The Range [Sunday around noon]

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela was going about her normal routine. That meant a run around the island followed by some time at the range. She would most certainly deny that anything had upset her, even if she was running through more ammunition that she usually would on any given day.

The rhythmic pounding of the shotgun against her shoulder was quite calming, really. And there was a certain pride to be taken in the consistently excellent groups she was shooting.

[Contents of the discussion with Dinah are NFB, the range is open and people are welcome to talk to Triela before Dinah shows up.]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah had called and checked on where Triela was, then headed for the gun range. Finding out what exactly had happened during Triela's visit to the clinic seemed like a really good idea.

She waited for a pause in Triela's target shooting, then came over. "Hey. How are you doing?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela finished the last couple of rounds loaded into her weapon before lowering it and looking over at Dinah. "Pretty good, how about you?" She sounded calm, as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Triela could be fine, or she could be just covering up any upset. Dinah leaned against the divider wall, and folded her arms, watching her. "Ino gave me a call yesterday. She seemed pretty upset. And I'm confused, so... what happened? I wanted to go with you, when you went to the clinic."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela blinked, somewhat surprised. "You did?" She shook her head. "I thought it would just be a routine sort of thing. Go in, explain things, get it over with."

No muss, no fuss, no need for Dinah to tag along.

Things pretty clearly hadn't gone as planned.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah facepalmed, because she'd thought Triela would've told her first, because she had mentioned it but it'd been a while ago, because ... anyway. "Yeah, I did. Since it was such a deal for you, trying to push the limits on your conditioning. And I wanted to ask the doctor questions about advanced technologies that they could use to treat you."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Triela frowned slightly. "I hadn't thought of that." She'd spent so long knowing that the only place she could get treated was the Agency that it hadn't occurred to her to take into account how different Fandom was.

"Sorry."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"It's okay. But I'm still wondering about that. I was hoping we'd talk to Dr. Jones, she's the one that treated me the time I got hurt. You're friends with Ino?" Dinah checked, wanting her facts straight. "Beyond just talking to her in classes sometimes?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"I guess so," Triela nodded. The category of 'friend' still wasn't one she had too strong a grasp on. Even after all the time in Fandom. "We haven't talked very much recently, but we used to do a lot together."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"That'd do it. She didn't know about any of your medical stuff before this? At least, not the details?" The kinds of things that made Dinah sick to think of them, like the conditioning and brainwashing, and short life-span.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela frowned, thinking about that. "I don't know... It's not like I go out of my way to keep them a secret." But... "I don't know if it ever came up, though."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah resisted the urge to pound her head on something, seeing how the whole scene had played out in her head, and nodded. "Did she yell at you about it while you were in there?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." Triela's voice tightened ever so slightly on that single word. "I'm still not sure why. I actually thought Ino would be one of the best people to understand..." After all, they did tend to understand each other, or at least agree, on a lot of things.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah rubbed her face with one hand, then dropped it. "She was upset because she can't do anything to help you. Which doesn't mean one of the other doctors can't," she added quickly. "Plus I'm guessing she was upset she didn't know before this. And, well. You know some people find the whole conditioning thing disturbing." To say the least, given the stream of profanity she'd treated Dinah to over the phone. "Did she say anything that sounded like she was mad at you, personally?" She hoped not.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"I don't... know." Triela frowned and shook her head. "But from what she said I don't think she really understands the Conditioning." The frown deepened. Ino had been sarcastic and disbelieving about Triela's insistence that she couldn't provide any samples.

And though she'd never admit it, that had hurt.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"What'd she say, exactly?" Dinah asked, noticing the frown.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"She didn't seem to believe me when I told her I couldn't provide any samples that could be used for blood-chemistry analysis." Triela actually sounded puzzled by that. "Like I was just choosing to be difficult or something."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Terrific." Dinah made a face, anticipating a very difficult conversation later when Ino finally calmed down enough to ask her what the hell was up with Triela. Assuming she didn't just storm over and yell at Dinah again first chance she had.

"I'm sorry it went like that. I'd hoped it'd just be a calm little meeting with one of the doctors, and that maybe they'd know magic or some alien science that could treat you if you got hurt here, even if you couldn't explain much about your background." She tilted her head. "Would you be okay with talking to a different doctor, one you don't already know?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela frowned, then shrugged. "I suppose not."

She took a deep breath, "As long as they don't ask for a blood sample." It had been pretty hard keeping her Conditioning in check during that part of the discussion.

"I think I figured out where my limits are, at least. How much I can say."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Got it. And that's good. It shouldn't be so hard next time." Dinah studied her a second, and said, "You didn't do anything wrong, telling Ino the truth. She probably should've excused herself right at the beginning, but I get why she didn't. I've had Ronan treat my owies too. But doctors are supposed to be objective, and sometimes it's hard to be objective about your medical stuff." She shook her head. "Would you be okay with me talking about this with Ino again, if it comes up? Everything I know? Or do you not want me to talk to her about it?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"I don't mind," Triela said easily. "Given how well she seemed to take it," that was, not at all well, "I'm not sure it's a good idea, but I don't mind."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, me neither," Dinah admitted, glum. "But I think it's kind of inevitable." And better her than Triela again. If only for clarity. "Are you going to be okay otherwise?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Sure. I'm fine." At least she had been after she'd laid down for a while and waited for the nausea to pass. She flashed a quick grin, "You don't have to worry about me."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah smiled and straightened and bumped Triela with her elbow. "I know. I just like to." She nodded at the gun. "So show me how this one works again? And the best way to mess it up with telekinesis?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela snorted in amusement. "This one's tough. The original design is from 1897, and older guns tend to be simpler so they have fewer places they can break."

The gun was empty, but Triela opened the breach to make sure anyway. Then she left it open and held it out for Dinah to examine. "The first thing you should know is that breaking the trigger probably won't work. There's no trigger disconnector so if you broke it wrong it would keep on working just by pulling the slide."

"The only real vulnerabilities are in the ammo feed and the firing pin." She pointed out the pin, which was sort of hard to see. "The pin is back here, and not very exposed, so your best bet is blocking the ammo feed by holding the fired shells inside the breech when the slide gets pulled. If it can't be ejected a fresh one can't be loaded."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah thought she followed all that-- they'd discussed messing with the firing pin on other guns before, or just messing with the trigger. She got cloer to look at the ammo feed. "Okay, so. Can I try that on this one? Now that I know where the ammo is, and the breech? Without you firing it, I mean."