Realistic or Modern Cold Water (Anim&Michi)

[Michi]

Dashed Olympic Dreams & A New Start in a new town. How will the story unfold? - davian

_________________________________

Dylan "Pickle" Hernandez

Age: 24
Height: 5'11
Body type: Average

Background:
Dylan is recently divorced and looking for a fresh start far away from where his previous life had been.

Married to his college sweetheart during their junior year after a mere seven months of dating everything had seemed to be falling into place easily as if it were a fairytale. They graduated, both found jobs near each other, had a cute little apartment together, and had dreams about being together forever and starting a family. When the honeymoon phase ended things quickly fell apart for them. No one knew if it was Dylan losing his job due to cutbacks or Marco's newfound love for heroin shortly after. It could have been both, but they knew quickly that they were very different people and they did not want to stay together if this was what they were like when things got hard.

After the divorce was finalized, Dylan knew he needed a new start. Somewhere where he didn't know anyone. Somewhere nice and quiet, but not too quiet.

 

[davian]

Ronan Wells
Age: 24
Height: 6'2"
Body type: Slim and fit

Background:
Ronan (or Ron, as his friends call him), has earned his degree and established himself in his career, but now feels like he is missing something.

As soon as he learned how to swim, he was hooked on it. All throughout his childhood and school years he trained and competed as a swimmer. He was quite talented, to the point where he was given a full scholarship for it. Everything was going great, until the coach and the institution had reason to believe he had done something bad enough to be booted from the team. Nobody knows for sure if it was drugs, a crime, or getting into a brawl with one of his team members. Ronan doesn't know what the truth about what happened that night is, either. He is sure that someone framed him, but it was the team's word against his.

He was destroyed but went about his life, still swimming but not competitively. If it hadn't been for that scandal, he could have made it to the Olympics. Despite the setback, he hasn't given up on his passion.

 

[Michi]

This place was perfect. It wasn't overly busy, the streets weren't packed with 24/7 traffic. He didn't have to wait hours after getting off work to actually make it home. His new apartment was small, but cute. His neighbors were friendly, who thought that in today's day and age that people actually borrowed a cup of sugar from their neighbors and didn't call the police for harassment?!

He'd even established a regular coffee shop that knew him by name that was just down the block. It was usually busy but never too busy. Never packed to the point people were waiting twenty to thirty minutes for a cup of overly sugared water. The tables weren't full of "writers" who sat around hogging the tables and making themselves seem important by telling everyone that walked past that they were disturbing their masterpiece. They were friendly, they all knew his name and his face. He didn't have to worry about placing an order they remembered, and there was a corkboard near the bathrooms that people posted advertisements on.

But even then, he was lonely. He hadn't taken into account that moving somewhere completely new meant he didn't have any friends to hang out with. His evenings were full of poorly made food, he was not the best cook in the world, and lots of tv. This was pathetic. Sure he was divorced but he was still young! His life wasn't over just because he'd made some poor life choices.

Which was why he was combing over the bulletin board looking at all the postings. Something anything that seemed social. Something new to do. Something he hadn't tried before. There was a post for pottery classes, which sounded messy and expensive. There was another post that had to do with cleaning up the park, no that also sounded gross. Maybe this Cajun cooking class? At least then he'd be able to eat something that wasn't ramen or fast food.

 

[davian]

Ronan knew he looked like the typical young hipster guy that frequented juice bars, book shops and cafes with his beanie, glasses and unbuttoned flannel shirt. To top it off, he was tall and lanky, which could only be assumed to be the result of a gluten-free vegan diet rather than a genetic trait.

In his arms he carried an accordion file full of flyers and cards. Over his shoulder was a bag holding paper clips, pins, tape, and a stapler. He was starting a recreational men’s swimming team, and wanted to make sure any person who might be interested would find out about it.

Ronan missed the sense of community his college swim team had given him, even if they had all betrayed him in the end. He felt that every time when he walked into the coffee shop and saw all the writers sitting around tables at their laptops. Even though they barely spoke to each other, they all had the same hobby, and their own little place to meet other people who were just like them.

With his college team days over, he was hoping to either meet some likeminded people or help those who were trying to get into swimming out. The first practice would be that Saturday at the aquatics center. It was something he had been planning out for a while. Finally all of those hours spent at the pool could have more of a purpose again.

When he walked into the coffee shop, he was immediately hit by the smell of coffee and vanilla, strong enough to mask the scent of chlorine coming off his skin. He walked over to the bulletin board hanging on the wall, and was surprised to see another man was standing there reading the thing. It gave him hope- at least people were actually looking at the board.

“Excuse me,” Ronan said with his best polite smile, before stepping up with one of his flyers and stapling it up on a blank space where it would be noticed. He was quite proud of the design he had come up with- the letters were bold, easy to read, and pleasant to look at. Hopefully the flyer would generate some interest.

 

[Michi]

He had just torn off one of the little paper tabs for the cooking class when he heard the voice. "Oh I'm sorry!" Dylan gave the man an apologetic smile and stepped off to the side watching him staple the flyer to the board. A Men's Swim Team. Hmm, he could do that. Healthy, Active. Would balance out his lack of exercise from work. Sitting at a desk all day wasn't exactly considered healthy. But then again neither were his eating habits. There was also the fact that he had never actually properly learned to swim.

This could be the perfect chance, though! He'd come here for a fresh start. This is something completely new! He turned and pointed to the accordion and gave another friendly smile, "Can.. I have one of those?" His tone was slightly uncertain but he was debating it.

The meeting wasn't until Saturday, so he had some time to think about it. He was still somewhat interested in that cooking class. Not that he enjoyed spicy foods, but he knew it would probably be more practical than a swim team. But swimming was bound to be more fun as long as he didn't drown.

 

[davian]

Ronan stepped back from the board again, but when he heard the other man's voice he looked over at him and nodded. "Yeah, sure," he replied, surprised that someone was interested enough to ask. He reached into the folder for another flyer and handed it to him, this time looking at him more directly. Ronan was hoping that he would see him at the meeting, but he could have just taken the flyer to pass on to somebody else that was looking for something to do in their spare time.

With that task taken care of, he walked over to the counter and waited his turn in line. If he was already here, he figured that he might as well get some coffee while he was at it. Caffeine to keep him fueled for the rest of his flyer-posting. He would have to stay and drink it here, because he couldn't put up or hand out anything with both of his hands full. Though he didn't really mind because this coffee shop had music playing, and people were having quiet conversations instead of sitting in awkward silence.

Once his order was filled, he chose one of the last empty seats around a coffee table near the windows and set his folder down beside him. The low padded chair definitely wasn't designed for someone of his height, but it would do.

 

[Michi]

Dylan gave the man a smile as he took the flyer and gave a small nod before he turned and walked away looking down at the paper as he went. He paused outside as he folded the paper to stuff into his back pocket. He had to get to work, but he'd have to think about it more later. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time before he walked over to the small parking lot where his little pepper white mini cooper was parked. He climbed into the vehicle and checked his phone before starting the engine and pulling out of the spot and heading to his new office job.

It didn't pay as well as his last one, but it wasn't as taxing either. He got to spend half the time sitting at his desk playing games and checking Facebook, the other half was dealing with assholes on the phone but it balanced out evenly. He found himself looking up swim teams and immediately regretted it. Most of what he found was all professionals swimming much faster than he probably ever would. They were great to look at though! He went from watching videos of races, to watching videos of diving which lead to him getting caught up in pool fail videos, and somehow ended up on reviews of different brands of bathing suits.

Oh if he was going to swim he was going to need one of those, wasn't he? This led to a few hours of online shopping but not actually buying anything. There were so many options, he had no clue which to pick. He'd tried consulting with a friend on Facebook chat but she wasn't any help. She apparently thought the idea of Dylan joining a swim team was the funniest thing she'd ever heard of.

After work he'd headed to a small diner, taking a seat at the bar, looking over the menu. Tonight was a real food kind of night. He had a little extra money in his budget right now. What he needed was a burger. A nice thick greasy burger with cheese and everything on it. And a ton of fries. His stomach growled as he thought about the food, the smells that filled the room did nothing to appease him. When the waiter came over to him to take his order he was fully prepared, and sipped his sweet tea as he watched the cook grill through the small window in the wall where orders were being placed on a ledge. The male's mouth watered as he thought about his dinner that was coming as soon as it was ready. He twisted in his seat, his dark eyes focused on the small screen of his phone as he leaned against the counter and passed time by watching YouTube videos.

 

[davian]

When he had finished his coffee, Ronan had gone about posting the rest of the flyers and leaving cards at the local gyms and libraries. A few people had called him to RSVP for the team, which made him beyond happy. Today was his day off, so once he was done handing information out he went to go swim some laps at the pool and then ran a few errands before heading back home to relax. He hadn't been planning on doing much of anything else that day, and was relaxing on the sofa watching a movie, when his phone buzzed with a text from a guy that he had recently exchanged numbers with.

After a bit of back and forth the both of them decided to go out that night- and that's how Ronan found himself on a date at the local diner. At first it was going well enough; he did find the other man physically attractive and easy to talk to. But in terms of romance or a relationship, he really wasn't feeling it. The conversation kept veering back to video games, or smoking pot, and he was getting the sense that the person he was speaking with was far too immature. So when the other man suggested they go get drinks, Ronan worked up the courage to politely tell him he didn't think this was going to work out.

Thankfully the guy seemed almost relieved to hear him say this and was pretty cool about it. But now, Ronan was left sitting at the table for two by himself with a half-empty basket of fries in front of him. He sighed to himself, not really knowing what to do. The night had just started and now he was left with nothing. He figured he might as well go and get a drink for himself.

He walked over to the bar and picked a random chair, not really paying attention to whom he was sitting next to. Now that he wasn't concerned with appearances, he was free to order as much food for himself as he wanted, which turned out to be a lot. He probably ate twice as much as the average man did, but swimming burned through the calories like crazy so he needed it. While he waited for his food, he sipped from the bottle of beer he had ordered and looked around at the other patrons. When he glanced to the left of him, he was surprised to see the man he had seen at the coffee shop earlier that day. Ronan wasn't sure why he remembered him in particular, but he quickly looked away again- he didn't want to make things awkward or be intrusive by initiating a conversation with a person that he didn't even know.

 

[Michi]

Dylan didn't look up from the screen of his phone as the people around him moved. He did set his phone down though as the waiter set a refill on his beer down and a plate that made his face light up like a kid on Christmas. He popped a fry into his mouth happily as he looked around the room. The atmosphere was comfortable, music wasn't too loud, the TVs played games quietly, and the room buzzed with chatter. It was nicely decorated, very cozy. Some were there on dates, others seemed to be there with their families. He looked down at his plate before looking at his fellow patrons at the bar.

Couple of men spread out drinking beers, watching the games, one had a wedding ring on. And on the other side of him was... "Swim Team Guy?" The words came out as he thought them and the male gave a quiet laugh. He gave a small smile, "Sorry. I was... at the coffee shop earlier when you were putting up the.. uh.. the flyers." Was he here waiting for someone? Probably. People didn't usually sit at the bar unless they were there alone, or waiting for someone to show up. His name had been on the flyer but he couldn't remember what it had been, and it would have been weird to pull it out just to find out.

He grabbed his glass and took a swig as he grabbed another fry to toss into his mouth. The YouTube video on his phone still playing quietly, though the screen being face down kept it from being visually distracting. "How's it going?" Small talk never hurt, right? Even if he was waiting for someone a small conversation could only help pass the time, not to mention this was a good chance to possibly make a local friend. See if he was really interested in this swim team thing.

 

[davian]

Ronan had just taken a sip of beer, but he had nearly choked on it from laughter and surprise when he heard himself being addressed as Swim Team Guy- something about that had just struck him as incredibly funny, maybe because it was so fitting. If the flyers hadn't spelled it out, the constant smell of chlorine on his skin would have been sure to give it away. He cleared his throat and looked over at the other man. “It's Ronan,” he introduced himself. “But yeah, I'm the swim team guy,” he added before taking another sip of beer. “I know, right… What a coincidence,” he said with a bit of nervous laughter in his voice.

He glanced back over at the bar when his plates of food were set down in front of him, and briefly thanked the waitress before turning his attention back to the guy from the coffee shop for a second. “It's going good,” he casually replied as he dipped a potato wedge into ketchup. Of course he wasn't going to mention that he had been here on a date that had ended terribly, but at least he was eating something so it seemed like he at least had some purpose for being here. And he was grateful that the other man had initiated a conversation with him, because he wasn't too interested in watching the football game, and just eating in silence would also be pretty boring.

Once he had washed the mouthful of food down with another swig of beer, Ronan decided to elaborate and carry on the conversation. “I've already had some people call to say they would be there,” he said. “Were you interested?” he asked with a slightly curious tilt of his head. “If you have any questions about the team my number’s on the flyer, so feel free to call.” He blinked. “Or you could totally just ask me right now if you wanted,” he added with a friendly laugh.

 

[Michi]

Dylan nodded grabbing his burger and bringing it to his mouth speaking before he took a bite. "Nice to formally meet you Ronan. Dylan, but everyone's always called me Pickle. So you can too, if you'd like." He took the bite and chewed bringing his glass to his lips to wash it down with a nod, "I've been thinking about it. I'm new in town and looking for a hobby or two. I'm torn between cooking and this swim team thing. I'm not good at either though, so it's more of which one do I think I'd suck less at." He gave a chuckle as he put another fry into his mouth.

He looked down at the males plate before looking at his own. "I did have a few questions. So like, is it co-ed? Or like men only? And how strong of a swimmer do you need to be in order to actually do this swim thing?" He asked slowly as he crossed his ankles against the bar on his stool. "Also... what sort of bathing suit does one wear for this? Is it like the speedos that they wear on tv? What kind of swimming is it? Is it the racing kind? Or the synchronized kind?" As soon as one question came out a bunch followed and it was like a bombardment. He had other questions to ask but he figured that that bunch would be a good starting point and if he asked too many that neither of them would be able to keep track of what was asked.

He paused awkwardly as he cut himself off and waited just slightly too long before taking the bite from his burger to make it seem like a natural pause. "Sorry I was researching and I haven't actually... read the flyer..."

 

[davian]

Ronan smiled as Dylan introduced himself- he thought that was a peculiar nickname, but just nodded as he continued to eat his food, picking up half of the sandwich on one of his plates and taking a bite. Dylan’s explanation made sense as to why he was looking at the bulletin board in the first place- he was just new around here and looking for something to do in his spare time. Ronan smiled when Dylan said he wasn't good at either thing he was looking into- he could understand that. “Well, welcome to town,” he managed to say in between bites.

He took a short break from eating as Dylan listed off all of the questions that he had. It was a lot of questions, but Ronan didn't mind answering. “It's a men's only team,” he began. “All that matters is that you're interested in swimming. The whole purpose of meeting and training together is that we can motivate each other and learn new things.” He paused for a second to take another sip of beer. “It's not about competition. I'm going to work on making sure that it's a positive environment for everyone, regardless of skill level.” He smiled when he caught himself trailing off. “You can wear whatever you want, but typical swim trunks are going to slow you down. I would recommend checking out the local sports stores. They can help if you're not sure what you're looking for.”

Ronan paused for a while as he tried to remember what the last question had been. “Oh. The pool is divided into lanes, and we swim back and forth in those,” he explained. “Sorry… Did I miss anything…?” he asked quietly.

 

[Michi]

Dylan smiled at the man and nodded. "Nope. I think... that's all of them. For now." Well at least he knew he wouldn't be mocked just because he didn't actually know how to swim. He had time to learn though. If he actually tried to before saturaday came. But he would probably not worry about learning. Why put in effort if he ended up hating the guys on the team. "Sounds like it could be fun. I'll probably stop by to check it out. Is the first meeting going to be a swim thing, or more casual?"

He gave a laugh, "Sorry, that's the last question. Just wondering if I'd need a swim suit on Saturday or not." He apologized and continued eating his food. The conversation felt a bit awkward though. A bit forced. Maybe he'd asked too many questions.

Looking down at his plate he sighed. He'd taken for granted how hard it was to find new friends in new places. Dylan had never gone where he didn't know someone else already before. An uncomfortable silence fell around him, even in the lively room where everyone was still in their own conversations. "Do you eat here often?" He asked as he tried to strike up more conversation but make it feel more natural and less of a dead end.

 

[davian]

Ronan smiled. “Great,” he said, handing his first empty plate off to get taken away. He thought on Dylan’s next question for a moment. “Sort of a mix of both, probably. I'm thinking about doing one of those cliché first-day-things and having everyone introduce themselves,” he replied with a playful smile. “Who we are and what our experience with swimming is. The guys that are getting in the pool are probably going to stay later. You don't have to swim on the first day if you don't want to,” he explained.

He continued to eat, but glanced over at Dylan and noticed that he seemed a bit down about something- maybe nervous, or unsure. He nodded in response to his question. “Yeah, I do,” he replied. He had gone to this diner since he was a kid, and liked to take new people here, because he was comfortable in this environment and used to it.

“I've lived here my whole life, until I went to college out of state. Now that I'm back, this place is still my favorite.” Ronan looked over at Dylan again. “How long ago did you move here?” he asked curiously.

 

[Michi]

Perking up slightly at the opportunity for more conversation Dylan popped a few more fries into his mouth before speaking, because planning ahead was not his forte. He ended up having to wait to chew the mouthful in order to speak. "A couple of weeks ago actually." He finished off his burger before wiping his hands on his pants as he was brought a refill for his glass. The empty glass being taken away.

"I went to Weber State. Got my Bachelors for Communication. Go Wildcats." He chuckled shaking his head with a sigh. He grabbed his glass and took a deep drink. When he set the glass down he turned his attention back to the male beside him, "What about you?"

 

[davian]

Ronan took a short break from eating as he listened to Dylan speak, since he didn't like talking with his mouth full too much. Instead he took another sip of his drink and propped his arm up on the bar. When Dylan started talking about which school he went to and what he studied, Ronan felt a feeling of dread since he knew it meant that he could be asked about where he went to school. He hated talking about it, since what happened with his team was fairly public and had made the news- not national news, but state news in the state where he had been to college.

When the question came, Ronan gave his best smile and set his drink down. "I have a degree in Human Resource Management, so... that's what I do for work." He looked down at another plate and turned it around to the side he would rather eat from. "Where I went to school isn't really important," he added with a shrug.

 

[Michi]

"Ohhh, HR. Ouch." Dylan made a face but smiled afterwards not wanting to offend the man with his teasing "Was that your passion? Handling sexual harassment in the workplace?" Not that his new job was much better. He didn't understand why the guy was against talking about where he went to school, but to each their own. Maybe it was one of those technical schools that showed commercials online and got a lot of slack as not being a real school.

 

[davian]

Ronan sighed and pushed his food around his plate. He knew how boring he must be soundinh right now. His expression became even more serious at the other man's teasing remarks. "It's a serious problem," he replied quietly, before shrugging and taking another sip from his glass.

He set the glass down again, and a playful smile slipped onto his face. "Do you have a passion?" he asked in an equally teasing way. He was a little curious about what someone with a degree in communications actually did.

 

[Michi]

A passion of his own... hmm.. "Not really... I moved here for a clean start.. So I guess I'm kind of exploring my options?" It had been mildly amusing to see the man get so serious for a moment. But it was a serious problem so he could understand it. Probably not something one should joke about to someone that he barely knew.

"Who knows, maybe I'm a natural born swimmer and it's been my hidden talent all this time." But weren't the professional swimmers taller than he was? All the best professional athletes seemed to be at least around six feet.

 

[davian]

Ronan managed to swallow the food in his mouth before a laugh broke, but it was a subtle laugh and he wasn't laughing at Dylan. "I hear that," he said in response to the new start comment. Didn't that also have to mean that the other man was single? Not that Ronan was dying to know. "I'm already past that stage, but hopefully the hypothetical castle I've built doesn't crumble down around me." He blinked, wondering if that had sounded to deep.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin and went back to finishing his drink, but he smiled at Dylan's other statement. "Yeah, who knows. Maybe you're a better fit for it than I am. But you'll have to put in a lot of work to surpass me," he added with a wink.

 

[Michi]

"Ah, so it does get better then, that is some great news." Could they have similar stories?! Two guys moving away to start a new life after a failed first love? It wasn't uncommon but what were the chances. Continuing his food, he finished off the last of his fries and tried not to react at the wink. Or at least react normally.

He gave a chuckle as he smirked at the male, "I hope you are ready to have your mind blown then. Because I will not rest until I have surpassed your swimming skills. That pedestal is mine." He reached out to elbow the man playfully. He wouldn't mention the fact that he couldn't swim yet. Let the man sit in fear. "I may be the best swimmer you've ever seen."

 

[davian]

Ronan chuckled at Dylan's statement. He had to be bluffing. Maybe with some practice he would be great, but it would take a miracle to become a better swimmer than him.
It wasn't that Ronan was full of himself- but he was talented, and had the scores and times to prove it. All his coaches had told him that he might eventually become the next Michael Phelps, which even he couldn't quite believe. But then the sandal happened, and his dream had fallen through.
He stacked his plates up and pushed them back towards the center of the bar so that the waitress could take them away, and went back to finishing his drink. "Do you want to bet on that?" he asked Dylan with a playful smile.

 

[Michi]

A smirk crossed Dylan's face as he was offered a bet. Oh he did love the idea of making a bet. How good could the guy be? "Hmm. Depends on the stakes and terms." He pushed his own plate away as well and picked up his glass while smiling behind the rim of his glass. "What do I get when I win?" Learning to swim couldn't be that hard right? Kids learned to do it all the time. Just get in and kick your legs and move your arms. Basically flailing in water. And he could always practice holding his breath at home in the bathtub or something, right?

 

[davian]

Ronan set his glass down again. "Let's keep it simple. Freestyle- from one end of the pool to the other, and then back again." He doubted that Dylan would be able to make it to the end before him in that alone, but it was the easiest challenge that he could think of.

His expression became thoughtful when Dylan asked about what he would get if he won. Ronan already had something in mind for himself, but he didn't know Dylan well enough to make a suggestion for him, so he just shrugged. "It's up to you."

 

[Michi]

Dylan debated a bit and finally nodded his head. "Alright. You're on. But for the end of the month. I need to think about what I want when I win." That would give him two weeks to learn to swim, and he could do from one end of the pool to the other. How hard could that be? He thought back to the pools he'd seen at people's houses. They didn't seem too long.. he should look into that too. Well that would be another thing to fill his free time, he'd look up swimming techniques online and get a nice professional style bathing suit.