a near-miss

[wavesoakedlegs]

Who: Akechi Mitsuhide (wavesoakedlegs) and anyone.
Where: A temporary shooting range, set up in a clear spot on the island.
When: September 29th, late afternoon.
Style: Prose to begin, but I am happy to match anything else.
Status: Open!

~

Mitsuhide had not practised with a rifle for quite some time.

It had only occured to him a few days beforehand that he was neglecting his training in the weapon. No amount of skill would survive months and months without any kind of practise at all, and so, with the help of some locals, Mitsuhide had set up a temporary range. This was where he was currently sat, gun raised and gaze fixed on one of the targets.

Though originally trained in the use of tanegashima, Mitsuhide had now opted to use a slightly more modern flintlock rifle. There were much later, more developed rifle types available, but those were a little out of his comfort zone right now. Better to build up to such things, while practising enough to maintain his good aim.

Once, the Akechi gun-trained units had been somewhat famous. Most of those loyal, skilled men were now lost to the pages of history. Mitsuhide would always feel guilty about the lives that were lost fighting in his own name, but perhaps maintaining his own abilities with the gun would honour his army, in some manner.

Bang!

Even as he pulled the trigger, Mitsuhide knew he was going to miss. Allowing his thoughts to wander had cost him, and as he stood up, he sighed deeply. It was a near-miss, but did it really matter how close it had been? A miss was a miss, that was all there was to it.

"Blast," he muttured to himself. "A foolish error..."

A lot more practise was going to be necessary. For the moment, however, Mitsuhide sat down fully, put the rifle to one side and picked up a bottle of water he had brought with him. His gaze still wandered over the range as he drank, pondering on each of the shots he had made so far. There had been plenty of hits as well, but he was not satisfied with many of them either.

Comments

[warrior_king]

As soon as he heard from the locals of a new shooting range, Gorthan's interest was piqued. The Evronian species was so highly dependent on technology that knowing how to shoot an Evrongun was thought to be a knowledge attained immediately after metamorphosis into the adult stage. However - Gorthan thought as he regarded the sleek, white weapon in his hand - Gorthan knew that things were not that simple. To begin with, Evronians hadn't always relied on their guns. At the time of the great Zartas, for example, the technology enhancing emotional absorption was still experimental and similar to alchemy in nature...

... This and other thoughts occupied Gorthan's mind as his webbed feet took him to the island. And he was so immersed in his own meditations that noticing Mitsuhide actually took him a considerable while.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Mitsuhide."

The gun was very evident in Gorthan's hand, and the space conqueror smirked a bit, vainly fancying himself a fearsome sight, the new king of Evron carrying the Empire's signature weapon.

[wavesoakedlegs]

Mitsuhide glanced upwards at the sound of that voice, and tilted his head.

In truth, there was a part of him that found something to be afraid of in Gorthan, but that certainly did not show now. All he currently saw was a warrior with a weapon in his hands; an unusual weapon, at that. It certainly looked like a gun of sorts, but he'd not seen the like during his search for a good firearm. Mitsuhide's expression was therefore curious, more than anything else.

"I fear I know no other way to be, my Lord," he replied modestly. "My men and I were known for skill with a rifle, so a high standard has always been expected of me."

[warrior_king]

Gorthan considered Mitsuhide's words as he examined the samurai's weapon. The technology was much more primitive than his, that was plain to see. A projectile weapon, which meant that Mitsuhide had to worry about such things as reloading and recoil... Very primitive, indeed. But not any less fascinating.

The alien raised his right arm, pointing his gun at the target. He smirked at Mitsuhide, a little teasingly.

"Missing the occupations of war, Mitsuhide? And here I thought I would never see the day, knowing you."

[wavesoakedlegs]

"I do not practice because I miss such things."

Mitsuhide shook his head a fraction. He picked up his rifle again, and stood up.

"It is merely a sensible choice. Any skill that might help me protect others should be kept sharp..."

The samurai moved until he was facing the targets again. He remained silent while he considered his next shot, taking the wind and distance into consideration.

After a moment he added:

"That, and it honours those who once fought for me."

[spiria]

[ She had actually opted to watch from a distance at first, since while she was certain Mitsuhide knew what he was doing, she wanted to make sure. As she watched him practice, though, she relaxed a little bit. When he took a break, Kohaku stepped out and made her way over toward him, plopping down beside him and leaning forward a little to get a better look at the target. ]

Wow, you're pretty good, Mitsuhide ...

[ pretty good, in comparison to her own nonexistent shooting abilities. her own brother was an archer; not quite the same thing, but the same concept at least. she'd never really picked up on it, but she did like watching it. ]

[wavesoakedlegs]

[Mitsuhide is fixated enough on a certain target that he is caught unawares by Kohaku's sudden presence at his side; he looks startled for a moment, before shaking his head at himself.]

[No warrior should ever become so absorbed in something that he ceases to be aware of what is going on around him.]

Thank you, my dear.

[He looks a little... sheepish?]

It seems you are rather good at walking silently, as well.

[spiria]

[ She looks up at him with a grin, a playful expression in her eyes as she does so. ]

Didn't you know? I'm a ninja!

[ She's kidding, Mitsuhide. Really. ]

[wavesoakedlegs]

[A puzzled frown replaces the sheepish expression. Mitsuhide tilts his head, and looks at Kohaku thoughtfully.]

A ninja?

[Well, that's a surprise. 8|]

I would not have suspected that of you. You certainly have none of the typical personality traits that ninja possess.

[malik_caesar]

[The sounds from the range had sparked a curiosity in Malik. The sound of gunfire was familiar to him, but this was not quite the same as what he was used to hearing.

I wonder who is firing off weapons?

He assumed it wasn't an altercation, but he decided to look into it just to be sure.

Following the sound was no easy feat, but it eventually led him to the man and the range.]

Hello!

[Malik's voice was strong and friendly as he shouted and waved his hand in the air once while he was still forty meters away. He continued walking closer with a careful eye. Approaching an unknown armed person always warranted some attention to detail.]

[wavesoakedlegs]

[By this point, Mitsuhide has finished his water and cleaned the barrel of the rifle. After checking it over and loading it, he sighs softly and looks back at the targets. This time, he will do better.]

[Of course, the greeting he is given puts that plan on hold, for a moment. The samurai looks over from where it came from; hmm. It doesn't seem to be anybody he knows.]

[Mitsuhide stands, picking up his gun as he does, and bows his head.]

Good day, my friend. [He says amicably, regarding Malik with a thoughtful expression.] I hope my practise has not disturbed you in any way.

[malik_caesar]

Not at all.

[He makes up the distance and offers his hand, provided one of Mitsuhide's is free from holding the gun.]

I just heard the sounds and was curious. My name is Malik Caesar.

[bufudine]

[Serph often comes up to the island, mostly to hit the beach and go out into the water. He doesn't hear most of the shots while he's out at sea, but he certainly hears them when he's back on the shore. The murders and kidnappings have him on edge, so he stills and listens for the next shot, water dripping off him.

When he hears it, Serph silently heads in that direction. But when he sees the shooting range, most of Serph's unease dissipates. While he steps forward into view, he doesn't say anything to interrupt this stranger's practice, quietly watching. It's only when the stranger is done that Serph approaches, his own semi-automatic pistol holstered at his side.

He's not really big on greetings, so he holds out a hand, his gaze flicking to the rifle before going back to the stranger.]

May I?

[He wants to have a look at it; it's a gun, sure, but it looks... well. Something that's from before his time? However, the cloudy weather means that he's still dripping a little from his dip in the ocean.]

[wavesoakedlegs]

[Another stranger, it seems. Mitsuhide looks the newcomer over, taking in his appearance and garb. He certainly takes note of the pistol. While having a little experience with primitive versions of the weapon, Mitsuhide has never really found them to his liking. When close to the enemy, his sword has always been of preference.]

Of course.

[The samurai stands, after picking up the rifle. Instead of immediately handing it over, however, Mitsuhide's gaze flicks to Serph's hands.]

Though may I ask you to dry your hands first? If too much moisture gets into the rifle, it will affect the powder and thus prevent the weapon from firing.

Sorry for the lateness :>

[bufudine]

[Oh? Not waterproof? Nevertheless, Serph nods before he complies, drying his hands on the grass and dusting the stray bits of grass before he holds his hand out for the rifle again.]

I haven't seen this kind of rifle before. What kind is it?

[champ_coordinator]

Wallace heard the gunshots and wondered who was firing a gun. Was that allowed in Vatheon? He walked closer towards the sound and spotted a man using what looked like a rifle range. Was he practicing shooting? Curious.

He wandered over carefully and approached the man. He noticed the man's last shot and his frustration of not hitting it. Wallace smiled softly.

"You are a good shot, sir. You nearly had that last target." He smiled.

[wavesoakedlegs]

Mitsuhide glanced up when he saw the arrival. It was not a man he knew, that he was certain of. Standing up, the samurai bowed his head politely in greeting before making a reply.

"I nearly did, yes." Mitsuhide laughed, a little embarrassed, and rubbed the back of his head. "Unfortunately, a near-miss is simply not good enough."

His gaze flicked back at the targets.

"Sometimes, in battle, you only have one opportunity to take your shot. Missing can put allies, or innocents, in danger."

[champ_coordinator]

"You have a good aim though, sir. I could see that you weren't far off your target at all." Wallace nodded. "Are you a man of battle?" He studied the man and could see he was a warrior of some kind. Perhaps a warrior of the martial arts or a samurai.

[silvereclipse]

Guns. So uncivilized. Guns were very much a reality in Arcadia, up to and including rotary railguns mounted on ships and lasers fired the bow of a ship powered by moonstones. Ramirez didn't need guns; he barely even liked using the cannons of the Monoceros, which was why he almost never had his ship engage in ship-to-ship combat when he preferred boarding parties.

For someone who preferred swords to guns, and was able to dodge bullets effortlessly, it seemed like a waste of time. There were very few feelings as indulgent as a blade cutting flesh. You just didn't get that with a gun. And so, as he heard the gun firing and noticed someone hitting a target...

... well...

Have a Ramirez stalking from afar. Mostly out of curiosity; he hadn't seen that model of gun before. Oddly enough, despite the Valuan Armada having some very fancy ship-mounted weapons as well as full-sized tanks... their actual firearms weren't that fancy.

[wavesoakedlegs]

After drinking to his satisfaction, and then cleaning the rifle, Mitsuhide stood up with it in hands. He walked back and forth for a short while, thinking on his next shot, before stopping in a suitable place and kneeling down, assuming the best stance for the shot.

Before actually making the shot, however, the samurai looked around. He spotted Ramirez in the distance, but the other man was most definitely not in any danger where he stood. Good.

Mitsuhide looked back at the chosen target, and after a few seconds...

Bang.

This time the shot hit. It was definitely a big improvement on the previous one; when Mitsuhide stood afterwards, he looked satisfied. He lowered the rifle and smiled a little.

"A much worthier shot..."

[sonlight]

[Chibi isn't usually one to romp about the island as of late- it brings back not so pleasant memories, not to mention the fact that it's been cloudy all week and he hates not being able to do anything about it. So he's not even sure why he's here, poking around the outskirts of this clearing, beyond the fact that the breeze up here feels a bit more rea--HOLY FISH PASTE THAT WAS LOUD

Our fearless sun god jumps about ten feet in the air at the bang (was it a bang? it sounded like bang, but he isn't exactly sure what things make bang sounds), whirling around as he tries to locate the source. It's... Mitsuhide? Holding some weirdo metal stick?

Hold on dude, while this curious pup comes over to inspect you and see what you're up to.]

[wavesoakedlegs]

[Mitsuhide smiles when he spots the little wolf pup heading over. He puts his bottle down and rests his hands on his knees, leaning forward.]

Hello, little warrior.

[A tilt of the head.]

Did I disturb you? I do apologise. It seemed like a good day for some practice. Unfortunately I have been neglecting gun-training a bit much, lately.

[sonlight]

Wuff. [He shakes his head at the apology; it's all good! Curiosity takes over as he gives the aforementioned gun a sniff... and promptly backs off, cringing a little. Not bad, but definitely stronger than he was expecting!

Your stick smells like fireworks, bro. You may want to get that checked out...]

[mothersunlight]

[Amaterasu had heard the loud bangs and blasts, and gravitated towards them. They reminded her of a friend once resident in Vatheon, Alucard, and it was curious.

She certainly did not expect to find Mitsuhide! She approaches, curiously, trotting right up to him in his moment of rest.]

[wavesoakedlegs]

[When Mitsuhide's gaze falls upon Amaterasu, his first instinct is to bow... which he half does, before remembering that such is not really what She wants. So he pulls himself back up into a proper sitting position and attempts to both A) look relaxed and B) not look embarrased.]

[For the most part, Mitsuhide fails at both.]

My lady. [He says softly.] Am I making too much noise?

[mothersunlight]

[She gets more up in his face, sniffing at that gun.

You are making quite a bit of noise, but those gun things just do that. Right?]