Behind the Dorms, Tuesday Afternoon

[raspberryturk]

This was going to be Reno's last meeting with the impromptu Fandom reserve corps, and he was looking about as restless as one might expect, pacing back and forth in front of the students assembled like a caged tiger waiting for mealtime.

"Okay, Rookies, I'm gonna get to do this just this once, so you better listen up! Sometimes, you find yourself on the field, on your own, with nothin' but your wits to keep you in one piece. Most of us ain't in the habit of walkin' around Fandom with a weapon in our hands, and when somethin' invades, they like to do so without givin' any warning, yo."

He stretched his arms casually, and then grinned and bent over to pick up a fist-sized stone.

"So what I want you guys to do is to bring up places around the island, like the preserve or the streets in town or the beach, and talk about what kinda strategy you'd have in case of a land invasion, or an air invasion, or an invasion by sea, yo. Hidin' places? Impromptu weapons? Who is there to run to if you're alone somewhere? How you guys plannin' on stayin' alive? Show us how you improvise, guys. It'll help us figure out what to do with you down the road."

He grinned, and then chucked the rock good and hard at a nearby tree, connecting solidly enough to chip away and scatter flying bits of bark.

"And then, Rikku's gonna talk to you all about explosives, yoto. Never underestimate the power of things that go boom when you're drownin' in harpies. Or zombies. Or dinosaurs. I missed the dinosaurs, dammit."

[[Open! Some OCD on the way!]]

Comments

Arrive/Mingle

[raspberryturk]

We're outside, we're capable of being all talky, have at thee!

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Firekeeper and Blind Seer were here, looking perhaps a bit restless after a Tuesday without class.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[wantstodirect]

Tony had slept late (no classes, whoo!) and he was a little wired for the show tonight, so he was bouncing a bit on the balls of his feet, waiting for things to start.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[the_merriest]

Rikku was here. Bouncing like crazy. When she wasn't fidgeting. A little of both, really.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[sonofmogh.livejournal.com]

Worf was outside.

Capable of talking? Debatable.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[withoutverona]

Romeo stood off to the side, waiting to hear what Rikku would have to say.

This wasn't allowed to be Reno's last Tuesday on the island.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[intraspective]

She was rather less bouncy than last week, mostly because it was getting harder to deny the fact that the worst part of the year was coming, but she was smiling because it was a nice day and there was no reason not to smile either.

After all, people weren't leaving quite yet. She swung the bag she carried with absent ease, despite the weight of the many notebooks in it.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah had been up and taking her bike out for a spin earlier, all over the island, but now she's here and ready to learn. Organize. Whatever.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri had stopped to wash up after scavenging in the junkyard for good metal scraps for those gaderffii spelled right now! Stupid double letters she was making, but there were a few superficial scratches on her hands and arms. It happened -- metal scraps and all. (Her feet were fine. She'd actually worn shoes for that.)

They were stowed in her weapons locker now, even if they were unfinished, and she was here, ready to do whatever it is they were going to do today.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[heromaniac]

Momoko was here and mingley.

Discussion

[raspberryturk]

Pick a place on the island, and now envision it under siege with no warning. What nearby items are you liable to use as weapons? Are there any places to hide, or aspects of the terrain that you can use to your advantage? What are some downfalls of these areas that we're going to have to overcome? Let chaos reign this conversation. The more minds, the better!

Re: Discussion

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

"I know preserve well," Firekeeper said. "Am knowing ways one hides a trail from other's eyes, though is harder to hide a scent. Trees is good places- for scouting, or for shooting. Also, there is always traps. These can snare rabbits, or perhaps even humans if made right," she finished, trying not to look too uncomfortable after what was, for her, quite a long speech.

Re: Discussion

[intraspective]

"The Perk," Ino said, on a whim. "It's a small enclosed space, with a back exit and windows all along one side. Hiding behind the counter is a really obvious spot 'cause it's the only place really to hide and unless you've got enough power to keep people back from it, you're going to be targeted immediately. The tables might work better, though it depends on the enemy and how much brain power they got, but they're mobile and less likely to get you caught."

She chewed on her lip. "Though the Perk isn't the best place to get caught anyway, with the windows." Yeah, no. "I think the best bet, even though you're under siege, would be to get out of there as quick as possible."

Re: Discussion

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"The Boards theatre has a lot of places to hide," Dinah said slowly. "That you wouldn't know about if you weren't familiar with it. Right, Tony? The flies above the stage, some trap doors, some places that aren't entirely safe and aren't well-lit-- lots of places to hide or stage an ambush, lot of tools and impromptu weapons, and of course, Geoffrey." She paused. "Who'll probably sleeping in the prop room, if there's another invasion."

Re: Discussion

[heromaniac]

"What about just being in town? I mean, in the streets? That's always going to happen, being caught outside." She shrugged. "Which means you have to deal with panicking people, usually trying to run in the opposite direction you need to go. As well as only little bits of cover, really, since sometimes there are things you can hide behind but not always. But on the positive side, you can move about easily and there's plenty of room for fighting! And air support and the rest of your team can get to you."

Explosives Presentation

[raspberryturk]

Wait for the bouncy girl what blows junk up to ping in, of course.

Explosives Presentation, Part One

[the_merriest]

Rikku was here, and Rikku was honestly flattered to have been asked to contribute. She was gearing her speech mostly towards explosives found in this world, since Bomb Cores weren't that common here. Luckily, she'd had classes with both Aly and Tyler, and had done some handy research in her spare time.

"Okay," she said, twining her fingers over her head and cracking her knuckles. "First thing you need to know: explosives are not toys. I'm gonna show you some useful ways to blow things up, but do not take this lightly. Don't get me wrong, I love bombs. If you're trapped somewhere, a good explosive can blow the wall out for a quick escape. Or you can blow a hole in someone else's fortress, and now their defenses are shot to hell. But if an explosive can put a gaping hole into a wall, then it can also take off your hand, if not most of your arm. Don't be stupid."

She folded her arms and looked around the group before continuing. "Okay. The first thing you need to know is how stable your particular explosive is. Some, like C-4, you can smack around, you could set on fire, and it still wouldn't go off. That's good, because it makes it safer to transport. C-4 is also very, very powerful. Put it where you think it'll do some damage, hook it up with a detonator, and then run. Do not stick around waiting to see if the fuse lit. When you're placing it, remember the blast is going to go outwards. If you're taking out that wall, does the roof have enough support to stay up? Will there be shrapnel, and will you be protected from it? Explosions are huge, and they're chaotic. Plan for a worst-case scenario."

She held up a clear bottle, filled with a dark, viscous liquid. "C-4's hard to come by. Much easier to make on the fly is a Molotov cocktail. You get some gasoline in a bottle -- or you can use turpentine or methanol in a pinch -- and push a rag into the opening." She demonstrated with a strip of cloth. "Then you set the rag on fire and throw. It's gonna explode on impact, and it's gonna be messy. Which is good, so long as you're not tossing this anywhere where your allies might be. If anyone wants to see some trees go boom, I'll set this off later. For now, we'll move on to these."

She set the bottle down and picked up a green hand grenade. "Portable, mostly stable, and they come ready-made. You yank the pin and throw. Do not hold onto it after the pin comes out. If the pin falls out and you drop the grenade, don't try to pick it up. Run. And remember, if you're aiming uphill, your grenades could roll back down to you. If you fling one, someone could catch it and toss it back. Be careful."

"These are just the basics. You can also improvise -- spike your Molotov cocktails with different substances for an added zing, or use one bomb as a blasting cap for another -- but the reaction can be a lot more intense than you're expecting, and it's easy to hurt yourself or someone else. If you're in a tight situation, and you need to make things up on the go, then do it, but remember your surroundings."

"Another thing to remember is fire. Fire's a common side effect of explosions, and it can be a good way to get things started -- combustible fuel, some accelerant, then you just need matches. But fire's every bit as uncontrolled as explosions are, and it's unpredictable. After the big boom, there are going to be little flames all over the place, and if those get fed, they'll be big flames. Don't start a fire you can't contain."

She offered a quick smile. "I'm not meaning to sound like I'm no fun. I love explosives, and they're really good at wiping out a crowd, or causing a nice, shiny boom. But you need to be aware of what you're doing, and you need to be mindful of the consequences. I do play fast and loose with bombs, but I've been using them for years now. Keep safe, and have fun. And speaking of fun ..."

Explosives Presentation, Part Two

[the_merriest]

She traded the grenade for a clear plastic bag with several small rocks in it. "I made goodie bags. I'm going home soon, and I can get a lot more there, so consider these a gift. These are explosives that are common on my world, but you probably can't find them here. Safe to carry around with you, but a hard impact will set them off. Each bag has six of these greenish gems -- these are called grenades, back home, even if they don't have pins. These don't have as much kick as the pin-variety, but they'll do plenty of damage, and hey, they're free." She fished into the bag for a smaller, brownish-black gem. "Frag grenade. You get two of these. These have a much bigger kick than the green ones. They're great for times where the enemy has a good, solid armor -- it can crack a wedge into most casings, so from there you just have to exploit the weak spot. Save these for when you need an oomph. And lastly." The third gem was rounder, and gray in color. "Smoke bomb. Not really an explosive, although they'll totally do some damage. They'll also set off clouds and clouds of smoke. These are for when you can see an escape route but you just can't get to it. You've got three."

Rikku grinned, bouncing on her toes a little. Explosives always put her in a good mood. "Any questions?"

Talk to the Guys

[raspberryturk]

Once they each ping in, naturally.

Drama queens, the whole lot of 'em.

Re: Talk to the Guys

[raspberryturk]

Reno was just kind of hanging around, soaking it all in. So what if he was leaving in, like, a week? He was leaving something decent behind.

Maybe he looked just a wee bit proud, yeah.

Re: Talk to the Guys

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin most certainly was not a drama queen! He was very... discreet. Yes.

His ears, however, were very dramatically there.

Re: Talk to the Guys

[bitchprince]

Arthur was not a drama queen. Despite his penchant for flouncing or, as was evident again today, wearing very long coats that sort of swooshed at the end.

Teaching someone to fight while in full armor was never a smart idea. He stood and surveyed his domain the area.

Re: Talk to the Guys

[the_merriest]

Rikku wasn't a guy or much of a drama queen, but she'd given a presentation, so she was going to hang around and see if anyone wanted to talk shop.

Re: Talk to the Guys

[future_sandworm]

Leto wasn't a drama queen either. He watched, arms crossed. At least they were getting closer to something resembling teamwork.

OOC

[raspberryturk]

As always, this is open to anyone who cares to drop by! I'll be scarce during the day, but I'll be online all evening after I get home from work.

THIS IS RENO'S LAST RESERVES POST, GUYS. *clings*

Re: OOC

[the_merriest]

*clings back zomg*