

[And Freddy wonders why his dad's not his best buddy.]

Come on, we don't even look alike.

[A flappy hand flaps out onto a thick arm to bring Larry over side by side in front of the mirror. Nope, not alike at all. Which doesn't mean one's better looking than the other or anything.]

[Sigh. Larry looks in the mirror, he's a meat and potatoes fella. Freddy? He's lean. His hair is longer and lays wherever it damn well pleases. The old man's has a volume even when damp. Here, he'll move behind Freddy and put his arms around him.

Should he even start to explain how South American families work with and stick around family frequently? Naw. Best let it go.]

Maybe they figure you look like Ma.

[Thick arms are around his waist.]

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