A Little Young For That

[Jason Campbell]

Jason was still able to remember when he was a mere student at Bellefonte, a boy from Kalispell, just waiting for the chance to visit a bar. He actually never did back then, as he left town before he ever was old enough to get in. He didn’t have that problem anymore. Now, he could go wherever he liked. Of course, this made the whole idea of going to a bar slightly less interesting. Slightly. Because enjoying a beer without feeling totally alone compensated for the lack of thrill breaking the rules could give.

Jason usually went to the bar closest to his home. It was not the main appeal of this establishment but it sure was a reason why Jason started to become some sort of regular of the place. He went there after work, feeling the need to unwind. He should probably eat something too, and he would later. Anyway, he was not planning on spending the whole evening there, just a few minutes before he’ll go back to his life. At least it was his intention but when he arrived, he saw someone trying to get in. Someone he wasn’t quite sure should. Someone who obviously was also tempted by the whole forbidden aspect of it.

“Aren’t you a little young for trying this?” he asked as he neared them. He might be wrong but he could swear this was just a student. And no doubt anyone who’d serve alcohol would think the same.

[Rob Snow]

Rob pulled his mouth off the bottle and turned to look at the guy talking to him. He couldn't quite remember the last time that someone had called him out for being young. Yeah, he did sort of look it: the baby face only had a little bit of fuzz on it, mostly left because Rob and razors didn't always see eye to eye.

"Technically speaking," he tilted the bottle and closed one eye, "no one should really be too young to be trying this stuff. Pretty sure that it's something you either do or don't," he took another sip then set the bottle down, "but if it makes you feel any better: I passed twenty one a while ago. Need to pull out my ID for you?"

Rob waited a moment, still smirking, before laughing and extending the hand not holding a bottle. "Name's Rob, and sorry if I'm giving you shit, but you are kinda asking for it."

[Jason Campbell]

When looking at his face up close, the guy did seem to be, maybe, the right age. Barely, at the very least. But he wouldn’t be the first teenager with a bit of hair on his chin making him look older if he was not. Jason himself grew some hair rather quickly and maybe could have come to a pub for a drink despite not being quite the right age. Not that he ever did it. He had been too serious to see the point. And he had friends then who weren’t over using fake IDs to buy beer that he could then steal from them while studying. There certainly had nothing about Jason Campbell that looked as though he enjoyed clubbing, not even when he was a college student.

The young man still assured him to be of legal age and Jason raised a hand as he shook his head. “I’m not the one who should really bother about this, the bartender is,” he replied. After all, it was not Jason who’d end up in trouble for serving alcohol to a minor. He first thought that he took offense in this old guy, because no doubt he was an old guy now if not in age at least in mind, asking if he could drink. But he laughed and extended a hand that Jason shook. “Jason. It’s fine, I’m sorry if I sounded like I was not minding my own business. I’m dealing enough with people and their bad decisions, especially teenagers, that I see it everywhere, I guess.” He gave Rob a small smile after his words. Well, at least now he wouldn’t have to worry about it. He didn’t care about looking at the guy’s ID, really. First of all, because it was not his business but also because it could easily be faked. Again, not really his problem.

He sat at the seat next to Rob, more because he didn’t feel like going elsewhere, but if the young man felt uncomfortable having him around, Jason wouldn’t mind leaving. He still had a brief look at him as he ordered a beer as well. For someone who was twenty-one, he sure had a lot of tattoos. He had nothing against tattoos, except perhaps those done with infected needles, but the design of them on one’s skin was of no bother to him. He had none himself but it had more to do with him not knowing what he could possibly have tattooed on his skin than being against those.

[Rob Snow]

Yeah, it definitely was the bartender's worry. Rob bobbed his head at that, thoroughly agreeing, though he could understand someone wanting to look out for the younger crowd and make sure they didn't do anything too wild. Not that Rob was one of those himself, but he could understand.

Jason didn't really sound like a stiff, old-guy name though. Rob studied the other guy a bit more, and had to chuckle at the continuation. "yeah, this place does seem to be a hot-spot for teenagers," Rob admitted, looking around. "Seems like everywhere I go I end up bumping into them," he took another pull of his drink. "Probably because I go to the uni," he tilted his drink in the general direction of Bellefonte.

"Also a musician," Rob offered, nodding, "and itinerant traveler who's usually better at talking to people than this," he had to finish with a slightly rueful smile directed at the other guy. Rob just needed to figure out how to twist his charm to work for someone he didn't plan on seducing, which always took some mental doing.

[Jason Campbell]

Jason really had to learn to mind his own business. Had he not learn in big cities that it was best just not to care what was happening in your neighbour’s house? Just because this town was smaller did not make it less true, even if some people around here were more neighbourly than others. He did enough good work to this town without having to be a concerned citizen. They tended to be annoying most of the time and he just proved it.

He looked around, wondering if the boy was just making fun of him or if there really was a lot of teenagers trying to get in. He supposed it was not the ‘favoured’ spot but he figured a bar was a bar and as long as there was some music and alcohol, it really was all a teenager might want. Jason actually couldn’t really tell as he never broke the rules when he had been one. “Oh, college?” He was aware there was one but he couldn’t help also think of Bellefonte. Not everyone here was a mutant however so he chose not to mention it, or ask what college he was going to. How many others could there be really, other than the two he knew of?

And he was a musician. That guy was definitely amongst the cool ones, those who probably never even knew Jason existed when he was a student. Maybe not the most popular, it really depended on how famous he was with his music. That was something Jason was not likely to know however. “But you were forced to stop your wandering if you go to college,” he pointed out as he called himself an itinerant traveler. He had a light chuckle and gave the younger man a smile. “That’s probably me. Sorry about that.”

[Rob Snow]

Rob bobbed his head. "Aye, for now, and yes, I have set down roots in the area," he took another sip of his drink. "Figured that I'd done the forced to be somewhere for years thing, then the roaming the world bit, so it was time to try picking somewhere and finding things out. Plus," he looked at Jason, smiling, "it's supposed to be all kinds of interesting and entertaining around these parts."

He chuckled, moving to set her glass down and shifting it slightly. "Well, you ain't exactly my type, but that don't mean we can't drown our woes together," he gestured for more drinks to appear, handing over some of the necessary money to pay for the other guy's drink. Rob took a drink and set it down before leaning over semi-conspiratorially. "So," he said in a semi-hushed voice, "you hear about how interesting things are here? I swear, this would be a might easier with a secret handshake."

He held up his hand, three fingers down to try and spell out a "M" and wiggled it slightly before chuckling and taking another swig of the beer.

[Jason Campbell]

Jason had never felt that desire to roam the world as the young man said. He never even had this wish to go on a trip across the States or Europe before going to med school. Jason tended to grow roots fast and once that was done, it was actually hard to get him out of there. Maybe that explained why he chose to stay in Kalispell after he came back. He was not sure. He liked to think it was to try and fix things with his brother as well as the opportunity to help mutants in a little less than sneaky way. But that was ground for roots too, so maybe it was just his nature that jumped at the excuse to return here.

He chuckled, actually surprised about his words. “I had no idea Kalispell could be considered that. I figured New York or L.A. were more the places people would want to go to for entertainment,” he told him. He didn’t think it was dull. It was kind of the suburbs. Those who loved a busy city lifestyle would find it boring but he liked it. Then again, Jason had never been one to enjoy the city lifestyle, even when he lived in a city.

When he pointed out Jason not being his type, the man wondered if he thought he came here to hit on him. “I was not trying to hit on you,” he felt like mentioning, just in case. Not flirting here, really. He didn’t want to point out not being gay though, in case the guy was. Sometimes, words didn’t come out right and he didn’t want to offend him.

His brows arched up. Was he meaning what he thought he was meaning about the interesting things in Kalispell? He then mentioned a secret handshake. Yes, he must mean what he thought he meant. “I know about that,” he answered. Too cryptic? “You often end up talking of this with strangers? I thought it was something we preferred to keep between ourselves.” Not that he saw any particular reason for one not to choose to do otherwise. The world sort of learned about them during the last year. It was kind of an open secret now.

[Rob Snow]

Rob's head bobbed as Jason mentioned New York and L.A. "Aye, but not for certain types," he replied, tapping a finger to his nose in a knowing gesture. He'd heard the rumors and the streams, all pointing this way. Something was going to be happening in Kalispell, in Bellefonte, soonish. or maybe Rob was just misreading things: a mere pawn of Fate who would just be moved around the board without ever accomplishing anything of real note.

The hit on comment had Rob laughing lightly and shaking his head. "Wouldn't mind if you were. Just a compliment, especially with you gabbing about my age," he added a wink and took another pull of his drink.

and so they circled back around to talk about things. Rob swallowed, then set his glass down. "Normally," Rob said, "though you'd be surprised. Been a few places where they don't seem to mind. 'course," he smiled at Jason, "I have one of those gifts that seems to have earned the word. no curses here," he rapped his knuckles on the bar, then leaned over. "'sides, didn't we exchange the secret sign somewhere in there? Or do you suppose other people would know what I was gabbing about instead of just thinking me rightfully loonie?"

[Jason Campbell]

Jason took a moment to think on what the young man said. The nightlife had never interested Jason all that much, even when he was a younger adult. He did drink and attended some parties during college but never sought the heavily crowded and noisy bars and clubs. Then again, he doubted anyone ever expected him to go to such a place. A quieter town like Kalispell offered enough entertainment for him with bars like this one. “Yes, you’re right about that,” he admitted. He didn't think it was in any way related to mutants or the school.

He didn't seem offended or anything on the fact that Jason might have been hitting on him only to assure him he was not. Jason had a light laugh in response. “And here I thought you’d say I was too old for you anyway,” he replied. This was, however, as far as he was ready to go on the subject without it going awkward. If this young man was gay and/or was interested by older people, it was not Jason who would judge. He’ll ignore it, as he should.

Maybe. Yes, maybe there were places where people minded less. He didn’t think the mutant population of Kalispell was oppressed or anything. But it was like being homosexual or black, you don’t want people to judge you based on that, as you were so much more than what genetic made you. He claimed he had a power that was not considered a curse. Jason understood that, for he had one like this as well. Should people ever decide to make war to mutants, he was more likely to stay alive as they could see a use to his ability.

Jason was again amused by the way he talked. “The school is not really a secret or at least it’s an open one around here. I don’t know about secret sign but you read it well if there was one.”

[Rob Snow]

Yes, right: Rob had only been around town for a short while and he was already aware of how different this place was than most. It should be like every other moderate sized US town, especially given its place in Montana. Instead, it had a sort of freewilling, nearly liberated feeling to it. Rob had this feeling that the whole mutant thing was starting to crack open even clearer here than it had been lately, and he wanted to be around when that happened.

Until then, he'd stick to gabbing with strangers in bars. "Well, age is mostly a set of numbers," Rob replied, tapping his fingers. "So long as someone's got a clear mind and acts a certain way," Rob shrugged, then grinned and looked over at Jason. "Though not sagging's definitely a plus." The young redhead saluted with his drink before taking another pull and setting it down.

School wasn't a secret: rob figured that much out. It reminded him of his earlier thoughts. "Place doesn't feel like a smallish town in Montana, does it?" He asked, looking back. "'course if you're a homebody, you might not know, but this place," he gestured, then looked around, "it feels different... kind of magnetic, should be interestin', to say the least." And another pull of the drink.

[Jason Campbell]

Some people might be fiercely against mutants but there would always be more tolerant ones to moderate their hatred. Without telling everyone of his mutant nature, Jason still felt more free here than he had in other towns, despite the fact that the larger a city was the less neighborly she seemed to get. He didn’t mean by that that it grew more dangerous but that people cared about themselves and little of the man living right next to them. There was a lot of that too around here but to a lesser level. Besides, living so close to Bellefonte, the people of Kalispell were the best placed to realise mutants were not nearly as dangerous as some liked to pretend.

Jason didn't think he was that old or that much older than Rob but he did have a younger look about him whereas Jason looked a few years older than he really happened to be. He had a quiet laugh after what Rob said. “I don’t think I’m that old,” he admitted over the saggy comment. He raised his glass with Rob and preferred to leave it at that. He already made clear that he did not come here to flirt with the young man, or any other man, and didn’t wish to keep going about this. It would only make it sound like, in the end, he might be.

It was interesting and unusual for Jason to hear someone talk like this of his hometown. “I was born here. I don’t know if I can say anything about something magnetic around this place but I did come back so I suppose I cannot argue with you here.” Jason drank before looking at the redhead again. “Is that why you returned? There are plenty of colleges around the US.”

[Rob Snow]

"Don't look that old either," Rob supplied, adding a little nod. He might not particularly want to woo the man into his bed, but the compliments still fell easily from his tongue. Rob was fairly certain he couldn't stop complimenting folks even if someone put a gun to his head and made harsh commands.

Besides, always great to put someone in a good mood, especially if you were going to be hanging around and drinking with said someone, which seemed to be the set of circumstances in which they'd found themselves. Jason confessed to being a hometown boy, interesting enough, and Rob wondered if he shouldn't press and see if there was something more there he should be looking into.

he had to laugh at the word "returned", shaking his head. "Weren't ever here afore," He pointed out, adding a little more of that lilting accent of his. "Most pick up on it thanks to the accent. M'tongue bounces and picks up flavors wherever I be, and ah reckon ah can slide quite easily from tone to tone given 'alf da chance dere. But dis place be one o' de interestin' ones, non?" He clicked his tongue and let out another chuckle before stopping the accent slide, instead speaking in a near match for the flat Montana dialect: "From Britain originally. Spent a few years wandering around. Why I'm not as far along in my studies as I should be for a guy my age." He saluted with his drink before taking a pull.

[Jason Campbell]

Jason was actually glad to hear from someone his age that he did not look that old. Teenagers and some young adult had a way of sounding terribly insulting by calling anyone about thirty old. They didn’t seem to realise it. To them, twenty to twenty-five were the golden years, anyone above that was old. Jason and those his age probably said something similar to their parents at the time. Still, it felt good, even thought this was no flirt, to be told he didn’t look so old. Jason was heterosexual, this guy had no chance with him. But that didn't stop Jason from liking him a little more now. At least enough not to move a few seats away to drink alone like he first thought he would be.

Jason did not pick accents. He barely picked up slangs. This young man however seemed to have this talent and showed it to him. He nodded as he admitted being from Britain originally. Made sense then that he had not been here before, although some British people were at Bellefonte right now. Jason had been sipping on his beer but he took the time to shake his head as he replaced his mug on the counter. “On the contrary. It’s the best moment to ‘wander around’, explore different avenues. In a few years, people will look at your thinking you are too old for this,” he assured him. Jason didn’t mind at all if Rob was late in his studies in comparison to other people his age. Maybe he had less academic experience but he must have a lot more life experience and, in the end, it was what mattered the most.

“It’s not bad your trick to pick up accents. Every time I try one, it sounds more like I’m insulting the locals,” he told him after a moment. He didn’t really know what they could be talking much about. He was not the kind to ask about powers, even after knowing that someone was a mutant. And since Jason was as far as it was possible from a loving, carefree, wandering British college student, he failed to see what they could have in common.

[Rob Snow]

"So they say, but it's usually the older wanderers who know what paths to take," Rob replied gamely enough, offering another wink and taking another pull of his drink before leaving it for the more intriguing conversation. Strange how the whole mutant thing really did seem to hit everyone, wasn't it? This guy was clearly not someone who spent his days talking to tattooed youngsters with a hint of everywhere on their tongues and a roguish way of looking at the world. The nearly stiff reply about accents had Rob chuckling and shaking his head.

"Most people really like Americans anyway. You types are known for being loud and friendly," he said, before reaching over to tap the older man on the back. "You actually act a bit more like a British chap though: all stiff upper lip and what. I'm betting that your occupation matches, eh? See, I'm a musician," he nodded and gestured to himself, then to Jason, "and I'm wagering you're something more respectable, like a banker or a teacher."

And Rob did pride himself on being pretty good at figuring something like that out too. He even smiled expectantly at Jason now, waiting for that inevitable confirmation.

[Jason Campbell]

Jason was not exactly a ‘wanderer’. He preferred to stay in one place. But he could understand it was not the case of everyone. This boy, whether it was just a passing thing or his true nature, wanted to explore the world and what it had to offer. He could not condemn that as this was a good thing. Besides, he was not that boy’s father, obviously or he would have had him at a very young age, none of what he said should be of concern to him. Yeah, Jason knew that never stopped people from judging or you to be affected by their comments. “People usually prefer a more structured lifestyle. There is something scary in wandering that not everyone finds attractive,” Jason replied, leaving to the boy to determine in which category he fell.

“I wouldn’t say I’m very loud, but I don’t mind being friendly at all,” Jason said as he thought of this. It was how people seemed to consider Americans, or at least the nice words they could have about Americans. He offered a brief smile to the young man. He was a little surprised to hear he looked more like a British guy. Except for the accent of course. He couldn’t help a smile and even a light chuckle to come out as he tried to guess his occupation. As for Rob, musician seemed to fit a ‘wanderer’. “You got the respectable right,” he pointed out, waiting a moment for him to get that the rest was wrong. “I’m a doctor.”