basilo - hates blaseball - is incredible at it - has not missed a single game

I imagine every time a new taco shows up he tries to act like he doesn't care because that means he's lost one of his old friends but he cares a lot

Basilio makes everyone very thoughtful gifts and stashes them in lockers or gym bags or whatever so that he's not there when they find them, because he doesn't want everyone making a fuss

I think he doesn't want to care about blaseball, but cares about his friends and that means he's found himself caring about the splort. especially as the rest of the tacos got in gear to win the champs - he was a little slower than the rest of the team to get on board

Basilio is able to read people, like very good at figuring someone out on first impressions

I think basilito is showy, flashy, has some pride, some genuine nervousness - even if he would never, ever, ever admit it

he always remembers everyone's birthdays

I think he would have been the most crushed by the return of blaseball. I think he genuinely thought it was over, and started to move on

i have nothing to connect this to on a grander scale but i think bmase does a lot of knitting just for himself just because .

anxiety + energy + good with hands + need for control

Okay just to get it on the starboard: he is married to a totally normal accountant

okay ive been eating but i have something to SAY basilito is like. ten years into the grand siesta. he is completely unaware it is scheduled to restart. at this point he has totally moved on, gotten a condo in a cold, chilly los angeli where he can wake up to a beautiful snowy sunrise and live with his husband and pothos right nearby. he isn't aging, he can't age, but he supposes that's just something that happens if you play blaseball even once. he is effectively retired and then like. five days before the games start, blaseball players are informed. Play Must Continue. the umpires will make sure of it. it's mcd that calls him up. mcd is the one who told him to move as far away as possible. and basilito has to come back.

The yips. The yips only showed up after the grand siesta. He is out of the rhythem of the game, he was finally starting to thrive in S9-11, and then FREEDOM. and now he is back. and the team has expectations, things which NEVER existed for the tacos before, and that effected his performance. And the most common way for expectations to manifest themselves negatively are the yips BMase had the yips for four seasons. Narrowly avoiding getting cut or traded because of potential. And his teammates each got better, the same ones who he has played over 1000 games with. It starts to weigh down.

When they met: Husband: hi, I'm (insert average man name) Basil: oh....hi, uh, I'm Basilio. Basilio Mason. Husband: nice to meet you! Basil, waiting for him to realize: uh.... Husband:...? Basil: omg you don't know who I am. Husband: should I? Basil: omg this is perfect.....

for BMase, blaseball is a job, not a passion. During home series, he shows up every day, plays the game, and goes home. Doesn't talk or think about blaseball until the next day.

there's a bunch of lore on the mcmason starboard about his relationship with basilito but this quote from @Unknown sums up a lot of it:

@Unknown post-grand-siesta bmase has seen literally every one of his teammates vanish for extended periods. rat and mcd both went elsewhere for ages, fig and felix got shelled, hex and val left, all the fax shenanigans. the thing where he couldn't get out of being the root of the team probably came into stark relief.

his normal husband probably ages normally

Oh yeah twunk basil

https://twitter.com/lata_batson/status/1392288955840692231 [ID: Tired, sopping wet, and managing a weak smile, Basilio Mason emerges from the Immateria. His clothes are ruined, and he lugs the gestating, flaming peanut containing Fig over his head. He's trekked for miles upon miles to get back. BMASE DOESN'T MISS A DAMN GAME.] Twitter

Mcmason is very protective of basil because mcmason knows how much basil wishes he was normal, wishes he wasnt here, and mcmason feels guilty every time they okay a game and basil just keeps going despite it all

And I imagine part of their friendship is meeting each other in the middle of terms of how they should treat other people and themselves. So Pothos doesn't have to be frugal, she can afford to take care of herself and basil a banana doesn't cost that much stop being stuck up

Basil is a rich boi right

Basil is a rich boi in an anticapitalist Los Angeles. But the money is the last thing he has from his parents

And then Pothos talks him into kickball which turns into blaseball

At first it's whatever, it sucks but it can't last forever right?

But blaseball creeps up on you, the realization that's you're not aging takes a while to notice

And he notices when his parents start to look weary, old, fragile and he's still young and youthful and at that point all their disagreements seem pointless

I imagine basil had a hard time telling his husband about being in blaseball because that conversation would be like 'one day I'm going to die playing a splort I don't even like' and god that kills

And now he funnels it towards the tacos no longer living in anti cap LA because that's all he can do, is help out the only family he has left that's going to live just as long as him

OK basil and vito: Basil grew up in LA, an LA like our own - one with a hollywood and the endless, soul-crushing grind for relevance. That's one of the reasons they're so flashy, because they understand the whole game of being famous and being a star, and how to play with that and the good sides and the dark sides. And even an infinite anticapitalist LA will have celebrity, and they have a different kind of power and access. And in infinite cities, the chances of being Known are infinitely lower. And Basilito understands both sides because he wanted to be a star, but also saw all the washed up, never-made-its or had-it-onces. Vito is the only other Taco to understand the fame game. He's all about being "the Car Skeleton" because at least that's something, it's better than his past life of being "literally nobody". And so they relate to being faces, and what that means, and how if you take off your Kamina shades and/or crown and put away the Tacos jersey maybe you can become just a person again.

Bought the uniforms and the food and got everyone a ride to games because al pastor was cheap as hell

Oh yeah basil probably paid for so much for the early tacos

Yeah, Basilio's probably the one who ended up footing the bill for basic equipment like bats, gloves, uniforms, balls, ect. Al Pastor definitely didn't pay for that.

And in the beginning when he didn't like anyone because it takes him a while to warm up, it was all pothos asking for it too

Al Pastor gave them all t-shirts with "LA TACOS" written on them in sharpie and Basilio said "Nope not doing that" and designed their uniforms

Basil: I will make us uniforms, sure Pothos: so you're telling me you're going to let Dave wear that what would Naruto do shirt to our first game Basil:....he's wearing what

he definitely did a lot of swearing in Spanish after the S17 Shellings

Ok, so like before the GS: hated blaseball, was bad, but the entire team was bad so who cares after GS: Michelle takes over as coach, starts to put the team back together after the snackrifice and Day X. Team slowly coalesces into an actual powerhouse, but basilito is still dragging. Why? He hates the game, he hates having actual pressure, he is worried about disappointing his fans and his friends, and that means he chokes, and that turns into a self-reenforcing cycle. S17: he finally picks himself up after seeing Ivy, Yummy, and NV join the team and do incredible. Seeing NV try so hard and then be incinerated so quick maybe helps him realize his focus and determination, and he's part of why we win the championship S18+: the team is kind of in the lurch, because we've lost sexton, and are kind of aimless. But he's overcome his anxiety that was holding him back and realizes that there's a huge hole in the team leadership and he steps in out of care for his friends (even if he still friggin hates the sport.)

Like yummy great you are young Envy a natural talent Ivy is a wyatt Mason echo Thriving Basilio ain't gonna let a wyatt Mason echo out perform him

He made matching "Season 17 Champions LA Unlimited Tacos" jackets for everyone after they won, and wears his a lot. He's really proud of the team and the Championship especially. The final game in LA is the only game he invited his husband to come watch.

Found it

One reason he doesn't want to be captain is that he's more comfortable talking sincerely with people one-on-one, he doesn't do well being open in bigger groups. He just knows he'd fall apart trying to give the pre-game pep talk.

I also feel like basil being there for every game and nothing happening really makes him see it as like a 'youve been too lucky for too long, something is going to break eventually'

so i know we covered these two a little but a thought I had on one specific angle inspired by what feather was saying above: Bmase is in a lot of ways a really familiar model of out, gay man. Has his own style, isn't afraid to show off, fits (and leans into) a number of the stereotypes or cultural affectations, very clear on his own identity, clearly connected to a social network that matches. McD has always been sure of himself, but never about that. He doesn't fit into any obvious box and he's never felt like trying to think it through has helped him get it clearer. When he starts having weird feelings about {insert teammate here} he probably doesn't even know what's going on and certainly doesn't have any good plan for moving forward with it. He's never been part of a specific queer culture and feels a bit weird about the idea of participating. He has no idea starting out how much pain and anxiety Bmase has about any of this stuff because he's always ready-right-out-of-bed flawless and on-point about everything. Some of that sibling-y trust is McD learning to feel better about being himself by learning more about how Bmase has lived his life.

God yeah I really wanted basil to be just that iconic gay figure that people can look up to for being so confident in himself and I don't think basil thinks he can do anything but be that sort of star and also be in charge at the same time without having give up some of the attitude he's built into his persona. He hates the splort, very vocally, how can he lead people in it? Isn't that just like giving in?

This was the first major time Basilio was wrong on reading someone off of appearence

ok. Owens time. This unassuming man, in the most ill-fitting jeans with oil stains, just showed up on the mound, proceeds to throw the ball and Grey Alverado hits a home run which sailed right over my head in right field. When we reached back to the dugout Basilio turned to him and said, “Oh sweetheart, you can’t come here with that weak stuff, you have to do better.” He just turned around and chuckled and said “Sorry sir, won’t happen again, the name is Owens by the way, a pleasure to meet you” and he reached out to shake my hand. You should have seen it… covered with all sorts of grease GREAT, we go from a mechanical pitcher to a mechanic.

Something I want to revisit from ancient bmase lore is taking inspiration in designs from other players around the league. Simple things like axel cardenas jacket yes But also more complex things like goodwins extra armed flannel Or August sky's bomber goggles

I think the irony of this is, growing up it's really easy to fit into an established stereotype. It's easy to know what's expected of you, to not surprise other people, to fit into other peeps models of a "safe" triple minority who fits neatly into a stranger's worldview. Especially if you're young and uncertain and in a scummy regular LA instead of an awesome anticapitalist one. And now that that's just his style, something he's genuinely comfy with, there's probably some weird jealousy feelings going on as he helps McD be honest with himself and realizes how much freedom and how unique McD is.

It turned out that he was a painter, he spent time volunteering at the rec centre in Visalia teaching kids art classes. In the season 3 offseason, he had just shown up one day with this magnificent piece. 6ft square canvas, filled with colours in ways that astound and astonish me. He had painted the hole in left-centrefield. That cursed hole which broke camera equipment, that rip in space-time which disobeyed every bit of science I have ever heard. He just painted it wonderfully and showed up with it as humble as ever as if he just finished his first sip and paint event. HOW COULD THAT MAN PRODUCE THIS?! Basilio was in awe. Basilio was mesmerised. Basilio was stunned. And then the fool comes up to me and said “Gosh, Basilio, think the team would like this for the locker room?”. Basilio wanted to scream. This was a work of art, and he wanted to just have it in the locker room? Has he not seen the state in which McDowell and Quitter kept it in? This was too good for it. Basilio had convinced him to give it to Al Pastor as a gift and it still hangs in their office. Basilio have never been so frustrated with someone… but also, has never been in so much awe of someone’s talent.

I think he realizes that that's the expectation, and doesn't really want it, but like sometimes you become a leader because your friends need someone to step forward let's just say he's very worried about McD.

This is ALSO why Bmase really gets Vito, because Vito also really leans hard into a shallow stereotype in order to not be scary (albeit for different reasons)

@Unknown yeah absolutely, and bmase has definitely like... relied on that. like the pressure to be on is counterbalanced by how much he can get by on being what people expect of him when he really needs to. i can imagine the first time he sees McD dressed up to go fishing he's like "what on EARTH" but he grows to appreciate that you literally can't make McD into anything but McD.

God yeah one of the things I love about basil is that he is a token gay at first glance but there's also so much beneath that but he's not comfortable sharing that with the world because he is safer as just a stereotype

He has a husband that's not part of the game. McD is married to the sport

He isn't just a twink anymore he is now a twunk he is married he's got responsibilities he's respecting his teammates choices he's saying f you sim and jumping into the immateria go get his basil bro back

And I imagine part of this new arc of basil is learning to expand beyond what the world expects

"Who am I, what do I want, and is it okay if who I am and what I want is the thing that's expected of me even if i've been really vocal about the exact opposite"

nawwww he's totally still judgemental about it, except now maybe he tries to actually help sometimes instead of declaring them a lost cause on sight

i definitely think S1 basilio was like "oh my god how can you even do that" and has time has gone on he has moved much more into "well look if you HAVE to do THAT at least {long list of guidelines for how they can do the same type of style 10x better}"

God he probably felt so old and petty

Basilio's ultimate project is making Mcd a fishing outfit that isn't hideous

I think Basilio treated incinerations as a nothing occurance. We saw them SO FREQUENTLY, tacos games were dangerous, yet only the little toaster which could got hit from us. We were kinda invincible. Basilio took bloody fashion inspiration from an incineration! That changed after grand siesta a bit. It was cemented after envy, and then the resolve REALLY set in at Moses

he secretly thinks that as long as he's working on perfecting the fishing outfit, he and Mcd will both be okay.

That's the also the same chapter they decide to get married

When I eventually write that basil and Pothos fic one chapter I'm going to include is him sitting down his then-boyfriend and having to explain to him that one day, basil is going to die, and it won't be from old age

ok. Basilio is baffled at Yummy. Yummy showed up one day with a Basilio Preston Season 2 Los Angeles Tacos card for him to sign HOW IS THIS CHILD PLAYING THIS GAME? Yummy and Ivy are mainly indicators of Basilio aging and maturing

Felix is like this older more distinguished black man from the east coast I imagine basil was at first like narrows eyes are you....normal?

Macy too... I have Macy and Basilio being contemporaries Just Basilio grew the heck up, Macy has not

Then Felix starts to float and basil like sighs in relief

BASILIO GETS TO EDUCATE MCB ON A BUNCH OF PROGRESS IN BOTH THE RACE STRUGGLE AND THE GENDER AND SEXUALITY STRUGGLE

The one thing that sexton and basil can talk about is how creepy the scuttles are

oh my god this dynamic.. so powerful I wonder if McBaseball is a little scared of Basilito? like, Bmase is just so much like, all at once, with like no shame or doubt about identity and that's a deeply difficult thing to wrangle with when you're dealing with your own self doubt and loathing and stuff

i think there's some distance with sexton. Sexton gets all the "credit" for playing blaseball no matter what, and that probably bothers bmase some because he feels like they're all trapped here. even though he knows, on some level, that sexton's suffering is unique and terrible, it's still hard to shake. Plus sexton is famous - but doesn't want to be, and doesn't know the game - and that's also another thing that's in the way. I think there's a respect, and like - the kind of friendship that comes from sharing a space and an experience for twenty years, but they probably didn't hang out 1-on-1 during the grand siesta.

But like McBaseball can probably vibe with Ivy because Ivy is just, so different and there's all these layers of irony and weird existence stuff it's a shield. Ivy is "this is a Future Person from the Future who also is a Blaseball Entity and I can deal with that, ok, nice glasses u funky lil alien, they/them? wack, sounds fun, i can try your culture on for a bit" But Basilito is like "this is who i could have been / could be" and that's existentially terrifying.

OKAY! now that i'm finished my homework ( ): here's a dynamic thought that i was thinking about at some point. according to the wiki, both bmase and pbong come from relatively well-off families that they don't necessarily get along with (nutty super doesn't, bmase's page mentions something about him being "jaded with the insular nature of high fashion" or something i'd need to check the specifics). dynamic possibilities?

Now that Pothos is closer they can work out together via zoom

Actually i can imagine that once he starts playing well and they win once there's a certain surprising relief that comes from like... having people know him from a thing that's absolutely not his parents'

... I wonder if Bmase was hurt by aly, a former teammate, shelling two of his current teammates or something.

and there are two types of second gen money in my experience 1) i shall do nothing because i can 2) i shall do everything to be my own name, because i refuse to be known as only as Mr. Preston's son BMase is 2

this is 60% projection and 40%. basilito is already almost exactly my type so may as well lean into it. the mans transgender. maybe he starts out for awhile pre blaseball being quite strictly binary trans (i see him having a phase where he leans into masculinity as hard as possible even before this) but at some point. i think maybe because he enjoys drag as one of his big # 1 hobbies, he does some self examination, and realizes hes not quite so binary as he thought. my specific hc is he is a gender-nonconforming trans man who for the most part enjoys presenting somewhat to extremely femme. lots of skirts and dresses and feminine stuff in his civvies, always wearing light makeup on the field, perpetually painted nails. i dont really have more to add actually just. Gender

also my matchy hc for pothos is. nb butch lesbian. they contrast kinda like 'this person reads as a woman and exclusively wears masculine clothing' and 'this person reads as a man and exclusively wears feminine clothing'

"Hey you're best friend looks gnc as hell" Pothos: "Yeah"

the only player to be anywhere close to as consistently-present as Basilito since grand siesta is vito ing kravitz. which is maybe the reason they unconsciously vibe

Basilio and Macy do not get along

OK is bmase's reaction to that: 1) "where did you get that?" 2) "when did you get that?" 3) "who the hell is that?"

shorty bmase

id like to think this absolutely as well, but Otten gets ahold of her dreams gradually more and more, and her and basil warm up to each other. she still does therapy for him but it's like. in a lil nook in the clubhouse with coffee, instead of taking place in the dreamzone

also trans solidarity basil and pothos being bffsies in hs. hes out to her and maybe a few online friends (ill shh abt basil now hgdkj)