[D1LA] Stay On Target

[Usagi Rei]

Rei was an attaché at the embassy. This meant that his duties mostly were paperwork and diplomacy. Only very rarely did he have to shoot someone, usually when something had gone very wrong.

But rarely wasn't never, was it? And sometimes things did go very, very wrong. Rei had to make sure his skills were still sharp.

He stood in the range, pistol drawn, a standard two-handed grip. The sharp report as it fired was audible even through the ear protection he wore. A few more shots, and he stepped back, grunting. A respectable spread, neither bad nor exceptional. One a bit off the mark.

Frowning, Rei loaded a fresh clip into the pistol. He waited there a few moments, back away from the range, gathering his concentration before going again.

[Utaku Yesugen]

A pilot rarely had cause to shoot somebody with a sidearm. But emergencies required contingencies, so Yesugen found it prudent to keep her skills honed. This was especially true on a planet such as this.

And in the spirit of such training, she kept her eyes open when she came to the range. The Hare wasn't easy to miss. Regardless of personal opinion, she couldn't negate that he held appeal to women. And men, so she'd heard... She'd have to see him interact with men.

Not that that had any bearing on her life. She did a routine check on her sidearm before placing it into her holster. Then, without any overt signs, she drew it and did her best to shoot her target. Hm... Anything short of perfection isn't my goal.

[Usagi Rei]

Rei was aware of the effect he had on women... but not all women. For instance, as he stood carefully away from the range, not the woman that he recognized from the festival. The weird one, instead of the pretty one who seemed to think she was an old matron now. Rei sighed. Well, his luck couldn't be all good.

Still, he couldn't help but wave... although not before setting his pistol carefully down. "Hey, Utaku-san!" He said, accompanying the wave. "How's it going?" His voice was pitched loud enough to be heard.

His eyes darted to the side, going up when he saw her shot. Seems like she was a bit better at this than he was.

[Utaku Yesugen]

Conversing here? I suppose it would be impolite to say nothing... That and if they weren't shooting, then the earphones weren't so bad to talk through.

Yesugen unloaded her sidearm then placed it on the table. "Usagi-san!" she called out before stepping out to give a proper bow. "My family has often said that a sword arm requires the same care that a horse does." She smirked. "The sentiment remains all the same! I don't think my ancestors thought about where we'd be today!"

[Usagi Rei]

Rei shook his head, smiling amusement. Well, maybe she was alright. "Yeah, mine either. But while samurai have some new weapons, I think the same rules apply." He gave her an approving nod.

He tilted his head a moment, considering, and then smiling. "What would you say to a little friendly competition?"

[Utaku Yesugen]

"We must always be ready to fulfill our duties, whatever they may be," Yesugen said with a faint shrug. "Though I will admit, sometimes I wonder what it'd be like to ride to the beat of hooves and with the wind in my hair." She closed her eyes and took a breath, imagining it once more. The thrill of flying was much more fast-paced, and yet...

Born in the saddle, so they say. And a cockpit is far from one. But such reflections didn't do much for her now. She was damn good at what she did, at least, that's how she saw herself.

"A competition?" Yesugen asked, rife with initial shock. But in not so long, she came to be not so apprehensive; to beat someone from a Minor Clan wasn't much of a feat to begin with. And, as one might expect from someone so... unacclimated to socialization, that arrogance shined through her eyes. "What are your rules?"

[Usagi Rei]

Rei looked at her curiously. "Couldn't you find out? I thought lots of Unicorn still rode horses..." He frowned. Lots wasn't all, of course. "Or did you grow up on one of the stations?"

He watched her curiously, unable to get a good read on her expressions. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "I was thinking we each take three shots. Whoever makes the best one wins. Seems simple enough, yeah?"

Rei shrugged. "Like I said, just a little friendly competition. I feel like it can help to sharpen the skills."

[Utaku Yesugen]

"Oh, yes," Yesugen said, nodding as she thought of the few times she had a chance to. "And yet, there's something missing. A bow in my hands? Perhaps an enemy to cut down?" She looked at her right hand and then shrugged. "I wonder if a kill would feel different without pulling the trigger." There was glory in combat, after all, though if the Hare took it as abject sociopathy, it didn't bother her much.

"Three shots. Hm, I suppose the targets already have some sort of scoring system to them." Yesugen pursed her lips but left her thought unsaid. How often does an attache need to put this skill to practical use?

[Usagi Rei]

Rei pointed out towards the targets. They had several concentric circles of gradually decreasing size. "Closest to the center." He said. "That keeps it nice and simple."

Tilting his head, he regarded her curiously. "Isn't this how you practice? Or... you're an Utaku. Are you a pilot? Is it all spaceships and sims?"

[Akodo Reki]

The pair were soon joined by another, a new comer in a Lion military duty uniform. Spotting the Hare from the other night, Reki smiled slightly and dipped her head in the acknowledgment. She didn't know the Unicorn so for the moment the Akodo just approached one of the target ranges and selected one of the practice rifles.

[Usagi Rei]

But Rei wasn't going to leave it at that.

"Hey, Akodo-sama!" He waved casually. "Come, join us! We were just about to do a little friendly shooting competition."

[Akodo Reki]

Reki checked the practice weapon before responding, she was a safety minded individual. Only after the Lion was confident in it's operation did she turn to respond.

"Good afternoon Usagi-san." She dipped her head again, "A pleasure to see you again."

The Lion shifted her attention to the Unicorn, "I do not believe we have met. Akodo Reki, Gunso." Her uniform still had all the markings and like that identified her position and unit...but whether a Unicorn pilot would know all the little markers on a Lion ground pounder's uniform was a different matter.

"A competition?"

[Utaku Yesugen]

Yesugen sighed, one wistful of days long past. "Yes, most of my training pertains to the skies. All well and good, of course, but I do miss practicing at my family's home." A small smile crept up on her lips. "But I am lucky to be of the Utaku. Someone will marry in, assuredly." Though she didn't necessarily jump for the opportunity. Perhaps that'd made her words difficult to hear in the range.

Her attention shifted to the newcomer. Lion uniforms were, of course, identifiable. However, the intricacies rarely mattered to her; if she ever had contact with ground forces, she just needed to make sure not to bomb the wrong colors. "Utaku Yesugen, pilot," she said, leaving her occupation to speak for itself. "Yes, Usagi-san was explaining what we need to do."

[Usagi Rei]

"Assuredly." Rei echoed Yesugen blandly. Doubtless when forced to. She didn't seem interested in him, nor in any of the pretty girls they'd met at the same time.

Like... this Akodo, for instance. Rei flashed her a smile. "You too, Akodo-sama. And it was just an idea I had. Three shots each, shot closest to center mark wins. You're more than welcome to join us. I was just saying that competition can sharpen the skills."

He pursed his lips. "Anything to make it more interesting? Last place owes first place a drink, perhaps?"

[Akodo Reki]

"Well met Utaku-san," Reki gave her a nodded, she hadn't heard the full conversation prior or really the last comment on it from the Utaku. "Ah...I see well I will be happy to participate in a competition."

Her smile grew more exasperated, "...it pains me to admit it, but my duties were more at the map tables and command center...my shooting has likely suffered." Which might be why the Akodo had even shown up at the dojo.

"Still I have a duty to uphold the skills of my family no?" Her expression softened, out of practice or not...Reki was an Akodo and her family's techniques were known to be formidable.

[Usagi Rei]

Rei nodded sympathetic understanding. "And I've been doing a lot of paperwork lately." And drinking, but no sense in mentioning that. "As I'm sure we're all aware, skills like this have to be kept sharp if they're to useful when it matters."

He gave Reki a little bow, a mix of formal and casual. "As the ranking member of our group, I'll give you the honor of the first shot." He smiled. "Or first refusal, in which case I can take the first shot."

[Akodo Reki]

Reki smirks, "How kind of you trooper. Put the pressure on your superior to perform?"

She steps up the firing line and spreads her legs a little over shoulder width to provide a solid base, her body turned perpendicular to the target. She leans back away from the target a slight amount, giving her small area to place her elbow on her side. Bracing the rifle against her rear most shoulder and the foremost arm...Reki takes a slow couple of breaths and exhales completely, then squeezes the trigger.

A marker appears dead center of the target, a perfect little circle in the precise middle.

Taking a second to study the hit down the sights of the barrel, Reki's breathing returns to normal and steps back. "Hmm....acceptable I think. So then. Who is next?"

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Attack roll for a friendly competition. [D1LA] Stay On Target
4k3 (base) + 5 (FR - Akodo 1) + 6 (Add Honor - Akodo 2) | 4k3+11 ⇒ 55 (TN: ?)

[Usagi Rei]

Rei flashed her a quick grin. "Oh, I expect you're up to the challenge. Akodo-sama." His tone was lightly playful, even as he stepped back.

It turned out she was.

Rei's eyebrows went up, and he blinked, three times. There was no doubt about it. That shot was dead on target. He was silent for a few moments, then bowed. "Well done." He said, honestly admiring.

He let his smile linger on her a moment longer, then stepped up himself. A deep breath, his pistol raised, concentrating... another sharp report as he pulled the trigger.

It was a respectable hit, but definitely nowhere near the center. Smiling wryly, Rei stepped back. "Your turn, Utaku-san." He said.

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https://sakkaku.org/d10-rolls/3274

[Utaku Yesugen]

"Well met," Yesugen echoed. After giving a proper bow, she returned to her station and kept her focus down range. Both seemed to be underrepresenting their abilities, though she figured that it was simple humility.

When it came to her turn, she didn't opt to do her quick draw trick from before. It wasn't what she needed to think about at the moment, though she really did wonder if it'd hamper her that much.

Maybe it would have, maybe it wouldn't have. What she knew was that the Lion had bested her this round. She looked at her sidearm, glanced at the rifle, then closed her eyes. Stability of the stock. Well, I won't let a difference in armament deter me.

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(D1 LA) - First Shot: Base 6k3 + 6 (Utaku Rank 1) | 6k3+6 ⇒ 46 (TN: ?)

[Akodo Reki]

Reki looked down at her practice rifle and sighed, "Well I suppose we should have established what weapons to use before hand."

Her eyes looked out at the results, "An excellent shot Utaku-san. And a fine one yourself Usagi-san."

She sat the rifle down and picked up a pistol, "Another round then?"

This time she stepped up and lined up here next shot, the unfamiliar weight of the pistol threw off her aim, this time the round barely hits the target. Still a score, but a terrible one.

"Hmm." She frowns and steps back.

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Attack roll for a friendly competition. [D1LA] Stay On Target #2
4k3 (base) + 5 (FR - Akodo 1) + 6 (Add Honor - Akodo 2) | 4k3+11 ⇒ 15 (TN: ?)