orangetoughguy | log post II

Chinese or the Japs. They make about everything. I'm not surprised.

[He swipes his fingers across the corners to help get his mug clean. It's hard to not try and keep an eye on Freddy as he's dealing with the same problem. Uh. Yeah. That's not in the plans. Not yet. They got other fireworks to light.]

Bubba Barney.

[Really flows off of the tongue. How can anyone not say it after hearing it? Shit someone in this wide word is actually called that. He's taking in the story, detail by detail.]

Jesus Christ.

[Now that he's not scarfing up food he can ruefully laugh. Freddy's retelling makes it even better.]

Bet that fixed his wagon after.

[He said Japs. Larry's old enough for that to be a cultural throwback and Freddy's uncouth enough to let it go. It's not the first time he's heard it from Mr. White's mouth nor does he think Larry would ever treat a Japanese lady unkind. Hell the only time he can imagine Larry doing a woman wrong is if she wronged him first. Something about that rogue take on chivalry makes the old man so fucking attractive. Ahem. Right, this is about Bubba Barney though.]

Barney's his real name. Bubba he used to sound like a fuckin' tough guy. That doesn't make a teacher change your name on the roster though.

[Freddy laughs too.] Oh yeah. Who was he gonna call, the cops? [Irony.] Nobody's supposed to be hanging out in Pumpkin Corners anyway. That's private property. [Another shrug.] And anyway the last time I heard of him they reattached it. He musta gone looking through the whole compound for it.

[The kid doesn't actually know because he ran away as soon as it happened.]

[Time changes things, so does education. Larry's got at least one. Now and then he picks up on what's socially acceptable. For now he is full of plenty of these cultural throwbacks. Such easy going acceptance from Freddy makes the other man more than a little attractive than what he already is. Let's add firework enthusiast to the list while we're at it.]

Goddamn he was lucky it was a toe. Fireworks pack a punch. That's like having a low grade landmine.

[Here is a quazireformed hellraiser from firebug to cop.]

He didn't snitch on you did he?

That's what I said. Not to his face or anything.

[That would be incriminating. Freddy finally works to crack open a beer.] Naw. Guys named Bubba don't turn out so well after getting caught being a snitch. I thought you knew that.

[He's looking at Larry funny but it's really just a joke. Lawrence Dimick probably knows more about snitches than he really cares to.]

Hey now. I know that being young gets you to do plenty of shit you later learn you shouldn't.

[The ol' bear laughs because it's a joke. Also because youth has nothing to do with mistakes. Forty three and they're not in short supply. Not all of them end up to be fucked up.]

Bubba though. Of all the names to pick. Sounds like he should be barefoot and bucktoothed unless your The King that is.

[He's the only other famous Bubba that ever matters. Ever.]

I think losing your toe though gives a fucker a reputation.

He was pretty close to barefoot. [Just saying. Freddy's pretty close to being slack-jawed and knee-slappy too just from laughing with Larry. What a strange pair sprouted from a big fucking mistake.]

Yeah yeah sure it does and he can tell all the guys in the bar about it until the cows come fuckin' home. He can tell them it got crushed when he robbed a factory or got into a fight with a bear.

[Freddy nudges his beer against his chest.] But me, Freddy Newendyke, I'll always know his fuckin' secret.

[That's kryptonite right here.]

Now that's just askin' for it. The only time anybody should sport thongs is at the beach or pool.

[In a car sharing booze, food and smokes next to what would be at least two hundred all-American dollars worth of fireworks makes this more comedic.]

Freddy Newendyke knows plenty of secrets. Folks better watch out for him anyways.

[The condensation of the beer feels good even a little on the cotton of his shirt. It reminds him there's a whole lot of cold water where that's from. Brown smiling eyes turn to the waves.]

I think I'm gonna go to the water a bit.

[He gives Larry another look much like asking "Oh really?" because he wonders if the old fuck drinks in the sights of a specific kind of thing on beautiful people. Women and men alike. Another smile and he's taking a sip.]

You go on first. I'll be there in a second.

[Freddy doesn't tell him but he plans to bring a fountain with him just to watch it spew over the moving waves.]

Okay.

[He keeps his shoes and socks together near their gear and cuffs his jeans. They're full length because he doesn't wear shorts or thongs. Call it another quirk of his age and taste.

So what if they didn't bring any swim gear. Since there are more people in the general vicinity going in the buff isn't a good idea. He's content to dip his feet in. Larry's always liked seeing the ocean off the California coast. The City is like that. Something about the temperature and how there's nothing off of the horizon.

Say, aren't they coming up on about one year in this fucking loony bin?]

[Oh shit they are. Almost a whole fucking year. To even think about it scares Freddy not because he isn't happy but because it almost seems too good to be true. And then a small part of him, a boy from Fresno, California, sort of misses his family. His (few) friends. The Los Angeles he knows. Shit it's all too much. Thank Christ the firebug's not dwelling on one year anniversaries. He's busy getting the fountain, one of a couple so setting it off now is no waste in the sunset. Freddy scurries after Larry and hopefully while he isn't looking so he can 'surprise' the old man when he thunks the thing in the sand.]

Okay watch this.

[He lights the thing and starts shuffling back. Oh yeah he waves at Larry to do the same thing.]

[A whole damn year. There's a big portion of it they've spent together in it. That is worth celebrating. A year since the heist and all the bullshit and bloodshed. The bear isn't trying to think of it, but here it comes bit by bit like the waves over his ankles. Just as he's turning around he hears Freddy. In an instant he's in the present, smiling.]

Just can't fucking wait can you?

So sue me come on!

[Freddy really does sound like a kid now. He laughs and waves for Larry to come back. Not necessarily to keep safe from the spout but to be next to him when it starts spitting out green, then blue, then purple, then red, then gold.]

[Oh he comes back alright. A missing toe is bad, a missing head is dead. Larry lopes on over. He has the impulse to cover his hears but he doesn't.]

Not like we got a shortage though.

[Mr. White stands right near his side. Nothing doing. Two men, friends light off a few early fireworks.]

It's the first one.

[Freddy counters. He's had a lot of firsts with Lawrence Dimick here. The kid takes the old man by the arm (not the hand) to do a wide 'touring' circle of the fountain that just gets bigger and bigger. It reflects its colors off the incoming waves too.]

[Notable lasts with the firsts. Even with hard falls they're still fucking standing.

Touching him in public out in the open is exhilarating. He lets himself be guided on this tour.]

You picked a good one. You sure it's not gonna make you want more?

[His eyes might be drawn to the shimmering lights above they steal glimpses at the kid acting like a kid.]

Get outta here I got way more to show off.

[Show off to Lawrence Dimick that is. An audience of one and Freddy Newendyke doesn't mind. The colorful gold umbrella is starting to die down in size and fizzle.]

You wanna light one?

Sure.

[It's contagious. The old man feels like a kid, grinning so much. His glasses hide and guard his eyes from the sun.]

You got something else in mind? Hell, it's been some time since I held a sparkler.

Edited 2011-07-04 19:57 (UTC)

[Lawrence Dimick and a sparkler. Now that's a sight he'd like to see. The kid's still smiling even after the fountain's gone dark. A small spitting light in the old man's big paw, it's kind of charming to think about.]

What colors do you want?

You picked em by color too?

[Damn he didn't even think of that. Good thing Freddy's here to take charge.]

Fuck. I dunno. What you got? Wait a second, how about you tell me what you don't got.

[Because they have plenty, chances are a whole rainbow in one variety.]

Yeah I did, red for Iron Man, blue for the Fantastic Four, green for The Hulk... [Hard to tell if he's just messing with the guy. And what kind of question is that anyway? Freddy sort of gives Larry a funny look for it then comes up with the best 'real' response he can muster.] I don't know, I don't got shit brown?

[Come on he doesn't have a rainbow in there. What's the old man trying to say?]

Lay some Hulk green on me.

[Can't rainbows just be rainbows. Then again, Freddy's not just some man he met. He's a cop. He's Larry's man too.]

Woah now. You mean to tell me no hero uses brown?

[No big flashy muscle man of a hero. Come to think of it, those are the types that catch the kid's eyes.]

You got it. [He's scurrying back to the car, not too far from Lawrence Dimick unless he decides to follow. He calls back to Larry.] Nope. Well. A couple do.

[Wolverine at some point. Nite Owl. The others Freddy's not too sure it counts that it's their skin color that's brown. Here though, he hands the old man two sparkler sticks, both with the handle-end wrapped in green foil. The motherfucker is no Bruce Banner but the kid prefers him that way.]

[He follows. Freddy is no errand boy. How often do they get to do this? ....Since they live in the City why not? Chances are some fuck will sell fireworks all year long.]

You gonna fire another one off now too?

[There's still at least a half an hour more of daylight. Larry takes off his glasses now and hooks them into the collar of his shirt.]

So then it ain't shit brown. Hah.

[He'll hold one in each paw.]

That's what I'm talking about.

Edited 2011-07-04 20:54 (UTC)

Oh yeah I'm gonna but I got time to keep it cool.

[And by keep it cool he means to play with kiddy stuff which is what sparklers are to a Newendyke. However he truly does find Larry's enchantment with them beyond charming. Watch out the kid's got his light up. One and two green sticks are now starting to come to life.]

There.

Thanks.

[Careful paws hold it up. Now he's thinking maybe sunglasses might be a good idea again. It's so bright. It only makes his eyes crinkle more as he smiles.]

I used to pretend it was the Olympic torch.

[Larry pantomimes a running pose.]

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