(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]

"Yes."

Beat.

"And is not stupid."

[hecu_marine]

"No shit." Adrian laughs coarsely. "Dumbass commanders get more Marines killed than the enemy any day."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I have not met many Marines."

Well, not in circumstances that were not adversarial, anyway.

"They are all like you?"

[hecu_marine]

"Naw, just some of 'em," says Adrian. "Same as any other bunch of men with big fuckin' guns, you're gonna get some that ain't like the rest."

[cutting_edgex23]

X considers this.

"But none that do not like guns."

It's a little bit of a question.

"Or other weapons."

[hecu_marine]

Adrian snorts. "You don't join the Corps if you don't like guns," he says. "We got other weapons, but guns're kinda central to the whole fuckin' point. The fuckin' Marine Creed starts with 'This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine,' for fuck's sake."

[cutting_edgex23]

X offers a slight shrug.

"Sometimes people think they like fighting. Until they have to fight."

At least she doesn't flinch back.

"That is what Rose said. About my knife."

Beat.

"I am a weapon, too."

X still doesn't quite get the metaphor. Give her time.

[hecu_marine]

"That's why we always made it real fuckin' easy to leave during Basic," says Shephard. "If you don't belong in the Marines, we don't want you and you sure as fuck don't have to stay. Not unless there's a war on and we've got a draft."

He pauses.

"Well, that's how it was, anyway. I'm gonna have to rebuild the whole fuckin' Corps up from just me."

[cutting_edgex23]

X considers this.

"You will need help with training?"

It makes sense, if there are no other Marines left.

"People here are good at fighting. And tactics."

[hecu_marine]

"I could sure as hell use it," says Shephard. "Been studyin' from as many books as I could, 'n goin' out for drill when I got the spare time, but that ain't as much help as I'd like."

[cutting_edgex23]

X falls silent for a moment. Thinking.

"Military connections are an important criteria?"

[hecu_marine]

"Military experience, more like," says Shephard. "Just wearin' the uniform don't mean shit. Livin' the life 'n bein' out in the field, that's the important part."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I have been on missions," X says.

Then she pauses, considering this.

"Wells was in the military. And Spoon."

Beat.

"Duo might know, too. You have met him? Duo Maxwell."