Seize The Day

Carlos nodded his head slowly, "Sort of. He basically convinced me and I was kind of an idiot and followed him" the curly haired man explained. It was embarrassing and Carlos hoped that his mentor wouldn't think too much less of him, "Well, I had already canceled my lease and planned the move so" he shrugged. Then, when asked if his ex was a mentor Carlos nodded, "Yeah, and now that I think of it that's probably why some of the mentors are being such dicks" he observed. He smiled when his mentor complimented his hair, "Thanks for that" his hand raked through his hair, "It'll take awhile to grow back, but you're right. Maybe the buzzcut won't be so horrible" he tried to convince himself. Carlos knew it would likely be inevitable and maybe it would keep the mentors off his case. "I go to the gym, just not extreme sports like you" he countered with a smirk. Then Carlos asked, "So I'm your first cadet?" with a smug grin, "Does that mean I get special privileges since I didn't get a seasoned mentor?" he teased, not wanting to pry about his mentor's situation.

Chaz nods, even if it still isn’t all that clear. He wonders what prompted the break up, but doesn’t pry. “That doesn’t make you an idiot.” He chewed on his bottom lip. “You were just following your heart?” Chaz knew what that felt like, and he imagines the young guy must be hurt by it. The mentor nods at the explanation. “That’s rough, but you’re not alone here. You got me, and I can take care of those mentors.” He puts his arm around the other’s shoulders. “No offense, but if that’s true… then your ex is an ass.” He says carefully. “None of that has ever called your attention?” Chaz questions. Since Chaz can remember, he’s always loved adventure and doing crazy stuff. He doesn’t do it that often. Like, he's only skydived twice before, but whenever he can, he goes for it. “Yeah, my first one. So, I have high hopes for us.” He jokes. “Well, it’s going to be a learning experience for both of us, so I can’t say I’ll go too hard on you. But what kind of special privileges are you thinking?” Chaz chuckles. 

Carlos shook his head, "He wasn't my ex at the time, actually. And it kind of made sense to me. I needed a change in my career and I thought I'd have my ex to mentor me" he rambled a bit, hoping that he wasn't oversharing to the older male. Carlos then shrugged, "I know. Some of the mentors here are....." he paused, "...it kind of seems like they get off on the power" Carlos suggested. "If I had known my hair would grab so much negative attention I would have had it cut before now probably" Carlos explained, though he didn't love the idea. "I mostly helped curate the collections at the gallery, but I was into photography for awhile" he continued, "I'm honestly not much of a sports and outdoor guy, but that's impressive" Pablo smiled, relaxing a bit now that his mentor didn't seem so scary after all. "Oh? How did that happen?" he asked about Chaz being convinced to come here.

“Oh.” He understands. “So, you planned this together… And then things went south.” That sounded complicated. “Was it too late to back out of it? Did your ex still come as a mentor?” Mostly he is asking because he’s nosey. It was an awkward situation all around, and Chaz would hate to be in it. He nods at Carlos' words. The mentor can’t deny some of them seem to be on a power trip, but he doesn’t say much else. Reminding himself that those are his peers. “Your hair is honestly great. They just need something to pick at.” The mentor tries to comfort. “It’ll grow back. Probably even better than before. If that’s even possible.” He chuckles. “I see. How does one get into that?” He asks curiously. “How do you stay in shape?” Chaz wonders. “Well, I know someone who also came to the academy, and they didn’t want to go through it alone. Told me about being a mentor. It wasn’t a hard sell, since this sounds like the kind of thing I enjoy doing.” Not the mentoring part, but he wasn’t going to tell Carlos that.

Dirk laughed as he shook his head, "Dude, it's the mystery that gets them good" he couldn't help but smirk as he folded his arms across his chest. Being a mentor was stressful so Dirk took any chance he could get to enjoy the process. Sure, he wouldn't actually buzz a cadets head with his ball trimmer, but seeing an annoying cadet's reaction was priceless. "Bro, it's not even that difficult. Usually it changes from year to year but it's just a muddy obstacle course mixed with some type of endurance component. They'll probably show us mentors at some point" he explained. Dirk wasn't the nurturing type, but he remembered what it was like his first year as a mentor, "I'm sure you'll do a good enough job" his hand rested over the other man's shoulder as he continued, "Pretty hard to fuck it up. Just don't be some mentor who gets walked all over. The cadets can smell weakness" he joked.

Chaz offers a chuckle. “So, do you actually mess with the cadets, or just their head?” He imagines some sort of pranking or tomfoolery goes on at some point, but he can agree with Dirk. The mind games are probably  a worse way to mess with them. “An obstacle course…” He repeats. “Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad bro.” He sounds fun, actually. Like something he’d like to give a try. Chaz had been expecting something a little more challenging, for some reason. “Yeah, I’m sure too.” Though that is mostly his positive thinking. “If I have any questions, I’ll be sure to come find you.” He mentions casually, though he hopes the guy will continue to offer his wisdom. He laughs at the final words. “Yeah, I don’t doubt it. I’m sure I’ll meet some real shitheads at some point. So, what do the mentors do for fun around here?”

Dylan nodded his head slowly before explaining, "It's just like a deep conditioner" he went on explaining, figuring that the other wouldn't be able to follow, "basically it keeps your hair from getting dried out and makes it soft" the cadet finished. His eyes caught a glimpse of the mentor looking at him perhaps a bit longer than he would have expected and Dylan smirked at the thought of a mentor finding him attractive. "Gotta keep the flow, flowing" Dylan teased as he took one of the towels and wrapped it around his waist. Then he took the other and wrapped it around his head carefully so his hair could dry, "I was told I should have gotten a haircut before coming here since the workouts are intense but I ran out of time" he made a face, feeling slightly bad that the other didn't have a towel. "If you want one of my towels you'll have to take it" he teased.

Chaz raises a brow. “Why would you do a deep conditioning if your hair is going to be buzzed off?” Mostly, he is thinking out loud. Hair care felt like too much for Chaz to handle. He is okay with his dry, rough hair, even if it has no life to it. He crosses his arms, as he continues air drying in the showers. Fully nude, but what else can he do? “Right.” He comments, as the cadet seems to show off using both his towels. “Let me guess, you were too busy with other conditioning masks?” He’s joking, a light sardonic tone in his voice. “Wow, one of your now damp towels? You’re so generous.” He chuckles, but Chaz hears the challenge and he can’t back down. Running his hand through his hair, he pushes it back. Then moves off the wall, and towards the towel resting over Dylan’s hips.

Dirk shrugged his shoulders, "Look, I never said I didn't clean the trimmer" he said with a bit of a devious smirk, "that's probably breaking a bunch of health codes if I didn't. I'm not a total animal" Dirk teased. He could tell the other was thoughtful in his approach to being a mentor and Dirk remembered his first year when he had tried to be a chill mentor. Then a few unruly cadets later and Dirk was a bit more tough. "They freak out about the buzz. Usually I buzz mine off too around this time to help my cadet embrace it" he explained. Dirk then thought for a moment about the question he was asked, "Dude, honestly one year I won the cadet bowl and that was pretty sweet. The other perk is knowing that you whipped some brat into shape" he said jokingly. Then he answered Chaz's other question, "They just get kicked out. I had a cadet one year who refused the buzz and wouldn't work out so he got sent back home" Dirk recalled. Then he asked Chaz, "What made you become a mentor?"

Chaz lets out a laugh while shaking his head. “I’d rather not even know it had touched your balls.” Ignorance was bliss, as they say. He still thinks the whole thing is funny, and is certain Dirk isn’t actually using his pube buzzer for the cadets. Even if some of them would turn out to be little shits either way, but Chaz operated on the belief that everyone was good deep down. His experience here would either shatter that belief, or reinforce it. That was to be determined. The new mentor took Dirk’s words as an idea. He wondered if he should offer to buzz his hair in solidarity with his cadet. “What’s this cadet bowl about, anyway? Is the competition the same every year?” He has very little information on that, being the new mentor. He loves a good competition though, and he’s up for the challenge. Chaz was expecting something a little more exciting for punishments, but he supposes it goes hand in hand with the whole no-nonsense of the military. “Damn.” Is all he says. “Uh, well.. I thought it’d be a good experience. I was looking for a change of pace, someone told me about this and thought what the hell. I don't have any big reason. I've never had to mentor anyone before, so we'll see how it goes.”

Dylan tried not to check out Chaz as he finished washing himself. Then the cadet turned off his shower and said, "Look, air drying is not the best for your hair if you want volume. Plus, I just did a hair mask" Dylan explained, "And after having to stuff my hair into a cap today at the gym I need all the help I can get." Dylan certainly prided himself on his appearance and perhaps was a bit fussy. The news about having to have his hair buzzed off hadn't yet been something he had been told. After a moment of seeing the other stand there cold and naked, a part of him felt bad that the other needed a towel. "But if you really want I can figure something out" he smirked.

The look of confusion is clear on the mentor’s face. Like he is learning something new that he can’t quite comprehend. Although, he is sure Dylan knows what he’s talking about, so he believes it. “Good to know, I guess.” He wonders if his hair could use some volume, but doesn’t ask. Though he's comfortable enough to be conversing naked in the showers, he doesn’t want to get roasted for his lack of hair maintenance. “What is the hair mask for?” Chaz thinks out loud, as he’s both amazed and confused by the commitment. The guy is clearly good looking, Chaz is also casually checking out his body, but trying to be discreet about it. “Like, you’re going to go find me one?” Although, the smirk has him second guessing. Part of him wants to follow Dirk’s advice, and pull the mentor card, but that’s not really him.

Carlos was a bit relieved to find that his mentor seemed to be a lot more kind than all of the others he had run into and had heard about thus far. "Well, it's a long story..." Carlos started as he scratched the back of his head. He wasn't particularly proud of how or why he decided to come here, but he figured he would be honest and test his mentor to see if he would judge him for it, "My ex-boyfriend kind of convinced me to come here when I got laid off from my job" he added. Carlos felt a bit insecure that he didn't have some grandiose or selfless reason to come here. He smiled at the idea of Chaz looking into alternatives, "I mean, honestly, I get it if it has to happen" he offered, the idea of cutting his hair settling with him a bit more. "I think a few of the mentors were calling me out on my hair earlier now that I think of it..." he thought aloud, remembering a group of mentors calling him a mop. "I want to win it too" Carlos admitted, "Not sure it's possible, but I'll try" he flashed a smile. "Well, I used to work at an art gallery before coming here so I used to spend my nights in the studio when I wasn't at the bars. You?" he asked.

Chaz gives the cadet a nod. He’s not pushing the topic, but wants to be encouraging if the other decides to talk about it. “You’re close to your ex, like that?” Is his first question. The older man is here for a similar reason, which he finds funny, but doesn’t comment on it right away. “Were you interested in anything like this before that?” Chaz’s eyebrows furrow in a slight annoyance. He’s a little protective, like that. Especially with Carlos being his cadet. “Bro, that’s not cool at all.” Though he didn’t expect many of them to be, name calling just seemed childish. “We got this!” Hopefully, the competition has to do with mentors and cadets getting along, because at least they will have a leg up. “Cool, dude. You like to make art, yourself? Or are you just fascinated by it.” Like he knows some people were. “I enjoy outdoor activities like this. Camping, sports. I can be a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I like to do skydiving, and things like that.” He explains. “Oh, and by the way. I, too, came here because someone convinced me.” 

Carlos' eyes widened when the mentor mentioned that he had some information about him. "Yeah, I'm still a bit new to the whole military thing, but I think it'll be good" Carlos tried to keep a positive attitude as he sat down next to the other. "Oh..." Carlos trailed off when his mentor stated that the buzzcut was something expected for all new cadets. He knew it was unlikely he'd be able to dodge it, but his hair was a big part of his appearance. "Thanks, it's definitely a part time job to keep up" he smiled when Chaz complimented his hair, "I just can't imagine myself without it. Does that sound stupid?" he wondered aloud before sighing. Carlos had never really had his hair cut short before. "A competition sounds fun. I've always meant to try to get a more normal workout regimen too" he perked up a bit.

Chaz mentally kicks himself. He’s supposed to be trying to bond with the cadet, not weird him out. “But I’d still rather get to know you better in person.” He gives a warm smile. Chaz doesn’t want to be one of those hardass mentors. He actually wants to build a trusting relationship with the cadet, not something based on fear or whatever. “Honestly, so am I. How did you end up at Preston?” What he does know about the military is that they are sticklers for rules and don't make exceptions. Which is why he doesn't believe they’ll make one in Carlos’ case. “I bet it does.” Matching the cadet’s smile, he takes a moment to get a better look at Carlos. Despite his hair being his prominent feature, the guy has a lot of handsome attributes. A nice body and cute smile. “It really suits you, man. And doesn’t sound stupid.” He brings a hand up to Carlos’ shoulder. “Listen, let me ask about any alternatives. And we'll go from there.” Chaz said reassuringly. “I’m glad to hear you say that, because I have a real competitive side. And I wanna win this!” He laughs. “Awesome. Yeah, I don’t think it’s going to be hard to keep a regimen here. He’ll have time to relax and do other things too. What do you like to do for fun, by the way?” 

Dylan was in the shower after a long workout and had brought one towel in the shower bay for his body and then one to dry his hair. Standing under the water, he turned to the man who was now talking to him, "Oh, hey" he looked the other up and down quickly before looking back to his two towels, "I have two towels....but one isn't an extra. It's for my hair" the cadet explained as if this was common sense.

Chaz turns off the shower, when all the suds have been sprayed off. It’s not a total disaster. Worst case scenario he just has to wrap a dirty, wet towel around himself until he can find a dry one. So, he’s not panicking. Eyebrows furrow as Dylan explains his towel situation. Chaz’s first impression is that the stranger is one of those men that take care of themselves. Probably has a skin care routine, or something. Still, he can’t help the look on his face. “What ever happened to air drying your hair?” That’s when he realized he could just air dry himself. Sure, he'd be the weirdo hanging around in the showers, but oh well. "I mean, I won't mess with how you do your thing, but isn't air drying better?"

Carlos looked like a deer in headlights when he was suddenly greeted by someone who seemed to appear out of thin air. "Oh, hey" he flashed a slightly nervous smile, "I'm Carlos....But you probably know that" he rambled a little bit before the other dropped a whole lot of news on him. The Cadet Bowl concept was fully novel to him. He nearly gasped when Chaz mentioned buzzing his curls, "I'm sorry...what?" he asked, "Can I just tie it back or something?" he asked. Carlos was usually incredibly chill, but this news was a little bit jarring. "Not sure I am going to be ready for that anytime soon" he admitted, "Is there anything else I have to do?" Carlos asked, trying to find something he could agree to so his mentor wouldn't think he was difficult.

Chaz keeps his smile. “Cool. Nice to meet you, man. Yeah, I’ve gotten some information about you.” Truly, Chaz had skimmed the file, so Carlos was still more of a stranger. “Are you looking forward to the academy, overall?” He questions, offering the guy a seat so they can chat. The older man chews on his bottom lip. “Yeah… I can ask about that.” He highly doubts it, but he’s willing to try. “But I think it’s something they expect from all the cadets.” Chaz shrugs lightly. “Dude, your hair is pretty rad. I wouldn’t want it buzzed off either.” He mentions, trying to keep the convo light. “Well, I believe there’s a competition at the end of the month, and early morning workouts. Don’t worry, I’ll do those with you.”

Dirk had been a mentor for a few years now so he was confident about his tough practices with the cadets. He knew from experience that if you give cadets an inch they take a mile and make your life a living nightmare. Dirk laughed, "Yeah, man. I mean, they just make it too easy. Who gives a shit about a haircut" he looked over at the other, clocking that it was a new face. For a second he wondered if the other was a cadet until the other introduced himself, "Dude, this is my..." he scratched the back of his head, "Fifth year as a mentor?" he said, a bit in disbelief. "Welcome, bro. I'm Dirk" he patted the other on the back. "You have to really assert your place from day one your first year or else they walk all over you" he commented.

Chaz doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into yet, but he will soon find out. He’s been given some information about his cadet, and luckily the guy doesn’t sound as rough around the edges as some he has come across. Not that he’s going to trust what’s on paper until he actually meets the man. “I mean, no one wants to be getting their hair buzzed and suddenly see a pube trail down their face.” He laughs. Yeah, the buzzcut is not a look Chaz is willing to go with, but he’d suck it up and do it. It would grow back. “Damn, dude. What do you enjoy most about doing this?” The bulky man asks. “Great to meet you, Dirk. Alright, good to know. What kind of punishment do these cadets get for breaking the rules, anyway?”

open starter. Location: Barracks Lounge @mentorstarterblog

Chaz has recently become a mentor at the academy. He's never been a part of anything like this, but he enjoys keeping an active lifestyle, and works well with routines and structure. So, he is enjoying that part of it. He has never had to be a mentor before, and that part worries him. Specially after hearing the background of some of the cadets. Chaz laughs at Dirk's story. "Bro, that's terrible" But rather funny, which was evident in his laugh. "I mean, I'm sure a lot of them are already scared to begin with. How long have you been a mentor? I'm Chaz, new mentor."