#so we've gone out to a local pool and have been practicing and shes been SO helpful

[mercurygray]

Introducing an OC prompt. Cordelia + 20. As someone whose name precedes them, please?

There were a couple of directions I could have gone with this, but I was re-watching the party scene for Dye today and decided to do something a little different, and, hopefully, funny.

They had only been in England for a matter of minutes, and Nash was already being Nash.

"God, I think I could listen to her voice all day," the pilot was saying with a million watt grin on his lips. "Why yes, I will do whatever you say, baby."

"You're just saying that 'cause it was a long flight, Herb," Speas offered with a roll of his eyes, hefting his equipment bag down from the belly of the plane. "Get a square meal in you and I'm sure you'll be saying something different."

Everyone else in the plane sighed or rolled their eyes. For as long as any of them had known him, Nash was out for two things, and two things only - being the best at gunnery practice, and getting a girl to like him. The first was something that could (and had) been done with long hours of practice - and the second, too, took practice, as well, though it helped that Herb also had a wide and easy smile and blue eyes it was easy to get lost in. It did not help his friends that this usually also got him in to trouble. Still, it seemed like a record, even for him - falling in love with a girl without even having seen her first.

The ground crew was already swarming over the plane like an army of efficient ants, green and grease-stained in their flight suits, following the lead of a curly-haired fellow in a knitted watch cap. "Welcome to England, gentleman. Your transport's waiting, if you want to load up. Take all your gear with you - barracks is that way, too." He paused. "Get you fellows something, while you're waiting? It's a long haul from Greenland."

"Whoever you got directing us in from the tower," Nash said with a smile, glancing across the field at the squat concrete block where the woman herself was doubtless sitting. "She got a name?"

The mechanic raised his eyebrows, still busy with his clipboard, and checked his watch. "Morning shift is still on, so that's Callaway, but I'm 'fraid you'll have to keep looking, Lieutenant. She's seeing someone." He looked up at Nash and guessed, correctly, that he was undeterred. "Big fellow - kind of a jealous type."

Nash only grinned, climbing up into the back of the truck and adjusting the angle of his cap to its usual rakish slant. "That's only 'cause she hasn't seen me yet."

"Now come on, Nash, we only just got here," Pappy complained aloud, having very much heard 'big' and jealous' and knowing from past experience what that might mean. "Can't you keep it together until we've at least met everyone?"

There were, it seemed, plenty of women on base - the Clubmobile women with their mobile canteen and coffee urns, smiling and waving from the window of their truck, the local women who worked in the kitchen, on their way home after the lunch shift, the land girls shifting a group of wayward cows, and the WACs of the typing pool and the intelligence room, headed up by a captain named Brennan who greeted them all with the CO when they got off the truck. But Nash, it seemed, would not be deterred - he still had his eyes on his prize, and he meant to get her, it seemed, come hell or high water.

There was a party this evening, they'd been informed - a celebration for Captain Glenn Dye, who'd finished his twenty five mission tour and was headed home with all due pomp and circumstance. "Is everyone going to be there, ma'am?" Nash asked Brennan, when she gave them the news. "Just seems like a good way to meet people, is all."

Brennan gave him a searching look, her answer given with caution as she tried to figure out his true intention for the question. "I'm sure it'll be well attended, Lieutenant. Captain Dye's well liked."

Nash nodded, and said no more, and Brennan turned them over to a couple of orderlies to make sure they made it to their barracks and had time for a change of clothes and a shave before the party got started.

"I'm telling you, Herb, if you so much as think -"

But Nash was no longer listening, either to Pappy or to reason, and the only thing for it was to let him leave for the officer's club alone, and hope that all the shouting had finished by the time they got there.

----

Bucky still didn't know what to think about the party.

Twenty five missions was a hell of a thing, and Glenn deserved the noise, no matter what else Bucky might have thought about the guy. (The matter of Lil still stung, a little, though that had all worked itself out in the end.) But it seemed…to be tempting fate, somehow, to have put up the streamers and gotten the beer on ice before the plane had even made it back to base, and he'd found himself, all afternoon, trying to touch wood or his Saint Christopher medal, or the thin wafer of Cord's lucky silver dollar, praying that everyone made it home in one piece. He liked the silver dollar - he didn't think he would, but she'd tucked into his pocket after Regensburg and would not take back for all the urging in the world. He'd told her he had all the luck he needed, but there was still something comfortable about the coin under his thumb, and the woman's face, with its crown and streaming hair, sometimes reminded him of Cord, blazing in her glory.

Buck was at 21 missions, and he himself at 17. Would there be parties then, when they finished? Or was it only because Glenn had been the first and, so far, the only? (And there was the question, too, of even making it at all - but he liked their odds. If there were two forts left in sky, it'll be me and it'll be you, Buck.

"So, which one's Callaway?"

Bucky turned in his seat to survey the newcomer, a pilot maybe four or five years younger than himself who must have just come in this afternoon. His uniform had the unmistakable air of having recently been stateside. "Who's asking?"

"Just a fellow who wants to get to know her better," the man offered, looking around the room with hope in his eyes. "Girl with a voice like that's got to be a looker."

Bucky quickly realized what was going on here and settled himself on to his bar stool, pushing his glass a little further away. If someone was going to make a move on his girl, that was something he wanted to be sober for - if only to make sure all the punches landed where they should. "Most everyone knows Callaway. You must be new here."

"Herbert Nash - just got in this afternoon."

"Well, a word to the wise, Lieutenant - you're gonna want to keep moving," Bucky said, calmly. "She's spoken for."

Nash grinned. "A lady's allowed to change her mind, isn't she?"

Bucky sized the fellow up and decided he liked his odds where changing minds was concerned. Cord had just walked in with some of the other WACs, Mae and Phoebe, and had only just caught his eye across the room. (No streaming Lady Liberty hair today - she was 1A in every aspect, and he loved her for it.) "Fair enough. Here, I'll introduce you." He waved and gestured her over, rising from his seat as he did so. "Lieutenant Callaway," he said, slowing her up a bit as she realized he was making an introduction. "This is Lieutenant Herbert Nash, who just came in today on one of our replacement crews."

Cord offered her hand to shake, leaning on a lifetime of practice meeting new airmen at Wright-Patterson but still glancing at Bucky to wonder, silently, just what this was about. "Very nice to meet you, Lieutenant."

"Has anyone told you you've got a lovely voice?" No sooner had their hands touched then the younger man had turned on the charm, the full effect of his baby blue eyes coming in to full focus on Cord.

"The Lieutenant's just saying he was hoping he might have a chance at a date," Bucky announced, after he'd let Nash feel like he'd gotten a hit in.

The dime dropped behind Cord's eyes, and her smile curved up a fraction. "Did you tell him I'm seeing someone?" she asked patiently, glancing at Nash with an apology in her smile.

"I tried," Bucky offered, with a shrug.

"So, just who is this fellow you're seeing?" Nash asked, looking ready to bat his eye lashes and go straight for the fences, a fellow who was used to winning. But not today.

"Major John Egan," Cord said, trying to restrain a smile as she reached over and patted Bucky's chest for emphasis. "Whom you've just met."

Nash's mental calculus all suddenly totaled up, and he took one look at the broad-shouldered man in front of him and mumbled something about a drink or friends or both and beat a quick retreat to the other side of the room, finally having realized the obvious stupidity in trying to steal his new squadron commander's girlfriend.

It was too good, watching him leave - though when he turned to look at Cord, she looked a little disappointed in him. "That was mean, Bucky. He's new."

"Fellow's got to have a little fun once in a while," he cajoled, putting his arms around her waist to pull her a little closer. "Gotta show the new guys what's what."

"Are you trying to make someone jealous?"

"…No." But the pause said everything it needed to. He pulled her in a little closer, their noses almost touching and his knees pressing in on her legs. "Don't girls like to get fought over, or something?" Because I'll tell everyone you're mine until the stars go out - and fight someone for you, too, if I have to. A fellow's got to have something to come home to - that's what gets him to twenty five. That and silver dollars and St. Christophers.

"Oh, get over here." She pulled him in to kiss him, her hand gentle on the belt of his jacket, and he did not say no, merely accepted her ministrations with all the pleasure they intended.

"Quit rubbing it in, John."

"Rubbing what in?" Bucky asked with a grin, knowing full well what Gale meant when he said it - rubbing in having a girl who was here in England to be held and kissed and shown off to advantage. But his arm remained around Cord's waist, one more good luck charm he shouldn't have gambled with and would not like to be without.

[steamishot]

T-22 days

8/18: plans changed -> hung out with just SC at her place

8/19: WFH together with LG at a cafe (my first time ever WFH at a cafe)

8/20: watch didi with matt

8/21: carbone lunch with matt

8/22: rubirosa and comedy cellar with matt

8/25: othership with T

8/26: switzerland

9/6: last dinner with T

9/7: last brunch with S&I

9/8: last hot pot dinner with LG

S & i decided to take a rain check on sunday. the initial plan was to go to A's place to visit her and her baby. however, because the commute is an hour long (includes train, bus, walking), i didn't want to risk being in a storm on the way home. there was 50% chance of rain during the day and the heavy storm was scheduled to start in the evening/night.

instead, we hung out at her apartment. got to use the pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. i'm feeling lighter about the move, so it was really nice to have girl time. i hope we have more opportunities for 1:1 time in the future, instead of only with our SOs.

LG cooked me a fantastic italian dinner on friday. it was probably the most "romantic" gesture someone has ever done for me in the kitchen LOL. she had just returned from italy and made zucchini pasta with freshly grated cheese, and two types of crostinis. i was surprised by the amount of effort she put in, given that we've only really seen each other <10x. however, she seems overall like a high effort type of person. i was impressed by how well she maintained her apartment despite only being in NYC half the time. and at age 40, she started ceramics, signed up for swimming lessons at the YMCA, and just told me she's also doing a local spanish language learning class. i have admiration for her and definitely think "i wanna be like her when i'm 40".

i'm now feeling like a visitor on an extended vacation. i'm grateful to share these special moments with new(-ish) friends. a lot of the times while i was here, i really yearned for the comfort of old friends/family. however, now that i'm leaving, i know i will sort-of miss being uncomfortable LOL. i think i'll definitely incorporate some of my NYC lifestyle into my new LA lifestyle (i.e. putting myself out there more instead of staying in my comfort zone). i'm happy to have made 3 solid friendships (S, T, K) during my time here, and hopefully LG and i continue to keep in touch.

matt's work: he just completed his last day (night) at work last night! he's been in a much happier mood recently. things have been less chaotic and calmer since the job search ended. he'll have the next 1.5 months off before starting his new gig. i don't love that we'll most likely be together 24/7 from now until moving back, like literally <10 ft apart. but it is the last hurrah of surviving in a studio together for 4 years!

my work: work hasn't been overly busy, but has been constant. i may be PMSing but i fear that i've been coming off mean/condescending to A who i am still training. i'm trying my best to not let my frustration spill out in my emails and to continue giving her grace. sometimes i question if i'm expecting too much from someone new. this gave me a taste of what being in management may look like.

ceramics: i considered making more bowls and asking the studio or LG to ship it to me in LA if they aren't fired in time. i tried throwing on saturday and my mojo is gone. i decided i won't make any more things, but can go in and practice (maybe). i plan on buying one ceramics piece made by someone else in the studio as a souvenir.

fridge cleaning: we're keeping the contents in the fridge to a minimum and cleaning out the freezer. yesterday, i made an oxtail beef noodle soup. today, i'm making fish congee with the leftover frozen rice.

grocery stores: i used to always go to TJ, but have recently transitioned away from it. there would always be so many people (3 lines) and the process just became completely over stimulating to me. my fav grocery stores now are mr. beet and whole foods. i really like mr. beet for no frills produce. it's about a 20 min walk so it's an excuse to get steps in. i'm a fan of whole foods now for seafood and certain fruits/cheeses!

[myownprivatcidaho]

one advantage of nobody on here knowing me is i can ask yall to wish me luck in qualifying for a lifeguard certification course while knowing ill feel minimal shame if/when i dont pass ghe precourse