(Untitled)

[remindmeof_me]

We're so sorry.

We needed to say that in advance. You see, Corporal Shephard decided that today would be a fine day to indulge his musical habit. And, well, two things. One, his musical habit involves drums; he'd wanted to learn the violin as a schoolboy, but his family didn't have money for one, only an old drumset in his uncle's attic. And two,

Comments

[mend_and_defend]

At some point, he will find he has accompaniment in the form of a goldtop Gibson Les Paul.

...one that appears to be playing itself.

[mend_and_defend]

"Y'know," says Bob thoughtfully, "a while back my brother-in-law was trying to start up a band..."

[remindmeof_me]

"Huh. Ain't been in here in a while," says Shephard thoughtfully. "What kind of band was he thinkin' about?"

[mend_and_defend]

"Sort of a jazz-rock fusion thing," says Bob. "It was mostly just him on guitar and another boy he knew who played saxophone."

[remindmeof_me]

"Huh." Shephard considers this. "Well, shit, I was in the marchin' band when I wasn't on my old set; I could do another style if I had to..."

[mend_and_defend]

"I'll ask him about it next time I see him," says Bob. "He's in training to be a Guardian, so we don't get to talk much, except here..."

[remindmeof_me]

"Yeah? Good luck with that," says Shephard. "Basic's a bitch for families t'keep up with no matter where you go."

[mend_and_defend]

"He's going on break at the end of the month," says Bob. "I'll see him then, if not before."

[remindmeof_me]

Shephard grunts. "How much longer's he got to go, anyways?"

[mend_and_defend]

"Eight more terms. That's... four years in User-time, give or take."

[remindmeof_me]

"First year, huh?" says Shephard sympathetically. "I wish y'all luck. There a big tradition of that kind of thing in the family?"

[mend_and_defend]

Bob shakes his head. "My parents were teachers, and his father was a scientist. It's kind of a new thing."

[remindmeof_me]

Shephard nods. "Nothin' wrong with that. Ain't like my family had nobody in the service neither, 'cept durin' Vietnam," he says. "What got you in on it, anyways? If you don't mind my askin'."

[mend_and_defend]

"I grew up in the Supercomputer, where the Guardians are headquartered," says Bob. "Ever since I was an alpha, I just knew that's what I wanted to do. Protect people. Protect systems. Be a hero."

[remindmeof_me]

"Good f'you," says Shephard. "Lot of folks don't know what the shit they're doin' with their lives, not before they pick somethin' to work at, not even after."

[mend_and_defend]

"It doesn't work that way, for sprites," says Bob. "We are our jobs. If you don't have a function, you... just aren't anything."