ysabetwordsmith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2014-07-23 12:41 am
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2014-07-23 12:41 am
Story: "Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 23
This story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Hairpins," "Blended," "Am I Not," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys,""Saudades," "Querencia," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," "Hide and Seek," "Kernel Error," "Happy Hour," "Green Eggs and Hulk," and "kintsukuroi."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22. Skip to Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28.
"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 23
When Phil is eighteen, his high school holds an assembly for a set of four military recruiters. Each one makes a pitch, enticing students to visit their recruiting table after the assembly. The Air Force sounds pretty cool, but Phil knows better than to take it seriously. He's a little afraid of heights. The Army would probably suit him better. There's a ton of competition, though, because lots of people seem interested in that one. Willie Carmichael gets all excited about it, and he's half again Phil's size.
Then the marine steps up. He sweeps a cool gaze over the entire audience and drawls, "Nah, I don't see any baby marines here. None of these kids got what it takes. Your turn." He waves to the Navy guy.
Phil has to laugh when, after the assembly lets out, the Marine table gets mobbed. He can't get anywhere near it. He picks up flyers from the other three, though. It's a long shot and he knows it, but the money's good. Phil's interest spikes when he discovers that military service can earn college funding, too.
So he hangs around, talking over options with some of the other students. Willie has switched his interest from Army to Marines. Priscilla Snider still likes the Army, though. Jose Suarez favors Navy. He swims like a fish, so that makes sense. Eventually their little group breaks apart as people leave.
"Hey, kid," calls a deep voice. Willie turns to look, all hopeful. Phil just keeps walking. No recruiter would want someone his size.
A hand catches him by the shoulder, firm and heavy. Phil whirls, his left arm coming up automatically to knock off the grip even as he drops into stance, right arm ready to swing.
The marine blocks Phil's stroke, but he's grinning. "Oh, you'll do," he says.
"Do what?" Phil says. Then he frowns. The recruiters are here for a reason, after all. "You can't want me. I thought you said you didn't see any likely recruits in the whole audience."
"I didn't," the marine says, "until I saw you move. Let's talk."
So they talk, and Phil learns that it's not just muscle that makes a Marine, but will. He likes that. He's already honed his mind as well as his body. He begins to wonder what he could do -- really do -- if he stopped holding back. If he wasn't fighting bullies to make them quit harassing his sister. If he was fighting someone who threatened his country.
"What's it like?" Phil asks.
"You join the Army for adventure, the Navy for travel, the Air Force for education," the recruiter says. "You join the Marines for destruction. It's not about gaining something for yourself. It's about protecting other people."
It's everything Phil wants. He's tempted, but he knows there's no such thing as a free lunch. "What's the catch?" he asks. "Those other guys, they sounded like used car salesmen. That makes me a bit suspicious."
"Everybody always says their recruiter lied to them," the marine says with a nod. "I'm not gonna lie to you, kid. You join the Marines, it'll be the worst thing you've ever done -- and the best decision."
"You really think I'd have a chance ..." Phil says.
"There are six hundred brats in this high school. Which one am I talking to?" the marine says.
"Me," Phil says. Then he gets it. Somehow, this guy cut him out of the herd. Phil wants to know how to see what he sees, to clear away the ones who don't fit and find the one who does, like spotting just the right puzzle piece when they're all spread over the kitchen table. Phil is good, his mother is better, but they aren't that good. At least, not yet. And oh, he wants it.
"So what do you say, kid?" the marine asks, holding out a pamphlet. It's thicker than the ones on the table, with more information in it.
"I guess I don't need these anymore," Phil says, and throws the rest into the garbage.
* * *
Notes:
School recruiting is a controversial issue, much worse now than in Phil's school days. There are reasons for and against joining the military. Paying for college is a prime reason, but it carries serious risks.
Choosing a branch is just as weighty a decision as choosing to join at all. Make careful comparisons.
There are plenty of reasons for joining the Marines in particular. On the surface, the Marines seem like the least plausible match for Phil, who is small and slim and unassuming. That's Marvel canon though. Now look at what makes a Marine a Marine ... well, that explains a lot. There are tips for choosing a role in the Marines too.
Reading people is a popular skill, but some practitioners take it far beyond the basics. Get started on reading people.
[To be continued in Part 24 ...]
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Nick Fury
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Minor character death. Bullying. Fighting. Suicide attempt (minor character).
Summary: This is the story of how a little boy named Flip grows up to save the world a lot.
Notes: Hurt/comfort. Family. Fluff and angst. Accidents. Emotional whump. Disability. Sibling relationship. Nonsexual love. Parentification. Manipulation. Coping skills. Asking for help and getting it. Hope. Protection. Caregiving. Competence. Toys and games. Comic books. Fixing things. Martial arts. Gentleness. Trust. Role models. Military. BAMF Phil Coulson.
Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22. Skip to Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28.
"Little and Broken, but Still Good" Part 23
When Phil is eighteen, his high school holds an assembly for a set of four military recruiters. Each one makes a pitch, enticing students to visit their recruiting table after the assembly. The Air Force sounds pretty cool, but Phil knows better than to take it seriously. He's a little afraid of heights. The Army would probably suit him better. There's a ton of competition, though, because lots of people seem interested in that one. Willie Carmichael gets all excited about it, and he's half again Phil's size.
Then the marine steps up. He sweeps a cool gaze over the entire audience and drawls, "Nah, I don't see any baby marines here. None of these kids got what it takes. Your turn." He waves to the Navy guy.
Phil has to laugh when, after the assembly lets out, the Marine table gets mobbed. He can't get anywhere near it. He picks up flyers from the other three, though. It's a long shot and he knows it, but the money's good. Phil's interest spikes when he discovers that military service can earn college funding, too.
So he hangs around, talking over options with some of the other students. Willie has switched his interest from Army to Marines. Priscilla Snider still likes the Army, though. Jose Suarez favors Navy. He swims like a fish, so that makes sense. Eventually their little group breaks apart as people leave.
"Hey, kid," calls a deep voice. Willie turns to look, all hopeful. Phil just keeps walking. No recruiter would want someone his size.
A hand catches him by the shoulder, firm and heavy. Phil whirls, his left arm coming up automatically to knock off the grip even as he drops into stance, right arm ready to swing.
The marine blocks Phil's stroke, but he's grinning. "Oh, you'll do," he says.
"Do what?" Phil says. Then he frowns. The recruiters are here for a reason, after all. "You can't want me. I thought you said you didn't see any likely recruits in the whole audience."
"I didn't," the marine says, "until I saw you move. Let's talk."
So they talk, and Phil learns that it's not just muscle that makes a Marine, but will. He likes that. He's already honed his mind as well as his body. He begins to wonder what he could do -- really do -- if he stopped holding back. If he wasn't fighting bullies to make them quit harassing his sister. If he was fighting someone who threatened his country.
"What's it like?" Phil asks.
"You join the Army for adventure, the Navy for travel, the Air Force for education," the recruiter says. "You join the Marines for destruction. It's not about gaining something for yourself. It's about protecting other people."
It's everything Phil wants. He's tempted, but he knows there's no such thing as a free lunch. "What's the catch?" he asks. "Those other guys, they sounded like used car salesmen. That makes me a bit suspicious."
"Everybody always says their recruiter lied to them," the marine says with a nod. "I'm not gonna lie to you, kid. You join the Marines, it'll be the worst thing you've ever done -- and the best decision."
"You really think I'd have a chance ..." Phil says.
"There are six hundred brats in this high school. Which one am I talking to?" the marine says.
"Me," Phil says. Then he gets it. Somehow, this guy cut him out of the herd. Phil wants to know how to see what he sees, to clear away the ones who don't fit and find the one who does, like spotting just the right puzzle piece when they're all spread over the kitchen table. Phil is good, his mother is better, but they aren't that good. At least, not yet. And oh, he wants it.
"So what do you say, kid?" the marine asks, holding out a pamphlet. It's thicker than the ones on the table, with more information in it.
"I guess I don't need these anymore," Phil says, and throws the rest into the garbage.
* * *
Notes:
School recruiting is a controversial issue, much worse now than in Phil's school days. There are reasons for and against joining the military. Paying for college is a prime reason, but it carries serious risks.
Choosing a branch is just as weighty a decision as choosing to join at all. Make careful comparisons.
There are plenty of reasons for joining the Marines in particular. On the surface, the Marines seem like the least plausible match for Phil, who is small and slim and unassuming. That's Marvel canon though. Now look at what makes a Marine a Marine ... well, that explains a lot. There are tips for choosing a role in the Marines too.
Reading people is a popular skill, but some practitioners take it far beyond the basics. Get started on reading people.
[To be continued in Part 24 ...]
You forgot the Coasties!
The main four, however, you have dead on.
I love the fact that the recruiter is willing to be honest; I think it implies a lot about his character, and about his recruiting methods. He wants a few, very few, GOOD candidates, rather than the best recruiting numbers. He wants people he's certain will still be good candidates getting better-- two years after graduating Basic, rather than just able to get through Basic.
Re: You forgot the Coasties!
Agreed, they are. They just don't seem inclined to do the kind of proactive recruiting as the others. School presentations are almost always a foursquare of Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. In coastal regions where the Coast Guard recruits more actively, they seem to favor solo presentations. This is probably why people often forget about them and their connection to the others.
>> I admit, I have personal reasons for FOREVER wanting to see them get good press wherever they can, but it's an interesting oversight in THIS universe, too. <<
Feel free to prompt for it some time. Walking the Beat is in Boston, not far from the eastern beachline. Polychrome Heroics and Fledgling Grace both cover a wide range of territory. I've got one superhero that I haven't statted up yet, Blue Crush, who works as a lifeguard; that's prime territory for overlapping with the CG.
>> The main four, however, you have dead on. <<
Yay!
>> I love the fact that the recruiter is willing to be honest; I think it implies a lot about his character, and about his recruiting methods. <<
Well, that's a Marine for you -- there's a reason why they pick taglines like "The few, the proud, the Marines." They often play against the other recruiters in a way that helps pre-sort the candidates. The tricks I'm describing in this story are things I've heard of the Marines actually doing. It sounds like they have a whole little playbook of sneaky ideas and they switch off so nobody ever knows quite what to expect. It's the kind of mental finagling that reminds you chess is a wargame.
>> He wants a few, very few, GOOD candidates, rather than the best recruiting numbers. He wants people he's certain will still be good candidates getting better-- two years after graduating Basic, rather than just able to get through Basic. <<
Exactly. He's not interested in marginal candidates. He only wants the cream of the crop. And he just pinpointed the best individual from a set of ~600 (counting all the students, not only the ones in Phil's year).
From what I've heard, that's pretty typical; the Army will get the most attention and has lots of versatile options. Air Force and Navy are more specialized, and will take fewer people. The Marines might pick one or two. If they see those up front, they'll choose tactics to get them ignored by everyone else. But if they don't see any, they're likely to use some tactic to flush the flock in hopes of picking out hidden potential, like this; and that tends to get them mobbed by hopelessly unsuitable candidates. It's fine, they know how to dissuade the unsuitable. The Army hustles for as many recruits as possible, to meet quotas. The Marines have quotas too but are pickier about who they want.