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xp_logsSam and Liam try this whole first impressions thing again.
Headphones weren't designed for cat ears, so Liam played his music loudly on a portable Bluetooth speaker and everyone else could deal with it. Then again, no one was really out that he could see and it was difficult to hear over the sound of the pressure washer even with his enhanced hearing. Still, the volume was up enough that he could hear it and dance as he worked, tail keeping beat as it moved behind him with the country sounds.
Sam knew the music he was hearin' wasn't Jay's- far too modern and happy for that, but he was still curious as he rounded the corner of the mansion, smiling as he saw Liam at work.
"You want a hand with anythin'?" He called, hopeful the boy could hear him over the water. "Happy to help if'n you tell me what needs done!"
Ear flicking in the direction Sam was coming from, Liam shut the power washer off, shaking his head, "I'm working," he said, like that explained it. "You gotta talk to Kyle or Madin and they have to approve you on equipment and stuff so you can be on the maintenance crew. Even if a pressure washer is mostly idiot proof. They keep building better idiots." Idly he wondered what would happen if he pressure washed Sam. At close range. He tried to keep his tone genial, but his tail wrapping around his leg instead of moving with the music shared his opinions for him.
"Oh, cool. Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt was just ....tryin' to be neighborly I guess." Sam rocked back on his heels. He'd already dug himself into a hole somehow, might as well keep on digging. "I...think we got off on the wrong foot back uh....yeah. Just uh- I'm sorry that I gave you the impression that I weren't listenin' to you. I'll let you get back to work."
If they'd gotten off to a more auspicious start, neighbourly would look very different right now. "What do you want me to say?" he finally asked, bending to click the machine off. "You didn't listen. Because Sharon not speaking? That said a whole lot that you ignored."
“And if you’ll notice she’s the only one who got in trouble. All I was tryin’ to do was figure out what was goin’ on and was tryin’ to get you to tell me because I trusted you to tell me the truth.” Sam said, trying to keep his voice even. “I weren’t ever mad at ya, and I was listenin’- but I also knew damn well that when I brought it to folks who could actually do somethin’ about Sharon’s behavior that they’d want as much of the story as possible- so I asked. I ain’t got nothin’ against you and never have.”
Sighing, Liam thought back to the advice of his therapist. Sometimes, you have to let stuff go. Because even if you don't like how you got there, the end result worked out. "Yeah," he agreed, not wanting to argue anymore. It was over and done. "Well anyways. If you want to pressure wash stuff, they can probably get you one from the maintenance garage. Almost all the pavement out back needs a refresh."
"Cool, thanks." Sam said. "I'll text Kyle and Madin and see if they're alright with me helpin' out...sorry to bother you."
He didn't immediately turn the machine back on and instead shrugged, "No bother," and really, it wasn't. Sam apparently felt bad or at least awkward, which was just as good. "I met your sisters. You moving everyone in?"
"Would if it didn't mean takin' my Mama to court for custody." Sam said conversationally. "Hope they were nicer to you than they are to me."
Oh. "I... yeah, they're fine. How many do you have? I don't have any. Sharon and I aren't actually related," despite everything.
“Eight, all younger, and Mel down I pert near raised ‘em ‘till I had to leave cause of the mutation.” Sam said. “The youngest started middle school this year.”
That actually explained so much. Liam relaxed a bit more, tail becoming more animated, "Wow. That's a lot," in so many ways. He couldn't imagine being a parent more even if it was just to younger siblings. "You said 'pert,'" he grinned, "You're so southern."
“Appalachian.” Sam corrected with a wink. “‘S different. But still south of the Mason-Dixon so yer not totally wrong. And yer from a small town in Maine right? I’m gonna be workin’ with Gen X more soon, just like mentorship stuff, not a teacher. Any kind of fun non-school activities you’d wanna do? I’m thinkin’ bout gettin’ a fishin’ trip set up but not sure yet if y’all would actually want that….”
He nodded, "Northern Maine. Almost up at the Canada border," Liam said, agreeing, "And yeah, fishing is good. There's a bunch of places here but you have to get permits. And you can't always eat your catch," he'd looked into it intending to go last fall with Inez. That hadn't happened, but he'd done the leg work anyways, "But outside stuff is always good, weather permitting. This place is too fancy for most of the stuff we got up to though."
"God, don't I know it." Sam groaned. "I got half a mind to buy a tractor tire just so I can roll down a hill in it."
It was better drunk but well- Liam was sixteen, he wasn't about to endorse that.
It was absolutely better drunk. But Liam was 16 and knew better than to say that out loud to someone like Sam. "I would roll it. Or better, have a tractor race."
"Oh that would be good." Sam agreed easily, grinning. "One time while we was dri- hangin' out at a bonfire, my baseball team covered our left fielder in bait and tossed him in the crick an' told him to try noodlin'. Ain't never heard a man holler so much just from a lil' catfish brushin' his leg. Man we got up to some shit in the holler..."
"No idea what a holler is, but yeah, except the creek was half frozen and then the ice cracked and I've never seen someone without mutant powers just levitate!" they'd been lucky the ice hadn't fully broken, but they'd been drunk and it was after he'd sobered up that he realized. Oops. "Was he naked? 'Cause that would bring another level to noodling."
"We let 'im keep his boxers, but only cause his sister was around and she gave us each a dollar not to have him strip completely." Sam said, with a barely restrained laugh. "Somehow I think Kyle would fire me from bein' a Gen X advisor if he knew what a bad influence I could be."
"Awww, wuss," though they often did the same if only because the water in Maine was freezing. Underwear didn't offer a lot of protection, but it was at least something. "So far, all I'm seeing is a goody two-shoes with stories. Barely."
"I had some shit happen to me at your age." Sam said. "Last thing I want is for that to happen to any of y'all. Sue me for bein' careful."
"Shit happens," Liam nodded sagely. "Unfortunately, that's life. No one is immune." If it wasn't one thing, it was another.
“Yeah. But I can sure as hell try and prevent it. Anyway- promise I ain’t as boring as I seem. Apparently parenting takes it outta ya and I hit that way too early.”
That didn't make sense and Liam's face reflected it. "You have a kid?" He guessed that Sam was old enough, but he'd never seen a toddler with him.
"Eight younger siblings, a dead dad, and a mom who doesn't parent." Sam replied with a strained toothless smile. "The youngest are just finishin' sixth grade now and most of them that don't live here have called me Dad at some point."
Oh. That's. Actually explained a lot. "You... You like fishing? Camping?"
"Love it- grew up huntin' too, we foraged a bunch. I'm hopin' I can get some campin' trips organized fer Gen X. Figure it'll be a good time and a good break from the city fer everyone. I'm talkin' to Kyle about it."
"Cool. Well, me too. You ever wanna go up to Maine, I got everything. There's moose, but you can't hunt them without a lottery permit. And there's some good places to fish around here, too," a peace offering.
“Yknow- I ain’t ever seen a moose before. Might be cool too.” Sam smiled. “An’ if yer ever in Kentucky I can recommend a few fishin’ spots. Fair is fair.”
Liam did like fishing. "Deal," he agreed.
Headphones weren't designed for cat ears, so Liam played his music loudly on a portable Bluetooth speaker and everyone else could deal with it. Then again, no one was really out that he could see and it was difficult to hear over the sound of the pressure washer even with his enhanced hearing. Still, the volume was up enough that he could hear it and dance as he worked, tail keeping beat as it moved behind him with the country sounds.
Sam knew the music he was hearin' wasn't Jay's- far too modern and happy for that, but he was still curious as he rounded the corner of the mansion, smiling as he saw Liam at work.
"You want a hand with anythin'?" He called, hopeful the boy could hear him over the water. "Happy to help if'n you tell me what needs done!"
Ear flicking in the direction Sam was coming from, Liam shut the power washer off, shaking his head, "I'm working," he said, like that explained it. "You gotta talk to Kyle or Madin and they have to approve you on equipment and stuff so you can be on the maintenance crew. Even if a pressure washer is mostly idiot proof. They keep building better idiots." Idly he wondered what would happen if he pressure washed Sam. At close range. He tried to keep his tone genial, but his tail wrapping around his leg instead of moving with the music shared his opinions for him.
"Oh, cool. Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt was just ....tryin' to be neighborly I guess." Sam rocked back on his heels. He'd already dug himself into a hole somehow, might as well keep on digging. "I...think we got off on the wrong foot back uh....yeah. Just uh- I'm sorry that I gave you the impression that I weren't listenin' to you. I'll let you get back to work."
If they'd gotten off to a more auspicious start, neighbourly would look very different right now. "What do you want me to say?" he finally asked, bending to click the machine off. "You didn't listen. Because Sharon not speaking? That said a whole lot that you ignored."
“And if you’ll notice she’s the only one who got in trouble. All I was tryin’ to do was figure out what was goin’ on and was tryin’ to get you to tell me because I trusted you to tell me the truth.” Sam said, trying to keep his voice even. “I weren’t ever mad at ya, and I was listenin’- but I also knew damn well that when I brought it to folks who could actually do somethin’ about Sharon’s behavior that they’d want as much of the story as possible- so I asked. I ain’t got nothin’ against you and never have.”
Sighing, Liam thought back to the advice of his therapist. Sometimes, you have to let stuff go. Because even if you don't like how you got there, the end result worked out. "Yeah," he agreed, not wanting to argue anymore. It was over and done. "Well anyways. If you want to pressure wash stuff, they can probably get you one from the maintenance garage. Almost all the pavement out back needs a refresh."
"Cool, thanks." Sam said. "I'll text Kyle and Madin and see if they're alright with me helpin' out...sorry to bother you."
He didn't immediately turn the machine back on and instead shrugged, "No bother," and really, it wasn't. Sam apparently felt bad or at least awkward, which was just as good. "I met your sisters. You moving everyone in?"
"Would if it didn't mean takin' my Mama to court for custody." Sam said conversationally. "Hope they were nicer to you than they are to me."
Oh. "I... yeah, they're fine. How many do you have? I don't have any. Sharon and I aren't actually related," despite everything.
“Eight, all younger, and Mel down I pert near raised ‘em ‘till I had to leave cause of the mutation.” Sam said. “The youngest started middle school this year.”
That actually explained so much. Liam relaxed a bit more, tail becoming more animated, "Wow. That's a lot," in so many ways. He couldn't imagine being a parent more even if it was just to younger siblings. "You said 'pert,'" he grinned, "You're so southern."
“Appalachian.” Sam corrected with a wink. “‘S different. But still south of the Mason-Dixon so yer not totally wrong. And yer from a small town in Maine right? I’m gonna be workin’ with Gen X more soon, just like mentorship stuff, not a teacher. Any kind of fun non-school activities you’d wanna do? I’m thinkin’ bout gettin’ a fishin’ trip set up but not sure yet if y’all would actually want that….”
He nodded, "Northern Maine. Almost up at the Canada border," Liam said, agreeing, "And yeah, fishing is good. There's a bunch of places here but you have to get permits. And you can't always eat your catch," he'd looked into it intending to go last fall with Inez. That hadn't happened, but he'd done the leg work anyways, "But outside stuff is always good, weather permitting. This place is too fancy for most of the stuff we got up to though."
"God, don't I know it." Sam groaned. "I got half a mind to buy a tractor tire just so I can roll down a hill in it."
It was better drunk but well- Liam was sixteen, he wasn't about to endorse that.
It was absolutely better drunk. But Liam was 16 and knew better than to say that out loud to someone like Sam. "I would roll it. Or better, have a tractor race."
"Oh that would be good." Sam agreed easily, grinning. "One time while we was dri- hangin' out at a bonfire, my baseball team covered our left fielder in bait and tossed him in the crick an' told him to try noodlin'. Ain't never heard a man holler so much just from a lil' catfish brushin' his leg. Man we got up to some shit in the holler..."
"No idea what a holler is, but yeah, except the creek was half frozen and then the ice cracked and I've never seen someone without mutant powers just levitate!" they'd been lucky the ice hadn't fully broken, but they'd been drunk and it was after he'd sobered up that he realized. Oops. "Was he naked? 'Cause that would bring another level to noodling."
"We let 'im keep his boxers, but only cause his sister was around and she gave us each a dollar not to have him strip completely." Sam said, with a barely restrained laugh. "Somehow I think Kyle would fire me from bein' a Gen X advisor if he knew what a bad influence I could be."
"Awww, wuss," though they often did the same if only because the water in Maine was freezing. Underwear didn't offer a lot of protection, but it was at least something. "So far, all I'm seeing is a goody two-shoes with stories. Barely."
"I had some shit happen to me at your age." Sam said. "Last thing I want is for that to happen to any of y'all. Sue me for bein' careful."
"Shit happens," Liam nodded sagely. "Unfortunately, that's life. No one is immune." If it wasn't one thing, it was another.
“Yeah. But I can sure as hell try and prevent it. Anyway- promise I ain’t as boring as I seem. Apparently parenting takes it outta ya and I hit that way too early.”
That didn't make sense and Liam's face reflected it. "You have a kid?" He guessed that Sam was old enough, but he'd never seen a toddler with him.
"Eight younger siblings, a dead dad, and a mom who doesn't parent." Sam replied with a strained toothless smile. "The youngest are just finishin' sixth grade now and most of them that don't live here have called me Dad at some point."
Oh. That's. Actually explained a lot. "You... You like fishing? Camping?"
"Love it- grew up huntin' too, we foraged a bunch. I'm hopin' I can get some campin' trips organized fer Gen X. Figure it'll be a good time and a good break from the city fer everyone. I'm talkin' to Kyle about it."
"Cool. Well, me too. You ever wanna go up to Maine, I got everything. There's moose, but you can't hunt them without a lottery permit. And there's some good places to fish around here, too," a peace offering.
“Yknow- I ain’t ever seen a moose before. Might be cool too.” Sam smiled. “An’ if yer ever in Kentucky I can recommend a few fishin’ spots. Fair is fair.”
Liam did like fishing. "Deal," he agreed.
