Come As You Are // Open Post

[therealbrianna]

P.Y.T. [ Pretty Young Thing ]

(Taken during THAT mission that we do not speak of.)

Comments

[therealbrianna]

[ Roy.. ROY? Her baby brother ROY? Is learning self-defense? :')

Okay maybe she already knew that, but just the thought makes her feel extra-happy. ]

Yeah, maybe! I'll teach them when they're like 13 or something.

[ A quick pause. ]

When did you first learn how to shoot?

[mordechai]

[...Huh. That is a good question. Actually:]

Honestly? I can't remember anymore. It's been a long time since then.

[And a fuckload of things have happened between then and now.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Oh, well... ]

That's probably why you're so good. I think I'd be good at it too if I was a bajillion years old.

[ Hihi. Wait, oops. ]

Not that you look a bajillion years old though...

[mordechai]

[He finds that statement amusing more than he does irritating.]

I won't ever now, so I guess that works in my favor.

[It's the truth.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Oooh. o__o ]

That's really cool!

[mordechai]

It's the whole fixed point in time thing, apparently. Comes with the package.

[No big. None at all. Yes, it's a big deal, but not to him. Not anymore.

Killing his cigarette now, and turning towards the door.]

Let's go in.

[therealbrianna]

[ Oh. Right. There is that... ]

Okay! [ Killing her cigarette as well. ]

[mordechai]

[There are no further words from this one, not until he's finished finding a good place for them (there are a number of people in the Shatterdome's range today) and setting up.]

Let's check your form and your aim again. Just to see if you haven't gotten rusty.

[therealbrianna]

[ Her face is determined. She hates being bad at something. Not that she's competitive or anything, but if it's something she's really into then yes, she's bad at being... bad.

She nods, takes her gun out and holds it with both hands, adjusting her grip here and there. She's also adjusting her stance. ]

How's this so far?

[mordechai]

Decent enough.

[People tend to slip if they've been idle for more than a day and not as active as they could be with engagements.]

And assembly?

[It's his usual prompt. The way he tells you to get right to it.]

[therealbrianna]

[ She nods, lowers the gun and starts disassembling it just as Alistair taught her. And like how she's practiced.

Quick pause so Alistair can take note of that, then assembling it. Again, just as he taught her, and just as she's been practicing. Turning her attention to him now to see his reaction. ]

[mordechai]

Good.

[He rarely says that. "Good."

No smiles, but the approval is in his eyes.]

Are you still the only gunner in your troupe?

[therealbrianna]

[ Laughing internally because hihi, Daddystair referred to a blade as a troupe. Not that she's going to let him know that, though... ]

Kaz is starting to learn too!

[mordechai]

Ah, right.

[He had not considered that, to be honest. By his assessment, Kaz still counted as a short-ranged fighter.

That was going to change pretty soon, though, from the looks of it.]

But you're the only one who's going to stick solely to ranged weapons. Right?

[Or not?]

[therealbrianna]

[ Recalling how she was strategizing it: balancing being a Changeling, an effective Netsach hunter and a hunter who's looking to expand to other conspiracies. ]

I... think so? Netsach gave me a Kurasigama too, but I haven't been training using that. The way I see it, I already know how to shoot guns to begin with so I'm focusing on that. Plus I'm also training with Tala and Lia.

[ Looking at Alistair quizzically, as if asking for his opinion. ]

I shouldn't spread myself too thin, right?

[mordechai]

[Nods.]

Decide what you want to capitalize on. It'd be good to know some basics, but if you're not fundamentally interested in combat at close quarters, don't bother.

[therealbrianna]

[ Yay approval~ ]

I'm thinking it can be something like a last resort or something. But yeah, I don't really like being in close combat anyway.

[ Plus capitalizing on guns means spending more time with you, Daddystair. <3 ]

[mordechai]

[Lifting an eyebrow at, then shrugging.]

I would've thought that someone who calls herself Hikaru's daughter would be into that sort of thing.

[Tala had taken to it like a fish to water.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Hey! >:( she feels challenged. But nope, thinking better of that... ]

Even if I'm Hikaru's daughter, I still value my life. Besides, strategically, it's good to have someone who's ranged in the blade. Kinda protect their backs, that kind of thing.

[ That's how Brig put it, right? ]

[mordechai]

Fair enough.

[Okay, good. She didn't call him out on how he deliberately referred to her as just Hikaru's daughter. He does like to think of them as separate entities these days, and it's done him a surprising amount of good.

Mostly.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Ehehehe.

Softly and mischievously: ]

Now I can be like Daddystair.

[mordechai]

[...Well, okay, she went there after all.

Have a Look.]

You're not my daughter. You know that, right?

[therealbrianna]

[ What's that, Brianna? You value your life? Why aren't you running away yet? ]

Yeah, I know. I just call you that sometimes. Can't blame me though, Tala calls you that all the time. It kinda just rubs off on me.

[ Trying to worm her way out of this. ]

[mordechai]

Right.

[Color this one Unconvinced.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Hmph.

Softly, under her breath: ]

I can see why he likes you.

[ Actually, she can. Alistair is... A good person? Maybe not to Brianna yet but he definitely is good to Hikaru. Even... Good for Hikaru? ]