5394/ICoT: Trigger Hill

ICoT: Trigger Hill
Date of Scene:	24 July 2017
Location:	The Bastion
Synopsis:	Kid, Flamel, and Alexis have a shooting party with the rest of the Bastion crew.
Cast of Characters:	The Kid, Alexis, 1094

---

The Kid has posed:
    Trigger Hill.

    Once situated near Point Lemaign, serving as a training camp and a defensive perch for the structure, the Calamity flung this hill high and far from the base. However, it clung together, forming a sniper's lookout any Trigger would have died for. This leaves it the ideal place for Rucks to run Kid through on how to properly handle an Army Carbine.

    Much of the structures have fallen to ruin by now, blown apart by the Calamity and then consumed by the Wilds, but the training grounds still work. Rucks is working on some target turrets while everyone arrives, one spluttering to life and spraying some stray flames from its nozzle under his touch. Zulf and Zia are also present, the former looking to the east while the latter tunes her harp. Kid himself is clutching his Carbine and practicing raising it from his hip to a firing position quickly.

    As everyone arrives, he looks around (after lowering the rifle and taking his finger off the trigger, of course) and says, "Heya folks. Which of ya wanted ta learn to shoot, and which of ya is just here to relax?"

Alexis has posed:
World shattering disaster aside, it's a marvel how some of these various chunks of land have held together. Or at least mostly held together. It is in its own way something to marvel at, once you look past the destruction that left it that way. Maybe gave a lingering bit of hope that some day it can be pulled back together. Or at least rebuilt. Repaired? The latter is what it looks like Rucks is trying to do at least.

Hands folded casually behind her head, Alexis just gives a little shrug at the question. "Not really a gun person, y'know." Though it's followed by a hint of a half-grin afterwards. "Not that it means I don't have a few shooting things." They're just not guns. Trainers don't need that sort of thing usually.

Flamel Parsons (1094) has posed:
    Parsons arrives as he always does: In a vaguely fascinated way, and looking like a secret agent. Zulf is given some space. Parsons remembers the last encounter with him, and while Zulf himself isn't someone Parsons thinks of as a threat, the potential for social tension sure is... Potent! He cheerfully approaches and gives a quick wave to the Kid. "Hey there!" He says. "Thanks for the offer from before! How's things been since I last checked around here? Still, uh...?" He looks out over the hill.

    "Still kind of disconnected, yeah. I'm here to learn to shoot! Sort of. I mean, I can already shoot, but learning a different way sure sounds relaxing. And it would be great if I could actually carry a gun someday. A secret gun really completes the spy aesthetic, you know. Like those shoe-pistols? You probably don't have those though." No, they probably don't. "I'd love to give whatever firearms you have a shot though."

The Kid has posed:
    "Ya sure? What happens if you're caught without your critters? You got that stick, sure, but a gun would come in handier," Kid says to Alexis. When Flamel arrives though, he waves. "Good to see ya fella. Been a while. Things are looking up, to be honest. I'll let you know how it is while we shoot."

    Zia and Zulf also wave to the new arrivals. Zia is entirely pleasant, as usual, while Zulf's smile is very grim. The singer has salvaged a table and set up a big pot of some kind of stew on it. "Try some. I think it came out quite well." But finally, Rucks has the turrets fixed. They float and drift, beyond the hill before swivelling to face it. Kid draws one of his Repeaters from his belt and flips it, catching it by the barrel and offering it to Flamel.

    "Let's see what you got, to start.

Alexis has posed:
Alexis smirks a bit more as she lowers her arms, then stretches one playfully like a pitcher warming up. "You say that now, but you didn't see me choke a xeno by throwing a pokeball down it's throat." Granted it most likely didn't fully die until the deck depressurized from the explosion of lighting Skuntank musk on fire, but that's besides the point. "It's okay, I've already got a Magnum."

The joke on gun names gets a bit more clear when she pulls a net-patterned pokeball off her belt and clicks it. The usual discharge of energy follows, flickering in front of her to form a blue shrimp creature... With a right pincher claw a good three times as large as the rest of it's body. It peers around the area for a bit, then makes an annoyed sounding clacking that vagely resembles it's species. "Clawitzer."

"Yeah, I know, no water. But it's good for you to stretch your legs, you don't have to flop around like a stuck fish at least."

Flamel Parsons (1094) has posed:
    "Hey, up is the best way to be looking!" Parsons says, cheerfully taking the gun. "I always try to be part of things looking up." Well, no, he didn't take it, per se; the gun began floating somewhere in his approximate proximity, while Parsons puts two fingers on his temples. He gives a cheerful thumbs-up to Zia. "Would love some later, if you don't mind! Maybe while I get my first lessons on how to handle this stuff." The gun itself shifts around, as if he were testing its weight, while he busies himself putting on a pair of shooting earmuffs. "What I got to start, uhhhh..." He peers at the reeater. "Always expected them to be more metal! Well, here goes nothing."

    He tries to line a shot up down the length of the gun, unable to really understand how the spine of it translates to sights. He keeps it at a fair distance, his posture going a little stiff, before he opens fire with a long barrage at one of the turrets. He's an experienced marksman with psionic blasts, but far less so here, likely making a lot of amateur mistakes with his... completely invisible grip. Maybe THAT'S where to start here.

The Kid has posed:
    Zia is immediately fascinated by Magnum. She puts down her harp and kneels down to examine him, taking a flask to pour some water over him. "Oh wow, he's incredible," she says, looking to the trainer for permission to touch his claw.

    Flamel, meanwhile... doesn't hit anything, shockingly. Kid shakes his head. "No no no. None of that. Take it in ya actual hand," he says, grabbing it, reloading, and trying to force Flamel into holding it. "Aim down the sights, use both hands to keep it steady if ya have to. Keep ya elbow straight, but not tense, else ya feel it later."

    While the Psychonaut figures out that his hands can be used for things, Kid begins to explain what's been happening of late. "Found some more Shards. Met Ura who actually want peace, can ya believe it? Handed over one of the Cores they took too as a show of faith."

    Zulf grumbles and shakes his head. "It's not right," he says. "It would be peace built on a lie." Kid goes quiet, as does Zia. Rucks just sighs and strokes his mustache.

Alexis has posed:
Alexis takes a step back so Zia can get a good look at the pokemon. "Just be careful." Though the dousing of water is appreciated, so the shrimp-mon doesn't snap or anything at her. "They may look like animals but pokemon are a bit smarter than your average critter. Some more than others."

She snorts a little as Zulf grumps about the Ura actually being peaceful, but shrugs it off after rubbing her shoulder a bit. "One way or the other, some relative quiet works out for you guys. Time for more shard hunting."

Alexis turns her attention back to Zia admiring the Clawitzer. "Wanna see what he can do?"

Flamel Parsons (1094) has posed:
    "Peace! That's good." Parsons says, adjusting his grip to actually, uh, /grip/ the thing. "I mean... Alright, fair point. It's probably not right one hundred percent of the way. But, well, I'm pretty sure Caelondia's already pretty well punished for its wrongdoing. I mean, I know I sure can't think of much else I'd be demanding. Caelondia was ground zero for this whole nightmare, I'm pretty sure you guys are just as mad at whatever conspiratorial secret order ordered that thing built as they are."

    As he finds a good position -- with a two-handed grip, out of caution -- he tries to line up a shot and pull the trigger, awkwardly; he's just not used to recoil, and it'll probably show. "But more shards are good. A Core is too. Really, that's a lot of positive stuff! I'm happy to hear it, you should be proud to be managing it. What's the next Shard?"

The Kid has posed:
    Zia, always eager to look at weird animals (and ignore what Zulf said), eagerly nods to Alexis after getting her hands on that massive claw. "Yes please. Oh, if Magnum is up for it, of course." She clearly took that whole 'smarter than pets' thing to heart.

    A single shot from Flamel actually manages to ding the turret! "Hey, not bad," Kid says. Unfortunately, that draws its attention, so Kid raises his Carbine and puts a bullet through it before it can retaliate. "Next Shard? Somewhere around Colford Cauldron, according to the old man." He makes a face at the mention of it. "Empty your lungs before you squeeze the trigger," Rucks says, finally chipping in as he loads up his pipe, both to Kid and Flamel. The young man grumbles that he 'hit it just fine' as Rucks sends another turret out, as well as one extra for whatever Alexis is planning.

    "Suffering is not justice," Zulf says, clearly not willing to let this go. "Just because Caelondia took the brunt, that does not excuse their part in it. All those who were affected need to know." He also sneers a little at Flamel's last statement and looks to Rucks. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Alexis has posed:
Alexis doesn't need to ask, the Clawitzer scuttles off in front of the two girls with enough eagerness to make it clear he's good with the idea. "I'd say Magnum is more than willing to show off a bit." She chuckles a little, watching as Rucks gets more turrets deployed. Moving targets are always more interesting, even if it is just for practice.

She waits for a moment, watching the device click and clack about. Then thrusts out her arm to point in its direction. "Aim for the drone, Magnum... And use Water Pulse!"

"Claaaw..." Magnum leans back on his tail a bit for support, the massive claw opening to show the aquamarine colored glow gathering inside of it briefly. Then snaps the massive claw shut with such force that the resulting pressure blast the watery charge out of it with the same speed and force as an artillery shot. And about as loud as too, leaving little wonder as to how the pokemon got a name combining 'claw' and 'howitzer'.

Flamel Parsons (1094) has posed:
    Parsons seems to take pride in that single landed hit, though he was briefly caught off guard by that turret. "Oh, wow! Nice! Thanks for the advice! And for making it not shoot me. Colford Cauldron... What's that? What's that like?" As ever, he's INTENSELY curious about things. All things, everywhere, really. Then he tilts his head back once more, eyeing Zulf... "Oh, yeah, you're absolutely right." Parsons says, nodding. "I can absolutely respect wanting people to know! It's just hard to do that without, you know. Undue risk! Lots of it."

    He snaps, and smiles. "You know, that would be best! You're an ambassador, right? You could probably figure out a good way to deliver the news! You know, in a way that doesn't doom the last remnants of the world to death in the ensuing grudge feud." He gives a thumbs up. "Can you work on that? I think it'd be a great idea. Alright, time for violence again. Breathing techniques I'm good at. Great way to influence mental state for us." He says, taking a few deep breaths. "I think it's the chemntrails." He whispers, then exhales intensely. And another burst!

The Kid has posed:
    BOOM!

    The Water Pulse rips through the turret like paper, grinding away the internals and making it plummet to the ground far below. Zia looks very impressed. "Well done Magnum!" she says. Taking a ladle, she fishes a large hunk of meat from the pot of stew and serves it in a bowl to the Pokemon.

    Kid also looks very impressed, and watches on as Flamel squeezes off a couple more rounds. This time, he manages two! Again, it turns to face them, but another shot from Kid goes right through the barrel, destroying it. "Getting pretty good. Maybe ask for a... 'shoe gun' from the Concord? Can't let ya keep that one, it's a historical piece. Owned by Slinger Jawson hisself."

    Zulf blinks, and rubs his head, before looking at Rucks. "I'd like to. Some here might disagree with that though." The old man exhales a cloud of smoke and says, "I keep sayin' it won't matter in the end. I'll fix it, I stake my word on it, even if you think that ain't worth much."

Alexis has posed:
Alexis hehs. "He can shoot more than just water. But I don't wanna break all of Rucks' toys. Sure he's gotta piece them back together enough as it is." Besides, Magnum is promptly more interested in scarfing down the offered reward.

As for the other conversation going on she just shrugs a little again. "Look at it this way. Things don't change until someone is willing to take those first steps. Sometimes you've gotta be the one willing to take them yourself and hope others follow."

Flamel Parsons (1094) has posed:
    "Well, just because something won't last or won't matter, doesn't mean it doesn't still matter to someone who wants to do it!" Parsons says cheerfully. "I trust you're going to fix things, so you do that. But it might still be worth it, you know?" Parsons calls over, recovering from an embarrassingly startled jump when the turret swiveled on him.

    "A historical piece? Wow... Still so much memory in this place. I'm tempted to try clairvoyance on it! Might get some good pointers on how to use it." He sounds like that's some kind of a joke. "Might be a good time for a quick break anyway, watching that eating go on is making me hungry. It looks good!" He seems quite eager to dig into it.

The Kid has posed:
    "Oh, don't concern yourself with me, little lady. Don't care about this scrap," Rucks says, slightly bemused as Zia watches Magnum eat.

    Zulf meanwhile, seems a little gratified that people are taking him seriously. "Perhaps you are all right," he says softly, before walking over to the food table. "Yes, now would be a fine time to eat, 'fore I eat it all myself. Zia's cooking is fantatic.

    Kid seems eager to talk gun history with Flamel, as well as take the chance to ask him to do just that, but Zulf's little threat has consumed his attention entirely. Without a word, he takes his gun back and gets himself a full bowl.