Sergeant-Major Adrian Shephard (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hecu_marine) wrote2011-08-25 09:41 pm
hecu_marine) wrote2011-08-25 09:41 pm
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daemonmuses.
You see a lot of things when you're a Marine Corps recruiter. You see all kinds of people come through your door, with all kinds of cockass expectations. Some of 'em you turn away on sight. Let's be honest, there's no way a fella with a guinea pig on his shoulder's gonna hack it in the Corps. Sometimes you get folks who lean way the hell the other way, like the woman who walked through the door with a Cape buffalo behind her. When your own daemon- a full-grown bloodhound bitch- hides behind your chair at the sight, you know some DI's gonna be in for a hell of a time. Sometimes you get the ones who're so damn young they have to bring a note from their mommas saying it's okay, and you can't help but wonder just how long ago their daemons stopped changing shape...
But one thing you don't get a whole lot of is would-be recruits that you hear before you see. Staff Sergeant Eddie Nieto thought at first there was something wrong with the fluorescent lights in the gym. Preston County High School didn't exactly have the biggest budget in the state, after all. And hell, he'd long since gotten accustomed to nasty acoustics in the schools where they sent him for recruiting work. Just about anything other than the kids themselves would've come to mind for the source of that buzz- except that Pistis sat up sharply when she heard it.
"Eddie," the bloodhound murmured, "bees."
"What?"
Sure enough, there they were. Dozens of 'em, looked like. All of 'em buzzing and swarming around this one kid, must've been seventeen maybe, coming straight towards his station, not a care in the world- Jesus, were they crawling on him? They were! That one went into the kid's ear!
It took Nieto a minute to realize the kid was sitting down in front of him. Not saying anything, you understand, just sitting down on the opposite side of the card table, grinning, teeth all crooked and eyes all bright, and all the while there was that buzzing.
That was about the only sound in the silence that followed, at least for a little bit. Nieto cleared his throat eventually. "Uh," he said, "son, you got- uh- you got some-" He made a flickering gesture at his own right shoulder region. "Got some bees on you there. You get in some kind of a honey spill or something?"
The kid's smile broadened. "No sir," he said, "that's just Imre."
"Imre."
"Yes, sir," said the kid. "My daemon."
Nieto blinked. "Which one?" he finally said, looking for- well, he didn't much know what a queen bee looked like, but he figured maybe he'd know her when he saw her.
"Oh, they're all Imre, sir. Imre's the whole swarm," the kid said. "Girls, you mind quietin' down some for the sergeant?"
Instantly, the bees on the kid's shoulder stilled. The ones in the air landed and took their places beside them. The buzzing sound died away almost entirely- not quite, not totally, but enough. Nieto pursed his lips a moment. "Got to admit," he finally said, "I don't see that kind of thing every day. You got a name, son?"
"Shephard, sir," said the kid. "Adrian Shephard."
"Don't call me sir, Shephard, I work for a living," said Nieto. "Now. What can I tell you and-" He almost said the girls, but bit it back. "Imre there- what can I tell you... two... about the Corps?"
But one thing you don't get a whole lot of is would-be recruits that you hear before you see. Staff Sergeant Eddie Nieto thought at first there was something wrong with the fluorescent lights in the gym. Preston County High School didn't exactly have the biggest budget in the state, after all. And hell, he'd long since gotten accustomed to nasty acoustics in the schools where they sent him for recruiting work. Just about anything other than the kids themselves would've come to mind for the source of that buzz- except that Pistis sat up sharply when she heard it.
"Eddie," the bloodhound murmured, "bees."
"What?"
Sure enough, there they were. Dozens of 'em, looked like. All of 'em buzzing and swarming around this one kid, must've been seventeen maybe, coming straight towards his station, not a care in the world- Jesus, were they crawling on him? They were! That one went into the kid's ear!
It took Nieto a minute to realize the kid was sitting down in front of him. Not saying anything, you understand, just sitting down on the opposite side of the card table, grinning, teeth all crooked and eyes all bright, and all the while there was that buzzing.
That was about the only sound in the silence that followed, at least for a little bit. Nieto cleared his throat eventually. "Uh," he said, "son, you got- uh- you got some-" He made a flickering gesture at his own right shoulder region. "Got some bees on you there. You get in some kind of a honey spill or something?"
The kid's smile broadened. "No sir," he said, "that's just Imre."
"Imre."
"Yes, sir," said the kid. "My daemon."
Nieto blinked. "Which one?" he finally said, looking for- well, he didn't much know what a queen bee looked like, but he figured maybe he'd know her when he saw her.
"Oh, they're all Imre, sir. Imre's the whole swarm," the kid said. "Girls, you mind quietin' down some for the sergeant?"
Instantly, the bees on the kid's shoulder stilled. The ones in the air landed and took their places beside them. The buzzing sound died away almost entirely- not quite, not totally, but enough. Nieto pursed his lips a moment. "Got to admit," he finally said, "I don't see that kind of thing every day. You got a name, son?"
"Shephard, sir," said the kid. "Adrian Shephard."
"Don't call me sir, Shephard, I work for a living," said Nieto. "Now. What can I tell you and-" He almost said the girls, but bit it back. "Imre there- what can I tell you... two... about the Corps?"