(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.

[remindmeof_me]

Shephard scratches his head at that, frowning. "Huh," he says. "You get like that soon as you're born, or...?"

[mend_and_defend]

"Sort of. When you're young, your function is to grow and learn. Then when you get a little older, you pick a format, and that's what you are for the rest of your runtime."

[remindmeof_me]

"Gotcha," says Shephard. "That ain't so different, then. Just a whole lot more important."

[mend_and_defend]

"A lot more important," agrees Bob.

[remindmeof_me]

"And there ain't nobody who changes his format partway through?" asks Shephard curiously. "You just pick it, 'n that's that?"

[mend_and_defend]

"Not unless their code is corrupted somehow," says Bob. "I've never heard of anyone doing that on purpose."

[remindmeof_me]

Shephard nods. "Y'got to understand, I know jack fuckin' shit 'bout computers," he says. "So I start askin' any stupid questions, you got to let me know. I ain't bein' a shitbutt on purpose or nothin'. I just plain don't know."

[mend_and_defend]

"Don't worry, I've heard way worse," Bob reassures him. "Half the time I'm trying to explain my world to people who don't know what electricity is."

[remindmeof_me]

"... yeah, I got a lot of problems but that ain't one of 'em," Shephard says. "Damn, that's gotta be fuckin' weird."

[mend_and_defend]

"No kidding. Mostly they end up thinking I'm some sort of fairy spirit made out of lightning, or something like that."

[remindmeof_me]

"Well, shit, you got to admit it's the same word, ain't it? Sprite, I mean?"

[mend_and_defend]

"Well, yeah," Bob admits. "But from what I know about fairies, we're really not the same thing."

[remindmeof_me]

"Yeah, you don't look a whole lot like my ol' textbook used to say Ariel did," says Shephard. "Damn. You ever take advantage of that? Mess with folks' heads?"

[mend_and_defend]

"Corporal," Bob reminds him, "I was just posing as a self-playing guitar. I have plenty of ways of messing with people's heads without outright lying to them."

Not that he hasn't indulged in that occasionally, in his misspent youth.

[remindmeof_me]

Shephard grins. "Aw, it ain't the same thing if you just don't set 'em straight," he says. "Nah, it's all right, I get what you mean."