d-day + 187 through 193 ✯ spam

[withtheoldbreed]

[Open Spam, throughout Port]

[Gene doesn't regret joining the Marines - God help him, it's true - but there's no doubt that the Army, Air Force and Navy guys over in Europe have the better deal when it comes to leave. There's no Paris or Rome to liberate in the Pacific, no London to be shipped back to for R&R, just the shitty shacks and tents on Pavuvu, overrun with land crabs and rats and still reeking of rotting coconuts.

So the idea of actually getting to explore the city - especially now that there's no war on, no Nazis running the place or snipers to look out for - is kind of neat, even if Gene's not so sure it's enough to really make up for the ship seeming like it was falling apart. Or the last port.

But he still hits the town - in civvies, probably for the first time since getting on board the ship - and does his best to enjoy himself. He doesn't speak French well enough to really communicate with anyone, but Snafu does, and they're so used to being in each other's company that it just makes sense to team up anyway... even if Snaf nearly gets them kicked out of at least one museum.

Because Gene's that kind of tourist - he gets up as close as people are still allowed to be to the Eiffel Tower and goes to the Arc de Triomphe, visits the Louvre and eats at some of the more modestly priced restaurants, walks along the Seine and finds himself oddly drawn to war memorials and places he recognizes from pictures when the city had fallen to the Nazis.

He can also be found in book shops and staring with mild confusion at the Apple Store. This Paris is very different from the one he imagines his brother had seen. Everyone's on their phones and looks different from what he's used to, and it's not bad, but he feels out of place. He has no idea with how Steve coped with waking up seventy or so years in the future, because even just this is very, very eerie.]

Comments

[withtheoldbreed]

Sure. [He could eat. And they're in Paris, might as well take advantage of that while they can.

Gene starts heading in the general direction of the zoo, hesitating a little before asking the question and hopefully glossing over that pause by taking another drag on his cigarette. He's just never really sure how much he's allowed to ask, even if he's pretty sure his friend isn't possessed by some creepy spirit that's making him extra prone to being weird and mean.]

You get a lotta French food in Louisiana?

[badgerms]

[The pause doesn't go completely unnoticed. Snafu's been friends with Gene long enough at this point - and has been hyperaware of him the whole time - that he's pretty sure he knows when the other marine's holding back rather than just being quiet.

(They also still haven't really spoken about that argument. Who knows if they ever will?)

Anyway, he answers more plainly and with less fuss than he might usually.]

Yeah, kinda. Cajun food's got French roots. [A grin.] We got more spice, though.

[withtheoldbreed]

[It surprises him a little that he got an answer, and an honest one at that without any of the fussing or teasing or avoidance tactics Snaf usually resorts to when asked that kind of thing. Gene's going to cautiously take that as a good sign.]

Then you might hafta help me figure out what to get. We didn't have a ton of it at home. [Or much at all, really, it's not like they'd had a French cook.]

[badgerms]

Yeah? Gonna get you tryin' some new things then, like this whole future thing weren't strange enough.

[He's keeping his eyes on places they could eat as they work their way in the direction of the zoo. A sit-down meal isn't really what he's after right now, so he's looking more for bakeries or food trucks, something they can carry.]

What kinda food you usually eat back in Mobile, Alabama, anyway?

[There's an little twist in the way he says the name of Gene's hometown, but it's not mean, just odd. He's in pretty good spirits, honestly. He may have been obnoxious and rude on this trip so far, but none of it's been directed at Gene.]

[withtheoldbreed]

[Gene shrugs, paying more attention to the other people and the general sights of the city than to where they're getting food. It was Snafu's idea, he can pick and Gene won't mind whatever it is.]

Chicken, grits, shrimp, peach pie... Normal stuff. Nothin' too exciting. [And although Snaf could probably guess, he doesn't choose to reveal that they do actually have a cook.]

My buddy Sid and I used to get Cokes and Moon Pies from this store in town before we'd go run around some of the Civil War sites we've got. [Except, wait. He catches himself, and glances quickly over at his friend, grinning a little as he remembers.] But I told you that already.

[The only reason he remembers is because Snaf had gotten him some Moon Pies for Christmas, and Gene had shared a couple with him in the following weeks.]

[badgerms]

[Snaf watches him out of the corner of his eye as Gene says nothing exciting. Yeah, he's not dumb. He's pretty sure most of Sledge's meals before he joined up were cooked and served up for him. He's pretty sure he never went hungry. Before he can actually say something about that, though, Gene goes on and Snaf nods, grinning a little around his smoke.]

Yeah, you did.

[He almost teases him about it, but that would get a little close to actually acknowledging that he cared enough to ask for specific things like that for Christmas for the other marine. Fortunately, before anything emotional like that can happen, he spots a place up ahead.]

Hey Hammer, you ever had a crepe?

[withtheoldbreed]

[God forbid you ever have a feeling, you sad raccoon.

Gene turns first to look at Snaf, then to look ahead and try to spot whatever his friend's seen.]

No? That's like a pancake, right?

[badgerms]

[He doesn't have feelings. Feelings are for humans.

He gestures lazily towards the crepe stand to draw Gene's attention to it and nods.]

Yeah, but real thin. They fold 'em up around all kinds'a different fillings.

[withtheoldbreed]

I'll give it a try. Can't be worse than C-Rations.

[He's totally kidding, he is definitely assuming this is going to be a hell of a lot better than C-Rations.]

[badgerms]

You judge everythin' by that shit and you ain't never gonna be disappointed by anythin' again.

[They're close enough now to see the guys cooking the crepes on the hotplate, smoothing out the batter with theatrical expertise. There's a little line being served and Snaf just watches for a couple of moments, taking the last few drags on his smoke while he does.]

[withtheoldbreed]

I'm not sure that's a bad thing. [If nothing else, he is never, never going to take the little things for granted ever again. Maybe that's one good thing that can come out of all this.

If he does come out of it.

Gene finishes his own cigarette and watches the guys cook, quietly impressed because he sure as hell has no idea how they're making it look so smooth and easy. He's never cooked anything more complicated than heating up rations before, so there's something kind of pleasantly mysterious about it.]

What d'you usually get in yours?

[badgerms]

["Usually" might be pushing it a little, they're not really a regular food Snaf eats all that much at home. But he just shrugs as he flicks his cigarette butt to the ground and crushes it unnder his heel and doesn't admit that, because he has a habit of acting like he knows everything about everything.]

Ham and cheese, sometimes. Lotsa stuff. You can get whatever you want.

[withtheoldbreed]

[Well, of the two of them, you're still the expert, and Gene's just sort of used to tagging along after you by now anyway. Even if he's the warden and you're an inmate on the Barge.]

Except I don't know how to order any of it, [He points out.] You could put anything in it.

[But.]

I trust you, [He assures him, stamping out his own cigarette and moving to get in line with the other patrons, and he doesn't really mean it as some big thing, but... it's true. He does trust him.]

[badgerms]

[Oh. Well. There's a beat or two, then:]

Shut the fuck up, Sledgehammer.

[But he sounds amused and maybe pleased and he falls in next to Gene in the line easily enough. He orders them a couple of different crepes in fluent, strongly-accented French when they get to the counter, getting a ham and cheese one each and - after a discussion with the cook about what exactly Nutella is - a Nutella and berry one as well because look, chocolate hazelnut goo sounds kind of delicious okay.]

[withtheoldbreed]

[Gene just laughs in response and lets Snaf do the talking even if he has to actually pay for them, once again sort of surprised (except not really at all) that he had no idea his buddy could speak French fluently, and he is absolutely not arguing against Nutella. He accepts his crepes when Snaf hands them over with a grin.]

Merci. [And he's going to happily start eating the ham and cheese one first, because he's hungry and really wasn't kidding about just being glad it's not C-Rations.

Also this is delicious, so it works out.]

[badgerms]

[It's a good thing Gene knows how to say thanks in French at least, because Snafu hasn't said it once yet this whole port. He's already got a mouthful of his savoury crepe by the time Gene's paid and thanked the guy. It is good, though, even if better than C-Rations is a really, really low bar to set.

With his mouth full - not that that would stop him talking if he had something he particularly wanted to say - Snaf opts to just stay quiet and eat while the two of them start wandering in the direction of the zoo again.]

[withtheoldbreed]

[Gene's quiet too, munching in a comfortable silence as they keep walking. It's a good kind of silence, and he's hit by how strange it is being here, out of time and not getting shot at, just two guys eating crepes and exploring the city. It's something he never really expected to have a chance to do again.

He glances over at Snafu after a moment, wondering if he should say anything, how Snaf would react to it or what he'd think about it. Part of him's been wondering if he should show him the notes he'd written in his bible, ask was this how it was for you, too? But he's not sure that's a good idea either.]

This was a good idea, [He says instead, not through a mouthful of food.]

[badgerms]

[It's not really something Snafu ever expected to have a chance to do. Hell, getting lost in Melbourne was pretty much the closest thing to tourism he'd ever experienced and that wasn't quite like this, unattached and with no real budget and no combat looming in the very near future. And it's not like he's really had a lot of buddies who'd even be interested in this kind of stuff, either.

(Don't tell anyone, but the museums and shit haven't been as bad as he's been pretending they are.)

As for the notes in Gene's Bible, well. He's been curious about them, sure, and he's needled Gene about them for fun - what kinda shit you writin' now, Hammer? - when he's in a needling mood. But reading them for real? Who knows how he'd react to that. But he doesn't know Gene's thinking about that, so...]

Beats Peleliu, don't it?

[withtheoldbreed]

Just about anywhere we coulda stopped's better than Peleliu, [Gene points out smoothly, because seriously.

Except for that last port. That actually might have been worse, which is why he's not thinking about it much. Only way to keep his grip on reality, probably, if he just thinks of it as a nightmare.]

Haven't been to a zoo since I was a kid.

[badgerms]

[Snaf raises his eyebrows and shrugs a lazy kind of acknowledgement to that first part because hell it's just the truth. He's polishing off the last of his ham and cheese crepe now and he pauses before starting the Nutella one to answer, not sounding particularly bothered by this admission.]

Ain't never been to one myself. Seen exotic kinda animals in a circus once or twice.

[withtheoldbreed]

What kinda animals? [Gene asks, still finishing off his ham and cheese crepe, although maybe increasingly interested in what Nutella actually tastes like. It smells good.

(It does strike him a little that this is one of the most willing to talk about himself moods he's ever seen Snaf get in, and it's kind of nice, getting to know him a little better even after all the shit they've already been through together.)]

[badgerms]

Elephants and monkeys and shit. These girls rode 'em around the ring, let the monkeys climb on their shoulders, that kinda stuff. And hyenas and tigers and lions, you know? All'a that. [He shrugs again, a rare kind of thoughtfulnes in his tone. Gene's right, it really isn't often he talks about anything personal like this. Maybe more surprising, he glances up, gaze skimming dreamily along the edges of the roofs, and he offers more without thinking about it.] My old man took me when I was real little. They had these bears that did tricks and danced to music.

[There's a beat or two of silence, then he seems to shake it off a little, come back to himself.]

Long time ago now.

[withtheoldbreed]

[Gene watches and listens, not really daring to interrupt because it is rare. It's usually hard to catch even a glimpse of the person his friend was before the war, and it's not like Gene really minds - not exactly, anyway, because he's never known Snafu any other way and he still likes him the way he is (for whatever insane reason) - but it's still good to see. He doesn't blame him for being fucked up or different or weird and mean, especially not after he saw what happened on Gloucester, but there's just something pleasant about this that he can't really put into words.]

Wonder how you train a bear, [He says a beat after the moment passes, half thoughtfully and half jokingly. That seems safer than a lot of questions he could ask.]

How old were you?

[badgerms]

Shit, I don't know. Couldn't've been more than five years old. [There's something about Gene's voice - maybe something about the tone or maybe just the mere fact of it, breaking his reverie and reminding him who he's talking to - that makes him self-conscious. He glances at Gene then shakes his head.] Like I said, Hammer, long time ago.

[There's a beat or two and he changes the subject, examining the Nutella crepe he's still got in hand.]

The fuck kinda name is Nutella, anyway?

[withtheoldbreed]

[Fortunately, Gene lets the subject drop without complaint, taking a bite out of his Nutella crepe and Jesus, that's good.

(It works out to be a good enough distraction from what had just happened, although Gene's still feeling sort of warm and pleased in a way that feels nice, but strange. He hasn't felt this at ease or comfortable in a long time, like the combination of where they are and what they're doing and who he's with is smoothing something in him over, too. Snafu isn't the only one who's been fucked over by the war.)]

I don't know, but I think someone back home had better invent it quick.