Maira's Got A Gun

Maira's Got A Gun
Date of Scene:	31 July 2013
Location:	Northern Manhattan
Synopsis:	Maira's got a gun, you better run~ Also, some firearms training.
Cast of Characters:	Mercade Alexander, Maira

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Mercade Alexander has posed:
Maira's asked Mercade something unusual! He wasn't expecting to get such a request from the sprightly and fiery woman, but hey, he's perfectly happy to oblige.

This is why they're at a local firing range. Mercade is standing next to a firing lane, a couple different pistols laid out on the bench before them. The clips are removed, lying next to them. The Heartless threat has seen a resurgence in self-defense methods, but there aren't a lot of people around this time of day, giving them both plenty of space.

Maira has posed:
Maira sort of wondered what one wore to a shooting range for a good while before settling on her lone pair of jeans and a t-shirt she hoped Avira wouldn't mind if she borrowed. She'd been told that is something best friends do. It's a little tight, but it would do!

Maira stands beside Mercade, looking over the guns with slightly wide eyes, smiling all the while--which really, might be slightly unsettling. "I know my magic is my first line of defense, but its also my /only/ line of defense. I figured it wasn't a bad idea to learn to shoot, since the idea of me with a sword is pretty silly," she says, laughing lightly.

Maira bites her lip. "Alright, teach away! What should I do first? Should I just watch you for a bit? I mean I kind of sort of know how to hold one but not...you know...really."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"It's true, you don't really have the build for a sword." Mercade rubs his chin. He is pretty sure he's seen those clothes on Avira before himself, but then Avira rarely dresses up. It's just her style. Fancy clothes get ruined easy.

"All right. The first thing is that we need to begin with the basics. Gun Safety will make sure that you always know what you're doing and that you don't shoot anything you don't mean to shoot. They're tools, but dangerous ones."

Mercade carefully picks up the first pistol, a small nine millimeter. He points the gun at the ground with his index finger forward along the barrel. "First, how to hold the gun. Always leave the safety on. Never leave your finger on the trigger. They're designed to only need a little pressure to fire, so if you aren't absolutely sure on what you're doing you can shoot yourself in the leg... or worse."

He then shows the bottom of the gun to Maira. "You will notice there is no ammunition clip in this gun. Do you believe it is empty?"

Maira has posed:
Maira listens intently, nodding as he speaks to show that she is listening. "Right, safety. Of course," she says. Boy, she wishes she'd had a 'magic safety' course when she'd first come into her power. That would have been useful no doubt.

At the question, Maira looks between the gun and Mercade. "Ummm....yes?" she tries.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade then promptly points the gun downrange, flicks the safety off with his thumb, and pulls the trigger.

The gun fires a single bullet, ejecting the brass casing to spin on the bench in front of Maira. The target's head now has a hole in it.

"A gun can also hold one or more rounds in the firing chamber." The safety is flicked back on, and he flips the gun around, pulling the slide back to reveal the chamber that the bullet sits in. "Unless you have completely checked a gun yourself, always assume it is loaded."

He then brings the gun back down, keeping it pointed at the ground. "If you are holding your gun, keep it pointed at the ground. This lowers the chance of accidentally shooting someone. By the same token... Never, ever point a gun at something you do not intend to kill."

He then gestures down range with his free hand. "Finally, you always need to be aware of what your target is and what is around them. If you don't hit them, you need to make sure you don't hit someone or something important. A bullet doesn't just vanish because you miss. It will keep going until it hits something... or someone."

Maira has posed:
Maira jumps when the gun fires, letting out a small squeak of surprise. She stares then, at Mercade, an nods. "Right. Always assume a gun is loaded unless I checked it myself. Maybe even if I have already checked it myself, just in case," she replies.

Maira chews her lip then. Kill. It wasn't as though her magic couldn't kill. It could. It probably had. She hoped she'd only be fighting Heartless, but that was never the case. "Sounds a lot like magic. I mean, throwing a fire ball, I have to think of what and who else is around as well. A bullet is just...well its so small--but I know it can do a /lot/ of damage all the same," she says.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade smiles. "You're right. It is kind of like magic. You're doing a lot of the same things, just with a gun instead of fire." He pauses. "I do, of course, recommend against setting your ammo on fire. That would get unpleasant." He then holds the gun in two hands, offering the pistol to Maira. "Here is a pistol. It is classified as a nine millimeter pistol. It's small, doesn't have a lot of stopping power, but it is a good place to start." He then holds up a clip. "Just insert this into the bottom, pull the slide to load a bullet. Stand facing your target, and hold the gun in two hands. Don't worry about anything fancy."

He points down range at the target. "Sight down the barrel. Don't squint. Be prepared for the recoil of the gun as well. When you're ready, turn off the safety, line it up, and then squeeze the trigger, don't pull." He reaches over and pulls a pair of earphones off of the wall and plops them onto Maira's head. "To preserve your hearing!" Mercade yells, before putting one on himself.

Maira has posed:
Maira smiles, encouraged. She nods, very carefully taking the pistol, holding it just as Mercade demonstrated. She places the clip in as instructed, finding that it was really not /all/ that complicated. Indeed, it was kind of fun. She'd have to be really careful about that setting her ammo on fire thing though...yikes!

Maira stands and looks down at the target, nodding as earphones are slipped onto her head. She takes aim. Her instinct is to squint, but Mercade advises against that, and he's the expert here. Squeeze, don't pull. What the heck does that mean!? Also, what's recoil?

These are probably questions she should have asked out loud, but she really wanted to give it a try! So she /squeezes/ the trigger, letting out a small yelp, as she was completely unprepared for the recoil. The bullet doesn't really hit the target, but at least she hadn't hurt anyone! She'll call that victory for now. "Ehe...uh.."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade simply stands back and lets her do her thing. It is definately easy, and that's part of what makes it so dangerous. Anyone can use a gun. "Well, that was your first bullet." He squints downrange. "You didn't hit the target, but that's all right. That's why we're here." He chuckles. "Keep trying!" He ducks under the bench and pulls out a big box of ammunition. "We've got plenty of ammo to use." He just stands back and fills up some more clips methodically while Maira is directed to keep practicing her firing. "

Maira has posed:
Maira laughs, nodding to Mercade (careful to keep the gun pointed away from him, of course!) before she turns back and prepares herself. She'd do better this time. She'd be ready.

BAM!

She fires, and hits the target square in the head.

Maira blinks, then breathes, "Lucky...."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade watches the bullet, and he whistles. "Whoo! Nice shot!" He squints over at Maira. "Is someone helping you?" He says suspiciously.... And then laughs, "Whatever works. There's no room for silliness when you're trying to protect yourself. Anyway, we're going to give you lots of practice time, and then we can work on getting you moved to a gun that fits your style and preferences. There's a lot of them out there! Hell, I hear there's some guns that shoot fire in Ivalice."

Maira has posed:
Maira giggles, though she certainly looks pleased with herself. "I bet I can't do that again though! No, no one is helping me--at least not that I know of," she says. Maira frowns then. Oh, he'd probably meant Uist. "Oh...oh you probably meant--no, Uist isn't with me anymore. The ghost. If that is what you meant," she replies, unable to mask the grief that washes over her. She puts the safety on and places the gun down. "Think I need a little break, heh. So um--what have you been up to Mercade?" she asks, a smile beginning to reform.

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade's smiling face falls when he sees the response. He calmly takes off his headphones and sets them aside. "I'm sorry, Maira." He says quietly. "I'm... I'm doing fine. A lot of things have changed lately. Avira and I..." He pauses, scratching the back of his head. "Everything is working out. But lately things just keep getting more complicated. I'm worried about Isaac."

Maira has posed:
Maira takes a seat on the bench and faces Mercade, looking concerned. "What has changed? Oh--well at least things are still working out! I don't get to talk to Avira as much as I'd like, we really need to catch up on our girl talk," she says, pursing her lips briefly.

Her concern returns in double when Mercade admits that he is worried about Isaac. "I know he had...a real bad experience--that you all did in Castle Oblivion. Do you want me to check in on him? I'd been hoping to see him anyway and check up on him. Just wasn't really sure where he was, or if he'd want to see me or... I don't know," she says with a sigh.

"Things are changing, aren't they?" she asks. She wonders, if Avira told Mercade about Angantyr's keyblade. Surely she had?

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade leans back against the bench, folding his arms and looking down a bit. He gives a faint smile at that. "You and Avira definately need to see each other more often. She misses you a great deal." A shadow crosses his face as he says that, the Detective looking a little distracted. He shakes it off and nods at the mention of Castle Oblivion. "I don't think it could hurt. Isaac likes to hole up in his room or elsewhere. If you want to go drag him out and maybe make him remember what people are like, be my guest." He chuckles. "Do what your heart tell you, Maira. Don't worry about the details. Everything will work out in the end, I'm sure."

He shrugs. "Well... As far as what else has changed... I have a Keyblade, now." If he knows about Ang's, he hasn't said anything.

Maira has posed:
Maira nods, smiling softly. "I miss her too. Everything is always so busy..." she sighs. "Heh, alright. I'll go bust down his door and make him sing to musical numbers with me--that should do it," she replies with a laugh.

It takes Maira a few moments to process what Mercade last said. Keyblade. Mercade. Now. Has. The words are all mixed up in her head, taking her a bit to put them into the correct order before she finally comprehends. At this point, her jaw drops, eyes widening to almost perfect circles. "OH MY <GOOSEHONK>ING GOD! YOU TOO!? OH MY GOD!" she exclaims, jumping to her feet and turning to take Mercade by the shoulders and SHAKE him. "YOU HAVE A KEYBLADE! OH MY GOD! WHAT--HOW--HOLY <GOOSEHONK>!!"

Maira is still shaking him. "Can I see it!?"

Mercade Alexander has posed:
"Well, he is a radio DJ. He would know some good songs to sing to." Mercade laughs.

And then Maira flips out. "Me too?" Mercade says, confused. "Who el-Whaddaayadddaaaaghrhghr!" He gets shaken repeatedly as she is very... vigorously demanding a looksee.

He eventually reaches up and catches her hands, gently detatching her so he can get a word in edgewise without being shaken more. "Yyyyyyyes." He says, slowly, before shaking his head to clear it from the vertigo.

Mercade holds out a hand, then, and focuses. With a flash, the Keyblade appears.

The Keyblade itself is gorged of burnished brass, the handle connected in a large square around a worn leather-wrapped core. The key 'handle' continues the theme with a flared, ornate look with curled flourishes. The central shaft is mostly plain, ending in a balled sphere on the tip. The keyhead is flared, looking much like a stylized north star. An etching upon the center of it looks much like an eye, resembling the TDA insignia. The center of the eye is a crystalline star lens.

"This is it." Mercade says, without fanfare. What, this is a job, not a superstar pass.

Maira has posed:
Maira had basically the same reaction to Angantyr, so, there's that. At least Mercade isn't alone. She watches with wide eyes as the keyblade appears in his hand, a grin growing to titanic proportions. She examines it for a bit, then turns her bright gaze to Mercade. "Its completely different--it suits you. Amazing," she says, then begins to laugh. That laugh builds until she's sitting again, placing a hand to her chest, almost in hysterics. "Oh...god...that's...I'm just so--I'm just so relieved--so happy," she says, shaking her head. She hadn't really realized how very worried she was.

Maira takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "Heh....yes. You, too. Angantyr also has a keyblade."

Mercade Alexander has posed:
Mercade arches an eyebrow, and banishes the Keyblade to... wherever it stays with a flash and a flick of his hand. "I don't understand, Maira." He says, tilting his head as he continues to look very confused. "What's so funny?"

Angantyr. Mercade frowns slightly, but he nods. "I... see." He says. He's kind of wary of the dark knight, but he doesn't seem to express it. "That's good. I admit, I don't know Angantyr very well, but if everything works out, then there's two of us."