1; Video

[usedlightscreen]

[The only sound for a moment is the knock of the gear being tapped against something semi-hard, and similarly the only thing in focus is a white eggshell with the corners of red and blue shapes.

Also the sound of the 'Gear being chewed on. Omnomnomnom.]

Are you getting into trouble already, you little scamp?

[The voice is deep, warm, and affectionate.]

That's not food, here, let me trade you-

[The feed is a little smeared on one corner, and the camera unknowingly focuses on a large, pale hand offering one of the donuts rice balls that Mom packs standard in her bento to a very small Togepi, who takes it in its little hands and shoves the whole thing into its mouth at once. The voice laughs offscreen, and the camera gets a closeup of his green overalls as he untucks his purple t-shirt to wipe the drool off the corner.

It's then that he notices that the camera's on, and finally brings his face into focus.]

...Sorry about that, I hope he didn't bother anybody.

Comments

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake gives him a look.] Cause it'd be a car that flies.

[Isn't that the entire point of the future?

He tilts his head and ehhs. Not as good, but he'll accept it. He flips a page over in his notebook.] Any priors?

[usedlightscreen]

[North gives a long, low whistle.]

Probably depends on what you consider a prior. I've never been arrested, taken to court, or imprisoned.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[With a sound like a dozen spoons being tapped against wineglasses, every law enforcement instinct in Blake's head just went ping.

His eyes focus on the man on the screen, memorizing his face.]

What's the part that depends?

[usedlightscreen]

[We'll go with the easy explanation here...]

Depends on your opinion of special ops, really.

[lieutenantantichrist]

You're military?

[That goes with how he talked about being "stationed" here, but... Blake's eyes sweep over the purple t-shirt with its corner damp from Togepi spit.

It comes out dubious.]

You?

[usedlightscreen]

[Yes, him.]

You sound skeptical.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[There's going to be an element of understatement here.]

You don't really look like the type.

[usedlightscreen]

Oh? And what is the "type" supposed to look like?

[lieutenantantichrist]

[That's an easy one.] More killer instinct, less playing with egg-toddlers.

[usedlightscreen]

[Tsk tsk tsk.]

Plenty of people I served with at one point or other had families to go back to. Some people live for the fight and some people are in the fight so they can go back to their lives.

One of the nicest guys I knew was also an ODST - Orbital Drop Shock Trooper; they're the guys who get dropped in behind enemy lines to wreck shop.

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake may not be a soldier, but he can say this with authority:] Nice doesn't get you far in any job where you have to shoot people.

[usedlightscreen]

In my experience the guys who get killed first are the ones with that kind of attitude.