Hello. Lance here, once again, and I've gotta story for you. Please, tell me what you think, as I really want your opinions. Reviews are extremely appreciated.
Anyway, this story is about Jet, reflecting on his relationship with the Bebop crew. Enjoy.
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36
I'm 36 years old. A lot of people tell me I don't look 36. I'm pretty sure they mean I look a lot older.
I used to be a cop. This whole bounty hunting thing was just going to be temporary. I had this burning sense of justice crap when I was a kid, so I decided to keep catching criminals myself after I left the force. Bounty hunting was just going to be until I found an organization that wasn't corrupt like the ISSP. But that didn't happen. I'm 36, and I'm still watching Big Shot and skimming new web sites to see what bounties we can catch to keep food on the table. I'm catching criminals. That's what I wanted, isn't it? But even so... I still need to eat, don't I?
No, that's not what's bothering me. It's something else. How old was my dad when he met Mom? How old was he when I was born? I'm 36, and I'm not married.
Yeah, I knew this girl when I was on the force. She said I was too controlling. Now that I've got this lifestyle and drags me back and forth across the solar system chasing anybody that had a price on their head. Not a lot of women are interested... When I was younger I was hoping to someday live the family life. But now I'm the leader of a buncha fucks who could die at any time. Yeah, we live together when we're not risking our lives, but I don't have that whole family life. I sorta look after Edward, but that's not really the same thing.
Now that I think about it, I heard that when you work in close quarters with people, your brain integrates them as family members. Spike and Faye sure do act like siblings. I guess Ed would be the baby of the family. Even Ein seems to have a place. But if all that's true... Christ, I've become the parent figure to this bunch of freelancers. How did that happen? I'm only ten years older then Spike or Faye. Is it behavior? I cook, I work, I try to organize, I do a lot for these people, but still anybody could die any day rushing into fights like that. Maybe that's why I try to keep people from doing that so much. Try to come up with strategies so nobody winds up in a bodybag.
It's probably not that good having this kind of family anyway. You get emotionally attachted, but with friends like these, it's easy to break up before you die. I mean, with blood relations you can keep in touch, but with one of those subconscious families you don't have any excuse to do something like that. I mean, we could break up and never see each other again, wind up getting hurt. And it's only a matter of time before it happens. Edward's getting older. Faye could leave at any minute. Spike seems pretty secure, always able to get out of a jam and he never seems to die. But his past is a factor. He almost left once because of it. Ein I don't seem to have to worry about.
They're all important to me. All these idiots I'm stuck traveling through space with are important to me. What'll I do if they leave? I'm 36. I can only get so old before I'm too old to date. Do I just find another family to live with until we break up to? Do I just go through life like that until I'm retired? And what do I do after that?
I'm 36, and I'm not married. I have a reckless kid who can't think before he acts, a compulsive gambler who'd sell me out to a criminal for 5 woolongs, a hacker without a shread of sanity, and a dog. If any of them dies, I dunno what I'd do.
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So tell me, what'dya think? I'd love to hear from you...