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 Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 9:23 am
Getting out of the apartment wasn't a bad idea, even if it had set Jeremy's stomach turning. He had to justify that he'd been cooped up for too long and wasn't doing anything productive. His schedule was completely clear, and his brother was in class until late tonight.
Which meant, he was home alone, stewing.
He had been stir-crazy nearly this entire week, and it was the cool temperature that finally lured him away from the apartment. He checked for his phone, his keys, his wallet, several times, made sure his phone was fully charged, and then stepped out.
Jeremy didn't really have social places he visited anymore and he briefly wondered if he ever did.
But. He needed to get out tonight, he needed to relax.
He needed to not be sitting down and ordering a drink, but here he was, anyway. He adjusted the jacket he wore and sat down, giving a quick glance around the place as he settled into his seat.
He'd been to the bar once, years ago, but it hadn't made much of an impression. He was here for convenience and familiarity more than any sort of fondness for the place.
Also, he hadn't been called to pick someone up from out here in long enough that he figured he wasn't going to be recognized.
He wasn't sure he'd count the place comfortable, but it was better than drinking alone at home, where he'd have to clean up cans and come up with some sort of explanation, like he needed to justify himself to anyone.
Or worse, talk about his feelings.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 1:20 pm
After somehow convincing his mother that he absolutely did not need nor want some kind of party for his birthday, Michael found himself out at one of the bars in the city. He’d done enough bar hopping over the years that no one really knew who he was, which meant he could keep to himself.
It seemed as though there was at least one other person there that looked as though they were trying to decide if this was a good decision or not. Michael didn’t know yet for himself at least. He tried to avoid drinking, but some nights he had nothing better to do, and he needed to get out and do something other than sit in a mostly empty house.
For a while he ignored the young man sitting near him and focused on his own drink instead, occasionally glancing up at whatever sport was on the television that the others around him cheered or booed.
“Didn’t come here for the game, did you?” he eventually asked when he couldn’t take how uncomfortable this other guy seemed to feel. Like he wasn’t sure about what he was doing. “Me neither,” Michael added. If anything he just wanted this guy to relax. Maybe it would help himself in the process.
“Michael Gallo,” he introduced himself, lifting up a hand in a friendly gesture, but not approaching in case it made the guy even more uncomfortable.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:16 pm
Jeremy's attention had been scattered, though he didn't seem frazzled about any of it. Sometimes he let his gaze flicker to the door as someone entered. Sometimes he just stared at the bottles on the shelf as he sipped at the beer he'd ordered.
It was a poor excuse for relaxing--to pay extra for a beer he could have had, colder, at home.
But, he supposed he was paying for the experience. Or, at least, the illusion, that he wasn't keeping to himself.
The voice from next to him was unexpected and the turned, a little stiff. No one he knew. Not someone who seemed like he was worth worrying about. He raised a hand courteously in response. "Jeremy Fischer," he replied.
It sounded better than 'Officer Fischer', anyway.
"Game doesn't interest me much, no. I'm just here for a drink." He lifted the half empty bottle as if in a mock toast and then took a sip. "You?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:43 pm
There was something about this guy that seemed… more out of place than the stiffness in which he seemed to hold himself. No, not to the point of being completely out of place, but more like he wasn’t used to it.
Michael had no reason to judge him. People went to the bar for all number of reasons. Getting out of the house was one of them, like himself.
“Same,” he copied Jeremy’s gesture of lifting his own bottle. “Nothing better than overpriced booze,” Michael said as he took a drink and looked back up at the monitor where one of the teams scored a point and people cheered.
“No offense, but you kind of look out of place. If you’re here undercover I don’t think it’s working very well,” he half joked. He had no idea what this guy’s profession was. For all he knew he could be an accountant or work at a coffee shop. But he reminded Michael of himself not so many years ago, before he let his hair grow out some and stopped making sure he was clean shaven all the time.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:59 pm
The words caught his attention again but he didn't seem offended by them.
Just curious.
He shifted positions, just slightly, to face Michael a bit more comfortably. His fingers were still curled around the cool bottle and he tapped his index contemplatively. "You think I look like a cop?" he asked, something like amusement in his voice.
He'd done his best to just blend in, but maybe he was a little out with the times. The clothes in his closet seemed pretty boring, solid colors and nothing dramatic. If he'd wanted to shake things up, maybe he could have taken something from his brother's closet, but--no.
No, he didn't need to go out drinking with some neon colors, or rainbow pugs, or whatever 80s fashion Myles had somehow managed to throw together by chance alone.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 3:27 pm
“Cop. Detective. Private I. Bail bonds person. Journalist. Health inspector,” Michael listed out with a shrug and then smirked, very obviously amused now. “But from your response, I’m going to guess you’re a cop.”
Michael was sure he didn’t have to point out that if Jeremy was undercover, he really wasn’t very good at it.
“Are you expecting someone you know to come through the door? You keep looking over to the door when someone comes in,” Michael pointed out, although at this point he was just joking around. He didn’t really think this guy was there on official duty.
“See, you and I have the same idea. Sit somewhere that we can see pretty much the rest of the room and the door. Don’t like people coming up behind you? Me either.”
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 4:35 pm
Jeremy let out a long, drawn out sigh and then just shrugged. Another sip, and then, "You got me."
He didn't sound guilty about it, maybe a little surprised about being called out--even if it was a guess. Briefly, he had to wonder if there really was some way to shake off 'the look'. He wondered if it stayed with you your whole life.
"I'm not expecting anyone, no. I just don't like surprises."
And yet, he'd chosen to sit at the bar, with the excuse that the booths were full.
"It's been a while since I went out like this. Didn't realize how out of place I was going to feel. But," he swirled his drink. "I guess that goes away with a few drinks."
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 6:01 pm
The bar had its advantages, even if it wasn’t in the most defensive location. There were usually mirrors, the bartender was usually attentive to anyone approaching, and it gave a better vantage point than a corner that might be blocked by other patrons and obstacles.
Michael wasn’t sure if he got Jeremey. More like Jeremey called out himself. But Michael had no intention of giving him a hard time about it. Just a moment of amusement.
“Usually it does,” Michael said as he shifted against the bar so he could rest his elbow on it, his back turned more towards the bar as well so he could face the supposedly off duty cop better.
“So why a cop? Everyone usually has a story about why they picked their career,” Michael prompted, although he wouldn’t blame Jeremey for not answering or even lying. Some stranger about a decade older than him was asking kinda personal questions. But then again, a lot of people liked talking about themselves.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 6:35 pm
Jeremy's eyes settled on him thoughtfully, like in a look alone he could figure out the why of the question. Curiosity, he figured, wasn't a crime. Neither was making conversation to pass an otherwise dull night.
There wasn't much harm that could come in an answer, and he shrugged.
"They were hiring, and I had someone I wanted to take care of." Which was a s**t answer without the context that drove him to it, but he didn't need to get so personal with someone he'd exchanged a few sentences with.
He sighed and expanded, albeit briefly, "I wanted to help people. Wanted my life to mean something. I've got a kid brother. Wanted to give him a safer place to live. I was a stupid kid who jumped at the first chance I got, and Destiny City's desperate enough to take anyone dumb enough to sign up."
Another sip; he was almost done. "What about you, what do you do?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 8:06 pm
The answer sounded truthful, which was almost surprising to Michael. Then again, it was probably a good thing to have an honest cop. There wasn’t exactly a great reputation for many these days, but this guy seemed genuine.
Or naive.
Or maybe naive at one point, only to realize later how much of an innocent fool he’d been.
Much like Michael once was.
“I teach poetry and engineering at Azure Valley,” he decided to be truthful as well, or at least Jeremey’s answer seemed embittered enough to be truthful. He could be a very good liar. “Not at the same time. Two different electives,” he added, having purposefully said it in a way to be confusing.
“Before that, I was a pilot in the Navy. I also wanted to help people and for my life to mean something. I have two younger brothers. One married with three kids and one who will be twenty at the end of the month. And it’s my birthday today,” he said, lifting his beer again in a mock toast.
He was well aware that the only things he didn’t sound bitter about were his current job and his family.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 6:35 am
"Not at the same time? Too bad, that sounded interesting."
He couldn't imagine being a teacher, being around kids just waiting to push your buttons. His little brother was a good few years younger than him and it hadn't been awful, not for the most part, but a group of them?
...Nah.
He didn't have the patience.
"Well. Can't win them all. Happy birthday," he said, lifted his drink for him, and finished it off. Out drinking alone for a birthday sounded lonely, but he wasn't much for celebrating his own, either. He left the theatrics and party-going for his brother, who enjoyed it more than he knew how to.
He set the empty bottle back on the counter, tapping his finger on it contemplatively.
"...Do you feel like your life meant something more when you were in the Navy or when you're in the classroom?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 1:58 pm
“Well, it depends on how much trouble they give me,” Michael said with a small snort in amusement. He could do whatever he wanted, really. It was the perks of being an elective teacher at a private school. It also helped that he could literally do whatever he wanted and not worry about loss of income if fired. He only took the job because his grandmother nagged him about it in the first place.
As for if he felt as though his life meant something…
He couldn’t exactly tell a complete stranger that becoming a Knight changed his life more than he cared to admit. Having been completely alone with no one to guide him was a rewarding challenge that probably saved his life from being overwhelmed by monotony.
“Depends on the day. It was back when patriotism and fighting terrorism sounded important to a naive kid,” he admitted, his tone indicating that his mindset had clearly changed in the years that passed. “Now I like to think I’m helping other naive kids.”
Naive kids definitely included young knights and senshi who had no idea what they were getting themselves into. If he could convince them to stay home, that had to be better than allowing them to put their lives on the line when they weren’t fully committed to that risk.
“How’s that kid brother of yours doing? Even with the police on the streets, can’t exactly say this city is the safest place. You must have been here long enough to know of the strange things that happen.” Anyone who had lived in the city for more than a year, or even less, would have to admit that it wasn’t the same as other places. Unless they were just completely ignorant of everything.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 6:08 pm
Jeremy shrugged; it wasn't hard to wave the bartender over for another drink. His empty bottle was swept away, replaced by a nice, overpriced, cold one. He didn't take a sip yet.
"Oh, he gets into trouble. Spilled wax all over my carpet last week, thought about killing him for that." Obviously not serious, there was an exasperated fondness in his voice. Trying to brush off the reality that Destiny City was weird.
"He's doing better than he was before. I'd like to think I had something to do with it. But ten years on the force and we're still living in the same shitty apartment I started out in. Probably should change that. Neighborhood's s**t. I guess I just got used to it. I always figured I'd get a new place when he moved out, but I can't blame him for staying when I'm the one who keeps saying he's welcome to be there."
He tapped the bottle now, and took a sip.
"...Even if we move out of the building, strange things are still going to happen. The charm of Destiny City. Nowhere's safe, no matter how much you pay in rent."
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:16 pm
Michael listened to how Jeremey spoke of his brother and his time as a cop, but didn’t respond right away. There really wasn’t much he could offer in terms of suggestions. Michael had been privileged his whole life, as much as he hated the stereotype. He could buy a boat and an island, or even leave Earth all together and it wouldn’t make a difference.
At least he thought that once upon a time. He’d always loved his family above all, and while he would miss them he didn’t think his problems were meant to be their burden. His privileged problems. Because people had much more to worry about than what happened in the past that might cause nightmares every now and then.
“Maybe your brother thinks he’s staying for you,” Michael suggested with a shrug, but obviously he had no idea what this man’s life was like outside the very short conversation they’d had. “My youngest brother moved in with me when he started high school. Claimed it was to make things easier. Carpooling and all that. But now I think he did it so I wasn’t alone.”
Alone in that house that looked like a magazine picture because he never put any personal touches, the things that reminded him of the past shoved in the junk drawer.
“Pretty sad, huh? A little brother having to babysit their older one,” Michael said with a small, somewhat forced laugh as he took another drink of his beer and glanced up at the game again. Hopefully Jeremey didn’t think he was forcing assumptions onto him. But then again it didn’t really matter if he did.
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Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 12:14 pm
Jeremy snorted. "I don't think I'd trust my little brother to babysit me." He wasn't giving him enough credit. "He can make cereal on a good day, but his expertise lies in mess making." He sipped at his drink, a little more than he needed, but it was a reassuring gesture all the same. "Maybe he knows I feel better being able to keep an eye on him, though. I have a hard time looking at him and seeing anything other than the fourteen year old kid who's still getting into trouble and needs me to bail him out."
A heavy sigh; he let his head loll to the side a bit so he lazily redirect his attention to Michael.
"Did you need babysitting?"
No judgment, only curiosity. Michael had brought it to the table and Jeremy couldn't see any reason not to ask. They were strangers in a bar, who cared. They'd probably never see each other outside of this.
It probably wasn't such a great idea if he wound up getting plastered while anyone knew he was a police officer.
Maybe he should have given a fake name.
Maybe, he really just didn't care.
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