( there certainly was a tendency for james to be reckless and perhaps too brazen when it came to questionable situations and scenarios. he at the very least was smart enough not to pick fights with anyone.

in the past, a distant place in time, he was more surly than he was now. now he just came across as defeated and confused. for all the explanations there were here about what was expected of him [join the military or piss off], he was new and needed to establish some form of connection.

so he held his hands up, almost defensively to show he wasn't looking for trouble. it was almost a reflex at this point. )

I uh....I'm kinda new here and I'm wondering if you know anything that might be useful for someone like me. I mean they'll at least give me a day or two to settle in, right?