The Range [Thursday evening]

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela had spent most of her day in her room watching Amber. She didn't like seeing her roommate so sick, but at least she was pretty sure that it wasn't life-threatening.

Just gross.

She'd taken some time to look for tea, and then later to put up the posters Amber had helped her make. But eventually Amber had fallen into a fitful sleep again and Triela had decided that she needed to get out.

So she was at the range. There was something different about being alone on the range. She didn't have to keep half of her attention on others, making sure they weren't doing anything dangerous, that they didn't need any help. Alone she could lose herself in the rhythmic crack-crack-crack.

Every bullet blew threw the same hole, but Triela didn't even notice that anymore.

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Got it. I can do that at least long enough to get out of the line of fire," Dinah said, thinking aloud. She put the MP-7 back down, and studied the others. "Thanks for this. I know how-to-break-guns isn't exactly standard." She gave Triela an amused look. "I appreciate it, though. And I won't break yours, no. Maybe I can practice on something small and similar. Glued-together Legos, or something."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela considered it for a moment. "You might just practice moving a pin around by itself. See if you can... get a grip on it? Whatever..."

Telekinesis wasn't something Triela had any much experience with.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"That might work," Dinah admitted. "I think I better talk to Professor Atreides about it, too. She might have some ideas." She took a breath. "Which one would you recommend for me to carry, if I did end up carrying one? I don't really plan on it, but no reason not to be prepared."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Power, ammo, and concealability. Which two do you care about most?" Triela grinned. "It's one of the classic tough choices."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Mmmm." Dinah frowned, thinking hard, then slowly said, "I was thinking of what the police carry. So I think concealability above all? And whatever translates into ease of fire?" She paused, then had to ask, "Triela? I know you've been doing this a while. Who taught you all of it, though?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Something small, then. Maybe a .38 or a .22..."

She reached into her shoulder holster and pulled out a pistol. "What about something like this? The P7 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_&_Koch_P7) is usually a backup weapon. Small, light, easy to hide."

"I taught myself," she answered. "Hilshire was supposed to, I guess, but I've never really needed his help." Well, maybe Hilshire had helped. A little. Or a lot. But she'd never admit it.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Maybe it was ridiculous to find the P7 less intimidating than the MP-7. But possibly it was just that the potential to screw up with it was less. "That looks okay, yeah."

She tilted her head, and raised an eyebrow at Triela's commentary on Hilshire. "So, you just picked up a gun, and knew what to do? Was that part of the conditioning too?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no," Triela shook his head. "It took a lot of practice." Hours a day. But Triela was willing to put in the work.

"Hilshire told me what I had to learn. I learned it."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah understood about dedication, and Triela certainly seemed sincere. And for some people here, maybe it was that easy? Why did she find herself wanting to doubt Triela? Probably because she looked so young. And seemed so oblivious to some of the consequences. Which didn't mean she didn't have the skills, just... maybe not the discretion to know when not to use them.

"Next week, maybe a day or so after Gun Club, we should go back to the music store. I want to take Camille to play with Alice's cat," Dinah said, veering totally off-topic. Except inside her head, where Triela could use a little normalcy. "You up for that?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Dinah was right. Triela was oblivious to a lot of things. Part of that was the conditioning, and part of it was just oblivious arrogance.

"That sounds good to me," Triela grinned. "You just let me know when you want to do it."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Cool. Thanks for all this, Triela." Dinah gestured to the unloaded guns, and the disassembled weapons. "I really appreciate it." She checked her watch. "And now I'm going to crash out. Talk to you in Gun Club, if I don't see you earlier."