Ace
Location: Off Duty Level - The Pit
Date: April 22, 2014
Summary: Chance returns to the Pit.
As logged by Ace - Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 7:07 PM
Off Duty Level - The Pit[]
This expanse of rooms serves as the mess hall base wide and the off-duty lounge. Personnel can eat meals at scheduled mealtimes or use a self-preparation area for off-hours snacking and meals.
On the other side of a movable partition is the rec lounge. The lounge has a 60" plasma screen TV with DVD player and VCR and a small selection of movies. It also has overstuffed couches and chairs everywhere, and low tables for people to set their food on while they watch. There are also outlets for laptops, and a few computers, hooked to the unsecured line for people to read email and web surf. These public computers bear a notice which says not to install software randomly, and if people want video games, to get computers in their own rooms.
Ace is in the off-duty lounge, watching the 1943 black-and-white movie "Air Force."
Chance comes shuffling in. While he had returned to America a few weeks ago, his leave was not over until in a few days. He looked well tanned, quite relaxed, with an odd bulge along the back of his T-shirt at the lower back, moving a bit gingerly. He pauses and sees the big images on the TV and wanders up behind Ace to observe that "... What show is THAT?"
Ace looks up, and smiles. "Hey, Chance. It's a movie called Air Force... a real classic."
Chance blinks "I'll say. It's in Black and White." he remarks and leans over the couch a bit to watch "What's been happening lately around the Pit? Still catching up on reports from the past month and a half. I figure the rumor mill is faster and more accurate." he grins.
Ace looks up. "Preparations to move into Frusenland, mostly. Cobra's moved in and are claiming to be peacekeepers, but we're not buying it. We're just waiting for the word to move in and kick them out."
Chance grimaces. "You'd think after all these years people would realize they never actually do anything but invade huh? Part of Humanitarian efforts should include a bullet-point list of all past incidences of Cobra 'moving in to keep the peace' and then taking over brutally." he grunts.
Ace nods. "Their efforts against the Decepticons have redeemed them in the public's eye, but don't worry - we're not fooled, and we're not going to let them get away with taking over another peaceful country."
Chance shakes his head "Ugh. Like one incident really forgives all of that. " he sighs and then continues "And what about around the pit itself? " as he talks, he walks around the couch to sit down, but winces as he abruptly, out of habit, leans back on the couch.
Ace smiles. "The usual. Barbecue brought in some more Easter baskets like last year... some pranks by Airtight and Slipstream -- no real juicy scuttlebutt lately."
Chance ooohs at that "Are there any baskets left?" he asked hopefully "I was getting one last thing done on leave, so I had enough time for it to heal."
Ace says, "I thi -- heal? What happened? Throw your back out having too much fun?"
Chance laughs a little bit and grins cheekily "They had an on-ship masseuse. But no... I finally got a tattoo to cover up that mess the Decepticon made on my back. Its a bit stereotypical of an American soldier but hey, it works. When the bandages come of I'll let you take a look."
Ace nods. "Ah. I can't wait to see it."
He struggles off the couch after sitting too long, and heads into the small kitchenette.
Chance nods "I think it'll pass the test." he watches Ace clamber up and moves to pause the movie for the pilot. "Part of me didn't want to come back admittedly. The Mediterranean is nice."
Ace opens a cabinet, and pulls out an Easter basket wrapped in pink cellophane. He turns back to Chance. "Thanks -- and I don't blame you."
Chance blinks at that and grins, taking the basket "Rocking! Thanks." he notes, carefully starting to undo the little ribbon tie. "Yeah. But A) I am obligated to, legally, and B) I signed on for a reason, and I can't really just up and disappear. I'll keep it in mind for retirement though."
Ace smiles. "Retirement?"
Chance remarks "I intend to only make the other guy die for his country. Prepare for the worse, but hope for the best, right? " he frowns at the basket "Not the same without Kinder Eggs."
Ace asks, "Kinder Eggs? And I was mostly referring to the fact that most Joes take advantage of the special dispensation against forced retirement... most of us have been around FOREVER, with nary a promotion, no less. G.I. Joe is a military career killer." He grins.
Chance ohhs "I see." he remarks, looking sheepish, then explains "Kinder Eggs are banned in the States... in Canada, they're chocolate eggs with plastic capsules with little cheap toys in them. And I forgot about that, about GI Joe. Course, Grandpa retired... kind of. Course, I have to ask about that 'forever' thing, cause while I can't peek at personnel files, some of you should be ... sixty? But you look not a day over thirty most of you."
Ace says, "If Cobra really wanted to figure out who was a G.I. Joe, they'd just look at who's been in the military for 30 years and are still a Sergeant. On paper, we're the worst soldiers in the entire military."
He smiles at Chance's remark. "I have plastic surgery to thank, but some of us use a chemical compound Cobra developed to reverse or halt the process of aging. I don't trust it, but some of us have been using it for years with no bad effects... I don't think the FDA will ever approve it for widespread use, however."
Chance blinks at that. "Jeez.." he states "Its not mandatory I hope. I wouldn't trust it at all." he notes, somewhat startled "Someone told me something like that, although they didn't say you had to KEEP using it." he finds a pixie Stix.
Ace shakes his head. "Definitely not mandatory, and yeah... if you stop using it, the effects wear off and you start aging normally again... although I don't think you go back to your true age immediately, or else some of the Joes would melt like the bad guys in Indiana Jones...
Chance winces "That show traumatized me as a child. I refused to watch anything with Ford in it until I was eighteen." he remarks and bites the tip of the stix of, and subtly drops it into the garbage can "Sounds like there's still a lot to learn about the Joes, huh?"
Ace grins. "We're full of secrets, but I'm sure you'll learn most things eventually. Just how is your grandfather, anyway?"
Chance grins "Doing fine last I heard. He bore out the winter well. Honestly no clue if he's still hanging around or if he went home again. Rest of the family is doing fine too - I missed Easter with them but eh, that's ok. I had enough of Easters with them as a kid."
Ace nods. "I was here, buried in paperwork, but Barbecue did his best to make things festive before he left for Boston.
"I got to take part in some cool festivals over in Europe. I have pictures... GOOD pictures, mind." Chance joked with a grin "And souvenirs for people. Because I'm not rich, I got most people post cards."
Ace smiles. "I think most of us would be appreciative."
Chance chuckles "And another video to release too. I met some famous people too overseas. Almost got 'kidnapped' to go to the Olympics, but politely declined.
Ace hehs. "That's too bad. You should have gone!"
He smiles, settling back on the couch, but checking his watch.
Chance shakes his head "Nah. I didn't really want to. We did have an Olympic party on the ship though." he follows Ace back "It was a lot of good fun and stuff. Everyone was pretty good, though a few people got a bit TOO into it. And arguments over which sports to watch. You got a free drink depending if your country got a medal or not that day."
Ace smiles. "Cool. Sounds like a good time."
He leaves the movie paused to focus on his conversation with Chance.
Chance gestures "Shall we finish watching? I don't want you to have to leave early."
Ace grins. "Yeah, if you're interested. I have a date tonight, so I have to get ready soon."
Chance nods "Oh, don't let me stop you then." he remarks "And nice to hear! "
Ace settles back, and resumes the movie. In a climatic scene, the protagonist's B-17D bomber "Mary-Ann" flies into the Japanese aerial attack on Pearl Harbor!
Chance looks up, and then blinks, staring at the screen a long moment, then relaxes "... Not historically accurate I assume?"
Ace looks over, tearing his attention away from a movie he's already seen several times. "Well, no, but this was made in the aftermath of the attack, and was one of the first patriotic movies of World War II.
Chance ahhs at that and falls silent again, finishing of the pixie stix as he tucks the empty container back into the basket for now.
Ace gives Chance a smile, and then goes back to watching the movie before his date.