Day 021: Grey's Rifle Lesson
Summary: Grey continues his rifle lesson with his group: Ariadne, Fiona, and… Gideon?
Date: 10 June 2016
Related: Follows directly from This is my Rifle, This is my Gun
    


Grounds, The Camp

With the removal of underbrush and a half-dozen small trees, there is now a tiny clearing around the dropship. It has begun to fill with detritus from the ship, including all of the seating, padding, and removable plates or bulkheads.

Several tents have been set up within the clearing, set close together within the confines of the surrounding trees. A small collection of weapons sits under a parachute-cloth shelter by the door of dropship, open for community use. A three-holer latrine is set up downwind of camp in the prevailing breezes, and a rough wall stretches between trees at the edge of the clearing, dropship plates and felled tree-trunks stacked up and lashed together as best as the Delinquents can manage. There is a gate at the north end, a single panel that can be rolled aside at need.

The forest immediately surrounding the camp has been cowed into near-silence, but is still vibrant and green to a people used to stark metal bulkheads all around them.

21 Days After Landing

Grey shrugs at Cassandra, "You want to learn to shoot, we'll teach you just like the rest." And then he gestures to Gideon as the Grounder speaks up about bow lessons, although he smirks just a touch at the last point. The look he gets from Gideon causes Grey to grimace a touch, and shrug one shoulder again a little helplessly, "Cat's already out of the bag with the rifles, Gideon. No puttin' it back now." He gestures for Ariadne to give one of the rifles to Fiona if the political wants one, "Gideon, Ariadne. Ariadne, Fiona, Cassandra, and Gideon kom Trikru. Don't know how many folks you know yet. Okay, no questions. Got it. I'll get started then. You never take a shot unless you're usin' the sights. No shootin' from the hip like in the vids." He grabs the pistol grip of his rifle with his right hand, grimacing as he does, then points to the back of the grip-slash-sight, and again to the sight at the end of the barrel, "Line up the post in the middle of the little notch, put that on your target." Even as he's demonstrating the barrel remains pointed toward the ground, "You don't do that, you'll miss your target and waste the round."

Fiona blinks as she's offered a rifle. "Grey, I'm not even sure I can lift the thing." she says, rising to her feet. "Morgan told me not to strain." She wants to learn, but well, from the ashen coloring of her face, she's in quite a bit of pain.

"It's a deal then," says wily Cass, upnodding Gideon. "I'm gonna learn what I can from Ol' Pincushion so he doesn't tear his vocal chords. Guess I'll see you after class." Though her own words aren't spoken loudly enough to tear her vocal chords, they are just about an octave shy enough of a stage-whisper that said Pincushion can purposefully hear her. Turning away, she then strolls away and back towards Stone, Cameron, Morgan and the rifles, with the idle pace and demeanour of a cat deigning to condescend itself to human company. She eyes Grey as she passes, but when she arrives at her study group, she makes a silent challenge in her oh-so-teenager stance, hands firmly in her pockets and feet shoulder-width apart, to make it clear that she doesn't need to be there.

One of the rifles is extended toward Fiona, even though she protests. Ariadne's eyes rest on the grounder and her forehead scrunches up as she considers her. The gaze doesn't last long however, and her attention is back on Grey. When she is down to only one rifle she carries it a little more easily, though she still very wary of where the end is pointed. Then she begins to follow the group toward somewhere that lends itself a little better to being able to concentrate.

"I did not suggest you put them back, I just do not see why you need to use them," the Trikru says reproachfully, though she does not say more on the issue. She instead just listens, arms folded. She nods gently as she is introduced, murmuring a Trigedasleng greeting before she focuses on the here and the now. She frows slightly, noticing some similarities between this and her own archery skills. She glances at the weapon, trying to keep her curiosity under control even while she rocks forward a step.

Nodding to Fiona, Grey responds, "You don't have to hold it, Fi. You can learn by watchin'." Truth be told, he probably shouldn't be carrying around his rifle or his armor, but people who tell him that tend to get ignored at the moment. "But without ammo, one of these is pretty light. Means it kicks more." He breathes out, lifting the weapon to press the stock into his shoulder, "To make it easier to aim, get the butt up against your shoulder, get your other hand under the barrel to brace it." He does as he says, providing an example with the rifle still pointed at the ground. "Keep your finger," he waggles his index finger, "Outside the guard until you're ready to shoot. Never trust the rifle's safety. You're your own safety." He looks around, "And Dee," he slips into the nickname without thought, "if you got a way for us to all not die that doesn't involve shooting people with rifles, I'm all ears. But me, I figure I still got a whole lot to live for, and I ain't interested in dyin' just yet." Looking back to Fiona and Ariadne, he adds, "Any time you've got a question, just let me know."

Ariadne nods her head and says, "Got it." before she moves to hold the rifle properly. The butt is pressed against her shoulder and her hand moves to the barrel. Her finer is not only outside the guard it is tightly pressed there, making her knuckle turn white. She peers through the sites and points the weapon toward the trees. She looks through the scope, her eye brows knitting together with concentration. She speaks up to ask, "Should both eyes be open, or the one not looking through the scope closed?"

"There's dozens of reasons why we need to use them if we have to, unfortunately." Fiona points out, nodding to Grey in agreement and intent on paying attention. "They may be the only advantage we have when Indra's army comes for us." She glances askance at the woman. "Do you know if the kruheda is coming herself? What is she like?"

Gideon watches Grey conduct his students, and she glances slightly toward Fiona with a thin smile. "If Indra is coming, not even your guns would save you." She shakes her head slightly, then she releases a heavy sigh, shoulders dropping a bit. "Harsh, unforgiving…" She rolls her shoulders a bit. "But a good, respected leader… she has seen much, and allows her experience to guide her."

Grey steps back as Ariadne raises up the rifle, watching where she points the weapon, "Remember. You gotta always assume that thing's loaded and ready to rock." At the question, he responds, "For now, just one eye. When you get comfortable, keep 'em both open so you can keep an eye on the situation around you." He looks over to Gideon at the question from Fiona, evidently interested in the answer to that question as well. "Don't crush the grip, just hold it." His lips curl into a smirk, "Dad always said 'squeeze it like a tit' and I hear that the ladies say 'squeeze it like a dick.'" Gideon's answer causes him to frown, "You know fightin' better than most of us, Gideon, but you ain't never seen rifles in the hands of professionals. They're a game-changer if they have to be. I just hope they don't have to be."

"Yeah, but we aren't professionals." Ariadne speaks up as she attempts to slightly loosen the grip on ehr weapon. Her hands ache and she pulls her hand from near the grip and flexes her fingers with a little wince. When she replaces the hand she does it more loosely. Her head turns to consider Fiona and the grounder and she says, "They may win, but we'll definitely take as many as we can down with us, won't we?" She says this mostly to Gideon, tilting her head as she watches her. Her head then turns and she closes one eye while she practices peering into the sights of the weapon.

"What does she respect?" Fiona asks softly. "If one of us was to speak to her, what would be the best way to talk to her. What kind of attitude would one need to bring to the table?" Wryly, "I think we can settle on squeeze, not pull. I mean, it's kind of small for a dick, isn't it?"

Gideon cannot help the dry words that fall from her lips, "And where are these so-called professionals?" Then she sighs, looking apologetic then. She then shifts her shoulders a bit, feeling the bow and quiver shift along her spine. Then her mouth thins at Araidne, and her shoulders tense a bit. Her gaze shifts over to Grey briefly, and then her eyes drop a bit. "My intentions here are not to help you annihilate my people, but to help you find ways to avoid being annihilated by mine." Then she glances over toward Fiona, and she frowns slightly. "I failed at being her second… I don't know if I am the one you should be asking such things."

"Some of us are, Ariadne." Well, professionals at something, but Grey certainly isn't a professional with rifles, even if he's teaching. He flips Gideon the bird with a smirking grin at her question, then looks back to Ariadne, nodding his agreement with the Grounder's additional words, "And they're not gonna kill us all. I promise you that." And then he's back on topic, "Okay. point the rifle down, then turn it ninety-degrees," He does it too, showing the side of the weapon to his audience and pointing to the little dial above the grip, "That's the firing-selector. When it's not on SAFE, it's on SINGLE, got it?" Flashing a grin at Fiona, "Depends whose you're talkin' about. So yeah, kinda small." Because he's a teenage boy. "Okay, brace your feet shoulder-width apart, keep your shoulders square, bring the butt up to your shoulder, raise the rifle, aim down the sights, breath out, squeeze the trigger. Simple."

"Maybe." Fiona says to Gideon. "But you're the only resource we've got to learn about her. If there's any chance that she'll sit down with us, I want as much advantage as possible. Just because your relationship with her broke down doesn't mean you don't have insight." Though the idea that Gideon was the kruheda's second, that just makes her even more confident that Gideon is a good source. "And I definitely want my Tridegasleng to be a lot better if we do meet."

Ariadne listens to the exchange between Fiona and Gideon as she looks through the sites of the rifle. Hearing Grey's words she lowers it and flips it on the side, pulling it closer to her face so she can see the dial more easily. Her feet move slightly further apart and she pulls the rifle back up to point it toward the woods. She is extremely careful not to point it toward anyone with her, but she does speak up as she does. "How ironic.. we're at a rifle lesson while you discuss how to make peace." Her voice is flat and matter-of-fact as she says this.

Gideon frowns, fingers working at her arms as they remained crossed at her chest. "I will think about it," she says quietly. "But, Indra is not one to sit down… she isn't like Oxfor… she doesn't give second chances." Or first chances, sometimes. The Trikru rolls her shoulders beneath the jersey, and then nods vaguely. "Attempting to negotiate with Indra is not going to get you very far, little one… you are not her equal."

"Peace through superior firepower." Grey's words are accompanied by another smirk, and he nods to Ariadne, "Better stance. If we don't have to fire another shot, I'd be happy. If it's just one or two shots, I'm fine with that too. The fewer, the better." And not just because they only have a very limited stock of ammo. "If you have to shoot, aim low," he gestures down around the base of his sternum, "The kick'll surprise you, but you can't brace against it, or it'll make your hands tremble. If you have to go burst or full-auto, aim down and left," He takes his left hand off the barrel of the rifle to point off his right hip, "Recoil'll put your shots up and right." He's going to keep pushing on with the lesson, even as Gideon and Fiona are talking about things that are probably more important. "What's it take to prove one of us is?" He gestures up with his free hand, "Because if the Ark's gone, we're all that's left of Skaikru." Rubbing at his right side again, just shy of his burned wounds, he adds, "If Sonia dies, or Indra, does it stop? Stone's got some romantic idea about single combat, but I don't know if that's a thing."

Fiona's gaze toward Ariadne is rather cool, but she pays it no mind, turning her attention to Gideon. "Good questions." Head tilting in Grey's direction. "We're trying a meteor with a butterfly net right now. We need to find alternatives, so I'm doing what I can." At first she bristles a bit at being called little one, but swiftly enough she replies with a sudden grin, "Though she be but little, she is fierce."

"If there was an option of coexisting peacefully then they wouldn't have started killing our people. I fear you are placing more faith in their logic and deductive reasoning skills than you should." Ariadne is still peering down the sights of the rifle and she drops it from her eyes she turns to the conversation to join. "I'm sure there are exceptions…" She glances Gideon, and then continues, "But I fear that there is no logic in their minds, only bloodshed and death. Negotiating with them is likely to be like negotiating with.. " She seems to be searching for a word and she holds up the gun, "This gun. The only thing it knows is death. You can't turn it into something that doesn't deal in death just because you wish it to be so." Her voice doesn't raise, and she speaks with a detached unemotional manner.

Gideon reaches up, rolling her fingers at the muscles of her neck. "Create yourself some order… identify which of you would be your kruheda… but you would all have to agree with that… which you never will." She looks at Grey and Fiona meaningfully, but then she looks back toward Ariadne as she practices with the rifle. When Grey mentions single combat, she arches her brows slightly. "You… what?" Though she looks mildly unsettled by Ariadne's words, and her gaze cuts to Grey. She ducks her chin a bit.

Grey shrugs at Fiona, then winces as he realizes by the pain in his side that he shrugged with both shoulders and not just one, "I'll do whatever it takes to keep the people in this camp alive, Fi. Even if it's tryin' to catch a meteor in a butterfly net." He looks around the group, "There's some people who are real important to me in this camp." Keeping his voice carefully level, he focuses his attention on Fiona, "People I'd do anything for." Looking over to Ariadne, he shakes his head, "That's not what I've seen. All the Trikru are people. Some of them are shit, from what I've seen, but then again, some of us are shit too. Oxfor, I'd trust him, if I had to. Gideon." He looks back to Gideon then, considering, "Maybe Wren. A couple more of 'em. I haven't met many of them." Studying her for a moment, he shakes his head, "A single kruheda'd be hard. Even two might be hard. Like you said, Dee, we don't agree on much."

Fiona gently places her hand on Gideon's arm. The gesture is meant to be reassuring, and perhaps slightly cautionary. But there's alliance in it. "You're wrong, Ariadne." Fiona is looking straight at the young woman in question. "You haven't spent any time among them, but I have. You think all they know is death? I've been learning their words. They have words for things like mother and father. Son and daughter. They have a word for love. We literally crashed into their lives when they didn't ask for it, and have spent generations doing the exact thing we've been being taught to do for generations - survive on the ground. They've never had to deal with the idea of people so thoroughly different and somehow the same. I met Trikru who are jackholes and Trikru who were wise, and Trikru who care about peace and they're pretty much just people. I can say this, because I know them, I talked to them - more than even Grey has talked to them, because that was part of why I went to Coesbur in the first place. So even though I expect you won't bother to take it, I'm going to give you some advice: stop talking. If for nothing else, then because you need to pay attention to what Grey's trying to teach you, but also because you're showing yourself to be horribly ignorant, and it's an insult to your intelligence."

"Let me ask you, have you two been paying any attention whatsoever to what he is trying to teach? You ask me to stop talking yet I'm the one actually focusing on why we are here." She shakes her head and turns back toward the trees, lifting the rifle again and looking down the scope with a sigh. She says quietly as she does, "Even if you are right - and I'm not saying you are - doesn't mean that you shouldn't learn to defend yourself, or more importantly stand in the way of people who are trying to learn to." She falls silent then, and lowers the gun. She turns to Grey with a sigh, waiting to see if the lesson is to continue or not.

Gideon blinks slightly at the hand at her arm, and she actually nods slightly. Then she looks between the delinquents, and she ducks her head again. "I am of no use here," she says quietly, though the words are not said to spark sympathy. Just facts. Then she glances over to Ariadne, and she nods slightly. "She's right… you should be focused on preparing… not waiting and hoping to speak with Indra… she isn't the one coming from you." She pushes forward, looking down at the guns before she starts to veer away in a slow stride.

Grey could step forward, get between Fiona and Ariadne, but he doesn't. Instead he lets Fiona go off on her fellow Delinquent, and for Ariadne to respond. "You're right. You're both right. I'm teachin' you how to kill Trikru, while I'm hopin' to figure out a way to keep from doin' it." He studies Gideon for a long moment, then nods, "I'm sure there'll be people lookin' to learn to shoot a bow from you, Gideon." And then he looks back to Fiona and Ariadne, "Okay. One last thing. Our ammo ain't great. If you get a jam, a bad round, you pull back on the slide, that racks a new round into the chamber, so you can fire it." And he does so to demonstrate, catching the round that comes spinning out. "Any other questions on how to defend yourself if shit goes bad?"

Fiona gets slowly to her feet. "There's more than one way to prepare." she says. "And that includes finding ways to not have to fire any guns at all, if necessary. This won't be the only lesson Grey gives." She likely intends to be present for more than one when it's a little less painful for it. But in the meantime, she carefully points at Ariadne's gun. "Muzzle." Her finger points a few inches. "Breech." Halfway back. "Hammer. And you're acquainted with the trigger. Admittedly I learned the parts of a gun on a sidearm, and you can't exactly cup-and-saucer grip a rifle, but I trust Grey to show me the right way once I can hold it properly." She looks back to Grey. "If it gets bad enough that I'm up here with a gun, it's gone completely to shit. Got any advice on how to aim?"

Ariadne seems satisfied that the lesson is continuing and as Fiona points out the parts of the weapon she does lower her eyes to see what she's pointing at. She then pulls back on the slide as Grey directs.

Gideon casts a glance over her shoulder as she makes her retreat. She offers a small nod to Grey's words, shifting her shoulders beneath her quiver and bow. She slips away quietly, not worrying about the various eyes that still cautiously follow her movements.

Grey nods as Fiona lists out the parts of the rifle, watching Ariadne rack the slide too. He's quiet for a moment, watching Gideon depart, then presses his lips together tightly and looks back to Ariadne and Fiona again, "Okay. It's all about the notch and post, and not in a dirty way. Put the post in the middle of the notch, put the target just past the post. Aim low, stomach of lower chest. I'd love for you all to get to fire off a dozen rounds, a hundred, but we don't have that much ammo. You're likely to miss your first shots. You'll just have to try again. Wait until they're comin' straight at you, and until they get close. Any other questions?"

"I'm good." Fiona says. "Thank you, Grey." She looks worn, suggesting, "We should talk soon."

Ariadne shakes her head and says, "I think my questions are answered." She looks at Fiona and says, while looking at her, "Though I'm sure a hundred more will pop into my head tonight when I'm trying to sleep." Her eyes then move toward Grey again and she asks, "Do you want me to return the guns?"

Grey nods at Ariadne's question, "Yeah. That'd be great, Ariadne. We've only got twenty-four, so we'll put together a list of the people we think can handle 'em. The thing about guns to remember is, they're as dangerous to us as they are to the people attackin' us. Just 'cause you don't mean to shoot a friend doesn't mean you won't. We're gonna try to make sure that doesn't happen." He pauses a moment, then shrugs, "But from what I saw, you both seem like you'll be able to handle 'em alright," he glances to Ariadne, "So long as you remember we ain't at war with all the Trikru." Grimacing slightly, Grey crouches down to pick up his jacket and sling it carefully over his left shoulder before looking up to Fiona, "I'm not goin' anywhere. Just let me know when you've got the time, Fi."

Ariadne retrieves the guns and begins to move down off the wall. She calls over her shoulder as she leaves, "I'd probably be much more effective with a bow and arrow. At least I know how to use that." She gives a little smile to Fiona and says, "I have no desire to kill grounders. I just want to stay alive. Like everyone else." Then she turns and is gone.

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