(no subject)

[hecu_marine]

In between running outdoors, practice at the shooting range, and studying like hell for when he goes back, Adrian's been keeping himself busy by making himself a reasonably basic longbow. It's just a plain ol' wooden selfbow- backing it with anything comes later. After he's dealt with a far more basic question, namely, arrows. Can't do much without those. He's managed to braid himself a string, and he reckons it'll be respectable enough for the weight of the bow, but until he's actually got something to shoot he's kinda screwed.

Now, he could get fiberglass shafts or dowels from the Bar, but what fun would that be? He's got a whole forest outside to work with, and if he can't find a couple of willow wands or something along those lines that he can split and whittle down to usable shafts then he's not the country boy he thought he was.

He'll be coming indoors once he's done, so feel free to catch the Marine either inside or out.


[tinytag: Adrian Shephard (Half-Life: Opposing Force)]

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

X, who has been practicing her stealth (essentially--treetop maneuvering is a tricky business), drops to the ground about thirty yards from Adrian, careful to make noise as she approaches.

Then--

"You are looking for something?"

[hecu_marine]

"Sure am, miss," says Shephard, glancing over his shoulder. "Gonna fletch myself some arrows. Ain't got arrowheads just yet but I reckon I'll pay the smith to make 'em for me once I know how many good shafts I got. Didn't see you there before- how long you been tailin' me, anyway?"

It's cold out. He's got fatigues, helmet and gas mask on more for the sake of staying in the habit than anything else, but they do keep his face nice and warm.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Oh."

Beat.

"You are very good with a bow?"

And after another short pause--

"I was practicing. And there are not many people that come outside when it is cold. Except the werewolves. And Yrael."

She got curious. Lucky she's not a cat.

[hecu_marine]

"Used to hunt with it regular, back when I lived in Rowlesburg," says Shephard. "Guns more'n bows, but I like keepin' my hand in, y'know?"

There's a pause.

"Werewolves, ma'am?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Yes. I am better with guns."

Beat.

"Than bows."

This pause is longer.

"Sometimes there are signs. When there is a full moon. About the werewolves."

[hecu_marine]

"Huh. Actual fuckin' wolfmen. Fuckin' hell." He shakes his head. "Man, I gotta check the moon next time I get a chance. I ain't really been lookin' too close since I got here."

[cutting_edgex23]

"Some of them are my friends."

Beat.

"I have not met them all."

She tilts her head, studying him carefully.

"You are expecting an attack?"

X means about the mask. Maybe he knows something she does not.

[hecu_marine]

"Huh? Oh-" He touches his mask. "Naw. It ain't a whole lot of fun to wear, so if I stop for a while I ain't real likely to put it back on again until it's too fuckin' late. I'm better off if I don't fall out of a habit that could save my fuckin' skin when I go home, that's all."

[cutting_edgex23]

"Oh."

X considers this, head tilting slightly.

"There are many gas attacks? And biological weaponry?"

[hecu_marine]

"That's what my unit's trained for," says Shephard, and taps one of the patches on his sleeve. "Hazardous Environment Combat Unit, United States Marine Corps. Gonna be infiltratin' a real shithole called the Scab via the sewers when I go back, 'n that's just askin' to get your fuckin' lungs burnt out if you ain't careful."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I heal," X says.

And then--

"What is the Scab?"

[hecu_marine]

"Lucky you," says Shephard. "The Scab used t'be Pittsburgh- you from the States, ma'am? Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"I am from the United States."

X sounds very serious when she says that.

"But I have not been to Pittsburgh."

[lockitwithkeys.livejournal.com]

Roxas has been stomping around the outside world, figuring out it's limits, for the last several days. This is a combination of not needing things like food or sleep and being too dumb to let go of shit he doesn't understand.

Which is why he eventually howls; "BUT SPACE DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT! Unless you're Xigbar.



"FUCK!" which is about when he crosses paths with Adrian. Roxas is short, and spiky-haired blond, with a peevish expression that doesn't quite look right. It is peevish. It's just a little flattened affect, as though he's not exactly feeling it the way other people would feel it. "You. Somebody. Have you seen a short old guy with a pony-tail and only one eye around here?"

[hecu_marine]

"Can't say I have, no," says the gasmasked Somebody. "Ain't been inside since dawn, though. Friend of yours?"

[lockitwithkeys.livejournal.com]

"Ex-boss. In the probably shoot my ass if he sees me way." Roxas says, followed by, "Is that your face, or some kind of weird-ass mask?"

[hecu_marine]

Shephard laughs, but it probably just sounds like a snort through the filters. "Gas mask," he says. "Part of the job back home. I'm more wearin' it out of habit here than anything else. Never seen one before?"

[lockitwithkeys.livejournal.com]

"No. What's it for?" Social niceties are not among Roxas' skills.

[hecu_marine]

"Makin' me not die," says Shephard. Really, most of his equipment comes down to that. "Filters whatever I'm breathin' so I don't wind up with a lungful of shit."

[lockitwithkeys.livejournal.com]

"Oh, so bonuses against poison." Roxas can understand that, "But, like, poison you breathe in? I don't. Breathe."

[hecu_marine]

"Lucky you," says Shephard. "Those of us who do, we use shit like this. Keeps poison out of my eyes, too, 'n it's got starlight scopes built in so I can see what I'm doin' in low light levels."

[lockitwithkeys.livejournal.com]

Roxas shrugs the shrug of those who don't believe you when you say they're lucky, but doesn't argue. "Most of the poisons I run into get into the skin. Low light isn't a problem for me, though. That's my element."

[hecu_marine]

It was more of a sarcastic 'lucky you' than anything. Shephard just nods. "There's more'n a couple of poisons that get the skin as well as the lungs 'n eyes," he says. "Got me an NBC suit to keep that kind of shit out- least I used to, anyway. Damn thing's probably back at Santego if the Combine ain't wrecked it all. Used to workin' in the dark, huh?"

[lockitwithkeys.livejournal.com]

Roxas misses 90% of sarcasm.

He looks at Shephard blankly, "No. I'm Light. If there isn't enough light I can just make more. I have the uniform to protect me against most things, like most poison and attacks. It's all I wear."

[hecu_marine]

"... huh."

Somebody's not used to dealing with Nobodies.